Shang Yechu hated Xu Hanwen's dictatorial tyranny, but she was also secretly pleased: the pressure stemmed from responsibility, and the more important a person was, the more stringent the demands would be. Xu Hanwen and Zheng Bohan tormented her every day, yet they were also the people in the world who couldn't live without her.
Despite Xu Hanwen's cruel exploitation of Shang Yechu, seemingly treating her like an animal, he would be the first to react if Shang Yechu even slightly scratched her skin during filming, fearing it would ruin his work.
Shang Yechu had had enough of playing dispensable comedic roles and marginalized characters. The feeling of being the center of attention in the entire crew was addictive; the pain was merely a necessary tempering process. That elation, that sense of self-satisfaction, that feeling of having everyone's eyes and expectations on you, was a comfort a thousand times stronger than the pain itself.
This placebo was too powerful. So much so that after leaving the "Half a Sky" crew, Shang Yechu experienced withdrawal symptoms. She felt a prolonged sense of loss and depression. She desperately wanted to find another script like "Half a Sky" and be the absolute core of that small world again. Even if the director was ten times more irritable than Xu Hanwen, Shang Yechu didn't care; she was willing to reduce her sleep to two hours.
Unfortunately, no.
From "Moonlight Window" to "Heartbeat Forbidden Notice," they are all equally disappointing. In those scripts, the characters Shang Yechu is to play are not the sole focus. They share the male lead's gaze and glory, share the highlight moments, complement each other, and are indispensable to one another.
Half of the world's center.
Just thinking about it made Shang Yechu feel uneasy, as if half of what she owned had been stolen. —No, not just half, 0.5 is zero.
Shang Yechu was anxious, dissatisfied, and yearning, yet unable to satisfy this greed, nor could he relinquish it. He knew perfectly well what he wanted, yet dared not admit it.
Shang Yechu admitted that when she got angry with Ji Juntao on her first day back at the company, it was partly out of displaced anger.
At that time, she had just left the film crew. Suddenly, she went from being the powerful and hated Li Yiming to Ye Chu, a second-tier actress. The difference in her feelings was already huge. After returning to the company, she heard that Ji Juntao had recently promoted many new talents.
This discovery infuriated Shang Yechu.
She was working herself to the bone on set, almost driven to the brink of insanity by Xu Hanwen; while Ji Juntao was outside promoting others to be tomorrow's stars!
Within a single day, Shang Yechu first lost her position as the center of the production crew, and then, upon returning to the company, she lost her position as "Ji Juntao's sole focus." Almost instantly, a surge of anger welled up within her.
Unfortunately, Shang Yechu had no grounds to get angry. Ji Juntao's dedication to the company was simply what he was supposed to do. Besides, even though he was praising others, Ji Juntao hadn't neglected any of Shang Yechu's work. No one in the world had the right to criticize their boss for working too hard.
Shang Yechu could only sit in her chair, scrolling through WeChat, trying to find fault with Ji Juntao and annoy him. But Boss Ji handled her affairs perfectly, and Shang Yechu couldn't find a single fault to criticize.
The incident at Xingfu Commercial Street was merely a pretext for making a fuss.
Shang Yechu would never admit it. Whether Ji Juntao noticed or not, Shang Yechu didn't care to know.
As for his subsequent thoughts on and attempts to salvage Happiness Commercial Street, Shang Yechu initially hadn't made up his mind. He only vaguely felt that there was something that could be done there, but he couldn't figure out exactly what it was.
It wasn't until she saw the notes on "The Mute Woman," recalled her conversation with Sheng Wenzhi long ago, and consulted the strange tales of rules from 2018... that Shang Yechu finally understood—
This is the article I originally wanted to write.
Perhaps long ago, when Shang Yechu heard Sheng Wenzhi lazily talk about his novel, the seed of covetousness had already been planted in his heart. It's just that it has only taken root and sprouted today.
Shang Yechu was desperate for an opportunity. Her subconscious was loyal to her master's desires, doing everything in her power to seize any possible nourishment.
Under the guise of saving Xingfu Commercial Street, she was fulfilling her desire to make a movie and recreate the core of her little world; using lofty and passionate goals to mask her hungry and covetous ambitions. Shang Yechu didn't feel despicable because she had already deceived herself.
They genuinely want to save Xingfu Commercial Street.
But my desire to make that movie was genuine.
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