Exchange of Movie Queens - Chapter 22

Xi Mo slept heavily until late evening. When she finally got up, her entire body ached, and she felt lightheaded as she walked. After taking a shower and changing into a matching dress, she freshened up her makeup, finally looking somewhat presentable—though her complexion remained a bit too pale. Yan Tinghuan called to summon her, and after some preparation, Xi Mo headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant.

This gathering wasn’t particularly formal. The entire crew was present—people who would soon be eating boxed lunches together—so the atmosphere was more like a casual get-together.

By the time she arrived, the restaurant was already packed. The production coordinators, cinematographers, script supervisors, lighting crew, makeup artists, sound technicians, and others were all there. These people were divided into different departments within the crew. Sui Ting was a major production, so each department had a sizable number of members, most of them young and energetic. They clustered around multiple tables, chatting and laughing.

Lin Qitang’s assistant was also there, helping the coordinators manage the scene. Since Yan Tinghuan and Xi Mo had visited Lin Qitang a few times before, the assistant was already somewhat familiar with them and waved enthusiastically when he saw them. “Miss Ruan, Miss Yan, you’re here!”

Yan Tinghuan, ever the social butterfly, immediately blended into the crowd without hesitation. The assistant and coordinators ate it up, and she beamed as she asked everyone to take good care of “her Ruan Yesheng” in the future. The group quickly responded with polite assurances. Xi Mo, still not at her best, would have normally rolled her eyes at Yan Tinghuan’s antics, but now she just stood to the side, indifferent and unwilling to engage.

The assistant introduced Xi Mo and then proceeded to introduce the various crew members to her.

Xi Mo had never interacted with this crew before and didn’t recognize a single person. Back when she was an A-list actress at the peak of her fame, people had always been the ones scrambling to curry favor with her, lining up shamelessly for her attention. She had hated that, so she never bothered remembering faces, let alone names. This time, as the assistant introduced everyone, she smiled politely and greeted them with a refined, courteous demeanor. Maybe she had changed a little—there was no way she could memorize all the names, nor was it necessary—but after paying attention, she at least got a general idea of who was who.

Ruan Yesheng’s appearance was undeniably captivating, and Xi Mo wielded that face with perfect precision, her responses flawless. The crew members found her warm and approachable, assuming she had a pleasant temperament and would be easy to work with. Their impression of her skyrocketed.

As one of the key supporting actresses, Xi Mo was seated in the private VIP room inside. Many of the stars were there, along with their managers and even the producer, ensuring everyone was properly accommodated.

The room was practically glittering with star power. Given the production’s scale, many of the supporting actors were currently popular names. But Xi Mo had seen it all before—she had once far outshone them—so she felt nothing as she observed the scene. Some of the actors in the room knew each other, having collaborated on multiple projects. Some exchanged hollow pleasantries, while others genuinely caught up, all while buttering up the producer and director. Everyone was busy, and since they weren’t familiar with Ruan Yesheng’s face, no one paid Xi Mo much attention.

Xi Mo was perfectly content with the peace and quiet. She and Yan Tinghuan took their seats, and as she scanned the room, she noticed Ruan Yesheng still hadn’t arrived.

Looking around, she spotted Yan Mu.

Tall with long legs and striking features, Yan Mu stood out even more with several actresses gathered around him. Whatever he said had them bursting into laughter, and he joined in, his eyes sparkling like stars.

Having debuted just a few years ago as a singer, he initially struggled to gain traction before landing a lead role in a drama. Thanks to the charming character he played and his exceptional looks, the show exploded in popularity, propelling him to the top of the heartthrob rankings. Since then, he had been flooded with acting offers and endorsements, winning over millions of fans and earning the admiration of many actresses in the industry.

This time, he was playing the male lead, Emperor Liu Zhao of Han, sharing the spotlight with Deng Sui as the core of the drama—proof of his status.

Xi Mo had worked with him a few times. Though she was naturally aloof, she found him decent enough, though she never truly considered him a friend. In truth, she had no real friends in the industry, preferring to keep her distance from its superficiality. The friendly interactions she maintained were merely a facade.

Such was the way of the world—appearances had to be kept.

Yet Yan Mu seemed to genuinely regard her as a close friend. Younger than her, he had taken to calling her “sis” whether she liked it or not, often sending her messages and holiday greetings, sharing amusing anecdotes. Even if she never replied, he seemed perfectly content.

Though she didn’t hold Yan Mu—this idol adored by countless girls—in any special regard, he was at least an acquaintance. So Xi Mo graced him with a few more glances. Sitting beside him was Liu Yusi, another popular actress, who hung on his every word, her gaze practically glued to him, as if she wished she could merge with him.

Someone handed Yan Mu a drink. Known for his easygoing nature despite his fame, he stood up with a smile to accept it, then subtly shifted his seat to put some distance between himself and Liu Yusi.

Xi Mo watched the scene unfold without a flicker of expression. Yan Mu took a sip of his drink, glanced around, and seemed to spot her. But she had already turned away, her gaze settling on Yan Tinghuan, who was eating with serene composure.

“The appetizers aren’t bad,” Yan Tinghuan remarked, sliding a plate of pickled radish toward her. “Try some—good for whetting the appetite.”

Xi Mo had half a mind to shake Yan Tinghuan by the neck like a duck, forcing her to take a good look at herself and compare her behavior to that of the other managers present.

But Yan Tinghuan remained utterly focused, dedicated solely to her radishes.

Resigned, Xi Mo joined her in eating them.

“Miss Ruan?” A man’s voice called from beside her.

Xi Mo looked up, surprised to see Yan Mu standing there. Maybe it was the lingering dizziness from heatstroke, or maybe the hotel’s secret-recipe pickled radish was just that good, but for a moment, she forgot she was now Ruan Yesheng. Seeing Yan Mu approach, she braced herself for his usual overbearing enthusiasm, already thinking of ways to brush him off.

Then she realized he had addressed her as “Miss Ruan.”

Logically, Yan Mu had debuted only in recent years, long after Ruan Yesheng had vanished from the scene. Their worlds had been parallel lines with no intersection—so why was he approaching her now?

Xi Mo stood, nodding at him with a polite smile and greeting.

Laughing back and forth all day, her face was practically stiff from smiling by now.

“I’m Yan Mu,” Yan Mu introduced himself naturally, straightforwardly, and with a touch of foolish charm.

Xi Mo smiled lightly. “Your reputation precedes you. How could I not know you? You’re so humorous, my idol.”

Yan Mu seemed as if someone had suddenly popped a candy into his mouth—his eyes sparkled even brighter with sweetness. “You consider me your idol?”

Xi Mo: “…”

Same as always, hasn’t changed a bit!

Such a naive sweetheart! Even polite flattery, you actually believe it!

Xi Mo remained flawlessly composed and said, “You’re everyone’s idol.”

“Idol this, idol that—everyone’s just being too kind to me.” Yan Mu laughed. “Just call me Xiao Mu.”

Xi Mo: “…”

Why not just ask me to call you Xiao Ming while you’re at it!

Xi Mo feigned slight awkwardness. To anyone glancing her way, she simply appeared like a newcomer, humble and polite, her pure demeanor endearing. “You’re too kind. Honestly, I’m still unfamiliar with the crew and quite nervous. I’ve been sitting here, not daring to move. I didn’t expect you to come over and greet me.”

Yan Mu said, “Once you’re part of the crew, we’re all family. Even if we’re not familiar now, we will be soon. Relax, no need to be nervous.”

That smile made Xi Mo feel the emotions in his eyes seemed genuine—it was truly a look of fondness, even the kind of adoration a fan would have. Yan Mu was someone who clearly distinguished between what he liked and disliked. In an industry where he’d reached such status, few remained as untainted as him.

Yan Mu was like a spotlight. His presence near Xi Mo quickly drew others over. These people were always pragmatic, probably wanting to see what kind of person could warrant Yan Mu’s initiative—whether they should network with them. But upon approaching, they found an unfamiliar face that left no impression.

Liu Yusi stood to the side, eyeing Xi Mo with a rather sarcastic gaze.

The industry moved at a breakneck pace. Some vanished overnight, while others rose to fame just as abruptly from obscurity. With so many faces coming and going, few could withstand the test of time before being coldly forgotten.

Many of the younger actors present had never seen Ruan Yesheng perform. She had risen to fame early but retreated just as quickly—back when these actors were still buried in textbooks at school, completely unaware of her. Even among those who might have glimpsed her past glory, Ruan Yesheng’s current face bore little resemblance to her youthful innocence. Now, she bloomed with alluring maturity, her features only vaguely familiar after so many years, not immediately recognizable.