After Secretly Marrying the Top Celebrity, I Fell in Love - Chapter 38

It was lunchtime, and the set was very quiet.

“…” Bai Yiyan was stunned. The knuckles holding her phone tightened slightly. She held her breath and looked towards the doorway, her gaze fixed on the closed door.

The next second, footsteps suddenly sounded again, moving farther and farther away.

It turned out that someone had just walked by; judging by the sound, it seemed to be two people.

Bai Yiyan suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart, a sense of powerlessness from a dashed hope. Bai Yiyan rarely felt this way.

What was she expecting at this moment? Hoping Ye Manqing would suddenly appear outside the door?

Averting her gaze, Bai Yiyan lowered her long eyelashes and refocused her attention on her phone.

The reflection on the screen showed Bai Yiyan’s face. Her pair of long, narrow Ruifeng eyes were clear and translucent, her gaze deep, giving her an air of detachment.

She remembered Xu Xing once saying something that remained deeply etched in Bai Yiyan’s memory.

“Childhood sweethearts are destined to lose to the ‘suddenly appearing’ one. I wonder when you’ll meet yours. But, Yanyan, your personality is too composed. You’ll definitely make your ‘suddenly appearing’ one cry someday. Even if you like someone, you won’t show it, like a block of wood.”

“For example, you clearly love strawberries, but it took me a whole year of being your friend to find that out.”

Actually, Bai Yiyan didn’t really love strawberries; she just rarely got to eat them at the orphanage and found them novel.

A few minutes later, Ye Manqing replied on WeChat.

Ye Manqing: [Already ate.]

…

In the extra-large makeup room next door.

“Teacher Fu, please drink some brown sugar water.” Xiaoxiao brought a cup of brown sugar water to the bed, first placing it on the nightstand, and then helping Fu Yu sit up.

Fu Yu was in so much pain from her period cramps that she couldn’t sleep, merely curled up on the bed for a short rest. She took the brown sugar water handed to her by her assistant and started drinking it.

The woman’s face was pale, lacking any color, and the pain had sapped all her energy.

She had taken off the wide outer robe of her costume, and Fu Yu was now wearing a plain white undergarment. For the role, Fu Yu had rigorously lost fifteen pounds in half a month. With a height of 170 cm, she weighed only 85 pounds. Without the outer robe, her figure in the single garment looked very thin and sickly, as if a gust of wind could easily blow her over.

“Give me the medicine.” Fu Yu couldn’t drink the brown sugar water anymore and handed the few remaining sips back to the assistant. She clutched her stomach and frowned, asking.

“Teacher Fu, what medicine?” Xiaoxiao didn’t immediately react, asking cautiously.

“What else? Um… Ibuprofen, of course.” Beads of sweat formed on Fu Yu’s pale forehead, and her brows furrowed even tighter.

“You can’t, Teacher Fu. You just took one Ibuprofen an hour ago,” Xiaoxiao reminded her.

“Bring it!” Fu Yu slightly raised her voice.

Fu Yu, of course, knew she had taken the medicine an hour ago, but how could she continue filming if the pain kept up like this?!

“Teacher Fu, please, you’ll harm your body if you keep taking it like this.” Xiaoxiao looked at Fu Yu with a worried expression, patiently explaining, “Although Ibuprofen can treat menstrual cramps, it’s also a fever reducer. You shouldn’t take fever reducers so frequently.”

“You…!” Fu Yu clenched her teeth hard, too angry to speak.

“Teacher Fu, let me rub your stomach for you.” Xiaoxiao felt a little wronged but was mostly concerned for Teacher Fu.

Being an actor is truly difficult, and being a female actor is even harder, especially when filming during one’s period. It’s particularly tough for someone like Teacher Fu, who suffers from period pain.

Fu Yu stopped arguing, lay down obediently, let out a long sigh, and closed her eyes helplessly.

“Fine, help me rub my stomach.”

…

The sun was too strong outside, so the set moved into an inn to shoot indoor scenes.

At 2 PM, the supporting actors and extras were standing or sitting in their positions, and the lighting and camera crews were all in place.

The first two scenes were for supporting actors, overseen by Assistant Director Chen first, as Zhang Mingxiu was busy with other matters and would arrive later.

Bai Yiyan moved a small stool next to Assistant Director Chen, focusing her attention on the monitor in front of her.

“Scene 40, Take 1, Shot 1! Action!” The slate operator clapped the slate and quickly moved out of the frame.

In the bustling inn, a waiter, with a towel draped over his shoulder, radiated warmth and welcomed every guest.

“Distinguished guest, please walk slowly!”

“Three distinguished guests need two superior rooms. To the second floor, please!”

“Table six, three catties of sorghum wine and two catties of braised beef!”

The camera slowly zoomed in. Five or six men dressed in white, each holding a sword, entered the inn. They were all handsome and refined.

They wore identical attire: long black hair down to the waist, half tied up into a bun on the head, a delicate white jade crown covering the bun, and a naturally formed white jade hairpin passing through the crown.

A low buzz of discussion arose among the crowd.

“Wow! Look, it’s the people from Qingyun Villa.”

“So grand! As expected of the biggest sect in the martial arts world!”

“Huh? Why don’t I see Sui Yu?”

“Be careful not to trip over your tongue. He is the son-in-law of Manor Lord Zhou; you should call him ‘Young Master Sui Yu.'”

“Isn’t a name just meant to be called?”

Assistant Director Chen raised his megaphone and shouted “Cut” at the actors. They were to restart.

“The emotion is wrong. Everyone, do it again, starting from the entrance.”

Bai Yiyan remained silent, maintaining her quiet observation.

Indeed, scenes with extras are not as easy to shoot as one might think. With many actors, if even one’s emotion is off, they have to restart if the mistake cannot be edited out.

The first two scenes with extras took an hour, which was just right. The third scene was for the lead actress, Fu Yu.

Coincidentally, Zhang Mingxiu had finished his work and hurried over right on time. Assistant Director Chen handed the megaphone to Zhang Mingxiu and left.

Zhang Mingxiu plopped down onto the small stool, first greeted Bai Yiyan beside him, and then immediately began organizing the actors and staff to get into position to shoot the next scene.

“Scene 43, Take 1, Shot 1!” The slate operator clapped the slate loudly and shouted, “Action!”

Fengtian Inn, the first-floor hall was crowded with diners. Martial arts heroes gathered, eating meat and drinking wine heartily, discussing matters related to the Heroes’ Assembly and the most sinister martial arts manual, Nine Heavens.

The annual Heroes’ Assembly was scheduled to take place in two days.

At the main entrance, a group of people in lavish clothing stepped into the inn.

There were five people in the group. The leading “man” had an extraordinary aura, dressed in a sweeping, wide-sleeved purplish-red robe with a deep purple belt tied around the waist. The cuffs of both sleeves were embroidered with phoenix flower patterns in golden thread.

All of her cascading black hair was tied up and secured with a purple hairband, revealing a small, jade-carved face.

Among the other four, there were two extraordinarily beautiful women. Their silky black hair was styled in popular contemporary updos, adorned with jeweled hairpins. They were both dressed in fine silk and satin, one in light green and the other in light pink.

The other two men also had remarkable bearing, both with stern expressions. The gaze of one of the men swept across the inn, and the diners immediately lowered their voices, some even falling silent.

“Which sect is this?”

“Do you see the ‘Phoenix Flower’ on the cuffs and hems?”

“Could it be…”

Meanwhile, the waiter quickly approached the group, courteously asking, “Distinguished guests, which sect are you from?”

“Please forgive me, esteemed guests. During the Heroes’ Assembly, rooms are very scarce. Our inn only reserves rooms for the heroes participating in the Assembly.”

“So, we kindly ask the distinguished guests to report your sect so we can register it.”

The leading “man” scanned the waiter with a pair of slightly effeminate eyes. Her pale lips moved, uttering three words.

“Shadow Moon Cult.”

Upon hearing this, the waiter’s eyes, wide as copper bells, suddenly widened further. He froze for a moment, then immediately bowed with a beaming smile, enthusiastically saying, “Five distinguished guests, please come inside!”

The group followed the waiter and sat down at an eight-immortals table near the window.

“Cult Master, what would you like to eat?” The green-clad woman looked at Fu Yu and asked respectfully.

“You look after it,” Fu Yu replied, resting her cheek on her hand, lightly glancing sideways out the window at a gaudily dressed woman.

The green-clad woman withdrew her gaze and turned to the waiter, saying, “Waiter, bring us a Drunken Pigeon, an Osmathus Root Stuffed with Crab Meat, a West Lake Vinegar Fish, three catties of braised beef, and a few other savory side dishes as you see fit.”

“Also, bring a pot of Huadiao wine.”

“Coming right up!” The waiter habitually used the towel on his shoulder to wipe his face and replied loudly, “Esteemed guests, please wait a moment; the dishes will be ready soon.”

“Cut!” Zhang Mingxiu frowned slightly, carefully looking at the image on the monitor, then leaned his head out towards Fu Yu, “Xiao Fu, your expression isn’t quite right.”

“Let’s do it again.”

Bai Yiyan had also noticed. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but Fu Yu seemed to have a look of suppressed pain.

The character did not require an “enduring” emotion here. Therefore, the director calling ‘cut’ was within Bai Yiyan’s expectation.

The slate operator clapped the slate: “Scene 43, Take 1, Shot 2!”

“Action!

This time, it didn’t pass again; another NG.

“I’m sorry, Director Zhang, I need to take a break.” Fu Yu’s small face was deathly pale. Her hand, hidden in the long sleeve, was clenched tightly into a fist; her fingernails were close to digging into her skin.

“Alright, everyone take a break!” Zhang Mingxiu announced loudly.

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao quickly pushed her way through the crowd. She hurried to the eight-immortals table, helped Fu Yu up from the stool, and assisted her onto a nearby deck chair.

“…” Zhang Mingxiu belatedly realized that Fu Yu was not feeling well.

Zhang Mingxiu strode up to Fu Yu, frowned, and asked with concern, “Xiao Fu, are you alright?”

Bai Yiyan followed behind Zhang Mingxiu and also came to Fu Yu’s side. She stood quietly, her gaze falling on Fu Yu’s hand, which was continually pressed against her stomach.

Stomach pain?

“I’m fine, Director Zhang. I’ll be okay after a rest,” Fu Yu said, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on her forehead, slightly smudging her makeup.

“Teacher Fu, let’s have some brown sugar water,” Xiaoxiao said from the side, offering a thermos cup.

Fu Yu didn’t speak but took the brown sugar water from her assistant and took several sips through the silicone straw.

At this moment, Zhang Mingxiu finally understood what was troubling Fu Yu. His wife also suffered from menstrual cramps; she was particularly uncomfortable during those few days each month, sometimes so bad she couldn’t get out of bed.

“Xiao Fu, why didn’t you say anything earlier if you were feeling so unwell?” Zhang Mingxiu frowned, his tone containing some reproach, but mostly concern.

The concern of an elder for a junior.

Fu Yu: “Director Zhang, I…”

Zhang Mingxiu: “Alright, Xiao Fu, you don’t need to film today. Go back to the hotel and rest immediately.”

Fu Yu: “But I’ve only filmed seven scenes today.”

Zhang Mingxiu said sternly: “Health is the foundation of revolution!”

Fu Yu: “Director Zhang, but if I don’t film, won’t the extras be wasted? Besides, Teacher Zhou has several scenes that require me as his partner.”

If Fu Yu didn’t film, it would not only waste the extras but also delay Zhou WenKai’s schedule.

Zhang Mingxiu’s thick eyebrows were tightly furrowed. Suddenly, he thought of something and smiled brightly: “I’ll go ask Manqing if she is leaving soon.”

“If she isn’t, we’ll film her scenes first.”

“…!” Bai Yiyan’s expression froze slightly, and her heart pounded vigorously several times.

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