Rong Guang was left dizzy by the few light words from Chu Feiliang.
Her mind was a complete muddle. She looked at Chu Feiliang’s expression, thought about it carefully, and was actually persuaded by her. She said, “But I… how do I explain it?”
This was a very soul-searching question.
Since the crew members were all gossiping behind their backs, it was obvious that the people saying these things knew themselves that some matters couldn’t be brought out into the open, let alone be said in front of her and Chu Feiliang.
Even if she wanted to explain, there was no venue to do so.
Since ancient times, baseless slander has always been easy, while clarification is incredibly difficult.
So Rong Guang looked on eagerly, her gaze returning to Chu Feiliang.
Chu Feiliang pondered for a moment, then asked her back, “You don’t know how to explain?”
Rong Guang nodded, a little ashamed.
She couldn’t just run up to every person she saw and say, “Teacher Chu didn’t use the casting couch on me, I was willing,” could she?
—Admittedly, she really was willing.
But Chu Feiliang also really hadn’t used the casting couch on her.
Her explanation would be correct, but if she just rushed up so rashly, Rong Guang was afraid she’d be taken for a lunatic, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she were hauled away by people from a psychiatric hospital.
Not only would it be useless, but the rumors might even intensify, hurtling down an unspeakable path with no return.
Rong Guang couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.
Chu Feiliang cleared her throat.
Rong Guang looked at her again.
After a moment, she heard Chu Feiliang say, “Actually, it’s simple.”
Rong Guang pricked up her ears, listening intently.
Chu Feiliang said, “Making you explain is indeed a bit difficult for you.”
Rong Guang nodded hopefully.
With a sincere and earnest expression, Chu Feiliang said, “So I thought about it. Since that path won’t work, we’ll have to take another. If we act a little more intimately from now on, the rumor that I’m forcing you will collapse on its own.”
Rong Guang was stunned, suspecting she had misheard. She couldn’t help but ask, “What?”
“We’ll hang out together from now on.” Chu Feiliang gestured between the two of them and said, “In other words, inseparable?”
“This…” Rong Guang understood. Chu Feiliang wanted them to give others the impression of being “good sisters for life,” making people think they had a good relationship. She nodded and said, “Will that work?”
“Whether it works or not…” Chu Feiliang paused, “we’ll have to try to find out. Otherwise, you can’t just keep hiding from me, as if I’ve really done something that angers both heaven and the people…”
Towards the end, her tone became somewhat mournful.
Touching on this sore spot, Chu Feiliang looked at Rong Guang with an almost accusatory gaze and said, “I know you’ve been busy these past few days, so busy you haven’t had time to talk to me, let alone teach me how to make a lip print…”
It would have been better if she hadn’t brought it up. The moment she did, Rong Guang felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t teach her, but if she were to teach Chu Feiliang now, she had no other way besides mouth-to-mouth.
If she really did that, she suspected that she and Chu Feiliang might not even be able to be friends anymore!
During the days they were filming on location, she and Chu Feiliang hadn’t seen each other for several days. Rong Guang herself had been missing her terribly, but to be hit with such a huge blow right after coming back was too much for her to handle, so she had tremblingly hidden away for a few more days.
Unless absolutely necessary, she really didn’t dare to face Chu Feiliang directly.
But in the past… Chu Feiliang had never been like this, had she?
A doubt about her own perception suddenly arose in Rong Guang.
In the end, she practically fled in disarray, leaving behind the sentence, “There will definitely be a chance in the future,” before hurrying away.
After Rong Guang left, the smile on Chu Feiliang’s face never faded. She even leisurely crossed her legs again, swaying them contentedly.
She held the invitation Rong Guang had given her in one hand, turning it over and over.
A moment later, thinking about what she had inadvertently overheard when she went to find Rong Guang for Zhao Xiuqi, Chu Feiliang frowned slightly, her fingers tapping lightly on the invitation a few times.
After what could barely be considered finishing breakfast, Rong Guang sat in the room wrapped in thick clothes, listening to Zhang Nanchuan explain the scene to them.
All the actors with scenes in Lu Xi had received their schedules and had come with the crew to the film base here.
The journey wasn’t rushed, but Rong Guang had already moved between three different places recently, so she couldn’t avoid a sense of weariness from the travel. If not for her youth and abundant energy, she probably would have been paralyzed in bed, unable to get up.
This scene was a large-scale battle scene, a rarity in the past month, so everyone had to be extremely cautious. Therefore, even though her whole body felt like it was about to fall apart, she still pushed herself to come over.
They would film Chu Feiliang’s scenes first, and then connect to her parts for joint shooting.
“What are Xiao Chu’s thoughts? How do you see Ji Ying’s current state?” Zhang Nanchuan turned his head and said.
Chu Feiliang glanced at him sideways and said, “Ji Ying’s state…? To be honest, if I were her, I would choose to directly overthrow the government and become the empress myself. After all, you can’t build the new without destroying the old. She has connections, military power, lineage, prestige, and the support of the people. She’s accomplished in both civil and military matters. What couldn’t she do? Why must she listen to her old man and go to her death, tsk.”
Zhang Nanchuan was rendered speechless by her final, highly uncomprehending “tsk.” “…”
“Unfortunately, this is ancient times.” Chu Feiliang rested her chin on her hand. “Imperial power crushes people, not to mention it’s tied up in loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness. The hierarchical gap under the feudal system isn’t something modern people can truly experience—so Ji Ying can only go to her death with magnanimity. And she’s unwilling to let the city’s commoners die with her for nothing, so she plans to defend an empty city, lure the enemy deep inside, and then simply destroy the city.”
“Right.” Zhang Nanchuan was still immersed in her previous words, feeling a bit helpless, yet a different idea stirred in his mind.
As he spoke with Chu Feiliang, he said, “Indeed, this is a dead end. Of course, you don’t die in the end, but from then on, you become completely disgusted with court disputes, follow the original plan to feign death, completely ignore worldly affairs, and go into seclusion.”
Chu Feiliang nodded, “Got it.”
They would just film it like this for now.
The enemy had already invaded once.
This time, the military intelligence was flawed. Not only did they lack manpower, but the city’s reserves were also completely depleted.
The deputy general was Chu Feiliang’s confidant and knew a great deal about the inside story.
It could even be said that almost all the soldiers who remained here knew that this was a battle they were certain to die in.
“General, the city’s reserve of munitions is no longer enough.” The disheveled deputy general stood on the city wall, looking at the enemy forces that had set up camp not far outside the city, grinding his teeth in hatred. “We can’t hold out for the next defense.”
Dressed in armor, Ji Ying stood on the wall, her face resolute. She said, “Have all the common people in the city been evacuated?”
“Yes.” The deputy general nodded. “Those who were unwilling to leave their homes were also forcibly escorted away. The three thousand households in the city are now being received and settled by the surrounding cities, and their population and assets are being tallied. Apart from our own brothers, there are no more commoners in the city.”
“I see.” Ji Ying pursed her lips, then suddenly turned her head and said, “How many soldiers are left in the city?”
“Including the kitchen staff, a total of… less than five thousand.” The deputy general’s lips were dry. Looking at the wall, manned by one person every five steps, and at Lu Xi, which was now an empty city, no longer bustling as it once was, he finally couldn’t help but say, “Princess…”
“Say no more.” Ji Ying closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “My mind is made up. Our dynasty’s foundation is not yet stable. The current emperor has only been on the throne for a little over twenty years, and there are troubles both within and without. Now that the Northern Di and Eastern Yi have joined forces, if they manage to conquer Lu Xi this time without any effort and occupy the Lu Xi pass, our dynasty’s border territory will be forced back by several hundred kilometers. Over the years, once these fattened enemy tribes join forces again, swallowing us would be as easy as turning over a hand.”
The deputy general gritted his teeth. “Is it worth it? You’ve poured your heart and soul into the common people of the world, willing to go to your death, but His Majesty—”
“Insolence!” Ji Ying turned her head and looked towards the vast mountain range in the distance. “Since he gave me this life, and now he wants to take it back, I have no choice.”
The deputy general choked back a sob several times, but finally lowered his head heavily.
“Cut!” Zhang Nanchuan called a halt.
Chu Feiliang instantly pulled herself out of her previous state, raised her eyes to the side, and said, “Is there a problem?”
“No problem.” Zhang Nanchuan frowned. “No, it’s not that you have a problem, it’s that I have a problem.”
Chu Feiliang raised an eyebrow, took off the helmet that was giving her a headache, and said, “What? You think the script is wrong?”
“It’s not quite right. I’m feeling more and more that it’s not right.” Zhang Nanchuan chewed on his pen. Beside him, Li Yan also had her brows tightly furrowed. He said, “Filming up to this point, we’ve basically decided to abandon the tragic ending branch. A double ending is indeed meaningless, and forcing a tragedy will only be counterproductive. But if we go in the direction of a serious drama or a partial comedy… the character designs don’t match, the logic doesn’t add up, and it feels like a link is missing somewhere.”
Chu Feiliang listened quietly.
After a while, she said, “So what’s the plan? Give you a few days to discuss it?”
“No need. The Lu Xi storyline doesn’t need to be changed,” Zhang Nanchuan said. “We’ll still film it as before. These few days will be enough for the scriptwriting team to enrich and coordinate things.”
Chu Feiliang nodded, returned to her previous position, and glanced at Zhang Nanchuan and Li Yan huddled together in discussion, a slight arch to her eyebrow.
The city’s defenses were insufficient, but because they had repelled the enemy’s last attack, the enemy didn’t dare to act rashly for the next two days.
The two sides fell into a kind of stalemate.
Just then, the deputy general rushed up the city wall, shouting loudly, “General—a scout reports that a troop of strangely dressed people has come from Deer Cry Mountain. The person leading them, the person leading them is…”
“Speak.” Ji Ying turned her head, her brows knitted tightly.
The deputy general swallowed, looking as if he’d seen a ghost. He said, “It’s Wen Mou.”
The teacup in Ji Ying’s hand suddenly fell to the ground, shattering with a crash.
Gongs and drums sounded all around as everyone nervously prepared their defenses. No one noticed this tiny bit of movement.
After a long moment, Ji Ying’s lips slowly spread into a smile, but it was a smile mixed with the pleasure of revenge. She gritted her teeth and said, “Scout again.”
“Princess, it really is her!” The deputy general stared wide-eyed behind Ji Ying and muttered, “It’s like seeing a ghost in broad daylight. Could it be that Miss Wen Mou is blessing us from the heavens, specially leading an army of spirits to support us…?”
“What nonsense are you spouting.” Ji Ying frowned.
The deputy general tremblingly stretched out his hand, pointing behind Ji Ying, his face a picture of helplessness. “Everything I’ve said is the truth. It really is Miss Wen Mou…”
Ji Ying spun around instantly.
Jiang Wenmou was dressed in a light gray cloak with a hood, which made her face appear even fairer and more delicate. Her hair was slightly disheveled, as if from a long journey. She was leaning against a pillar, panting softly, standing not far from her.
She was surrounded by Ji Ying’s personal soldiers, all of whom had seen Wen Mou before, so no one had stopped her on her way up.
Jiang Wenmou stood there. Though she had been burning with anxiety on her way, wishing she could grow a pair of wings and fly to Ji Ying’s side immediately.
But now that she was really here, she felt a kind of timidity, like one feels when returning home after a long absence. Her legs felt as if they were filled with lead, and she couldn’t take a step forward.
The two stood on opposite sides of the wall. Jiang Wenmou pursed her lips, clutching the hand warmer she was holding for warmth so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She bit her lip gently, not knowing what to say.
Ji Ying tightened her grip on her sword, and finally, with a grim face, she strode quickly over.
It wasn’t until they were face to face that Ji Ying finally let out a cold laugh, saying icily, “You still dare to show your face?”
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