Didn’t Expect That, Did You?

Shame on you

Shao Cixin was suspicious that Wen Yu took her for a fool.

Being an actress, how could she not know what people look like when they cry?

As for Wen Yu, her eyes hadn’t even reddened, she was clearly trying to deceive her with eye drops!

Shao Cixin really hadn’t expected Wen Yu’s outrageous remarks to be so frequent.

Not only were they frequent, but they were always able to choke her up.

Today’s scene was not going to continue.

“Not crying anymore?” Shao Cixin casually asked, “If you’re not crying then leave quickly, if you want to cry then cry louder, cry out with your spirit[1]!”

Wen Yu’s plan was completely disrupted. She stood in place, dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

What spirit was there in fake crying?!

Seeing that she wasn’t moving, Shao Cixin took out her phone and said, “Oh dear, you’ve lost your voice, it seems you really haven’t eaten. Wait a moment, your sister-in-law will call your sister to come and take you for supper!”

She even complimented herself after saying it, “Ah, I am such a considerate sister-in-law.”

“…”

Wen Yu clenched her teeth, “No need!”

She was so furious that she turned around and walked away, carrying her embarrassment with her.

Today was truly a bad start!

But she wouldn’t give up so easily, she would continue to try hard next time!

Shao Cixin watched Wen Yu leave, remembering her defeated look brought her immense joy.

She was scum in her past life, so she was suffering heartache in this one. This was karma.

Looking down at the gift bag in her hand, Shao Cixin took a picture and headed for the elevator.

She sent the picture to Wen Zhihan.

[Shao Cixin]: Look, the gift your sister gave, I’ll send it to you later.

The elevator doors closed.

Shao Cixin leaned against the elevator cabin, and suddenly remembered the scarf incident.

Right, wasn’t the purpose of her wearing the scarf to hide the hickey?

If she had removed the scarf just now, wouldn’t that be a direct fatal blow to Wen Yu?

But she was afraid that Wen Yu, the woman who lives in her own world, wouldn’t believe that Wen Zhihan did this…

Shao Cixin touched the scarf around her neck silently.

She made up her mind, she would use this trick next time.

Regardless of whether Wen Yu believes it or not, it indicates she has someone, there’s no chance between them anymore!

— Hah, Wen Yu, dare to provoke me, you’re gonna suffer until death!

She walked out of the elevator, and her phone vibrated.

Wen Zhihan was calling.

Answering the phone and opening the door at the same time, her tone was calm and relaxed: “Hello?”

Wen Zhihan went straight to the point: “Did Wen Yu go to see you?”

Shao Cixin changed into her slippers: “Yes.”

Wen Zhihan: “What did she give?”

Shao Cixin: “She said it’s a scarf.”

Wen Zhihan: “…”

Shao Cixin rarely felt Wen Zhihan’s speechlessness.

She smiled, casually placing the gift bag on the table, and poured herself a glass of water to moisten her throat: “I’ll have someone deliver it to you.”

“To me?” Wen Zhihan expressed her confusion.

“Yes, I told her that we are one after marriage, giving me is giving you, so I will give the scarf to you.

“Remember to accept it later, this is a token of your sister’s affection for you, don’t refuse a gift.”

Shao Cixin placed her phone on the table, began to remove her scarf, and took off her coat.

There was a soft laugh from the other end of the phone.

“If she disturbs you again next time, remember to tell me.”

At first, Shao Cixin thought Wen Zhihan was always so concerned about Wen Yu and her affairs because he was from the Wen family and didn’t want Wen Yu to cause trouble.

But after spending some time together, she realized that Wen Zhihan was worried about her from her perspective.

In any case, the sisters really didn’t get along, and Wen Zhihan was a real gem.

With her around, Shao Cixin felt reassured.

“I got it, I’m going to take a bath, bye.”

“Bye.”

The next day, Shao Cixin had someone deliver the scarf to Guanglan Investment.

The courier was the self-appointed comrade Lin Mumu.

Going back and forth, the road was smooth and speedy.

That evening, Wen Yu saw the gift box she had personally selected at her sister’s place.

The scarf she picked out was still inside, placed exactly as she had arranged it, completely untouched and not even opened.

Wen Yu couldn’t describe her feelings when she saw Wen Zhihan holding that gift box in front of her.

It was complex, hesitating, and shocking all at once.

Shao Cixin… really gave Wen Zhihan the scarf?!

It was the one she personally chose and delivered!

She felt a blow once again.

Wen Zhihan placed the gift box on the table in front of her, gently pushing it toward her.

“Don’t do these unnecessary things in the future, your sister-in-law doesn’t like it.

“She likes what I give her.”

Her smile and tone were as gentle as ever, flawless.

However, her words made Wen Yu feel strange.

Wen Yu: “…”

Was she showing off now??

Why did I feel a faint tea flavor[2] in her words???

In the blink of an eye, it was time to join the film crew.

Shao Cixin left Feng City with her assistant and took a flight to the drama crew.

After settling their luggage in the hotel, Shao Cixin and Lin Mumu went downstairs to greet the director and other actors.

However, the first actor she ran into was Zhou Hong.

The two unexpectedly bumped into each other in the hotel lobby.

Zhou Hong habitually stared at Shao Cixin.

Shao Cixin sensed her gaze and looked back.

They just looked at each other, creating a strangely tense atmosphere.

Lin Mumu, standing next to Shao Cixin, was nervously watching the two.

What a disaster[3], the first person they saw was Zhou Hong, hopefully, Zhou Hong wouldn’t cause trouble for their artist!

But Zhou Hong really didn’t intend to cause trouble.

As a 5G Internet surfer[4] and Shao Cixin’s adversary, she was always the first to know about any developments concerning Shao Cixin.

Therefore, she knew Shao Cixin was the heiress of Shao Group, and she also knew Shao Cixin was Wen Zhihan’s wife.

The image of Shao Cixin who was so poor in her mind that she hadn’t seen the world fell apart by itself, and the Shao Cixin standing in front of her now was not to be underestimated.

But she still couldn’t make peace with Shao Cixin.

The fact that Shao Cixin was rich was a fact, but so was the fact that Shao Cixin had taken her role. Who doesn’t have a bit of grievance and pride?!

As the saying goes, dignity can’t be compromised, she wouldn’t let it slide just because of this with Shao Cixin, at most she would just go a little lighter on the sarcasm…

Then she saw Shao Cixin flick her hair: “What are you looking at, never seen a beautiful woman before?”

“?”

“You shameless thing,” Zhou Hong crossed her arms, putting on airs, “I’m just taking a glance, who says I’m looking at you!”

Shao Cixin: “Of course it’s because I’m shameless.”

Zhou Hong: “?”

Shao Cixin: “And also because of my truly captivating beauty.”

Zhou Hong: “???”

Shao Cixin: “You better stop looking, or my wife might come after you!”

Zhou Hong: “…”

When it comes to taking things in stride, Zhou Hong thought that probably no one could surpass Shao Cixin. [5]

She didn’t expect Shao Cixin to admit to being shameless so easily, even bringing up Wen Zhihan to show off their love.

So what if they’re husband and wife, who doesn’t have one?!

“Hmph, I can’t be bothered with you!”

Zhou Hong turned her head in arrogance, leading her assistant away.

Lin Mumu watched Zhou Hong leave, then turned to the calm and composed Shao Cixin, and silently gave her a thumbs up in her heart.

Maybe, possibly, perhaps… they didn’t need to worry about Shao Cixin being taken advantage of by Zhou Hong?

Soon, the script reading, the costume fitting, and the photo shoot, were gradually initiated. 

The film was named “The General”, with Shao Cixin playing the leading role of the female general, and there were scenes where she was disguised as a god or Buddha.

Thus, her costume-fitting photos included her in a battle robe, holding a sword and looking heroic, as well as her dressed up as a Dunhuang Bodhisattva, exuding an ethereal aura.

Director Long Hui was very satisfied with her two looks, especially the Bodhisattva.

When she twisted her fingers, with her hand pulling the fluttering long ribbon, and pressing down her eyebrows to form a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, a hint of compassion could be seen in her eyes. It really looked similar to the pre-shot Buddha statue photo they had taken.

“The General” official Weibo successively released the costume fitting photos and short videos of each actor.

The first one was Shao Cixin’s General and Bodhisattva.

Once it was released, it immediately attracted the attention of many “face control”[6].

[@Ah, another name]: She smiled at me! As a Bodhisattva, I can’t move, you can come and guide me!

[@Breakup Frontline Union]: The one in front, put on your clothes, she’s got a wife now [chicken cage.JPG][7]

[@Lonely without Adventure]: Why are all my wives married at such a young age…

[@When will I be Rich]: At this moment, I suddenly don’t know whether to envy President Wen or to envy Xin Xin.

Wen Zhihan naturally also saw this costume-fitting video.

She was currently accompanying Lu Lan in a temple to pray and burn incense, praying for blessings for Shao Cixin who was going on a long journey.

Every time Shao Cixin went away to film, Lu Lan would come to the temple to pray.

She hoped that God could bless her daughter to be safe and sound, everything to go smoothly, and not get hurt.

Shao Cixin knew this was her mother’s wish, so she often called home to report safety while filming.

Wen Zhihan turned off the sound and opened the video.

The person in the video was still the most conspicuous one in the crowd, able to easily capture any role.

The Bodhisattva look was the most popular, gentle with a hint of immortality, beautiful but not vulgar.

The second half of the short film had a small Easter egg.

Shao Cixin, dressed as a Bodhisattva, gently raised her eyes to look at the camera and then gave a soft smile.

In that moment, it was as if flowers bloomed, and the whole room was filled with light.

The video ended.

The replay button was displayed on the dark screen.

Wen Zhihan looked up, a tall and sacred stone Buddha statue was standing in front of her.

But at this moment, there was not a bit of solemnity in her heart, her mind was unconsciously recalling the smile she had just seen over and over again, thinking about other things…

She had offended the Buddha.

“Mom,” she whispered to Lu Lan, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Time passed like a white horse crossing a gap, and in a blink of an eye, it was the end of December.

Shao Cixin had been filming for three months, she came in autumn, and now it was already a deep winter with snow.

The filming of “The General” went smoothly, and Shao Cixin did not encounter any frustrating issues, even with Zhou Hong around.

Zhou Hong was a person who had some sense of propriety.

She would only act as a yin and yang master[8] in her spare time, not messing around during filming and wasting everyone’s time.

Shao Cixin was very relieved about this.

In addition, she heard from Lin Mumu that Zhou Hong and her husband Zhou Yi signed a couple’s variety show, which would start filming next year.

She had a premonition that Zhou Hong was going to show off her love to everyone this time.

But it didn’t matter, as long as she didn’t show it off in front of her, it wouldn’t upset her.

But not two days later, Rong Ya called her and said that there was an invitation for her to be on a couple’s variety show—with Wen Zhihan.

Shao Cixin: “……”

Inviting President Wen?

Well, the production teams are really getting bolder these days.

[1] “精气神” is a Chinese idiom that means vitality or spirit.[2] Along the lines of a green tea bitch, which is basically someone who seems nice on the outside but is actually a schemer. This is saying she’s probably appearing humble but actually bragging.[3] Disaster: This is a metaphor used to describe a difficult situation or a person who brings trouble.[4] 5G Internet surfer: A metaphorical way to describe someone up-to-date with internet trends, news, or gossip.[5] The Chinese proverb “论打蛇随棍上” (lùn dǎ shé suí gùn shàng) directly translates to “discussing hitting a snake follows the staff.” It’s a metaphorical expression that means “to act according to the actual circumstances”.

The proverb comes from an old story where a man tries to hit a snake with a staff. The snake moves and bends according to the movement of the staff, making it difficult for the man to hit the snake. Therefore, the man must adjust his actions according to the snake’s movement, not just aimlessly swing the staff.

The sentence “论打蛇随棍上这件事，周虹认为，邵慈心大概无人能及.” can be roughly translated as: “On the matter of acting according to circumstances (or adjusting one’s measures to local conditions), Zhou Hong thinks that probably no one can match Shao Cixin.”

So, Zhou Hong is expressing admiration for Shao Cixin’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.[6] “颜控” (Yan Kon) is a Chinese internet slang term that translates to “face controller.” It refers to people who care a lot about others’ appearances or have high standards for looks.[7] “【鸡笼.JPG】” The term “chicken cage” is an online slang in China, which is often used as a metaphor to describe feeling trapped or contained, in this context, it implies the poster wants the person they are responding to show respect as the person they are referring to is ‘taken’.[8] “阴阳师” (Yin and Yang master) is used metaphorically here to describe Zhou Hong as someone who creates drama or trouble, referencing the traditional Chinese Taoist profession, which dealt with the spiritual world.