Chapter 83: Protection
Everyone was shocked when Jiang Lingling deviated from the script and splashed water on Jiang Duo.
Perhaps because the weather was getting colder, and Jiang Duo’s NGs had become everyone’s pain point. Or perhaps because of Jiang Lingling’s established reputation for retaliation. In the freezing January weather, no one intervened when Jiang Duo was drenched. The actors at the center of the scene were too startled to react. The crew members watched with a mixture of shock and amusement. Even Director Pan, the most neutral figure, was about to speak when Pan Xiang stopped him, whispering something in his ear. He frowned, but remained silent.
As Jiang Lingling put down the bucket and angrily addressed Jiang Duo, everyone assumed that Jiang Duo had somehow provoked her, and this was her retaliation. A bucket of water, naturally, would be followed by a torrent of abuse… everyone was curious about the reason.
Stolen money, stolen roles, stolen food, stolen father, stolen boyfriend, stolen girlfriend? All sorts of wild speculations filled their minds.
From the splashing of water to the first word, just a second or two, enough time for their imaginations to run wild. But they hadn’t expected to hear Jiang Lingling perfectly reciting her lines from the script.
Are you kidding me? If there were subtitles in real life, that would be everyone’s thought.
Jiang Lingling, following the script, berated the concubines for their inaction, incompetence, and disrespect towards the Empress. After the last line, she felt a sense of satisfaction, having finally vented her pent-up frustration.
The scolded concubines, as written in the script, stood in stunned silence, their faces grim. However, this time, the grim expressions weren’t entirely acting.
According to the script, Jiang Duo, the main target of Jiang Lingling’s scolding, should now retaliate, accusing Jiang Lingling of disrespecting her superiors.
But Jiang Duo, having recovered from the shock, had forgotten all about acting. She was already angry at Jiang Lingling because of the three delicacies soup incident at lunch, and now she had been drenched for no reason. Even if Jiang Lingling’s subsequent lines suggested that the splashing was just improvisation, it was still unfair! Why did she have to be drenched in freezing water because of Jiang Lingling’s improvisation! Jiang Duo’s face, red with anger and embarrassment, forgetting all about the script and NGs, just wanted to retaliate.
She lunged for the water bucket by Jiang Lingling’s feet. Half a bucket of water wasn’t enough to vent her anger, but she knew that if she missed this opportunity, she wouldn’t have another chance to publicly retaliate against Jiang Lingling. Using acting as an excuse? If Jiang Lingling could do it, so could she!
Jiang Duo’s movement was so swift that even Jiang Lingling didn’t react. After her display of power in the past few months, who would dare to splash water on her?
As Jiang Duo reached for the bucket, her face a mixture of anger and anticipation, Director Pan, who had anticipated this, signaled for a close-up.
Tsk… if they really started fighting, it wouldn’t be good. Director Pan frowned, slightly anticipating the unscripted drama, but also worried about the potential consequences. Jiang Lingling wasn’t someone who would take things lying down. He should have called cut earlier, after Jiang Lingling splashed the water, as Pan Xiang had suggested. But… everyone’s reactions had been so genuine, it was a good take. Director Pan was conflicted.
Success was within reach… Jiang Duo was pleased with her quick action. But she didn’t expect someone to be even faster.
As her fingers touched the bucket handle, a delicate foot suddenly appeared, kicking the bucket. The remaining water splashed out, mixing with the mud, the bucket bouncing and rolling, splattering muddy water onto Jiang Duo’s face.
The foot, clad in a light green, embroidered shoe with a lily pattern, quickly retreated.
Everyone knew that the situation had deviated from the script. Jiang Duo, humiliated, couldn’t hold back anymore. Since she couldn’t splash the water, she would retaliate directly! And who owned that foot!
Jiang Duo straightened up, her eyes burning with rage as she looked in the direction of the foot.
Ji Junxin, seeing the mud splattered on Jiang Duo’s face, felt a little guilty and wanted to wipe it off, but she stopped. Because Mi Hongdou spoke.
Not to mediate, not to defend, but to deliver her line.
According to the script, after Jiang Lingling’s scolding, Jiang Duo should retort, accusing her of disrespecting her superiors, and then Mi Hongdou, as the young empress, would reply coldly, “And your earlier outburst, wasn’t that disrespectful too?”
Now, after Jiang Lingling splashed the water and delivered her lines, Jiang Duo hadn’t followed the script, and Ji Junxin had even interfered… the scene had completely deviated from the script, and yet, Director Pan hadn’t called cut!
Seeing Jiang Duo’s furious gaze, following the direction of the foot, about to land on Ji Junxin, Mi Hongdou stepped forward, shielding Ji Junxin, and frowned, her voice sharp. “Concubine Zhu, it seems you haven’t learned your lesson, should I teach you personally? In our current situation, we’re all in this together, your outburst is a disgrace to us all!” She glared at Jiang Duo disdainfully, then glanced at the other concubines, her expression gradually returning to calmness.
Still acting, even now? Jiang Duo was stunned by Mi Hongdou’s shamelessness and her ability to twist the situation. “This is ridiculous! Are you all ganging up on me? What was that about splashing water on me? That wasn’t in the script! How did I offend you? Why would you do this to me in this freezing weather! Are you crazy!” Jiang Duo was furious, her finger, initially pointing at Jiang Lingling, now trembling as it shifted to Ji Junxin. Mi Hongdou was partially blocking Ji Junxin, but she could still see the sympathy in her eyes. Thinking of Ji Junxin’s status, Jiang Duo’s tone, although still angry, softened slightly when addressing her. “And Miss Ji, I…”
“Cut!” Director Pan’s booming voice interrupted Jiang Duo’s attempt to play the victim.
The tense atmosphere on set instantly dissipated. The actors, although still in their positions, relaxed, and some started chatting quietly.
Mi Hongdou quickly pulled Ji Junxin away from Jiang Duo. Who knew what that crazy woman would do? Although the scene had been satisfying, safety was the priority.
Jiang Duo choked, her outstretched hand now pointing at empty air. The cold water had seeped through her clothes, chilling her to the bone. No, that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was, she felt incredibly awkward. She was the one who had been wronged, but when she tried to retaliate, everyone dispersed, leaving her hanging, her anger unresolved.
Everyone felt awkward and quickly distanced themselves. Jiang Lingling was too domineering, Mi Hongdou’s quick thinking was impressive, and Ji Junxin, usually so gentle, had delivered a perfectly timed kick. And Jiang Duo… well… seeing her like this was quite satisfying. She had been causing so many NGs, making them suffer in the cold and work overtime, it was karma.
Everyone moved away, leaving Jiang Duo alone, no one even offering her a way out. Well, not exactly, Jiang Lingling was still there, but without her earlier fierceness, her arms crossed, a mocking smile on her face as she looked at Jiang Duo. The humiliated and awkward Jiang Duo felt like she had been slapped in the face.
Her trembling hand pointed back at Jiang Lingling, her lips moving slightly. Jiang Lingling smiled, raised her index finger, and wagged it slightly. “Don’t provoke me, you’ll regret it.” Ignoring Jiang Duo’s darkening expression, she happily went to brag to Mi Hongdou. Hmph, the one who tried to scheme against her little foodie had been taught a lesson, perhaps she could get extra dessert now, Jiang Lingling thought, pleased with herself for venting her anger and earning a favor at the same time.
As for the trembling Jiang Duo, who cared about her…
Such blatant targeting was hard to ignore. Director Pan, frowning, sighed, looked around, and asked a few crew members to find Jiang Duo’s assistant. Although Jiang Duo’s increasingly poor acting and frequent NGs had made him lose all patience with her, seeing her being bullied like this, the grandfatherly Director Pan couldn’t help but feel a little sympathetic. That Jiang Lingling, she had some acting talent, but her personality… was a bit extreme, he thought.
Pan Xiang, who had been watching, noticed Director Pan’s sympathy for Jiang Duo and his displeasure with Jiang Lingling. She had initially thought that Jiang Lingling’s splashing of the water was a deliberate change to the scene, so she had stopped her grandfather from calling cut. But now, it seemed that it was indeed a change, but for the sake of venting her anger… Pan Xiang was amused by her own misjudgment but also worried that Jiang Lingling had gone too far. Fortunately, the scene had been filmed smoothly and looked quite good.
Now, seeing Director Pan’s conflicted expression, Pan Xiang, wanting to defend Jiang Lingling, spoke up, “This scene has Jiang Duo in it, are we reshooting?” Even she, who wasn’t always on set, knew about Jiang Duo’s reputation as the NG queen.
Director Pan looked away from Jiang Duo and Jiang Lingling, rewatched the scene, and said with a conflicted expression, “It seems… we don’t have to.” Jiang Lingling’s actions, Ji Junxin’s interference, and Mi Hongdou’s final lines, Jiang Duo’s emotions were even better than what was written in the script. Well, they weren’t exactly “acted.”
“It’s all thanks to Jiang Lingling, provoking Jiang Duo like that, otherwise, who knows how many times we would have had to reshoot. We saved time and resources.” Pan Xiang said cheerfully.
“Do you really think Jiang Lingling splashed the water to provoke Jiang Duo for the sake of the scene?” Director Pan asked, surprised, couldn’t believe his granddaughter was so clueless.
“…” Although she wanted to defend Jiang Lingling, Pan Xiang didn’t want to be seen as an idiot, so she cleared her throat and changed the subject. “Ji Junxin is known for her good temper, that kick earlier was clearly to help Jiang Lingling. And Mi Hongdou, although a newcomer, is a talented actress and very humble. The way she spoke just now, she didn’t give Jiang Duo any chance to retaliate. And the other actors, some of them have worked with Jiang Duo before, even now, they’re not showing any concern.”
Pan Xiang didn’t mention Jiang Lingling, but Director Pan understood her implication, it wasn’t just Jiang Lingling who disliked Jiang Duo, everyone did. “Perhaps… it’s because of her recent frequent NGs, they feel like she’s holding them back.” He stated a fact, not defending Jiang Duo.
“What about Jiang Duo’s assistant?” Pan Xiang saw Jiang Duo’s assistant approaching with a small towel. She pointed at the assistant, then at Bai Tang, who was taking out thermoses and hand warmers from her large bag. “Well, perhaps it’s just a matter of how attentive the assistants are?”
Pan Xiang’s seemingly casual remark made Director Pan fall silent. Disliked by the entire crew, even her own assistant unwilling to show genuine concern, Jiang Duo’s interpersonal skills were truly lacking. It was understandable that Jiang Lingling, with her temper, was the first to snap. And with Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou on Jiang Lingling’s side, Jiang Duo must have done something to offend everyone. Director Pan, already slightly biased, felt his sympathy for Jiang Duo fading…
Seeing Director Pan engrossed in the playback, Pan Xiang was relieved. She didn’t want him to have any negative impressions of Jiang Lingling because of this incident. After all, Wei Xunqin was the character she had put the most effort into, she couldn’t let any bias affect the filming.
Jiang Lingling, unaware that she had almost lost Director Pan’s favor, happily took a small peach cookie from Bai Tang. The crispy, fragrant snack, paired with the honey water from her assistant, was a perfect combination. Being with Mi Hongdou meant good food.
“You’re happy now, but what if Jiang Duo comes and attacks you later?” Mi Hongdou was speechless at Jiang Lingling’s smugness.
“She wouldn’t dare.” Jiang Lingling winked at Mi Hongdou meaningfully. She took a bite of the cookie. Crunch, crunch. Teaching Jiang Duo, who had been trying to get close to Ji Junxin in both lifetimes, a lesson was indeed satisfying. Seeing that Jiang Lingling didn’t seem worried about Jiang Duo’s retaliation, Mi Hongdou didn’t say anything more. There was no deep hatred between Jiang Lingling and Jiang Duo, and she owed Jiang Lingling another favor for this. Thinking this, she took a handful of peach cookies from Bai Tang’s bag and gave them to Jiang Lingling. This favor, she would slowly repay it.
Jiang Lingling and Mi Hongdou had a tacit understanding, but Ji Junxin was still confused. After two cookies, she couldn’t help but ask, “Jiang Lingling… you suddenly deviated from the script, did Jiang Duo offend you somehow?”
“Heh…” Jiang Lingling couldn’t help but glance at Mi Hongdou. Liking such a clueless person, was she okay? …
Mi Hongdou, understanding, looked away.
Facing the inquisitive Ji Junxin, Jiang Lingling cleared her throat and said seriously, “You also deviated from the script, you even splashed mud on Jiang Duo’s face, did she offend you?”
Ji Junxin: “…”
Mi Hongdou: “…”
Jiang Lingling smiled triumphantly.
Don’t be so smug, you have no sense of camaraderie! Mi Hongdou glared at Jiang Lingling. “She was trying to protect you! If she hadn’t moved, Jiang Duo would have drenched you!”
Ji Junxin nodded vigorously.
“No, I believe Ji Junxin wouldn’t be so cruel, we’re friends of justice!” Jiang Lingling said seriously, giving Ji Junxin a cookie and winking. “Right?”
Friends of justice… did she think they were filming a superhero movie? Mi Hongdou was worried that Jiang Lingling would reveal too much, and why was she giving Ji Junxin a cookie after just teasing her? Did she think one cookie could make amends? She was too naive!
Ji Junxin silently took the cookie. Although she had initially felt a little guilty about kicking the bucket and splashing mud on Jiang Duo, thinking about what Jiang Duo and Lu Gaoshi had done, she felt that it was a justified act of revenge.
Mi Hongdou: “…”
Okay, she was the naive one.
Mi Hongdou took another handful of cookies from Bai Tang’s bag and gave them to Ji Junxin, preventing her little foodie from being swayed by the wrong person.
Just then, Jiang Duo’s angry voice came from afar, scolding someone for being late, bringing a small towel, not bringing her clothes… a torrent of pent-up frustration directed at her assistant, who had finally arrived with a small towel.
“So that’s the legendary artist who treats their assistant like a slave…” the assistant said, her eyes wide with newfound knowledge.
“Now you know how lucky you are,” Jiang Lingling said, raising her chin proudly.
Another wave of Jiang Duo’s angry shouts reached them, and the assistant patted her chest, praising Jiang Lingling profusely. Her words were so eloquent and heartfelt that everyone was impressed.
Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin glanced at Bai Tang, who was standing quietly beside them. Having a normal assistant was truly a blessing…
Although they didn’t care about the content of Jiang Duo’s scolding, her angry tone was unsettling.
“It seems Jiang Duo is really angry, she usually NGs a lot after being upset, so be careful later during filming,” Mi Hongdou warned, frowning slightly. “Especially you, Jiang Lingling, keep the water bucket far away from her. If she does anything, run.”
Jiang Lingling chuckled. “If she dares to do anything to us, it won’t be her assistant she’s scolding now.”
It made sense.
A few crew members approached from Director Pan’s direction. Mi Hongdou sighed. It was starting again. She hoped Jiang Duo wouldn’t cause any trouble, and that Jiang Lingling would heed her warning and be careful. As for Ji Junxin… Mi Hongdou glanced at Ji Junxin, who was eating walnut cookies. It’s okay, she would protect her.
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