Going from "Fanservice" to Reality with My Goddess - Chapter 4

Before Lin Xin could even offer a word of comfort, Yu Nianzhe’s phone began to ring.

Yu Nianzhe glanced at the screen and immediately tossed the phone to Lin Xin, signaling for her to take it. Lin Xin looked at the display; the name “Wu Lian” was glaringly prominent. The interrogation had arrived.

Lin Xin looked at the despondent Yu Nianzhe and answered the call, speaking before the manager could start screaming. “Hello, Sister Wu. It’s Lin Xin. Is something the matter?”

The person on the other end presumably asked for Yu Nianzhe’s whereabouts, to which Lin Xin lied without blinking: “She’s in the shower. It’ll be a while before she’s out.”

Wu Lian said a few more things while Lin Xin nodded repeatedly in agreement, finally managing to dismiss the formidable woman. Hanging up, Lin Xin said, “She told you to call her back after your shower.”

Yu Nianzhe curled her lip. “Only a fool would call her back. If she’s so capable, let her come find me at the set. If she calls again, I’m turning off my phone.” After saying this, she buried herself under the covers again.

Seeing this, Lin Xin could guess that the “discord” trending topic was likely true. She patted the duvet and urged, “Maybe it’s just your imagination. Sister Yu, filming officially starts tomorrow. Let’s go eat and get some early rest.”

After a long period of coaxing, Yu Nianzhe recovered slightly, pulling herself out of bed to go to the restaurant for dinner.

After settling Yu Nianzhe, Lin Xin returned to her own room.

Following dinner, Yu Nianzhe thought about reading the script to familiarize herself with tomorrow’s scenes, but she couldn’t focus. Shen Yan’s cold, disdainful expression kept flickering through her mind. Eventually, she threw the script aside, took a shower, and lay in bed with her eyes closed.

While Yu Nianzhe was being dodged by Wu Lian, Shen Yan also received a call from her own manager, Yin Qin.

Yin Qin’s voice carried a rare hint of exhaustion. “My dear ancestor, the filming has only just begun. How is there already discord between you two?”

Shen Yan hadn’t expected the moment to be captured. She was somewhat surprised when Song Xin mentioned they were trending. Though the responsibility lay mostly with her, Shen Yan couldn’t help but be stubborn. “Who told her to pick the exact moment I was sleeping to come talk to me?”

“Even so, you didn’t have to…” Yin Qin started.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Shen Yan interrupted, “Alright, alright, I get it. I’ll be careful from now on.” She didn’t forget to soothe Yin Qin’s weary soul: “Sister Yin Qin, you’ve worked hard! I’ll give you a raise later!”

“As long as you focus on filming, that’s the best reward for us,” Yin Qin laughed helplessly. “Looking on the bright side, this counts as free promotion for the movie. Get some rest.”

The next morning, Lin Xin knocked on Yu Nianzhe’s door only to find her standing there fully dressed, despite the slight dark circles under her eyes.

Lin Xin was startled. “Sister… Sister Yu, are you okay?”

Yu Nianzhe nodded. “I’m fine.”

Fine, my foot! Usually, it took a monumental effort to drag Yu Nianzhe out of bed. Being this proactive definitely meant something was wrong.

However, aside from the lack of sleep, Yu Nianzhe looked no different than usual—in fact, she seemed even more driven. She was a complete contrast to the mournful figure of the previous night.

Yu Nianzhe was the type whose emotions came and went quickly. Last night, she couldn’t sleep because Shen Yan ignored her; this morning, she was fully revitalized, planning how to recapture the Goddess’s heart.

The two took the elevator to the restaurant. They arrived early, so the room was mostly empty. Yu Nianzhe immediately spotted a familiar face—a man with graying hair, around fifty or sixty years old, with a very kind countenance.

Yu Nianzhe had worked on a film with him before. Though she had only played a minor role, they were fairly well-acquainted. She went over to greet him. “Teacher Yang, why so early?”

Yang Zhiwen looked up and smiled. “When you get old, you need less sleep. But why is a youngster like you up so early?”

“You’re still in your prime!” Yu Nianzhe joked before explaining, “I wanted to head to the set early to look around.”

Yang Zhiwen nodded approvingly. “It’s good for young people to be diligent. Keep up the hard work.”

“Thank you,” Yu Nianzhe replied with a smile. “I’ll be looking to you for guidance in today’s scenes.”

The main characters for the first scene today were Wen Yan, played by Yu Nianzhe, and the Emperor, played by Yang Zhiwen.

“Easy to say; we shall learn from each other,” Yang Zhiwen chuckled.

After a few more pleasantries, Yu Nianzhe and Lin Xin sat down to eat. As they were finishing, Shen Yan arrived. The moment she entered, Yu Nianzhe’s eyes locked onto her.

Shen Yan grabbed some food and took a seat. Whether intentional or not, she sat only one table away from Yu Nianzhe. With the Goddess less than ten meters away, Yu Nianzhe decided it was time to act on her “redemption” plan.

After a moment of hesitation, as she was leaving, Yu Nianzhe walked up to Shen Yan. “Teacher Shen, please enjoy your meal. We’ll be heading out first.”

Her heart was in her throat, fearing she would be ignored and humiliated again. Unexpectedly, upon hearing her voice, Shen Yan looked up with a hint of a smile. “Alright,” she nodded, then added, “Why are you up so early?”

Yu Nianzhe nearly jumped out of her skin, her voice stammering. “I… I… I wanted to learn more, so I’m going to the script to look at the set.”

She realized her mistake immediately, her face turning bright red. “I mean, I’m going to the set to look at the script! I’m so sorry!”

She wanted to punch herself; she was dying of her own stupidity.

The smile on Shen Yan’s lips widened. “It’s fine. You should head over then.”

Seeing Shen Yan smile, Yu Nianzhe’s mood soared. She nodded and left the restaurant. Shen Yan watched her back as she departed and continued eating.

This little one is quite interesting.

When Yu Nianzhe arrived at the set, only the crew members were preparing. She walked around, greeting everyone while waiting for the main group to arrive. Eventually, it was time to start, and the actors headed to the dressing rooms.

Lovesick was set in a fictional world where three kingdoms Dongyuan, Nanliao, and Beiyan stood in a stalemate. Beiyan was the strongest, prompting Dongyuan and Nanliao to form an alliance.

Today’s scene depicted the decline of Dongyuan. The Emperor was senile and incompetent, and the country was being invaded by Beiyan. In this crisis, he decided to send a princess to marry into the allied Nanliao to secure military aid.

Yu Nianzhe’s character, Wen Yan, was the one chosen for this political marriage.

Nanliao was located in the far south, a place with a harsh climate and poor living conditions. The pampered princesses in the palace were all unwilling to suffer such a fate. They deferred to one another with a “modesty” never before seen in the royal court, each making excuses to avoid going.

Finally, someone remembered the forgotten “princess,” Wen Yan.

Wen Yan was the daughter of the Emperor and a famous courtesan from a brothel, conceived during one of his incognito tours years ago. The Emperor had seen a peerless beauty from a balcony; she was full of smiles and grace. One glance was all it took for him to be captivated. After a night of passion, he brought her back to the palace, giving her a title and his favor.

But serving a man with only beauty is never a long-term plan. Emperors are famously fickle. Within six months, he grew cold toward her. Another broken heart was added to the palace.

Six months later, the courtesan gave birth to a daughter. The Emperor came to visit once, left the name “Wen Yan,” and turned away. Since then, the woman and her daughter lived in a desolate palace, unasked after and ignored. Years passed, and the courtesan died young from a “lovesickness” of the heart. Buried in a simple straw mat, she left behind only a small girl crying by her side.

After her mother’s death, the daughter was even more invisible until today, when the need for a sacrificial bride finally brought her to mind.

The first scene Yu Nianzhe was to film was the audience with the Emperor before departing for Nanliao.

Director Duan called for all departments to take their positions. The makeup artist was still finishing the final touches on Yu Nianzhe, shouting, “Almost there!”

They finished just before Duan Yi’s next urge. The makeup artist said, “Perfect,” clearly satisfied with her masterpiece. She hurriedly draped the beaded veil over Yu Nianzhe’s forehead and led her to the set.

The clapperboard marked: “Lovesick, Scene 1, Take 1, Action!”

Before the majestic palace hall, the atmosphere was solemn. The Emperor sat upon his dragon throne, coughing occasionally. The vigor of his youth was gone, replaced by a visible sickness. He was truly old.

Outside the hall, amidst the echoing announcements of the heralds, Yu Nianzhe walked forward with graceful, measured steps. She wore magnificent, expensive robes and elegant makeup; it was the first time she had ever been addressed as “Princess.” It would likely be the last.

This was her first time in the imperial court, and her first time truly seeing her father. In her sixteen years in the palace, that man had never visited her once. She thought: I am going to a political marriage. To marry a man I have never met.

But it didn’t matter where she went. She had never belonged anywhere; Dongyuan or Nanliao made little difference. At least she was doing her part for the country and its people. This thought made her feel a bit lighter, even if no one would remember her.

The heavy layers of the beaded veil obscured her face and blocked the prying eyes of those around her. Yu Nianzhe walked to the center of the hall and knelt. She was kneeling to the supreme ruler of the empire, but also to her biological father.

Since childhood, she had resented him. He had fathered her but never cared for her, just as he had done to her mother. But at this moment, her heart was unusually calm.

“My child, raise your head,” the man on the throne called out.

He probably doesn’t even remember my name, she thought.

Before the eunuch could prompt her, Yu Nianzhe looked up. As the beads slid back, she looked the Emperor directly in the eye.

A collective gasp echoed through the hall, followed by a deathly silence. The actor playing the eunuch froze, staring blankly at Yu Nianzhe, having completely forgotten his lines.

The set remained silent for dozens of seconds.

Duan Yi was the first to snap out of it. He laughed, “What are you all doing? Little Eunuch, are you not going to say your lines?”

Everyone finally regained their senses. The actor called “Little Eunuch” didn’t even have time to complain about the nickname as he apologized profusely. “Sorry, sorry!”

One couldn’t really blame him. Even the “Emperor” sitting next to him had dazed out. Except for a few stylists who had seen her in the dressing room, everyone on set was stunned.

The original novel described Wen Yan as having a beauty so profound it made flowers look dull, even when lightly made up. But when those words were realized in the form of such a breathtaking woman standing before them, it was impossible for one’s soul not to be swayed.