CHAPTER 115

Zhu Ehua let Xiaoyuan lean against her, lowered her head slightly to look, made a tsk sound, and smiled, "This girl is quite stubborn."

The on-set doctor came over, examined her, and confirmed she'd be fine.

Ignoring the curious looks around them, Zhu Ehua turned to Xu Muyi. "Xiao Muyi, it's time for a break."

Cai Juan and Tiantian knelt nearby, their worried gazes shifting between Xiaoyuan and Zhu Ehua, surprised by the veteran actress's obvious care.

"Teacher Zhu, let me take her. She's heavy..." Cai Juan offered with an awkward smile, reaching out. Zhu Ehua gave him a look before releasing Xiaoyuan and walking away.

While she and Xiaoyuan rested, the set switched to filming other people's scenes.

He Chenying looked intently at Xiaoyuan for a few moments. Seeing that she was just exhausted, she felt relieved and went to touch up her makeup to prepare for her scene.

From another corner, Assistant Gao withdrew her gaze from Xiaoyuan, watching He Chenying thoughtfully.

If she wasn't mistaken, He Chenying had also rushed toward Xiaoyuan immediately, her face full of concern.

Assistant Gao stroked her chin in thought, then shook her head, laughing at herself for overthinking:

'How ridiculous! He Chenying is a straight woman of steel!'

'Ah, I'm really worrying too much about my boss for no reason! Hahaha!'

With that, she stopped dwelling on it and hurried after to watch Xiaoyuan's performance.

The afternoon was Xiaoyuan's scene with He Chenying.

The young prince had d!ed tragically young, with the crown prince being the prime suspect. The Empress's pleas for mercy had fallen on deaf ears.

Imperial Consort Zheng gnashed her teeth in fury. Leveraging her maternal family's influence, she was determined to depose the crown prince.

Factions within the court began shifting, engaging in covert struggles.

Many officials argued that the crown prince had lost virtue and should be replaced by Prince Rui.

The emperor's aunt—Princess Fuchong, sister of the late emperor—entered the palace and played her political games with the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

After private discussions between the Emperor and Empress Dowager, Consort Zheng went weeping to the Empress Dowager, only to leave in tears when their alliance fractured.

The Crown Prince was again confined to the inner palace. The Empress, torn between grief and rage, had a fierce argument with the Emperor, who fell gravely ill from the emotional turmoil.

In the following days, Consort Zheng and the Empress vied to attend to the Emperor. Their power struggle in the Hall of Mental Cultivation reached a stalemate until the Empress Dowager arrived and scolded them both away.

Today's scene involved the Empress returning to her palace after this rebuke, where she summoned Liang Ji to Kunning Palace.

When the young prince d!ed, everyone in the Eastern Palace had been brut@lly interrogated. Liang Ji suffered the harshest torture, barely surviving.

The Empress's face still bore tear streaks, her makeup was faded, and she was deeply disheartened.

She asked Liang Ji, "With no one else here now, tell me the truth... was his d3ath... connected to you?"

Liang Ji's pale face remained expressionless as he kept his eyes lowered in silence.

The Empress's expression instantly changed to alarm."Could it be...?"

After a long pause, Liang Ji finally replied softly, "Your Majesty, this servant is but a lowly eunuch. Sharing my master's burdens is my duty."

The Empress's eyes flashed, and she examined him with an expression of surprise and suspicion.

Liang Ji remained standing in place, eyes downcast, obedient.

The Empress watched him for a while, finding no flaws.

If it were truly him, how had he survived Renshou Palace's interrogations? f it wasn't him, why would he say such a thing?

Could it really be the Crown Prince?

Had he grown that impatient?

Ever since Princess Chongping married into the Wuding Marquis household, the Crown Prince had been distracted—his every move a misstep, never regaining the Emperor's favor.

The depressed Crown Prince rarely even saw his consort, spending all his time with this eunuch...

The Empress's pupils contracted slightly as she fixed her gaze on Liang Ji.

Under her scrutiny, Liang Ji stood as still as a soulless husk—his tall, slender frame exuding an androgynous aura.

Silence thickened between them.

Only the two occupied the bedchamber.

This marked He Chenying's second scene with Xiaoyuan.

She had acted with many young actresses, but none compared to the feeling of acting with Xiaoyuan. In "Choice," Xiang Xiaoyuan had been a bit too forceful in her acting at first.

Like all youngsters desperate to prove themselves, she'd focused solely on her own performance without considering her scene partner. This had overwhelmed Zou Yirui during their scenes together, leaving the latter flustered and mistake-prone.

At the time, He Chenying couldn't bear seeing her waste her talent like that, and had somewhat wanted to protect Zou Yirui—they were from the same company after all.

Only when they actually performed together did she realize this girl was even more talented than she had imagined. Far from being intimidated by her presence, the young actress delivered an even more stunning performance. That particular scene, though Wei Jiabao had wanted to cut it, was simply too brilliant. It was only because Wei Zhuang happened to watch that part that some footage was preserved.

During their scenes together in "Choice," within the limited space He Chenying had given her, she not only exceeded expectations but also carved out additional room to fully embody her character's personality.

Now, in this scene between Liang Ji and the Empress, both actresses had ample room to perform. How to act, how to measure their performances—it all depended entirely on them.

A peculiar, indescribable anticipation rose in He Chenying's heart.

This was completely different from the pure excitement and competitive thrill she'd felt when acting opposite Zhu Ehua.

Xiaoyuan suddenly moved. She walked to the palace candlestick and adjusted the wick. The warm, flickering light illuminated her flawless jade-like face.

With exquisitely delicate features that perfectly matched the script's description of Liang Ji's peerless beauty, the candlelight first highlighted her profile, then reflected in her eyes as she turned.

"Your Majesty," she approached, her deep gaze seeming capable of drawing people's souls in, "please rest assured. This servant belongs to the Crown Prince, and to you as well."

He Chenying curled her lips slightly. "Is that so?"

After a pause, she beckoned to Xiaoyuan. "Come here."

Liang Ji approached and knelt down. The Empress glanced down, pinching her chin. "Only you know whose servant you truly are. You must hide it well. Once your tail shows, you know what will happen, don't you?"

Liang Ji's eyelashes fluttered. "This servant knows."

The Empress released his chin, looked down at him for a moment, then turned away.

Liang Ji kowtowed and slowly rose. As she prepared to leave, the Empress shot her a look. "Who said you could go? Come and attend to me."

Seated before her dressing table removing hairpins, the Empress had Liang Ji take the phoenix hairpin and begin brushing her hair with patient, rhythmic strokes.

In the mirror, the Empress quietly observed Liang Ji, her expression momentarily revealing vulnerability and agitation.

She was tired too.

She was also disheartened. 

She was confused as well.

In the twenty-two years since her marriage to the Emperor, she had received his respect but not his affection. Countless lonely nights had passed within these palace walls.

After Imperial Consort Zheng gave birth to a prince, the nights brought not just loneliness but worry, vigilance, and unease.

Since Chongping married Marquis Wuding, she hadn't had a single good night's sleep.

"Your Majesty, these past few days you've been worrying about the Crown Prince while also caring for the Emperor. Allow this servant to ease your tension." Liang Ji set down the comb, his pale slender hands gently resting on the Empress's shoulders as he massaged them. "You've endured much hardship."

The Empress didn't refuse him. With a long sigh, she said, "You do understand my burdens. The Crown Prince probably resents my incompetence, doesn't he?"

Liang Ji's long eyelashes interlaced, hiding his true thoughts. "Your Majesty..."

The Empress's eyes reddened. "He's weak-willed, mediocre in studies, yet he's the Crown Prince, the heir apparent! He should stand on his own feet! He can't rely on me for everything and then blame me!"

Liang Ji spoke softly, "Your Majesty, you've misunderstood the Crown Prince..."

"I don't even know what he's thinking anymore!" The Empress burst into tears.

Liang Ji knelt halfway and offered a handkerchief.

As she wiped her tears, the Empress looked at him. "Tell me, what exactly is the Crown Prince thinking?"

Kneeling, Liang Ji replied, "This servant doesn't know."

"You don't know?" The Empress twisted the handkerchief in her hands, a dark glint in her slightly reddened eyes. "Haven't you been bewitching the Crown Prince all day long?"

Liang Ji immediately lowered his head further, appearing too afraid to speak.

"The Crown Princess has come to me crying several times." The Empress placed the handkerchief on the table, casting a cold glance at him. "She says you use your looks to seduce the Crown Prince daily and demands I punish you."

Liang Ji's shoulders stiffened, his head bowing even lower, still not daring to speak.

"Look up and speak!"

Liang Ji slowly raised his head but pressed his lips tightly together. The Empress, unable to contain her anger, kicked him in the shoulder, causing him to fall back in pain.

At this moment, He Chenying suddenly paused.

"Cut! Sister Chenying," Xu Muyi called out from behind the monitor, "what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Let's do another take?" He Chenying smiled and waved in that direction.

The makeup artists came forward to touch up the makeup for Xiaoyuan and He Chenying.

"Did I kick you too hard?" He Chenying asked Xiaoyuan with concern.

"No, it didn't hurt." Xiaoyuan smiled brightly at her.

He Chenying's gaze grew increasingly tender as she looked at her.

Xu Muyi jogged over to give direction. "Sister, you can't look at her so affectionately, you need to—"

He Chenying nodded with a slight smile. "I know, I know."

Xiaoyuan tilted her head and smiled along without giving it much thought.

Among the onlookers, Tiantian watched with great interest. "I love watching Sister Chenying and Sister Yuan act together! Their chemistry is amazing both on and off screen!"

Cai Juan coughed twice, sneaking a glance at Assistant Gao beside him. "I-is it? I don't really see it."

Assistant Gao paused the video and pursed her lips.

'Absolutely not at all!'

Liang Ji, having been kicked by the Empress, hurriedly returned to his kneeling position.

Though the Empress appeared gentle and virtuous, she was actually capricious and meticulous. "Back then, I thought you were delicate-looking and somewhat clever, so I had you serve the Crown Prince. I never imagined you'd grow into such a seductive creature."

The Empress took a step forward and lifted his chin.

At this moment, both those on set and behind the cameras held their breath.

Xiaoyuan's chest rose and fell slightly as she gazed up at He Chenying with expressive eyes. Her long, thick lashes fluttered delicately, even the shadows they cast seeming to tremble, perfectly conveying the nervousness of the character she portrayed.

In He Chenying's gaze, Xiaoyuan's delicate features were fully displayed before her, each contour as finely detailed as a meticulous brushstroke in traditional Chinese painting, flawless in every way.

"I am but a cripple, unfit for anything else, which is why I was allowed into the palace. I am merely a dog at the mercy of His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Majesty—whether I live or die is entirely up to you."

"I dare not utter a single complaint. My only fear is... that I might disrupt the harmony between you and the Crown Prince."

He Chenying still held her chin, then suddenly smiled, her fingers lightly grazing Xiaoyuan's cheek as she delivered her line, "You're right. Killing you would likely provoke the Crown Prince into making a scene. But if I were to ruin this pretty face of yours, he wouldn't dare say a word."

Her fingers trailed down from Xiaoyuan's cheek, lingering at the white crossed collar of her robe before slipping beneath, tracing the jade-like curve of her neck.

Xu Muyi watched, barely daring to breathe.

He found it fascinating. Xiaoyuan's earlier scene in a yisan robe with the Crown Prince had already been intense—a charged moment of same-s3x ambiguity between what appeared to be two men. Her chemistry with Lu Jingnian had also been harmonious, though still recognizably male-female. Yet, for some reason, when acting with He Chenying, it looked very much like an ambiguous dynamic between two women.

Where did this difference come from?

It wasn't until He Chenying leaned in, half-teasing, half-threatening, her fingers dipping beneath Xiaoyuan's collar, that Xu Muyi understood—it was because Sister Chenying exuded such a dominant presence, while Xiaoyuan seemed so effortlessly submissive...

Gao, the assistant, wasn't particularly thrilled to witness such a scene, but her phone betrayed her, dutifully capturing every moment.

He Chenying narrowed her eyes. The slender neck beneath her palm pulsed with a rapid, frantic rhythm—as if a single squeeze could snuff out a life.

Killing him would be as effortless as crushing an ant. The timing mattered only to her own whims. Why not toy with him a little longer, a fleeting diversion to ease the loneliness of the deep palace?

This was the intoxicating sense of control and cruelty that power granted—the freedom to act without consequence. In this moment, she was the Empress.

She withdrew her hand, turned, and walked step by step behind the sandalwood screen, seating herself on the carved edge of the bed.

Her voice carried over, "Show me the same skill you use to serve the Crown Prince. Come here."

Liang Ji's lowered eyes froze for an instant. Her throat moved, her voice hoarse for a second, as if just finding its sound. "Yes..."

Just as she lifted the hem of her yisan to rise, the Empress' voice came from behind the screen: "Did I say you could stand?"

Liang Ji paused, then had no choice but to crawl forward on her knees, inching slowly, painfully, toward the edge of the bed. The Empress reclined against the sandalwood-gilded quilts, extending her feet toward Liang Ji.

Liang Ji cradled her shoes, setting them aside with deliberate care. Her eyes shimmered, as if brimming with unshed tears...

The camera finally rested on the sandalwood screen.

Several seconds passed before Xu Muyi snapped out of it, realizing the scene had ended. "Cut! That's a wrap!"

The crew moved the screen aside. He Chenying was already holding Xiaoyuan's hand, apologizing. "I'm sorry for making you crawl like that. Did it hurt your knees?"

Xiaoyuan agreed that crawling had heightened the tension in the scene. When He Chenying ad-libbed the line, "Did I say you could stand?" she immediately grasped the intention.

"It's fine, really!" Xiaoyuan took a few steps in place, grinning. "Doesn't hurt at all!"

"Oh..." He Chenying touched her face, still feeling a bit guilty. "Maybe we should go see a doctor."

"It's not that serious!" Xiaoyuan replied with a squinting smile.

Xu Muyi had already approached them, wanting to discuss the previous scene together, but after waiting, he couldn't find an opening to join the conversation. He shrugged and gave up.

Cai Juan blinked, looking slightly awkward as he glanced at Assistant Gao, forcing a chuckle. "Ah, this scene was... quite good, huh?"

Assistant Gao snorted inwardly, feeling quite uncomfortable. Putting herself in the boss's shoes only made her more displeased!

'This is just acting, it's not real!'

'This acting is shaking the foundations of my big boss's relationship!'

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