After Kissing the World-Weary Female Supporting Character [Transmigration] - Chapter 28

Song Xingzi placed the tray on the coffee table. Three small bowls of rice were lined up in front of each person’s seat, and she naturally sat down next to Ji Ruyue.

Li Yu glanced at the full bowl of rice in front of Song Xingzi, the glistening, fragrant tea-infused chicken on the table, and the clear, bright tea broth.

I can’t take my eyes off her for a second, and she starts binge eating.

Li Yu smiled, asking Song Xingzi with serious earnestness, “Ms. Song, do you want to appear on camera as a big fatty?”

Song Xingzi looked about to burst into tears, swaying like a small lily in the wind. “A big fatty? You’re lying, aren’t you? How could eating a little make me a fatty?”

Li Yu was stern. “Eating a little won’t, but eating too much will! It’s true!”

Song Xingzi lowered her head in dejection and pushed the bowl of rice toward the center. The Female Lead’s discouraged demeanor made Ji Ruyue feel uneasy, like seeing a bright, lovely flower—just as she was about to cover it with a glass dome to protect it from the wind and rain—only to see the petals already trembling.

“She won’t gain weight,” she pushed the rice back. “Eat.”

Li Yu subconsciously wanted to pull out her phone to record material. It seems Song Xingzi isn’t in a one-sided crush, after all. The way these two interact is quite interesting, so let me give them a little push.

“How does the CEO know Ms. Song won’t gain weight? Even though the CEO said Ms. Song doesn’t have to report to anyone, if her figure really changes, the comment section will definitely be a bloodbath again.”

How do I know? She’s the Female Lead! How could she possibly gain weight? I won’t die even if I don’t eat or sleep; how could she gain weight just from eating a couple more bites?

The correct answer immediately flashed through Ji Ruyue’s mind, but it was too absurd for them, not an answer she could speak aloud. She frowned in thought for a moment, then changed her approach. “It doesn’t matter if she gains weight. Eat without worry.”

Li Yu secretly chuckled. She picked up a piece of chicken and placed it in Song Xingzi’s bowl. “Ms. Song, eat more. The CEO has given her word—no matter how fat you get, she’ll protect you.”

Song Xingzi didn’t grasp the underlying meaning of Li Yu’s words. She thought Li Yu was right and nodded sincerely. “Okay, Ji-Ji is so good.”

Is she shifting the story material to me and the Female Lead? Ji Ruyue’s light-colored pupils slightly contracted, but she didn’t say anything more.

The three finished lunch in this atmosphere and then headed together to the set.

Due to the delay from the morning’s promotional shoot, the directors’ team spent over an hour familiarizing the crew with the filming location, explaining blocking, props, and facilities. They led the actors with more scenes together to rehearse and get acquainted, and finally, they gave a detailed script reading to the actors in the first scene…

After a long string of miscellaneous tasks, Song Xingzi finally changed back into the autumn-yellow, short-sleeved outfit and officially started shooting the first scene of her life.

Unlike film, which requires polishing every frame and may take a year and a half to shoot, TV dramas adhere to the principle of speed and efficiency. The script’s timeline is usually rearranged to shoot all scenes involving a single location before moving to the next one to shoot the remaining scenes.

The scenes filmed at the Hengdian World Studios were from after Fang Miao entered the palace. Fang Miao, who inherently yearned for freedom, was coaxed and tricked by the Emperor into the palace. The Emperor, busy with state affairs, seemed to forget the simple girl he had brought back. He handed her over to the Chief Eunuch and paid her no mind, but the women in the harem would not let this dangerous person go so easily. Therefore, on her very first day working in the imperial kitchen, Fang Miao was sought out for trouble.

The scene where the Emperor brings her into the palace and arranges her lodging is a night scene, scheduled to be shot in the evening. They started with the scene from the audition.

“You’re utterly lawless! How dare you hit me? I didn’t provoke you at all! I’m not wrong!” Song Xingzi was restrained by palace maids and eunuchs, but she stubbornly struggled in anger.

“Cuizi, go tell her where she went wrong,” the minor beauty curled her ring finger, stained red with balsam flower dye, and commanded the palace maid with perfect composure.

“Yes,” the maid curtsied obediently. As she turned toward Song Xingzi, her expression changed instantly, like a Sichuan opera mask change, with malice in her eyes. “First, speaking disrespectfully to your superior, shouting loudly at a beautiful Lady! Second, failing to bow to an Imperial Consort! You country bumpkin are the one who is lawless! It is only right and proper for your mistress to discipline you. Not to mention, you just spilled Noble Consort Mu’s ginseng soup. Your little life might be forfeit.”

Finished speaking, she raised her hand toward the defiant, shocked Song Xingzi. A slap sliced through the air, about to land on Song Xingzi’s bruised face.

At that very moment, the palace maid who had been accidentally injured earlier exclaimed, “Stop! The Imperial Harem is also under the rule of law! How can you resort to private punishment?”

Cuizi subconsciously froze and turned anxiously, only to see her mistress stuttering a bow toward the door. “G-Greetings to Noble Consort Mu. Cuizi, why are you being so vicious? Hurry and tell them to release her! How crude.”

The woman, who had just been so arrogant, put on a flattering smile and nervously apologized to the newcomer. “My subordinates are crude. I apologize for alarming Noble Consort Mu. I will certainly discipline them properly when I return.”

A higher-ranking Consort has arrived. Is this the Noble Consort Mu she just said would take my life? Song Xingzi looked up toward the doorway:

A woman in a white palace gown with silver patterns was carefully supported by a palace maid. She slowly stepped over the wooden threshold of the imperial kitchen in the bright morning sunlight. Her expressionless, deathly still gaze flashed over Song Xingzi and then fell upon the overturned blue and white porcelain bowl behind her.

Song Xingzi was momentarily stunned. She suddenly remembered a book review she had read online: I thought she came with the light, that she would be my salvation. Who knew she was struggling in the mud from start to finish, living furtively in the shadows? If that is the case, then let me be her light.

She didn’t know why this scene suddenly felt perfectly aligned with that line, even though in her mind, Ji Ruyue should be that peerlessly charming, audacious Female Second Lead.

Ji-Ji, Song Xingzi subconsciously wanted to call out to her, to pull her back from the state of Mu Yu.

“Xiao Yu, don’t you need to call ‘Cut’?” Wang Qiang stood on his toes, leaning next to Zhao Yu. Seeing Song Xingzi’s moment of daze on the monitor, he asked softly, “Why did Song Xingzi space out?”

“No need. It’s quite normal to be stunned at first sight. Their current states are very good. Calling ‘Cut’ suddenly might interrupt their flow,” Zhao Yu seriously observed everyone in the camera frame. He suddenly remembered Qi Nanchun saying that Wang Qiang was very afraid of CEO Ji, and on a whim, he said indifferently, “Well, you can call ‘Cut’ if you want. Then you can give CEO Ji some acting notes.”

Wang Qiang quickly waved his hands and retreated. “No, no, no, please spare me, Xiao Yu’er. I promise I won’t interrupt your filming again. Would you like some water? I’ll pour you tea!”

Zhao Yu chuckled softly, waved him off, and continued to focus on the people in the camera.

The minor beauty approached Ji Ruyue fawningly, acting arrogant due to having a powerful ally, and said with full indignation, “Noble Consort Mu, she is the one who spilled your ginseng soup. I—I was afraid she would run away, so I detained her first.”

Song Xingzi finally emerged from her sudden, inexplicable emotion. She glared fiercely at Ji Ruyue, like a small, helpless animal caught in a trap. Ji Ruyue’s gaze flashed, then dimmed again. She seemed not to notice the minor beauty or hear her words. Her gaze fixed on Song Xingzi, who was looking up at her, and she said flatly, “Did you spill the ginseng soup? It’s fine; I didn’t feel like drinking it today anyway.”

So hypocritical. They’re all unreasonable, crazy women with no individuality! Song Xingzi snorted, not answering her.

“Release her,” Ji Ruyue didn’t care about her reaction. She pointed at the trembling palace maids and eunuchs and said to the minor beauty, “If you have nothing to do, don’t come here to bully a mere cook. Advice from others is not always sincere.”

The minor beauty snapped out of her daze. She thought about what her fate would have been if the Emperor had arrived at that moment. She broke out in a cold sweat and quickly called her personal maid to help Song Xingzi. “Cuizi, didn’t you hear? Quickly release her and help the little cook up!”

Being helped to her feet, Song Xingzi realized that this extraordinarily beautiful woman in front of her had come to save her. Her wolf-like glare slowly softened, and she mumbled her thanks. “Th-Thank you, Noble Consort Mu.”

The minor beauty also chimed in with thanks. “Thank you, Noble Consort. I will return now and discipline my servants properly.”

Ji Ruyue did not respond to either of them. She slowly walked toward the shattered blue and white porcelain bowl, her gaze lingering on the bright yellow ginseng soup for a long time. “Linglong, tidy this up.”

“Let’s go,” Ji Ruyue turned, rested her hand on the maid’s arm, and walked silently toward the sunlight, just as she had arrived.

The expression on Song Xingzi’s face changed several times. Finally, she opened her mouth and called out to her, “I can make you the best ginseng soup. Don’t be sad.”

Ji Ruyue turned to look at her. Her jade-like face was beautifully blurred in the sunlight. She watched the innocent, naive expression on Song Xingzi’s face for a long time, then said softly, “Make it and send it to the Palace of Eternal Happiness.”

Song Xingzi nodded excitedly. “Okay!”

The scene was shot very smoothly. Zhao Yu, satisfied, didn’t call “Cut” until Ji Ruyue had walked far away and Song Xingzi was actually rolling up her sleeves to prepare the ginseng soup.

“Cut! It’s a take, it’s a take!” Zhao Yu’s gaze moved back and forth between Song Xingzi and Ji Ruyue. These two people who were brought in from above are treasures! I just wonder how good the last one is?

Capitalizing on everyone’s good state, they quickly finished three more scenes. Zhao Yu was finally merciful enough to announce that the afternoon session was over and that the night session would begin after a two-hour break.

“Ji-Ji, Ji-Ji, Ji-Ji,” Song Xingzi hadn’t quite emerged from her true self yet, jumping and calling out to Ji Ruyue.

“What is it?” Ji Ruyue had no scenes in the night session, so she planned to remove her makeup first and then return to the hotel.

As for Song Xingzi, who still had to film—sorry, the Female Lead is not in her plan.

Since she became familiar with the trajectory of destiny, whether it was managing company affairs or predicting the actions of others, everything was as easy as eating and drinking for her, requiring very little effort. So, she often stayed up all night and still had plenty of time to rest during the day.

This was the first time in years that she had been busy from morning until night, and she was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Mu Yu is simply too much like the real her. Just playing her, briefly letting her authentic self out, made her feel anxious, dazed, and even extremely fatigued.

She couldn’t tell if this was a new form of punishment from the Way of Heaven for deviating from her destiny, or simply her own discomfort and fear that her inner, despairing, weeping self would be exposed.

“Ji-Ji, Ji-Ji, Ji-Ji,” Song Xingzi sat next to Ji Ruyue and called out crisply. Ji-Ji, when acting, made her feel too much pain. So, even seeing Ji Ruyue with her eyes closed and not speaking made her feel sad and want to pull her out using her own methods.

Headache-inducing, Ji Ruyue had to turn and look at her. “What?”

“Nothing, I just wanted Ji-Ji to pay attention to me, hehe,” Song Xingzi smiled at Ji Ruyue with eyes that curved into beautiful crescents, like twinkling stars in her lovely eyes.

Such a childish Female Lead.

“Oh,” Ji Ruyue replied coldly, turning her face away, allowing the makeup artist to gently remove her hairpiece, hair ornaments, and jewelry.

Song Xingzi turned her head toward the mirror, smiling warmly and soothingly. “Ji-Ji acted Mu Yu so well today. She looked so lonely. I don’t want Ji-Ji to be unable to come out of the role, so I wanted to talk to Ji-Ji more.”

How is she so sensitive?

Ji Ruyue was once again surprised by the Female Lead’s ability to perceive emotions. She closed her eyes, feeling the damp makeup remover pad moving across her face, and calmly reassured the Female Lead, “Don’t overthink it. It’s normal to get into a role. Your Fang Miao is also very good. You still look completely innocent and lively right now.”

They’re such a cute pair of ‘commercial mutual-praise wives.’ This is all material!

Li Yu’s apple cheeks tightened. She pulled out her phone and started recording Song Xingzi and Ji Ruyue’s daily interactions in her memo pad.

Commercial mutual-praise? What is that? Is someone talking? Song Xingzi turned her head, looking all around her.