She Wants to Divorce Me

Ji Yaoguang thoroughly enjoyed this lunch, despite the lingering scent of cilantro. The morning’s scenes had been relatively easy, but Chang Yu was particularly demanding of herself in this regard. As soon as she put down her chopsticks, she picked up the script to analyze and empathize with the characters’ emotions. Ji Yaoguang sat nearby, chin in hand, gazing at Chang Yu’s serious, focused expression, unwilling to even blink. Deep love and tenderness mingled in her eyes, suppressing the hidden bitterness and panic.

Tsk, the sour smell of love. Qiao Xi glanced at these two, quickly clearing the table. She couldn’t let this sourness corrode her single dog fragrance. With an internally conflicted sigh, she swiftly left the rest area, providing the two with a private space. Putting aside Ji Yaoguang’s persistence in coming to the production to play a minor role, Chang Yu’s subtle considerations for her indicated that neither could let go of their years of affection. Some habits might clash, but certain traits had been cultivated for each other through constant interaction and compromise.

“Su Ci,” Qiao Xi spotted a familiar figure and smiled, waving and calling out to the person looking around.

It was break time, and there were hardly any crew members around. Those present knew nothing of Ji Yaoguang’s whereabouts, and her phone was unreachable. Just as Su Ci was feeling helpless, she heard the familiar voice and quickly ran over to Qiao Xi, complaining, “Ji Yaoguang is up to who knows what again. She’s not replying to WeChat or answering calls. She never gives people peace of mind.”

Qiao Xi laughed, “She’s with Chang Yu. How could she have time for you?”

Su Ci’s eyes lit up, “So they’ve reconciled?”

Qiao Xi smiled faintly, shaking her head before nodding. As Su Ci was about to inquire further, Qiao Xi added, “Director Li has agreed. You should tell Yaoguang this news.” She was referring to Ji Yaoguang replacing Li Yaoyao as Princess Pingyang, the reason for urgently calling Su Ci over.

Su Ci responded resignedly, “Couldn’t Chang Yu just tell Yaoguang directly? Why involve me?”

Qiao Xi shrugged, shaking her head, “Who knows what’s going on in their minds.” A quick-tempered person paired with someone who kept everything bottled up—if one were more stable and the other more honest, they might not have slowly reached this point. She stopped Su Ci from going to find Ji Yaoguang, adding, “Give them some space. If you’re not busy, rest a bit. You must be tired from coming all this way.” Su Ci, busy as a spinning top, could only pretend not to be in a hurry upon hearing this.

Chang Yu disliked being disturbed while reviewing the script. Ji Yaoguang was self-aware, but her gaze grew increasingly intense, causing Chang Yu to frown slightly. She set aside the thick script, pressing her temples. Her calm gaze swept over Ji Yaoguang’s face, suddenly caught by the complex emotions in her eyes. She wasn’t surprised by the deep affection, but couldn’t understand what was making Ji Yaoguang so uneasy.

“Have you read the script?” Chang Yu asked casually, seeking a topic.

This sudden question delighted Ji Yaoguang, who had thought Chang Yu wouldn’t acknowledge her, content to bask in the satisfaction of gazing at her beloved. However, this feeling quickly faded, replaced by shame. Tugging at her clothes awkwardly, she said, “A little.” Chang Yu was professionally trained, treating acting as an art, while Ji Yaoguang was different. Her first few years had been perfunctory, living up to the “vase” nickname given by netizens. Chang Yu had chastised her countless times over this, and though Ji Yaoguang always agreed, she continued to be careless behind Chang Yu’s back, making no effort to improve. In “The Treacherous Courtier,” she was just an insignificant extra; memorizing her scenes and lines was enough, with no need to consider the character’s mindset. Ji Yaoguang felt her lack of script reading was excusable this time, but she inexplicably felt guilty under Chang Yu’s gaze.

Chang Yu pursed her lips, not criticizing Ji Yaoguang. She simply stated, “You don’t have much else to do on set. When you have time, read the script, try to understand the characters’ mindsets, think about how you would perform if you were acting. It will benefit your future performances.”

Ji Yaoguang blinked at Chang Yu, nodding, “Okay.”

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When Su Ci entered the rest area, she found Ji Yaoguang grinning stupidly at the script. Curious about this unusual behavior, and perplexed by the eerily dreamy smile, she waved her hand in front of Ji Yaoguang’s eyes, pulling her out of her reverie: “Seeing you smile like this, has Chang Yu decided to acknowledge you?”

Ji Yaoguang was indeed startled by Su Ci. Having not noticed the WeChat messages, she was unaware of Su Ci’s sudden arrival at the production. Putting down the script, she glared at Su Ci somewhat dissatisfied, asking, “Manager Su, why are you here? Aren’t you very busy?”

Su Ci sighed, replying, “Yes, very busy, but the matters here are more important.”

“What business do you have here?” Ji Yaoguang looked suspicious, “Has some Sheng Tang artist been dumped on you?”

Su Ci shook her head, “No, just you alone is enough to exhaust me.”

Ji Yaoguang said, “You make it sound like I’m terrible.”

“Aren’t you?” Su Ci glared at her, “One secretly taken photo and video after another online, either you’re close to Jiang Huai or with other beautiful women. Want me to show you? And those people are so idle, even shipping you in couples.”

Ji Yaoguang frowned, not having paid attention to these aspects. Following Su Ci’s words, she rubbed her chin, replying, “Those people are indeed bored. Don’t they know I’m already a married woman? What nonsense are they spreading!”

Su Ci rolled her eyes, teasing, “They call it fan fiction.”

Ji Yaoguang sighed, responding, “Forget it. You still haven’t said why you’re here.”

This reminder brought Su Ci back to the main point from her various digressions. She looked at Ji Yaoguang, speaking slowly, “It’s not a big deal, really. You know Li Yaoyao recently quit, right? Director Li’s preferred actresses all have scheduling conflicts. He’s asking if you’d be willing to play Princess Pingyang.”

Bian Yuting had mentioned this before; could she be pushing for it behind the scenes? Normally, Ji Yaoguang would have flatly refused, but this was a special opportunity. Playing Princess Pingyang meant more interaction with Chang Yu, potentially smoothing her path to winning her wife back. Honestly, she was tempted, but remembering her own firmly planted flag, her expression showed hesitation.

Before Ji Yaoguang could respond, Su Ci continued, sounding anxious, “If you decide to take the role, we can ignore the online hate. It doesn’t matter if Director Li is harsh, but I’m worried—” Glancing at Ji Yaoguang’s expression, Su Ci decided to voice her concerns in one breath, “I’m worried you’ll end up like Li Yaoyao, kicked out of the production. Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”

“…” Ji Yaoguang took a deep breath, undisguised ferocity in her eyes. She forced a fake smile, asking in a gentle tone, “Am I really that inadequate in your eyes?”

Su Ci ignored her murderous glare, nodding gravely, “Yes, didn’t you used to say so yourself? Where’s this confidence coming from now?”

Ji Yaoguang deflated like a punctured balloon.

Not content with just words, Su Ci pulled out her phone, showing it to Ji Yaoguang, pointing at memes and GIFs in her album, “Look at these snake-like movements, the forced smiles, the cringeworthy dialogue, and this exaggerated eye-roll… They’ve all been made into memes!”

“Su Ci! You’re still keeping these memes mocking me? I have great scenes too!” No longer calling her ‘sister,’ Ji Yaoguang eyed Su Ci suspiciously, pursing her lips to ponder her “nefarious intentions.”

Su Ci felt a bit guilty, but seeing Ji Yaoguang’s expression, she straightened up, assuming the authority of a senior. She said, “Stop your wild imagination and give me an answer quickly. I need to report back to Director Li. The production is on a tight schedule, and Princess Pingyang is a crucial role. If you’re not willing, let Director Li find someone else quickly.” After a pause, she added slowly, “I don’t know if you’ve read the script, but after topping the imperial exams, the female lead Yun Yanhui is appointed as Princess Pingyang’s consort. This means whoever plays Princess Pingyang will have some intimate scenes with Chang Yu.”

“!!!” Ji Yaoguang’s eyes widened. Although she knew intimate scenes were unavoidable in acting, she still felt a twinge of discomfort. Now, with such an opportunity clearly presented, wouldn’t she be a fool to let it go to a stranger? Forgetting all restraint, she quickly told Su Ci, “Manager Su, you can tell Director Li that I’d be more than grateful for such a training opportunity!”

Indeed, nothing stimulated Ji Yaoguang more than the two words “Chang Yu.” Patting Ji Yaoguang’s shoulder, Su Ci said meaningfully, “Then I’ll go inform Director Li. You better study the script well. That’s Chang Yu’s copy, right? She’s made quite a few notes, which should give you some ideas.”