Chapter 103: Filming Wraps Up
On her way back to the Prince’s Manor set, Gu Hanling didn’t follow her. It seemed like he had left straight away.
This ancient city film base was pretty remote.
Had he really traveled all this way just to bring her a cup of coffee and offer her a hundred million a year salary to poach her from acting?
Shen Xi couldn't help but mentally complain.
Classic capitalist.
Everything he did had a clear purpose, and he’d never do something that didn’t benefit him.
Still, she had a strange feeling, like her value in his eyes had gone up somehow. It was a pity that she only had a few top-tier jewelry designs in her hand.
Otherwise, the Chief Designer position at Gu Corporation actually sounded… quite tempting.
Oh, and not to forget, he had come all this way just to pinch her waist.
Shen Xi rubbed her still slightly sore waist and muttered under her breath,
"Does he have some weird fetish?"
Thinking about it, there were indeed some CEO characters in novels who liked to torment the woman they loved, making her suffer emotionally and physically.
She tried matching this personality to Gu Hanling…
Nah, doesn’t fit. She was overthinking again.
Back at the set…
Shen Xi was planning to talk to Zhong Wei, casually mentioning that she had twisted her waist earlier and suggesting he do a fake hug using a camera angle in their upcoming scene.
But before she could even open her mouth, Zhong Wei beat her to it. He rushed over to the director and proposed,
“Director Feng, I’d like to adjust the movements a bit. What do you think about this instead…?”
Huh? His idea was almost the same as hers. Weird.
It seemed like a lot of things didn’t make sense today.
Director Feng, who had been completely focused on filming, suddenly seemed to remember the importance of interpersonal relationships and readily agreed to Zhong Wei’s suggestion.
The rest of the shooting went smoothly.
Shen Xi’s scenes were gradually decreasing.
Sometimes, she had to wait on set for ten hours, but her actual filming time was less than an hour.
She didn’t just sit around, though. She wandered around, observing the behind-the-scenes work.
And here’s where her beauty really came in handy. Not a single crew member minded having a gorgeous woman watching them work.
Even the camera crew let her try operating the camera for some less important shots.
Director Feng, as one of the few people who knew Shen Xi's background, was the most surprised. He had previously feared that she would use Gu Hanling to pressure him, even worse than Zheng Shuangshuang.
But as it turned out, he was completely wrong. Shen Xi wasn’t just easygoing. She was genuinely hardworking.
It was obvious that Shen Xi wasn’t professionally trained as an actress, but despite her petite frame, she was incredibly hardworking. Something that completely took Director Feng by surprise.
What really caught his attention, though, was how interested Shen Xi seemed to be in directing.
Sometimes, Director Feng would jokingly tease her in private, "Mrs. Gu, are you planning to steal my job?"
Ten Days Later…
Today was Shen Xi’s last scene. Coincidentally, it was also the death scene of her character, Mu Xue.
Meanwhile, the two lead actors, Zhong Wei and Zheng Shuangshuang, still had a long way to go before wrapping up filming.
Filming wasn’t done in chronological order. Scenes were shot based on logistics and scheduling.
Sometimes, actors would arrive on set only to film the ending first.
……………………………………
Final Scene – Mu Xue’s Last Moments.
"Action!"
The Crown Prince was dead, and the world had descended into chaos.
Mu Xue, played by Shen Xi, stood before a raging sea of fire.
The flames illuminated her delicate face, making her look heartbreakingly beautiful. For the sake of revenge, she had dragged the people into suffering.
Countless lives were destroyed because of her. In the end, it was all a mistake.
Behind her, Zhong Wei’s character, the Prince, gazed at her retreating figure, his eyes filled with conflicted emotions.
"Mu Xue, surrender yourself."
Mu Xue’s eyes shimmered with tears, yet her lips curved into a faint smile.
"I know my sins are unforgivable. My vengeance is complete, and I have no regrets."
She turned back to look at him one last time and said,
"Your Highness, remember this—"
"I looked more beautiful than her in that dress."
As soon as she finished speaking, Mu Xue leaped into the flames. Her silhouette vanished, like melting spring snow…
"Cut! That’s a wrap!"
Director Feng’s voice rang out, signaling the successful take.
"Congratulations, Mu Xue’s story has wrapped!"
"Congratulations, Miss Shen, on finishing your scenes!"
Applause and cheers filled the set. The crew had even prepared a large bouquet of flowers for Shen Xi as a farewell gift.
Since her hotel was far away, Shen Xi had already packed up her things and left them at the set in advance.
Filming was over, but Shen Xi still had one last task, recording the theme song.
After taking a few days to rest, she planned to head to the studio and record it before the official promotions began.
It was still early in the day.
Shen Xi planned to take a taxi to the train station.
Since it was peak summer travel season, and this area was a popular tourist destination, train tickets were hard to get.
She had only managed to secure a standing ticket.
After taking farewell photos with the cast and crew, Shen Xi left the film set alone, pushing her suitcase while holding the bouquet in her arms.
She was checking her phone as she walked, but the ride-hailing app still hadn't found a driver. She let out a small sigh of frustration.
"Guess I should start learning how to drive… This is way too inconvenient. I know! I'll ask big brother to teach me, wait, no, why is he the first one I think of?"
Just as she was deep in thought, her foot accidentally stepped on a loose, raised stone slab.
Her ankle twisted at an awkward angle.
"Ah—!"
"Damn, that hurts like hell! Just my luck!"
She put down her suitcase and squatted down to rub her ankle. A slight red swelling had already started to form. Luckily, she could still walk, but it definitely hurt.
Although Shen Xi had always been used to handling things on her own, at that moment, she couldn't help but think a little sentimentally.
'It'd be nice if someone came to pick me up…'
"Xixi."
Right then, a man's voice called out from nearby. Shen Xi instinctively looked up.
Uh… Good news!
Her wish came true. Someone did come to pick her up.
Bad news?
She would rather walk on her sprained foot.
Leaning against a flashy gold sports car, Shi Jingyan stood there, his face full of unshakable confidence.
If she hadn’t been busy for the past two months, she might have completely forgotten that the "male lead" of this world even existed.
"You’re hurt? Get in the car."
"My company is preparing a new drama, and we need a female lead."
"Come on, let’s talk about the details."
Shi Jingyan walked forward, offering to help her, his tone much softer than before. Shen Xi limped back two steps, forcing a polite but distant smile.
"No need, Mr. Shi. I want to take a break. Besides, we're not that close."
Him offering her the lead role? What a joke. More like he wanted her to play the lead role in his bed first.
Shi Jingyan's eyes widened. Not close? From high school to university, and she called that "not close"?
He took a quick step forward, grabbing Shen Xi’s fair-skinned wrist in a firm grip.
She frowned, feeling a wave of nausea. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong for her to break free easily.
"Let go, Shi Jingyan. I'm already married. If you keep this up, my husband will misunderstand."
Shi Jingyan let out a cold laugh.
"Your husband?"
Even now, she was still keeping up the act? Thinking she was irresistible, he leaned in close, deliberately lowering his voice in a seductive whisper.
"Xixi, stop playing hard to get."
"I admit it, your little push-and-pull game has caught my attention again."
"I'll give you a chance. Let's start over."
Hearing that, Shen Xi was so furious she actually laughed. Some people, as long as they were shameless enough, could really become unstoppable.
Truly worthy of a "male lead."
His words made her entire body break out in goosebumps, which in itself was an impressive feat.
If this were the original Shen Xi, she would have been brainwashed by now. Probably throwing herself into his arms, competing with Lin Yueyue for his attention, and heading straight for a bad ending.
The stalemate continued for a moment. Just as Shen Xi was about to execute the “cut off offspring, eradicate lineage kick”.
A strong hand suddenly grabbed Shi Jingyan's wrist. The grip was so powerful that he instantly let go of Shen Xi.
Shi Jingyan staggered backward, almost falling. When he saw who it was, his face turned pale with fear, and he didn’t dare move.
Before Shen Xi could even react, her body was abruptly lifted. A sense of falling made her instinctively hold on tight to the closest thing for support.
A familiar, faint woody scent filled her nose. When she came to her senses, she realized she was clinging to Gu Hanling's neck.
Her soft, delicate body was now being carried in a princess carry by the man!
She instinctively glanced at Shi Jingyan behind them. His face was twisted in disgust, as if he had just swallowed a fly.
Shen Xi pressed her lips together, trying to hold back her laughter. For some reason, she suddenly felt very satisfied.
However, the moment didn't last long as she heard the man's deep and cold voice in her ear. Upon careful listening, one could detect a hint of suppressed impatience, along with a strong sense of possessiveness.
"If you keep looking—"
"I’ll dock your salary."