He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

Wednesday morning.

Jianghai Film and Television Base, the crew of the TV series "Green Snake".

Although it was the first day of filming, the atmosphere wasn't as harmonious as I had imagined.

To create the "misty Jiangnan, shrouded in eerie atmosphere" feel of the script, Director Feng spared no expense, building a huge artificial lake in the studio and bringing in dozens of fog-making machines.

The air was humid and stuffy.

"Cut! Cut! Cut!"

A furious roar rang out.

It wasn't Director Feng, but Lin Yan, the second female lead who was acting alongside Su Xiaoruan.

Lin Yan is a veteran actress with ten years of experience. Although she has never been a big star, she has a long history in the industry. In "Green Snake", she plays a spider demon with a strong sense of jealousy. She originally came for the lead role, but the role was snatched away by the newcomer Su Xiaoruan, and she was already holding a grudge.

"Oh dear, director, how are we supposed to act this?"

Lin Yan threw down the prop fan in her hand, rolled her eyes, and pointed at Su Xiaoruan, saying:

"This leading lady can't even do proper choreography; she keeps blocking my light. I've done it with her over a dozen times already; I'm exhausted."

Su Xiaoruan stood in the cold water of the artificial lake, soaked to the bone, her lips turning purple from the cold.

"I'm sorry, Sister Yan... I'll be more careful next time." Su Xiaoruan apologized with her head down.

Indeed, this was her first time acting, and she was still quite unfamiliar with camera presence and positioning.

"Next time? There's going to be a next time?"

Lin Yan sneered, crossed her arms, and looked down at Su Xiaoruan:

"Little sister, this is a top-tier S-class production. Everyone's time is precious, we don't have time to play house with you here."

"If you really can't act, go home and cry to your rich sister. Don't just sit here taking up space without doing anything."

The surrounding staff all lowered their heads, not daring to speak. Although Lin Yan wasn't a big star, she was notoriously bad-tempered, and everyone knew that Su Xiaoruan was a "resource-backed" actress who got the role with her own investment, so everyone was somewhat amused by her.

Director Feng sat behind the monitor, frowned, and was about to speak.

"Then get out."

A cold, indifferent voice suddenly came from behind the monitor.

The entire room fell silent.

Jiang Che, holding a script and wearing a black baseball cap, slowly emerged from the shadows.

He was dressed casually today, in black cargo pants and Doc Martens, but his imposing presence was stronger than anyone else's.

"You... what did you say?" Lin Yan was stunned, clearly not expecting this man who looked like a young script supervisor to dare to speak to her like that.

"I said, since you're tired, then get out."

Jiang Che walked up to Lin Yan, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at a piece of junk:

"I watched that video."

"Su Xiaoruan's positioning was indeed problematic. But what about you?"

Jiang Che sneered, picked up the megaphone, and began to berate the hundreds of people in the entire crew without any mercy:

"Your expression is so stiff it looks like you've had two pounds of hyaluronic acid injected, and your lines sound like a primary school student reciting a text."

"The spider demon in the script is insidious, not a shrew. What kind of character are you playing? A grumbling old lady in the market?"

"You! What do you know? I've been acting for ten years..." Lin Yan was so angry that her face turned green.

"You've been acting for ten years and you're still just a supporting actor. Don't you ever reflect on why?"

Jiang Che hit the nail on the head, striking straight to the heart:

"In this production crew, there are only people I don't want to use, not people I'm afraid to replace."

"Stagehand!"

Jiang Che shouted:

"Settle Ms. Lin's bill. Pay the penalty for breach of contract and make her leave now."

"Substitute!"

boom--!

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

That's too much! They fired the second female lead on the very first day of filming? That's practically...a tyrant!

Director Feng, instead of stopping her, chuckled and took a sip of tea. He'd long disliked Lin Yan; her acting was greasy and she loved to act like a diva. Jiang Che's move to make an example of her was brilliant!

Lin Yan was "invited" out by the security guards. The venomous look in her eyes before she left could have killed someone, but she didn't dare to utter a word in front of Jiang Che.

After disposing of the garbage.

Jiang Che turned around and looked at Su Xiaoruan, who was still shivering in the water.

Instead of pulling her up, he jumped directly into the icy artificial lake and walked up to her.

"Brother..." Su Xiaoruan's eyes were red, filled with both grievance and self-reproach, "Was I really stupid...? I dragged everyone down with me..."

"Look at me."

Jiang Che cupped her cold face in his hands, his gaze focused and intense:

"Forget what that idiot said."

"You're not a human playing a snake. You're a snake, learning to be human."

Jiang Che activated the [God-level Director Aura] rewarded by the system.

His voice seemed to possess a magical power, piercing directly into Su Xiaoruan's soul:

Imagine it.

"You are a green snake who has cultivated in the mountains for five hundred years. You don't understand human rules, you don't know what shame is, or what proper positioning is."

"All you want is... to entangle me."

"Now, treat that camera as your prey. Or..."

Jiang Che leaned closer to her, their breaths mingling:

"Treat me as yourself."

"Use your eyes to devour me."

Su Xiaoruan's pupils dilated slightly.

Treat him as...the older brother?

In that instant, the suppressed desire in her heart was awakened.

"it is good."

Su Xiaoruan took a deep breath, and her eyes changed.

No longer the timid newcomer, but a wild and greedy... demon.

"Action!" Director Feng keenly captured the moment and shouted.

Su Xiaoruan moved.

She swam in the water, her waist twisting and turning, like a real boneless green snake.

She slowly surfaced, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks.

She didn't look at the camera, but stared intently ahead (in Jiang Che's direction).

That look in his eyes.

Innocence laced with deadly poison, naivety concealing burning desire.

She stuck out her tongue and gently licked the dewdrop at the corner of her mouth.

"hiss……"

Director Feng gasped in shock as he stood in front of the monitor.

Absolutely!

This is the real Green Snake!

This one not only passed, but it's guaranteed to pass!

"Cut! Perfect!"

Director Feng was so excited that he threw the script away.

Jiang Che stood in the water, looking at the girl who seemed to be fully immersed in her role, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

He took off his coat, wrapped it around Su Xiaoruan who was soaking wet, and picked her up in his arms.

"knock off."

"Take the female lead back to warm her bed... no, I mean, warm her up."

……

That evening, at a five-star hotel in the film and television city.

Inside the presidential suite.

Su Xiaoruan had finished her hot shower and was wrapped in a bathrobe, lying on the bed reading a script. Jiang Che, on the other hand, was sitting on the sofa, video chatting with Shen Qingge.

On the screen, Shen Qingge, wearing that familiar silk nightgown, was leaning against the headboard of her bed in Tomson Riviera, applying a face mask.

"I heard you lost your temper on set today? And fired the second female lead?"

Shen Qingge's voice was languid, clearly indicating that she was in a good mood.

"It's just a way to make an example of someone."

Jiang Che took a sip of red wine. "Otherwise, these old foxes will be taking advantage of Xiao Ruan in the future."

"Well done," Shen Qingge praised. "I've investigated Lin Yan; she's a contact of Lu Ziye's side, and a spy deliberately planted. It's good that she's been taken out."

Jiang Che's eyes flickered slightly at the mention of Lu Ziye:

"Lu Ziye has returned to the capital?"

"Hmm." Shen Qingge removed the face mask, revealing a face that was stunning even without makeup, but her eyes suddenly became somewhat meaningful:

"Lu Ziye is gone."

"but……"

"Jiang Che, are you hiding something from me?"

Jiang Che was taken aback: "What is it?"

"For example..." Shen Qingge fiddled with the blue diamond necklace, "When you were in school, did you attract any romantic attention?"

"No way," Jiang Che said, both amused and exasperated. "I was dirt poor back then, who would want me?"

"Yeah?"

Shen Qingge sneered, her tone carrying a clear murderous intent:

"Then why did a man named Gu Yanzhi come to my company building to deliver flowers today?"

"And you claim to be your...good brother?"

"Gu Yanzhi?"

Jiang Che frowned.

There was no such person in the original owner's memories. Moreover, Shen Qingge's tone... was clearly a test.

"I don't know him," Jiang Che answered frankly.

"It's best if we don't know each other."

Shen Qingge looked at the camera, a hint of weariness flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly concealed by her strong presence:

"This person came for me."

"Jiang Che, focus on filming on set. These flies in the house..."

"I'll kill him."

Hang up the video call.

Jiang Che put down his phone, his eyes gradually turning cold.

Gu Yanzhi.

The man who called Shen Qingge last night.

Now they're using the guise of "good brothers" to send flowers?

This isn't a good brother; this guy is clearly here to steal my partner.

"interesting."

Jiang Che stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at the dark night outside the film studio.

"Trying to mess with my woman?"

"Looks like after this movie is finished, I'll have to go back to Jianghai and clean up the mess."

Just then.

A pair of soft arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

Su Xiaoruan walked over at some point, pressed her face against his back, and said in a soft, sweet voice:

"elder brother……"

"Um?"

"I can't sleep."

"When we were filming that scene just now... I think I wasn't out of character yet."

Su Xiaoruan walked around to stand in front of him, looked up at him, and her "green snake eyes," honed on the film set, were now gazing at him with watery eyes:

"The script says that if the Green Snake gets cold, she needs human body heat to warm her up."

"elder brother……"

"Could you... hug me?"

Looking at the little devil who had just been dominating the film set, but was now snuggling in his arms, he felt a surge of affection.

Jiang Che took a deep breath.

This is not filming a movie.

This was clearly a test of his composure.

"it is good."

Jiang Che bent down and lifted her up in his arms:

"Hugs only."

"If you dare to move... I'll break your legs."

"Hehe, my brother is the best!"

That night.

A green snake enters my dream.