Chapter 33: I even acted in a sister film with her. :"Qin Lan said she genuinely hated Jiang Yan."
Qin Lan's face paled.
She hated herself for sitting right in front of the door.
She couldn't help but relive that unexpected glance from just moments ago.
She felt that Jiang Yan seemed to have lost weight, and her cheekbones were a little more prominent. She was wearing heavy makeup, so it was impossible to tell what she really looked like, but her eyes were particularly bright, and there was something about them that attracted her.
"Oh, Teacher Jiang?" Yu Jintang was also a little surprised and invited her to sit down: "Come and have some water. Have you eaten?"
"No need, my assistant has prepared one." Jiang Yan nodded slightly, and Qin Lan only then noticed that she was carrying a cardboard box.
"When I came over just now, I saw a package outside. The recipient looked like an extra," Jiang Yan said.
Yu Jintang stood up enthusiastically to tidy up the place, secretly hoping that Jiang Yan could stay in the room a little longer. But Jiang Yan raised a hand, her expression still very serious: "When I picked it up, I felt that this package was not quite right, so I brought it over."
Yu Jintang was taken aback, but then she realized something and her smile faded.
She hefted the box, gave it a hard shake, and all three of them noticed that the box moved slightly.
Qin Lan's expression also changed.
Jiang Yan turned around and saw the others out of the director's booth, then drew the curtain.
Yu Jintang took out a utility knife and gently made a small cut in the cardboard box. She stared intently at the box as the knife slowly cut... and suddenly a gray thing darted out.
With a flash of silver light, Yu Jintang plunged the knife in his hand into the cardboard box.
Blood was splattered on the opening of the box.
The contents of the box creaked and squeaked, while more things pounded against the cardboard box.
Qin Lan stretched out her hand and tightly wrapped several layers of blackout tape around the opening of the box. She stared at the box with disgust, then picked up a bottle of mineral water and poured it into her hand.
Yu Jintang also unscrewed the water bottle to wash her hands, and slowly kicked the box into the corner: "Naive, I thought it was something important."
Jiang Yan stared at the cardboard box, seemingly lost in thought.
After wiping his hands, Yu Jintang thanked her, saying, "It's all thanks to Teacher Jiang's courage and meticulousness. If it were someone else, the crew would be in chaos by now."
It's obvious that the production team was being targeted.
Qin Lan's heart skipped a beat. Jiang Yan's decision was wise, and her calm and rational demeanor was very different from how she had asked for a kiss before. Qin Lan couldn't help but feel admiration and glanced at Jiang Yan.
"Our production crew seems to be facing more difficulties than others," Jiang Yan said, looking at Yu Jintang. "Other BL production crews haven't encountered this. Is it because we have intimate scenes?"
Yu Jintang sat back down to eat without changing her expression, her heart so strong that one would think she had been in the military: "Oh, actually there should be another reason, we attract more attention."
"Have we provoked anyone?" Jiang Yan frowned.
"Uh... I think I do," Yu Jintang laughed awkwardly. "Do you know about eNet?"
“equal?” Jiang Yan nodded: “I pay attention to it. It’s a platform for women’s rights activists, and it’s quite famous.”
While gaining fame, she also attracted attacks from many extreme sexists.
Yu Jintang snapped his fingers, his words echoing perfectly in Qin Lan's mind: "Comrade, we truly share the same ideals!"
Have you ever posted anything on e-net? What was the content?
Jiang Yan hadn't logged into the website much for a while, so she didn't know about the recently trending pinned post.
"Um... you'll see it once you go in." Yu Jintang smiled sheepishly.
Jiang Yan took out her phone and logged into the website.
At the top of the page is a pinned post: [The female ensemble drama "The Era of Red Powder" is recruiting lead actors...]
She squinted and saw the poster's title.
For some reason, Qin Lan was actually a little excited. She absentmindedly stirred the rice in front of her, her eyes staring aimlessly into the air, but her ears were working intently.
A few seconds later, she heard Jiang Yan take a breath. "Hello, Administrator 01, I am also a participant in the women's rights movement. I noticed the pin mark on you before, but I didn't expect you to be the famous Administrator 01."
Yu Jintang stood up and shook hands with her formally: "The famous one is not me. I'm just temporarily taking over this account."
A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Yan's eyes.
Qin Lan became nervous, but fortunately she didn't ask any more questions.
Qin Lan breathed a sigh of relief, silently adding another point to Jiang Yan's score in her mind; she was quite clever.
"So, what do you do if this delivery is interrupted?"
Jiang Yan settled down, intending to stay a little longer.
“We’ll investigate, but we probably won’t find anything,” Yu Jintang said. “To be honest, I anticipated that things might not go well, so no other film crew has better security than ours. There’s no need to worry about any danger.”
"That's good." Jiang Yan covered her lips with her hand: "The safety of the actors is the top priority, especially for a controversial production like ours, where there might be extremists causing trouble."
“You need to bring all the packages in…” Yu Jintang suddenly stopped, thought for a moment, and then said, “Old Qin, do you think we should install a security gate at the entrance?”
Huh? How did you get dragged into this?
Qin Lan tossed her hair and gave her a seductive glare: "Keep pretending, we're not short of investment anyway."
"Speaking of investment, our production team is quite unique. Other production teams have a lot of people but little money, but our team has a lot of money but few people. Teacher Jiang, you don't know, our production team's investment can last until next year. Especially Lao Qin, he has invested a lot in us."
Why the hell are you bringing me up again?
Qin Lan glared at her through gritted teeth, secretly waiting for Jiang Yan to speak.
The leader then spoke up: "Oh, I see. Teacher Qin is amazing. It seems Teacher Qin is very supportive of our production team."
Why does the leader's speech smell like tea?
Yu Jintang was laughing so hard she almost fainted. She waited for Qin Lan to speak, after all, this woman was never one to back down; if anyone provoked her, she would immediately hurl a insult back.
Qin Lan spoke up as expected: "No one can match Teacher Jiang's support. He's even come down to earth to act in a TV series."
"How could that be? I only contributed personnel; Teacher Qin contributed both personnel and money."
Jiang Yan stood up: "Teachers, please enjoy your meal. I'm going to rest now."
Yu Jintang pretended to keep the guest, but Qin Lan stomped hard on her foot under the table.
"Why are you keeping her around? Don't you know she's my ex?" Qin Lan glared at her angrily. "Now that you've found someone new, the old one doesn't matter anymore, huh?"
"I only kept her around because you're important to me." Yu Jintang crossed her legs. "What, don't you want to see her even once?"
"Who wants to? Who would want to? Why would I want to think about her?"
Yu Jintang sighed, "Okay, I won't talk to you about her anymore. Jiang Yan seems to have lost weight..."
"I feel a little bit too," Qin Lan replied subconsciously.
She suddenly raised her head and glared at Yu Jintang, who was giving her a flirtatious wink with a mischievous grin.
"Ugh, this is so annoying!" Qin Lan was so annoyed that she kept poking at the rice.
"Okay, I know you're annoyed by her. She's the most annoying person in the whole world," Yu Jintang said dismissively.
＊
The first scene filmed in the afternoon was between Feng Manhong and Qin Lan.
Qin Lan is the main character in this scene. Shangguan Wan'er knows that Princess Taiping is unwilling to remarry and wants to say some good words for her, but she accidentally angers the Empress and is left with a scar on her forehead.
Princess Taiping is a princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could Shangguan Wan'er, a mere subject, have the right to discuss her marriage?
Shangguan Wan'er, with her skillful hands, painted red plum blossoms on the wounds, and the red plum blossom makeup became a popular trend.
Princess Taiping, upon hearing the news, secretly came to visit him.
Jiang Yan was very professional and started preparing her emotions early on, walking around in small steps with the script in her hand.
Qin Lan was surprised that she arrived so early, and blinked.
Xiaoqing immediately came up to her with a fawning look: "Sister Qin, let's go back, it's cool in the RV."
Qin Lan narrowed her eyes: "You think I'm afraid of her?"
"No, I just think Sister Qin might be in a bad mood if she sees her..."
Qin Lan snorted. Seeing her arrive, Jiang Yan gave a curt greeting, then continued memorizing her lines with a very formulaic smile.
Qin Lan felt a pang in her heart, licked her lips, and helplessly sat down on the prop chair.
"Old Qin, come here, let me tell you about the play." Yu Jintang waved to her.
Qin Lan reluctantly walked over: "Why are you only talking to me?"
“Because Jiang Yan can act without being told.” Yu Jintang glared at her: “Are you so confident in your acting skills in romantic scenes that you can do it well or what?”
Qin Lan's competitive spirit flared up: "I refuse to believe I can't outact her! Tell me!"
Yu Jintang glared at her again: "Now that Shangguan Wan'er has passed puberty, her admiration for Wu Zetian has gradually faded, and she has also realized that there is no possibility between the two of them. Time has settled her into a kind of respect and gratitude."
Yu Jintang pulled out a pointer: "Now it's time for the teacher to ask a question. So, what kind of feelings did she have for Princess Taiping?"
Qin Lan was very confident: "It's a complicated relationship. It's what people commonly call 'more than friends, less than lovers.' Because we've already had a one-night stand, that thin veil has been completely torn off, and she can no longer convince herself to keep a calm attitude towards this matter. She always feels awkward and uncomfortable when facing Taiping."
Yu Jintang: "That's great! It seems your real-life experiences have given you a whole new perspective. Alright, both of you teachers, please get ready!"
Qin Lan: "..."
Princess Taiping raised her hand and gently touched Qin Lan's brow. Her expression was so moving that Qin Lan's heart softened, and she couldn't help but wonder again whether Jiang Yan was looking at Shangguan Wan'er or herself.
She raised her hand and awkwardly placed it on Jiang Yan's wrist, her expression hesitant: "Your Highness, what are you doing?"
"Did His Majesty hurt you?" Taiping asked angrily.
"I spoke recklessly and deserve to be punished," Shangguan Wan'er comforted her. "Your Majesty has spared my life, which is already a great act of grace."
Princess Taiping glared at her: "I've never seen a servant like you before, getting beaten and still getting up to wipe the sweat off the other person!"
Shangguan Wan'er fell silent, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. She had always been favored and was Wu Zetian's most trusted confidante. To be punished in public like this was extremely unfair to her.
But she was always cautious and careful. When she noticed that His Majesty's expression had changed, she broke out in a cold sweat. She had become arrogant and spoiled, and had actually forgotten the emperor's thunderous authority.
Taiping grew angrier and angrier, pacing back and forth in the room. Suddenly, she stepped on a prop, and Yu Jintang quickly called "cut."
Jiang Yan was also startled, but she quickly calmed down and steadied herself by holding onto the table.
"Are you alright?" Qin Lan asked casually.
Normally, people would care to some extent.
"It's nothing." Jiang Yan took the small fan from her assistant. "Thank you for your concern, Teacher Qin."
Then he never spoke another word to her, and the two became complete strangers.
Their state made Qin Lan feel as if she were being reminded of the past.
Actually, this wasn't her first time working with Jiang Yan. When they were in university, they co-starred in a film called "Watershed: 1938." However, Jiang Yan only had a cameo role with very few scenes, so she rarely saw him on set.
She was so engrossed in her role that she didn't care about anything else, until one day a guest actor came along and everyone said he was exceptionally good-looking.
Qin Lan had just finished filming and was extremely sleepy. She was yawning as she walked out and didn't notice that she almost bumped into Jiang Yan's assistant.
Fortunately, Jiang Yan reacted quickly, pulled her assistant away, and whispered a comforting word.
The other person gave her a sales pitch with an advertising smile, nodded, and then left.
Without even a greeting, Qin Lan guessed that she probably didn't even know her own name.
During those days, she heard many colleagues say that Jiang Yan was very polite and gentle, and she suddenly felt that she was nothing special. When there were no cameras around, she was obviously too lazy to pretend.
During the filming, she and Jiang Yan had no interaction. Jiang Yan often avoided her when facing her, giving the impression that she had known her for a long time.
Jiang Yan's character appears for less than ten minutes in the film. However, because her performance was so convincing and she achieved a successful plot twist at the end, the character has remained very popular.
The film received rave reviews after its release, and the main cast and crew toured extensively, including Jiang Yan.
She wore a high ponytail and looked as youthful as a high school student.
The host introduced the guests to the audience: "Please welcome Qin Lan, Li Junhan, Wang Yining, Jiang Yan..."
The group entered the cinema one by one.
During the interactive segment, the audience was incredibly enthusiastic.
The initial questions were fairly standard, mostly about the plot.
In "Watershed: 1938", Qin Lan and Jiang Yan are actually half-sisters, separated by the same mother and father, and were separated in their youth due to the chaos of war.
Yuanzhi only remembered her mother telling her, "The Yuan River has angelica, and the Li River has orchids. Remember this poem. If one day the three of us are separated, you can still find your sister."
The elder sister served our army, while the younger sister betrayed the country and sided with the enemy. As a notorious and elusive female demon in the secret service, Li Lan, played by Jiang Yan, died a tragic death and was only exonerated by chance after the war ended.
But as Fangzi, a high-ranking and powerful secret service chief, Li Lan was also a ruthless killer, known in private as a "female demon." She was a spy deeply embedded in the enemy camp, who, for her beliefs, personally distorted herself, betrayed her country, and recognized the enemy as her father, ultimately succeeding in stealing enemy secrets. For this, she not only stained her hands with blood but also unhesitatingly sacrificed her life.
Her life motto was: everything for a noble victory.
Her older sister, Yuanzhi, hated her to the core and insisted on carrying out the assassination mission herself. After the truth came out, Yuanzhi arrived at the former site of the secret service office with mixed feelings. The film ends with the older sister lost in thought. Even those who exonerated Li Lan were unsure how to evaluate her.
The film is replete with metaphors and symbols, and the plot twists multiple times. There are even online polls about character preference, with Jiang Yan's votes closely following Qin Lan's.
Although Qin Lan won some awards for this role, she also had to admit that Jiang Yan's portrayal of the younger sister was truly unforgettable.
The big screen began showing exciting clips.
First, there's the climax: the scene where the older sister, Yuanzhi, goes to the designated location to snipe Fangzi. Yuanzhi arrives on time, assembles her sniper rifle, and patiently waits for Fangzi to appear.
Half an hour later, Fangzi appeared. From Yuanzhi's angle, she could only see Fangzi's back. She recognized her as the infamous female demon based on her clothes and accessories, and thus locked onto her back.
The distance was too great; she wasn't confident she could get a headshot.
The camera zoomed in on Qin Lan's profile; every muscle in her body was tense with nervousness and excitement, and her eyes twitched slightly.
Just as she was about to fire, perhaps by some strange telepathy, the target suddenly turned around as if sensing something, and a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar appeared in the cold scope.
Her younger sister, Li Lan!
Yuanzhi's pupils dilated instantly, but her cold fingers pulled the trigger against her will.
Her hand trembled, and the bullet deviated slightly, striking Li Lan's leg. Fangzi, or rather Li Lan, fell into a pool of blood, and countless agents and Japanese soldiers rushed forward, their panicked backs swaying in the scope.
The sniping attempt failed. Yuanzhi, dazed and confused, picked up the sniper rifle and left the scene.
It was a very successful scene, full of dramatic tension, and was edited and played by countless marketing accounts, becoming a hit across the internet on the day of its release.
The camera flashes by in quick succession, followed by a flashback that interweaves the sisters' perspectives, recalling the tumultuous yet heartwarming time before their separation, showcasing all of Qin Lan and Jiang Yan's scenes together.
Gradually, the perspective shifts from the older sister to the younger sister, whose face shows longing and tenderness. After accepting the undercover mission, Li Lan lit a Japanese cigarette and began to smoke it intently. As the cigarette was about to burn out, she resolutely burned her own file.
Her code name is being consumed by the flames.
He took off his military uniform and became a traitor.
The most frequently asked question from fans is, of course, the complex relationship between the older sister and her younger sister. From the initial sisterly affection to their mutual worry after being separated by chaos, and finally to Yuanzhi's mission where the spy chief "Fangzi" becomes her target...
The higher-ups in the Kuomintang-controlled area repeatedly ordered the liaison station to eliminate Fangzi at all costs. Yuanzhi, due to her initial mistake, lost her chance to redeem herself and could only watch helplessly as her comrades died one after another in Fangzi's den of iniquity. Yuanzhi hated her to the core; this shame and hatred lingered even after Li Lan's death and the truth being revealed. Everyone was curious: in the few minutes Yuanzhi strolled through the ruins of the secret service office, was her heart filled with more hatred or love?
“It’s definitely more hatred. After all, she’s hated him with genuine feelings for so long that it’s worn away the last bit of love.” Qin Lan picked up the microphone and spoke without any mercy: “Most of the time, hatred and love are proportional to time. When she visited the secret service office, she thought more about her comrades who died tragically there.”
The hashtag "genuine hatred" trended on social media, followed by a bunch of marketing accounts spreading misinformation, such as "Qin Lan said he genuinely hates Jiang Yan," and so on.
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