“How wonderful, the first day of filming has gone so smoothly, truly auspicious. If only Liu Fuying could return without a hitch, it would be perfect…” the director suddenly mused from the side.
Lu Zhiwei’s brow twitched slightly as she glanced at Qin Xiao, her gaze carrying a hint of meaning. Noticing this, Qin Xiao quickly pulled her aside and whispered, “Do you have any insider information, President Lu? Is Yuan Yiran still coming?”
“Well… all I can say is, you don’t need to worry about the casting for Liu Fuying.”
“Alright, that’s good too.” Qin Xiao immediately understood, letting go of any expectations for Yuan Yiran’s return. After all, handling the breach of contract fees and hiring a replacement actor wasn’t her concern.
“Actors without scenes, take a good rest and try not to spend too much time on your phones. Let’s move to the next location,” Qin Xiao announced to the crew.
With that, the large group relocated to another palace hall. Although Lin Chenghuan didn’t have any scenes to film next, she followed along anyway. Actors couldn’t just play on their phones all the time to avoid breaking their immersion in the role, it was too boring. Watching others act was far more interesting.
However, once they arrived and saw her colleagues repeatedly NG-ing, Lin Chenghuan felt too awkward to keep watching.
Most of the actors on set were popular idols, some even debuted from talent shows. While they had plenty of fans, their acting skills still needed polishing. As a result, Qin Xiao began loudly correcting their performances again and again.
“Cut! Consort Liu’s expression is off.”
“Xiao Sheng, don’t open your eyes so wide, it looks too exaggerated.”
“Stop pouting unconsciously!”
Apart from lifeless eyes and exaggerated expressions, some actors occasionally forgot their lines, leading to scenes being shot over a dozen times. Yet, the director and the rest of the crew were used to it and remained in good spirits for the time being. With four months to film a forty-plus episode series, there was plenty of time.
After Lin Chenghuan left the set, Lu Zhiwei stayed to watch for a while longer before making her exit. In an unused palace hall next door, a number of people had gathered to rest. Lin Chenghuan had already changed out of her costume and was sitting under the shade of a tree, scrolling through her phone.
Promotional materials, including the filming commencement video and some group photos, had already been posted on the official Weibo account, attracting widespread attention from netizens. Since the actor for Liu Fuying hadn’t arrived yet, the release of individual character posters was postponed.
Lu Zhiwei stood at the entrance for a moment, observing the scene inside but didn’t enter. For now, she wasn’t sure what to say. If she kept appearing in front of Lin Chenghuan, she might just end up annoying her.
So, Lu Zhiwei found a quieter spot to reply to work-related messages and made a few phone calls. After handling company matters, she started browsing Weibo. As expected, many netizens were already shipping Wei Shihuan and Jiang Shiwan as a couple. The more she scrolled, the more frustrated she felt.
Oh well, it’s a good thing. In the past, she would have been thrilled to see Lin Chenghuan trending with such high engagement.
Meanwhile, Lin Chenghuan sipped on a drink that Li Xiaoyi had brought from the car outside while reviewing the script pages for the day. She only had two night scenes and a few short transitional shots left. It was only 3 p.m., and with several hours until nightfall, the wait felt a bit dull.
Fortunately, other actors were also on standby. Chatting and running lines with them helped pass the time gradually. By evening, as everyone began to eat, Lin Chenghuan realized she hadn’t seen Lu Zhiwei for a while and started looking around for her.
However, there was no sign of her anywhere. Lin Chenghuan glanced around but didn’t dwell on it, assuming she had gone to a nearby restaurant for a meal.
As night fell, Lin Chenghuan finally returned to the set. In the familiar courtyard of the imperial bedchamber, a table had been set up. Aside from the grapes, all the fruits on it were fake props.
“Stealing a moment of leisure in a busy life…” Lin Chenghuan leaned back in her chair, eating the grapes on the table while her personal maid fanned her with a handheld fan.
“Your Highness, His Majesty has sent word that he will be arriving shortly and requests you to prepare,” a maid suddenly rushed in to announce.
Lin Chenghuan’s smile vanished instantly. She frowned and said, “Why is he coming again? So annoying.”
“Your Highness, please be cautious with your words…”
The lines for this scene were short and relatively simple, but the following part, where she feigned illness to avoid the emperor’s favor, took several takes to get right.
After that, the scenes of Wei Shihuan meeting other consorts in various palaces were shot one after another, with only occasional ten-minute breaks. Around eight o’clock, Lu Zhiwei returned to the set, much to everyone’s surprise, as they had assumed she had already gone back to the hotel.
“When did our Zhiwei become so fond of watching filming?” Qin Xiao found a chance to whisper to her.
“I happened to have nothing to do at the company, so I came to see the excitement,” Lu Zhiwei replied casually.
“Alright then, I hope you stay this free for the next few days.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
By nearly nine o’clock, Lin Chenghuan was still filming a dining scene with the first empress, and Lu Zhiwei began checking her watch frequently. Fortunately, the scene wrapped up after just a few takes. Qin Xiao smiled and announced, “That’s a wrap! Everyone, thank you for your hard work.”
“Wow, we’re done by nine! Director Qin, you’re amazing!” the cinematographer exclaimed in disbelief.
“Only nine o’clock?” Xu Sheng, who played the former empress, was also stunned.
“Don’t praise me, this was all arranged by President Lu,” Qin Xiao waved her hand dismissively.
“President Lu is so considerate of us!” The crew was deeply moved and expressed their gratitude to Lu Zhiwei in unison.
Lin Chenghuan also walked over to thank her. They hadn’t spoken much that day, and now she could only follow the crowd as they made their way out. On the long palace pathway, countless cars were parked along the roadside, and everyone dispersed to their respective vehicles.
The hotel where the crew was staying was very close to the set. By the time Lin Chenghuan returned, it was only 9:15. She was overwhelmed with gratitude, it was the first time in years she had wrapped up so early!
After taking a shower, it was still only a little past 9:30. Now she didn’t have to worry about not getting enough rest. Lin Chenghuan collapsed onto the bed, rolling around happily. This was all thanks to Lu Zhiwei.
Although she had already expressed her gratitude months ago, hosted her at home for a week, and treated her to several meals out, Lin Chenghuan was still exceptionally excited and felt like rushing to Lu Zhiwei’s room to thank her again. Being able to wrap up at nine for the next four months, how could that not be exhilarating!
However, Lu Zhiwei was decisive and authoritative at work, and Lin Chenghuan was actually a little afraid of her. After all, it was easy to feel intimidated by a former boss and superior, even after leaving the job, their lingering authority remained.
So, if Lu Zhiwei didn’t seek her out, it was better not to go to her… Besides, it was hard to invite her for a proper meal during busy filming days, and she had already thanked her verbally along with everyone else today.
Thus, Lu Zhiwei, who was also tangled up in her room, would never have imagined that Lin Chenghuan, who dared to challenge her during work would have such thoughts. In the end, fearing she might disturb the other, Lu Zhiwei decided not to encroach on Lin Chenghuan’s personal time and let her rest properly.
Over the following days, the film crew continued to strictly adhere to the 9 p.m. wrap-up rule. The repetitive daily filming schedule no longer left everyone restless or sleep-deprived. Fans and friends of the actors often dropped by to visit, keeping the set stocked with snacks and filled with cheerful energy.
One day, Su Zi Wangyue, the screenwriter and original author of the drama, arrived on set to assist with script revisions. Spotting Lin Chenghuan, she grew visibly excited and immediately went over to greet her.
“You’re finally back! I’ve been a fan of yours for so long, and now I finally get to meet you in person, my life is complete,” Su Zi Wangyue said with a laugh.
“You flatter me. I’m truly honored to hear that from you, Teacher Su Zi,” Lin Chenghuan replied, feeling both surprised and humbled.
“No need to call me ‘Teacher.’ Just call me Su Zi or Xiaoxiao. Otherwise, I’ll have to call you Teacher Lin too.”
“Alright, Su Zi,” Lin Chenghuan responded with a lifted brow and a smile, knowing her real name was Su Xiaoxiao. She was known for her approachable nature and had started out in online literature. In the past, to gain life experience, Su had even worked as an on-set assistant, doing miscellaneous tasks.
Soon enough, Lin Chenghuan and the screenwriter became well-acquainted, exchanging autographed copies of their works. In their free time, they bonded over shared frustrations, venting about negative online buzz and trending controversies.
“Why are there so many people trashing this drama and criticizing the original novel as lowbrow?” Su Xiaoxiao frowned.
“The internet is full of all kinds of opinions. It’s easy to get targeted by haters, and competitors often hire trolls to stir things up,” Lin Chenghuan sighed.
“Ah, well. I’ve already made my money, so if people want to criticize, let them…” Su Xiaoxiao tried to console herself. Then, opening the author dashboard on one of the top female-oriented literature sites, she nearly choked with frustration.
“Someone’s spamming me with negative reviews! I’m usually immune to bad feedback, but this reader previously commented that the protagonist was ‘greasy.’ I just replied, ‘It’s not like I wrote duck-head literature, right?’ And now they’re bombarding me with negative ratings! Are they allowed to criticize, but I can’t even defend myself? Was my reply really that harsh?”
“Not harsh at all, it was a perfectly friendly exchange, even a bit playful…” Lin Chenghuan hurried to soothe her, seeing how furious she was.
“I can tolerate normal criticism, but when I try to explain and they can’t handle it then use the site’s negative rating system against me, that’s just too much. And they haven’t even spent a cent on subscriptions! Whatever, I’ll just delete the comment. No point in arguing further.” Su Xiaoxiao began using the site’s features to fight back.
Lin Chenghuan felt a wave of sympathy. No wonder this author had a reputation for being sensitive and deleting comments. If she were in her shoes, she’d probably do the same.
“Sigh, I used to think that once I sold the adaptation rights and made enough money, I wouldn’t care about these comments anymore. But in the end, some things still get to you,” Su Xiaoxiao lamented.
“It’s the same for everyone. Celebrities face it too. Being targeted repeatedly doesn’t make you stronger, you just learn to look away,” Lin Chenghuan replied with a resigned smile.
As the two chatted and scrolled through Weibo, Lin Chenghuan noticed that she and Xu Sheng were once again being pitted against each other by a certain gossip account. She couldn’t help but laugh wryly, just how many colleagues had she managed to “feud” with?
And as for the real feud with a certain double Golden Award-winning actress, netizens had even started shipping them as a couple… The thought alone was too cringe to bear.
Not long after, Qin Xiao called her over again to discuss the scene. Lin Chenghuan humbly accepted the guidance while beginning to suspect, perhaps the director forbade using phones not only to prevent breaking character but also to shield actors from stumbling upon negative gossip that might affect filming.
Once the actors had a decent grasp of their characters, they proceeded to shoot the next scene under the watchful eyes of the production team and supervisors. Today, the actual supervisor was present, and given the role’s expertise in reprimanding others, he appeared far more intimidating than Lu Zhiwei.
Come to think of it, Lu Zhiwei had been lingering on set for so many days, truly unprecedented.