SPOILER ALERT!
New side characters introduced, they will have recurring appearances from here on until maybe the end of "Feng Yue" drama arc or until the end of the whole story.
These characters are the MC's of Author's current and ongoing novel; Passionate Love After Marriage With The White Moonlight Movie Queen
Some scenes including them may be a spoiler. Read at your own risk.
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During the time Ruan Jinghong was distracted, the girl with the golden ponytail had already stood in front of her.
"I just returned to the country recently and I'm not familiar with everything around here. It seems that you have some free time. Can you please be my tour guide?"
Ruan Jinghong looked at the girl's natural light gold ponytail, and the color appeared to be very genuine, not like it was dyed.
The girl seemed to be of foreign descent due to her hair color, but her facial features were typically Chinese, with a touch of elegance that made her stand out.
Facing Ruan Jinghong's curious gaze, the girl with the golden ponytail smiled brightly.
"I'm a mixed-race, with a large part of my heritage from China," she explained.
Can she read minds?
Ruan Jinghong nodded hesitantly, showing a friendly smile.
"I've already answered your doubts, so now it's your turn to help me and be my tour guide."
Ruan Jinghong found herself inexplicably working as a tour guide in the film and television city.
Apart from restaurants and hotels, there is really nothing to do here.
So she took the person to the film experience base not far away.
"Miss*, you can freely choose different costumes and roles here, and you can also choose your own script and shoot short videos as a souvenir. Would you like to experience it?"
*term used is 小姐姐 (Xiǎojiějiě), young miss/lady. Young (Elder) Sister
As an actress herself, Ruan Jinghong wasn't very interested in these film activities that attracted tourists.
But she thought that this young lady who came back from abroad might be interested. Her friend Qiao Xin had a soft spot for this place before.
When Golden Ponytail entered the film experience base, she was not as excited as many young girls, but was aroused by Ruan Jinghong's address.
"Did you call me 'Miss' just now?"
Ruan Jinghong wondered: I think you are about the same age as me, and you didn't tell me your name.
"Is there a problem with me calling you 'Miss'?"
Golden Ponytail raised her eyebrows and smiled happily: "No problem, you have good eyesight."
Golden Ponytail picked out quite a few outfits at the base like a butterfly, struggled for a while to choose the one with the most gorgeous decoration and color scheme, and went to the dressing room.
It didn't take long for Ruan Jinghong to see a beautiful figure appearing in front of her like a peacock spreading its tail.
The costumes at the experience base were undoubtedly not comparable to the authentic costumes used in professional productions. However, with the girl's gorgeous decorations and the striking presence of the golden ponytail, there was a certain air of grandeur that could deceive people.
"Little girl, why don't you act in a scene with me?" the girl said, inviting Ruan Jinghong to participate in the role-play.
Being called "little girl" by someone of the same age left Ruan Jinghong momentarily speechless.
However, she assumed that the girl had spent a long time abroad and might not be fluent in Chinese, so she didn't dwell on it.
Golden Ponytail chose a scene from the drama "Female Royal Consort"* and Ruan Jinghong decided to select a male costume for herself.
*a 1959 opera film/ 女驸马" (nǚ fǔ mǎ) literally translates to "female groom". It is a term used in Chinese historical dramas to refer to a female character who is married to a prince or a nobleman and fulfills the role of a consort or wife. In some stories, the female groom may disguise herself as a male to avoid detection or for various plot reasons.
Speaking of which, this was Ruan Jinghong's first time wearing men's clothes. Even if she changed her clothes, she still couldn't conceal her soft temperament that enveloped her whole body.
However, the scene chosen by Golden Ponytail is also a coincidence. It is the "taming husband" scene where the princess punishes the husband to stand with sugar cane on his head, so there is no need for masculinity.
The base is well-equipped with props, but most of the guests who play the roles usually just hold the sugarcane in their hands and don't actually place it on their heads.
However, Golden Ponytail pretends not to know and playfully placed three sugarcane sticks horizontally on Ruan Jinghong's head.
The staff on the side watched in horror.
Ruan Jinghong didn't mind at all. When she learned dance before, balance was one of the basic skills.
Most of this scene is performed by the princess. The husband played by Ruan Jinghong only needs to stand there honestly, bear the princess' anger, and give some obedient and comforting feedback from time to time.
To Ruan Jinghong, this was nothing more than playing house here with a young lady whom she met by chance.
Despite this role being very mismatched with her own personality, and despite having little preparation time due to the impromptu decision.
Once the filming started, the conviction of being an actress compelled her to take it seriously involuntarily.
As for Golden Ponytail, who played the princess, it was unclear whether it was her natural arrogance or innate talent, but she managed to immerse herself in the role in an instant, portraying the princess's petulant and capricious nature with remarkable authenticity.
This left the onlooking staff in a daze.
Initially, Ruan Jinghong was also taken aback by this sudden burst of charisma. She had never encountered an opponent with such a strong presence before, even when she worked with Fu Ziyan, she hadn't felt this overwhelmingly overpowered.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly. The husband should owe the princess, dote on her, and appear to be accommodating to her on the surface, but that doesn't mean he was truly being overwhelmed by the princess.
Golden Ponytail's display of dominance and excellence didn't intimidate her. Instead, it ignited her hidden competitiveness deep inside.
She swiftly adjusted her mindset, imagining the other as her willful and capricious girlfriend – seemingly fierce, but harmless in reality.
Psychological suggestion worked wonders. Though she still had the same tender appearance on her face, there was no trace of fear. Instead, she portrayed the role's required indulgence and affection.
The scene finally ended, and this improvised one-shot scene naturally had some flaws.
But both of them demonstrated their ability to quickly immerse into the roles, leaving the onlooking staff amazed.
Ruan Jinghong took off the three sugarcane stalks from her head and wiped off the sweat that had emerged on her forehead.
It was exhausting; acting wasn't any less demanding than regular work.
Regarding the mischievous character portrayal by Golden Ponytail, Ruan Jinghong didn't feel offended at all. Instead, she sincerely praised her.
"You are really talented Miss, even better than many professional actors."
"You are also impressive," Golden Ponytail smirked mischievously. "I've never seen such a stupid husband before."
Ruan Jinghong: ...
It's a friendly mutual compliment, right?
After the staff sent the recently filmed scene to their phones and they settled the bill, the two of them left the film experience base.
Golden Ponytail watched the video on her phone, looking very satisfied. She then glanced at Ruan Jinghong beside her, smiling with genuine joy.
She looked up at Ruan Jinghong who was beside her, and smiled happily.
"Thank you for your hospitality today. I had a great time. Cute little girls like you indeed bring joy to people's hearts."
Golden Ponytail praised with a mix of playful banter and sincerity.
Ruan Jinghong felt a bit embarrassed being called cute face-to-face by someone her age.
She responded with a mix of playful banter and genuine appreciation.
"You are cute too, Miss. My name is Ruan Jinghong. What's your name?"
After spending half a day together, Ruan Jinghong felt a strong connection with the bright-smiled girl in front of her.
Moreover, considering the girl's talent in acting at such a young age, she felt inclined to make new friends.
"My name, huh... You'll find out when we meet again," Golden Ponytail replied with a hint of mystery.
Golden Ponytail, whose real name is Shen Qingzhi, waved at Ruan Jinghong and ran off like a gust of wind.
Will there be another encounter in the future?
Shen Qingzhi, currently 36 years old, was once a little flower in the entertainment industry over a decade ago.
Despite her relatively short acting career, she quickly transitioned to directing behind the scenes. If one hadn't been much of a TV viewer in the past, it would be challenging to recognize her now.
In recent years, she mainly focused on her career abroad, and she has just been nominated for the Best Director at the Dollywood Awards for her latest film "Rui Xue"*
*Auspicious Snow
On the day "Rui Xue" finished filming, she resolutely returned to China and ended her two-year long-distance relationship with her own wife.
After returning to the country for less than two months, she received a major project.
The investor was China's largest entertainment company, Yaoshi Entertainment.
The original work was a popular IP with millions of fans called "Romance Does Not Know Me" One of the main actors is the renowned actress, Wen Jin, who possessed both exceptional acting skills and popularity among the nation's audience.
The production and cast lineup were so impressive that it was evident the producers aimed to achieve both high viewership ratings and awards. It was fitting for her, as the honored director returning to her home country, to take charge of this project.
The contract signing process went smoothly, to the extent that she didn't pay much attention to the additional clause stating, "Yaoshi Entertainment has the right to veto another lead actor's selection."
The requirement for the main cast to satisfy the largest investor is understandable and reasonable.
Since one of the lead roles had already been assigned to Wen Jin, considering the standard of the production, the other lead role was expected to be on par.
However, the reality turned out to be quite different, as the other actor fell short by a significant margin.
The name "Ruan Jinghong" didn't ring a bell for Shen Qingzhi for quite a while.
At first, she thought it might be because she had spent a long time abroad and hadn't paid much attention to the rapid development of the entertainment industry in China.
So, with a sense of luck, she searched the name "Ruan Jinghong" online and coincidentally found her latest work, "Cold School Flower Falls in Love with Me"*
T/N: Note that this is the drama mentioned in Chapter 1, different from one of the three scripts for Ruan Jinghong's prospective project which is Fragile School Flower Falls In Love With Me
Shen Qingzhi fell silent.
Wen Jin, this girl, did your head fall off*? How come the older you get, the more foolish you become?
*to have her IQ regress, or to be put on some kind of spell
When Shen Qingzhi was searching for Ruan Jinghong's information, she naturally saw the related topics of Wen Xiang Ruan Yu. She has to say that this CP is a bit intriguing.
But that's not the point!
If Wen Jin wants to promote her girlfriend and date at the public's expense, why not simply assemble a crew and find a commercial director to shoot some sugar drama*?
*romance
Why engage in such a big battle, just to date at the public's expense?!
If this messes up, the whole nation will have a spectacle to watch.
Fuming with anger, Shen Qingzhi immediately went to confront Wen Jin at Yaoshi headquarters. She wouldn't back down from this hot potato; it's just a breach of contract fine, and she's not short of that money either.
In the end, the culprit was still leaning on the boss's chair and talking sarcastically.
"Director Shen, have you thought it through? This production is currently the biggest in the country, with the strongest team, and it's destined to attract a lot of attention from the beginning of filming.
"You just signed the contract, but if you breach it right away, this matter will definitely get out."
"If this drama turns out to be a failure, the audience will say you got lucky and escaped the consequences.
"But I have confidence that this drama will be a great success, and then the audience's perception of you will..."
Damn, this cunning girl actually used aggressive method!
Unfortunately, Shen Qingzhi took the trick.
She was so angry that she went home and cried and hugged her dear wife.
Gu Jinrong gently lifted her wife's boneless body after listening to her tearful confession, and comforted her tenderly.
"So, are you afraid of failure, or do you think that Ruan Jinghong's talent is too poor and not worth cultivating?"
After careful consideration, Shen Qingzhi shook her head. It was neither of those.
She had started from scratch and made her way into the entertainment industry alone, overcoming numerous obstacles and enduring countless ridicules.
Failures were just companions to her success.
As for Ruan Jinghong's talent, she had just watched the opening theme of the drama "School Beauty" and was already shocked by its poor quality. She was in no mood to pay attention to the talent of actors in poorly-made dramas.
She was just angry that Wen Jin deceived her into being a tool in promoting her girlfriend!
Gu Jinrong patted her own wife's pouting face and coaxed with a smile.
"I noticed you were quite interested in that project before. Now, it's just that there's this variable, Ruan Jinghong. Why don't you go and meet her in person? Maybe that little girl will catch your eye."
"If you're still not satisfied after meeting her, then we won't do the project. No need to endure Wen yatou's temper."
After having her fur smoothed by someone, the initially indignant Shen Qingzhi lost her initial grievances. She raised her eyes and glanced at Gu Jinrong.
"Why do I feel like you're speaking up for them both, in your words and between the lines? Has that girl, Ruan Jinghong, made your head fall too?"
Gu Jinrong chuckled, "She just came to our restaurant and had a meal once, and you were there too. I just thought that the little girl bears a slight resemblance to you when you were young, perhaps she might catch your eye."
Shen Qingzhi pretended to be dramatic, "I see, you're saying I'm not young anymore."
…
That evening, Gu Jinrong was still in the kitchen preparing a heartfelt dinner when she saw her wife rushing in with a delighted expression.
"I've made up my mind, we're going to shoot "Romance Does Not Know Me" with all our efforts."
Gu Jinrong wasn't surprised by this decision, and she carefully tended to the fire as she asked, "So, did that little girl catch your eye?"
Shen Qingzhi thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "She's pure-hearted, with strong convictions, worth cultivating."
It was quite rare for Gu Jinrong to hear such a high evaluation from her wife, "You said earlier that the girl made my head fall off, but now it seems like you're the one who likes her more."
"I really like her a lot." Shen Qingzhi suddenly remembered something, and emphasized with a serious face.
"But I was different from her when I was young. I wasn't that stupid."
Author's Note:
Director Shen: So happy to be called "Miss" by a kid who's a cycle* younger than me.
\(^0^)/~
*Chinese Zodiac Cycle, 1 cycle is 12 years
