Chapter 6 begins. : "Compared to my feelings, you seem to care more about whether I've slept with you, and how many times."

Jiang Yan talked about everything from thanking the director to the investors, from her understanding of the role to her life ideals. After the eighth or ninth "um," she ran out of words and ended her speech. She let go of Qin Lan's hand and smiled: "This is my first time participating in an ensemble drama series. It's a bit new and a bit nerve-wracking. I've talked too much for a while. I hope everyone is not impatient."

Yu Jintang immediately smoothed things over, and someone below shouted, "Teacher Jiang, I love you!"

"It's not annoying at all, Teacher Jiang, please say a few more words!"

Jiang Yan smiled gratefully at everyone, then turned to Qin Lan, her tone extremely affectionate: "I'm sorry, Teacher Qin, I accidentally talked too much. I hope you're not tired? Are your arms sore?"

Qin Lan was in a mess and didn't pay attention to her manipulative remarks: "It's okay, I exercise regularly."

Jiang Yan smiled shyly: "I see. It seems that Teacher Qin's arms are very well-trained."

Qin Lan vaguely felt that something was wrong with that sentence, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Extra, Palace Maid #1: "Teacher Jiang asked Teacher Qin if her hands were sore."

Palace Maid #2: "Teacher Qin said she usually exercises her arms."

Palace Maid No. 3: "Heh... rival literature, huh?"

"Alright, let's start the worship of the four directions!" Yu Jintang called out at the right moment.

The staff distributed incense to them, and Yu Jintang also took some and stood over. Everyone held the incense and silently prayed, bowing three times.

Turning around, he continued to bow three times. After bowing in all four directions, Yu Jintang asked Feng Yinghou to offer incense first.

When it was Qin Lan's turn, she stepped forward, bowed slightly, and placed the incense stick into the incense burner. The sunglasses covering her face made her look somewhat indifferent.

She walked back, brushing past Jiang Yan. The woman didn't look at her, standing silently before the incense burner with her eyes closed for a long time. Whispers came from below, and only then did she bow deeply three times, her profile showing exceptional piety.

Qin Lan's gaze fell on her bent-over back, and a sudden thought struck her.

Why is this woman suddenly so serious...?

After the opening ceremony, Yu Jintang treated all the lead actors to dinner.

A dozen or so people entered the private room one after another. Looking around, apart from the three leading actors, they were all obscure, unknown actors.

The entire production team of this drama exudes an oddity, which naturally attracted media attention when the cast was officially announced. A marketing account wrote a lengthy analysis of the "Red Powder Era" production team, first questioning why top-tier actress Feng Manhong would collaborate with a young director making his television debut; then questioning why Jiang Yan, already somewhat successful in the film industry, would risk her career by making such a controversial drama; thirdly, questioning why Qin and Jiang, who had maintained a "never to see each other again" relationship for three years, suddenly reunited; and fourthly, mocking Yu Jintang for only being able to cast a bunch of unknown actors. Putting aside other considerations, an important role like Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, shouldn't be played by someone who's been playing minor roles for over a decade! It seems they really couldn't find anyone else, so they had to pull in their close friend Qin Lan to act.

The marketing account wrote 9,000 words of questioning, and the only conclusion was that Feng Manhong must have something on her that the director had.

The comments section was filled with agreement.

Six months ago, same-sex marriage law was officially implemented in mainland China.

It is difficult to change the mindset of the older generation, so there are still various obstacles in the country. The public media only released the relevant news on the same day, which was somewhat of a cold treatment.

Film and television dramas still mainly focus on romance. Although a small number of BL (Boys' Love) and BL adaptations no longer use the name of friendship to cover up their lack of censorship, they are limited to simple confession plots. The most explicit same-sex scene on screen is just a kiss on the corner of the lips.

The script presented by Yu Jintang contained several intimate scenes between same-sex characters, including a sex scene that would be difficult to pass censorship even in a romance novel. It can be said that "The Age of Red" is the first legitimate LGBTQ+ film or television work produced after LGBTQ+ rights were legalized.

Therefore, despite Yu Jintang announcing a public audition, there were still few applicants. After all, it had only recently become legal, and there was strong opposition in many parts of the country; most people were still observing. Yu Jintang secretly worried about the three most important female leads. Although Qin Lan was willing to support her, she thought the remaining two positions wouldn't be filled by good actresses. Unexpectedly, Feng Manhong actually came, and even more surprisingly, Jiang Yan agreed to appear in a production with Qin Lan.

Yu Jintang was in a good mood and ordered several bottles of red wine. As everyone chatted, they gradually became more familiar with each other. Feng Manhong was a superstar, so no one dared to joke with her. The younger people talked more, and a few of the male actors, having drunk too much, became flushed and drunkenly tried to toast Qin Lan.

Qin Lan, with a flippant smile on her face, picked up a glass of juice.

Jiang Yan glanced at her.

A little while later, Qin Lan toasted Feng Manhong with a glass of juice.

Jiang Yan glanced at her again.

She leaned slightly towards Yu Jintang: "Teacher Qin doesn't like to drink anymore?"

Yu Jintang glanced at her and smiled, "Not really, but I have definitely quit, and I don't go to bars much anymore."

Jiang Yan rolled her eyes and raised her glass: "Teacher Qin, I'd like to toast you."

Qin Lan looked at her through the two people, picked up the juice, and nodded perfunctorily.

Jiang Yan laughed as if she hadn't seen anything, and downed the entire glass of red wine in one gulp.

Feng Manhong was surprised: "Xiao Jiang, why are you drinking so fast?"

Jiang Yan smiled at her, but her eyes were only on Qin Lan. The woman had thick furrowed brows, and the shadow under her nose was heavy, making her look sharp and cold. She touched her chest, a surge of pleasure rising in her eyes: "Hmm... I'm afraid Teacher Qin will be unhappy."

Feng Manhong glanced at Qin Lan, whose cold expression had not yet softened. Yu Jintang clicked her tongue inwardly, when Jiang Yan poured another glass and raised it to her: "Director Yu, I'd like to toast you."

Yu Jintang glanced at Qin Lan subconsciously.

Qin Lan was still frowning, as if she was thinking.

She had no choice but to pick up her glass and clink it with the other person's. Jiang Yan downed her drink in one gulp, her face flushed, but her eyes remained clear: "I heard Director Yu owns a bar, so he must be a connoisseur of fine wine. I also enjoy a little drink, so I'll toast Director Yu again."

She said she was just having a small sip, but then downed it in one gulp. Yu Jintang's heart pounded, but she had no choice but to drink as well. Then Jiang Yan started puffing up again, as if she would keep drinking if no one stopped her.

Everyone else noticed and started trying to stop her from drinking. Jiang Yan swayed slightly, but still stared intently at Qin Lan.

Yu Jintang leaned over and whispered to Qin Lan, "You should make a sacrifice. If you keep drinking like this, something bad will happen."

Jiang Yan looked at her and heard Qin Lan say, "People outside have been saying that we don't get along, and I think they're not wrong. I like to speak my mind. We'll be working together for the next few months, so let's not let our personal grudges affect the filming."

Jiang Yan seemed to chuckle: "Personal grudges? Is that how Teacher Qin views our relationship?"

Qin Lan said seriously, "No matter what the relationship is, I don't want it to affect my work."

Jiang Yan raised her glass to her from afar.

“Then, I’ll toast Teacher Qin again. After I finish this drink, Teacher Qin will take me back to my hotel, and we can talk about the personal grudges you mentioned.”

The nanny van was waiting outside, but Jiang Yan said she wanted to walk around.

She was very drunk, but she still maintained her composure and walked with great poise.

Qin Lan walked a little behind her, staring at Jiang Yan's shadow with mixed feelings.

"Qin Lan, how have you been these past three years?" she asked, her profile slender and exquisite, stunningly beautiful.

"Don't you know whether it's good or not?" The woman behind her pouted, displeased. "You went to film a movie, not abroad."

“Actually, you could make more movies,” Jiang Yan said. “I don’t want this to affect your work.”

"I want to," Qin Lan said dryly. "It's none of your business. And why did you steal my role?"

"Hmm? Didn't Teacher Qin say she wanted to break away from her established style?"

Qin Lan was speechless for a moment: "So you can steal my role?"

“There was no robbery, it was all aboveboard,” Jiang Yan said.

She and Qin Lan are respectively suited to roles like Shangguan Wan'er and Princess Taiping. Roles that are too close to one's own personality can limit one's development; only with contrast can one continue to break through.

However, she and Qin Lan were on the same page and both planned to try a new style.

Jiang Yan played with the willow branches for a long time before finally speaking: "Qin Lan, why aren't you drinking anymore?"

Qin Lan's heart skipped a beat.

She looked over, and Jiang Yan also raised her head, still with a bewitching look on her face. The way she was kneading the willow branches was just like Su Daji, and her waist was stunningly beautiful.

"I don't like drinking it anymore." She lied casually, feeling as if she had turned into a willow branch and was being kneaded repeatedly in her hands.

"Liar," Jiang Yan said softly, "You seemed to be having a great time drinking last time."

Qin Lan's heart tightened: "Which time?"

Jiang Yan lowered her head and said in a muffled voice, "Two weeks ago, at Yu Jintang's bar."

Qin Lan was shocked: "So you actually went that day?"

Jiang Yan said resentfully, "You drank too much; you don't remember anything at all."

Qin Lan asked nervously, "Then did I...did I do anything?"

Jiang Yan stopped talking and just looked at her.

Qin Lan's vision went black, and she said anxiously, "Say it!"

"Why?" Jiang Yan asked. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because it concerns our innocence!" Qin Lan let slip, and Jiang Yan smiled as expected: "Innocence? Do I have such a thing between Teacher Qin and me?"

She moved closer and said, "Teacher Qin always cares about trivial things. Compared to my feelings, you seem to care more about whether I've slept with you, and how many times."

"How can this be something you can't just say?" Qin Lan said anxiously, her heart aching at her last words. Sleeping with someone once could be an accident, but sleeping with them twice... that changes the whole situation!

Jiang Yan looked at her for a long, long time, then smiled wearily, which made Qin Lan's heart clench: "Okay, Teacher Qin, I lied to you. Nothing happened that day. You drank too much, so I took you to a hotel, and I left after you fell asleep."

Qin Lan visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Jiang Yan silently watched her, the smile vanishing from her face.

"Take me back." She slowly slid down the tree trunk, then squatted down on the ground as if she had no strength left, muttering, "My head is so dizzy."

Qin Lan took out her earphones and put them on. Soon a car pulled up, and her bodyguard Ye Wei walked over: "Miss."

Qin Lan pointed to Jiang Yan under the tree roots: "Get her into the car."

Ye Wei nodded, took off her coat and covered Jiang Yan with it, then helped her up. Jiang Yan obediently got into the car, curling up in the back seat. Qin Lan hesitated for a moment, convincing herself that she was only sitting in the back because she was afraid Jiang Yan would hit her head in the car. Ye Wei got into the driver's seat and started the car.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Qin Lan said.

Jiang Yan seemed to be asleep, sitting obediently in the back, curled up, facing the myriad lights of the city outside the car window. Qin Lan felt extremely uncomfortable in the back seat, and couldn't help but regret changing her mind again. But suddenly stopping and moving to the front now seemed too deliberate, making it seem as if she, Qin Lan, was afraid of Jiang Yan. So she endured the discomfort in the back, feeling the pervasive scent of Jiang Yan's perfume.

She rolled down the car window in anger and couldn't help but urge, "Drive faster."

Ye Wei silently pressed the accelerator. The brightly lit skyscrapers gradually came into view, and the golden tulip on the side bloomed quietly.

The advantages of working with Yu Jintang were on full display at this moment; you could stay at her family's hotels wherever you went. The Yu couple had their eldest daughter, Tulip, when they were young, and she now manages the family business. Later, they had a son, whom they simply let grow up independently.

Yu Jintang vacated three floors for the film crew, but she and Qin Lan stayed in the presidential suite on the top floor.

Jiang Yan was helped into the hotel by Ye Wei, with Qin Lan walking behind her expressionlessly. Ye Wei put her down at her room door.

"Wait...wait a minute." Jiang Yan got up, staggered against the door, and didn't forget to strike the most flattering pose as she reached into her bag.

She fumbled around for a while and pulled out a small piece of paper from a hidden compartment. It had Feng Manhong's signature on it.

"Here you go," she said.

Qin Lan took it with some skepticism: "Weren't you going to refuse to give it to me?"

Jiang Yan lowered her eyes and said emotionlessly, "It was originally meant for you."

Qin Lan looked at her warily: "What are you up to now?"

Jiang Yan almost rolled her eyes, turned around and slammed the door in her face.

＊

"I really hate Jiang Yan. All she does is go against me all day long."

"Fine, I'll forgive her for the sake of Feng Yinghou's autograph."

On the third day after filming began, the crew of "The Era of Red Powder" officially started shooting.

Yu Jintang has a habit when filming: if there are bed scenes, they must be filmed beforehand. On the one hand, this allows the actors to quickly get into the emotional scenes, and on the other hand, it reduces the risk of actors developing feelings for each other during filming, thus ending sensitive scenes early.

Qin Lan sat listlessly in the dressing room, staring blankly at the mirror.

Assistant Xiaoqing was very excited: "Sister Qin, Sister Qin, you're going to have an intimate scene with Actress Feng! That's Feng Manhong, isn't she your idol? Sister Qin, why do you seem a little unhappy?"

Qin Lan seemed listless: "Yeah, happy."

Xiaoqing asked worriedly, "Sister Qin, are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm fine." Qin Lan closed her eyes as the makeup artist helped her cover her dark circles.

"Then why are you having insomnia?" Xiaoqing asked worriedly.

"I've never seen anyone so troubled. Why do you even worry about my insomnia?" Qin Lan said impatiently. "Go see what everyone's doing outside."

"Oh." Xiaoqing left looking aggrieved, thinking Qin Lan found her annoying. A while later, she returned to the dressing room, and Qin Lan suddenly said, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Xiaoqing: "Huh?"

Qin Lan opened her eyes: "Didn't I tell you to go and see what everyone's doing outside?"

Xiaoqing: "...Director Yu and the assistant director are checking the cameras outside. The set is all set up. Actress Feng is still in the dressing room next door. Sister Qin, your clothes have arrived too."

Qin Lan waved her hand: "You haven't seen enough. Let's go out and take another look."

Xiaoqing walked out, completely bewildered.

But after a while, she dutifully returned, thinking that Qin Lan might be feeling bored from putting on makeup for too long. So she deliberately picked out something funny to say: "Sister Qin, hehe, guess what I just saw? Two cameramen weren't watching where they were going, and they bumped into each other while holding their cameras! Hahaha..."

Qin Lan waved her hand again: "If you didn't see it right, look at it again."

Xiaoqing stood outside the door for the third time, countless questions swirling in her mind.

She was confused for a while, not knowing what to look at, so she went to the nanny van to get Qin Lan's favorite liqueur-filled chocolates and ran back. Just as she reached the door, she saw Yu Jintang walking towards her. Xiaoqing quickly went up to her and asked, "Sister Yu, Sister Yu, is something special happening today?"

Yu Jintang: "?"

Xiaoqing explained it to him, but Yu Jintang was still confused. He slowly asked, "She just said she wanted you to come out and see what was happening outside?"

Xiaoqing nodded: "Yes."

Yu Jintang pondered for two seconds, then grinned: "This guy isn't straight anymore..."

Xiaoqing was shocked: "When has Sister Qin ever been straight?"

Yu Jintang smiled and shook his head: "There were indeed a few interesting things today. First, the old lady who was filming carried the investor across the street. Then, the lighting panel was painted rainbow by my second uncle's neighbor's three aunts. The assistant director's dog was just explaining the script to everyone. And Jiang Yan had a last-minute schedule and took leave."

Xiaoqing didn't understand at all, but she still repeated it to Qin Lan verbatim.

Qin Lan's curses rang out: "Yu Jintang, are you out of your mind?!"

Yu Jintang smiled faintly outside the door, then turned and left.