The Substitute Bride -- CEO's Secret Darling Wife

Following the script, the supporting actress glared at Emily, her gaze full of venom, as though she wished she could tear her apart and consume her.

Emily's mouth tasted salty, and she could feel the warm trickle of blood from the corner of her lips. The slap had been so hard that the flesh of her mouth collided with her teeth.

She followed the script, her tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke, her voice choked with emotion: "It's strange, isn't it, to love someone? No matter how many flaws they have, no matter how many mistakes they make, you always forgive them. No matter how bad they are, they will always be the best in your eyes. You're a wonderful person, but love is about fate. No matter what you say or how much you offer me, I won't leave Han. I love him! I've loved him for five whole years."

The lines were meant to convey the heroine's deep, unshakeable love for the hero. In many ways, it mirrored Emily's own feelings for Alexander—five years of love, but with an ending that was different. In the script, the heroine's love story ends with marriage, while Emily's was marked by separation.

As she spoke the final line, her emotions couldn't be contained. She broke down, her entire body trembling, as if the weight of the role had become her reality. Her performance was so raw, so deeply felt, that it resonated with everyone in the room.

The entire set fell into stunned silence. Every actor, director, and crew member was completely captivated by Emily's performance. It wasn't that her acting was bad—it was so good that it left them all in awe.

The cameraman wiped away his tears, clearly moved by the authenticity of her portrayal of unwavering love.

Even the supporting actress, whose bitterness toward Emily had been clear, was momentarily speechless. Emily's acting had outshone anything she had done on set.

Du Haitang, standing on the sidelines, couldn't help but admire Emily's talent. She had agreed with the director to let Emily deliver the lines, wanting to test her memory and see how she handled the scene. What she hadn't expected was the sheer depth Emily brought to the role. There was no stuttering, no nervousness—just a natural flow that took everyone by surprise.

The director, blinking away his own tears, raised his megaphone and called out, "Cut!"

The crew exhaled collectively, holding their breath as the director spoke. "This one's passed."

Emily allowed herself a sigh of relief. Finally. It's over.

"Xiao Luo, your acting was really amazing this time!" The director came over, practically glowing with admiration. "I can't even begin to express how impressed I am. I've been in the industry for over five years, and I've never seen a newcomer with such raw talent. You could definitely carry the female lead role. If you were the star of this show, it would have sky-high ratings."

Emily smiled politely, but the praise felt heavy. "It was just my normal performance. Thank you for the compliment, Director," she said, deflecting the attention away from herself.

She knew the truth. I'm just playing myself in this role. It's the only way I could meet the director's standards.

The director nodded, seemingly unfazed by her modesty. He tucked the script into his waist and addressed the crew. "Prepare for the next scene."

Since the next scene didn't require Emily as a stand-in, the real heroine would take over.

"Ms. Luo, you were incredible," a younger actress, who played a minor supporting role, came over to Emily, her face full of admiration.

"Yeah, it's such a shame you're not the lead," an extra chimed in.

Emily gave a small, humble smile, but said nothing. It felt good to be recognized, even if it was by the smaller players on set.

As she sat off to the side, the supporting actress passed by with a scoff. "She's just a stand-in. No matter how well she acts, they'll replace her face in post-production. I don't know why she's so proud of herself when she can't even be seen on screen." With that, she went into the dressing room.

Emily didn't respond. The actress was right, after all. I'm just a stand-in. I won't even make it onto the screen.

But that didn't mean she'd do any less than her best. She would put everything into the role, just as if she were the lead. She owed that to the director—and to herself.

"Tsk, that's just sour grapes," a young actress whispered to a colleague as they watched the supporting actress walk away. "Even if Miss Luo won't appear on screen, at least her acting's ten times better than some people's."

"That's right," the extra nodded. "I don't even know how she got the role. If Miss Luo had come earlier, the director would've seen how great she was, and who knows? Maybe things would've gone differently."

Emily smiled faintly, the compliment soothing her bruised ego. But she remained silent, watching as the drama played out on screen.

The filming of the drama was nearing its final days. Only two scenes left for Emily to complete as the stand-in.

After the heroine and hero finished their final scene together, the director called Emily to set for her last few takes.

The first of the two scenes went smoothly, with Emily nailing it in one take, just as she had with the others. She had become so immersed in the role that each performance felt effortless.

The final scene required the supporting actress to confront the heroine at Houhai Lake. The scene was tense—an argument that escalates into violence. The supporting actress scratches the heroine's arm with a knife, and the heroine, in a fit of desperation, pushes her into the water.

The shoot was set for Houhai, a freezing lake surrounded by ice. The crew had rented a crane to break through the ice for the scene, but the water was so cold that just dipping a finger in could leave you numb for hours.

Emily breathed a silent sigh of relief. At least I'm not the one falling in.

As the crew prepped for the scene, the supporting actress—Diana—pouted and protested, her voice filled with disdain. "Who would want to go into that freezing water? Can't we set up a tent, fill a pool with hot water, and shoot there instead?"

The director raised an eyebrow. "You won't be in the water for long. Just a few minutes. Can you not handle that?"

Diana crossed her arms defiantly. "What if I can't? What if I get sick?"

The director's patience wore thin. "Then that's your problem."

The supporting actress was furious but didn't back down. "I'll go into the water, but only if you put hot water rods in it. Otherwise, I won't shoot."

The director's expression darkened. "How many hot water rods do you think we need for the entire lake?" His tone made it clear he wasn't interested in negotiating further.

Diana was persistent. "Then that's your problem, director." She shot back, clearly trying to leverage her relationship with the producer.

The director was now visibly annoyed. "Diana, if you don't want to shoot, then leave. I won't beg you."

Diana hesitated, knowing that her status on set had a lot to do with her relationship with the producer. "Director, are you sure about this? We're nearing the end of filming. If I leave now, we might have to reshoot the scene, and it's going to cost us. If Producer Wang finds out about this, he might blame either you or me."

Her words struck a chord. The director had been dealing with Diana's demands for too long. She used her ties with the producer to get away with things that others couldn't.

Finally, the director snapped, veins bulging on his forehead. "Diana! If you don't want to do your job, then leave. I won't put up with this anymore!"

Diana seemed to smirk, thinking she had the upper hand. She knew her value on the set, and she wasn't afraid to use it. But the director had reached his breaking point.