Did a chicken peck your keyboard?

On set, the director and stage crew had arrived early. Apparently, Wu Hao had already spent several days filming his solo scenes, and almost everything coming up would involve scenes with other actors.

It was a period drama. Wei Zisu played the protagonist's younger brother, the adored youngest son of the Marquis's Residence. He had grown up sheltered by his parents and older brother, carefree, sunny, and outgoing. Later, his father was falsely accused, and the entire household was sentenced to execution. His parents fought desperately to rescue the young master and his brother and send them to a neighboring country.

The two lay low for several years, enduring hardship and biding their time. The young master grew from a boy who loved to laugh into a cold-faced assassin, ruthless and decisive, who swore to avenge his parents. With the help of the other protagonist, an omega from the neighboring country, the brothers uncovered the truth and cleared their parents' names.

The emperor was even willing to personally write an edict of self-reproach to exonerate their parents. Yet the young master still could not let go of his hatred. Ignoring his brother and sister-in-law's attempts to stop him, he entered the palace alone to assassinate the wretched emperor, only to be surrounded by hundreds of imperial guards and die beneath the blade of the Imperial Guards Commander he had once admired in his youth.

The television drama was adapted from a novel. When he first received the script, Wei Zisu read the original over and over and wrote an analysis of his character. He also visited the novel's fan community and reader groups to see how readers understood the young master. Whenever he found an interpretation that differed from his own, he noted it down and read it carefully, again and again.

Even though it was a supporting role, he still did his best to portray the character well and avoid disappointing the audience and fans of the original novel.

When filming first began, quite a few fans of the novel went to the official account to complain, saying the casting was terrible and did not match their image of the characters. Some criticized the leads, and naturally, others criticized the supporting cast. As someone playing a supporting character as popular as the protagonists, Wei Zisu was frequently dragged out for a "beating" during that period, with people saying an unknown like him did not deserve to play such a wonderful young master.

Wei Zisu merely read those comments without taking them to heart at all.

Every novel adapted into a television drama or film went through something like this. All he needed to do was play his own role well.

With his wig and makeup on, dressed in a white brocade robe embroidered with bamboo, Wei Zisu looked so elegant and handsome that he seemed like the young master of the Marquis's Residence himself, having torn through time and space to arrive from the ancient past.

While he was having his makeup done, Wu Hao had already come over to greet him. It was their first meeting, and both were perfectly polite.

What struck Wei Zisu, though, was that Wu Hao was two years younger than him yet played his older brother in the drama.

Today's scenes were being filmed at the Marquis's Residence. To save on production costs, they needed to finish all the scenes there that required reshooting in as little time as possible before moving on to the next location.

The first scenes Wei Zisu had to reshoot took place when the Marquis's Residence was still flourishing: he and his brother carefree and playful, practicing martial arts and archery together, reading and writing, and being scolded by their father when they misbehaved, who held a whip but could never bring himself to strike them.

Wei Zisu had filmed all of these before and still remembered the things he needed to watch out for. As long as he slipped back into character, he could get through them smoothly.

Although Wu Hao was a newcomer, he had already spent many days under the director's guidance, so acting opposite him was mostly trouble-free.

There was just one thing Wei Zisu found strange. Wu Hao kept staring at him when he was not looking, and he had caught him several times. Although Wu Hao always looked away quickly, Wei Zisu still caught the hostility in his eyes.

Wei Zisu was puzzled. They did not seem to have crossed paths before, so where had this hostility come from?

Three days later, they finished filming the early scenes at the Marquis's Residence. Next came the scenes set several years later, when the brothers returned to mourn after clearing their parents' names.

The set needed to be rebuilt to look disordered and dilapidated, as though no one had lived there for years, and both their makeup and costumes needed major changes. The makeup artists were busy, so they had to wait their turn.

Wu Hao's assistant immediately came over to hold an umbrella for him, handed him some water, and took him to his trailer to rest.

Everyone on the production was busy with their own work. No one would notice that Wei Zisu did not even have an assistant or anywhere to rest.

Previously, Sister Qian had arranged an assistant for him whenever he joined a production. Even without a trailer, at least the assistant could bring him a chair and find somewhere out of the way for him to rest.

But ever since Sister Qian learned that he and Sun Liang had broken off their engagement, she had been furious and stopped providing him with an assistant.

Wei Zisu still had no way of knowing how Sister Qian had found out. He suspected it had something to do with Yuan Zizhen, though. After all, they belonged to the same company. Wouldn't passing a little information to Sister Qian be child's play for him?

Fine. It was just as well that she knew. It saved Wei Zisu from agonizing all day over how to tell her.

With his contract about to expire, Sister Qian was planning to give up on him and leave him to fend for himself.

Holding his longsword, he swung it idly a few times, cutting down a few little weeds.

"Coming through, coming through."

A props crew member passed him carrying some things, and he hurried out of the way.

Realizing he was rather in the way here, he had no choice but to go outside and find somewhere to sit for a while.

There were two huge stone lions at the entrance to the Marquis's Residence. Sitting in the shade beside one was quite cool.

Wei Zisu pulled his phone out of his inner robe and scrolled through his WeChat messages.

Cui Xiangxiang had sent him loads of public-account articles, things like "After a whirlwind marriage, do these things to keep your alpha wrapped around your finger" and "Want your husband to be utterly devoted to you? Read these tips and benefit for life."

Wei Zisu skipped right past them without opening a single one.

Sun Zhe, who rarely contacted him, had also sent a message saying he happened to be in Hengdian and wanted to visit him on set. Wei Zisu sent him his production's exact location.

Scrolling down to the profile picture of the five-star red flag, Wei Zisu paused. Oh, this is my new husband.

What an unfamiliar term.

Yin Zhengchuan had changed his WeChat name again, from "I'm married" to "So torn."

Seriously, did this guy actually treat his WeChat nickname like his Moments feed?

Wei Zisu and his new husband had not been in touch for several days. He opened their chat, wondering whether he should send a polite greeting.

But the "Typing..." indicator at the top kept flashing. It seemed Yin Zhengchuan was about to send him a message, only to type something and delete it, delete it and type again, then delete it again...

Wei Zisu watched for a minute. "Typing..." was still there, but Yin Zhengchuan had not sent a single word.

He could not resist sending a message. "Are you writing an essay? Or did a chicken peck your keyboard?"