Li Chu wasn’t sure if Zhou Xinyuan had noticed, especially since Ning Manqing was looking at her while saying those words.
After the three exchanged their views on love, the crew resumed filming.
Regarding the speed of getting in and out of character, Li Chu truly, deeply envied Ning Manqing.
Teacher Ning is just too strong, Li Chu lamented inwardly more than once.
The deeper an actor immerses themselves in a role and the better their performance, the more immersed they become, making it harder to break character. Consequently, there aren’t many actors who can both interpret a role excellently and manage the boundary between reality and fiction, switching seamlessly between being in and out of character.
It’s either a gift from the heavens or honed through long practice. Li Chu felt Ning Manqing was likely a combination of both.
Li Chu considered herself an ordinary person. However, aided by her Omega talent and continuous learning, she could get into character relatively quickly and had a good grasp of the role, but she often struggled with getting out of character slowly.
The deeper she immersed herself, the more easily she was affected.
During the filming of this drama, she rarely encountered such situations, but it wasn’t entirely absent. For instance, the scene she had to film today depicted Fu Yuan and Lin Lang’s married life—Fu Yuan’s repression and eventual outburst.
By this point, they had skyrocketed to fame through the reality show, announced their marriage, and joined a couples’ variety show, becoming the most popular couple despite being non-celebrities.
Their home was fitted with cameras for recording and live streaming.
Their outings were almost always filmed. Initially, both felt a bit awkward, but they gradually got used to it.
Their popularity soared even higher due to their performance on this variety show, gaining countless fans who called their relationship the most dreamlike version of love.
The word “dreamlike” can sometimes be quite ominous; it’s dreamlike precisely because it rarely exists. Fu Yuan and Lin Lang were clearly not such lucky individuals.
Every day, Fu Yuan heard everyone’s praise and compliments about them. Sometimes she believed she and Lin Lang were truly deeply in love, but other times, she had to face reality.
Love cannot truly be faked. Even when the person sharing your bed hugs you, kisses you, marks you, you can still sense they don’t love you.
In the dead of night, when the cameras were off, Lin Lang performed her routine marital duty.
The bathroom mirror reflected their entangled figures. Fu Yuan’s legs were still weak, but Lin Lang had already tidied herself up.
“I still have some documents to handle. You go to sleep first.”
After washing up, Lin Lang said this and left the bathroom.
In the shot, Li Chu sat on the toilet lid, draped in a bathrobe.
Actually, the script described Fu Yuan as completely naked here, but obviously, Li Chu couldn’t appear like that on screen. Even if she were willing to sacrifice for art, both her agent and her girlfriend would freak out, and it wouldn’t pass censorship anyway.
The set was a bit cold. It was autumn now, and the temperature dropped at night. Although the bathroom window was closed, the circulating cold air still made the woman, clad only in a bathrobe, shiver.
Partly from the cold, partly from suppression.
Not long before, during the variety show, there was a couple’s task where one partner had to give the other a small surprise.
In Fu Yuan’s couple, Lin Lang received this task.
Lin Lang was very smart. She knew what kind of plot the audience liked to see and remembered her persona, so she orchestrated a romantic confession.
When Fu Yuan returned home after shopping, she found the house decorated with little contraptions.
Following a series of interesting mechanisms, she received several gifts. The first was her old necklace.
It was the most expensive gemstone necklace Fu Yuan had ever owned, but she had sold off her luxury items after her family’s situation deteriorated.
She never thought she’d see it again, nor did she know when Lin Lang had bought it back.
The second gift was a scarf, hand-knitted by Lin Lang, with a cute rabbit embroidered on it—Fu Yuan’s favorite cartoon character.
The third gift was a pair of beautiful high heels. Fu Yuan used to love collecting all sorts of pretty high heels, but after losing her money, she sold them and abandoned the hobby. Lin Lang was gradually helping her cultivate it again.
Fu Yuan was so surprised her facial expression almost slipped. She felt her former self beckoning to her, as if she were truly just a princess fallen on hard times, now returning to her magnificent throne.
The fourth gift was a handwritten love letter. Lin Lang’s handwriting was beautiful, each character seemingly imbued with lingering affection.
—When I stride across all that has sunk low
And wage war against eternity
You are my battle standard
The audience watching the variety show was practically exploding with sweetness from this scene. Fu Yuan herself was struck hard. She skipped like a leaping sprite to Lin Lang’s side, wrapped her arms around her neck, and they shared a lingering kiss.
Lin Lang gazed into her eyes with such deep affection; Fu Yuan felt like the happiest, luckiest person in the world.
But when the cameras turned off, something seemed to quietly change. Just like now, Fu Yuan thought they might have more intimacy, but after a seemingly perfunctory act, Lin Lang left.
Lin Lang had many things to attend to. The sudden wealth allowed her to arrange for her family’s well-being, hiring round-the-clock caregivers. She was not one to sit idle and deplete her resources; she had to find ways to make her money grow.
She was used to poverty. Even with wealth now, her most important task was to protect it and create more.
The air in the bathroom seemed to grow colder and quieter. Fu Yuan, sitting on the toilet lid, slowly stood up. The happy expression was gone from her face, replaced by an unspeakable bitterness.
She walked to the mirror and wiped away the condensation with her finger.
The mirror was cold, and her hand was pale and chilled.
She lowered her head and let out a silent scream, like a suppressed, hysterical mime performance.
Her hair was slightly messy. She looked at herself in the mirror and forced an ugly smile.
Logically, she should be content. She often tried to convince herself of this.
Because her life was much, much better now. She could provide her mother with excellent medical care, afford the treatment costs until her mother recovered, and offer her brother a decent job opportunity after his release from prison. She also had someone to accompany her for life.
What more could you possibly want? Fu Yuan constantly asked herself this.
She should feel grateful, content, happy—if only she hadn’t fallen in love with Lin Lang.
Fu Yuan hated her own weakness, her lack of self-control. Her love was the source of her pain.
She didn’t blame Lin Lang; she only blamed herself. Lin Lang had promised to give her a good life, but she had never promised to love her.
What right did she have to demand Lin Lang’s love? Lin Lang had chosen her, and Lin Lang wouldn’t love anyone else.
Fu Yuan often thought how wonderful it would be if she didn’t love Lin Lang. Then everything would be happy, joyful, and easy, and she wouldn’t be in such pain.
But then she thought, how could she not love Lin Lang? How could someone like her resist the light that shone into her life?
Even if that light wasn’t gentle or passionate, it had truly pulled her out of the mire.
Fu Yuan turned on the faucet, lowered her head to wash her face, then forced a smile at the mirror again.
She realized that playing a happy person was harder than playing an unhappy one.
This was something Li Chu deeply understood as well. Zhou Xinyuan called “Cut!” Qian Duoduo quickly came over and draped a coat over her. The bathrobe paired with a coat was indeed a bit strange.
“Sister Li, hurry and change your clothes, don’t catch a cold.”
Qian Duoduo urged her, and Li Chu nodded.
Li Chu clearly felt she hadn’t broken character yet. Even though the scene was over, the people and scenery before her seemed blurry. She walked towards the dressing room, her mind a chaotic mess.
Empty yet hazy, as if hovering between illusion and reality, her emotions were uncontrollably suppressed and low, as if the character she played was still murmuring incessantly in her mind.
She tirelessly told herself to feel happy and content, repeating that she was happy.
Li Chu dazedly changed into the clothes for the next scene and sat before the vanity mirror for the makeup artist.
“Sister, what’s wrong? Did you get cold just now?”
Qian Duoduo sensed Li Chu was a bit quiet today. Usually, after filming, Li Chu would want snacks while getting her makeup done, sometimes even joking with them. But today, she sat there silently.
Li Chu hummed in acknowledgment, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
She couldn’t help but ponder whether love was a necessity in life. Clearly, the answer was no.
Not everyone needs love. Li Chu used to hold this view too. Before meeting someone she liked, she sometimes couldn’t understand why people would die for someone or obsess over the impossible.
But now that she was in a relationship, she understood the uncontrollable nature of such feelings.
People really can’t control who they like or dislike. It’s an involuntary elation and happiness, yet also a dull, heavy ache.
Fu Yuan certainly knew that if she didn’t love Lin Lang, if she just treated her like family or a very good friend, her life would become truly happy.
But she couldn’t. She couldn’t stop her heart from fluttering for Lin Lang. She had to restrain her emotions to avoid sinking low when Lin Lang didn’t truly reciprocate, yet she had to play the model couple with Lin Lang in public, and Lin Lang acted so convincingly.
So she could only repeatedly hypnotize herself, lest one day she couldn’t keep up the act.
“Sister Li, Sister Li?”
A hand waving in front of her eyes made Li Chu blink.
She tilted her head, slightly confused. “Hm?”
Qian Duoduo: “I called you twice and you didn’t respond. It’s done now. The director is ready for the next scene and wants you over there quickly.”
“Okay, got it.”
Li Chu nodded, picked up the script from the vanity table, and walked out.
Her performance was very smooth, perhaps because she remained in character.
Ning Manqing didn’t notice anything unusual. She thought Li Chu’s acting had simply improved; every line was delivered with feeling, every expression perfectly executed.
They finished almost every take in one go today. Zhou Xinyuan was absolutely delighted.
These past few days, Ning Manqing had become busy again, exploring a new project related to the Tiange Group.
Perhaps the previous warning had worked. Mu Xiao hadn’t done anything particularly strange, nor had he tried to contact Li Chu again.
Moreover, this collaboration was initiated by Mu Xiao, who approached Ning Manqing, believing she was the most suitable partner.
Ning Manqing wasn’t inclined to agree, but Mu Xiao very sincerely called Li Chu to apologize for his previous attitude. Li Chu, somewhat bewildered, relayed this to Ning Manqing, which lessened Ning Manqing’s prejudice against Mu Xiao.
Ultimately, Ning Manqing agreed to collaborate with Mu Xiao because he offered a condition she couldn’t refuse.
She realized Mu Xiao was truly a very clever businessman. Mu Xiao said their cooperation would be mutually beneficial, with no downsides for her. He would protect Li Chu within his capabilities—not through resource allocation, but through behind-the-scenes assistance.
Ning Manqing thought for a moment and didn’t refuse. The Ning family was something she inevitably had to face. Ning Manqing wasn’t afraid of retaliation against herself from those with ill intentions, but she feared they might target Li Chu.
Because she had to rush to a meeting, Ning Manqing patted Li Chu’s head and left hurriedly after finishing her scenes for the day.
Li Chu stood there watching Ning Manqing’s departing figure, her mood sinking further. She barely had an appetite for dinner, quickly eating a few bites before returning to her room.
She wasn’t in the mood for anything else. She sat on the bay window of her accommodation, gazing at the dark night.
Li Chu felt she couldn’t continue like this. She should perk up and do something else. Teacher Ning wasn’t like Lin Lang; she was in a sweet relationship.
But despite thinking this, Li Chu remained motionless, her phone beside her, yet she had no desire to pick it up.
The phone chimed twice with new messages. Li Chu didn’t look down, instead trying to guess who messaged her.
She had muted notifications from unimportant contacts on WeChat. Those she received notifications from were usually close friends or her assistants.
Only two messages, so it definitely wasn’t Tang Congnan. Brother Nan never sent just two messages when discussing matters; it was usually a barrage of pings like a life-or-death chain message.
It was unlikely to be her assistants either. Qian Duoduo and Yuanzi rarely sent her messages on social apps, preferring texts because they worried she might miss them.
It must be Teacher Ning, Li Chu thought as she looked down, only to realize she was wrong. It was Ming Zhi.
【Sister Zhizhi】: Are you filming in Z City?
【Sister Zhizhi】: Free to meet up?
Li Chu realized it had been quite a while since she last saw Ming Zhi. Apart from interacting on social media, they hadn’t met much because their schedules were both busy and rarely overlapped.
However, whenever Ming Zhi released a new song, Li Chu always supported it.
Li Chu mustered some energy, feeling a little happy at the thought of seeing Ming Zhi.
She really liked Ming Zhi, not just for her singing voice, but also for the comfortable and relaxed feeling she exuded.
Li Chu messaged back saying yes. Ming Zhi gave her an address, and Li Chu immediately went to change her clothes.
Going out to play naturally required a disguise. Although Li Chu knew she wasn’t a top-tier star right now, she could still be easily recognized, especially since her drama had just finished airing not long ago.
Fortunately, it was autumn, so wearing a mask, hat, and other concealing items wasn’t too conspicuous.
Li Chu messaged Yuanzi, left the hotel discreetly, and arrived at the address Ming Zhi provided.
It was a bar, but not the quiet type Ming Zhi had taken Li Chu to before. This was a proper place for dancing, though more upscale and private than typical street-side bars.
The lighting in the bar was dim. Li Chu followed Ming Zhi’s directions to her booth.
Ming Zhi sat there alone, her figure slender, her hair a bit longer.
“Sister Zhizhi?”
Li Chu’s voice held a hint of uncertainty because Ming Zhi’s style today seemed drastically different from when she saw her months ago.
Ming Zhi was wearing a green qipao today, and her hair was also green. It wasn’t unattractive, just… sudden.
“Li Zi, you’re here. Quick, sit.”
Ming Zhi rested her cheek on one hand and beckoned Li Chu with the other. Her posture was still coolly aloof yet tinged with laziness, a familiar sight to Li Chu.
“Sister Zhizhi, why the sudden change in style?”
“Doesn’t it look good?”
“It looks good, very full of life.”
Ming Zhi swirled the drink in her glass and smiled at Li Chu. “Right? I think so too. I dyed it specially for my ex-husband.”
Li Chu asked in shock, “Your ex-husband cheated?”
She remembered this guy—the one who held his wedding on New Year’s Eve, the one who had brought Ming Zhi both happiness and pain.
She recalled Ming Zhi saying her ex-husband loved passionately and romantically. What happened? It hadn’t even been a year, just over half a year, and he cheated?
“No,” Ming Zhi shook her head, took a sip of her drink, and said, “Full of life, you know? I’m celebrating for him.”
Li Chu understood. Ming Zhi’s ex-husband’s wife was pregnant.
“I really have moved on, but I just don’t understand. Why, you know?”
Ming Zhi downed the alcohol in her glass and poured herself another.
She desperately needed to vent tonight but didn’t want to bother her old friends. She had already told them she was over it, and bringing it up again to whine would seem overly dramatic and annoying.
But she really wanted to talk, so she hopped on a plane to find her understanding Little Li Zi.
“We were married for so many years. Do you know why I never got pregnant? It’s not like I couldn’t conceive. He was the one insisting on contraception, saying he wasn’t ready to welcome a new life yet.”
“It’s not that I desperately wanted to get pregnant or give birth, it’s just… I don’t understand. If he said it was because of his career back then, that doesn’t make sense either.”
“He didn’t just post it on his Moments; he specifically posted it on Weibo. I wasn’t paying attention, but it somehow got pushed to my feed. He was so happy, saying they had been trying to conceive since they got married because they wanted a little life together.”
“That just confuses me even more. Li Zi, I’m purely confused now. I’m not bitter, I’m not sad, it’s just… when we were together, I never doubted his love for me.”
Ming Zhi pushed her long hair back and gulped down the alcohol in her glass again.
“Maybe it’s a change of heart. Maybe he didn’t want it before, but he does now.”
Li Chu understood the feeling Ming Zhi described—that kind of WTF feeling.
“Let’s not think about it. Come, come, have a drink with me. Let’s go have some fun. You looked down when you arrived, didn’t seem too happy either.”
Ming Zhi poured Li Chu half a glass of alcohol. She knew Li Chu wasn’t a great drinker, so half a glass was enough.
After downing the half glass, Li Chu felt her mood lift considerably. She filled her glass again.
Still wanting more after finishing that, she clinked glasses with Ming Zhi and drank another large gulp. Then, the two headed to the dance floor together.
They didn’t go to the crowded area. Although both wore masks, they still worried about being recognized, so they danced in a less populated corner.
Li Chu had been to bars before her accident, though not frequently. But she had to admit, dancing really could vent unhappiness.
The emotions Li Chu carried from getting too deep into character dissipated like smoke.
Amidst the loud music, Ming Zhi shouted, “Actually, I didn’t dye my hair for him! I just wanted to dye it myself, but they said green didn’t look good on me!”
“But you look great! You look the best!”
Li Chu shouted back, happily pulling Ming Zhi’s hand to dance.
“Yes! I am the most beautiful!”
People with low alcohol tolerance get drunk easily. Coupled with the mind-numbing effect of dancing, Li Chu uncooperatively yelled, “No! My wife is the most beautiful!”
“Who’s your wife? Tell her to come out and compete with me!”
Ming Zhi had a decent tolerance but was emotionally charged today, laughing as she asked.
“You wait, I’ll go find my wife right now.”
Li Chu, determined to defend her wife’s title as the most beautiful, immediately pulled out her phone.
Ning Manqing had just finished her meeting and was discussing project ideas with Mu Xiao when her phone rang.
When the call connected, the background was very noisy.
“Where are you?”
Ning Manqing gestured for Mu Xiao to pause, instantly worried.
“I’m at a bar! Sister Zhizhi said she’s the prettiest, I disagree! You’re the prettiest! Come quick and show her up!”
Li Chu’s voice was slurred, clearly a bit drunk.
“Okay, tell me the location.”
Ning Manqing was amused by Li Chu’s words but also worried she might get into trouble while drunk.
“I’m at…”
Li Chu shook her slightly fuzzy head and gave the address.
“Okay, don’t wander off. I’m coming to pick you up.”
“Going to pick up Li Chu?”
Mu Xiao immediately guessed who was on the other end, seeing Ning Manqing’s tender reaction.
Li Chu immediately became vigilant. “Someone’s talking next to you! Who is it!”
Ning Manqing didn’t hide it. “Mu Xiao. I’m coming to get you now. Don’t hang up, I…”
Ning Manqing’s words were cut off by a wail from the other end.
“Why are you with him! I’m going to dye my hair green too!”
Thinking of Fu Yuan and Lin Lang, the male lead and female lead, Ming Zhi’s ex-husband using contraception with Ming Zhi but actively trying for a baby with his current wife… countless emotions surged through her. Li Chu angrily hung up the phone.
Goodbye, damn love!
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