Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The clapperboard snapped: "Scene 20, shot 21, take two—Consort's Snowy Night Plummet, Senior Tutor Shen to the Rescue, action!"

Wen Zhi talked a big game, but when it came to actually filming, she got cold feet.

One scene took seven or eight takes without success, ratcheting up her frustration.

She was fine, but she worried that if they kept retaking, Yun Songzhang's arm might give out from pulling her so many times.

On the ninth take, Wen Zhi was launched upward. As she fell, she psyched herself up and went for Yun Songzhang's lips. But before she could, the hand gripping hers suddenly pulled her in, pressing her flush against his chest, followed by a warm kiss landing on her forehead.

It was just a light, fleeting touch, yet it sent pins and needles from her forehead down to every limb.

Wen Zhi froze: Some say a kiss on the forehead signifies cherished respect.

Who said he could change the location again?!

Her hands trembled slightly at her sides as the lips on her forehead withdrew, moving close to her ear to whisper, "Faint."

Wen Zhi: Faint? What faint?

Oh, right.

After Shen Yizhi rescued her, she had played dead without even seeing who it was, unaware of what happened afterward.

He was throwing her a lifeline—she just had to take it.

Wen Zhi closed her eyes and played dead. Yun Songzhang effortlessly swept her up in his arms, carrying her off.

"Cut!" Director Zhou beamed. "This change is brilliant. The leads should have this kind of quiet chemistry."

He facepalmed—why hadn’t he thought of this earlier? All that wasted time.

Not bad, not bad. This Yun Songzhang had serious chops. He’d have to collaborate with him again post-production.

"Ms. Wen." Director Zhou called once, but she didn’t respond. He tried again, "Ms. Wen?"

Yun Songzhang replied without missing a beat, "She must be exhausted—probably passed out. I’ll take her to the green room, and we can continue filming later."

Director Zhou: "?" Passed out? Just like that?

The crew exchanged bewildered looks—her instant knockout skills were legendary.

As for whether she was really asleep or not, no one was about to peel her eyelids back to check.

Yun Songzhang carried her into the green room, briefed his assistant to keep an eye on her, and closed the door firmly behind him, shutting out the winter chill and curious stares.

The moment he left, Wen Zhi immediately opened her eyes, giving the assistant a jump.

"Ms—Ms. Wen, you're awake! I’ll go get someone," the assistant stammered, about to leave.

Wen Zhi stopped her. "Don’t. Just bring me my goodie bag."

"Okay." The assistant hurried to fetch it, only to find it nearly empty. "Ms. Wen, there’s not much left. I’ll be back in under sixty seconds to get more for you."

Wen Zhi nodded.

The assistant quickly explained, "I didn’t go out to buy any. I ran into Yun Songzhang’s assistant at the door. He said Yun Songzhang had plenty of snacks and gave me a bag, telling me Wen Zhi could get more when she finished these."

Wen Zhi fell silent.

Yun Songzhang didn’t seem like the type to eat snacks.

Was he planning to supply her with snacks long-term?

She took a handful of chips and chewed slowly, staying in the lounge for a few minutes before casually walking out wrapped in her down jacket. People passing by greeted her, and Wen Zhi smiled and nodded, then casually took a seat next to Director Zhou to watch Yun Songzhang act through the monitor.

In the scene, she played a beautiful woman. Shen Zhi saw her back to the secluded palace and ordered a young eunuch to fetch medicine for her chill. Then, under the moonlight, he quietly returned to his duty at the Hanlin Academy, his hand trembling uncontrollably as he worked at the desk.

Wen Zhi frowned and casually asked Director Zhou, "What happened to his hand?"

Director Zhou answered absently, "He strained his whole hand rescuing someone, and the back of his hand was cut and bleeding." As he spoke, he turned his head slightly and was startled to see Wen Zhi. Surprised, he asked, "You’re up?"

Wen Zhi answered breezily, "Awake."

"Just here to observe the male lead's performance, pick up some pointers."

Director Zhou gave an "oh" and continued staring at the monitor.

But Wen Zhi's thoughts drifted elsewhere.

She remembered the young eunuch who fetched her medicine. Back when she was locked in the dark cold palace, it was this eunuch who secretly slipped her a large steamed bun every day. Without him, she wouldn’t have just developed stomach problems—she might have starved to death.

So, was this eunuch one of Shen Yizhi’s people?

After she regained consciousness, she overheard palace maids gossiping that the newly appointed top scholar, the dashing Hanlin Shen, had fallen while on night duty. Not only was one of his hands injured, but he was also punished for failing to complete an imperial task.

At the time, her focus was on who had saved her and how to deal with Noble Consort Liu, who had harmed her, so she only half-listened and didn’t pay much attention.

Now, looking at the script, everything connected.

The feeling was surreal—a small monitor seemed to bridge two worlds. She observed events from that world, unknown to her, from a god’s perspective.

She became engrossed.

In the following days, after finishing her scenes, Wen Zhi would bring over a stool beside Director Zhou to observe.

She learned many things she hadn’t known before.

For example, when she struggled through a difficult labor giving birth to Mu Mu, Shen Yizhi personally went to the Imperial Hospital to seek out a trusted physician, insisting that both mother and child be kept safe. He spent the entire night at the Shen residence copying sutras for blessings.

When the Empress Dowager punished her, forcing her to kneel in the snow, it was Shen Yizhi who sewed knee pads and had Mu Mu secretly deliver them to her.

When she tested poison for Lu Xun and was at death’s door, Shen Yizhi sold off family assets to bring in a renowned physician from outside the palace to treat her. The credit went to Lu Xun, and others only knew he had shared the Emperor’s burden.

When she was to be named Noble Consort, court officials criticized her humble origins as unfit for the rank. It was Shen Yizhi who used the young prince as an excuse to overrule objections, securing Lu Xun’s support for her ennoblement.

Time and again...

In Great Yong, though she felt some guilt toward Shen Yizhi, her initial rescue of him had been not entirely selfless—she wanted a patron at court for herself and her son, someone like Prime Minister Zhang and General Zhang, who were the backbone of Empress Zhang.

But Shen Yizhi, whether before or after she saved him, had always treated her and her son with unwavering devotion.

He truly lived up to his promise: *"My life belongs to Your Highness."*

A pang of guilt rose in Wen Zhi’s chest, and her gaze toward Yun Songzhang turned wistful.

"Xiao Zhi, hey, Xiao Zhi?" Yun Songzhang waved his hand in front of her eyes.

Wen Zhi jolted back to the present, meeting his gaze, and suddenly she couldn’t quite tell whether he was Yun Songzhang, Shen Zhi, or Shen Yizhi.

"What is it?"

Yun Songzhang raised the script in his hand with a smile. "Today's scene is a blessing ceremony at Xishan Temple. It's an outdoor shoot, and there's a staircase up the mountain—insanely steep. Can you handle it?"

Wen Zhi: "How steep is 'insanely steep'?"

Yun Songzhang: "I had someone take photos in advance. Here, take a look." He handed her a photo.

Wen Zhi took it and immediately felt dizzy.

She remembered there being stone steps at Xishan Temple back then, but they were never this tall. Xishan Temple was the state temple, and a wide, smooth slope had been built beside the steps specifically for the royal carriages. At the time, she was favored by the emperor and rode in the same carriage as the DogEmperor—which was why Empress Zhang came to hate her.

Wen Zhi frowned. "Why is it so high? Isn't there a shorter mountain?" Modern tech was way too advanced—this must have eighty-one steps, like the 81 trials from *Journey to the West*.

Director Zhou, standing nearby, chuckled. "The steeper the steps, the more they reflect the sincerity of the male and female leads. They'll declare their love at Xishan Temple."

Wen Zhi thought to herself: *Now THIS is a romance novel for you—the leads can be forced together no matter what.*

The script stated that after she and the DogEmperor prayed under the blessing tree at Xishan Temple and tied their red silk ribbons, Shen Yizhi followed shortly after. His ribbon became entangled with hers when thrown onto the tree.

*Who comes up with this stuff?*

"What if the monks got bored one day and took them down? Wouldn’t that ruin everything?"

Yun Songzhang: "Who would dare remove the royal family’s ribbons? And how do you know he didn’t go?"

Whether he went or not, only those involved would know.

Wen Zhi didn’t argue further and asked Director Zhou directly, "You’re not seriously making the whole crew climb this mountain, are you? We'd lose half the crew to exhaustion."

Director Zhou: "Of course not. There are cable cars for going up and down. We’ll just film the carriage moving uphill, then everyone takes the cable car up to continue shooting. Same for the descent."

Wen Zhi breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Good. I’m afraid of heights, but I can just close my eyes in the cable car."

"Bring Mu Mu along too. He’s been cooped up in the hotel these past few days, complaining about boredom. Let him experience the temple vibes while the weather’s nice."

The mountain they were heading to wasn’t far from the film set—just a ten-minute drive at most. Filming the walk would take half an hour. Fortunately, they only shot the procession leaving the palace first before speeding up the journey to the mountain. The locals were used to filming crews and hardly even looked up, at most watching from their doorways.

The team hurried along and reached the foot of the mountain in about twenty minutes.

Wen Zhi and Liu Yizhao, who played the emperor, rode together in the imperial carriage for filming. Behind them were the consorts, princes, princesses, and attendants, followed by the nobles and ministers.

The Wen family’s driver trailed behind at a leisurely pace with Mu Mu.

After filming the arrival scene, everyone ascended the mountain in groups and continued shooting. After the prayer ceremony came the big scene: Wen Zhi and the DogEmperor went to the blessing tree, wrote on their red silk ribbons, tied them together, and hurled them up to the treetop.

When Wen Zhi picked up the brush and nailed that delicate *zhuanxiao* script, the crew lost it. Even Director Zhou couldn’t help but gush, "I never expected Teacher Wen to be so skilled with a brush."

*[Pause]*

Wen Zhi: "Too kind."

Shen Yizhi’s calligraphy was in a league of its own—even the great scholars of *Great Yong* had praised it.

Can Yun Songzhang even handle a brush?

Director Zhou was overthinking it. When it was Yun Songzhang's turn to film, he shouted through the megaphone, "Mr. Yun, just go through the motions with the brush if you can't do calligraphy. We can have a professional calligrapher reshoot the hand close-ups in post-production."

Yun Songzhang nodded at Director Zhou, then picked up the brush with practiced ease, putting force into his wrist as he wrote a phrase on the red silk.

Wen Zhi leaned in to examine the monitor closely. The shot only captured his wrist and the upper part of the brush—what he had written remained unclear.

Wen Zhi muttered, "How can they connect their hearts if the words aren’t even visible?"

Director Zhou replied, "Later, we’ll shoot a distant scene where the imperial concubine sees Shen Zhi’s back and then notices their red silks intertwining. It’s about the subtle, dreamlike beauty—it shouldn’t be too direct."

Still not following.

After the shoot, Director Zhou allowed the crew to roam the temple on their own but reminded everyone to stay safe and return to the film set by 3 p.m.

Wen Zhi took Mu Mu to visit every Buddha statue and even had him draw a fortune slip. While waiting for the interpretation, her curiosity about Yun Songzhang’s writing grew unbearable. Glancing around, she noticed the crew members were all occupied, and Yun Songzhang had been whisked away by Director Zhou. Seizing the opportunity, she quietly pulled Mu Mu toward the wishing tree.

The so-called wishing tree was actually a thousand-year-old banyan, its trunk so thick that several people couldn’t encircle it. The entire tree was laden with blessings—red silks, ribbons, and bells—forming a blaze of crimson with occasional hints of green. When the wind blew, the silks fluttered, and the bells chimed, creating a mesmerizing scene.

Craning her neck, Wen Zhi finally spotted her own red silk among the dense tangle. The one entwined with hers must be Yun Songzhang’s.

She lifted Mu Mu and pointed upward. "Mu Mu, see that red silk? Uncle Yun just wrote on it. Climb up and toss it down—Mom will catch it."

Children love climbing trees, and Mu Mu was no exception. He nodded eagerly and scrambled up like a squirrel. Despite his small size, his training in kung fu made the task easy. Soon, he reached the silk and tossed it down to Wen Zhi.

She jumped to catch it, then eagerly unfurled the silk to read the words.

The moment she saw them, she froze.

Only eight characters were written—

"Take my hand; Nuan Nuan comes home."

Shen Yizhi’s surname was Shen, his courtesy name Yizhi. Many had addressed him as *Top Scholar Shen*, *Hanlin Shen*, or *Senior Tutor Shen*—few ever called him by his birth name: *Shen Zhi*.

This detail wasn’t mentioned in the script.

If *"Zhi"* referred to *Shen Zhi*, then who was *Nuan Nuan*?

Wen Zhi’s eyes darkened with unreadable emotions.

Then she examined the calligraphy—lean yet powerful, dignified and fluid, like a dragon plunging into the sea. It was exquisitely elegant, painfully familiar.

Mu Mu’s handwriting had been taught by Shen Yizhi. When he first learned to write, the copybooks he practiced from were Shen Yizhi’s. Night after night, she’d gathered countless sheets of those exercises.

Yun Songzhang’s brushwork was identical to Shen Yizhi’s?

For a moment, her mind went blank.

Was Yun Songzhang Shen Yizhi? Was Shen Yizhi Yun Songzhang?

Did Yun Songzhang remember her? Or did he remember but pretend otherwise?

But the Dog Emperor swore he’d seen Shen Yizhi lying on a sickbed with his own eyes—meaning, even if Shen Yizhi had crossed over, he should still have his original face.

Chen Yuyao’s soul crossing over hadn’t changed her appearance. Would Shen Yizhi’s case be different?

Her thoughts were a whirlwind. Mu Mu jumped down from the tree and pulled at her sleeve. "Mom, let me see! What did Uncle Yun write?"

She crumpled the silk and stuffed it into her pocket, chiding playfully, "Grown-up stuff. Kids shouldn’t read it."

Mu Mu behaved well and, as promised, didn't ask to see it after all.

She took Mu Mu to gather at the entrance of the Great Buddha Hall. When the group arrived, she happened to see Yun Songzhang, draped in a blue-green cloak, talking to Director Zhou with his back turned to her.

His silhouette looked exactly the same!

On the way back, the two rode in the same car. Mu Mu dozed off, swaying with the motion, while Wen Zhi kept stealing glances at Yun Songzhang’s face. He remained composed, turning to meet her gaze and asking, "What’s wrong?"

Wen Zhi deliberately probed, "What did you write on the red silk? I’m really curious."

Yun Songzhang raised an eyebrow. "A romance drama calls for love poetry, naturally."

Wen Zhi: "For Noble Consort Wen?"

Yun Songzhang: "For you."

Wen Zhi grew even more puzzled: He and Shen Yizhi were completely different—one reticent, tight-lipped as a sealed gourd, the other straightforward and socially adept.

She leaned back and closed her eyes to rest. After a while, a small blanket was placed over her.

When the crew returned to the film set, Yun Songzhang and the other actors resumed filming. Wen Zhi, with no scenes to shoot, took Mu Mu back to the hotel to rest. Seizing the moment while Mu Mu was still asleep, she called Uncle Zhong. As soon as the call connected, she urgently asked, "Uncle Zhong, I need to ask you something—has Mr. Yun ever been hospitalized for an illness before?"

Uncle Zhong sounded puzzled. "Why do you ask, Nuannuan Xiaojie?"

Wen Zhi: "No reason, I just want to know more about him."

Uncle Zhong, perhaps misinterpreting her intentions, replied cheerfully, "Mr. Yun was in a car accident during his college entrance exams. It was my master who arranged his hospitalization and even covered the surgery costs. After that, he sponsored his university education..." Once he started talking about Yun Songzhang, he couldn’t stop. "Back then, Nuannuan Xiaojie had already been missing for a long time, and the mistress was gravely ill. Mr. Yun often visited. Later, when the master fell ill, he shuttled between the hospital and the company, dealing with your second uncle’s family while still searching for you. It was truly exhausting. My master asked him to wait for your return, and he agreed without hesitation. All these years, he hasn’t married or had children..."

"Got it," Wen Zhi hung up the phone.

Mr. Yun had also been in a car accident. Was it possible the DogEmperor had lied? What if the person he saw in the hospital was Yun Songzhang, and he had deliberately played her?

But Yun Songzhang was thirty now, meaning his accident had been ten years ago. Even if he had arrived earlier than the DogEmperor, it couldn’t have been that much earlier.

If he really was Shen Yizhi, why wouldn’t he acknowledge her and Mu Mu?

Did the accident mess with his head?

Her mind was in knots, and her head ached. She simply hugged Mu Mu and fell asleep.

Shoukang Palace buzzed with activity as the concubines took their seats to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. The conversation soon turned to Princess Wenling’s marriage prospects. Consort Shu teased, "I think Hanlin Shen would be an excellent match—his looks and talents suit the princess perfectly."

The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea, her tone disdainful. "His appearance and intellect may be commendable, but alas, he's lame. This old one’s daughter could never marry someone with such a flaw."

The concubines giggled behind their hands, nodding in agreement, their eyes filled with scorn.

Concubine Lin giggled, "I heard that when Hanlin Shen first became the top scholar, many noble ladies in the capital fancied him. But he’s dirt poor—what respectable household would let their daughter suffer like that?"

Wen Zhi abruptly set down her teacup, stood, and bowed to the Empress Dowager. "I'm not feeling well and will retire to rest."

The Empress Dowager, who had always disliked her, was happy to be rid of her and waved her off.

Someone of Shen Yizhi's caliber was not someone these catty women could belittle. Besides, Shen Yizhi was Mu Mu’s teacher—insulting him was no different from insulting her.

Wen Zhi headed back with her attendants, instructing a palace maid to get a pass so she could visit the Wenhua Hall to check on Mu Mu’s studies. As she neared the hall, she faintly heard voices. Looking through the carved stone screen, she saw Shen Yizhi and Compiler Li from the Hanlin Academy talking in the covered walkway.

She raised a hand, motioning her maids to be quiet.

Compiler Li tugged at his wispy beard and smiled. "May I ask if Lord Shen is betrothed? Would you do me the honor of becoming my son-in-law?"

Though Editor Li held a low official rank, he came from a prestigious family. Marrying his daughter could lift someone from poverty to the capital's high society.

Wen Zhi was just about to think that at least someone knew quality when they saw it when she heard Shen Yizhi say, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Li. Though I am not betrothed, my heart already belongs to someone..." Before he could finish, the other man whirled away angrily.

Shen Yizhi remained cool as a cucumber—no one was better at offending people.

To avoid awkwardness, Wen Zhi turned to leave, but then a voice called out from behind, "Milady?"

Her legs seemed frozen stiff, unable to move.

The voice persisted, "Milady?"

"Milady?"

A hand landed on her shoulder. Wen Zhi turned her head to see Yun Songzhang's face right in front of her. Startled, she stumbled backward and tumbled off the bed.

The bedside lamp by the bed was still on, and Mu Mu lay peacefully under the covers.

Rubbing her forehead, she climbed up and sat on the sofa, cocooning herself tightly in the fleece blanket. Just a dream.

Why had she dreamed of Shen Yizhi turning into Yun Songzhang?

It seemed she couldn’t rest until she figured this out.

In bare feet, she walked to the bedside, grabbed her phone, and headed to the balcony. Fortunately, it was enclosed, so she wouldn’t freeze to death. After closing the sliding glass door, she dialed Chen Yuyao’s number.

The phone rang for a long time before the other woman answered irritably, "Princess, it’s three in the morning! If you’re not sleeping, others are! I worked the night shift yesterday and still have an early shift later."

Wen Zhi cut to the chase, "I’ll give you an apartment if you answer one question."

The other end immediately perked up, "Deal. Name your price—shoot." Even in the modern era, even queens worry about money.

After a pause, Wen Zhi asked, "Why did Shen Yizhi rebel?"

Chen Yuyao seemed caught off guard. After a stunned silence, she replied incredulously, "You don’t know?"

Wen Zhi stayed silent. Chen Yuyao suddenly laughed, "Right, our former Noble Consort Wen was untouchable. That tight-lipped man would never have breathed a word."

"He rebelled to avenge you. Why else would he wear funeral white, covered head to toe, and choose the exact hour you drowned to die with Lu Xun? It wasn’t a rebellion—he just didn’t want to live anymore."

Wen Zhi’s eyes burned. "For me? In funeral white?"

Chen Yuyao mused, her tone tinged with envy, "If any man loved me like that, I wouldn’t have gone mad." Hellbent on killing Lu Xun.

Wen Zhi countered, "You think he loved me?"

Chen Yuyao sounded surprised, "Don’t tell me you didn’t know. Even Lu Xun suspected it." She sighed, "Well, seems Shen Yizhi died for nothing. You clearly never returned his feelings. That Director Yun by your side is nice, and Lin Jiyao isn’t bad either..."

Wen Zhi frowned, "Do you still want that apartment or not?"

Chen Yuyao quickly backtracked, "Of course I do!"

Wen Zhi said, "Do me a favor. I need to see Lu Xun tomorrow morning. The apartment is yours as soon as it’s done."

Chen Yuyao agreed, "Fine, anytime." Then, feeling like a madam, she tried to add more, but Wen Zhi had already hung up.

After ending the call, Wen Zhi texted Director Zhou, informing him she had personal business the next morning but would return by afternoon. She then arranged for her Private Jet to pick her up from the shooting location immediately.

At six the next morning, Wen Zhi boarded the plane alone, heading for Jiangcheng Detention Center.

At eight in the morning, Wen Zhi met the emaciated Lu Xun in the prison visitation room.

The Dog Emperor had long lost his former sharpness. His gaze at Wen Zhi was filled with nothing but hatred and defeat; he couldn't even be bothered with her.

Wen Zhi said nothing. She pulled out a red silk ribbon from her bag and showed it to him through the glass.

The previously defeated Lu Xun shot up from his seat, then quickly composed himself, gritting his teeth. "Forget it. You'll never lay eyes on him again."

Wen Zhi picked up the receiver and chuckled. "What do you mean 'impossible'? Shen Yizhi is Yun Songzhang. What you saw back then was Yun Songzhang. Did you really think you could fool me?"

Lu Xun’s eyes widened abruptly before he began smashing the glass in a frenzy. "You cheating bastards! Whores! You conspired to play me, didn’t you? He recognized you long ago, and you recognized him too! The shares—that was all your scheme to humiliate me! I’ll kill you both! Kill Shen Yizhi—no, that gimp Yun Songzhang!!!" The moment he first saw Yun Songzhang, he had recognized him. But back then, Yun Songzhang seemed oblivious, nothing like his old Great Yong self. Assuming his car accident had caused amnesia, Lu Xun deliberately concealed the truth.

He had even misled that harlot Wen Zhi when he was imprisoned.

Never did he expect to be the fool all along.

"I’ll kill you!!!"

Driven over the edge, Lu Xun slammed against the walls. The alarmed prison guards shouted, "Quick! Inmate 23851 has lost it!" He even started ranting like an emperor [using the imperial pronoun 'Zhen'].

Several guards rushed over, tackled him, twisting his arms behind his back. When he kept struggling, they zapped him with stun batons.

Wen Zhi stood rooted to the spot, clutching the receiver as she watched his thrashing, her thoughts churning violently: So, Yun Songzhang really is Shen Yizhi.

Shen Yizhi is Yun Songzhang?

Then why did he pursue her without revealing his identity?

She slammed down the receiver and bolted. She had too many questions—she had to confront him right this second!