Chapter 4 – Crushed
According to his memories, the script Xiao Fang had bought this time was for a historical Mary Sue drama with a female lead. The production team was third-rate, and the director was also some unknown figure. Due to Xiao Fang’s inherent arrogance, even with his family’s wealth, he could never buy a leading role in a good production. Only a third-rate crew like this would dare to take him, and without exception, the ratings always plummeted. But the director didn’t mind, because the money he earned was from Xiao Fang’s investment. However, the new-and-improved Xiao Fang was not satisfied with this.
That night, he got the script and declined the crew’s invitation to a bar, instead starting to study it. The series wasn’t long, only twenty episodes. It was about a rebellious prince who falls in love with a princess from an enemy nation who has infiltrated their country. The princess conspires with him to seize the emperor’s throne. In the end, the princess’s identity is exposed, but because the prince loves her deeply, he lets her go. After returning to her country, the princess does her utmost to persuade her father to cancel the plan to attack the prince’s nation. Finally, the princess marries into his country for peace, and the two nations live in harmony forever.
It was a cliché plot. There was also a very tragic character, the prince’s older brother, the Crown Prince. The two had a very good relationship as children. Later, after the prince and princess got together, he increasingly felt that his older brother’s ideas on governing were problematic, so he agreed to seize the throne with the princess. The Crown Prince, in despair, ultimately committed suicide.
Xiao Fang felt that this Crown Prince was too tragic. In contrast, the prince was like an idiot. If this were his previous world, he wouldn’t act in it even if he were paid to.
“Sigh,” Xiao Fang sighed. Fortunately, the original owner had only bought this one drama. No wonder he couldn’t get famous.
His brother, the main uke, had been taking on roles since university, all in scripts from famous directors. Although they were small roles at first, as his acting skills were recognized by more people, more directors took notice of him. Before he was twenty, he had won the Film Emperor award, and he was the only third-gender individual to receive this award.
Because of the rarity of the third gender, most were protected at home, studying artistic subjects like home economics, art, and music. Few went out into the public eye. What Yan Yunyang liked was precisely Xiao Qi’s courage and ambition.
Although the original owner had also embarked on this path, the difference was simply too vast.
Knock, knock, knock!
A knock came from the door. Xiao Fang put down the script and went to open it. Standing at the door was Xiao Ma, who was supposed to be out playing with everyone else. He waved the bento box in his hand and smiled.
“If you want to have fun, just go. I can just order takeout,” Xiao Fang said, but still took the bento box. It was eleven at night, and he was indeed getting a little hungry.
Xiao Ma also smiled. “I don’t know them that well, so it wouldn’t be much fun. Is Brother Xiao reading the script?”
Xiao Fang nodded and placed the bento box on the table. “Have you eaten?”
“I’ve eaten. I ate when I was getting yours.”
Xiao Fang nodded and didn’t say more, just started eating generously.
“I hear the female lead this time just graduated from the film academy?” Xiao Fang began to inquire about his colleagues.
“Yeah, I heard she acted in a relatively famous family drama as a child. Her name is Wen An’an. But she’s quite arrogant. When everyone asked her to go out just now, she shut the door on them. I heard the director went to great lengths to invite her over to carry the show,” Xiao Ma was well-informed about these things.
Xiao Fang nodded. “What about the second male lead?”
In fact, in this drama, the second male lead’s role was arguably the most appealing.
“The second male lead is called Zhang Hang. He should be a newcomer, just graduated from the film academy. Not very famous, not as good-looking as you, Brother Xiao.” Xiao Ma added a sweet compliment at the end.
Xiao Fang chuckled. “Stop with the flattery. It’s still about skill.”
This time, Xiao Ma really felt Xiao Fang’s change. This wasn’t just a change, it was like he had become a completely different person. But this Brother Xiao was much easier to get along with than before.
“By the way, Brother Xiao, I heard Xiao Qi is also filming nearby. Should we go and humiliate him thoroughly? And Yan Yunyang will definitely come to accompany him. We can kill two birds with one stone,” Xiao Ma suggested. It was no secret that Xiao Fang liked Yan Yunyang; in fact, everyone knew. But they all treated it as a joke and paid it no mind.
Xiao Fang didn’t have any feelings called “love” for anyone here. “No, let’s just mind our own business. I’ll go find him myself if there’s something. I won’t make a move on him anymore.”
“Brother Xiao,” Xiao Ma was completely stunned.
“Shh,” Xiao Fang placed a long, fair index finger on his lips. “I have my own difficulties. You don’t need to ask anymore. Go get some rest. I’ll look at the script a bit more and then go to bed.”
Xiao Ma listened in a daze. After Xiao Fang finished eating, he left the room in a stupor. He felt that Brother Xiao must have been hypnotized. Otherwise, it was absolutely impossible for him to believe that this polite and humble person was the arrogant Xiao Fang.
Xiao Fang knew that his sudden change in personality was a bit strange, but asking him to continue acting arrogant and offending more people was out of the question. Be a good person, and maybe he wouldn’t die so easily.
***
The next day, Xiao Fang woke up early and arrived at the studio to have his makeup done. The makeup artist was originally on edge, as Xiao Fang’s reputation was well-known in their circle. She was afraid of offending this financial backer in some way. But this Xiao Fang didn’t seem to be what she had imagined. He was calm and, while not overly enthusiastic, he answered her questions and met her requests.
“Xiao Li, come and do An’an’s makeup!”
A gruff male voice came from outside the door. Xiao Fang looked over and saw a woman in a short jacket and a hip-hugging skirt enter. She wore sunglasses and had an impatient look on her face. Following her was a young man in a black jacket. He was about 1.8 meters tall, wore glasses, and had fair skin. From his features, he seemed quite handsome. He had a constant smile, making him appear more approachable than the woman. The last to enter was the director, with his potbelly and a fawning smile on his face.
“Isn’t this Young Master Xiao? You’re here so early. We have two makeup artists. Xiao Li, you do An’an’s makeup first. Uh, Zhang Hang, you can sit for a bit. The crew’s resources are limited,” the director’s tone clearly revealed his attitude.
Wen An’an just snorted coldly, not looking at anyone, and sat down in her spot. She threw a bag on the table. “Use my makeup. I’m afraid my face will have an allergic reaction to cheap stuff.”
As soon as she said this, an awkward expression flashed across the makeup artist’s face. Even the one doing Xiao Fang’s makeup paused for a moment.
She was truly a princess.
“Hurry up. I’ll go change my clothes myself later. Zhang Hang is still waiting behind me, don’t keep him waiting long,” Xiao Fang said, appearing completely unconcerned, and confidently entrusted himself to the makeup artist.
The makeup artist smiled, a hint of goodwill for the young master blooming in her heart. It seemed he wasn’t as bad as the rumors said.
“I wonder who she’s talking about. With such terrible acting, they only deserve this kind of makeup.” Wen An’an was still a little wary of Xiao Fang, so she only muttered a few words. But anyone in the room who wasn’t deaf could hear her.
Xiao Ma, who was standing on the side, was about to rush out but was held back by Xiao Fang.
Since the person himself wasn’t angry, the assistant couldn’t very well act out. Xiao Ma could only hold it in.
“Xiao Ma, go buy some water. We might need it when we start filming.”
“Young Master Xiao is so thoughtful,” the director chimed in with appropriate flattery.
“Young Master Xiao, can you treat me to a bottle of tea?” Zhang Hang, who had been silent all this time, asked teasingly.
“Of course. Xiao Ma, bring some more,” Xiao Fang agreed generously.
It seemed like she was the only one putting on a one-woman show. Wen An’an’s face turned green. But just wait. The best way to deal with such an amateur was to crush him with acting skills and let him know what a professional was!
Xiao Fang ignored Wen An’an’s teeth-gritting glare in the dressing room and didn’t say a word to her all the way to the set.
The first scene to be filmed was the one where the prince and princess meet for the first time. In the power-centric imperial city, power was everything. The first thing the princess saw upon arriving in the city was a scene of a ruffian trying to abduct a young woman. Bursting with a sense of justice, she naturally drew her sword to help. This caused the prince, who was sitting in a teahouse, to fall in love with her.
Love at first sight… Xiao Fang never believed in such things. There was no such thing as love at first sight, only lust at first sight.
Dressed in a light white, ornate robe, Xiao Fang looked like a noble young master, a smile that sparked infinite imagination playing on his lips as he followed the camera crew up to the teahouse.
Wen An’an did have some skill. The moment the director yelled “Action!”, her usual arrogance vanished and she entered a different state.
“How dare you do such a disgraceful thing in the middle of the street!” the princess exclaimed, one hand on her hip, protectively shielding the young girl behind her with a righteous air.
“Who do you think you are, meddling in my business? If you know what’s good for you, get lost!” the ruffian young master shouted back. He played the part of a scoundrel fluently, clearly an experienced extra.
“Is that so?” The princess looked at the scoundrel with disgust. The revulsion on Wen An’an’s face was plain to see, but there was no other emotion. “It’s time to let scum like you see what this young lady is capable of.”
Seeing this, Xiao Fang frowned.
As they spoke, they began to fight. However, it wasn’t the spoiled young master himself who fought, but his underlings.
Naturally, Wen An’an didn’t need to do the big fight scene herself. The camera cut away, Wen An’an went to rest, and her stunt double took over.
At this point, the camera had to switch to the teahouse on the second floor, where the prince had witnessed everything and was beginning to develop feelings for the princess. Wen An’an followed the director’s gaze to the monitor, and the disdain in her eyes completely changed when she saw Xiao Fang’s expression.
In Xiao Fang’s eyes, Wen An’an’s princess was completely soulless. The princess in the script was the only princess of a neighboring country and the emperor’s only child. She was raised not just as a daughter, but also as a son. Under the emperor’s tutelage, she naturally mastered the art of ruling. In terms of mindset, she was no longer a delicate princess, but a politician, a knight-errant, with eyes that could see the world clearly.
With this premise, when the princess saw the spoiled brat, her expression would not be one of anger and resentment, but of enlightenment, of a chivalrous heart, a more elegant way of looking at the matter.
Wielding her brush like a sword, with an open heart, what would she say?
This was a girl the prince had never seen before. She stood there and declared boldly, “It’s time to let scum like you see what this young lady is capable of.”
It was a kind of confidence, a kind of determination, an aura that the women of his own country lacked.
The emotions in Xiao Fang’s eyes changed several times in a matter of seconds. First, it was nonchalance, then it burst into a kind of disbelief, as if he had seen a whole new world. His light-colored eyes seemed to hold a galaxy of stars. This time, Wen An’an was truly stunned. She knew that this gaze was not directed at her in the scene, but at the free-spirited princess from the script.
By the time the fight scene was over and Wen An’an was back on camera, she still hadn’t fully recovered.
“You… you just wait! I’ll have my dad deal with you!” The spoiled young master spat out the classic line and fled with weak legs.
The princess snorted coldly and turned to gently help up the bullied girl. “Are you alright?”
The girl thanked her repeatedly with red eyes. Wen An’an kept a gentle smile, but even her lips were struggling to hold it. Something was about to crush her.
Wen An’an finally couldn’t help but look up. The man on the upper floor was smiling at her. It was no longer the silent Xiao Fang she had seen in the dressing room. It was a favored son of heaven, smiling with the reservedness of royalty. But his affection was impossible to suppress. His smile changed into something else. He curled his lips, his eyes curving into little crescent moons, and he looked at her as if she were a precious treasure.
Wen An’an could no longer hold her smile. This person was not what she had imagined. He was much stronger than her. This wasn’t even a proper scene with him, and she was already being crushed by his presence.
The director was also completely stunned. Was this the amateur the industry rumors spoke of?
“Director, it’s time to call cut,” the assistant director reminded him.
Only then did the director snap back to reality. “Ha, oh, oh, cut! That’s a wrap!”
It seemed that this time, he had not only picked up money, but also a treasure. This drama… it might not be so bad after all.