Acting Spoiled and Arrogant [Rebirth] - Chapter 11

After chatting with Lu Xingxian for a while longer, Zuo Xian prepared to head to the makeup room.

Since this was her first real role and a character with decent exposure, the company had assigned her an assistant. However, she was a newcomer who had just started the job—a bit scatterbrained and slow on the uptake. Zuo Xian didn’t expect much from her; fortunately, Chen Shuang was personally overseeing things, so despite being there for a while, no major blunders had occurred.

Zuo Xian was set to depart for the filming site in the afternoon, so the schedule was quite tight.

The makeup room was still the communal one, with a connected changing area. Many supporting actors had to line up outside to use it. There were several backup makeup artists on-site, but they primarily focused on the main supporting roles. For someone like Zuo Xian—who had lines but few close-ups—someone would usually only come by to brush on some powder right before filming.

“Hiss…” A faint cry of pain rang out. Zuo Xian instinctively turned her head.

This was the women’s changing room, and it was relatively empty at this hour. Only a few actors waiting for the press conference were lingering boredly. The extras usually spent the whole day outside in their costumes and rarely came in.

Zuo Xian saw Zeng Xiaoyu clutching her hand in pain, tears practically welling up in her eyes.

“What happened?” Zuo Xian walked over and noticed blood seeping from the girl’s hand. Frowning, she pulled a few tissues from the table and handed them over. However, Zeng Xiaoyu didn’t wipe the blood immediately; she moved the garment aside to reveal her hand, her face contorted in pain. “Sister Xian…”

Zuo Xian saw exactly what was wrong—a very thin, small needle was stuck in Zeng Xiaoyu’s hand.

Zuo Xian pursed her lips, her gaze falling on the costume dropped on the floor. There was no telling how many more needles were hidden inside.

The minor commotion immediately drew attention in the small changing room. Bystanders gasped. Although it was just an assistant who got hurt, the act was incredibly malicious—if Zeng Xiaoyu hadn’t picked up the garment first, Zuo Xian would have handled it herself to try it on.

The trick of hiding needles in costumes was an old cliché, but it was precisely because it was so old that people often let their guard down. The needle might not have caused a fatal injury, but it could have left a long scratch on Zuo Xian’s body or gotten embedded in her skin. She would have been forced to either endure the pain through the press conference or withdraw at the last minute, throwing the entire event into chaos and ruining her reputation with the director and the rest of the cast.

Zuo Xian closed her eyes and scanned the room. She first turned to Zeng Xiaoyu. “Hand over all your afternoon work to Sister Shuang. Go to the hospital immediately for a blood-borne disease screening. If anything is wrong, I will take full responsibility.”

Zeng Xiaoyu froze, raising her tear-streaked face. She was just a recent college graduate, and this was her first job. Due to her lack of experience, she wasn’t particularly well-regarded at the company. After learning she was to assist Zuo Xian—who had recently been publicly “called out” by another actress on Weibo—she had assumed Zuo Xian had a terrible temper. She had been worried and even considered resigning!

But what did Zuo Xian just say?

Zeng Xiaoyu couldn’t describe the feeling in her chest, but her nose felt stingy. She waved her hands hurriedly. “Sister Xian, it’s not that serious. I… my hand is just bleeding a little, it’s not necessary!”

Zuo Xian gave a small smile. This poor, naive child.

Zeng Xiaoyu clearly hadn’t experienced the dirty tactics of the entertainment industry. The only reason people stopped doing these things in the future was the ubiquity of cameras and improved security. But right now, most crews cut corners to save money, placing very few cameras outside the actual filming area.

Especially not in the changing rooms.

However, Zuo Xian was no longer a rookie. The previous incident had already set off a small alarm in her head.

Zuo Xian looked around the room, a cold smile suddenly tugging at her lips. She said in a deep voice, “Whoever hid the needles in my clothes better stand up and apologize right now. I don’t have much patience. If you haven’t come to find me by the end of today’s press conference…”

Zuo Xian let go of Zeng Xiaoyu’s hand and walked to the locker labeled with her name. She grabbed the cheap lock and yanked it open, chuckling softly. “I placed a high-definition hidden camera in my locker. You can try your luck—see if you can bear the consequences once the footage is exposed.”

The changing room fell into a sudden, dead silence.

Zuo Xian’s gaze lingered on a female actor in the corner for a moment. Then, she said expressionlessly to Zeng Xiaoyu, “Go find Sister Shuang, then go to the hospital.”

Zeng Xiaoyu nodded dazed and dashed toward the door. Just as she was about to open it, someone opened it from the outside.

Standing there was Yao Lan’s assistant. It was unclear how much she had heard, but she didn’t show it. She simply said with a smile, “Zuo Xian, our Sister Lan asked me to check if you’d like to head to the press conference venue together.”

The other minor actors began whispering among themselves. Zuo Xian glanced at the clothes on the floor—she certainly couldn’t wear them now. She needed another plan.

When she reached Yao Lan, the older actress naturally noticed Zuo Xian was still in her palace costume. After Zuo Xian briefly explained what happened, Yao Lan’s expression changed. She exchanged a look with her assistant, and after receiving a subtle confirmation, she spoke.

“I didn’t expect… By the way, the production team brought me three sets of gowns. But you…” She sized up Zuo Xian’s figure. “Try them on first. After all, you used to be a model.”

Female celebrities’ figures generally aren’t that different, but Yao Lan had a child in the past, so she was a bit more curvaceous than Zuo Xian. The clothes would definitely fit, but she was worried they might not look right on Zuo Xian for the camera.

Zuo Xian breathed a sigh of relief. She thanked Yao Lan gratefully and used the private dressing area there to change. While changing, she thought to herself that she needed to hurry up and secure her own private dressing room; otherwise, these kinds of underhanded attacks would be impossible to guard against.

The dress was indeed a bit large, but Zuo Xian had a great figure, so it wasn’t overly baggy—the waist was just a little loose. For an actress, this was a minor issue. Zuo Xian turned left and right in front of the full-length mirror and quickly pinned the back to adjust it. This quick reaction even startled Yao Lan—it seemed Lu Xingxian had a good reason for looking after this newcomer.

Everyone arrived at the press conference on time. The staff had arrived even earlier. The communications room, cameras, post-production team, and various media personnel were all in their positions, waiting for the main cast to arrive.

Although they had rushed, Zuo Xian hadn’t had time for fine details. Her hair was naturally a bit wavy and she didn’t have time for a professional style, so she simply tied it into a loose “half-up bun”—a style that would become very popular later. She applied light makeup herself in Yao Lan’s car. It wasn’t flashy, but it wasn’t easy to ignore either.

Yao Lan had been watching Zuo Xian’s movements the whole way, stunned by her practiced emergency responses. She even asked several questions; most actresses can do their own makeup, but not exquisitely, especially when their hands are shaking from panic or a moving car. “Quick-fix” makeup hadn’t become common yet, but Zuo Xian used the techniques with effortless ease.

As the female lead, Yao Lan stood right in the center, flanked by the supporting cast, the director, and the producers. Zuo Xian’s position was neither great nor terrible—not too far on the edge, but not too close to the center. To her surprise, she saw an “old acquaintance” on stage.

Sun Jiayi was standing next to an assistant director. she didn’t look to be in great shape, frequently casting glances toward Zuo Xian. Zuo Xian noticed but didn’t look back—who knew how the media would edit the footage? To promote a film, unscrupulous media outlets would do anything for a headline. People don’t want to see harmony; they want to see actresses fighting or couples divorcing.

Seeing Zuo Xian wouldn’t take the bait, Sun Jiayi seemed angry. Her eyes turned red, making her look even more aggrieved—a moment the cameras caught perfectly.

Zuo Xian, standing on the opposite side, was chatting with the supporting actor next to her. The gown Yao Lan had given her was a sophisticated blue—a modified version of a traditional Qipao with a long trailing hem. Normally, such a deep blue might look too mature for a young actress, but with Zuo Xian’s background as a model and her natural beauty, she suddenly looked elegant and refined, standing out like a crane among chickens.

When the camera panned to Zuo Xian, everyone froze—

Who is she?!

Most of the photos Zuo Xian had taken previously were heavily airbrushed print ads, so few in the film industry recognized her. Now, with her light makeup—applied with “future” techniques to look natural yet camera-ready—she was stunning. Her features were delicate, and her eyes looked like they held a pool of clear water. She smiled occasionally and stood there listening obediently without trying to steal the spotlight. Just looking at her made one feel better.

Among the sea of actresses with bold red lips, Zuo Xian stood out immediately! The curiosity in everyone’s hearts grew—

Which company does this artist belong to? Why has there been no news of her before?!