The assistant bit on his fingers. The supporting actress role had already been reserved for Sun Yuhan. Both Su Muran and Sun Yuhan had powerful families behind them! Why was Director Yan giving their roles out? Was he out of his mind?
And most importantly, who on earth could this mysterious caller be?
“Eh? You want to act as Madam Hua? So that they would have to call you mother?”
The assistant chewed on his fingers again. Such a mischievous request is unheard of!
“Of course,” assured Director Yan. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your participation as a secret. Anything for you! You don’t have to come for the audition or final make-up shoot either. Well, I’ll see you on the day then! You have to come, alright? I won’t begin the shoot unless I see you!”
“Okay, okay, I got it,” Yan Hua was smiling like a bellflower.
“Who was that, Director Yan?” asked the assistant cautiously when Yan Hua hung up.
Yan Hua shot him a look. “Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t know if you want to keep your rice bowl.”
“Yes sir,” said the assistant. He felt his flat tummy and decided he should eat two bowls of rice later to curb the shock. This had all been too eerie.
Just who in the devil was that? In the entire China entertainment industry, Yan Huan was the only one who would make such odd requests. Based on what he heard, Yan Huan loved taking on weird roles and never got tired of it. But it shouldn’t have been her right? If it had been her, Director Yan would have jumped up in joy and swung his shirt like a cowboy swinging a lasso.
Then came the day of the final make-up photoshoot; a day where a bloody clash was inevitable.
Su Muran sailed forward with the manager behind her, her high-heels clip-clopping against the ground. Her arms were crossed, and her chin was slightly lifted. There was a queenly air around her.
Sun Yuhan had always been marketing herself as a chic actress. Face wasn’t pretty? No problem, she had makeup. Too short? No problem, she had high heels. Bad figure? No problem, she had foundation garments. Money was the solution to all problems, and the Ye Family had an abundance of it. She could shower in Yuan bills if she wanted to.
“Oh? Came back to live?” Sun Yuhan curled her lips slightly, her eyes contemptuous.
“How can I die before you?” Su Muran fixed her wine-red hair. This was what a celebrity should be like. In her opinion, Sun Yuhan was nothing but a jumped-up vulgarian.
“Relax. I’m certain you’ll be going first,” said Sun Yuhan, edging towards her. From a spectator’s perspective, they looked like good friends who had parted for a long time, exchanging whispers. In truth, the two of them both had a lot going on in their minds. The only thing they shared was the wish that the other would die on the spot.
“Is that so?” Su Muran raised an eyebrow. “I have to say I’m a little surprised, though. Are you really someone from the Ye Family? How about another DNA test?”
“That is none of your concern,” said Sun Yuhan, concealing her discomfort. “You ought to be more careful, though…” She sized her up. “I heard you got cured overseas?”
Not liking the topic, Su Muran turned away.
“What a coincidence,” said Sun Yuhan, half-conversational and half-musing. “For Yan Huan to mysteriously go missing while Miss Su was getting her treatments. People believed that she’s taking a break from acting, but I, as a member of the Ye Family, know better. She was abducted. Why, though? They couldn’t be after her blood, could they?”
She covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes so heavy with make-up that their original shapes could not be discerned.
They had been in the plotting game for years, and all too aware of each other had done.
Su Muran hastened up, her high-heels tapping against the floor. Her feet were sore from the shoes.
During the final makeup shoot, Su Muran was in a foul mood, but Sun Yuhan was surprisingly accommodating. When they were about to return, another unexpected clash occurred.
What a coincidence indeed.
A man in a suit walked in. His long legs were wrapped in tailored suit pants. A dashing man, but there was something effeminate about him now.
Su Muran curled her lips. She didn’t even want to say hi. What good was a man who would leave her in her time of crisis? Besides… She tossed a glance at his groins. She heard someone had injured his manly parts, and was now a eunuch.
Lu Qin gave her a sharp look. Abashed, he tried to find something to cover it up. But what was the point? It would only make it more obvious. Many people already knew about it, and Su Muran definitely had her way of finding out. Lu Qin felt like a piece of meat on display, stripped and exhibited.
Su Muran turned around and smiled at Sun Yuhan cryptically.
Sun Yuhan, who thought she had won, suffered an unexpected defeat. She pretended to not know Lu Qin and walked away, but she could feel his icy gaze on her.
It wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t. She didn’t want to step on it either. He was the one who fell under his feet.
She snorted. What does a eunuch need a woman for? Might as well go through sexual reassignment surgery and live as a woman.
Lu Qin stood stock-still, clenching his fists so tightly that his fingernails bit into his flesh. He had never suffered such humiliation in his life. He vowed to make the two women who caused that to pay for that.
Before the shooting began, most of the cast was pretty much fixed and revealed to the public. The drama had a rare star-studded cast made up of the most popular actors at the moment. It wasn’t all that surprising, though. Director Yan had spent years working on the film, and serious money had been dumped into it too. With all the hype around it even before release, no doubt many actors had their eyes on it.
