When will I be the queen

Chapter 468 Perfection
Cai Cai was really attacked, and subconsciously leaned back. You!

"It's clearly your script and the character that are bad, yet you still attack me, saying I'm over-interpreting the character."

The Immortal Lord genuinely felt that Cai Cai needed to change. "The script and the character are indeed imperfect, but the standard of perfection isn't determined by the actor. Just because you played this role doesn't give you the right to nitpick about it. You say you don't love the character, but what about you? Do you love this character? You don't really think that winning the golden mask proves you played Tina very well, do you? Do you really love the character of Tina?" The Immortal Lord could tell that Cai Cai's favorite character was Ophira from the Empire.

"The audience's eyes are very discerning; your favorite character is Ophira. Your interpretation of Ophira is very profound, but your interpretation of Tina is not as good as your previous role as Daisy. Whether an actor loves a role or not, the actor himself knows, but the audience knows even better."

Cai Cai took a deep breath and said angrily, "I take every role I play seriously. You have no right to accuse me of not loving them. Your attacks, doubts, and denials won't affect me. I'll say it again: if you don't love the Ninth Princess, you haven't written her well."

The immortal lord admired Cai Cai's incredibly strong and stable core, as well as her inability to be affected by anger and her inability to be affected by her own words.
However, “After all I’ve said, you still don’t understand. I’m giving you this script and role now, and the director and screenwriter have already indicated the direction for your performance. Now it’s your turn that you can’t accept it. So, you can’t change the script or the role just because I’m someone you know, or because the director and screenwriter have to listen to you, and try to affect the filming. That’s impossible. This project was indeed started for you, and it exists because of you, but if you can’t adapt to this working environment, then this project can also cease to exist.”

"You can continue to work abroad, continuing to film your well-developed scripts and roles. You can continue to work with great directors, enjoying their scripts and working methods, and their spiritual world. You can also continue to look forward to all your future collaborators being people who can satisfy your desire to over-analyze scripts and roles."

Having said all that, the immortal lord had no further comment.

Cai Cai genuinely didn't understand. "I know you're trying to show me that the filming environment and conditions of projects like 'Nine Princesses' are the norm in the industry. But you also said this is my project, a project I have a say in, a project that I, and you, can control. So why not polish the script better, refine the characters more perfectly? These are things that can be done. If things don't work out in the future, it's not like I can't adapt. I'm just an actor; I just want to act. I've already done the basics an actor should have. Within the permissible limits, why can't I ask for more?"

"How do you know we haven't given you more preferential treatment?" The Immortal Lord opened his tablet and showed Cai Cai the Ninth Princess's project report. "This project has already accumulated 70 million in initial investment, with a total investment of 300 million projected. This isn't like the past, where projects easily cost hundreds of millions. For a TV series, a total investment of 300 million is already top-tier. This is your first major TV series project in China, with top-tier resources from behind the scenes to on-screen presence. We've prepared the best for you. What more could you ask for?"

Cai Cai understands financial statements. This total investment is even with her salary being the highest; the combined salaries of all other characters don't even reach hers. This means she definitely won't receive the full amount, but as Xianjun said, she's received the best treatment from beginning to end for this project. If this film is successful, her asking price for projects in the industry will be at this standard for the next ten years. Xianjun has done everything he can to give her the best.

“But these are not my demands,” Cai Cai looked at Xian Jun. “I don’t need such a high salary. I just want the character to be more complete. Aren’t you worried that with so much money, so much investment, and such a lavish production of costumes and props, the final product will be garbage?”

Xianjun isn't worried at all. "There are countless classic films in history that have achieved their status through visual beauty. Their scripts, characters, and even the actors themselves are rubbish, but that doesn't stop them from becoming classics. If you really understand this industry, what this industry pursues has never been acting skills, but beauty. The beauty that acting skills can achieve is only one aspect. You first polish the character, make the character better, but there are gains and losses. If you want the character to be good, you will definitely have to sacrifice some things, and these things may very well be the beauty."

"The simplest example is the role of a female general. If you want the visuals to look good, you have to choose a fair-skinned and delicate actress to play the role. But if you want the character to be good, you have to give up on beautiful actresses and choose strong ones. Historically, from real people to fictional ones, none of the female generals were fair-skinned and delicate beauties. Don't the audience know that? But even though the audience says it's not realistic, their eyes will still follow the beautiful female generals. That's reality."

The immortal's dry mouth wasn't because he really wanted to argue with Cai Cai. He had been a bit impulsive earlier, feeling that Cai Cai was annoying him and wouldn't listen to him, especially after he said things like he wanted to be a father.
"My initial intention in writing about the Ninth Princess was to create a beautiful character who would be unconditionally loved no matter what she did. Because in film and television dramas, female characters already have to bear enough social impressions and moral constraints. You've said before that you think many roles are too tiring, so why do you start applying double standards when it comes to playing her? You want the Ninth Princess to be exceptionally intelligent, resourceful, and incredibly strong; you want her to be kind, sincere, and strong. Why? Why does the Ninth Princess have to do so much? Can't she just be beautiful?"

Cai Cai shook her head. "I've never applied double standards. What I mean by a well-rounded character is that the Ninth Princess should possess more of the unique advantages that women have, which could help her become emperor. Her core shouldn't be that of a man. The current script is a gender-swapped male's rise to power. The Ninth Princess is a woman, and an ancient woman at that. If she only has beauty, it's too one-dimensional. Putting ourselves in her shoes, you and I both have beauty, but if we didn't have the ability to protect that beauty, what do you think our situation would be?"

Beauty cannot exist independently, especially in the case of a woman in ancient times.

"In many periods of ancient times, women could not even live independently in their own households; there was no such thing as maternal power. Even if they gave birth to a son, he could still be bought and sold like a commodity, and there were even cases of sons selling their mothers. The position of mother was due to the existence of the father. Under patriarchy, if a woman only had beauty, she was no different from a cat, dog, flower, or porcelain vase."

The Immortal Lord sighed, “I just said you were over-interpreting. You still don’t acknowledge that in your setting, the Ninth Princess, this ancient woman, survived under the dual oppression of patriarchal and imperial power. Therefore, she would have a natural resistance to or even a desire to submit to other men. That’s why her resistance is so precious.”

"However, the Ninth Princess in my script had a rebellious mentality from the very beginning. She never had any awe for imperial power or patriarchal authority. Her obedience was only to make her own life better. I did not write her as an ancient woman. The Ninth Princess did not awaken, nor did she become a man. She was awake from the very beginning."

Cai Cai was stunned. "No, why are you only telling me now about something so important?!"

The immortal lord was speechless. "Did I write the script unclearly? I did. She has a mother who is a time-traveling woman, and her thinking is influenced by modern independent women. She was never an ancient woman." The key point is, "You misinterpreted it from the very beginning," whether it's the script or the character.

Cai Cai was getting a little frustrated. "We've discussed so much, held so many meetings, and you didn't say a word. I've said so much, and you didn't correct me. And you still think you're right?!"

The Immortal Lord was even more speechless. "Weren't we discussing the plot in the previous meeting? You were the one figuring out the Ninth Princess all by yourself. Besides, you never said you were interpreting her as an ancient woman, let alone that you thought she was a spiritual man. Even if my script is simple, the protagonist can't be described as male!"

Some scripts allow the protagonist to be either male or female, but the Ninth Princess is definitely different. Later in the story, the Ninth Princess influences other women, prompting them to truly rebel and awaken—something only a female character can achieve. Male characters simply cannot empathize with women's plight. It's driven by self-interest and the importance of their roles.

Cai Cai processed all of this and admitted that she had misinterpreted it, but a new problem arose.

"This is supposed to be a serious drama. How do we create a serious drama atmosphere with an independent female protagonist from ancient times at the core?"

The protagonist's underlying character can influence the entire story. A lively protagonist will lead to a lighthearted comedy with a relaxed atmosphere. A deep and thoughtful protagonist will result in a darker story, often a tragedy, and protagonists in political intrigue and revenge stories tend to be composed and reserved.

Now, the Immortal Lord says that the Ninth Princess's core is that of an independent woman, unrestrained by the oppression of imperial and patriarchal power. That means that the Ninth Princess's underlying nature is that of a rebellious type; she is neither profound nor composed, nor particularly lively.
"She should be sarcastic, objective, even indifferent. A serious drama doesn't have to be all righteous and glorious, but it should at least be positive, right? A protagonist who maintains a sarcastic attitude towards the world is obviously a negative emotion. How can that be a serious drama? It's already difficult to pass censorship, and this kind of character's core will definitely not pass censorship, right?"

"." The Immortal Lord really felt that Cai Cai was too serious about her roles.

"You're really over-interpreting this. And you've gone astray," the Immortal Lord said, tapping the tablet. "An ancient woman who successfully ascended the throne, challenged and won against the imperial and patriarchal power of feudal society—isn't that great and glorious enough?" It's as if she has "I am an outstanding woman" engraved on her forehead.

Cai Cai didn't think she was over-interpreting at all. "You know the formula of serious dramas. The protagonist must have a positive mindset. Even if it's revenge, the protagonist has to have been hurt first. Most of the protagonists who are hurt are simple and kind. But the Ninth Princess has the intention of revenge from the beginning. She is wary and suspicious of people and things. The hurt she suffers is the death of people around her. If she insists on saying that she was not actually hurt, then this character is not a positive character, and her mindset is not positive. This has a fatal impact on the direction of the whole plot."

A protagonist lacking a positive mindset won't act positively either. Therefore, the Ninth Princess only uses every male supporting character she encounters, showing no genuine affection. How can this kind of understated approach be considered a serious drama? A serious drama must have a protagonist who overcomes various obstacles and ultimately succeeds, advocating for good and positive values.

The Immortal Lord thought for a moment and agreed. "Indeed, if the protagonist is dark, the plot is prone to falling apart. So, this script isn't simply about writing a Mary Sue story, is it? The Ninth Princess also has positive thoughts; she cherishes women and has a great love for her country and its people. I think this kind of setting is enough." "..." You've really gone down the path of otome games without looking back.
Cai Cai rubbed her forehead, looking a little tired.

Gu Sheng had to come over and remind them, "It's almost time, get ready." Also, stop talking, even with the microphone off, it's obvious from the live stream that you two are arguing.
They've been arguing for a really long time.

What's all this arguing about? Cai Cai seems really angry.

What is the Immortal Lord talking about regarding Cai Cai?

【Cai Cai is so angry!】

[Even the immortal lord seemed quite angry.]

Others might pretend to argue, but these two are really arguing.

[Is this just a publicity stunt? Neither of them are the type to argue, are they?]

[The Immortal Lord is incapable of arguing, but Cai Cai is definitely a master at it.]

Cai Cai has a sharp tongue.

[It's clear that the Immortal Lord is more sharp-tongued; everyone in the circle knows he has a very sharp tongue.]

[Those who say it's a publicity stunt, look at Cai Cai's face; she's really angry and anxious.]

Neither of them is facing directly, so lip reading is impossible.

Judging from Dasheng and Boss Mei's expressions, these two are really arguing fiercely.

[Time to enter]

Cai Cai checked her makeup and outfit, then put on her high heels and walked ahead with a bit of a temper. The Immortal Lord, reverting to his usual ethereal demeanor, walked behind her. Watching Cai Cai move, the shimmering sequins on her dress made him realize that they were real diamonds.

"Whose dress is this?" the immortal asked Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng was taken aback. Why were you so concerned about Cai Cai's dress? But he did know that Mei Zhang had shown it off before.

"HE has yet to unveil this haute couture piece, a brand new design, the only one of its kind in the world, specially tailor-made for Cai Cai." This is related to the Tang family. According to Mei Zhang, HE has served the Tang family for many years and knows Cai Cai's size and preferences. Upon receiving the invitation from the company, they expedited the creation of a dedicated design series for Cai Cai. The piece Cai Cai is currently wearing is the Muse piece from this series, the inspiration for all the designs.

The immortal knew that if the clothes were just clothes brought in at the company's invitation, there was no way they contained real diamonds.

Gu Sheng took the opportunity to mention that he had watched the two of you arguing in the live stream. "If the script really doesn't satisfy Cai Cai, then think about it again. It's our own project, we can't let the child suffer." Gu Sheng offered a word of advice, but in reality, he couldn't tell the quality of the script. Having been in the industry for so long, he only cared about the investment and the production team. He didn't care about the script or the actors' acting skills.

The immortal sighed inwardly. He knew all too well that the script was flawed, but it was precisely because the script and the character had such serious flaws that he was able to hold his own against so many male supporting actors with no acting skills. It was a case of two negatives making a positive; otherwise, if one side were positive, it would be a case of positive plus negative plus negative.

Mei Zhang was also trying to persuade Cai Cai, "Everyone in the live stream saw you two arguing. Putting aside whether this is the time to talk about the script, do you think the Immortal Lord doesn't know about the script? Look at the structure of this project. The director and screenwriter are both mediocre. It's a miracle if they can even make it look good. Apart from you, everyone else is just a supporting actor with virtually no acting skills, and they all have to bring their own screenwriters to the set. All those meetings you had before were to solve the scripts for these supporting characters and their adaptation issues."

"To put it bluntly, no matter how good the script is, it can't be filmed with this kind of structure. Besides, as long as the plot flows smoothly and there are no major flaws, then the script is fine. As for the role, just give it your all and act freely; the final product definitely won't be bad. Why are you being so serious?"

The Immortal Lord is right. Every time Cai Cai plays a character, she wants that character to come alive, to become a living, breathing person. But that's too difficult.

Cai Cai worked hard throughout the performance. Although she didn't know anyone, she greeted everyone who called out to her. She continued until the hostess led her to her seat, which was near the extended stage in the play.

The seating was semi-circular, with small tables between each seat offering drinks and snacks. Each seat also had a heated mat and a blanket. The interior wasn't actually cold, but it could get a bit chilly if you sat for a long time. The seating was indeed zoned; Cai Cai saw several artists from different companies as she walked over, including Meng Ning and Chun Qiao.

As Cai Cai and Xianjun approached, everyone in the area stood up. Many others had also stood up as they walked past.

Cai Cai didn't think it was because of her. She was just using someone else's power to intimidate others. Because she clearly saw that many people's smiles towards her were different from their smiles towards the Immortal Lord. There's no need to go into the specifics of the difference; it was simply the kind of difference that comes from someone using someone else's power to intimidate others.

Now, her smiles are almost the same when she's facing people at the company. This is probably because, within the company, even though there's a significant difference in status between her and the Immortal Lord, their roles are roughly the same to them.

Having traveled this far, I've gained a clearer understanding of the various aspects of this industry. In that sense, things are indeed more hypocritical abroad; at least many people wore similar smiles when facing her and Jarvis. The working environment in China is definitely more challenging.
Cai Cai greeted the company's artists before sitting down. Xian Jun sat to her right, and the seat to her left was empty, but clearly already occupied. Mei Zhang and Gu Sheng sat in the corner opposite them, a blind spot for filming that wouldn't interfere with others' work, so several managers sat there.