Millie had just made her Weibo post, so her phone must still be by her side.
Little Fairy, can you help me check and see what Millie is doing right now?
Jun Zishu hurriedly called out to her system. She had a feeling that Millie was going to do something foolish.
[Okay. I see it. She's…putting on makeup?]
Where's her phone?
[By her side.]
Is it turned off?
[No.]
Jun Zishu frowned and continued calling Millie.
"What's wrong?" Yu Fanshu asked when she noticed Jun Zishu calling Millie.
"I keep getting the feeling that she is going to do something dumb."
The "As you wish" in Millie's Weibo post was simply too bizarre. It looked very much like the prelude to suicide.
Meanwhile, Millie had finished doing her makeup, the mirror before her showing the form of a 28-year-old woman. Throughout the time she did her makeup, the screen of her silenced phone had lit up incessantly. It was still lighting up even now, indicating that the person calling her still hadn't given up trying to reach her.
After hesitating for some time, Millie eventually chose to answer the call.
"Are you okay?"
Jun Zishu's voice immediately came through the phone. However, she made sure to keep her voice soft for fear of agitating Millie any further.
"I'm still alive."
"Don't do anything stupid."
"But I'm so tired."
People might not stay happy forever because of one happy matter, but they could stay depressed for the rest of their lives because of an unhappy situation.
"Think of your fans. Some of them are persistently loving you even until now. You should learn how to move forward when the time comes."
"But I'm so upset! He actually thinks I'm dirty and told me to leave! He says I'm no match for that woman! What good is that woman?! I put all my youth on him for an entire decade! How many decades does he think I have?!"
Millie's sobbing voice was full of despair.
"But you won't be able to get revenge on him this way. You say that he doesn't care about you, so your death will only be a trivial matter to him. If you want to take revenge on him, live well. People will always think lightly of things they can easily obtain, Millie. Keep on fighting and do what you like to do."
A moment after Jun Zishu finished speaking, soft sobs came from the other side of the call. At this time, Yu Fanshu gestured to Jun Zishu to pass the phone to her.
"If you are on the verge of death, you will find that living is a very valuable experience."
"But I don't have anything left."
"You still have yourself, your talent, and your voice. If you truly think that you are nothing without that man, you might as well kill yourself, then."
Yu Fanshu's voice was cold and indifferent. However, Jun Zishu nodded her head, deeply convinced by her words.
Millie didn't expect to hear such words, so her mind and body froze.
Yu Fanshu hung up the call and returned the phone to Jun Zishu.
"Teacher."
"Hm?"
"You were really cool."
Yu Fanshu's mouth curled into a smug grin.
…
The new couple was the main cast of an ongoing hit drama. After the director made some content modifications, they continued with the original script.
Fortunately, Millie didn't do anything stupid. According to Little Fairy, Millie had shut herself in her room for an entire day before going out to travel.
Jun Zishu quite liked this little girl, so she quietly wished her a happy future.
After completing the variety show's recording in a hurry, Jun Zishu and Yu Fanshu joined the cast of Phoenix Dynasty.
Yu Fanshu played the role of the first female lead, while Jun Zishu was the second female lead. As it was obvious Yu Fanshu was trying to support Jun Zishu's career, nobody in the cast dared to show hostility against her. On the contrary, many had tried to butter them up.
It was fortunate that the weather had started to cool, so it didn't feel stuffy to wear the heavy palace costumes.
After their kingdom fell, Chaofeng and Minxi were sent into the tyrant emperor's harem. Then, the emperor quickly became captivated by Chaofeng's celestial beauty.
Minxi resembled Chaofeng in appearances, and both were stunning beauties. However, her body carried a youthful taste. Even after experiencing the agony of having her country fall into enemy hands, she remained a pure and simple girl.
However, Chaofeng was different. Her clear and seemingly gentle eyes carried a concealed edge.
After failing to get Chaofeng to comply, the emperor decided to stir her emotions by approaching Minxi.
The emperor's favor could send a person to the heavens. After getting coaxed by the emperor's sweet words, Minxi became fully devoted to her husband. Seeing this, Chaofeng's anger and hatred flared up.
Revenge was the only thing that existed in Chaofeng's heart, so how could she not be angry when her little sister had gotten together with the enemy? So, she went to find Minxi and tried to help her little sister regain her senses. However, what she got in return was Minxi telling her that their country was already dead, and they might as well enjoy their current lives. Chaofeng slapped Minxi out of anger, and this slap became the starting point of the two sisters' separation.
Meanwhile, this was also one of the scenes Jun Zishu and Yu Fanshu needed to act out today.
"Please show mercy later, Big Sister," Jun Zishu jokingly said as she watched the makeup artist apply makeup to Yu Fanshu.
"Of course. How can I bear to hurt my little sister?"
The slap was an integral part of the movie, so it had to be done no matter what. However, that didn't mean Yu Fanshu couldn't employ a technique to make it only seem like she was using a lot of force in her slap.
In reality, Jun Zishu didn't mind if Yu Fanshu had slapped her mercilessly. After all, this would make the scene look even more realistic. Unfortunately, Yu Fanshu couldn't bear to do so. She couldn't even bear to see Jun Zishu get hurt, much less hurt Jun Zishu herself.
Once the stage was set, and all the equipment and actors were in place, the director called for the start of the act.
…
Wearing a gorgeous palace dress, Chaofeng walked at a leisurely pace as she made her way to her little sister's courtyard. However, her trembling hands hanging at her sides showed that she wasn't as calm as she showed herself to be.
"What wind brought you here, Big Sister?"
Minxi was fiddling with the tea bowl in her hand when Chaofeng entered her bedroom. Upon seeing her elder sister, she greeted the other party with a faint smile on her face, her voice carrying hints of teasing.
Chaofeng did not speak, choosing to scrutinize her little sister from top to bottom in silence.
Minxi's smile faded, and she looked at her elder sister in confusion.
"Did you come here for something important, Big Sister?"
"Minxi, let me ask you, do you still remember how we entered the palace?"
Minxi frowned as she put down her tea bowl with some annoyance.
"You don't need to remind me over and over again. I naturally remember. But what's the use of remembering it? Revenge will only lead us to a dead end. Our country isn't coming back, but this dynasty can continue existing. Just let it go, Big Sister."
"Let it go?"
Chaofeng's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief as she looked at Minxi.
"How can I let it go? Father Emperor, Mother Empress, and Big Brother… They all died at that man's hands, yet you are asking me to let it go?" Chaofeng asked incredulously. "Minxi, tell me, did you fall for that emperor?"
"Don't you like him as well, Big Sister? His Majesty treats us so…"
Before Minxi could finish her words, her face was brutally slapped, and her head tilted with a look of disbelief on her face.
…
The director yelled to pause the scene, and a makeup artist and her assistant quickly ran onto the stage to draw a palm print on Jun Zishu's still face. The makeup artist worked quickly, completing a convincing slap mark in two minutes.
Yu Fanshu had controlled her strength very well, so even though her slap looked like it carried a lot of strength, Jun Zishu had hardly felt anything when Yu Fanshu's palm contacted her face.
Meanwhile, after the makeup artist and her assistant withdrew from the stage, the still scene started moving again.
…
"You hit me, Big Sister? You actually hit me? What part did I say wrong? Don't tell me you're not moved by his Majesty?"
Chaofeng sneered, her eyes narrowing as they gave off a ruthless glint.
"You have truly disappointed me, Minxi."
…
"Cut! Well done!" the director shouted, satisfied with the take. This was why he liked working with Yu Fanshu. She could almost always complete her scenes in one take, which saved the crew a lot of time and effort.
Jun Zishu didn't remove her makeup after the take since she needed it for the next scene where she had to act like an innocent bitch in front of the male lead.
"I didn't hit you too hard just now, right?" Yu Fanshu asked worriedly.
"It was only a touch, Teacher."
"Thank goodness you trusted me," Yu Fanshu said. If Jun Zishu hadn't trusted her and moved her face a little just now, she might have miscalculated her strength and ended up hitting Jun Zishu's face harder than she intended.
"Of course I trust you. If I can't trust even you, who else can I possibly trust?" Jun Zishu said with a sweet smile.
Yu Fanshu tapped a finger on the coquettish vixen's nose before dragging her aside to rest.
Seeing this, Chenzi promptly brought over two water bottles. Though, she couldn't help but feel as if her teeth were being filled with cavities as she watched the sweet interactions between Jun Zishu and Yu Fanshu.
After drinking a mouthful of water, Jun Zishu started fixing her makeup.
When they were filming Phoenix Dynasty, A Week in Love had already aired for several episodes. Meanwhile, Jun Zishu's image grew better with each subsequent episode. The number of fans supporting her ship with Yu Fanshu also grew rapidly.
"It's been half a month since you updated your Weibo, Big Sis Jun, so Big Sis Coco told me to remind you to update it," Chenzi said as she passed a phone to Jun Zishu.
However, Coco didn't have Chenzi remind Yu Fanshu to do the same. After all, Yu Fanshu would rarely ever post on Weibo. Before Yu Fanshu went on her hiatus, she would only make a post once every three to six months. And even if Coco did urge Yu Fanshu to update her Weibo, Yu Fanshu would probably be too lazy to do so.
"Okay," Jun Zishu said as she accepted the phone. After thinking for a moment, she typed a few words and chose to attach an image via her camera. Then, she said, "Come, Teacher, give me your hand."
Yu Fanshu opened her hand and offered it to Jun Zishu. Then, Jun Zishu held hands with Yu Fanshu and took a picture of their clasped hands.
Jun Ling: Filming with my teacher. [Image]
Yu Fanshu also took out her phone, took the same picture, and posted it onto Weibo.
Yu Fanshu: Filming with my student. [Image]
Ten seconds after these two posts went live, the posts sparked a heated debate among netizens.
Yeahhhhhh: !!! Fanshu is going to appear in a new movie! I'm so happy!
I'm looking forward to the goddess's performance! Finally, I will have more than just three movies to watch! QwQ
May Not Love You: Wahhh! I'm looking forward to it! When will the new movie come out? I'll definitely support it! It should be coming out in cinemas, right? Looking at the sleeves, could it be a costume drama?
Only Love Fanshu: Finally! I knew you would start filming movies again! Muahhh!
Twins Advocate: Woohoo! Twins unite! Keep on feeding us sweets! Hehehe!
Hey, It's Qiuiu: God, save us. I can't help but have a bad feeling when I recall Jun Ling's acting skills. Don't tell me this movie is going to flop? I can see that Empress Yu pampers Jun Ling a lot, seeing as she is even filming a movie with Jun Ling, but...but... I don't want to burn my eyes with Jun Ling's acting skills...
Little Angel Jun Ling: I'm looking forward to our Little Angel's first movie! It should be a movie, right? I don't think the Film Empress has ever been involved in TV series yet.
Lord Little Fairy: Woohoo! Our Little Angel is the best! I'm looking forward to the movie!
o: Why are Empress Yu and Jun Ling addressing each other as student and teacher? Could Empress Yu be teaching Jun Ling how to act? If that's the case, I'm looking forward to Jun Ling's performance!
Twinkling Stars: Hahahaha! My Fanshu has finally updated her Weibo!!! But why is there only a shot of her hand? I want a face shot!! It's already been two months since my Fanshu's last Weibo post. I seriously suspect that my Fanshu won't update her Weibo unless Jun Ling updates hers.
Guest in a Dream: @Twinkling Stars: That scenario is kind of sweet. The more I think about it, the more I want to get on board the Twins ship. But I'm also afraid of boarding a real-life ship since it never usually has a good ending. QwQ
Lord Little Fairy: @Guest in a Dream, don't fret! Board away! It's my loss if it doesn't set sail! Nobody should even think of getting off this ship!
In Little Fairy's opinion, there was no way anything bad could happen to the Twins ship. After all, her host and Lord had already behaved like a sweet couple for such a long time. She'd self-detonate if their relationship soured!
After entering the studio, the first thing Yu Fanshu did was to greet the director, the assistant director, and the screenwriter.
All three people smiled when they saw Yu Fanshu. However, when their eyes turned to Jun Zishu, their friendly gazes immediately turned into a scrutinizing gaze.
"You should've familiarized yourself with the script already, right?" the director asked as he looked at Jun Zishu.
"Yes."
"Let's try two acts, then. The first act will be when the country falls, and Minxi asks Chaofeng what to do. The second act will be when Minxi decides to strike at Chaofeng and poison her."
"Okay."
Jun Zishu nodded and stepped onto the stage. Yu Fanshu also followed her and stood facing her, her eyes giving off an encouraging look.
Before getting into character, Jun Zishu looked down and took a deep breath.
When Jun Zishu looked up again, her expression had changed into one of anxiety, and her eyes looked like they were about to empty their reserves of tears. Then, she stumbled her way forward and grabbed onto Yu Fanshu's hands in a panic:
"Sister…! They're…They're inside the palace! Father Emperor… Father Emperor has… What should we do, Sister?"
Jun Zishu's expression looked jittery, and her body shook to express her fear. She also tightly clutched onto the person before her, her behavior making it look like this person was her only reliance. At the same time, her face also expressed her blind faith in this person.
"Don't be afraid. I will protect you," Yu Fanshu said as she gently stroked Jun Zishu's head. However, her eyes were not looking at Jun Zishu. Instead, they gazed into the distance as she wore a heavy expression on her face.
The director was very surprised and somewhat stunned by Jun Zishu's performance.
Jun Zishu's expressions and voice were perfectly on point. Even the way she held onto Yu Fanshu's hand perfectly conveyed her feelings of fear and anxiety. Yu Fanshu's performance was similarly flawless. Even though they were standing on an empty stage, they managed to vividly outline the scene they played with only a few words, their performances complementing each other wonderfully.
"Next scene," the director said.
Yu Fanshu stepped off the stage and watched Jun Zishu's performance from the side.
Meanwhile, Jun Zishu straightened her clothes and tilted her head sideways, seemingly listening to someone speaking. Then, a moment later, a cold smile appeared on her face.
"In the end, which of us is the one who can't tell the difference?" Jun Zishu murmured as she stared at the empty space before her. Then, she waved her sleeve, making it seem like she was sweeping off the contents of a table as she said, "Sisters? Ha! What a sister you are."
The smile on Jun Zishu's face disappeared, and her eyes looked like they were quenched with poison and sinister intent.
Yu Fanshu nodded in satisfaction when she saw this scene. Jun Zishu's performance was impeccable, in her opinion. Her girl was just that good.
Afterward, Jun Zishu took a deep breath and neutralized her expression. Then, she bowed in the director's direction before reverting to the usual calm and gentle look.
"Wonderfully done!" the director stood up and applauded. Then, he looked toward Yu Fanshu and said, "No wonder you wanted to bring her here! We'll proceed with the filming!"
Yu Fanshu nodded in response.
"Thank you, Director," Jun Zishu thanked.
"Young people really do improve quickly."
"It's all thanks to Miss Yu's excellent guidance.'
"I dare not take credit. It's the student who's talented," Yu Fanshu said, her lips curling into a smile. She really didn't have much to do with Jun Zishu's excellence. Afterward, Yu Fanshu turned to the director and asked, "Has the male lead been decided yet?"
"Yes. It's going to be played by Fan Qing, the one who won an award last year. Do you know him? He's quite the good actor," the director said. He had quite a few people come and audition for the role, and only Fan Qing managed to win his attention.
"This isn't our first time working together, so you should know my temper," Yu Fanshu said. She had worked with this same director when she was filming her second movie, so the two of them could be considered acquaintances.
"You can rest assured."
The director was well aware of Yu Fanshu's personality and her conditions for working together with other actors. In addition to needing to be skilled in acting and having an earnest work ethic, Yu Fanshu also required her co-actors to behave sensibly since she detested posers. Meanwhile, so long as Yu Fanshu got angry, she was more than capable of calling it quits without having to worry about the repercussions. He had waited a long time for Yu Fanshu to return, so he naturally made sure to research Fan Qing's behavior off-camera.
After successfully passing her audition, Jun Zishu kept quiet and watched as Yu Fanshu interacted with the director, her mind occupied with her own thoughts.
In reality, Yan Jue had constantly invited Yu Fanshu out for meals or entertainment during this period. Meanwhile, aware of Yan Jue's feelings for her, Yu Fanshu rejected all of his invitations and made sure to keep her distance from him.
However, Jun Zishu knew that Yan Jue still hadn't given up. If he did, he wouldn't have gone around sleeping with several women who looked like Yu Fanshu during this period.
Although Yan Jue had stopped keeping mistresses after Yu Fanshu returned, that didn't mean he had stopped sleeping with women who resembled Yu Fanshu. According to Little Fairy's monitoring, Yan Jue had already slept with three different women during this period. Of the three, one of them had a profile similar to Yu Fanshu, one had similar eyes, and one had similar lips.
Jun Zishu grew annoyed just thinking about Yan Jue's actions. After all, Yu Fanshu was currently her girlfriend, and it felt incredibly unpleasant to know that someone constantly desired her girlfriend. Fortunately, Yu Fanshu had never once accepted Yan Jue's invitation. Otherwise, she might have had to bring her plans forward.
Moreover, Yan Jue's actions of seeking replacements for Yu Fanshu were also incredibly disgusting, no matter how Jun Zishu looked at it. Jun Zishu believed that Yu Fanshu would share her sentiment should she learn of Yan Jue's actions.
…
The director acted swiftly. After finalizing the cast list and signing all the necessary contracts, he decided to begin filming half a month later.
In the meantime, filming for the variety show continued. However, subsequent filming sessions became more hurried due to everyone's tight schedules.
Of course, despite their busy schedules, everyone still displayed their best when in front of the camera.
Off-camera, Jun Zishu could still see Millie smoking from time to time. Moreover, it seemed that the woman had started smoking more aggressively as time passed, her face constantly carrying hints of depression. However, when Jun Zishu asked if everything was alright, Millie would always say everything was fine.
Jun Zishu had a feeling that something must've happened, and sure enough, a problem had cropped up during the filming for the fifth episode—Millie did not come, and the director wore a gloomy expression after contacting Millie's company.
"What happened?"
"We will try to find a replacement as quickly as possible. For now, though, I'm afraid you won't be able to remain in this show, Tongtong," the director said. Then, he called for the cameramen to stop recording.
Meanwhile, Tang Tongtong took out his phone and gave his manager a call. His expression remained neutral throughout the call. Then, after hanging up, he said to the director, "We'll discuss the contract on a later date. I'll be taking my leave now."
"Okay."
Afterward, Tang Tongtong bid goodbye to Yu Fanshu, Jun Zishu, Lemon, and Jiu Xi before leaving the filming site.
Nobody talked about what happened. Even though everyone present was more or less aware of what had transpired, they tacitly agreed to keep quiet about it.
"I wonder who will be our new coworkers? You and Jun Ling will have to start filming for your movie, right, Miss Yu?"
"Mhm."
"Everyone is so busy," Lemon commented.
"You are the only one who's idle," Jiu Xi habitually retorted.
"Who said so? I'm a very busy person. I'm very busy with a major undertaking," Lemon said as he wrapped an arm around Jiu Xi's waist.
Although Jiu Xi tried to hit Lemon's arm away, he simply let it be after failing to do so.
Jun Zishu naturally noticed this little detail, and noticing that she had noticed this, Lemon winked at her meaningfully as they reached a mutual understanding.
Yu Fanshu didn't care who would replace Millie and Tang Tongtong. She simply fiddled with Jun Zishu's fingers while watching Jun Zishu play with her phone.
The reason for Millie's absence quickly spread all over the internet.
Smoking, casting couch, being kept as a mistress… All sorts of misconduct were exposed. These accusations even came with photographic evidence, so there was no way to write them off as mere rumors.
The response to these revelations was terrible, to say the least. Millie had always had a lot of haters. Many people constantly criticized her for pretending to be young even though she was already nearing her thirties. Some people had even exposed her younger photos, subtly implying that she had plastic surgery done.
The revelation of Millie's many misconducts was the straw that broke the camel's back. These revelations had essentially shattered her cute persona.
Honestly, though, Jun Zishu didn't think there was anything wrong with Millie smoking. Celebrities were people, too. There was no way Millie could avoid stress, and her way of relieving stress just so happened to be smoking. While smoking wasn't healthy, it was still better than abusing drugs. Not to mention, Millie had always made sure to always smoke outside of the camera.
However, the problem was the persona Millie had operated under throughout her career.
Jun Zishu had a rather good impression of Millie, so she messaged Millie via WeChat to express concern.
Millie replied very quickly, and the surprise in her message was obvious.
[Millie]: I didn't expect you to be concerned about me. Everyone else is doing their best to avoid me.
[Jun Zishu]: Your health is more important than everything else.
[Millie]: It doesn't matter. Did you know? I started in this circle just like you. I used to think that what I had was happiness, but reality constantly reminded me how naive I was.
[Millie]: Ha. Do you know why I keep wearing pink clothing and pretending to be cute? I used to find these things repulsive. But he liked them, so I persisted with them. I liked him for ten years, and this was the outcome I got in return.
[Jun Zishu]: Love isn't the only thing in life.
[Millie]: Indeed it isn't, but it is capable of crushing a person.
[Millie]: Whatever. I'm going offline. You best take care of yourself and manage your heart well. At the very least, make sure you still have some dignity when you get dumped.
Jun Zishu sat close to Yu Fanshu, so Yu Fanshu naturally saw Millie's messages.
"I won't abandon you," Yu Fanshu said, frowning. Rather than her dumping Jun Zishu, she was more concerned about getting dumped instead.
In response, Jun Zishu smiled lightly and held Yu Fanshu's hand.
"You don't believe me?" Yu Fanshu asked when she saw Jun Zishu's reaction.
Yu Fanshu knew that Jun Zishu had a very tough mindset. Jun Zishu seemingly lacked emotional security, so she had decided not to rely on anyone altogether. Despite having a soft and amiable personality, Jun Zishu's heart was, in reality, tougher than anyone else.
"I just don't believe in vows. Time will prove things, Teacher. You are a very nice person, and I hope to be with you for the rest of my life," Jun Zishu said.
Jun Zishu had always been a very direct person. She would believe in things she wanted to believe and like whoever she wanted to like. She wouldn't choose to delude with wishful thinking, and she refused to believe in vows. Sweet words were the most unreliable thing in this world. What she did believe in was time.
Yu Fanshu sighed when she heard Jun Zishu's reply. She didn't know what she should do to earn Jun Zishu's trust. Moreover, despite saying that she didn't love her, this little rascal was constantly flirting with her and seducing her. Also, if she didn't believe in her, why would she want to spend the rest of her life with her?
In the end, Yu Fanshu decided to give up thinking. All she needed to do was hold onto Jun Zishu's hand forever, making sure that she couldn't leave.
A few minutes later, Jun Zishu refreshed her Weibo page and saw that Millie had made a new post.
…
Mili Millie: Smoking? Yes. I did it because of stress. Make sure not to mimic me, everyone. It's not good for your health.
Plastic surgery? No. I wouldn't look so ugly if I did. I don't even rely on my face to make a living.
Casting couch? Do you think I'm sick in the head? I don't even act in films. Why would I sleep with bald, middle-aged men?
Thank you, Little Mi's who have supported me all these years, but I'm tired, so I'm afraid I can't continue accompanying you any longer.
I sincerely wish all my good friends a prosperous future and a good death to those who wish me harm.
Also, hey, I've liked you for so many years, yet all I got in return was a broken reputation. I do not believe that you didn't notice my feelings. You simply didn't care that I liked you. As you wish, then.
[Image]
…
The attached image was a picture of Millie smiling brightly. Unlike her usual clothing, she wore a black shirt and black pants in the picture. Her lips were also colored a flirtatious red.
Jun Zishu's heart sank with a bad premonition when she read the end of Millie's post, and she hurriedly called Millie's phone.
No one answered.
Millie had just made her Weibo post, so her phone must still be by her side.
Little Fairy, can you help me check and see what Millie is doing right now?
Jun Zishu hurriedly called out to her system. She had a feeling that Millie was going to do something foolish.
[Okay. I see it. She's…putting on makeup?]
Where's her phone?
[By her side.]
Is it turned off?
[No.]
Jun Zishu frowned and continued calling Millie.
"What's wrong?" Yu Fanshu asked when she noticed Jun Zishu calling Millie.
"I keep getting the feeling that she is going to do something dumb."
The "As you wish" in Millie's Weibo post was simply too bizarre. It looked very much like the prelude to suicide.
Meanwhile, Millie had finished doing her makeup, the mirror before her showing the form of a 28-year-old woman. Throughout the time she did her makeup, the screen of her silenced phone had lit up incessantly. It was still lighting up even now, indicating that the person calling her still hadn't given up trying to reach her.
After hesitating for some time, Millie eventually chose to answer the call.
"Are you okay?"
Jun Zishu's voice immediately came through the phone. However, she made sure to keep her voice soft for fear of agitating Millie any further.
"I'm still alive."
"Don't do anything stupid."
"But I'm so tired."
People might not stay happy forever because of one happy matter, but they could stay depressed for the rest of their lives because of an unhappy situation.
"Think of your fans. Some of them are persistently loving you even until now. You should learn how to move forward when the time comes."
"But I'm so upset! He actually thinks I'm dirty and told me to leave! He says I'm no match for that woman! What good is that woman?! I put all my youth on him for an entire decade! How many decades does he think I have?!"
Millie's sobbing voice was full of despair.
"But you won't be able to get revenge on him this way. You say that he doesn't care about you, so your death will only be a trivial matter to him. If you want to take revenge on him, live well. People will always think lightly of things they can easily obtain, Millie. Keep on fighting and do what you like to do."
A moment after Jun Zishu finished speaking, soft sobs came from the other side of the call. At this time, Yu Fanshu gestured to Jun Zishu to pass the phone to her.
"If you are on the verge of death, you will find that living is a very valuable experience."
"But I don't have anything left."
"You still have yourself, your talent, and your voice. If you truly think that you are nothing without that man, you might as well kill yourself, then."
Yu Fanshu's voice was cold and indifferent. However, Jun Zishu nodded her head, deeply convinced by her words.
Millie didn't expect to hear such words, so her mind and body froze.
Yu Fanshu hung up the call and returned the phone to Jun Zishu.
"Teacher."
"Hm?"
"You were really cool."
Yu Fanshu's mouth curled into a smug grin.
…
The new couple was the main cast of an ongoing hit drama. After the director made some content modifications, they continued with the original script.
Fortunately, Millie didn't do anything stupid. According to Little Fairy, Millie had shut herself in her room for an entire day before going out to travel.
Jun Zishu quite liked this little girl, so she quietly wished her a happy future.
After completing the variety show's recording in a hurry, Jun Zishu and Yu Fanshu joined the cast of Phoenix Dynasty.
Yu Fanshu played the role of the first female lead, while Jun Zishu was the second female lead. As it was obvious Yu Fanshu was trying to support Jun Zishu's career, nobody in the cast dared to show hostility against her. On the contrary, many had tried to butter them up.
It was fortunate that the weather had started to cool, so it didn't feel stuffy to wear the heavy palace costumes.
After their kingdom fell, Chaofeng and Minxi were sent into the tyrant emperor's harem. Then, the emperor quickly became captivated by Chaofeng's celestial beauty.
Minxi resembled Chaofeng in appearances, and both were stunning beauties. However, her body carried a youthful taste. Even after experiencing the agony of having her country fall into enemy hands, she remained a pure and simple girl.
However, Chaofeng was different. Her clear and seemingly gentle eyes carried a concealed edge.
After failing to get Chaofeng to comply, the emperor decided to stir her emotions by approaching Minxi.
The emperor's favor could send a person to the heavens. After getting coaxed by the emperor's sweet words, Minxi became fully devoted to her husband. Seeing this, Chaofeng's anger and hatred flared up.
Revenge was the only thing that existed in Chaofeng's heart, so how could she not be angry when her little sister had gotten together with the enemy? So, she went to find Minxi and tried to help her little sister regain her senses. However, what she got in return was Minxi telling her that their country was already dead, and they might as well enjoy their current lives. Chaofeng slapped Minxi out of anger, and this slap became the starting point of the two sisters' separation.
Meanwhile, this was also one of the scenes Jun Zishu and Yu Fanshu needed to act out today.
"Please show mercy later, Big Sister," Jun Zishu jokingly said as she watched the makeup artist apply makeup to Yu Fanshu.
"Of course. How can I bear to hurt my little sister?"
The slap was an integral part of the movie, so it had to be done no matter what. However, that didn't mean Yu Fanshu couldn't employ a technique to make it only seem like she was using a lot of force in her slap.
In reality, Jun Zishu didn't mind if Yu Fanshu had slapped her mercilessly. After all, this would make the scene look even more realistic. Unfortunately, Yu Fanshu couldn't bear to do so. She couldn't even bear to see Jun Zishu get hurt, much less hurt Jun Zishu herself.
Once the stage was set, and all the equipment and actors were in place, the director called for the start of the act.
…
Wearing a gorgeous palace dress, Chaofeng walked at a leisurely pace as she made her way to her little sister's courtyard. However, her trembling hands hanging at her sides showed that she wasn't as calm as she showed herself to be.
"What wind brought you here, Big Sister?"
Minxi was fiddling with the tea bowl in her hand when Chaofeng entered her bedroom. Upon seeing her elder sister, she greeted the other party with a faint smile on her face, her voice carrying hints of teasing.
Chaofeng did not speak, choosing to scrutinize her little sister from top to bottom in silence.
Minxi's smile faded, and she looked at her elder sister in confusion.
"Did you come here for something important, Big Sister?"
"Minxi, let me ask you, do you still remember how we entered the palace?"
Minxi frowned as she put down her tea bowl with some annoyance.
"You don't need to remind me over and over again. I naturally remember. But what's the use of remembering it? Revenge will only lead us to a dead end. Our country isn't coming back, but this dynasty can continue existing. Just let it go, Big Sister."
"Let it go?"
Chaofeng's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief as she looked at Minxi.
"How can I let it go? Father Emperor, Mother Empress, and Big Brother… They all died at that man's hands, yet you are asking me to let it go?" Chaofeng asked incredulously. "Minxi, tell me, did you fall for that emperor?"
"Don't you like him as well, Big Sister? His Majesty treats us so…"
Before Minxi could finish her words, her face was brutally slapped, and her head tilted with a look of disbelief on her face.
…
The director yelled to pause the scene, and a makeup artist and her assistant quickly ran onto the stage to draw a palm print on Jun Zishu's still face. The makeup artist worked quickly, completing a convincing slap mark in two minutes.
Yu Fanshu had controlled her strength very well, so even though her slap looked like it carried a lot of strength, Jun Zishu had hardly felt anything when Yu Fanshu's palm contacted her face.
Meanwhile, after the makeup artist and her assistant withdrew from the stage, the still scene started moving again.
…
"You hit me, Big Sister? You actually hit me? What part did I say wrong? Don't tell me you're not moved by his Majesty?"
Chaofeng sneered, her eyes narrowing as they gave off a ruthless glint.
"You have truly disappointed me, Minxi."
…
"Cut! Well done!" the director shouted, satisfied with the take. This was why he liked working with Yu Fanshu. She could almost always complete her scenes in one take, which saved the crew a lot of time and effort.
Jun Zishu didn't remove her makeup after the take since she needed it for the next scene where she had to act like an innocent bitch in front of the male lead.
"I didn't hit you too hard just now, right?" Yu Fanshu asked worriedly.
"It was only a touch, Teacher."
"Thank goodness you trusted me," Yu Fanshu said. If Jun Zishu hadn't trusted her and moved her face a little just now, she might have miscalculated her strength and ended up hitting Jun Zishu's face harder than she intended.
"Of course I trust you. If I can't trust even you, who else can I possibly trust?" Jun Zishu said with a sweet smile.
Yu Fanshu tapped a finger on the coquettish vixen's nose before dragging her aside to rest.
Seeing this, Chenzi promptly brought over two water bottles. Though, she couldn't help but feel as if her teeth were being filled with cavities as she watched the sweet interactions between Jun Zishu and Yu Fanshu.
After drinking a mouthful of water, Jun Zishu started fixing her makeup.
When they were filming Phoenix Dynasty, A Week in Love had already aired for several episodes. Meanwhile, Jun Zishu's image grew better with each subsequent episode. The number of fans supporting her ship with Yu Fanshu also grew rapidly.
"It's been half a month since you updated your Weibo, Big Sis Jun, so Big Sis Coco told me to remind you to update it," Chenzi said as she passed a phone to Jun Zishu.
However, Coco didn't have Chenzi remind Yu Fanshu to do the same. After all, Yu Fanshu would rarely ever post on Weibo. Before Yu Fanshu went on her hiatus, she would only make a post once every three to six months. And even if Coco did urge Yu Fanshu to update her Weibo, Yu Fanshu would probably be too lazy to do so.
"Okay," Jun Zishu said as she accepted the phone. After thinking for a moment, she typed a few words and chose to attach an image via her camera. Then, she said, "Come, Teacher, give me your hand."
Yu Fanshu opened her hand and offered it to Jun Zishu. Then, Jun Zishu held hands with Yu Fanshu and took a picture of their clasped hands.
Jun Ling: Filming with my teacher. [Image]
Yu Fanshu also took out her phone, took the same picture, and posted it onto Weibo.
Yu Fanshu: Filming with my student. [Image]
Ten seconds after these two posts went live, the posts sparked a heated debate among netizens.
Yeahhhhhh: !!! Fanshu is going to appear in a new movie! I'm so happy!
I'm looking forward to the goddess's performance! Finally, I will have more than just three movies to watch! QwQ
May Not Love You: Wahhh! I'm looking forward to it! When will the new movie come out? I'll definitely support it! It should be coming out in cinemas, right? Looking at the sleeves, could it be a costume drama?
Only Love Fanshu: Finally! I knew you would start filming movies again! Muahhh!
Twins Advocate: Woohoo! Twins unite! Keep on feeding us sweets! Hehehe!
Hey, It's Qiuiu: God, save us. I can't help but have a bad feeling when I recall Jun Ling's acting skills. Don't tell me this movie is going to flop? I can see that Empress Yu pampers Jun Ling a lot, seeing as she is even filming a movie with Jun Ling, but...but... I don't want to burn my eyes with Jun Ling's acting skills...
Little Angel Jun Ling: I'm looking forward to our Little Angel's first movie! It should be a movie, right? I don't think the Film Empress has ever been involved in TV series yet.
Lord Little Fairy: Woohoo! Our Little Angel is the best! I'm looking forward to the movie!
o: Why are Empress Yu and Jun Ling addressing each other as student and teacher? Could Empress Yu be teaching Jun Ling how to act? If that's the case, I'm looking forward to Jun Ling's performance!
Twinkling Stars: Hahahaha! My Fanshu has finally updated her Weibo!!! But why is there only a shot of her hand? I want a face shot!! It's already been two months since my Fanshu's last Weibo post. I seriously suspect that my Fanshu won't update her Weibo unless Jun Ling updates hers.
Guest in a Dream: @Twinkling Stars: That scenario is kind of sweet. The more I think about it, the more I want to get on board the Twins ship. But I'm also afraid of boarding a real-life ship since it never usually has a good ending. QwQ
Lord Little Fairy: @Guest in a Dream, don't fret! Board away! It's my loss if it doesn't set sail! Nobody should even think of getting off this ship!
In Little Fairy's opinion, there was no way anything bad could happen to the Twins ship. After all, her host and Lord had already behaved like a sweet couple for such a long time. She'd self-detonate if their relationship soured!
After entering the studio, the first thing Yu Fanshu did was to greet the director, the assistant director, and the screenwriter.
All three people smiled when they saw Yu Fanshu. However, when their eyes turned to Jun Zishu, their friendly gazes immediately turned into a scrutinizing gaze.
"You should've familiarized yourself with the script already, right?" the director asked as he looked at Jun Zishu.
"Yes."
"Let's try two acts, then. The first act will be when the country falls, and Minxi asks Chaofeng what to do. The second act will be when Minxi decides to strike at Chaofeng and poison her."
"Okay."
Jun Zishu nodded and stepped onto the stage. Yu Fanshu also followed her and stood facing her, her eyes giving off an encouraging look.
Before getting into character, Jun Zishu looked down and took a deep breath.
When Jun Zishu looked up again, her expression had changed into one of anxiety, and her eyes looked like they were about to empty their reserves of tears. Then, she stumbled her way forward and grabbed onto Yu Fanshu's hands in a panic:
"Sister…! They're…They're inside the palace! Father Emperor… Father Emperor has… What should we do, Sister?"
Jun Zishu's expression looked jittery, and her body shook to express her fear. She also tightly clutched onto the person before her, her behavior making it look like this person was her only reliance. At the same time, her face also expressed her blind faith in this person.
"Don't be afraid. I will protect you," Yu Fanshu said as she gently stroked Jun Zishu's head. However, her eyes were not looking at Jun Zishu. Instead, they gazed into the distance as she wore a heavy expression on her face.
The director was very surprised and somewhat stunned by Jun Zishu's performance.
Jun Zishu's expressions and voice were perfectly on point. Even the way she held onto Yu Fanshu's hand perfectly conveyed her feelings of fear and anxiety. Yu Fanshu's performance was similarly flawless. Even though they were standing on an empty stage, they managed to vividly outline the scene they played with only a few words, their performances complementing each other wonderfully.
"Next scene," the director said.
Yu Fanshu stepped off the stage and watched Jun Zishu's performance from the side.
Meanwhile, Jun Zishu straightened her clothes and tilted her head sideways, seemingly listening to someone speaking. Then, a moment later, a cold smile appeared on her face.
"In the end, which of us is the one who can't tell the difference?" Jun Zishu murmured as she stared at the empty space before her. Then, she waved her sleeve, making it seem like she was sweeping off the contents of a table as she said, "Sisters? Ha! What a sister you are."
The smile on Jun Zishu's face disappeared, and her eyes looked like they were quenched with poison and sinister intent.
Yu Fanshu nodded in satisfaction when she saw this scene. Jun Zishu's performance was impeccable, in her opinion. Her girl was just that good.
Afterward, Jun Zishu took a deep breath and neutralized her expression. Then, she bowed in the director's direction before reverting to the usual calm and gentle look.
"Wonderfully done!" the director stood up and applauded. Then, he looked toward Yu Fanshu and said, "No wonder you wanted to bring her here! We'll proceed with the filming!"
Yu Fanshu nodded in response.
"Thank you, Director," Jun Zishu thanked.
"Young people really do improve quickly."
"It's all thanks to Miss Yu's excellent guidance.'
"I dare not take credit. It's the student who's talented," Yu Fanshu said, her lips curling into a smile. She really didn't have much to do with Jun Zishu's excellence. Afterward, Yu Fanshu turned to the director and asked, "Has the male lead been decided yet?"
"Yes. It's going to be played by Fan Qing, the one who won an award last year. Do you know him? He's quite the good actor," the director said. He had quite a few people come and audition for the role, and only Fan Qing managed to win his attention.
"This isn't our first time working together, so you should know my temper," Yu Fanshu said. She had worked with this same director when she was filming her second movie, so the two of them could be considered acquaintances.
"You can rest assured."
The director was well aware of Yu Fanshu's personality and her conditions for working together with other actors. In addition to needing to be skilled in acting and having an earnest work ethic, Yu Fanshu also required her co-actors to behave sensibly since she detested posers. Meanwhile, so long as Yu Fanshu got angry, she was more than capable of calling it quits without having to worry about the repercussions. He had waited a long time for Yu Fanshu to return, so he naturally made sure to research Fan Qing's behavior off-camera.
After successfully passing her audition, Jun Zishu kept quiet and watched as Yu Fanshu interacted with the director, her mind occupied with her own thoughts.
In reality, Yan Jue had constantly invited Yu Fanshu out for meals or entertainment during this period. Meanwhile, aware of Yan Jue's feelings for her, Yu Fanshu rejected all of his invitations and made sure to keep her distance from him.
However, Jun Zishu knew that Yan Jue still hadn't given up. If he did, he wouldn't have gone around sleeping with several women who looked like Yu Fanshu during this period.
Although Yan Jue had stopped keeping mistresses after Yu Fanshu returned, that didn't mean he had stopped sleeping with women who resembled Yu Fanshu. According to Little Fairy's monitoring, Yan Jue had already slept with three different women during this period. Of the three, one of them had a profile similar to Yu Fanshu, one had similar eyes, and one had similar lips.
Jun Zishu grew annoyed just thinking about Yan Jue's actions. After all, Yu Fanshu was currently her girlfriend, and it felt incredibly unpleasant to know that someone constantly desired her girlfriend. Fortunately, Yu Fanshu had never once accepted Yan Jue's invitation. Otherwise, she might have had to bring her plans forward.
Moreover, Yan Jue's actions of seeking replacements for Yu Fanshu were also incredibly disgusting, no matter how Jun Zishu looked at it. Jun Zishu believed that Yu Fanshu would share her sentiment should she learn of Yan Jue's actions.
…
The director acted swiftly. After finalizing the cast list and signing all the necessary contracts, he decided to begin filming half a month later.
In the meantime, filming for the variety show continued. However, subsequent filming sessions became more hurried due to everyone's tight schedules.
Of course, despite their busy schedules, everyone still displayed their best when in front of the camera.
Off-camera, Jun Zishu could still see Millie smoking from time to time. Moreover, it seemed that the woman had started smoking more aggressively as time passed, her face constantly carrying hints of depression. However, when Jun Zishu asked if everything was alright, Millie would always say everything was fine.
Jun Zishu had a feeling that something must've happened, and sure enough, a problem had cropped up during the filming for the fifth episode—Millie did not come, and the director wore a gloomy expression after contacting Millie's company.
"What happened?"
"We will try to find a replacement as quickly as possible. For now, though, I'm afraid you won't be able to remain in this show, Tongtong," the director said. Then, he called for the cameramen to stop recording.
Meanwhile, Tang Tongtong took out his phone and gave his manager a call. His expression remained neutral throughout the call. Then, after hanging up, he said to the director, "We'll discuss the contract on a later date. I'll be taking my leave now."
"Okay."
Afterward, Tang Tongtong bid goodbye to Yu Fanshu, Jun Zishu, Lemon, and Jiu Xi before leaving the filming site.
Nobody talked about what happened. Even though everyone present was more or less aware of what had transpired, they tacitly agreed to keep quiet about it.
"I wonder who will be our new coworkers? You and Jun Ling will have to start filming for your movie, right, Miss Yu?"
"Mhm."
"Everyone is so busy," Lemon commented.
"You are the only one who's idle," Jiu Xi habitually retorted.
"Who said so? I'm a very busy person. I'm very busy with a major undertaking," Lemon said as he wrapped an arm around Jiu Xi's waist.
Although Jiu Xi tried to hit Lemon's arm away, he simply let it be after failing to do so.
Jun Zishu naturally noticed this little detail, and noticing that she had noticed this, Lemon winked at her meaningfully as they reached a mutual understanding.
Yu Fanshu didn't care who would replace Millie and Tang Tongtong. She simply fiddled with Jun Zishu's fingers while watching Jun Zishu play with her phone.
The reason for Millie's absence quickly spread all over the internet.
Smoking, casting couch, being kept as a mistress… All sorts of misconduct were exposed. These accusations even came with photographic evidence, so there was no way to write them off as mere rumors.
The response to these revelations was terrible, to say the least. Millie had always had a lot of haters. Many people constantly criticized her for pretending to be young even though she was already nearing her thirties. Some people had even exposed her younger photos, subtly implying that she had plastic surgery done.
The revelation of Millie's many misconducts was the straw that broke the camel's back. These revelations had essentially shattered her cute persona.
Honestly, though, Jun Zishu didn't think there was anything wrong with Millie smoking. Celebrities were people, too. There was no way Millie could avoid stress, and her way of relieving stress just so happened to be smoking. While smoking wasn't healthy, it was still better than abusing drugs. Not to mention, Millie had always made sure to always smoke outside of the camera.
However, the problem was the persona Millie had operated under throughout her career.
Jun Zishu had a rather good impression of Millie, so she messaged Millie via WeChat to express concern.
Millie replied very quickly, and the surprise in her message was obvious.
[Millie]: I didn't expect you to be concerned about me. Everyone else is doing their best to avoid me.
[Jun Zishu]: Your health is more important than everything else.
[Millie]: It doesn't matter. Did you know? I started in this circle just like you. I used to think that what I had was happiness, but reality constantly reminded me how naive I was.
[Millie]: Ha. Do you know why I keep wearing pink clothing and pretending to be cute? I used to find these things repulsive. But he liked them, so I persisted with them. I liked him for ten years, and this was the outcome I got in return.
[Jun Zishu]: Love isn't the only thing in life.
[Millie]: Indeed it isn't, but it is capable of crushing a person.
[Millie]: Whatever. I'm going offline. You best take care of yourself and manage your heart well. At the very least, make sure you still have some dignity when you get dumped.
Jun Zishu sat close to Yu Fanshu, so Yu Fanshu naturally saw Millie's messages.
"I won't abandon you," Yu Fanshu said, frowning. Rather than her dumping Jun Zishu, she was more concerned about getting dumped instead.
In response, Jun Zishu smiled lightly and held Yu Fanshu's hand.
"You don't believe me?" Yu Fanshu asked when she saw Jun Zishu's reaction.
Yu Fanshu knew that Jun Zishu had a very tough mindset. Jun Zishu seemingly lacked emotional security, so she had decided not to rely on anyone altogether. Despite having a soft and amiable personality, Jun Zishu's heart was, in reality, tougher than anyone else.
"I just don't believe in vows. Time will prove things, Teacher. You are a very nice person, and I hope to be with you for the rest of my life," Jun Zishu said.
Jun Zishu had always been a very direct person. She would believe in things she wanted to believe and like whoever she wanted to like. She wouldn't choose to delude with wishful thinking, and she refused to believe in vows. Sweet words were the most unreliable thing in this world. What she did believe in was time.
Yu Fanshu sighed when she heard Jun Zishu's reply. She didn't know what she should do to earn Jun Zishu's trust. Moreover, despite saying that she didn't love her, this little rascal was constantly flirting with her and seducing her. Also, if she didn't believe in her, why would she want to spend the rest of her life with her?
In the end, Yu Fanshu decided to give up thinking. All she needed to do was hold onto Jun Zishu's hand forever, making sure that she couldn't leave.
A few minutes later, Jun Zishu refreshed her Weibo page and saw that Millie had made a new post.
…
Mili Millie: Smoking? Yes. I did it because of stress. Make sure not to mimic me, everyone. It's not good for your health.
Plastic surgery? No. I wouldn't look so ugly if I did. I don't even rely on my face to make a living.
Casting couch? Do you think I'm sick in the head? I don't even act in films. Why would I sleep with bald, middle-aged men?
Thank you, Little Mi's who have supported me all these years, but I'm tired, so I'm afraid I can't continue accompanying you any longer.
I sincerely wish all my good friends a prosperous future and a good death to those who wish me harm.
Also, hey, I've liked you for so many years, yet all I got in return was a broken reputation. I do not believe that you didn't notice my feelings. You simply didn't care that I liked you. As you wish, then.
[Image]
…
The attached image was a picture of Millie smiling brightly. Unlike her usual clothing, she wore a black shirt and black pants in the picture. Her lips were also colored a flirtatious red.
Jun Zishu's heart sank with a bad premonition when she read the end of Millie's post, and she hurriedly called Millie's phone.
No one answered.
