After Transmigrating As The Film Empress Sister’s Kept Alpha - Chapter 5

Zhu Li’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

Although Jiang Wu had never won an award, she was far from unpopular. She had several hit dramas under her belt, and among actresses of the same generation, both her achievements and popularity ranked near the top.

Had Ji Xiangyu not overshadowed her, Jiang Wu could have been considered exceptionally successful.

However, whether it was Ji Xiangyu or Jiang Wu, the conflict between the two of them was not something an obscure actress like Shen Yishu was qualified to interfere in.

The moment she heard Shen Yishu’s mocking remark, Zhu Li nearly burst into tears.

Jiang Wu might not be able to defeat Ji Xiangyu, but crushing someone like Shen Yishu would be effortless.

For a popular celebrity to use her resources to blacklist an insignificant actress required little more than lifting a finger.

With a miserable expression, Zhu Li wondered whether Shen Yishu believed that saying a few words in defense of Best Actress Ji would make Ji Xiangyu regard her differently.

Ji Xiangyu was famously cold-faced and coldhearted. She had been in the industry for ten years without a single romantic scandal.

Zhu Li had worked in the entertainment industry for several years and had never heard of anyone successfully winning Ji Xiangyu over through flattery.

There were plenty of people who tried to stand up for her, only for Ji Xiangyu to reject their goodwill.

Shen Yishu, standing at the center of the storm, naturally could not understand Zhu Li’s anxiety or fear of losing her job.

She had initially intended to remain a bystander and see how Ji Xiangyu handled this kind of workplace sabotage.

However, Ji Xiangyu was clearly too weak today, and Shen Yishu could not bear to keep watching.

After all, she had been the one to mark Ji Xiangyu yesterday. She could not completely distance herself from the situation.

Although every word Ji Xiangyu said seemed intended to draw a clear line between them, Shen Yishu still could not remain indifferent while watching her in such a miserable state.

She stood behind Ji Xiangyu.

The steady warmth of an Alpha’s body flowed into Ji Xiangyu’s chilled frame like a campfire in the snow.

Ji Xiangyu lowered her eyes, looking neither at Jiang Wu nor at Shen Yishu.

Shen Yishu had no idea what she was thinking.

Two seconds later, Ji Xiangyu closed the lid of the cup and gave a soft laugh.

Her voice had always been clear and bright, like a mountain spring—cold at first, yet leaving a faint sweetness after it passed down the throat.

“Shen Yishu is right. You should spend more time polishing your acting skills.” Ji Xiangyu raised her eyes, mockery curving the corners of her lips. “Otherwise, the next time we meet, you’ll still be seated with the rest of the production crew, watching me go onstage to receive an award.”

Jiang Wu: “?”

Ji Xiangyu’s response was essentially a public declaration that she was supporting Shen Yishu.

Only then did Jiang Wu begin seriously examining the insignificant actress who had just spoken so rudely to her.

Shen Yishu stood openly in place and calmly endured her scrutiny.

Before transmigrating, she had delivered speeches and presentations in countless public settings. She had never suffered from stage fright simply because many people were present.

Her smiling eyes curved gently, but mockery glimmered within them, and she did not retreat in the slightest.

She wore an exquisitely made costume—a black robe embroidered with dark gold patterns. The air of wealth and arrogance surrounding her could not be suppressed.

Jiang Wu knew Shen Yishu.

More precisely, she knew the original Shen Yishu.

Before Ji Xiangyu joined the production, the two of them had already filmed several scenes together.

Jiang Wu remembered that just two days earlier, after Shen Yishu caused several retakes, she had lost her temper at her assistant in the corridor. She had even ordered the poor assistant to go out and buy barbecue late at night.

Jiang Wu gave Ji Xiangyu a suspicious glance, unable to understand how such a spoiled rich brat had managed to please her.

Just as she was about to ask, Ji Xiangyu interrupted her with a movement.

Ji Xiangyu returned the cup to Shen Yishu, refused the blanket her assistant offered, and called toward the bewildered director outside the set.

“Fourth take.”

Shen Yishu understood that it was time for her to leave the frame.

Unexpectedly, Ji Xiangyu grabbed her wrist.

The fingers around her wrist were icy cold and trembling slightly from the chill. Unable to control her strength properly, Ji Xiangyu gripped Shen Yishu’s slender wrist hard enough to leave it red, as though holding tightly to a piece of driftwood.

Ji Xiangyu paused for two seconds before slowly speaking in a low voice.

“Come to my room after filming.”

Shen Yishu was just about to say that it might not be appropriate when Ji Xiangyu forcefully pushed her out of the camera frame.

Still dazed, Shen Yishu turned around.

She happened to catch Ji Xiangyu suppressing a smile at the corners of her lips.

It resembled a crescent moon hooking the gently swaying surface of a pond, sending ripples through the water—and through the heart of anyone watching.

By the time Shen Yishu obediently returned to her stool, Ji Xiangyu had already resumed her original position.

She once again wore an indifferent expression as the makeup artist adjusted her costume and makeup, waiting for the director to call action.

Jiang Wu suppressed the resentment in her heart and retreated from the set to wait for filming to begin.

Shen Yishu turned and saw the anger on Jiang Wu’s face.

She had a feeling that once filming ended today, Jiang Wu would probably come looking for trouble.

Had it been the original owner, she might genuinely have been afraid.

However, Shen Yishu did not belong to this world and had no real sense of Jiang Wu’s popularity, so naturally, she was not particularly frightened.

She withdrew her gaze and focused on Ji Xiangyu.

Although both were beautiful Sisters, an honest and straightforward beautiful Sister was still far more attractive than one who enjoyed setting traps for others.

This take went extremely smoothly.

After causing such a scene, Jiang Wu no longer dared to try anything.

The earlier conflict did not affect Ji Xiangyu’s performance.

The moment she knelt in her original position, the Zhou family’s bravest daughter returned.

Jiang Wu still had anger lodged in her chest and wanted to compete with Ji Xiangyu through acting. However, she was not the focus of this scene, and she made no mistakes.

They completed the scene in a single take.

The moment the director called, “Pass,” Ji Xiangyu’s assistant rushed over with a blanket and wrapped it around her trembling body.

Bundled in the blanket, Ji Xiangyu accepted the insulated cup handed to her.

The rising steam dispelled some of the cold.

Through the mist, she vaguely saw Shen Yishu tilting her head with her eyes lowered, smiling as she listened to Zhu Li speak.

After Zhu Li finished, Shen Yishu even laughed softly twice.

Ji Xiangyu withdrew her gaze, gave a cold snort, and walked toward the lounge.

As expected, a scumbag Alpha was still a scumbag Alpha.

She wanted to flirt with everyone she encountered.

In reality, Zhu Li was so anxious that she was nearly crying. She frowned and spoke rapidly.

“Sister Shen, you provoked Jiang Wu. She’s going to cause trouble for you!”

The glance Jiang Wu had thrown in their direction while leaving frightened Zhu Li whenever she thought about it.

“Mm-hmm.”

Shen Yishu let the words enter one ear and leave through the other.

“What will you do if she tries to blacklist you and you can’t get any acting jobs?”

Shen Yishu lowered her eyes and thought for a moment before answering with a smile.

“I have money.”

Zhu Li: “…”

Shen Yishu sensed someone watching her.

When she looked up, she saw only a sweep of black hair disappearing in the distance.

Moist air mixed with the faint scent of rosemary drifted past her, like a kitten scratching gently at the center of her palm—soft and unbearably ticklish.

After calming Zhu Li, Shen Yishu also had to film her own scene.

Compared with Ji Xiangyu’s schedule, which had seemed like a day of suffering and torment, Shen Yishu’s part was extremely easy.

One could even say she was quite fortunate.

Feeling somewhat curious, she sat on a long bench.

Four or five beautiful actresses wearing exquisite makeup sat around her, all dressed flamboyantly.

Wine cups and prop fruit had been arranged on a low table.

Shen Yishu swept her wide sleeves aside, immediately resembling a spoiled noblewoman who spent her days indulging in wine and pleasure.

Today, she would film the scene in which Zhou Yi knelt in the rain, begging her father to approve her marriage, while Li Jin drank and amused herself with palace maids inside her own residence.

When a servant reported that Zhou Yi was kneeling in the rain, Li Jin was already drunk and ordered the servant not to ruin her good mood.

No one’s heart suddenly turned evil.

Some people were rotten from the very beginning. Their wickedness was merely hidden beneath an exquisite shell and did not reveal itself immediately.

The more Li Jin trampled upon Zhou Yi’s sincere feelings, the more precious Zhou Yi and Ji Mu’s relationship appeared by comparison.

They filmed the scene twice.

During the first take, Shen Yishu failed to enter character. She was stiff and awkward while flirting with the extras, prompting the director to call cut.

By the second take, she had found the proper state.

A palace maid offered her a cup of wine.

Shen Yishu wrapped an arm around the maid’s shoulders, allowing the woman to naturally raise the cup to her lips.

As the two laughed and drank together, every expression and movement Li Jin made radiated careless charm and indulgence.

While watching her, the director joked with the crew member beside him.

“It’s certainly easier to act when the character matches the actor’s real personality.”

Ji Xiangyu happened to pass nearby after removing her wig and changing out of her wet costume.

Hearing those words, she looked toward Shen Yishu, who sat in the elevated hall.

At that exact moment, Shen Yishu turned toward the main camera.

Their gazes briefly met in midair.

Shen Yishu continued reciting her lines, her eyes glittering as though the Milky Way had been reflected inside them.

Then she smiled brilliantly.

Without revealing any emotion, Ji Xiangyu looked away and continued walking.

On the way back to the hotel after filming, Zhu Li escorted Shen Yishu while talking endlessly.

“If Jiang Wu comes looking for trouble, just admit defeat immediately. Ji Xiangyu definitely won’t stand up for you. Don’t create problems for yourself.”

“If that doesn’t work, call me. I’ll apologize to her for you. It isn’t easy for anyone to debut. Don’t you still want to become Ji Xiangyu 2.0? Even Ji Xiangyu wasn’t as arrogant as you before she became famous.”

Shen Yishu did not absorb a single word.

She casually gave a few perfunctory replies before stepping out of the elevator.

Her thoughts remained fixed on Ji Xiangyu telling her to visit her room that evening.

After walking only a few steps, she saw a figure leaning against the door of her hotel room.

Even though the woman wore a mask and hat, covering herself completely, Shen Yishu recognized her immediately.

Jiang Wu.