The Supporting Female Lead Chooses to Mark the Villain [Rebirth] - Chapter 54

The game hall frequented by the suspects in the movie exists in a legal gray area; to maximize profit, it also caters to underage customers. Anyone capable of managing such a place cannot be simple. In fact, the script describes this character, Qian Li, as a “slick, seasoned female Alpha who has been battered by society for years.”

This was exactly why Lou Ze felt hopeless the moment he saw Shen Nian. She was still a student, possessing an aura that was far too clean—the look of someone who had never been struck by the harshness of reality. How could she portray a boss who grinds reality under her heel? It was an utter mismatch.

When the makeup artist saw Shen Nian being led to the chair, her expression shifted from awe at her beauty to sheer complication in a single second.

“I’m telling you now…” she said, running her hands through Shen Nian’s smooth, long hair. “With looks like yours, I can only try my best to lean toward the character of Qian Li. I can’t guarantee you’ll look the part…”

Shen Nian, however, felt no psychological burden. She gave a soft “mm” and offered a reassuring smile. “Just do your best with the makeup.”

The makeup artist breathed a sigh of relief. Given the circumstances, she had to mold Shen Nian’s appearance toward a more weathered and haggard look. As she worked, she couldn’t help but lament, “Sigh, what a waste. You really aren’t suited for this kind of role.”

“What kind of role do you think suits me then?” Shen Nian chatted idly.

The makeup artist blurted out, “The ‘White Moonlight’ or the ‘Universal Heartthrob’ type, of course!” She tilted Shen Nian’s chin, studying her in the mirror. “I can’t even imagine how satisfying it would be to give you a proper, beautiful makeover!”

Shen Nian smiled. “Then I look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Her features were strikingly vivid. Even with a foundation two shades darker than her skin tone, she still made the makeup artist’s heart flutter. Afraid to look any longer, the artist looked down and picked up an eyeshadow palette. “Close your eyes. I’m going to design your eye makeup.”

Normally, a makeup artist wouldn’t spend much effort on a minor supporting character, but she spent over twenty minutes on Shen Nian. Finally, she sighed guiltily. “This is the best I can do.”

Shen Nian looked in the mirror. The makeup added a sense of world-weariness without ruining her natural features. She was satisfied. After thanking the artist, she followed Xiao Zhang back to the set.

Mo Huai saw her from a distance and waved, but just then, her phone rang—a call she had to take. Mo Huai hissed to Lou Ze, “I’m taking this call. Be polite to Shen Nian!”

Lou Ze secretly rolled his eyes. “Just go do your business.”

As Mo Huai stepped aside, Shen Nian observed the scene. Despite her “backing” leaving, she didn’t hesitate, walking straight up to Lou Ze with an unbothered expression.

“Director Lou,” she greeted.

Lou Ze looked her up and down. His expression was disdainful. “How do you plan to interpret this character?”

The assistant director arrived with the daily schedule. Lou Ze got distracted, turning to take the papers. He didn’t value Shen Nian much and intended to check the schedule before giving her any more of his time. But the moment he looked down, he heard a voice laced with hidden malice.

“What’s with your attitude?”

Lou Ze froze, looking up in a daze. Standing three steps away, Shen Nian was still herself, yet she seemed like a completely different person. Her legs were spread casually, her back slightly hunched, and her shoulders flared out in a rough, crooked stance. Seeing Lou Ze look at her, she narrowed her eyes maliciously and curled her lip into a sneer.

“You—” Lou Ze started.

A flash of impatience crossed Shen Nian’s face. She stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar. “Listen. In this neighborhood, no one dares talk to me, Qian Li, like that. Where the hell did you come from?”

This was a line belonging to the fourth female lead, Qian Li, when she first confronts an undercover cop. Shen Nian admitted she did this on purpose; she had seen through Lou Ze’s contempt and used the requested “audition” to strike back.

And honestly, it felt great.

From Lou Ze’s perspective, he was genuinely stunned. As a director, he had read the script many times. This scene wasn’t particularly important; it was meant to show the hardships of police work and establish Qian Li’s character. He usually skimmed past it. But now, standing in the scene with Shen Nian, he realized the sheer pressure Qian Li exerted.

Even with the “ugly” makeup, she was clearly a beauty, but under her cold, impatient gaze, you couldn’t focus on her looks. Instead, you felt a vivid fear—a fear that because of your previous disrespect, you would be stuffed into a burlap sack and thrown into the sea to feed the fish.

Lou Ze felt his teeth chatter. The next moment, Shen Nian smiled. While her lips curved up, the upper half of her face remained unchanged—her eyes were still full of malice. She gave Lou Ze a shove.

“Figure out whose territory this is. Wherever you came from, crawl back there.”

Her tone wasn’t heavy, but the aura radiating from her was enough to support the words. Lou Ze stumbled back, his calves hitting a small stool, nearly toppling him over. At the critical moment, Shen Nian reached out and caught him.

“Heh… heh…” Lou Ze stood firm, panting as he tried to recover from the shock.

When Mo Huai returned, she saw the moment Shen Nian nearly pushed the director over. “Oh my!” she shouted. “Shen Nian! What are you doing?”

As she ran over, she thought: My goodness, even if he is a dog, you can’t actually beat up the director on set! On the surface, Mo Huai acted panicked and grabbed Lou Ze’s arm. “Are you okay? How could you be so careless…”

Lou Ze’s face was flushed. He looked at her. “Sister Mo…”

Mo Huai thought he was red with anger. She turned to scold Shen Nian, while secretly trying to give her an out. “I know you’re nervous being new to the set, but you’re an Alpha—don’t you know your own strength? Did you accidentally push the director?” She winked frantically at Shen Nian. “Luckily, Director Lou isn’t petty. Hurry up and apologize!”

Shen Nian stood her ground. She had returned to her normal self, but she remained composed. “I did push him, but Director Lou fell because he wasn’t careful.”

Mo Huai felt her vision go dark. She cursed herself for not realizing Shen Nian’s EQ was so low—she had provided a ladder, yet the girl refused to climb down. “You…!”

Before she could finish the scolding, Lou Ze tugged her arm. “Sister Mo…”

“Little Lou, don’t talk. I have to teach her a lesson today,” Mo Huai said, rolling up her sleeves. “Don’t worry, since you gave us the role, I will give you an explanation!”

Lou Ze had finally snapped out of it. He shouted, “I fell on my own! I really fell on my own! It has nothing to do with Shen Nian!”

Mo Huai paused. “…What did you say?”

Seeing her calm down, Lou Ze wiped his sweat. “I was just careless, haha. Who put this wooden stool here, really…” He picked up the stool and set it aside. When he looked at Shen Nian again, the contempt was gone. “Um, thank… thanks, Shen Nian.”

Shen Nian gave a faint “mm.” “You’re welcome.”

“Did you rest well last night?” Lou Ze asked. “Qian Li’s scenes start filming tomorrow. If you’re tired, I’ll have Xiao Zhang take you back to the hotel.” He smiled. “Don’t feel pressured. Your state is already very good.”

Shen Nian shook her head. “Director Lou, since I just arrived, can I look around? I want to understand your directing style.”

“Of course!” Lou Ze nodded. He waved a hand. “Look wherever you want. If you don’t understand something, ask the assistant director… or heck, come ask me!”

“I’ll go remove my makeup first,” Shen Nian said.

Lou Ze was all smiles. “Go ahead.” He even added thoughtfully, “Be careful on the way, there’s a lot of equipment around.”

As she turned to leave, Mo Huai caught up to her. “My ancestor…” Mo Huai’s face was wooden. “What did you do?” Without waiting for an answer, she glanced back at the still-grinning Lou Ze. “Did you give him a magic potion?”

Shen Nian laughed. “No.”

“No?!” Mo Huai pointed to her own eyes. “I saw everything! You pushed him!” She hissed, emphasizing, “I saw it clearly!”

“Oh,” Shen Nian nodded. After a pause, she smiled. “It seems that fall was useful. It knocked the water out of Director Lou’s brain.”

She whispered the insult so only Mo Huai could hear. Mo Huai froze, then burst out laughing. Afraid to be too loud, she covered her mouth but laughed for a long time. “You’re right,” she wiped a tear from her eye. “After the water cleared, his eyes became much more lucid.”

Mo Huai finally understood what happened. She patted Shen Nian’s shoulder with satisfaction. “Good job! You earned back face for both yourself and me.”