I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

At 5 p.m., he received a notification to go downstairs for dinner.

The film crew had a buffet restaurant on the second floor. It was called a buffet, but it was really just a few dishes laid out there.

Braised chicken pieces, stir-fried greens, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup, and unlimited rice.

There weren't many dishes, but the taste was alright. The chicken pieces were stewed until very tender, and the scrambled eggs with tomatoes were on the sweeter side, probably a style from the Jiangzhe region.

Jiang Chen filled a plate to the brim, found a corner to sit down, and ate with great satisfaction.

Once you're on set, all you'll get are boxed lunches.

After filming started, apart from a few lead actors who had RVs, the rest of the crew basically ate on set.

Yu Zheng is known for being frugal; if he can get a chicken leg added to your boxed lunch, it's considered a holiday.

He glanced around the restaurant as he ate.

I didn't see many of the main actors, not even Yaya (Tongya), they must have other plans for the evening.

Those who appear at this time in the buffet restaurant are basically small fry like him and the staff.

When I returned to my room after dinner, my roommate was already there.

He was a young man in his early twenties, surnamed Liu, who was a production assistant on set. His main responsibilities included moving props, monitoring the set, and running errands.

He seemed like an honest person; after saying hello, he went to bed to play on his phone.

Jiang Chen washed his face, lay down on the bed, picked up the script from the bedside table, and turned to the Fourteenth Prince's lines.

Now that I've taken on this role, I need to put in the necessary effort.

He was engrossed in memorizing when his phone rang. It was Li Xue.

"Why didn't you plant any vegetables today?"

"No time, I'm busy."

The other party replied almost instantly.

I want to eat a late-night snack.

"I'm away on a business trip..."

"Are you doing this on purpose so you won't treat us?"

"No, I've taken on a role in a film."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and then a bunch of messages came in.

"???"

"Taking on a role???"

"You're an actor???"

The three question marks were longer than the last, and Li Xue's shock could be felt even through the screen.

Jiang Chen leaned back on the pillow and slowly replied: "I'm ashamed, your identity, which I've kept hidden for so long, has finally been discovered."

"Hahaha, you're just bragging, aren't you?"

"What show is it?"

"Which director was blind enough to take a liking to you?"

Jiang Chen ignored her last sentence, "I'll tell you later."

"Tch, all this mystery, it can't be anything big."

Jiang Chen didn't reply, and was about to put down his phone to continue memorizing his lines when the screen lit up again.

"By the way, my Audi and BMW are parked in your spot, so don't give me a ticket!"

Jiang Chen was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

The parking space grabbing game on QQ Space.

Around this time in 2010, this was just as popular as QQ Farm.

Players are having a blast buying virtual cars, earning money by parking, and issuing parking tickets to report others.

They compete to see who has more cars, whose parking space is more luxurious, and who has more parking tickets.

The Audi and BMW that Li Xue mentioned were the cars she bought in the game, which she parked in his parking space, waiting to earn game currency.

Jiang Chen replied: "I only post tickets for people I know."

"So, do I count as an acquaintance?"

"You're a repeat offender."

"Hahaha, then I'll stay here for a few more days. Keep an eye on it for me and make sure no one else puts up any more stickers."

"You're quite impolite."

"We're like family! By the way, was that play you were in really real?"

"real."

"So what role will you play? The male lead?"

"Male, eighteen."

"That's pretty impressive! Let me know when it airs, and I'll support you."

"OK."

"Then you go ahead with your work, I won't bother you anymore. Remember to plant vegetables tomorrow!"

"understood."

Jiang Chen put his phone aside and picked up the script to continue reading.

amount……

I'm sleepy...

Go to sleep, I can look at it tomorrow...

The next morning at 6:30, Jiang Chen woke up before the alarm clock even went off.

A sliver of dim light peeked through the curtains, and my roommate in the next bed was still snoring.

He got up quietly, washed up, changed into a clean white T-shirt, and went downstairs.

Two Jinbei vans belonging to the film crew were parked in front of the hotel, with A4 sheets of paper pasted on the windows that read "Palace: The Lock Heart Jade Film Crew".

Several staff members were loading equipment boxes onto the vehicle. The boxes were labeled "Lighting Set" and "Props Set," categorized with markers.

Jiang Chen boarded the second bus and found a window seat.

Several actors were already sitting in the car; they were all unfamiliar faces and didn't greet each other, each playing on their phones.

At 7:00 sharp, the car started moving.

It takes about 20 minutes to get from the hotel to the Ming and Qing Palace. Along the way, there are walls and scaffolding of antique-style buildings. Occasionally, you can see a few extras dressed in ancient costumes squatting by the roadside eating breakfast, holding plastic boxes in their hands, with soy milk inserted into straws. Combined with their hair buns, it creates a kind of absurd sense of time travel.

The site has been set up.

In a spacious square in the Ming and Qing Palace Garden, a huge backdrop was erected with red background and gold lettering that read "The Palace Lock Heart Jade Starts Filming Successfully," and listed the production company and main creators.

A table was placed in front of the backdrop, covered with yellow silk, on which incense burners, candles, and fruit were offered.

Apples, oranges, and dragon fruit were neatly arranged.

In the very center of the offering table is a roast suckling pig, not very big, glistening with oil, with a cherry tomato in its mouth, looking quite festive.

The cameras are already set up, three in total, and red cloth strips are tied to the lens caps, which haven't been removed yet.

Staff members were setting up equipment, lighting technicians were adjusting the positions of reflectors, and makeup artists were carrying cases and weaving through the crowd.

A cordon was set up around the square, and several security guards stood at the intersection, stopping tourists from watching the spectacle.

Jiang Chen stood at the back of the crowd.

It's inappropriate for someone of his stature to stand in the front.

Beside him were several actors of similar stature, and one of them was playing an eunuch. He had already changed into his costume, a dusty gray robe, and looked a bit wilted under the sun.

Around 8:30, several black minivans drove in one after another.

Yu Zheng was the first to get off the bus. He was wearing a floral shirt and his hair was neatly combed.

Behind him followed director Li Huizhu, who had short hair, was thin, wore a baseball cap, and was holding a script, explaining something to the assistant director.

Then there are the lead actors.

Jiang Chen glanced at Yang Mi as she got out of the car.

Twenty-three years old is the best age.

She didn't change out of her costume; she wore her own clothes: a light pink short-sleeved T-shirt, white shorts, and a section of her fair calves showing.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail with slightly curled ends, and she wore light makeup, her skin glowing white.

She has a great figure; her T-shirt is stretched to the brim, but her waist is so thin you could pinch it with one hand.

Feng Shaofeng followed behind, wearing a dark blue polo shirt. He had a refined demeanor and looked like an office worker, not someone who was playing a prince.

Tong Liya changed into a floral dress today, with her hair down, and looked much more refined than when she reported for duty yesterday. Standing next to Yang Mi, the two chatted and laughed.

Nine o'clock sharp, the auspicious time has arrived.

Yu Zheng walked to the offering table, and the whole room fell silent.

The opening ceremony officially began.

The host first gave a long-winded introduction of the background and lineup, followed by speeches from leaders, and representatives from the production company and Hunan TV each said a few polite words.