The car's speed returned to normal as it merged from the elevated highway into the downtown traffic.
The surrounding vehicles gradually increased in number. Those driving normally would probably never know they had just narrowly brushed past a madman.
Jiang Liuyue's hand was still a little numb.
After all, forces are mutual. Slapping Cen Yuan across the face meant her own palm didn't fare much better.
It was entirely red and aching faintly.
Cen Yuan, however, reached up to touch his violently red cheek, his fingertips rubbing over the burning skin.
He looked at her through the rearview mirror with a half-smile, his gaze resembling a snake that had been provoked and suddenly found itself intrigued.
"You've got quite the temper. Not a bit inferior to Li Feile's."
Seeing this, Jiang Liuyue couldn't help but mock him, pulling her lips into a sarcastic curve.
"Don't tell me you're planning to change targets—giving up on pursuing Li Feile to come after me instead?"
Cen Yuan's eyes darkened a fraction, like a pool of water whose depths couldn't be seen.
His words spilled slowly from his lips, carrying an elusive, unfathomable undertone.
"That's not completely out of the question."
...
Jiang Liuyue truly did not want to spend another second with a lunatic like Cen Yuan. After jumping out of the car, she walked briskly toward the set.
Cen Yuan didn't mind at all. He leisurely locked the car and followed behind her.
That punchable smirk still hung on the corners of his mouth.
Today's scene was another confrontation between Jiang Liuyue and Li Feile.
The plot was set at a time when new concubines had just entered the imperial harem, but the Emperor continued to spend all his nights at the palace of Consort Li, played by Li Feile. The six palaces were full of complaints, and Jiang Liuyue, in her role as the Empress, had to step forward to admonish Consort Li and urge her to let the Emperor share his favors equally.
This was meant to be a scene full of conflict, so the script called for the Empress to order her maids to punish Consort Li by beating her with wooden boards.
However, Li Feile had only behaved herself for a few days before she started stirring up trouble again.
She went to the executive director and poked at a few lines on the script.
"Director, I'm the favored concubine now. How could I possibly just sit there and let the Empress punish me? This part of the plot makes no sense."
The executive director looked at the little diva in front of him and let out a helpless sigh.
His tone carried the exhaustion of someone who had been worn down far too many times:
"Then what do you suggest?"
Li Feile smiled brightly as she spoke:
"Change the script! I think in this scene, the Empress should fail to punish Consort Li and instead get slapped across the face by her."
"This way, the conflict in the subsequent plot can be better intensified, and it plants the seed for their mutual hatred."
The executive director hesitated.
He vaguely sensed that Jiang Liuyue must also have some big shot backing her; who in this industry didn't have some kind of background?
But Li Feile's motive for changing the script was all too obvious.
She just wanted revenge.
And she wanted to take her revenge openly, right in front of everyone, leaving her victim slapped and unable to complain.
Just as he was wavering, Li Feile added another sentence with a smile.
Her tone was soft:
"Let's just try shooting one take with this version. If it's good, we keep it."
"If you think it doesn't work, we can always go back to shooting the original script."
The executive director opened his mouth. He had barely gotten out the word "But..." when Li Feile unhurriedly cut him off.
A dark glint flashed in her eyes, and she lowered her voice so that only the two of them could hear:
"I heard your wife went traveling last week, but a friend of mine actually bumped into another woman driving your wife's car at the shopping mall."
"Don't you think that's strange?"
The executive director's face changed drastically, as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head.
He immediately put on an apologetic smile:
"Alright, let's try it first."
Over on the other side, Jiang Liuyue was resting in the waiting area, holding a thermos and taking small sips of warm water.
The executive director waved her over, an unnatural, awkward smile plastered on his face:
"Liuyue, come here for a second. There's something we need to discuss."
He phrased it tactfully.
He originally thought Jiang Liuyue would hesitate or even refuse, but unexpectedly, she set down her thermos and curled her lips into a faint smile.
"Sure. Palace drama scenes are only interesting when they're like this."
The executive director let out a long sigh of relief. He had been worried he would have to waste a lot of breath persuading her.
It seemed Jiang Liuyue was much easier to talk to than Li Feile.
What he didn't know was that Jiang Liuyue had already seen right through Li Feile's petty calculations; she just couldn't be bothered to argue over such things.
By the time Cen Yuan arrived on set, the scene had already started shooting.
Jiang Liuyue, dressed in the Empress's formal red phoenix robes, sat upright in the seat of honor, the vibrant color making her face look even more fair and jade-like.
With elegant movements, she picked up her teacup, gently skimmed the foam away with the lid, and took a sip.
Only then did she leisurely lower her eyelashes and cast a faint glance at Consort Li, who was sitting to her left.
Her tone carried the aloofness and nobility unique to an Empress:
"I hear that recently, the Emperor has been staying at Lihua Palace."
The character setting for Consort Li, played by Li Feile, was originally supposed to be a low-key, introverted, and cautious woman of outstanding beauty.
But after she took on the role, an unhideable arrogance always seeped from her bones.
"Yes."
Consort Li also took a sip of tea, but before she could swallow it.
She suddenly slammed the teacup heavily onto the table, producing a sharp crash.
She harshly scolded the maid beside her:
"The tea is cold! Is this how you serve the Empress?"
The maid hastily knelt down, her body trembling slightly.
The Empress, however, merely waved her hand. Her face remained impassive; she knew Consort Li was trying to show her who was boss.
"Sister Consort Li, come closer."
The Empress spoke. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
Li Feile froze.
These were not the lines from the script, but on second thought, didn't this give her the perfect opportunity to improvise?
She took the cue, gracefully standing up and swaying forward.
"I am speaking to you nicely, advising you to urge the Emperor to share his favors equally. What are your thoughts?" the Empress asked unhurriedly.
"Your Majesty, if you are so capable, why don't you tell the Emperor yourself?" Consort Li's tone was full of provocation, a faint, mocking sneer playing on her lips.
"Insolent!" The Empress's face flared with anger, her brows shooting up.
Li Feile felt a surge of secret excitement.
Here it comes, the conflict is here!
She secretly clenched her fingers inside her sleeves, ready to deliver a beautiful counterattack according to the revised script.
However, before she could even raise her hand, Jiang Liuyue's Empress condescendingly brought down her palm.
A crisp slap landed accurately on Li Feile's cheek. The force was neither too heavy nor too light.
It was just enough to present sufficient dramatic tension on camera. Even the dangling hairpin on her head was struck so hard it kept swaying, the pearls and jade colliding to produce a delicate clinking sound.
Li Feile covered her face, stunned.
The look in her eyes shifted from shock to anger, and then to absolute disbelief.
"Cut!" The executive director nodded in satisfaction.
The intensity of the conflict in this scene was just right—even more brilliant than what the original script had designed.
The moment the camera stopped rolling, Li Feile couldn't hold back her fury, her voice shrill.
"Jiang Liuyue, how dare you slap me!"
