“Mm, I have a bit of an impression,” Jiang Nanshu nodded.
Then she looked at her incredulously, “You didn’t beat up Zhou Yanbai, did you?”
“That’s not it… I don’t have the guts,” Jiang Leyi sheepishly said.
She touched her nose, “I just saw him bullying that uncle, so I went to help him up. He then asked for my name, but I didn’t tell him my real name. I’m clever, right?”
She wore a proud, coquettish look, wanting praise.
Jiang Nanshu smiled in agreement, “Mm-hmm, sister is very smart, not telling strangers her name carelessly.”
Jiang Leyi clingingly hugged Jiang Nanshu’s arm, “My main worry is getting duped; people can be so malicious. But he only asked for my name, nothing else, so it should be fine, right?”
“It’s fine, we have to join the crew tomorrow, so go to sleep now.”
Jiang Leyi nodded and looked at her, “Why don’t you sleep with me? I’m quite scared staying alone.”
Knowing she was referring to the listening device matter.
Jiang Nanshu raised an eyebrow, “No way, go sleep by yourself, don’t disturb me.”
Jiang Leyi pouted in disappointment.
She said goodbye to Jiang Nanshu and headed to her own room.
A dreamless night.
At seven in the morning, Jiang Nanshu was woken by her alarm.
After washing up, she gathered at the hotel’s main entrance.
She took the breakfast Jiang Leyi handed her and ate without much appetite.
Su Ran, wearing a cap, walked to the back.
Others were grouped in twos and threes, while she was alone, seeming a bit lonely.
The crew’s location was at a famous filming site in Port City; the crew would film there for about a month before switching locations.
Boarding the bus.
Besides Movie Emperor Song Shizhao, who hadn’t arrived yet, nearly all of the main cast sat together.
While Jiang Nanshu, part of the supporting personnel, sat in the back.
She covered her face with her hat and slept.
Su Ran first made sure Jiang Nanshu wasn’t waking up before casually striking up a conversation with Jiang Leyi, “Le Yi, have you memorized your lines?”
Jiang Leyi had been playing with her phone when she suddenly heard Su Ran’s voice.
She looked at her in mild astonishment.
It was quite unexpected that Su Ran would initiate conversation with her.
Previously, when they were in the same crew, because she didn’t care for Su Ran, Su Ran hardly ever approached her.
“Do you need something?” Jiang Leyi asked, frowning.
Su Ran pursed her lips, feeling her lips were extremely dry.
Catching Yuan Feng smiling at her from the corner of her eye, she forced herself to continue, “I’m not solid with my lines; I was hoping you could rehearse them with me so we can get Director Wen to approve our scene first.”
Seeing that Jiang Leyi was silently watching her.
Su Ran added, “We are both actors, and to present a perfect performance to the audience, we need to get our emotions and expressions right. My acting isn’t as good as yours, and I’d like to ask for your advice.”
Jiang Leyi: “???”
Was this the unyielding Su Ran?
She was actually admitting that her acting was better than hers.
That was pretty outrageous.
But she had a point; they were both actors, and in front of acting, all grudges could be momentarily set aside.
After all, if the drama was a hit, that’s when they would gain fame.
So, she pinched her nose and agreed, “Okay, we can find some time to run lines together.”
Su Ran breathed a sigh of relief and gave Jiang Leyi a sincere smile, “Thank you, Le Yi.”
Jiang Leyi’s face was expressionless, “You’re welcome, it’s all in service of the acting. Make sure to study your lines well, I won’t have much time to help you.”
Su Ran’s smile faded slightly, “Yeah, I get it.”
“”
The bus drove for about half an hour before reaching the destination.
Director Wen was already waiting there early in the morning.
After taking a group photo to mark the start of filming, everyone got to work.
The opening scenes were all Su Ran’s.
Song Shizhao arrived around noon.
There were fight scenes here.
As the martial arts instructor, Jiang Nanshu stepped in to direct.
In reality, the female actress just had to make a few moves and create the illusion of facing multiple opponents alone. With some post-production special effects added, the effect of the heroine’s Combat Power being MAX could be achieved.
But she had underestimated Su Ran’s hesitance; she didn’t even dare to swing her arms and legs properly, her hands always unconsciously guarding her abdomen.
After several NGs, Director Wen’s patience gradually wore thin.
“Su Ran, can you even act? In this scene, you’re supposed to be kicked in the stomach by the enemy, temporarily incapacitated, with the male lead stepping in to save the day, only to ’die tragically’ at the hands of the enemy. How can we continue if you’re too scared to move? What do you have in your stomach, gold? Why are you always covering it with your hands?”
Su Ran, scolded, turned pale and said in a mosquito-like voice, “I’m sorry, Director Wen, I’ll pay attention. I’m just scared.”
Song Shizhao, the distinguished Movie Emperor, said to Director Wen without any airs, “Don’t rush her. Teach newcomers slowly. It’s harder to act in a historical drama.”
Speechless, Director Wen thought, Scared?
If she’s scared, why act in the first place?
It would be easier for her to go home and sit out a month in postpartum confinement.
Fuming, he sat down again.
Song Shizhao turned his head to look at Jiang Nanshu and smiled kindly, “Cousin, I appreciate you taking the time to teach again. This is my first time knowing you are so skilled; you used to hide your talent well.”
Jiang Nanshu gave a smile, “Big cousin, there’s a lot you don’t know about me. You’d better focus on performing well in this film instead of meddling.”
Song Shizhao’s gaze grew cold.
Jiang Nanshu didn’t say it outright, but he felt threatened.
He was truly curious about how Jiang Nanshu had discovered his secret.
Gambling and drug addiction were known by only two people.
One was the agent who covered up for him and his secret mistress, and the other was his mother.
Neither of those would betray him.
Yet his aunt mentioned Jiang Nanshu was the one who told her.
Afterward, he had checked for a while.
Jiang Nanshu had never appeared around him from the start to the end.
It was puzzling.
But those who knew his secret, if not on his side, could only be dead!
Song Shizhao nodded with a smile, “What you said makes sense. Please continue teaching, I won’t interrupt.” He gestured politely, then stepped aside.
Teaching took up Jiang Nanshu’s entire afternoon.
Su Ran simply refused to let another extra lightly kick her in the stomach.
Director Wen, with a dark expression, changed the move to a push on the shoulder, and then pretended to fall to the ground.
Still, Su Ran refused, avoiding any scenes that required her to fall.
Director Wen’s face turned green with anger.
On the first day, there was no progress at all.
Su Ran angered everyone on the crew single-handedly.
“What right does a minor star have to throw tantrums? Does she think she’s an Empress of Film? Even empress-level stars fight their way up; she can’t even take a fall. Being so pampered, why does she even bother acting? She should change careers!”
“That’s right, this is the most absurd star I’ve ever seen. No wonder she can’t succeed despite having so many resources; it’s bad luck to work with her.”
On the way back to the hotel, Su Ran passed them in silence, got into her nanny car, and gripped the edge of her clothing tightly.
It would be better if this child just disappeared.
She was always afraid of a miscarriage on set exposing her unmarried pregnancy.
After getting out of the car, she saw Jiang Leyi being stopped at the hotel entrance by a weathered middle-aged man.