Director Qian paid no more attention to Jiang Lianqin, his gaze falling on Meng Zhen and Zhao Baoru.

“Zhao Baoru, have you considered it? Do you want to take on the role of Queen Jiang? She’s the first wife of King Zhou of Shang, dignified and virtuous, and her scenes are not much fewer than those of Daji.”

In the entertainment industry, movie stars held a higher status compared to TV stars. However, Zhao Baoru had been out of the spotlight for three years. She had lost all her past resources and connections, making it impossible for her to act in movies at the moment. She had no choice but to start again with a well-produced TV drama.

Although Zhao Baoru had never worked with Director Qian before, she trusted his abilities.

She nodded. “I’m willing to play Queen Jiang.”

Director Qian responded with a grunt and continued, “In a few days, we will start filming Daji’s scenes. You and Meng Zhen should pack up and fly to Hengdian the day after tomorrow. The set there is already prepared, and we can shoot all the scenes related to Zhaoge^[1]capital of the Shang dynasty.”

As they were leaving the rest area, Jiang Lianqin’s eyes turned red, and she hoarsely questioned, “Meng Zhen, I considered you a good friend, yet you stole my role? Isn’t that too much?”

Jiang Lianqin’s acting skills were not impressive, but her ability to play the victim was top-notch. At that moment, her tearful accusations drew the attention of many extra actors.

“That role was never finalized, which is why an audition was needed. I didn’t expect you to be so confident, assuming you would get the part before even coming to the crew.” Meng Zhen remarked pointedly.

Jiang Lianqin was, after all, the most popular contestant in the show 《Dream Chaser》, and her fame was much greater than Meng Zhen’s.

By now, the extras gathered outside the studio had recognized her, and some even took out their phones from their pockets to take pictures.

Seeing this, Zhao Baoru furrowed her brows. Having spent so many years in the entertainment industry, she had encountered all sorts of people and could instantly see through Jiang Lianqin’s hypocrisy. “The audition result was decided by Director Qian. If Ms. Jiang isn’t satisfied, you can discuss it with him.”

Jiang Lianqin bit her lip hard, looking very aggrieved. However, Meng Zhen and Zhao Baoru ignored her and turned away, leaving the studio building.

———pr

Two days later, Meng Zhen and Zhao Baoru boarded a flight to Hengdian together. They stayed in the hotel arranged by the crew and received the script after signing the contract.

According to the schedule, they were set to shoot the scene where Daji was possessed by the Nine-Tailed Fox tomorrow.

At that time, Daji had just arrived in Chaoge. Despite King Zhou’s favor, her days were still difficult. Queen Jiang in the palace did not like her. After all, no woman in this world would like a rival to her husband.

Daji missed her relatives in Jizhou, as well as the plants and trees there. She wanted to return to the vast and expansive sky, rather than being imprisoned in the splendid palace like a caged bird.

But her fate had already been decided. On King Zhou’s birthday, the Nine-Tailed Fox, sent by Nuwa^[2]a goddess in Chinese mythology, would come to Zhaoge and possess Daji.

From then on, she would overturn the six-hundred-year history of Cheng Tang^[3]the first ruler of the Shang dynasty.

The difficulty lies in portraying Daji’s two completely different states convincingly.

Initially just a timid and fragile young girl, after enduring the pain of possession, she transformed into a seductive and captivating monster.

Meng Zhen pondered until dark. To ensure she was in good condition, she did not stay up late. After applying her skincare products, she went to sleep.

———pr

The next morning, Meng Zhen followed the production team into the set located inside Hengdian.

Director Qian attached great importance to quality so he brought in the most famous makeup team in the country. At this point in the story, according to the script, Daji is portrayed as an innocent and naive young girl. Therefore, the makeup artist only used eyeliner to outline Meng Zhen’s eye shape, slightly drooping the outer corners to create a more gentle look and applied light-colored eyeshadow.

Meng Zhen looked at herself in the mirror and she indeed appeared much more youthful. She changed into the new green quju^[4]diagonal body wrapped, full-body garment prepared by the crew, with her hair tied up with a matching silk ribbon.

The stylist secretly admired Meng Zhen. Having seen many female stars, Meng Zhen had the best foundation, with her clear and pure features, striking yet elegant. She needed minimal embellishment to play the role of the famous enchanting concubine, indicating just how beautiful she truly was.

Meng Zhen walked out of the makeup room and entered a quaint and ancient-style living quarter.

Director Qian held the script in his hand and quickly approached her. “Later, stand by the door and silently shed tears while facing outside. Then come back and collapse on the couch. That’s when the Nine-Tailed Fox possesses you. The whole process is very painful, understand?”

Meng Zhen nodded. In her previous life, she was an excellent actress, so she naturally understood the director’s meaning.

When Director Qian gave the signal to start, Meng Zhen stood by the door, her fingertips appearing almost translucent against the dark wood grain.

Perhaps due to the intense sunlight, the young woman squinted her eyes, and layers of water-like shimmer appeared in her eyes, like ripples forming on a calm lake surface.

Tears trickled down her cheeks as Meng Zhen cried silently. She lightly bit her lower lip, using her eyes to convey Daji’s sense of grievance, longing, and despair.

She feared Zhaoge. Everything there was different from Jizhou. Perhaps she would never be able to leave this place for the rest of her life.

Meng Zhen staggered back, as if all her strength had been drained from her, and collapsed onto the bed.

Suddenly, her slender body tensed up, and a pained expression appeared on her face.

She tried to scream, but her throat couldn’t produce any sound.

In the end, she could only close her eyes in despair.

After what seemed like an eternity, Meng Zhen slowly opened her eyes. Tear stains marked her cheeks, but her gaze had completely changed. It was now cunning and lively, resembling that of a fox, while also exuding a seductive charm.

“Cut!”

Upon hearing Director Qian’s voice, Meng Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. Worried that her performance might not have been satisfactory, she approached the director and asked proactively, “Director Qian, do we need to redo any part?”

“This scene has no lines. Why do we need to redo it?” He waved his hand dismissively and turned to discuss the progress with the producer.

The first scene went without any retakes, which was undoubtedly good news for Meng Zhen.

Compared to the other male actors, her role wasn’t very extensive to begin with. After finishing that morning’s work, she only had one night scene left for today.

In the drama, the male lead wasn’t Jiang Ziya^[5]King Wu of Zhou’s strategist but Ji Fa, King Wu of Zhou, played by the popular actor Lin Yu. He had just turned twenty-five this year but was already one of the most well-known celebrities in the country, with over fifty million followers on Weibo. His every move was closely followed by paparazzi.

At the moment, Meng Zhen sat on a folding chair inside the set, holding a boxed meal in her hands and eating it slowly.

Having experienced hunger in her childhood, Meng Zhen never wasted food. She ate with utmost seriousness, though her manner of eating was graceful and pleasing to the eye.

However, the light in front of her was suddenly blocked, and when Meng Zhen looked up, she saw Lin Yu standing beside her.

“Teacher Lin, the boxed meal is over at the production office.”

Lin Yu had a pair of charming peach blossom eyes, but his demeanor was aloof and exuded an aura that kept others at a distance. People from the crew were hesitant to approach him too closely.

“I heard from Xuero that you’re her sister.”

Meng Zhen hadn’t expected Lin Yu to know Xu Xuero. She squinted her eyes, carefully recalling that elusive dream, realizing that the two had indeed grown up together. Moreover, Lin Yu had maintained a steadfast admiration for Xu Xuero over the years.

The boxed meal provided by the crew was tasty, but Meng Zhen had lost her appetite. She frowned slightly and gave a soft hum.

“I know you suffered a lot in the orphanage, but none of that was Xuero’s doing. She’s innocent too. I hope you won’t unfairly vent your anger onto others.” Lin Yu’s tone was very flat, showing that he didn’t pay much attention to a minor celebrity like Meng Zhen.

Meng Zhen put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and raised an eyebrow as she asked, “I don’t quite understand what Teacher Lin means. Since finding my family, I’ve mostly been living in an apartment outside, without revealing my identity. How could I possibly vent my anger onto the daughter of the Xu family?”

“Previously, Xuero had an allergic reaction and stayed in the hospital for a whole week. If it weren’t for you, she wouldn’t have experienced such severe symptoms.”

Thinking about that incident, Meng Zhen was filled with anger.

It was Xu Xuero who picked up the cat herself, but in everyone’s eyes, it appeared that the other Meng Zhen was selfish and disregarded her sister’s safety, leading to such a result.

The other Meng Zhen was truly innocent. Why should she be slandered by these people?

“Teacher Lin, have you ever heard the saying, ‘Words are but wind, but seeing is believing’? Some things are not as you think. If you truly believe I’ve ‘vented my anger’ onto Xu Xuero, please present evidence.” After saying so, Meng Zhen left the set with the boxed meal in her hand.

Watching the young woman’s receding figure, Lin Yu furrowed his thick eyebrows and called Xu Xuero.

“Xueruo, I just saw your sister.”

Xu Xuero was baking a cake in the villa, and when she heard the other party’s words, the tray in her hands fell to the ground with a loud clang.

“Are you talking about Meng Zhen? Ah Yu, when did you meet her?”

“Xuero, don’t worry. I’ve been filming in Hengdian recently, and Meng Zhen is in the same crew as me. Although we don’t have scenes together, we’ve had quite a few chances to meet.”

Xu Xuero pursed her lips, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and said cryptically, “Ah Yu, all these years, my sister has been in the orphanage, enduring so much hardship. Meanwhile, I replaced her position and grew up safely in the Xu family. Whatever my sister’s thoughts are, I want to make amends to her. Since both of you are in Hengdian, could you please look after her for me?”

Lin Yu had long known that Xu Xuero was a kind-hearted girl. But in this world, those who were too innocent often get hurt. Seeing Xu Xuero care so much about the scheming Meng Zhen, how could he not worry?

Lin Yu remained silent for a full minute, but ultimately couldn’t bear to refuse. He nodded and agreed to Xu Xuero’s request.

“You can rest assured, Xuero. As long as I’m here, Meng Zhen won’t be bullied.”

“Thank you, Ah Yu. I always knew you cared about me the most.”

At this moment, Xu Xuero’s lips curled into a faint smirk. With Lin Yu’s fame, if a woman gets involved with him, it could bring consequences that Meng Zhen wouldn’t be able to handle.