After Being Betrayed I Married the Glamorous CEO-Chapter 254: This is my principle, not an inch will be given!
"I don’t care about ’industry standing’ or being a ’virtuous and respected veteran.’ Once you’re on my set, everyone is treated the same. Supporting actors do their jobs, lead actors do theirs, and the director should stick to his duties. No pointless drama."
Shen Fanyun stated this with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the set. While these words seemed to be a reprimand for all the crew members, they were actually aimed at Wen Ruyue. She was perfectly aware of the subtext in his speech.
But she didn’t quite understand. Disregarding her own high standing in the industry, she was, after all, someone Shen Fanyun had paid a fortune to have on board. So why this sudden change in attitude? It was illogical. If Shen Fanyun truly wanted to target her, why would he fork over a fifty-million-yuan signing bonus? Wasn’t that just burning money for fun? A normal person would never do that; even an idiot wouldn’t do something so baffling.
Could it be that he’s using my name to intimidate the crew, especially the director who holds the most power? After all, with such a huge investment, he must be hoping for a good return. No one wants to see that much money go down the drain. Whether the director is obedient and completes the project on schedule according to the investor’s wishes depends entirely on the investor’s methods and resolve.
Wen Ruyue surmised that Shen Fanyun probably wasn’t targeting her directly but was using her as a tool to establish his authority. Some directors in the country had a reputation for taking an investor’s money and doing whatever they pleased, ultimately losing the investor a fortune while they walked away unscathed to maintain their influential positions in the industry. And they’d have the gall to call themselves acclaimed directors.
For the sake of the money, I’ll let this slide, Wen Ruyue thought.
Just then, Shen Fanyun’s gaze landed on her. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," Wen Ruyue replied with a nod, her expression neutral.
"Have you reviewed the script?" Shen Fanyun asked again.
Wen Ruyue shook her head, and a crew member reacted instantly, handing her the prepared script.
This entire collaboration was utterly absurd. Shen Fanyun had signed her for fifty million yuan with just a few words. As for her, she hadn’t even laid eyes on the script before walking onto the set. Normally, she would review a script first, consider if the role was a good fit, and only then decide whether to accept.
Wen Ruyue gestured for her assistant, Li Juan, to bring her a chair.
As she flipped open the first page, Wen Ruyue’s usually composed face suddenly froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the title.
"Episode One: The Female Lead Openly Slaps the Female Supporting Character."
Wen Ruyue was dumbfounded. What the hell is this?
As she read on, her breathing grew heavy. In all her years in the industry, she had never encountered such a disgusting, vile supporting role. The character was jealous of the female lead, secretly framed her, and then refused to admit it when exposed, instead manipulating public opinion to launch vicious attacks. On top of that, she shamelessly maintained a public persona of a gentle, kind, and universally praised person from beginning to end.
Such a supporting character was utterly depraved and malicious. Wen Ruyue couldn’t read anymore. If this show was filmed and successfully released, wouldn’t it destroy her public image? Her standing in the industry meant she absolutely could not take on such a role. This was career suicide. If this show aired, her reputation and fame could plummet, sending her career into a nosedive. This involved her entire future, and Wen Ruyue simply could not accept it.
Even if she had already decided to film, the script required adjustments. At the very least, the supporting character’s personality couldn’t be written this way. She had no doubt she could portray the character perfectly, but the potential damage to her career had to be neutralized.
"Director, Director," Wen Ruyue called out, waving him over without a second thought. "Regarding the supporting character’s image, I suggest we add a patch later on. For instance, make it so she was forced into her actions and had her own hidden struggles. In the end, she can resolve the misunderstanding with the female lead, bury the hatchet, and they become best friends. I think a revision like this would create some nice contrast and also flesh out the character more. In fact, the supporting character might become a massive hit because of her complexity. She could even outshine the female lead and become one of the most classic characters in television history."
In the past, a director would have immediately rushed over to listen attentively to her suggestions, then agreed to revise and fine-tune the script. On this, Wen Ruyue was confident her opinion carried significant weight; even a famous director wouldn’t dare openly oppose her. After all, they were both influential figures, and a friendly negotiation was a mutually beneficial, win-win situation.
As for whether these changes would diminish or even ruin the female lead’s character development and depth—that was none of Wen Ruyue’s concern.
Unfortunately, it seemed Wen Ruyue’s influence wasn’t working today.
Wang Xiao rubbed his still-aching rear and dared not move. After all, the big boss, Shen Fanyun, was standing right there like a silent god with his hands clasped behind his back. Who would dare make changes without his nod? Wang Xiao stole a glance at Shen Fanyun. Seeing no sign of approval, he could only play deaf and dumb, pretending not to have heard Wen Ruyue’s call. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"Are you deaf? I’m calling you!" Wen Ruyue snapped, infuriated, instinctively raising her hand to point at Wang Xiao. Her eyes turned cold, her face a mask of arrogance, her posture that of someone commanding a dog. "I told you to get over here. Are you deaf?"
Her outburst left everyone bewildered. Wasn’t the esteemed Wen Ruyue supposed to be approachable, modest, and polite? How had she, in the blink of an eye, turned into a shrew screaming in the streets? The way she rolled her eyes was genuinely frightening.
The set fell into a dead silence.
Finally snapping back to her senses, Wen Ruyue felt a pang of regret. She hastily reined in her aggressive aura, taking a forced, unnatural breath. Seeing the strange looks from the crew, she quickly composed herself and forced a kind expression onto her face.
Wen Ruyue took another breath and, feeling she had no choice, took the initiative to address the one person who held absolute power. "I believe the script needs some revision, some fine-tuning. I wonder what Boss Shen’s thoughts are?"
To her surprise, a meaningful smile touched Shen Fanyun’s lips. He ordered Wang Xiao, "Please have the female lead come over."
Wen Ruyue was speechless.
Is he ignoring me? Treating my words like hot air? Not even a glance, let alone a discussion?
When had Wen Ruyue ever been treated with such contempt? This was beyond insulting! Who does he think I am, some random nobody? Isn’t he afraid that I, Wen Ruyue, will lose my temper, walk off the set, and cause him unimaginable losses?!
I’m trying to negotiate with you, why are you ignoring me? What is going on here? Wen Ruyue felt her irritation rising. The entire production, from top to bottom, exuded a strange, unsettling atmosphere. Shen Fanyun, in particular, filled her with a profound sense of unease and anger.
"You’ll film what you’re told to film. Cut the bullshit," Shen Fanyun said. "If you delay production, are you going to cover the losses? Or are you the investor here? Do you think you can do whatever you want?"
Wen Ruyue argued back, "But the supporting character’s personality is unreasonable. This will damage my image. I need to discuss it with the director; there’s no rush to start filming."
Shen Fanyun laughed. "You think I’m spending my money to film a show and I have to worry about whether it’ll damage your personal image? Who the hell do you think you are? You’ll film as you’re told. Where do you get the nerve to demand script changes? If you want that much control, go fund it yourself!"
Wen Ruyue was left speechless.
"If you think it’s damaging and unsuitable, then don’t do it. Just pay the breach of contract penalty in full, and you’re free to go," Shen Fanyun informed her with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
"You..." Wen Ruyue was completely stunned. Shen Fanyun’s intention to target her was now painfully obvious. She truly had no idea how she could have offended him. Wasn’t it common practice on set to negotiate and fine-tune scripts? Why was he being so tyrannical?
Wang Xiao and the rest of the crew were too frightened to even breathe. No one had expected this. On the very first day of shooting, before anything had even started, the main investor and the top-tier superstar were already at each other’s throats.
This is insane! I’ve really seen it all now, Wang Xiao muttered to himself. He’d already been on the receiving end of Shen Fanyun’s boot, so he knew better than anyone that keeping his mouth shut was the best option. Just do whatever the big boss says. Don’t ever have an opinion of your own.
With Shen Fanyun’s domineering style, if Wen Ruyue keeps whining, she might end up just like me—getting slapped a few times to learn her place. Wang Xiao thought.
Thinking this couldn’t go on, Wang Xiao timidly spoke up, hoping to de-escalate. "Perhaps... we should just film it as is?"
Unexpectedly, Wen Ruyue completely exploded. She didn’t dare yell at Shen Fanyun, but she had no such reservations about a director.
"You worthless dog, stay out of this! This has nothing to do with you! No one will think you’re a mute if you just shut up!" Wen Ruyue snarled, pointing a finger at Wang Xiao with utter imperiousness.
Wang Xiao was speechless. This woman... can’t she see I’m trying to mediate, to give her an easy way out? How ungrateful!
"The script must be adjusted to my satisfaction. Otherwise, I’m not filming today," Wen Ruyue declared, digging in her heels. This was her principle, and she would not yield an inch.
She refused to believe that this show had any future without her, a top-tier superstar. This Shen Fanyun must have a screw loose, unable to tell who really holds the power. To offend me, Wen Ruyue, on the very first day... it’s laughable.
"Wang Xiao, you all figure it out. In any case, I am not acting right now. Hmph," Wen Ruyue stated one last time.
