“Have you heard? Something happened to Su Buyu’s family!”

Backstage at the “I Want to Be an Actor” competition, Nan Xingxing arrived with a juicy piece of gossip.

And it  was all about Su Buyu.

Su Buyu, the top contender in this season’s “I Want to Be an Actor,” had crushed her competitors in the first two rounds.

In her last performance, she portrayed a koi spirit. A graceful acrobatic flip sent her straight to the trending list, and within a week, her personal account “Big-Eyed Kid” gained 500,000 followers.

Along with her rise in fame, her background was dug up—there were rumors that she was the daughter of the prestigious Su family in Beicheng.

Just as Su Buyu’s wealthy heiress image was gaining traction, Nan Xingxing got an explosive update: Su Nancai of the Beicheng Su family had publicly announced that he had found his biological daughter, the one who had been missing for fourteen years, and was holding a grand banquet in her honor.

“I also heard that the Su family claimed they’ve only ever had one daughter.”

Only one daughter…

Then what about Su Buyu?

“So basically, Su Buyu’s whole ‘rich heiress’ persona is fake, and it’s about to crumble?”

Among the contestants, Su Buyu was a strong competitor with soaring popularity, making her the target of envy and rivalry.

Now that her supposed heiress identity was falling apart, those competing against her couldn’t help but gloat.

“I knew it! Su Buyu must have powerful backers. Otherwise…”

Before Su Ya could finish her sentence, Su Buyu walked in, having already changed into her costume.

Today, she was playing the role of a beautiful yet domineering princess from a classic drama.

Though she hadn’t completed her makeup yet, she already carried an undeniable regal presence.

As soon as she walked in, the room fell silent, but subtle glances were thrown her way.

Everyone was eager to see her reaction. 

After all, the “fake heiress” drama was the hottest gossip right now.

However, Su Buyu was notoriously aloof and didn’t interact much with them. Given that they were all her competitors, it was unlikely that she would bring up the matter herself.

Her sharp gaze swept through the room before landing on Nan Xingxing.

Under her stare, Nan Xingxing held her breath.

She had been the one spreading the gossip.

Was Su Buyu about to confront her?

Just as this thought crossed her mind, she saw Su Buyu step toward her.

Her strides were steady and firm, each step pounding in sync with Nan Xingxing’s nervous heartbeat.

Nan Xingxing felt as though she could hardly breathe.

“Su… Su Su…”

“Nan Xingxing.” Su Buyu called out her name.

“Eh…” That voice was simply beautiful.

Nan Xingxing felt her body weaken.

“I remember you have a scene where you cough up blood. Could I ask if you have any extra fake blood packs?”

Nan Xingxing instinctively nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“Could you lend me one? My prop has a small issue.”

“Of course.”

She agreed before realizing that several people around her were giving her pointed looks.

As fellow contestants, everyone hoped their rivals would run into problems, giving them a better chance of winning.

When Su Buyu’s key prop malfunctioned, it was the perfect opportunity.

Yet, Nan Xingxing had agreed to help?

Realizing what she had just promised, Nan Xingxing quickly lowered her head, too embarrassed to meet their gazes. Without a word, she handed Su Buyu an extra blood pack.

To maintain some dignity, she only gave her one pack!

Typically, crucial props are prepared in multiple sets to prevent any accidents during the performance.

She had several packs prepared herself.

In reality, giving Su Buyu just two more packs would have sufficed.

But at the end of the day, they were still competitors.

Offering one pack was already more than generous.

If Su Buyu had asked for more… well, Nan Xingxing wasn’t sure she would have agreed.

Fortunately, after receiving the pack, Su Buyu simply whispered, “Thank you,” without asking for more.

For some reason, Nan Xingxing felt a slight sense of disappointment. If Su Buyu had asked for another, she would have given it without hesitation!

—

After receiving the fake blood pack, Su Buyu returned to her makeup station.

Other contestants had two makeup artists helping them with their makeup and styling.

But here, both of Su Buyu’s makeup artists had called in sick.

The program team had told her: “We’ll do your makeup after the others are finished.”

However, since she was the third contestant to perform, waiting for everyone else’s makeup to be done would leave her with no time.

She knew the missing props and absent makeup artists were the work of Su Shengsheng, her adoptive family’s biological daughter, who had just returned.

Though they had never met, Su Buyu had been playing the role of Su Shengsheng for fourteen years.

Now that Su Shengsheng had returned, her time as the fake daughter was coming to an end.

She had never been attached to the Su family. From the very beginning, she had known she was merely an adopted daughter, a temporary solace for Su Nancai and Shen Junya after they lost their biological child.

She had done her best to embody “Su Shengsheng,” but at her core, she was Su Buyu, someone entirely her own.

Now that the real Su Shengsheng had returned, her time as a stand-in was over.

She could have left with dignity, but Su Shengsheng, the true daughter, refused to grant her even that.

It was time for Su Buyu to perform.

In the previous round, Su Buyu had received the highest score, so expectations for her performance were high.

What made this round different was that it was being live-streamed.

The previous rounds had been pre-recorded with post-production editing.

Some conspiracy theorists had speculated that Su Buyu’s impressive performance was due to her rich family background and powerful connections, claiming that she had rehearsed many times and that the post-production team had worked hard to make her performance stand out.

But with this round being live-streamed, there would be no editing and no behind-the-scenes help. Audiences would see her for who she truly was.

As expected, when Su Buyu took the stage, the online viewership spiked, and comments flooded in.

Though some comments were hostile, what popular star didn’t have their share of haters?

At least she was getting attention.

Normally, the program team would be thrilled by this surge in viewership.

But given the directives from above, the staff couldn’t help but sigh.

Such a promising contestant with such high discussion ratings, and yet they had to eliminate her…

The power behind the scenes was truly ruthless.

When Su Buyu joined the show, the production team had no clue about her ties to the Beicheng Su family. It wasn’t until she rose to fame that her former elementary school classmates revealed her past as a child star, leading to speculation that her parents were Su Nancai and Shen Junya.

They knew she had built her success on her own, but now…

Sigh.

The affairs of the wealthy were beyond comprehension.

As mere staff, they couldn’t afford to get involved. All they could do was keep their heads down and follow orders.

When Su Buyu stepped onto the stage, the camera immediately zoomed in on her face.

In an instant, a pale, lifeless face appeared on the live stream.

[Wow, that scared me.]

[Is she playing Princess Juning? Or a vengeful ghost?]

[Looks like the “divine beauty” online was all editing. With this big-head doll, the post-production team must be struggling.]

…

Within ten seconds, hundreds of comments flooded in, most focused on how scary she looked.

However, after ten seconds, compliments began to emerge.

[Are you serious? With this close-up shot, whoever films this should be fired! But Su Buyu handled it, truly a beauty from every angle!]

[The makeup may be awful, but Su Buyu is still gorgeous.]

【The program team should fire the makeup artist who did Su Buyu’s makeup. What happened to such a beautiful woman? Look at how they made her look.】

【After the camera zoomed out, it’s actually not that bad? It just seems a little pale.】

【That was definitely the cameraman’s revenge, zooming in so close. Now that the camera’s pulled back, I feel like I’ve just seen Princess Juning in person.】

Even if the cameraman wanted to throw Su Buyu under the bus, they couldn’t keep zooming in on her face, it would be too obvious.

After ten seconds, when the camera zoomed out, Su Buyu’s pale face was no longer the focus.

Her figure stood out.

The voluminous robe she wore wasn’t something just anyone could pull off. If someone had a slightly worse figure, they’d be swallowed by the garment, looking powerless.

But for Su Buyu, the loose robe didn’t engulf her. Instead, it highlighted her graceful posture; slight in frame, but strong in presence.

The character of Princess Juning she portrayed had been imprisoned for half a month before being released, an experience that perfectly aligned with her current state in the story.

Juning had lost her status, and all her palace maids had been reassigned elsewhere. Once accustomed to a life of luxury, she now had no one to assist her with her makeup or hair. With her long hair left unstyled and her pale face devoid of makeup, she sat alone, holding a wooden comb.

Slowly, methodically, she ran the comb through her hair in front of a mirror.

At that moment, her scene partner, Fang Yiyang, entered, carrying a cup of poison.

“Juning, now that you have no one to support you, you should just drink this and leave this world,” he said.

Seated on the stool, Su Buyu remained motionless, her movements unhurried as she continued combing her hair. The camera framed her from behind, her reflection visible in the mirror.

She heard his words but gave no reaction.

In the script, Princess Juning was meant to receive the poisoned wine from someone she loved. But in reality, Fang Yiyang had altered his lines.

Originally, there were several more exchanges between them, but now, he had skipped straight to the final moment of the scene.

If Su Buyu failed to react accordingly, the entire scene would be over in less than two minutes.

The viewers watching the live stream wouldn’t realize that Fang Yiyang had deviated from the script. They would only assume that Su Buyu had failed to keep up with the performance.

Yet, despite the sudden shift, Su Buyu’s expression remained unchanged.

She was Juning.

Her eyes held a storm of emotions, deep and unfathomable.

But as the highest-ranking princess, she would never lower herself to pleading.

Though she remained silent, the intensity in her gaze sent a jolt through Fang Yiyang’s heart.

As the camera pulled back, it captured Princess Juning sweeping her sleeve aside and turning away. A single tear slipped from her eye, falling like a shattered pearl.

“I am the most noble princess of the Great Zhou,” Su Buyu’s voice rang out, still carrying the commanding presence of royalty. “You, a mere servant, dare to be so insolent!”

With a swift motion, she struck Fang Yiyang across the face.

Fang Yiyang froze.

Su Buyu… had changed the script.