Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

A film and television base in Hebei Province.

The props team has completed the setup of the incense burners and prayer flags for the actual Water and Land Dharma Assembly in Chang'an City.

Hundreds of extras were squatting outside the film set eating boxed lunches.

Today's call sheet is posted on the dressing room door; it's for the first show—

Guanyin Bodhisattva transformed into an old monk to enlighten Tang Sanzang, and then revealed her true form.

In the dressing room, Tang Yingxue sat in front of the mirror, while the makeup artist squatted in front of her, applying cinnabar to her forehead with a red pen.

She fasted for three days in advance, not touching any meat, which made the lines on her face appear tighter. Combined with her white gauze dress, she did indeed have an ethereal, otherworldly air.

I'm putting myself through all this trouble, not for the role.

The purpose was to crush Su Yuyan and Xu Qingya right from the start.

If this scene is filmed well today, who will dare to compete with her later?

"Make sure the red dot is drawn straight."

The makeup artist paused for a moment, her pen trembled, and she started to draw again.

-

Outside the film set, two folding chairs were placed side by side.

Su Yuyan was wearing a long black down jacket and holding a cup of coffee.

Xu Qingya wore a gray baseball cap, put her hands in her pockets, and huddled in the chair.

Neither of them has a chance today.

But they all came.

They call it observation and learning.

Xu Qingya glanced at the call sheet and asked in a low voice, "Can she portray the Bodhisattva well?"

Su Yuyan blew on the steam rising from her coffee: "This role is difficult to play. If you're too stiff, you'll look wooden; if you're too relaxed, you'll lack spirit. You know Director Yang's standards; if you stumble even once, you have to start over."

Xu Qingya didn't reply, but pulled her hat brim down a little.

Neither of them spoke, but they were both clearly calculating their own options—

If Tang Yingxue were to make a mistake, they would definitely be the first to applaud.

The door to the dressing room was pushed open from the inside.

Tang Yingxue came out.

She wore a pure white gauze dress over a semi-transparent shawl, held a willow branch in her left hand, and a jade vase in her right, with a dot of cinnabar between her eyebrows.

She didn't look at anyone, her gaze was fixed straight ahead, and her pace was neither fast nor slow.

The noise on set suddenly subsided considerably.

Su Yuyan held the coffee cup to her lips, while Xu Qingya took her hand out of her pocket and sat up straight.

This woman is definitely capable.

Jiang Fan stood beside the steps of the stage set up for the Dharma assembly, watching Tang Yingxue walk over.

He mentally gave the look a score.

Nine points.

I won't give her the last penny, afraid she'll get arrogant.

"All departments, prepare!" Yang Shuhua shouted through a megaphone, her voice booming, "Three—two—one—start recording!"

The clapperboard snapped shut.

The camera zooms in.

Inside Chang'an City, a Buddhist ceremony was held, with the chanting of sutras filling the air.

Jiang Fan, dressed in a brocade kasaya, stood below the high platform of the Dharma assembly.

The extras stood on both sides, clasping their hands and chanting scriptures.

The smoke from the incense burner was blown into a straight line by the blower, drifting up from the middle of the steps.

Yang Shuhua stared at the monitor screen.

In the video, Tang Yingxue's eyes are half-closed, her gaze directed downwards at Jiang Fan kneeling below the steps.

Jiang Fan put his hands together, bowed his head and chanted a Buddhist prayer, then looked up.

In the close-up shot on the monitor, his eyes were clear and free of any distracting thoughts.

Yang Shuhua's fingers clenched tightly on her knees—

This doesn't seem like someone acting for the first time.

The camera zooms in, cutting to a close-up of the two people.

Two faces filled the entire frame.

One is high above, the other looks up in devotion.

Taking advantage of the gaps between lines, Tang Yingxue barely moved her lips, speaking in a voice only Jiang Fan could hear:

"Elder Tang, is my Guanyin worthy of your approval?"

Jiang Fan maintained the posture of a high monk, his lips slightly parted.

"If a Bodhisattva were to be moved by worldly desires, the journey to the West would likely never come to an end."

Tang Yingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly.

This tremor was clearly captured by the telephoto lens of Unit 4.

From the monitor, the tremor was perfectly timed—

Guanyin gazed at Tang Sanzang, a soft, almost imperceptible ripple spreading across her eyes. It was so subtle and faint that it was withdrawn before it could be clearly seen.

Yang Shuhua suddenly stood up from her chair.

"Yes! That's it! Keep it up, don't let it break!"

Xu Qingya sat next to the monitor and could see everything clearly.

Tang Yingxue's gaze was clearly not acting; this woman was flirting with the camera.

Xu Qingya bit down with her back molars.

"Click! Pass!"

Yang Shuhua clapped twice, and the whole audience joined in.

Tang Yingxue walked down from the high platform.

The sound engineer and lighting assistant automatically made way for them.

She lifted her skirt and passed by Xu Qingya and Su Yuyan, pausing for half a second.

He turned his head and glanced at the two of them.

"Watching and learning more will benefit both of you."

He left after saying that.

Xu Qingya clenched her fists, her voice squeezed out through clenched teeth: "What's so great about this wretched woman?"

-

It's 10:30 p.m.

The seventh-floor corridor of the hotel where the film crew was staying.

Tang Yingxue stood in front of Jiang Fan's room.

She was still wearing that pure white Guanyin gauze dress, and the cinnabar between her eyebrows reflected a red glow under the corridor lights.

She raised her hand and tapped twice lightly.

The door opened from the inside.

Jiang Fan was wearing a hotel bathrobe, and water droplets were still hanging from his bald head.

Before he could speak, Tang Yingxue slipped into the room and locked the door behind her.

Only one wall lamp was lit in the room, by the bedside.

"What brings you here so late at night, Bodhisattva?" Jiang Fan leaned against the door, arms crossed.

Tang Yingxue walked to the center of the room and turned to face him.

"I've come to ferry you across."

She stepped forward, placed one hand on Jiang Fan's shoulder, and pushed him further in.

"Elder Tang, kneel down and listen to the Zen teachings."

His tone was exactly the same as on set during the day—condescending and oppressive.

Jiang Fan was pushed to the side of the sofa by her and looked at her for two seconds.

Tang Yingxue thought he was going to cooperate.

The next second, his wrist was twisted behind his back.

Jiang Fan turned around and pressed her against the armrest of the sofa.

Tang Yingxue lay sprawled on the sofa, her white gauze dress crumpled into a ball, her shawl slipping off her shoulders.

"Save me?" Jiang Fan leaned down and whispered in her ear, "The Bodhisattva has probably got it backwards."

Tang Yingxue struggled, but couldn't break free.

Jiang Fan's hand slipped under the skirt, pushing the white gauze skirt up section by section to reveal the skin underneath.

From the sofa to the bed, Tang Yingxue's white gauze dress was never completely removed, remaining crumpled and piled around her waist.

The cinnabar between her eyebrows had seeped through with the sweat, turning into a small blush.

Tang Yingxue's voice was already hoarse.

"That's enough... We have filming tomorrow..."

Just then.

Knock knock knock.

Three knocks on the door.

The two of them froze at the same time.

"Director Jiang, are you asleep?"

It was Xu Qingya's voice.

"I've come to discuss the script for the Kingdom of Women with you."

Tang Yingxue's eyes widened instantly.

She suddenly covered her mouth, not daring to breathe.

Jiang Fan glanced down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then moved forward slightly.

Tang Yingxue's body suddenly arched up. She wanted to curse, but she covered her mouth tightly.

She turned her head and bit Jiang Fan's shoulder, not daring to let go.

No one answered from the room.

Xu Qingya stood in the corridor, wearing a silk bathrobe with a light coat over it, clutching a script in her hand.

She listened intently for a few seconds.

The room was unusually quiet.

Xu Qingya's nostrils twitched slightly.

The airflow from the air conditioner vents in the hallway brushed past the gap at the bottom of the door, carrying a faint scent.

She recognized the taste.

It's the limited edition perfume that Tang Yingxue used.

Xu Qingya's fingers slowly tightened on the script cover.

She stared at the door for three seconds.

Finally, she turned around, slipped on her slippers, and walked away.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away in the corridor.

Tang Yingxue opened her mouth.

Jiang Fan now had a ring of complete teeth marks on his shoulder.

"Jiang Fan!" Tang Yingxue shouted, waving her hands and hitting Jiang Fan's shoulders. "Are you crazy! If she finds out, how am I supposed to stay on set tomorrow!"

Jiang Fan held down her flailing hands.

"Isn't this the kind of stimulation the Bodhisattva needs?"

Tang Yingxue glared at him.

She stared for five seconds, then her eyes filled with tears again.

Because he started again.

Tang Yingxue's protest changed tone, and in the end only intermittent gasps remained, muffled by her pillow.