Shen Tingyu raised an eyebrow, a look of unrestrained joy on her face.
"Jiang Mian, why must you always oppose me?" she asked softly, then took a step forward.
Jiang Mian instinctively took a step back.
This action, however, provoked great dissatisfaction from Shen Tingyu, "Are you afraid of me?"
Jiang Mian thought to herself, *Yes, I am afraid, afraid you'll suddenly go crazy.*
She remained silent, appearing docile.
"Jiang Mian, do you know that in this drama, I'm playing your elder sister?" Shen Tingyu smiled, though there was a hint of malice in her smile.
Jiang Mian nodded, "I didn't know just now, but I do now. So what?"
"Then just wait."
With those words, Shen Tingyu left.
Li Zhuyi pondered for a moment, "Sister Mian, if I remember correctly, Shen Tingyu is filming another drama. Isn't this considered working on multiple projects simultaneously?"
Jiang Mian: "Quick, quick, bring me the script!"
She wanted to see what kind of role it was that made Shen Tingyu so arrogant.
Li Zhuyi quickly found the script and handed it to her. Jiang Mian flipped through it, her lips parting slightly, "Oh my… a villainous supporting character. It suits Shen Tingyu perfectly."
Li Zhuyi peeked over, scanning a few lines, "Sister, there's a slapping scene between her and you."
Jiang Mian responded slowly, "Oh, I'll just consider it a sacrifice for art."
At least while filming this drama, she wouldn't have to worry about Shen Tingyu's acting dragging her down. It was practically a portrayal of her true self.
Jiang Mian was the last to join the cast, and her progress was slower than others. However, since she was filling in, no one said anything to her.
In fact, because she was a last-minute replacement, Director Zhang didn't have high expectations for her. But after a few days, Director Zhang found this girl to be full of surprises, truly worthy of Song Xingjia's recommendation.
Thinking this, his gaze towards Jiang Mian softened.
This was Jiang Mian's first time filming a Qing Dynasty drama. The headdress was beautiful, but quite heavy.
After one scene, her neck ached. Jiang Mian slumped onto the folding chair, completely disregarding her image. The lead actress, Chang Min, saw her like this and couldn't help but chuckle softly, "I don't know why, but seeing you like this makes me think of a little cat at home, as lazy as you are."
Jiang Mian knew Chang Min was a very kind person, who had done a lot of charity work and rescued many stray animals at home.
Upon hearing this, she widened her eyes, "Am I as cute as a kitten?"
"Yes," Chang Min unceremoniously reached out and pinched her soft cheek, "You don't know, sometimes when I'm acting opposite you, looking at your face, I almost can't get into character."
Jiang Mian was delighted by the compliment, her eyes curving into a smile, "Thank you, Sister Min."
Except for Shen Tingyu's presence, she was quite happy filming this drama.
The emperor in this drama was also a seasoned actor. Off-screen, he couldn't stand to be near these women, claiming it was too noisy with so many people chattering incessantly, which bothered him.
While they schemed against each other on screen, the women were quite harmonious off-screen.
Director Zhang scheduled Jiang Mian and Shen Tingyu's scenes for Sunday afternoons, including the slapping scene.
Before Jiang Mian went for makeup, Li Zhuyi asked worriedly, "Sister, can't we fake the slap?"
Jiang Mian comforted her, "It's just a slap, it's fine."
Since Director Zhang hadn't mentioned faking it, he probably wanted to see a realistic effect. Jiang Mian didn't want to be so delicate.
Before the cameras rolled, Shen Tingyu's eyes held a hint of smugness.
The scene depicted Anning, played by Jiang Mian, arguing with her elder sister, Anjing. Due to their long-standing resentment, Anjing, in a fit of rage, slapped Anning.
In the An family's rear garden.
The sisters stood by the pond. Anjing held fish food, "An imperial decree has been issued, the Emperor summons new consorts to the palace. Does the younger sister have any plans?"
An Ning's expression was indifferent, "I am already betrothed. Even if I were to enter the palace, it would only be as your elder sister. What does it have to do with me?"
An Jing's fingers tightened, and she couldn't help but look up, "Is my sister boasting to me?"
This was the greatest pain in her life. She was the eldest daughter of the family, yet her father doted on his younger daughter, arranging a suitable marriage for her early on.
And that man was also her beloved…
An Ning was not afraid of her. She lifted the hem of her skirt and turned to leave. If An Jing hadn't sent her a message, she wouldn't have bothered to come.
Such behavior, treating someone as if they were beneath her, greatly enraged An Jing.
An Jing threw all the fish food in her hand and instinctively reached out to grab her skirt to pull her back. An Ning felt a strong force from behind and unexpectedly leaned backward.
This… was not what was in the script.
According to the script, An Jing should have grabbed An Ning's wrist and pulled her back, then delivered a fierce slap with her other hand, saying, "How dare you be so disrespectful to your elders?"
Jiang Mian's balance was lost, and her lower back sank. She desperately needed something to brace herself against. In her panic, it felt as if someone had pushed her waist.
Immediately after, in her peripheral vision, she saw Shen Tingyu's face, which seemed to hold a triumphant gleam, and then with a "plop," she sank into the cold pond water.
Behind the camera, Director Zhang couldn't help but clap his hands and praise, "Is this an impromptu addition by the actor playing An Jing? Excellent, much more intense than a mere slap!"
The assistant director looked and exclaimed in horror, "She didn't tell me she changed the scene!"
Director Zhang paused. Was it an accident then?
The two exchanged a look and simultaneously shouted, "Someone save her quickly!"
Meanwhile, Jiang Mian had already sunk underwater.
She couldn't swim and was even a little afraid of water.
Enveloped by the boundless water, Jiang Mian felt her head growing heavier. She couldn't even call for help.
The sudden turn of events happened in the blink of an eye.
She understood the meaning in Shen Tingyu's last glance and realized what Shen Tingyu meant by "wait." This was her revenge.
"Gurgle gurgle…"
Water continuously poured into her cold mouth and nostrils. Jiang Mian felt an indescribable pain in her lungs.
What does one think about before dying?
She couldn't think of anything.
Fear and panic consumed her entire mind.
Shen Tingyu, seeing that the timing was right, quickly shouted, "Help! Someone save Jiang Mian! She fell into the water!"
Chang Min heard the commotion and immediately stood up from her lounge chair, urging her assistant, "Does anyone here know how to swim? Go down and save her quickly!"
The assistant shook her head, "Sister Min, I can't swim…"
She couldn't swim either. Chang Min was so anxious she wished she could jump in herself.
Xiang Long, hearing the commotion from behind, pushed through the crowd. He took off his shirt, about to jump in. Director Zhang watched for a while, unable to recall who he was. After a moment's thought, he said, "Can you swim? If not, don't jump."
Xiang Long pushed him aside, coldly saying, "Get out of the way."
Director Zhang was startled by his imposing manner and quickly moved aside.
Xiang Long acted quickly, swimming to the pond in a few strokes, grabbing Jiang Mian, and heading towards the shore. Seeing this, Director Zhang immediately called for emergency services.
Xiang Long was anxious and flustered. Although he had just swum out of the water, beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. If anything happened to the young madam, how would he explain it to the president?
Remembering that he had learned professional cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Xiang Long immediately began performing it on Jiang Mian.
"Cough… cough cough…"
Finally, Jiang Mian turned her head and spat out water.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Director Zhang wiped the sweat from his forehead. That was terrifying.
Shen Tingyu's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, "It's all my fault. I should have held onto Jiang Mian just now, then she wouldn't have fallen into the water. You scared me so much…"
Chang Min draped a coat over Jiang Mian and held her cold hand, "How are you? Are you alright?"
Jiang Mian managed a weak smile, "Still alive."
"Don't talk anymore, go change your clothes first," Chang Min said.
"Don't crowd around here. As long as the person is okay," Director Zhang dispersed the crowd.
Li Zhuyi squeezed through and gave Shen Tingyu a hard shove. She lowered her voice, "What exactly happened, you and I both know."
Shen Tingyu sobbed, "I don't understand what you mean."
Li Zhuyi was so angered by her feigned ignorance that her chest felt tight. She bent down, picked up Jiang Mian, and walked towards the dressing room.
After a bath and changing her clothes, the rest of the day's filming for Jiang Mian was canceled. Director Zhang even gave her two days off, fearing she might develop a phobia from the incident.
After her shower, she sat on the bed in a daze, still unable to recover. The feeling of suffocation seemed to linger in her heart.
There was a knock on the door. Jiang Mian slowly turned her head, "Zhuyi, go open it."
"Mianmian, I brewed you a cup of ginger tea," Chang Min walked in, "Drink it while it's hot. The hotel facilities are basic, so I used a ginger tea bag. Please don't mind." She said gently.
Jiang Mian shook her head, took the teacup, and drank it in one go. The taste of brown sugar and ginger filled her mouth, both spicy and warm. "Of course, I don't mind. Thank you, Sister Min."
Chang Min looked at her pale face and said with concern, "You must have been so scared, right? Tell me, what happened? How did you accidentally fall into the pond?"
Jiang Mian pursed her lips, "It wasn't an accident."
Chang Min was startled. If it wasn't accidental, it was deliberate. She frowned, "Was it Shen Tingyu? Does she have some grudge against you?"
She paused, then apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to pry into your personal affairs. I'm just worried about you."
"I know, but I'll handle this myself."
Jiang Mian smiled. Although her complexion was pale, her small face inexplicably exuded a cool aura.
"Alright, then get some good rest. I won't disturb you," Chang Min stood up and patted her head, "If you need anything, you can come to me again."
…
With Jiang Mian gone, filming this drama was no longer possible. Shen Tingyu returned to the studio to remove her makeup. Her assistant took off her earrings, but her hands were a little careless, exerting a bit too much force.
"Do you want to kill me?" Shen Tingyu cursed.
"Sorry, sorry, Sister…" the assistant murmured.
"Never mind, I'm in a good mood today, so I won't argue with you." Thinking of Jiang Mian looking like a drowned rat made Shen Tingyu unable to suppress her glee.
The assistant, who had witnessed her nearly murderous act just now, was still in shock. She couldn't help but ask, "Sister, do you really want to kill Jiang Mian?"
"Kill her? Am I crazy? Don't worry, if no one saved her, I would have jumped in to keep her company," she lowered her voice, "And are you afraid others won't know? Must you speak so loudly?"
The assistant quickly fell silent. This was too terrifying. One must not offend this lady, no matter who else they offend.