Chapter 168 - 142: The Beginning of the Scandal

Words : 1406 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 168: Chapter 142: The Beginning of the Scandal Su Yan’s scenes weren’t scheduled for filming until eleven in the morning, and her makeup time was at ten. Normally, she would arrive at the crew by ten and take a few extra minutes to reach the makeup room. Today, however, she made it early, arriving at nine-thirty. She didn’t rush to the makeup room but instead stopped by the set to check in with Director Kang and then stood behind him. Director Kang’s several words of praise reached Su Yan’s ears without missing a beat. Su Yan’s expression grew increasingly ugly. Having worked with Director Kang for over a month, Su Yan was well aware that Kang Xin’s compliments were not mere pleasantries. Kang Xin rarely engaged in small talk on set, and it was uncommon for him to praise the actors. Even Song Chi rarely received commendations, yet Zhou Yun, who had just joined the crew and was shooting her first scene, had already been praised several times. Su Yan couldn’t stand it anymore and turned to leave. Her assistant Xiao Huang asked with confusion, "It’s not yet time for makeup, going so soon?" Su Yan replied, "Not going for makeup. Should I continue to stay there and watch Director Kang compliment Zhou Yun?" Xiao Huang, observant of Su Yan’s mood and guessing it was because of Zhou Yun, said, "This is quite normal. It’s her first day joining the crew, and for her first scene. Director Kang is giving her a bit of confidence by praising her. Zhou Yun has just started her career not long ago, right? I heard that Director Kang treats every actor differently, using his own method to coach them. The more he appreciates someone, the stricter he is." Upon hearing this, Su Yan’s mood seemed to improve slightly and she asked, "Is that so?" "There’s a lot of talk about Director Kang like that, and look at Song Chi. Among his peers, his acting skills are among the best, and yet Director Kang doesn’t overly praise him either. There are still many NGs and retakes during the shooting. That’s just the way Director Kang is, he has very high standards." Su Yan let out a soft sigh. "It’s been a long time since I’ve felt such a tingling in my scalp, not knowing whether I performed correctly after a take." Xiao Huang laughed. "Maybe you can even win an award with this play! Your acting skills are good among your peers, and this time with Director Kang’s support, if there’s some follow-up promotion, the chances of winning an award are high." Thinking about winning an award, Su Yan’s eyes immediately lit up. This was also the reason why she had put so much effort into securing this role at the beginning. A film that could not only be a big hit but also likely help her win an award was something she would give her all for. After defeating so many rivals and seizing the role of the lead actress, Su Yan felt somewhat proud. After she officially announced her lead role, many people were sour about it on her behalf. But the more sour they were, the happier Su Yan felt in her heart, because their jealousy was proof of her capability. However— Su Yan reminded, "Be sure to watch out for Zhou Yun stepping over me to rise higher. Keep an eye on her moves, and if there’s any similar smear campaign online, it must be taken down immediately." "Understood." "She’s not one to make things easy, just look at how quickly she rose to fame. Even Lew Qingqing is green with envy." Ultimately, Su Yan was still wary of Zhou Yun. Zhou Yun, whom Su Yan considered a potential rival, had been shooting all morning. When it was lunchtime, Zheng Xiaojue unfolded a little table and laid out the crew-provided boxed meals. "Sister Xiao Yun, I squeezed some orange juice for you, freshly made." Zheng Xiaojue unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to Zhou Yun. Zhou Yun looked weary. She had been completely focused on acting all morning, constantly engaging her emotions, with her spirit thoroughly consumed by the effort. The meal was all vegetarian, with just a few pieces of chicken breast that looked utterly unappetizing. Zheng Xiaojue explained, "They say it’s a meal especially prepared for you. The director requested that you can’t gain weight during this period, so the chef made you a slimming meal." Zhou Yun nodded, took the cup, and sipped some juice. "I’m a bit tired." She yawned, "And sleepy." Zheng Xiaojue said, "After eating, take a little nap. I see Song Chi and Su Yan both have trailers. Sister Xiao Yun, how about we ask Sister Lan if the company can arrange a trailer for you too? That way, you can rest on set." Zhou Yun listlessly nibbled on some food, and soon couldn’t eat anymore. She said, "Let’s talk about the trailer later, I need to take a nap first." Since she was wearing makeup and couldn’t mess up her hair or rub off the makeup on her face, Zhou Yun could only adjust the height of the folding chair and lean back for a quick rest—she couldn’t even wear an eye mask. The sun was glaringly bright, and the surroundings were very noisy. Zheng Xiaojue thought that she needed to buy Zhou Yun a pair of high-quality noise-cancelling earplugs, and looking at the weather, even though there was a sun umbrella overhead, the light was still strong. She needed to find a solution. Half an hour later, Zhou Yun woke up. "What time is it?" Zheng Xiaojue said, "Just one o’clock." "Have they started filming?" "Yeah, they are shooting Song Chi and Su Yan’s scenes." Zhou Yun yawned, and her spirit came back a little. People around were still busy. Their location was quite secluded, tucked away in a corner. Zhou Yun took out the script and continued to study it. This wait lasted until evening, as the sun began to set and still her scenes hadn’t been called. She thought it was strange, so she had Zheng Xiaojue inquire about the situation. That’s when they found out that the afternoon’s schedule had been delayed. Su Yan had a scene that wasn’t going well, requiring multiple retakes. After waiting for a while longer, the drama crew personally delivered Zhou Yun’s dinner, and she had to eat. It was still a bland, slimming meal. Zheng Xiaojue kept Zhou Yun company until eight in the evening until they were informed that her scenes would not be shot that day. Time to pack up and leave. Zhou Yun hadn’t anticipated that on her first day she would only film one scene. This was a completely different experience from on the set of "Eighth Heartbeat". On that set, as long as she was there, Lu Yuan always prioritized her scenes, hardly making her wait, shooting one scene after another. Zhou Yun went to remove her makeup. She felt it was quite a pity that this makeup, which took so long to apply, was only used for one scene. The call sheet for the second day still only listed two scenes for her. And again, she ended up waiting on set all morning. Zhou Yun was a bit puzzled. After thinking it over, she first made a call to Zhou Lan. But Zhou Lan said, "This is quite normal. It’s the ’Eighth Heartbeat’ crew that was unusual. Kang Xin has strict filming requirements, and it’s quite common to adjust the shooting schedule based on the actual conditions on set. Moreover, you’re only the second female lead in this drama, so obviously they will prioritize their shooting first. Don’t be anxious, just listen to the crew’s arrangements. After all, this is ’Heart Inquiry’. If I go directly to the producer and ask him to schedule more scenes for you every day, it won’t be good for you." Hearing that this was normal, Zhou Yun didn’t say anything further. Finally, in the afternoon, it was time to film her scenes. Li Li came to touch up her makeup. From the corner of her eye, Zhou Yun saw Su Yan walk by looking dispirited and as beaten as a frostbitten eggplant. She probably had her morale worn down by Director Kang. After touching up her makeup, Zhou Yun went to see Kang Xin.

Chapter 168 - 142: The Beginning of the Scandal

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