After pushing Zhan Qingyue around for a while and thankfully avoiding recognition, Ning Qiuxiu felt relieved.

As they approached the hospital entrance, Zhan Qingyue suddenly pointed toward the large fountain near the main gate and said, “Go there.”

The fountain was a major attraction of the hospital, and it was usually crowded with visitors.

“There are so many people. It might be too crowded for you,” Ning Qiuxiu said sympathetically.

Even though she was wearing a mask and had her hair covered, she knew they might still attract attention.

Zhan Qingyue said, “Yes, fulfill your wish.”

“Hmm? What do you mean, ‘fulfill my wish’?”

Zhan Qingyue: “Create a scandal.”

Ning Qiuxiu: “…….”

Passing on your brother’s scandal?

She was just making a casual compliment, but didn’t expect him to take it so seriously!

“Spreading rumors requires photos,” luckily, Ning Qiuxiu’s quick-witted mind found an excuse, “I don’t mind spreading rumors, but if it’s posted on Weibo, it would be like announcing to the world that you’ve woken up. That would mean the hospital door would be trampled by visitors tomorrow, and it would be very troublesome, wouldn’t it?”

Zhan Qingyue seemed persuaded by this reason and graciously let her off the hook.

While Zhan Qingyue could enjoy a leisurely recovery in the hospital, Ning Qiuxiu had no such luxury.

She needed to work hard to earn money to support the family and prepare for the possibility of bankruptcy.

She might even have to support Zhan Qingyue in the future if he had no career or income.

With “Falling” entering its final shooting stage, the filming pace had noticeably quickened.

As everyone was now fully engaged, the director was less picky compared to the earlier stages.

They were able to shoot what used to take two days in just one day, and the daily filming load had increased.

Today’s shoot involved a significant scene — the marriage of Yun Yao as a diplomatic princess.

In the story, the previous emperor suddenly passes away, and the new emperor has just taken the throne amidst chaos in the court.

Many uneliminated factions are eager to strike a blow against the new emperor.

The new emperor, exhausted both physically and mentally, faces a diplomatic challenge from the western country, Xijing.

To maintain peace at the border, they need someone to marry off as a peace ambassador.

A true princess couldn’t be married off, and the new emperor also had no suitable sisters of marriageable age.

Therefore, the new emperor needs to adopt someone as a sister or daughter to be married off, and this person must be wise and emotionally intelligent to take on the role of “Peace Ambassador.”

Yun Yao willingly volunteers.

It’s a very tragic scene, and to emphasize the sense of ceremony, the director decided to film all the details of the ceremonial process.

This would elevate the scale of the drama, making it appear grand and magnificent.

This made Ning Qiuxiu’s job particularly tough.

Dressed in the heavy and elaborate phoenix crown and robes, with accessories that were solid gold and intricately designed to avoid looking like cheap trinkets, it was exceptionally heavy.

Wearing such a weighty headdress, enduring various ceremonial rites, and having to repeatedly retake scenes for the best effect, Ning Qiuxiu was nearly exhausted.

My Head Feels Almost Like It’s Not Mine

“Xiao Chi, come over and massage my neck for me.” During a break, Ning Qiuxiu stiffly held her head up, letting Xiao Chi massage her because her neck was cramping up.

“Okay,” Xiao Chi put down her phone and came over to massage her neck.

She used to help the previous main character with massages after long hours of dancing practice that left her sore and cramping, so she was very skilled.

The massage made Ning Qiuqiu feel so relieved that she almost cried.

Feeling much better, Ning Qiuqiu then asked Xiao Chi, “Why do you look so bitter and resentful while staring at your phone? Did someone provoke you?”

“Don’t let it affect your mood,” Xiao Chi said, “You remember when you went to sign the contract and ran into girl group fans who took a picture with you? They posted the photo and signature on Weibo, bragging about how happy they were with the interaction. But someone malicious took it and wrote an article saying you went to see the girl group perform secretly, lamenting that you must regret leaving now that the mystery girl group is so popular—cursing their grandmothers! They don’t even know who was riding on our coattails back then.”

Ning Qiuxiu was both speechless and amused.

Recently, her popularity had risen, and those marketing accounts had probably found it profitable to write about her.

Even trivial matters were being blown out of proportion.

“Don’t worry about them; let Brother Qu handle it.”

“Mm-hmm,” Xiao Chi nodded, “Having haters is actually a sign of being popular. I’m not angry, pfft!”

Ning Qiuxiu was amused by her reaction.

At that moment, Xu Ya brought over two cups of hot cocoa, handing one to her and saying, “Here’s some energy for you; you’ll need it to keep going later.”

“Thank you,” Ning Qiuqiu accepted the cup, took a sip, and enjoyed the perfectly sweet, warm drink.

No one expected that Xu Ya, who had initially given her a hard time, would end up being one of the people she got along with best on set.

She invited Xu Ya to sit down and asked, “You seemed off today. Are you worried about something?”

“It’s nothing major,” Xu Ya said. “My contract with the company is expiring this year, and the renewal would be for a long term. I don’t want to commit to such a long term, but the offers from other companies aren’t that good, so I’m quite conflicted.”

Xu Ya’s fame was somewhat notable but not comparable to those in the second tier or above.

However, she was still young and had a lot of potential for growth, so signing a long-term contract seemed disadvantageous.

“How long would the new contract be?” Ning Qiuxiu asked.

“Ten years.”

Such a long time…

That’s essentially dedicating one’s youth to the company.

It’s indeed a bit of a trap.

“Ah, if only I had money, I’d start my own studio and be the boss. It would be great not having to deal with these bosses and be squeezed dry,” Xu Ya said with a bitter smile.

Ning Qiuxiu suddenly remembered Ye Ke, the unremarkable but future superstar she had met before in her company’s performance class.

She had considered bringing her under her wing, but with her marriage to Zhan Qingyue and taking on the role of the second female lead in “The Falling” she got sidetracked.

A bold idea crossed her mind.

Now that Zhan Qingyue has awakened, but the Zhan family company is currently under Zhan Qingyue’s brother, Zhan Qingyuan, it’s uncertain whether Zhan Qingyue will regain control in the near future.

The company is currently infiltrated by Zhan Qingyuan’s influence, and with Zhan Qingyue having been incapacitated for two years, it won’t be easy for him to just take over.

The Zhan brothers have a good relationship.

Unless Zhan Qingyue is a malevolent character from the books who would betray his brother, he’s unlikely to engage in such power struggles.

At most, he might return and collaborate with Zhan Qingyuan to develop the family business.

But that situation would be somewhat stifling for both sides.

Expanding into new business areas would be inevitable.

Why not encourage Zhan Qingyue to start his own entertainment company?

She could use her knowledge from the book to recruit potential stars to their company. Wouldn’t that be… fantastic?

Zhan Qingyue is excellent in management and decision-making, and with her bringing in future superstars, this entertainment company could have a promising future!

Perhaps they’d accidentally become a major player in the entertainment industry. By then, she’d be the top figure in the industry, hahaha.

Just imagining it made Ning Qiuxiu excited.

She decided to wait until Zhan Qingyue’s health improved to discuss this idea with him.

“For now, don’t worry too much. There might be even better opportunities coming your way,” Ning Qiuxiu reassured Xu Ya.

Such as her future company.

“Ah, I’m not in a hurry, but that lousy agent of mine keeps pressuring me. This morning, he said a bunch of things that almost made me spit blood!” Xu Ya said angrily.

Ning Qiuxiu patted her shoulder, “Trust me, things will work out in the end. Your agent is pressuring you to make you anxious; the more they do that, the more you shouldn’t rush.”

“You’re right!” Xu Ya realized, “That jerk is trying to make me anxious so I fall into their trap. I won’t think about it anymore; I have the initiative, so let them go to hell!”

Ning Qiuxiu smiled and nodded.

After sitting for a while, the director called for preparation, and Ning Qiuxiu went back to shooting.

In the final scene, Ning Qiuxiu bid farewell to her loved ones and the lover she harbored in her heart, resolutely embarking on a luxurious carriage to the capital, shedding tears as she left her hometown.

Before boarding the carriage, she had a scene with the male lead.

Although it only had one line, she needed to convey her inner reluctance and unspoken affection for him.

However, this personal sentiment couldn’t be shown; she had to make it seem like the parting was that of siblings in front of the courtiers and the prince of the capital, who was her future husband.

The director gave them their cue and asked them to prepare.

Ning Qiuxiu lowered her head and took a moment to compose herself.

When the director shouted “Action,” her eyes were already filled with tears.

“Your Highness.”

Yun Yao’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

This was the first time she dared to look directly at the man she had admired for so long, and it was probably the last.

Although he was dressed in a magnificent dragon robe, he looked much more haggard due to sleepless nights, no longer the carefree and charming figure she had first seen.

Yet, she couldn’t suppress her feelings for him.

But this affection would now be tightly sealed and buried in her heart.

From now on, she was a princess, his sister, and had responsibilities as heavy as his, to protect the country and its people.

Thinking of this, Yun Yao’s gaze became resolute as she said, “A Yao is leaving. Take care.”

After speaking, she resolutely turned and walked towards the luxurious carriage.

She bent down and sat inside, pulling the curtain down without taking another look at the beautiful landscape.

“Good, cut!” The director called out, and the serious atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Ning Qiuxiu got out of the carriage and took the tissues handed to her by her assistant to wipe away her tears.

“Hmm, I actually cried watching the performance. I’m so silly,” Xiao Chi said, handing her a tissue while crying.

Ning Qiuxiu patted her on the shoulder and looked up, noticing that many girls on set were also moved to tears by her scene.

“I thought it would take at least one or two takes,” Fang Jinran said as she approached Ning Qiuxiu, “I’m envious of your acting skills and emotional understanding of the character.”

“If you keep flattering me, my tail will end up leaving home and soaring into space,” Ning Qiuxiu joked with a smile.

Having been an actress for seven years in the real world, though not a big star, her acting skills were solidly honed.

As a professional graduate, once she understood the role, she quickly immersed herself in it.

Most importantly, her neck was truly on the verge of breaking!

“It’s worth soaring into space,” Fang Jinran said generously, “You were truly amazing.”

Ning Qiuxiu exchanged a few words with Fang Jinran, and more people came over to compliment her performance, saying they were moved to tears.

Ning Qiuxiu graciously accepted their praise.

Ji Weilang, who watched the entire performance from a distance, was also deeply impressed.

However, she certainly wouldn’t come over to praise her.

Instead, she silently clenched her fist, channeling her awe and a subtle hint of jealousy into motivation.

She could do it too!

When Ning Qiuxiu finally entered the dressing room to remove the heavy headpiece, she was almost moved to tears.

Xiao Chi handed her the phone and said, “Sister Qiuxiu, your phone rang once while you were filming. It was a call from Jingjing. You should check if there’s something urgent.”

“Alright.” Ning Qiuxiu took the phone, thinking that Jingjing must have urgently called her about a “rival in love” needing to be dealt with.

Such as that Jia Qing.

Ning Qiuxiu opened WeChat and saw that Jingjing had left her a long message.

She quickly skimmed through it and caught the key point: Her parents had gone to the hospital to visit Zhan Qingyuan.

Ning Qiuxiu: !!!

By the time Ning Qiuxiu arrived at the hospital, her parents had already left.

She nervously walked into the hospital room, where Zhan Qingyuan was awake.

Seeing her enter, he gave a half-smile and said, “Father-in-law? Mother-in-law?”

Ning Qiuxiu: ……