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The set manager1 had already given out instructions and was directing the staff on how to arrange the scene.

A familiar face walked out from the crowd and began calling out names. It was the woman who had registered their names in the morning. She had handed out forms to everyone and explained how the remunerations would be disbursed. The woman motioned for everyone to follow her and said, “Come on, it’s time for them to get paid.”

Hearing this, a collective sigh could be heard throughout the set. It had been a long day, and exhaustion and fatigue had started to set in; nonetheless, everybody had smiles on their faces.

Just as everyone was about to leave, a man hurried over and frantically waved at them: “Hold on! Don’t leave just yet. We need some male extras for the next few scenes.”

 This was not welcome news, and a mixture of looks of reluctance and unwillingness appeared on the men’s faces. Still, a dozen or so male extras stepped forward and followed the staff, while everybody else went with the woman.

The pay rate had already been discussed, but since everyone, including Lu BaoBao, had to work longer than eight hours today and the working environment was uncomfortable at best with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius and higher, an extra ten yuan was given as a bonus. For their efforts, the extras were paid a total of fifty yuan.

Jiang Se was the exception. Her role had lines, and though they were short, Zhang JingAn had personally pointed her out, so the production crew gave her an extra 300 yuan. In addition, she received another forty yuan for her participation in the earlier group performance, twenty yuan for falling into the water, and a further ten yuan for her drink allowance. Jiang Se received a total of 370 yuan.

By the time everyone received their pay, the sun had already set, and the lights in the studio and the surrounding area were already turned on.

Noticing the darkening sky, there was no time left for Jiang Se and Lu BaoBao to take a quick shower, so they rushed through the wardrobe and changed back into their clothes. By the time they got out, it was almost 10 in the evening.

Lu BaoBao looked longingly at the set; she had wanted to spend some time visiting other film sets in the hopes of getting to see another celebrity, but once she saw the more than sixty missed calls on her mobile phone, she immediately discarded the thought.

Due to the strict filming requirements, Lu BaoBao’s phone, along with her clothing and bag, were left in a locker. The crew had only given them a brief lunch break before rushing all the extras off to film one scene after another. She barely had time to breathe between takes, so of course she never got to answer her parents’ calls.

As the two hurriedly walked through the set and headed for the exit, the bustling sounds of filming continued all around them. Lu BaoBao’s face was scrunched up with worry as she dragged Jiang Se behind her, worriedly muttering to herself, “Oh crap! I am so dead.”

“We’re going to miss the last bus!” Lu BaoBao exclaimed uneasily, stomping her foot.

She had checked the bus schedule ahead of time and memorized the timetable for all the buses coming to and from the city, so she already knew when the last bus for the day was.

“Normally the last bus to the city departs at 9:00 p.m., but because it’s the weekend, they added an extra hour. We should still have some time,” Lu BaoBao said as she looked at her wristwatch; the time was 9:45 p.m. There were still fifteen minutes left, but who knows if the driver would suddenly decide to leave earlier once the bus was full? She was not about to spend the night outside.

“I’ve never stayed out so late before. If I show up tomorrow morning, my mom will definitely kill me!” Just a second ago, Lu BaoBao was still dragging her feet, half-dead from working the whole day, but now it was like she was injected with adrenaline. She moved as fast as she could, glancing down at her watch every few steps and muttering non-stop under her breath. “What should I do? What should I do?”

Jiang Se looked at Lu BaoBao’s anxious face then down at her phone and told her calmly, “Call your parents back. Calm them down for now, at least so that they won’t think the worst has happened to you.”

Lu BaoBao was almost at the end of her wits, so she immediately listened to Jiang Se’s suggestion and held her phone up to call, but then she looked at Jiang Se in a daze and asked, “What do I say? How do I calm them down?”

“It doesn’t matter; just do it quickly. The ticket counter will close soon, and we haven’t bought our tickets yet.”

The filming on the other sets had also ended at this time, so there were quite a few people heading towards the bus stop; crews and extras alike were also on their way home. There will undoubtedly be others traveling to the city like them. If they get to the counter too late, they might not be able to purchase any more tickets.

“Ah!” Lu BaoBao cried out in realization and ran hand-in-hand with Jiang Se to the ticket counter.

When the two reached the exit, they were startled by how many reporters were still milling about. Once the reporters saw people walk out, they immediately swarmed forward, shouting out questions as they tried to dig up gossip about the crew, the celebrities, and the movie itself.

It was thanks to these eager reporters that more than half of the people leaving the film site were distracted and held up to answer their inquiries. Jiang Se and Lu BaoBao arrived at the station in good time, and hardly anyone was there.

With only five minutes to spare, they arrived at the ticket booth and purchased two of the last seats on the bus.  

Tickets in hand, Jiang Se and Lu BaoBao immediately boarded the bus. The minute they sat down, Lu BaoBao leaned back and closed her eyes. Fatigue had fully set in, and it only took a second for her to fall completely asleep.

Jiang Se, on the other hand, was not sleepy at all. Outside the window, she saw the Da Xing River separating the city from Shen Farms.

A short while later, the bus departed the station and crossed the bridge. As Lu BaoBao’s light snores echoed in her ears, Jiang Se turned towards the window and saw the glittering city lights across the river bank. Occasionally, her pale face would be illuminated by the passing street lights.

She had the feeling as if she were getting further and further away from everything that she was once familiar with. Just like her ‘visit’ to the Shen Farms today, she came and went, leaving nary a vestige of herself.

It was already 11:00 p.m. when the bus reached their stop.

The Du family had long since gone to bed, and no matter how long she knocked on the door, nobody answered. Perhaps someone had heard, but in the end, no one opened the door.

Jiang Se had no choice but to think of an alternative. This residential area belonged to the suburbs of the city, and there were no property management offices or staff assigned to the building, nor was there one for the neighborhood. Staying outside after dusk was extremely risky.

Jiang Se brushed her fingers across her pockets; inside was the money she earned today. With several hundred yuan on her person, she calculated it was enough for a night’s stay.

Retracing her steps, she went to a neighborhood small hotel. The price for a single room was 100 yuan. She quickly paid for the room, entered it, and took a shower. Her hair was not completely dry yet, but she could no longer keep her eyes open.

Too many things happened today, and she was tired. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

It was almost eleven in the morning the following day when Jiang Se awoke from a deep sleep. She raised herself up and moaned in agony. Her body and limbs were incredibly painful, and some areas felt quite tender.

She had some signs of bruising all over her body, particularly on her hands and feet. These two areas were where the staff used ropes to bind her. She cautiously shrugged her shoulders and winced. That was where she had been ‘chopped’ by the enemy with a knife.

 She took a deep breath and lightly touched her chest—a throb of pain went through her. This was where the blood bag erupted, and it was distinctly and hideously purple against her pale skin. Several hours had passed, and it was even more eye-catching than before. She estimated that it would take several days before it would completely disappear.

Shaking her head, she wasted no time, got up, and went to the toilet. Her underwear was already dry, so she changed into her clothes, returned the keycard to the staff, and set off for the Du family home.

Du ChangQun had already left for work at this time, and Zhou Hui was busy preparing lunch in the kitchen. Du HongHong, who had been watching television, gave Jiang Se a sneering glance as soon as she entered the living room and gave her a patronizing tut. There was only one wall separating the living room from the kitchen, so when Zhou Hui heard Du HongHong’s voice, she hurried out and cast an unhappy glance at Jiang Se. Zhou Hui regarded Jiang Se with a stern expression as if she were going to speak, but she remained silent. Zhou Hui spun on her heels and strode back inside the kitchen.

Du HongHong pouted at her mother’s retreating figure, looked at Jiang Se again, and snidely remarked, “What did you come back here for?”

Although the two of them were half-sisters and had the same mother, their relationship was not in the least bit close. They did not look alike, and they also did not have any feelings of sisterhood.

Zhou Hui gave birth to three children, yet it was only Du You, her son, who resembled her. Neither Jiang Se nor Du HongHong, both of whom had different fathers, resembled her in any way.

   Du ChangQun was ordinary looking and Du HongHong inherited most of his physical traits. At best, Du HongHong can be considered delicate and pretty, but once she stood beside someone like Jiang Se, she would be easily overlooked and overshadowed. The contrast was too glaring.

 This was one of the reasons why Du HongHong had always disliked Jiang Se. Even though Jiang Se was only Du ChangQun’s stepdaughter, their family, neighbors, and friends had been gushing about her beauty since she was a young child. The comparison infuriated Du HongHong.

Jiang Se never said a word and only walked towards her room. Du HongHong rolled her eyes as she watched Jiang Se walk past her. “You don’t have any shame at all,”2 Du HongHong muttered not so quietly.

Du HongHong looked puzzlingly at Jiang Se’s closed door. She knew that Jiang Se was well aware no one in the Du family liked her not only because she was an ‘outsider’ but also because she was living under someone else’s charity3. She was not close to anyone and only ever spoke to Zhou Hui. 

Footnotes

剧组里场务 ju zu li chang wu – The Set Manager/Set Director/Set Designer’s main role is to oversee the creation of the exterior and interior sets. They are in charge of the design schemes for each scene and also have managerial roles. They work closely with on-set dressers and production designers. (see https://90seconds.com/what-is/set-director/) 德行 de xing – Literal translation means virtue or morality and conduct but here it is used as an insult/sarcastically. She is expressing her contempt for Jiang Se’s supposed shameful behavior—coming home the next morning. 寄人篱下 ji ren li xia – Living under someone else’s roof or depending on another person