The address was quickly sent over by Fo Ye. Located in the old city district west of Sucheng, the drama "Sucheng Misty Past" tells the story of Sucheng's tumultuous events in the last century, so the filming locations were naturally within Sucheng itself.
Xiao Yunlong glanced down, then picked up his car keys and headed for the garage. After starting the car, he sped off.
The sky had completely darkened, and the streetlights were just coming on. Half an hour later, Xiao Yunlong arrived at an old Western-style house in the old city district west of Sucheng. This was the first scene the crew was filming today.
The front of the old house was crowded with crew members. Some were carrying cameras and looking for angles, others were makeup artists briefly touching up actors, and a few extras were squatting in a corner eating boxed meals.
The scene looked chaotic. There was even a small wirework machine by the roadside, and it seemed like filming was underway in the courtyard, with a seductive actress studying the script.
"Director, I think the third act of the script is wrong. The character I'm playing shouldn't be like this. Considering the era and the female lead's personality, this scene is too out of character for her. I think she should be gentler. That would be more appropriate. What do you think, Director?"
This actress, dressed in an elegant qipao but with a seductive appearance, was standing in the courtyard voicing her opinions.
The director stood beside her. He was a middle-aged man in his forties with long hair and a goatee. He didn't look at the script, just nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Miss Jun, what you said is absolutely right. You've hit the nail on the head. We'll change it right away!"
"Then I presume the two screenwriters won't have any objections?" Miss Jun asked.
"How could we possibly have any objections? Miss Jun is the foremost starlet in Jiangdong, and renowned nationwide. We're more than happy to receive Miss Jun's guidance. How could we have any objections?" the director said repeatedly.
One of the screenwriters was naturally present and also nodded in agreement.
"Then let's revise it according to my suggestions. I've already memorized the lines. Let's continue!" Miss Jun said.
The director and screenwriter didn't say anything more. They exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes, they saw helplessness and annoyance.
The reason they didn't dare to object wasn't because Miss Jun's suggestions were particularly brilliant. On the contrary, her proposals were forced and even nonsensical. They agreed simply because they dared not offend the powerful connections behind Miss Jun.
This Miss Jun, tall and slender with a mole on her chin, was none other than the eldest daughter of the Jun family, Jun Zifang, and also a so-called female star in Sucheng.
Xiao Yunlong walked into the courtyard and saw this scene. He didn't rush over immediately. He scanned the area coldly, then walked towards the pavilion at the corner of the courtyard.
Liu Ruyan was sitting alone in the pavilion, with a boxed meal beside her. Although the meal was open, Liu Ruyan hadn't eaten it, seemingly just sitting there in a daze.
"The boxed meal is almost cold, why aren't you eating?" Xiao Yunlong walked over and said softly.
"Brother Xiao, you're here!" Liu Ruyan turned her head quickly, but then suddenly turned her face away again.
Xiao Yunlong noticed that the left side of her face was slightly red and swollen, with finger marks still visible. Her eyes were also red.
"You look like you've been crying?" Xiao Yunlong raised an eyebrow and sat down.
"I haven't. Sand blew into my eyes, and tears just flowed out. I wasn't crying!" Liu Ruyan said, her eyes turning red again.
Xiao Yunlong smiled and shook his head, saying gently, "I know what happened. Don't worry, let's eat first. Don't starve yourself, or I'll be heartbroken."
Saying this, he took the boxed meal and placed it in front of her.
Liu Ruyan had no appetite at first, but hearing Xiao Yunlong's words, she naturally couldn't refuse any longer. She picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
After forcing down a few bites, Liu Ruyan suddenly asked in a low voice, "Brother Xiao, am I useless? Will you laugh at me?"
"Laugh at you? You are my woman. Why would I laugh at you? How could I laugh at you!" Xiao Yunlong said sternly.
"But I'm really useless. I can't even handle this small matter properly. I..."
Before she could finish, Xiao Yunlong waved his hand to interrupt her and said in a deep voice, "You've already done your best. This isn't your fault. Do you know who you're dealing with?"
"Her name is Jun Zifang, the eldest daughter of the Jun family, one of Sucheng's three great influential families!" Liu Ruyan said.
"That's right. Since you know the Jun family is an ancient and influential family in Sucheng, you should know their immense power. Don't mention you, even that Fatty Fo couldn't resolve this matter and dared not interfere. So, you don't need to blame yourself, and of course, I don't want you to think that way!" Xiao Yunlong said seriously.
Hearing this, Liu Ruyan felt much better and ate a few more bites.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Ruyan asked again, "Brother Xiao, since she's from the Jun family and the Jun family is powerful, and even Fatty Fo couldn't resolve it, then aren't we... If it's really impossible, then forget it. I won't film this drama."
Xiao Yunlong smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, with me here, no one can take this female lead role from you, no matter what ancient influential family they are!"
Just then, a crew member walked over and said, "You must be Mr. Xiao. Miss Jun asked me to inform you that she needs to see you. She wants you to go over!"
Xiao Yunlong immediately said, "My girlfriend is eating. I don't have time. If she has something to say to me, she can come over directly!"
After saying that, he leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed. The crew member didn't dare to say anything more and turned back towards Jun Zifang, who was filming in the center of the courtyard.
After the crew member said a few words to her, Jun Zifang's expression immediately darkened. She stopped filming, waved her hand, and with a short-haired capable woman, walked furiously towards the pavilion in the corner.
All the crew members were instantly alerted. They all turned to look, but no one stepped forward.
Fo Ye was not present at the moment. After notifying Xiao Yunlong by phone, he made an excuse about having something to do and left. After all, he couldn't afford to offend either party. If he stayed, it would be awkward for him.
"A nobody, making me come to see you. You've got quite the airs, haven't you?"
Jun Zifang approached, glared at Xiao Yunlong from head to toe, and shouted coldly, her words and demeanor filled with mockery and disdain.
Xiao Yunlong remained seated, not even looking at her, and said faintly, "You should know very well that the female lead in this drama was earned by my girlfriend through her own merit. You're forcefully interfering now, and even resorted to violence. Isn't that too unethical?"
Jun Zifang laughed, a mocking laugh. She even took out a cigarette, lit it, and after exhaling a long puff of smoke, said mockingly, "As expected, you really are a poor, country bumpkin. You even dare to ask such a question. So what if I snatched it? Even that Fatty Fo didn't dare to say a word. How dare you question me? How dare you!"
Xiao Yunlong said in a deep voice, "Considering you're a woman, and I have some acquaintance with one of your Jun family's young masters, I won't make things difficult for you. Now, kneel down to my girlfriend and slap yourself three times, and I'll let you leave!"
"Haha..."
Jun Zifang suddenly threw her head back and burst into laughter, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. She laughed so hard that she bent forward and backward, her ample bosom shaking. After a long while, she snorted, "What a joke! You claim to have some acquaintance with one of your Jun family's young masters. You truly are a nobody trying to put gold on your own face. Someone like you isn't even worthy of carrying our Jun family's shoes, and you want me to kneel and slap myself?"
The short-haired, capable woman next to her, who appeared to be Jun Zifang's bodyguard, said in a deep voice, "Miss, why waste your breath on this piece of trash? If you ask me, the reason this little slut named Liu got the female lead role was probably by sleeping with that Fatty Fo. And this kid named Xiao is a coward. For fame and fortune, he'd even let his girlfriend sell herself!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yunlong looked up sharply, his gaze like a blade fixed on the woman.
"What are you looking at, you bumpkin coward? Hurry up and take your girlfriend and get lost, or I'll hit you too!" the short-haired female bodyguard shouted coldly.
"So, it was you who hit my girlfriend just now?" Xiao Yunlong slowly stood up.
"That's right. And I can tell you, it was with this hand that I hit her. If it weren't for that Fatty Fo, I would have stripped this little slut..."
However, before the short-haired female bodyguard could finish speaking, Xiao Yunlong slapped her and sent her flying to the ground.
"So it was with this hand, huh?" Xiao Yunlong lunged forward and stepped on her right arm.
Then, with a forceful stomp, there was a cracking sound. The short-haired female bodyguard's right hand broke.
"You dare to hit my woman, so you'll pay double!" Xiao Yunlong said, then raised his foot and crushed the short-haired female bodyguard's right hand.
"Also, you dare to speak disrespectfully to my woman, so your foul mouth is no longer necessary!"
Saying this, Xiao Yunlong once again raised his large foot and stomped fiercely towards her mouth.
With a shrill cry, all the teeth in the short-haired female bodyguard's mouth shattered, and she even fainted on the spot.
The surrounding crew members, seeing this, were all terrified into silence, not even daring to breathe.
Jun Zifang was also scared pale, but as a scion of an ancient influential family, she had seen more of the world and quickly regained her composure.
"Damn it, you little nobody! How dare you hit my person? Have you eaten the heart of a leopard and the gall of a bear?" Jun Zifang gritted her teeth and roared.
Xiao Yunlong turned to look at her and said coldly, "A few days ago, I owed a favor to a certain young master of your Jun family. For his sake, kneel down now, kowtow three times, and slap yourself ten times to apologize to my girlfriend, and I'll let you leave. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what? You insignificant nobody, you wouldn't dare to touch me, would you!" Jun Zifang shouted fiercely.
Xiao Yunlong stopped talking and rushed forward, grabbing her by the throat.
"You... What are you doing? Let me go! I warn you... If you dare to kill me, my Jun family will never let you go!" Jun Zifang struggled and roared frantically.
"Kill you? A mere clown like you isn't even qualified to die by my hand!"
Xiao Yunlong snorted coldly, lifted her up, strode to the wirework machine, quickly wrapped steel wire around her feet, and hung her upside down.
Jun Zifang, suspended upside down, roared and struggled, while the surrounding crew members looked at each other, thinking that this short-haired young man was too ruthless to do such a thing.
Xiao Yunlong sneered, "I forgot to tell you, the steel wire isn't wrapped very tightly. Feel free to struggle with all your might. If you fall and become disabled or die, you can't blame anyone else."
Hearing this, Jun Zifang was so frightened that she stopped struggling. She could only cry out, "Quick, quick, call my brother! Notify my Jun family! Tell them to come save me!"
Some of the people below who knew Jun Zifang's family contact information quickly ran to a corner and pulled out their phones to make calls.
Xiao Yunlong saw this, but he couldn't be bothered. He clapped his hands and walked to Liu Ruyan, teasing, "Such a rare and precious sight. Wife, are you sure you don't want to take a picture and post it on your WeChat Moments to celebrate? I've even thought of the caption for you: 'Good deeds are rewarded, evil deeds are punished. It's not that retribution hasn't come, it's just that the time hasn't arrived!'"
"What did you just call me?" Liu Ruyan asked, stunned.
"Wife, is there a problem with that?" Xiao Yunlong said earnestly.
"..." Liu Ruyan rolled her eyes at him, but her pretty face suddenly turned red.