My Queen, My Rules - 29

Filming

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A week of idleness passed quickly. Because of Cen Sen's last-minute change of plans, Ji Mingshu didn't return to the capital and spent the entire week playing in Xingcheng.

Neither mentioned that night's drunken episode again.

Cen Sen seemed to have blacked out, forgetting everything he'd said. Once sober, he reverted to what Ji Mingshu called the ‘capitalist dictator’, all work and no feelings.

As for Ji Mingshu, she desperately hoped no one would ever bring up anything that happened that day again. Only that way could the ultimate awkwardness from her group chat exposure be truly put to rest.

Soon, it was time for the recording of Designer's Abode.

Three days before filming, Ji Mingshu received the detailed schedule from the production team and the design challenge assigned to each group.

For a variety show of this scale, the design subjects were mostly residential interiors, often renovation projects. Designer's Abode was no exception.

Actually, residential design was a very small category within spatial design. The barrier to entry for home interior designers was low, and the caliber of the finished product had no defined upper or lower limit.

The renovation of a 300-million-dollar mansion counts as residential design, and so does a local renovation team in a third-tier city offering an all-inclusive package with free appliances for 50,000.

Ji Mingshu was formally trained. Though she hadn't handled many serious projects, she always emphasized artistic and emotional expression, as well as the embodiment of creative concepts.

Gu Kaiyang's initial impression of her as obscenely wealthy actually stemmed from her student days. To achieve the best visual effect for her design, she'd simply bought a large luxury apartment to realize it. Rumor had it that the renovation cost twice as much as the apartment itself.

Fortunately, Ji Mingshu later personally debunked the rumor for her: Her cousin had already bought that apartment but hadn't moved in. Hearing she needed a practical project, he'd just let her use it for practice.

As for the renovation costing twice the apartment's price, it was because after the renovation, her cousin hung a Tang Yin painting from his own collection inside.

But overall, because she had no concept of controlling post-renovation costs, her design style was indeed very highbrow and disconnected from the masses.

The first day of recording was at the Xingcheng Convention Center. The crew had set up an American home-style studio there as the main venue for interview segments.

Unlike other more serious home renovation shows, Designer's Abode's main gimmick was ‘celebrity designers’. Each group paired two celebrities with one non-celebrity designer. Additionally, each group would have a mysterious special guest.

The first season of Designer's Abode was planned for twelve episodes. Each group's design challenge would span two episodes, after which the two best-performing groups would be selected to collaborate on a final ultimate challenge.

The production team's official line was that the non-celebrity designer was the core of the design challenge. But Ji Mingshu felt their actual role was probably to prevent the celebrities from messing up and producing some monstrous abomination.

The groups were already predetermined.

Ji Mingshu's teammates were a man and a woman: the moderately popular, unconventionally handsome, talented actor Feng Yan, and a certain idol girl group ace, Yan Yuexing. Ji Mingshu only knew their names.

Although the teams were set privately, to create a variety show atmosphere, the director said the first episode would include a segment where they drew lots to decide the teams.

Which meant the highlight of today's recording was: “Pretending I don't know who my teammates are and acting super surprised and honored."

Putting on a little act was second nature for the celebrities. For a social adept like Ji Mingshu, it was also a breeze. This was, after all, part of the Plastic Sisterhood 101 curriculum; every socialite aced it, mastering the skill to perfection.

Ji Mingshu scanned the room. The biggest star here was probably Li Che. The rest were B- or C-list actors, singers, or variety show regulars.

Feng Yan, from her team, seemed to have a good personality. He was very polite when greeting her, didn't ignore her just because she wasn't a celebrity, even complimenting her beauty and elegance and asked for her guidance.

Yes, the key points were him calling her beautiful, elegant, and asking for her guidance. She appreciated people like him, not full of hot air, but every word hitting the mark.

But his low-key, unassuming personality probably wasn't very marketable in the entertainment industry. Compared to Yan Yuexing in their team, the young female idol who could work the crowd, constantly steering the focus toward Li Che, Ji Mingshu conservatively estimated Feng Yan's screen time would only amount to half of Yan Yuexing's after the show aired.

As for Yan Yuexing, this girl group ace, Ji Mingshu had looked her up online before coming. The impression wasn't great.

There was plenty of negative press: lip-syncing, plastic surgery, hinting for fan fundraising. Recently, her supposedly original solo single was exposed as plagiarized, from the song to the MV.

Initially, Ji Mingshu thought you could only believe half of what you read online; the real person might not be as dramatic.

Seeing her in person today, Ji Mingshu realized you could truly only believe half of what you read online.

Given this little sister's drama-seeking nature, calling "Brother Li Che" left and right, desperately trying to latch onto the popular guest—the fact that only this much negative news had surfaced meant, she either had amazing PR or was simply too insignificant for the scandals to stick.

After the staged group selection, there was a segment where each group sent a representative to draw their design challenge. This, of course, was also scripted.

The representative for Ji Mingshu's team was Yan Yuexing.

What should have taken ten seconds, she managed to stretch into a three-minute solo performance. Ji Mingshu stood just outside the camera frame, arms loosely crossed, quietly watching her act.

Ugh. Thinking about having to record with this drama queen for a whole month, I just know I'm going to clash with her and we'll end up in a fight.

Ji Mingshu had a vague premonition, but she never expected the clash to come so quickly.

After Yan Yuexing retrieved their scripted design challenge, as directed, the team members were supposed to discuss it.

The other groups had the designers looking at floor plans and photos, explaining their general ideas based on the homeowners' requirements. The celebrities just needed to nod along and wait for their assigned tasks. After all, they weren't knowledgeable about the technicalities; forcing their opinions would only expose their ignorance.

But Yan Yuexing showed no fear of exposing her true level. Her little mouth ran nonstop, endlessly spouting her Mary-Sue-meets-county-fair-princess aesthetic.

"...I think, oh, this wall can be torn down. Merge the small bedroom and the study, cover everything with pink wallpaper. For the doorway, we can hang a dreamcatcher and some bead curtains. That would be more dreamy…"

Ji Mingshu didn't even look up, cutting her off. "That's a load-bearing wall. It can't be removed."

Was she blind? The thick black solid line on the floor plan was obvious.

Yan Yuexing froze for a second, then immediately clasped her cheeks in feigned embarrassment. "Oh, really? I didn't know."

If you don't know, then shut up.

But Yan Yuexing clearly didn't read Ji Mingshu's mental subtitles. After only less than ten seconds of silence, barely allowing Ji Mingshu and Feng Yan three lines of dialogue, she started offering more brilliant suggestions.

Pointing at a spot on the blueprint, she analyzed, "I think the lighting in the dining room here isn't good. If we move the dining room to a place with better light, I think the mood would be more pleasant. And also…"

"..." Ji Mingshu, after all, wasn't a professional actress. Hearing this, she couldn't help but glance at Yan Yuexing with a "are you an idiot?" look. "That's not the dining room. It's the music room.”

So this sister had been pointing and gesturing with such conviction for ages, but she'd been reading the floor plan backwards? Unbelievable.

Corrected by Ji Mingshu a second time, Yan Yuexing's face instantly fell.

She signaled for the camera to stop recording.

Once the camera was off, she immediately put down the blueprint. The sweet smile vanished from her face, replaced by a scowl in a second. This D-list nobody inexplicably adopted the airs of an A-list diva. "Designer Ji, could you please stop interrupting me?"

Then, she turned her anger on the assistant director. "What kind of rude, uncultured people did your show hire? How are we supposed to film like this?”

Ji Mingshu crossed her arms, leaned back into the sofa, and gave her a lazy glance.

Before Feng Yan or the assistant director could try to mediate, Ji Mingshu remarked with casual sarcasm, "Oh, so I shouldn't interrupt you? Should I let you keep pretending to know what you're talking about, spouting nonsense, and ramble on about your county-fair-princess vision?"

"You!"

"My advice? If you don't know, shut up. If you don't want to film, leave. Who do you think you are, some A-lister? Pick the right place and person before you try to throw your weight around."

Word of their argument quickly reached the executive producer. The junior staff, inexperienced, panicked and asked if they should swap the two into different groups. But the executive producer found it interesting and whispered, "Swap what? I was worried their group had no selling point. Go mediate, don't let it get too ugly."

Yan Yuexing had never met such a non-celebrity with such audacity!

She was the ace of her group. Though their little nugu group wasn't widely known, they had many die-hard fans. Accustomed to being the center of attention, she treated other unpopular members like handmaidens in private, never missing a chance to mock or sneer.

The company didn't care. The whole group relied on her to carry them. Since she had the most fervent fans, whoever brought the money was treated like royalty.

She was furious, but Li Che, whom she wanted to get close to, was nearby, so she couldn't afford to completely ruin her image.

Plus, with the assistant directors pleading with her, she swallowed her rage and begrudgingly managed to finish the subsequent interview segment.

Ji Mingshu was pretty pissed too.

She'd held back today, considering they were filming. Her earlier reminders had been as controlled as possible. Even during the argument, she'd held back by three parts.

On the way out, Li Che even came up to talk to her. Ji Mingshu, with a lingering knot of irritation in her chest, was in no mood for anyone. She answered coolly with a couple of words and, just like last time, stepped into the elevator and onto her car first, once again leaving Li Che's entourage with a taste of this non-celebrity designer's unbridled and sharp attitude.

Today's recording had been far from enjoyable. That night, as Cen Sen leaned against the headboard reading documents, he casually asked about the filming.

Ji Mingshu, wearing a face mask and playing on her phone, answered muffledly, "Not great."

Just as Cen Sen was about to offer some generic response, Ji Mingshu suddenly received an apologetic WeChat from the director, along with a heads-up: their group's mystery guest was the explosively popular, nearly-A-lister child star, Pei Xiyan.

Ji Mingshu stared at the three characters "Pei Xiyan" for two seconds, then, without warning, sat up in bed and let out a scream!!!

"Pei Xiyan!"

"My teammate is Pei Xiyan!"

"Wuwuwu! Yan-baby, mommy loves you! What kind of heaven-sent twist of fate is this!"

Cen Sen: "…"

Pei Xiyan was the son of Director Pei and Su Cheng. He knew that. What he didn't know was that his wife, besides buying bags and diamonds, also moonlighted as a fangirl, and for a minor seven or eight years her junior at that.

Ji Mingshu executed a canary-flip out of the covers, simultaneously tearing off her thousand-yuan face mask to make a frantic call to Jiang Chun, a fellow mom-fan. Then, still kneeling on the bed, she proceeded to ranting and raving excitedly for twenty minutes straight.

"Ahhhh! What a divine production team! All my bad mood from today is cured, wuwuwuwu! I was so angry earlier I forgot to check the sponsors! Wuwuwu, what kind of amazing sponsor daddy is this, actually hiring my cutest, coolest baby!"

"No! That little drama queen with worse taste than you will definitely try to cling to my Yan-baby for clout! I must protect my baby properly!”

As she spoke, Ji Mingshu gesticulated wildly and, with a ‘smack’, her hand flew back and slapped the documents right out of Cen Sen's hands and onto his face.

Sponsor Daddy: "…”

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