When Zhang Nanchuan came over after getting his meal, this was the lively scene he saw.
Wang Lujie had already gotten her share and excitedly walked to the side to show it off and examine it, occasionally bringing the incense to her nose to take a sniff.
Zhang Nanchuan watched for a while. He originally wanted to maintain his status and style as a director, but in the end, he couldn’t resist. He sauntered over and asked, “What’s inside?”
“It’s agarwood incense.” Wang Lujie turned her head, smiled at Zhang Nanchuan, and shook the box in her hand. “Director, why don’t you go get one too? It’s free for the taking, and everyone gets one. I heard Rong Guang’s grandma made all of these by hand. This brand of incense is entirely handmade, the only one of its kind. It’s priceless and unavailable on the market; you can’t buy it even if you want to.”
Zhang Nanchuan was silent for a moment, then glanced over again and cleared his throat. “Ahem, with my status, how could I go and fight with them over these things? It’s so beneath me.”
Wang Lujie raised an eyebrow and shrugged, thinking to herself that saving face at all costs meant you’d end up with nothing.
She hooked a branch on the ground and, after a few tries, managed to grab it with her hand. “Hey, look at Teacher Chu over there. She’s already thrown all shame to the wind, so what are you still holding back for?”
Zhang Nanchuan paused.
He had come over in the first place because he heard Chu Feiliang’s voice from within the circle.
After observing for a while, he nudged Wang Lujie with his elbow and said thoughtfully, “Have you noticed? Your boss seems especially happy whenever she’s with Rong Guang. How long has it been since we’ve seen her like this? The atmosphere around her was so oppressive a few days ago that even I didn’t dare provoke her—”
Wang Lujie nodded, sighing with emotion. “That’s so true. Forget you, even I was worried something would happen. Her mood was really bad a while back. I couldn’t sleep all night, and in the following days, even taking medicine didn’t help; she just had to endure it. She was listless and spiritless during the day, too. Looking at the weather forecast, there aren’t any good days coming up either. They keep forecasting heavy snow, and the sky is so gloomy… How can there be such heavy snow in November…”
“Hard to say.” Zhang Nanchuan shook his head, indicating he wasn’t sure either.
He didn’t know if it would snow in November, but he did know that Chu Feiliang’s current behavior—drawing a circle on the ground with a branch, a complete departure from her usual image—was truly… extraordinary.
It was completely different from the impression she used to give; she had become much more lively.
Zhang Nanchuan smiled and glanced at the time. “At this rate, when will they finish handing them out? Do they need to register names? Aren’t they afraid someone will claim one fraudulently?”
“No registration needed.” Wang Lujie shook the box in her hand. A little exasperated by Zhang Nanchuan’s words, she twitched the corner of her lip and said, “It’s not like people would take several, right? After all, everyone has their pride. We see each other all the time on set. It’s not worth ruining your reputation over a box of incense.”
Zhang Nanchuan shrugged, feeling that Wang Lujie was being a bit too idealistic. Who wouldn’t love to take advantage of a small perk?
After a moment, he cleared his throat and asked in a low voice, “Can someone pick one up for me?”
Wang Lujie shot him a sidelong glance.
Then, she stood up and said mercilessly, “Doesn’t seem like it, dear. You have to go yourself. Oh, right, it’s not that I have too much faith in people, it’s just that Chacha is incredibly sharp. You can’t hide from her who has already taken one. She’ll realize it instantly, and without embarrassing them, she’ll just say, ‘Big brother, I think I just saw you. Did you already take one and forget?’ and turn them away.”
Zhang Nanchuan was surprised. “So people really do try to take more than one? Chacha is that good at recognizing people?”
“Mhm.” Wang Lujie lifted her chin. “Wanna go see?”
“…Fine, I’ll go look.” Zhang Nanchuan’s eyes darted around. “Um, I’ll go over later when there are fewer people. Go tell them for me that they can take an extra hour for their break today. They can finish handing these out first. It’s a good thing, after all.”
Wang Lujie went over, suppressing a laugh.
With Zhang Nanchuan’s help regarding the time, Rong Guang’s large box of gifts was finally, slowly distributed. One unopened box was left to be handed out later when they returned to the base.
Chu Feiliang, however, was still not satisfied. It seemed she hadn’t had enough of shouting. She wandered around with the megaphone all afternoon, occasionally speaking slowly into it.
“Line up, no cutting, everyone gets one—line up…” Chu Feiliang yelled again.
Rong Guang held back her laughter and handed the incense to Zhang Nanchuan, who had come to get his.
Hearing the megaphone, the corner of Zhang Nanchuan’s eye twitched, and he quickly looked around.
There was no one next to him!
What the hell was Chu Feiliang shouting about!
There was no one here! With all this shouting, wouldn’t everyone see him!
“What are you shouting for!” Zhang Nanchuan’s eyes widened. “I’m the only one here getting one. Is a ghost going to come and cut in line?!”
Chu Feiliang, half-reclining on a lounge chair, lifted her eyelids at his words and said with an impartial air, “Even one person has to line up. If everyone was like you, would we even have rules anymore?”
Zhang Nanchuan: “…”
He angrily clenched the box in his hand and walked away with heavy, furious, fire-breathing steps.
Rong Guang counted the remaining quantity and quietly asked Chacha beside her, “Chacha, did I give out the right amount?”
“You did.” Chacha said with a serious expression, “The extra ones are what Grandma prepared in case some got damaged on the way or the count was off. We can take them back and use them slowly… Hmm, there aren’t many left. After we hand out more back at the base, there will only be about a hundred boxes left. If we burn them often, they’ll be gone in less than half a year.”
Rong Guang rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and said, “That’s fine too.”
By the afternoon, almost no one else was coming over.
Rong Guang looked around, her gaze falling back on Chu Feiliang. She moved her small stool and slowly scooted over, then said in a small voice, “Sister…”
Chu Feiliang lifted her eyelids. Her hands were fiddling with the megaphone, though it was unclear what she was doing.
Rong Guang’s face was a little red. She looked at the box beside her and said, “Do… do you want some? I promised you last time that I’d give you some agarwood incense. This batch was handmade by my grandma. She’s famous for it back home, and many people can’t buy it even if they want to.”
“Specially for me?” Chu Feiliang said, her eyes curving into a smile.
Rong Guang nodded like a chick pecking at rice. “Mhm.”
She didn’t know why, but even though she was the one giving the gift, Rong Guang was incredibly nervous, afraid that Chu Feiliang would refuse.
Perhaps she was overthinking it, and she knew she tended to overthink, but… she couldn’t help but have such thoughts.
“Of course I want it.” Chu Feiliang rested her cheek on her hand, glanced at the box beside them, and said, “How much can you give me? Is it the same as everyone else, just one portion?”
Rong Guang’s eyes lit up. Following her heart, she said, “Of course not! You’re an exception. I saved a lot for you—I specially told Grandma to make more just for you! If you want them… they’re all yours!”
“They’re all yours—”
“They’re all yours—”
“They’re all yours—”
The four words, coming from the megaphone that had inexplicably started to crackle with static, suddenly began to repeat automatically, echoing deafeningly throughout the set, over and over, almost creating an echo.
All the crew members, who had been chattering and excitedly discussing the incense in their hands, were stunned. They all turned to look in the direction of the sound.
Rong Guang was also dumbfounded.
The voice was hers, that was certain.
The words were also what she had said, that was also certain.
…Even the meaning hadn’t actually been distorted.
But why was it that these four words, when broadcast from this megaphone, always sounded so… strangely… ambiguous?
She sucked in a sharp breath, hardly daring to imagine what kind of rumors about her and Chu Feiliang would be circulating on set after today!
Chu Feiliang was also a little surprised.
She glanced at the megaphone in her hand, which was still incessantly blaring “They’re all yours—”, then suddenly threw it forward and said with a completely innocent face, “I’m innocent.”
Rong Guang looked pitifully at the ground.
After being thrown, not only did the megaphone not break, but it acted as if it had been provoked, like a person. It spiritedly amplified the broadcasted sound several times over!
Especially after a piercing screech, the megaphone seemed to have been injected with chicken blood. Not only was the speaking speed fast, but it was also extremely cheerful, as if it had been set to double speed!
Rong Guang was shocked.
She practically pounced on it, quickly found the power switch, and shut the whole thing off!
Chu Feiliang watched her actions. Only when she saw Rong Guang’s face flush red then turn pale, looking so ashamed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into, did she finally sigh leisurely and say with a sincere expression, “This time, I really am innocent.”
Chacha shot Chu Feiliang a sidelong glance.
‘This time, I really am innocent.’
Chacha looked up at the sky and cracked her knuckles, thinking—innocent this time, but what about the last time?
That was definitely intentional and on purpose.
Adults really are all liars. They can coax a young girl without even blinking, and without a hint of guilt.
Chacha pouted.
Rong Guang clutched the megaphone to her chest, deceiving herself into thinking that as long as she held it close and no one saw it, the incident would eventually be forgotten and people would stop talking about it.
Hearing Chu Feiliang’s words, Rong Guang nodded with a conflicted expression, her whole being in a state of dazed confusion. “I… I believe you…”
Chu Feiliang paused.
Then she nodded. “As you should.”
Hearing this, Rong Guang’s face grew even more bewildered.
As I should… as I should what?!
The afternoon passed in this strange atmosphere.
Several times when Rong Guang was walking around, she could see groups of people on set huddled together discussing something. And even though she knew they didn’t have malicious intent, she was so embarrassed she could dig her toes into the ground. She wished she could dig out an entire soccer field on the spot and bury herself in it like a blade of grass.
“Alright, stop daydreaming! Gather ’round! Once we shoot the night scene, we can wrap up for the day!” Zhang Nanchuan shouted into a large megaphone. “All departments, conduct your final checks tonight. Prepare for the explosion at dawn tomorrow—!”
Following Zhang Nanchuan’s order, the entire crew got busy again.
Rong Guang collected herself, splashed some water on her face to calm down, and then stretched her body as she walked over to Zhang Nanchuan.
Zhang Nanchuan was in front of the camera, repeatedly reviewing the progress of the past few days’ filming. Seeing Rong Guang approach, he waved her over. “Come, Rong Guang, come take a look yourself.”
Rong Guang leaned in and watched for a while. “Is there a problem, Director?”
“No problem.” Zhang Nanchuan glanced at her. “It’s good that your state of mind hasn’t been affected. If we can maintain this rhythm today, our progress will be much faster.”
Rong Guang nodded, glancing at the lights of the city and the lit torches. “Okay, I understand.”
Tonight’s scene wasn’t actually a major one, but it was one of the few confrontational scenes between her and Chu Feiliang before her character was written out.
Zhang Nanchuan looked at Rong Guang’s appearance after the makeup artist had applied special effects makeup, patted her on the shoulder, and asked, “How’s the weight loss going?”
Rong Guang gave a bitter smile.
Because her recent scenes required her to exude an air of sickness and weakness, Rong Guang had to lose weight to fit the script, especially the chubbiness in her face.
The crew had a dedicated nutritionist who, based on her constitution, created a diet plan that would provide the necessary nutrients to support her body without causing harm, while also allowing her to lose weight quickly.
—though it was basically all boiled meat and tasteless lettuce.
Rong Guang sighed. “Look at the flesh on my face—”
Chacha poked her head out at the right moment, touched her Sister Guangguang’s face, and said angrily, “There’s no flesh left!”
After saying her piece, Chacha retreated back to her calculations, her train of thought completely uninterrupted.
Zhang Nanchuan’s heart, which usually had little conscience to speak of, was suddenly and inexplicably pricked. He gave an awkward cough. “The script requires it. You’ve worked hard.”
Losing weight is always something actors need to do, and it’s one of the most difficult things to overcome. It’s incredibly hard, might not achieve the desired results, and is especially difficult to stick with.
“It’s what I should do.” Rong Guang waved her hand and smiled relaxedly. “It won’t be for much longer. After this is over, I’m going to feast to make up for it.”
Zhang Nanchuan chuckled at her words. “In a few days, you can start eating normally again. It’s fine to be a little chubbier then, as long as you look good on camera. After you wrap up filming, I’ll treat everyone to a hot pot meal. It’ll be time to celebrate.”
Rong Guang smiled and nodded.
After chatting a bit more, the set was ready. Rong Guang took a deep breath, pursed her lips, gave herself a final check, pursed her lips again, and then got into bed.
“Princess.” The deputy general stood by a window not far away, frowning. As he looked at the figure on the bed, his gaze was filled with unconcealed worry. “The person lying on the bed… is that really Lady Jiang Wenmou?”
“Why do you say that?” Ji Ying turned her head and glanced expressionlessly at the deputy general.
The deputy general had been by her side for many years, going through life and death with her on the battlefield several times. Their relationship was more like that of sworn brothers, so when they spoke, he didn’t have to be as guarded as an outsider.
Hearing her, he lowered his head and said with difficulty, “This subordinate just thought… I had mistaken her for someone else.”
The Jiang Wenmou of the past had full cheeks, dazzling light in her eyes, and a brilliant, compelling smile. No matter where she went, even if she always stood behind Ji Ying, she could never hide her presence and was always the center of everyone’s attention.
Therefore, Ji Ying never dared to bring her into the palace, for fear that she would be seen.
But the Jiang Wenmou now…
The deputy general lowered his head and let out a faint sigh. “Lady Jiang Wenmou seems much frailer. This subordinate feels… as if a single finger could injure her.”
He used to be no match for Jiang Wenmou.
In the entire Princess’s residence, aside from the Eldest Princess herself, no one could defeat her.
But now…
How times have changed. It was truly lamentable.
Ji Ying fell silent for a moment at his words.
The military doctor had already removed the silver needles, his face full of worry. “This old man is incompetent.”
Ji Ying’s heart sank.
“This young lady on the bed has a chaotic pulse, at times deep and at times floating. From her appearance, she likely once possessed great martial skill, but for some reason, there is no trace of it now. Her internal organs are empty, and her inner energy is severely depleted. If she can calm her heart and rest peacefully, she might live for another twenty or thirty years…”
“If she worries excessively and becomes ill from overwork…” The military doctor sighed softly and shook his head. “I’m afraid she doesn’t have many years left.”
The deputy general saw the military doctor out.
Not long after he left, Jiang Wenmou, on the bed, began to cough uncontrollably. Her expression was contorted in pain, her brows tightly furrowed, but she couldn’t open her eyes at all.
Ji Ying’s hands clenched into fists, her eyes fixed on the person on the bed. But in the end, she closed her eyes, let out a long sigh, and reached out to help the person up, letting her lean against her chest. With her other hand, she applied gentle pressure at a spot one fist’s length away, helping to soothe her breathing.
Before long, Jiang Wenmou’s coughing gradually subsided.
She panted, glanced back, and pursed her lips. “Princess…”
Ji Ying’s face turned cold once more.
But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to push her away, and instead placed a thick backrest behind her.
After doing all this, Ji Ying finally asked, “Why have you come here? What exactly do you want to do?”
Jiang Wenmou closed her eyes and pursed her lips. “May I… have a cup of water?”
Ji Ying was still for a moment, but still went to the table and poured her a cup of water.
The water was still warm, clearly someone had been deliberately replacing it.
The army was already in such a tense state, and everyone in the inner city of over five thousand people feared for their own safety, yet what she held in her hands was still a bowl of hot tea.
Jiang Wenmou twitched the corners of her lips, forcing a faint smile.
“What time is it now?” Jiang Wenmou sipped the hot tea in her hand, finally feeling warmth gradually return to her limbs.
She glanced at the sky outside, took a light breath, and spoke.
“The hour of You,” Ji Ying said.
Jiang Wenmou finished the cup of water and set the cup aside.
She said softly, “I came this time to discuss an important matter with you.”
Ji Ying watched her quietly.
Jiang Wenmou gave a bitter smile and clutched the bedding beneath her. “I know you’ve planted several tons of explosives in the secret tunnels beneath the city, and I also know that this time… you have no intention of living. You’re defending this city with the determination to die, planning to perish together with them.”
Ji Ying remained expressionless, listening quietly as she said, “But you cannot die.”
“The emperor is already a spent lamp, and recently he has been unable to even take soup. The new emperor’s wings have not yet fully grown. If you die…” Jiang Wenmou said, “…with the court in turmoil, facing both internal and external threats, the collapse of the Li Dynasty will only be a matter of a few short years.”
“What would you have me do?” Ji Ying retorted. “If I don’t die, the fifty thousand men my father left behind will come to kill me on the spot, even sacrificing the lives of the entire city’s populace to be buried with me.”
“You mean that brute Zhao Wude?” Jiang Wenmou’s lips curved. Under the flickering candlelight, her face seemed to soften. “He can’t threaten you—at least not for the next few days.”
Ji Ying watched her slowly, saying nothing.
Wen Mou pursed her lips and lowered her gaze. “His Highness the Crown Prince received the news early and ordered his twenty thousand troops guarding the border to disguise themselves as you and head towards the Southern Barbarians overnight. Zhao Wude is all brawn and no brains. Hearing that you fled in the face of battle, he has already led his troops in pursuit.”
“The Crown Prince gave the order?” Ji Ying raised her eyebrows.
Seeing her plan exposed, Jiang Wenmou didn’t say much. She cleared her throat and said, “I tricked him. The Crown Prince is still young and couldn’t think of such a thorough plan. As soon as he heard you were seriously injured and beset on all sides, he gave me his command token.”
Speaking of this younger brother born of the same mother, Ji Ying sighed. “This must have been hard on him.”
“You think it’s hard on him, but have you thought about yourself? Isn’t your current situation difficult?” Jiang Wenmou’s breathing grew rapid. She pursed her lips, hiding a sharp glint in her eyes. “Now that the Northern Di and Eastern Yi have joined forces, they’ve broken the four-way stalemate. The Southern Barbarians have always been weak, and it’s been incredibly difficult for them to hold on for so many years. They’ve barely managed by relying on annual trade and military reinforcements from the Li Dynasty. Once the Li Dynasty collapses, they won’t even be able to maintain their foundation as a vassal state… The only path left for them is annihilation…”
“I have already sent false information to the Eastern Yi and Northern Di. At the hour of Zi, the Southern Wasteland will launch an attack. With the Crown Prince’s twenty thousand men, they will split into two forces to launch a surprise attack on the Eastern Yi and Northern Di main camps, buying you enough time to evacuate Lu Xi…”
“I can’t possibly leave,” Ji Ying said. “Lu Xi is already ruined. There are explosives everywhere under the city. Even if we evacuate, it would take at least three years for this place to recover to its former state. If I do nothing, wouldn’t I just be handing them an entire city to conquer for free?”
“How could we possibly do nothing, my princess?” Wen Mou looked up at her and said slowly, “The Northern Di and Eastern Yi have brought a massive army to our borders this time. Even if they send troops back to defend their camps, they won’t be willing to give up a juicy piece of meat like Lu Xi that’s already in their mouths. They will definitely leave more than half their forces to attack the city. Just wait for the hour of Zi, and you can all evacuate.”
“As for the rest…” Wen Mou smiled faintly. The moment she lifted her face, a flash of pride crossed it. She raised her head and said, “The Princess can rest assured and leave it to me. A mere tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers are nothing in my eyes.”
It was only then that Ji Ying finally realized that the person before her was no longer the mentally impaired, childlike Wen Mou, but the Jiang Wenmou of the past—the one who had shaken the world, the only biological granddaughter of the current Grand Chancellor, the once astonishingly brilliant Little Zhuge whom even the current emperor had deigned to visit three times in her thatched cottage.
“Cut—!” Zhang Nanchuan held the megaphone and called a satisfied halt.
“Excellent performance!” Zhang Nanchuan led the applause. He barely needed to watch the playback to know it was a one-take wonder.
Every expression and every line from both Rong Guang and Chu Feiliang was perfect. If there were no issues with the sound recording in post-production, this scene could even be put on screen with the original audio!
“Okay, all camera crews, get ready—on my final command, final—” Zhang Nanchuan’s megaphone suddenly went silent mid-sentence.
He looked at it, puzzled, and slapped the megaphone with his hand. He tried adjusting the volume back and forth, turning it to the maximum, but there was still no sound.
He said to the person from the props team next to him, “What’s with this megaphone? What’s wrong with it? It just suddenly cut out while I was talking—”
“They’re all yours—!”
“They’re all yours—!”
A series of cheerful and crisp voices echoed through the evening air.
Zhang Nanchuan looked down, his face looking as if it had been run over by a truck, and stared in shock at the megaphone in his hand, which was trembling uncontrollably.
Rong Guang instantly spat out the water she hadn’t finished drinking. Chu Feiliang, clutching a bottle of mineral water, even though she had made a habit of being shameless these past few days, was also having a hard time… keeping a straight face.
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