Chapter 019: An On-Stage Accident

The disgraced concubine took another step forward, pulling out “evidence” from her sleeve and questioning the imperial consort loudly, “You’ve been secretly involved with the Chief Eunuch and even lent money to usurers outside the palace—does His Majesty know about this?!”

The consort, who had previously looked down on the concubine with disdain, instantly snapped to attention at the mention of the Chief Eunuch. Her deliberately upturned phoenix eyes sharpened like blades and locked directly onto the concubine.

She rose from the dragon throne, descending the steps with her usual air of superiority. Despite the composure on her face, the panic flashing in her phoenix eyes betrayed her.

“Xiao Yunting! You dare threaten me with evidence? Since you’ve stepped foot into my Weiyang Palace today, don’t expect to walk out alive!”

The consort pointed straight at the concubine’s nose, her voice cold and commanding. She strode down the platform steps, clearly intent on seizing the evidence by force.

Seeing this, the concubine hurriedly hid the evidence behind her back. Just as she stepped backward, she bumped into someone. She spun around in alarm—and there stood a man dressed in a silver Feiyu robe, who effortlessly snatched the item from her hand.

He strode over to the consort’s side. In full view of the concubine, he brazenly wrapped his hand around the consort’s slender waist and even pulled her slightly into his embrace.

The consort, who had been flustered just moments ago, visibly relaxed at the sight of the Chief Eunuch. Her slender, graceful hands rested against the chest of his robe, creating a striking contrast between her delicate fingers and the imposing garment.

She leaned against him like flowing water, soft and boneless, her voice sweet and sultry as she tattled about the concubine’s knowledge of their secret affair.

The concubine, seeing them so intimately entangled—something she had only just discovered—was stunned and horrified. Her face shifted instantly from shock to fear.

Holding the alluring consort in his arms, the aloof and noble-looking Chief Eunuch lowered his head slightly. His thin lips brushed against her hairline in a feigned gesture of affection. Then, in a clear voice tinged with the sharpness expected of a eunuch, he spoke:

“Concubine Xiao knows far too much. Only the dead keep secrets.”

Ou Xiangchen perfectly embodied the contrast of a strikingly handsome man portraying a eunuch, exuding an extreme sense of restrained desire.

Hearing the eunuch declare his intent to kill, the concubine appeared to make a sudden decision. She grabbed the nearest prop—a teacup—and hurled it at the entangled pair.

Zhu Rong, who played the concubine, felt something off the moment her fingers touched the bottom of the cup. She frowned.

Originally, the script called for her to throw the tea at the consort and the eunuch, but the prop in her hand didn’t feel right. Thinking quickly, she redirected her throw to splash the tea near their feet instead.

Fang Yimeng caught the change in direction instantly. Her reflexes kicked in—this was no ordinary prop. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Ou Xiangchen’s waist and pushed him behind her, avoiding the splash of hot water.

The scene ended at the very moment the tea hit the floor.

The host below the stage was still reacting when he was stunned by a cold, commanding voice.

“Stagehands! Come investigate who tampered with this teacup!”

Fang Yimeng immediately let go of Ou Xiangchen’s waist and kicked at her now-heavy skirt, weighed down by the spilled tea.

Ou Xiangchen was still dazed from the sudden embrace and push. For a moment, he didn’t fully register what she had just said.

Lu Jingshan had been sitting before the monitor, watching the intimate scene between the consort and the eunuch unfold. His expression had been impassive, but the moment Fang Yimeng shouted for an investigation, he reacted faster than Director Zheng and shot to his feet.

As the stagehands rushed onto the stage, Lu Jingshan’s long legs gave him a head start, and he quickly reached Fang Yimeng.

“What happened?” he asked in a low, serious voice.

Fang Yimeng pointed to the water stain at her feet. Her brows, accentuated by period makeup, furrowed tightly, and even the pearl ornaments in her hair trembled slightly.

“Someone swapped out the prop. That teacup was supposed to be thrown at me. If Zhu Rong hadn’t redirected it last minute, I’d have been scalded.”

This was far too serious to ignore. Lu Jingshan’s composed face turned dark. His deep eyes flicked toward the two people still on stage.

“I’ll handle the investigation. Go change your clothes first—you’re safe with me.” He placed a steadying hand on her thin shoulder and led her offstage.

After entrusting Li Ke to escort her to the dressing room, Lu Jingshan’s expression turned ice-cold. He strode over to Zheng Xihe and said sharply, “Review all the surveillance footage from the studio. Find the person who tampered with the props.”

Zheng Xihe knew very well that the only reason President Lu had invested in his program was because of Fang Yimeng. Now that she’d nearly been injured on set—even if Zheng had nothing to do with it—the fact that it happened in his studio meant he couldn’t escape responsibility.

He immediately ordered the staff next to him to check the footage. Meanwhile, Lu Jingshan pressed his fingers to his brow, massaging away the throb caused by his rising anger, trying to maintain his composure as he followed the crew to investigate.

He was here in person, and someone still dared to target Fang Yimeng under his nose!

…

In the dressing room, Fang Yimeng changed out of her costume and removed the heavy accessories from her hair. She let out a long, dazed breath. Makeup artist Gong Qiaoqiao was already adjusting her makeup, removing the fierce, arrogant look of the consort and softening it into Fang Yimeng’s more natural, everyday style.

“I heard from Li Ke there was some kind of accident on stage. What happened?” Gong Qiaoqiao asked as she worked, her hands never slowing.

Fang Yimeng had her eyes closed, resting. At the question, she frowned.

“Someone pulled a stunt to hurt me. Thankfully, I have decent karma—Zhu Rong didn’t actually throw the tea at me.” The memory still sent a chill down her spine.

“Li Ke,” she added, “pick out a few decent gift boxes from the ones sent by sponsors in the car. Send them to Zhu Rong. Don’t mention what happened on stage—just thank her for the hard work over the past few days.”

Even at a time like this, Fang Yimeng didn’t forget to maintain her connections.

Gong Qiaoqiao and Li Ke exchanged glances, both stunned.

“Wow. Didn’t you used to act all high and mighty, saying you’d never lower yourself to deal with these people?” Gong Qiaoqiao teased with curiosity.

Fang Yimeng opened her eyes and looked at her reflection in the makeup mirror. Her features were still as striking as ever, but now her gaze was calm and composed, no longer showing that domineering arrogance.

“I hadn’t experienced the brutality of the real world before,” she said. “Now I’ve learned better.”

She had learned that as a villainous supporting actress, she needed to be ruthless when necessary, but smooth and diplomatic when it counted. Otherwise, if she made too many enemies, how could she build alliances to compete with someone like Liao Ran, who had the protagonist’s halo?