Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha Cannon Fodder, Sweetly Pampering the Heroine - Chapter 39

The sharp, hurried clicks of high heels echoed across the stone-paved ground.

 

Xu Jinman bent down, gently grasped Shen Shu’s slender arms, and helped her up, half-embracing her. Her face was stern as she glanced at a nearby staff member. “Please.”

 

The staff member, who was holding a towel, froze under Xu Jinman’s icy gaze. The overwhelming sense of authority made her instinctively tremble, and she quickly handed over the towel.

 

Some on set questioned the newcomer’s identity. After all, this was a film studio, requiring proper credentials for entry.

 

Yet after a few seconds, neither the director nor the production manager spoke up. Looking over, they noticed an unfamiliar figure standing beside the director. A Sacred Heart Pictures employee recognized her as the assistant to the company’s CEO.

 

After a brief exchange with the assistant, the director glanced in Shen Shu’s direction and announced, “Shen Shu, go take a break and gather your emotions. Xiao Qin, get ready to reshoot the previous scene.”

 

Shen Shu thanked him.

 

Xu Jinman wrapped the towel around Shen Shu’s back, drawing her close. Lowering her gaze, she asked, “Are you hurt?”

 

Shen Shu met Xu Jinman’s concerned gaze, her heart skipped a beat, and she shook her head.

 

Xu Jinman gently rubbed Shen Shu’s cold arm with her palm, her eyes darting toward Ren Xiaoqi.

 

Her touch was gentle, but her gaze was like a deep pool, unfathomable and concealing hidden danger.

 

Ren Xiaoqi stiffened, unconsciously tensing for a moment, then forced a smile. “Miss Xu, long time no see.”

 

Xu Jinman averted her gaze as if she hadn’t heard, turning to Shen Shu. “Are you still filming?”

 

She had arrived just as Shen Shu was entering the water for the third time, but had held back, not wanting to disrupt the shoot—she now regretted speaking too soon.

 

What nonsense about needing to endure hardship in this industry? What bullshit about needing to experience it all?

 

She waited for Shen Shu’s answer.

 

Sensing Xu Jinman’s intent from her earnest gaze, Shen Shu guessed that if she said she wouldn’t film, Xu Jinman would immediately take action.

 

“Yes, I’ll film. It’s perfectly normal,” she murmured, her voice low. Under the intense scrutiny of the surrounding eyes, she clutched the towel tighter around herself. “I’ll go change.”

 

Xu Jinman studied her for a long moment before nodding. “Alright.”

 

In the backstage room, Shen Shu changed into the clothes provided by the production crew. Her body still trembled slightly as Xu Jinman brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

 

“Are you cold? Is there any hot water here?”

 

Shen Shu paused, tucked the loose strand behind her ear, and said, “I’m fine.”

 

A knock sounded at the door. Both women turned to see Xia Chun entering with a steaming cup of water. “Drink some honey water to warm up,” she offered.

 

Xia Chun had intended to hand the cup to Shen Shu, but Xu Jinman took it first, thanking her. “Thank you. I was just about to look for some hot water.”

 

Xia Chun: “You’re welcome.”

 

Xu Jinman held the warm cup, thinking Xia Chun seemed decent enough—certainly more agreeable than she’d appeared at the restaurant and banquet before.

 

“A-Shu, are you okay?” Xia Chun asked Shen Shu softly.

 

Xu Jinman, who had just handed the honey water to Shen Shu, paused inexplicably at the endearment. It was the first time she’d heard anyone call Shen Shu that.

 

Not even the Shen Family members or Cai Ying used that nickname.

 

Tsk, have Shen Shu and Xia Chun become this close already?

 

Shen Shu accepted the honey water and replied, “I’m fine, thank you.”

 

Xu Jinman keenly sensed the strange atmosphere, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Shen Shu suddenly looked up and asked, “Why are you here so early?”

 

“I’m not busy today,” Xu Jinman replied, picking up the script from the table and flipping through it.

 

“I have another scene at eight. Why don’t you go back for now?”

 

Xu Jinman’s response was concise: “There’s nothing for me to do at home. I’ll wait for you.”

 

Shen Shu paused, then nodded.

 

This seemingly ordinary exchange filled Xia Chun’s heart with bitterness. After a perfunctory greeting, she turned and left the room.

 

Standing at the doorway, she took a deep breath to steady herself.

 

She inadvertently overheard the conversation inside.

 

It was Shen Shu’s clear voice, unmistakable. Xia Chun could hear the familiarity and intimacy in her casual tone—the same warmth she had once experienced herself.

 

“There’s hot water in the blue tent outside. Why don’t you take my cup and get some?”

 

“You don’t want this?”

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

Xia Chun couldn’t bear to listen any longer. A sharp ache swelled in her chest, gradually intensifying.

 

Tong Jia soon arrived with a blanket and a coat. Xu Jinman glanced at her, stood up, and went outside. Moments later, Tong Jia followed.

 

Twenty minutes later, Tong Jia returned with the revised script for the scene following the water scene.

 

“Shu Shu, take a look at this. There’s a slight change.”

 

Shen Shu took the script. The lines remained unchanged, but Nightingale’s reaction had been altered.

 

In the original version, Nightingale would immediately strike after emerging from the water, but upon seeing her former best friend, she would ultimately lower her hand. The two would then share a smile.

 

Now, however, Nightingale slapped her across the face the moment she reached the shore, snarling, “How old are you? Still acting like a child? Just shoot me! Why push me?”

 

The two nearly came to blows, but ultimately, they still ended up sharing a smile.

 

Shen Shu paused, surprised. “Isn’t this the first version?”

 

Tong Jia replied smoothly, “The screenwriter and Director just discussed it. They felt this version better captures the depth of their lifelong bond. The slap also better reflects Nightingale’s bold, passionate, and unrestrained nature.”

 

Shen Shu accepted this explanation without suspicion, glancing over the revised scene and briefly pondering Nightingale’s inner turmoil.

 

Truth be told, she also preferred the later version. She just never understood why it had been changed in the first place.

 

She didn’t mind either way, but Ren Xiaoqi was likely having a much harder time with the change.

 

As expected, Xu Jinman left Shen Shu alone before the water scene began. The moment she stepped out, Ren Xiaoqi barged in.

 

Pointing her finger at Shen Shu, Ren Xiaoqi spat, “Have you no shame?! Using your position to settle personal grudges? You actually dared to alter the script!”

 

Since they’d already burned their bridges, there was no need for pretense.

 

“The script is the Director’s decision,” Shen Shu calmly retorted. “You’re overthinking things. And let’s be clear: who’s really settling personal grudges here?”

 

Ren Xiaoqi scoffed. “Just because you say it’s unrelated doesn’t make it true! Who would believe that?”

 

Shen Shu stared at her silently. “There’s something I’ve always wondered: what exactly did I ever do to offend you?”

 

“You didn’t offend me,” Ren Xiaoqi snapped. “I just hate you. Sometimes you don’t need a reason to hate someone.”

 

The words sounded childish, but they revealed Ren Xiaoqi’s true feelings.

 

She despised Shen Shu’s holier-than-thou attitude, her constant air of superiority, as if she looked down on everyone.

 

“Then there’s nothing more to say,” Shen Shu replied.

 

“I know what you’re planning—retaliation for what happened earlier, right?” Ren Xiaoqi narrowed her eyes. “If you dare to mess with me, I guarantee your career in this industry… will become even more difficult!”

 

“You’re so confident,” Shen Shu said coolly. “Are you also relying on a sugar daddy?”

 

The sarcasm in her tone was unmistakable. News of Ren Xiaoqi liking Tan Jie’s Weibo post had already gone viral.

 

While Ren Xiaoqi couldn’t match Tan Jie’s fame, she had started as a child star and still maintained a degree of public attention. Especially now that they were working on the same drama, Ren Xiaoqi’s like essentially confirmed rumors of her using a sugar daddy to steal resources.

 

Shen Shu had intended her remark as a jab, but Ren Xiaoqi’s face twitched slightly. “What nonsense are you spouting!”

 

“Are you two ready?”

 

The stage manager’s voice cut through the air, temporarily ending their confrontation.

 

For the water scene this time, Ren Xiaoqi behaved herself, and they completed the shot smoothly.

 

Before the next take, Ren Xiaoqi leaned in close to Shen Shu and whispered, “You’d better watch yourself.”

 

Shen Shu thought that Ren Xiaoqi had behaved herself not only to avoid suspicion but also because she feared Shen Shu’s slap might actually disfigure her face.

 

It was, in a way, a tacit retreat.

 

 

Nightingale smoothed the damp curls at the ends of her hair, the hem of her cheongsam dripping onto the floor, the water spreading in dark circles. From a distance, she looked like she was standing in a prison of her own making.

 

In the tense silence, Nightingale suddenly raised her hand!

 

“Ah!”

 

Before her palm could land on her face, Ren Xiaoqi instinctively flinched away.

 

“I’m sorry, Director… I wasn’t quite ready,” Ren Xiaoqi said, pressing her lips together. The mere thought of Shen Shu’s impending slap made her want to dodge.

 

Her face was her most valuable asset.

 

The Director sighed and called for another take.

 

Shen Shu’s lips curved into a faint smile as she gently massaged her fingers in front of Ren Xiaoqi. She said, each word deliberate, “What are you dodging for? You can’t escape it.”

 

Hearing this and seeing Shen Shu’s hand movements, Ren Xiaoqi felt a sense of dread. She was certain Shen Shu would strike harder next time.

 

So, during the second take, she tensed up and instinctively turned her head again.

 

The subtle warning, combined with the mounting pressure from the failed takes, made her emotional performance worse with each attempt.

 

Scene 36, Take 4, Camera 2, Action!

 

 

“Scene 36, Take 8, Camera 2, ready!”

 

Shen Shu’s slap barely grazed Ren Xiaoqi’s cheek, yet Ren Xiaoqi closed her eyes…

 

The Director couldn’t contain himself any longer. He stood up and roared, “Ren Xiaoqi! Can you even act? We’ve been wasting over an hour here because of you! Do you think this entire crew is just here to cater to your whims? If you want to play princess, go somewhere else! This is a film set, not your royal palace!”

 

Ren Xiaoqi’s eyes reddened. Having debuted as a child star at ten, she had rarely heard such harsh words in all her years in the industry.

 

“Five minutes to compose yourself! If you can’t get it right this time, you’re off the project!” The Director threw down his headset, his face burning with anger.

 

Ren Xiaoqi mumbled an apology and retreated to the side, turning her back to the crew.

 

Shen Shu subtly shifted her stance, her gaze sweeping the surroundings before locking eyes with Xu Jinman.

 

Xu Jinman tilted her chin slightly and offered a faint smile.

 

For a fleeting moment, Shen Shu’s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly thought, Xu Jinman is actually quite beautiful…

 

The five-minute break ended.

 

The teams prepared again, and Shen Shu and Ren Xiaoqi entered the filming area.

 

Meanwhile, Xu Jinman stood outside the director’s tent with her arms crossed. Her ankle-length light blue dress billowed slightly in the breeze. She tilted her head back, her gaze fixed on something distant, like a solitary alpine flower standing aloof from the world.

 

Some people weren’t even watching the scene; instead, they were scrutinizing her.

 

“Who is she?”

 

“I don’t know. Did you see the trending topics? I think she might be Shen Shu’s sugar daddy.”

 

“I suspect so too. The director didn’t say a word earlier, even letting Shen Shu rest. If it were anyone else… he’d have blown up and started yelling.”

 

The hushed whispers were drowned out by the director’s shout of “Action!”

 

At that moment, Tong Jia approached from behind and called out loudly in front of everyone, “President Xu, don’t you think our Shu Shu’s acting is pretty good?”

 

Xu Jinman replied bluntly, “Of course. It’s just that her scene partner is rather mediocre.”

 

Her voice carried clearly, showing no attempt at discretion.

 

Tong Jia lowered her voice and said, “You’re still angry? Even though the script itself calls for this, I still had to put in a lot of effort to make it happen.”

 

Recalling Xu Jinman’s fierce expression and harsh words when she had summoned her outside earlier, Tong Jia muttered to herself, “Protective husband material!”

 

Xu Jinman didn’t respond, her gaze fixed on Shen Shu.

 

Tong Jia glanced at the filming area and chuckled, “You originally intended to use the script to make Shen Shu retaliate, but she didn’t do anything. Instead, Ren Xiaoqi revealed her own weakness first.”

 

As the words left her lips, a sharp smack echoed through the set.

 

Nightingale’s slap was instinctive, seemingly forceful but actually empty-handed—a reflection of her ruthless nature tempered by a hidden tenderness.

 

The director called “Cut!”

 

“Shen Shu, your handling of the details just now was excellent! This take is perfect, we’re moving on.”

 

Admiration shone in Tong Jia’s eyes. “I’m increasingly convinced I’ve struck gold with you.”

 

Xu Jinman raised an eyebrow slightly. “Thank you for the compliment.”

 

“……” Wife-obsessed!

 

Shen Shu and Xia Chun had their final scene at eight o’clock, leaving them over two hours until then. Tong Jia ordered some dishes, and the three of them made do with a makeshift meal backstage.

 

As Shen Shu brushed past her, Xu Jinman instinctively reached out to steady her, only to realize her clothes were damp.

 

“There’s nothing to change into here. We’ll deal with it when we get back,” Xu Jinman said, popping a shrimp into her mouth and chewing slowly.

 

For shoots like this, they usually prepared disposable outfits or brought extra sets. Shen Shu, lacking experience, had only packed three.

 

Xu Jinman didn’t reply, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

 

After finishing her meal quickly, she asked Tong Jia to accompany her outside under the pretense of making a phone call.

 

Twenty minutes later, she returned with a bag in her hand.

 

“Go change,” she said, handing it to Shen Shu.

 

Shen Shu took the bag and peeked inside—it contained both undergarments and outerwear.

 

In the backstage dressing room, Shen Shu held the perfectly sized bra in her hand, pausing in silence for a moment.

 

A few minutes later.

 

Xu Jinman sat in her chair, scrolling through her phone. She glanced up at Shen Shu as she emerged from the dressing room. “Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold, sitting around in wet clothes all afternoon? Have something warm.”

 

Shen Shu nodded in agreement.

 

She sat down opposite Xu Jinman with her script. After a moment, she said slowly, “Teacher Xu is quite experienced.”

 

“Hmm?” Xu Jinman replied.

 

“Teacher Xu again?” Shen Shu asked.

 

“Just right, thank you,” Shen Shu replied.

 

Xu Jinman glanced down at Shen Shu, who was intently studying her script.

 

“……”

 

She had been in a hurry earlier and hadn’t thought much about it. The size had almost been discovered by Shen Shu in the notes, so it was etched in her mind like a carved image.

 

She hadn’t even realized anything was off.

 

But in Shen Shu’s eyes, Xu Jinman shouldn’t have known the size. At least a normal person would have asked beforehand.

 

Either Xu Jinman was so experienced she could tell the truth at a glance, or she had secretly checked the size.

 

Neither option was something a respectable person would do.

 

Suddenly changing her tone, Xu Jinman said casually, “Ah, I just grabbed it randomly. I was worried it might be too big.”

 

Shen Shu stared at her, speechless.

 

As expected, Shen Shu didn’t dwell on the matter. There were few people filming at night, and Tong Jia had already cleared the area, leaving only the two of them.

 

Xu Jinman worked on her phone while Shen Shu studied her script.

 

Occasionally, Tong Jia would post updates from Weibo in their group chat. The trending topics had cooled down slightly, but the abusive comments under Shen Shu’s Weibo posts hadn’t stopped.

 

“Don’t look,” Xu Jinman said, hearing the refresh sound from Shen Shu’s Weibo. “Those people don’t understand you. They only care about their immediate satisfaction, just like Ren Xiaoqi. You have half an hour before filming starts. Don’t let it affect your mood.”

 

After reading so many hateful comments, even the calmest mind would be disturbed. The afternoon’s incident with Ren Xiaoqi had already taken a toll on Shen Shu.

 

Yet, hearing Xu Jinman’s patient tone, Shen Shu’s agitation surprisingly eased.

 

She put down her phone.

 

It was just after 8:15 PM.

 

This was Shen Shu’s final scene on the set of Into the Dream.

 

Defying her sisters’ warnings, Nightingale resolutely walked into her lover V’s trap. She knew V, desperate to impress her superiors, had decided to offer Nightingale’s life as a tribute.

 

The most renowned beauty assassin in the killer organization—what a magnificent achievement.

 

In the wooden corridor, Nightingale wore the same dark green qipao she had worn when they first met, its tight fit accentuating her perfect figure and the high slit revealing her pale, slender legs.

 

She approached and gently embraced her lover V.

 

The knife plunged into her heart, and she collapsed into V’s arms.

 

V cradled Nightingale, slowly lowering herself to the ground. Her eyes rimmed with red, her fingers trembling. “Why did you come?”

 

After a long silence, V rose alone, leaving only the corpse behind.

 

A voiceover narrates: The moment V turned away, she knew she had truly lost her.

 

On set, Xu Jinman was captivated by the scene.

 

Xia Chun’s emotional transitions were flawless, and Shen Shu perfectly complemented her performance, the two actresses working in perfect harmony. Xu Jinman was particularly drawn to the tragic beauty of the character Nightingale—born for love, driven mad by love, and ultimately dying for love.

 

Tong Jia had been right: Shen Shu’s role was even more compelling than the female supporting lead.

 

After Shen Shu’s final scene, the director presented her with a bouquet of flowers. Xu Jinman noticed several people, including Xia Chun, gathered around her, so she walked over to the nearby wooden steps and sat down.

 

“Miss Xu.”

 

Ren Xiaoqi approached from the side.

 

Xu Jinman ignored her.

 

Ren Xiaoqi took a deep breath and said, “Have you seen the news online? The one about Shen Shu being… you know.”

 

Xu Jinman glanced at her dismissively and drawled, “You sure have a lot of opinions.”

 

Ren Xiaoqi gritted her teeth. “She has a sugar daddy behind her, and you’re still being so nice to her? She’s stringing you along with this ‘friendship’ act, and you don’t mind at all?!”

 

“Oh, you mean the sugar daddy?” Xu Jinman stood up, smoothed her skirt, and replied with a hint of coldness, “I am the sugar daddy.”