Gu Qingtong only saw the online exposure after driving away Gu Shuyu. Although she cursed her unreliable father in her heart, on the one hand, she felt that this early disclosure might not be a bad thing. After all, it could serve as a preemptive warning to the audience, preventing the sudden announcement of her official role as He Haomei.
However, discussions were bound to be accompanied by various rumors and speculations. Some netizens’ comments were particularly malicious, mixed with many trolls creating confusion. The one who stirred up these speculations to a climax was one of the actresses who had auditioned for Xuan Yao before, Fu Keqi. Since her exposure for using her parents as guarantors for debts and pretending to be a rich second-generation last time, she has fallen from grace, and her marketing efforts have not gained much traction.
In order to regain popularity, she has long since abandoned any moral boundaries. Furthermore, Fu Keqi and her company couldn’t find the mastermind behind digging up and promoting negative information.
Frustrated and powerless, they naturally pinned the blame on Gu Qingtong. At this chaotic moment, someone stepped forward just in time to ride on Gu Qingtong’s popularity wave. Using a secondary account where they claimed to speak “truth” and show their “true nature,” they posted a Weibo message:
[Let me tell a joke. Someone during the audition for Xuan Yao performed so poorly that the director didn’t even bother to look at her, and she could only stay in the crew thanks to the support of senior colleagues. To be honest, I regret not getting this role, but haven’t I accepted it gracefully? In my opinion, there’s really no need to cling to playing minor roles.]
After Fu Keqi posted this Weibo, her secondary account went unnoticed for a while, without a single comment. In the end, she resorted to liking the post with her main account, which bought her a spot on the hot search list, finally attracting attention.
Although she didn’t explicitly name anyone, given the recent context, wasn’t she subtly implying that Gu Qingtong was brought into the crew by someone’s support? Immediately, curious netizens began commenting below: [Supported by senior colleagues? Is it really Yan Chi?]
Fu Keqi had no intention of provoking Yan Chi and Hua Yan, especially since she had no interaction with them during the last audition where she saw Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong. However, finding the relationship between Tan Siying and Gu Qingtong peculiar, Fu Keqi assumed that Tan Siying had recommended Gu Qingtong to the director. Since Tan Siying hadn’t been particularly friendly to Fu Keqi and others during the auditions, she thought of involving Tan Siying in this mess.
So she quickly replied:
[I don’t know about other things, but based on the audition, it seems that Senior Tan is quite familiar with someone. During the audition, she almost gave up competing for the role of Xuan Yao for her. Ah, I’m just describing what I witnessed, not implying anything negative about senior colleagues supporting others.]
Fu Keqi wasn’t afraid of being accused of spreading rumors, as these were real events that happened during the audition. Originally, the gossip was about Gu Qingtong getting into the crew with Yan Chi’s involvement, and now, it mysteriously brought Tan Siying into the mix. Although the details were unclear, this added a touch of dazzling complexity to the triangle.
Moreover, the way the gossip was presented made it almost convincing involuntarily. Gu Qingtong and Tan Siying, two seemingly unrelated individuals, were now packaged together and trending.
Just as the rumor was starting to gain a bit of traction, someone dug up a Weibo post from Tan Siying where she had clarified things after Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi were photographed in a princess carry. It turned out that their connection was simply that Gu Qingtong had once saved Tan Siying, who was a supporting actress on set.
This revelation directly contradicted Fu Keqi’s ambiguous insinuations and undermined her veiled suggestions. With this clarification, both Gu Qingtong’s team and Tan Siying’s team completely ignored Fu Keqi, as she had been misleading in her remarks. Despite the cryptic tone, Fu Keqi hadn’t explicitly stated anything about their relationship. Responding would only make them seem concerned, which was unnecessary.
Coincidentally, this whole gossip scenario unfolded on the day it started fermenting online.
The scene to be filmed was the unexpected encounter between Xuan Yao and He Haomei in the princess’s residence. It involved bringing up Xuan Yao’s past feelings for He Haomei, sparking a love triangle with a furious Xuan Qingyun.
Gu Qingtong was well aware that there was nothing inappropriate between her and Tan Siying. As she underwent makeup for the scene, she couldn’t help but observe the ever-changing trends on social media. The on-screen and off-screen love triangle was undeniably awkward.
However awkward it may be, the show must go on. This particular scene was mostly shot at night, divided into two acts, and the filming didn’t start until it was dark. By this time in the story, He Haomei had already failed in her assassination attempt and was confined by Xuan Qingyun’s side.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at the princess’s residence, Xuan Qingyun hosted various court guests. He Haomei, seeking to establish contact with the remnants of the faction loyal to the Crown Prince, managed to find a way to escape from the confined courtyard.
However, instead of encountering the Crown Prince’s loyalists, she unexpectedly ran into Xuan Yao. Since childhood, He Haomei, Xuan Yao, and the fifth prince, Xuan Lan, had grown up together. He Haomei and Xuan Lan harbored mutual affection, while Xuan Yao, though having ambiguous feelings for He Haomei, always felt indebted to her brother and concealed her emotions, ultimately facilitating their relationship.
It wasn’t until her brother’s death that Xuan Yao allowed He Haomei to lean on her for support.
At first, He Haomei’s pride and self-esteem made her unwilling to be dependent on others, enduring the hardships alone in the declining fifth prince’s mansion. Later, upon learning the truth about Xuan Lan’s death, she contemplated whether to tell Xuan Yao about it. However, she knew that Xuan Yao regarded Xuan Qingyun almost as her faith, and revealing this truth would be unbearable for her. Xuan Yao wouldn’t accept the reality, let alone take revenge. In the end, He Haomei decided not to tell her and resolved to seek revenge on her own.
When He Haomei decided to assassinate Xuan Qingyun, she was already prepared for her own demise. She left a letter for Xuan Yao, explaining that she had embarked on a journey around the world and urged her not to search for her anymore.
In this banquet, Xuan Yao recognized He Haomei from a distance, who had sneaked out. To her shock, she discovered that He Haomei had not disappeared but had climbed onto Xuan Qingyun’s influence. Everything He Haomei had said before was self-deception. She not only betrayed her deceased husband but also betrayed Xuan Yao.
In a drunken and furious state, Xuan Yao confronted He Haomei at the princess’s residence, even accidentally revealing her hidden affection. All of this was witnessed by Xuan Qingyun, who happened to arrive while searching for someone.
He Haomei had sneaked out secretly to coordinate with the Crown Prince’s faction inside and outside. She couldn’t let Xuan Qingyun know about it. Faced with Xuan Qingyun’s questioning, she lied, claiming that she came out just to catch a glimpse of Xuan Yao.
This statement undoubtedly triggered Xuan Qingyun’s possessive tendencies. Consequently, she demanded that He Haomei engage in an illicit affair with her in front of the intoxicated Xuan Yao, risking being discovered if Xuan Yao woke up.
It was an incredibly provocative situation.
The first act involved the confrontation between Gu Qingtong and Tan Siying, while the second act featured the scenes of her and Yan Chi acting out the affair. Gu Qingtong had been filming “Bai Mei Sheng” for some time, so whether it was serious scenes or more sensual ones, she had become accustomed to it. In previous scenes, she even used props such as handcuffs and ropes.
Although acting in such scenes remained challenging even until now.
However, it wasn’t like the first time where Yan Chi had to accompany her alone to overcome the embarrassment and immerse themselves in the scene. Today’s shoot was an outdoor scene, precisely in the imperial garden where Gu Qingtong had hidden during the previous filming.
This imperial garden now served as the princess’s residence’s backyard. Despite the nightfall, the film set was just beginning its work, and the surroundings were lively with bright lights.
As Gu Qingtong was led to the set, she spotted Tan Siying listening to Director Yuan’s script briefing. Feeling a bit awkward at first, she thought about avoiding her. However, considering they would have scenes together later, could she really avoid her indefinitely?
With this in mind, she approached them. When the Director Yuan and Tan Siying saw Gu Qingtong, they paused their discussion. Gu Qingtong then apologized sincerely to Tan Siying:
“I’m sorry; my situation has caused trouble for you.”
“After I confronted her last time, she held a grudge. Even without your involvement, she would have found a chance for retaliation.”
Tan Siying didn’t seem to mind much. After all, everything had been clarified, and they couldn’t stop people from speculating if they still had ideas. Yuan Jingyu’s understanding of today’s hot topic was limited to Gu Qingtong being photographed on the set. It was only after some inquiry that she learned about the current situation.
Upon hearing this, she said: “How come the storyline is as exciting as the scene you’re filming today? It’s convenient for you to get into character early. What do you think, Teacher Yan?”
Only then did Gu Qingtong realize that Yan Chi had silently approached them. Yan Chi remained silent, just gazing at Gu Qingtong’s back.
Feeling the intense and persistent gaze of Yan Chi, Gu Qingtong’s heart skipped a beat. Alright, for sure, she must have seen the hot search and got jealous again!
After all, the initial speculations about their relationship on the hot search were indeed quite ambiguous and absurd.
Moreover, Gu Qingtong never told Yan Chi about the words she said the first time she met Tan Siying, especially the part about almost giving up competing for the role of Xuan Yao. Yan Chi clearly cared about that statement.
However, in front of so many people, Gu Qingtong didn’t dare to appease Yan Chi openly. She could only nod and say: “Teacher Yan…..you came early today.”
Yan Chi’s scenes didn’t appear until the end of this setup, and they were shot separately as close-ups. Her coming so early…..must be because she saw the hot search!
Yuan Jingyu and Tan Siying were already aware of the relationship between the two, yet at this moment, they pretended not to know. Seeing Gu Qingtong’s anxious and trying-to-act-unfamiliar demeanor, they couldn’t help but shake their heads in amusement.
Yan Chi gave a deep look at the somewhat guilty-looking Gu Qingtong before turning to Yuan Jingyu and saying: “Tomorrow, we should officially announce the cast. After all, some things are getting more and more out of hand.”
Her voice remained as cold and calm as usual.
“Oh? Is it going to be officially announced?”
Gu Qingtong asked in surprise. She thought Yuan Jingyu, with her style and personality, would continue to keep things under wraps. In her previous projects, the details about the cast were sometimes revealed only shortly before the release.
Because of this, Gu Qingtong had mentally prepared herself for being scrutinized by netizens throughout the entire filming period.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Jingyu raised an eyebrow and cast a sidelong glance at Yan Chi.
‘This is because your wife is reluctant to see you suffer any scrutiny. She came to talk to me about the official announcement when those photos were leaked.
At this moment, seeing Gu Qingtong rumored with someone else, wouldn’t she be jealous?’
However, the words Yuan Jingyu conveyed to Gu Qingtong were: “Isn’t it because you two have a lot of attention right now? It’s just a good opportunity for publicizing.”
Publicize what? If it weren’t for Yan Chi, she would have liked to keep those fans in the dark for another hundred years!
Although everyone on the set is aware of the close relationship between Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi, who would dare to expose it in front of Gu Qingtong? They all pamper her and let her remain blissfully unaware.
Upon hearing the clarification, Gu Qingtong naturally thought that this could appease Yan Chi, and the slight guilt she felt earlier dissipated. She subtly moved closer to Yan Chi and playfully extended her fingers to poke her waist.
The next moment, Yan Chi grabbed her slender fingers and pulled her closer, exposing her actions in front of everyone. Gu Qingtong felt quite flustered. She tried to evade while sneakily glancing towards Yuan Jingyu and Tan Siying. Surprisingly, the two of them didn’t seem to find it strange at all. One looked at the script in her hand, and the other casually gazed at the sky.
Huh? Were they not curious about the seemingly intimate interaction between Yan Chi and her?
Gu Qingtong didn’t have time to think, and then she heard Yan Chi’s voice: “Be prepared for today’s scenes; I’m looking forward to it.”
Her tone was calm and dignified, like the calm before a storm, different from the gentle indulgence she usually showed in front of Gu Qingtong. Thinking about the script for today, filled with clandestine affairs and punishments, it seemed that Yan Chi was about to play the part for real.
Gu Qingtong, in despair, realized that it was impossible to smooth things over after Yan Chi’s initial bout of jealousy. Although she felt unjust, being remembered by Fu Keqi and forced into rumored relationships, she also felt a bit guilty for not informing Yan Chi about those words.
The mischievous little spirit, with a newfound conscience, considered it from the other’s perspective. If rumors about Yan Chi with someone else were trending, she would probably feel jealous!
If Yan Chi had any history, Gu Qingtong could still bring up past incidents and argue with her. However, Yan Chi has been in the industry for fifteen years and has no gossip or scandals with anyone other than herself.
Thinking about this, Gu Qingtong felt a sweet sensation of being the only one different in Yan Chi’s life, albeit at an inappropriate time.
Well then, let her feel a bit jealous.
So, Gu Qingtong muttered:
“I… I got it.”
Yan Chi then let go of her hand. Not forgetting to lift her eyes, she met Yuan Jingyu’s gaze, startling her back.
Observing their reactions, Gu Qingtong felt that maybe she and Yan Chi were just discussing the upcoming scenes, nothing unusual!
She had over-thought it and scared herself.
After the pleasantries, each department took their positions, and Gu Qingtong and Tan Siying prepared to shoot the first scene.
Unexpectedly, Yan Chi, who had no scenes at the moment, didn’t leave. Instead, she sat in front of the monitor, indicating her intention to watch the entire process.
Her expression and demeanor became even more cold and stern. It made several directors sit upright, afraid to make a sound. At this moment, Gu Qingtong was fully focused on getting into her role and didn’t notice that Yan Chi was intensely watching the scene between her and Tan Siying.
Yuan Jingyu, on the other hand, took in everything.
Why go through this trouble? Knowing she’ll feel jealous, she still insisted on awkwardly watching.
Truly…..so jealous because of Gu Qingtong!
She sighed once again in her heart.
Taking another glance at Gu Qingtong, well—she’s quite heartless. It seems Yan Chi is bound to have some competition.
Tan Siying did have some favorable feelings towards Gu Qingtong when they first met, especially since Gu Qingtong had once saved her. However, upon learning about Gu Qingtong’s relationship with Yan Chi, she tactfully took a step back. So, even if Yan Chi is feeling jealous this time, it’s just a little lovers’ quarrel between the couple.
Tan Siying, on the other hand, casually let go of some of her favorable impressions. For the first time, she started enjoying the situation, and the more she got into it, the more enthusiastic she became.
Unfortunately, the character she portrays, Xuan Yao, is not as tactful. Right from the start, Xuan Yao grabs the wrist of He Haomei, not allowing her to leave.
Later, influenced by the effects of alcohol, she insisted on expressing her feelings and even pulled the other person into her arms. Gu Qingtong’s role was originally meant to evade and reject, and she became even more adept at it once she got into the character. However, Tan Siying, having some similar thoughts to Xuan Yao in her heart, was afraid that if she immersed herself too much in the role, she wouldn’t be able to let go and her performance would suffer. She was corrected by the director many times due to her subpar state, especially during the confession scene, which took nearly twenty repeats to barely pass.
Even Gu Qingtong couldn’t help but sympathize with Tan Siying, saying: “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s just borrowing emotions, don’t be nervous!”
Yan Chi watched the scene on the monitor silently, not saying a word but already immersing herself in the role of Xuan Qingyun in advance. The emotions of several people were in chaos because of Gu Qingtong, but she remained indifferent, with the leisure to sympathize with others.
The director nearby kept turning their head to look at Yan Chi, evidently having discovered the real reason why Yan Chi was sitting there. It must be because she was watching Gu Qingtong! Must be?!
Finally, after stumbling through, they managed to film Xuan Qingyun’s entrance, and it was already late at night. Gu Qingtong looked at Yan Chi in astonishment as she slowly stood up from in front of the monitor. Her vision almost went black. How long had she been sitting there?
Could she really endure her own suppressed jealousy without suffocating?
Yan Chi certainly felt Gu Qingtong’s gaze, but she didn’t lift her eyes to respond. After all, she probably wasn’t much different from Xuan Qingyun at this point.
She couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing in her heart. When did she become so childish? However, the possessiveness churning in her heart made her repeatedly do things that she couldn’t reconcile with herself when she was exceptionally clear-headed.
With even the scenes of confession and hugs turning so jealous, how would it be when Gu Qingtong had to film kissing scenes in the future?
In Yan Chi’s heart, she distinctly felt those emotions rising like waves, one after another. But she didn’t want to scare Gu Qingtong, so she could only digest them on her own.
Gu Qingtong and Tan Siying repeated the actions they had just done, the ones judged from Yan Chi’s perspective, waiting for a close-up shot from Yan Chi’s angle.
At this moment, playing the role of Xuan Qingyun, Yan Chi felt like she could finally express her emotions in a different way, as if she had found a way to release and felt a sense of relief.
Those icy eyes squinted slightly as they looked at Gu Qingtong. She didn’t know when it started, but a spark had ignited and burst open, instantly turning into a fierce flame within those eyes.
Behind those eyes of ice and fire, they concealed endless yearning and a possessive desire that was almost madly intense. Even the Director Yuan was shaken by the infectious power of that gaze. Was it because of jealousy that her acting skills had improved?
It seemed like she had once again gained an advantage.
Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi, who were already wives in real life, had perfectly portrayed the understanding and tension between the two female leads in “Bai Mei Sheng.” Now, due to this bottled-up jealousy, their emotions were reaching another peak.
Yuan Jingyu couldn’t help but look forward to how the second scene between the two would unfold.
Gu Qingtong sensed Yan Chi’s gaze from afar, her breath almost caught. Confirming once again in her heart, Yan Chi must have been driven to jealousy by her!
She started worrying again, afraid that Yan Chi might be upset and would drag her down as well.
“Very good! Scene one is finished. Scene two, the first segment, first take, action,” came Director Yuan’s voice.
Upon hearing the first half, Gu Qingtong thought she was finally free, only to be struck with a sudden darkness in the second half. Why wasn’t there even a break this time!
Of course, Director Yuan wanted to take advantage of Yan Chi’s emotions and have them go straight into the next scene. The two scenes were connected, starting from the moment Xuan Yao finally succumbed to the effects of alcohol and slumped down.
“A-Yao, you…..” Gu Qingtong could only quickly rush over to support her, using her two arms to awkwardly prop her up and drag her towards a nearby pavilion.
As she slowly laid Tan Siying on the bench in the pavilion, a voice caused her hand to tremble, almost letting Tan Siying slip from her grasp.
“What is Mei’er doing? Where are you going?” Yan Chi leaned against the pillar of the pavilion, having silently waited there for a long time. Her cold and moist gaze, like that of a venomous snake, finally climbed up and there was a chilling and elusive smile at the corner of her lips that did not reach the eyes.
“Haven’t you already seen everything?”
The gaze and voice felt like a death sentence to her, and it took a while for these words to come out.
Yan Chi finally moved, stepping slowly towards Gu Qingtong, her eyes shifting:
“After going through great lengths to escape from the North Garden, what do you intend to do?”
Xuan Qingyun, midway through the banquet, left her seat and headed straight for the North Garden where He Hao Mei was being held, only to discover that she had escaped.
At that moment, she thought that He Haomei would take advantage of this banquet to escape from her side, and immediately ordered the Princess’s residence to be sealed off. Unexpectedly, she saw the person she had lost in the backyard.
However, in the past, she happened to witness everything. She saw He Haomei, who, despite her teachings, still resisted, facing Xuan Yao’s pulls but not avoiding them, allowing the other person to embrace her. He Haomei’s attitude towards her was also quite helpless, just gently refusing without any sharpness in front of her.
Even when Xuan Yao got drunk, she couldn’t bear to leave her behind. After placing He Haomei in a suitable place, Gu Qingtong stood upright, facing off against Yan Chi.
“What can you do? I just heard that Xuan Yao was coming, so I came to see her on purpose.”
While lying, Gu Qingtong suddenly tightened the hand holding her clothes, but her voice didn’t show any sign of weakness or guilt.
As she gazed intensely at Xuan Yao’s face, Xuan Qingyun could see another person, someone who had already passed away – the beloved of He Haomei, hidden bit by bit in the depths of her heart.
However, whether it was Xuan Lan or Xuan Yao, both were existences that made Xuan Qingyun burn with jealousy.
“Why do I remember that Mei’er’s deceased husband was called Xuan Lan, not someone named Xuan Yao? Are you still unsatisfied? Do you have to seduce a few sisters of your deceased husband to be satisfied?”
As she spoke, Yan Chi’s ice-cold fingertips climbed onto Gu Qingtong’s neck, gradually tightening, as if feeling that the delicate and beautiful neck would snap in her hands the next second.
With the inclination towards violence, the crimson in her icy-cold eyes quickly spread, as if about to overflow.
Almost gritting her teeth, she said:
“Do I have to completely bind Mei’er’s hands and feet for you to understand what it means to behave?”
Gu Qingtong bit her lip tightly, not making any sound or plea for mercy. Only a crimson hue roamed freely on her cheeks.
At this point, He Haomei had already been confined by Xuan Qingyun for a long time. She never forgot about revenge and had been enduring in silence. Even though she had done everything, she refused to compromise her pride.
Initially, it was the desire for dominance that drove Xuan Qingyun, but gradually, she herself became entangled step by step. She not only coveted her body but also wanted He Haomei to be completely devoted to her when she was emotionally distracted. Whenever she saw He Haomei showing tenderness to others, which didn’t belong to her, she would become insanely jealous.
Realizing that she was once again indulging in her madness, Yan Chi’s pupils suddenly contracted. The hand that was gripping Gu Qingtong’s neck was released in an instant.
Gu Qingtong’s skin was delicate and tender; there was no need to deliberately add redness. There were already marks on her neck. She looked at Yan Chi’s expression as if she had witnessed something extremely amusing, tilting her head and innocently smiling:
“What’s this? Has her highness started to hesitate about killing me?”
She intentionally made her soft and sweet voice sound somewhat husky after being choked.
“Does her highness want me to be captivated by emotions? However, it turns out that the one who gets addicted first is her highness.”
Her provocation successfully extinguished the remaining humanity in Xuan Qingyun. Yan Chi’s smile at the corner of her mouth was full of morbid pleasure:
“I must let your A-Yao experience it. How Mei’er’s body can get me addicted.”
Gu Qingtong’s face instantly turned pale: “What do you want to do?”
She retreated, but behind her was Xuan Yao. Afraid of falling onto her and causing even more dreadful consequences, she was forced to the pillar, with no way to retreat. The next second, both her wrists were restrained by Yan Chi, lifted high above her head, and pressed against the cold pillar.
“Won’t it be interesting to lose control in front of Xuan Yao, who could wake up at any moment?”
“Do you think if she wakes up, she’ll join us?”
