Chapter Ten: The Socialite Actress Pretending to Be a Heiress in Modern Society (10)

Xian Du found her life on the film set fairly pleasant. With Jin Li’s constant praise and the director and screenwriter’s approval, she herself felt her acting had improved significantly.

That was, if she could overlook Bo Yue’s occasional fits of remorse and Jiang You’an’s obsessive surveillance.

The screenwriter of "Xi Yan," also known as “One More Bowl of Rice,” who was the original author, was very fond of Xian Du’s portrayal. They even added an inner monologue scene for Lian Zheng, making the character more three-dimensional.

Xian Du comforted herself with the hope that when the drama aired, viewers would see Lian Zheng in a new light because of that scene.

Playing a villain was tricky. If you didn’t act well, people called you a mere pretty face; if you acted too well, making the audience despise your character to the bone, you’d attract waves of online abuse.

She hoped everyone would be a bit gentler with their criticism. If it got too much, she could just disconnect from the internet for a while. As long as the main system didn’t go mad and assign new random tasks, lying low at home through this period was a pretty good option.

“Teacher Jiang, filming is about to start. You should head over now,” a crew member reminded Xian Du.

Since her first scene, people’s perceptions of her had changed considerably. Seeing her return to the hotel every day in an ordinary car, they believed she wasn’t some privileged insider. It seemed the chairman of the Gu family simply didn’t want parasites in his invested drama, which was why Xian Du was brought back.

“All right, I’m coming!” Xian Du gathered her things and followed the crew member.

This scene depicted Lian Zheng receiving orders from the Demon Lord to ensure the death of Zhu Yan, the direct disciple of the revered Yu Qing.

Zhu Yan had grown too quickly over the years, and the demon clan feared she might become a second Yu Qing. They intended to extinguish her at her most vulnerable moment to prevent future troubles.

As an outer disciple, Lian Zheng didn’t have to train day and night like the direct disciples. Besides cultivation, she handled miscellaneous sect affairs. Through networking, she secured the monthly task of going down the mountain for supplies, which allowed her to be monitored by the demon clan through informants.

Since the Qingyun Sword Sect was a stronghold of righteousness, any trace of demonic energy would be detected instantly by the sect’s mountain-guarding formation, leading to immediate annihilation. Hence, someone with Lian Zheng’s special status couldn’t communicate with her kind by magical means.

As usual, after returning to her chamber and confirming no one was around, Lian Zheng tore open the pastries she had bought and found a note inside:

“On the day of choosing the path, Zhu Yan will die.”

She read the note over and over before realizing it was real.

Zhu Yan was left behind after the clan’s massacre because the Demon Lord, in a fit of whimsy, wanted to cultivate demonic seeds using a human body. Zhu Yan’s body was a natural vessel—the perfect breeding ground.

As the Demon Lord’s right protector, Lian Zheng was assigned to watch over this new “toy” Zhu Yan.

Unlike other demons who gained status through patronage, Lian Zheng was a half-demon, born of human and demon blood, at the lowest rung of the demon world’s food chain. She clawed her way up through fierce battles in the demon lair.

She had never questioned the Demon Lord’s orders, for obedience was etched into their demonic bloodline.

But this was the first time she contemplated defiance.

Though her time with Zhu Yan was brief, she had truly come to like the pure-hearted young girl—at least Zhu Yan genuinely needed her.

Unnoticed even by herself, her hand trembled as she held the note.

---

The usually composed right protector of the demon clan paced anxiously around the chamber.

If she didn’t kill Zhu Yan herself, the Demon Lord would only resort to crueller means. Then the situation would spiral beyond control...

Unconsciously, Lian Zheng had considered every possible outcome for Zhu Yan, except the consequences for herself if she failed.

Distracted, she didn’t even notice when she knocked over a teacup.

“Bang!”

The cup fell from the table, jolting her from her thoughts and sparking a new idea:

Even if this choice made Zhu Yan hate her, neither the righteous nor the demon path would leave Lian Zheng any place anymore!

Her own life, stained with blood and bitterness, was already miserable. But Zhu Yan could still have her own path!

Thinking this through, Lian Zheng calmed herself and burned the note in the oil lamp.

---

“Cut! That’s a wrap for this scene. We’ll take a half-hour break before shooting the heroine’s injury scene!” Wei Lai shouted through the megaphone, and the crew breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Thanks to the release of the official photos, "Xi Yan" was trending online, and investors pressured Wei Lai to speed up the schedule. Though the crew worked in shifts, some actors had already pulled several all-nighters.

Bo Yue, in poor condition, no longer troubled Xian Du. Instead, Wei Lai publicly scolded him several times with the megaphone, in front of the whole crew.

Meanwhile, even Xian Du, a minor figure, had gained tens of thousands of fans on Weibo—mostly admirers who daily urged her to post photos.

“Sis, you’re so beautiful! Why can’t us girls kiss you?”

“Look at me, sis! I want to have monkey babies with you!”

Occasionally, some skeptics waiting for a joke claimed Xian Du was just a pretty face, a vase without talent, ready to be mocked when the show aired.

Xian Du, as usual, posted a photo of Wang Cai sleeping. Just as she was about to log off Weibo, a push notification came through:

“Shocking! Rumors surface of the fourth female lead’s scandal to rise in ‘Xi Yan.’ Is Wei Lai’s reputation doomed?”

The poster shared several photos of Xian Du and Wei Lai discussing the script, some old shots of the original fourth female lead, and a questionable photo of a hotel room door opening. They blurred faces except for Xian Du’s, which was almost indistinguishable from the original.

The topic’s popularity skyrocketed, with hundreds of comments piling up within a minute:

“Is this true? Could it be just rumors? Wei Lai’s always known for fairness, right?”

“The industry’s so dirty. Even Wei Lai’s old face gets chewed up. Women these days will stoop to anything for money.”

“Don’t generalize! Your narrow-minded view makes everything seem filthy!”

The thread briefly veered off course, but the original poster pulled it back with another comment:

“100% real! If this isn’t true, I’ll eat shit upside down! This came from the actress who was replaced. She said she signed the contract and started filming two weeks ago but got pushed out by someone with connections. She prepared for months and ended up hospitalized from the stress!”

“Disgusting! How can this still happen?”

“Yeah, such people deserve no good end!”

...

Most comments had turned hateful, and Xian Du lost the heart to read further.

[Host, they’re too much! Just one-sided accusations, yet they brand you with a stigma! They’ve completely reversed the roles of persecutor and victim, mixing right and wrong, falsely accusing you!]

Wang Cai, watching the trending topic soar, was furious. This was clearly a paid smear campaign against Xian Du.

[I’m going to create eight hundred alt accounts and fight back for you right now!]

Wang Cai ranted online while Xian Du pondered: Was this a simple act of vengeance by a rival actress? Or was someone trying to sabotage "Xi Yan"? Or was it something else entirely...

“Knock, knock, knock—”

Someone knocked on the door.

Jin Li had something to attend to at home today, so Xian Du was alone in the makeup room.

Opening the door, she saw Zhao Zhongyu, who played the sect leader of Qingyun Sword Sect and had scenes to shoot that day.

“Teacher Zhao, what brings you here?”

Zhao Zhongyu stepped inside, closed the door, and secretly locked it from behind.

“Little girl, I know all about you,” Zhao Zhongyu said with a sly grin, cornering Xian Du against the wall. “Following Wei Lai won’t get you anywhere good. Why not come with me instead? I’ve acted for decades. My connections are far wider than a fool like Wei Lai, who only knows how to direct.”

Xian Du found this amusing and replied mockingly, “Oh? Is that so? Your connections are really broad. I hadn’t even reacted to the trending topic when you showed up!”

Zhao Zhongyu, drunk on lust and oblivious to her sarcasm, agreed, “Yeah, stick with me, and you won’t lose out!”

He lowered his gaze to her thigh and reached out to touch her.