But it was too late for regrets now. Her father had invested the money, and she had signed the contract. She could only brace herself and act.

  Cynthia kept giving herself mental reminders. She was professionally trained in acting. She was 'Ada', and Chloe was 'Daisy'. They were just characters in the show.

  Having a sense of conviction was a fundamental quality an actor should possess. After a moment of self-hypnosis, Cynthia actually felt a bit more confident.

  Half an hour later, Scene Two began filming.

  All equipment was in place. The clapperboard sounded, followed by the call of "action," and the set instantly fell silent.

  Cynthia threw herself down with a 'thump'. Just as she was about to unleash her emotions, she heard the director yell, "Cut!"

  The assistant director, wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, stood up and scolded angrily, "Didn't we just go through the blocking? The opening shot is on 'Daisy'! Who can see you kneeling at this moment? You kneel when the camera pans to you!"

  No one had ever dared to speak to Cynthia so loudly in her life. But she understood that the director was the ultimate authority on set. As a newcomer, offending the director was the worst thing she could do.

  So after being reprimanded, she simply nodded obediently, putting on a docile and compliant expression. "Sorry, director. I was too nervous."

  They started to take again.

  The opening shot focused on 'Daisy' shivering from falling into the water. On the small monitor in front of the director, Chloe's pitiful yet appropriately youthful performance was particularly captivating. Both the director and the assistant director behind him couldn't help but smile.

  "This actress is good. A fresh face already brings novelty, and she acts well too. The audience will like her." Director Kevin, with his veteran industry eye, immediately recognized Chloe's potential.

  The camera panned, shifting the shot to 'Ada'. She threw herself down with a 'thump', delivering her lines with terrified panic: "As a lowly servant, I deserve death! Please calm your anger, Madame!"

  Daisy’s mom, the Madame, scolded angrily, pointing at 'Ada' and berating, "You useless fool! The Second Young Miss has had a weak constitution since childhood. How could you let her slip and fall into the water?"

  Daisy’s grandmother, the Old Madam, directly barked sternly, "Guards! Take this useless waste who failed to protect her mistress and kick her out immediately!"

  "Please spare me, Madame! Spare me, Old Madame! I know I was wrong and I accept any punishment! I beg you not to kick me out!"

  'Ada' cried out, kowtowing. She then stood up and resolutely slapped herself twice, before shuffling on her knees towards her young mistress. "Young Miss, please, speak for me..."

  "Cut!"

  The "Cut!" severed the emotional state Cynthia had wholeheartedly immersed herself in. A burning pain spread across her cheek, and her knees ached terribly.

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  The assistant director flew into a rage and stood up. Cynthia thought she had messed up again, instinctively shrinking her neck in fear. However, the assistant director's gaze passed over her and landed on an extra in the back, cursing through gritted teeth, "That maid in the green clothes! What the hell are you wearing on your wrist? Were there wristwatches in ancient times? That's a continuity error, don't you know?!"

  The extra shivered, quickly taking off the wristwatch and hiding it.

  "From the part where the Old Madame wants to kick Ada out, Ada kneeling, kowtowing, and slapping herself, start again!"

  And so, Cynthia had to do it all over again.

  A scene that would be at most five minutes on screen took nearly an hour for this group to film. Plus, the weather was hot, making everyone somewhat irritable. The later it went, the worse their state became.

  Cynthia had slapped herself until her face hurt. By the end, she didn't dare to use much force anymore.

  In the end, the director decided... to use the first take!

  "Chloe!"

  After the scene wrapped, Chloe was about to return to her makeup room for some water and rest when Cynthia, who had caught up, blocked her path.

  The nameplate on the makeup room door had 'Chloe' written on it. Only exclusive makeup rooms had the actor's name posted. Seeing this felt jarring to Cynthia. Jealousy surged within her more intensely than ever before.

  "Are you doing this on purpose? I took your role, so you came to play 'Daisy' to disgust me?" Cynthia said with a vicious expression.

  Thinking back to the humiliating sight of herself kneeling, begging, and slapping herself in front of Chloe, even though she managed to complete the performance professionally in the moment, after stepping out of character, she couldn't help but feel humiliated.

  "I don't have that kind of power. Whoever I play is decided by the production team and Director Adam's arrangements," Chloe said softly.

  Even though Chloe spoke convincingly, Cynthia simply didn't believe her.

  For such a highly anticipated major IP, and 'Daisy' being a popular character from the original novel, how many currently popular actresses were scrambling to land this role? How could it fall into the hands of a complete newcomer with an unfamiliar face?

  Just because she was pretty?

  But the entertainment industry was never short of beauties!

  Cynthia looked at Chloe meaningfully and sneered, "Stop pretending to be so noble and pure. To get a role like 'Daisy,' you must have used some underhanded methods."

  "Chloe, if you don't want others to know, don't do it yourself. Don't think denying it can cover up the truth."

  Her words were loaded with insinuations. Chloe understood but wasn't provoked.

  Cynthia's hostility towards her wasn't a new thing. Although she found it all quite inexplicable, she wasn't the type to engage in confrontations with others.

  Moreover, she remembered Mina's words. Cynthia's father was an investor in the production. She should avoid conflicts with her on set.

  Thinking this, Chloe said expressionlessly, "Whether you believe me or not, I don't really care. But I suggest you apply an ice pack to your face soon. It's starting to look a bit red and swollen."

  Upon hearing this, Cynthia's originally furious expression instantly turned to one of shock. She subconsciously touched her face.

  "Ouch—"

  It hurt so much!

  At that moment, the door to the neighboring makeup room suddenly opened. Veronica, in gorgeous costume and makeup, emerged with great fanfare, surrounded by four staff members.

  She paused slightly upon seeing Chloe, then lifted her lips in a smile. "Oh, little beauty! We meet again!"

  Seeing Veronica, both Chloe and Cynthia instantly wiped the expressions from their faces, switching to polite, smiling greetings. "Hello, Veronica."

  Veronica's gaze instantly swept over both of them. When she saw Cynthia's reddened cheeks, she was startled, covering her mouth in exclamation, "Oh my goodness, little one! Is your face all red from the slapping during filming just now?"

  Cynthia nodded with a pitiful look, putting on a brave front. "I'm fine, Veronica. It's for the sake of the shot."

  "Tsk, tsk, tsk. It must really hurt, right? You didn't actually slap your own face that hard, did you? Didn't your teacher teach you the acting techniques for faking it?" Veronica asked with an expression of pity and concern.

  Cynthia shook her head. She had joined the crew less than a month after school started and hadn't had many acting classes yet.

  "How terribly earnest of you," Veronica sighed. She then turned to Alice and said, "Alice, quickly go get an ice pack from the mini-fridge in my room for this little one to apply. Otherwise, if her face stays swollen and delays the subsequent filming schedule, the director will get angry again."