However, those words were proven wrong within an hour. When Tang Shu walked out of the makeup room, almost no one could recognize her, not until she stood right in front of Director Qi.
"Director, does this look suit the character?"
"...Tang, Tang Shu?"
"It’s ."
"!!!"
Director Qi drew in a sharp breath. It suited perfectly, incredibly so. With this face paired with the simple and rustic ancient costu, she would completely blend into the crowd!
"How did you turn yourself into a completely different person?"
"For the role?"
Tong Tong, dressed in a vibrant red warrior skirt, circled around Tang Shu several tis, clicking her tongue in amazent.
"Looks like I’ll have to use my trump card this ti, or I might lose to you. This year, I’ve set my sights on the Best Actress title."
If her presence got eclipsed by a supporting character, she’d probably cry to death—destined to beco the next Feng Yan.
"Shall we wait and see who triumphs?"
"I won’t give you an inch, so you better watch out."
"I won’t back down either."
The two won stood in place, exchanging enigmatic smiles. The sight made Director Qi shudder hard—what was this? The movie hadn’t even started filming, and the lead and supporting actresses were already competing?
Indeed, the undercurrent turmoil among female stars was palpable.
Tong Tong, who debuted as a theater actress, had flawless acting skills. She had been waiting for an opportunity to showcase herself, and now that it had arrived, few in the industry could overpower her.
So when Director Qi yelled "Action!" the two imdiately dove headfirst into an acting duel. Not only were the fellow cast mbers watching with intense excitent, but even Geng Qiuqiu, who occasionally accompanied her family, couldn’t resist the itch in her hands and eyes.
"I wish I could jump in too! You two are really sothing!"
"No way, you stay out of it. It’s already tough handling one of them!"
"Exactly, we don’t need more trouble from you."
Director Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead. "This is too much. My indecisiveness is definitely going to flare up—there’s not a single take I want to cut out."
Brilliant actors competing in performance: not every director could be so lucky to encounter this. If the production added the talented Geng Qiuqiu to the mix, would he even survive?
These days, female actors were going all out, leaving male actors with zero room to show off.
***
In mid-December, graduate students across the nation faced their exams.
Tang Shu had just returned from filming in the Northwest and hurriedly sent her two anxious girlfriends into the examination hall, suddenly feeling like she’d been through it all herself.
The campus of Imperial Capital dical University was extraordinarily calm. Perhaps due to preparing exam venues, the students who weren’t taking exams were mostly on break, and even the usually brightly lit labs remained closed.
Carrying locally sourced specialties from the Northwest in her hands, Tang Shu decisively headed to the residential quarters to chat with the elderly couple.
"Xiao Shu? Stay here for lunch. Your Sister An An and Xiao Lu will be dropping by later."
"Is there sothing special today?"
"Not really; An An is invigilating at the school. She decided to visit Old Yu since she hasn’t seen him in a while."
So that’s what it was.
Tang Shu put down her things, took a quick tour of the kitchen, and noticed there were hardly any vegetables. So she accompanied Old Madam Yu to the nearby supermarket—though she wasn’t much help with picking produce, she was handy when taking care of the bill.
At least she wasn’t completely useless.
"That show you did, ’National Treasure Story,’ was quite good! I heard the program team contacted you again afterward?"
"Yes, they originally planned to invite as a regular guest, but I’d already committed to another project at the ti and couldn’t coordinate the schedule."
"Well, too bad for them—they missed their chance."
Old Madam Yu, who usually stayed at ho, still managed to stay inford about such things. During their grocery trip, she even offered her critique of several episodes of the docuntary.
"Lately, I’ve noticed that ’National Treasure Story’ has improved quite a bit—great choice of participants and even those outfits they wear now, like Hanfu court attire. I bet you gave them those ideas?"
"I just offered a few suggestions, which they adopted."
’National Treasure Story’ had indeed reached out to her again, but Tang Shu didn’t believe its high ratings were all her doing. The previous format was far too dry—it couldn’t attract a younger audience.
She proposed focusing more on the hosts’ attire and exploring the origins of the national treasures more deeply. Unexpectedly, the result was incredible, with ’National Treasure Story’ surging to prominence in the docuntary category.
"Starting another project? Is it a TV drama or a movie this ti? When will it co out?"
"You plan to watch it?"
"Absolutely! Every script you pick ends up being good. I trust your judgnt."
Tang Shu chuckled at the elderly woman’s playful remark. "It’s a movie this ti. My scenes just wrapped yesterday. The complete filming will take a while longer, and the release will likely happen next year."
"Don’t forget to remind then."
"Sure thing!"
The two quickly returned to the campus with their groceries, but even before noon arrived, soone else dropped by. Tang Shu found herself pushed aside by An An, who swooped in to dominate the kitchen.
Tang Shu: "..."
Well, it seed her reputation had traveled far and wide in a rather peculiar way.
The Yu family’s dining table always brimd with endless topics. Although Professor Yu was no longer involved in research or teaching, he frequently exchanged ideas with old friends. He was likely the first to know about any major breakthroughs at the dical College, staying remarkably well-inford.
"Old Kong wants you to go straight to the dical College after graduation. You’re not considering it at all, Xiao Shu?"
"No, I prefer freedom."
Tang Shu’s personality, whether in her past life or her current one, refused to submit to others. While she might seem easygoing on the surface, she had a short fuse when things didn’t go her way.
For the sake of the dical faculty’s sanity and peace, she opted out.
Professor Yu didn’t believe she was squandering a golden opportunity. "That’s fine too. A capable person can excel anywhere—just like ."
Everyone else: "..."
If only he hadn’t added those last three words, he might’ve earned a few admiring glances.
Senior Lu was already hiding his face and coughing lightly. Old Madam Yu rolled her eyes unceremoniously, while the others silently focused on their food.
"What? Did I say sothing wrong?"
"No, no, you’re absolutely right. Look at and An An—we’re doing just fine, aren’t we?"
"Humph~ The folks at the dical College are just outdated, claiming to be the best. If they’re truly the best, why can’t they figure out sothing as simple as the snow lotus? Their thinking is stuck in the past."
The usual bout of back-and-forth disdain ensued. Tang Shu and the group exchanged glances, silently enjoying the drama, though the laughter at the corners of their lips couldn’t be suppressed.
After finishing the al, everyone went about their own business. Senior Lu, however, called out to Tang Shu before she left.
"Dean Liu ntioned you still owe him a few research papers. Have you decided on a topic yet?"
"Yes, I’ve identified a few uses for sharp grass and plan to make it my research focus at the end of the term."
"You an the kind found in Xiangnan that releases miasma?"
"That’s right."
Tang Shu added, "Its root can suppress the harmful effects of miasma on the human body. I’ve incorporated it into the Anti-Reduction Ointnt, and the results are promising."
Her companion chuckled, "So essentially, it’s a sort of insecticide?"
"..."
Well, he wasn’t wrong, but why did it suddenly feel like her dicinal botanical research beca a trivial farming endeavor?
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