CHAPTER 45

Time quickly came to June, with temperatures soaring above 30 degrees Celsius every day. On this day, wearing a waist-length wig was unbearably hot, but fortunately, the filming was nearing its end.

"Cut! Great! Excellent!" 

Director Liu Qin praised several times, and the entire crew erupted in loud applause.

Xiaoyuan felt her eyes sting with tears as she slightly bowed to those around her and stepped out of the crowd. This scene had been delayed repeatedly, dragging on until it was finally her last shot, and now she had completed it.

Fang Hao was still a bit dazed, staring blankly in Xiaoyuan's direction.

It was his manager who walked over and gently patted him on the back, prompting him to snap out of it. As he wiped away a tear from his face, Director Liu Qin glanced at him and gently said, "Maintain this emotion. We need to shoot a few more shots, close-ups and detailed shots. We'll start in two minutes, so drink some water and take your time."

Fang Hao nodded seriously, taking the bottle of mineral water from his manager.

His manager whispered softly, "You must capture this feeling perfectly. This is your highlight moment. If you nail this, no one will ever doubt your acting skills again."

"Got it."

Fang Hao tilted his head back and finished half the bottle of water. This was his moment, and he wouldn't let it slip away!

Xiaoyuan found a cool, shaded spot to rest, her heart still stirred as she reflected on the immersive feeling she had just experienced.

Suddenly, she understood how to act.

In the story, Jiang Xiaoyao was returning to his sect to investigate the truth behind his father's death, and he didn't want her to follow. Xiaoyuan thought about Jiang Xiaoyao at this stage in the book. His master, who raised him, was very likely the true culprit behind his parents' deaths. How would he face the person who had raised him but also caused him grief? And how would he confront his childhood sweetheart, his junior sister?

She knew she could only stay behind. She had no right to follow, she wasn't like his Song Yunshan, obedient and respectful. She was both his junior sister and the one in his heart.

The three of them had been through many adventures together for a long time. Although they shared a bond through hardship, she also had her selfish desires when it came to love. Repeated rejections had worn her out, and she wanted to escape and hide.

His heart held too much pain, unable to express it to others.

Ling Yao wanted to get closer to him but didn't know how. Despite her efforts, she still couldn't confirm whether there was a place for her in his heart.

His heart was an unpredictable deep sea, while she was a small boat adrift, yet she was willing to sink into his heart.

Willing and content. It was painful, yet there was a hint of sweetness—a sweetness she cherished that could compensate for all the bitterness.

Was this how Ling Yao felt?

Xiaoyuan recalled Wei Zhuang's face, her expressions, often giving off a mysterious deep-sea-like vibe. But as she got closer, the sea wasn't that cold, it just looked frightening, hiding loneliness and isolation.

Every time she met her, the experience was unique.

That's why she had no regrets about signing the contract, even if others viewed it as a difficult-to-discuss arrangement or a nurturing contract.

In the eyes of the world, Ling Yao knew that Jiang Xiaoyao came from a prestigious family and was betrothed to someone else. Yet she wanted to be by his side, to follow him and his junior sister, even if it meant facing criticism. Even when Jiang Xiaoyao lost his emotional memory and she saved him multiple times, the public's impression of her remained unchanged. Ling Yao didn't care at all, she made her choices without regrets.

Just being able to stay by his side made Ling Yao very happy.

Every time Xiaoyuan met Wei Zhuang, she felt quite happy too.

That day, she woke up to find herself on the sofa, covered with a blanket. She guessed that Wei Zhuang had noticed her habit of needing to lean against something to fall asleep, so she hadn't woken her. There wouldn't have been anyone else there at the time, which meant Wei Zhuang must have covered her up.

Now thinking about it, Xiaoyuan could still taste the sweet aftertaste in her heart.

She had never felt this way before, it wasn't like the affection she received from her brother or the feeling she got from Cai Juan after being treated well. Even her boyfriend from university had never made her feel this way.

She cherished this feeling deeply. Perhaps what was missing in her past performances in romantic dramas was this sense of sweetness.

The portrayal of this storyline required layers but couldn't be too exaggerated, relying mainly on eye acting. Back in school, teachers praised her for having beautiful, expressive eyes that could easily evoke emotions in the audience.

Many actresses might look stunning in daily life, with beautiful eyes, but when it came to acting, their eyes became dull, failing to convey emotions. Surprise, anger, joy—all looked the same, not like genuine reactions.

Xiaoyuan knew many techniques, and she applied them while acting in "Zui Xiaoyao." However, her emotional depth was always fundamental, if she couldn't feel it, she felt like something was missing.

Now, with this touch of sweetness, coupled with her techniques, she could feel one unit and deliver ten.

When she embraced Fang Hao as written in the script, his tears immediately streamed down.

He couldn't handle her acting, the impact was too strong, risking him overacting. Director Liu Qin thought Xiaoyuan's performance was too good to redo, so she let it pass for now, planning to capture a few more of Fang Hao's expressions later. This scene, which had been delayed for a long time, was finally filmed perfectly.

Sitting in the shade to rest, Xiaoyuan felt great, with sunlight gently filtering through her eyes.

She thought of Wei Zhuang again.

That night, she had drunk too much, and there might be some details she didn't remember, but she knew Wei Zhuang had kissed her neck.

She didn't reject her. On the contrary, she quite liked her closeness and looked forward to seeing her again.

Suddenly, a spontaneous thought crossed her mind. Without much hesitation, she dialed the assistant's number.

"Miss Xiang?" Assistant Gao sounded a bit surprised to receive her call.

Xiaoyuan greeted her and then asked, "Is President Wei busy?"

The assistant paused briefly and continued, "Yes, President Wei is in a meeting. Do you have an urgent matter?"

"Oh... no," Xiaoyuan sounded a bit disappointed. "Then, never mind."

"Wait, Miss Xiang," the assistant called her back, "If you don't mind, I can pass along your message."

Xiaoyuan's gaze lowered slightly, falling on the swaying tree shadows on her skirt. She lifted her lips and said, "Then could you please tell President Wei that my scene passed smoothly."

Assistant Gao replied with a smile, "Sure."

Xiaoyuan thanked her and was about to hang up when Assistant Gao asked, "Are you wrapping up soon?"

Xiaoyuan estimated and replied, "My scenes end today, and the entire production will wrap up this week."

Assistant Gao said, "You've worked hard. Make sure to rest."

Xiaoyuan thought Assistant Gao would end the conversation after the usual pleasantries. However, to her surprise, Assistant Gao continued, "Do you have time once you return? Any other vacation plans?"

So Wei Zhuang knew she was almost done with filming? Maybe someone under her informed her, her schedule was quite easy to find out.

Given that Assistant Gao asked, it certainly reflected Wei Zhuang's intentions.

Was the sun shining on her? Otherwise, why did her face feel a bit warm?

Xiaoyuan softly replied, "...I don't have any other plans for now."

After hanging up, she sat there for a while, touched her face, and smiled.

Assistant Gao waited until President Wei returned to the office from the meeting room before she knocked on the door to enter.

Wei Zhuang was standing in front of the bookcase, going through a document.

Assistant Gao said, "President Wei, Miss Xiang called while you were in the meeting." Assistant Gao said.

Wei Zhuang glanced over, and Assistant Gao could tell she was a bit surprised too.

"What was it about?" Wei Zhuang asked.

With a hint of a smile, Assistant Gao replied, "She wanted to let you know that the scene she struggled with for a long time finally passed, and the director is very satisfied."

Wei Zhuang paused slightly, then returned to her desk with the document and nodded.

"Her scenes wrapped up today." Assistant Gao added.

Wei Zhuang didn't open the document in her hand. Assistant Gao noticed a flicker of surprise on her face. Wei Zhuang tapped the table with her fingers and said, "Okay, I understand."

Assistant Gao had delivered the message she needed to, so she left the room.

As she was about to close the door, she glanced back at her boss, who still seemed lost in thought.

After closing the door, Assistant Gao let out a sigh. She had subtly added fuel to the fire between taking the call and conveying the message earlier, hoping for some effect.

Ah, she really wanted to see the outcome soon! After all, it was so exciting to be able to sneak a peek at the gossip about her boss within her professional career!

That evening, on the day Xiaoyuan wrapped up, the crew had a small celebratory dinner. Director Liu and the producer came over to drink with her, praising her a lot. Afterward, she drank with the other actors in the crew, took photos, and didn't return to her room until after nine.

Xiaoyuan had packed most of her luggage and was sweating even with the air conditioning on. She hadn't eaten much but had drunk quite a bit of beer. Fortunately, after several trips to the restroom and sweating it out, most of it had evaporated, leaving her slightly tipsy. She slouched lazily in the chair.

"Finally finished shooting smoothly, everything went well. Thank heavens!" Cai Juan said, his joy evident almost adding 'Amitabha' at the end.

Xiaoyuan blushed and replied with a lazy "mm."

"Now we can go back and see Brother Zhi Shi!"

"Has he gone back to Shencheng?"

"He's been flying back and forth between Shencheng and Pengcheng lately, busy with the collaboration with us," Cai Juan explained. "You'll soon have a complete team—business agents, publicity. Once things settle down, we can even get a makeup and styling team..."

"Got it, but I still love Brother Cai the most. No one can replace you." Xiaoyuan smiled at him cheekily.

Cai Juan couldn't help but laugh. "I'm trying to be serious, and you're being cheeky," he huffed playfully. "But no one can do better than me!"

After a few playful banter, Xiaoyuan felt a bit surreal, unable to believe she had finished shooting a TV series so smoothly. She smiled at Cai Juan. "Brother Cai Juan, you've worked hard. I'll send you a big red envelope!"

"Great, I won't be polite." Cai Juan said. Once Xiaoyuan's salary was credited, their studio wouldn't be as tight on finances.

"What does Brother Cai Juan like? I'll buy it for you!"

"Hahaha, I've been waiting for this day for so long!"

As they were joking around, Zou Yirui knocked on the door. "Hey, Teacher Xiang, do you want to go for barbecue together?"

Xiaoyuan laughed at how she addressed her, "Are you serious?"

"Congratulations on wrapping up, and thank you for taking care of me during this time! Let's go, it's my treat." Zou Yirui said with a cheerful smile, maintaining a polite and courteous demeanor. Xiaoyuan got goosebumps. "Wow, you're something else."

Zou Yirui pouted playfully. "So, are you coming or not?"

Xiaoyuan hadn't eaten enough, so she stood up. "Sure! I'll treat you too, and thanks for letting me make an appearance during your last livestream!"

The two of them walked out, with Cai Juan looking on from behind, feeling emotional.

Who would have thought that this plastic sisterhood would turn out so genuine?

Last time, Zou Yirui planned to livestream at night. She came early to ask Xiaoyuan if she wanted to appear on camera. Xiaoyuan had joined midway through the livestream, greeted her audience, and left after about two minutes, considerately not stealing Zou Yirui's spotlight.

Two minutes wasn't long, but Xiaoyuan garnered a lot of attention as soon as she appeared. For her, it was enough, and she didn't want to overshadow Zou Yirui's livestream, after all, it was her livestream.

Cai Juan couldn't help but smile. Everything was progressing in a positive direction.—how wonderful!

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