Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

On the king-size bed in the hotel suite.

Ye Anran held Jiang Fan's neck tightly with both arms, her eyes filled with infatuation and submission.

A system notification sounded in Jiang Fan's mind.

【Ding. 】

[Deep communication with an SSSS-class target, lifespan increased by 10000 points.]

Current lifespan: 423300 points.

Jiang Fan rolled out of bed, picked up the shirt from the floor, and put it on.

Ye Anran sat up, completely disregarding the exposed skin on her body, and naturally straightened his collar.

"Pack your things, let's go to the film set."

Half an hour later, the two walked out of the hotel.

Ye Anran changed into a khaki trench coat paired with slim-fit jeans. Her fatigue from the past few days vanished, her skin glowed with a healthy radiance, and she exuded vitality.

The crew is in a break between scenes, and the lighting and camera crews are testing their equipment.

Under the awning, four folding chairs are lined up in a row.

Su Yuyan, Tang Yingxue, Xu Qingya, and Shen Nian sat side by side, each holding a script in their hands, but their eyes were not on the pages at all.

"The night before last, Director Jiang explained the scene to me until 3 a.m.." Su Yuyan picked up her iced Americano and took a sip. "The inner struggle of the White Bone Demon is indeed difficult to grasp. Director Jiang said that I have a high level of comprehension and can understand it immediately."

Tang Yingxue turned a page of the script and let out a cold laugh.

"Three in the morning? Mr. Su must have misremembered the time. Director Jiang was still in my room rehearsing lines at one in the morning. The Guanyin pose is difficult to master, and Director Jiang personally taught me several times."

Xu Qingya calmly adjusted her queen costume.

"You guys are just not skilled enough. As for my role as the Queen of the Women's Kingdom, Director Jiang said I could just play myself. Yesterday afternoon, he specially set aside two hours to discuss with me the various details of the Queen's first meeting with Tang Sanzang. He said my movements were very convincing."

Shen Nian sat on the far side, biting her straw and rolling her eyes.

"I'm not as experienced as the older ladies. But Director Jiang praised my Jade Rabbit dance, saying I danced it well and that my waist power was very accurate. He also said he would check my basic skills more often in the future."

The four of them stared at each other, none of them willing to give in.

"Teacher Jiang is here!"

The stagehand shouted.

The previously noisy film crew instantly quieted down, and everyone turned to look at the entrance.

Jiang Fan strode in, followed by a tall woman.

Immediately afterwards, the entire venue fell silent.

The woman following behind Jiang Fan took off her sunglasses.

Wearing a khaki trench coat, with a tall and slender figure, her strikingly beautiful face was exposed to everyone's view.

Ye Anran.

The top female celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry is currently a highly talked-about figure at the forefront of a capital battle.

The internet is flooded with news of her looking haggard and facing bankruptcy.

But at this moment, she was following behind Jiang Fan, radiant and exuding an amazing aura, showing no trace of her former disheveled state.

The four women under the awning stood up at the same time.

Apart from Su Yuyan, who knew some inside information, the expressions of the others suddenly changed.

Ye Anran? What's she doing here?

Jiang Fan led Ye Anran straight to the monitor.

"Director Yang, let me introduce you to Ye Anran, our newly signed artist with Xinghuo Media."

Yang Shuhua stood up, looked Ye Anran up and down, and frowned.

"President Jiang, she's a huge problem right now. Longyao Media has said that anyone who hires her is going against the entire industry."

"In my production team, I'm the one who calls the shots." Jiang Fan pulled up a chair and sat down. "Aren't you still struggling to decide on the final choice for the role of Chang'e? Let An Ran give it a try."

Yang Shuhua is a drama fanatic. No matter what others say, she only cares about the suitability of the role.

"Her appearance is indeed impeccable." Yang Shuhua stared at Ye Anran's face, "But the role of Chang'e isn't just about being pretty. Chen Kai said she's expressionless; whether she's a superstar or a newcomer, if she doesn't perform well, she's out."

Ye Anran stood beside Jiang Fan, her expression unchanged.

"Don't worry, Director Yang, I will prove myself."

The four women had already walked over and surrounded Jiang Fan and Ye Anran.

Tang Yingxue struck first. She crossed her arms and glanced at Ye Anran.

"Empress Ye, instead of being at home dealing with that 300 million yuan breach of contract fee, you've come to visit our little film crew?"

Ye Anran smiled slightly and met Tang Yingxue's gaze.

"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Tang. Mr. Jiang has already taken care of the breach of contract penalty for me. From today onwards, we're all on the same side. I hope you'll continue to look after me, Mr. Tang."

Tang Yingxue snorted coldly.

Xu Qingya tidied her hair, her gaze shifting between Jiang Fan and Ye Anran.

She keenly noticed the look in Ye Anran's eyes when she looked at Jiang Fan—a look that was trying hard to hide yet still revealed a hint of dependence.

Ye Anran could easily understand the unspoken message from these women, and she nodded generously.

"It was really good. President Jiang personally explained the play to me for half the night, which I benefited greatly from. He not only solved my breach of contract penalty problem, but also helped me open up my potential."

The four women's faces instantly turned ugly.

They knew all too well what Jiang Fan meant by "talking about the play".

I thought four people were already too crowded, but now another top fighter has joined us.

Jiang Fan sat in his chair, opened the script, and ignored the undercurrents between the women.

"Alright," Jiang Fan interrupted their argument. "Director Yang, get ready for the audition."

Yang Shuhua picked up the megaphone.

"All departments, prepare! Third shot: Tianpeng drunkenly harassing Chang'e. Props team, bring in the Guanghan Palace set!"

Ye Anran took off her trench coat, handed it to Jiang Fan, and walked towards the temporary Guanghan Palace set.

The four women retreated to the sidelines, their eyes fixed on Ye Anran.

They wanted to see just how well this woman, ridiculed online for her expressionless face, could act.

The setting of the Moon Palace exudes a desolate feeling, with white mist created by dry ice swirling on the ground.

Ye Anran changed into a moon-white flowing fairy dress. She stood in the mist, closed her eyes, and adjusted her breathing.

Every detail of Jiang Fan's instruction at the hotel flashed quickly through her mind.

"Third group, one shot, one take, Action!" The clapperboard sounded.

The actor playing Marshal Tianpeng staggered into the frame.

He let out a burp, his eyes glazed over, and stumbled toward Chang'e, who stood beneath the jade tree.

Ye Anran lowered her eyelids slightly and tightened her chin. Her gaze passed over Tianpeng's shoulder.

Tianpeng rushed forward and reached out to grab her sleeve.

Ye Anran gracefully turned to the side, making a very small movement, yet precisely avoiding Tianpeng's hand.

There was no panic, no anger in her eyes, only utter indifference.

That sense of supreme, inviolable sanctity instantly pierced through the monitor screen.

Yang Shuhua sat behind the monitor, unconsciously straightening her posture.

Tianpeng missed his target and fell to the ground. He looked up and, with a look of infatuation, tried to hug Ye Anran's leg.

Ye Anran lowered her head.

The gaze finally fell on Tianpeng.

Disgust poured out from her cold eyes.

She raised her hand, her wide sleeves fluttering, a simple flick of her sleeve carrying an undeniable air of authority.

The audience was silent.

The photographer, carrying his equipment, forgot to push the lens.

This is not facial paralysis.

She's clearly a cool and aloof fairy who stepped out of a book!

Tang Yingxue and Xu Qingya stood on the sidelines, their brows furrowed simultaneously.

Looking at Ye Anran in the center of the set, they felt a strong sense of crisis.

This woman's acting skills have been completely transformed.

"good!"

Yang Shuhua suddenly stood up and grabbed the megaphone.

"Cut! That's amazing! The emotion, the look in his eyes, absolutely incredible!"

Yang Shuhua excitedly walked to Jiang Fan's side and pointed to the playback on the monitor.

"President Jiang, look at this! That blind Chen Kai actually said she can't act! Is that what you call expressionless? This is textbook-level micro-expression control!"

Jiang Fan leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"As long as Director Yang is satisfied."

Ye Anran lifted her skirt and stepped out of the set. She walked up to Jiang Fan and bowed slightly.

"President Jiang, was my acting alright?"

Her tone was ingratiating, a quality only Jiang Fan could understand.

Jiang Fan put down his teacup and looked at her.

"good."

Ye Anran smiled, knowing that this was already a very high compliment from Jiang Fan.