Mental Illness Evolution Manual - Chapter 38

After spending a while in Night City, either fighting or staying in the house, this kind of everyday life, at first glance, felt like a different world.

Yan Xianchuan prepared her dipping sauce and brought back a plate of seedless watermelon. As she passed by the table next to her, she saw a few waiters pushing a trolley with a birthday cake on it. They were wearing small colored lights on their heads, holding up placards, and singing a birthday song together.

It was a mixed-race little girl who was celebrating her birthday. Her light blonde hair was braided into two pigtails, she was wearing a small crown on her head, and she was singing and clapping along.

Yan Xianchuan was holding two plates in her hands, she stood aside and waited. Her gaze moved, falling on Lu Mingqiu who was walking around from the other side.

She didn’t usually like to dress up when she went out, her clothes were mainly casual and loose, a T-shirt, a pair of shorts, and sneakers on her feet, only her legs were exposed, they were well-proportioned, with fair and delicate skin, like they were carved from jade, they were dazzlingly white.

She exercised regularly, her muscles were tight, and when she walked, she was like a wild deer in the forest. Yan Xianchuan couldn’t help but look at her a few times.

She stared for a long moment, then realizing the impropriety of invading someone’s privacy, looked away. She found that others were also looking at her, either intentionally or not, and the plates in their hands seemed to shift uneasily, as if poised to be flung in her direction.

She thought that these people really didn’t understand etiquette, they didn’t know how to respect others, their eyes were just glued to other people’s legs. This thought went through her mind a few times, she was about to act on it when a voice interrupted her.

“Excuse me, customer? Could you please move a little?”

The waiter who had finished singing the birthday song was pushing the trolley, but she was blocking his way.

Yan Xianchuan came to her senses, she replied unhappily, and moved out of the way. Just as Lu Mingqiu sat back down, the table and chairs blocked her, so naturally, no one looked at her anymore.

She put down the things in her hands, put on a black apron to prevent oil splatters, the waitress named Anna walked over and brought a bucket of barley tea, she said it was to clear the heat and reduce greasiness.

Yan Xianchuan poured herself a cup and drank it, she didn’t know if it cleared the heat and reduced greasiness, but when Lu Mingqiu pointed to the ice cream on the screen and asked her if she wanted to eat some, the bit of frustration in her heart immediately disappeared.

There were four flavors of hot pot, one clear soup, one spicy, one tomato, and one tom yum.

The two of them had eaten many meals together, they had rolled in blood and dirt, so they naturally didn’t mind that, setting aside the delicious food, eating hot pot was essentially an act of exchanging saliva.

The soup base was rich in ingredients, even without dipping sauce, the ingredients had enough flavor.

The shrimp paste bobbed up and down in the tomato pot, the dark red duck blood was covered in dark red chili oil, it was tender and hot, it almost burned your tongue.

The hot pot was steaming, the voices were blurred and noisy. Yan Xianchuan looked into the other party’s eyes, she could still see the real shadow behind the fake face.

Her floating heart settled down and sprouted.

The vanilla ice cream that melted on her tongue became the most nutritious fertilizer, watering the newly sprouted bud.

Lu Mingqiu was a restless person, she had just given herself two days off, and she was already busy again, she was planning to make a movie.

For the sake of maintaining her status, she has to release at least one new work every year. This year’s has already been filmed and will be released at the end of the year, aiming for the Spring Festival box office.

She currently has some free time, so she might as well finish next year’s work first. The future is unpredictable, and she doesn’t want to be disrupted by too many unexpected events.

She decided to do it right away. Dan You Media is the Resistance’s own industry, the company has countless signed artists, and for the sake of its reputation, they have chosen people with real talent, either they are talented or they are from a professional background, they are well-behaved and faultless.

Choosing people from within is enough to make a movie.

The script was decided by Lu Mingqiu herself, a small-scale film, telling the story of a rich lady and a singer, a double-female lead story set during the period of the modern reform movement.

Since she decided to shoot it, she naturally had to follow her needs. Hiring a director, selecting actors, renting a location… all had to be in place as soon as possible.

The leading actress was already decided, she was a new generation actress under Dan You Media, her name was Wen Qiao. She had just graduated, she only had one work, but she was extremely talented, she was very spirited in acting, and she already had a certain fan base. As long as nothing went wrong, she would definitely become a big star in the future, achieving great success.

There is a film base in the North District of Nanjin City, it is specially used to shoot various works, it has built many buildings of different styles as backgrounds, it is called Star Tower, a place to make stars.

Lu Mingqiu went to film, it definitely wouldn’t be over in a day or two. Before leaving, she specially asked Yan Xianchuan if she wanted to go with her.

If it had been before, she wouldn’t have asked this question. She didn’t trust Yan Xianchuan, she wouldn’t let her out of her sight.

But after the mission in Night City, she had a new understanding of her, otherwise, she wouldn’t have let her return to the branch base alone to train, she must have been watching her.

But now, she asked this question, the implication was that if Yan Xianchuan didn’t want to go, she could completely refuse.

After she asked, Yan Xianchuan replied with a puzzled expression, “Didn’t you say that I’m going to be inseparable from you? I’ve already packed my bags.”

She had specially bought a large suitcase to pack her clothes and household items, it was already full, like a fat radish.

Lu Mingqiu didn’t say anything else, she just nodded and got into Su Hong’s car with her.

They didn’t need to disguise their faces when they went to film, Yan Xianchuan, with her real face that had finally come out to breathe fresh air, said excitedly, “I’ve never seen what it’s like to film a movie!”

Lu Mingqiu sat in the back seat with her, she smiled when she heard this, the sunlight brushed past her hair, as if it had plated her with a halo, it was dazzling.

“On-location shooting is fine, but for some scenes that need to be composited, the actors have to act in front of a green screen, they have to rely on their imagination, it’s actually quite funny.”

“I saw a hot search before, it said that someone’s acting was so good that it made the director cry.” Yan Xianchuan turned her head and asked curiously, “Is that true?”

Lu Mingqiu pondered for a moment, “There are some directors who are more empathetic, they will indeed be drawn into the story, but it’s very rare.”

“How long does it take to film a movie?” Yan Xianchuan said.

“If it’s fast, it will take about half a month to finish all my scenes.” Lu Mingqiu said, as she spoke, she took out a refrigerated mango mousse from the small cabinet in the car, as expected, she saw the person beside her eyes light up.

She chuckled inwardly, she handed it over, then continued, “We’ll be staying in a hotel near the film city, an assistant will deliver the meals, I’ll send you her contact number later, if you want to eat anything, just tell her.”

“Right.” She looked at the driver’s seat and said, “Did you bring your ID card?”

Su Hong, holding the steering wheel, replied, “Yes, it’s in my bag.”

“When we get out of the car, put on your ID card, don’t take it off, if you do, the staff will think you’re a tourist who has broken in and chase you away.” Lu Mingqiu instructed, “There’s one more thing, there’s more than one crew filming in the film city, there are also other people shooting, if you want to watch, you can ask, but you can only watch, you can’t record, recording will get you into trouble.”

Yan Xianchuan’s mouth was busy, her eyes were busy, her ears weren’t busy, but how could she multitask when she was eating, she randomly hummed and hawed, it was clear that she hadn’t listened carefully.

Lu Mingqiu had no choice but to let her be.

When they arrived at Star Tower, they didn’t take the same path as the tourists, they were only allowed in after passing the security check.

People in this circle are very protective of copyright and privacy, and it’s also very profitable, the staff who can be brought in have all signed confidentiality agreements.

Besides, there are many omegas in this circle, those who can afford to cultivate their children to enter the circle must have connections in their families, few people would be crazy enough to leak the secrets of filming.

It’s hard to tell the difference between omegas and the other two genders, at least Yan Xianchuan couldn’t tell the difference, but they could tell each other apart at a glance, it was very strange.

The three of them went to the hotel first, each dragging a suitcase, Lu Mingqiu never put on airs as a big movie star, she carried her own things.

The other assistants would arrive today, they didn’t ride in the same car as them.

Before getting out of the car, Su Hong took out her ID card from her bag, when she was registering at the front desk, Yan Xianchuan was bored, she lowered her head and picked up the name tag on her chest to look at it.

A square tag, the same pattern on both sides, it was a drawing of half a red wing, the lines were simple, forming a semicircle. This was the logo of Dan You Media.

“Does the senior have a filming task recently? You’re really a workaholic.”

Yan Xianchuan looked up when she heard this, a sweet-looking girl was excitedly approaching, followed by four or five assistants, each of them holding something.

“Ah, sorry, sorry, I didn’t notice Miss Yan was here.” She moved her gaze, meeting Yan Xianchuan’s, she seemed apologetic, “I didn’t expect the two of you to be so close, Miss Yan is also here for the filming.”

Yan Xianchuan glanced at her, she put down the name tag in her hand, she didn’t have any intention of speaking.

Lu Mingqiu turned around, she smiled, “Xiao Shu should be filming “Unending Glory” recently, how is it going, is the filming going smoothly?”

The woman named Xiao Shu said in a familiar tone, “Everything is fine, it’s just that the previous assistant wasn’t very handy, she always bought the wrong things, she was clueless, she really couldn’t do anything.”

“What about the senior? Didn’t you just finish recording the variety show, aren’t you going to rest?” She seemed very concerned, except for that one glance, she didn’t look at Yan Xianchuan at all, “I think senior has lost weight.”

Lu Mingqiu smiled and replied, “It’s for the role, so I lost weight. I still need to put away my luggage, there are a lot of people coming and going here, let’s chat later when we have time,”

As soon as she finished speaking, the other party seemed very disappointed, “Okay, then, senior, take care.”

Su Hong finished the registration, she took three magnetic strip-like things, she snapped them onto the name tag. The two became one, the magnetic strip was as if it had been eaten by the name tag, it disappeared without a trace.

She had two left in her hand, they were probably for the other assistants.

“Let’s go.” Lu Mingqiu said, she nodded at Xiao Shu before walking towards the elevator.

Xiao Shu looked at her back for a while before leaving the hotel, she sent a short message to her agent.

There was naturally no such thing as identity confidentiality among the chaebols at the top, but as you go down a level, a semi-transparent veil will be placed over your eyes, the lower you go, the thicker the veil, making you blind and unable to see anything.

Xiao Shu’s family background was considered middle class, she was a local, among the Shu family’s omegas, only she entered the entertainment industry.

The Shu family could also have a say in Nanjin City, but compared to the top few families, it was like the difference between an ant and an elephant.

She was an ambitious person, she wanted to climb up, and as an omega, what was the easiest and fastest way? Of course, it was to marry.

Lu Mingqiu had shares in Dan You, and her true identity had never been found out, she must be one of the children of those big chaebols. The one who could register to marry her must also be a match.

Her surname is Yan, and there’s also a Yan family, it’s hard not to think too much.

The two of them were staying in the same hotel, but they booked two separate rooms, wasn’t that strange? Xiao Shu had a keen eye, she could tell at a glance that the two of them had never slept together, the rumors of their love affair were all fake.

There had been rumors of a marriage contract before, but they were quickly clarified and suppressed, but there’s no smoke without fire. Her eyes flickered, a plan slowly formed in her mind.

The hotel was still very luxurious, after all, the people who stayed here were all big stars and influential people in the circle. Dan You Media had a dedicated floor here, it wasn’t rented out to others, so Su Hong could directly give the two of them two room cards.

The room wasn’t small, it was a faultless minimalist style, the sheets and duvet covers were white, there were also other styles of bedding in the closet, you could ask the service staff to change them.

But many stars who came here would bring their own things, they didn’t need the hotel to prepare anything.

Yan Xianchuan didn’t have so many requirements, she changed into slippers, walked around the room, and then she had nothing to do.

But not long after, Lu Mingqiu came to knock on her door, Yan Xianchuan opened the door, she saw that she was wearing a sun hat, she was still wearing simple and loose T-shirts and shorts, a very light green, like a green lotus.

“It just so happens that I have some time today, I’ll take you for a walk.”

Yan Xianchuan naturally had no reason to refuse, the two of them took the elevator downstairs, they stepped on the gradually cool air and walked slowly along the path.

“This is the Ancient District.” Lu Mingqiu said, she led her into a group of ancient buildings. The pavilions and towers were arranged in an orderly manner, the rockeries and gardens were also elegant and refined, the vermilion gate was wide open, they walked on the stone path, they bypassed a few golden chrysanthemums that were about to bloom, they passed through a wooden corridor, and came to a pond with koi.

The koi in the pond were fat and beautiful, their large golden and red fins swayed like light gauze.

Yan Xianchuan stared at them, she suddenly said, “Are koi fish delicious?”

Lu Mingqiu was stunned, she thought about it seriously, she had never eaten them, “They probably aren’t delicious. If they were delicious, they would have been on the menu long ago, now they’re just kept in the pond as ornamental fish, they’re probably only for viewing, not for eating.”

“That makes sense.” Yan Xianchuan no longer looked at them with burning eyes.

The two of them passed through the Ancient District and came to a street that was a little old but had a strange kind of prosperity. It was old because some of the buildings were still in the same style as the Ancient District, with blue bricks and white tiles, full of ancient charm, but some were small, four-story buildings, with bright and dazzling signboards, and a circle of yellow or blue lights flashing around them.

There was a black street lamp every few meters, with long light bulbs hanging below, they had a dull yellow exterior, and the lights must have been hazy and unclear.

“This is the Modern District, we’re going to shoot here tomorrow.” Lu Mingqiu said, pointing to the four-story building with the signboard “Baishe Building,” “I’m a singer there.”

“A singer, you sings?” Yan Xianchuan said, “I’ve never heard you sing before.”

“I’m just an average singer, I definitely need to have my voice edited later.” Lu Mingqiu was very honest.

Yan Xianchuan’s gaze fell lightly on her soft lips, “No, you speak very nicely, you won’t be bad at singing either.”

The person who was inexplicably praised smiled, her bright red lips curved slightly, like a small moon.

“I’m not a master of all trades, I’m really just average, at least I don’t sing as nicely as you.” Lu Mingqiu said.

She had heard this person hum, she didn’t know what song it was, but the tune was catchy.

Yan Xianchuan’s control over her pitch was like her handling of a small knife, accurate and precise.

She could sing, and she could dance, her balance was comparable to that of a circus performer who had been trained to walk on a tightrope since childhood, she controlled her body as if she were controlling a precision machine.

But Yan Xianchuan was also used to accommodating the people around her, a person who strictly controlled herself was very scary, so she had to be more casual.

Her steps were long and short, her smile was also varied, but the length was controlled by her, the curve of her lips was the same.

Just as she lightly raised her eyebrows, revealing a slightly surprised and teasing expression, “I really thought you could do anything.”

“I’m just a person, how could I be so magical.” Lu Mingqiu smiled, a hint of helplessness in her blue eyes.

Yan Xianchuan shook her head, “You just are.”

There were more than just the two of them in the film city, many staff members were walking back and forth, most of them gasped when they saw Lu Mingqiu, but none of them came over to disturb their walk.

It would be impolite to suddenly go over and ask for an autograph or a photo with a couple who were laughing and talking, there would be plenty of opportunities later.

But the news of her coming to the film city spread quickly, internal staff members often exchanged gossip, but they wouldn’t tell outsiders.

Someone took a photo, the photo went around and around, and finally ended up in Su Hong’s hands, she sent it to Lu Mingqiu.

When she came back that night, she lay alone in bed, she opened the stolen photo, under the iron-black streetlights, she was smiling lightly in the sun, the other person was staring at her, her gaze focused, their shadows overlapped, stretching long.

Lu Mingqiu looked at it for a while, she thought it was well-taken, she replied, “Use this as material, announce the news of the new movie shoot, and hype it up.”

Su Hong replied, “Yes.”

The next morning, after breakfast at the hotel, the group of them went to the crew’s studio together. The others, including the director, were already in place, and the staff were setting up props.

The few leading actors came over and greeted Lu Mingqiu. They had arrived yesterday afternoon, they originally wanted to meet her first, but they were told that she had already gone out, when they came back, it was already late, it was obviously inappropriate to go to her house at that time, so they all came over today.

Yan Xianchuan didn’t wait for them to crowd around, she followed Su Hong and retreated to the side, she found a chair and sat behind the director.

The director knew she was important, so he didn’t stop her.

After the actors finished greeting each other and putting on makeup, they were about to start filming.

The actors had to read the script thoroughly, and they wouldn’t film according to the story’s flow, but the director would decide which part to film first.

The first scene they filmed was the singer going to the photography studio to pick up photos.

Lu Mingqiu watched for a while, then asked Su Hong for the script.

The rich lady had returned from studying abroad, she was forward-thinking and didn’t like the old-fashioned atmosphere of her home, she shouted about equality for all, but she still had prejudices against the singer.

She thought that they had hands and feet, why couldn’t they do a decent job to support themselves, why did they have to sell their smiles to make a living, why did they choose to degrade themselves.

Although she had a belly full of knowledge and a mouth full of big words and advanced ideas, her thoughts were very simple.

One time, she was going home after drinking coffee, she met a singer who was being robbed by thugs on the way, she had the coachman save the singer, and then she asked her why she didn’t find a decent job.

The singer first thanked her, then laughed at her for not knowing anything, she swayed her hips and walked away.

The lady was full of anger, she went back and complained to her nanny, the latter said that singers were all low-class people, why should the lady bother with them, and they were dirty, which good family would hire them to work, don’t let them seduce the master of the house.

The lady felt that she was wrong for a moment, but she didn’t know how to refute her. Didn’t the textbook teach that everyone is equal?

…

The screenwriter was very skilled, the script was also written smoothly. Yan Xianchuan read it slowly, she saw the scene where the singer was drugged by a customer, he wanted to take advantage of her, but the lady bumped into them and saved her, in order to relieve the effects of the drug, the two of them were in the room, making love, her eyes suddenly froze.