Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

Zhou Yuxuan's facial muscles twitched slightly, and he forced a stiff smile: "Director, don't worry, I will definitely prioritize filming."

Jiang Nian didn't even lift her eyelids, only giving a faint "hmm" in response.

This disregard infuriated Zhou Yuxuan even more than direct confrontation.

In the following days, Zhou Yuxuan indeed behaved himself considerably, at least under Zhang Yi's watchful eye, and did not cause any more obvious trouble.

But their underhanded tactics intensified.

Jiang Nian, wearing a white lab coat, stood in the designated spot waiting for filming to begin.

Zhou Yuxuan and his several supporting actors gathered on the other side, their voices neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough to drift over.

"Brother Xuan, the moment you put on that white coat, your demeanor changed completely. You look much more respectable than some of those pretentious people," a follower flattered.

Zhou Yuxuan chuckled and straightened his cuffs: "For actors, in the end, it all comes down to audience appeal and popularity. No matter how good your acting is, if no one supports you, you're just destined to be a bit player."

Another follower chimed in: "Exactly, who watches those outdated performance styles anymore? It has to be down-to-earth and generate buzz! Brother Xuan, that trending topic about you getting injured while suspended by wires went viral again yesterday, and your fans were screaming with heartache."

"Being dedicated is what I should do," Zhou Yuxuan said casually, but his gaze drifted towards Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian seemed not to hear, looking down at her script, her finger lightly tracing a page.

Ah Jie stood in the shadows a little further away, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings, especially Zhou Yuxuan's group.

Xiaomin, holding a thermos and a towel, quietly stood behind Jiang Nian.

"Teacher Jiang, would you like some water?" Xiaomin asked in a low voice.

"No need," Jiang Nian said without looking up.

The camera focuses on the corridor, where medical staff and patients' families move about, creating a busy atmosphere in the emergency room. Jiang Nian, who plays Lu Chenxi, needs to quickly walk through the crowd while explaining the patient's condition to the nurses who come towards her.

His steps were steady, his speech was fast and clear, and his eyes were focused, instantly immersing people in a tense and professional medical environment.

According to the positioning, Zhou Yuxuan should enter the camera from the other side and have a brief eye contact with Jiang Nian when they brush past each other.

Zhou Yuxuan walked over, but at the moment of their meeting, he crashed hard into Jiang Nian's hand holding the medical record folder!
If that hits hard, the medical record folder will definitely fly out, and the whole scene will be ruined.

In a flash, Jiang Nian subtly pulled his wrist, which was holding the medical record folder, inward, and his elbow sank slightly in the process.

Zhou Yuxuan's elbow brushed past his forearm, creating a gust of wind, but it didn't even touch the edge of the medical record folder.

Jiang Nian continued her lines fluently without a pause, walking straight past without stopping.

"Cut!" Zhang Yi stared at the monitor, frowning. "Yu Xuan, what happened to you just now? Your positioning was unstable!"

Zhou Yuxuan steadied himself and looked innocent: "Sorry, director, there seems to be a string on the ground that I tripped over."

The props team's expressions immediately changed.

This is a very obvious attempt to shift the blame.

Jiang Nian then stopped, turned around, and looked calmly at Zhou Yuxuan: "The ground is very clean."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the quiet film set.

Zhou Yuxuan's face stiffened: "Maybe I'm mistaken..."

"If you feel you're wrong, just familiarize yourself with the venue more."

After Jiang Nian finished speaking, she stopped looking at him and walked towards Zhang Yi. "Director, do we need to do this scene again?"

Zhang Yi watched the monitor replay. Jiang Nian's performance was impeccable. He had even cleverly incorporated the little accident into his performance, making it seem incredibly natural.

"No need! This one's done!" Zhang Yi waved his hand, then looked at Zhou Yuxuan, his tone carrying a warning.

"Cheer up, everyone! Don't let personal issues waste everyone's time!"

Zhou Yuxuan lowered his head, clenched his teeth, and his nails almost dug into his palms.

During a break, Jiang Nian sat in a folding chair and closed his eyes to rest. Xiao Min gently blew on him with a small fan.

Ah Jie walked over and whispered, "Teacher Jiang, it wasn't an accident. I checked, there's nothing on the ground."

"I know," Jiang Nian said without even opening his eyes.

"He's getting more and more outrageous," Xiaomin couldn't help but complain. "Teacher Jiang, we can't keep being so passive, can we?"

Jiang Nian slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep: "The higher you jump, the harder you fall."

At this moment, Zhou Yuxuan's agent, Li Qiang, walked over with a smile, carrying several cups of coffee.

"Teacher Jiang, you've worked hard. How about a cup of coffee to perk you up?"

Before Xiaomin could refuse, Jiang Nian spoke first, his tone distant: "Thank you, but no need."

Li Qiang's smile froze for a moment, and he withdrew the coffee he had offered: "Teacher Jiang is truly self-disciplined."

He changed the subject, "I heard that Teacher Jiang hasn't signed a long-term cooperation agreement with a makeup and hair team yet? The team that Yu Xuan uses is very good, would you like to introduce them? They have a lot of connections in the industry, which makes things easier."

The subtext of those words couldn't be clearer.

Your team is unprofessional and lacks resources.

Before Jiang Nian could speak, Xiao Min couldn't help but chime in, a professional fake smile on her face: "Manager Li, you've gone to so much trouble. Teacher Jiang's makeup and hair have always been handled by a stylist we've worked with for many years; they're very professional. As for connections..."

She paused, her smile becoming even more forced, "Teacher Jiang values ​​the work itself more."

Li Qiang was taken aback, then chuckled dryly, "That's right, Teacher Jiang is an artist, different from us traffic-driven people." He glanced meaningfully at Jiang Nian's simple, almost austere resting place, shook his head, and left.

"What a thing!" Xiaomin spat under her breath after he had walked away.

Jiang Nian didn't react much, and closed her eyes again: "Let's do our own thing."

Until the very last scene before wrapping up filming.

This scene depicts a clash of ideas between Lu Chenxi and Chen Yang in the doctor's office regarding treatment plans. The dialogue is dense and the emotional tension is high.

Zhang Yi took this scene very seriously and specifically called the two actors over to discuss the scene before filming began.

“This scene is crucial! Lu Chenxi’s persistence stems from his experience and sense of responsibility, while Chen Yang’s radicalism is driven by his theories and ambitions. I want to see sparks, but not your personal rage, understand?” Zhang Yi’s gaze swept across the two men’s faces.

Zhou Yuxuan nodded: "I understand, Director. I will do my best."

Jiang Nian: "Mm."

“Alright, get ready to start filming!” Zhou Yuxuan took the initiative. He walked to Jiang Nian’s desk, placed his hands on the table, and leaned forward, trying to create a sense of pressure.

"Dr. Lu, I think your assessment of the condition is too conservative! The latest research data shows that proactive intervention has better long-term effects!"

Jiang Nian sat in the chair and looked up at him.

He picked up the CT scan on the table, his tone flat and monotone: "Dr. Chen, have you looked at the patient's liver function report? And his echocardiogram results?"

Zhou Yuxuan was caught off guard by the question. The script didn't mention these details, so he could only stick to his lines: "Those are secondary indicators! We can't abandon the best treatment plan just because of potential risks!"

"The best solution?"

Jiang Nianqing put down the film, her voice turning colder, "Who is it best to? The journal that published the paper? Or you, who are eager to prove yourself?"

His delivery of lines was excellent; every word was clear and weighty. When used in conjunction with Zhou Yuxuan's performance, it made the latter's exaggerated physical movements and high-pitched tone seem particularly superficial.

Zhou Yuxuan felt that Jiang Nian had completely taken control of the rhythm, and he became anxious.

He added a line that wasn't in the script on the spot, trying to regain the initiative: "You're stuck in your ways! You're afraid of challenges!"

Jiang Nian's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. This wasn't part of the script, disrupting his planned rhythm. But he continued almost without hesitation, his tone even carrying a faint hint of sarcasm: "Every challenge a doctor faces could cost a patient's life. Dr. Chen, can you afford that?"

He stood up, his calm and imposing aura instantly overwhelming the other side: "Here, the premise of showing off knowledge is that you truly possess it and know how to use it to save people, not harm them."

Zhou Yuxuan was caught off guard by this impromptu yet incredibly precise counterattack. His mind went blank, and the lines he had memorized perfectly suddenly stopped. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out for a long time.

"Cut!" Zhang Yi shouted abruptly, his face grim. "Zhou Yuxuan! Your lines! You forgot them again?! And who told you to add lines like that?!"

Everyone on set was looking at Zhou Yuxuan, their gazes varied.

Zhou Yuxuan's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, his chest heaving violently. He pointed sharply at Jiang Nian: "Director! It's him! He deliberately changed the script to suppress me! He didn't follow the script!"

Jiang Nian stood still, straightened the collar of her white coat—which didn't really need straightening—and said calmly, "You were the one who deviated from the script first. I was just responding within the logic of my character. Lu Chenxi won't let Chen Yang cause trouble."

"Who the hell are you calling unreasonable?!" Zhou Yuxuan was completely enraged. His rationality snapped, and he rushed towards Jiang Nian, seemingly intending to attack!
"Yu Xuan!" Li Qiang was so frightened that he rushed forward to stop him.

Ah Jie moved even faster. Almost at the same time as Zhou Yuxuan, he stepped forward and grabbed Zhou Yuxuan's raised wrist with his iron-like hand. His voice was cold and devoid of any emotion: "Mr. Zhou, please calm down."

Ah Jie's grip was extremely strong, causing him to gasp in pain and become completely immobilized.

"Let go! Who do you think you are! How dare you touch me!" Zhou Yuxuan roared at A-Jie, both shocked and furious.

Jiang Nian then slowly turned around to face Zhou Yuxuan, her eyes finally showing a clear hint of coldness: "Zhou Yuxuan, this is a film set. If you want to cause trouble, you've come to the wrong place."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

Zhang Yi also lost his temper, slamming the script in his hand onto the monitor: "Enough! Zhou Yuxuan! What do you want to do?! Fight?! If you don't want to film, get out of here!"

Li Qiang quickly tried to smooth things over, holding Zhou Yuxuan, who was still struggling, tightly: "Director, please calm down! Director, please calm down! Yuxuan was too immersed in the role! He acted impulsively! Teacher Jiang, I'm so sorry! Brother A-Jie, let go, it's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"

Ah Jie looked at Jiang Nian, and only after Jiang Nian nodded slightly did he let go of her hand.

Zhou Yuxuan rubbed his reddened wrist and glared fiercely at Jiang Nian.

Zhang Yi, panting heavily, pointed at Zhou Yuxuan: "That's enough for today! Zhou Yuxuan, you're not in the right state. Go back and calm down! If you're still like this tomorrow, don't blame me for replacing you! I mean what I say!" He then looked at Jiang Nian, his tone softening a bit, "Jiang Nian, you should go back and rest too."

Jiang Nian nodded, didn't look at Zhou Yuxuan again, and left the film set with A-Jie and Xiao-Min.

Behind them, they could still hear Zhang Yi's suppressed roar and Li Qiang's incessant apologies.

Back in the lounge, Xiaomin closed the door and finally couldn't help but pat her chest: "My God, I was so scared! That Zhou Yuxuan is a complete madman! Teacher Jiang, are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Jiang Nian took off his white coat and hung it up.

Ah Jie said in a deep voice, "Teacher Jiang, he might hold a grudge, and then..."

“He harbors hatred, which is why he reveals more flaws.” Jiang Nian walked to the window, looking at the deepening night outside. “Notify Wu Ming to pay attention to the online trends. Also,” he paused, “prepare the spare memory card for our dashcam.”

Xiaomin was taken aback: "A dashcam?"

“That time at the restaurant, our car was parked outside,” Jiang Nian said calmly.

Xiaomin suddenly realized and immediately nodded: "I understand!"

A knowing glint flashed in Ah Jie's eyes.

Sure enough, that very evening, some unsubstantiated rumors began to circulate online.

"Jiang Nian, get out of the 'Lifeline' production team!"

"That old bastard is bullying my Xuanxuan!"

"What good is good acting if you have terrible character!"

"Support Xuanxuan! Boycott the tyrannical actor Jiang Nian!"

Wu Ming was so angry he jumped up and down on the phone: "Damn it! That bastard Zhou Yuxuan is playing dirty tricks! Brother Jiang, I'll contact a PR firm right away and send a lawyer's letter!"

“No need to rush.” Jiang Nian looked at the vulgar language on the tablet without any change in expression. “Let them jump for a while longer.”

"But……"

“Do as I say,” Jiang Nian interrupted him. “Gather all the evidence. Also, contact a few media outlets with which you have good relationships and prepare some other ‘material’.”

Although Wu Ming was puzzled, he still agreed: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

The next day, Jiang Nian arrived at the film set as usual.

The atmosphere was even more eerie than the day before. The staff looked at him with more sympathy and scrutiny, while Zhou Yuxuan's group became even more arrogant.

Zhou Yuxuan himself did arrive, sitting in his rest area, wearing sunglasses so his expression couldn't be seen, but the faint smugness at the corner of his mouth was impossible to hide.

Director Zhang Yi's face was ashen; he had clearly seen the online uproar. He called Jiang Nian and Zhou Yuxuan together again, his tone heavy: "I don't want what's happening online to affect filming. I hope this is the last time."

Zhou Yuxuan took off his sunglasses, a hint of grievance on his face: "Director, I know I was wrong. I was too impulsive yesterday. But I was also pushed to the limit. Some people... sigh, never mind, I won't say anything more. Let's focus on filming."

He looked as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Jiang Nian didn't even bother to reply.

One of Zhou Yuxuan's main henchmen deliberately walked past Jiang Nian and said to his companion in a sarcastic tone.

"Sigh, these days, honest people suffer. What's the use of just burying your head in acting? You also need to know how to get along with people." (End of Chapter)