Going from "Fanservice" to Reality with My Goddess - Chapter 7

The scene on the court continued.

The Emperor rubbed his temples, unsure of what to say. He naturally understood that the Crown Prince was acting purely out of concern for the common people, but Wen Jian was a high-ranking minister after all; the Prince really needed to learn to restrain that temper.

With a sigh, the Emperor spoke, “This matter is far-reaching and involves many interests. Let us set it aside for now. Do any of you have other matters to report?”

When no one else spoke, the Emperor nodded. “Since there is nothing else, court is adjourned for today.”

“Cut!” Duan Yi called out from behind the monitor. “That’s a wrap.”

Shen Yan immediately dropped her regal persona and walked over to Ye Wu. “Teacher Ye, my apologies if I was too aggressive just now.”

Ye Wu laughed and shook his head. “No problem, no problem! It was all for the scene.”

As the crew began to rearrange the set for the next shot, Shen Yan sat on a stool nearby to rest. Yu Nianzhe hurried to her side, handing her a cup of warm water. “Teacher Shen, you must be tired. Have some water and take a break.”

Shen Yan took the cup and thanked her. She had just taken a sip when she turned to find Yu Nianzhe staring at her with an expression of pure, unadulterated adoration. This look softened the girl’s overly striking features, adding a layer of playful cuteness to her face.

Shen Yan nearly choked on her water. Swallowing, she laughed, “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Yu Nianzhe froze, realizing her gaze had been a bit too blunt. She scratched her head awkwardly and said with total sincerity, “Nothing. It’s just that your acting is so good; I truly admire you from the bottom of my heart.”

Seeing how solemn Yu Nianzhe looked, Shen Yan was amused and joked, “What, are you actually a fan of mine?”

She meant it as a lighthearted quip, but to her surprise, Yu Nianzhe’s expression became bashful. The girl nodded seriously, her face flushing red. Then, she didn’t forget to add another layer of flattery: “You’re amazing you actually guessed it.”

Shen Yan: “…” This kid is a bit too honest.

Shen Yan smiled faintly. “Really? I was just saying it casually.” She teased, “Alright then, since you’re a fan, I’ll test you to see if you’re a ‘true fan’ or a ‘fake fan.'”

Yu Nianzhe nodded with great focus. “Please, ask away.”

Shen Yan thought for a moment. “What works have I acted in?”

This question was right up Yu Nianzhe’s alley. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately rattled off over a dozen TV series and movie titles. She didn’t stumble once, and it looked like she had no intention of stopping. If Shen Yan hadn’t interrupted her, she probably could have gone on forever.

Shen Yan: She really is a die-hard fan.

Among the titles Yu Nianzhe mentioned, some were from when Shen Yan had just debuted; Shen Yan herself could barely remember the plots. She picked one from the list and asked, “Then tell me, what did you think of the character I played in the movie I Wander Alone?”

Yu Nianzhe’s eyes sparkled again. “Actually, of your early works, that one is my favorite. I just rewatched it recently. The character you played, Yi Xiaoyao, is exactly what I imagine…”

Then, Yu Nianzhe launched into a very serious analysis of the character, including her own insights and feelings. She spoke with great logic and clarity. To be honest, because it was so long ago, Shen Yan had mostly forgotten her role in that film, but Yu Nianzhe’s description brought it all flooding back.

Shen Yan: This is definitely a true fan.

Though she couldn’t quite remember how well she had actually performed back then, Shen Yan had to maintain her image. She nodded with a look of profound depth, not forgetting to praise the girl: “You spoke very well.”

Yu Nianzhe bowed her head shyly, her face glowing from the compliment. “No, no, it was just a humble observation.”

This kid is actually quite cute, Shen Yan thought.

Yu Nianzhe then looked at Shen Yan expectantly. “Teacher Shen, may I ask… what was your state of mind when you were playing that role?”

Shen Yan: “…” This kid is not cute at all.

Shen Yan complained internally while showing nothing on the surface. She cleared her throat with continued gravitas and looked at Yu Nianzhe approvingly. “It was quite similar to your analysis.”

Yu Nianzhe was completely hoodwinked. She said excitedly, “Really? I’m so honored!” Her cheeks were a soft crimson, making her look incredibly sweet and obedient.

Shen Yan restrained her “evil” urge to pinch the girl’s cheek and maintained her smile. She nodded. “Keep it up. You have a lot of talent for acting.”

Yu Nianzhe nodded vigorously. “Thank you, Teacher Shen!” After a moment of hesitation, she asked, “If I have any questions about acting while we’re filming, can I come and ask you?”

Shen Yan replied, “Of course you can.”

Nearby, Song Xin was nearly dying of laughter, though she had to keep it silent. She struggled to maintain her composure. How did I never realize Yuyu was this adorable? All that “glamorous exterior” and “cold heart” business was just a facade.

Meanwhile, Lin Xin silently covered her face. Even I can tell Teacher Shen is just making stuff up, yet you believe her. Why did your IQ suddenly take such a massive nosedive today? She had never realized her boss could be this silly!

Finally, after sending the little fangirl away, Shen Yan was about to heave a sigh of relief when she heard a sudden burst of laughter nearby. She narrowed her eyes and shot a “death glare” at Song Xin, only to see her assistant looking back with a perfectly innocent face, pointing to her tightly shut mouth to show she hadn’t made a sound.

Shen Yan turned toward the source of the noise and saw Yang Zhiwen standing there, unable to suppress his amusement. Shen Yan’s icy gaze instantly melted into a warm spring sun. “Teacher Yang, why are you here?”

Yang Zhiwen laughed. “Nothing, just passing by. You and Xiao Yu seem to get along quite well.”

“It’s alright,” Shen Yan played it down.

“So, what do you think of Xiao Yu?” Yang Zhiwen asked.

Shen Yan paused, then replied, “Her acting is much better than I expected.”

Yang Zhiwen chuckled. “Nothing else?”

Shen Yan thought again. “She has a good temper, and she’s very beautiful.”

“That she is,” Yang Zhiwen agreed. He was silent for a moment, then added, “I worked on a drama with her before and had some contact with her.”

“Oh?” Shen Yan prompted, wanting to hear more.

“Xiao Yu is truly the most humble and hardworking newcomer I’ve ever seen,” Yang Zhiwen said.

Shen Yan understood now he was taking this chance to put in a good word for Yu Nianzhe. She gave him a knowing smile but said nothing. Being able to get someone like Yang Zhiwen to speak up for her meant Yu Nianzhe had quite the reputation.

Yang Zhiwen guessed her thoughts and continued, “There aren’t many these days who can truly stay sincere. During our previous drama, she was just a supporting actress with barely a few minutes of screen time. There was a scene where she had to jump from a car; she did several takes because she couldn’t hit the timing perfectly. I was watching from the side, and she took some nasty falls. The director wanted to skip the take and fix it in post, but she refused. She insisted on getting the shot right. When she finally left, her face was covered in cold sweat.”

He paused, then added, “Moreover, she is very kind and humble with everyone. She can chat with anyone, regardless of their status. That’s how I got to know her.”

As he spoke, he cast a seemingly casual glance at Zhuo Ningxiao, who was sitting nearby. “Unlike some ‘traffic stars’ nowadays who lose their way the moment they get a little fame.”

Shen Yan followed his gaze. She saw Zhuo Ningxiao who had just been so respectful and obedient in front of them now sitting with her legs crossed, looking down at her phone while enjoying a massage from her assistant.

When an extra walked by, Zhuo Ningxiao waved them over. “It’s freezing today. Hey, you! Yes, you. Go get me some hot water.” She had the air of a superstar on a red carpet. The person she called out was stunned, but eventually swallowed their anger and took the cup to fetch the water.

Shen Yan turned her gaze back to Yu Nianzhe. The girl was whispering with her own assistant; the two of them looked like close friends rather than boss and subordinate. When a crew member walked by and greeted her, Yu Nianzhe smiled and waved back.

Shen Yan: “…” The contrast is indeed a bit too strong.

After her break, Shen Yan continued with the next scene. This one involved Feng Ji being summoned to the palace at dusk and receiving a scolding from the Emperor. Feeling frustrated, she had to return to her quarters in a huff. To highlight Feng Ji’s irritation and high-level martial arts, the screenwriter had designed the scene for her to return using qinggong (light-footwork). Shen Yan had to be strapped into a wire harness to begin “flying” across the rooftops.

When filming ended for the day, Shen Yan was changing her clothes when her phone vibrated. It was a message from Yu Nianzhe.

Little One: Teacher Shen, are you free tonight? Could I come to your room to go over our lines together?

Shen Yan replied that she was free. After setting a time, she put her phone away and headed back to the hotel.

On the other side, Yu Nianzhe was so happy she felt like she was about to explode into fireworks.

To get into the Goddess’s room is to get into the Goddess’s heart!

Going over lines was perfect she could learn from Teacher Shen to improve her acting while getting “a billion” more chances to be close to her. It was simply wonderful.

As she was celebrating, another message arrived. She opened it to find it was from Wu Lian.

Wu Lian: How are things at the set? Wu Lian: I’m not there with you, so don’t get ahead of yourself. If you cause any trouble, see how I deal with you when you get back. Wu Lian: Be smart. Don’t just spend all day burying your head in filming. What’s the point? They don’t care about that. You should flatter the big names on set; let them pull some strings for you. Wu Lian: Since you’re already filming this piece, don’t waste the resources. Make sure to get on Shen Yan’s good side. She has so much hype; if you don’t cling to her for some spotlight, you’re stupid. Wu Lian: If you can land a connection with Shen Yan, things will be much easier for you in the future.

Yu Nianzhe rolled her eyes and ignored the long string of messages that followed. She was in too good a mood to deal with Wu Lian. She gave a perfunctory reply, hit “Delete Chat,” and tucked her phone away to go find Shen Yan.

Isn’t it enough to just film well? Why does everything have to be so complicated?

Being able to act alongside Shen Yan was already something Yu Nianzhe hadn’t dared to dream of before. Shen Yan wasn’t stupid; if Yu Nianzhe actually did what Wu Lian suggested, she would have been kicked to the curb long ago.

She wanted to rely on her own hard work and strength to one day truly reach Shen Yan’s height so that she could look Shen Yan in the eye, rather than always looking up at her.