The “untouchable” Chi Chuchu stepped out of the car under countless watchful eyes.
Surrounded by six attentive assistants who escorted her toward the set as though she were royalty, she finally revealed her true appearance at a leisurely pace.
“…”
The once-bustling filming site gradually fell silent.
The onlookers couldn’t help twitching their lips as they stared at her, all wearing expressions as though they had just been struck by lightning.
How had Chi Chuchu ever become the scheming green-tea villainess of the novel?
With a face so delicate it seemed carved from jade, flawless even without makeup, she looked like a peach blossom spirit brought to life. Her slender frame and ethereal beauty gave her an almost fairy-like aura. Standing there quietly, she appeared so fragile that it felt as though tears might gather in her eyes at any moment.
Forget “hard to mess with.”
That face practically screamed, Please bully me.
That was precisely why, as the story’s official “white moonlight,” Chi Chuchu had gone to great lengths to recruit six assistants and bring them with her to the set. Throughout the entire process, she had stubbornly ignored the meaningful looks her manager kept shooting her.
After all, her contract had personally been approved by President Jian himself. No one at Yijian Entertainment was foolish enough to offend the eldest daughter of the Chi family.
When she suddenly announced that she wanted assistants, the company had rushed to fulfill her request immediately.
Of course, Zhao Qian’s concerns weren’t completely unreasonable.
The problem was that Chi Chuchu’s requirements were bizarre.
Most celebrities looked for assistants who were hardworking, obedient, and capable of quietly doing their jobs.
Chi Chuchu, however, insisted on going against the grain.
She had only one requirement:
They didn’t need to work hard.
They just needed to look cooler than everyone else.
Although the HR manager had silently questioned her sanity, he still dutifully assembled a team for her.
The assistants hired at great expense certainly looked intimidating enough. Unfortunately, the moment Chi Chuchu spoke with them, the illusion shattered.
Every single one of them was a soft, sweet little girl.
Not a single tough one among them.
Still, after undergoing Chi Chuchu’s personal training program, they now performed rather convincingly.
The arrogant, chin-raised looks.
The haughty expressions as they glanced down at others.
One look and people would immediately think:
Backed by capital. Powerful connections. Untouchable.
Chen Zi’ang: “…”
Heart attack.
He was famous within the industry for discovering and using newcomers.
Everyone knew that.
When he’d visited A University, he had genuinely been searching for the female lead of his new drama. It wasn’t some secret.
Chi Chuchu had been personally recommended by Jian Shi. He had praised both her acting skills and her appearance.
Casting her as the female lead should have been the most natural decision in the world.
What Chen Zi’ang had never anticipated, however, was that Jian Shi’s hidden girlfriend would be this lawless.
Judging from her appearance, he’d thought she was some delicate beauty.
Looks really were deceiving.
Meanwhile, seeing the subtle changes in everyone’s expressions, Chi Chuchu nodded inwardly with satisfaction.
Excellent.
Soon enough, Ye Qishan—the investor—would hear all about how his beloved white moonlight was supposedly throwing her weight around on set.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
Chi Chuchu had arrived almost exactly on time.
There were only fifteen minutes left before filming officially began, meaning everyone should have been present already.
Yet the male lead, Yan An, was apparently an even bigger star than she was.
The sun was already high in the sky, and there wasn’t a trace of him anywhere.
After greeting Director Chen, he suggested that she take the opportunity to familiarize herself with the cast.
“It’ll make future filming easier if everyone gets along.”
The logic was sound.
Chi Chuchu readily agreed.
The actress playing the second female lead in Deep Palace Fate was Yu Fan, a young award-winning actress who had risen to fame early. She enjoyed both critical acclaim and considerable public recognition.
Despite holding the second-billed role, she stood alone in a corner.
Cold.
Quiet.
Isolated.
For some reason, she looked a little lonely.
Remembering what Zhao Qian had mentioned about Yu Fan being ostracized, Chi Chuchu hesitated briefly before walking toward her.
Halfway there, someone intercepted her.
The person blocking her path had a baby-faced appearance. His crescent-shaped eyes curved warmly as he smiled, giving off a fresh and approachable vibe.
“Hello, Cousin Chuchu.”
His voice was soft and pleasant.
“Since it’s our first meeting, let me introduce myself. I’m Wei Yuanming.”
Thanks to Zhao Qian’s extensive gossip sessions, Chi Chuchu recognized him immediately.
Wei Yuanming.
An idol who debuted through a survival show.
The visual center of his boy group.
A heartthrob with an enormous fanbase.
An idol crossing over into acting wasn’t unusual these days.
She wasn’t surprised.
In the drama, he played Han Wenying—the cultured heir of the Duke’s household and the female lead’s cousin.
Tucking a strand of silky black hair behind her ear, the pure and beautiful young woman nodded politely.
“Chi Chuchu. Nice to meet you.”
Wei Yuanming blinked.
“If you don’t mind… can I call you Cousin?”
His smile was gentle enough to melt snow.
“It’ll help me get into character.”
There was a saying:
Never slap a smiling face.
The entertainment industry followed the same rule.
Chi Chuchu studied him for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.
“Of course. I don’t mind at all.”
An expert.
Definitely an expert.
The smell of green tea was practically overflowing from him.
Only an idiot wouldn’t notice.
Chi Chuchu sneered inwardly.
Please.
She was the novel’s officially certified green-tea villainess.
Who did he think he was?
A freshly brewed spring tea daring to show off in front of Imperial Dragon Well Tea itself?
[Ding.]
The system, absent for quite some time, suddenly spoke.
“Detected significant growth in the host’s ideological awareness. A special reward has been issued.”
The next second, a bright red banner appeared floating in midair.
Across it, embroidered in golden thread, were four dazzling characters:
Imperial Dragon Well Tea.
“…”
Chi Chuchu’s expression instantly darkened.
What kind of garbage reward was that?
Was it trying to send a beggar away with scraps?
Sensing the change in her mood, Wei Yuanming wisely fell silent.
He simply looked at her with those naturally smiling eyes.
From an outsider’s perspective, the scene appeared remarkably affectionate.
Tender.
Indulgent.
Enviable.
“Hmph.”
A familiar cold snort suddenly sounded from behind them.
Chi Chuchu froze.
Then instinctively shivered.
No way…
Swallowing nervously, she immediately put several steps of distance between herself and Wei Yuanming before turning around.
“…”
Just her luck.
It really was Yan An.
The handsome young man stood nearby with his arms crossed, glaring at the pair of them with obvious displeasure.
“You two seem pretty close.”
The jealousy rolling off him was so intense it practically smelled like vinegar.
Unable to bear looking at him, Chi Chuchu turned her face away.
What had she done to deserve all this nonsense lately?
“Don’t misunderstand,” she hurriedly explained. “We’re just friends.”
She glanced awkwardly at Wei Yuanming.
Something about the situation felt incredibly strange.
Just friends?
What kind of friends?
Yan An already had a notoriously bad temper.
Hearing her dismissive explanation only made him angrier.
A flush gradually spread across his pale face.
He remembered how she’d publicly dumped him before with some ridiculous excuse.
Then, at the banquet afterward, she’d shamelessly shown up with that pretty-boy newcomer surnamed An.
The humiliation.
The frustration.
The grievance.
All of it boiled over.
“I never agreed to break up!”
he blurted out.
“Stop trying to put a green hat on me every chance you get!”
Chi Chuchu: “…”
Wei Yuanming: “…”
Had he just heard something he absolutely wasn’t supposed to hear?
The atmosphere instantly turned catastrophic.
Fortunately, salvation arrived.
“Hey! You lead actors over there bonding with each other!”
Director Chen’s booming voice echoed across the set through a loudspeaker.
“Stop chatting and get over here! We’re starting the opening ceremony!”
Tears nearly sprang to Chi Chuchu’s eyes.
Without hesitation, she abandoned both men and practically scampered toward Director Chen.
Because of her naturally delicate appearance, the gratitude written all over her lovely face looked suspiciously like she was about to cry.
Director Chen, completely unaware of the truth, suddenly wondered if he’d shouted too loudly and frightened the poor girl.
Thus demonstrated:
The practical advantages of having a misleading face.
When filming promotional footage, positions were arranged according to billing order.
Terrified that Yan An might cause another scene, Chi Chuchu immediately surrendered the spot between them and sincerely invited Director Chen to stand in the center.
Director Chen, having only heard Jian Shi’s one-sided explanation, naturally assumed Chi Chuchu was keeping her distance from Yan An because of Jian Shi.
So he cheerfully accepted.
Standing between the two leads, he flashed a huge grin and threw up a peace sign at the camera.
The midday sun shone brightly overhead.
Yet standing on Yan An’s other side, Wei Yuanming somehow felt cold.
Very cold.
His signature spring-breeze smile stiffened slightly.
Glancing at Director Chen—the world’s brightest human lightbulb—he couldn’t help sighing inwardly.
Compared to the third wheel he’d been just moments ago, Director Chen’s current performance wasn’t even close.
Meanwhile, feeling the icy pressure radiating from Yan An, Chi Chuchu quietly edged away.
She shifted closer to Yu Fan instead.
Noticing her approach, the usually aloof actress paused.
Her long lashes fluttered ever so slightly.
Each person harbored their own thoughts.
And amid that complicated atmosphere, the photographer captured the first official group photo of the Deep Palace Fate cast.
After receiving the image, Director Chen eagerly logged onto Weibo and posted it.
@Director Chen Zi’ang:
New drama officially begins filming. Wishing everything goes smoothly! [Photo]
The moment the post went live, the hashtag #DeepPalaceFate# shot onto the trending charts.
As part of standard promotion, the four lead actors quickly reposted it.
Although Chi Chuchu had appeared in several literary dramas before and accumulated over a million followers thanks to her memorable beauty, her fanbase was insignificant compared to the other three leads.
Director Chen’s projects always attracted attention.
And Deep Palace Fate had already generated considerable buzz.
The moment the official announcement dropped, Chi Chuchu gained tens of thousands of new followers.
Unfortunately, the comments beneath her repost were overwhelmingly hostile.
“Director Chen’s taste is really questionable. Besides her face, what exactly does Chi Chuchu have?”
“Capital really is powerful these days. Anyone can become an actress now.”
“Her backing must be incredible. Yan An is playing her male lead. Wei Yuanming is supporting her. Even award-winning actress Yu Fan has been pushed into second billing. What exactly has Chi Chuchu done to deserve this?”
That final comment quickly rose to the top, gathering thousands of likes.
Chi Chuchu barely cared.
She glanced at it once and exited the page.
Her manager, Zhao Qian, looked far more distressed than she did.
After reposting the promotional post, Yan An had intended to put away his phone.
But when he noticed Zhao Qian’s troubled expression, he paused.
Frowning slightly, he reopened Weibo and entered Chi Chuchu’s profile.
The moment he saw the toxic comments beneath her post, his breathing stalled.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
She must be upset.
The thought surfaced immediately.
Unable to stop himself, he glanced toward Chi Chuchu.
Seeing her quietly lower her phone only convinced him further.
After all, he had never agreed to the breakup.
Which meant she was still his girlfriend.
And if that was the case…
Then helping clear her name was only natural, right?
Yan An stared at the screen.
His inner self was engaged in a fierce battle.
Just as he finally gathered enough courage to speak out for her, a series of notification sounds suddenly rang out from Chi Chuchu’s phone.
At the same time, his own device vibrated.
Hm?
Almost simultaneously, both of them looked down.
The notification read:
@JianShi liked your post.
@JianShi liked @Chuchu’s post.
Yan An’s expression instantly darkened.
Storm clouds gathered across his handsome face.
He shot Chi Chuchu a resentful glare before turning on his heel and storming toward the makeup room.
Chi Chuchu, who had heard the notifications as well, looked over in confusion.
All she caught was his retreating figure.
For some reason, his furious back looked strangely aggrieved.
Almost… wronged.
She blinked.
What was that supposed to mean?
At that moment, the system suddenly reappeared.
“Do you know what makes a qualified green-tea little sister?”
Ever eager to learn, Chi Chuchu humbly asked,
“What?”
The system replied:
“A master of balance.”
Chi Chuchu: “…”
