The rain tower didn’t generate rainfall over a large area like a fire truck does, so only Zhang Lai ended up getting caught in the rain.

According to the script, the female lead played by Xiao Lan had feelings for the male lead for a long time. At this moment, she rushed a few steps to Zhang Lai’s side, using a book to shield him from the rain. But before she could even begin to deliver her lines, the director called for a stop.

“Xiao Lan, your expression isn’t right. When facing Zhang Lai, you need to show heartache. You can’t just rush over with a blank expression like that, it won’t convey the subtle feelings of a girl’s secret admiration. Do you understand?” Cao Lei patiently explained.

Upon hearing his words, Xiao Lan’s expression didn’t look very good. In this film crew, she was the most famous actress. Now, right in front of all the artists and crew members, she was being criticized by Cao Lei, a relatively unknown director. Who did he think he was? If it weren’t for Meng Zhen taking on this film, she wouldn’t have bothered with this low-budget comedy.

Fortunately, Xiao Lan had been in the industry for many years, and managing expressions was compulsory for celebrities. She wouldn’t let her emotions show too openly.

“Director, rest assured. I’m confident that another try will definitely satisfy you.” Xiao Lan declared earnestly.

Cao Lei has been working in the film industry for several years now. However, because Xiao Lan mainly acted in TV dramas, they had never collaborated before. He never expected her acting skills to be so awkward. Wasn’t she supposed to have professional training?

Cao Lei inwardly criticized, before instructing the crew to prepare.

Zhang Lai stood within the range covered by the rain tower, his face filled with desolation as he stood in the pouring rain and his eyes were fixed intensely on Meng Zhen’s retreating figure.

Xiao Lan ran over again with the book in hand, deliberately portraying a pained expression. Tilting her head back, she ensured her profile was captured at its most beautiful angle in the shot. In a soft voice, she said, “You’re such a fool. If you like someone, just go after them. What’s the use of just staring like this?!”

As she spoke, Xiao Lan tiptoed and tried to shield Zhang Lai from the rain. However, the icy water made her hands tremble, causing the book to slip and fall directly onto the muddy ground.

“Stop! Xiao Lan, what’s wrong with you? It’s Zhang Lai who’s getting rained on, not you. If you can’t even hold onto a book properly, what are you doing acting?”

Outside of filming, Cao Lei was usually easygoing and all the crew members got along well with him. But on set, he transformed from a gentle lamb into a fire-breathing dragon. If an artist didn’t meet his expectations, Cao Lei could become exceptionally irritable.

Xiao Lan’s face burned hot with embarrassment. Just now, she had been so focused on ensuring her profile looked good on camera that she hadn’t paid attention to anything else, which was why she failed to hold onto the props firmly.

“Director, it’s my fault. Let’s do it again.”

“You can redo it, but Zhang Lai has been standing under the rain tower getting drenched. It’s only ten degrees today, so please be more considerate.” Cao Lei’s words carried a weighty tone. Xiao Lan felt a surge of frustration but couldn’t vent it out. She could only grit her teeth and nod in response.

At that moment, Meng Zhen stood in front of the cobblestone path, catching a glimpse of Xiao Lan’s twisted expression out of the corner of her eye. That peculiar feeling that she had still hadn’t disappeared.

Xiao Lan had consistently good ratings in TV dramas. Even if she wanted to transition to the film industry, starting with a comedy film wasn’t the right move. She should have aimed for an artistic film that could win awards. Her presence on this film set was unusual.

Xiao Lan was unaware of Meng Zhen’s thoughts. Her clothes had gotten wet just now, so she had to go into the dressing room to change into a new outfit. There was no one else in the dressing room at the moment. As her assistant poured a cup of warm water for Xiao Lan, she said, “Sister Lan, Meng Zhen’s acting seems to be quite decent. Should we still send out the prepared draft?”

Xiao Lan and Meng Zhen had always clashed in terms of style. According to Yu Jing’s plan, as long as Xiao Lan appeared in the same film as Meng Zhen, with Xiao Lan’s acting skills and beauty, she would surely overshadow Meng Zhen completely. After all, Xiao Lan had been a child star and had much more acting experience than Meng Zhen. There was no reason she couldn’t outshine her.

“What’s there to release? Right now, it’s not Meng Zhen getting NGs, but me constantly getting scolded by the director. If we send it out now, it’s like slapping myself in the face. Wait a bit longer.”

Although Xiao Lan disliked Meng Zhen, she wasn’t foolish. She understood that now wasn’t the right time to act. She rubbed her wrist where the tension had built up, waiting for her emotions to settle before continuing, “Meng Zhen is just an idol-turned-actress with no real acting skills. When we have scenes together, the difference in our abilities will be clear.”

The assistant whispered in agreement.

———pr

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

At this moment, Meng Zhen sat on a stone bench in the small grove. She was wrapped in a thick cashmere coat and held a steaming cup of ginger tea in her hands. With each sip, she felt warmth spread through her stomach, dispelling the chill in her body.

After a moment’s thought, she turned to Xin Xin and said, “Xinxin, didn’t you bring a whole thermos of ginger tea? Take some to the director and the others. The temperature is low today. Catching a cold wouldn’t be good.”

Xin Xin nodded, then carried the thermos and disposable cups. She quickly walked up to the crew members on set, smiling as she poured ginger tea for them. Since Zhang Lai had been filming the rain scenes continuously, Xin Xin made sure to take special care of him, filling his cup to the brim.

Everyone waited in place for over ten minutes until Xiao Lan, now changed into dry clothes, finally emerged. She threw a glance at Meng Zhen, before saying with a smile, “Director, I’m ready.”

Cao Lei didn’t want to delay the progress of the crew. He grunted in acknowledgment and instructed the actors to take their positions. Once he called for action, Xiao Lan ran to Zhang Lai once again, reciting her lines while shielding him from the rain with the book. Although her performance wasn’t outstanding, at least there were no mishaps like before. Cao Lei frowned as he finished shooting this scene, then finally shouted, “Cut.”

Next up was the scene featuring Meng Zhen and Xiao Lan’s confrontation. It was the day after the Qixi Festival. Shi Yuwei received flowers from her young admirer, while the male lead, Zheng Qi, caught a severe cold due to being drenched in the rain.

Meng Zhen stood on a stool by the blackboard at the back of the classroom, holding a chalk. Xiao Lan approached her with a cold expression and said through gritted teeth, “Zheng Qi is sick. I’m organizing classmates to visit him in the hospital. Are you coming?”

Yesterday, when she was receiving flowers, Shi Yuwei noticed Zheng Qi but didn’t want to accept the foolish boy’s confession, so she pretended not to see him.

Meng Zhen was copying an ancient poem and said, “The class monitor is enough to represent us. I still have to rehearse the dance for the school anniversary so I’ll pass for now.”

“You’re so heartless, aren’t you? Zheng Qi got caught in the rain just to bring you flowers. Is it that hard to visit him in the hospital?” Xiao Lan shouted sharply. According to the script, at this point, the female lead should kick the leg of the stool, causing Shi Yuwei to fall off the chair dramatically to garner sympathy.

However, to prevent any injuries to the artists, Cao Lei instructed earlier for Xiao Lan to go easy with her actions.

But remembering Meng Zhen’s legs she used for dancing, Xiao Lan’s eyes flashed with a hint of disgust. She lifted her foot and kicked hard on the stool. It shook violently, causing Meng Zhen to lose her balance completely. Fortunately, Meng Zhen had practiced on stilts for several years to improve her balance. As soon as she sensed something was wrong, she swiftly jumped down.

With a loud bang, the stool was kicked by Xiao Lan and flew a whole meter, crashing into the door of the classroom.

Witnessing this scene, everyone on the set froze in shock.

Meng Zhen frowned and glanced back at the slightly dented door. She walked up to Xiao Lan with a cold expression and asked in a deep voice, “Teacher Xiao, have I offended you in any way?”

After calming down, Xiao Lan realized she had been too impatient. She bit her tongue in frustration and sincerely apologized, “Meng Zhen, I didn’t control my strength well just now and scared you. Luckily, you’re okay. You won’t hold it against me, will you?”

Staring at Xiao Lan’s stunning face, Meng Zhen pursed her lips. She hadn’t expected Xiao Lan to be so malicious, all because Meng Zhen successfully auditioned for the role of Daji. Xiao Lan’s narrow-mindedness was beyond her imagination.

Cao Lei hurried forward in three quick strides and stood in front of Xiao Lan, pointing at the stool with clenched teeth. He asked sharply, “Xiao Lan, what do you mean by this? Did you intentionally try to harm someone?”

Xiao Lan deliberately showed a look of surprise on her face. “Director, you can’t just accuse me like this. I really didn’t do it on purpose.”

After saying those words, Xiao Lan’s eyes welled up with tears. Two streams trickled down her cheeks, making her look pitiful.

Meng Zhen was well aware that, with her current status and popularity, confronting Xiao Lan would not lead to any favorable outcome. Xiao Lan not only had millions of fans but also had the backing of a giant like Yunlai Entertainment. With such formidable support, she was practically untouchable.

Meng Zhen closed her eyes and spoke slowly, “Teacher Xiao, if you have any grievances against me, please say it to my face. We will continue to work together on this set, but if you can’t control the ‘intensity of your acting’, I’m afraid it might not be appropriate.”

Cao Lei, having spent several years in the industry and encountered all sorts of people, wasn’t oblivious to Xiao Lan’s thoughts. His tone turned particularly serious. “Xiao Lan, I’ll ask you just one question. Can you focus on acting properly from now on? If not, I’ll kindly ask you to leave the set voluntarily. This temple is small and can’t afford such a big Buddha like you.”

The day Xiao Lan joined the crew, Yunlai Entertainment contacted numerous marketing accounts. They started generating buzz online, hyping up her involvement in the film. If she were to leave the set in shame now, wouldn’t she become a laughingstock?

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Xiao Lan’s expression darkened. Her voice hoarse as she said, “Director, rest assured, I will definitely pay attention in the future. It won’t happen again.”

“Alright, you said it. If anyone gets hurt because of you, we’ll see each other in court.” With that, he turned and walked away from the set without another glance at Xiao Lan.

Cao Lei came from a good family background and was a principled man who wouldn’t tolerate Xiao Lan’s antics on set. However, the assistant director, older and more diplomatic, didn’t want to offend the popular actress. He stepped forward to smooth things over, hoping to avoid Xiao Lan holding a grudge against him.

With the director absent and that day’s scenes unable to be filmed, Meng Zhen remained composed. She took the cashmere coat from Xin Xin’s hands and draped it over herself before silently walking out of the classroom.