The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 10

“By the way, Dormitory Building 1 and Building 2 may look separate on the surface, but they’re actually connected internally. The showers are located at the far ends of each building, while the washrooms are inside the connecting corridors. The washroom walls have many small lockers installed. One for each person, each with its own key and lock. You can store skincare products, towels, and washbasins in them. As for your suitcase, just put it in the wardrobe.”

The girl giving the introduction pointed to the ten stacked wooden cabinets by the door inside the dorm. “The middle one on the top row is empty. You can use it for your things. Go downstairs to get the key and lock from the dorm supervisor.”

“Okay, thank you.” After expressing her gratitude, Shi Nuocen opened her suitcase first and took out the only remaining underwear and outerwear that were barely wearable.

Just then, a curly-haired girl with sharp eyes noticed the clothes inside the suitcase that looked like torn rags and asked in surprise, “How did these clothes end up like this? Looking closely, they’re all from brands like Chanel probably not genuine, right? Otherwise, it’d be such a pity.”

Another girl with highlighted hair also walked over, bent down, and examined them carefully for a moment. “This floral maxi dress is from the current season’s new collection. The genuine article costs over a hundred thousand yuan per piece. The fabric looks very high-quality. It might actually be real. And there’s even the brand logo here.”

Hearing this, Shi Nuocen sighed and waved her hands repeatedly. “They’re fake, just high-quality replicas. Factory rejects that I picked up to make doll clothes with.” Truth be told, it was Ru Xi Cheng’s Barbie set that had given her the idea.

Besides, if she really managed to make doll clothes, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to gift them to her ex-wife’s niece. After all, in the entertainment industry, she’d need to earn some goodwill from her ex-wife eventually.

Upon hearing this, the two girls didn’t press further. Seeing that she had successfully brushed it off, Shi Nuocen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that as a newcomer, she absolutely shouldn’t draw too much attention. Though she was proud and unruly, she wasn’t foolish. With the Shi family no longer reliable, it was uncertain whether she could maintain her wealthy lifestyle in the future. Why invite gossip over a few branded clothes?

Fortunately, her skincare product boxes were buried at the very bottom of the suitcase. Otherwise, if anyone had seen them, she would have had to come up with another excuse. The skincare products were indeed mostly ruined, but there was still a little left in the bottles and jars, which she had later retrieved.

In the past, she would never have imagined herself behaving like this.

After storing her suitcase and clothes, she chatted with a few nearby girls and learned that the curly-haired girl was named Ling Qiaoqiao, and the one with highlights was Fang Xianyue. Both were female Alphas.

“What about you? What’s your name? Are you an Alpha or a Beta?”

“Shi Nuocen. Alpha.”

After briefly introducing herself, Shi Nuocen immediately thought of her most urgent need and quickly asked, “Are there any quick ways to make money? I’m really short on cash.”

Ling Qiaoqiao, being straightforward, replied, “You could be an extra. But you have to go during times when the company hasn’t scheduled classes.”

Classes? Shi Nuocen recalled that the talent scout had indeed mentioned it, and the contract also stated that the company would arrange shaping, dance, acting, and other courses for newcomers.

After saying this, Ling Qiaoqiao checked the class schedule. “What a coincidence, there are no classes tomorrow. Liu Yue and I are also going to be extras to practice our acting. You might as well come with us. As for the pay, it depends on the role; anywhere from 50 to 500.”

Fang Xianyue also checked the filming schedules at the studios in the movie city for the next day and said thoughtfully, “I think we should try out for Director Qian’s production. The second male lead in that drama is a senior from our company. He’s straightforward and easygoing, so it’ll be easier to communicate with him.”

Ling Qiaoqiao immediately agreed. Since Shi Nuocen had to rely entirely on the other two, she had no objections either.

But she never expected she’d have to wake up so early!

At 5:30 in the morning, right in the middle of a sweet dream, she was mercilessly shaken awake by Qiaoqiao and Xianyue.

“You have ten minutes. If you don’t get up now, we’re leaving without you!”

Shi Nuocen really wanted to snap back, “Go ahead, I’m not going!” But when she felt the pitiful 15 yuan in her pocket, she resigned herself to climbing down from the top bunk.

Five minutes to brush her teeth and wash her face, another five to get dressed and put on her shoes, and then, with a drowsy face, she trudged stiffly behind the other two like a zombie as they rode their bicycles to the set.

Carved window eaves, double-leaf wooden doors, warm-colored scarves draped inside, dozens of jars of Nü’erhong wine wrapped in silk, passersby in long gowns and skirts, and over a dozen sturdy brown horses. Just one look at the set pieces made it clear they were filming a period drama.

The three of them approached the assistant director in charge of extras. His surname was Tan, and he had met Qiaoqiao and Xianyue a few times before. He said, “Since you’re acquaintances, I’ll give you the roles of tavern maids. These are speaking roles with at least five or six lines each, and most importantly, you’ll have interactions with the main characters during the shoot. Make sure you perform well.”

Qiaoqiao and Xianyue were both delighted.

Shi Nuocen quickly asked, “What about me?”

Director Tan looked her up and down, frowning slightly. “You? You’ll play a corpse.”

Shi Nuocen: “…Huh?” Why do they get speaking roles with screen time, and I end up as a corpse? Does being an acquaintance really make that much of a difference?

But Director Tan’s decision wasn’t actually because he didn’t know her. He was known for being blunt and straightforward, never beating around the bush. He raised his voice and said, “What do you mean, ‘huh’? With a face like yours, how could you possibly play a background extra?”

Shi Nuocen instinctively touched her chin and asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong with my face?”

Director Tan had never seen someone so “unaware of their own beauty.” He glared at her, exasperated, and said, “With looks like that, the audience’s attention would be completely drawn to you. Who would even look at the male and female leads then? If I actually let you act, not only would you get criticized, but the whole crew would catch flak too!”

Shi Nuocen finally understood. So, her first attempt at being an extra in the entertainment industry was actually sabotaged by her own face?

Director Tan added, “When you play the corpse, remember to darken your face a bit.”

Shi Nuocen: “…”

Director Tan glared and demanded, “Did you hear me?!”

What else could Shi Nuocen do? She stiffened her neck and shouted back, “Yes, I heard you!”

The commotion caught the screenwriter’s attention. As soon as she walked over and caught sight of Shi Nuocen’s face, her eyes lit up. “Someone like her shouldn’t be playing some grimy corpse. It’s such a waste! How about giving her the role of the disgraced concubine? It’s a newly added character. Her persona is seductive and arrogant, having provoked the emperor’s displeasure. But because of her extraordinary beauty, she’s spared from execution and sent to the cold palace instead. It’s not a lot of screen time and should be easy to play.”

Before Shi Nuocen could respond, a sharp voice cut through the air: “Absolutely not!”

A deputy director surnamed Chi quickly trotted over and said to the screenwriter, “This role has already been assigned to a girl who’s been in the industry for two years. She’s quite good-looking, and with makeup, she’ll definitely meet the character’s requirements. Most importantly, she was specifically requested by the investor.”

But the screenwriter seemed hesitant. In her heart, she still preferred Shi Nuocen.

Seeing this, Shi Nuocen felt it was a rare opportunity she had to seize. She stepped forward and proactively declared, “If you let me play this role, I’ll give it my all and won’t disappoint the crew!”

Director Chi, however, glanced at her sideways and sneered, “Just starting out, aren’t you? Have you studied acting? Ever performed? Pretty words are easy to say, but no one believes them. Save that talk for yourself. You’re a complete newcomer. Don’t dream of reaching the top in one step!”

The screenwriter thought for a moment, probably agreeing with Director Chi’s reasoning, and gave Shi Nuocen an apologetic smile before walking away with Director Chi.

Once the two were out of sight, Director Tan patted Shi Nuocen on the shoulder and sighed softly, “You’re still young, no need to rush. Start by playing a corpse well first.”

Since Qiao Qiao and the others who came with her had already gone to change, Shi Nuocen had to find the makeup tent on her own. After mistakenly going to two wrong places, she suddenly heard a chorus of praises coming from a blue tent.

“Wow, Brother Yu, your makeup is so enchanting! Your eyes are practically mesmerizing. I can’t even look at you directly!”

“Brother Yu’s styling is truly outstanding! It makes people blush and their hearts race. You’re practically the demon prince himself!”

“The actor and the character are a perfect match! With this role, Brother Yu is sure to win over a bunch of admirers!”

Listening to these cringe-worthy compliments, Shi Nuocen couldn’t help but wonder: Who exactly is this Brother Yu? Is his appearance really as remarkable as they say?

Driven by curiosity, she lifted the tent flap and looked inside. The next second, her eyes met Brother Yu’s.

Shi Nuocen raised her eyebrows in surprise. She never expected that, at first glance, she and this Brother Yu would bear a five or six out of ten resemblance in appearance!

But even more astonished were the others in the tent, including Brother Yu himself!

Originally, Brother Yu’s looks were merely delicate. He had spent five hours applying heavy, elaborate makeup lengthening the corners of his eyes, subtly adjusting their shape, adding blush, highlighter, and contour to forcibly elevate his appearance from a 5 to an 8.

But compared to Shi Nuocen’s bare face, his makeup instantly seemed like a subpar, low-budget imitation, not even passing muster!

Those who had been lavishing praise moments ago now exchanged awkward glances. Before seeing Shi Nuocen, they genuinely thought Brother Yu’s makeup looked good. But after witnessing Shi Nuocen’s natural, unadorned beauty, Brother Yu’s makeup suddenly appeared awkward and even somewhat bizarre.

“Sorry, I’m in the wrong place,” Shi Nuocen said, feeling extremely embarrassed, and quickly retreated.

Later, with directions from a crew assistant, she finally reunited with Qiao Qiao and the others.

While getting ready, there were too many extras, and the makeup artists were overwhelmed. Those who knew how to do their own makeup simply took over. The three of them found a quiet corner, applying makeup while chatting idly.

Qiao Qiao remarked, “Actually, aside from the second male lead, the fourth male lead in this drama is also an artist from our company. But I really can’t praise his personality. He’s both delicate and petty. Even though he’s a male Beta, he’s more afraid of hardship than an Omega.”

Xian Yue chimed in, “Exactly. But his fans claim he’s the most versatile male Beta, capable of playing both Alpha and Omega roles. Personally, I still think the second male lead is much better. He’s straightforward and sincere. In the past, Qiao Qiao and I managed to land background roles with speaking lines several times, all thanks to his connections.”

“I think his fans must be wearing filters dozens of meters thick! Versatile? More like pretentious. This time, he’s playing a seductive prince. Who knows how many paid articles will hype him up later! Anyway, be careful around him at the company. Don’t provoke him, or things could get really scary.”

Hearing the words “seductive prince,” Shi Nuocen immediately knew who the fourth male lead was. However, she was more curious about the latter part of Xian Yue’s comment and asked, “Is it really that competitive to be a background actor now?”

“Yes,” Xian Yue nodded. “It’s slightly easier if you don’t show your face or have lines.”

Shi Nuocen, who neither showed her face nor had lines: Suddenly, she couldn’t tell if she was lucky or unlucky.

Just then, Qiao Qiao spotted something in the makeup mirror and gasped softly, “Oh no, oh no! Was that his assistant? Why was he standing so close to us? When did he get here? He must have overheard us! I saw him leave, and he looked really upset!”