A top star in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also a Taoist priest.

On the morning of April 20th, Chen Yao was startled awake by her own actions.

The moment she opened her eyes, only one thought crossed her mind—oh no, she's late.

The thought hit her like a bucket of ice water, causing her heart to clench. Chen Yao practically jumped out of bed, the blanket thrown aside, and frantically searched for her phone.

I was sleeping so soundly, the alarm must have gone off countless times.

The assistant has probably made seven or eight calls already, and Nazha and the others may have even knocked on the door.

Chen Yao could already picture herself rushing into the film set with disheveled hair, everyone waiting for her, and she was completely panicked.

The phone screen lit up.

05: 00.

Chen Yao stared at the numbers on the screen, completely frozen in place.

There was still a full half hour until the alarm she set last night.

"……ha?"

She sat on the edge of the bed, holding her phone, and remained stunned for a long while.

She set her alarm for 5:30 last night.

Since joining the crew, her biological clock has been quite unstable. Sometimes she wakes up at four or five in the morning, and sometimes she is too sleepy to open her eyes even when the alarm rings.

This is the first time I've ever slept until I naturally woke up and felt so comfortable.

and--

Chen Yao stretched his shoulders and turned his neck to make sure he wasn't mistaken.

She had drunk so much last night that she thought she would have a splitting headache and a face swollen like a pig's head this morning.

Not only did it not work, but I felt incredibly comfortable, as if I had just had a top-notch spa treatment.

She sat on the edge of the bed in a daze for a while before getting out of bed, stepping barefoot onto the carpet, and casually tying her hair up as she walked towards the bathroom.

As the toothbrush entered my mouth, the images from last night began to surface, frame by frame.

Jin Daxi was very noisy. He hogged the microphone the whole time, singing everything from "The Most Dazzling Ethnic Trend" to "Love Transaction," and even stood up on the sofa during the chorus.

Naza was dancing with her below, and the two of them were both incredibly crazy.

She herself had been given quite a bit of alcohol, her cheeks were burning, and she was leaning back on the sofa staring blankly at the lyrics on the screen.

As for the Taoist priest—

Chen Yao paused for a moment while brushing her teeth.

The Taoist priest sings really well.

What did he sing last night? I can't quite remember.

But she remembered his voice, like the wind blowing in through the window at night.

Then Jin Daxi rushed over and sang along.

What happened after that is a bit blurry. It seems like they drank a few more rounds, and Nazha lost terribly to a rock-paper-scissors game against Jin Daxi. She was then pulled in to be the referee.

I don't quite remember how I got back, I only remember that when I got back to my room I was so sleepy that I couldn't even keep my eyes open.

Chen Yao only remembered receiving a paper package from the Taoist priest. He said something, something like "brew and drink before bed."

But I was so sleepy that my eyelids were drooping, so I mumbled a reply and closed the door.

Chen Yao rinsed her mouth, dried her face, and walked to her desk.

The paper packet lay quietly on the table, next to the cup she hadn't had time to wash after drinking from it last night.

If you get close, you can smell a faint medicinal fragrance; it's not bitter, but rather a little sweet.

Nourishing and beautifying drink.

This is the Taoist priest's prescription.

It seems this is what's making me sleep so well.

Chen Yao couldn't help but pick it up and smell it again; a faint medicinal fragrance still lingered on the paper bag.

This is really great!

Chen Yao silently made a note of it in his mind—he would have to ask the abbot later if he could buy more of this tea.

But now is not the time to think about that.

She glanced at the time, quickly turned on the light in the makeup mirror, and started applying toner to her face.

The opening ceremony for "Legend of Nine Tails Fox" was scheduled for 7:00 PM, but the production team required the actors to arrive at 6:30 PM to prepare.

She's a newcomer, with neither the star power of Gulnazar nor the experience of Jin Chen, so being late is a major taboo.

She had long since mastered makeup, not the kind of elaborate full-on makeup, but the kind that looks like she's bare-faced, but in reality, every detail has been touched up.

Apply concealer under the eyes, pat on a thin layer of foundation, and then lightly draw two strokes along your natural brow shape. You hardly need any eye makeup; just curl your eyelashes and finally apply a light-colored lip gloss.

Clean and tidy, that's enough.

Chen Yao had just screwed the cap back on her lipstick when her phone rang.

"Yaoyao? Are you up?"

It was the voice of assistant Xiao Zhou. Xiao Zhou was the assistant assigned to the new actresses by the production team. She had to take care of several people, including Xiao Caiqi, another new actress in the same production.

"Get up, get up." Chen Yao said while changing clothes, her phone tucked between her arm and a clip. "My makeup is all done."

The person on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback.

"Huh? You're already all done with your makeup on? So early?"

"Yes, I woke up early."

"Huh?" Xiao Zhou was clearly taken aback. "Didn't you go out drinking with Nazha and the others last night? I thought you definitely wouldn't be able to get up today."

Chen Yao didn't explain, she just hummed in agreement.

"Okay, okay." But Xiao Zhou was clearly much more relaxed.

"Then you should go directly to the set later. Filming starts at 7 o'clock sharp, so you must be there before 6:30."

The reporters arrived early, and the director said everyone needed to be present before the opening ceremony. I went to wake Caiqi and the others first; I don't even know if those little devils are up yet.

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yao put down her phone and looked at herself in the mirror.

The girl in the mirror had delicate features, her skin glowed with a healthy sheen, and her eyes were clear and clean, without any signs of staying up late or puffiness.

She turned her head slightly to make sure there were no problems from any angle.

In the past, she wouldn't have dared to imagine being in this state the day after staying up all night.

Chen Yao stood up, grabbed her small bag, and left the room.

The corridor was quiet, with only the sound of her footsteps. Nazha's room door was tightly closed, and there was no movement from Jin Chen's side either.

She picked up the room key, closed the door, and went downstairs.

The production crew arranged for a car to depart at six o'clock to pick up the actors and take them to the film set.

But Chen Yao didn't plan to wait. Nazha and the others could arrive right on time, and the director wouldn't say anything. But she had only signed a contract last year, and in terms of seniority, she was among the least experienced in the crew.

It's always better to arrive early than late; newcomers should have the self-awareness of newcomers.

There's an indescribable tranquility in Hengdian in the early morning.

The road surface still bore traces of dew, and the occasional bird call could be heard in the distance.

Chen Yao entered the Qingming Riverside Scene Scenic Area through a side gate and walked along the cement road in the shed area towards Shed No. 16.

The sky was not yet fully bright; the eastern sky was tinged with a pale, fish-belly white, and a thin layer of dew clung to the prop boxes by the roadside.

The iron gate of the shed was half open, and light shone from inside.

Chen Yao glanced at the time; it wasn't even six o'clock yet. She thought she had arrived early enough, but people were already busy in the shed.

Several stagehands were removing the barriers around the offering table, moving quietly and almost silently.

Old Zhou stood by, giving instructions: "Slow down, slow down, don't touch the incense burner."

Chen Yao walked in quietly, wanting to find an inconspicuous corner to stay in.

...But to her surprise, arriving at the film set early had its advantages.

For example, right now.

Chen Yao stopped in his tracks, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the distance not far away.