CHAPTER 112

Zou Yirui and Guo Zhilu were supposed to have wrapped up filming today, but they were reluctant to leave because they knew Lu Yue was coming. Luckily, they didn't miss it, or they would have been regretting themselves.

"Hey, hey, hey! Shush, shush, shush! They're talking!" Zou Yirui whispered, alerting the others.

The room fell silent as everyone strained to eavesdrop, catching nothing.

"What could they possibly be discussing? They're actually chatting?" Guo Zhilu marveled.

"Can't make out a word..." Lu Jingnian shook her head.

Zhou Yu asked curiously, "What could they be talking about? Their expressions look fine, and the atmosphere looks quite friendly."

Zou Yirui chuckled. "Brother, you're still so naive. It might be like, 'Hmph, you actually dared to come to this production? How bold of you!'"

Guo Zhilu rested her chin on her hand, "Oh? If Teacher Zhu said that, then Teacher Lu would probably reply, 'It was Xiaoxu who invited me! What's it to you?'"

"Long time no see, you old hag—still as arrogant as ever?" Zou Yirui continued imagining Teacher Zhu's lines, staring at them as if she could read lips.

"Not as arrogant as you!" Guo Zhilu imagined Teacher Lu's retort.

The two actually started bantering back and forth. Xu Muyi found them amusing. "Oh, they wouldn't talk like that. They're both very nice people."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone on set turned to look at him.

"Director Xu, you're truly the 'chosen one.' How did you get two legendary actresses to recognize you as their godson?"

"What kind of charisma do you even have?"

Xu Muyi smiled innocently, "Well, obviously because I'm handsome and adorable."

Zhou Yu couldn't help but scoff—It was just unfair, enough to make anyone jealous.

Xu Muyi just kept smiling, silent, as if saying, "I rely purely on charm, and you can't do anything about it."

Xiaoyuan realized Xu Muyi's thought process was anything but ordinary. In the industry, many young people with influential backgrounds would go out of their way to distance themselves from their elders, afraid of being accused of riding on coattails rather than having real talent. Yet here he was, openly flaunting it without a shred of shame.

Xiaoyuan instinctively thought of another person—Wei Jiabao.

But honestly, Xu Muyi was far more talented than Wei Jiabao. He had genuine skill—unique insights into scripts and cinematography, and seasoned expertise in directing scenes and actors.

In comparison, Wei Jiabao during the filming of Choice was utterly incompetent. UCLA's film program was excellent, but who knew what that fool could have possibly learned there?

The only thing he had going for him was his looks. Come to think of it, he didn't resemble Wei Zhuang much—their only common trait was being tall.

Xiaoyuan's breath hitched abruptly.

She had never once considered—who was Wei Jiabao's father?

Wei Zhuang had only ever told her she was single.

But who was Wei Jiabao's father? Who was Wei Zhuang's husband? Was she single because of divorce, or something else?

Xiaoyuan knew nothing about any of this.

She couldn't imagine someone as aloof and distant as Wei Zhuang ever marrying, having a child, or forming deep emotional bonds with another person...

Wait. If she calculated backward from Wei Jiabao's age, then... Wei Zhuang would have been under twenty at the time?

Xiaoyuan was stunned.

She wouldn't even have been of legal marriageable age back then. So then, Wei Jiabao...

At that moment, Xiaoyuan's heart felt as if it had been violently wrenched several times. What exactly had happened to Wei Zhuang back then?

"Xiaoyuan, what's wrong?" Lu Jingnian noticed her troubled expression and asked softly with concern.

"...Oh, it's nothing." Xiaoyuan tried to collect her thoughts, but the idea kept rolling around in her mind like a sharp-edged stone, piercing painfully.

Nearby, Zou Yirui was still gossiping, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she watched the two senior actresses. "I really want to know what they're talking about!"

Guo Zhilu was also craning her neck, stretching it as far as she could...

While the younger generation speculated, the actual situation unfolding between the two veterans was completely unexpected:

Zhu Ehua gazed at Lu Yue. "Your hair has turned completely white—why not dye it?"

The two women were similar in age but vastly different in temperament. Lu Yue had always been the refined type, with delicate features that appeared somewhat plain in her youth. Now in her sixties with snow-white hair, she exuded an even more serene and ethereal aura.

Zhu Ehua, on the other hand, had been strikingly beautiful since her youth and still retained her charm past sixty.

"I'm allergic to hair dye. I tried it before and suffered quite a bit." Lu Yue replied with a slight shake of her head.

Their casual back-and-forth created an unexpectedly harmonious atmosphere—so much so that the stylists, makeup artists, and staff around them momentarily slowed their movements.

Zhu Ehua chuckled. "I didn't expect Xiao Muyi to bring you in."

Lu Yue smiled faintly. "He told me: 'Princess Fuchong, the late Emperor's biological sister—you're going to act opposite her, and you're the only one who can match her.'"

"Makes sense. Thank goodness it's you—I was worried they'd send some random nobody." Zhu Ehua straightened slightly and rubbed her lower back.

The stylist working on her hair quickly apologized, "Teacher Zhu, I apologize, please wait a little longer."

"Ah, Xiaozhao, hurry up. These old bones can't take much more sitting." Zhu Ehua tilted her head slightly and patted his shoulder with a smile.

Xiaozhao bent forward with a grin and nodded. "You're not old at all."

"Hey, Xiaoliu, don't dawdle either—think of Teacher Lu's lumbar spine."

"Got it!" The stylist working on Lu Yue's hair responded brightly. "Both teachers are still young! Not old at all!"

"Ah, but we can't deny aging. Every night, these bones creak like they're singing." Zhu Ehua lifted her chin toward Lu Yue. "How about you?"

Lu Yue pointed to her knees. "These are more accurate than the weather forecast."

"Can't fight age, can we?" 

"No, we really can't."

They exchanged a glance and laughed.

The two stylists—Xiaoliu and Xiaozhao—shared several knowing looks brimming with unspoken gossip.

"What are they talking about?" Zou Yirui wished she could read lips.

"Is that a real smile or a fake one? It looks a bit forced to me." Guo Zhilu remarked.

"They don't seem to be on bad terms—the atmosphere seems quite pleasant." Lu Jingnian observed.

"I told you, they're both wonderful people." Xu Muyi said with a smile.

"Well, so many years have passed. The past is long behind them, right?" Zhou Yu mused thoughtfully. "They've been through so much..."

"Ahem!" A soft cough sounded from behind.

The group jumped in surprise and turned around in unison.

He Chenying stood behind them, scanning the group with an amused smile. "Well, well, so you're all here peeking and eavesdropping!"

"Sister Chenying, it's just you! You scared me!" Guo Zhilu patted her chest in relief.

"Sister, you're here too!" Zou Yirui giggled.

"I—I have a scene coming up, okay? My part's next," He Chenying replied with a slight pout, her gaze naturally drifting toward Xiaoyuan. Noticing her distracted expression, He Chenying couldn't help but look at her a moment longer.

"Ohhh~" Zou Yirui drawled teasingly, nudging her. "Why don't you go chat with the two teachers over there?"

"What would I do there?" Chenying shot her a glance. "No way."

"Then how about you, Director Xu?" Guo Zhilu turned to Xu Muyi.

"Well, I—" Xu Muyi began, only to be distracted by a new arrival. "Auntie Zheng?"

"Ahem. Quite the gathering here," Zheng Wan remarked, smoothing her hair as she joined He Chenying. "Just came to get prepped by makeup."

The collective "Ohhh" spoke volumes.

Xu Muyi suppressed a laugh. "I can't go over there. Don't be fooled by how peacefully my two godmothers are coexisting right now—clear skies and gentle breezes. The moment I show up, storm clouds gather!"

The metaphor...

"Why's that?" Zou Yirui asked first.

"Because they both compete for my attention!" Xu Muyi declared matter-of-factly. "They're always asking which one I like more..."

The group stared at him in dead silence. "..."

"Seriously, I don't get it either! Women just adore me, especially middle-aged and older women."

Every female present: "..."

The only other male present, Zhou Yu: "?"

"Ah well, it's honestly a burden. You think being the godson of Chinese cinema's two most legendary actresses is easy?" Xu Muyi sighed dramatically.

No one could take it anymore. The group collectively considered leaving before someone punched him.

Xu Muyi suddenly perked up. "Wait—my dad actually went over there?"

'What?!'

Everyone immediately turned back, crowding together to spy.

Zheng Wan and He Chenying, mindful of their seniority, maintained more decorum than the younger crew but were equally invested.

Xiaoyuan, having lost interest, quietly slipped away unnoticed—except by He Chenying, who thoughtfully watched her retreating figure.

That evening, Xiaoyuan made a voice call to Wei Zhuang, asking when she'd arrive in Xicheng. The thought from earlier still nagged at her.

She didn't mind Wei Zhuang's past, but she found herself missing her more intensely lately.

Wei Zhuang was an enigma Xiaoyuan didn't expect to solve immediately, yet she longed to unravel her layer by layer.

Wei Zhuang explained she couldn't come after all—an emergency in Beicheng required her attention.

"Oh..." Xiaoyuan's heart sank. The disappointment left her speechless for a long moment.

Perhaps sensing her distress, Wei Zhuang's familiar low voice soon murmured through the phone, "I'm sorry."

Startled, Xiaoyuan looked up at the screen, studying Wei Zhuang's face. Whether due to the screen or reality, she thought Wei Zhuang looked slightly thinner.

Her heart softened instantly. "...Anyway, I'll wrap up filming in less than 20 days and return to Shencheng soon."

Wei Zhuang looked at her and said, "Hmm, see you in Shencheng then?"

Xiaoyuan curved her lips into a seemingly lighthearted smile. "Then you owe me one. You have to agree to one condition of mine."

Wei Zhuang readily consented, "Okay, as long as it's within my capabilities."

Xiaoyuan's heart warmed, and she blinked. "It's settled then. The esteemed CEO of Tonghua Group can't go back on her word."

In her line of sight, she saw Wei Zhuang looking at her, the delicate corners of her thin lips lifting slightly. "I won't."

Xiaoyuan was suddenly taken aback. 'Did she just smile at me?'

For several seconds, her heart pounded wildly, while Wei Zhuang seemed unaware.

Grasping at this clue to unravel the mystery, Xiaoyuan held her rapidly beating heart in check. "Then be honest with me, have you missed me?"

BACK | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT