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

When Yu Zheng took the microphone, his tone was clearly excited: "Palace is the first time-travel drama set in the Qing Dynasty. We want to break the traditional pattern of Qing Dynasty palace dramas and show the audience something different!"

"..."

Next came the worship of the gods.

Yu Zheng was the first to offer incense. He raised three sticks of incense above his head, bowed three times, and looked as devout as if he were making a wish.

Then came Li Huizhu, followed by Yang Mi and other leading actors.

We'll proceed one by one, according to their status.

When the group kneels in worship, the people in the front row kneel on red cushions, while the people in the back row stand and bow.

Jiang Chen bent down slightly, feeling nothing in particular, but everyone around him seemed quite serious.

Praying for a smooth filming process, high ratings, and the safety of everyone involved!

Production crews always believe in this, especially for period dramas.

In period dramas, wire work, horseback riding, and running through explosions are all prone to accidents. People in the industry would rather pray for peace of mind than risk their lives.

The most outrageous example was the crew of the 2009 TV series "The Divine Doctor Da Dao Gong". Before filming began, they not only held a grand worship ceremony at the Ciji Palace in Qingjiao, Haicang, Xiamen, but also specially invited a Taoist priest to perform rituals.

To prepare for his role as Baosheng Dadi, Zheng Shaoqiu went to Baoan Temple in Taiwan to burn incense and pray for blessings half a month in advance.

Some Hong Kong period drama production teams go even further, consulting a master to calculate the auspicious time and direction before filming begins.

Even the color of the actors' costumes and the angle at which the props were placed had to be done according to the master's instructions, for fear of offending the "things".

Next came the unveiling ceremony and the distribution of red envelopes.

Yu Zheng personally sent the message, including everyone from the lead actors to the staff.

Jiang Chen went to the back of the line. Yu Zheng saw him, nodded, and handed him a red envelope.

"Do a good job."

"Thank you, Teacher Yu."

Jiang Chen secretly glanced at it when he had a chance; it was twenty yuan...

As expected, Yu is a real cheapskate...

The guy playing the eunuch next to me opened it, glanced at it, grimaced, and stuffed it back into his pocket.

When taking the group photo, Jiang Chen consciously stood in the last row.

The front row consists of Yu Zheng, Li Huizhu, Yang Mi, and Feng Shaofeng, clearly standing in the center position.

The photographer counted down three, two, one, and everyone shouted "Auspicious start!" The shutter clicked away in a flurry of clicks.

After the ceremony, the media swarmed around to conduct interviews.

Yang Mi was surrounded by microphones from three or four TV stations, and she said things like "I'm really looking forward to this role" and "Qingchuan is quite similar to me."

She is currently very popular.

With her role as Xuejian in "Chinese Paladin 3", she became an instant sensation across the country.

Following her role as Xue Yuan in "Beauty's Rival in Palace," she solidified her position in the world of period dramas.

Her resources have skyrocketed in the past two years.

Although she's not a top star yet, she's already a frontrunner, and everyone can see that she's going to be a breakout star sooner or later.

Jiang Chen didn't join in the fun and retreated to stand in the shade.

At 11 o'clock, the first shot began filming.

The scene chosen was the first encounter between the Eighth Prince and Qingchuan, which took place in the palace corridor next door.

Yang Mi changed into a pink cheongsam, wore a headdress, and wore platform shoes. She walked a little unsteadily, but once she stood in front of the camera, she was a completely different person.

Li Huizhu called "Start" from behind the monitor, and her eyes instantly changed, transforming from the smiling little girl into Qingchuan.

Over the next few days, the production team split into two groups, A and B, to catch up on the schedule.

Group A filmed the main characters' scenes, while Group B filmed the supporting characters' scenes and transitional scenes.

Jiang Chen's scenes were later in the series, and he spent most of his time waiting in the B group. When he didn't have any scenes to film, he would sit in a corner and watch others act.

He and Yang Mi hadn't spoken much.

She's the female lead, surrounded by makeup artists, assistants, and scriptwriters; she even has someone hand her a drink of water.

He's just a minor supporting character; it wouldn't be appropriate for him to join the cast.

We occasionally bump into each other in the hallway, nod to each other as a greeting, and never exchange more than three sentences.

But he did become quite familiar with Tong Liya.

In the drama, the Fourteenth Prince and Nian Suyun are the official couple and have many scenes together.

During their first scene together, Tong Liya thought he would be nervous, so she smiled and comforted him, saying, "Don't be so tense, just think of me as your older sister."

Jiang Chen called out "Sister Ya Ya," and she responded.

After that, we naturally became familiar with each other.

Jiang Chen is perceptive; he doesn't linger in crowds when he's not busy, but he doesn't neglect any of his duties.

Tong Liya was having trouble walking in her platform shoes, so he offered her a hand.

When her assistant was busy and not around, he would help by handing her water or fetching her a script.

It wasn't that I was trying to please anyone; I just did what felt convenient.

Tong Liya noticed this and had a good impression of him. Within two days, she started calling him "brother" repeatedly.

That evening, Jiang Chen had just finished showering, his hair still dripping wet, when his phone rang.

Tong Liya's text message: "Come out, let's get some late-night snacks."

"No time, I'm memorizing my lines."

Jiang Chen really didn't want to go.

Tong Liya is a well-known crayfish fanatic in the entertainment industry, and is nicknamed "Mother of Crayfish".

When I was at my poorest while working in Beijing, I only had 100 yuan left in my pocket. On my birthday, I still managed to spend 95 yuan to buy two bowls of crayfish, and used the remaining 5 yuan to call my mother to let her know I was safe.

Back then, she wasn't famous yet. She lived in a basement and worked as an extra, but no matter how poor she was, she still insisted on eating lobsters; it was her obsession.

July is the time when lobsters are at their fattest, and she kept saying she wanted to eat them.

Jiang Chen accompanied her there once, but after eating there, he decided never to go again.

The crayfish in Hengdian, whether seasoned with thirteen spices, minced garlic, or chilled Shaoxing wine, all have a sweet taste.

He's from Shandong and grew up eating barbecue, so he really can't get used to it.

"Let me introduce you to a beautiful woman."

Jiang Chen stared at the screen, his hands moving faster than his brain: "Sister Ya Ya, wait five minutes!"

Ya Ya: "..."

When Jiang Chen came downstairs, Tong Liya was already waiting in the lobby.

Fully armed, with his baseball cap pulled low and a mask on, he looked like he was about to go out and do something big.

"Why is it taking so long?" She glanced at her phone. "What happened to the promised five minutes?"

"I washed my hair."

Why would a man wash his hair?

"...Men also need to be hygienic."

Tong Liya rolled her eyes at him, pulled her mask up, and pushed the door open to walk out.

The lights are still on at this hour on Wansheng South Street in Hengdian.

A row of food stalls lined the roadside, with plastic tables and chairs set up on the sidewalk, filled with staff and actors who had just finished work.

There were quite a few extras dressed in ancient costumes eating late-night snacks, their hair still styled in traditional buns, sitting on plastic stools and munching on skewers – a truly surreal sight.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, mosquitoes circled around the light bulbs at the stalls, and the air was filled with the aroma of garlic and thirteen-spice powder.

Tong Liya led him into an alley with a sign that read "Lao Shen Lobster".

This shop is very famous in the industry. Any actor who has filmed a movie or TV show and hasn't been here would be embarrassed to say that they have worked in Hengdian.

The shop is small, with several red plastic basins placed at the entrance, filled with live shrimp, their claws outstretched.

The proprietress sat at the door, cutting shrimp heads with lightning speed, leaving a bucket of shrimp shells piled up more than a meter high on the ground.

Tong Liya pushed open the door to the private room as if she knew her way around, and a blast of cool air from the air conditioner hit her.

"Boss, five catties of Thirteen Spices, five catties of minced garlic, five catties of chilled Shaoxing wine, and a cucumber salad."

She ordered everything in one go, without even looking at the menu.

Jiang Chen, listening nearby, twitched his lips: "Sister Ya Ya, it's just the two of us, are you going to order fifteen jin?"

"Who said it was just the two of us?" Tong Liya said without even looking up. "Open two more bottles of iced cola."

Before Jiang Chen could ask anything, the door to the private room opened, and Yang Mi poked half her body in.