Chapter 27
Filming went exceptionally smoothly that day, with most of the scenes belonging to Ji Xiangyu.
For Li Jin’s sake, Zhou Yi traveled everywhere persuading the aristocratic families to support her. Even when she occasionally met Li Jin, she could only exchange a few hurried words before leaving again.
The current emperor’s health was worsening by the day, yet the position of Crown Princess remained vacant. Memorials recommending various imperial daughters to enter the Eastern Palace were continuously submitted at court, but the emperor suppressed every one of them.
Under such circumstances, Zhou Yi relied solely on her own strength to change the intentions of the great aristocratic clans.
Ji Xiangyu handled scenes like these effortlessly, and almost every shot passed on the first take.
The first half of the drama was not the main focus to begin with. Shen Yishu glanced through the script and realized they would begin filming events after Li Jin ascended the throne in another two days.
That meant she would soon officially begin portraying the moment when the scumbag woman tore away her mask.
She could already imagine viewers watching the drama in the future, seeing her behave like a scumbag, and commenting:
“How could you bear to be cruel while looking at a face like that?”
Shen Yishu certainly could not bear it.
Ji Xiangyu had not finished filming her current scene, so Shen Yishu moved a small stool to the side and sat there watching.
Zhu Li quietly called to her.
“Sister Shen, someone outside is looking for you. She has you on WeChat.”
Security surrounded the set. To prevent unauthorized photographers and unrelated people from entering and disturbing the production, anyone without a staff badge was prohibited from going inside.
Shen Yishu found it extremely strange.
She did not know anyone here. Who could possibly be looking for her?
Surely it could not be those two brainless members of the Shen family.
“Is it a man or a woman? Do you know her?”
Shen Yishu glanced toward Ji Xiangyu, who was filming seriously, and lowered her voice.
“A woman. I don’t know her.”
Zhu Li hesitated before adding,
“She’s quite beautiful.”
Shen Yishu: “…”
Was that truly the important point?
Remembering all the older and younger beauties she had deleted the previous night, Shen Yishu became even less willing to go outside.
After thinking for a moment, however, she decided to take a look in case something genuinely important had happened.
“Watch my stool. Don’t let anyone else sit on it,” Shen Yishu instructed.
Apart from the director’s position, this was the best viewing spot she had found.
She could not allow someone else to steal it.
Zhu Li nodded and sat down while holding Shen Yishu’s script.
When Shen Yishu walked outside, she indeed saw an exceptionally beautiful young woman.
Normally, plenty of unauthorized photographers and fans waited outside filming locations merely to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrities.
However, the film base was remote. Concerned that fans might encounter danger while following artists there, most studios discouraged them from coming.
Only a scattered handful of people stood outside.
Those with connections to the production knew filming would end late today, so none had waited around at this hour.
When the remaining people saw Shen Yishu emerge, they immediately became energized. Some raised their phones, while others lifted cameras.
Shen Yishu had never encountered anything like this in her life.
She was still wearing her costume and did not even have time to flee.
“No photographs!”
Fortunately, the security guards quickly reacted and began blocking the lenses.
Shen Yishu hurriedly brought the young woman inside, escaping the people outside.
The beautiful woman had excellent taste in clothing and wore refined makeup. She was dressed in a well-tailored camisole and an A-line skirt from the latest collection of a certain affordable luxury brand.
Her perfume smelled cloyingly sweet.
“Sister, why haven’t you asked me out lately?”
Even her voice carried a slightly coquettish accent, with the final syllables lifting delicately.
Hearing someone else call her Sister made Shen Yishu uncomfortable all over.
“I’ve been busy filming. You…”
Shen Yishu wanted to ask who she was, but worried that if the woman had been close to the original owner, such a question might hurt her feelings.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you. You haven’t contacted me for ages. I wanted to call you last night, but discovered you’d blocked me.”
The woman spoke coquettishly and moved closer, intending to wrap herself around Shen Yishu’s arm.
“I’ve been busy lately.”
Shen Yishu shifted several steps away.
“So busy that you can’t even answer messages?”
The woman pouted in dissatisfaction.
“…My wife won’t allow it.”
Having no other option, Shen Yishu brought out Ji Xiangyu.
After all, Ji Xiangyu had told her to cleanly deal with all the romantic entanglements around her.
Borrowing Ji Xiangyu’s words as an excuse to reject someone should not be a problem.
“Your wife?”
The woman’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“When did you get married?”
“In the past couple of days,” Shen Yishu answered vaguely.
“Getting married doesn’t matter. You can still play around like before.”
The woman immediately leaned toward Shen Yishu’s arms.
Shen Yishu: Absolutely not!
Frightened, she forcefully pushed the woman away and jumped to one side.
“If you don’t have anything important to say, you should leave. My wife doesn’t like me standing so close to other people.”
The woman froze for two seconds before suddenly laughing.
“When you posted that you’d found true love, I thought you were sweet-talking another young woman and accidentally sent it to the wrong group.”
Shen Yishu remembered that post.
She had merely used it as an excuse not to reply to anyone.
Still, she kept her mouth closed and said nothing.
“I found some of the information you asked me to investigate. I couldn’t uncover the rest, so you’ll need to think of another method.”
The woman’s frivolous manner disappeared entirely. She took a folded stack of printed papers from the small bag hanging at her side and handed them to Shen Yishu.
Shen Yishu revealed nothing outwardly, though she became suspicious inside.
After accepting it, she discovered that the documents concerned the Shen family.
The woman’s flirtatious demeanor had completely vanished. Her voice returned to normal as she stood patiently and waited for Shen Yishu to skim the pages.
Shen Yishu sighed and nodded.
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. You paid me, so I was only doing my job.”
The woman smiled, forming dimples at the corners of her lips.
“So can you remove me from your blocked list?”
Shen Yishu had no idea who she was and could only lie with her eyes open.
“I accidentally deleted all my contacts a couple of days ago. Add me again tonight.”
The woman nodded, allowing the matter to pass.
Shen Yishu quietly released a relieved breath.
The woman was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something.
“You said you’re married. Your wife isn’t angry about your scandal with Ji Xiangyu trending online?”
Shen Yishu: “…”
Would Ji Xiangyu be angry with herself?
She said nothing and merely shook her head.
“She said it doesn’t matter.”
“I never expected you to enter a flash marriage.”
The woman’s expression became meaningful.
“Back then, I thought you liked me.”
Given the original owner’s ability to flirt with everyone around her, she had probably created that illusion for many people.
“Don’t say things like that again. I’m afraid my wife will become angry.”
The aura of someone strictly controlled by her wife naturally emerged from Shen Yishu.
She had grown increasingly skillful at using Ji Xiangyu as an excuse and no longer felt the slightest blush or guilt.
“Oh!”
The woman burst into laughter.
“The prodigal daughter has finally turned back.”
She waved at Shen Yishu.
“You can call me again if you have similar work. I’ll see whether I can find another way to investigate the rest.”
Shen Yishu relaxed.
“I’ll transfer the payment to you.”
The woman left.
Shen Yishu turned around, intending to return to the set and see how far filming had progressed.
The moment she did, she happened to encounter Ji Xiangyu.
“…Sister.”
Shen Yishu greeted her guiltily.
They were both dressed in costume, making Shen Yishu feel like Li Jin being caught cheating by Zhou Yi.
She had confidently used Ji Xiangyu as an excuse moments ago, but now that the actual person stood before her, she suddenly felt guilty.
“Do I lose my temper that easily?”
Ji Xiangyu pretended to sigh, appearing disappointed.
“No!”
Shen Yishu immediately denied it.
“Sister is gentle and kind. You have an excellent temper.”
Ji Xiangyu was least able to resist Shen Yishu whenever she deliberately behaved obediently.
The moment she saw that expression, she wanted to touch her head.
“Don’t you like delicate, spoiled young women best? The one just now seemed quite suitable. Even the way she called you Sister nearly softened my heart.”
Ji Xiangyu’s voice contained a trace of sourness that even she did not notice.
“When did I ever say that?”
Shen Yishu felt deeply wronged.
How many times had Ji Xiangyu now claimed she liked delicate, spoiled women?
She did not!
“You said it to Jiang Wu before,” Ji Xiangyu kindly reminded her.
“That was only to make her leave sooner.”
Shen Yishu became slightly annoyed.
“Then what kind of person do you like?”
Ji Xiangyu moved closer, blocking her inside the narrow alleyway.
“I like…”
Shen Yishu did not believe she had any particular type.
If she had to choose, however, a reliable older woman like Ji Xiangyu seemed wonderful.
Besides, because their contractual relationship was clearly defined, Shen Yishu felt it should be harmless to say a few pleasant things to please Ji Xiangyu.
“I like successful, gentle, and kind older women.”
Her gaze was sincere, and the words seemed to leave her mouth naturally.
Ji Xiangyu: “…”
Even though she knew Shen Yishu had probably said it merely to make her happy, Ji Xiangyu still felt inexplicably pleased.
She attributed that pleasure to Shen Yishu wholeheartedly fulfilling their agreement, preventing Ji Xiangyu from overthinking the relationship.
“You did very well today.”
Ji Xiangyu ultimately could not resist reaching out and stroking her hair.
“After we make our marriage public, people will inevitably create stories whenever you become too close to someone else.”
Shen Yishu had not considered that at all.
She merely believed people should honor their agreements.
Since she had promised Ji Xiangyu she would cleanly deal with everything, she would not remain entangled.
Besides, Shen Yishu had no interest in maintaining pointless ambiguity with other people.
Ambiguity with someone you liked could be called romantic tension.
With someone you did not like, it was merely putting on an act.
“I understand.”
“However, if you find someone you genuinely like, you can tell me and end the agreement.”
Ji Xiangyu’s tone was calm.
“I’m not considering that for now.”
Shen Yishu had never even thought about finding someone she liked.
She believed in dedicating herself to whatever profession she entered.
Now that she had stepped into the entertainment industry, she had no intention of spending time on romance before accomplishing something.
Besides, she currently depended on Ji Xiangyu.
She could hardly use Ji Xiangyu’s money to take someone else out for dinner.
“Why not?”
Ji Xiangyu leaned closer.
Her makeup was soft, a faint smile rested on her lips, and her voice was so gentle that Shen Yishu’s heart softened along with it.
“Because Sister needs me more.”
Shen Yishu spoke sincerely.
“Besides, with Sister beside me, how could I possibly notice anyone else?”
Ji Xiangyu’s eyes curved.
“Was the investigation she conducted related to the Shen family?”
Ji Xiangyu changed the subject.
The young woman had become increasingly skilled at speaking sweetly, leaving Ji Xiangyu with the feeling that she could no longer win against her.
“Yes, but I don’t know how much of it is true.”
Shen Yishu frowned while holding the documents.
“It should all be true.”
Ji Xiangyu lost her desire to tease and her voice cooled.
“I know her. She works as a private investigator under her mentor. I’ve met her twice.”
Shen Yishu: “…”
Had Ji Xiangyu been teasing her again?
“It says my parents’ inheritance was seized by my relatives.”
Shen Yishu rubbed between her brows.
Her casual guess had unexpectedly struck the truth.
“No wonder.”
“Mm?”
“If your father possessed the same intelligence as your eldest uncle, he probably couldn’t have produced someone like you.”
Shen Yishu: That was actually true.
She simply had not expected the original owner to be more than a complete fool.
She had apparently been investigating these matters.
Then why had she done so many absurd things in the original novel, eventually suffering such a miserable fate?
Shen Yishu had already skimmed the documents rapidly, so she handed them to Ji Xiangyu.
After glancing through a few pages, Ji Xiangyu understood the situation.
Such matters were not rare among wealthy families. She had heard of similar cases before, but this was the first time someone close to her had personally experienced it.
“Do you want to recover it?” Ji Xiangyu asked. “I doubt much remains.”
Shen Yishu understood as well.
Considering Shen Gaozhuo’s intelligence, it was impressive that he had not already destroyed every company.
“If there’s an opportunity. This isn’t enough yet.”
The written information alone was insufficient.
Filming did not end until ten that night.
After finishing work, Zheng Shu came to pick up Lin Luosheng.
Lin Luosheng still remembered being marked last time. When she heard Zheng Shu had arrived, she hid behind Ji Xiangyu and refused to see her.
Then Shen Yishu saw a tall woman in a suit, her face cold and her long hair pinned behind her head, standing along the route everyone had to take when leaving the set.
She was holding an enormous teddy bear nearly half her height.
Bringing a teddy bear to coax one’s partner was nothing unusual.
However, Zheng Shu’s expression was as cold as though she were interrogating a subordinate about entering the wrong number into a report, creating a striking contrast with the adorable bear in her arms.
“She came to coax you, Ah Sheng.”
Ji Xiangyu nodded toward Zheng Shu from a distance as a greeting.
“I’m not seeing her.”
Lin Luosheng remained hidden behind Ji Xiangyu and had not yet noticed how ridiculous Zheng Shu looked holding the bear.
“I’m going back to sleep with Shen Yishu. Do you plan to come with us?” Ji Xiangyu asked clearly and distinctly.
Lin Luosheng’s face flushed.
For her cousin’s happiness, she had no choice but to emerge from behind Ji Xiangyu.
The moment she did, she saw Zheng Shu holding the giant bear.
Zheng Shu called her name.
“Lin Luosheng.”
Shen Yishu watched Lin Luosheng’s expression transform from stubborn displeasure to sparkling excitement.
In the blink of an eye, she had already run to Zheng Shu.
“You managed to buy it for me?”
Lin Luosheng was so delighted that she completely forgot she had been angry.
“Let’s go.”
Ji Xiangyu awakened the stunned Shen Yishu.
“They need their private time, and we should have ours too.”
Shen Yishu knew that she and Ji Xiangyu were merely good friends who shared a bed.
Anyone who did not know better might imagine they were returning to do something entirely different.
When they passed Zheng Shu, Lin Luosheng was holding the bear and examining it with a delighted smile.
Zheng Shu sent Shen Yishu an icy glare sharp enough to slice her apart.
For perhaps the hundredth time, Shen Yishu felt grateful that she had never confronted Zheng Shu directly.
At this stage of the story, Zheng Shu had already evolved into a fully developed domineering CEO.
Without Ji Xiangyu protecting her, Shen Yishu would not even have had a role to film today.
“Don’t look at Shen Yishu like that.”
Lin Luosheng frowned and shouted unhappily,
“She’s my cousin’s wife. You’re not allowed to frighten her.”
Shen Yishu: “…”
In her lifetime, she had actually heard Lin Luosheng defend her.
“All right. I won’t look at her,” Zheng Shu replied, withdrawing her gaze.
Ji Xiangyu nodded in approval.
“Ah Sheng is right. She’s my wife, Xiao Shu. You’re not allowed to intimidate her.”
Zheng Shu: “…All right, Cousin. I won’t do it again.”
Several lines of emotional tears drifted through Shen Yishu’s heart.
Being cherished felt far too wonderful.
Even after they walked away, Shen Yishu could still hear Lin Luosheng speaking with Zheng Shu.
Lin Luosheng was normally quiet. She only spoke slightly more in front of Ji Xiangyu.
The upbringing of an aristocratic young lady had been engraved into her bones, leaving her distant from most people.
Even before Ji Xiangyu, she merely displayed the familiarity of a younger cousin speaking to an older one.
Only around Zheng Shu did the spoiled delicacy suppressed deep within her emerge.
And Zheng Shu accepted every trace of it without requiring any reason.
As someone witnessing the two female leads’ sweetness firsthand, Shen Yishu felt the original owner’s involvement in their story had indeed been entirely unnecessary.
“You’re still watching?”
Seeing Shen Yishu repeatedly look backward, Ji Xiangyu lightly tapped the top of her head.
“She looked at me so frighteningly just now.”
Shen Yishu invented an excuse.
She could hardly admit that the couple she supported was extremely sweet.
“Xiao Shu is always afraid Ah Sheng will encounter someone bad.”
Ji Xiangyu suppressed her laughter.
“Didn’t you constantly cause trouble before?”
Once again forced to carry the original owner’s blame, Shen Yishu said innocently,
“My brain wasn’t functioning properly then.”
“Has it recovered now?” Ji Xiangyu asked.
Shen Yishu could boast without preparation and praise Ji Xiangyu without thinking.
“My mind was purified by Sister’s beauty that night. Now I pursue truth, kindness, and beauty. I must become a good person to be worthy of Sister.”
Ji Xiangyu turned her head away without answering.
Under the faint moonlight, Shen Yishu noticed that her earlobes had turned pink.
Had she praised her too excessively?
But Ji Xiangyu’s fans spoke like this all the time.
After leaving the set, they returned to their respective hotel rooms.
Zhu Li moved into Shen Yishu’s former room and would no longer need to travel from another hotel to follow her schedule.
After showering and sitting on the bed, Shen Yishu still felt somewhat dazed.
This was the first time she would lie in the same bed as Ji Xiangyu while officially being her wife.
Ji Xiangyu, however, behaved completely naturally.
After showering, she did not even change into a nightdress and emerged wearing only a bathrobe.
“Do you have anything to do?” Ji Xiangyu asked with a yawn.
“No.”
Shen Yishu currently felt like a shy young bride sitting beneath a red veil while waiting for Ji Xiangyu to lift it.
She was so nervous that she nearly forgot how to speak, much less find something to occupy herself.
“If you have nothing to do, come dry my hair.”
Ji Xiangyu yawned again.
She had received a temporary mark the previous night, so her pheromones had remained exceptionally stable today.
She estimated that the final loss of pheromone control during this heat would occur tomorrow.
After that, this month’s heat would end.
Once it ended, Shen Yishu could occasionally sleep alone.
Ji Xiangyu knew her own sleeping posture was not particularly good.
Disturbing Shen Yishu for a few days would not matter, but interfering with her sleep over the long term might make her stupid.
A foolish little friend would certainly be adorable, but she might no longer be able to say things like, “My mind was purified by Sister’s beauty.”
Shen Yishu obediently climbed out of bed and went to help Ji Xiangyu dry her hair.
The bathroom mirror had been polished until it looked brand new. The bright lights reflected two bare yet equally beautiful faces.
Ji Xiangyu needed to apply her skincare products and wanted to sleep quickly, which was why she had asked Shen Yishu to help.
As she applied serum to her face, she asked,
“Don’t you use skincare products at night?”
Shen Yishu had only been twenty-three in her previous life, still at an age when her face was youthful and filled with collagen.
Her skin was naturally good. She only applied moisturizing products during winter and had no need for anti-aging treatments.
After arriving here, she had forgotten that she was now an actress who wore makeup for long periods and needed to care for her skin promptly.
The original owner possessed countless bottles and jars, but Shen Yishu had not examined them carefully.
“I’ve been so busy lately that I forgot.”
Shen Yishu lifted Ji Xiangyu’s long hair and carefully dried it.
“Youth is wonderful.”
Ji Xiangyu scooped out a little eye cream.
“I didn’t care about such things when I was your age either.”
“Sister is still young.”
Shen Yishu could not bear hearing her speak that way.
Ji Xiangyu spread the eye cream across her skin and turned around.
Her black hair slid from Shen Yishu’s hands.
She pinched Shen Yishu’s cheek and sighed.
“Your skin is truly smooth.”
Shen Yishu thought that when she touched Sister’s back yesterday, the skin beneath her palm had been equally smooth—smooth enough to make one’s heart sway.
Naturally, she did not dare say that aloud.
It would make her sound like a pervert.
“Sister’s skin is even better than mine,” Shen Yishu said honestly.
Even beneath the bright light and from only inches away, she could not see Ji Xiangyu’s pores.
A female celebrity truly was a female celebrity.
“Your scenes will be finished soon. Will you remain here to accompany me afterward?” Ji Xiangyu asked.
She had also skimmed the script today.
In no more than two weeks, Shen Yishu’s major scenes in the early portion would be completely finished.
Only a few scattered shots in the later stages would remain, and they could be filmed whenever convenient.
“I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“You could ask me for resources.”
Looking at the Alpha seriously drying her hair in the mirror, Ji Xiangyu always felt that Shen Yishu was intelligent but not calculating.
“Minor actresses in the industry have approached me before, saying I could do whatever I wanted with them as long as I gave them the female lead role in a certain script.”
Ji Xiangyu washed her hands.
“You’re already my legal wife. Asking me for something isn’t excessive.”
“But I haven’t…”
Shen Yishu became confused.
The concept of reaching out and requesting something for nothing did not exist in her vocabulary.
“I haven’t contributed anything.”
“Do you want me to play with you too?”
Ji Xiangyu laughed.
She took the hair dryer from Shen Yishu and dried the places Shen Yishu had overlooked.
“…”
Shen Yishu suddenly felt that she had once again been led into a trap.
“Bring me a nightdress.”
Ji Xiangyu stopped teasing her.
The little friend could speak outrageously without hesitation, but the moment such matters became serious, she instantly transformed into an innocent young woman.
That contrast made Ji Xiangyu even more satisfied.
Shen Yishu walked out with a miserable expression.
Crouching beside the wardrobe, she deeply felt that her skin was still far too thin.
She found the familiar nightdress and returned to the bathroom, handing it to Ji Xiangyu.
Then she remained standing there, waiting for Ji Xiangyu to give her another task.
Ji Xiangyu had already begun untying the belt around her bathrobe when she realized Shen Yishu had not left.
She turned her head.
“Aren’t you going outside?”
Although she asked the question aloud, her hands did not stop moving.
The bathrobe slipped from her shoulder, revealing a faint red mole like a wordless temptation.
Her freshly dried black hair fell behind her back.
Her neck was long, and her collarbones were delicate and straight. The deep hollows above them seemed capable of holding an entire pool of spring water.
The red mole remained half concealed against skin whiter than snow.
“…”
Shen Yishu turned around and immediately left, her ears bright red.
She had no doubt that if she remained for another two seconds, she would see everything.
After leaving, she took two deep breaths and calmed herself.
When it came to being shameless, she still could not compare with Ji Xiangyu.
Even resisting her was extremely difficult.
Shen Yishu buried herself beneath the covers, pressing her face into the pillow to conceal her crimson earlobes, burning cheeks, and frightened, pounding heart.
The mattress beside her sank.
Ji Xiangyu switched off the light and lay down on the other side.
They continued using separate blankets and slept at opposite ends of the wide bed.
The moon quietly hid behind the clouds, and silence descended upon the earth.
Ji Xiangyu spoke softly.
“Good night. See you tomorrow.”
Remembering how she had been nudged awake in the middle of the night last time, Shen Yishu thought they would probably see each other again before morning.
Nevertheless, she replied quietly,
“Good night, Sister. See you tomorrow.”
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