After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 27

Lin Shuyan spent a total of ten days at the Ren estate before departing for Chenghua City. The scenery of this Jiangnan water town was completely different from Yecheng or Tongcheng; a new story was about to unfold here.

“Teacher Lin, this is your dressing table.” A staff member lifted the curtain and introduced the space to Lin Shuyan and her assistant, Chen Yan.

“Thank you.” Lin Shuyan looked around the temporary tent set up by the crew, which could accommodate three dressing tables. An actress at the neighboring table had already finished her makeup; seeing Lin Shuyan enter, she waved enthusiastically. “I’m the eldest sister. Are you the second sister?”

Knowing she was referring to the roles in the script, Lin Shuyan greeted her directly, “Hello, Big Sister.”

“How old are you this year?” Sheng Yue, the actress playing the eldest Tang daughter, pulled her chair closer to chat. Upon hearing Lin Shuyan’s age, she sighed, “I’m ten years older than you! You looked young, but I didn’t expect you to be this young.”

“If you hadn’t said anything, Sister, I wouldn’t have known you were that much older,” Lin Shuyan said sincerely. The woman before her was in her thirties, but she truly looked only three or four years older than Shuyan, just like in the script.

No woman dislikes being praised for her youth, and Sheng Yue grew even more cheerful. One played the eldest sister and the other the second; they had many scenes together, and as they talked, their bond naturally deepened.

The drama Leaving Home spanned over twenty years. The story took place in an ordinary city in the south, centered around an average family. The Tang family had three daughters and one son. The four children were born during the height of the family planning policy; the Tang parents had hidden and schemed through three daughters before finally getting a baby boy.

The youngest daughter, the protagonist of the drama, was given away to a distant cousin for adoption as soon as she was born. The story begins when the eight-year-old protagonist is forced to leave her adoptive parents and return to this strange yet familiar home.

The eldest Tang sister dropped out of school young to support the family; the second sister barely made it through primary school; the youngest daughter, supported by her adoptive parents, made it to high school. Meanwhile, the only one never troubled by schooling issues—the youngest Tang brother—didn’t cherish the opportunity and barely coasted into a mediocre university.

Different ages, different education levels, but the four children all shared one goal: Leaving home.

While home is often called a “safe harbor,” in this drama, everyone from the neglected eldest sister to the pampered youngest son wanted to escape this family. The protagonist’s struggle was the most obvious; she fought and worked hard. The trauma of her family of origin was not easily shaken off. By the end of the series, the children finally found their own paths and started new families.

“The female lead is here!” Clamorous voices came from outside. Staff members who were fans craned their necks, eager to catch a glimpse.

The lead of Leaving Home was Ning Xin, a “method” actress. Although only twenty-six, her acting and line delivery were among the best of her peers and the industry at large. Almost every drama she filmed became a hit. Her presence alone spoke volumes about the production team’s ambition.

“Shall we go take a look?” Sheng Yue suggested. Lin Shuyan went out with her. At the door, she saw Chen Yan craning her neck to look as well. She really is popular, Shuyan thought. As an industry insider, she had never seen Chen Yan focus so intently on anyone before.

“Hello, Big Sister, Second Sister!” Ning Xin didn’t put on any airs of a top star; she was very easygoing. After asking everyone’s ages and discovering Lin Shuyan was younger than her, Ning Xin laughed, “So you’re a little sister!”

Everyone surrounding them laughed. Director Li, seeing them hit it off so quickly, was delighted. He joined the conversation for a bit before the crew began preparations.

The first day was mainly for makeup tests and celebrating the start of filming; the first scene would be shot tomorrow. Consequently, Lin Shuyan, having washed up early, lay on her bed to continue studying the script with her phone set to loud beside her.

As she read, she couldn’t help but think of her own past. Shuyan was an orphan. She had almost forgotten how she became one. In her blurred memories, she seemed to remember someone holding her hand. Shuyan felt that the place she was born was likely not Yecheng.

Her childhood memories were distant, but she vaguely recalled that the clothes and voice of the person who held her hand were different from those of people in Yecheng. When she got a bit older, she specifically asked the aunties at the orphanage. They said they had received a phone call.

It was the dead of winter, freezing cold. On a street where only a few people passed, a child of about a few years old stood under a big tree for an hour or two. Her small hands and face were frozen red, but she refused to leave. Finally, the owner of a breakfast shop couldn’t bear to watch any longer and pulled the girl inside to wait.

After waiting for several hours with no one showing up, the owner called the police. After an investigation, the police concluded the child had been abandoned. In those days, such things happened often, so the police sent her to the welfare home.

While reading the script, Shuyan wondered if her parents were even crueler than those in Leaving Home, having abandoned her directly. But that seemed fine; at least she never had those things, so losing them didn’t feel like a pity.

However, playing the second Tang daughter was quite a challenge. The character’s emotions toward her parents were complex—the same as countless daughters who come from families that favor sons over daughters.

This character type was very typical. Times progress, and ideas progress, but the mindset of the old era is clearly not that easy to escape. The sisters written by the screenwriter could still resonate with countless girls today.

Her phone rang. Shuyan picked it up immediately, her eyes lighting up at the expected name. “Miss Ren.”

“Reading the script?” Ren Xuan already knew her routine well.

“Mhm.” Lin Shuyan nodded.

“Is it a bit difficult?” Ren Xuan asked with a smile. Although it was a modern role, the character’s life was vastly different from Shuyan’s.

“Just a little bit.” Since she had chosen this role, Shuyan had considered it carefully. “But then, an actor playing a murderer in a TV show hasn’t actually killed anyone, right?”

Ren Xuan chuckled. “You seem to have a card up your sleeve.”

“I don’t,” Shuyan replied nervously.

“Being confident is a good thing,” Ren Xuan affirmed. “I saw the video released by The Dragon Emperor. You acted very well.”

On the day The Dragon Emperor wrapped, they only released stills. Today, for the start of Leaving Home, they happened to release the first behind-the-scenes video. As a supporting actress, Shuyan only had a few shots.

“I only appeared for five seconds,” Shuyan said. What could Miss Ren possibly see in just five seconds? She was clearly teasing her.

“Exactly,” Ren Xuan replied with complete naturalness. “I can see everything I need in those five seconds.”

Shuyan was half-convinced, though she preferred to believe Ren Xuan was just trying to make her happy.

“Actually, my assistant Xiao Yan told me a lot about girls who are similar to this character,” Shuyan said. As a lifestyle assistant, Chen Yan’s job was mainly to look after Shuyan’s daily needs. Facing such a “slice of life” role, Chen Yan had many observations to share.

Chen Yan’s family was average, and she had an older sister. Both sisters simply went to university and found their own jobs. Even if you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve seen a pig run. Through years of school, Chen Yan had met all kinds of girls, and she had accidentally chatted a lot with Shuyan.

“That’s a good method,” Ren Xuan praised. “I heard that many actors, to make their characters more realistic, even go to those environments to experience them.”

Seeing that Ren Xuan approved, Shuyan felt even more motivated. They didn’t talk for long, as Ren Xuan hung up quickly, worried about Shuyan’s rest.

After filming for about half a month, the entire crew moved to Ningjiang City. Shuyan told Ren Xuan her itinerary over the phone.

“In that case, I can come see you in a few days.”

“Are you coming to visit the set?” Shuyan asked softly. Ningjiang City was closer to Yecheng, but Shuyan hadn’t heard of Ning Yinman or Ren Xuan having an investment in this production.

“This time, I’m not actually coming specifically to see you,” Ren Xuan laughed. “I have an aunt who happens to be in Ningjiang City, and we agreed to meet up this weekend.” Ren Xuan’s parents had passed away, but she still had to visit distant aunts and uncles from time to time.

This time isn’t… Shuyan successfully caught the keyword. She couldn’t help but want to ask: Then what about last time? So, Miss Ren didn’t “happen” to run into her last time—she had specifically come with President Ning to see her?

Ren Xuan continued, “Since I’m not going to the set, can you come out to play?”

Yes, absolutely yes.

“I should be able to. My scenes aren’t that many,” Shuyan said, though she sounded a bit uncertain.

Ren Xuan took it as an agreement and asked if she needed anything brought over; she could bring it along. The two of them settled on the plan.

For several days, Shuyan couldn’t help but count down the days while filming. It was perfect—she had no scenes on that day.

“Director Li,” Shuyan spoke to the director two days in advance. Since she had no scenes that day anyway, Director Li even specifically told her she could go look around Ningjiang City, as there were many fun places.

Shuyan was looking forward to Ren Xuan’s arrival. Before that, an unexpected acquaintance patted her on the shoulder.

“Teacher Song!” Chen Yan exclaimed. “Why are you here?”

“Am I not welcome?” Song Tang laughed. “Shuyan, tell me, aren’t we destined? I just finished a cameo on the last set and came straight here to yours.”

“So that person was you!” Shuyan remembered immediately. An actress had fallen ill a couple of days ago; she only had three days of scenes, and Director Li said he would arrange for someone as soon as possible.

“Coincidence, right? I didn’t expect it either. I came early. So, I heard you have no scenes tomorrow—want to go hang out in Ningjiang City?” Chen Yan, seeing them chatting warmly, had already slipped out to go play.

“I have something to do tomorrow.”

“What is it?”

“Tomorrow…” Shuyan was embarrassed to say.

“Not convenient?” Song Tang asked with a smirk.

“Not really.” Shuyan thought about it. Song Tang knew about Ren Xuan, so there was no harm in telling her.

“Wait, you mean President Ren is coming over again?”

“She’s not coming here,” Shuyan said, quickly covering Song Tang’s mouth for fear of alerting others when she almost screamed. “She’s passing through and stopping by to see me.”

“Lin Shuyan,” Song Tang rolled her eyes. She knew the general story of how Shuyan and Ren Xuan met, and she knew they were at most friends right now. But looking at Ren Xuan’s side, it didn’t seem that way. “Tell me, is there a possibility that President Ren is trying to pursue you?”