Chapter 88
Although Zuo Bian had only met the man once, she wouldn’t forget his face.
After all, he was the one who had killed her in her previous life. The overseas investor hosting the dinner looked exactly like the Demon Lord who had ended her life.
However, apart from a momentary flicker in her eyes, Zuo Bian didn’t react in any other way.
Although she wasn’t the type to hide her emotions, she couldn’t be sure if this man who looked exactly like the Demon Lord was just a doppelganger or the actual Demon Lord.
In her heart, she leaned towards the possibility of them being the same person. 555 had mentioned that this world was still incomplete and vulnerable to invaders. Plus, one person looking exactly like someone from her previous world could be a coincidence, but two people? Was that also a coincidence?
Zuo Bian thought the probability was low.
If this man who looked like the Demon Lord was truly an invader and posed a threat to her, she had to be even more careful not to reveal her suspicions.
Perhaps thanks to her professional training, Zuo Bian’s acting skills had improved significantly. She acted naturally, showing no signs of her inner turmoil.
Director Li and the producer greeted the man warmly. From their conversation, Zuo Bian learned his name.
—Mo Zun.
【What a casual name.】555 couldn’t help but comment.
Zuo Bian also thought his name was too casual. It was hard to pretend she didn’t notice the similarity.
As a fellow investor, Qin Ai also met Mo Zun and exchanged business cards with him.
Mo Zun seemed aloof and unsociable. He rarely spoke unless necessary. Xia Ruyun tried to strike up a conversation with him several times, but he only responded with single words.
Xia Ruyun was beautiful and talented, but she had always dreamed of marrying into a wealthy family. She didn’t care if it was a man or a woman, she just wanted to use the entertainment industry as a stepping stone to enter the world of the rich and powerful. But it seemed like everyone she met was difficult to deal with, leaving her no room to maneuver.
Unable to find a way in, Xia Ruyun gave up and revealed her true nature, focusing on her phone instead.
The atmosphere at the dinner table seemed lively, but everyone was actually talking amongst themselves. Director Li, the producer, and the actors were chatting. The actors were chatting with each other. Zuo Bian and Qin Ai were chatting, occasionally exchanging a few words with others. And then there was Xia Ruyun, lost in her own world (playing with her phone).
Only Mo Zun was alone. It wasn’t that people were ignoring him, it was that he only responded with “Mm” or “Yes” to everything.
Many people wondered: Why did he even come if he wasn’t going to talk? What was the point of hosting the dinner?
There were usually three reasons why investors treated people to dinner: One, they had someone they wanted to promote in the crew. Two, they wanted to show off their generosity. Three, they wanted to take advantage of young actors.
But this Mo Zun didn’t fit any of those categories. He was like a stone.
Zuo Bian discreetly observed Mo Zun during the meal but couldn’t gather any useful information.
However, this seemed to be a sign. Little Frog, inside Zuo Bian’s bag, started to feel uneasy.
It sensed its master’s presence. Although the aura was faint, it was enough to make it restless.
To calm itself down, Little Frog unconsciously drank all the beverages in Zuo Bian’s bag.
After dinner, they exchanged pleasantries. Mo Zun didn’t do anything unusual throughout the evening, making Zuo Bian wonder if it was just a coincidence that he looked exactly like the Demon Lord.
However, as they were getting into their cars, Zuo Bian instinctively glanced at Mo Zun.
He seemed to sense her gaze and looked back at her. In that instant, Zuo Bian felt a wave of coldness wash over her, the colorful neon lights of the city dimming.
“What’s wrong?” Qin Ai asked, seeing that Zuo Bian wasn’t getting into the car.
Zuo Bian shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, then got into the car.
A faint gray mist surrounded her, but it quickly disappeared.
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The next day, Zuo Bian packed her bags, ready to move.
She didn’t bring much. First, the apartment she was moving into was small and couldn’t fit much. Second, she was only staying for half a month.
However, her parents and brother didn’t see it that way. They looked at her as if she was their daughter about to get married, a daughter who was going to suffer.
“Xiao Bian, do you really have to go?” Du Yundong grabbed her suitcase.
Zuo Bian nodded. “Mm, I have to.”
“Can’t you not go?” Du Yundong looked at her with pleading eyes.
“Mom, I already promised the director. Of course, I have to go. And it’s not as bad as you think.”
As Zuo Bian’s mother, Du Yundong only wanted her daughter to live a comfortable and carefree life.
She had agreed to Zuo Bian’s plan before, but now that the day had come, she couldn’t help but try to dissuade her. She nudged her husband, Zuo Yan, with her elbow and gave him a warning look.
Zuo Yan immediately understood his wife’s intentions. He frowned and clutched his stomach, pretending to be in pain. “Dad isn’t feeling well recently, Xiao Bian, can you accompany Dad to the hospital?”
“But Dad, you ran five laps around the garden this morning. I saw you from the window.” Zuo Bian looked at him with confusion.
Zuo Yan’s attempt at feigning illness was effortlessly exposed by his daughter. He coughed awkwardly and looked away.
Seeing that her husband’s plan had failed, Du Yundong decided to try her own acting skills. She clutched her chest and groaned, complaining of a headache.
However, she didn’t hear any concern from her daughter. She looked up and saw Zuo Bian staring at her curiously.
“Mom, why are you holding your chest if you have a headache?”
Du Yundong’s expression froze. She couldn’t keep up the act any longer.
Zuo Yuan didn’t pretend to be sick like his parents, but he was still reluctant to let his sister move into a tiny, ten-square-meter apartment.
“Xiao Bian, you have to take care of yourself. If you want to eat anything, just call Brother, I’ll have it delivered to you. And here’s some money, don’t be afraid to spend it. Don’t wrong yourself.” He slipped a bank card into Zuo Bian’s hand.
Zuo Bian looked down at the warm bank card in her hand and smiled at Zuo Yuan. “Thank you, Brother.”
She put away the card, but she wouldn’t use it during these two weeks. She was going to experience the character’s life and could only spend the money she earned herself. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a true experience.
Zuo Bian was taken to the apartment the crew had rented for her. She opened her suitcase and unpacked, arranging her belongings.
This apartment wasn’t just for her to experience the protagonist’s life for two weeks, it would also be one of the filming locations. It needed to have traces of real life. The worst thing for a film or drama was to look fake and unconvincing.
TV dramas were a bit more lenient, but movies were different. Movies were shown on the big screen, every detail magnified. Any flaws would be easily spotted by the audience.
Especially with Director Li at the helm. He was a perfectionist who was almost obsessive about recreating details.
The apartment was small, not even a third of the size of Zuo Bian’s room, but it had a cramped bathroom, a narrow bed, an old refrigerator, a wardrobe squeezed into a corner, and a balcony with no sunlight, blocked by the building across the street.
Zuo Bian walked around the tiny apartment, stopping every now and then to jot down notes in her notebook.
She was working on the character’s backstory. To portray the soul of a character, she needed to understand everything about them.
After taking notes, she rearranged some of the furniture, but it still didn’t feel right.
“The protagonist’s salary is low, and her living standard is poor. She shouldn’t have such an expensive toothbrush, and the toothpaste is too fancy.” She examined the toothbrush.
Then she said, “I need to go to the supermarket and buy some cheap ones. And clothes too.”
【Host, you’re going too far. It’s just an experience.】
“That’s why I need to experience it fully.” Zuo Bian packed her bag, ready to go out.
She was a woman of action.
However, before leaving, she switched her bag. She took out a canvas bag and put her wallet inside.
This wallet was a prop provided by the crew. It contained 526 yuan in cash and a faded old photo.
Then she put on a baseball cap, slung the canvas bag over her shoulder, and left. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, but her natural beauty was enough to attract attention.
555 reminded her to pull her hat down. She was famous now, and if she was recognized by fans, she wouldn’t be able to shop properly.
Zuo Bian followed 555’s advice, pulling her hat down to cover most of her face.
She wouldn’t officially start “working” until tomorrow, and without a job, she had no income. This meant she only had 526 yuan to spend.
Before buying anything, she carefully compared the prices of similar products, choosing the cheapest and most practical option.
She bought various small household items, a few discounted long-sleeved shirts and pants, and a rice ball from a convenience store for dinner. She spent a little over a hundred yuan, which made her happy.
Not only were her family members heartbroken for her, but 555 and Little Frog also felt bad, thinking she was suffering too much.
A pair of socks Zuo Bian used to wear casually cost more than her entire budget now. She used to eat whatever she wanted, how could she bear to eat such a dry and bland rice ball?
But Zuo Bian was enjoying it. She took a bite of the rice ball and said to 555 in her mind, ‘I think this frugal life is quite nice.’
She wasn’t spoiled. She had eaten tree roots and mud during the famine, a simple rice ball was nothing. Besides, she thought it tasted pretty good.
Holding the rice ball in one hand and the bag full of groceries in the other, she waited for the green light at a crosswalk. A car drove past, and she saw a familiar side profile.
She instinctively wanted to chase after it, but the car was too fast, and the light turned green. The pedestrians surged forward, pushing her along with the crowd.
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