Chapter 29: Ruan Yesheng Turned Out To Be More Pleasing To The Eye
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng had always hidden her unspeakable thoughts very well.
However, even though she tried hard to suppress it for all these years, those feelings couldn't really be considered a tiny bud.
After all, going through quite a long time in university as a classmate, Ruan Yesheng always had opportunities to contact Xi Mo. So in these past interactions, her feelings have noticeably grown, though they can't be called lush, they are at a green level. But later, due to some circumstances, she faded from the entertainment circle. As the gap between her and Xi Mo grew larger, the chances of seeing Xi Mo became fewer. She felt this hope becoming increasingly distant, to avoid more disappointment, she held it even tighter, and even once made up her mind that these feelings might never see the light of day again.
But now, Xi Mo may have unintentionally lifted the cover on the head of the plant, and also unintentionally poured some water on it. In Ruan Yesheng's heart, this small sapling that was originally hidden and fragile has finally recovered from a long drought. It seems to want to grow in the wind.
Years of hard work have faded her youthful or innocent edges, polishing her into a smooth fairy, but deep down in a certain corner of her heart, she still retains a small piece of innocence or childishness. Even though that corner is cramped, it is still preserved.
Simply giving her a piece of candy, she can be sweet for several days.
After washing up, Ruan Yesheng chewed the "good night" Xi Mo gave her and fell asleep quickly. Even her sleep was sweet. It had been many years since she had shamelessly asked Xi Mo to say good night to her many times in college. The parking area had also been renovated and no longer existed. Now she finally had the opportunity to hear it again. So this evening greeting, which many ordinary people think is just an ordinary evening greeting that is not even worth mentioning, to her is a meaningful happiness.
Catalyzed by this happiness, the green plant seemed to have grown wildly overnight and even sprouted a few scattered leaves. This kind of emotional growth also had an indescribable influence on her whole being, to the point that later on, she found it hard to contain this joy and throbbing.
She spent the night with this happiness and got up early with this happiness.
When Feng Tangtang knocked on her door and entered, intending to prepare for her day of filming by organizing script pages or buying her some breakfast, she found that her "Sister Xi" had already arranged everything perfectly. The room was spotlessly clean, and she was sitting at the breakfast table, leisurely looking at the work schedule.
Seeing this scene, Feng Tangtang's words when she opened the door, 'Sister Xi, what do you want to eat for breakfast today? I'll buy it for you' just slipped down her throat and got swallowed back.
Ruan Yesheng raised her head and glanced at her with a smile: "Good morning."
Feng Tangtang suddenly felt that he deserved death.
Perhaps influenced by palace dramas, she now felt like the neglectful little palace maid, thinking about how she had come to serve late today, making the queen personally change her clothes! Making the queen personally do her makeup! Making the queen personally eat! No... not even personally feeding the queen!
"Tangtang, sit down." Ruan Yesheng said, still smiling.
Yesterday morning, she heard "Sister Xi" say that this nickname was not exclusive to Ruan Yesheng and that she would also call her "Tangtang" in the future. Feng Tangtang was actually mentally prepared. Now, after hearing it, she feels that it will obviously take some time to digest the nickname "Sister Xi" calls her.
Ruan Yesheng pointed to the chair again, and Feng Tangtang had no choice but to sit down with mechanical steps and began to observe in her heart.
Ruan Yesheng said: "Don't you like to eat pork chop buns? When I went to buy breakfast, I brought you one. I don't know if the taste in Hengdian is authentic or not. Give it a try."
Feng Tangtang looked at the pork chop bun with eyes as shocked as if there was red arsenic in it.
No, red arsenic might not be so shocking.
What if the person sitting in front of her was Ruanruan, then she would feel everything was very natural. But these were actually done by Sister Xi, and she really needed some time to adapt.
Seeing that Feng Tangtang was still reluctant to do anything, Ruan Yesheng picked up the fork, cut off half of it, and handed it to the dinner plate in front of Feng Tangtang: "I've already tidied up. You came early today, and we have plenty of time. You can eat slowly. After we finish eating, we can go to the dressing room."
After saying that, she poured her a glass of milk.
Feng Tangtang was completely confused and felt like she was flying in the sky.
After a while, she came back to her senses and nodded: "Oh, oh, thank you, Sister Xi."
After just eating for a while, she said cautiously: "By the way, Sister Xi, how did you know that I like to eat pork chop buns?"
Answering this kind of question was a piece of cake for Ruan Yesheng. She casually replied, "Back when we were at the company, I happened to overhear you and a group of people asking Gu Qisong to order takeout. Didn't you order pork chop buns and emphasize that it's your favorite? I didn't remember it wrong, did I?"
Feng Tangtang was a little touched, thinking that Sister Xi was so thoughtful and even remembered this.
She is a very simple person, and while she might feel surprised and uncomfortable about some changes, she would also try to find reasons to explain them. As she enjoyed the delicious pork chop bun, she pondered reasons that seemed reasonable to her. Gradually, she accepted everything she saw before her.
Once she accepted this setting, Feng Tangtang had a huge misunderstanding in her limited brain capacity: Maybe Sister Xi was just not used to me being her assistant, which is why she acted distantly. After all, anyone would maintain a distance from someone they weren't very familiar with, especially someone with Sister Xi's status. As Sister Xi got to know me more, especially now that they had been working together on the set for so long, she might have come to see me as a friend.
She is so kind to me now. As an assistant, I should shine even more brightly. For Sister Xi to be able to film in peace, I'll take care of the logistics. I vow to dedicate myself to taking care of Sister Xi, a great revolutionary cause!
Feeling that she should shine even brighter, Feng Tangtang finished her breakfast, cleaned up the trash, and wiped the table back and forth five times.
Ruan Yesheng didn't know about Feng Tangtang's huge misunderstanding. She still carried the happy aftertaste of last night and walked "happily" all the way. When she reached the dressing room, there seemed to be a breeze in her steps.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
As she passes by each member of the crew, they greet her with a cheerful "Good morning, Sister Xi," and she responds with a smile. Those who greeted her were momentarily taken aback by her smile. In their previous impressions, Xi Mo had always been an unapproachable figure, someone to admire from afar. Although she had always been polite and would nod and say "hello" to every staff member who greeted her, occasionally giving a faint smile to those she was more familiar with, her smile this morning was sweeter than ever before.
So all those staff members felt like a spring breeze under the influence of Ruan Yesheng's infectious smile.
Xi Mo, who was sitting in front of the mirror waiting for her makeup, turned her head and saw Ruan Yesheng, and also saw the smile on her face.
Seeing the face that originally belonged to her showing such a smile under Ruan Yesheng's control, Xi Mo felt a sour taste in her mouth.
Ruan Yesheng, is there anything wrong with you this morning?
Ruan Yesheng walked towards her and sat down on the chair next to her.
The makeup artist hadn't arrived yet, so Ruan Yesheng leaned against the dressing table, propping her chin on her hand, and her gaze was fixed on her without wavering. There was a hint of inexplicable grievance in that gaze, but she didn't say anything. It was as if she was eagerly waiting and her eyes clearly seemed to be saying: Why aren't you greeting me?
Xi Mo: "..."
I indeed said good night to you yesterday.
But what international law stipulate I have to say good morning to you today?!
If you really want to hear it, then you say it first! As long as you say it first, I'll definitely say it back to you!
What do you want to do by just looking at me like this and waiting for me to speak first?!
Ruan Yesheng was still looking at her, and she didn't know what happened to her. That kind of smile, with a hint of grievance and charm, hung in the corners of her eyes and couldn't be taken down for a while.
Affected by this smile, Xi Mo suddenly felt uneasy about brushing off her intentions. Ever since she changed bodies and entered this unlucky drama crew, she had miraculously felt many times that it was not good to brush off Ruan Yesheng's intentions.
She felt that she probably couldn't do better anymore.
"Good morning." Xi Mo had no choice but to follow Ruan Yesheng's hope that was almost written in her eyes and reluctantly spoke first.
She knew that because she said good night yesterday and started this, according to Ruan Yesheng's past bad behavior, she would have to greet her every day. If Ruan Yesheng had the intention to harm her, insisting on saying good morning and night to her every day or looking at her with the same look just now, hinting pitifully that she should say good morning to her first…
Strangely, she would use the word "pitiful" to Ruan Yesheng. It seems that she is really out of her mind. Should she see a doctor?
Xi Mo thought about it for a long time, but her face was straight, with a look that showed nothing.
In short, if she doesn't respond, it will be rude of her. Her decent tutor has not allowed her to do this since she was a child.
To avoid being rude, she might have to live a "good morning" and "good night" life with Ruan Yesheng every day.
And Ruan Yesheng, hearing what she wanted to hear, responded with satisfaction: "Good morning."
She probably hadn't thought as much as Xi Mo did and was still immersed in her self-perceived happiness. She extended an invitation to Xi Mo without any harmful intentions, saying, "I checked the schedule, and there's no night shoot tonight. We'll finish at 5:30. How about having dinner together?"
Xi Mo studied Ruan Yesheng's expression and wondered why she was so eager today, so she didn't have time to respond immediately.
Seeing that she remained silent, Ruan Yesheng added: "Now the whole crew knows that you and I are college classmates. Since we are filming together, I think we should get closer, so that it is natural. Otherwise, people might think we have some grudge against each other. I don't mind, but isn't this also about preserving your image? If we only act friendly on set and remain, strangers the rest of the time, they'll get curious and start gossiping. Don't you dislike it when people gossip about others?"
Although Xi Mo didn't agree in time at first, she really didn't want to refuse Ruan Yesheng's proposal to have dinner together.
Moreover, what Ruan Yesheng said was reasonable and well-founded. Even if she wanted to refuse, she couldn't seem to find a reason to refuse.
After a moment of consideration, Xi Mo nodded and said, "Okay, thank you for the invitation."
Inexplicably, she felt that Ruan Yesheng was particularly docile today.
In the beginning, she still thought that if Ruan Yesheng continued to speak to her as she used to, like a dog who can't spit out ivory*, she would respond appropriately. But then, Ruan Yesheng suddenly became so amiable, without any hint of hostility. Since she usually preferred gentleness over toughness, all her vigilance dissipated instantly, and she found Ruan Yesheng somewhat pleasing to the eyes.
*狗嘴吐不出象牙(gǒu zuǐ tǔ bù chū xiàngyá) used to describe someone incapable of saying or doing something refined or eloquent/ a bad person cannot say good things
The two make-up artists came over one after another, and they stopped talking.
The head of the makeup team looked at Ruan Yesheng in the mirror and said with a smile, "Sister Xi, why are you so happy today?"
Ruan Yesheng realized later that she had indeed failed to control her smile this morning. She probably smiled all Xi Mo's share in the past year. No wonder Xi Mo's expression was so indescribable at the beginning. She had no choice but to restrain her expression and keep the corners of her lips at the same arc that Xi Mo had always had in the past— It looked somewhat affable as if it had a touch of graciousness when viewed from a high place, but it didn't lose the arrogance of a high mountain flower. It was truly a classic example of pretentiousness.
Then she smiled nonchalantly at the dressing team leader: "Really, is it so obvious?"
Xi Mo sat motionless beside her, and the feeling of being pleased with Ruan Yesheng just now was shattered again.
It couldn’t be more obvious!
I don’t usually smile like that! Are sure you're not a black fan?!
Today is still a scene in the Deng Mansion.
With post-editing, the filming will not follow the progression of the plot, but the rational use of resources and time will be the top priority. After all the scenes set in the Deng Mansion have been filmed, the filming will be switched to the Han Palace set. However, at this moment, Yan Mu, who plays Emperor He of Han*, Liu Zhao, and Liu Yusi, who plays Empress Yin, along with others, are currently shooting scenes at the Han Palace. They are working on capturing some of the rival scenes between Emperor He and young Empress Yin. Typically, large production teams have multiple directing teams to expedite the process. Yan Mu and Liu Yu Si are in Group B, led by the assistant director, while Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo are in Group A, handling the main scenes, and personally overseen by Lin Qitang.
*Emperor He of Han is Liu Zhao's posthumous name.
"Ding Pei is getting ready to enter!" Lin Qitang shouted.
Ding Pei had started as a singer in a talent show and, despite having some fans, had little acting experience. In the realm of television dramas, he was a complete newcomer. He stood at the entrance point, clutching his script and props, looking a bit nervous.
"Action!" Lin Qitang gave the command.
Ding Pei plays the eunuch on Liu Zhao's side, named Zheng Zhong, whom Liu Zhao trusts greatly. After Deng Xun's death, Liu Zhao sends Zheng Zhong to the Deng Mansion to comfort them and brings an edict along with him for Deng Sui.
In reality, this edict was manipulated by a prominent minister from the Yin clan, the family of the young lady Yin. At this time, both the young Empress Yin and Deng Sui were chosen by Emperor He. The young lady Yin had not yet entered the palace, and her eventual rise to become the Empress was still far off. She was well aware of Deng Sui's beauty and feared that she would be overshadowed if Deng Sui entered the palace alongside Deng Sui. Worried about this, she had the influential minister supporting her use Deng Xun's death as an opportunity.
The minister informed Emperor Liu Zhao that Deng Xun had passed away, and Deng Sui was currently in mourning for her father. He argued that it would be inauspicious for her to enter the palace at this time and suggested she first observe a three-year mourning period* for her father before joining the palace. This plan was well thought out. During these three years, the young Empress Yin could secure her position, and Deng Sui would likely suffer greatly due to the strict mourning conditions, which would leave her appearance haggard. By the time she entered the palace, Emperor Liu Zhao would probably no longer find her attractive.
*Filial mourning refers to a bureaucratic norm, practiced since the Han dynasty, when a parent passed away, people were expected to build a shack beside their parent’s grave, stay there till the three-year period was over, keep themselves disheveled and abstain from any joyous and pleasurable activities. The three-year mourning period is done by the immediate family (wife, son, or unmarried daughters), other relatives will have a different degree of mourning.
As soon as Lin Qitang spoke, Ding Pei entered the camera frame and walked towards the mourning hall where Deng Xun's coffin was laid.
The scene was white and simple, with white flags flying. Xi Mo had been kneeling in the corner all along. This place wouldn't give her many shots; she only needed to kneel properly. Ruan Yesheng, dressed in mourning clothes, saw Ding Pei come in and quickly stood up, her face tired and gray, greeting Ding Pei.
Ding Pei said: "Passing on His Majesty's edict!"
Ruan Yesheng knelt towards Ding Pei and lowered her head: "May the Emperor have ten thousand peace."
Ding Pei looked at her for a moment, then his gaze returned to the imperial decree. He said it a bit stiffly, "Sick Guardian* Deng Xun, benevolent, virtuous, and noble..."
He had just started speaking when some people in the audience, unable to contain themselves, began to chuckle softly. And as soon as he heard the laughter, Ding Pei realized that he probably had the words "making a fool of oneself" stuck on his forehead. His face turned embarrassed, and all of a sudden, he felt awkward, not knowing how to continue.
Ruan Yesheng knelt and remained motionless. Since Lin Qitang didn't call a 'cut', she continued to listen respectfully.
Lin Qitang didn't expect this guy to pull such a stunt, and he was shocked. He shouted, "What do you mean Sheep Guardian?! Does your family own a chain of sheep farms? Tell me, what is a Sheep Guardian?! It's Qiang Guardian!"
*Ding Pei was supposed to say 护羌校尉 (Hù qiāng xiào wèi) - Guardian of Qiang, an official military position equivalent to a captain managing the Qiang affairs (an ethnic minority group in ancient southwest China).
But he misread/misspoke as 护恙校尉 (Hù yàng xiào wèi) - Guardian of the Sick and Lin Qitang misheard it as 护羊校尉 (Hù yáng xiào wèi) (same transliteration but different intonation) - Guardian of Sheeps/Sheepherders
The script supervisor first looked at Ding Pei and then at Lin Qitang with a confused look on his face, with an expression that said that both of them were hopeless.
Lin Qitang, upon seeing the script supervisor's expression, immediately understood what had happened. This guy wasn't actually saying 'Sheep Guardian', and he had misheard the tone and assumed it was 'Sheep' He had actually said "Sick Guardian". But the way he said it, based on the appearance of the top part of the characters, was quite unique. Immediately, Lin Qitang coughed and said, "It's neither 'Sheep Guardian' nor 'Sick Guardian'! It's 'Qiang Guardian '. 'Qiang' is an ancient ethnic group. How did you get that wrong?!"
Ding Pei blushed in embarrassment and apologized quickly: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"Get ready and do it again!" Lin Qitang said.
Ding Pei's face turned red and white, and he quickly said to the kneeling Ruan Yesheng: "I'm sorry, Sister Xi, I have to make you kneel again!"
Ruan Yesheng stood up and smiled: "It's okay, don't be nervous."
