Chapter 2

At 7 AM, Xi Tang arrived at the filming location for the crew’s outdoor shoot. Today, the production was moving to a luxury resort hotel in the suburbs for the next scene.

The urban romance drama Just the Right Lover, co-produced by Pike Film Media and Shanghai Xingyi Film Company, directed by Ju Baimei, was entering its third month of filming. Xi Tang hadn’t taken a single day off during the first half of the year. She had filmed two dramas, both modern dramas, so transitioning between roles wasn’t as difficult. However, the sheer intensity of the work meant she was pushing herself to the limit.

The company had gotten used to this. The artist, who had been under contract for many years, was finally becoming popular, but her contract was about to expire. To extract as much pay as possible, the company was forcing her to take on endless work. Her makeup artist, Xinni, would often find Xi Tang’s face almost swollen from lack of sleep when she applied makeup in the mornings. She looked as though she were still in a daze.

Even the assistant felt sorry for her.

In the whole company, probably only Ni Kailun understood that this wasn’t even the worst part.

For the past six months, if Xi Tang didn’t take on work, something worse would happen.

The main scenes at the studio were nearly finished, and the crew had recently been frequently shooting on location. After over 100 days of filming, they were approaching the final stages of production.

By the time Xi Tang arrived, the tent for the lead actors’ rest area hadn’t been set up yet. Crew members and workers were still putting up tents.

Xi Tang smiled and squeezed under the tent for the extras, where one of the extras, an older woman, used chopsticks to open a baozi and handed her half.

Xi Tang asked, “What’s the filling?”

The woman replied cheerfully, “Cabbage.”

Xi Tang took it, pulling up a folding chair to sit down. “Thanks.”

Among the extras was Zhang Ye, who today was playing a big boss, serving as a human backdrop. He wore a suit vest and had his hair slicked back, giving her a grin. “Xi, you’re not the first one today. Someone else arrived earlier than you.”

Ni Kailun’s first rule for the artists under him was punctuality. He would never allow the whole crew to wait for one person. It was a major taboo for an actor. Even Wu Zhenzhen, who acted like royalty on set, always showed up on time for every scene.

Among the three leads in the drama, Xi Tang was usually the first to arrive.

Curious, Xi Tang asked, “Who?”

Everyone collectively gestured toward the parking lot with their chins.

Xi Tang looked over from a distance and saw that the second female lead’s chauffeur-driven car had already parked in the hotel parking lot.

The second female lead, He Lufei, was with the same agency as Zhang Zhiyin. The two had once been known as the “twin flowers” of the national broadcasting network. Later, Zhang Zhiyin starred in several successful dramas and won the Best Actress award, cementing her position in the industry. He Lufei, however, was rumored to have caused a scandal by getting involved in the marriage of a well-known director in the industry. Afterward, she went into a period of hiatus, and when she returned, not many people talked about her anymore.

After a while, He Lufei’s assistant, holding an umbrella, stepped out of the car, and He Lufei gracefully descended from the vehicle.

Upon closer inspection, though it was summer, the mountain air in the morning still felt a little cool. She was wearing a strapless, tight-fitting dress and had her full makeup and hair done. Her face was impeccably made up.

Xi Tang glanced at herself. Since she had to wear the costume prepared by the wardrobe for filming, she usually dressed casually for work: jeans and a white T-shirt, and she didn’t apply makeup until she arrived.

Noticing He Lufei’s appearance, Xi Tang quietly asked, “Are reporters coming today?”

At that moment, her assistant, Ah Kuan, squeezed in. Her chubby body moved with surprising agility as she quickly pulled a can out of her bag and gently applied a layer of makeup to Xi Tang’s face, covering the dark circles from her lack of sleep.

Xi Tang had naturally good skin, fair and translucent. A quick swipe of pink lip gloss brought color back to her face.

Just then, the male lead, Yang Yilin, staggered over.

He was wearing flip-flops, black shorts, and a long-sleeved white T-shirt. His hair was messy, and he had the look of someone who had overindulged. A few entertainment reporters followed him.

The stage manager had finished setting up the tent for the lead actors, and the assistant opened a chair for him.

Yang Yilin flashed a half-smile at Xi Tang, a casual greeting.

As soon as the reporters saw He Lufei making her grand entrance, they immediately surrounded her, shouting greetings and snapping photos.

Xi Tang, crouching among the extras, looked up while holding half a cabbage-filled baozi.

Yang Yilin clapped his hands at Xi Tang. “Get up.”

He grabbed her hand and led her out, ignoring the reporters, strolling calmly toward the crew’s filming tent.

The reporters quickly turned to see the two of them walking away.

When the camera turned to them, both of them were tall and slender, dressed in flowing white, relaxed and at ease, framed by the greenery and flowers of the morning, creating a pleasant and refreshing scene.

The reporters’ eyes immediately brightened. They quickly changed direction and surrounded the two of them.

He Lufei squeezed her way over with a bright smile. “Yilin-ge, good morning! Xi Tang-jie, good morning!”

“Jie.”

Xi Tang rolled her eyes inwardly.

In the entertainment industry, the titles people used for each other were often full of hidden meanings, especially among female stars. Age typically determined an actress’s career path and the roles she played, so among actresses of similar ages, if they didn’t want to offend anyone, they would rarely call each other “jie” (sister) casually. For example, Wu Zhenzhen, unless dealing with a completely unknown, younger actress with no standing, no one would dare to call her “jie” in front of the media. As for He Lufei, even if the official records were accurate, she was only a few months younger than Xi Tang.

Xi Tang had just become popular and was still playing a small role in this drama, while He Lufei, a veteran, calling her “sister” was almost a silent attack.

He Lufei had been famous long before her. She had played leading roles in the past, but her popularity had faded in recent years, and she now often took on second female roles. However, her long experience in the industry still gave her an advantage.

Xi Tang felt somewhat intimidated by her.

At the opening ceremony, He Lufei had casually elbowed her, blocking half of her chest. Xi Tang hadn’t noticed at the time, only realizing when she saw Ni Kailun baring his teeth at her from the sidelines. By the time she caught on, the reporters had already finished taking their photos.

On the car ride back to the company, Ni Kailun scolded her the entire way for being so slow-witted.

Once filming began, Xi Tang quickly realized that He Lufei harbored some hostility toward her.

This was their first time working together, and Xi Tang wasn’t sure what had gone wrong, so she called Ni Kailun for advice.

Ni Kailun responded nonchalantly, “If she liked you, that would be surprising. The role was originally hers.”

Xi Tang let out a quiet “Oh.”

“When you signed onto this project, your background still outshines hers, understand?”

Xi Tang fell silent on the other end of the line.

Ni Kailun added, “Don’t overthink it. It’s just one drama. Once it’s done, forget about it.”

At first, He Lufei often added her own lines to the script.

Feeling somewhat guilty, Xi Tang tried to endure it, but eventually, she couldn’t hold back. As soon as she noticed He Lufei improvising lines, Xi Tang stopped and looked at the director with a pure, innocent expression. “Director, this line isn’t in the script...”

The director, watching through the monitor, saw the two of them stop and angrily stood up from his chair, shouting into the megaphone.

After a few such incidents, He Lufei finally quieted down.

In the makeup room, the makeup artist was finishing Xi Tang’s makeup.

They were chatting about the recent interview.

A reporter had asked Xi Tang if she ever got “electrocuted” while acting opposite Yang Yilin.

Another question was about which male star she thought was more handsome, such as Yin Nan or Yilin-ge.

Xi Tang smiled and skillfully deflected the question, praising Yang Yilin for his good looks, her smile sincere and her gaze genuine.

Yang Yilin was indeed handsome. Despite wearing a shabby gray sweater and looking messy on set, when the camera turned on, he looked dashing in a suit with his hair styled. His bright peach blossom eyes radiated charm, and even the cleaning lady on set blushed when he passed by. In this industry, good looks were common, but Yang Yilin was also professional. Back in February, during a cold rainy scene, he never complained.

However, Xi Tang knew there was still a difference.

When acting opposite Yang Yilin, especially in their previous drama together, after a few scenes, the routine was established and it became quite easy. But with Yin Nan, the pressure was constant. The emotional depth and tension he brought to his roles were far beyond what any average popular actor could manage. Sometimes, he got so deeply immersed in his character that when the director called “cut,” Xi Tang could feel the exhaustion in him as though he were physically drained.

Xi Tang didn’t know if the audience could understand these differences, but as an actress, she clearly understood the direction in which she needed to put in her effort.

The makeup artist started gossiping about the crew. Yang Yilin had a steady girlfriend in Taiwan, whom he saw two or three times a month, but at other times, Xi Tang would see different girls leaving his room every morning or night.

During a break, Xi Tang secretly asked her assistant, Ah Kuan, “Does his girlfriend know?”

Ah Kuan replied, “She knows.”

Ah Kuan’s little eyes sparkled as she mysteriously added, “Apparently, the guy promised to marry her before he turns 35. He’s also said that all his salary goes to her, and he never spends money on other girls.”

Xi Tang was puzzled. “How can he have so many girls if he doesn’t spend money?”

“He has connections in the entertainment industry, and the producers give him face. He has resources and can get roles,” Ah Kuan giggled and said, “Plus, there are countless fans who’d jump at the chance to sleep with their idol.”

Xi Tang gave her a suspicious look. “What do you mean by laughing like that?”

Ah Kuan pushed her shoulder and said shyly, “Ah, I used to really like the character he played, Yang Kang, when I was in elementary school.”

The makeup artist chimed in, “As for his girlfriend, she’s always dressed in high-end brands. Every time she comes, Yilin-ge spoils her. He earns so much, but he never worries about money. All his investments are handled by his girlfriend.”

Xi Tang could tell that Yang Yilin had his merits—a handsome, unparalleled face, and he wasn’t stingy when it came to money.

But none of that stopped him from chasing women every night.

The strange and bizarre things in the world were taken to extremes in this industry.

The second female lead, He Lufei, had two stand-ins for voiceovers, and besides her face shots, she was rarely seen on set.

This was by far the easiest drama Xi Tang had ever worked on since her debut.

Monday afternoon.

Xi Tang finished work and walked out of the filming studio, only to see Ni Kailun’s car parked outside.

Ni Kailun got out of the car and waved for her assistant to finish for the day, and Ah Kuan happily walked away.

Xi Tang got into her car. “I promised my mom I’d have dinner at home.”

As Ni Kailun backed the car out, she said, “I talked to your mom when I left. I told her you’d be home a little later.”

Xi Tang glanced at her. “How about you come to my house for dinner tonight?”

Ni Kailun turned the steering wheel and, with a smile, replied, “Of course.”

It was the third week after Xi Tang returned to Shanghai when Ni Kailun took her upstairs and opened the door to the apartment on the floor above her own.

The 200-square-meter apartment was simply decorated but with high-quality materials. The walls were painted a clean white, and sunlight poured in through large floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a soft glow on the brown wooden floor.

Ni Kailun said, “You just need to sign something this afternoon.”

Ni Kailun had secretly taken care of all the preliminary paperwork, just waiting for her final signature. After Xi Tang found out, she remained silent for a long time, and Ni Kailun knew that she wouldn’t agree.