Chapter 6: The Vase Actress Who Is a Fake Heiress in Modern Society (6)

Xiandu had spent the last half-month holed up at home, gnawing through her script.

"Xiandu, once you're on set, you must listen to Director Wei. This is a major production; if nothing else, you'll surely gain a wealth of experience from the veteran actors..."

Huo Ying, still feeling uneasy about her arriving on set a day early, had brought Jin Li along to help pack. Jin Li had been Huo Ying’s assistant, but she had resigned after Huo Ying was suspended. Jin Li was also a financial investor in Starry Bright Studio, which Huo Ying had founded.

"Ying, Jin Li, that’s enough stuff. It’s not like I’m never coming back. If I pack too much, people will say I’m a diva acting out," Xiandu said, holding Wangcai and standing to the side after several failed attempts to stop them.

"Nobody is going to pay attention to us. There are plenty of artists who pack seven or eight suitcases for a three-day trip. If we don’t pack for you, should we rely on you—someone who can’t even tell the difference between a top and undergarments—to pack for yourself?" Huo Ying chided, though her hands never stopped moving.

Jin Li giggled to herself, silently helping to stuff more items into the bags. Ever since Xiandu had confused a variety of personal items during their last outing, Huo Ying had given up all hope regarding Xiandu’s ability to take care of herself.

Xiandu pouted, unconvinced. She picked up Wangcai and communicated through their mental link: "This really isn't my fault. You should blame your department for not providing employee training! How is an ancient soul like me supposed to know how humans live? And that 'top' she keeps nagging about—it’s literally two pieces of cloth! No matter where I held it up to, it just didn't fit right!"

[Yes, yes! Host, it is absolutely the department's fault!] Wangcai tried hard to suppress a grin, finding its host’s frustration amusing, but it played along anyway.

"Don't think I didn't see you struggling to keep your mouth from twitching more than an AK."

Wangcai hurriedly tried to cover its mouth with its paws, but it was too chubby to reach.

*Ring-ring—*

Huo Ying’s phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, looking puzzled. "Director Wei? Why would he be calling now... Jin Li, just pack these few things up. I’m going outside to take this call."

"Got it!" Jin Li nodded.

Xiandu watched Huo Ying leave, set Wangcai down, and rushed to the suitcase, grabbing things to unpack.

"Xiandu, just behave. Even if Ying is a bit nagging, everything she’s packing is necessary." Jin Li pressed down on Xiandu’s hands, pushed her back onto the sofa, and placed the phone in her hands. "Just browse Weibo. You should at least get to know the other actors so you won't be completely in the dark later."

"Fine." Xiandu sat back, disgruntled, and opened Weibo. She saw several new trending topics, all marked with the "Explosive" tag. "Shocking! New rising star's romance exposed—both parties are from wealthy families!"

Driven by curiosity, Xiandu tapped on the topic and saw a photo she recognized all too well. She had seen it on Father Jiang’s social media feed.

Besides that photo, there was another of Jiang You'an holding onto Bo Yue’s arm while talking to Director Wei Lai, looking quite cozy. Xiandu scrolled through the comments, which were uniformly positive, wishing the couple a long-lasting relationship. The occasional negative comment had already been buried.

"Tsk, I didn't realize these two were in such a hurry," Xiandu muttered, though the sharp pain of sadness no longer stirred within her.

[But Host, if this is the case, it means the Bo and Jiang families have officially aligned through marriage. It will be even harder to bring them down now.] Wangcai peeked at the screen and voiced its concern.

"True. It seems I need to find bargaining chips to collaborate with Gu Tech sooner," a glint of cold light flashed in Xiandu’s eyes.

Xiandu put her phone away. When she looked up, she saw Huo Ying had returned from her call. However, her expression was off; she looked at Xiandu with eyes full of pity, hesitating to speak.

"What’s wrong, Ying?" Xiandu smiled, though she already had a hunch.

Huo Ying sat beside her, reached out to hold her hand, and stared intently at her face, fearing she would miss any sign of distress. "Director Wei just called to say... the role of Lian Zheng has been recast. We don't need to go anymore."

"How is that possible?" Jin Li was shocked, dropping what she was holding. "The opening ceremony is tomorrow! How could they recast at a time like this? And... and didn't we already sign the contract? They’ll have to pay a breach-of-contract penalty for this!"

Huo Ying looked at Jin Li, signaling with her eyes not to get too worked up, as Xiandu was likely the one most hurt. She continued, "Director Wei said they will pay the penalty, and... he knows this wasn't the right way to handle things. He thinks you're a talented actress and said he'd prioritize you for the next project..."

By the end, Huo Ying’s voice lacked conviction; even she felt it sounded like empty promises.

Unlike Jin Li’s indignation and Huo Ying’s sorrow, Xiandu was remarkably calm. She spoke to Wangcai in her mind with a self-mocking tone: "It seems I wronged your department. The detection is quite sensitive—it can even foresee the future. No wonder it never showed the completion message for Random Mission Four."

[Host...] Wangcai didn't know what to say.

"Ying, did Director Wei say who is replacing me in the role of Lian Zheng?" Xiandu hugged Wangcai, stroking it for comfort.

"That... Director Wei didn't say much. He just said it was forced upon them by the investors, and he couldn't refuse... However, he hinted that it was the Jiang family..."

"Jiang Tech?"

Huo Ying nodded.

Xiandu’s hand, which had been stroking Wangcai, froze.

*Heh.*

As expected.

Xiandu had suspected it when she saw the trending topic earlier, but now that she had been replaced, it was confirmed.

She hadn't expected Jiang You'an to be so impatient, worried that Xiandu would rekindle an old flame with Bo Yue if they were on the same set. She thought too highly of Bo Yue—assuming that any woman would throw herself at her fiancé.

Apart from that face and his identity as the heir to the Bo family, there was nothing worth mentioning about him. Selfish, cowardly, indecisive... If he were in charge of the Bo family, she wouldn't have to worry so much about Mission One.

Still, she felt there was something else, though she couldn't be sure yet...

Seeing Xiandu smirk, Huo Ying worried that she was suffering too much and quickly comforted her: "We have a long road ahead of us. If he doesn't want us, it's Wei Lai’s loss... But I blame myself for trusting the director's integrity and saying there wouldn't be any under-the-table dealings. Bah!"

Xiandu was genuinely amused by Huo Ying. "Pfft! I’m fine, really! Look on the bright side, I have a long vacation now!"

"You!" Jin Li laughed, gently poking Xiandu’s forehead with her index finger.

"Ah! I'm dying!" Xiandu leaned back into the sofa, pretending to be gravely wounded. "Nothing but a few big bags of snacks can fix this!"

"Eat? You’re an artist, an actress! Don't just think about food; you need to maintain your figure!" Huo Ying said, feeling helpless as she pulled Xiandu back up.

"Is it really not allowed?" Xiandu clasped her hands together, looking at Huo Ying with pitiful, pleading eyes.

Wangcai walked over and looked up at Huo Ying, too.

"Alright, alright," Huo Ying covered her eyes; she couldn't stand the look. "You only get one bag, the rest are for Wangcai."

Xiandu raised an eyebrow and exchanged a knowing look with Wangcai.

"Oh, right!" Huo Ying remembered something. "I was so upset I almost forgot—Director Wei gave you an invitation to the Starlight Awards as compensation. You need to keep your figure, or you won't fit into the dress!"

"So?" Xiandu still held a glimmer of hope.

"Your bag of snacks is gone, too." Huo Ying turned away, refusing to look at her.

"What?"

How could such cold words come from a human being?