The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul

"That's the Cloudscape Group we're talking about. If my little baozi marries into their family, she'd never have to worry about food or clothing."

"..."

Tang Shu was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure which part of the statement deserved a snarky response first.

Wen Nuan, always one to stir up trouble, chuckled and said, "No need. I'm worried Brother Jieming might break her son's legs by then."

"Impossible. You know, daughters have to get married eventually. Just look around the whole Imperial City—who compares to President Jing and Xiao Shu's son?"

"Huh? That does make some sense..."

Tang Shu's face darkened. What kind of logic was this? The idea hadn't even started to take shape, and yet they were already discussing issues decades down the line?

Why not aim for the sky while you're at it?

"Look, your little baozi doesn't lack money. Is that really something to be worried about?"

Zhuang Jingran's personal empire alone was enough for his daughter to squander extravagantly. Not to mention the inheritance of a century-old family business and a historic courtyard residence. Plus, the little girl had a grandfather who was a prosecutor—she could practically walk sideways without any concerns.

"I can't help it. Good men are rare these days. You've got to start planning from a young age."

Wen Nuan nodded solemnly in agreement.

Tang Shu ignored these two women reveling in their own privilege. Since they had ventured into child-rearing theories, and she couldn't get a word in edgewise, Tang Shu dug around in her bag and pulled out some pills suitable for postpartum recovery.

***

By the end of the year, "Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud" emerged as the last drama to compete in the ratings.

Its tightly woven plot and intense fight scenes became more engaging by the day. By mid-December, more than half its storyline had aired, and its concise drama successfully climbed to the top of the ratings, breaking the record set earlier by "Legendary Jiayue."

"To be honest, the storyline totally crushes 'Jiayue.' Hands down, no debate!"

"Although one is a xianxia fantasy and the other a political martial arts drama, I gotta say, the latter is much more appealing. I even couldn't spare time to eat while watching it—ugh~~"

"The plot is impeccable. 'Jiayue' dragged its 70+ episodes too badly. Most of it felt pointless; just one crying scene could last half an episode."

"The fight scenes, oh, the fight scenes! It's been years since we've seen such thrilling, visceral combat. Each punch landed with impact—it's way better than slicing mountains with magical sword energy."

"It's not that 'Jiayue' is bad; it's just that 'Cloud Gate' is too outstanding. I'm officially retracting my previous opinion and pledging my support to 'Cloud Gate!'"

Online discussions about "Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud" soared higher and higher. In the span of half a month, its buzz surpassed the two-month-long hype of "Legendary Jiayue," perfectly becoming a dark horse in the race.

As the drama gained widespread popularity, audience discussions about its characters naturally intensified. "Cloud Gate Wind and Cloud" achieved something that "Legendary Jiayue" never did—every character felt fully fleshed out.

Director Zheng went all out on the promotional front by launching a voting campaign for the drama's characters. Surprisingly, Female Lead No.2, Lu Xiangxuan, completely overshadowed Feng Yan's character in the polls.

In the series, Lu Xiangxuan, who was raised alongside her senior brother, later fulfilled an arranged marriage set by her parents and got entangled in a political power struggle in the capital. Meanwhile, the male lead discovered his own hidden origins.

Court intrigues, martial conflicts, and bloody storms.

"Purely as a casual viewer, I just love how Lu Xiangxuan can outshine everyone with her beauty and dominate the martial world with her skills."

"Sorry, Feng Yan, I've defected. I just can't resist this woman who's both stunning and capable—ugh~~"

"Is Tang Shu split-minded or something? How did she manage to pull off such duality in her performance? And the craziest part—she's not even the villain! I'm obsessed with her character, absolutely obsessed!"

"Give me ten of these supporting female characters, please! She's a perfect wife and mother without demanding much for herself, yet she protects her senior brother and the male lead with her life. What kind of divine senior-junior sibling bond is this?"

When the voting results were revealed, Director Zheng looked at the poll counts for the lead actors, feeling both pleased and disheartened.

"Sigh, truly a bittersweet situation."

"Director, our drama is so popular, what are you fretting about?"

"I had already anticipated it during filming. Tang Shu was too fond of the role of Lu Xiangxuan. She even elevated it during performance, making the character more distinctive and multi-dimensional."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"The reason I cast Feng Yan as Female Lead No.1 was to suppress Female Lead No.2's brilliance. Yet even she couldn't manage to do that."

In the end, it seemed like Female Lead No.2 ended up stealing the show, and even as a director, he couldn't take back the reins.

"Isn't that because the female lead's design is inherently less captivating?"

"..."

Director Zheng buried his face in his hands, unwilling to engage with his clueless assistant. But ultimately, he did offer one explanation:

"You have to understand, there's no such thing as an underdeveloped character—only actors who don't put in the effort."

Before filming, characters are nothing but words on a page. It's the actors who breathe life into them in a unique way. Understanding the characters' inner worlds and surpassing their initial limitations is the true responsibility of an actor.

The assistant, looking dazed, seemed to vaguely understand, yet equally not.

Director Zheng could only persevere:

"Before filming began, you read the script. Let me ask you—did the role of Lu Xiangxuan strike you as particularly compelling?"

"...Honestly, no. I always thought she was just a sheltered young woman, protected by her senior brother in childhood and her husband in adulthood. Despite her martial prowess, she left no real impression."

"And now?"

"...I get it now!"

She was now practically the embodiment of his ideal goddess! He hadn't realized that this industry was so brutally competitive, requiring actors not only to interpret but to enrich their characters thoroughly.

Suddenly, he saw this profession as elevated and inspiring...

Director Zheng, satisfied that his assistant finally had a moment of clarity, nodded approvingly. This kid wasn't entirely hopeless after all.

***

"Hmph, she's just too full of herself."

Reacting to the same poll results, Luo Lin sat in Starshine Media's office and bluntly pointed out the core reason for Feng Yan's failure.

"I know. I've seen her past performances—flawless."

Tang Shu concurred. In terms of acting skills, Feng Yan was a respectable opponent—of course, if you overlooked her penchant for underhanded scheming, she might even be a friend worth befriending.

"Whether it's 'Jiayue' or 'Cloud Gate,' it's clear she hasn't delivered the caliber expected of an international superstar."

"Was this why you made me hold onto those embarrassing videos? To make her your sharpening stone?"

Throughout the year, Luo Lin had been driven to the edge by Feng Yan's antics multiple times. Upon receiving incriminating evidence from Tang Shu, she had been eager to expose it all in one fell swoop, only to be met repeatedly with Tang Shu's insistent "Wait."

Tang Shu protested her innocence, "Absolutely not! I just didn't want two perfectly good dramas to go to waste. It'd be humiliating for an international celebrity to be taken down by tabloid scandals."

As for using her as a sharpening stone? Not a chance. Honestly speaking, any veteran stage actor picked randomly from a theater troupe could suffice as her source of learning—she didn't particularly need Feng Yan.

Luo Lin saw right through her and smirked. "She just hasn't hit your bottom line yet. Stop dressing it up with noble excuses."

"...Fine, you're right."

Tang Shu raised an eyebrow. "But isn't it more memorable to defeat her in her highest area of expertise, rather than with some scandalous videos?"

Without side-by-side comparison, who could truly discern who was superior?

Luo Lin couldn't help but feel a metaphorical stab in the gut through her friend's words, so much so that she visibly flinched.

"That's cutting to the bone..."

Savage, truly savage.