Going from "Fanservice" to Reality with My Goddess - Chapter 11

As the filming schedule progressed, more actors began joining the set. The latest arrival was a young male actor named Jiang Hongyi.

Jiang Hongyi was a currently popular “traffic star” who had captured countless fans with a hit youth idol drama and a baby face full of collagen. In Love and Longing, he played the sickly Prince Feng Huan, who only appears in the latter half of the story. Because the role was small, he joined the cast late.

As previously mentioned, after the Empress gave birth to Feng Ji, it seemed the “Half-Immortal’s” ritual truly summoned divine favor. A few years later, an Imperial Consort gave birth to another prince.

However, this child was born under an ill omen. Shortly after his birth, the fragile Consort passed away. Less than a year later, the Empress Dowager also departed this world.

The Emperor had always doted on the Consort due to her delicate health and had been a devoted son to the Empress Dowager. Because the birth of this child took away two of the people he cared for most, the Emperor took an immediate dislike to him and bestowed upon him the name “Feng Huan.”

Huan  means “to scatter” or “to dissipate.”

From the name alone, one could see the Emperor’s deep distaste.

Feng Huan had been sickly since birth, narrowly escaping death several times. He spent his days on a constant regimen of medicinal soups; a mere breeze could give him a cold, making him more fragile and precious than a pampered daughter of a noble house.

The Emperor rarely visited him. He had only survived to adulthood thanks to the pity and care of the veteran servants in the palace. While Feng Ji was already studying the Four Books and Five Classics with the Grand Tutor, Feng Huan could only stay in his palace, staring blankly at the sky.

Both inside and outside the palace, people had heard of such a prince, but no one had ever seen his true face. Most had forgotten he even existed.

In the blink of an eye, Feng Huan reached fifteen, the age of hair-pinning. With age, his health improved slightly, and he would occasionally go out for walks accompanied by a maid.

This scene depicted Feng Ji taking a rare break to accompany Wen Yan for a stroll in the Imperial Garden, where they happened to encounter Feng Huan.

The clapperboard teacher appeared dutifully: “Love and Longing, Scene X, Take 1. Action!”

Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi walked hand-in-hand along a secluded path. The weather was turning warm, and the palace attendants had swapped their heavy winter furs for lighter spring attire. The spring flowers in the Imperial Garden were in full bloom—a riot of colors that dazzled the eyes.

Palace servants passed them from time to time, bowing respectfully and greeting them: “Blessings to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.”

Shen Yan plucked a peach blossom from a branch and tucked it into Yu Nianzhi’s hair, smiling. “A face like spring peaches, hair like emerald clouds, lips like bursting cherries, and teeth like fragrant pomegranate seeds. Truly, I cannot tell who is more beautiful—the lady or the flower.” (Note 1)

While the two were lost in a moment of affection, a voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the garden: “Sister is so beautiful!”

Startled, they looked toward the source of the voice. They saw a youth standing not far away. His skin was translucent white, his eyes bright, and his features handsome. However, he carried a persistent air of frailty, giving him a sort of “sickly-sweet” aesthetic beauty.

He looked to be fourteen or fifteen, but his face wore the innocent, world-blind smile of a seven-year-old child. It was strangely unsettling.

Jiang Hongyi’s face looked very young; playing a fifteen-year-old boy didn’t feel out of place at all.

Yu Nianzhi cast a curious glance at the boy, then looked up at Shen Yan with an inquiring gaze. Not only Yu Nianzhi, but Shen Yan had never seen this person either. She simply shook her head, indicating she didn’t know him.

“Master, don’t run off!” Amidst their confusion, a maid caught up. She grabbed the wandering Jiang Hongyi and said, “Quickly, greet the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.”

Jiang Hongyi blinked, curiously sizing up the two in front of him. “What is a ‘Crown Prince’?” he asked.

Shen Yan inquired, “This is…?”

Judging by his attire, he didn’t look like a palace servant, but rather a young master from a noble family who had wandered off. Yet, she had heard of all the sons of the court officials, and she had never seen this one.

The maid quickly explained, “Reporting to the Crown Prince, this is… Huan’er. He is sickly and rarely goes out, which is why you haven’t seen him.”

Upon hearing the name “Huan’er,” Shen Yan recalled the rumors. When the maid mentioned “sickly and rarely leaves the palace,” she knew exactly who he was.

“Oh, so it is my Imperial Brother.” Shen Yan smiled slightly. “Are you also taking a walk nearby?”

The maid nodded, still tugging at Feng Huan’s sleeve to make him bow. She whispered to Jiang Hongyi, “The Crown Prince is your Royal Brother. Quickly, pay your respects.”

Shen Yan waved her hand, about to say there was no need for such formalities, when she heard Jiang Hongyi retort: “You’re lying! There’s no Royal Brother here—it’s clearly two beautiful sisters!”

The expressions of both Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi changed instantly.

The maid froze, her face turning pale the next second. She reached out to cover Jiang Hongyi’s mouth. “Master, you mustn’t talk nonsense!” She then hurriedly begged for mercy. “Your Highnesses, Huan’er’s mind is… not quite clear. I hope Your Highnesses will not take his words to heart.”

No wonder he behaved like a young child.

A series of emotions flashed through Shen Yan’s eyes before she quickly regained her composure. Aside from Yu Nianzhi at her side, no one noticed her momentary lapse.

Jiang Hongyi was completely unaware that he had accidentally blurted out a secret. He stared at the ground sulkily, unwilling to admit defeat.

Shen Yan kept a smile on her face. “Huan’er, look more closely. I am your Royal Brother. How could I be a ‘sister’?”

Jiang Hongyi looked up, half-angry and half-aggrieved. He looked at Shen Yan uncertainly for a few moments. “Really… Royal Brother?”

Shen Yan looked at him with a beaming smile. “Yes.”

This time, without the maid’s prompting, Feng Huan apologized of his own accord: “I’m sorry, Bro… Royal Brother.”

Shen Yan patted his head. “Calling me ‘Brother’ is the same. Don’t worry about these empty formalities.”

Jiang Hongyi’s eyes lit up, and he called out crisply, “Brother!”

“Good,” Shen Yan replied. She even took off a jade pendant she was wearing and gave it to him.

Jiang Hongyi took the jade and thanked her with a smile. Then, he looked at Yu Nianzhi with a bit of shyness. “Then, this one is ‘Sister,’ right?”

Shen Yan turned to look at Yu Nianzhi, her eyes full of mirth. “She isn’t ‘Sister.’ She is your Imperial Sister-in-law.”

“Imperial Sister-in-law? What does that mean?” Jiang Hongyi scratched his head, not quite understanding.

Yu Nianzhi shot Shen Yan a reproachful look. Shen Yan stopped teasing her and laughed. “You can call her Sister.”

Feng Huan immediately ran to Yu Nianzhi’s side and called out “Sister” in a clear voice. According to the script, their interaction was supposed to end there, and the two groups would part ways.

However, Jiang Hongyi suddenly made a move. He abruptly opened his arms and pulled Yu Nianzhi into a tight embrace.

Yu Nianzhi’s body stiffened instantly. Her instinct was to push him away. This hug was definitely not in the script.

But Director Duan didn’t call “cut,” presumably giving tacit approval to Jiang Hongyi’s unauthorized addition. In the latter half of the film, Feng Huan does indeed become very close to Wen Yan. Given his childlike mind, such an action was theoretically plausible.

The problem, however, was that in the movie, Feng Huan is a fifteen-year-old with the mind of a seven-year-old—but in reality, Jiang Hongyi was a full-grown man in his twenties. To onlookers, it looked like Jiang Hongyi was intentionally taking advantage of Yu Nianzhi.

Standing to the side, Shen Yan’s expression shifted.

Shen Yan reacted quickly. Without waiting for the director, she stepped forward and peeled Jiang Hongyi off Yu Nianzhi. Her expression was unreadable. “Huan’er, you can’t just hug your Sister-in-law whenever you want.”

Jiang Hongyi blinked, committing fully to his “innocent flower” persona. “Why not?”

Shen Yan smiled faintly, pulled Yu Nianzhi into her own arms, and even leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her cheek. She then arched an eyebrow at Jiang Hongyi. “Your Sister-in-law… can only be hugged by your Royal Brother.”

Yu Nianzhi hadn’t expected Shen Yan to do this. Startled, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Shen Yan’s neck.

Shen Yan let out a soft chuckle. “Don’t be afraid, my lady.”

Yu Nianzhi was embarrassed, a faint blush staining her cheeks, making the peach blossom in her hair look even more vivid. Realizing the situation, she immediately let go of Shen Yan and whispered, “Let go, quickly.”

The corner of Jiang Hongyi’s mouth twitched imperceptibly, but he quickly returned to normal, nodding as if he half-understood.

The maid was scared half to death. If the Prince were truly offended, Feng Huan might only get a lecture, but the servants would likely lose their lives. She bowed low, begging for forgiveness. After the two waved their hands to show they didn’t mind, she pulled Jiang Hongyi away and hurried back toward the inner palace.

Watching them leave, the blush on Yu Nianzhi’s face hadn’t faded. She gave Shen Yan a playful smack, though it carried no force. “You’re a grown-up, yet you’re competing with a child.”

“Cut!” Duan Yi, the master of timing, called out immediately. He was smiling, but his tone was a bit sharp. “Excellent. Your improvisation skills are both very impressive.”

Jiang Hongyi’s expression changed, and he hurriedly explained, “I’m sorry, Director Duan. When I got to that part, I felt on impulse that it would really highlight Feng Huan’s personality, so I just went with it. I’ll definitely be more careful in the future.” He followed this with a series of apologetic bows.

Although his expression was sincere, Yu Nianzhi was close to him and felt that his face held more smugness and triumph than guilt. But in the blink of an eye, when he straightened up, he was back to that harmless, gentle persona. She blinked, thinking she was perhaps overthinking it; after all, what was there to be happy about when being scolded by the director for changing the script?

Compared to Jiang Hongyi, Shen Yan’s reaction was much more casual. She cast a fleeting glance at Duan Yi. “Someone was trying to steal my wife; I just couldn’t help myself.”

Duan Yi: “…” Yu Nianzhi: “!!!”

Even though her rational mind told her Shen Yan was referring to the characters in the play, her heart still skipped a beat. This is just cheating!

Duan Yi wiped his face, deciding not to argue with her. “Fine.”

In truth, Duan Yi was only slightly annoyed that Jiang Hongyi added a scene for himself without permission. However, the sequence they just performed both Jiang Hongyi’s hug and Shen Yan’s “counter-attack” fit the characters perfectly and transitioned naturally. It was a genuine improvement to the scene. He didn’t say anything more and gave the performance his tacit approval.

Despite being on solid ground, Yu Nianzhi felt as though she were still floating among the clouds. It had happened so fast; Heaven only knows how much willpower she used to keep from screaming when Shen Yan picked her up.

If they kept filming like this, Yu Nianzhi felt she truly wouldn’t be able to bear the thought of the production ending.