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On April 28th, "My Fair Princess" premiered in Taiwan.

Yan Ruyu watched the show with Su Ning and Ma Dongmei in the courtyard.

The television is a newly bought plasma TV, which takes up a large space in the main room.

Ma Dongmei laid out a table full of melon seeds and peanuts, and even cut up a fruit platter, making it look like Chinese New Year.

On TV, Little Swallow does somersaults, Ziwei cries, and the Emperor blows his beard and glares.

Ma Dongmei watched intently, cracking sunflower seeds as she said, "I think this show is definitely going to be a hit."

Yan Ruyu leaned on Su Ning's shoulder and asked softly, "Su Ning, what do you think?"

Suning smiled and said, "It should be a hit."

"Should?" Yan Ruyu looked up at Su Ning in surprise.

"Uh?" Su Ning thought for a moment, then rephrased it, "It's definitely going to be a hit."

Yan Ruyu didn't ask any more questions, but continued watching TV.

Although she didn't know how popular the show would become, she knew that from today onwards, everything would be different.

The opportunity she had been waiting for all these years had finally arrived.

Ma Dongmei, while cracking sunflower seeds, suddenly asked, "Chenchen, do you think I could act in a play too? Like a palace maid or something, standing in the back and not saying a word."

Yan Ruyu smiled, "Okay! I'll tell Aunt Qiong later."

"Really?" Ma Dongmei's eyes lit up, then she waved her hand, "Forget it, I can't act, I don't want to embarrass you."

Su Ning listened from the side, a slight smile playing on her lips.

This girl said she didn't care, but her eyes never left the TV.

When the palace maids appeared, Ma Dongmei watched more intently than anyone else, clearly learning and imitating them.

……

"My Fair Princess" was a huge hit in Taiwan.

The ratings broke records, it appeared on the front page of newspapers every day, TV stations called to request additional broadcasts, and advertisers flocked to the door.

The agent excitedly shared the good news with Aunt Qiong over the phone, her voice cracking, "Aunt Qiong, it's a hit! It's a real hit!"

Aunt Qiong held the microphone, hummed in agreement, and didn't say anything more.

After hanging up the phone, she sat on the sofa, looking at the gray sky outside the window, and suddenly remembered what the young man Su Ning had said.

April 28th is an auspicious day.

No legal procedures were followed; a date was simply set.

They even said that if the date is right, everything will be right.

Now, Aunt Qiong has no more doubts about Suning.

……

News of this also spread to the mainland.

Newspapers carried news about Aunt Qiong every day, and television broadcast clips of her every day.

Viewers are eagerly awaiting the mainland premiere in October.

The news of "Princess Pearl 2" was also revealed, which immediately became an opportunity for capital and stars to compete for.

As a result, Yan Ruyu's fame also rose.

Even before Princess Qing'er's scenes started filming, people were already asking who this lucky person was.

The students at Beijing Film Academy looked at Yan Ruyu differently now, after all, "Princess Pearl 2" was the hottest project.

She used to be the most beautiful girl at the Beijing Film Academy; now she's the lucky one who's going to act in a Qiong Yao drama.

The teacher would frequently use Yan Ruyu's success as an example in class, saying, "Look at Yan Ruyu, she already has works to show for her before she even graduated. And what about you? You're just playing games in your dorms all day?"

"..."

Those with inside information naturally didn't think much of it, simply because she had found a good boyfriend.

However, this is also a kind of ability and luck for Yan Ruyu, and it is meaningless for them to be envious.

……

Ma Dongmei, on the other hand, was even more nervous than Yan Ruyu.

She stared at the newspapers every day, collecting all the news about "Princess Pearl".

She meticulously wrote down every detail in her notebook—which TV stations were going to broadcast the show, which magazines were going to interview her, and which advertisers were looking for a spokesperson—even more diligently than when she was in school.

Sometimes, when Su Ning was drinking tea in the courtyard, watching Ma Dongmei rushing in and out, she couldn't help but laugh, "Dongmei, you don't need to be so nervous."

Ma Dongmei said seriously, "No, Ruyu is someone with works now, so we need to plan carefully. We need to think ahead about what kind of dramas she will take on, what kind of advertisements she will do, and what kind of reporters she will meet."

"Have you thought it through?"

"Huh?" Ma Dongmei was taken aback for a moment, then honestly shook her head. "Not yet."

"Haha..." Su Ning couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Ma Dongmei glared at him irritably, then took her notebook and went back to her room to continue her research.

Yan Ruyu watched from the side, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

Ma Dongmei may be clumsy with words, but she understands everything perfectly well.

Since Ma Dongmei came to Beijing, she hasn't had a good night's sleep, spending all her time pondering things she doesn't understand at all.

She recognized the individual words in the contract, schedule, and business terms, but when they were put together, she had no idea what they meant.

But Ma Dongmei remained silent and forced herself to learn.

"Dongmei," Yan Ruyu called to her, "take a break and come have a cup of tea."

Ma Dongmei didn't even look up. "I don't have time. You guys drink."

Yan Ruyu shook her head, poured Ma Dongmei a cup of tea, and handed it to her.

Ma Dongmei took it, took a sip, and continued reading her notebook.

……

A month before filming began for "Princess Pearl 2", Aunt Qiong called Yan Ruyu to the company.

The script was a thick stack. Yan Ruyu flipped through it and found that her role was much larger than she had imagined.

The character of Qing'er Gege was only briefly mentioned in the first part, but in the script of the second part, she is present throughout, and her love story with Xiao Jian is written in a poignant way. In some scenes, she is almost as important as Ziwei.

“Aunt Qiong, this…” Yan Ruyu raised her head.

Aunt Qiong smiled and waved her hand, "This role was written for you. Perform well, don't let me and Su Ning down."

Yan Ruyu knew in her heart that this was not written for her at all, but for her boyfriend Su Ning.

But Yan Ruyu didn't say anything, she just nodded, "Don't worry, Aunt Qiong, I will definitely act well."

Aunt Qiong patted her hand, "Your agent, Ma Dongmei, right? Have her come over later, I need to explain some details to her."

Yan Ruyu was taken aback for a moment, "Aunt Qiong, Dongmei... she's never been on a film crew before, so she might not know much about these things."

“If you don’t know something, you’ll learn it,” Aunt Qiong said casually. “Who is born knowing everything? I’ll have some experienced people mentor her later.”

"Thank you, Aunt Qiong." Yan Ruyu didn't say anything more.

She suddenly realized that Aunt Qiong was repaying a favor.

She returned the favor she owed to Suning to herself and Ma Dongmei.

……

After leaving Aunt Qiong's company, Yan Ruyu called Su Ning, saying, "Aunt Qiong wants to see Dongmei."

On the other end of the phone, Su Ning hummed in agreement, "Then let's go."

"Dongmei has never been on a film crew before, and I'm afraid she'll be nervous."

"Why are you nervous? It's not like you're asking her to act. When it comes to discussing cooperation, just say it the way you normally would."

"..." Yan Ruyu thought about it and agreed.

Although Ma Dongmei seems slow-witted, she's actually quite shrewd.

When it's time to fight, Ma Dongmei dares to fight more than anyone else.

……

Ma Dongmei was nervous all night when she heard that Aunt Qiong wanted to see her.

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and made a list of questions I wanted to ask.

The contract details, including how to sign it, how to calculate the pay, how to schedule the filming schedule, and how to coordinate publicity, were all clearly written out.

The next day, Yan Ruyu accompanied Ma Dongmei.

Ma Dongmei sat opposite Aunt Qiong, unsure of what to do with her hands.

Aunt Qiong would ask a question, and Ma Dongmei would answer it. After answering, she would look down at her list, afraid of missing anything.

Aunt Qiong looked at her serious expression and suddenly smiled, "Dongmei, you've never been a manager before, have you?"

Ma Dongmei shook her head honestly, "No. I used to work in a factory, on an assembly line."

Aunt Qiong was taken aback for a moment, "Then why did you come to the capital?"

Ma Dongmei glanced at Yan Ruyu, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Su Ning asked me to come. He said I could do it."

Aunt Qiong didn't ask any more questions.

But as she looked at Ma Dongmei, she suddenly felt that this girl was quite interesting.

He knows nothing, yet he fears nothing.

They dare to come, dare to learn, and dare to sit in front of themselves to discuss contracts.

Such a person is far better than those who are glib and smooth-talking.

Out of respect for Suning, Aunt Qiong finally approved of Ma Dongmei, saying, "Alright, go back and study the contract. If you don't understand anything, call me."

Ma Dongmei was taken aback by how smoothly things went, then quickly nodded, "Thank you, Aunt Qiong."

……

On the way back, Ma Dongmei sat in the car without saying a word for a long time.

Yan Ruyu glanced at her, "Dongmei, what's wrong?"

Ma Dongmei shook her head. "It's nothing. I just think Aunt Qiong is a really nice person."

Yan Ruyu smiled, without explaining that it was all because of Su Ning, "It really is quite good."

Ma Dongmei was silent for a while, then suddenly said, "Chenchen, tell Su Ning to thank him."

"Why don't you talk to him yourself?"

Ma Dongmei shook her head. "I'm not very good at speaking, you speak for me."

Yan Ruyu looked at her and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Ma Dongmei is someone who never says nice things.

She remembers all the kindness others have shown her.

Ma Dongmei remembers every single person who helped her and who treated her well.

"Okay, I'll say it for you."

……

The day "My Fair Princess 2" started filming, the Huairou Film and Television Base was bustling with activity.

Reporters with their cameras and microphones surrounded the area, making it impossible to move.

Zhao Yanzi, dressed in the costume of Little Swallow, hopped and skipped in front of the camera, still with that carefree attitude.

Lin Daru stood quietly to the side, smiling gently.

Zhou Erkang, Su Age, and Chen Ertai were all popular young actors; their mere presence would draw blinding flashes from the cameras.

Yan Ruyu was the last to arrive.

She walked in quietly, wearing a simple white dress and with her long hair down.

She lacked Zhao Yanzi's flamboyance, Lin Daru's gentle charm, and Fan Jiuyi's pitiful allure; she simply stood there quietly. Yet, everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to her, mainly because Yan Ruyu was simply too beautiful.

Aunt Qiong personally went up to her, took Yan Ruyu's hand, and introduced her to the reporters who were visiting the set: "This is Yan Ruyu, who plays Princess Qing'er. She's a top student from the Beijing Film Academy, isn't she beautiful?"

The reporters snapped away.

Zhao Yanzi stood aside, watching this scene, her smile freezing for a moment.

She and Yan Ruyu were classmates.

The 1996 class of the Performance Department at Beijing Film Academy had dozens of students, but only a few made it out of school.

Zhao Yanzi was lucky; she played Xiao Yanzi in her very first role and became famous.

What about Yan Ruyu? She's prettier, has a better temperament, and is more famous at school, but she's never had a chance with her.

Now, the opportunity has arrived.

The first thing she did was star in a Qiong Yao drama, the first thing she did was play Princess Qing'er, and the first thing Qiong Yao herself did was hold her hand and introduce her to the reporters.

Zhao Yanzi's smile returned, and she walked over to take Yan Ruyu's arm. "Ruyu, you've finally arrived! I've missed you so much!"

Yan Ruyu smiled and said, "Yanzi, congratulations, your show has become a hit."

"What's so great about it? Just good luck." Zhao Yanzi said modestly, but her eyes were full of pride. "Come on! I'll take you inside. Your dressing room is on the second floor, I'll take you there."

"Thank you." Yan Ruyu followed her inside.

As Zhao Yanzi walked, she said, "Aunt Qiong is so good to you. She specially arranged a private room for you. The rest of us downstairs are crammed together and it's so noisy."

"..." Yan Ruyu did not respond.

Zhao Yanzi then asked, "Where's your agent? Didn't he come with you?"

"They've arrived, parking is underway."

"Ma Dongmei, right? I heard she used to work in a factory?" Zhao Yanzi lowered her voice. "Is she any good? Don't let her mess things up."

Yan Ruyu glanced at her, "She's fine."

Zhao Yanzi paused for a moment, then smiled awkwardly, "That's fine, that's fine."

……

The dressing room is on the second floor. It's not big, but it's very clean.

The makeup artist was brought from Taiwan by Aunt Qiong. She had done makeup for many big-name celebrities and was very skilled.

"Miss Yan, your skin is so beautiful." The makeup artist praised Yan Ruyu while applying her makeup. "You have a good foundation, so you look good no matter what you do."

Yan Ruyu smiled and said, "Thank you."

When Zhao Yanzi passed by, she glanced inside and felt even more uneasy.

Because her dressing room was on the first floor, she shared a mirror with Lin Daru and Fan Jiuyi.

Yan Ruyu, on the other hand, has her own room and a dedicated makeup artist.

Zhao Yanzi withdrew her gaze and walked towards her dressing room.

The assistant jogged up behind and asked in a low voice, "Yanzi, are you alright?"

"It's nothing," Zhao Yanzi said with a forced smile. "What could possibly be wrong?"

……

However, things were far from that. After filming began, Yan Ruyu's scenes became increasingly numerous.

Aunt Qiong was on set almost every day, watching the monitor, calling "cut" from time to time, and talking to the actors about their scenes.

She was strict with Zhao Yanzi, and it was common for a single shot to be filmed more than ten times.

She was much gentler with Lin Daru, giving him advice in a soft voice.

However, she was overly enthusiastic towards Yan Ruyu, saying, "Ruyu, this take is good. You acted well."

"Ruyu, that look was perfect just now. Let's do another take, and save it for future reference."

"Ruyu, I've added a few lines to this scene for you. See if they go smoothly."

Zhao Yanzi listened from the side, her expression almost crumbling.

One day after work, Zhao Yanzi specially invited Yan Ruyu out for dinner.

There aren't many good restaurants in Huairou at night, so the two of them found a small restaurant and ordered a few dishes.

Zhao Yanzi picked up a piece of shredded pork with garlic sauce with her chopsticks and asked casually, "Ruyu, did you know Aunt Qiong before?"

Yan Ruyu shook her head. "I don't know him."

"Then why is she so good to you?" Zhao Yanzi put down her chopsticks and looked at her. "She gave you more scenes, gave you a private dressing room, and brought a makeup artist from Taiwan to help you. Out of dozens of people in our class, who has ever received this kind of treatment?"

Yan Ruyu paused for a moment, then said, "Maybe it's because I acted well."

Zhao Yanzi laughed, but it was a fake laugh. "That's right, you're the most beautiful girl at Beijing Film Academy, so it's only natural that you acted well."

Yan Ruyu didn't reply and lowered her head to eat.

As Zhao Yanzi looked at Yan Ruyu, her resentment grew stronger.

Zhao Yanzi risked her life and paid a heavy price to fight her way out of the little swallow.

Yan Ruyu did nothing, but just because she had a good boyfriend, she had everything.

“Ruyu,” Zhao Yanzi suddenly spoke up, “I heard you have a boyfriend?”

"Ah."

What does your boyfriend do?

Yan Ruyu looked up at her, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Just curious! You kept it so well hidden, none of our classmates knew you were dating."

Yan Ruyu put down her chopsticks. "He's just an ordinary student."

"An ordinary student?" Zhao Yanzi clearly didn't believe it. "I don't believe it! Can an ordinary student buy a courtyard house in Beijing? Can an ordinary student get Aunt Qiong to take such good care of you?"

Yan Ruyu looked at her and remained silent for a while. "Yanzi, what exactly do you want to ask?"

Zhao Yanzi paused for a moment, then gave an awkward laugh. "It's nothing, just asking. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine too."

The meal was unappetizing, with both of them preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Filming continued, and Yan Ruyu's scenes were constantly being added.

Aunt Qiong revised the script almost every day, adding scene after scene of Qing'er's scenes.

Once, when filming a scene where Qing'er and Xiao Jian reunite, there were only a few lines originally, but Aunt Qiong insisted on adding a crying scene, which took a whole afternoon to film.

Zhao Yanzi sat to the side waiting for her scene to start. Watching Yan Ruyu cry her heart out in front of the camera, she suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Suddenly I remembered that when we were in school, Yan Ruyu was always the most dazzling person.

The teacher liked her, the classmates liked her, and even the old man serving food in the cafeteria would give her an extra spoonful of food.

And what about Zhao Yanzi? She wasn't as pretty as Yan Ruyu, nor as elegant, nor as academically successful.

The only thing that makes him better than Yan Ruyu is his good luck.

But how long can luck last?
Zhao Yanzi looked away and continued to look down at her script.

She had already memorized Xiao Yanzi's lines perfectly, but she still kept watching them, watching them over and over again.

She wanted everyone to know that Zhao Yanzi's success was not due to luck, but to her talent.

Yan Ruyu walked over with red eyes after filming that crying scene.

Zhao Yanzi looked up at Yan Ruyu and suddenly smiled, "Ruyu, you cried so well just now. I even cried."

Yan Ruyu rubbed her eyes. "Really? I'm afraid it's not good enough."

"That's enough." Zhao Yanzi patted the stool next to her. "Sit down for a while and rest. Do you have any scenes to film next?"

"That's all. Today's scenes were with Qing'er and Xiao Jian, and we've finished filming."

"Then you should go back first! There's a big show tomorrow."

Yan Ruyu nodded, packed her things, and left.

As Zhao Yanzi watched her retreating figure, her smile slowly faded.

The assistant next to her whispered, "Sister Yanzi, you and Yan Ruyu seem to have a good relationship."

Zhao Yanzi didn't answer, picked up the script again, and continued reading.

……

On the day filming wrapped up for "My Fair Princess 2", Aunt Qiong treated the entire crew to a meal.

They set up more than a dozen tables at the best restaurant in Huairou.

Zhao Yanzi, drunk, put her arm around Yan Ruyu's shoulder and slurred, "Ruyu, you'll definitely be more famous than me in the future."

Yan Ruyu helped her up, saying, "Yanzi, you've had too much to drink."

"I wasn't drunk." Zhao Yanzi shook her head. "I'm serious. You have Aunt Qiong backing you up, and such a capable boyfriend, you have everything. What about me? I have nothing."

Yan Ruyu didn't reply, but helped Zhao Yanzi sit down and poured her a glass of water.

Zhao Yanzi took a sip of water, leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes. "But it's okay, I have Xiao Yanzi. Xiao Yanzi will always be famous."

Looking at Zhao Yanzi, Yan Ruyu suddenly felt that she had a tough time.

They work so hard, they compete so fiercely, afraid of being outdone by others.

“Yanzi,” Yan Ruyu said softly, unable to bear it any longer, “you will always be famous.”

Zhao Yanzi opened her eyes, looked at Yan Ruyu, and suddenly smiled, "That's right."

……

After filming wrapped, Yan Ruyu returned to the courtyard house.

Ma Dongmei was waiting at the door, and took the bag from her hand. "Are you tired?"

"good."

"How's filming going? Did Aunt Qiong give you any trouble?"

"No, it's fine."

"How many scenes will Qing'er have? Will they be cut?"

Yan Ruyu laughed, "Dongmei, why are you more nervous than I am?"

Ma Dongmei smiled sheepishly, "I was just asking."

The two walked through one courtyard after another until they reached the backyard.

Su Ning was sitting on the veranda drinking tea. When she saw them come in, she put down her teacup and asked, "You're back?"

Yan Ruyu hummed in agreement and sat down next to him.

Are you tired?

"A little."

"Then let's take a break."

Yan Ruyu leaned on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and suddenly felt that this was just right.

Ma Dongmei stood under the eaves, watching the two of them, and quietly slipped away.

Back in his room, he took out the notebook and turned to a new page.

The document outlines Yan Ruyu's schedule for the next few months: publicity, interviews, magazine shoots, and advertising negotiations.

She read through them one by one, picked up her pen, and added a line at the end: "Take three days off."

After finishing writing, Ma Dongmei closed the notebook and lay down to doze off.

Suddenly, I remembered the days I spent in that rented room in the South.

At that time, she thought that this was how her life would be.

Looking back now, it's true that you can never predict what will happen in life.

...(End of this chapter)