The Stand-in is Exceptionally Clingy [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: The Film Empress and Her Little Assistant

◎A Medical Miracle.◎

Luzhu was a Southern City that loved the rain. The midday sun was just right, and the white wall under the eaves was washed with a foot of golden light. In the courtyard, people were sun-drying rice, and the faint scent of rice, infused by the sunlight, spread through the entire street.

As the light shifted, a fine drizzle began to fall. The uneven bluestone pavement became damp from the raindrops, and the small black-grey pores on the rough stone surface were filled with water.

The pattering of the rain beat against the car window, forming streams of water that meandered down, dripping onto the blades of grass on the roadside that had been knocked loose.

The faint sound of the air conditioning’s warm air hummed. The back window reflected a cold, stunningly beautiful face.

The woman was sleeping curled up in her seat, her eyes closed, covered by a thin, white fleece blanket.

Her skin was as fair as jade, her cherry lips like petals. Her features were cold and elegant. Lying there so quietly, she looked like Sleeping Beauty from a fairy tale.

The car door suddenly opened from the outside, and a cool breeze mixed with the fine rain blew in. The slight chill caused the woman to furrow her brow slightly, and then she opened her eyes.

Her black, bright pupils were deep and mysterious, like a dangerous and alluring whirlpool. She collected herself, turned her head to look at the drizzle outside the window, her smooth long hair covering half of her face.

Lou Bianxia had always had poor sleep quality. Since she had been filming on set for a whole day without closing her eyes, it would have been normal for her to look terrible.

But her reaction now seemed much more peaceful.

Yang Huishu handed her a milk tea. “Did you sleep well? There’s still over an hour until the next scene.”

“It seems… I had a good dream.”

Lou Bianxia’s eyes were unfocused. She took the milk tea and took a small sip, absorbing the sugar. As the warm liquid flowed into her mouth and throat, her slightly pale complexion improved.

Yang Huishu: “With such an intense workload, if you don’t eat properly, you won’t be able to handle it.”

Lou Bianxia: “I have no appetite. I can’t eat.”

Knowing that she couldn’t convince her, Yang Huishu said helplessly, “I’ll go and urge Sister Wang again about hiring a personal assistant.”

Lou Bianxia replied with a very faint “Mhm.”

Just then, a production assistant suddenly ran to the car, looking anxious. “Sister Lou, something happened on set…”

Jade Porcelain Fragrance was a Republican-era drama about a family of porcelain artisans in Jiangnan, whose generational heritage was facing turmoil and difficult choices in a new era.

To perfectly restore the Republican-era setting and the atmosphere of the entire drama, the crew had put a great deal of effort into finding a location, building sets, and creating props.

The most frequently featured prop in the drama was the family heirloom that the Ming family had passed down for generations: a lotus cup made of green jade.

Inferior replicas were difficult to film, so the director, through some unknown channel, had specially borrowed the genuine antique from a collector.

The cup, with its warm and moisturized green color, was dazzling and translucent. It was jokingly called the “treasure of the crew.”

But now, this “treasure” was shattered into pieces on the floor.

When Lou Bianxia walked over with a cold face, Song Jing was still loudly scolding the props team nearby. “Who would notice this thing here? It’s not like I did it on purpose.”

“But… the lotus cup was always in a glass cabinet. You took it…”

“It’s already broken. Can’t you just get another one?” The woman placed her hands on her hips in disdain. “You’re actually demanding I pay three million yuan? What kind of broken cup is that? You say it’s an antique, so it’s an antique?”

“You’re overcharging. Is your crew deliberately trying to scam me?”

Song Jing cursed, while the staff member standing opposite her was so angry at her shameless behavior that she started to cry.

When they saw Lou Bianxia walk over with her arms crossed, the other crew members consciously made way for her.

The director was squatting next to the scattered jade porcelain fragments, picking them up one by one with a pained expression. When he saw Lou Bianxia approaching, it was like he had seen a savior.

“Film Empress Lou, about this lotus cup…”

Lou Bianxia’s eyes moved down, she glanced at it, then turned to look at the annoyed Song Jing. Her cold, sharp voice sounded like a knife scraping. “At today’s market price, three million yuan is not enough to buy a lotus cup like this.”

Hearing this, Song Jing’s attitude immediately softened. Her voice was a little shaky. “How… how could that be? How do you know?”

The director stood up, suppressing the anger in his chest. “Because this lotus cup was borrowed from Film Empress Lou. I’m so sorry, Film Empress Lou. It’s really the crew’s negligence…”

Everyone looked at Lou Bianxia in surprise, but then they thought of her family background and didn’t find it so strange.

Lou Bianxia, the youngest Film Empress in the industry, had won countless awards by the age of thirty-two, including several Grand Slams. She was the most popular female artist in the entertainment industry.

Because of her unique, cold, and elegant temperament and stunning beauty, she was also hailed as the “National Goddess.”

Her family background was also mysterious. Some said she was the daughter of a wealthy family, and some said she was a third-generation “red” from the Beijing circle. The summary was the same: she was not to be trifled with.

So on set, her words carried more weight than the director’s.

Lou Bianxia raised an eyebrow at Song Jing and asked impatiently, “You don’t believe me? I can contact an expert for an appraisal.”

Song Jing felt a little panicked and awkwardly waved her hands. “Of course I believe Film Empress Lou. I did accidentally break this lotus cup.”

“But this isn’t just my responsibility, is it? The props team didn’t protect it well either. You can’t make me pay the entire three million, can you?”

For a celebrity like Song Jing, a few million was not impossible to pay, but for the staff member in charge of the props team, it was a huge sum. The young woman was crying as she wiped away her tears.

Lou Bianxia’s expression was calm. “Then let’s check the security footage. Whoever is responsible pays. It’s as simple as that.”

When she heard about checking the security footage, Song Jing’s expression became visibly flustered. “Is it necessary to check the footage? Everyone’s time is precious. Let’s just say I’ll take responsibility for this.”

“But three million… I really can’t come up with that much money. Film Empress Lou… What if I just apologize to you?”

Since it was Lou Bianxia’s own collection, if Lou Bianxia agreed, then she wouldn’t have to pay. Compared to Lou Bianxia’s wealth, this was nothing.

Upon hearing this, Lou Bianxia’s thick eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes deepened slightly.

Song Jing thought she had a chance and quickly stepped forward, her face full of forced smiles, trying to grab Lou Bianxia’s arm. But Lou Bianxia’s gaze instantly made her feel a chill all over.

Lou Bianxia turned to Yang Huishu beside her and left a sharp remark. “Remember to call a lawyer.”

She then ignored everyone else, lifted her foot, and went to her dressing room.

Song Jing stood there in a daze, stamping her foot in anger.

The matter was finally settled, and the other people on set couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. They looked at Song Jing with a bit of schadenfreude.

“She only acts tough in front of the staff. She was the one who was so careless and secretly took it out, but now she’s blaming the staff.”

“She acted so arrogantly and then tried to blame them, shouting louder than anyone else. It’s a good thing Film Empress Lou was there to keep her in check.”

“That look in her eyes, that aura… Song Jing was so scared she didn’t dare to speak. It was just so dominating.”

“She’s a true National Goddess, but her personality is a bit too cold. Just looking at her makes me nervous. Do you think Film Empress Lou would be like this if she were in a relationship?”

“The goddess is better off alone. But Film Empress Lou is thirty-two this year, and it seems there haven’t been any rumors about her. Her other half, sigh, it’s a little hard to imagine.”

“There’s a rumor that she’s already secretly married. A man married into her wealthy family, and she might even have a few kids already.”

“…Really? How can that be? She’s known for having no breaks between filming all year. Where would she find the time to have kids? That rumor is really unbelievable.”

Before the few of them could finish gossiping, they saw Yang Huishu giving them a sharp look from a distance, and they immediately obediently shut their mouths.

…

“Relevant information has been imported, and the placement was successful. This time, System 521 will be at your service. Please complete the mission seriously, host.”

It was like she had been floating and stagnant in a dark, cold deep sea for a long time. The voice that came from her ear was distant and ethereal, but it was a rhythmic “beep—” “beep—” sound.

At a certain point, she was suddenly “fished out.” The heavy seawater fell from her side. All of her senses surged in like a tide, causing Jian Ke to let out a series of urgent coughs.

Afterward, a burst of noise entered the silent world. There were people shouting and the sound of heavy objects falling.

Her vision was blurry, but Jian Ke could sense someone pulling her eyelids open and shining a light into her eyes.

“…Can you see clearly… Do you hear me…”

Jian Ke spoke, but her voice was a hoarse smoker’s voice. “Cough, cough… Yes.”

The nurse had an expression of discovery, like she had found a new continent. She turned to the family members. “The patient has regained consciousness…”

The chaotic scene passed before her eyes. Feeling dizzy, Jian Ke closed her eyes, and memories began to surface in her mind.

The original body was the daughter of a top wealthy family. Because of a car accident, she suffered brain damage and became a vegetable. She had been in that state until now.

Feeling the excessively atrophied, weak, and frail muscles of this body, Jian Ke felt like she had been forcefully tied to the bed with restraints. It was hard to even lift a finger.

But before she could finish sighing, an elegant and charming woman walked to the bedside, her face full of tears. She called out with a choked voice, “My little girl, do you know who I am?”

Jian Ke responded with a voice like a broken bellows. “Mom—”

“Oh, it’s your mom. My little girl, you’re finally awake.”

Jian Ke’s mother cried endlessly, her eyes almost red from rubbing them. Jian Ke was too weak to wipe away her tears and could only continue, “Don’t cry—Mom… Mom, don’t cry—”

“My good daughter, Mom won’t cry. You’ve just woken up. How could Mom cry?”

Jian Ke’s heart felt a natural warmth. Perhaps it was from the blood connection of this body. She felt an extraordinary sense of intimacy toward Jian Ke’s mother.

Before long, two more women suddenly rushed into the hospital room.

Jian Ke recognized them. “Aunts, hello.”

At this, the hospital room became a crying mess again.

Jian Ke: “…”

Remembering that Jian Ke had just woken up and couldn’t handle too much stimulation, the women calmed themselves down. They sat around Jian Ke’s bed, holding her arm and chatting between sobs.

“God is merciful. Our little girl is finally awake.”

“It’s been seven years. We waited for seven years, and your sister-in-law took care of you for seven years. All our efforts weren’t in vain.”

Second Aunt: “Little girl, you don’t know, there were several times when we received the critical condition notice, and we all thought you would…”

Jian Ke lay on the bed, listening silently.

Jian Ke’s mother: “Thank goodness you made it through and are now awake. I’ve always said that what those doctors say isn’t reliable. How could my little girl not wake up?”

Third Aunt nodded repeatedly. “Exactly. I’ve always said that marriage for good luck is the most effective method. It’s only been a few years since she was married…”

She didn’t finish her sentence. Her arm was nudged by the Second Aunt next to her, and she realized she had let something slip.

Jian Ke was stunned, thinking for a moment that she had misheard. Seeing their unnatural expressions, she asked hesitantly.

“What marriage for good luck?”

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