Chapter 20
It had been so many years . It was natural that Lu Qingming understood Xi Mo’s personality .
However, he didn’t know that Xi Mo’s body had already changed owners . Ruan Yesheng’s acting was perfect . To Lu Qingming, she was Xi Mo . Even if she was behaving slightly abnormally recently by not going home, he would only suspect that it was Xi Mo herself that had met with some problems . How could he think of other ideas?
Who would actually guess the truth?
Hence, Lu Qingming felt more relieved when Ruan Yesheng replied coldly and a little arrogantly . When Xi Mo replied in this manner, It generally meant that there wasn’t a big deal and that the issue will be over on its own after a period of time . Xi Mo was throwing a tantrum . As for why she was throwing a tantrum, the tactful him wouldn’t ask . Afterall, women always have a few days every month when they are unhappy, and Xi Mo was always unhappy 30 days out of the month .
Lu Qingming said, “I asked because I was worried . It’s alright now, as long as you’re happy . ”
Ruan Yesheng didn’t really like Lu Qingming, but she greatly admired his EQ . He knew how to handle things and was indeed a great manager who could handle Xi Mo . Ruan Yesheng’s tone eased and she asked, “Do you have anything else to say other than this?”
“The arrangements on Director Lin’s side are almost done . You will be entering the set very soon . You have the most scenes, so naturally it will be very tiring for you . Rest more for these few days and read your script . I have pushed aside your other activities . ”
There was the previous incident at the hotel . Lu Qingming didn’t show anything on the surface, but he still had lingering fear in his heart . Therefore, he showed more concern for Xi Mo than before .
Ruan Yesheng nodded her head .
Lu Qingming was as dedicated and responsible as usual . He explained some of the relatively important matters . When approaching the end of the conversation, he added, “Promotional activity will start before you enter the set . The internet and media’s attention on you will definitely be more than usual . There will be all sorts of discussion on the internet, and it may go on for a long time . I will say the usual, don’t take it to heart . ”
Ruan Yesheng’s expression didn’t change much as she replied, “It’s okay, I’m used to it . ”
Lu Qingming put on a rare smile and said, “If it is really okay, then don’t go to Weibo or Tianya[1] to look at the discussions regarding yourself . You clearly know that it is all nonsense, but you get angry after reading them . ”
Ruan Yesheng seemed to have heard an interesting little secret . A hint of interest flashed in her eyes, and she looked like a fox for that instance .
However, she spoke coldly, “Which eye of yours saw that I was angry . ”
Lu Qingming’s smile deepened but also looked a little helpless . He paused for a moment before saying, “Go and rest, I’m taking off work . ”
He turned and left without any hesitation . Ruan Yesheng watched him leave; the corner of her lips hooked up meaningfully . Then, she returned back to the room and closed the door .
The room was Xi Mo’s temporary resting area in the company . It was spacious and exquisite . In the past, Xi Mo didn’t stay there often, but it still contained the traces of her living there . There would be the presence of someone in the room as long as they had stayed there before . A table, a chair, a bed, and a wardrobe were all evidence of the room’s owner .
Hence, it was inevitable that the few days Ruan Yesheng had stayed here had caused a mix of flavour in the room as she thought of Xi Mo and the unimaginable thing that happened between them . She wandered about in the room and examined the traces of Xi Mo once again . Then, she finally glimpsed at the Sui Ting script that was left open on the sofa .
Deng Sui had the most lines and was also the most complex character . Out of her dedication as an actor, she decided to go through the script again and memorise the lines . It had been many years since she filmed something decent . Having sunk to the bottom, she sometimes wondered if she was already numb, as she forgot the feeling she should have as an actor . Now that she was holding a script, the enthusiasm that had become dormant slowly woke up within her . She felt a real sense of happiness and hope that she could bring out this role perfectly, even if she was doing it with Xi Mo’s identity .
The phone was placed in the bedroom by Ruan Yesheng . She was focused on looking through the script and didn’t notice the message notification .
Xi Mo felt much more spirited after bathing . She was gradually getting used to Ruan Yesheng’s body after experiencing all the ups and downs the past few days . Out of habit, she was very particular with how she handled her body . Before she slept, she had to do her skincare routine without missing a single step .
She was always busy with work previously, where could she find the time to relax? After going through the earthshaking change, she suddenly had so much time . She had adapted physically, but she still hadn’t thought about how she would spend the time . The free time surged over like tides, catching Xi Mo, who was used to a busy schedule . off guard .
She was not in the mood to watch TV . She also felt irritated surfing the net . Xi Mo could only choose a book from the bookshelf to read .
The phone was placed not far away from her; the screen remained dark . She had sent Ruan Yesheng a message before taking a shower and switched off her phone .
After looking through a few pages, Xi Mo glanced at the phone through the corner of her eye .
She sneered and continued reading the book .
After a few minutes, she had flipped through a few pages . Xi Mo thought: I have sent a message, Ruan Yesheng should have at least replied . This is basic courtesy .
Hence, she decided to switch on her phone so that she could see whether Ruan Yesheng was a courteous person or not .
There was indeed a new message after she switched on her phone . She gave it a glance but realised that it was sent by Yan Tinghuan . Yan Tinghuan wasn’t that drunk . Her sending a message was probably just her looking for some fun .
Xi Mo had many complaints regarding Yan Tinghuan . Her expression worsened . Although the time they had interacted with each other was short, she had already understood Yan Tinghuan’s temperament somewhat . This person was the same as Ruan Yesheng, both flirtatious women . Ruan Yesheng still knew the meaning of shame sometimes, but Yan Tinghuan was someone who could cling onto you anytime as long as you caught her eyes . She was someone with no shame . If Xi Mo replied to her now, she would probably be bombarded by endless messages and wouldn’t be able to have peace of mind .
In order to nip the probable messaging bombardment from Yan Tinghuan in the bud, Xi Mo replied promptly, “I’m quite sleepy and am preparing to sleep . Goodnight . You drank so you should rest early too . ”
She was about to send the text when she remembered the tone and format of Ruan Yesheng’s past messages . After thinking for a moment, she added an extra cute emoji at the end of the text before she was satisfied . She felt that this was Ruan Yesheng’s style . She had to learn it, no matter how disgusting it was, so that she wouldn’t be exposed .
After sending the message, Yan Tinghuan could only bid Xi Mo goodnight no matter how bored she was . The messaging had stopped .
By right, Xi Mo should feel more comfortable after dealing with Yan Tinghuan . However, she felt increasingly unhappy for some reason, as if she was blocked by something and unable to vent .
She had lowered herself to tell Ruan Yesheng the good news of her passing the audition, yet Ruan Yesheng didn’t respond at all .
It has been so long . Is Ruan Yesheng deaf or blind?
Wait, won’t I be cursing myself this way?
Pei pei[2], that doesn’t count .
The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became, to the point she held the book and walked a few rounds around the living room . When her gaze went back to the phone again, she realised that she was actually waiting for Ruan Yesheng’s reply . Her irritation slightly shot up, and she rushed over to switch off her phone again . She coldly sealed her concluding stamp, “She didn’t reply . I have never seen such an uncourteous person before . There’s no need to be bothered with her . ”
Then, she went into the room unhappily to sleep .
Ruan Yesheng looked at the script and only stopped when she started feeling sleepy . She walked into the bedroom, took up the phone, and saw Xi Mo’s message . It was sent a few hours ago and there was only a simple word of “passed” .
She stood there with a smile as she read the message . She tried imagining what Xi Mo might be feeling when she sent the message, her eyes brightened as she smiled .
She keyed in a bunch of text, but deleted them in the end . After thinking for a moment, Ruan Yesheng replied with squinting eyes, “Congratulations, then I will see you soon with the crew . I’m looking forward to it . ”
When Xi Mo woke up in the morning and saw Ruan Yesheng’s reply, she sneered and decided not to reply to her .
Sui Ting’s filming was officially revealed to the public . It had been kept a secret in the past . Now that it was revealed to the public, the more exposed it was the better . It was the digital age now, promotional methods were very different from the past . Before the shooting for the TV show or movie started, the promotion must be done strongly to attract people’s attention . As the filming progressed afterwards, the promotional activities also had to continuously keep up . By making use of the digital age’s trait, in which information spreads fast, they would start building the momentum before the filming and continue doing so until they started broadcasting . Promoting and hyping were both very important and could not be neglected .
Hence, the TV series, Sui Ting’s official account was created . Lin Qitang was very efficient . Xi Mo had brought funds for the crew, and there was also Xi Mo’s company working together, it was very easy to start the hype .
All the major and minor media companies introduced Sui Ting in their entertainment sections . Marketing companies received the advertising fees and started advertising about Sui Ting one after another . The first round of promotion did not reveal the male and female lead but revealed some of the important supporting characters . The actors for these supporting characters were all famous within the circle, each having quite a number of fans . The fans gave their strong support and the hype grew . The supporting cast was strong, and there was huge funding from the production company . The production company had filmed many well-known dramas with good reputations and outstanding ratings . This meant the show would most likely be a great production . Seeing this, the netizens’ attention on the show would naturally stay high, and topics about the show were at the top of the discussion board .
Then, the crew revealed their trump card . They made use of their male and female lead to gain fans .
Since the identity of the male and female lead were shrouded in mystery in the first round of promotion, it was inevitable that there would be violent waves of guesses . To hype it up, the various media companies exaggerated the description, seemingly or unseemingly implying certain people . Hence, some of the very famous male and female actors that were currently in the limelight were quickly shortlisted . On the female lead’s side, Xi Mo and Chen Qingbei were included . Their fans were naturally very excited . They stepped out one after another to show their support for their male and female idols . The crew didn’t even show any promotional photos of their actors, but the various fans were already having arguments about who got the role . The argument between Xi Mo and Chen Qingbei’s fans was the fiercest . Just by browsing the net randomly, one could see a topic regarding Sui Ting .
Xi Mo was already used to this kind of thing, so she couldn’t be bothered . She was either reading the script or following Yan Tinghuan to Lin Qitang’s place to discuss in preparation for the filming .
These days were different from the days in the past . There were many times she had to lower her proud self and act obedient to be able to achieve success . With the protection of Ruan Yesheng’s body, no one would know that she was Xi Mo . After acting as Ruan Yesheng so dedicatedly, she gradually got used to this flirtatious woman’s way of acting . She laughed on the surface while raging in her heart . From this, her acting as Ruan Yesheng improved and reached a new level .
Footnotes
[1]Weibo and Tianya are various social media platforms in China .
[2]Pei pei – Expressing contempt
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login