Her Entire Court Reborn with Her in the Modern World

Chapter 56: Chapter 55: The Xu Family Is Ashamed, Willing to Die for Your Majesty

Ming Chengli froze slightly and slowly lowered his head.

Having been separated for forty-five years, he indeed didn’t have any deep affection for the Xu family. He had long reached the age where he could control his emotions; he was no longer a child who wore his heart on his sleeve. But why did his chest feel so tight and sour? It seemed he was still somewhat saddened.

"Why, Grandpa?" Xu Shuangqiao frowned. "Fourth Uncle and Changying are also Xu Family Members. We should all go to the birthday banquet together."

Old Sir Xu massaged his temples. "The Pei family is coming. I don’t want..."

He didn’t want Ming Chengli and Shi Changying to embarrass the Xu family. Of course, he would not say this out loud.

"Right, you think my dad and I will embarrass you in front of the Pei family." Shi Changying crossed her arms. "What, does the Pei family have an imperial throne to inherit? Why do they care so much about face?"

"In modern society, where would there be a throne?" Old Sir Xu felt a flash of humiliated anger at being exposed, his voice growing sterner. "The Meng family has been sending invitations to the Pei family for years. This is the first time the Pei family has accepted. Therefore, this is no longer just a simple banquet!"

"Grandpa, if you’re worried, Changying and I can go in together." Xu Shuangqiao was adamant. "If she isn’t going, neither am I!"

Shi Changying’s expression faltered for a moment.

"Shuangqiao, you..." Old Sir Xu grew furious. "How old are you, acting so spoiled?"

"Grandpa, don’t blame me for being blunt. Who in Jiang’s social circles doesn’t know that Fourth Uncle was switched at birth?" Xu Shuangqiao said. "If you don’t let him attend the banquet now, aren’t you clearly telling outsiders that you only brought him back for the sake of appearances? Imagine what others will say about you then!"

Old Sir Xu stood stunned.

Xu Shuangqiao continued, "They’ll say you neglected your biological child, that after suffering outside for decades, he returns home only to be wronged like this. If that’s the case, he might as well not have come back at all!"

These words struck like a bolt from the blue, causing Old Sir Xu’s body to shudder violently. Upon seeing the silent Ming Chengli, the guilt in his heart magnified infinitely. "Chengli, Dad is sorry. I didn’t think this through. Just pretend I never said anything today."

Ming Chengli remained silent. He turned and headed upstairs, his back looking somewhat desolate.

"Chengli, you..." Old Sir Xu paused, then muttered exhaustedly, "If only you could act playfully with your parents like Zhao Yu does, that would be nice."

He let out a heavy sigh and also returned to his bedroom.

Shi Changying raised an eyebrow. "You’re quite articulate, and your logic is solid. Very good."

Her occupational habit began to make her wonder what official position Xu Shuangqiao would be suited for.

Xu Shuangqiao gasped in astonishment. "You... you smiled at me!"

Shi Changying flipped her expression mercilessly, instantly reverting to her usual deadpan look.

"You look so pretty when you smile. You should do it more often," Xu Shuangqiao asked. "You’re so young. Why do you always keep such a cold face?"

Shi Changying replied carelessly, "To scare people."

Xu Shuangqiao choked slightly. "It... it is pretty scary. The first time I saw you that night, I thought the Emperor had arrived."

Shi Changying said, "Call me Your Majesty."

Xu Shuangqiao played along cooperatively. "Your Majesty, please take this loyal subject in! This subject doesn’t want to work hard anymore!"

Shi Changying went to the kitchen and brought out a plate of fruit for a late-night snack.

"By the way, Yingying, tomorrow is Sunday. Do you want to go check out Teacher Lu’s film set?" Xu Shuangqiao said mysteriously. "I have a staff pass, so I can take you in."

Shi Changying asked, "Is there food?"

"..." Xu Shuangqiao was speechless.

Was Changying actually a Taotie in disguise?

Shi Changying went upstairs and knocked on a door. "Dad?"

Ten seconds later, the door opened. Ming Chengli’s expression was somewhat flustered. "Changying, what’s wrong?"

Seeing his red-rimmed eyes, Shi Changying came to a sudden realization. "So you’re hiding in your room crying all by yourself?"

"I am not," Ming Chengli denied stubbornly. "I accidentally bumped into the wall."

Shi Changying said, "Then you should be more careful. Don’t go bumping my wise father into a fool."

"..."

"Alright, stop crying." Shi Changying picked up a piece of watermelon with her fork. "You still have me, don’t you? What’s there to cry about? I will always stand by your side."

Ming Chengli’s heart trembled fiercely. Unsure of what he had just thought of, he smiled. "Yes, it’s a good thing my daughter is here. Otherwise, your old man wouldn’t have lasted this long."

"Oh, right. Tomorrow I’m going with Qiaoqiao to the film set to watch a live performance."

"Shuangqiao is your older cousin; you should at least address her properly."

"I can’t bring myself to."

Shi Changying looked as if she were the one who should be the eldest child.

Speechless for a moment, Ming Chengli felt both exasperated and amused. "Alright, Changying, go to sleep early. Don’t worry about me. Good night."

Meanwhile, on the filming set of Dragon Flying Phoenix.

It was a night shoot, focusing on the scene where the female lead first developed feelings for the male lead. The director had assumed such a simple interaction would be done in one take. To his surprise, they had shot five bloopers, all for the exact same reason: The female lead, played by Lu Qingyuan, couldn’t portray the feeling of awakening love.

The director ordered everyone to take a short break before trying again.

"I truly never expected you to stumble on an emotional scene." The manager looked at the slender, graceful woman in exasperation. "Your eyes need to show affection!"

Qingyuan looked languid. "I tried, but I failed."

"A Yuan, let me teach you a trick." The manager pondered for a moment. "Have you ever heard of the transference technique?"

"No."

"It’s when you imagine your co-star as someone you love. It could be familial love or friendship, anything works."

Qingyuan looked thoughtful. "I understand."

The ten-minute break ended, and filming resumed. This time went very smoothly. The director breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Lu. It’s getting late, so please rest up. We have a crucial scene tomorrow."

An assistant draped a coat over Qingyuan, and she stepped into her luxury van.

Her manager looked at her with a complicated expression. "What exactly was going on with you today?"

Qingyuan wiped her face. "What about me? I acted just like you told me to. Wasn’t that okay? You saw how excited the director was when he approved the take. Your method was indeed excellent."

"Your acting... sigh! The emotion you just displayed made it look like you’d die for the other person! But the script hasn’t progressed to the point of life-and-death devotion between you and the male lead yet." The manager rubbed her throbbing temples. "The emotion was way too intense this time. You need to dial it back."

Qingyuan rolled her eyes. "You’re so demanding."

"Who am I doing this for? It’s all for you!" The manager felt deeply wronged. "Do you know what your anti-fans say about you? They say you can’t act in emotional scenes, that you lack chemistry with everyone, and that every time you appear on screen, you give off an ’I am the most beautiful woman in the world’ vibe."

Qingyuan was entirely unbothered. "You said it yourself—they’re anti-fans."

What was a little scolding? In her past life, when she was in a theater troupe, she got beaten every single day.

"Hmph, they’re just jealous. Jealous because you truly are stunning." Studying her face, the manager couldn’t help but praise, "Just look at my artist’s face! There’s absolutely no substitute for you in the entire domestic entertainment industry. How could they not be anxious?"

Qingyuan leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest. "Thanks for the compliment. I quite like my face too."

Choking on her words, the manager quickly changed the subject. "By the way, who did you think of just now? A friend? Or your parents?"

She remembered that Lu Qingyuan was an orphan who grew up in a welfare home. But someone who could evoke such deep emotion in Lu Qingyuan had to share an incredibly profound bond with her.

After a very, very long silence, Qingyuan finally spoke. "She is no longer here."

Her Majesty had died in the bitter winter of the year 1609 of the Jiuzhou Calendar.