Recalling what had just happened on the set, Xin Xin’s hands were trembling. Fortunately, she remembered she was driving. After taking a few deep breaths, she managed to calm herself down and parked the car in the hotel’s parking lot.

“Sister Zhenzhen, I used to think Xiao Lan was pretty good. After all, she started out as a child star and entered the audience’s view early on. But who would have thought that appearances can be deceiving? You know someone’s face, but not their heart. Inside that beautiful exterior of hers lies a dark heart. If you hadn’t jumped down in time, I don’t dare imagine what would have happened.”

As Xin Xin spoke, her eyes started to redden. Her family situation wasn’t good, and she had only completed high school before starting to work. Luckily, Fei Yun was kind-hearted and took pity on her, allowing her to join Yunlai Entertainment as an assistant. If she couldn’t take good care of Meng Zhen, how could she face Fei Yun?

Xin Xin was straightforward in her thoughts. Meng Zhen could tell what she was thinking with just a glance. Raising her hand to pat the other young woman’s head, she comforted, “Don’t overthink it. I wasn’t hurt, right? And now that we know Xiao Lan has some issues with me, we just need to be more cautious in the future.”

As Meng Zhen spoke, she got out of the car. Suddenly, she caught sight of a familiar figure and couldn’t help but pause for a moment.

“Teacher Gu, what are you doing here?”

Gu Ting had long spotted Meng Zhen. His dark eyes were like bottomless pools, staring unwaveringly at the young woman before him.

“I’m filming at a nearby studio.”

Meng Zhen had just joined the crew and spent her free time studying the script, so she hadn’t been paying attention to the news online. Therefore, she was unaware that Gu Ting was currently filming an art film set in the 90s.

“How are you finding the new crew?” Gu Ting asked softly.

Before Meng Zhen could respond, Xin Xin couldn’t help but speak up, “The director and producer are all pretty nice, but Xiao Lan is just too much. Just now, when Sister Zhenzhen was standing on a stool, she kicked it really hard. If Sister Zhenzhen hadn’t reacted quickly, she would have definitely been injured.”

As Xin Xin spoke, Meng Zhen tugged at her sleeve several times, signaling her to stop. But the stubborn young woman persisted, and no one could stop her. Remembering that Gu Ting was a shareholder at Anmei Entertainment, Xin Xin had decided to complain to the higher-ups.

At those words, Gu Ting’s face darkened and an ominous aura surrounded him, sending a chill down people’s spine.

“Is Xiao Lan causing you trouble?”

Meng Zhen knew Gu Ting was a kind-hearted person, but she preferred to handle things herself and didn’t like relying on others. She gently shook her head and said, “Teacher Gu, the matter has been resolved. Thank you for your concern.”

Gu Ting’s brows didn’t loosen as he said, “You’re an artist under Anmei Entertainment. You can’t let outsiders bully you.” With that said, he didn’t elaborate further, standing silently in place and gazing at Meng Zhen.

Meng Zhen felt that something was odd, yet she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. After bidding farewell to Gu Ting, she and Xin Xin headed to the elevator.

Xin Xin raised her hand to press the button and sneaked a glance at Meng Zhen, her expression somewhat guilty. “Sister Zhenzhen, was it inappropriate for me to say that just now?”

“I know you meant well, but there’s no need to trouble Movie King Gu with such small matters in the future. We can handle them ourselves.” Meng Zhen said gently.

The two of them entered the hotel room one after the other. Meng Zhen washed her hands before sending a message to Cao Lei, 【Director, could you send me a copy of the surveillance footage from the set just now?】

【Cao Lei quickly replied, “What do you need the footage for? I don’t want 《The Icon’s New Clothes》 to go viral before it even airs.】

【Don’t worry, I definitely won’t release the surveillance footage before the movie premieres. I just want to keep a card up my sleeve.】

Seeing this message, Cao Lei felt a bit hesitant. To be honest, he really appreciated Meng Zhen. This actress was young and beautiful, with a gentle and composed personality. She never caused any trouble on set. If Xiao Lan hadn’t pushed her to the limit today, she probably wouldn’t have asked for this favor.

But appreciation was one thing. He had poured countless efforts and sweat into his work and regarded 《The Icon’s New Clothes》 as his child. If the surveillance video were leaked online, it would bring nothing but harm to the production team.

Meng Zhen could guess Cao Lei’s thoughts. She typed quietly, 【Director, if you don’t trust me, you can save the surveillance video for now and send it to me after the movie premieres. This way, there will be no risk at all.】

Cao Lei thought it over carefully and ultimately accepted Meng Zhen’s proposal. He didn’t want to ruin his film, nor did he want a good actress to be bullied by Xiao Lan.

【Okay.】 He replied with just one word.

———pr

The next morning, filming continued as usual. Meng Zhen was still holding a chalk to write on the blackboard as she did yesterday. She was wearing a long chiffon dress that accentuated her slender waist. Xiao Lan rushed over and delivered her lines in one go, but she didn’t dare kick the stool in front of everyone. Instead, she just lightly tapped it with her foot. For some reason, Xiao Lan reacted unusually timidly, completely contradicting the bold and straightforward character of the female lead.

Cao Lei was infuriated, his eyes darkening. Originally, he hadn’t set high expectations for the female lead’s acting. But he assumed that a professionally trained actress like Xiao Lan wouldn’t have any issues. Little did he know she couldn’t even handle her scenes properly. He regretted replacing the actress in the first place.

He regretted it deeply, but unfortunately, the contract had already been signed, and he didn’t want to pay the penalty for breaking it. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue filming.

While Cao Lei directed Xiao Lan on how to do the scene, Meng Zhen remained standing on the stool, marking and annotating her script with a marker. Occasionally, she furrowed her brows in thought. Her fresh and innocent appearance added to her charm, making her particularly eye-catching.

Suddenly, the relatively quiet set was filled with murmurs. Meng Zhen looked up and saw that Gu Ting had arrived with his assistant.

Cao Lei and Gu Ting had known each other for a long time, and their relationship was quite good. Seeing Gu Ting now, Cao Lei couldn’t contain his excitement and teased, “Old Gu, have you made up your mind? Are you here to cameo in my film?”

Gu Ting lowered his gaze for a moment, then asked quietly, “Is Meng Zhen playing the role of Shi Yuwei?”

“You’ve got a good memory. You remembered it from just one read-through. She plays Shi Yuwei— seemingly innocent but actually quite scheming. She tries to seduce the company CEO and fails. Later, I revised the script so she marries an old board member 30 years her senior. If you play the CEO, it would definitely be convincing.” Cao Lei persuasively explained.

“I’m about to finish my scenes on the 《Mountains and Rivers》 set. Let’s talk about a cameo appearance after filming is done.”

“You’re handsome and have many fans— What did you say?” Cao Lei used his little finger to pick his ears, suspecting that there was something wrong with his hearing.

Gu Ting ignored him and fixed his gaze on Meng Zhen. It must be said that Meng Zhen was born to be an actress. While her beauty was striking, her versatility was even more remarkable. Whether she played the troublemaking imperial concubine or the current high school girl, she exuded a natural charisma.

Sensing a gaze upon her, Meng Zhen lifted her head and met Gu Ting’s eyes.

The man, handsome in appearance, wore a faint smile on his face. He was dressed in a simple shirt and trousers, giving off a cultured appearance, yet exuding a remarkable presence that commanded attention.

For some reason, Meng Zhen’s heart skipped a beat. She nodded slightly in acknowledgment but didn’t approach Gu Ting to greet him.

But just because Meng Zhen didn’t move doesn’t mean that others wouldn’t. Xiao Lan wasn’t blind. She had noticed Gu Ting’s arrival as soon as he entered. She hurried over to him, a hint of a flirtatious smile on her cheeks. Her bright eyes locked onto Gu Ting, hoping to catch his attention.

“Movie King Gu, I once played Xiao Qiao in 《Three Kingdoms》. Do you still remember me?” Xiao Lan said hesitantly.

Gu Ting did indeed turn to look at Xiao Lan as she hoped, but for some reason, the gentle expression he had moments ago turned icy cold. Xiao Lan felt as if she was being stared down by a beast. Her smile faded slowly, and her body stiffened noticeably.

Gu Ting remained composed and spoke calmly to Cao Lei, “You must be in the middle of filming, right? If you want me to make a cameo appearance, the quality of the film must be up to standard.”

Cao Lei understood Gu Ting’s implication and gestured to the crew members, “Quickly return to your positions. Let’s reshoot that scene we just did. Xiao Lan, you must control your timing properly, understood?”

As a bankable actress favored by Yunlai Entertainment, although Xiao Lan’s family background wasn’t prestigious, she was well-informed. She knew that Gu Ting came from a wealthy family and was the sole heir to a vast fortune. In a couple of years, when he grew tired of the entertainment industry, he would return to inherit billions from the family business. If she could climb this strong and thriving tree, her future path would undoubtedly be smoother.

Xiao Lan’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Even without Cao Lei’s reminder, she would give her best performance. It would be great if she could capture Gu Ting’s attention.

The director shouted “Action”, and the props manager turned on the fan, adjusting it to the lowest setting. Meng Zhen’s skirt fluttered in the breeze, revealing her smooth, delicate skin. Occasionally, the sound of birds chirping from outside could be heard, making everyone feel like they had truly gone back to their high school years.

Gu Ting casually averted his gaze as Xiao Lan finally made her entrance. She recited her lines, striving to display her most delicate expressions. However, her attempt to kick the stool looked odd, resembling more of a dance move than an expression of anger.

Cao Lei sighed and covered his face with his hand, feeling that signing the contract with Xiao Lan was the worst decision he had ever made. Her performance was unbearable to watch, and he worried about what to do if Gu Ting refused to do a cameo because of this.

“Stop. Let’s redo it.” He uttered in despair.

Gu Ting’s gaze was indifferent. “Is there a need to keep an artist of this caliber on the set?”

Xiao Lan doubted she heard correctly. Gu Ting was known for being a gentleman. How could he use such harsh words to criticize her? Trembling, she rushed up to Gu Ting and, raising her voice, questioned, “Teacher Gu, what do you mean by that? If my performance isn’t good, I can improve. There’s no need for personal attacks, right?”

“Do you think you can improve?”