Chapter 18: Yu Dui Dui

After Guan Yan’s commotion, Tang Qu’s trending topic quickly fizzled out without making much of a splash.

“Now that we can’t see how this unfolds, what are you planning to do?” Zhang Yong nudged Tang Qu, who was engrossed in his phone.

“Don’t worry about it. If it can be suppressed so easily, it means the other party doesn’t have much of a background either. So why should we be concerned? Let’s just wait and see.”

Zhang Yong rolled his eyes: “You’re really like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger. Even if their background is small, it’s still much stronger than yours, which is practically nonexistent.”

Tang Qu finally put down his phone: “But I have you by my side, and the company backing me. Naturally, I don’t need to be afraid.”

“You… I don’t know whether to call you naive or clever.” Zhang Yong, who was a generation older than Tang Qu, treated him more like his own child.

Tang Qu smiled, his eyes curving, looking utterly innocent.

Zhang Yong clicked his tongue. What else could he do with his artist? Just spoil him.

“Tang Qu, sorry, but we need to shoot your scene next. Please get ready.” Just as Tang Qu and Zhang Yong were watching the drama unfold, the assistant director suddenly came over to inform them.

Zhang Yong stood up: “Assistant Director, are you sure? Tang Qu wasn’t scheduled for any scenes today.”

The assistant director wiped the sweat from his forehead: “I’m really sorry. Today was supposed to be Sister Bai’s scene, but she just finished shooting and had a minor issue. She can’t continue, so we need to switch with you.”

Tang Qu frowned. He had just seen her enter the makeup room. How could she suddenly be unable to shoot?

Zhang Yong also frowned. Although this wasn’t a big deal, it was clear that the other party was in the crew but refused to shoot, insisting on switching with Tang Qu. If he agreed too easily, wouldn’t that send the message that Tang Qu was easy to bully?

The assistant director was also anxious. Who would have thought that Sister Bai’s sponsor would show up on the first day of filming? The key was that the sponsor was one of the investors. Although Director Chen didn’t approve of such things, he still had to give some face for minor matters.

On the first day of filming, not many scenes were scheduled, and most actors weren’t present. While delaying for a day wasn’t a big deal, they had already started filming, and every second counted as money.

Although Zhang Yong and Tang Qu felt uncomfortable, they couldn’t afford to offend Director Chen.

“Alright, let’s get ready then.”

Hearing their agreement, the assistant director immediately called for someone to prepare Tang Qu’s look.

While Tang Qu was getting his makeup done, the crew was also rushing to set up the scene.

Tang Qu’s natural looks and demeanor required minimal touch-ups, and the makeup artist finished in less than ten minutes.

As she tidied up, the makeup artist said, “I’ve been in the entertainment industry for a long time, and I’ve done countless looks. But rarely have I seen someone with flawless skin like yours. It’s truly enviable.”

Tang Qu smiled: “That’s all thanks to your skilled hands.”

Tang Qu always remembered one rule when dealing with makeup artists and stylists: never offend them, and always praise them generously. Although makeup artists in the industry could be eccentric, compliments were never wrong. After all, there were plenty of good-looking people in the entertainment world, and great makeup and styling could only enhance their appeal.

A few minutes after the makeup artist left, Zhang Yong returned.

“Brother Yong, where did you go?”

But Zhang Yong didn’t speak, staring dumbfounded at Tang Qu in the mirror, his eyes almost glued to the reflection.

Her black hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, her phoenix eyes, which should have been filled with affection, instead carried an air of aloofness. Her elegant swan neck was hidden beneath a white collar, but a glimpse of her fair skin could still be seen through it. Zhang Yong silently swallowed. Was this really a sophomore? Was she not some celestial being descended to earth?

“Brother Yong?” Tang Qu waited for a long time without hearing Zhang Yong’s response. She raised her eyes to look at him and called out again.

Only then did Zhang Yong snap out of it. “Huh? What did you just say?”

“Where did you go earlier?”

“Oh, right. I went to check on the situation over there. That female lead, I’ve met her before. She’s a bit temperamental and quite arrogant, but she’s lucky and has good acting skills. I just didn’t expect a girl like her to fall into such a situation. What a pity.”

Tang Qu straightened her clothes, understanding what Zhang Yong was referring to. However, there wasn’t much of a ripple in her eyes. Everyone has the right to choose their own path in life. While others might look down on it, it’s their own choice, and no one else can say anything about it. But once you choose that path, you have to bear all the consequences.

Still, there were things Tang Qu didn’t like. Even if someone had backing, treating acting as a job was important. The way the other party handled things so casually was something Tang Qu couldn’t bring herself to like. It was better to keep a respectful distance from such people.

The two waited a little longer until someone came to call them over.

When Tang Qu arrived, there weren’t many people around, but her presence brought a momentary silence to the otherwise noisy set. Director Chen, sitting in his chair, also widened his eyes slightly.

Tang Qu was the perfect embodiment of the Pure Profound Venerable he had envisioned, her every movement exuding an air of immortality.

Among those watching Tang Qu was Yu Ting, the male lead who was about to act opposite her.

Yu Ting was dressed in tattered clothes, but his face was strikingly handsome. His gaze at Tang Qu was full of admiration. He had heard from his uncle before that those who could immerse themselves in their roles just by wearing the costume were either masters of acting or had innate talent. Tang Qu must belong to the latter category.

“Yu Ting, stop staring over there. Come and greet Xiao Qu. She’s seven or eight years younger than you, so take good care of her,” Director Chen called out to the male lead.

“Got it, Director Chen. I’ll make sure to follow your instructions,” Yu Ting replied. He was Director Chen’s go-to male lead, and the two had a close relationship.

Seeing Yu Ting approach, Tang Qu immediately turned and performed an ancient greeting. “Hello, Teacher Yu.”

This way of greeting didn’t come off as stiff but rather incredibly interesting. Yu Ting also found it quite amusing. He had thought she was just a rookie, but she turned out to be such a fascinating person.

“Master,” Yu Ting also returned the greeting, addressing her by their roles in the drama.

Director Chen took a moment to glance over and, seeing that the two were getting along well, breathed a sigh of relief. The two had many scenes together in the early stages. Although Yu Ting seemed easy to get along with, that was only with people he liked. He had a nickname, Yu Dui Dui, and if he didn’t like someone, he could tear them apart in an instant. The female lead earlier had been so upset after being scolded by him that she called her sponsor over.

“Tang Qu, Yu Ting, get ready, we’re about to start!”

The first scene was the grand disciple acceptance ceremony, where the male protagonist accidentally stumbled into Qing Xuan’s sect. However, there was a distinction between inner and outer disciples. For Qing Xuan’s inner disciples, it wasn’t about their magical abilities but their character—it depended on whether they caught the eye of the Pure Profound Venerable.

The cameras were set, and the actors took their positions.

With the clapperboard, filming officially began.