"So alike. You look so much like her." The famous actress Liu Yiyi took off her sunglasses, revealing her striking, commanding features, and leaned closer to examine Mo Caihuan. The more she looked, the stronger the resemblance became.
Had she not studied visual records of Mo Caihuan, she would never have thought the girl before her resembled the founding Empress. To play the role well, she had collected a wealth of material, including numerous photographs of the Empress.
In those photographs, the Empress looked composed and heroic, which was why the production team had invited the equally striking Liu Yiyi to play her.
Mo Caihuan's brow and eyes closely resembled the Empress's. Liu Yiyi asked, "You really look so much like the Empress. You're practically a younger version of her."
"Not as much as you do," Mo Caihuan said. "You're a big star. I'm sure you become whatever character you play."
"You give me far too much credit. The pressure of playing the Empress is enormous. So many people have portrayed her before, leaving all those pearls and jade for me to follow. If my performance is too conventional, people will say I'm copying my predecessors. If I make it too distinctive, the audience will say I don't understand the character. It's so hard."
Hearing this, Mo Caihuan understood the source of her anxiety: she was worried about the audience's opinion. She offered some comfort. "There's no helping that. You're an actress, so public scrutiny comes with the job. As for what audiences like, heaven knows."
"I didn't expect someone so young to understand that. Yes, this is pressure I ought to bear." She suddenly looked at Mo Caihuan and said, "You wouldn't happen to be the Empress reincarnated, would you? There's something very strange about you."
She had seen