I have a persona specifically for acting.

Playing dual roles is almost impossible in instinctive films.

The vast majority of people’s consciousness isn’t strong enough to sustain it.

The director sought out Tong Zhao because the difference in character between Concubine Gui and Feng Yanqi is particularly large, and it’s guessed that she has the best chance of handling it.

After Tong Zhao agreed, the medical team prepared for her by conducting a full set of brain scans and simple psychological tests to ensure her health wouldn’t be affected. They also assured her: “Dividing a person’s consciousness into two parts can easily become particularly one-sided and extreme. We will explain to the audience that this is an exceptional case. If the modeling fails during the film, then… we’ll just have to accept losing one guest!”

In the end, everything was normal.

However, the medical team was puzzled by a set of codes in Tong Zhao’s brain that could not be decrypted and were quite numerous. They suggested she visit a more specialized hospital or research institute for a check-up after filming.

Tong Zhao smiled but remained silent.

The other guests, unaware of the change in situation, had already settled into the filming cabin early.

To split into two virtual models, the production team temporarily applied for the highest-level filming cabin, allowing Tong Zhao to sit alone in a more sophisticated filming device, covered in sensors. She closed her eyes, feeling a bit uneasy.

Han Zhi comforted her: “Don’t worry, the worst-case scenario is just that I’ll end up in the female model.”

Concubine Gui: “I’m very worried. I don’t want to be a tofu grinder!”

…

Other personalities, along with Tong Zhao, gave sidelong glances at Concubine Gui’s harsh words.

Under the influence of medication, Tong Zhao fell into a deep sleep.

…

“Can it really work?”

Backstage, the assistant director voiced everyone’s concerns.

There have been cases of a person playing dual roles before.

There was an actor with a very strong “id” who, in a film exploring the self, split off another version of himself. As a result, he ended up with two extremely contrasting roles: one was aggressive and domineering towards subordinates, while the other was timid and insecure, craving others’ approval… In fact, combined, they represented the actor’s true “id.” Every personality has both positive and negative sides, and theoretically, it should be possible.

But this was a renowned actor with a strong subconscious!

After being honed through dozens of instinctive films, Tong Zhao’s consciousness thickness couldn’t compare to someone who had acted in only two works.

A props team member muttered, “At worst, just act really effeminate. Anyway, Tong Zhao is good-looking, so being effeminate can be seen as being a pretty boy.”

“Success in separation!”

“Compatibility 100%, deployment can proceed.”

After a busy period for the backstage staff, Tong Zhao’s consciousness was successfully split into two—

Countless people are curious about the composition of the soul.

Does the soul have weight?

What happens when a person loses their soul?

What exactly is the soul?

Is it in the heart or the brain?

The director sighed: “The code deconstructed from this scan should represent a person’s soul!”

※

On a perfectly sunny afternoon.

Wei Zekai got out of a luxury car with a suitcase and walked up to a mansion.

The mansion was surrounded by tall walls with greenery, and it had its own courtyard with the elegant sound of a small bridge and flowing water. From any angle, it could be called a mansion. However, Wei Zekai, wearing silver noise-canceling headphones, frowned slightly as he looked over the high-cost rental model code for the mansion used by the production team, clicking his tongue and saying, “This?”

…

“Can we drop a set of bird droppings code on him now? It should be quite explosive, right? The audience will support me! Modeling team, don’t you want to teach him a lesson?”

A props team member, who had developed a bit of envy toward the wealthy, earnestly sought advice from the modeling team.

To enhance the realism of the instinctive variety show, after the filming begins, guests are unaware that they are being recorded the entire time and only know they need to complete the task at hand. The brain automatically disregards any strange aspects.

For example, Wei Zekai’s role, like in real life, is that of a super-rich second-generation heir. The production team discovered that viewers were very interested in his wealthy background, believing it would create good chemistry on the show.

At this moment, Wei Zekai was portrayed as someone sent by his family to stay here for a month while also searching for a partner.

As he walked into the mansion, he answered a call from home: “I’ve arrived. Got it, stop nagging. If you keep insisting I bring a girlfriend back, I’ll bring a boyfriend back to surprise you!”

Of course, this was also a call arranged by the production team.

Combined with the voiceover and subtitles added in post-production, the audience quickly learned the current situation of the guests: they were to live in the mansion for a month and develop relationships.

Wei Zekai did not disappoint the production team; his brief words effectively painted the image of a rebellious young man.

He turned the door handle and found three people already waiting inside.

Passing through the foyer, the entrance led to a spacious and luxurious living room. The three-story structure included multifunctional rooms, a maid’s room, a wine cellar, and numerous bedrooms, too many to count. Since everyone was required to gather first, three people were scattered on the living room sofa.

A young girl wearing glasses and another sweet-looking girl were whispering to each other, while a stern-looking man sat in an armchair, giving Wei Zekai a polite smile.

“The rooms on the second floor without nameplates are free to choose. You can put your luggage in a room first. There are still two people who haven’t arrived yet,” said the sweet girl in response to Wei Zekai’s puzzled look. “I’m Chang Xiaonian. The girl with glasses is Zhong Muxi, and this is Mr. He.”

“You don’t have a name?”

Wei Zekai turned to the man.

Mr. He smiled and said, “Just call me He Shun.”

“I’m Wei Zekai. Feel free to call me however you like.”

Wei Zekai glanced around the second floor, with the camera following his movements.

He looked back at the three people downstairs with confusion: “Aren’t there only maid’s rooms on the second floor? They’re so small!”

Zhong Muxi: “……”

Chang Xiaonian calmly responded, “The rooms are all the same size. They’re not small at all.”

In the instinctive variety show, Wei Zekai’s emotional intelligence was on full display.

The backstage staff were tempted to arrange a bit of “heavenly bird droppings” for him.

Previously, the three who arrived first had marveled at the luxurious accommodations provided by the activity, saying it felt like a vacation. Anyone in such an environment would likely be inspired to pursue a romantic relationship!

Zhong Muxi had a poor impression of him and muttered quietly, “How can he be like this? The rooms are already very nice.”

“Wei Zekai… that name sounds familiar.”

Chang Xiaonian took out her phone to look him up online.

Of course, the information she found was about the character’s background arranged by the production team.

But it was not much different from the real Wei Zekai.

Displayed before the two were countless names of industries and chain groups, along with some news highlighting his immense wealth. Zhong Muxi clicked her tongue in disdain and felt even less favorably towards him: “Someone this rich must definitely not lack women.”

“I actually think he’s pretty good,” Chang Xiaonian said, her eyes showing admiration after discovering Wei Zekai’s great wealth.

After Wei Zekai came downstairs, Chang Xiaonian took the initiative to explain the details of the activity.

It was similar to what the host had introduced earlier, but with added details about daily life.

“You must return to the mansion and clock in every night, and you can’t engage in any intimate behaviors like kissing or hugging. You can only choose one person as your romantic interest,” Chang Xiaonian read from the booklet. Seeing the “sea king” rules, Wei Zekai clicked his tongue again and said, “What the heck, a sea king? I despise people like that the most! It’s a desecration of pure love!”

……

The backstage staff were all shocked.

Their impression of the wealthy second-generation heir was rather stereotypical, and Wei Zekai’s reveal of a mermaid tattoo during the pre-show recording only added to his Playboy image. They didn’t expect his “true self” to make such a cliché statement about “pure love.”

Director: “…Instinctive variety shows are truly full of surprises.”

The writer, excited, said: “We could add a ‘Judge’s Comment’ effect in post-production. It turns out giving him that card was spot on.”

Wei Zekai plopped down into an armchair, acting all high and mighty.

“There are still two people missing. No sense of time at all, so disappointing.” After complaining, he put on his noise-canceling headphones and started playing a mobile game.

The wait extended from a clear afternoon to a cloudy evening.

Soon, the villa was enveloped in heavy rain, with occasional thunder adding a touch of a crime scene atmosphere reminiscent of a Conan murder case. It wasn’t really the fault of the “two people” for lacking a sense of time; it was because Tong Zhao was undergoing consciousness splitting and reorganization, which delayed her entry into the holographic space.

“The weather is so bad. Do you think they might come tomorrow instead?”

Zhong Muxi asked softly.

She wasn’t very confident in her own words and immediately turned her gaze to Chang Xiaonian, who had just become her friend. As Chang Xiaonian was about to speak, the door was opened—

In the foyer stood a young girl enveloped in a transparent raincoat.

Beneath the raincoat, she wore a pure white chiffon dress, the hem of which did not reach her knees. Her slender, beautiful legs were bathed in the soft light of the foyer, giving her skin a flawless, creamy appearance.

The raincoat was slightly oversized, making the girl seem even smaller, as if only her palm-sized face was peeking into the living room. Her light-colored eyes reflected a mix of innocent bewilderment and curiosity about the new place.

Even the production team, who had seen Tong Zhao in person before, were astonished by her appearance.

The director was a bit surprised: “She doesn’t look like Feng Yanqi at all.”

“Actually, she doesn’t look like Concubine Gui either.”

“No, she does,” said the staff member, a fan of Tong Zhao, who had gotten into it through *The Legend of Ming Dynasty* and had repeatedly watched the edited videos on Bilibili: “She looks especially like Concubine Gui when she first entered the palace!”

Enchanting men is an art, a skill that Concubine Gui absorbed from her experiences in the harem.

Starting with a weak position is always a safe choice.

……

“Sorry, I got stuck in traffic due to the typhoon.”

Tong Zhao spoke with a voice that was both soft and delicate, more pleasing than a nightingale’s song.

She looked like a small white flower battered by a storm, innocent and pitiable.

The character background template implanted in Tong Zhao’s mind was that of a financially struggling female student.

Her parents had passed away, her grandmother was critically ill, and she needed to win this event to secure the prize money for her grandmother’s medical expenses and her own tuition fees.

After seeing Tong Zhao’s entrance, the director decided to have the voiceover introduce this background immediately.

From the moment she appeared, the audience became curious about this seemingly poisonous white flower.

“Am I the last one?” She frowned, looking very apologetic.

“No, there’s one more. You’re not the last to arrive.”

He Shun came to his senses, immediately stood up from the sofa, and took her luggage with a warm but not overly familiar attitude, explaining the details of the event. After receiving a grateful and admiring look from the pretty girl, he volunteered to help carry her luggage to her room.

Tong Zhao seemed uninterested in the other female guests and instead focused her beautiful eyes on Wei Zekai, who was engrossed in his game.

[This one seems a bit challenging.]

The production team captured her inner monologue.

Clearly, in her view, He Shun was just a simple, easygoing type of man.

Tong Zhao casually chose a bedroom without fussing over its size.

He Shun, being very gentlemanly, only carried her luggage into the room and didn’t step further inside. He returned to the living room sofa and explained to everyone, “Tong Zhao needs some time to freshen up before coming downstairs.”

“If you hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have known her name was Tong Zhao.”

Chang Xiaonian said, a bit dissatisfied.

Women understand women best, and she immediately had a negative impression of Tong Zhao.

Since arriving, Tong Zhao’s gaze had only lingered on the men, briefly glancing at the two women, with her focus clearly on the men.