CH 70

The costumes worn by the main characters in the movie had not been finalized yet. Even after the official finalization, the designer would make multiple adjustments to the costumes, taking into consideration the actors' physique and temperament. Until the official filming started, the actors did not know what their costumes would ultimately look like.

The military uniform that Qiu Ping had asked Song Yan to bring home was a temporary borrowed costume from the theater troupe. Since it was a stage costume, the design leaned more towards the stage, focusing on providing an excellent visual experience under the spotlight. The primary design principle was aesthetics and good looks.

The dark and upright military uniform had straight stitches on the collar and cuffs. The shining buttons were fastened flawlessly to the top near the collarbone. The shoulder was adorned with metallic silver tassels, and below the waistline were long and straight legs, revealing the firm muscles wrapped beneath the fabric.

It was even more magnificent than the military uniform worn during variety show.

Wen Li hadn't expected that her casual remark would make Song Yan actually change into the military uniform.

With his sword-like eyebrows and bright temperament, Song Yan was very suitable for wearing military uniforms. Wen Li dared to guarantee that if Song Yan had worn this outfit during the audition, he would have been more immersed in the role and performed even better.

It felt amazing.

Song Yan turned his head, facing her gaze directly, and called her name from the script, "Ye Yan?"

Wen Li's heart fluttered.

No wonder Ting Feng and Ye Yan, even in that era of war and turmoil, with their respective responsibilities and organizational tasks, were unconsciously attracted to each other. In an extremely repressed and dark environment, every step had to be taken with extreme caution. From being strangers at the beginning to learning to trust and rely on each other, living together day and night, they were comrades and friends, each other's only solace and glimmer of light. They were also young people with mutual fondness.

If the country had been peaceful, perhaps they would have already confessed their love openly.

"Come, let's rehearse," Wen Li's eyes sparkled.

In the script, Ye Yan was portrayed as a libertine and promiscuous prostitute, while Ting Feng was a nonchalant playboy who only loved beautiful women and didn't care about political affairs. They had a lot of flirtatious and explicit lines, but it was all to create an illusion. After all, young men and women pretended to be married for the mission, which was already quite challenging. The higher-ups wouldn't require them to make real sacrifices; it was enough to maintain appearances.

It was during these simulated scenes that their emotions started to uncontrollably ferment.

Ye Yan was a person from Suzhou, a gentle and soft Jiangnan woman with a pleasant Wu dialect. When she sang erotic songs to men while playing the pipa, the charming and coquettish gestures in her eyes complemented the lyrics, wishing to captivate their souls.

Although Wen Li's appearance resembled Ye Yan's, she was a native of Yancheng, and sometimes her accent slipped, revealing her natural Beijing accent. In order to fit into this character, she had been practicing her accent with a teacher during the days leading up to the audition. Director Qiu didn't ask about it during the audition, but now that they were rehearsing, she sang in front of Song Yan.

"Untie my mandarin button, the sweat wets my silky chest, caress me tenderly, and watch it passionately under the lamp—"

"These enemies are so flirtatious, matching me perfectly in reality."

"Hold me tightly, whispering endearing words without ceasing, call me once, and I'll feel a shiver—"

This was one of the masterpieces of Pu Songling's narrative poems, if accompanied by music with a melodious and ambiguous tune, it would be even more flavorful.

Wen Li knew the meaning of the lyrics, and as she sang, she felt a bit embarrassed. Although she had studied vocal music, she mainly focused on pop songs before, which were all written by modern people. Ancient literature was not her specialty.

Finally, she finished singing. Because of the accent issue, she felt somewhat unsure of herself. She asked with a shy tone, "...Was it okay?"

Wen Li genuinely considered Song Yan as her teacher. Their careers had different focuses: she led him in variety shows, and he's teaching her how to act in movies. So after performing her scene, she liked to ask him how it was and if it was acceptable.

Song Yan never lied to her. If it was good, it was good; if it wasn't, they could do it again.

"It's good," Song Yan nodded, "It made my bones melt."

Wen Li nodded in agreement, "Actually, the character you're playing is a rooted revolutionary with new ideas. It's normal to be unable to tolerate this kind of song."

Song Yan smiled and clarified further, "I meant it for myself."

It was clearly stated in the script that "Ting Feng has always been surrounded by graceful and elegant young ladies. In his eyes, such women are both tobacco and poison. He inevitably indulges and restrains the rising desire in his heart".

Outside of the script, Song Yan didn't need to restrain himself. The cheongsam was indeed eye-catching, and the erotic song she sang was also captivating. Setting aside his biased affection and personal desires towards his wife, no one was more suitable for this role than Wen Li.

Working at home had its drawbacks; it was easy for the mind to wander. When at the audition site, Song Yan wouldn't dare to act this way. He accompanied Wen Li seriously during the scene, appearing as a righteous gentleman on the surface. Who knows what he was really thinking.

She was initially dumbfounded, then foolishly opened her mouth.

Song Yan observed her for a moment and knew that she understood what he meant. Some things didn't need to be said too explicitly.

He lowered his head to find her lips and, while kissing her, carried her to the bedroom.

The lazy afternoon time made people's thoughts hazy. Wen Li swallowed her saliva.

She lay on the bed, her eyes fixed on the neat and sturdy collar and the perfectly buttoned uniform. The white shirt inside revealed a glimpse of its edge. In a daze, she asked, "Aren't you hot wearing so many layers?"

"A little."

"Then why do you wear them?" Wen Li whispered, "Aren't you afraid of getting heat rash?"

"In that case, why don't you undo them?" Song Yan said softly.

That's why they said men were cunning. They knew very well how handsome they were. They took full advantage of it to seduce their loved ones.

It shouldn't just be him alone. It wasn't enough for only him to be tempted by the costume of his beloved. He had to bring her along and jump into the trap of desire together.

Wen Li was a sensually normal woman, and not only was she not sexually frigid, but she also liked Song Yan. Unable to bear it any longer, she grabbed his collar and asked angrily, "Are you seducing me?"

Song Yan looked pleased and said, "Finally caught on, huh?"

Wen Li bit her lip, unbuttoned the topmost button at his collar, and fiercely bit the Adam's apple hidden beneath his shirt collar, "Got you!"

His Adam's apple trembled and Song Yan's voice sounded pleased, "Come."

He always used the excuse of acting to deceive her!

The military uniform was new, with clean-cut lines and a stiff texture. The cold tassels brushed against the skin, scratching and tickling. The cheongsam was made of real silk, soft and smooth. The chaste and rigid white gloves effortlessly slid inside, following the lapel.

Wen Li felt unwilling. Why should the military uniform dominate over the cheongsam just because he was wearing more layers?

She turned over and insisted on climbing on top. At this point, Song Yan, who hadn't reached the critical point, was easy to negotiate with. He would basically listen to whatever she said. Watching her on top of him as she played with him, the visual satisfaction alone was absolute. As a result, his gaze became deeper and deeper. Suppressing the impulse to dominate her and her arrogant movements, he handed over the initiative to her.

With such a slender and delicate girl pressing on him, her long hair fell on his face, so Song Yan gently brushed it aside. Her hair tickled his neck and cheeks again as she moved, making his heart stir and unable to resist. He pressed the back of her head down and whispered something in her ear.

She immediately refused, "No singing!"

Then she held his Adam's apple threateningly and said, "You sing for me. I've never heard you sing before."

"I don't sing well," he said.

"I don't believe it," Wen Li thought he was being modest. "Your voice is pleasant. How could you sing so poorly?"

"It's true," Song Yan said, "Otherwise, I wouldn't have become an actor."

"What did you want to do if you're not an actor?"

"I wanted to do whatever you wanted to do at that time."

Wen Li laughed, "You're just talking nonsense. At that time, I wanted to be a singing and dancing idol. Did you want that too?"

Song Yan also laughed, his gaze firmly fixed on her flushed cheeks. He reached out to tidy her damp bangs on her forehead, made a short sound of agreement, and admitted it.

Wen Li became happy. Maybe she wouldn't believe him if they were not in bed, but in bed, her resistance weakened. She accepted all the sweet words he said to coax her. Somewhat willfully, she said, "Then you definitely can't."

His hand slowly creeped her thighs and slipped in from the slit, Song Yan blinked and said, "I think I'm quite capable."

Wen Li tried to cover the opening at her thighs and let out an involuntary scream.

"Too slow," After letting her play for so long, Song Yan decided to regain control, "Your waist is not faster than my hand."

Being an actor was already a high-paying profession. He could afford more than just two sets of costumes. Song Yan extravagantly made full use of them. The cheongsam hung on Wen Li from beginning to end, while the clothes inside scattered around like butterfly leaves. She appeared like an ultimate snow-white beauty among the seductive colors, still holding onto the pipa.

In the end, the cheongsam was wrinkled beyond wearability, and the pristine military uniform was covered in white stains.

What kind of acting was this? Although Ting Feng and Ye Yan's lines were explicit, both of them exercised restraint, fearing complications. They didn't say "I love you", and their physical connection was a pure comradeship. The movie didn't even have a bed scene.

After they were done with the deed, Wen Li was dissatisfied and blamed all the absurdity and confusion on her being infatuated with Song Yan. She noisily accused him of not reading the script properly and not even understanding the character of Ting Feng. It could be said that he was being very unprofessional.

"I read it carefully, and I understood it too," Song Yan grunted lazily, "He can really endure."

Wen Li pounded his chest and said seriously, "Hey, don't insult the character."

Song Yan grabbed her fist, opened her fingertips, and then intertwined his fingers with hers.

"Did Tang Jiaren used to like you?" Wen Li suddenly asked.

Song Yan murmured, "Yes."

It seemed like he had been confessed to.

Later, Tang Jiaren went abroad to pursue her career, and the two of them didn't contact each other again. It had been too long, and he couldn't remember clearly.

Wen Li had a look of "I knew it" on her face and nodded, "No wonder."

She faithfully recounted the conversation she had with Tang Jiaren, proudly saying, "I fought back. I told her that you call me honey in private."

In the makeup room before, when Song Yan and Tang Jiaren faced each other, Song Yan practically had "not familiar" written on his forehead. Wen Li wasn't foolish, and with him being so self-aware, how could she possibly feel jealous?

She had to believe in him, of course, and more importantly, believe in her own charm!

Song Yan raised an eyebrow and leaned in to her ear, "Honey."

Wen Li was somewhat surprised by his compliance, and with a satisfied smile, she responded with an even more cheesy term of endearment, "Hey, my dear baby."

He laughed again. Wen Li often unwittingly said things that tickled his funny bone.

It was so cheesy, and Wen Li wasn't used to it. She switched back to the original title, "Forget it, I'll just call you Teacher Song. You can still call me..."

Before she could finish, Song Yan preemptively called out "Junior". He paused and added her name, "Junior Ah Li."

Wen Li nodded, "Sure, sure."

He made another request, "You also call me by my name, together with the title."

"Senior Ah Yan?" Wen Li pronounced it and felt it wasn't quite right. She laughed and said, "En, sounds like filming a TV drama."

Song Yan didn't say anything, he just wrapped his arm around her tightly.

Wen Li felt that whenever she and Song Yan mentioned the past, he had particularly deep memories of that time but seemed hesitant to touch upon them. It was different from her open and frank attitude. He was unusually sensitive and wanted to reminisce with her but was afraid to let her know.

Perhaps he had some unspeakable teenage secrets.

Thinking about how he had taken on movie roles because he needed money back then, Wen Li suddenly felt that this man was like a little pitiful creature. She hugged his waist and called him "Senior Ah Yan" a few more times.

If he was willing to bring it up, she would accompany him in reminiscing. If he didn't want to bring it up and only wanted to hint at it, she wouldn't pry any further.

——

In the evening, the cameras finally started rolling again.

Director Yan really wanted to ask what they were doing at home the entire afternoon without turning on the cameras. It would have been understandable if they turned them off at night, but even during broad daylight, it was a blatant disregard for Director Yan, as well as their program team.

Before he could express his frustration, Song Yan took the initiative to approach him and explained that he and Wen Li had been changing into costumes for a movie project in the afternoon. The project was still confidential, and the casting process was being kept secret. Therefore, it was inconvenient to reveal it on the show, so the footage from the afternoon couldn't be aired temporarily.

Director Yan quickly realized that it was related to the recent online rumors about the highly anticipated film [Ice City], where both true and false information was flooding the internet.

"So, you were rehearsing the script at home the whole afternoon?" Director Yan asked.

Song Yan maintained a calm expression and replied, "Yes."

"Oh," Director Yan nodded with understanding. The speculations he had secretly imagined were shattered by Song Yan's casual explanation, leaving him with an indescribable sense of disappointment.

Song Yan thought Director Yan was disappointed because they hadn't filmed anything in the afternoon, so he apologized proactively, "I'm sorry that we inconvenienced the production team. It's all for the sake of work. I hope you understand, Director Yan."

Director Yan shook his head and said, "I understand." Then he continued, "It's indeed a great script. Congratulations to both of you. When will you join the film production?"

Song Yan replied, "After we finish filming this program."

Qu Ping didn't like actors getting distracted with other work during film shoots, and in fact, many top directors felt the same way. They had clear expectations for the actors, regardless of their popularity. During the shooting of a good film, the actors were expected to invest their entire heart and effort into it. For these few months of shooting, it was best for them to fully immerse themselves in their roles and consider themselves as the characters they were portraying, without diverting their thoughts to other work.

Considering that the eighth episode, which would begin recording in two days, was followed by four more episodes of recording, it would be approximately two months before they could join the film production. It coincided with the completion of Wen Li's other regular variety show, [For You To Debut]. Once all their commitments were fulfilled, they could focus on filming.

Soon, the production team sent the final script for the eighth episode to the guests.

The eighth episode would be recorded outdoors, with the theme -- "Memories".

In one of the previous episodes, there was a short recording on a university campus, featuring guest appearances by university couples and a beautiful campus romance segment. The audience had responded positively to it. Unfortunately, the guests didn't participate in that episode and only provided simple reactions. They briefly talked about their youth during a rooftop chat segment.

Therefore, for the eighth episode's recording, the production team set the theme as "Memories". The four couples would "revisit" their partners' most cherished memories from their youth and experience the little moments of their lives before they met each other.

It was easy to handle for the other guests as their academic records from elementary school to university were publicly available. However, it was a bit challenging for Wen Li. Before attending university, all her academic records were kept confidential, possibly due to some undisclosed private matters. The production team couldn't find any information, nor could they investigate further. Wen Li had a one-year experience as an overseas trainee, but due to the increasingly tense relations between the two countries, it was impossible to shoot abroad.

The production team discussed this issue with Wen Li, but she was also in a difficult situation.

When she first entered the entertainment industry, she had signed an agreement with her uncle, who prohibited her from using the Wen family's influence for her career. Now that she had gained recognition on her own, whether or not she had the support of the Wen family didn't matter anymore, and she hadn't paid much attention to the public disclosure of her academic records.

Coincidentally, after finishing audition, she planned to visit her family to have a meal. So she intended to discuss this matter with her uncle.

She was initially worried that she wouldn't be able to handle her uncle's strong reactions alone, so she thought of bringing Xu Li along. However, Xu Li was constantly under the scrutiny of cameras 24/7 and couldn't get away. She also considered asking Song Yan, but he had been busy these days. His wife even started singing Suzhou-Shanghai ditties, indicating how much effort she had put into it. As a teacher, he couldn't be more careless than his students, so his frequency of going to the theater had increased.

Yu Weiguang also introduced him to several retired veterans. These veterans, who had already stepped down from higher positions, always had countless stories to tell about the past. Song Yan would accompany them for tea, often spending the whole day with them.

Unfortunately, there's no choice. She could only go home alone.

However, to her surprise, as soon as she arrived home, her uncle didn't have time to say anything to her. He immediately grabbed her and put her in the car to go to the hospital to see her grandfather.

When Wen Li's grandfather, Wen Xingyi, was young, he used to smoke and drink excessively to socialize. As he grew older, he became a frequent visitor to the hospital. Although he had many minor ailments, his overall health was still quite robust. When Wen Li just reached the entrance of the hospital room, she heard her grandfather complaining to the nurse in a hearty tone.

"Injections, injections every day! My old arm is almost poked like a sieve by you people!"

Wen Yan knocked on the hospital room door and called out, "Dad."

"Are you here?" Wen Xingyi turned his head and saw his son standing next to him. The tight frown on his face finally relaxed a bit, and he mumbled, "I thought I had to wait until the day I kick the bucket to see my little granddaughter."

Wen Li took off her sunglasses and smiled at the elderly man on the hospital bed, "Grandpa."

The nurse, who was tidying up the syringe, froze when she saw Wen Li's face.

Wen Yan spoke up and urged her to leave, "You can go out first."

The nurse immediately lowered her head and pushed the medical cart out.

This floor only had Wen Xingyi as a patient, and the medical staff were dedicated to taking care of him, so Wen Li felt at ease coming here with her uncle.

Once the nurse left, Wen Xingyi waved to Wen Li, "Heartless granddaughter, come here quickly."

As Wen Li approached, he immediately said, "You've become thinner, even thinner."

"I have to stay slim, otherwise, I won't look good on camera," Wen Li explained.

"That's why I told you not to become a celebrity! Don't become a celebrity!" Wen Xingyi looked pained, "You've become as thin as a matchstick. Xu Shimao, that poor guy, can't even take care of his wife, let alone my granddaughter. Can he be a good father?"

Wen Xingyi had a strong dislike for Xu Shimao, Wen Li's father. While others referred to him as "Master Xu", Wen Xingyi firmly called him a poor guy, and that hadn't changed over the years.

Wen Xingyi had been married twice. Wen Li's mother, Wen Wei, was his only daughter from his first wife. Wen Xingyi and his first wife were childhood sweethearts and their relationship was very good. At that time, Wen Xingyi was a poor boy with nothing, but his wife didn't mind and accompanied him through the most difficult period of starting a business. Later, when Xingyi Group took off, his wife passed away due to illness.

His second wife was from a business alliance. She gave birth to two sons for him before passing away over a decade ago.

Compared to Wen Yan and Wen Zheng, who were born to his second wife, he clearly favored his eldest daughter, Wen Wei. Unfortunately, Wen Wei didn't listen to him and fell in love with the penniless Xu Shimao. Xu Shimao, who was just a poor student carrying an easel back then, later married Wen Wei against Wen Xingyi's opposition.

Xu Shimao understood the sacrifices Wen Wei made for him, so before their first child was born, he had already decided to let the child take the surname of Wen family.

Later, when Xu Li was born, he took his father's surname.

Artists always mature late, and Xu Shimao was no exception. Just a few years into their happy family life, Wen Wei had a car accident while accompanying her husband on an overseas artistic journey, and Xu Shimao ended up with a leg disability. Wen Wei had passed away.

That was the outcome for the women in the Wen family.

Fortune tellers said that the men in their family had tough destinies and brought misfortune to their wives and daughters, so none of the women in the Wen family had good luck.

Wen Li was the only direct descendant in the Wen family. While many families generally favored boys over girls, it was not the case for the Wen family. Girls were precious, so even her younger brother, Xu Li, didn't receive as much favor as she did.

Wen Li also lived up to her grandfather's love, inheriting all his flaws across generations. She was arrogant, stubborn, and had a bad temper. Her grandfather had the temper of a stubborn mule, she was also like that. When she decided to become a celebrity, she took matters into her own hands as a teenager and bribed the housekeeper to pretend to be her guardian and sign with an overseas talent agency. This greatly angered the elders in the Wen family.

Fortunately, Wen Yan managed to bring her back and kept her confined for a while, finally making her behave. But as soon as she was released, she signed with a domestic talent agency to become an actress. Now that her work had become busy, she could hardly come home a few times a year to visit her grandfather.

Wen Xingyi was both angry that Wen Li had come to see him just now and happy that she had finally come to see him. He patted her hand and said a few words before Wen Li's phone rang. She looked at her grandfather with a hesitant expression.

"Go outside and take the call," sighed Wen Xingyi, "As a celebrity, you receive more work calls than your uncle."

"I also earn a lot of money, you know," Wen Li protested.

Reluctantly, Wen Li went outside the hospital room to answer the phone. Once she left, Wen Xingyi asked in a serious tone, "Where is that boy from the Song family? Didn't he come with my granddaughter?"

Wen Yan shook his head, "No, he didn't."

"It's better that he didn't come," Wen Xingyi's attitude toward Wen Li changed as he coldly said, "Whenever I think of that grandson-in-law of mine, I feel sorry for my granddaughter."

Wen Xingyi had a stubborn temperament. When he first met Song Yan, the latter was still young, and being pampered by his parents, Song Yan had acted all high and mighty at that time. Wen Xingyi, who had worked his way up from the grassroots, didn't like this young master who was spoiled by his parents. However, back then, Song Yan's parents were wealthy in the Aocheng city, so he couldn't say anything. Even now, regardless of Song Yan's achievements, he simply didn't like him.

When Song Yan was in his teens, Wen Yan had warned him once. They had no connection anymore, but fate had its own plans. Wen Li became an actress and ended up marrying Song Yan.

Not long after, Wen Li returned after her phone call, looking hesitant as she glanced at Wen Yan, "Uncle, step outside for a moment. I need to discuss something with you."

Wen Yan instinctively looked at his father.

Wen Xingyi waved his hand. "Go, your niece has something to tell you."

After closing the hospital room door, Wen Yan straightened his suit and asked, "What is it?"

It was a phone call from the program production team, and Wen Li briefly explained the situation.

"Reveal your background? Fine," nodded Wen Yan calmly, "But our agreement remains the same. Once people find out about your connection to Xingyi Group, you must come home immediately."

Wen Li opened her mouth, trying to defend herself, "But, Uncle, this is work. It's not about my personal reasons."

"It's work, but your background and your family are closely related. Once it's made public, there will be many leads that people can follow. You should know the requirements of the school you attended from an early age. It's not difficult to investigate," Wen Yan paused, raised an eyebrow, and looked down at her troubled expression with a relaxed tone, "Remember the ambition you told me? You said you wouldn't come home until you won the Best Actress award. Have you forgotten?"

Wen Li pursed her lips. At that time, she had indeed quarreled with her uncle in a fit of anger, she spoke out about such ambition.

She, frustrated, said, "Then what should I do? I've already signed the contract. I can't just refuse to cooperate with the filming."

"Your background can't be revealed, but Song Yan's background can be revealed right?" Wen Yan asked.

"But the production team wants us to visit each other's schools for memories."

Wen Yan calmly said, "Back then, you used to go to the neighboring school more often than your own high school to see Bai Sen. Most of your memories should be in the same place as Song Yan's."

Wen Li suddenly realized, and then looked at Wen Yan with suspicion, "How do you know?"

"Because I'm your uncle."

"Is there a connection?"

"Yes," Wen Yan's tone was calm, "If you weren't my niece, I wouldn't care whether you lived or died."

"Uncle, being too honest will make it difficult to find a partner," Wen Li smirked and sarcastically said, "You're not young anymore, and as your niece, I kindly remind you to improve your toxic tongue. Otherwise, even if you're thirty now, you won't be able to find a partner by the time you're fifty."

Wen Yan looked at her with disdain and a hint of amusement, "Are you saying that someone like you doesn't have foolish boys who are wholeheartedly devoted to you?"

"What do you mean? I'm attractive, and there are plenty of people who like me," Wen Li retorted at first, then realizing the other point her uncle made, she defended Song Yan protectively, "Also, who are you calling a foolish boy? Song Yan is smart, academically excellent, talented in acting, and successful in business. He's a versatile Best Actor. Can you match up to him?"

Wen Yan looked at her with disdain and suspicion. "...Have you been drinking again?"

Wen Li said, "No, I haven't."

"Listen to what you're saying," Wen Yan's disdain grew stronger, "There's no girl like you."

Wen Li snorted, "That's because you haven't seen the world, Uncle."

Wen Yan calmly said, "Hmm, you've seen it. Going to a foreign country, becoming thin as a stick, crying over eating kimchi fried rice."

Wen Li's expression turned bitter, and she stopped talking.

When she was a trainee overseas, those were truly days that no one should have to experience. As a young girl in her teens, she had to face high-intensity training every day. She couldn't even eat a few mouthfuls of rice, afraid that her weight would go up when she stepped on the scale and receive a barrage of scolding from the body instructor.

Later, Wen Yan found her and didn't rush to take her back to the country. Instead, he took her to the hospital first and applied medicine to her arms and legs that were bruised from the intense training.

Wen Yan had asked her, "Do you know you were wrong?"

With tears in her eyes, she had replied, "Uncle, I'm hungry."

Helplessly, Wen Yan took her to eat. Having been accustomed to the food in China, he became very picky about foreign cuisine. But Wen Li was different; she ate heartily and even turned kimchi into a delicious delicacy.

Wen Yan had asked her again, "Do you know you were wrong?"

Having eaten her fill, Wen Li stopped crying and stubbornly said, "I did nothing wrong!"

Wen Yan finally realized that all his tolerance and consideration for this girl would only fuel her arrogance. So, without wasting words, he directly brought her onto the plane and sent her back home, locking her up there.

"Mencius said," Wen Li began to quote classics to defend herself, "When heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a man, it always first frustrates his spirit and will, exhausts his muscles and bones. That was just a preparation for my current fame and fortune."

Wen Yan scoffed coldly, "Don't talk to me about that. The Wen family now only has you as a girl. If you're doing well, everything will be fine."

Wen Li futilely opened her mouth, "What about my background..."

Wen Yan coldly glanced at her and said, "Isn't your husband a versatile Best Actor? He is much more capable than me, your uncle. Let him figure it out."

Wen Li wanted to refute, but didn't know how to argue.

So, Wen Li had no choice but to explain to the production team that she had studied abroad before university, so for the eighth episode shoot, they could go together to Song Yan's high school alma mater.

The producer told this situation to Director Yan, who almost instantly agreed without much consideration.

"Perfect, we should film them together."

Other guests might temporarily separate due to their respective work, but they would still be concerned about each other and would call or play games together online. However, when Song Yan and Wen Li separated for work, they truly were apart. It would take great effort to bring their two hearts, dedicated to their work, back together.

——

During the recording of the eighth episode of [In This World With You], news about the casting for the film [Ice City] was leaked. The investors of the movie couldn't contain the news anymore.

[Ice City] had been officially registered and approved a long time ago and its record number could be found on the official website. Online discussions and controversies about the casting of several female roles had been ongoing since the record was released. Marketing accounts had been arguing about it for over two months, even conducting polls on Weibo, listing potential actresses for fans to vote for.

Until recently, Tang Jiaren returned to the country, and the marketing accounts, who had differing opinions, finally reluctantly reached a consensus.

The first sign of activity was seen in the comment section of an online forum.

「In the film industry, the long-awaited CP is finally going to collaborate.」

0L:「Top-tier film resources, fans of fleeting popularity, don't come and criticize. The male lead is White Moonlight, an ancient surnamed CP, with a historical drama ceiling. The female lead is the nation's first love goddess.」

...

5L:「Tang Song!! My goodness!!」

10L:「White Moonlight must be Song Yan. Chen Jiamu is amazing. Just for this role, I'd put a ten kilometers thick filter on him.」

...

25L:「Talking about a CP that has been gone for eight hundred years? How long has the man had been married? Can we keep the CP drama away from a married man?」

55L:「Song Yan's real-life CP fans only recognize Salt Grain CP. If they want to collaborate, collaborate. Stop mentioning the unresolved CP. It makes me sick.」

65L:「Hilarious! Troublesome fans need treatment. Comparing a contractual marriage to first love? If Song Yan didn't have genuine feelings for Tang Jiaren, I'll eat shit on live broadcast.」

77L:「Forget about the contract marriage. Can't you see how affectionate they have been during the recent recordings?」

83L:「They are doing it for the money. 'In This World With You' is just industrial saccharin.」

96L:「The most explosive aspect of 'In This World With You' is the Salt Grain CP. If they were really paid, would they appear for only half an hour in each episode?」

101L:「Saying that Salt Grain CP is industrial saccharin, have Tang Song ever shown even a hint of sweetness? Tang Jiaren has made efforts from beginning to end. Even in foreign interviews, she never forgets to mention Song Yan from time to time. Look back at Song Yan's interviews, did he ever take the initiative to cue Tang Jiaren even once?」

What began as a movie scoop eventually turned into a fight between the fans of the two CPs.

The "Tang Song" CP had not collaborated in ten years, but the remaining CP fans were extremely loyal. They had cautiously sought survival, but with this leaked news, their presence immediately skyrocketed.

However, they couldn't compete with the massive number of "Salt Grain" fans. Eventually, the forum was shut down, and both sides continued the argument on Weibo.

For the CP fans on both sides, Song Yan was like half a dividing wall, so it turned into a war between the two female artists.

All of this was triggered by that so-called leaked information, dragging the "Tang Song" CP, which had been inactive for ten years, into the spotlight. [In This World With You] had become a big hit recently, gaining more and more viewers who joined the "Salt Grain" fandom. The speculation about characters CP was bearable, but when the male lead was already married and a real-life CP was brought up, claiming that it was an unresolved CP, it was difficult not to get angry.

「What's the use of fans arguing? Even if you argue, will this cake fall on the heads of your main characters? Ask Director Qiu Ping and the screenwriter of 'Ice City' if they would agree. @DirectorQiuPing @WritingIsMyEverything.」

「Don't argue. Even if you argue, this big cake won't fall into the hands of your top-tier stars. The flowering period of female artists is short. While they're still young, it's better to act in their comfortable circle and make money from idol dramas. Don't wait until they're over thirty and their flowering period is gone, and nobody pays for their idol dramas. Don't rely on having many fans to cause trouble. Jiaren doesn't need popularity or fans. Both sides have their own essential resources, okay?」

「Fighting over a fan argument is pointless. Even if you argue, will this cake fall on the heads of your main characters? Ask the director and screenwriter of 'Ice City' if they would agree. @DirectorQiuPing @WritingIsMyEverything.」

「@DirectorQiuPing @WritingIsMyEverything.」

「Your top-tier stars are only worthy of filming idol dramas and profiting from the tears of young girls. Don't come and criticize our movie resources.」

The casting for [Ice City] hasn't been announced yet, but an intense war had started on Weibo because of it.

The hot-tempered screenwriter, Old Zhou, clearly couldn't tolerate the harassment from countless netizens.

Before the official announcement of the casting for [Ice City], Old Zhou directly posted on Weibo.

Writing Is My Everything:「The script for 'Ice City' is a great success. Among the four main characters, there were two for whom I couldn't think of suitable surnames before. Now, I have figured it out. I'll release them in advance for everyone to evaluate. Wen Tingfeng and Song Yeyan, what do you think?」

The screenwriter directly revealed the surnames of the main characters. Anyone who's not a fool could understand the meaning.

Qiu Ping immediately made a phone call and cursed angrily, "Old Zhou, you're already in your forties. If you want to ship CP, ship CP. What's the meaning of mixing your personal feelings with professional work? Are you still childish?!"