The Byoukidere Is Her Sweetie

Chapter 179: 179: Jiang Zhi discovered the secret from that year (second update)

The next morning, Jiang Zhi returned to the Jiang Mansion, and Zhou Xufang stayed at home reading novels. Recently, she had become addicted to danmei and was neglecting sleep and meals. She read slowly, and a short novel of a couple hundred thousand words took her all morning to get through only about half. By the time she stopped, it was almost one o’clock.

Oh, she hadn’t had lunch yet.

She ordered a takeaway, and while waiting for the delivery, she left a comment for the author.

Lord Black Impermanence 011: Author, the mother of the little gong is so annoying. Can you make her get married off and stop hindering the lifetime happiness of the little gong and little shou?

Soon, a fellow reader replied to her.

My Name Is Not Girly replied to Lord Black Impermanence 011: I think so too!

Zhou Xufang couldn’t help but post another comment.

Lord Black Impermanence 011: Author, when can we start the group and have some ‘meat’?

The author replied: Soon, soon~

Lord Black Impermanence 011: Happy, sending flowers.

Then she sent 520 flowers.

So happy, the group would start soon. Zhou Xufang tore open a packet of cotton candy and was halfway through eating it when the takeaway arrived. She had ordered spaghetti and pizza.

The delivery guy smiled kindly, and Zhou Xufang gave a good review and tipped the delivery rider.

While eating, Fang Lixiang got in touch with her.

Ullala Li Xiang: “Xu Fang, Xu Fang.”

Fairy Fang: “Hmm.”

Ullala Li Xiang: “Do you do part-time work? Our crew is looking for a foot double.”

Zhou Xufang stuffed the remaining half of the pizza slice into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out.

Fairy Fang: “You need a double for feet too?”

Ullala Li Xiang: “Yeah, the lead actress has a size 39 foot, and the director thinks it’s too big and doesn’t look good.”

Ullala Li Xiang: “Yours look good.”

Show my feet… It shouldn’t be a big deal, she occasionally went out in slippers to throw out the trash. Zhou Xufang asked, “When’s the shoot?”

Ullala Li Xiang: “Around four in the afternoon.”

At four in the afternoon, Jiang Zhi and Qiao Nanchu had business to discuss, so she would be by herself anyway.

Fairy Fang: “Okay, I’ll go.”

Ullala Li Xiang: [Hmmhmm] GIF

Ullala Li Xiang: “Waiting for you.”

Fairy Fang: “.”

After finishing her lunch, Zhou Xufang read comics for another half-hour, then set out. Since the film and television city Fang Lixiang mentioned was a bit far, she decided to drive her somewhat expensive car.

When she arrived at East City Film and Television City, it was three thirty.

Fang Lixiang was waiting for her outside the set, waving from afar: “Xu Fang, over here.”

Zhou Xufang ran over.

Today was yet another day cloaked in black attire.

Fang Lixiang handed over some snacks and canned milk tea she had kept for her: “This is your afternoon tea, take it and eat.”

Zhou Xufang: “Thank you.”

“I’ll take you to meet the director first.”

“Hmm.”

The production was another big-budget one, Lixiang was playing the second female lead, and while Zhou Xufang didn’t recognize the lead actress, Lixiang said she was famous. But Zhou Xufang didn’t know many famous people; she liked watching web dramas, especially those adapted from novel IPs, like “President Gu, Your Little Delicate Wife Has Run Away with the Ball” kind of series. It seemed famed actors didn’t like to act in those.

Fang Lixiang took her straight to the director.

“Director Chen.”

Director Chen didn’t lift his head, busy writing and drawing on the script, he responded with a “Hmm.”

Fang Lixiang pulled Zhou Xufang forward: “This is the double I mentioned to you.”

Zhou Xufang felt it was impolite to meet the director with a mask on, so she took it off.

In the midst of his busyness, Director Chen lifted his eyelids and glanced over: “Take off your shoes and socks.”

Oh.

A foot double needed to be seen, Zhou Xufang squatted down and took off her shoes.

At this time, the set designer standing behind Director Chen leaned in: “Director.” He whispered, “I saw this girl in Director Jiang’s crew last time.” His peripheral vision caught the ‘dark as pitch’ lump, the set designer told Director Chen, “I think she’s Director Jiang’s girlfriend.”

It was the same last time, dressed in ‘dark as pitch’ clothing.

And, Director Jiang was very indulgent with this lump! He would cling to her wherever she went, and where she went, he followed!

Setting aside Jiang Zhi’s background, just considering his connections and influence in the film industry, Director Chen would have to give him some face, not to offend: “No need to take them off.”

Zhou Xufang put her shoes back on, a bit bewildered.

Director Chen’s tone became much more courteous: “Let’s talk about your pay first.” Considering she’s Jiang Zhi’s girlfriend, she surely wouldn’t lack money, and low pay would be embarrassing, so Director Chen asked, “How much do you think is appropriate?”

Zhou Xufang considered and held up five fingers.

Director Chen: “Five thousand?”

Zhou Xufang shook her head, five hundred, she thought. When she used to be an extra she would make a couple hundred a day, but a double would be paid more, and a foot double should be the cheapest, so she felt five hundred was appropriate.

Director Chen, looking at those five fingers, felt a bit of pain: “Fifty thousand?” There was no choice, they had inadvertently invited a major figure, and the cost had to be borne, “Alright, fifty thousand.”

Zhou Xufang and Fang Lixiang: “…”

The two sneaked off to the side, and Zhou Xufang whispered: “Your crew is really rich.”

Fang Lixiang touching her chin: “I just realized it too.”

Come almost four o’clock, a stagehand returned to the set from outside and saw a familiar figure on the outskirts of the crowd.

The stagehand approached: “Mr. Tang,” he quickly cleared a way through the crowd and led the visitor inside, “You’re here.”

This drama was funded by Tianxing, and the person directly in charge was Tang Xiang.

She didn’t often come to the set, just occasionally to visit.

She pointed at the girl sitting on a small stool not far away and asked, “Is that girl also an actor in our crew?”

The staff glanced over and replied, “No, she’s a temporary body double we hired for today.”

Tang Xiang didn’t ask further, “You go ahead with your work, I’ll look around some more.”

“Okay, call me if you need anything.”

Zhou Xufang.

It was her. Tang Xiang stood there, scrutinizing her for a long time, then made a phone call to her secretary to postpone the afternoon’s other plans.

Meanwhile, Fang Lixiang went to change clothes, and Zhou Xufang sat alone in an inconspicuous corner. For some reason, she suddenly felt a bit melancholic. She used to run around different crews, but after Jiang Zhi let her in through the back door, she stuck to Jiang Zhi’s sets. Now that she was with a different crew, she felt unaccustomed, missing the chair in front of the camera that Jiang Zhi would usually occupy.

Just as she was thinking about Jiang Zhi, he called her.

Zhou Xufang’s melancholy vanished instantly, and she picked up the phone cheerfully, “Jiang Zhi.”

Jiang Zhi could hear the noise on her end, “Why is it so noisy? Are you outside?”

“Yeah, I’m at East City Film and Television City.”

“Are you playing an extra?”

Zhou Xufang answered honestly, “A body double.”

Jiang Zhi immediately asked, “For what?”

“Feet.”

He seemed to ponder something, then asked after a moment, “Have they started shooting?”

Zhou Xufang, “Not yet.”

“Don’t do it.”

Zhou Xufang didn’t understand, “Why?”

“No reason.”

With no explanation, Zhou Xufang wouldn’t accept it and pointed out Jiang Zhi’s fault honestly, “Jiang Zhi, you’re being unreasonable.”

It was then that Jiang Zhi awkwardly explained, “I don’t want others to see your feet.”

Zhou Xufang, “…”

He was so petty and jealous, just like the submissive character in the novel she read that morning.

Zhou Xufang negotiated sweetly with him, “I’ve already promised the director, and if I back out now, it will delay the crew’s shooting.” She spoiled her boyfriend just like the dominant character in that novel, “I won’t be a foot double after this, just this once.”

She remembered the coquettish tricks she learned at the amusement park and practiced a bit before repeating, “Please?”

“Please?”

“Please~~” This one had to be drawn out.

“Please~~” This one, too, had to be drawn out.

“Please~~~~~~~~” The last one stretched even longer.

Jiang Zhi, “…”

Such a stiff attempt at acting spoiled and yet he found it adorable, there was no saving him, “Wait for me there.”

“Are you coming over?”

“Yeah.”

Just then, Fang Lixiang called out, “Xu Fang,” she didn’t come over, just shouted across half of the set, “Your turn.”

Zhou Xufang said, “I have to hang up first.” She hung up the phone, “I’m coming.”

The pool was temporarily dug and covered with a green cloth. Later, special effects would be added to create an ethereal fog on the water. Since an initial decision was made not to use a body double, there was no extra skirt prepared on set, so since Zhou Xufang was only needed for her feet on camera, the lead actress gave Zhou Xufang her underpants from inside the skirt.

The scene being filmed was the Heavenly Consort’s first bath in the Fengwu Palace, and after the bath, the Heavenly Consort would consummate her marriage with the Emperor of Heaven; hence, both skirt and underpants were red.

Zhou Xufang followed the director’s instructions, positioned herself correctly, stood with one leg, and dipped the other into the pool, brushing the surface of the water with the arch of her foot…

The camera zoomed in, changing from a long shot to a close-up.

Director Chen concentrated on the effect in the camera, and someone from behind said, “The shadow on the water is revealing the ruse.”

Director Chen turned around, “Mr. Tang.”

“The shadow has given it away,” Tang Xiang suggested, “Maybe the stand-in should change tops as well.”

Director Chen checked the playback.

And indeed, it had given it away. The body double was wearing a poofy down jacket, which cast a shadow on the water.

Director Chen called a halt, “Pei Ning, give her your top.”

Pei Ning was the lead actress.

Zhou Xufang went with her to change, but since Pei Ning’s dressing room was private, Zhou Xufang had to go to the public changing room.

Fang Lixiang pointed the way, “Go in there, it’s the third one on the left.” Fang Lixiang couldn’t take her there as her assistant had come to hurry her along, “I need to touch up my makeup for the next shot, if you can’t find the place, ask the staff to take you there. I’ll look for you after I’m done.”

Zhou Xufang agreed, didn’t bother the staff, and went on her own.

Less than five minutes after she left, Jiang Zhi arrived.

“Director Jiang,” Director Chen was surprised, “how did you come by? We’re not that familiar, only acquainted a few times.”

Tsk, tsk, tsk, with that face of his, he’d be perfect for roles like a male fox spirit.

Jiang Zhi spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “I’m visiting my girlfriend.” He looked around, but couldn’t find Zhou Xufang, “Where is she?”

Rumors were true after all; Director Jiang doted on his ‘gloomy and unremarkable’ girlfriend.

Director Chen said, “She’s gone to change, she’ll be here soon.”

Jiang Zhi wanted to see her now, “Where is the dressing room?”

“Xiao Chuan,” Director Chen called the staff over, “please take Director Jiang there.”

Staff Xiao Chuan started leading Jiang Zhi toward the dressing room, but just reaching the corridor, Jiang Zhi signaled him to stop.

Ahead, Tang Xiang was calling out to Fang Lixiang.

“Miss Fang,” she approached, “may I talk to you?”