8 Casually and Nonchalantly

The woman in black turned her head towards the voice and saw Chu Lian. The smile on her face suddenly vanished as she spoke, "So you actually work here as well? As what? An errand girl?" There's a trace of mockery in her tone as Chu Lian went down the stage and walked towards them. "So what if I do, so what if I don't?" Chu Lian answered in the same taunting tone. The woman in black raised her voice and wanted to continue making a scene but the director stopped her.

"Who are you? Why are you disturbing our rehearsal?" the director asked the woman. Li Mingzhu was quite taken aback; she thought that these people must have already known about her since she was recommended by Miss Red but from the looks of it, it didn't seem like she matters to them. She was annoyed by this but she still put on a smile and ignored Chu Lian whom she thought as a side character.

She transferred her purse to her left hand then offered her free hand to the beau who seemed to be the director, "You must be director Zhi Yuan, I'm Li Mingzhu. Miss Red told me to come here for the rehearsals." The director and the crewmembers were surprised by what she said. They looked at Chu Lian and to Li Mingzhu alternately.

Zhi Yuan ignored the woman's hand for handshake and asked Chu Lian instead, "You're not the actress recommended by Miss Red?" Chu Lian sighed and shook her head and opened her mouth to speak. Li Mingzhu, offended from being ignored by the director spoke before Chu Lian could utter a word, "So you pretended to be me and rehearsed in my stead? How dare you steal my role?" Chu Lian scoffed and rebutted, "I didn't steal anything from you, it's a misundersta--." Before she could finish, Li Mingzhu cut her off again, "All thief says that. That was also what you said when you stole Chu Ju's everything, right?"

The sixth time. For the sixth time, Chu Ju was insulted, scolded, and wrongly accused by the people in this building and she really had enough. She slapped Li Mingzhu hard using her dominant hand; the people in the room gasp in surprise by the turn of events. Although Chu Lian already somehow vented out through the actors earlier, she still didn't do anything directly. The stinging pain in her palm oddly satisfied her. She couldn't hurt the people in this building as she doesn't personally know them; who knows she might offend someone really powerful.

But Li Mingzhu is different. She is Chu Lian's foster sister's, Chu Ju, cousin. Both Chu Ju and Li Mingzhu had hurt Chu Lian a lot of times before; and that slap was a part of her payback. Chu Lian was never fond of physical violence; however, she also has a bottom line.

Li Mingzhu was surprised as well, rage filled her eyes as she glared at Chu Lian. "You dare hit me?!" she shrieked in a high pitched voice. "I dare hit you, so what?" Chu Lian casually and nonchalantly replied as if she really didn't care. She didn't show her wrath on her face, Chu Lian had always been good at hiding her real emotions.

The other woman was infuriated even more, she was about to hit Chu Lian back but her hand was grabbed by Zhi Yuan. He then suddenly roared, "Just what the hell is going on here?!" His eyes were glaring daggers. "She's an impostor! She pretended to be me to get my role! She's not even an actress!" Li Mingzhu accused.

The crewmembers were surprised, especially her last sentence echoed in their minds. "She's not even an actress? Then what the hell is she?" they silently asked themselves. Chu Lian sneered then mocked Li Mingzhu, "Aren't you supposed to blame yourself for being three hours late? Are you some special snowflake? I'm telling you it's all a misunderstanding." She then turned towards the director and said with contempt, "I was delivering food to Studio 9 but I left my food box there so I was about to return; but then you suddenly dragged me here."

The director and the crewmembers were speechless. Zhi Yuan was ashamed he grabbed the wrong person but then asked, "Then why didn't you say so earlier?" Chu Lian narrowed her eyes and replied, "You all didn't give me a chance to talk. You bombarded me with nasty words as soon as I came in. How could my frail self handle all of that?" She sounded really wronged and aggrieved, a big contrast to the cold but feisty woman earlier. The crewmembers were speechlessly ashamed they wrongfully scorned her.

"You're a food delivery girl?" Li Mingzhu mocked with contempt. "This woman focused on the wrong thing!" the crewmembers thought, they already don't have a favourable impression of this woman but now they hate her even more.

"Whatever, I'm leaving. I already wasted too much time here." Chu Lian rolled her eyes as she began to strut away. The director looked at Chu Lian's back facing him but then grabbed her arm. "About that, miss," Zhi Yuan stuttered, "I'm sorry for dragging you into our mess."

Chu Lian didn't say anything and just took back her arm then left the room. She heard Li Mingzhu screamed, "You're leaving just like that?!" but then the director shouted back, "We already wasted too much time because of you! I will call Miss Red and reconsider your role!"

It has nothing to do with Chu Lian so she decided to just leave as soon as she can. She decided to not retrieve the box anymore, might she get involve in even more dramas; at worst she'd lose some of her salary but at least her heart and mind is still intact.

"Ah, what a stressful day," she sighed and drove her scooter away.