The main cast for "After Dawn" has finally been officially announced.

The male lead is Liang Jin, who has extremely high commercial value.

Contrary to previous claims by marketing accounts that the female lead had been "changed to Ye Qingqing," the official Weibo account posted a separate post stating "the only female lead," directly tagging Jiang Fei and giving her ample recognition.

Because of the casting controversy, a lot of time was wasted. Therefore, a film press conference was held on the day of the official announcement, and three days later, the entire cast joined the crew.

This press conference marked Jiang Fei's first public appearance since the explosion incident, instantly attracting the attention of all the media.

Everyone wanted to see what Jiang Fei looked like now.

Backstage dressing room.

Jiang Fei stood in front of the mirror in a black, one-shoulder, fitted long dress. Her curves were exquisite, and her skin was dazzlingly white against the black background. Her makeup was exquisite, and the scars on her left cheek and neck were exposed without any attempt to hide them.

"Ms. Jiang, when you go out later, the media will definitely point their cameras at you. Just say what you've written in the script, and you'll be fine," Sister Zhang said as she walked in from outside, trying to comfort her.

Jiang Fei looked at herself in the mirror and smiled: "Mm."

Sister Zhang was Yan Yunzhou's assigned assistant, and her abilities were said to be among the best in the industry.

"Okay, there shouldn't be any major problems." Sister Zhang circled around her again, then breathed a sigh of relief.

Time is up.

The actors appeared one by one, and the sound of camera shutters was incessant.

When Jiang Fei appeared, the shutter clicked almost frantically after a brief silence, with flashes going off one after another.

No one expected Jiang Fei to appear on camera with such an appearance.

This film press conference almost turned into a personal interview with Jiang Fei.

"Ms. Jiang, will that accidental explosion become a turning point in your life?"

"Ms. Jiang, is your accident related to Mr. Qin and Ms. Ye's affair?"

"Ms. Ye's resources have clashed with yours on multiple occasions. What is your response?"

"There were rumors that this movie was originally Ms. Ye's, but now it's in your hands. Is there any inside story behind this?"

"The scars on your face haven't faded yet. Are you worried that the audience won't accept you when you go back to filming?"

"..."

The reporters bombarded the reporter with questions.

Jiang Fei looked at the camera: "That explosion..."

The crowd gradually quieted down.

"It was indeed a turning point for me, a turning point between life and death," Jiang Fei's smile faded. "Mr. Qin and I were engaged before, so it's impossible to say it had no impact whatsoever. However, it's also true that our engagement has been cancelled. The director and I had several discussions about the initial character designs for this film. As for the scar on my face..."

Jiang Fei touched the scar on her left cheek: "Reporters who did their homework beforehand should know that the female lead in the movie 'After Dawn' is a tragic figure who was tortured and disfigured by a secret service agency. I think this scar is also a gift from God, because it made me resonate more with this movie and this character by chance."

Backstage, Sister Zhang relaxed a bit as she listened to her almost completely retell the contents of the script.

A reporter in the audience suddenly asked, "Will Ms. Jiang have this scar removed in the future?"

Sister Zhang smiled; she had naturally thought of that question as well.

Saying it can be removed contradicts the previous "gift" claim. But if it can't be removed, then frankly, which person in the entertainment industry doesn't rely on their looks?

Therefore, giving an ambiguous answer is the safest approach.

However, on stage, Jiang Fei didn't hesitate at all, nodding and giving a completely affirmative answer: "Of course."

Sister Zhang was stunned.

The reporters whispered among themselves: "Didn't Ms. Jiang just say that scars are a gift from God?"

Jiang Fei laughed: "After a while, people will stop liking the gifts, right?"

It's only natural to be fickle and easily bored.

Someone in the crowd laughed.

The number of viewers for this press conference livestream broke previous records.

The hashtag "Jiang Fei is brave" also climbed to the top of the trending searches.

"She's so brave. If I had a scar like that on my face, I definitely wouldn't dare to go out."

"It used to be so beautiful, but now, sigh..."

"But she is indeed a resource-backed actress."

"I heard that Ye Qingqing has taken all her resources. How pitiful."

"Upstairs, not all resources require a disfigured face. Besides, if someone is truly irreplaceable, why would they easily switch resources?"

"..."

Nighttime, the Qin family home.

Ye Qingqing sat on the sofa, watching the live broadcast of the movie press conference on TV, biting her lip tightly.

Qin Mo hasn't returned for two days. He said he was busy with company matters, but the night two days ago, the night Jiang Fei and Lin Tao were photographed, someone saw him at the hotel where Jiang Fei was staying.

Even photos implying Jiang Fei and Lin Tao were completely deleted from the entire internet.

There was a sound of a door opening at the entrance.

Ye Qingqing suddenly looked up.

Qin Mo walked in wearing only a white shirt and black pants, with a suit jacket in his hand. He smelled of alcohol and looked tired. When he saw the woman on the sofa, he paused, his eyes somewhat dazed.

"Amo," Ye Qingqing called to him.

Qin Mo snapped out of his daze and smiled, "If I come back late in the future, you can go and rest."

Ye Qingqing stood up: "I want to wait for you..." Her voice trailed off.

She stared blankly at Qin Mo's lips, where there was a tiny wound at the corner of his lip, barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

"Qingqing?" Qin Mo pursed his lips awkwardly.

Ye Qingqing took two steps toward him and asked calmly, "Where have you been these past few days?"

Qin Mo paused for a moment: "I've been at the company the whole time..."

He lied.

Ye Qingqing couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you go to see Jiang Fei?"

Qin Mo's voice deepened: "Qingqing."

Ye Qingqing's eyes reddened: "Qin Mo, I know it's unfair to you that I haven't agreed to date you, but is it fair to me that you're going to find other women?"

Qin Mo rubbed his temples, which were throbbing from the alcohol: "Qingqing, let's talk about it later..."

"Do you know how long I've waited for you?" Ye Qingqing's voice choked slightly. "The night before last, we had a candlelight dinner planned, and you just postponed it like that, then disappeared for two whole days. Do you know how I felt..."

Qin Mo frowned, stopped, and looked at the woman following behind him: "Then do you love me?"

Ye Qingqing stopped speaking and stared blankly at Qin Mo.

Qin Mo chuckled.

He suddenly realized that he had never asked Jiang Fei this question, but she always repeated "I love you" to him in his arms.

Turning around, Qin Mo wanted to walk into the restaurant.

Ye Qingqing hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back: "I like you, Qin Mo."

Let's be together.

Qin Mo stood frozen in place, remaining silent for a long time.

"Qin Mo?" Ye Qingqing called out to him anxiously.

Qin Mo placed his hand on the back of Ye Qingqing's hand in front of him, and after a long while gently pried her hand away.

“Qin Mo…” Ye Qingqing’s voice trembled slightly.

Qin Mo turned around and gently stroked her cheek: "Don't force yourself, Qingqing."

After saying that, he turned and went to the restaurant.

But they paused when they saw the cold, empty restaurant.

There was no hangover soup, no barefoot figure cooking porridge, and no soft voice softly complaining that he had been drinking again.

Qin Mo opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of ice water, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, feeling waves of sour cramps in his stomach.

...

Late at night, in a bar.

Yan Wang sat in the corner, head down, expressionless as he fiddled with the wine glass in his hand.

A few days ago, Jiang Fei told him he could go see Ye Qingqing that night, but he didn't go.

For no reason, I inexplicably don't want to go.

I seem to be more irritable these past few days.

"What? Young Master Yan finally has time to go out and have some fun?" Sun Yong joked beside him.

Yan Wang looked up at him impatiently, but didn't say anything.

"Don't mess with Young Master Yan, didn't you know he's been a vegetarian lately!" someone teased, then looked at Sun Yong, "As for you, you always bring your female companion, why didn't you bring her tonight? Where is she?"

"Don't even mention it. She recently took on a minor supporting role in a drama. It was supposed to be filmed in a few days, but the director moved up the intimate scenes between the male and female leads so they could get to know each other faster. She's been stuck on set these past few days."

What play is it?

"Regarding Liang Jin and that woman whose face was disfigured in the explosion, Jiang something..."

With a "crack," the wine glass in Yan Wang's hand suddenly slipped and shattered on the ground.

The people around him all looked at him. Yan Wang looked up, smiled, and said, "My hand slipped."

After saying that, he sat back down in the corner, his face somewhat gloomy.

The group was puzzled and called a waiter to clean up.

The waitress was a girl, dressed sexily and quite pretty. However, when she bent down to clean up the broken pieces, she accidentally knocked over a bottle of wine, which splashed everywhere and landed on Yan Wang's trouser leg.

Yan Wang looked up, glanced at the girl, then looked away. The next second, as if remembering something, he looked at the girl again.

The girl turned pale and hurriedly apologized.

"Do you know who this is?" Sun Yong frowned and snapped, "Call your boss here..."

"No need," Yan Wang's voice came slowly and deliberately.

Sun Yong was taken aback.

Yan Wang looked at the girl and said, "Come sit down and have a drink with me."

The girl was stunned, looking at Yan Wang with confusion.

Yan Wang narrowed his eyes and smiled wickedly: "You don't want to?"

The girl blushed as she looked at his smile, and finally lowered her head and sat down next to him.

Sun Yong asked in confusion, "Young Master Yan isn't planning on becoming a vegetarian?"

The person next to him glanced at Yan Wang, then at the girl, and suddenly noticed something. He whispered, "Young Master Yan is so infatuated. Who does that girl look like?"

Who does it look like?

"Ye Qingqing".

Sun Yong stared intently at the girl, his eyes wide: "Wasn't Ye Qingqing supposed to be a pure and innocent beauty? I think that girl is quite alluring, especially her eyes..."

Beside him, Yan Wang paused, his hand that had been lightly lifting the girl's hair, and stared intently into her eyes.

Her slightly upturned eyes held an indescribable allure in her glances.

"Mr. Yan?" The girl felt uneasy being stared at like that.

Yan Wang snapped out of his daze, his expression turning cold, and then suddenly got up and left.

...

Jiang Fei officially joined the production team after the press conference.

Before joining the crew, she made a point of telling Yan Yunzhou, then canceled her hotel room and moved all her luggage to the apartment where the original owner had lived.

"After Dawn" is a spy thriller.

The female protagonist, Zhou Yan, is a ruthless female spy in the anti-Party organization. She lost her parents in a war and was disfigured herself. She deeply hates the righteous Party represented by the male protagonist, Gu Songnian.

She tortured many heroes of the Righteous Party with cruel methods, and even captured Gu Songnian. During her time with Gu Songnian, she developed feelings for him.

The anti-Party forces were defeated, and their plan was to blow up Yangcheng before they fled. But no one knew where the explosion would occur.

Later, a secret letter was delivered to the Righteous Party, which marked the exact location of the explosion.

Yangcheng was saved, and the people of Yangcheng cursed Zhou Yan as a traitor. It wasn't until the very end, when Zhou Yan was disgraced, that the film revealed that from the beginning, Zhou Yan was an undercover agent for the Zheng Party, that her parents had committed suicide, and that she had disfigured herself.

The intimate scene between the male and female leads occurs when the female lead has just captured Gu Songnian; it's a kiss initiated by the female lead.

That night, Jiang Fei was reading the script at the hotel arranged by the film crew when the assistant director suddenly knocked on the door, looking apologetic, and said that the kissing scene for the male lead Liang Jin the next day would be done by a body double.

Although Jiang Fei was puzzled, he nodded in agreement.

I had just closed the door when my phone rang.

Yan Yunzhou.

Jiang Fei smiled and answered, "Hello?"

Even through the cold phone, Yan Yunzhou's voice carried a gentle tone: "You're filming tomorrow?"

"Yes," Jiang Fei replied simply.

There was a moment of silence before the other person asked again, "Kissing scene?"

Jiang Fei smiled and said, "Mr. Yan knows a lot."

Yan Yunzhou did not respond, but pondered for a few seconds: "I remember, Liang Jin is already married, and the couple is very loving."

What wasn't mentioned was that Liang Jin's wife was somewhat powerful, and Liang Jin was afraid of her.

Jiang Fei couldn't help but laugh out loud. After laughing for a while, she said, "Don't worry, there's a stand-in."

Over there, Yan Yunzhou loosened his grip on his phone slightly.

Jiang Fei continued, "I just wonder who Mr. Liang's stand-in is, and how good his kissing skills are..."

"..." Yan Yunzhou quieted down, and then said calmly, "I wish Miss Jiang a smooth filming process."

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Assistant Wang, who was standing nearby, tactfully took the phone from him.

Yan Yunzhou remained standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city. The next second, his throat felt hot, and he couldn't help but cough softly.

Assistant Wang stared at his retreating figure with a conflicted expression. Ever since Ms. Jiang's assistant made the phone call to announce that they would be filming a kissing scene tomorrow, Mr. Yan had been standing there, lost in thought.

I thought things would get better after the call, but to my surprise... Mr. Yan's expression seemed even worse.

Half a minute later, Assistant Wang finally mustered up the courage to speak: "Mr. Yan, if you don't want Ms. Jiang to film intimate scenes, you just need to tell the production crew..."

"What did you say?" Yan Yunzhou interrupted him, turning her head slightly. "If she wants to take pictures, so be it."

It has nothing to do with him.

Assistant Wang silently shut up.

Yan Yunzhou smiled gently, but his eyes gradually lost their warmth as he slightly opened his palm.

That night, as she gently wiped the blood from her palm, the inexplicable sensation seemed to linger in her memories.

...

The next day, Jiang Fei went to the film set and filmed the initial dialogue scenes with Liang Jin, as well as Liang Jin's solo scenes, before finally seeing the stunt double's true face.

Wearing the same Zhongshan suit as Liang Jin and the same gold monocle, Yan Wang was respectfully invited out by the assistant director.

Jiang Fei raised an eyebrow inwardly, but stared blankly at Yan Wang.

"What's wrong?" Yan Wang walked up to her. "I condescended to be a substitute, and this is the look you give me?"

Jiang Fei stared blankly at him: "You...didn't go to see Miss Ye?"

Yan Wang's face darkened, and he turned to look at the assistant director: "Aren't we going to start?"

The assistant director nodded hurriedly.

Leaving aside the Yan family behind him, Yan Wang is guaranteed a lot of publicity and buzz in the future; he's practically a walking hot search.

The plot of this drama is very simple.

In this passive kissing scene, the male lead wanted to refuse, but at the same time couldn't help being moved.

Yan Wang sat in a chair with his back to the camera.

Jiang Fei lowered her eyes, recalling the plot.

Filming begins.

The woman walked slowly towards the man in front of the chair: "Mr. Gu..."

The man ignored him.

The woman's face darkened, and she gently lifted his chin with her index finger, looking down at him condescendingly.

The man turned his head and forcefully pulled his hand away from hers.

The woman looked down at her empty fingertips and smiled gently: "Mr. Gu, you are free to continue running away."

“But if you try to escape even once, I will kill you.”

"If you run away twice, I'll kill two of you."

"Will you watch your partner die in front of you, or will you submit to me?" She slowly leaned forward, stopping just a hair's breadth from the man's lips. "The choice is yours."

The man stopped in his evasive motion and looked up, staring intently at her.

The woman giggled, "So sweet..."

Then he leaned down and kissed her.

Their lips and breaths intertwined, their eyes met, and it seemed as if they were about to fall into each other's arms.

Yan Wang's body stiffened, wanting to escape, but he stopped the moment he looked up.

Looking into the woman's eyes, he saw that she wasn't closing them; she was still looking at him, her slightly upturned eyes exuding charm, and even the scar on her left cheek resembled a blooming flower.

It was as if the person in front of her was the real her.

It's so addictive.

Yan Wang couldn't help but slightly part his lips and bite the corner of her lip.

"Cut!" the director's voice suddenly rang out.

Jiang Fei quickly straightened up, her eyes, which had just been full of allure, now flushed slightly: "Yan Wang, I'm sorry..."

Yan Wang didn't speak, but kept staring at her.

She inexplicably approached Liang Jin and offered to be his body double for this intimate scene.

Something in my chest is slowly trying to burst out, and it's even more inexplicable...

The director stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "Mr. Yan, although it was just a scene with your back to the camera, your performance was really good. You captured the feeling of wanting to escape yet being moved very accurately. I hope we can work together in the future..."

Before the director could finish speaking, Yan Wang suddenly stood up.

Those around him were puzzled.

Yan Wang's face turned pale, and he stared intently at Jiang Fei.

All the previous inexplicable confusion now seems to have found an exit.

Jiang Fei was also looking at him.

The next second, under everyone's watchful eyes, Yan Wang strode out without saying a word.

Yan Wang's favorability rating: 60.

Jiang Fei lowered her eyes and smiled faintly.

...

Qin Mo was still drunk when he came out of the hotel.

He drank rather recklessly tonight.

Xiao Li helped him sit in the back seat of the car, and after waiting for a while, she couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "President Qin, are we going home?"

Qin Mo gripped his phone, and after a long while, he finally responded with a low voice.

Xiao Li hurriedly drove towards the Qin family villa.

Qin Mo lowered his eyes, opened his phone, and looked at the photos on it.

The footage from the camera shows Jiang Fei and a man with his back to the camera kissing passionately.

He reached out and gently touched her lips.

After a while, he suddenly turned to look out the window: "Where to?"

Xiao Li asked, puzzled, "Going back to your home?"

Qin Mo remained silent for a few seconds, rubbed his temples, and was still somewhat confused.

He felt like he had gone back to the past, and he had to settle accounts with Jiang Fei. He knew Jiang Fei didn't like it, so why did they still film these intimate scenes?

“Back to Shengya Apartment.”

Xiao Li paused, his hand on the steering wheel still: "President Qin?"

Qin Mo frowned: "Didn't you hear me?"

Xiao Li quickly shook his head, then carefully said, "President Qin, Shengya Apartment is where Miss Jiang lives."

Qin Mo: "I know."

Xiao Li added, "Miss Jiang is not at Shengya Apartment."

Qin Mo's face suddenly turned pale.

...

They filmed a few more scenes that night, and Jiang Fei finished work at 11 p.m.

Back at the hotel, she removed her makeup, changed into her pajamas, and sat comfortably at the vanity, about to apply medicine to her cheeks.

A knock came at the door.

Jiang Fei glanced at the ointment in her hand, shrugged, put it on the table, and got up to open the door.

Unexpectedly, the person standing outside the door was Qin Mo, with Xiao Li carefully supporting him beside him.

Qin Mo was wearing a black suit with his tie slightly loose. He smelled of alcohol and his eyes were somewhat unfocused, but he still stood there expressionless.

Jiang Fei was slightly taken aback, and after a while, she lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, you've come to the wrong place."

After saying that, he gently closed the door.

Qin Mo suddenly grabbed the door frame, looked down at her, and gazed at her slightly swollen lips and her eyes filled with a hint of sadness.

He was tipsy.

"Qin Mo..."

"Jiang Fei," Qin Mo interrupted her, "who gave you permission to film kissing scenes?"

Jiang Fei paused, her eyes slightly red: "We have nothing to do with each other anymore, Mr. Qin."

"..." Qin Mo gradually calmed down upon hearing her address, staring intently at her. The confusion in his eyes slowly cleared, and after a few seconds, he gave a mocking smile and released his grip on the door frame. "That's true."

"You've gone to the wrong place."

Jiang Fei's face paled slightly. She took a small step back and closed the door.

Qin Mo remained standing in the corridor, staring at the closed door. The drunkenness in his eyes gradually faded. After a while, he looked at Xiao Li beside him and said coldly, "Didn't you say you were going to find Miss Ye?"

Xiao Li paused for a moment, then quickly said, "You kept referring to Miss Jiang in the car."

Looking at the photos of Ms. Jiang filming kissing scenes, he kept saying, "Find Jiang Fei."

Qin Mo froze, and after a long while, he turned around and headed towards the elevator.

Behind him, the door was quietly opened again.

Qin Mo paused, neither turning his head nor speaking.

Finally, Xiao Li turned around and asked, "Miss Jiang?"

Jiang Fei handed over the milk and said in a low voice, "We can't make hangover soup here." Then, she took out a piece of paper and said, "This is the recipe for hangover soup. Please give it to Miss Ye."

After saying that, he closed the door again.

Qin Mo remained frozen in place until Xiao Li walked up to him and hesitantly handed him the milk.

Qin Mo ignored him and went straight into the elevator.

Xiao Li hurriedly followed.

Even after crossing most of the city and returning to the Qin family home in the city center, Qin Mo didn't glance at Milk once.

After getting out of the car, Xiao Li drove away, but suddenly a figure appeared in front of the headlights, and he almost crashed into it.

Xiao Li quickly stepped on the brakes.

Qin Mo stepped forward expressionlessly, took the milk and note from the passenger seat, and turned to walk into the villa.

Qin Mo's favorability rating: 60.

On the other side.

Jiang Fei raised an eyebrow upon hearing the system's report, feeling even more pleased.

Just as she picked up the ointment again, intending to apply it to the scars on her face, her phone rang.

Helpless, Jiang Fei picked up her phone and answered casually, "Hello?"

There was a long silence on the other end.

Jiang Fei glanced at the screen: "Mr. Yan?"

Yan Yunzhou's gentle voice came: "Miss Jiang, if I remember correctly, although we have nothing to do with feelings, you once told me that you would always be there for me."

Jiang Fei smiled and said, "Yes, it's just a pity," she sighed softly, "I'm currently on set and can't be with you."

“It’s no pity,” Yan Yunzhou smiled faintly and said gently, “Let’s go downstairs.”