The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

Su Wen never expected to run into Dai Lin here. She was probably here to see Xue Shaofeng. She looked completely different from the one she had seen in the night before. She was wearing a cracked leather jacket, a sequined undershirt, and tight pants. She was wearing sunglasses and had her hat pulled down, probably because of the news. She looked every bit the star.

Suwen had actually seen Dailin in a TV series before, but last time she was dressed so plainly that Suwen only felt that she looked familiar, but she didn't really recognize her.

"What a coincidence, we meet again."

Dailin clearly recognized her, but if Dailin hadn't spoken first, Suwen wouldn't have been too keen to greet her. They had only brushed past each other, at most they were just people in the industry.

"I never expected to run into you here."

Suwen's greeting was merely a polite exchange, but Dailin seemed to be burning with anger: "There's nothing unexpected about it."

Suwen's embarrassment was written all over her face. There was no word spoken between them, both inside and outside the elevator. The elevator doors closed slowly in the silence. When only a crack remained, Suwen heard Dailin laugh sarcastically: "So young, and you haven't made a name for yourself yet, but you're already trying to be a vixen."

The volume was just right, not too loud, not too soft, just enough for Suwen to hear. The timing was also perfect; at least before the elevator doors closed, Suwen had time to react and reach her hand across the crack in the door.

The elevator doors paused for a moment, then opened again.

"What did you say?" Suwen asked, frowning.

Dailin glanced at her indifferently.

Jia Zhi's makeup became quite heavy later on, and Su Wen's makeup today is so thick that it's almost unrecognizable. The thick powder is so heavy that it could be wiped off with a single stroke, and her lips are a heavy, bright red. Her eyes are slanted at the corners. She plays a mistress in the play, and this time she really does look like the "vixen" that Dai Lin described.

"A nobody actress, not only failing to act properly, but also thinking of crooked ways to get ahead. Back in our day, we didn't have your tricks. Our status at the station was built up one role after another. I really can't understand why Director Wei would cast someone like you as the female lead. This corrupt atmosphere in the industry is brought about by young people like you who dream of instant success. You're like a rotten apple spoiling the whole barrel."

Suwen finally understood what she was trying to say, but she still suppressed her anger and asked knowingly, "What do you mean?"

"The meaning is simple: it's none of my business if you take shortcuts, but don't covet what doesn't belong to you. If you steal someone else's husband, don't blame others for calling you shameless."

Like Xue Shaofeng, Dai Lin speaks Mandarin with a slight Hong Kong accent. Xue Shaofeng has developed his career more in mainland China and has corrected his accent considerably. Now, hearing Dai Lin speak these words with her eyebrows raised and her voice sharp, it really does feel like a power struggle.

Suwen chuckled. "Has acting so much really improved your self-writing and directing skills?"

They signed their divorce papers eight months ago. Eight months ago, I was just a nobody at the film academy and had no chance to meet Xue Shaofeng!

The makeup artist was completely bewildered by Dailin's advice. She glanced at Dailin and was about to turn to look at Suwen when she heard Suwen's voice become even more indifferent and aloof: "I know my own limitations very well, but if you can't hold onto a man's legs, you should look for the problem within yourself."

Suwen saw Dailin's face turn pale instantly.

"What do you mean?"

The roles are now reversed, and Dai Lin is asking the same question knowing the answer already. Su Wen knows very well how self-harming it is to keep asking like this. Zhou Mo often says that there is a beast lurking inside her, and because of poverty, being subservient for too long is easy to cause internal damage. After tormenting Xiao Yuan, she hasn't felt so happy to rub salt into someone's wounds as she does now.

"The meaning is simple: you have failed miserably in both your career and marriage."

Suwen read the newspaper and felt no sympathy for Dailin; on the contrary, she looked down on her. No one forced her to give up her career for marriage, and even after giving up her career, she failed to wholeheartedly manage her marriage. Now she's blaming her marital problems on a complete stranger like Dailin.

She blocked Dailin's slap: "Trying to teach a mistress a lesson like an ex-wife? Miss Dailin, you have no right to do that."

Upon arriving at the film set, a large number of reporters had indeed gathered there.

Su Wen and Xue Shaofeng were trapped in their respective nanny vans. The windows were covered with reflective paper, and even though they knew they couldn't film anything, the cameraman still desperately stretched the lens onto the car window, making a clattering sound.

From getting out of the car to entering the dressing room, it was like a battle. Once there, the other actors in the crew faced the same situation; reporters were grabbing anyone they could get their hands on to ask their opinions on Xue Shaofeng's divorce, even passing staff weren't spared. It's been over half a year since the divorce, and now they're reopening old wounds, treating old news as new—it's incredibly unfair.

Suwen had already changed her clothes. Xue Shaofeng came in even later than her. After all, he was the main character in the incident, so the reporters' pursuit and interception would definitely be more intense.

He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and had a tense expression. Suwen was just about to stand up to greet him and offer some words of comfort when Director Wei walked in with an angry look on his face.

But his anger was forcibly suppressed when he saw Xue Shaofeng take off his hat, revealing the deep dark circles under his eyes.

Being embroiled in scandals is not a pleasant experience for the person involved.

"Shaofeng, if I remember correctly, you only have two scenes to film today."

Suwen was taken aback and immediately stood up; she already knew what the director was going to say.

really--

"How about this, you take the day off today. I'll use a body double for your back shot, and then add a few close-ups in post-production. The effect will be the same."

Director Wei hates it most when the lead actors of his films create scandals, causing the media to focus on scandals during film promotion. The fact that he is still able to speak so politely at this time is entirely because of his private relationship with Xue Shaofeng.

Moreover, with Xue Shaofeng present, reporters won't leave, which also disrupts the filming process.

Xue Shaofeng paused as he took off his hat. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he just gritted his teeth, put the hat back on after taking it off halfway, and solemnly bowed to the director and apologized to his colleagues in the crew: "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Everyone offered a few words of comfort, but Suwen stood silently outside the crowd, feeling heartbroken. This wasn't Feng Ge's fault.

After Xue Shaofeng left, the discussion immediately resumed, with everyone curious about the reasons behind the couple's marital breakdown.

Some speculate that Xue Shaofeng has become famous and no longer cares about his wife, who is only moderately famous. Others say that the couple, living apart in mainland China and Hong Kong, are bound to grow distant. Still others speculate that a third party was involved...

In short, there are many versions, each one vividly described, and they all sound very true.

Without the male lead, the day's filming schedule was halved. Director Wei directed the crew to film for half a day, then used the remaining half to hold a simple, small press conference right on the filming location.

That's how reporters are; the more you forbid them from taking pictures, the more they'll find ways to do it in various ways. Once it's in the newspaper, they'll edit and embellish it for you. It's better to be friendly and just stand there and let them take pictures. Besides, you can control the reporters; you can decide what questions they ask and what topics they discuss. If you really block them completely, they'll find out the most outrageous things a reporter might ask.

The reporters came specifically to see Xue Shaofeng, so the first half of the interview was dedicated to introducing the movie, and the second half was reserved for them to ask about his rumored relationships. This way, the movie was promoted, and the production team gave the media a satisfactory answer.

Su Wen and the other lead actors, still in their costumes, posed for photos with reporters, subtly communicating through small, open breaths. The scene was as comical as a child being forbidden to speak by their teacher, yet still managing to communicate through barely audible breaths. Being a celebrity must be tiring; otherwise, it would be incredibly boring.

Most of the entertainment reporters, while taking photos, also asked Xue Shaofeng about his usual life on set and whether he exhibited any of the behaviors typical of a divorced man.

Teacher Chen is considered the most senior veteran actor in the crew, and he couldn't help but sigh: "How can we actors compete with celebrities just by having acting skills?"

People of teacher level speak with a deeper meaning. She deliberately distinguished between actors and celebrities, and everyone else nodded in agreement.

This situation was just like at the press conference for the premiere of the TV series in Beijing, where no one wanted to let one person steal the spotlight from the entire production team.

Director Wei was also very dissatisfied: "Sigh, Shaofeng, really, how can you bring your personal feelings into your work? This will make it very difficult for us to do the later publicity."

Later in the interview, Suwen, as the female lead, naturally sat to the left and right of Director Wei, but most of the time she held the microphone and acted as a backdrop, not saying much. Almost all the cast members were asked about Xue Shaofeng's divorce. At most, they expressed regret and made some trivial remarks, but most chose to remain silent. Only Suwen, the usually quiet and low-key girl, suddenly spoke up confidently, saying, "I believe in Brother Feng's character. Although I don't know the inside story, Brother Feng, as an actor and a senior figure in the entertainment industry, is very responsible. The storm will eventually pass. Brother Feng, I support you. The company and the crew will support you."

In one sentence, the stance of the other crew members who had not previously spoken out became clear.

Even Director Wei stared at her with wide eyes, completely bewildered.

She knew she had said the wrong thing, but she didn't regret it. If asked again, she would still say the same thing. What is a friend? Someone who stands up for you in your most difficult times. Feng Ge used to take such good care of her; half of her success today is thanks to him. Now, asking her to play the humble, subservient card is something she can't do!

As soon as Suwen finished speaking, she felt a surge of emotion in her chest, as if she were experiencing the exhilaration of an ancient knight-errant after performing a heroic act. Seeing Xiao Ai walking towards her, she interrupted her before the other could speak, saying, "You don't need to persuade me. Ingratitude is not my style!"

Xiao Ai paused for a moment, then covered her mouth and chuckled to herself. Without saying anything, she handed her an envelope.