Chapter 48: Don’t Get Distracted

Fu Huaizhou gave her a calm glance, clearly unimpressed by her idea. “Impossible.”

Ruan Li pouted, already knowing the answer. He’d never let anyone hit him. She mumbled under her breath, “I knew you wouldn’t let anyone hit you…”

“Forgot what happened after you woke up?” Fu Huaizhou turned slightly, looking at her with the imprint of her slap still visible on his face. Ruan Li felt a little guilty at the sight, but slapping his face and being spanked weren’t even close to the same level of humiliation.

Assistant Qin didn’t dare interrupt the two in the back, even as the car pulled up to the set. He didn’t lower the divider.

As soon as Ruan Li saw the set through the window, she reached for the door, but her wrist was gently grasped by Fu Huaizhou. Confused, she looked at him.

He lightly brushed her wrist with his fingers.

Ruan Li thought he was about to say something sweet or sentimental. After all, last night, he’d said all kinds of things to comfort her, making her almost believe he had changed.

“Focus on your work, don’t get distracted,” Fu Huaizhou said in his deep, morning voice.

Ruan Li: …

“I always work professionally, okay?” she responded, a bit exasperated.

After she left, the car was silent again. Assistant Qin finally lowered the divider and reminded Fu Huaizhou, “Sir, you have a meeting coming up.”

“Cancel it. Contact the investment department,” Fu Huaizhou said, his gaze still lingering on the graceful figure of Ruan Li walking toward the set, her dress swaying with each step. Her assistant was already waiting to help her with her luggage.

She was like a butterfly, catching the eyes of the crew as she greeted them with a radiant smile. Compared to the time she’d been confined in the mansion, she seemed more alive. She was clearly meant to shine under the spotlight.

When Ruan Li entered the makeup room, she noticed that Ruan Shu had brought Jing Yi along to the set. Jing Yi had been in her previous show, playing a supporting role, and had intentionally stained her costume out of spite.

As Ruan Li sat down to get her makeup done, she couldn’t help but hear the gossip from a group nearby.

” Ruan Shu, I don’t know what tricks that girl pulled, but she even managed to get the production team to clear her name. I don’t believe for a second that she really provided that screen.”

“Did you see that Cayenne that just pulled up outside? I thought someone with her background would drive something more luxurious. She’s got nothing on you.”

Ruan Shu just smiled gently, seemingly unbothered.

The makeup artists noticed the tension brewing.

Ruan Li tried to ignore them, already exhausted from the past few days. But when she heard Jing Yi mocking her car, she couldn’t let it slide. That was the car she had made Fu Huaizhou switch to! Wasn’t this indirectly criticizing her taste?

“Instead of worrying about me, maybe you should worry about yourselves,” Ruan Li’s gaze settled on Ruan Shu. “If your next project gets stalled again, you won’t be driving anything.”

Ruan Shu’s face lost its casual grace, unable to maintain her relaxed composure. Ruan Li had hit a sore spot several of her family’s projects had been halted recently, and Ruan Cheng had warned her that she needed to secure a future for the family.

Today’s first scene was a major one between Ruan Li and Ruan Shu. Jingluan was a fantasy martial arts drama, and Ruan Li’s character was a fallen princess whose nation was destroyed on her wedding day. Betrayed by her lover, her family was slaughtered, and she was taken in by the male lead’s sect to train.

Pei Ze played the male lead, a sect master, while Ruan Shu’s character was a naïve sweetheart who had a tragic romance with the male lead. Ruan Li’s character, out of jealousy, tried to thwart the female lead, nearly losing herself to dark magic.

The reason Ruan Li accepted this supporting role was because, after her character was stabbed by the male lead and thrown into the wilderness, she overcame her trauma, regained her strength, and ultimately avenged her nation, becoming an empress.

Today, they were shooting a pivotal scene where Ruan Li’s character cruelly “taught” the female lead swordsmanship in the male lead’s absence.

The director had been confident in this scene, but after the first cut:

“Feng Mi, you’re supposed to be a sweet innocent girl, not an idiot. Lin Qingge is tormenting you, not tickling you!”

Feng Mi was Ruan Shu’s character’s name.

For the next hour, the set was filled with the director’s yelling.

“Keep your eyes focused on Lin Qingge! Don’t look dazed!”

“Be more expressive, but don’t overact! Look at how Lin Qingge manages her facial expressions!”

…

After finally finishing the first take, the director was utterly drained. He had opposed casting this actress as the lead, but his opinion hadn’t held much weight. Now, he felt his reputation was on the line.

He quietly instructed the assistant director, “Get in touch with Professor Hao’s acting workshop. I don’t care how much it costs; we need daily lessons on set.”

Just as the director was nearing a breakdown, an assistant brought him his phone.

“Director! We’ve secured new funding several times more than before. They said they’ll be sending in a new producer.”

“Let me guess, they want to add another actor?” the director sighed, used to such demands.

“No, they said all decisions will be left to you and the scriptwriter. They won’t interfere.”

Meanwhile, Ruan Li sat on her chair, flipping through the script. She was just as exhausted from acting alongside Ruan Shu, especially with how many takes they’d had to do for such a simple scene. Yet Ruan Shu seemed completely unbothered, chatting with Jing Yi.

“Ruan Shu, don’t worry. You were so much better than Ruan Li. She only got famous because she had connections and acted like a diva, ignoring the director’s instructions.”

Ruan Li twitched at the outright lie. When she had entered the industry, she hadn’t relied on the Ruan family. She had worked hard, enduring acting, line-reading, and martial arts classes, often being scolded by directors along the way.

“Wrap it up! Everyone, take off your makeup; we’re going to dinner! The investors will be there, so don’t mess this up,” the director called out.

Ruan Li had no interest in going, but the director insisted, saying that if she skipped it, she’d be all over the tabloids. Left with no choice, she agreed.

Arriving at the restaurant, Ruan Li stared at the grand entrance, wondering how the Ruan family still managed to afford such extravagance.

Catching her gaze, Ruan Shu smirked. “What’s wrong, little sister? Afraid to go inside?”

Ruan Li shot her a flat look. “If you acted as naturally in our scenes as you are now, I could’ve finished hours ago.”

“You” Ruan Shu, infuriated, stormed into the private room.

But as she was about to run to the main seat to complain, she stumbled and fell to the ground.

Before Ruan Li could laugh, her gaze landed on the man sitting at the head of the table, radiating a cold and forbidding aura. The only flaw on his otherwise flawless appearance was the slap mark still visible on his face.

For a moment, Ruan Li didn’t know how to react. But Fu Huaizhou had already lifted his eyes to her, his voice deep and raspy.

“Come here.”