The Shadow Queen and Her Little Bodyguard (GL) - Chapter 15

I’m just glad you’re okay, Yu Jing said, exhaling in relief.

What about you? Are you an actress? The girl stopped walking, but her hand remained firmly gripping Yu Jing’s elbow.

No, Yu Jing quickly shook her head. I’m an artist’s assistant. As she spoke, she pulled out her newly issued work ID from her pocket and showed it to the girl.

 The Annals of Spring and Autumn ? The girl’s eyes lit up. That’s my dad’s production! How come I didn’t see you earlier?

I just arrived, Yu Jing replied, carefully withdrawing her elbow from the girl’s grasp.

Ah, that explains it! The girl laughed, her chatter as lively as her enthusiasm. Whose assistant are you?

Yu Jing knew that secrets were currency in the entertainment industry. Unwilling to lie but also wary of revealing too much to a stranger, she simply said, Teacher Yi.

The moment the words left her lips, the girl’s head snapped up in surprise. Yi Lanyin? What a coincidence! I’ve had dinner with my dad and Sister Yi several times. She’s so beautiful! She tugged Yu Jing forward. The set’s packed right now—they just finished burning incense. Come on, I’ll take you to Sister Yi.

And with that, the girl dragged Yu Jing toward the Annals of Spring and Autumn set.

Throughout their walk, Brother Wang trailed behind them, maintaining a discreet distance—neither closing in nor falling too far behind.

The young girl naturally looked around before leaning in conspiratorially to Yu Jing and whispering, You should be careful after you join the crew. My dad’s been pulling his hair out since he took on this project. Half the cast got in through nepotism, and it’s a dual male lead, dual female lead setup, but the billing hasn’t been finalized yet. Every contract they’ve pulled out lists ‘lead actor.’ Just yesterday, I overheard Uncle Zhou calling my dad to demand a cast change. It’s a complete mess, with both Beijing and Shanghai studios watching closely, and even factions from the Northeast and Hong Kong entertainment circles vying for influence.

Yu Jing frowned, puzzled. Why are you telling me all this? Seeing the girl freeze, she quickly added, I mean, I’m just a stranger to you.

The girl’s energy returned instantly. Because you seem so approachable! Plus, out of all four lead actors, Sister Yi is my favorite. Back in high school, there was a huge trend for contact lenses the same color as Sister Yi’s eyes. They were called ‘Yi Lan’ or ‘Yi Lanyin Blue’ and were ridiculously expensive. The trend only stopped when the disciplinary director started raiding classrooms, checking everyone’s bags for contact lens cases.

Whether it was the girl’s genuine affection for Yi Lanyin or her straightforward, open demeanor, Yu Jing felt a sudden warmth toward her.

She turned her head. Thank you.

The girl laughed at her. What are you thanking me for? You sound like a country bumpkin!

________________________________________

After the filming ceremony concluded, the crew immediately resumed work.

Xiao Tao sat in a corner, a thick stack of Yi Lanyin’s scripts resting on her lap. She clutched a pale purple water bottle in her hand, her gaze fixed on the bustling set.

Zhou Ying sauntered over and kicked her leg. Hey, move aside.

Xiao Tao glanced up at her, then gathered her things and stood up from the chair.

Just as Zhou Ying was about to sit down, Xiao Tao yanked the chair back. Pointing to the name on the backrest, she said coldly, her adorable face hardening, This is Sister Yi’s personal property. President Zhou, it’s not convenient for you to use it.

Huh? Zhou Ying looked at her with amusement.

Xiao Tao straightened her cute little bag, her small frame standing on tiptoe as she glared back.

Seeing Xiao Tao and Zhou Ying standing together from afar, Yu Jing hurried over and said to the younger girl, Thank you for bringing me here. I have something urgent to attend to. I’ll be going now.

With that, she dashed toward the crowd.

I won’t stoop to your level, Zhou Ying said to Xiao Tao, her eyes fixed on the approaching Yu Jing. But tell your mistress this since I can’t replace her, I’ll make sure to irritate her from time to time. That way, she won’t think I’m some noble gentleman who’s all bark and no bite.

Xiao Tao followed Zhou Ying’s gaze and turned to see Yu Jing approaching. She waved enthusiastically before dragging the director’s chair to face her.

Zhou Ying crossed her arms and glanced at Xiao Tao with a mocking smile. I thought Yi Lan’s protection would guarantee you a few good years. Now that you’ve made so many enemies, you’ll have a hard time paying them back. She’s already drowning in her own troubles—yet you two are still acting so high and mighty.

What’s it to you? Yu Jing stepped forward to shield Xiao Tao.

Nothing to me, Zhou Ying replied. I just have to wait. Wait for Yi Lanyin to be trampled on her way to the top, wait for Pei Jiu to abandon her, wait for you two… She leaned in, jabbing a finger at Yu Jing’s nose. …to be blacklisted from the industry after you’re fired.

Yu Jing glanced back at Xiao Tao, noticing her simmering rage. She quickly placed a hand on Xiao Tao’s shoulder, patting it reassuringly before turning back to Zhou Ying. Then wait.

Zhou Ying smiled, her finger sliding from Yu Jing’s nose to tap lightly on the tip. Intriguing. Her gaze, like an inescapable viper, slowly traced from Yu Jing’s forehead down to her jawline. With exaggerated emphasis, she repeated Yu Jing’s words Then wait.

After delivering her words, she immediately left the set, as if she had come specifically to cause trouble.

Seeing her leave, Xiao Tao hurriedly tugged Yu Jing’s arm, pushed her into a chair, and dumped Yi Lanyin’s script and water bottle onto her lap. Leaning in from behind, she asked, How did you find her?

There was a shuttle bus outside the hotel. When I got there, I ran into a friendly young girl, Yu Jing replied, turning to look for the girl. Finally, through the crowd, she spotted her sitting boredly next to the director, yawning. Smiling, she pointed through the palace gate. That one, the one yawning.

Xiao Tao followed her gaze, recognized the girl, and pulled a small stool from beside her to sit closer. Leaning in conspiratorially, her hair clips jingling, she whispered, Do you know who she is? That’s Director Li’s own daughter, Li Xin. She won the Golden Elephant Award for emerging directors while still a sophomore in college!

Ah? Yu Jing tilted her head. What’s the Golden Elephant?

Xiao Tao lightly tapped her leg. It’s one of the four major film awards in China Golden Globe, Flying Mountain, Golden Sparrow, and Golden Elephant. Each one is more prestigious than the last. Even if she’s riding her father’s coattails, she still needs solid work to silence the critics. Sister Yi even said she’s a talented young woman and offered to work on her projects for free to support her!

Hearing this, Yu Jing turned to study Li Xin more closely. She still exuded an unmistakable student-like aura, yawning lazily as if the words up-and-coming director had nothing to do with her.

Yu Jing reflected on her tendency to judge by appearances. Directing was a demanding job, requiring not only innate talent and formal training in cinematic language but also the ability to coordinate the entire film crew. If Li Xin could handle such a role, she couldn’t be the naive, inexperienced girl her appearance suggested.

Yu Jing straightened her back and cupped her hand around her mouth to whisper to Xiao Tao, She just told me the cast billing hasn’t been finalized yet.

Xiao Tao cut her off, Who in the entertainment industry doesn’t know our set is a bloodbath? Even Sister Yi has so many rivals, and this project is only going to add more. I didn’t realize there were so many actresses waiting for their big break. She spread her arms wide. It’s a miracle we’re maintaining even a facade of harmony on set. There are plenty of actresses who were cast and then dropped. This one project has thrown the entire industry into chaos.

If everyone knew it would be this chaotic beforehand, why bother taking the role? Yu Jing asked.

Xiao Tao gave her a look as if she were an idiot, then leaned closer. Who would willingly give up a role in The Annals of Spring and Autumn? It’s directed by Li Sheng, you know, the guy who won an Oscar seven years ago. Even if you don’t care about the red carpet or box office success, spending half a year on Director Li Sheng’s set would teach you more than you could imagine. Xiao Tao paused. Don’t let Sister Yi’s youthful looks fool you—she’s turning thirty soon. This industry churns out new faces every day, and popularity alone won’t sustain you. Sister Yi’s career transition is urgent. With the massive cast overhaul in The Annals of Spring and Autumn, it’s like handing a pillow to someone about to fall asleep. Director Li originally looked down on celebrity actresses like Sister Yi—the other three leads are all seasoned actors with major awards. But… Xiao Tao glanced around before lowering her voice. Sister Yi personally tracked Director Li down to his temporary hotel in Taipei, auditioned for the role in the lobby, and submitted her meticulously crafted character backstory (tens of thousands of words) along with a vividly annotated script. That’s how she barely secured the audition. President Pei accompanied her himself. Now the internet is buzzing with rumors, but we’d rather kneel and take criticism from all sides than spit out the meat we’ve already tasted. Only by swallowing it whole can we survive.

No wonder Zhou Ying was so certain Yi Lanyin would lose Pei Jiu’s favor by taking the role in The Annals of Spring and Autumn. Dirty people see everything as dirty.

Yu Jing sat in Yi Lanyin’s chair, peering through the doorway at Yi Lanyin, who stood just beyond the camera, head held high, awaiting her cue. Dressed in an ancient empress’s costume, Yi Lanyin was surrounded by people frantically studying their scripts, yet she alone remained fully immersed in character. Her gaze swept over the world with regal disdain as she stood motionless, poised to unleash her full brilliance the moment her turn arrived.

Xiao Tao pulled another car key from her bag and placed it on top of Yu Jing’s script, the same model as before. Here, take this key now. I might forget later when things get busy.

Yu Jing picked up the key from the script and, her shoulders slumping, asked, Doesn’t Teacher Yi read the script?

She doesn’t on set, Xiao Tao replied. Only after her first NG. She reached over and flipped open Yi Lanyin’s script, revealing pages densely marked with lines in various colored pens and margins filled with tiny notes in pencil. It’s a good thing she had that second round of promotional events for her last film. It gave her a chance to get out, breathe, and see her fans. Knowing she’s still loved helps ease her anxiety. Otherwise, Sister Yi would have driven herself mad cooped up alone with the script. The pressure keeps her up all night before filming starts. But she’s been sleeping better these past few days.

She… Yu Jing nervously pursed her lips. Can’t she just fall asleep listening to stories? Like those silly ones you make up for kids?

Is that so? Xiao Tao gave her a knowing look. I wouldn’t know. All I know is Sister Yi takes handfuls of sleeping pills, and they still don’t work.