The system replied in an eerie voice: "Have you ever seen anyone write extensively about cannon fodder characters? Including their background, their past. Cannon fodder is there to be tormented; they're there to assist the protagonist and then disappear."
Liang Shi: "..."
If the system were a physical entity, it would definitely be brutally beaten.
But after the system disappeared, Liang Shi also understood the deeper meaning of its words.
For that book, Liang Shi was just cannon fodder.
She won't be described in too much detail, so her past is unimportant, and she'll just be cannon fodder in the future, disappearing from the story according to time.
But for Liang Shi, this is the life she is experiencing, the people and things she is dealing with.
Perhaps she was still hesitant before, wondering whether she should unravel the mystery surrounding the original owner of this body.
She is a human being, and naturally possesses selfish traits.
For her, it was best to stay away from the Liang family and not get involved in those matters.
But when she saw the original owner lying on the ground like a madwoman, she finally made a decision.
She wanted to figure these things out.
Why did Qiu Zimin inflict such cruel abuse on a child? And why did she even exist in this world?
What exactly happened between her and the original owner of this body?
But who were the original owner's biological parents? Why did the original owner become that stupid and vicious cannon fodder?
For the author, it might just be a single sentence.
But for both the original owner and Liang Shi, it was a very long life.
Liang Shi will have to live under her original identity from now on, so giving her justice is the only thing I can do for her.
Liang Shi put the button in his pocket and asked Zhao Xuning where he could find a place to have its age determined.
I was able to contact an expert without any problems.
While eating breakfast, Xu Qingzhu noticed a sharp edge about Liang Shi.
She used to be gentle, like water, very Zen, and didn't care about anything.
But at this moment, it seemed as if she had something she wanted to protect.
"What happened in one night?" Xu Qingzhu wondered.
With that thought in mind, she went out the door.
//
Time flies, and Saturday is here soon.
The results of the expert appraisal of the button that Liang Shi sent are still pending. In the past few days, only Liang Xinzhou and Liang Xinhe have contacted her to comfort her.
She just smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's okay."
She didn't ask Qiu Zimin, and the other party didn't contact her either.
Saturday was the day she had her costume fitting photos taken for the drama, titled "Yu Guang".
She beat out Chen Liuying and a host of popular idols to win the villain role.
When Liang Shi arrived at the studio, it was still early. As a new actress, she didn't have her own dressing room yet, so she squeezed into the large dressing room to get her makeup done.
The first thing to film is the lead actress. Zhao Ying will be filmed in two versions: one as the weak and vulnerable Princess Pea in the early stages, and the other as her mature appearance later on. Individual posters will be released for each version.
It was almost noon before it was Liang Shi's turn. She was dressed in all black, wearing rose gold chain glasses. She had a slim waist and long legs, and the black suit gave her a sophisticated yet roguish air.
After seeing her makeup and styling, Zhao Ying couldn't help but exclaim, "You are the epitome of a villain!"
Liang Shi just laughed, "Sister Ying, please stop teasing me."
She hadn't filmed this kind of thing in a long time, and at first she wasn't quite sure what to do, but after two takes, she got into character and easily captured the camera's attention, conveying the character's essence with just a glance.
Even the director couldn't help but tell Zhao Ying, "She's a promising talent."
Zhao Ying said proudly, "Of course, I saw it at first sight."
As soon as Zhao Ying finished speaking, the clattering of high heels came in, which could be heard very clearly on the smooth marble tiles.
The director turned around and saw the investor's wife. He immediately changed his demeanor, walked over and greeted her, "Mrs. Qi."
The woman was wearing a light green cheongsam, her long legs exposed to the air; even though she was over fifty, she still retained her charm.
Zhao Ying has always disdained dealing with these investors. Her family is rich, and if she wanted to, she could be an investor in no time.
So she chose a spot to sit and watch Liang Shi take photos.
Liang Shi's costume photos were taken quickly. After the shoot, she came downstairs and originally wanted to find Zhao Ying, but her expression changed after seeing the person next to the director.
She frowned, and her gaze met Mrs. Qi's.
Their eyes met.
Chapter 52
Liang Shi stood still and took a sip of water handed to her by a staff member. Mrs. Qi, however, had already walked over in her high heels.
Her ten-centimeter green strappy heels were polished to a shine, perfectly complementing her cheongsam.
She seemed to particularly like wearing cheongsams; every time Liang Shi saw her, she was wearing one.
Including that one time in my memory.
She walked unhurriedly, each step graceful and swaying, like a lotus blooming in the river, swaying in the wind.
Without a doubt, she is very beautiful, well-maintained, and has a figure that is perfect for wearing cheongsams.
But for Liang Shi, her very existence was oppressive.
Before she even came over, Liang Shi felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest, and the thought of desperately wanting to escape filled his mind.
And each impact of the high heels against the marble floor made a clicking sound.
They can all overlap with what I remember.
Before she even reached him, Liang Shi was already sweating profusely.
Liang Shi tried to convince himself not to be afraid, that there was nothing to be afraid of, that he was all grown up and that she couldn't do anything to him.
But the fear that came from the bottom of her heart made her shiver uncontrollably.
Zhao Ying also sensed something was wrong. As an actress, observing life and characters is a fundamental skill.
She could almost immediately sense that there was something going on between Liang Shi and the investor's wife.
Zhao Ying stood up, walked to Liang Shi's side without hesitation, and patted her arm, "Are you done patting?"
Liang Shi then came to his senses, let out a soft breath, but found that his lips were still trembling when he tried to speak.
This is a fear hidden deep in the soul.
People say that an unhappy childhood takes a lifetime to heal.
If it's a childhood of brutal abuse, then it may be impossible to heal for the rest of one's life.
This kind of pain is ingrained in your bones, and you can never forget it. It will occasionally resurface from the depths of your memory to harass you and make you feel despair.
That's how Liang Shi feels right now.
As soon as she saw Mrs. Qi, her legs trembled and she wanted to run away.
She may not have been as brave as she was when encouraging Qi Jiao.
In that instant, she seemed to truly understand Qi Jiao.
Just like the original owner of the body who was unable to break free from Qiu Zimin's shackles, she drifted like a wandering soul in the dark world that Qiu Zimin had created for her.
Qi Jiao has lived in Mrs. Qi's shadow since childhood, how could she possibly have the courage to rebel?
That's simply unrealistic.
Fortunately, Zhao Ying was there, which helped her regain some composure and reduce her fear.
Liang Shi nodded and replied to Zhao Ying, "Yes, it's finished filming."
Zhao Ying said, "Are you free later? I'd like to treat you to dinner."
Liang Shi immediately replied, "I'm free, but I'll treat you."
Without Zhao Ying, she wouldn't have gotten the role.
As soon as she finished speaking, a female voice, like that of a theatrical performer, said, "I wonder if you would mind adding me?"
It's Mrs. Qi.
She always spoke in this tone, and Liang Shi had even speculated about her profession.
But after searching online for a lot of information, I found nothing.
Mr. Qi, the general manager of Qida Company, has kept his wife and daughter's information extremely well protected; there is no information about them at all online.
She didn't even know the other person's name.
Liang Shi frowned upon hearing this, "We..."
She wanted to refuse, but the director came over and immediately said, "Of course you don't mind. It's our honor that Mrs. Qi is willing to have dinner with us."
Liang Shi's words of refusal were on the tip of his tongue, but swallowing them was not an option, nor was speaking them aloud.
Zhao Ying, on the other hand, was much more carefree. She laughed and said, "Then, Director, you can have dinner with Mrs. Qi. I'm going to eat out with Liang Shi, and my cousin is also there. She's socially awkward and can't meet so many people."
Zhao Ying immediately pulled Zhao Xuning out to take the bullet for her.
Moreover, it was done on a completely fabricated reason.
Liang Shi breathed a sigh of relief.
Upon hearing this, the director's face fell. Anyone could see that Mrs. Qi was going to have dinner with Liang Shi. If he were to go and accompany her now, wouldn't that be a disservice to Mrs. Qi?
This is the wife of the biggest investor in their show.
If you offend her, the funding won't be approved, and how can you even film it?