Chapter 59

Chapter 59

After the matter involving Xu Yingzhe and He Xiaoxiao concluded, the "Zhouyang Emperor" crew proceeded with the original schedule, starting the filming on the fifth day after National Day.

The role of the third female lead has been filled. Xie Yinan handpicked an obedient actress with commendable skills from the company to fill the gap left by He Xiaoxiao.

On the day of the opening ceremony, the sun shone brightly. The sun in early October could still feel warm after some time. Ning Yuyi wore short sleeves and long pants, attending alongside Xie Yiezhou.

Watching the director and producers offering a pig head as a tribute, Ning Yuyi stood aside to avoid disturbing the busy crew.

"Why are you standing here all alone?" Sheng Nianzhi wore a light long coat, her curled hair draped over her shoulders. Her sunglasses and bright red lipstick added to her commanding presence.

"Oh, are you the lead actress?" Seeing Sheng Nianzhi again, Ning Yuyi was a bit puzzled, "Does that mean three actors in this drama have a connection to kendo?"

"Yes," Sheng Nianzhi replied, holding a coffee as she did the last time. "Huh, why aren’t you more surprised?"

Ning Yuyi: "Surprised about what?"

Sheng Nianzhi asked, "Aren't you worried that with the same lead cast, the audience might feel they're watching a different play?"

"Not really," Ning Yuyi hadn't thought of that. "I can become any character I play. Your and Big Brother's acting is also commendable. If we embody our roles, there won't be any confusion."

Sheng Nianzhi agreed, "That's a valid point."

The two continued chatting about other things until Xie Yezhou came looking for Ning Yuyi.

Seeing Sheng Nianzhi, Xie Yezhou quickly asked her, "You haven't led Ning Ning astray, have you?"

Sheng Nianzhi, exasperated, replied, "Come on, Ning Yuyi is a twenty-two-year-old adult. Do you think I could really corrupt her?"

Xie Yezhou wanted to say more, but the director's commencement ceremony ended, and the crew members came to call them for photographs.

"Let's go take the photos," Sheng Nianzhi said, removing her sunglasses and flashing a cool smile at Xie Yezhou.

Ning Yuyi licked her slightly dry lips and voiced a question she had been pondering.

"Sister Sheng."

Sheng Nianzhi responded, "Hmm? What is it?"

"Aren't you hot wearing so much?"

"…" Sheng Nianzhi fanned herself and chuckled, "Shut up."

For the rest of the journey, Sheng Nianzhi kept teasing Ning Yuyi for being less adorable.

Finally, Sheng Nianzhi concluded, "You and Xie Yezhou really are brothers, inheriting the same straightforwardness."

When it was time for the group photo, Lin Chijing also arrived. However, being a notable author and editor, he didn't want to overshadow others. So, he retreated a bit, mingling with the crew, seamlessly blending in.

Following the industry tradition, the first scene after the opening ceremony must pass in one take to bring good luck.

Thus, the director intentionally scheduled Xie Yezhou and Ning Yuyi's scene first. The performance began right after the clap master signaled "take one."

Xie Yezhou, who had extensively studied the script, felt much improved after the scene. They successfully completed the first take.

Once done, the director gave the two a break and began shooting the lead actress's scenes.

In costume and wigs, Ning Yuyi and Xie Yezhou found a shaded spot under a tree, set up foldable chairs, and started gaming on their phones.

Learning from a previous in-game setback, Ning Yuyi chose Gongsun Li, an unpredictable archer.

Xie Yezhou opted for Han Xin and soon made the opposing side's territory his playground.

So engrossed were they that they didn't notice a cameraman sneakily capturing them gaming.

Unlike Zhang Xueyong, who disliked leaked set photos, the director of "Zhouyang Emperor" loved sharing behind-the-scenes content. This was done to pique the curiosity of netizens and keep the buzz alive.

The cameraman was specifically dispatched by the director.

Following the director's instructions, the cameraman quickly edited the footage and posted it on the official microblog as a behind-the-scenes treat for the fans.

……

After finishing a game, Ning Yuyi was bombarded with WeChat messages from Zhou Erhe, urging him to check the trending news about Xu Yingzhe's divorce on Weibo.

Netizens celebrated Xu Yingzhe's divorce. Apart from a few die-hard fans defending Xu Yingzhe, most comments demanded Xu Yingzhe to leave the entertainment industry.

What infuriated Ning Yuyi the most was a die-hard fan of Xu Yingzhe who posted an unflattering photo of Ruan Xiaohui during her pregnancy, claiming she looked haggard and didn't match the ever-charming Xu Yingzhe.

Fuming, Ning Yuyi logged in with his alternate account to confront the fan. However, he was blocked after just one comment.

Feeling like he was punching cotton, Ning Yuyi vented his frustration to Xie Yezhou about the ignorant fan.

Curious about other comments, Ning Yuyi refreshed the feed and was stunned by a particular video.

"Second Brother."

"Yes?"

"We were filmed while gaming!" Ning Yuyi said, his face contorting with displeasure.

Xie Yezhou, familiar with the director's tactics, responded, "Stay calm. This is his usual gimmick. Unlike Zhang Xueyong, this director loves sporadically releasing spoiler images."

"That's not it," Ning Yuyi looked troubled, "The video wasn't properly blurred. Fans have identified our gaming nicknames."

A brief expression of disbelief crossed Xie Yezhou's face. Opening his game's main hall, he was indeed greeted by a flood of friend requests.

Unperturbed, Xie Yezhou first bought a rename card, changed his username, and then declined all friend requests.

Following suit, Ning Yuyi topped up his account to purchase a rename card but hesitated when selecting a new name.

Aha!

An idea struck Ning Yuyi. He opened the rename card and typed in—Ning Yichuan Zero.

Perfect! No one would decipher its meaning.

Cheerfully nodding, Ning Yuyi started a new ranked match and invited Xie Yezhou.

Xie Yezhou, upon seeing Ning Yuyi's new name, raised an eyebrow, "Huh."

Struggling to find words, he finally said, "Ning Ning..."