WBSGVS Chapter 222 V2

But when he arrived, he found that everything was already running smoothly. Set decorations were nearly done.

And the person everyone was following…

Zhang stared at the woman running around the set in a T-shirt and shorts, baseball cap pulled low, megaphone in one hand, and looking every bit the part. His knees almost buckled at the sight. Regaining his balance, he rushed over, his face full of anguish.

“My dear aunt! Sis-in-law! What the hell are you doing? If we can’t hire a director, we can always throw more money at it! Didn’t we just get a huge penalty fee? How could you—how could you just step in yourself?!”

Qingli fanned herself with the script in her other hand and replied,
“Don’t call me ‘sis-in-law.’ Call me by my name—Su Qingli.”

Zhang: “……”

His expression was utterly tragic, like the sky had fallen.
“Su—Su Screenwriter… Can we not mess around like this? This is your favorite story! Are you really okay watching it get ruined?”

Qingli’s tone turned firm.
“If I’m the one directing, it won’t get ruined.”

“Wow, you’re confident,” Zhang muttered dejectedly. Hearing how resolute she was made him feel hopeless. He should’ve known better than to stay in this production just for the paycheck. What future was there in this?

This might go down as the lowest point in his entire career as a producer.

Qingli knew she didn’t exactly have much credibility in this field. She’d been on set before six in the morning. Since it was a historical drama, the location fees alone were hefty. They’d already lost a day—she had to make up for the delay.

Fortunately, aside from Zhang, the rest of the crew seemed somewhat disillusioned after everything that had happened. They’d hit rock bottom and were ready to roll with whatever came next. No one objected to the screenwriter stepping up as director. They did whatever she said, and so far, things were going smoothly.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Zhang, who looked like his thinning hair was about to fall out from stress. Wanting to distract him, she suddenly heard a hushed gasp nearby, and her eyes lit up.

She patted Zhang on the shoulder.
“Look over there!”

Zhang, brow furrowed and eyes heavy, turned to follow her gaze.

And then, he froze.

Walking toward them were a man and a woman, dressed in historical costumes that struck a perfect balance between traditional elegance and modern taste. The man was striking, the woman graceful and gentle. The two of them, smiling as they approached, looked like they’d stepped right out of a novel.

Zhang gasped.
“Whoa—” He sucked in a deep breath, eyes filled with awe.
“Director Su, where did you find these two? They’re perfect!”

He hadn’t recognized them—these good-looking, perfectly cast newcomers. Were they industry folks?

Ning Xi had just come close enough to hear that, and his bright expression turned into an even more confident grin. Matching the heroine’s slower pace earlier, he now sped up, voice cheerful and full of spirit, just like the lively young nobleman he was about to play.

“Nice to meet you, Producer Zhang. I’m Ning Xi. I’ve been a singer these past two years, and this is my first time acting. I hope you’ll take good care of me.”

“Ning Xi?!” Zhang shouted in disbelief.
“You’re that Ning Xi—the one who swept all the major national music awards in just five years?!”

Ning Xi scratched his head, suddenly bashful and looking nothing like the cocky character he’d just played.

Zhang stared at him for another couple of seconds before it finally clicked. His expression melted into a delighted grin.
“Nice, very nice. Director Su, this casting is spot on! I heard Ning Xi has a naturally goofy, playful vibe—that’s exactly what our male lead needs. I was worried Su Yan wouldn’t loosen up enough. But this? This is perfect!”

Then he turned eagerly toward the female lead.

The actress was named Kong Li, a relatively unknown C-list actress. She was so nervous under Zhang’s gaze that her powdered face started to pale. She forced a polite introduction.
“I’m Kong Li, just a small-time actress.”

Zhang’s enthusiasm visibly dimmed.

Qingli quickly gave him a light slap on the arm.
“Alright, enough. We’re about to start filming. Don’t hold things up. Just shoot a test scene. If it works, we’ll move forward and draw up the contracts.”

Zhang snapped out of it and smiled.
“Right, right. Let’s see how they do.”

He still wanted to see how Qingli would handle directing. She was a screenwriter, suddenly jumping into a whole new field. Sure, she’d cast well—but he was worried success might go to her head.

Qingli could tell exactly what he was thinking. She didn’t kick him out. Once the set was ready, she gave the signal to begin.

The scene was the male and female leads’ first meeting.

The heroine was the daughter of the original wife, who had died early. She’d spent her life suppressed by her stepmother and kept out of sight. On this day, the stepmother was throwing a lavish banquet for her daughter, while the heroine was locked away in her courtyard under the excuse of ill health.

This also happened to be the day the heroine first arrived, after time-traveling.

Curious about the festivities in the distance, she climbed a tree to get a better view.

Meanwhile, the carefree young Marquis, wanting to avoid all the flattery from guests, wandered off and—by accident—stumbled upon her. Impressed by her nimble tree-climbing, he offered her silver in exchange for a lesson.

“Cut!” Qingli shouted.

She looked at Ning Xi, who’d just made a hilariously awkward fall out of the tree, and Kong Li, who remained poised and at ease in the branches, and smiled in satisfaction.
“Perfect! One take!”

The two had prepped thoroughly the night before. They came in fully ready and nailed it.

Producer Zhang was stunned—and a bit anxious.
Only one take? It was good, yes, but what if something hadn’t been captured just right?

He hurried over, worried, but Qingli was already pulling up the playback.

Zhang leaned in to watch carefully. But as the footage rolled, his serious expression softened into something close to fondness. The young man and woman in the frame were radiant, full of youth and charm. They did look like they belonged together.

“Ahem!” Qingli cleared her throat.
“Careful—you’re drooling.”

Zhang snapped out of it and instinctively wiped the corner of his mouth, dry. Nothing there.

He opened his mouth to retort, but caught the mischievous glint in Qingli’s eyes. His face flushed. Straightening up, he quickly said,
“Right. Looks good. I’ll go prep the contracts now…”