Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Sun Lie understood the situation too.
He did not need to examine exactly what it meant. He only needed to know that the young woman who had stolen his girlfriend’s role and ruined his plans was nowhere near as hard to push around as he had imagined.
In fact, she was very easy to bully.
He could vent his emotions without feeling guilty or fearing any consequences.
Whenever he watched the bewildered young woman struggle to hold back her tears, Sun Lie even felt a perverse pleasure. This innocent little fool did not even know what she had done.
But perhaps retribution always came eventually.
Sun Lie thought bitterly.
“Cut!”
The director looked at him without expression. “Sun Lie, I told you to read the script. Did you take it seriously? Why do you keep forgetting your lines? You’re an experienced actor. Do I still need to remind you about something this basic?”
Sun Lie’s hands trembled beneath his costume. “I understand, Director,” he said quietly. “Give me one more chance.”
He raised his eyes. The female assassin in black stared coldly back at him.
She’s taking revenge on me, he thought.
She found out about all the terrible things I did to her, and now she’s returning them in kind.
During the break, Lu Yao walked to the rest area, where Zhu Yin smoothly handed her a drink.
This one was a sweet, fragrant fruit tea. Lu Yao knew that everything Zhu Yin gave her was beneficial. Over the past few days, her appetite and sleep had improved, and she felt completely transformed. Her body felt extraordinarily light compared with before, and she had grown much stronger.
She had privately wondered whether it was the kind of elixir from cultivation novels that cleansed the tendons and marrow.
When she actually asked, Zhu Yin thought for a moment. “The effect is similar, though not that dramatic. It’s only a mixture of herbs that are good for the body, refined through special methods. It can improve your physical condition to some extent.”
Looking at the dejected Sun Lie in the distance, Lu Yao asked softly, “Am I going too far?”
Zhu Yin glanced at her and sighed.
She sighed at Lu Yao’s innocence, yet she was also pleased that the young woman could still preserve it.
Only a young woman who was loved and had not been utterly crushed by life could protect such a tender heart.
Zhu Yin tapped her forehead. “You’ve only repeated what he did to you and returned it to him. How is that going too far?”
Lu Yao looked toward Sun Lie. As though sensing her gaze, he looked back. Thanks to her improved vision, she clearly saw him shudder.
Lu Yao was speechless.
One could hardly blame him for being so timid.
It was impossible for Lu Yao’s acting ability to improve dramatically in a short time. But the zombie-survival scenario Zhu Yin had specially chosen for her had perfectly solved her problem.
Chi Lian was a cold killer who rarely communicated with anyone.
And she was being played by someone who had lived alone in a zombie world for half a year, survived repeated brushes with death, and cut off more zombie heads than she could count.
Was that not such a perfect match that the role came effortlessly?
The only slight mismatch was that Lu Yao’s killing intent was too strong. Sometimes, even the director had to ask her to rein it in.
And Sun Lie was the person forced to face that killing intent directly.
This was a baleful aura Lu Yao had forged through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. How could a modern man raised in peaceful times, who had never even killed a chicken, withstand it?
Besides, over the past few days, he had endured not only the pressure of her killing intent but also Lu Yao’s cheat-enhanced combat scenes.
Her skills likewise came from fighting zombies on the edge of life and death. Every move was ruthless and lethal. Coupled with the ferocity that unconsciously emerged whenever Lu Yao attacked, every scene they shared left Sun Lie trembling inwardly and convinced that she truly wanted to kill him.
He was terrified.
Once panic set in, he forgot both lines and movements. Compared with Lu Yao, he appeared even more lacking in presence.
Sun Lie naturally recognized the problem, but awareness did not mean he could overcome it.
All he could do was approach Lu Yao in private and apologize.
That was why softhearted Lu Yao had asked the question.
“Silly child.” Zhu Yin affectionately stroked Lu Yao’s soft hair. “You’re the biggest fool on this entire set.”
She looked toward Sun Lie. Her tone remained gentle, but her words were cold and merciless. “He’s a popular male celebrity. He has money, fame, and fans. Even if he performs poorly in one show, countless fans will speak for him and make excuses. They’ll willingly wait for his next project. What about you?”
“You’re a newcomer, and one with a bad reputation who is rumored to have stolen someone else’s role. If you perform poorly in this show, what do you think you’ll face?”
Lu Yao’s face abruptly turned pale.
Before all this, she had merely been a straightforward college student who had not yet graduated.
Her half-year journey through an apocalyptic scenario had shown her blood and improved her fighting ability, but it had done little to sharpen her cunning or teach her the games people played against one another.
Zhu Yin did not consider herself a good teacher. She did not know how to teach people. The most efficient method was something like the zombie scenario: throw someone inside, let them experience it once, and allow them to improve on their own.
Items such as scenario cards could only be encountered by luck. Although she had a few more, none suited Lu Yao.
The retired demon queen propped up her chin and sighed unhappily. “Why doesn’t the Supreme God have any palace-intrigue mission scenarios?”
She studied Lu Yao. The young woman’s face remained pale and her lips were pressed tight, but her gaze had become much firmer.
“So don’t pity wicked people,” Zhu Yin said coldly. “When they bullied you, why didn’t they think about how pitiful you were?”
“Besides, we haven’t done anything excessive at all.” Zhu Yin sounded entirely justified and instructed the young woman beside her to think the same way. “Don’t feel even the tiniest bit guilty. Defeat them with their own logic! If you affected his performance, that means his acting isn’t good enough.”
“That’s something he should reflect on and improve himself. What does it have to do with us?”
Zhu Yin’s eyes shifted as something occurred to her. “Look, the director hasn’t criticized you either, has he? Just as he never criticized Sun Lie before.”
Along the way, she had made sure to plant a seed of distrust toward the director too.
Lu Yao nodded.
At that moment, her phone rang.
Zheng Yushu was calling.
Other Landi actors were working on The Swordsman, of course. They were not close to Lu Yao and rarely spoke to her, but Zheng Yushu always learned what happened on set immediately.
He had heard about Zhu Yin the very day she arrived and had specifically called to ask about her.
After discussing it with Zhu Yin, Lu Yao said that Zhu Yin was an older cousin from one of her relatives’ families. Zhu Yin had just left her previous job and, seeing Lu Yao short-handed, had come to work as her assistant.
Zheng Yushu said nothing at the time.
Over the past few days, Lu Yao had coordinated the story with her family. Barbara had already arranged Zhu Yin’s identity, so she did not need to worry about that.
At first, Zheng Yushu paid no attention to the cousin who had appeared out of nowhere. He really was selecting someone and considering what kind of assistant would suit Lu Yao best. Letting this amateur remain beside Lu Yao for a few days seemed harmless.
Then one report after another arrived.
Something had suddenly clicked for Lu Yao. She had gotten into character and delivered an explosive performance that even Sun Lie could not handle.
Lu Yao’s new assistant was a trained fighter with remarkable skills. Even the production’s fight choreographer could not resist sparring with her. Thanks to Zhu Yin, Lu Yao now had a good relationship with the fight choreographer.
Lu Yao had received praise that day.
Lu Yao’s relationships on set had improved a tiny bit.
The informant knew nothing of Zheng Yushu’s dark, secret intentions and even praised his exceptional eye for talent. Given Lu Yao’s gifts, they said, she was certain to become wildly popular once the show aired.