Yunxi gave Xia Mengmeng a faint smile. "As long as I wish it, there is no answer I cannot obtain."
Xia Mengmeng closed her eyes, exhaled a long breath, then said, "Alright. I will find a way to arrange a meeting with those two. I will say my previous symptoms have returned, and that the bells suddenly shattered while we were filming today. If the two of them truly harmed me, they will definitely come."
Yunxi nodded in satisfaction. Even when helping others, she preferred those willing to save themselves and able to use their heads. "A good pretext. For now, carry on as usual. When they come to you, I will go with you to meet them."
"Okay, I will contact them now."
She took out her phone and dialed Xiao Ruixiang. Yunxi rose to give her privacy, but Xia Mengmeng stopped her. "Master Ran Xi, please rest in the RV. I will step outside to make the call."
She went no farther than the RV door. As the call connected, her tone shifted, terror filling her voice. "Rui Xiang, please get in touch with that Master Yu. Something has happened."
"What is wrong, Meng Meng?"
"The bells Master Yu gave me shattered on set today."
"Shattered? How?"
"I do not know. We were filming at night. I was playing the red-clad fierce ghost devouring a watchman's vital essence when someone suddenly shoved me from behind. I only then came to, and it was the same as before. I remember nothing. Rui Xiang, I am scared."
She began to sob softly. From inside the RV, Yunxi saw clearly that there was no fear or grief on Xia Mengmeng's face, only anger. But the choked voice was convincing enough that whoever was on the other end believed every word. Truly a professional actress.
Five minutes later, Xia Mengmeng ended the call and came back into the RV. The assistant arrived with a fresh coffee and handed it to Yunxi with both hands.
Then the assistant turned to Xia Mengmeng. "Sister Xia, Director Lian asks if you can continue the next night scenes. If it is too much, he can switch to dialogue-only shots first."
Feeling clear-headed, Xia Mengmeng answered at once, "No need. I rested for a bit and I am back in state. Tell Director Lian I am fine. Also buy coffee for the crew as a treat."
"Okay, Sister Xia. I will take care of it."
The assistant spun away like a little top.
Xia Mengmeng then turned to Yunxi. "Master Ran Xi, please rest here a while. Once my scenes are done, we can go see Xiao Ruixiang and Master Yu. Use anything you need here. If you require anything, my assistant Lanlan will arrange it."
Yunxi was satisfied with the plan and made a few requests. "I need a phone. I want to look into recent strange incidents. Also find me something inconspicuous to wear. I only have these robes from when I came down the mountain."
"No problem."
Xia Mengmeng agreed readily. As long as the master stayed by her side, she felt at ease. These small matters were nothing to her.
Just then the assistant Lan Lan returned, smiling. "Sister Xia, everything is arranged. You can go touch up your makeup now. The coffee shop will deliver to set in a moment."
"Good. Come with me to the makeup room."
They left together, and Yunxi remained alone. She picked up the script on the table and began to read. Her speed was swift. By the time Lanlan came back with a white long dress, Yunxi had finished the entire supernatural drama script for Xia Mengmeng's role.
"Master Ran Xi, I found this dress according to your measurements. Sister Xia says she will take you shopping after the night shoot."
"Thank you."
Clothes meant little to Yunxi. Changing was only to blend in better.
Seeing the master so easy to work with, Lanlan fished out a phone from her crossbody bag and offered it. "This is my spare. Please use it for now. I have ordered a new one, which will arrive at dawn."
Yunxi accepted with a nod. "Perfect. I only need to research some things."
Lan Lan left to stay with Sister Xia.
Alone again, Yunxi looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar smart phone. The screen showed the time: July 25, 2090.
The year was unfamiliar. She dimly recalled that the year she first crossed was 2025. Had she returned to the future? She began searching for information on her current world and a century of history.
By the time Xia Mengmeng finished filming and returned, Yunxi had a rough grasp of where she had landed.
This was a planet called Weilan (Vast Azure) Star, similar to the Blue Star from before Yunxi's transmigration. It was a low-ranked plane with almost no spiritual energy. Humanity had woven technology into every facet of life.
The people of Weilan Star had already completed global integration. There were no nations anymore. Sixty percent of the planet's population was Huaxia, and those in power were also Huaxia, which gave Huaxia people great standing here.
While browsing a century of integration, Yunxi discovered a very mysterious organization that handled matters beyond the reach of technology. No one had ever seen its members, and even the authorities had never openly acknowledged its existence.
Yet the masses had sharp eyes. During operations, these people had been seen by chance a few times. Quick thinkers even snapped photos.
Yunxi studied the blurry images on the phone and suspected they had been released for hype. Nothing could be made out.
She also noticed that over the last fifty years, reports of supernatural incidents had popped up everywhere. Although online accounts were vivid, there was no concrete proof. Officials ultimately issued denials, claiming radicals were sowing panic and advising citizens not to believe rumors.
Public opinion was suppressed, but the result was a boom in supernatural films and dramas. Without a signature work in the genre, even a well-known actor felt sheepish calling themselves popular.
Xia Mengmeng was a household-name actress on Weilan Star, but she lacked a standout supernatural title. It was not that she refused to act, but she had not found a good script. She also seemed prone to attracting strange things and did not dare take the risk lightly.
This time, the renowned director Lian Tao personally helmed a supernatural film, "七月七日"("July 7th"), and invited her to audition. She passed smoothly and was cast as the second female lead, the red-clad vengeful ghost whose screen time nearly matched the heroine's. With such a chance before her, she seized it and signed on.
However, in the past two months she had repeatedly blacked out and lost memory. She asked her boyfriend Xiao Ruixiang for help, and he found Master Yu, a somewhat well-known figure in the trade, to craft a protective bell talisman for her.
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Qixi Festival (七夕节): Often called the "Chinese Valentine's Day," rooted in the myth of the cowherd (牛郎) and weaver girl (织女) who reunite annually on this day across the Milky Way.
Qixi Festival was on July 7th