My Moonlight Overlord

Autumn had set in, and the leaves turned a withered yellow, casting a bleak atmosphere. In a certain film city, the shooting of the large-scale ancient romance drama "The Princess's Escape from Marriage" was in full swing. "Cut, cut, cut!" The director, unable to bear it anymore, peered out from behind the monitor, a rolled-up script in one hand pointing directly at the center of the shooting site, the other hand on his hip as he burst into a tirade: "What's the matter with the lead actress? Your closest maid died to save you—you should be grieving! Do you understand grief? You need to cry! Why are you smiling so happily?!" The actress playing the lead role was the recently popular newcomer, Song Sisi. Despite her beauty, her acting skills were frustratingly subpar. The director, known for his volatile temper, was usually polite, but once he sat behind the monitor, he seemed to explode at the slightest provocation. The scene being filmed was a simple one: a maid sacrifices herself to protect her mistress. Logically, the maid falls, the princess cries, and it's over. But the crux of the matter was, the lead actress couldn't cry. Not only could she not cry, but her attempts at forcing a sad expression looked more like a grin. No wonder the director was furious. Song Sisi felt somewhat apologetic at first, but after the director's relentless scolding, any remorse quickly evaporated, and she retorted with a stiff face, "Director, I can't cry!" Their confrontation showed no signs of fear from either side. The director's face turned from red to green to purple—a sight to behold. Just as another battle was about to erupt, the lighting technicians and other staff instinctively stepped back, fearing the confrontation between the director and the lead actress might affect them. Even the maid lying "dead" on the ground was scared back to life by the commotion, blinking as she glanced at the lead actress and then at the director before decisively getting up and slipping away, the prop sword in her stomach not hindering her swift movements. At the edge of the set, the assistant Xiaotang hurriedly avoided the prop on her stomach and helped her up, whispering, "YunHe, it's starting again." The actress playing the maid, an eighteenth-tier actress named YunHe, patted her chest: "Exactly, gave me a scare." She sat on an empty chair, grabbed the water bottle Xiaotang handed her, and chugged it down. Due to the lead actress's inability to cry, YunHe had already "died" three times today and was exhausted, her makeup and hair slightly disheveled. Seeing her disheveled state, Xiaotang frowned with sympathy and whispered by YunHe's side, "What kind of person is she, her own lack of skill making the whole crew redo scenes repeatedly, the director scolds her and she doesn't even repent, acting all high and mighty just because she's backed by some people..." "Xiaotang!" YunHe interrupted her quietly. Xiaotang stopped talking, looked up expecting to be scolded, her expression defiant. YunHe knew Xiaotang was young, straightforward, and speaking out of concern for her, so she wasn't angry at all. Instead, she raised her index finger to her lips and whispered, "Shush, we should keep this gossip between us, just between us." After speaking, she winked playfully, as if coaxing her naive little sister. Her expression was lively and mischievous, causing Xiaotang to momentarily stare in awe before regaining her composure, though she couldn't help feeling indignant. Fairly speaking, YunHe was above average in looks in the entertainment industry, not stunning at first sight but more of a grower, especially with her large, expressive eyes that seemed to sparkle no matter the circumstance. To describe YunHe as having "stars in her eyes" seemed most fitting. Moreover, YunHe was beautiful, kind-hearted, and a decent actress, yet remained undiscovered and uncelebrated. In the vicious entertainment industry, where the norm was to elevate some and suppress others, lack of support often meant remaining unnoticed forever. Thinking this, Xiaotang's face twisted into a grimace, but YunHe seemed utterly oblivious, sitting beside her, drinking water, and watching the ongoing drama between the director and the lead actress with the detached amusement of a bystander. Xiaotang: "..." Alright, if the emperor isn't anxious, why should the eunuch be? So, Xiaotang decided not to worry either, simply joining everyone else in watching the drama unfold. The confrontation on set escalated to a fever pitch. The director unfolded his wrinkled script, as if he wanted to thrust the words into the lead actress's eyes: "How can you not cry? Your closest person has died! If you really can't manage it, imagine it's one of your loved ones—I refuse to believe you can't cry then!" The director was clearly driven mad, his words harsh and reckless. Song Sisi's face nearly turned green: "Why would I want to think about my loved ones dying?" The director was on the verge of a breakdown: "Empathy, empathy, do you understand?! Think whatever you need to, just cry!" Song Sisi pouted: "I can't cry." The director exploded: "If you can't cry, then what kind of lead actress are you? The maid is much better than you!" Although it was said in anger, it was an absolute truth. YunHe's shots were usually perfect in one take, her lines and expressions flawless. Any retakes were almost always due to the lead actress's mistakes. Although this was a universally known fact within the crew, having the director bluntly state it left Song Sisi utterly without face. YunHe, who was sitting on a nearby bench and watching the drama, suddenly found herself caught in the crossfire. Oh no! Caught in the crossfire! As expected, Song Sisi shot her a look. Three parts hatred, seven parts disdain, she glared viciously at YunHe without any attempt to hide her feelings. YunHe: "......" Innocently caught up in this, what did she have to do with it? Song Sisi withdrew her gaze, suppressed her dissatisfaction, and whispered something to the director. Her attitude softened, appearing to be conciliatory. The director took the opportunity to descend the ladder, his scathing words swallowed back as he turned irritably: "Fine, fine, fine, assistant director, give her some eye drops!" The assistant director, accustomed to such scenes, wasn't flustered. He took out the eye drops he always carried and handed them to the lead actress. The director returned to his monitor, leaving the lead actress alone with the eye drops. Looking around, everyone else was relaxed, standing or sitting at the edge of the set, completely at ease. In a flash, the director was furious again: "Where's the maid? Where did the maid die off to? Light board, clapper, are you listening? We're shooting!" YunHe quickly got up, the prop sword still embedded in her stomach, and ran back to her previous spot. Song Sisi stared at the approaching figure, expressionless, but her taut facial muscles betrayed her. Her fierce demeanor suggested she might lash out at any moment. YunHe pretended not to understand, foolishly smiled at her, and without another word, lay down and closed her eyes— Once again, the perfect image of a corpse. Song Sisi: "......" Caught off guard, the director shouted through his megaphone, "All departments, get ready, Camera One and Two, prepare!" "We're about to shoot, Song Sisi knelt beside the dead maid, squeezed some eye drops into her eyes, then stared wide-eyed, daring not to blink, and signaled an 'OK' to the director. "Scene three, take four, action!" The clapperboard sounded, and the lead actress's tears suddenly flowed. This scene depicted the cliché of a loyal maid dying to protect her princess. The maid lay on the ground, a long sword stabbed into her abdomen, her blood staining her clothes. She looked up at her princess with big eyes, smiling despite her injuries. She reached out, her hand trembling as she clutched the princess's garment, her voice barely a whisper, "Princess, don't cry..." The lead actress looked sorrowfully at the maid who was about to breathe her last, her voice shrill, "Yan'er, Yan'er, please don't die! I beg you, don't die!" Her voice was shrill, teetering on the edge of breaking. YunHe was startled, yet she maintained the professionalism of an actress, unshaken by external disturbances, and slowly closed her eyes. She died. The princess held the maid's body, her teeth gritted in hatred as she vowed, "Yan'er, rest assured, I will avenge you!" ... The director watched this scene from behind the monitor and sighed in compromise. No matter how the acting was, at least the tears had finally come. "Cut! That's a wrap, prepare for the next scene!" the director called out. Song Sisi immediately let go and stood up, the crew rushed over to prepare the props for the next scene, and the makeup artist hurriedly came over with a makeup brush to touch up her makeup. As Song Sisi straightened her clothes and moved to the side, she "accidentally" tripped over YunHe's leg. Suddenly, Song Sisi stopped, her eyebrows twisted as she scolded, "Don't block the way!" YunHe: "......" Well, now she was acting like it. YunHe sat on the ground, unwilling to argue, especially since arguing wouldn't help. She endured the pain in her shin and said, "Sorry." Song Sisi rolled her eyes, clearly disgusted, and snorted haughtily as she walked away. Xiaotang ran over and helped YunHe to her feet. The young girl, fresh out of university, couldn't stand such behavior and immediately began whispering angrily, "What kind of person does that! She did it on purpose! Just because the director praised you, she can't stand it, so she's taking revenge!" She then looked at YunHe with concern, "Sis, are you alright?" YunHe, seemingly indifferent, rubbed her leg: "I'm fine." Xiaotang puzzled: "Sis, aren't you angry?" "You get used to it." YunHe said with feigned world-weariness, then immediately perked up, "Alright, we're done for today, let's head out!" Her carefree demeanor made Xiaotang laugh. The two chatted as they walked toward the edge of the set. Behind the monitor, the director was reviewing the footage. The assistant director hurried over, flustered, "Director, someone's here!" "Who's here?" "The investors from that side!" The director instantly stood up, abandoning the monitor to interrogate the assistant director, "Where are they? When did they arrive?" The assistant director trembled as he pointed not far away: "Over there, they came during the shooting!" Unbeknownst to when, four or five people had gathered at the entrance of the palace. The shooting of "The Princess's Escape from Marriage" took place in a semi-open area of the film city, with people frequently coming and going. Suddenly, a few more standing in the back went unnoticed by the entire crew. If not for the assistant director passing by after visiting the restroom, they might not have been discovered at all. The director craned his neck for a look and gasped. The man at the forefront was dressed in a sharp black suit, his tall and lean figure making him appear even more imposing. His face was strikingly handsome, with sharp, commanding features that differed from the popular fresh-faced look in the industry. Simply stunning! However, what shocked the director was not his appearance but his identity. The newly appointed CEO of Chengfeng Media at the beginning of the year, also one of the investors in this drama. Pity, with such wealth, he was unlikely to step into acting. The director sighed internally, then eagerly approached: "President Meng, why didn't you say you were coming?" The man known as President Meng responded indifferently: "Just passing by." Though he spoke to the director, his gaze was fixed in the distance, his expression cold. But upon closer observation, one could see the glint of subdued excitement in his deep pupils, his hand by his side clenched tightly as if suppressing something. The director followed his gaze but saw nothing unusual, just the maid from the crew removing her props. Confused, the director couldn't gauge what the wealthy patron intended and ventured, "So, President Meng, your visit today is..." Meng Jun didn't answer. Only when the figure in a pink dress had walked far away did he retract his gaze, casually remarking, "Just taking a look, and inviting everyone to a meal." Director: "???" His assistants and others behind him: "???" That wasn't on today's schedule. The bold and straightforward young princess X the rigid, ascetic elder man from the Nan City He family, He Xian, aged thirty, firmly in control of the corporate helm. He always dressed in a meticulously tailored suit, from head to toe, impeccably neat. His asceticism made him even more covetable. Song Shi'an, arrogant and spoiled, was the only one in Nan City who constantly boasted about her intentions to woo He Xian. The 20-year-old young woman, wearing a spaghetti strap mini dress, deliberately flaunted herself in front of others. Though seemingly innocent, she affected a coquettish demeanor, very tempting. Even with He Xian's strong self-control, she managed to disturb his peace. He frowned and scolded: "Stop fooling around!" Song Shi'an looked up, her face earnest: "I'm not fooling around, I'm seducing you." He Xian laughed despite his annoyance: "What do you know about seduction?" As soon as the words fell, his lower lip was lightly bitten by someone approaching. The young woman blushed and asked, "Brother He, does this count?" He Xian: "......" Who the hell taught her these things?! #You treat me like a sister, but I just want to sleep with you# #There are no men who can't be wooed, only those who don't try hard enough#