After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 15

The filming schedule for Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree was originally four months. However, due to script revisions, the production was extended by another month, with Song Luoxue covering the additional expenses.

From the very beginning of the project, Song Luoxue had paid Zheng Wenyuan and his company a substantial breach-of-contract fee. Now, with the extended filming period requiring even more funding, Zhou Qian couldn’t help but wonder why Song Luoxue was going to such lengths. Was she truly acting out of romantic obsession?

As a top-tier Best Actress with access to countless resources, why had Song Luoxue chosen this particular IP and even self-funded Zhou Qian’s television series?

At that moment, Song Luoxue stood barefoot on the snow-covered street, dressed in a long, white ancient-style robe. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back as she held a dimly lit lantern, as if waiting for someone.

“Cut! Excellent, excellent!” Director Xu straightened up. “Ms. Song’s performance was superb. Let’s take a break.”

Director Xu looked at Song Luoxue with a hint of admiration in his eyes. No wonder she’s won every major acting award in the country. She can become one with her character just by reading the script, without needing any guidance. It’s a pity she’s only making a cameo appearance this time. I wonder when we’ll have the chance to collaborate again.

Song Luoxue’s cameo scenes were filmed last, meaning Zhou Qian would have to live with her from mid-November to mid-December. This arrangement gave Zhou Qian a legitimate excuse to stay with Song Luoxue, otherwise her visits would always feel like sneaking around, terrified of being photographed by paparazzi.

Song Luoxue’s previous drama was titled Three Lifetimes of Snow, where she played the female lead, Meng Yan. Unlike Feng Nanzhi, Meng Yan was the reincarnation of a heavenly maiden, destined for extraordinary fortune in every lifetime. Even without effort, countless immortal cultivators flocked to her. Tragically, she had a fatal flaw: a love-obsessed mind.

In each lifetime, Meng Yan fell for a scumbag, leading to utterly miserable ends. Her story was the quintessential “you only lost your life, but he lost his love” trope from those old-fashioned, angst-ridden novels. After ten lifetimes entangled with these scumbags, even the heavens couldn’t bear it any longer. Divine punishment struck, reducing the scumbag to ashes. Yet when Meng Yan returned to her heavenly form as the Mengyan Heavenly Maiden, she schemed to resurrect him, ultimately securing a picture-perfect happy ending for the two of them.

A decade ago, this ancient novel had moved countless readers to tears. Now, audiences were fiercely criticizing its morally bankrupt themes from every angle. When Song Luoxue took on the role in the drama adaptation of Three Lifetimes of Snow, her most devoted fans had urged her to avoid such a controversial project.

To put it politely, it was “controversial”; to put it bluntly, it was a terrible script.

Yet Song Luoxue still accepted the role. Through her captivating performance, the originally lovestruck heroine Meng Yan became a pitiable and tragic figure, moving countless viewers to tears. Moreover, Three Lifetimes of Snow ended with an open-ended conclusion: Meng Yan, as portrayed by Song Luoxue, did not end up with the original scumbag male lead.

Carrying a flickering lamp, Meng Yan stepped through the snow-covered ground, her white robes blending seamlessly with the landscape. Standing on the bluestone street, she turned back with a smile, as if the person she had waited for all these years had finally returned.

This was the final scene of the Three Lifetimes of Snow drama adaptation. Song Luoxue’s portrayal of Meng Yan was so deeply moving that many viewers lamented, “Not enough!” and “I don’t want it to end!” Though the series had concluded three years prior, many fans still eagerly anticipated a sequel. Now, with Song Luoxue making a cameo appearance in Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree, fans of Three Lifetimes of Snow were enthusiastically promoting the new drama, completely unconcerned that its female lead was Zhou Qian.

Song Luoxue’s cameo poster featured her barefoot in the snowy street, a scene that perfectly captured the compassionate image of the Mengyan Heavenly Maiden.

Due to the filming crew’s technical constraints and Song Luoxue’s schedule, all scenes featuring Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue together were concentrated into the final month of shooting.

Feng Nanzhi’s character arc should portray a Transformation Stage female cultivator who has endured worldly suffering and seen through the illusions of mortal life. From her carefree girlhood to the shattering of her dreams when her family was massacred in Jiangning, and finally to embarking on the path of cultivation to prepare for revenge, all these events seemed to have spanned ages, yet in retrospect, they felt like a fleeting moment.

Facing the imminent trial of the Transformation Stage, Feng Nanzhi raised her head and challenged the heavens: “Must I truly accept this fate? I finally avenged my family, and I refuse to die like this! I won’t submit!”

Waves of heavenly lightning crashed down upon her. The Transformation Stage tribulation was notoriously difficult to overcome, even for cultivators with far greater cultivation levels than Feng Nanzhi.

“There is no god in this world,” she declared. “If there were, I wouldn’t have suffered so much.”

She had finally achieved her revenge, enduring countless trials and tribulations to reach the Transformation Stage. Just one step away from escaping this mortal realm of fire and brimstone, she realized… she couldn’t survive the tribulation. She was on the verge of collapse when, through her fading consciousness, she seemed to hear a voice: “How could you believe there are no gods in this world? Isn’t that the very spiritual foundation you’ve always relied on?”

“No… it’s impossible. I’ve never done anything truly evil. I only learned the rules of this world to survive. Apart from avenging myself, I’ve never killed an innocent person. I’ve grown accustomed to the world’s suffering, but I can’t save them. The daily horrors of this world torment me. I must leave this place… I must escape.”

Feng Nanzhi couldn’t see the woman’s face clearly, but she felt her cold hand gently caress her cheek. “If no one else will guide you, then I shall guide you myself.”

The moment the words left her lips, the final bolt of heavenly lightning, hundreds of times more powerful than all the previous strikes combined, crashed down upon Feng Nanzhi. In that blinding flash, she saw clearly the woman in the white robe—a peerless beauty she had never witnessed before, a loveliness beyond description in any earthly language.

Beyond her desire for revenge, Feng Nanzhi had always felt she was waiting for something. She had waited from the moment she avenged herself until she reached the Nascent Soul Stage. She had clung to her last breath to survive the Thunder Tribulation of the Transformation Stage, and now she was about to ascend. Though she had grown weary of this world, why did she feel such reluctance to leave?

She had never understood this until she saw the woman’s face. This was the person she had been waiting for.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, despite never having met this woman before, a clear tear involuntarily slid down Feng Nanzhi’s cheek. It was as if she had suddenly reunited with a long-lost friend after years of waiting.

The woman in white stepped forward and embraced Feng Nanzhi. “I was once a goddess who erred in the heavens. I grew weary of that world of deceit and betrayal. But now, I am willing to use all my divine power to help you ascend to immortality. Let us leave this place together.”

Feng Nanzhi wore an expression of disbelief. “No! Don’t go! Please don’t leave me!”

The Thunder Tribulation gradually subsided.

When Feng Nanzhi awoke, she found herself lying in a sacred spiritual realm—the Divine Realm that mortals dream of.

“Cut!” Director Xu’s voice rang out, signaling the end of the scene. Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue slowly emerged from their roles.

Director Xu grabbed a megaphone and announced, “Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue gave outstanding performances! Let’s give them a round of applause!”

A wave of synchronized applause erupted across the set.

Zhou Qian’s eyes were still red-rimmed, her cheeks streaked with damp tear tracks. She had been so immersed in the scene that her tears had flowed with genuine emotion. Seeing the applause, she quickly bowed to the crew, “Thank you all! Thank you!”

Hearing her sobs, Song Luoxue silently took Zhou Qian’s hand, and together they bowed to the crew.

The wrap party was scheduled for tomorrow evening at 6 PM at the Moshengsi Hotel. Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue would attend after a day of rest. Having wrapped their scenes on the same day, Song Luoxue’s fans had already gathered along the road around 11 AM, holding banners to welcome her arrival.

Song Luoxue’s fans had commissioned ten five-tiered luxury cakes, each decorated with her name and the names of the characters she had played in guest appearances. When Song Luoxue appeared on the wrap-up red carpet in a flowing white robe, the cameras clicked incessantly as her fans chanted her name.

Walking behind Song Luoxue, Zhou Qian instinctively slowed her pace. This was Song Luoxue’s moment, and she felt out of place. She decided to wait until Song Luoxue’s fans had finished congratulating her before proceeding.

Zhou Qian’s own wrap-up was also celebrated by a few of her fans. Her biggest supporter, known as “Pianpian,” had even commissioned a wrap-up cake. In addition to the cake, there were flowers, congratulatory cards, and autographed photos—all arranged by Pianpian. Yet, Zhou Qian still hadn’t met her in person.

Noticing Zhou Qian slowing down and the growing distance between them, Song Luoxue stopped to wait. Seeing Song Luoxue halt, Zhou Qian also came to a standstill.

The fans waiting for Song Luoxue at the entrance watched as she turned back. Their gazes followed her footsteps, shifting to Zhou Qian, who was dressed in a simple Daoist robe. Zhou Qian had originally debuted based on her looks, and now, in this austere attire, her natural aura seemed even more aloof and unattainable.

When Zhou Qian saw Song Luoxue approaching, she blinked slightly, as if asking, “You have so many fans waiting for you. Why are you coming back?”

Before she could voice the question, Song Luoxue took her hand and began walking toward the main entrance. Zhou Qian instinctively tried to pull away, remembering their secret relationship. If Song Luoxue publicly held her hand, countless gossip blogs would seize the opportunity to fabricate stories.

The more Zhou Qian tried to pull away, the tighter Song Luoxue’s grip became. Without moving her lips, Song Luoxue’s voice echoed in Zhou Qian’s mind: “Don’t struggle.”