Don’t Want a Divorce (21)
“Barely usable.”
The filming quickly moved on to the next scene.
As a demoted palace maid, Liu Ruyi’s days in the palace were becoming increasingly difficult. Upon hearing the Noble Consort’s summons, she immediately tidied her hair and, accompanied by a young eunuch, headed towards the Jinxiu Palace.
Next was a confrontation scene between Qiu Yongli and Xu Jiao.
This was a critical point in Qiu Yongli’s acting performance in the drama. Her character, Liu Ruyi, not only had to convey to the Noble Consort that someone close to her was leaking secrets to the Emperor, but also had to distance herself from the matter to survive in the Noble Consort’s presence—
“Since you entered the palace, you have received much favor from the Empress. Now, with the Empress being implicated by your maidservants and the rebellion at the border caused by the Qi family, regardless of what happens to you in the future, you must repay this kindness. So, even though you know you might die in Jinxiu Palace today, you remain resolute and unwavering.”
Zhen Tiao rolled up the script, rhythmically tapping it lightly in his hand, and meticulously explained to Qiu Yongli the performance of Liu Ruyi in this scene, analyzing Liu Ruyi’s psychological activities for her.
“You are fighting a battle with no retreat. If asked whether you want to live, of course, you want to survive. You are unwilling to be implicated and die in this palace just like that, so you must voluntarily seek punishment. You even need the Noble Consort to actively take half your life. This is a self-inflicted scheme driven by your selfish motives, only in this way can you move Rong Qing, this ruthless woman.”
Qiu Yongli listened attentively, unconsciously marking key emotional phrases in her script with a colorful pen. She pondered over Director Zhen’s words for a moment, then nodded and made an “OK” gesture to Director Zhen.
Director Zhen sat back behind the monitor and nodded to the script supervisor. Then, the sound of the clapperboard resonated!
……
Rong Qing sat in a high position in the main hall of Jinxiu Palace, leisurely sipping the tea brewed by her trusted maid, Aya. The pre-rain Dragon Well tea emitted a refreshing fragrance, wafting to her nose. As the steaming heat rose, it touched her lips, making the dark color of her lip rouge appear even more lustrous.
She gently sipped from the teacup and then heard the voice of the palace attendant announcing a visitor. At the same time—
Liu Ruyi bowed to her, saying, “This concubine greets the Noble Consort.”
Rong Qing remained indifferent, slowly skimming the froth off the tea with the lid of her cup. Only when Liu Ruyi could barely stand any longer did she press the teacup onto the table and say to Aya beside her:
“This tea has cooled a bit, bring me a fresh cup.”
Aya curtsied lightly and responded, “Yes,” then took Rong Qing’s teacup and left.
Rong Qing adjusted the nail guard on her pinky finger before gracefully looking at Liu Ruyi, who was still bowing to her. In an elegant and unhurried voice, she spoke, “Noble Lady Liu… Oh no, First Class Attendant Liu (second lowest position in the harem), what have you been busy with lately that you have forgotten the rules?”
Liu Ruyi, having bowed for so long, could barely stand now, her body involuntarily trembling. She lifted her gaze slightly, seeing only the embroidered button on Rong Qing’s collar. Steadying her voice, she slowly said:
“This concubine dares not forget the rules set by the Noble Consort, but… but, this concubine was afraid to come.”
Rong Qing’s eyes fell on her, and a seductive smile slowly curved on her lips, blooming like a red flower. Her delicate makeup made her face look even more strikingly beautiful.
She slowly asked, “Oh? Why are you afraid to come? Could it be—First Class Attendant Liu, have you done something to wrong me?”
Both women spoke with hidden meanings, but in the end, Rong Qing had the upper hand, exhibiting greater patience. Suddenly, with a thud, Liu Ruyi knelt a short distance away, her forehead touching the ground, and deeply said:
“This concubine has recently been negligent in disciplining the servants, allowing them to cause great trouble, endangering both the Noble Consort and the Empress. This concubine knows that my guilt is inexcusable even in death, and I have come specifically to beg for the Noble Consort’s forgiveness.”
Upon hearing this, Rong Qing, seated in the main position, was visibly shaken.
She needed to hear nothing more to understand what had been revealed on Liu Ruyi’s side.
A look of confusion appeared on Rong Qing’s face. Zhen Tiao zoomed in with the camera, as the actress Xu Jiao’s natural transitions in expressions always made her a favorite on screen. Now, under the camera’s lens, the Noble Consort’s face clearly showed the shock and fury that followed her moment of confusion.
She looked at Liu Ruyi, who was kneeling on the ground, and for a moment, intense murderous intent burst forth from her gaze. Originally, her right hand was just resting on the armrest of the chair, but now she gripped it tightly, with such force that it seemed she wanted to tear it off the chair.
The murderous intent was so intense that her dark eyes were left with only a sharp gleam, like that of a hawk or a wolf.
Contrary to this strong emotion was her voice, remarkably steady and calm, like the stillness before a storm: “Liu Ruyi.”
She spoke each word deliberately: “From the first day you entered the palace, I decided to make your life difficult here. Do you know the reason for this?”
The person kneeling on the ground breathed heavily, as if taking a deep breath, ready to endure Rong Qing’s wrath. After a moment of silence, she said, “This concubine does not know.”
“I am not targeting you alone, but all who enter the palace—I despise you lot of singing birds and swallows, your young and beautiful faces.”
“I am fully aware of the resentment you all harbor against me, but… grievances have their source, debts have their owner. You should never have directed your hatred for me towards the Empress.”
“Liu Ruyi, do you think that because I am now protecting the Empress, I dare not make any more mistakes, dare not kill anymore?”
Rong Qing squinted her eyes, finally loosening her grip a bit. After a pause, she straightforwardly said, “You are wrong.”
“If I am destined to die, then in the Six Palaces, not one of you will escape.”
“Someone like me, even in death, must go out in a grand way. Without dragging one or two down with me as a burial accompaniment, I would not rest in peace even in death.”
Liu Ruyi was intimidated by the murderous intent in her words. After a long time, she finally said, “This concubine has long experienced the methods of the Noble Consort. Today, I have come not to beg for leniency—”
“On the contrary, I have come to ask the Noble Consort for severe punishment.”
Rong Qing, seated at the top, fell silent, staring fixedly at her, as if wishing she could open Liu Ruyi’s skull to see if her thoughts were truly as she claimed.
Liu Ruyi, not hearing a response from Rong Qing, waited anxiously for a while before summoning the courage to continue: “Although this concubine has been reproached by the Noble Consort since entering the palace, I have received much grace from the Empress. Now… the Empress is in trouble, and this concubine cannot stand by and do nothing.”
At this, Rong Qing burst into unrestrained laughter: “What joke have I heard? A mere First Class Attendant, recently demoted by the Emperor, dares to boast in this palace about saving the Empress… Have you not seen how many censors from the previous dynasty have petitioned the Emperor, asking him to show leniency to the Empress for the sake of the imperial heir? And what has become of them? They are still kneeling outside the Imperial Study, pleading to the death.”
Liu Ruyi endured her ridicule, and once Rong Qing finished laughing, she calmly revealed her long-devised plan.
“…I dare not claim that this plan will surely succeed, but in the current harem, the Noble Consort likely has no one else to use. If this concubine can keep her life in the Noble Consort’s palace today, then in the future, I will be at the Noble Consort’s disposal and will pledge my life to defend both the Noble Consort and the Empress.”
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The palace fell silent for a long time.
Rong Qing resumed her earlier unhurried tone, looking down at the person below her, and leisurely said, “First Class Attendant Liu truly plays her cards well. What does that old saying go… ‘If you do not enter the tiger’s den, how will you get the tiger’s cub?’ It describes a woman like First Class Attendant Liu perfectly. You dare to use the Empress’s misfortune to climb up by leveraging my power? Should I praise you for your clever scheming or condemn you for your audacity?”
Just as Liu Ruyi was about to speak, Rong Qing suddenly raised her voice and shouted:
“Guards!”
“First Class Attendant Liu has shown great disrespect to me. Drag her out and give her… eighty lashes!”
As she issued this deadly command, her eyes were filled with laughter.
……
“Ah ah ah, have you guys caught up with the latest episodes? The recent plot twists in 《The Palace Wall Willows》 are absolutely amazing! Oh my god, I was totally shocked when General Qi rebelled, and then it turned out to be part of the Emperor’s plan. The Empress got confined because of it, and just when I thought she was done for, the Noble Consort teamed up with our female lead to plot against the Emperor to save the Empress! Last night, I had goosebumps the entire time!”
“Palace drama female leads always go through ups and downs, but this cliché rollercoaster just keeps me hooked! When Rongrong said she was going to give her ‘eighty lashes,’ I seriously thought she was going to die. But who knew her maid had a fling with the eunuch by the Emperor’s side, and they managed to get the Emperor to save her! I can’t take it! How many hidden plotlines are there in this show?”
“How should I put it… If I were Liu Ruyi, I wouldn’t have made it past the first episode in the palace…[Goodbye][Goodbye][Goodbye]”
“This is what true palace intrigue looks like! The male lead, female lead, supporting female, and cannon fodder—all of them have high IQ and EQ, it’s thrilling! The Noble Consort pretended to be weak; when she found out about her affair with the Empress being exposed, her first reaction wasn’t to cover it up but to deliberately punish the female lead, making the Emperor think she was still unaware and just a brainless vase… Then she helped the female lead use the self-inflicted injury tactic to gain the Emperor’s trust, making him think the female lead didn’t know about her and the Empress and was just innocently punished… The scariest part is! Even though the Emperor fell in love with the female lead, he still plans to kill the Empress after she gives birth and have the female lead raise the child… Oh my god, I can’t predict what will happen next!”
“Will the Noble Consort and the female lead turn against each other? Will the Empress really die? Who will be the ultimate winner in this drama?”
“I watched the trailer! I’m a premium VIP member! Let me spoil the latest teaser: it says General Qi disappeared while being escorted back to the capital. I have a feeling the Qi family storyline isn’t going to wrap up so easily, and the Empress won’t exit the stage that easily either!”
“Ah ah ah, even though the two episodes a week schedule has changed to three days a week, I still can’t get enough!《The Palace Wall Willows》, I need more episodes!”
……
A month later.
The audience’s enthusiasm for discussing the plot remained unabated, and they were even more eager to see the ending. The production team was also under great pressure. The screenwriter, who originally wrote a vague follow-up, was now forced by the online buzz to revise the script three times a day. Consequently, Lu Xun and the others had to arrive early at the set every day and went to bed very late because they had to memorize the new lines for the next day.
As for how the subsequent plot would develop, not to mention the leading actors, even Director Zhen and the screenwriter probably had no idea where the ending was heading.
Because of the tension within the production team, Feng Qingyu had to cancel a previously scheduled promotional event a month ago. The itinerary for that event had been leaked in advance, causing fans to surround the venue in layers, leading to a stampede incident. As a result, the brand had to contact the team to cancel the event. During a break from rehearsing lines with Xu Jiao on set, Feng Qingyu took the time to visit the injured fans.
During that period, trending topics were all about rational fan behavior. Many artists, before preparing for public events, had their assistants or fan club presidents remind fans to be careful, maintain order, and avoid crowding.
However, given Feng Qingyu and Xu Jiao’s current popularity, it was impossible for them to stay cooped up in the production set every day without going out. Especially now, with the high buzz surrounding this on-screen couple, the team would definitely seize the opportunity to promote them together.
Soon, the two received a notification to attend a promotional event for a high-end diamond ring brand.
This was a joint endorsement deal negotiated by the company, so both of them had to be present at the event. The schedule was deliberately chosen on a day when neither of them had any scenes to shoot.
When Xu Jiao heard this news, she confirmed with the system in her mind: “The scene where Shangguan Yan arranges for someone to harm Feng Qingyu was supposed to happen during the event a month ago, right?”
The system calmly responded, “Yes, that’s correct.”
At that moment, Xu Jiao stood in front of the mirror, letting Feng Qingyu’s stylist adjust the waistline of her dress. The dress had delicate spaghetti straps that crossed over her chest and wrapped around the back of her neck. Her back was exposed, revealing a large expanse of bare skin. The hem was designed with layers of fine tulle, giving it a wedding dress-like elegance but without the long, trailing skirt.
The fine tulle was adorned with small, hollowed-out golden five-pointed stars. This rich color did not overshadow her; instead, it made her aura even more striking, making people want to cherish her like a carefree little princess.
Xu Jiao slightly raised her head, and noticed Feng Qingyu walking over. Feng Qingyu said to the stylist, “The waist of this dress is still a bit loose; it needs to be taken in a bit more to look good.”
As she spoke, Feng Qingyu raised her hand to pinch the fabric at Xu Jiao’s waist. Sure enough, when she pulled it up, there was still some slack in her palm.
She held that part in place, and the stylist had no choice but to step aside, watching the two of them in the mirror. One wore a light beige tulle dress, the other a fiery red gown. Although Xu Jiao suited the red color better, today’s unique styling had swapped their colors, making one delicate and the other dazzling.
The stylist watched the two of them, seeing how well they complemented each other, and smiled, saying, “That’s not a big problem. I’ll stitch it up a bit and take it in.”
Xu Jiao nodded upon hearing this and then looked down at the hem of her dress. “Could the hem be shortened? I still feel it’s a bit long at the ankle, making it inconvenient to move.”
She mainly thought that Shangguan Yan would surely not give up on his evil schemes. In case something unexpected happened at the event, she wanted to be able to help in time.
Feng Qingyu furrowed her brows slightly, seeming a bit conflicted. After hesitating for two seconds, she softly said, “This length… is just right.”
Xu Jiao did not look at her, but continued to stare at the stylist.
The stylist felt immense pressure under Xu Jiao’s gaze. Although he rationally agreed with her suggestion, Feng Qingyu’s cold stare made him uneasy. In a moment of quick thinking, he offered a compromise:
“How about we shorten it just to the knee?”
That way, it wouldn’t be too long or too short!
Feng Qingyu timely added, “The stage we’ll be on is quite high, and the audience will be below us. If it’s any shorter… a breeze could easily cause a wardrobe malfunction.”
Xu Jiao then nodded in agreement.
……
“Thank you all for coming to the grand opening ceremony of our brand’s new branch on Haicheng Financial Road! Today, we have invited two mysterious guests to celebrate the opening of our new store. Can you guess who they are?”
The host stood on the red carpet stage, holding a microphone, and loudly engaged with the sea of fans present.
She directed the microphone towards the crowd, and the overwhelming voices shouted, “Feng Qingyu!” “Feng Qingyu!” “Xu Jiao!” “Jiaojiao!” “Feng Jiao, I’m here!” “Empress!”
For a moment, the shouts varied, but they all shared a common loudness.
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Fortunately, the host held the microphone and, with the help of the loudspeakers, her voice could still be heard. She smiled and said, “You all know who they are—so let’s welcome the two big stars, Feng Qingyu and Xu Jiao!”
Xu Jiao was holding Feng Qingyu’s hand with one hand and lifting her dress with the other. As they appeared on stage together, the fans below erupted into frenzied screams.
The noise startled Xu Jiao for a moment. Feng Qingyu leaned close to her ear with a smile and whispered, “Be careful, there’s one more step.”
Xu Jiao came to her senses, turned her head slightly to smile at Feng Qingyu, and then focused on the crowd, trying to see if anyone was planning to cause trouble during the ceremony. However, there were too many people, and at a glance, everyone was shouting with flushed faces. The usually composed creator, when faced with a swarm of enthusiastic fans, was momentarily bewildered.
Moreover, the interaction between her and Feng Qingyu just now had caused the noise to grow even louder. Xu Jiao even heard someone’s voice crack and go hoarse.
Suddenly, the system issued a task: “Detected malicious intent towards the female lead 30 meters ahead. An attack is imminent. Please stop it in time!”
Xu Jiao: “…”
She accepted the microphone handed to her by the host. She intended to activate her acting aura to interact with the host and Feng Qingyu. But as soon as she did, she couldn’t take her eyes off the two of them and had to turn it off. She answered questions while using her peripheral vision to search for the malicious person thirty meters away.
But it was too difficult.
Xu Jiao quickly gave up and decided to focus on the area right in front of the stage, ready to kick anyone who rushed up.
However—
Soon, she couldn’t even meet this condition.
Somewhere ahead, an extremely strong burst of Omega pheromones suddenly erupted, causing some of the tall and burly Alpha fans to instinctively rush towards that spot with reddened eyes. The people in front of them were pushed aside. The security team quickly detected the situation and immediately began to disperse the crowd, signaling the host on stage to pause the event.
Xu Jiao’s heart sank.
As expected, she knew Shangguan Yan wouldn’t stop until he achieved his goal.
Feng Qingyu instinctively pulled Xu Jiao to her side, both to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to approach and to calm herself with Xu Jiao’s pheromone scent.
The Omega pheromone had a honey scent and was drifting everywhere. Although it didn’t particularly affect her, it did cause some agitation. Feng Qingyu disliked this feeling of being controlled by instinct.
She whispered, “Hold my hand and don’t let go. The security will soon escort us down. Don’t be afraid, it’s probably just an Omega in heat sneaking out to chase stars. It’s nothing.”
She thought Xu Jiao was unfamiliar with such a scene and was too stunned to react, not knowing what expression to make and standing there motionless. Little did she know, while everyone else was relaxing, Xu Jiao was on high alert.
A person wearing a security uniform approached them to escort them down. Feng Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief and, holding Xu Jiao’s hand, walked towards them. The security personnel slowly surrounded them.
The system’s voice sounded again: “Detected within less than half a meter, someone with malicious intent towards the female lead—”
“Thud.”
Before she could finish hearing the task announcement, Xu Jiao suddenly pushed Feng Qingyu aside and kicked a security guard who had somehow stealthily drawn a dagger.
Her reaction was extremely fast, not giving the opponent any time to prepare, which startled the security guard. Unfortunately…
Her strength wasn’t very great, only pushing the person a few steps away. The guard obviously didn’t expect her to have such explosive power; he stood still for a moment, tightened his grip on the dagger, and was about to rush back when he heard Xu Jiao say:
“Scram.”
It was strange; amidst all the noise and chaos, Xu Jiao didn’t have a microphone nor was she wearing an earpiece, so logically, he shouldn’t have been able to hear her voice.
But he heard it clearly, even able to discern the calm emotion in her voice.
It seemed like…
She had known all along who sent him and what he was going to do.
Even though he was a Beta, unaffected by any pheromones, and was strong and robust, there was no reason for him to fear a mere celebrity. Yet, upon hearing that “Scram,” he felt an indescribable fear, a chill running down his spine, and he instinctively turned and ran.
Xu Jiao watched the direction he fled, staring at the edge of the carpet by the stage, and suddenly—
The edge of the carpet wrinkled up, tripping the fleeing man. Feng Qingyu, who had been pushed aside earlier, had now regained her composure: “Catch him!”
The security guards swarmed forward!
……
The chaos and commotion finally began to subside.
Xu Jiao and Feng Qingyu sat in the nanny van. Seeing Feng Qingyu holding her hand, her palm still damp with sweat, she said, “Don’t be afraid. The company will find out about the attacker’s situation right away, and the police are already following up.”
Xu Jiao tugged at the hem of her dress with her other hand and looked up at Feng Qingyu with her calm black eyes, saying slowly, “I wasn’t afraid.”
Feng Qingyu: “…”
She laughed softly, resting her forehead in Xu Jiao’s palm, and said in a low voice, “Hmm, I was the one who was afraid. Next time there’s danger, don’t push me away. You scared me.”
Xu Jiao didn’t mention that she knew about the danger beforehand; she simply remained silent, letting Feng Qingyu bury her face in her palm. She then took out an eye mask, single-handedly unwrapped it, put it on, and leaned back in the seat for a nap.
The car drove all the way back to the hotel where the film crew was staying. Feng Qingyu held Xu Jiao’s hand tightly and refused to let go, even following her into her hotel room.
During this time, Xu Jiao tried countless times to withdraw her hand, but was met with silent, wordless resistance. Just as she was about to speak and ask Feng Qingyu to leave, she turned around—
Feng Qingyu’s eyes were inexplicably red, quietly and pitifully looking at her.
Xu Jiao: “?”
The words she intended to use to chase her away turned into a helpless sigh: “I’m going to take a shower. Can you stay in the room by yourself and behave?”
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Feng Qingyu shook her head, hugged her waist, pulled her to sit on the bed, then lay down, pressing her upper body on Xu Jiao’s thighs, and tightly wrapped her arms around her waist once more, burying her face in the thin chiffon dress, and whispered:
“You scared me earlier.”
“That man still had a knife in his hand. How could you dare to take action directly? What if he had come at you recklessly? What would I do then?”
“Next time, don’t do that, okay?”
Xu Jiao nodded perfunctorily, glanced at her for two seconds, and suddenly said, “There are three great joys in middle age. Do you know what they are?”
Feng Qingyu: “?”
Xu Jiao calmly replied, “Promotion, wealth, and the death of a spouse. You see, if I were to encounter some misfortune, your household registration would show you as widowed immediately. No need for a divorce, so convenient, right?”
Feng Qingyu: “…”
She didn’t respond to Xu Jiao’s words but suddenly released her pheromones. The scent of bitter orange blossom enveloped Xu Jiao, repeatedly crushing and kneading her, expressing her anger.
Xu Jiao was caught off guard and surrounded by her, her body suddenly flushing red from her neck to her forehead, like a small tomato forcibly ripened.
She was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, “Feng Qingyu, are you… repaying kindness with enmity?”
Feng Qingyu’s tears hadn’t dried yet, but she was already hugging Xu Jiao’s waist and laughing. She looked up at her gently and said, “I wouldn’t dare.”
She said, “I am endlessly grateful for your kindness, like the waters of the Yellow River, flowing continuously. Unfortunately, I have nothing to offer, except for my humble skills, which I can barely use to repay you.”
Xu Jiao, weakened by her pheromones, couldn’t even sit upright. She shook her head and raised her hand to push Feng Qingyu off her lap. “No need.”
As a result, Feng Qingyu was pushed away and stood up, but then suddenly lifted Xu Jiao, who was sitting at the edge of the bed, in her arms and walked towards the large full-length mirror in the room. She said with a playful smile:
“You look so beautiful right now. I think you need to see how good you look—”
