Chapter 40
The three of them arranged to meet at a Western restaurant.
When Xu Ying arrived, Qingfeng and Fuyou were already there. Qingfeng seemed like a gentle older sister type, but Fuyou was quite different from what she had imagined.
She thought she would be unique and have an unconventional style, but she didn't expect the other person to have a baby face and look so well-behaved and cute, which was very deceptive.
The three were a little reserved when they first met, but after chatting online for so long, they gradually became closer.
After finishing the last bite of steak, Xu Ying took a sip of water and put down her knife and fork.
She doesn't really care for Western food; compared to the refined and sophisticated Western cuisine, she prefers the more down-to-earth and lively feel of Chinese food.
Seeing that she had put down her cutlery, Qingfeng asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like Western food?"
A little.
Upon hearing this, Mayfly immediately sympathized: "Actually, I'm not a big fan of Western food either. This is the first time I've treated you, so we thought it should be a bit classy, which is why we chose this place."
Xu Ying smiled: "So that's how it is."
"Yeah, yeah, the steak tastes like it's raw, it tastes so weird..."
The three huddled together at the table and started complaining in hushed tones. As they talked, they suddenly decided to pay the bill and head to a night market food stall in Shanghai.
"This feels like the place we should be!"
Fuyou raised a glass of beer and toasted with the two of them. Her baby face was full of enthusiasm, which was indescribably amusing. Xu Ying and Qingfeng laughed and toasted with her.
......
It took more than two hours to finish the late-night snack.
When the three parted ways, Qingfeng knew that Xu Ying didn't have a car, so he and Fuyou drove her back to the hotel.
At the entrance of the Holiday Inn Shanghai.
Xu Ying got out of the car, waved to the two people through the car window, and watched the car drive away before turning around and going upstairs. She still had a smile on her face as she went upstairs.
She had a very pleasant time with Qingfeng and Fuyou today, and she was very happy.
*
the next day.
Xu Ying didn't wake up until almost noon. Lying in bed, she rubbed her throbbing forehead and picked up her phone to see a message from Zhou Xingyun.
Zhou Xingyun: When are you coming?
Zhou Xingyun: Didn't we agree to come today?
Xu Ying then realized that she had promised Zhou Xingyun that she would go to the film set today.
That's not right. She remembers setting an alarm in advance, so why didn't it go off?
She turned on the alarm clock and checked it. Okay, she had indeed set it, but she probably turned it off unconsciously when it went off, which is why she slept until now.
February Sky: I overslept, I'll get up and go over right away.
February Sky: Remember to save me a portion of the crew's boxed lunch.
By the time she gets there, the crew should be having dinner.
Zhou Xingyun: Okay, which do you want, braised pork or sweet and sour fish?
February Sky: Braised Pork Belly.
Zhou Xingyun: OK.
Xu Ying put down her phone and quickly got up to wash up.
The film crew is not far away, and most of the actors are staying at this hotel for the convenience of filming. So it will only take her about ten minutes to walk there.
Zhou Xingyun has sharp eyes; she spotted Xu Ying as soon as she appeared.
"Here, come here!"
Xu Ying walked over.
She reached out and took the lunchbox Zhou Xingyun handed her, then sat down next to her and started eating together.
"What's wrong with you? How did you oversleep?"
Xu Ying is always very punctual, so oversleeping is not like her usual style.
"I met up with some friends last night and we ate dinner a little late."
"Oh, I've had enough of eating out lately, and I don't want to go out to eat with anyone for a while," Zhou Xingyun said. He's probably had enough of the drinking games he's been hosting lately to attract investment.
Xu Ying picked up a piece of her own braised pork and gave it to her: "Thank you for your hard work."
"Hehe, it's no trouble at all," Zhou Xingyun smiled immediately upon receiving the braised pork. "You should try these ribs too!"
"good."
......
The crew officially started filming in the afternoon.
Xu Ying was originally watching the director film with Zhou Xingyun, but while they were watching, Zhou Xingyun was suddenly called away by a phone call.
She didn't want to go, but she had no choice; the other party was an investor.
"He called me and said something about how the production team's prospects weren't looking good. I think he probably wants to withdraw his investment. I need to go and reassure him quickly. I'll probably have to eat out tonight, so don't wait for me. Just eat whatever you like!"
The two had just made plans to go to the nearby food street together that evening, but now that plan is completely ruined.
Xu Ying understood: "It's alright, you can go."
Investors are indeed difficult to deal with; there's not much you can do except coax them.
After Zhou Xingyun left, Xu Ying wandered around the film set by herself.
After watching the director film for a while, she went to the etiquette training class. The so-called etiquette training class was something she suggested and temporarily set up, a place specifically for teaching actors Tang Dynasty etiquette.
The etiquette varied from dynasty to dynasty, and since she had already made it into a TV series, she wanted to present the characteristics of each dynasty in their original form.
Because of this etiquette issue, she specifically found a teacher to teach etiquette and taught the teacher about Tang Dynasty etiquette in advance, and then had the teacher train the actors.
She doesn't have time to keep an eye on these actors all day; the work should be divided and delegated to others in this way!
Now, any actor who doesn't have a performance scheduled for the day has to come here to learn Tang Dynasty etiquette. When Xu Ying came, the actresses playing Princess Taiping and Shangguan Wan'er were already standing in the training area.
Their scenes are later in the film, so they didn't actually need to come to the set so early.
However, the etiquette teacher was a veteran teacher who felt that the two of them were too modern and lacked any classical charm. So she called them over in advance to stand and walk in the postures every day, determined to correct them before the filming.
Both actors are newcomers to the film academy, having just graduated as sophomores. They are quite respectful to their teachers, who ask them to come every day after class.
Obedient children are likable.
Upon seeing Xu Ying, the gray-haired teacher Liu praised the two of them without reservation: "Don't let their youth fool you, they have a tenacious spirit, and with their good looks, they're sure to amount to something..."
Actually, Xu Ying's age wasn't much different from theirs.
However, since she was the screenwriter and also responsible for organizing the etiquette team, Teacher Liu subconsciously treated her as an adult. When talking to Xu Ying about the two new actors, she spoke as if she were talking about two children.
Xu Ying didn't care.
As she listened to Teacher Liu speak, she glanced at the two people still training.
It's already winter.
Even with the air conditioning on, it was still quite cold inside wearing only a base layer. However, the two actors were not only not cold, but their faces were also covered in fine beads of sweat, clearly indicating that they had been training hard.
"They really work very hard."
Xu Ying was very satisfied with her trip. The teacher taught with all her heart, and the actors were also willing to study hard.
"Such great actors, I'll definitely want to work with them again in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Teacher Liu's smile widened even further.
She did have some selfish motives, though. These two students were from the same alma mater as her, and they were obedient and hardworking in training, so she naturally paid more attention to them.
So whenever she has the chance, she'll definitely say a few good words for them, because it might just be an opportunity.
"Okay, teacher, you continue training. I'll be going now."
After leaving the etiquette training class, Xu Ying went to the film set for a while before returning to the hotel.
The second half of "The Great Tang Female Painter" has already been serialized, and now she needs to figure out how to wrap it up.
Yan Huaijin's paintings are hung in Lingyan Pavilion.
Emperor Taizong was very satisfied with her paintings. In addition, with Li Zhi now the crown prince and the court becoming more stable, he was so pleased that he rewarded Yan Huaijin with countless treasures.
Yan Huaijin was initially very excited, but since they were just a bunch of inanimate objects that she couldn't eat or use, she played with them for a while before putting them away in the storeroom to gather dust.
Just as she was feeling bored for the hundredth time, a guest suddenly arrived at her home. He claimed to be the steward of Prince Gong's Mansion, and that he had come on the orders of the Princess to invite Madam Yan to come and paint.
Princess Gong?
Who is this...?
Yan Huaijin didn't know who Princess Gong was, but she still accepted the invitation.
After she agreed to visit as scheduled, the butler bowed respectfully and left.
On this day.
Yan Huaijin arrived at the door on the date agreed in the invitation. Upon arrival and seeing Princess Gong, she suddenly realized that Princess Gong was actually Wang Erniangzi!
"you......"
Yan Huaijin stared in disbelief, momentarily forgetting all about etiquette.
Princess Gong did not mind her loss of composure.
She smiled warmly and said, "I have long admired Lady Yan's name, and I am finally able to meet you today. The weather is just right now, and all the flowers in the mansion are in bloom. I invited you here in the hope that you can paint a picture of a reclining peony for me."
Yan Huaijin readily agreed.
For some reason, she always felt a vague sense of guilt towards this Wang Erniangzi.
Although she didn't cause her predicament, people often compared the two of them. She herself was carefree and didn't care about anything, but it was unfair that Wang Erniangzi's reputation was ruined as a result.
Princess Gong was very cooperative.
Yan Huaijin found a huge rock in the Prince Gong's Mansion and asked the Princess Consort to lie down on it. Without saying a word, she lay down on it, which made Yan Huaijin look at her with new eyes.
In broad daylight, lying on a rock is not a good look. I never expected that Princess Gong, who looks so dignified, would be so unconventional in her behavior.
Yan Huaijin felt a bit more favorably toward her.
Therefore, when Princess Gong invited her to go to the temple to offer incense and pray for blessings next month after she finished the painting, she readily agreed.
......
The day of prayer.
Yan Huaijin took Hongzhu with him to the temple.
She and Princess Gong only agreed to stroll around the temple together, but they didn't plan to set off together. After all, the rules of the Prince's Mansion were strict, and she would only feel uncomfortable if she went along.
"Princess Gong is truly considerate and thoughtful," Yan Huaijin thought to himself.
Upon arriving at the temple, Yan Huaijin indeed spotted a familiar figure in the secluded backyard. It was Princess Gong, who was standing by a dry well admiring a century-old pine tree.
Seeing Yan Huaijin approaching, she sighed:
"Who wouldn't want to have the proud spirit of pine and bamboo? It's just a pity that most people can only become the morning glory next door, and can only live by clinging to the pine tree."
“Morning glories are good too,” Yan Huaijin said with a smile. “Perhaps this way of climbing is the most comfortable for morning glories. If you force them to grow upwards on their own, they will feel lost and helpless.”
Princess Gong was taken aback, seemingly not expecting her to say that.
"That makes sense; I was too narrow-minded."
The two strolled around the temple for a while before reuniting with Prince Gong and his entourage.
Yan Huaijin felt very uncomfortable. She didn't know that Prince Gong and his youngest son had come along. Just as she was about to make an excuse to leave, Prince Wu appeared again.
Yan Huaijin: "......"
Is today some kind of auspicious day? Everyone's rushing over to offer incense.
"Uncle," Wu Wang casually called out, his gaze falling on Yan Huaijin. Yan Huaijin hadn't seen him for a while, and couldn't help but smile.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Revised
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