The smile on Jiang Shiyang’s face froze solid.
What the hell kind of mission is this?!
Forget it, I’m not doing it. Whatever.
【System: That is not permitted, Host! Once accepted, the mission must be completed. Failure will result in punishment!】
【Host: Do whatever you want to me!】
【System: An additional clarification for the Host: If the mission fails, the Host will be thrust into the next item mission prematurely. Furthermore, the mission duration will no longer be a fixed 7 days. A random draw system will be implemented, with a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 7 days!】
1 minute to 7 days?
So it’s just a game of luck?
According to probability, the extreme high and low ends are the hardest to draw. She’d most likely draw a 2-4 day mission. That’s actually fine. Anything is better than letting Shen Wenyi touch her back.
The key point was, even if she had the gall to let Shen Wenyi do it, Shen Wenyi wouldn’t comply. The last time they walked the red carpet at Cannes, she had just accidentally grazed Shen Wenyi’s arm with her elbow, and Shen Wenyi had used up half a pack of wet wipes.
Ha.
Shen Wenyi had been openly disdainful of her for a long time. Yet she’d never seen Shen Wenyi disgusted by anyone else. When that sleazy male host took advantage and held Shen Wenyi’s hand, Shen Wenyi hadn’t even bothered to wipe it, but she was given special differential treatment.
So she was less than a creep in Shen Wenyi’s eyes, huh?
Getting Shen Wenyi to touch her would probably require Director Chen himself to order it, and even then, strictly for the demands of the plot. Otherwise, Shen Wenyi would never agree.
She wasn’t about to seek humiliation and offer her face for Shen Wenyi to slap.
She wouldn’t do this mission, and that was final!
【System: Supplementing the random rules: The probability of drawing 1-120 minutes is 99%. 120-480 minutes is 0.99%. 480-10080 minutes is 0.01%.】
Jiang Shiyang: ………………
【Host: Fck】
Why not just say outright that failing means the next mission will be under two hours long? What’s with all the elaborate nonsense?
“Teacher Jiang? Teacher Jiang!”
Zhang Yang’s voice came from beside her ear. Jiang Shiyang snapped back to the present and looked over at him.
“Sorry, I spaced out. Where were we in the rehearsal?”
Zhang Yang exhaled in relief and said humbly, “I thought I’d just messed up somehow. Your face suddenly went dark, Teacher Jiang. Scared me for a second.”
Her face going dark a moment ago wasn’t aimed at you! It was aimed at that damn mission!
Jiang Shiyang smiled. “It wasn’t you. I was simulating Wanwan’s true psychological state and emotions.”
Nangong Wanwan was the supporting female character Jiang Shiyang was playing.
Zhang Yang praised, “Teacher Jiang, your simulation is amazing. The hatred in that split second was so real. Rehearsing lines with you will definitely be an enriching experience.”
She let out a dry laugh. “Ha, haha, ahem, let’s continue.”
After running lines with Zhang Yang for another ten minutes or so, the props team was ready. Director Chen had them do a quick walkthrough of the camera positions before finally calling “Action!”
This scene wasn’t too difficult for Zhang Yang. His main task was to sit in the bath and show off his muscles, all while maintaining a stoic, straight-faced expression as an upright gentleman completely unmoved by beauty. An occasional look of disgust was all he needed.
But the demands on her were much higher. She had to project a soft, seductive allure, while simultaneously revealing loathing and hatred, and her movements had to be precise.
In short, she had to flirt with the male lead, while making it clear that she didn’t want any of this.
The script only provided dialogue for this part; everything else relied on the actors’ interpretation.
The male lead was already in position, with cameras tracking from all angles. Once his muscle display was sufficiently filmed, she took a graceful step, emerging from behind the white jade pillar and stopping on the bathing pool’s edge opposite the male lead.
“General, you’ve been training your troops for days. You must be utterly exhausted. Let this servant tend to your needs~”
Her coquettish voice coiled like a drawn silken thread. Her snow-white jade foot tapped lightly on the water’s surface, sending ripples out layer upon layer. Ding-ling, the crisp sound of the silver bells on her ankle blurred into the water as she entered. Loose, thin pinkish-white silk trousers shifted shape in the water.
She stepped down into the pool until the water reached her hips. The red veil floated on the surface, spreading out into a blood-red stain. Candlelight flickered on the water, reflections shimmering. Her red lips curved slightly into a warm, seductive smile. Her half-lidded eyes were like threads of silk and allure, even the corners of her brows and eyes held a captivating arc.
“This servant knows her own humble status and dare not dream of more. I beg only to serve the General for a night’s pleasure. Even if I were to die afterward, my life would not be in vain.”
As she spoke, she had already come close to the male lead. The red veil slipped off at the right moment, dispersing in the water like a cloud. Her soft, fair hand lifted. The red string behind her back was untied. The knot of the red string behind her neck was undone.
In the shimmering waves, the Mandarin-duck-in-water belly-band fell away into the pool. The vivid red, soaked through, turned dark like blood, half-floating, half-sinking.
“General…”
She raised her hand to drape it around the male lead’s neck. At an angle the male lead couldn’t see, a flicker of disgust crossed her face, revealing the pain of unwillingness as she was forced into this helpless position. Her red lips twitched with a hint of reluctance, then she moved to kiss the side of the male lead’s face…
Crash! Bang! Clatter!
What was that noise? Who was so careless? If they had to NG this, Director Chen was going to go berserk.
Steady as a mountain, Jiang Shiyang didn’t even pause her action. But the expected kiss missed its mark. Zhang Yang instinctively turned his head toward the sound.
Well.
Since it was an NG anyway, she simply turned her head to look as well, wondering which unlucky sod was about to be on the receiving end of Director Chen’s roaring river lioness fury.
She wasn’t the only one. Everyone looked over.
They saw Shen Wenyi sitting on a folding stool outside the set. The small folding table beside her had tipped over, scattering a water cup, mirror, and backpack everywhere on the ground.
Shen Wenyi?
Jiang Shiyang was a little surprised. Shen Wenyi was always so poised. How could she be so clumsy?
Little He hurriedly crouched down to right the table. Unable to move freely in her costume, Shen Wenyi remained sitting on the folding stool and joined Little He in picking up the scattered items from the floor. She gave everyone an apologetic smile. “The cup was set down too heavily. My apologies.”
The roar that had been rolling to Director Chen’s lips was swallowed back with Herculean effort. He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Come on, let’s continue. Reset.”
That’s it? That’s all?
If she had been the one to cause this, Director Chen would have definitely yelled until her ears rang for days. How come when it was Shen Wenyi, it was just let go so lightly?
She rolled her eyes inwardly.
Wasn’t this double standard a little too obvious? Director Chen, did you get yourself a sugar baby in Shen Wenyi?!
She was just making things up. Director Chen was a man of principle, with no rumors of that sort ever attached to him.
But still…
She glanced at the folding table, which was actually quite sturdy. Just how carelessly did you have to place a cup down to knock the entire table over?
Then she looked up and found herself caught directly in Shen Wenyi’s line of sight. Shen Wenyi smiled. Beyond the hot glare of the spotlight, those narrowed eyes looked exactly like those of an old fox who’d just succeeded in a sly scheme.
Huh? Huh? Huh?
That look in her eyes… something was off.
She got it now.
Shen Wenyi did it on purpose.
Shen Wenyi just couldn’t stand seeing her perform well. She did this deliberately to make her NG, to make her fall flat on her face on her very first scene with the crew!
Vicious!
Did Shen Wenyi think she was still like she was in high school, when Shen Wenyi sabotaged her at the school-wide arts festival and she just ran away crying, miserable and ashamed?
Never again.
She had thought they would need to start over from the beginning, but unexpectedly, Director Chen said the earlier part was good—accepted—and to just pick up from the part that had NG’d.
Having been thrown off by Shen Wenyi’s antics, she had a bit of trouble getting back into character. Zhang Yang was even worse, breaking into laughter several times in a row. She guided Zhang Yang, and with great effort, got back into the emotional state. Before she could even signal “OK” to Director Chen, a full-screen countdown suddenly burst into her mind!
【Remaining Mission Time: 5 minutes, 25 seconds】
