038

After Yu Yang's birthday party, Jasmine gained many new followers on Facebook and several shared photos of the event online. The news about Yu Yang's birthday party was all over the entertainment news apps. Fans sent him surprises, lit up many buildings, and Yu Yang posted pictures of his birthday gifts, creating a buzz.

In the group photo that night, Jasmine was standing next to Yu Yang in a prominent position.

-- With Yu Yang being so genuine, their positions in the photo show how close they are.

-- What's with that? Everyone invited is a friend, there's no distance, only closeness.

-- Jasmine is also one of the recent ones. I thought the fan Sisters would have exploded by now, didn't expect her to hold on till today.

-- Speaking for myself, I always feel like they have a sibling-like relationship, it's impossible for them to have any romantic feelings.

-- I agree...

-- Exactly, it just doesn't seem possible.

-- Our brother can't hide things, look at how he liked Gu Pan in their friend circle, making sure everyone knew about it, and then liking Sweet later... If he had any intentions towards Jasmine, he would have been visiting the set of "Waiting for Dawn" every now and then, not worrying about his crush being taken away by Chi Yan.

The fan sisters chuckled and said that their brother would never seduce a female star. With all the romantic movies he's been in, has he ever been involved in a scandal with anyone?

If Yu Yang really liked Jasmine, he wouldn't have to worry about Chi Yan; he should be more concerned that she might unilaterally fall for the outstanding Chi Yan, which would be more reasonable.

Jasmine doesn't visit anonymous forums much, so she hadn't seen that. If she did, she would be alarmed, who would dare to disrespect the cool and aloof teacher?

In her heart, Chi Yan was like an unattainable flower on a high peak.

When intelligence and temperament come together, there's no need for any human.

*

After celebrating Yu Yang's birthday, Jasmine packed her bags, put on a hat and mask, and went back to her hometown. She stayed there for about ten days, during which she rewatched "Seeking Immortality" with her grandmother.

Her grandmother was still eager for more and asked Jasmine about her next project and when it would be released.

"It's a spy war film set during the resistance against Japan, that's a movie you have to watch in the theaters."

"If it starts playing in the theaters, remember to tell me, I'll be mad if you forget," her grandmother joked.

"Okay~"

Grandma asked about TV dramas, what kind of dramas will be filmed next year? Will there be any emperor and empress dramas?

Jasmine remembered, Grandma and her mother have the same taste. They love watching historical dramas the most, if not available, they can also watch family dramas, and if those are not there, then they watch war dramas.

"I haven't decided yet, but once I find a good script, I will let you know once it's ready to be aired."

"If it benefits you to take a role, go ahead, don't do it because of me... As long as it's you, Jas, acting in it, I will love watching it."

Jasmine earnestly analyzed with her, saying that palace dramas have a good market, especially when the female lead plays a significant role, it will definitely attract viewers, which is a testament to the actress's performance.

Thinking about the previous works, in "My All-Round Girlfriend" and "Seeking Immortality," "Girls", she played supporting roles, not the main female lead. The movie she did with Chi Yan had her as the female lead, but her screen time was much less than the male lead's.

The character Ding Man was charming and made a great sacrifice, but she was just adding color to the plot of the movie, not the pillar.

The male lead played by Chi Yan, He Ming, was the core of the whole film.

Jasmine thought she could take on a major female lead role, play a prominent female character, not only because her Grandma loves watching them, but also for her own benefit.

She was interested in palace dramas, back in elementary school Jasmine had taken ancient costume photos with her mother at a photo studio.

...

After the New Year, Sister Chen came with the latest roles for her. Jasmine saw that her variety show experience paid off, as the roles this time were more diverse.

There were ancient, modern, and republican era roles.

After looking at them, Jasmine chose two roles from palace intrigue dramas.

"I want to know more about these two, can you help me inquire, sis?"

Sister Chen looked at them.

Both were palace intrigue dramas, one called "Queen Ruo Jia" and the other "The Legend of Consort Zhao ."

Palace intrigue dramas are indeed a battleground for female TV actors, these series often focus on female characters rather than male counterparts, providing a platform for actresses to showcase their talents. Many talented actresses in the industry have made a name for themselves through palace dramas.

"These two are both based on existing IP's, you can read the original novels before making a decision, even if there are major changes in the plot, the character backgrounds will generally remain the same."

While Jasmine was reading the original novels, Sister Chen told her again: "You can pass on 'The Legend of Consort Zhao,' they've approached Yu Zhiwei."

Jasmine had worked with Yu Zhiwei before in the drama "Girls."

She played the character Love Brain, while Yu Zhiwei played the role of Sister Struggle.

Upon closer inspection, the female lead in "The Legend of Consort Zhao" seemed to have some resemblance to Sister Struggle, starting out in the palace selection process with no ambitions, seeking peace in the palace but finding none.

Competitors wanted to surpass her, higher-ups wanted to use her as a pawn...

She went through many hardships, realizing that low-ranking concubines could never lead a peaceful life, so she began to fight and strive for a better position.

If the harem is seen as a workplace, this drama also tells the story of the female lead's struggle.

Yu Zhiwei's features didn't appear particularly feminine, giving a sense of determination, making her more suitable for the role of an inspirational character fighting against all odds.

It was no surprise that the production team chose Yu Zhiwei.

"It's a shame, 'The Legend of Consort Zhao' had a very popular online serialization of the original novel, claiming to be a classic must-read, a mega IP."

Jasmine chuckled, "It's not really a loss, sometimes what seems like bad luck is actually fate at work. If a role is presented to me and then taken by someone else like Yu Zhiwei, it just means it wasn't meant for me, maybe it's the heavens telling me not to take that role. I've read some of 'Queen Ruo Jia,' the female lead is quite interesting, so if the director and screenwriter are reliable, I'll take it."

Sister Chen had read both original novels, she felt that the female lead in "The Legend of Consort Zhao" was more righteous, while in "Queen Ruo Jia" the plot took a darker turn.

The main female character is the biological sister of the Empress, who is gravely ill and fears for her own life. Worried that after her death, the position of the Crown Prince might be threatened, she conspires with her family to deceive her beloved sister into the palace under the pretense of keeping her company, when in reality, they plan to offer her to the Emperor.

Initially, the female lead is very naive and kind-hearted, born into a noble family as the Empress's sister, and having a childhood sweetheart from an equally prestigious background. However, everything changes once she enters the palace.

She is pushed onto the King's bed by her own sister. 

Her sister fears that she might give birth to a prince and then turn against the Crown Prince. She even secretly feeds her infertility potion. After the Empress sister passes away, she becomes the Emperor's concubine and is misunderstood by the young Crown Prince, manipulated by her family, and targeted by other concubines. Unable to catch a breath in the palace, she is heartbroken to hear that her beloved outside the palace is engaged to someone else.

In just a few months, the female lead goes from being very happy to very unhappy.

She undergoes a transformation, turning dark.

The black lotus blooms. If you treat me poorly, I will treat you poorly in return; if you oppose me, I will make you despise and hate me more each day.

Everyone is vying for the Emperor's favor, so you all want it? Then I will not hesitate to accept it. The whiter she was in the past, the darker she becomes.

She truly makes everyone kneel before her in repentance.

While others hate her, they also fear her.

The character undergoes significant changes throughout, with strong intensity. Due to the high demands on the female lead's acting skills by the director, only a handful of people meet the criteria for appearance, acting skills, and ability to attract viewers.

Several individuals either had full schedules and couldn't commit or had reservations, thinking the drama might not make it to the screens due to the recent tightening regulations on period dramas.

However, unlike others, Jasmine signed the contract upon hearing about the reliability of the production team.

Once news spread that she would be playing the leading role in this palace intrigue drama, the number of people auditioning for the role doubled.

Many tried to establish relationships with the director and assistant director just to secure a part.

In the television industry, Jasmine has become a household name, synonymous with success, viewership, and popularity. With her on board, the production team gained confidence, turning the tide for the drama. In a short span of time, they found suitable actresses for key supporting roles, attracted new sponsorships and investments. The director could not be more grateful for having Jasmine on board, as her involvement turned the tables for the production.

After signing the leading actress, the production crew that used to have a tough time with everything suddenly had a change of luck.

In a short period, they found suitable actresses for several key supporting roles, attracted new sponsorships and investments. The director was so thrilled that he wished he could worship Jasmine three times a day – morning, noon, and night.

He expressed his gratitude, saying, "I had heard of the power of the TV drama queen Ye Qian before, but I didn't quite believe it until I witnessed Jasmine's capabilities.

You know, there was a role in my drama that I initially thought of a different actress for, but she declined due to schedule conflicts. However, half a month later, after Jasmine signed on to play my female lead, guess what happened? The actress who initially turned me down came back, pleading to be part of the project, saying she found my script good and was willing to make time for it."

Friend asked, "So did you sign her?"

"She already looked down on me, so why would I sign her? I'm not that desperate. My drama doesn't lack actors now; there are plenty of them willing to join me."

When it comes to this, everyone is feeling really emotional.

"We are truly witnessing the birth of a new generation queen of the drama industry."

"If you keep making this drama well, once it airs, it will surely explode. Perhaps in the future, even if there are rumors of her taking on any random script, people will invest in it and TV stations will buy it."

"You're really lucky, bro."

The director also felt lucky. If it wasn't for Yu Zhiwei stealing the female lead of "The Legend of Consort Zhao," Jasmine might have gone to the neighboring drama group and that IP would have been bigger.

*

After signing the contract, Jasmine received the official script and began her research journey.

With a month's time, she read, analyzed, and wrote character profiles every day.

When Jasmine was reading the script, the original author and book fans were still excited.

The author felt like a million hit her head, and people started howling on Facebook after the female lead was announced.

She said they never dreamed their goddess would play the female lead! She felt unworthy, and after confirming it was true, couldn't help but shout on the balcony several times!

The book fans laughed out loud.

-- "What kind of silly behavior is this?"

-- "Disturbing the peace, report it."

--"I'm so excited now, Jasmine's leading role drama is so thrilling. Even when she plays a supporting role, I'm completely captivated."

-- "Who isn't?"

-- "I never expected my favorite actor to take on my favorite role. I am fulfilled."

*

The official announcement of the female lead indeed brought a boost to the original author. The author was so excited that she went back to check, and her subscriptions soared. Many people, upon hearing that Jasmine took on this role, came out of curiosity to read the original work, wanting to know what kind of character it was.

Among them were two top male idols, Yu Yang and Chi Yan. 

They found and downloaded the original novel of "Queen Ruo Jia" and quickly scanned through it.

After reading it, Yu Yang couldn't help but comment.

"How can the female lead suffer so much these days??

Dad is power-hungry.

Sister is ruthless.

Nephew thinks the female lead caused his mother's death by climbing into his father's bed, and is against her everywhere.

This emperor is already middle-aged from the start!

The entire harem is wary of the female lead, fearing she will gain favor.

What's even more frustrating is that the childhood sweetheart who claimed to love her ended up engaged to someone else after the female lead entered the palace...

This novel, to enjoy later, really made the female lead suffer in the beginning.

After a brief understanding of the plot, Yu Yang just hoped that in this drama, Jasmine would be a bit more evil, preferably enough to make him quit due to the stench of dog, to avoid him getting angry from chasing the drama every day.

*

Compared to Yu Yang, Chi Yan read faster.

After scanning through it, he was left with one question—

Did the novel exaggerate the scenes of the female lead being persecuted?

Initially, she was unwilling and was favored a few times.

After turning evil, it got even worse, to the point where she initiated to it.

This...

The script should have been changed, right? It shouldn't be so faithful to the original work, right?

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Book fans: Dare to be unfaithful to the original work? Spoiler alert →_→