CHAPTER 38

Xiang Xiaoyuan, Fang Hao, and Zou Yirui were rehearsing in the small lounge of the hotel. At first, it was a bit clumsy, always out of rhythm. Fang Hao would scratch his head and say, "Sister Xiaoyuan, I still don't understand." while Zou Yirui would chime in, "Hey, don't be too strict."

The three of them had been filming together every day and were close in age, so they quickly became familiar with one another. However, it was tonight that they truly drew closer, soon joking and laughing together.

Xiaoyuan was patient, explaining the scenes over and over as they rehearsed.

Zou Yirui wasn't someone who lacked discernment, and besides, this method was most beneficial for her. Even though she still felt a bit awkward about Xiaoyuan's sudden friendliness, she relaxed significantly on the surface. Once she let go, she became serious and gradually fell into the rhythm. With the improved atmosphere, Fang Hao also got into a good state.

By the time they all realized it, it was nearly midnight.

Xiaoyuan was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. "How about we call it a night? We can continue tomorrow..."

On the contrary, Zou Yirui was still enthusiastic. "Let's finish this page first before we leave."

Fang Hao was also energetic. "Then let's run through it once more."

Xiaoyuan yawned. "Hey, cut me some slack... How about you two practice, and I'll take off first..."

Just as Zou Yirui was about to speak, a phone rang. After looking around, they realized it was Fang Hao's.

Seeing the name on the screen, Fang Hao swiped to silence the call. He frowned slightly but quickly masked it with a smile. "So shall we practice for another half hour?"

"..." Just as Zou Yirui was about to respond, the phone rang again. Fang Hao silenced it once more.

Zou Yirui and Xiaoyuan exchanged a glance. Xiaoyuan spoke, "Shouldn't you take that call?"

"Yeah," Zou Yirui teased with a smile, "Is it your girlfriend? Better pick it up, it's not good to keep her waiting."

"It's just a friend," Fang Hao's smile seemed a bit forced, "I'll head back first." He swiftly turned and left, but even as he hurried away, they could still hear the phone ring for the third time.

"Another call, it must be his girlfriend." Zou Yirui remarked.

Xiaoyuan stretched lazily. "Maybe it's his mom?"

Zou Yirui chuckled. If there's anything that can make a girl suddenly lively, it's definitely gossip.

She laughed, "Either it's his girlfriend, or his mom, or a girlfriend who's just like a mom."

Xiaoyuan shrugged, looking uninterested.

Zou Yirui glanced at her, a hint of probing in her expression. "You didn't end up with Wei Jiabao, did you?"

Xiaoyuan was taken aback by her sudden question, then understanding dawned, leaving her speechless. "Of course not."

"I guessed as much, otherwise, you wouldn't..." Zou Yirui promptly shut her mouth, flashing a knowing expression.

Xiaoyuan glanced at her. "You really pay attention to me. During the promotions surrounding "Choice," you didn't mention me at all, even though I had many scenes with you. Who would have thought we'd collaborate again?"

Zou Yirui caught onto her underlying message, feeling a bit embarrassed. "At that time, you know how it was, Wei Jiabao is quite resolute. Only He Chenying dared to bring you up, who else would?"

Mentioning He Chenying, Xiaoyuan recalled how she mentioned her at the press conference and praised her. Even after so long, thinking back to that moment still warmed her heart, and she smiled softly.

"Let's forget about the past. Let's focus on collaborating well this time. What do you think?"

At that moment, Zou Yirui felt she truly understood Xiang Xiaoyuan. Her pride was built on her own strength, and her confidence wouldn't allow her to engage in any shady behavior.

Such a person, although excellent to the point of being a bit annoying, was reliable to be around. She wouldn't stab you in the back.

After a moment of silence, Zou Yirui awkwardly said, "I never said I wouldn't cooperate well with you."

Xiaoyuan looked at her. "Then you'd better keep your word, I won't go easy on you."

Zou Yirui snorted and then thought of something, "I heard you were handpicked by the screenwriter, I can't afford to offend you."

"You're still Tonghua's actress, so you should also hold back a bit and not throw any tantrums about quitting."

"I wouldn't dare, this drama has a big investment from Boyi! I'm just an artist from a cooperating party."

"Sorry, My bad!" Xiang Xiaoyuan yawned again, "I'm going back to sleep."

Zou Yirui also stood up, walking alongside her. She glanced at Xiaoyuan, "Are your eyelashes natural or are they extensions?"

"They're natural."

"What whitening serum do you use? Or did you get whitening injections?"

"I use an organic brand of rosehip oil, it's not specifically for whitening. I haven't had any injections."

"...Alright, alright, you're already fair enough!" Zou Yirui said teasingly.

Xiaoyuan hesitated for a moment. In fact, she had seen someone with fairer skin than herself— that cold, fair, slender neck, emotionless eyes and eyebrows, as serene as ink wash paintings, devoid of the world's noise and heat, leaving only silence.

Zou Yirui noticed her change in mood and gave her a glance.

"Have you met Wei Jiabao's sister— Wei Zhuang?" Xiaoyuan suddenly asked her.

Zou Yirui looked at her suspiciously, "At my level, I don't usually get to see her. I saw her from afar at the company's annual meeting once, greeted her once..." She shuddered suddenly, "The big boss has such a strong presence, it's intimidating, and I didn't dare approach."

"Oh..."

Zou Yirui asked, "Why do you suddenly bring up our boss?"

Xiaoyuan laughed it off. "Nothing, just thinking about who could have molded Wei Jiabao to be like that."

Zou Yirui's eyes flickered, "Speaking of which, I remembered something. A couple of months ago, Wei Jiabao went abroad, apparently to study."

Xiaoyuan asked, "Study what?"

"It seems he went to UCLA to study film degree." Zou Yirui said with a hint of schadenfreude, "I also heard it was his sister who forced him to go."

"He can't even come back during breaks! Can't even return home on holidays! Has to study for three years! That's harsh!"

Under normal circumstances, Zou Yirui wouldn't share such insider information with someone she hadn't gotten close to, but since Xiaoyuan had suffered a big loss because of Wei Jiabao, she enjoyed seeing him in trouble. Sharing it with someone else made it feel even better.

This was such a surprise.

Xiaoyuan, astonished, asked, "How do you know such insider information?"

"Actually, this isn't considered too much of an insider secret within the company, the higher-ups are aware. My agent is also considered a higher-up, and she reminded me not to disclose this." Zou Yirui glanced at her. "Did you hear that?"

"I don't have anyone to tell anyway." Xiaoyuan turned her face away.

She could only see the person making decisions... nothing more.

A few days later, the official Weibo account for "Zui Xiaoyao" released some costume photos and promotional materials. Zou Yirui and Fang Hao naturally promoted it on Weibo. They were both used to this kind of promotional model from the production team and also followed Xiaoyuan on Weibo. However, their focus right now wasn't on the initial hype but on filming.

The shooting process went much smoother than before, and the director's mood improved significantly. But it wasn't long before everyone in the crew noticed that her demands for the male and female lead had decreased while her expectations for the second female lead had increased.

"Xiaoyuan, it's not enough, you can do better."

"Xiaoyuan, it doesn't feel right."

"Xiaoyuan, let's do another take."

Xiaoyuan: "..."

Why does this feel so familiar...

Zou Yirui and Fang Hao stood by, observing but not daring to speak much.

Whenever Xiaoyuan looked at them, the two would immediately turn their heads away.

Off set, Fang Hao encouraged her, "Sister Xiaoyuan, you got this!"

Zou Yirui wore a helpless expression, faintly amused, "If you don't perform well, we'll be in even bigger trouble."

Fang Hao nodded, and Zou Yirui suppressed a smile.

Xiaoyuan: "...these two fair-weather friends!" [Fair-weather friends" refers to people who are only supportive or friendly during good times but are absent or unreliable during difficult times. They tend to be around when things are going well but disappear when challenges arise, showing a lack of true loyalty or commitment.]

The director still wasn't entirely satisfied with the performances, so she pushed back the dialogue scenes of the three main actors and focused on filming the action scenes and important scenes involving supporting roles first. This way, Xiaoyuan's workload temporarily lightened. The three of them did not take it lightly, dedicating more time to rehearsals. Even Chen, the producer, couldn't find fault, but the director's expression remained unsatisfactory.

Xiaoyuan also felt a bit anxious, Ling Yao's complex psychology was indeed harder to grasp, and she always felt like she was just a step away from getting it right.

"Ah, it's so frustrating." Xiaoyuan tossed aside the script, which had curled edges, and stared blankly out the window.

The sunset painted the sky a soft orange-red. Soon, the sun dipped behind the mountains, taking the orange hue with it, while night unfurled its purple-blue curtain, sprinkled with a few twinkling stars.

Faint shadows of light streamed in through the car window. Assistant Gao was checking Wei Zhuang's itinerary with Secretary Ma on WeChat. Secretary Ma appeared to be a very serious middle-aged man who rarely smiled, with a perfectly tidy hairstyle, his WeChat profile picture was his ID photo.

Having worked together for many years, they were in perfect sync, often communicating with just a few words or even just a single word.

Assistant Gao glanced at the boss. They had arrived in Xicheng City in the morning, and from the moment they landed until 9 p.m., Wei Zhuang had not rested for a moment, holding several meetings and only now heading to the hotel to rest, with another full day of meetings ahead tomorrow.

Wei Zhuang was leaning back in her chair, eyes slightly closed, showing signs of fatigue around her eyes and brows, her profile cold and pale, lacking color.

She checked the schedule that Secretary Ma gave her. She was scheduled to stay in Xicheng City for two days and three nights. Apart from resting, her days were almost fully booked, except for the entertainment event the following night and some room for negotiation.

"President Wei," Assistant Gao pondered before speaking, "Miss Xiang is currently filming in Hengdian."

Hengdian is very close to Xicheng City. If you drive fast, you can get there in just an hour.

The assistant Gao waited for Wei Zhuang's response, calculating in her mind:

'It's such a shame not to meet since it's so close, right?'

'It's been over two months already, and the six-month deadline is approaching fast!'

'You're not anxious, but I am! Wait, why am I anxious...'

Wei Zhuang's long eyelashes fluttered, but she didn't speak, and it was unclear whether she heard Assistant Gao.

On the iPad screen, Assistant Gao typed a question mark in the column for the evening of the XXth, then erased it.

'Forget it, forget it, I shouldn't meddle too much!'

The car drove smoothly, Wei Zhuang's profile intermittently lit and dimmed by passing lights. She opened her eyes.

The car was filled with a light scent of bergamot, refreshing and soothing, with an uplifting effect.

Yet, Wei Zhuang recalled another scent—faint floral notes and a hint of sweetness—more pronounced around the neck of a young girl, playfully dancing into her nostrils.

It was like the moment just before dawn, with raindrops landing on flower petals—quiet and warm. Even in the coldest and most desolate environments, it had a unique warmth.

Wei Zhuang had never experienced such warmth from anyone else, and for the first time in her life, she felt a hint of curiosity.

"Arrange a meeting, I'll have dinner with her." Wei Zhuang said.

Assistant Gao pressed her lips together and nodded. "Understood." She made a note in the place where she had previously erased.

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