After Being Blackened All Over the Internet, I Ruled the Military Variety
Chapter 174: Empress Starts Filming

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Empress Starts Filming

June was just around the corner, and the weather was getting hotter by the day.

The air conditioning in the hall was on from morning till night, but with so many people training, many were still sweating profusely.

Seeing Wei Minmin gasping for breath, narrowly escaping from martial arts guidance, Jiang Lingxi casually handed over an ice-cold bottled mineral water she had just opened.

"Thanks, thanks." Wei Minmin took a few gulps, sweat dripping onto her white training outfit, "Refreshing!"

Looking down, she noticed Jiang Lingxi was wearing the same style training outfit, her buttons fastened meticulously to the top, and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Aren’t you hot like this?"

Jiang Lingxi adjusted her collar, "It’s alright."

Wei Minmin, with her sharp eyes, noticed a red mark flashing past on her pale neck, "Did you hurt your neck?"

"No."

"I thought I saw a red mark," she said, reaching out to check, only to accidentally pull out a red cord, along with whatever was attached to it.

"So it was a pendant, you scared me. I thought I might have injured your neck during our practice. But this pendant is quite unique, it seems to have some writing on it."

Jiang Lingxi took the pendant back from her hand and tucked it back into her collar, "Your hand’s sweaty, don’t touch it."

"So precious, could it be..." Wei Minmin teased with a smile, but before she could finish, her gaze met Jiang Lingxi’s calm eyes, making her swallow her words, "Uh, forget I said anything."

Jiang Lingxi’s gaze fell on Wei Minmin’s shoulder.

Holding a tray and practicing walking with a book on her head, Jiang Xiyu was caught off guard by Jiang Lingxi’s gaze, nearly dropping the porcelain items on the tray as she quickly looked away and turned around to leave.

She didn’t notice the slight smirk from the person not far behind her.

Jiang Lingxi began preparing after speculating what Jiang Xiyu wanted to find on her.

Unsure exactly what Jiang Xiyu was after, she took advantage of the ample time they had for interaction, testing one thing after another.

She had initially planned to reveal something at the right time inconspicuously, but didn’t expect Wei Minmin to unintentionally lend her a hand.

Now, it depended on whether Jiang Xiyu would take any action.

If not, then it was time to change again.

For this, Lu Zhengzheng, who was helping prepare things, had the most to say: Everything in abundance!

*

When Jiang Xiyu put down the tray, her hands were still trembling slightly.

In recent days, besides script reading, they had added a lot of practicing.

For instance, her role as a palace maid required her to practice walking quickly and steadily with a tray, without swaying her upper body.

In one word, it was unbearable.

The only motivation keeping her going was the knowledge that other actors were also doing similar practices.

Like Jiang Lingxi and Wei Minmin’s martial arts guidance, everyone was training in the air-conditioned hall, giving her plenty of opportunity to observe.

But with these few days of observation, she found Jiang Lingxi to be quite peculiar.

Nowadays, there were still actors who didn’t wear any jewelry or accessories.

Even if you don’t want to wear bracelets or earrings to avoid hindering movements, wearing stud earrings or a bracelet would be fine, right?

Yet, Jiang Lingxi had nothing from head to toe.

Could it be Jiang Lingxi’s mother mentioned undergarments or something, which seemed unlikely.

This was the first time she had seen a pendant on Jiang Lingxi.

Because of surprise, she almost froze, only to be caught red-handed by Jiang Lingxi.

Now, calming her mind, she could only think about the pendant Jiang Lingxi had around her neck on a red cord, whose appearance she hadn’t even clearly seen.

Tucked under her clothes, not even Wei Minmin was allowed to touch it, it seemed quite precious and unique.

No matter how she thought about it, it fit her idea of the ’extraordinary item’ she had always envisaged.

As for how to get hold of that item next... whatever it took, she had to get it!

She couldn’t stand another day of this stifling life of having to ingratiate herself, supporting Jiang Lingxi!

*

That evening, a thunderstorm washed away the sultry weather of the past few days.

Early the following morning, as Jiang Lingxi pushed open the window of her room’s balcony, she saw a nest of birds happily chirping on the branches lush with greenery washed by rain.

The sky was dotted with fluffy white clouds, a natural cool breeze brushed by, and she took a deep breath of the exceptionally fresh air. Jiang Lingxi watched the film set nearby coming to life, "Truly an auspicious day."

Although people often voiced opposition to superstition, on the opening day of a drama, most would typically consult someone or choose an auspicious date from the lunar calendar, hoping for a successful start.

The previous days were stiflingly hot, making not just people and animals but even plants wither somewhat. After a night of rain, today was undeniably a good day.

According to Wei Xiao, it was perfect for holding an opening ceremony.

The film studio was absurdly large; the venue for ’Empress Yuan Zhao’s opening ceremony wasn’t in the large courtyard where the makeup photoshoot and script reading had taken place but in a nearby vast grassland.

Jiang Lingxi watched herself in the mirror as she got ready.

A fiery red riding outfit, black phoenix-patterned boots, a dark lotus crown embroidered with gold, portraying a vivid and radiant young girl.

After the opening ceremony, the first scene would be shot, typically featuring the female or male lead. This time, it was hers.

When Jiang Lingxi rushed over in her costume, the grassland was already teeming with people.

Only a few others in costume for the first scene arrived later than she did.

"Here they are, we’ve been waiting for you!"

Jiang Lingxi stood next to Wei Xiao, while Wei Minmin wormed her way beside her.

Just as she settled in, She Man, standing on Wei Xiao’s other side, was asking, "Isn’t the male lead coming to the opening ceremony?"

"He’s tied up, it’s fine."

Jiang Lingxi knew why.

Last night during the thunderstorm, she received a message from Shen Yunqing, who should still be abroad at this time, unable to make it back in time.

Originally, the first scene Wei Xiao wanted to shoot was a scene between the male and female leads, but had to change due to this reason.

She Man couldn’t help but click her tongue, feeling a bit smug.

If the male lead were there, she’d likely not get to stand next to the director, so in this sense, it was good he wasn’t.

The opening ceremony proceeded smoothly amidst the occasional breezes and the fragrance of grass, while sharp-eyed netizens, scrolling through their phones, were surprised to find the official account of ’Empress Yuan Zhao’ film crew had been verified and launched without notice.

When Jiang Lingxi inserted the lit incense into the incense burner, the ’Empress’ official account simultaneously updated its first post.

"Empress Yuan Zhao, @Jiang Lingxi!"

The accompanying picture was of her in a scarlet dragon robe, exuding dominance over the world.

The internet exploded with excitement!

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