Yi Ling clicked through the photos one by one. Qi Haolin was dressed in full military uniform for his photo, and he looked exceedingly handsome in it. The look of steadfast determination in his eyes had Yi Ling swooning and gushing as she cupped her face giddily in her hands.
“Huanhuan, you have to get his autograph for me. He’s so dreamy I can barely keep myself from licking the screen.” Yi Ling squeezed Yan Huan’s arm as she said this, her eyes filled with stars. If this were a comic book she would be buried under a mountain of girly flower effects by now.
Yan Huan grabbed the mouse and continued clicking through the photos. As soon as she saw her own photo, she smiled.
Her full-costume photo was difficult to describe.
It was, to put it simply, stunning.
The marketing team had selected the photo of her standing sideways. Only her profile could be seen; a stray curl fell gently across her forehead, ending at her lashes. It was obvious that she was a prostitute, but at the same time she exuded the aura of a cultured woman from a respectable family, the woman she was inside. There was something about the mysterious half smile on her red lips that captured the hearts of all who set eyes upon her.
It was highly unusual for her photo to be included in the press release. Hers was just a supporting role, and her full-costume photo had only been taken for internal use. Perhaps the marketing team had been struck by how stunning the photo was, and had decided it would be a waste to keep it to themselves.
The internet had begun to discuss the photos.
Yan Huan turned off the computer. She would not look at the comments nor think about them. She reached across the table for her script, walked to a nearby chair, and sat down. She wondered if it was time for her to sign with an agent. But which one? She had not decided yet. Perhaps it was better to wait.
She turned her head to the side. The light filtering in from outside fell upon her face, warm and comfortable. She closed her eyes, and…
…fell asleep.
Love and Tribulations was slated to begin shooting five days later, once the production team was satisfied everything was in place. The first scene they would be shooting was Hong Yao’s. The night before, Yi Ling had been so excited she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. In the end, she gave up on sleep and spent the entire night playing with Little Bean instead, much to the kitten’s dismay. The poor kitten remained at Yi Ling’s mercy until dawn, at which point it crawled into its nest and fell into a sleep so deep not even Yi Ling’s boisterous shouting could wake it.
Yi Ling took Yan Huan’s hand and tugged her along as they ran to the studio. They had woken up before dawn to prepare for the big day: it was the first time Yan Huan would be playing a role important enough for her name to appear in the credits. She was not the lead actress nor the second female lead, but the fiery, sharp-tongued Hong Yao was unmistakably the heart and soul of the story.
They made sure to be on the set early because they understood Hong Yao was no ordinary supporting character. It would be a disaster if they turned up late for the shoot.
When they reached the set, they were surprised to see that they were not the first to arrive. Some of the production crew and cast were already there, busy preparing for the day’s shoot.
Yi Ling put a hand to her chest in relief. “It’s a good thing we set out early.”
Yan Huan entered the makeup room. She had just seated herself when someone rudely barged into the room without knocking. She turned around to see who it was, and immediately frowned.
Why was Wen Dongni here?
Wen Dongni smiled as she looked Yan Huan up and down. It was clear that it was a disdainful, contemptuous smile.
“What, did no one teach you any manners, little duckling? You’re supposed to offer your seat to others.”
Yan Huan knew Wen Dongni was deliberately trying to pick a fight with her. Yan Huan wasn’t stupid; she was fully aware that it was common for veteran actors to bully newcomers on the set. She was ashamed to admit that she had also bullied new actors in her previous life.
Wen Dongni walked over and planted herself steadfastly before Yan Huan. She said haughtily, “I can’t wait to see how you’re going to play the part of Hong Yao.” The disdainful smile had not left her face, but there was now a tinge of frosty resentment to it.
Wen Dongni had been certain that the role would be hers, but this newcomer had appeared out of nowhere and snatched it from her. No, she wasn’t even a newcomer— she was just a lowly stuntwoman who had even doubled for her in the past.
Wen Dongni had bragged on her Weibo that the part of Hong Yao was hers, that she had been born to play the part. She was so confident she had gone so far as to turn down other offers as she eagerly waited for production on Love and Tribulations to begin. But then the audition results came out, and she had been forced to eat her words. This was a massive slap in the face for her, and she was not happy.
