Innocent Qiao Sixiao was looking over the script when she heard Qin Wei shout. She was about to scold her reflexively, but seeing Chen Xinya there too, she held her tongue and walked over to ask Qin Wei:
"What's the matter?"
Qin Wei held up her hand:
"My hand hurts... Hard to believe, but Chen Xinya hit my hand with her face..."
"I believe it."
Qiao Sixiao gently blew on her hand,
"I believe anything my darling says. It doesn't hurt, doesn't hurt, let me blow on it~"
Chen Xinya: "..."
Qiao Sixiao asked Chen Xinya:
"Hmm? Why aren't you taking pictures? You can post them later if not now. Did you hit your ship?
People online say to go for it. You're supposed to share with your sisters when you hit your ship. I allow you to post, but mind how you phrase it. If you say I hit you without evidence, my fans are fiercer than solo stans."
Chen Xinya looked around. The staff had suddenly become very busy, none of them looking in their direction.
Clearly, nobody intended to offend the lead actress for her sake.
No wonder Qin Wei dared bully her so openly — she had nothing to fear!
"Teacher Qiao, I'm sorry, I just... got carried away by my shipper mentality... I shouldn't have said those things online..."
As Chen Xinya apologized, Qiao Sixiao brushed it off, simply telling her lightly:
"Who you ship is your business, but don't interfere with our lives. How would you like it if someone spilled your daily business online? Filming is tiring enough without you leaking our lives. The further we go, the more tired we'll get. I really don't want you endlessly exposing our days."
With that, she pulled Qin Wei aside to rest.
"Teacher Qiao is fierce! What if she really goes online to gossip?"
Qin Wei asked.
"I dare hit her, so I don't fear her gossiping. She's just so annoying with it. If scolding worked, this time she definitely wouldn't have told the media more."
"She's doing it for attention."
Qiao Sixiao sat to rest, accepting the lemon black tea little Wang handed over.
"Let her gossip. She thinks she and the shippers stand together, but actually it's only some shippers. Many people including solo stans are sick of her. One thing our fans have in common is a strong sense of boundaries. They mind their own business and don't bother us, but she broke that."
"Occasionally is fine, but she blabbed everything she saw and heard. Talk too much and people get annoyed. It's time to turn the page and adjust our moods. More filming soon and we can't let play affect work."
...
After a half hour break, Director Yuan came to communicate with the actors. On set, he was a ruthless work machine, uninterested in the grievances between Chen Xinya and Qin Wei. Seeing Chen Xinya's red-rimmed eyes in bad spirits, he frowned and told Qin Wei:
"Don't throw tantrums like this on set in future. If you dislike someone, there are many ways to mess with them without attacking them directly. Why not make her hit herself?"
"You can do that?"
Qin Wei tilted her head at him.
"What are your values, Teacher Yuan? Aren't you afraid of being scolded?"
Flipping through the script, Director Yuan made marks and exchanged with the crew about the upcoming scenes before calmly telling Qin Wei:
"Our little Qin is both weak and strong, principled yet flexible. As both little Qin's teacher and friend, I can show some favoritism. Must I always lecture on right and wrong? What's the point of friendship then? When little Qin does wrong, I'll clean up after you, no issue right?"
When he moved to ruffle Qin Wei's hair, Qiao Sixiao cut in to pull her back:
"Teacher Yuan makes sense. Shall we start? Tiring to keep waiting, finish sooner and we can leave earlier."
...
Ready to roll, shooting resumed—
Hearing "Use who can manage, replace them if not", Chen Xinya worked hard to regain focus.
The situation Zhao Yu was passive about soon turned around. It emerged Zhao Yu had just been probing the opponent's style and level earlier. Now that she grasped those, she began to counterattack.
Zhao Yu glanced at the Envoy, who nodded near-imperceptibly to indicate consent.
Zhao Yu seemed like a different person then, attacks suddenly fierce and forcing the enemy back.
The King on his throne was also clouding over.
His guards silently moved hands to sword hilts as well.
The moment the dancing girl lost, the King could charge the Envoy Group with assassination and execute them on the spot!
After all, the dead cannot defend themselves.
Yet just as Zhao Yu neared victory, someone suddenly stepped up to take the sword from the dancer's hand and stand against her.
The new girl wore blue and a silver mask.
But Zhao Yu recognized her, though uncertain if she was right.
Gong Lan.
She didn't know why Gong Lan had stepped out or what she intended now, but the match had to continue until decided!
On his throne, the King stirred his fingers to signal observing calmly.
The drums continued as Zhao Yu gripped her sword tight, but her gaze had already changed.
They had seen each other before, in the market crowds and on high platforms.
That person was still a stranger to both.
That look was intimately familiar to both.
But for whatever purpose, this contest had to end decisively first.
Gong Lan struck out. Zhao Yu remained defensive, but realized her moves seemed more dance than combat power — fierce yet not ruthless.
Zhao Yu searched her eyes and found them searching back.
Gong Lan's gaze hooked the heart. One could easily fall into them.
No words passed between them, yet some understanding dawned.
Guided by Gong Lan, they wordlessly turned the cruel match into an exquisite sword dance!
The only accompaniment was the drums, speeding and slowing to match their flow.
All eyes rested on them. Breaths were carefully controlled so as not to mar the performance.
"Great!"
At the King's shout of praise, the drums ceased just as Zhao Yu's blade halted flawlessly shy of piercing Gong Lan!
Whether by chance or design, ultimately Zhao Yu gained the upper hand.
Yet the King was loathe to see Gong Lan hurt.
Rather than the expected bloodbath, he rewarded the Envoy Group and announced a banquet.
"Cut! Excellent! Wonderful!"
Director Yuan was so pleased he decided to reward chicken drumsticks for dinner!
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