Chapter 4: Nine Heavens Drama

The business car entered the film city. Before entering, they had to sign and fill out forms. This film city was not like those in the south. Occasionally, there were tourist groups visiting. This one was mostly privately built, and then rented or sold out. The drama Meng Ying was going to shoot was called Nine Heavens.

It was an ancient fantasy drama, telling the love-hate story between the emperor, who transformed into a dragon, and a female demon lord from the demon world. The two had once been betrothed, but the emperor fell in love with the fairy from the Nine Heavens, so he broke off the engagement and pursued the fairy while working hard to cultivate. He was originally a little dragon, but his cultivation was fast, and he quickly transformed into a full dragon, rising to become the emperor.

The female demon lord, who had been rejected, was a sword practitioner. Heartbroken, she fell into madness and was reborn into the demon world. From then on, the three realms were in turmoil, with love and hatred entangling them. The female demon lord caused chaos, bringing disaster to the three realms. Cold-hearted and indifferent, the emperor got entangled with her, eventually falling in love with such a wild person.

Yet the female demon lord remained emotionless and unmoved. The two would once again become entangled… falling together into the cycle of reincarnation.

It was essentially a “chasing love” story, a very popular novel adaptation. Many actresses wanted to play the lead role, but Meng Ying had indeed secured the role from Yang Tong. Liu Qin had worked hard, sending Meng Ying’s materials to the producer and the director. Initially, they were hesitant, but Liu Qin, knowing their preferences, had compiled videos of Meng Ying in ancient costume, and that finally secured her an audition.

The shooting base is located on the west side of the film studio, just a short distance from the entrance. The business car pulled up right to the door. Liu Qin opened the car door and got out, with Meng Ying following behind. The wind was a bit strong, making it hard to see. Meng Ying shielded her eyes, and then heard Liu Qin take a sharp breath. “Hurry, go say hello…”

Liu Qin pulled on her arm, and Meng Ying lowered her hand. When she looked up, she saw the male lead, Gu Yan, in a white shirt and black trousers, standing diagonally across from her.

He had won Best Actor two years ago and Best Actor in a movie last year. With more than ten years in the industry, he had gone from an idol to a powerful actor, steadily climbing to the top and was now considered a big star.

He used to be an idol type.

But his body was definitely not the soft, delicate type of an idol; with abs and defined muscles, his physique was the kind that would make people swoon. Now, as he had matured, he exuded a strong masculine charm.

The character of Cang Long required this kind of rugged masculinity.

However, it was somewhat unbelievable that he would participate in this kind of idol fantasy drama. Meng Ying had been in the entertainment industry for more than three years and had met Gu Yan two or three times, but unfortunately, they had never had a conversation. The gap in their statuses was too large, and her reputation was not that great, so it was even more difficult to approach him.

As she walked over, she was still a little nervous.

Liu Qin was pulling her forcefully, but even Liu Qin was shaking. Meng Ying smiled a little, and as they approached, Gu Yan turned his head and looked over in surprise. Liu Qin quickly smiled and said, “Senior Gu, this is Meng Ying, who plays Ling Yao.”

Ling Yao was the female villain, the leading role.

“Hello, Senior Gu, please guide me,” Meng Ying said, much calmer now, extending her hand.

Gu Yan came to his senses, smiled, and shook her hand. His voice was low, “Sure, I’ll guide you.”

Her hand was fair and soft. Gu Yan’s hand was a bit rough and darker in color. Under the sunlight, when their hands clasped, there was a certain beauty to the moment.

On the other side, the crew was preparing for the shoot and was calling people over. Gu Yan let go of her hand and looked at Meng Ying. “Shall we go together?”

Meng Ying also lowered her hand and smiled, “You go ahead, Senior Gu.”

“Alright,” he replied, fastening his collar, then taking the coat handed to him by his assistant and putting it on. The assistant followed behind him and quietly glanced back, whispering to Gu Yan, “Senior, this is Meng Ying, who got ahead by relying on connections.”

Gu Yan didn’t respond, just gave him a subtle glance.

The assistant immediately shut up.

“Ah, I forgot to ask for his contact details. Next time. You’re in the same crew, so make sure to perform well. This is an opportunity, a real opportunity,” Liu Qin kept talking while walking beside Meng Ying. “Once you do well, you can get rid of Yang Tong’s shadow. In the entertainment industry, if you don’t have something unique, not only will the criticism increase, but it’ll also be harder to make a name for yourself. Why choose to be a stand-in when there’s a real deal? Yang Tong is the real one, and you’re just the stand-in.”

As they walked towards the opening ceremony, a large dump truck passed by outside the low wall. Some staff members were saying that a big company was building another film studio over there.

Liu Qin clicked her tongue. “So extravagant. I wonder which company it is.”

Meng Ying quietly glanced over. The dump truck was so big that it darkened the area a little when it passed.

They had picked the right day and time. This was Meng Ying’s first time playing the lead female role, her first time standing in such a prominent position, and also her first time attending an opening ceremony. Gu Yan, standing next to her, moved with practiced ease. Meng Ying looked at him several times. Gu Yan curved his lips and said, “It’s not that amazing.”

Meng Ying blushed and bowed slightly.

After turning around, there was the ribbon-cutting ceremony, interviews, and the media microphones were passed around. Most of the questions were for Gu Yan. He answered smoothly, even questions about his personal life.

Gu Yan tilted his head and smiled. “We’re here for the opening ceremony today, so ask questions about the drama.”

“Questions about the drama have already been asked. We want to know, what kind of person is your ideal partner? Don’t give us some official answer, give us a real one.” The female reporter asking the question was blushing, her eyes shining brightly. Gu Yan chuckled softly. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a woman not far away, standing and taking selfies with her phone.

She was wearing a red waist-cinching dress, her skin as white as porcelain in the sunlight. Her long legs were straight, her hips were perky, and the red earrings on her side profile stood out, making her neck look even whiter and thinner.

Gu Yan shifted his gaze back and said, “I really can’t answer that… I guess it doesn’t matter what standard you meet when you’ve already encountered it, right?”

His eyes were smiling.

The female reporter in front turned even redder, nodding awkwardly.

The second female lead, second male lead, and even the third male lead in this drama all had more prominent roles than Meng Ying. So, after the opening ceremony, Meng Ying became somewhat of an idle presence. The sun was just right, and she took a few photos to send to Xu Qing. Just as she put her phone down, a reporter approached her—a female reporter, holding out a microphone.

“Meng Ying, there are rumors that this role was given to you by Yang Tong. Is that true?”

Meng Ying paused for a moment, then adjusted her hair and said, “No, I auditioned for the role myself.”

“Really? But I heard that Huaying is filming a space drama and is strongly supporting Yang Tong, which is why she let go of this role,” the reporter said, looking inquisitive.

Meng Ying quietly looked at the reporter for a few seconds and replied, “Huaying hasn’t made an official announcement yet. How do you know that?”

The reporter was taken aback, a little embarrassed.

Indeed, Huaying had not yet made a public statement.

The reporter quickly asked a few more questions before leaving. Meng Ying didn’t have any scandalous stories about her. Her only controversy was the constant comparison with Yang Tong.

Regarding the backlash, a lot of fans had already been criticizing Meng Ying on Weibo, including those for the drama Nine Heavens. Now, with the interview happening live, some things were better left unsaid. Fans online had already torn Meng Ying apart, so there was no need for her to add fuel to the fire.

After the opening ceremony, #NineHeavens also trended.

Many people were praising Gu Yan’s looks, while others were worried about him, afraid that he might be riding on Meng Ying’s coattails. There were also people who felt that Meng Ying couldn’t possibly act better than Yang Tong and was shamelessly taking her role. Once again, the internet was flooded with criticism.

“How could our male god participate in this kind of idol fantasy drama, especially with someone like Meng Ying who’s just riding on the heat? I feel sorry for him.”

“Our male god needs to stay far away from Meng Ying. She’s so scheming and shameless. Who knows what methods she used to snatch this role from Yang Tong?”

Meng Ying had already gone inside to change and put on makeup, preparing for the photoshoot. Liu Qin was beside her, fuming, “These people just talk nonsense. Saying you’re riding on the heat from Senior Gu, seriously. You were so far from him during the opening ceremony, if you were really trying to gain attention, you’d have thrown yourself into his arms already.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the door curtain was lifted, and the man who entered took a step back, his black robe rustling. He furrowed his brows, his gaze darkening a little.

Inside, Liu Qin gasped and grabbed Meng Ying’s chiffon skirt, “Damn, it all fell off…”

The stylist next to them quickly apologized and stepped forward to help Meng Ying fix her outfit. Her back was fully exposed—smooth and fair, with beautiful butterfly bones and a rose on her waist. The stylist adjusted her skirt and said, “Ms. Meng, your rose tattoo on your back is beautiful.”

The rose, starting from a little above her hips, curled upward, with the flower resting along her spine, as if it was about to wither or perhaps bloom. Her back was so fair and smooth, and the addition of the rose made it even more stunning. Any man who saw it would want to touch or kiss it; it was incredibly tempting.

Meng Ying smiled, “I got it when I was younger and didn’t know better.”

“It looks great. If I were a man, I’d go crazy over it.”

Would he?

He probably would. He always pinned her against the wall, then bent down to kiss that spot on her skin…

Meng Ying smiled again.

After the photoshoot, there wasn’t much else to do. There was a dinner gathering in the evening, but Meng Ying didn’t really want to go. The weather was a bit chilly, so she decided to head back to the hotel. Liu Qin saw her skipping the event. Though she felt it wasn’t very professional, she understood and went with her assistant instead. As an agent, if the artist wasn’t putting in the effort, it was her job to work harder.

The hotel wasn’t as comfortable as home, but luckily, Chen Jie had cleaned up before and ironed her clothes, hanging them up. The coffee table had a fresh transparent tablecloth, and the place was tidied up, giving it a homely and warm feel. After taking a shower, Meng Ying sat on the sofa, drying her hair.

Then, the doorbell rang.

She got up, walked to the door, and pulled it open.

Xu Dian stood outside, lazily leaning against the door, a cigarette between his lips.

Meng Ying froze for a few seconds.

Xu Dian unbuttoned his shirt collar and walked in. He casually wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her toward the wall, his lips slanted around the cigarette, looking down at her. His eyes scanned her up and down, then rested on her ear. He took the cigar out of his mouth and kissed her. Meng Ying shuddered, her grip on the towel tightening. He smelled faintly of alcohol as he kissed her and unbuttoned his shirt. She was wearing a simple dress, which made things easy.

She grabbed his back, tilting her head.

As expected, his hand lingered near the rose tattoo. Remembering the flight earlier, Meng Ying softly asked, “What are you doing at the film studio?”

He smiled, as though in a good mood, his voice low and husky, “Checking out a project.”

“Really?” Wasn’t he there to visit Yang Tong? Meng Ying closed her eyes briefly. Yang Tong was his artist, so visiting her on set would be normal.

“Yes.”

He smiled again, grabbing her chin and squeezing it.

She tilted her head, enduring it. His dark, seductive eyes again focused on her red earring before he leaned down to kiss her again. They moved from the entryway to the living room, and then to the bedroom. In the end, he sat on the edge of the bed, leisurely buttoning up his black shirt, his side profile illuminated by the light.

There was a touch of indifference.

Meng Ying sat up, wrapping herself in the blanket, and hugged his waist.

“Are you sleeping here tonight?”

Xu Dian paused for a moment, then tilted his head, his handsome lips curling into a smile. “Do you want to make the news tomorrow?”

Meng Ying looked up at him and shot him a glare.

He reached over to put on his watch, his tone casual. “Are you hungry?”

Meng Ying shook her head.

She saw that he was about to leave and hesitated. She grabbed his wrist. He turned back, raising an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

Meng Ying tilted her head. “You only have me as your girlfriend, right?”

He could be indifferent, but not two-timing.

Xu Dian paused, then leaned down. His peach blossom eyes held a smile that didn’t quite reach his gaze. “I don’t have that much energy.”

“Dealing with you is exhausting enough.” He pressed his fingertip lightly on her collarbone, his eyes lingering there.

Meng Ying pushed his hand away, her face turning red. “When have you ever had to deal with me?”

She was so honest.

It was almost always her being proactive. Outside of the bedroom, they occasionally talked, but most of the time, she was the one asking questions, and he simply answered. Because of their special status, they never went out on dates, but sometimes, when the mood struck, she’d cook, and he’d eat with her. Occasionally, they’d watch a movie at home.

It was a private relationship.

Meanwhile, outside, he was heavily promoting Yang Tong.

“Accompanying you to bed,” Xu Dian chuckled, adjusting her blanket.

Meng Ying couldn’t help but throw a pillow at him. He bent down, picked up a cigarette from the coffee table, lit it, and said, “I’ll go now. I’ll have someone bring some food.”

With that, he left.

Meng Ying stayed in the room, hearing the door close behind him.

She got out of bed and put on some clothes. Not long after, someone came to deliver food. As she went to receive it, Liu Qin sent a message: “The new film studio is invested by Huaying. Damn, how is Huaying so rich? I also heard it’s for filming Interstellar…”

Just as she finished reading it, a news headline popped up.

#Huaying Invests Huge Sum in Interstellar#

Liu Qin: “See? I told you, Yang Tong must be the CEO’s mistress, that’s why she’s getting so much support.”

Thinking about the answer she gave to the reporter earlier, Meng Ying leaned against the wall, smiling bitterly.

She had just slapped herself in the face.

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