The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

"Brother Jia?"

Xiao Jia's hands were tired from holding up: "You guys are so slow."

"The plane was delayed, there was nothing I could do." Xiao Jia had done her hair and makeup several times, and the two had become quite familiar. Su Wen often liked to ask him for skincare tips, and Xiao Jia frequently criticized her clothing style, so Su Wen considered him a close friend. Only now did she remember to ask, "Why did you come to pick me up? Did Feng tell you?"

Xiao Jia mysteriously beckoned with her finger: "Brother Feng is here. It's too crowded here, so he's waiting for you in the car."

Just then, Xiao Ai returned with her luggage. Seeing Xiao Jia, she understood everything and thought to herself: "You still say it's nothing? It's obvious to everyone now."

Suwen also felt it was inappropriate. The plane arrived in Shanghai at noon, and the airport was bustling with people. If someone took a picture of her doing something, she would be in deep trouble.

She turned to Xiao Ai and asked, "Didn't the company send a car?"

Xiao Ai explained, "I made a call as soon as I got off the plane, but there's traffic, so I guess I'll have to wait a while."

Suwen thought for a moment and said, "Anyway, I'm not famous yet and I don't have many people who recognize me. Let's take a taxi."

After saying that, he turned to Xiao Jia with an apologetic look: "Brother Xiao Jia, thank you for your hard work. Let's go our separate ways. Please tell Brother Feng that I appreciate his kindness and I will thank him in person when we get to the hotel."

Xiao Jia thought about it and realized that Su Wen's words made sense. He had never agreed with Feng Ge picking him up at the airport. Director Wei hated it when actors in his films created scandals, making the scandals more popular than the film itself. And the airport was where paparazzi were most likely to stake out, so it was better to be cautious.

When Xiao Jia got back, she relayed what Xue Shaofeng had said to her. He just smiled and said, "This girl..." After a long while, he said, "Let's drive."

When Xue Shaofeng arrived in Shanghai, the nanny van had arrived earlier and was waiting at the airport. He knew that the company had not yet provided Suwen with a car, and he was worried that the girl would be flustered. But Suwen, on the other hand, didn't care at all and took a taxi to the hotel.

The main cast members all stayed in the same hotel. Director Wai took this film very seriously, investing over HK$100 million in an art film, and spending two years revising the script alone. Although the only female lead has not yet been cast, the crew began constructing an authentic 1930s Shanghai street near Nanjing West Road two months ago. Iconic buildings, old trams, and rickshaws have all been built and are ready for filming.

After putting down her luggage, Suwen felt she should first greet Director Wei. She called the front desk to ask for Director Wei's room number and then took the script downstairs.

They knocked on the door, and it took a long time for someone to open it. When they saw who was inside, they were both stunned for a moment.

Ji Xuan...

The other person probably didn't expect it to be her either, and stood frozen at the door for a while before someone inside asked, "Who's here?" and then poked their head out.

Upon seeing Xue Shaofeng's face, she immediately calmed down and cheerfully called out, "Brother Feng."

"You've arrived? Come in quickly."

Ji Xuan reluctantly stepped aside to let Su Wen in.

Director Wei was staying in a suite. In the living room, the coffee table and carpet were scattered with open script pages. Director Wei was explaining the scene to Xue Shaofeng, while Ji Xuan sat to the side with her chin in her hand, listening very attentively, as if she had already been chosen as the leading lady.

Seeing this, Suwen could only awkwardly follow and sit down to the side.

When Ji Xuan first auditioned in Beijing, Director Wei commented: "She's alluring, but lacks spirit." He was clearly not satisfied. But Ji Xuan wasn't giving up and followed him all the way to Shanghai, hoping to take advantage of her proximity. After all, Director Wei hadn't decided on anyone else, right? Besides, Xue Shaofeng was a Hong Kong superstar, and she was a Golden Horse Award-winning actress; a superstar paired with an award-winning actress—the box office was practically guaranteed, wasn't it?

But Ye Zi didn't tell her that Su Wen had already been invited by Director Wei to come to Shanghai.

So, when two formidable competitors met, sparks flew and clashed.

Director Wei was very focused on his work. He spent the entire afternoon explaining the scene to Xue Shaofeng, and the two of them sat with him for the whole afternoon without him noticing them at all. Only after he finished explaining did he casually remark, as if he had just noticed Su Wen, "Oh, you're here?"

Suwen nodded awkwardly.

Director Wei didn't mince words: "I value the role of Wang Jiazhi very much, and we haven't decided who to give it to yet. How about this, I'll find a short scene, and the two of you can act it out on the spot. We'll see who's better and who's worse, and that'll be clear."

Both of them felt it was fair and had no objections.

However, this time Suwen had no choice in which segment to act. Director Wei casually flipped through the script and pointed to a page: "Let's act in this singing segment. Shaofeng, did you understand what I just told you? Perfect, you can go and act alongside them, and I'll see your performance."

Xue Shaofeng nodded, stood up, picked up the script, and went to the side to prepare.

With very little preparation time, Suwen had barely figured out how to perform when Ji Xuan had already put down her script and stood up, brimming with self-satisfaction. After all, Ji Xuan was a veteran in the entertainment industry; her Best Actress award wasn't for nothing, and the guidance she had received from the directors she had worked with was far beyond what a novice like Suwen could offer.

So when Director Wei asked who wanted to go first, Ji Xuan had already walked out with a smile. Acting skills are something that cannot be imitated; everyone has their own understanding and interpretation. Ji Xuan didn't care about showing off in front of Su Wen. On the contrary, she actually wanted to use her acting skills to shatter Su Wen's confidence and make her run away in defeat.

In the ten-minute scene, Wang Jiazhi arrives at the Japanese brothel's dance hall, where Mr. Yi is already waiting. Listening to the brothel's dirge-like chanting, Wang Jiazhi volunteers to sing a section. Although there is interaction between the male and female leads in the play, the female lead is the one who leads the scene, and the emotional shifts occur along with the lyrics she sings.

The female lead singer sang "The Wandering Songstress," a classic song from old Shanghai in the 1930s and 40s. Ji Xuan has an excellent figure; her stunning 36-year-old figure has long been famous in the entertainment industry. Wearing a cheongsam, she looks even more alluring. Her singing voice and posture are impeccable, comparable to the famous actresses of Shanghai in the 1930s and 40s.

Even Suwen couldn't help but applaud her.

Then applause really broke out. Director Wei lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth, and the applause sparsely echoed. Ji Xuan smiled slightly, as if she hadn't yet detached herself from the role; every frown and smile exuded elegance.

Xue Shaofeng stood up and glanced at Suwen with concern. Even he acknowledged Ji Xuan's acting skills; otherwise, he wouldn't be so worried.

Suwen had already changed into a cheongsam. She didn't choose a brightly colored pattern like Ji Xuan's, but rather a simple one with a dark, elegant turquoise base and delicate pink peach blossoms as embellishments. As he turned around, he saw Suwen give him a fleeting smile, as if she were confident and reassuring him, or perhaps she had some other intention.

What kind of amazing trick does she have up her sleeve?

Yes, she hoped Xue Shaofeng could bring her a miracle. She hadn't prepared any special tricks; for a newcomer like her, who had only acted in one play, it was almost impossible to outsmart Ji Xuan technically. But Ji Xuan overlooked one crucial point: Wang Jiazhi had multiple identities—a female student at Lingnan University, the leading lady of the drama club, a female spy, Mrs. Mai—but none of them were a famous singer. Ji Xuan's overemphasis on her own talent and singing style, her overly flawless performance, was sometimes a failure in itself. Moreover, while the play focused on the female lead, the male lead wasn't dispensable; Ji Xuan, preoccupied with her own performance, completely neglected her interaction with Xue Shaofeng.

Therefore, she placed her bet on Xue Shaofeng.

While preparing for the performance, Suwen had already taken off her shoes and was walking on tiptoe on the carpet. This was something Ji Xuan had overlooked; Japanese dance halls are usually tatami rooms and guests are not allowed to wear leather shoes inside.

She whispered in Xue Shaofeng's ear, "Cooperate with me."

"..." How can he cooperate?

Before he could even ask a question, Suwen had already flashed to the opposite side of him.

After receiving the script, Suwen had watched a lot of old Shanghai movies from the 1930s and 40s, including "Street Angel" starring Zhou Xuan. The song in the movie was very popular, so she could sing it.

With delicate fingers holding a flower hairpin, her lips parted slightly: "To the ends of the earth, I search for a kindred spirit; a little sister sings, a lover plays the zither."

This sentiment and these words were quite fitting. Mr. Yi, who was kneeling and waiting patiently to the side, slowly smiled.

With a gentle flip of her delicate hand, she sang, "My love, we are of one heart, oh my love, we are of one heart..." She repeated the line over and over again. Even the usually cold and stern Mr. Yi's smile lines deepened, probably because he thought she was singing this song to please him.

But then the song changed, and she leaned against the paper door, one hand on her forehead, her expression wistful: "Looking north towards my hometown, tears wet my clothes..."

He paused, realizing she had said she was going back to Hong Kong, but stayed because of him. Was she homesick?

When she sang, "Little sister misses her lover to this day, my lover, we have been through thick and thin together, my love for you is deep ...

The longer Mr. Yi sang, the more somber his face became. He believed that even a marriage of marriage should be based on mutual respect and understanding; her relationship with him was merely a charade, and her heart still longed for her husband in Hong Kong. He held the wine glass in his hand, but unconsciously tightened his grip.

Wang Jiazhi seemed to sense his displeasure as well. She moved slowly and sat down on the soft pillow beside him, kneeling down. As she sang, she took a wine glass and poured him a drink: "Life, who doesn't cherish youth? Little sister is like thread, boy is like needle, boy, we're tied together and never apart."

She nodded slightly, handed him the wine glass, and gazed at him intently with her beautiful eyes: "Oh, oh, my love, we're together... we'll never... be apart..."

After singing the last note, Wang Jiazhi opened her eyes and looked straight at Mr. Yi. Beneath her long, curled, and beautiful eyelashes were her jewel-like, sparkling eyes.

She won her gamble. She gambled on just a sliver of Mr. Yi's affection. She jokingly called herself his prostitute, but it was merely a cautious attempt to confirm that he still cared about her.