I have a persona specifically for acting.

The male lead couldn’t sleep, but Tong Zhao slept very well.

The persona of Consort Chen was not yet satisfied and wanted to continue flirting with men. She had to suppress it forcefully—she feared that if she accidentally let Consort Chen out to play for a few days, she might come back to find a long list of backup admirers on her phone, and even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t cleanse her reputation.

Consort Chen giggled: “What’s to be afraid of? A woman’s success is inseparable from men.”

Tong Zhao replied: “That was your era. The modern world is different.”

Consort Chen huffed and ignored her.

In quick transmigration, conquering a world is almost like a lifetime. Personality splitting is a forced and helpless measure to protect oneself.

These personas are like one-sided and extreme versions of Tong Zhao.

One who can’t live without men and likes muscular men.

And another who is annoyed by males in general and can only slightly tolerate young and inexperienced ones.

Early in the morning, Tong Zhao enjoyed the special gym facilities, did basic muscle exercises, and then returned to her room to meditate and absorb the essence of the sun and moon. Although the spiritual energy of this era is thin compared to the cultivation era, persistent practice will surely bring great benefits over time. Since it is an intangible wealth accumulated through her own blood and tears, she would make full use of it.

In the staff canteen, the director immediately spotted Tong Zhao.

He took his meal and naturally sat down in front of her. After exchanging a few pleasantries and noting that she looked well, he said, “The part you acted in will start airing tomorrow. My suggestion is not to look at the reviews. Both good and bad feedback can easily affect your subsequent performance… Also, try to avoid things that might destabilize your emotions. For instance, during his performance, Song Wanxue would cut off external communication and only let his manager relay important matters.”

Tong Zhao nodded, looking particularly obedient.

In truth, she didn’t take it to heart.

Tong Zhao had long since grown indifferent to others’ evaluations.

As for Consort Chen? She was most accustomed to being criticized and insulted. Whether it was the military officials cursing her during court sessions or the unsuccessful scholars writing sarcastic poetry, it didn’t affect her beauty. The scholars had long deciphered the secret code to gain favor with the emperor—flattering the consort with praise.

“Got it, thank you, Uncle Jian.”

“No need to be so polite…”

Before he could finish, Tong Zhao’s phone rang, with the caller ID flashing brightly: [Tong Zhenming].

Under the director’s disapproving gaze, Tong Zhao answered the call.

“Hello, Mr. Tong?”

The distant address successfully irritated Tong Zhenming, causing him to miss the cheerfulness in his daughter’s tone.

“After all these years of raising you, you don’t even know how to address your father,” he sneered, unable to wait to remind her, “The first episode of *Star Selection Girls* reached platinum level in viewership.”

Viewership ratings are categorized into unique levels: black iron, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, emerald, and peak. Achieving the platinum level in the first episode indicates that the investment in pre-promotion has received reasonable market feedback. If the quality is maintained and effective marketing is applied, it might even surpass the diamond level.

Tong Zhao: “Are you making a comeback in midlife?”

…

Tong Zhenming was momentarily stumped by his daughter’s thought process: “Zhu Zhu was on that show; in the first episode, she had the most screen time, and the member discussion was also in the top three.”

He didn’t really understand the entertainment industry but wanted his daughter to know that his investment had paid off.

Tong Zhenming turned his attention to provoking his eldest daughter.

He knew that Tong Zhao was shooting an instinctive film and that it was best not to have severe emotional fluctuations during production. He also knew this could significantly unsettle her performance. But so what? Disobedient juniors should lose everything. He wanted his daughter to understand his authority and set some rules.

“Let me know when you’re in drag. I won’t watch any show you’re in.”

Tong Zhao’s tone was flat but laced with sarcasm.

The director’s look of disapproval turned to surprise as he watched.

After ending the call, Tong Zhao immediately blocked her father’s number and explained to the director, “I’ll let him out when I’m in a better mood.”

Director: “I thought you’d yell at him.”

“Why should I scold him? Forget it. We’re family by blood, and scolding feels too constrained. I know him well; bringing up my mother won’t make him feel guilty. It’ll be more distressing for him if he’s caught off guard and has nowhere to vent his anger.”

As she spoke, Tong Zhao realized that what the director mentioned as “things that might destabilize your emotions” probably referred to *Star Selection Girls*. Uncle Zhi Jian was always meticulous, contrary to his rough exterior, and he cared for her, his junior, especially well. Even Tong Zhao couldn’t help but feel touched and allowed the director to comfort her for a while, appearing genuinely appreciative.

After finishing her meal, Tong Zhao left first.

The director, slowly savoring his tea, hadn’t enjoyed his quiet tea for long when Song Wanqing joined him.

“Director, are you very familiar with Tong Zhao?”

Song Wanqing, handsome with a strong jaw and bright eyes, had a very upright and attractive appearance.

He usually spoke in a particularly sunny and cheerful manner, making him a young star appealing to all ages.

The director, seeing him unusually hesitant and unsure, felt a bit curious: “An old friend’s daughter wanted to act, so I gave her a chance. It was uncomfortable during the audition, but the actual performance adjusted well, right?”

“Far more than that.”

Last night, watching the sample footage, Song Wanqing was so embarrassed he rolled around on the bed, tossing and turning.

He thought that was the worst of it.

Little did he know that the real torment was still to come.

After struggling through just five hours of sleep, he woke up to find himself haunted by memories from the drama, frozen in the pressures of the past dynasty. Each day, he was convinced to execute the rebel’s daughter, which occupied a third of the storyline. Despite the opposition, he not only promoted Chen to a noble consort but also followed her wishes, giving her the title of “Consort Chen,” conferring unlimited honor upon her…

Damn, it’s overwhelming!

Seeing Tong Zhao from a distance earlier, Song Wanqing almost couldn’t resist walking over to embrace his beloved precious.

He voiced his troubles.

“Every time I close my eyes, I see Tong Zhao’s face. She’s my consort, you know? Really. It might not seem like it from just watching the sample footage, but the Emperor is completely captivated by the consort. He even thinks about her during court sessions. So, it’s quite normal for me to think about her during my morning workout, right?”

It’s common for actors in instinctive films to be influenced by their on-screen emotions, so large productions might have professional psychologists on standby. *The Legend of the Emperor* was assessed before filming, and since it didn’t include scenes with major real-world impacts (like crimes or arson), there were no psychologists prepared. Therefore, actors usually seek help from the director when they have concerns.

Since Song Wanqing was familiar with Director Xu, he confided all his feelings to him.

Song Wanqing was deeply troubled.

Yet, when he looked up, he saw Director Xu smiling happily.

Song Wanqing: “…Is it really okay to build happiness on my suffering?”

“Sorry,” Director Xu’s smile faded, but the underlying emotion remained cheerful, “Since you both have such great chemistry, the audience will definitely feel it. You’ll also be able to clear the stigma of emotionless performances in romantic dramas.”

Instinctive films in idol dramas are famously easy to shoot.

After all, with handsome men and beautiful women, it’s not hard to create some sparks once the character templates are implanted in their minds.

Moreover, in idol dramas, the characters are often flat, the plot straightforward, and everyone is either a rich second-generation heir or a star. As long as you have a good-looking face, even if the acting is a bit wooden, the audience is willing to accept it.

But despite the easy nature of the material, Song Wanqing just couldn’t perform well.

He was too picky about women on a subconscious level.

After adopting the character template, he could be in a romance within the drama, but his romantic scenes lacked emotion.

What could be portrayed as a passionate love, at first sight, ended up looking like an arranged marriage.

But opportunities in the entertainment industry are mysterious.

Song Wanqing encountered an excellent manager who established an “old guard” persona for him. With many female fans who were drawn to his type, it was easy to win them over. Later, he starred in a commercial drama without any romantic plot, and his performance was outstanding, solidifying his position.

But with this stigma, Song Wanqing shouldn’t expect to play many romantic roles.

Upon hearing this, Song Wanqing’s expression brightened a bit.

However, his pride remained intact: “How can previous mediocre actresses compare to my beloved consort?”

“You were just complaining about whether you could replace your beloved consort,” the director pointed out, but recalling Tong Zhao’s performance during the initial audition, he gave Song Wanqing an out: “Don’t dwell on that. Her screen time is limited in the future. If you’re genuinely interested, you should get her contact information soon.”

Though she’s a supporting character, the consort’s role isn’t significant.

She’ll soon be condemned to death by the Ming Emperor due to family troubles.

There are many cases of actors developing feelings from their roles in instinctive films. The director, seeing that Song Wanqing is relatively clean and upright in the industry, offered this advice.

“Let’s see. If you really end up falling for her, I’m afraid I might be reluctant to have her killed off in the show and would just disband the harem directly.”

Song Wanqing joked.

He was afraid of genuinely falling for her after a few more looks, which is why he hadn’t dared to approach her earlier.

The director laughed and changed the subject to discuss the relationship between the male lead and the second male character.

Meanwhile, after returning to her room, Tong Zhao went online to check the situation with “Star Selection Girls.”

In her past life, Tong Zhao lived under the shadow of her stepsister’s fame and success for so long that her heart had been tempered to the point where, while she bit into a juicy, sweet apple, she could scroll through Weibo about Xu Zhu with complete composure. She mainly wanted to confirm if everything was developing just as it did before her time travel.

Xu Zhu now had her own official Weibo account.

@StarSelectionGirl-XuZhu

@XuZhuNationalFanClub

There was also a fan club in the name association, likely organized by the company to give new fans from the first episode a place to gather and gradually develop into true fans.

#StarSelectionGirlXuZhu#

#WhiteRichBeautyPrincessXuZhu#

#XuZhuDangerousXiaohan#

Tong Zhao clicked on the entries related to the “White Rich Beauty Princess” tag.

[ZhuZhu the little princess is so sweet and good, mama is a fan!]

[Wow, look at Xu Zhu’s whole set of high-end luxury stuff in her dorm, I’m genuinely envious. Does Princess Xu Zhu still need a little sister?]

[Arranging Xu Zhu as an extravagant YXH, is the editor’s brain malfunctioning? The girl clearly grew up with the best things and doesn’t take them seriously, totally speechless.]

Well, just like in her previous life, Xu Zhu’s image was crafted by her agent as the pampered little princess.

The fact that she grew up with the best things was indeed true.

When Tong Zhao was little, she had so many good things that she couldn’t use them all, and her close friend Xu Zhu would often take them.

Her mother knew about this and specially bought a new set for Xu Zhu.

Both mother and daughter thought nothing of it since they were good friends.

Now, reflecting on it, Tong Zhao felt a bit nauseous and quickly sat down to recite a calming mantra, which made her feel much better. However, after reciting the mantra so often, it split off a part of her consciousness in the cultivation world. The usually silent personality of Lu Xianzhang rarely came out of hiding and said, “Those who betray me deserve to die.”

Every word seemed to emit a cold, sword-like aura.

Tong Zhao smiled and replied, “Alright, this is a law-abiding society.”

The Empress Chen Gui fei chuckled, “Let Xu Zhu this bitch be smug for a few days. Once Zhao Zhao’s life is better than hers, it’ll be her turn to suffer.”

Lu Xianzhang, who couldn’t stand her flirtatious ways with men, went silent again.

Empress Chen Gui fei continued her assault, “I performed so well in the drama, making the Emperor fall head over heels for me, giving Zhao Zhao a big boost in the face. What use are you? If you’re useless, stay out of the way!”

When Tong Zhao first became Lu Xianzhang, she was being forced into marriage for her path to enlightenment.

The character’s deep-seated hatred of men meant that she lived a life of loneliness in that world.

After a moment of silence, Lu Xianzhang finally burst out with a powerful declaration:

“Give me a sword, and I’ll bloodily wash the Tong family clean!”