Chapter 79: Pregnancy
The estate scenes were filmed on a wasteland near a small village close to Shudian, a bit of a drive from the studio. Compared to the palace scenes filmed in Shudian, the crew now spent more time traveling, which wasn’t very convenient. However, for the actors, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Although the commute was longer, the costumes and makeup for the estate scenes were simpler. What used to take over an hour for the elaborate palace attire now took only half an hour. Overall, it was less tiring for the actors.
Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou, discussing the assistant situation and making phone calls on the way, arrived late. By the time they reached the makeup and costume area, Jiang Lingling was already dressed, and the hairstylist was working on her hair.
Before they could greet Jiang Lingling, they were whisked away by the costume staff. More precisely, Ji Junxin was whisked away, and Mi Hongdou followed out of habit.
The staff was a little anxious. Starting today, Ji Junxin would be wearing a prosthetic belly. It was the first day, so they had to check the fit and make adjustments. The delay on the road made them worried that Director Pan would call for them before they were ready.
Actually, at the beginning of the estate scenes, Miao Qianye was only two months pregnant, her belly barely showing. But Director Pan, always striving for realism, insisted on using a prosthetic belly, even though the elaborate palace attire had hidden it. Now, with the simpler clothes in the estate scenes, even subtle changes had to be considered. The previous day, Ji Junxin’s scenes were all sitting down, so she didn’t need it. But today’s scenes included full-body shots, so the prosthetic belly had to be ready.
The two-month prosthetic belly was just a piece of cloth with a thin layer of cotton padding, tied around the waist. Under the clothes, it was practically invisible. But Director Pan insisted, so no one argued.
Mi Hongdou touched the soft, padded cloth and smiled at Ji Junxin. “Fortunately, it’s winter, it’s quite warm. Filming this scene in summer would be torture.”
Ji Junxin also touched it and nodded in agreement.
The staff member chuckled. “Don’t think that prosthetic bellies are always this light and comfortable. This is just for the early months. Later, we’ll have to change it. Director Pan said the weight has to increase with the months. The later ones are filled with rice, heavier and heavier. The last one, we tried it, it’s so heavy you can barely stand up straight.”
Ji Junxin found it interesting. She had played pregnant characters before, but the prosthetic bellies were usually made of silk floss, she had never heard of adding rice.
Mi Hongdou, however, immediately grasped the key point and asked to see the other prosthetic bellies.
The staff member couldn’t refuse and rummaged through the props storage, finding one for five or six months of pregnancy. “The larger ones aren’t ready yet, this is for five or six months.”
Mi Hongdou took it, weighed it in her hand, and frowned. “The size is right for five or six months, but it’s so heavy, almost ten pounds… Whose baby weighs ten pounds at five or six months? Even twins wouldn’t be this heavy.” She looked at Ji Junxin’s slender waist with concern. Even this one would be a struggle for her, and the later ones would be even heavier.
“The weight of a pregnant belly isn’t just the baby,” the staff member, a middle-aged woman, said, not wanting to discuss the details of pregnancy with these young girls, her tone vague.
It must also include the amniotic fluid and the placenta, right? Mi Hongdou, a veteran of two lifetimes, wasn’t a young girl. Although the staff member’s words made sense, the weight in her hand was real. It felt like a ten-pound bag of rice, supposedly cotton mixed with rice, but it felt like pure rice!
Ten pounds, even carrying it in one hand was heavy, let alone tied around your waist. Mi Hongdou had always admired Director Pan’s dedication to realism, but looking at the heavy prosthetic belly, then at Ji Junxin, she no longer thought it was such a good thing.
“Aren’t you changing, Xiaomi?” Ji Junxin touched the prosthetic belly. “Should I try this one? It looks impressive.”
Of course, it was impressive, ten pounds! Mi Hongdou held it further away. She didn’t even want Ji Junxin to lift it, afraid she would hurt her hand.
But Director Pan’s decision seemed reasonable, there was no reason to object. Mi Hongdou found the straps and started putting it on. “I’ll try it first.”
The straps were complicated, and Mi Hongdou needed help from the staff member. As soon as she took her hands off the belly, it was as if someone had kicked her in the back. The weight almost made her lose her balance.
Fortunately, Ji Junxin, surprisingly quick-witted, caught her.
Mi Hongdou steadied herself, holding her belly, her back straight, her legs slightly apart, almost in a horse stance. Even with preparation, she hadn’t expected it to affect her balance so much.
“With this on, forget about acting, even standing and walking is difficult,” she said to the staff member.
The staff member shrugged helplessly. “But Director Pan said it has to be realistic.”
Well, they would have to talk to Director Pan.
“It does look very realistic.” Ji Junxin suddenly reached out and touched the prosthetic belly, smiling playfully. “Be a good baby, listen to your mommy.”
Ji Junxin’s teasing made Mi Hongdou blush. “This is your prosthetic belly, if there’s a baby, it’s your baby,” she retorted.
Seeing Mi Hongdou blush, Ji Junxin realized that her teasing was a bit much for a twenty-year-old girl and apologized. “Okay, okay, this baby is mine.” She patted the prosthetic belly again. “Be a good baby, Mommy loves you!”
You idiot! Mi Hongdou’s face burned. The belly was still on her! Pointing at her belly and calling it her baby, what did she mean! Mi Hongdou knew Ji Junxin was just being playful, but… her imagination ran wild… the more she thought about it, the weaker she felt, almost unable to support the weight. Idiot, idiot, idiot!
Not wanting to argue with this idiot, Mi Hongdou, her waist already aching from the straps, quickly took it off. But holding the prosthetic belly in her hand, she felt a strange sense of loss, as if the connection between her and Ji Junxin had weakened. She had been brainwashed by the idiot.
But she couldn’t let Ji Junxin suffer like this.
Ji Junxin was looking at the prosthetic belly with interest, about to try it on, when Mi Hongdou pushed her, along with the padded cloth, into the changing room.
“Go change, we’ll be late.” Mi Hongdou closed the door firmly.
“I just want to try it on!” Ji Junxin protested from inside, but Mi Hongdou blocked the door.
After some rustling and the sound of the lock clicking, Mi Hongdou rubbed her aching waist, returned the prosthetic belly to the staff member, and whispered, “Put this away, don’t let Ji Junxin use it. The weight should be introduced gradually, this is too heavy, she might hurt her back. It would be troublesome if she injured herself.”
Mi Hongdou’s words made sense. Director Pan’s demands were one thing, but if Ji Junxin injured herself wearing this, it would be their responsibility. The staff member quickly put the prosthetic belly away, somewhere Ji Junxin wouldn’t find it.
Relieved, Mi Hongdou touched her own flat stomach, feeling slightly awkward, and went to change.
She hadn’t expected more trouble while she was changing.
The changing rooms were connected. Mi Hongdou took her clothes and entered the one next to Ji Junxin’s. She wasn’t used to having someone else dress her, so she always took her clothes inside and changed herself. During the palace scenes, with the elaborate costumes, she would only leave the outer layers outside. Now, with the simpler clothes for the estate scenes, she didn’t need any help.
But just as she finished putting on her inner garments and was putting on her socks, she heard the sound of a lock clicking next door, followed by Shen Zhu’s voice.
“Sister Junxin, President Qiao’s secretary just called and asked me and Xiao Zhang to go back to Jiang City.” Shen Zhu’s face, unseen by Mi Hongdou, was full of concern. “I don’t know what’s so urgent that we both have to go back. If we both leave, there will be no one to take care of you. Why don’t you ask President Qiao if Xiao Zhang can go back first, and I can stay here with you? Then I can switch with her later, so you’ll still have someone here.”
Mi Hongdou was struggling with her shoe, bent over, her head feeling a little congested. And from Shen Zhu’s mouth, “Miss Ji” had become “Sister Junxin,” the intimacy level increasing rapidly. Annoyed, she yanked on the shoe, and it came off easily.
Fortunately, Ji Junxin, having made up her mind, wasn’t easily swayed. She just smiled at Shen Zhu’s seemingly concerned words and replied, “Since it’s President Qiao’s arrangement, you should go. If it’s nothing serious, you’ll be back soon. If there is something, President Qiao will arrange for someone else, don’t worry.”
Ji Junxin’s words soothed Mi Hongdou’s anger, and Shen Zhu was silent.
Shen Zhu had been Ji Junxin’s assistant for a while. Even though she hadn’t done much actual work, she knew that Ji Junxin usually listened to Qiao Rubai. She hadn’t expected Ji Junxin to keep her here, she just wanted to find out why Qiao Rubai had suddenly summoned them back. But Ji Junxin had deflected the question, not revealing anything, wasting her efforts in trying to be friendly and amusing earlier.
Not getting any information, Shen Zhu, a little unwilling to give up, was about to say more when the door of the changing room next to hers was suddenly flung open, slamming against hers with a loud bang, cutting her off.
“Hey, why aren’t you dressed? It’s cold outside.” Ji Junxin, noticing Mi Hongdou in her inner garments, quickly pushed her back into the changing room and thoughtfully closed the door.
Mi Hongdou, who had been about to come out and confront Shen Zhu, was pushed back in. Was Ji Junxin protecting Shen Zhu? Mi Hongdou’s anger intensified, and she was about to open the door again when she heard Ji Junxin’s nagging from outside, telling her to get dressed quickly and not catch a cold. She had also said it was cold outside when she pushed her in earlier… Listening to the non-stop nagging, Mi Hongdou gradually calmed down. Looking at the closed door, she was amused. Ji Junxin’s pushing and closing of the door was quite smooth, she wondered who she learned it from.
Shen Zhu silently watched as Ji Junxin stood by Mi Hongdou’s door, nagging her to get dressed, her gaze not shifting at all, and she knew that perhaps, in Ji Junxin’s heart, she was no longer important. And Mi Hongdou’s earlier gaze had been… rather fierce. Had she noticed something? Feeling a little guilty, Shen Zhu decided to retreat. It was just a trip back to Jiang City, she would return, and when she did, she would definitely win Ji Junxin over. Then, she would see how much Ji Junxin still cared about this Mi Hongdou.
Thinking this, Shen Zhu slowly left the changing area and ran into Jiang Lingling. Remembering the strange food she had just forced herself to eat, Shen Zhu was startled and, avoiding eye contact, quickly walked away.
Did she have to act like a mouse seeing a cat? … Her assistant had already reported that Shen Zhu had finished the food, even throwing up once, so Jiang Lingling wasn’t surprised to see her. It was time to send the menu.
So, while Mi Hongdou was still changing, her phone in the pile of clothes chirped. After some effort, she dug it out. It was a message from Jiang Lingling: [Mission “Eat Till You Burst” completed, video evidence available, ready to submit, please prepare the reward…], followed by a long list of dishes, from cold appetizers to stir-fries, from braised dishes to soups and desserts, a full course meal.
This time, Mi Hongdou didn’t hesitate and simply replied “Okay.” She was so agreeable because, firstly, Shen Zhu, who clearly had ulterior motives, had been dealt with, which pleased Mi Hongdou, and secondly, she still had to discuss the prosthetic belly matter with Director Pan. And such discussions, naturally, required a pleasant, post-feast atmosphere…
As for Jiang Lingling, having listed so many dishes, she was prepared for a long negotiation with Mi Hongdou. As long as Mi Hongdou agreed to make a third of them, it would be her victory. But she hadn’t expected such a quick and agreeable reply, which surprised and delighted her. She and her assistant had basically decided to keep the restaurant and poach some good chefs, replacing the current ones. Now that she thought about it, those chefs were still useful, she should keep them, and invite anyone she disliked to a meal there.
Jiang Lingling didn’t know how many people would dread her dinner invitations in the future because of this sudden idea. She also didn’t know that the usually mediocre food from her restaurant had been deliberately sabotaged by some disgruntled staff members these past two days, just to make her regret promoting that naive new head chef. And of course, she didn’t know that the feast she had just extracted from Mi Hongdou would be shared with the freeloading group.
Life was full of surprises, nothing was impossible, except perhaps for things beyond even Jiang Lingling’s imagination.
When Mi Hongdou finished changing and came out, only Ji Junxin was there. Shen Zhu was gone, probably summoned back to Jiang City by Qiao Rubai, having no other options. Mi Hongdou mentally praised Qiao Rubai. Having a reliable and powerful ally to remove the troublesome elements around Ji Junxin was reassuring. Thinking of this, she wondered how Qiao Rubai would react if she found out that she was also reborn… just the thought made her feel a little awkward.
It was January, and the weather was freezing, often dropping below zero. Everyone had heating pads on, but it wasn’t enough to compensate for the thin costumes. Filming at the dilapidated estate was much colder than in the palace sets in Shudian. During breaks, the actors could wear down jackets and coats, but during filming, they could only wear their thin costumes. In this situation, everyone tried their best not to NG, even if they weren’t in their best condition, they would force themselves to focus, to minimize their time in the cold.
The morning sun offered no warmth. Fortunately, Jiang Duo wasn’t in any of the morning scenes, her scenes were all scheduled for the afternoon. They wondered if it was Director Pan’s deliberate arrangement. After all, the afternoon sun was slightly warmer, and even with NGs, it wouldn’t be as torturous as in the morning. While silently thanking Director Pan for his consideration, they also mentally criticized Jiang Duo.
No one in the crew had a good impression of Jiang Duo now. Even the actors who had initially been friendly towards her were now avoiding her. Even Zhang Zijing, from the same company, no longer had any romantic interest in her, just maintaining a polite facade. Now, filming the estate scenes, without Zhang Zijing’s presence, Jiang Duo didn’t even have anyone to talk to.
However, although they disliked Jiang Duo, they also found her to be quite tactful, not trying to force friendships, which saved them the trouble of having to deal with her.
If Qiao Rubai knew their thoughts, she would probably laugh her head off. Jiang Duo wasn’t being tactful, she was simply shifting her target to someone else she could cling to.
Two nights ago, the night of the bone broth hot pot feast. After the late dinner, Qiao Rubai and Yang Lianyi, with Yang Miemie, not wanting to drive back at night, found a hotel near Shudian. Somehow, Jiang Duo found out where Qiao Rubai was staying and brought some soup late at night, her intention of currying favor obvious.
Yang Lianyi, who had been trying to poach Qiao Rubai for Mengguan, and whose relationship with Qiao Rubai had improved considerably although Qiao Rubai hadn’t agreed yet, now saw Qiao Rubai as her personal property. Someone trying to poach her property? Heh…
Jiang Duo, unlucky, was mocked and ridiculed by Yang Lianyi and then sent away, soup and all. And Jiang Duo realized that although Yang Lianyi hadn’t used any harsh words, every sentence felt like a slap in the face. She couldn’t even complain to anyone.
Qiao Rubai had watched the entire exchange without intervening. Jiang Duo felt that all the food she had given Qiao Rubai was wasted, this person wasn’t reliable. Remembering that Mi Hongdou had dined with them, and recalling Lu Gaoshi’s earlier words, Jiang Duo regretted not listening to Lu Gaoshi and focusing on Ji Junxin…
She wondered if it was too late to try again…
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