Chapter 242

translator: henyee translations       editor: henyee translations

“in short, you just have to know that someone hates lu zhen more than you do.” xu juan did not make herself clear. after thinking for a moment, she asked, “do you and lu zhen usually film together? does she have any other shortcomings? or did she do something inappropriate?”

xu rui was stunned when she heard this. was her aunt trying to find negative news about lu zhen?

xu rui recalled carefully, but she could not think of anything wrong with lu zhen’s words. lu zhen was usually a very boring person. other than filming and watching other actors act, she only read the script alone and was not keen on befriending others.

suddenly, an idea flashed across xu rui’s mind and her eyes lit up. “oh right, she’s been quite close to xi de recently.”

xu juan perked up and asked about the situation carefully. then, she nodded. “i understand.”

“aunt, are you thinking of…” xu rui looked at xu juan hesitantly, looking uneasy. she was the one who told xu juan about lu zhen and xi de. if xu juan really used this matter to attack lu zhen, it sounded like she had deliberately framed lu zhen.

seeing xu rui’s hesitation, xu juan grabbed xu rui’s hand. “rui, what did i tell you? the entertainment industry is the cruelest place. it’s a battlefield without smoke. kindness is useless here. do you still remember the role that she snatched away from you? if you used your identity to forcefully fight for that role back then, you would be the one who’s popular now.”

xu rui gritted her teeth. the role of the ‘back-view goddess’ had always been a thorn in her heart.

at that time, she was very confident in winning this role, so she rejected her aunt’s suggestion and did not use her identity to fight for that role. in the end, the role of the “back view goddess” was snatched away by lu zhen.

xu juan sighed and continued, “lu zhen is so popular now. after ‘beauty’ is broadcasted. there’s no doubt that her popularity will completely surpass yours. if we don’t think of a way to kill her drive now, you will only become her foil!”

if lu zhen really had negative news now, she would be a stain in the audiences hearts. when the movie was broadcasted, some viewers who didn’t like lu zhen would naturally focus on the second female lead of beauty, xu rui.

xu juan didn’t need to explain this to xu rui.

xu rui bit her lip and nodded. “i understand, aunt. i know you’re doing this for my own good.”

“good child, i know you’re sensible. you’ve just entered the industry and there are still many things you don’t know. i’ll slowly teach you. alright, go back quickly. i’m just here to see you. i’ll go back now.”

xu rui jumped out of the car and waved at xu juan, who was sitting in the car. as she watched the car drive away, the confusion and uneasiness in xu rui’s eyes gradually dissipated and became more determined.

her aunt was right. this was a cruel circle. to be kind to your enemies was to be cruel to yourself.

mimi waited on set for more than 20 minutes. when she saw xu rui return, mimi felt a little uncertain. xu rui’s gaze seemed to have changed a little.

she became even more ruthless.

at the end of the month, the filming of “beauty” officially ended. the production team held a celebration party. at the banquet, director ding zhi, who had always been serious, relaxed a lot because he had drunk a few more glasses of wine. after taking a photo, he revealed a reluctant and emotional expression.

the work that he had been preparing for many years was finally completed today. it was as if his years had come to an end.

the stone in his heart fell to the ground, but there was a trace of melancholy that could not be dispelled.

after dinner, the crew was still very excited. the technical team had used the crew’s equipment to build a temporary stage. there were microphones on the stage, and a simple crew version of ktv had taken shape. a group of young actors fought to go on stage to sing. some of them had pleasant singing, while others were out of tune.

ding zhi watched from afar with a smile on his face.

he turned around and saw lu zhen standing not far from him, quietly looking at the noisy crowd on the stage.

ding zhi walked to lu zhen’s side. the two of them had removed their status as directors and actors and were more like ordinary colleagues. ding zhi asked, “why aren’t you going up to sing?

lu zhen smiled. “i’m not going to embarrass myself.”

ding zhi nodded. the two of them listened for a while before ding zhi suddenly said, “i don’t know if i’ll have a chance to work with you in the future.”