Did the Movie Emperor Blow His Cover Today? - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Perhaps Han Buji’s words had been too serious, because Tao Hui slept poorly, plagued by nightmares all night.

She dreamed she was trending again, someone had posted photos of her and Han Buji together, even arranging them in a nine-grid collage. But instead of summoning a divine dragon, the nine photos summoned the Waterloo of Tao Hui’s career, with the entire internet clamoring for her to be kicked out of the entertainment industry.

Then she dreamed of receiving a call from the hospital, saying a live crayfish had burrowed into Miao Miao’s stomach and severed her intestines.

The chaotic dreams left Tao Hui drenched in a cold sweat. Finally, in the dream, she saw Han Buji.

He cornered her against a wall, his large hand gripping her wrist, his thumb stroking the pulse point. His face drew closer to hers as he said sternly, “Damn it, you melonhead! There are bad guys out there. Be careful!”

“Beep beep beep! Future Best Actress, time to work! Beep beep beep! Wake up, wake up!”

Tao Hui jolted awake at the alarm, squinting as she silenced it and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes to shake off the drowsiness.

Miao Miao wasn’t there. Before leaving, Tao Hui carefully applied concealer and called Zhou Xun. “Sister Xun, how’s Miao Miao doing? I dreamed last night that a crayfish had severed her intestines.”

“… ” Zhou Xun paused for a few seconds, then replied with heavy fatigue in his voice, “She’s fine now, still on an IV drip. I’ll put her on the phone.”

After a brief rustling, Tao Hui heard Miao Miao answer the phone, her voice choked with tears. “Waaah, Sister Huihui, I feel so awful, waaaah.”

The moment Tao Hui heard this, she immediately pictured Miao Miao collapsing last night, and panic surged through her. “What do you mean you still feel awful? Didn’t Sister Xun say you were fine? Does your stomach still hurt?”

Should I take her to Beijing First Hospital and get a specialist appointment?

Tao Hui frowned, her face etched with worry.

“I can’t eat spicy food anymore! I have to drink porridge all week, waaaah! Just plain rice porridge! Not even seafood porridge or congee with preserved egg and lean meat! I’m so miserable, Sister Huihui!” Miao Miao wailed dramatically.

The anxiety drained from Tao Hui’s face, replaced by a blank expression. “Oh,” she replied flatly.

Autumn in Beijing is typically dry, with little rain. The production crew always prepared pear soup to help everyone stay hydrated. But today, Tao Hui, bundled in a thick coat, stepped outside just as a light rain began to fall.

One autumn rain brings a chill, she thought, the weather growing colder.

As Tao Hui walked to the set, her breath misting in the air, she saw Han You, also wrapped in a thick coat, practicing her lines from the script, her breath fogging the air.

Hearing Tao Hui’s footsteps, Han You turned, her face momentarily surprised before she leaned in affectionately, pressing a hand warmer into Tao Hui’s hand. “Sister Tao Hui, you’re here so early! Here, take this hand warmer. Phew, it’s freezing today.”

Tao Hui took the hand warmer from Han You and suddenly asked, “Did you know Miao Miao’s been hospitalized?”

“What? Miao Miao’s in the hospital? I just saw her yesterday!” Han You looked genuinely worried, her small hands, still warm from holding the hand warmer, gripped Tao Hui’s arm. Frowning, she murmured, “She has to stay in the hospital? What illness is so serious?”

Tao Hui studied Han You’s face for a moment before shrugging. “She brought it on herself by eating random things. It’s just food poisoning, nothing serious. She’s just whining about having to drink porridge at the hospital.”

“I’ll text her later,” Han You said, her face still etched with concern. After taking a few steps, she turned back, her ears flushing slightly. “Oh, right, Sister Tao Hui, we have a scene together today! Hehe, please guide me!”

Tao Hui sighed. “I got NG’d five times yesterday. I was hoping you’d guide me instead.”

Han You waved her hands, her cheeks reddening further. “I get NG’d even more! The assistant director says I’m the most NG’d person on set. I-I’ll try my best not to hold you back.”

Han You, who had an early call time, left with the other actors for the filming location. Tao Hui watched her retreating figure, her expression thoughtful.

“Hey! I found her! Should I give her the phone so you can talk?” Wu Yue’s voice came from behind.

Tao Hui turned to see Wu Yue striding toward her, holding out his phone.

Confused, Tao Hui pointed at the phone, her face a question mark.

Wu Yue glanced around before pushing the phone closer. “Take the call.”

Dazed, Tao Hui accepted the phone and heard Han Buji’s voice.

“Morning,” Han Buji said.

Unsure why Han Buji was having her answer his call, Tao Hui replied politely, “Good morning?”

Han Buji chuckled softly on the other end.

Standing in the cold morning air, Tao Hui’s heart skipped a beat as Han Buji’s low laugh echoed in her ear.

Tsk, when Best Actor Han isn’t cursing in Sichuan-Chongqing dialect, his voice is actually quite sexy?

The thought flashed through her mind, immediately followed by the image of Han Buji looking at her with earnest eyes in her dream.

Tao Hui shook her head, hearing Han Buji’s deep voice through the phone. “Tao Hui? Are you listening?”

“Ah?” Tao Hui stammered guiltily. “Um, the signal was bad earlier. I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Han Buji paused for two seconds before speaking again, deliberately slowing his pace. “I said, I’ve been invited to an event today and won’t be at the base. Your assistant isn’t here either. If you need anything, contact Gao Meng.”

Han Buji’s original intention was simply, “Since I won’t be here to assist you, you can contact my assistant if you need anything.”

But Tao Hui interpreted it differently: “Han Buji is away, and his assistant Gao Meng has nothing to do. Since she’s being paid anyway, and my own assistant is unavailable, I can borrow her.”

Even with this interpretation, Tao Hui was somewhat flattered.

Han Buji had truly thought of everything. Was such meticulousness really necessary just to maintain his public image?

Tao Hui snapped out of her reverie and smiled. “Thank you for your kindness, Best Actor Han. I can manage on my own. Gao Meng doesn’t need to be bothered. When Miao Miao was here, there wasn’t much for her to do anyway—she mostly just hung out in the break room.”

Tao Hui was stationed in a corner of the film set, and Wu Yue overheard Han Buji’s offer.

Personally, Wu Yue felt it was inappropriate for Han Buji to lend his assistant to Tao Hui. Everyone on set knew Gao Meng was Han Buji’s top assistant, and if she were seen with Tao Hui, it would inevitably spark gossip, which could harm both artists’ reputations.

However, as a cautious and perceptive manager, Wu Yue specifically warned Tao Hui before leaving, “Be careful with anything you eat or drink here.”

Tao Hui glanced at Wu Yue and nodded. “Thank you.”

After watching Wu Yue leave, Tao Hui stood in her corner of the set, looking around.

These past few days had been spent filming outdoor scenes. The frigid air and dusty battlefield sets were bustling with busy staff, each person appearing deeply focused on their work.

Yet even among these diligent individuals, treacherous intentions lurked.

Tao Hui suddenly felt a chill. Though she still held Han You’s hand warmer, her fingertips remained stubbornly cold.

That afternoon, Tao Hui and Han You began filming their duel scene.

Han You played Qian Lixue, the princess of the Xixiang Kingdom, who assisted the kingdom’s eldest prince in ascending the throne and was the sworn enemy of Dongchuan, the third prince of the Dong’ao Kingdom.

When Dongchuan found himself in peril, Qing Wan rushed to his rescue, clashing swords with Qian Lixue beside a freezing pond.

Tao Hui, clad in white, and Han You, dressed in pink, clashed swords repeatedly. In the scene, Tao Hui’s character, Qing Wan, was wounded and struggled to match Han You’s stamina.

In one sequence, Han You’s character ambushed Tao Hui from behind with a palm strike. Tao Hui whirled around, stumbled back a few steps, and raised her sword to counterattack.

The camera tracked their movements as the martial arts director gestured instructions from the sidelines.

Tao Hui thrust her white jade sword prop at Han You, who deftly dodged the strike.

Immediately afterward, Han You slapped Tao Hui’s back, but her stride was too long, and her foot accidentally stepped on Tao Hui’s hem. Tao Hui had been about to turn, but the trapped hem restricted her movement, and Han You’s slap was unexpectedly forceful.

Tao Hui lost her balance and tumbled into the icy pond beside them.

“Cut!”

“Tao Hui!”

“Sister Tao Hui!”

Despite being called an “icy pond,” it was actually an artificial lake sprinkled with dry ice. The water was less than two meters deep, with wisps of white vapor rising from the dry ice on the surface.

Those on the shore couldn’t see Tao Hui’s position, and panic erupted.

“Hurry! Get someone who can swim down there!” The assistant director’s face flushed crimson as he roared, his voice hoarse, “Tao Hui! Tao Hui, can you hear me?!”

“Sister Tao Hui! Sister Tao Hui!” Han You’s face turned deathly pale as she reached into the water to pull Tao Hui out.

Just as several crew members who could swim were about to jump in, Tao Hui suddenly surfaced near the shore, holding up a lotus root. “Ta-da! Look what I found!”

The icy lake water had chilled Tao Hui’s complexion, but she wore a radiant smile. “Lotus root! The production crew can have an extra dish tonight!”

Laughter rippled through the crowd as they scrambled to pull Tao Hui ashore. The assistant director tapped her shoulder with the script. “Go change your clothes immediately. It’s freezing out here.”

After scolding her, the woman chuckled in exasperation. “Honestly, child! You fall into the water and instead of scrambling out, you’re trying to grab lotus roots? This tiny piece isn’t even enough for a snack!”

Even Director Chen, who had been maintaining a stern expression, couldn’t help but smile. “The ornamental lotus flowers have been treated with pesticides. They’re not edible.”

Tao Hui frowned slightly, looking a bit disappointed.

Han You rushed over and tugged at Tao Hui’s dripping sleeve, holding a tissue to wipe the water from her forehead. “Sister Tao Hui, are you okay? Thank goodness! You have no idea how worried I was when you fell in. It scared me half to death!”

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Han You said, patting her chest.

Tao Hui, still holding the lotus root, suddenly gripped Han You’s hand, her gaze piercing. “Really?” she asked sharply.

“Wh-what?” Han You stammered, taken aback.

Tao Hui suddenly laughed, releasing Han You’s hand. She pointed at the lotus root and whispered conspiratorially, covering her mouth, “I mean, is it true what Director Chen said about it being inedible? Or is he just trying to keep it for himself?”

Han You hadn’t expected Tao Hui to say something like that. Her expression turned awkward as she urged, “Sister Tao Hui, you should go change quickly. You’ll catch a cold if you stay in those wet clothes.”

“Okay,” Tao Hui said, taking the lotus root and heading toward the break room, muttering to herself as she walked, “Maybe I should try growing this lotus root. If it survives, it might even bloom! Pink would be perfect. Ugh, I fucking hate white lotus flowers!” (t/n: white lotus is also slang for a person who pretends to be kind and pure but actually scheming and manipulative.)

Behind her, Han You froze in her tracks, biting her lower lip.

Half the production crew was focused on keeping the filming schedule on track, but the actors’ health was also a priority. With the late autumn chill, Tao Hui’s exertion had left her looking pale. Director Chen and the assistant director suggested postponing the scene until tomorrow to let her rest.

Even Han You brought Tao Hui a cup of hot water, sweetly urging, “Yes, Sister Tao Hui, you really should rest.”

But Tao Hui was brimming with energy, spraying water on her face with a laugh. “Let’s shoot! I’m fine! I just can’t look naturally sweaty anymore, so I need to fake it with some water.”

When filming resumed, Tao Hui was in top form, nailing every scene in a single take.

Han You, however, struggled, requiring countless retakes. By the time Tao Hui wrapped for the day, Han You was still on set, the assistant director supervising her as she reshot individual shots.

Watching the completed footage, Director Chen suddenly turned to Tao Hui, who was removing her wig, and said, “Casting you as Qing Wan was the right choice.”

Tao Hui happily bowed to each of the senior teachers and walked away with a spring in her step.

As soon as she entered the hotel lobby, the smile vanished from Tao Hui’s face. She touched her burning forehead and leaned against the wall by the elevator, waiting.

Ding-dong

The elevator doors opened, revealing Han Buji and Wu Yue inside, both dressed in dark blue suits.

Han Buji glanced up, his phoenix eyes lazily meeting hers, a hint of tenderness in their languid gaze.

This very look had been raved about by millions of Han Meimei fans, who swooned over “Brother’s deep, affectionate gaze that makes my knees weak.”

Tao Hui had always scoffed at such sentiments, but for some reason, seeing Han Buji now made her nose suddenly feel a little sore.

She slumped into the elevator and stood beside Han Buji, muttering, “If I’d known, I would have asked Gao Meng to stay another day. I nearly pulled my hair out trying to remove the wig today.”

Her voice came out hoarse.

Han Buji frowned, his voice deepening with concern. “Tao Hui, what’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Tao Hui looked up, meeting his gaze. “Nothing’s wrong, just… when did you learn to make clones? I think I saw three of you earlier?”

With those words, Tao Hui collapsed, losing consciousness. Before she blacked out, a faint scent of cedar and sandalwood brushed past her nose.