The role An Juexiao stepped in to save was that of the witch Qing in Three Realms. She had been raised by the main villain since childhood and was born with a faint green demonic aura, which was how she got her name.
The difficulty of this role lay in playing two characters at once. Witch Qing had a twin younger sister who was taken in by the righteous faction. She grew up alongside the male lead as his fellow disciple and was also someone he secretly admired in his youth.
Unfortunately, it was a case of unrequited love. The sister loved someone else, but chose poorly and met an early, tragic death.
The twin sisters not only had completely different upbringings, but their personalities were also vastly different.
A very challenging role.
Holding the newly received script, An Juexiao evaluated the character quietly. But she was not intimidated. The more challenging the role, the greater the opportunity.
“You only have five days to memorize your lines. Can you manage? If not, I can push your scenes back a bit.”
The director of Three Realms, Tian Tong, about forty years old, came over to discuss the role with her as soon as she reported to the set. Time was tight.
An Juexiao glanced at the thickness of the script. “It is fine. I have read the original novel, so I already have a general impression of Witch Qing.”
“If you have read the original, it will help you understand the character better,” Tian Tong said with relief. “The key to this role is how the demonic and human sides intertwine within her…”
They discussed the role for about ten minutes. An Juexiao carefully noted down all the key points in her script. She did not just listen, she also shared her own thoughts about the character.
Whether her ideas were right or not, her seriousness alone greatly increased Tian Tong’s favorable impression of her.
He had worked with many actors. Some just nodded along without showing whether they truly understood or even listened. Others were somewhat attentive but had their assistants take all the notes. Worse still, some even played with their phones right in front of him.
“You were originally cast in another role, were you not?” Tian Tong suddenly frowned as he spoke.
It was not surprising he only realized it now. With over a hundred people in the cast and crew, he had not immediately remembered who An Juexiao was.
An Juexiao paused. It seemed her replacement had indeed been handled by subordinates. The chief director himself had no idea.
“Yes, but there were some minor complications, so I switched roles,” she said with a smile. “Life is like a play, sometimes unpredictable.”
The matter was already settled. Even if she brought it up now, it would serve no purpose.
Tian Tong was perceptive. Even without her explanation, he could guess the twists behind the situation. But he neither needed nor wanted to dig deeper. Sometimes, losing something could also be an opportunity.
“When you have free time, come observe the set more and learn.”
“Thank you for the advice, Director Tian.”
After he left, Assistant Director Wu, who handled actor scheduling, came to meet An Juexiao.
Since she had embarrassed him previously, he naturally did not treat her kindly. With a cold expression, he handed her the shooting schedule.
An Juexiao glanced through it and immediately sensed something was off. “Why are all my scenes scheduled for early mornings and late nights?”
“It is what the production needs.” Director Wu shot her a disdainful look. “Scheduling revolves around the availability of major stars, the male lead, and the female lead.”
The implication was clear, who do you think you are to question the schedule?
An Juexiao knew she was being targeted, but there was little she could do. She unconsciously tightened her grip on the schedule, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
“Look at you, all aggrieved, quite pitiful. No wonder Li Lingyin recommended you for this role,” Director Wu said mockingly. “Even women fall for you.”
At her age, An Juexiao’s face was still full of youthful softness. Fresh out of school, her features had not yet been worn down by sleepless nights on set or heavy stage makeup. Her eyes were especially clear and lively.
Faced with such fresh, spring-like beauty, Director Wu found it hard to control his wandering hands.
Sensing his ill intent again, An Juexiao did not care whether anyone was watching or whether he might make things harder for her later.
She only knew that with people like him, the more you feared them, the bolder they became.
“Keep your hands to yourself. Do not touch where you should not,” she snapped loudly.
“Just you wait.” Realizing he had run into someone who would not back down, Director Wu left with an ugly expression.
“You have embarrassed him twice. Be careful, he will target you in the future.”
A gentle, melodious voice sounded behind her. She turned around to see Li Lingyin, the female lead of the drama.
“Miss Yin.” An Juexiao pursed her lips. “No matter what I do, he is going to target me anyway.”
“Newcomers should endure a little. Taking some losses is not a big deal,” Li Lingyin advised.
An Juexiao knew she had a point, but when it came to matters of principle, she would not compromise.
Changing the subject, she asked, “I heard from Director Wu that you recommended me for this role?”
“It was just a small favor.” Li Lingyin smiled. “I happened to be there the day you argued with him. I found you quite interesting for a newcomer. It would have been a pity if you were pushed out like that. Coincidentally, we needed someone urgently here, so I recommended you.”
An Juexiao did not suspect anything. “Thank you, Sister Ling.”
“No need to be polite. Whether you can act it well still depends on you. I’m going to shoot the next scene now, looking forward to acting with you.” Li Lingyin patted An Juexiao on the shoulder.
“I’m also looking forward to our scenes together. I hope I can learn a lot from you then,” An Juexiao said happily.
When she was in school, she had heard some negative rumors about Li Lingyin, but today it was Li Lingyin who gave her a hand. It seemed that many rumors in the industry really could not be trusted.
After they walked some distance away, Li Lingyin’s assistant asked in confusion, “Sis, why did you recommend that newcomer? Won’t that offend Director Wu?”
“Offend him? That man surnamed Wu only dares to bully newcomers. Does he think he can bully me?”
“That’s true.”
“That An… what was her name again?” Li Lingyin could not recall it for a moment, until her assistant reminded her, An Juexiao.
“Oh, An Juexiao. She doesn’t get along with that little bitch Xin Yan, right? That suits me perfectly.” A sharp glint flashed in Li Lingyin’s eyes. “Besides, I was just doing a small favor. The other day I overheard the director’s assistant on the phone with the investors, they intended to have An Juexiao step in to save the situation.”
The assistant snickered. “Sis, you’re really clever, killing two birds with one stone.”
Li Lingyin let out a cold snort. “Xin Yan is just a supporting actress. Just because she has backing, she thinks she’s the female lead? Bossing me around all the time. Now that An Juexiao is back, that little bitch is probably so angry she won’t be able to sleep.”
Not only was An Juexiao targeted during filming, even her accommodation was deliberately arranged by Director Wu.
Because there were so many crew members, it was ideal if everyone could stay in one place. When that was not possible, they would be split across several hotels.
Director Wu arranged for An Juexiao to stay at the worst one.
Looking at the moldy walls in the room, An Juexiao even suspected that Director Wu had specifically requested a moldy room from the front desk. The smell made her head spin. She quickly opened all the windows to ventilate the room, then sent messages to Gu Keqing on WeChat to complain.
An Juexiao: Some disgusting old man couldn’t get what he wanted, so now he’s deliberately making things difficult, arranging a crappy room for me and messing with my shooting schedule.
An Juexiao: Heh, probably used that useless thing of his too much, worn it down to nothing, his mind is even smaller than his junk.
An Juexiao: People are really sinister, good thing I can keep my cool.
To prove how bad the room was, An Juexiao even took a photo and sent it over.
An Juexiao: I got the script for the role. Want me to read some lines, we can rehearse together?
Gu Keqing majored in screenwriting, so An Juexiao often discussed characters and worked through lines with her.
Before long, a reply from “Gu Keqing” came through.
Gu Lucky Star: …
Gu Lucky Star: Don’t unpack your luggage yet, someone will contact you to change rooms.
Gu Lucky Star: Go ahead and read.
An Juexiao: “……………………”
An Juexiao slapped her forehead. Gu Keqing and Gu Zhanran shared the same surname in pinyin, so their names were listed together. On top of that, she had been dizzy when she first entered the room, and accidentally sent the message to the wrong person.
Gu Lucky Star: jj?
Gu Zhanran followed up belatedly with another message.
An Juexiao was instantly so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the ground.
An Juexiao: President Gu, I’m so sorry to bother you so late and make you read such eye-searing complaints.
After sending that, she did not know what was happening on Gu Zhanran’s side. There was no reply for a long time. She began to feel uneasy. Would he suspect that she had intentionally sent it to him, pretending it was a mistake to gain sympathy?
Just as her thoughts started to spiral, Gu Zhanran finally replied.
Gu Lucky Star: Open the door, my people have arrived.
Gu Zhanran acted swiftly, arranging for An Juexiao to move to the same hotel where the director and lead actors were staying, and directly into a luxury suite.
When An Juexiao entered the new room, the carpet was soft, the air smelled pleasant, and the bed was dry and comfortable. It was thousands of times better than the previous room.
An Juexiao: I’ve arrived at the new place.
An Juexiao: Thank you! (smile) (smile) (smile)
An Juexiao: I accidentally sent that message earlier, I really wasn’t trying to complain on purpose.
Perhaps because Gu Zhanran had been so kind to her, she truly did not want him to misunderstand.
Gu Lucky Star: I know.
Just those three simple words carried immense trust. An Juexiao pressed her lips together, feeling warmth in her heart.
Gu Lucky Star: Since I recommended you to join the production, I naturally can’t let others walk all over you, otherwise that would be a slap in my face.
His words carried a strong domineering CEO vibe, making An Juexiao pause. So her joining the production this time was also thanks to Gu Zhanran.
An Juexiao: Thank you, President Gu! I’ll act well and bring you honor!
“… ” Gu Zhanran looked at the reply and fell into thought. He was not actually doing this for his own pride, but An Juexiao seemed to have believed that explanation.
He stroked his chin and let out a faint sigh.
After waiting for a while and receiving no further messages from An Juexiao, he sent another one.
Gu Lucky Star: What happened to reading lines and rehearsing together?
Author’s note: Gu Zhanran feels wronged, what about the promised rehearsal?
Actually, Gu Zhanran was not doing it for his own pride, he just did not want An Juexiao to be bullied. But now that he had said it, what else could he do? He could only keep up appearances.