Is This How the Entertainment Industry Works? (GL) - Chapter 1

It was noon, and the sun was scorching, hot enough to melt a person.

Yan Zhen used a hand fan to shield herself from the sun as she rode her small, three-wheeled vehicle to deliver food. The delivery was for a film crew located in a remote area, and the road leading there was rough and bumpy.

By the time she arrived, Yan Zhen was drenched in sweat. Her wet back was a stark contrast to the film studio’s image, and the security guard interrogated her for an hour before letting her into the complex. The roads inside were too narrow for her three-wheeler, so she got off and walked. After only a couple of steps, she felt someone lunge at her. Yan Zhen quickly dodged, but the person didn’t give up. Instead, they grabbed hold of her sleeve. Yan Zhen instinctively tried to shake them off.

Unexpectedly, the person suddenly burst into tears, crying out, “Where’s my child? Where is my child?”

Yan Zhen was momentarily stunned, staring at the person. Tears streamed down the person’s face. Seeing Yan Zhen look at her, she wiped away her tears and quickly pulled a photograph from her pocket. The photo showed a young girl with a pure, innocent smile. Yan Zhen leaned in to look at it and asked, “Is this your daughter?”

The person nodded, then suddenly knelt down, grabbing Yan Zhen’s leg and wailing, “Master, please save my child! I’m begging you!”

Yan Zhen was taken aback. She did, in fact, understand and was even proficient in metaphysics. She had been one of the national diviners of the Great Feng Dynasty. After a war, her body was wrapped in a straw mat and left in the mountains. Her soul wandered until a year ago when it was reincarnated into this modern body. Still, she had always kept a low profile and was surprised that anyone would recognize her ability.

She carefully studied the person’s face and asked, “What happened to your daughter?”

The person sobbed, “Master, have you forgotten? She was kidnapped, and the police have been searching for a long time without any luck…” She then looked at Yan Zhen, crying heartbreakingly, “I just ask that you do a reading for me, to tell me where my child is! If you help me find her, I’ll give you my life.”

Yan Zhen looked down, thought for a moment, and then said, “Don’t worry, your daughter has a fate of wealth and peace. Her life should be smooth sailing, so she shouldn’t have been kidnapped.”

The person was taken aback.

Yan Zhen continued, “Also, this person is probably not your biological daughter. You have a heavy aura of negativity, which only began to stabilize after you turned thirty. You have a son with your husband, and he’s quite mischievous…” She paused. “In short, you don’t have a fate to have a daughter.”

“So who is the little girl in the picture?” Yan Zhen wanted to get a closer look, but the person pulled her away.

The person asked, “I can really have a son?”

Yan Zhen sat down on the ground and asked the woman to show her hand. The woman offered her hand for Yan Zhen to examine. After a moment, Yan Zhen told her, “You come from a good family, but you’re easily swayed by others, so you often listened to bad people. You bullied classmates in school and did many things that damaged your moral standing. This only improved in college. The negative energy you accumulated led to your career problems after graduation and your inability to have children.”

The woman was shocked. “Who told you all this?!”

“It’s written on your face,” Yan Zhen replied, then continued, “Whether I look at your palm or your face, the connection between you and that little girl is too faint. It’s difficult to figure out where she is now. Why don’t you try a word reading?”

The woman held the pen, hesitated for a long time, and then wrote the character for “fate”.

Yan Zhen looked at it and stated with certainty, “This isn’t your biological daughter. She was likely switched at birth. It would be best to get a DNA test.”

Suddenly, laughter came from behind a blue curtain nearby.

“Of course, she’s not her biological daughter. Anyone can tell they’re not related by blood. Who hired this person? Even the village extras are funnier than this.”

As the words ended, a person carrying a camera emerged from behind the curtain. The woman who had been kneeling and crying walked over to him, exclaiming excitedly, “Director Wang!”

Director Wang threw the camera on the ground and asked Yan Zhen, “You’re a new face. Are you new here?”

Yan Zhen shook her head. “I’m a delivery person.”

Director Wang’s eyes widened. “A delivery person? What are you doing causing trouble here?! Security! Don’t let delivery people in anymore!”

Yan Zhen paused and then held up the bag in her hand. “Aren’t you all going to eat?”

Director Wang snatched the bag. “Don’t be a busybody!” He was happy to see the large containers of food. He hadn’t seen meat in days, living in this mosquito-infested place. He glanced down at the label on the bag and vaguely saw the character “Zhao.” Director Wang froze, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. He saw the full name of the customer and was instantly terrified.

“This isn’t for our crew! You came to the wrong place! This is for the team in the next studio. Go deliver it quickly before it gets cold.” He waved his hand and called out to the woman from before, “Lu Ming, get ready. We’ll start shooting in half an hour.”

Lu Ming put the picture of the little girl back in her pocket and said, “Got it.”

After speaking, Director Wang pulled back the curtain and went inside. A white mist emerged from the room, accompanied by a blast of cold air. Yan Zhen shielded her face from the sun with her hand and walked toward the next studio.

Lu Ming used her half-hour break to follow Yan Zhen, asking questions. “You’re a delivery person?”

Yan Zhen nodded.

Lu Ming asked, “How did you know about my past?”

Yan Zhen replied, “I could tell from your face.”

“And that the girl in the photo wasn’t my biological daughter? You figured that out too?”

Lu Ming was incredibly curious. She was a tier-18 actress who had been in the industry for years but was still only getting minor roles. This time, she was lucky to land a supporting role, and to make it a breakout role, she studied her script day and night, often rehearsing with extras near the set. The rehearsal with Yan Zhen was an accident. When Yan Zhen arrived, she happened to be holding the photo and, feeling inspired, immediately launched into a dramatic scene from the script. This scene was about a heartbroken mother who had lost her daughter.

Lu Ming wasn’t sure how good her acting was, but while rehearsing with this woman, she felt an incredible sense of authenticity. It might sound unbelievable, but she felt she was carried into the scene by this delivery girl.

Lu Ming became lost in thought and was even ready to believe Yan Zhen would say something like, “I’m actually a top student at the Beijing Film Academy.” But to her surprise, Yan Zhen said, “That’s right. Your fates don’t align, and your appearances are even further apart.”

Lu Ming was silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. “You’re just messing with me. You must be my super fan.”

Yan Zhen asked, “What’s a ‘super fan’?”

“It’s a loyal fan. You’re a country girl; how do you not know that?” Lu Ming answered. “Because you’re my super fan, that’s how you know so much about me. Yes, that must be it.”

Yan Zhen gave her a look. “If thinking that makes you happy, then let’s pretend it’s true.”

Lu Ming scoffed. “Pretend? This is the 21st century. Psychics have no future.”

They reached an intersection. Yan Zhen didn’t know the way. She looked at the food in her hand and asked Lu Ming, “Do you know where Zhao Baoshang is?”

“Aren’t you a psychic? Why don’t you figure it out yourself—” Lu Ming suddenly stopped and repeated, “Who did you just say?”

Yan Zhen gave her a look of disdain and repeated, “Ms. Zhao Baoshang.”

“She ordered the food?!” Lu Ming clearly didn’t believe it.

Yan Zhen confirmed the name on the receipt. “It has her name on it.”

It took a while for Lu Ming to process this information. She then pointed to the southwest. “Just go straight down that way.”

“Thanks,” Yan Zhen said. She took a couple of steps, then suddenly stopped.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to deliver it?” Lu Ming urged her from behind.

Yan Zhen turned back and told Lu Ming, “If you have a cliff-jumping scene today, remember to check the equipment for any issues.”

Lu Ming laughed. “You say you’re not my super fan, but you’re so concerned about me. Don’t worry, I don’t have a cliff-jumping scene.”

Yan Zhen simply said, “Heh.”

They parted ways, and Yan Zhen slowly walked on to deliver the food.

Lu Ming returned to the set, ready to start shooting. Unexpectedly, Director Wang called out from a distance, “Lu Ming, get ready. We’re going to film a cliff-jumping suicide scene in a bit.”

Lu Ming was stunned. “Cliff-jumping?”

Director Wang walked over in his flip-flops and handed her a costume. “That’s right. I borrowed this costume from the next studio, and we can only use it today.”

Lu Ming instantly remembered what Yan Zhen had said, and her mind was flooded with thoughts. This was a last-minute addition to the script. Besides the impulsive director, no one knew they would be filming a cliff-jumping scene today. How did that delivery girl know? Could something really go wrong during the jump?! She might actually lose her life.

Lu Ming was extra careful and cautious during the shoot. Before every step, she would test the ground to make sure she didn’t lose her footing. Just as she was about to jump off the cliff, she felt uneasy and asked to have the wire checked. Director Wang was impatient, but Lu Ming insisted.

As a result, they actually found a problem. The crew fell into an awkward silence. No one dared to speak. Everyone looked at the wire, which had several broken strands. Some of them turned pale, while others were flushed with embarrassment.

Lu Ming was too, but unlike the others, her shock far outweighed her fear. At that moment, her mind was filled with disbelief: that country-girl delivery person… could she be a real master?