While Chris was struggling with his feelings for Merry, Lilia was facing a battle of her own.
The film studio was divided into several separate buildings. Lilia went to the same building where the meeting was held yesterday. There, she found the film crew already busy walking around carrying various equipment.
A group of crew carrying a pile of clothes walked past Lilia. They seemed to be heading to the changing room. Lilia stopped one of them and asked for a meeting place for the cast.
The crew led Lilia through a series of passages until they arrived at a large room. The room was decorated to be like the inside of an ancient royal palace. The crew explained that the entire building had been rented by them for the filming of this 'Chosen Dynasty'.
Lilia thanked the crew before walking in. The room would be the initial shooting location for the cast, so lots of camera equipment was placed around the room.
There was a group of people huddled near one of the cameras. When Lilia walked into the room, one of them noticed her presence. The crew, a young girl who looked excited, immediately ran over to Lilia.
"Sis Lilia Pangestu, right?" She greeted her with a friendly smile.
Lilia nodded, "Yes, right."
"I'm Chloe, the assistant for the production team. I'll explain the schedule for today's shoot." She said straightforwardly in a clear voice, "So we will do a photo shoot first. Everyone will try on three sets of clothes, but only the best photo will be used."
Chloe handed a paper containing the progress of the film cast, "Sis Lilia will have a turn forward after Sis Shirley."
"Thank you." Lilia accepted the paper.
Chloe also escorted Lilia to the private dressing room that had been prepared for her. Since the film crew has rented out the entire building, there were so many usable rooms that each actor got their own dressing room. The cast changing rooms were placed in a long hallway. The room for Lilia was in the middle of the hallway, with her name stuck on the door.
Lilia walked towards her private dressing room. She stopped at the door, her hand just touching the handle when the door to the next room swung open. Shirley Pierre, the film queen in Berlin and the film's female lead, stepped out.
"Lilia Pangestu!" Shirley called as she walked over to her.
Her costume skirt was so long it swept the floor as Shirley walked. Her assistant, Lisa, followed closely behind the actress. She bent several times to fix Shirley's dragging skirt.
Lilia turned around when she heard the actress's loud voice. She gave Shirley a questioning look as she waited for the woman to speak.
The ancient royal costume that the woman wore consisted of two parts, with the top being a loose pastel shirt. The sleeves reached to the wrists and were so wide they created a dramatic effect every time Shirley moved her arms.
Shirley's waist was tied with a white silk cloth which made her slim waist stand out even more. The lower part of the costume was a soft pink skirt that extended to the floor. Overall, Shirley looked like she was wearing a kimono.
The actress's hair was neatly combed and curled upwards to imitate the hairstyles of women from the ancient kingdom of China. An accessory in the form of a flower hair ornament added to Shirley's charm.
As a model, Lilia admired the woman's confident appearance. If Shirley had a career as a model, she would soon be famous as a world-class model. But Shirley's expression, which always looked arrogant and cold, dampened her appeal. Lilia suspected that Shirley's achievement as a film queen in Berlin made her arrogant.
As she stepped closer, Shirley looked around Lilia and asked, "Did you not bring your assistant here?"
Lilia raised her eyebrows in surprise, "So what? Do you need something from my assistant?" She asked while putting on a fake smile.
Shirley shook her head and smiled back, "Of course not." She answered in a relaxed manner, "I just wanted to say hello to you. But if you don't have an assistant to help you, you will have a hard time changing clothes later. I will lend my assistant to help you."
After Shirley said that, Lisa immediately stepped forward and bowed to Lilia.
But Lilia's expression turned cold. She didn't say anything and yet these two people acted as if Lilia had agreed to ask them for help. Lilia made a mental note to be more careful with Shirley. That woman was not a good person and should be watched out. As an actress who managed to become a movie queen, Shirley couldn't be underestimated.
Lilia shook her head. She said firmly but politely, "Thank you, but I don't need help. I can take care of myself."
"Is it true?" Shirley stepped forward, closing the gap between the two women.
They were almost the same height, making the two of them stare at each other without either side giving in.
"Didn't the film crew tell you? For example, we are usually very tired after filming, especially when wearing costumes like this. This costume consists of several layers, making it difficult to put on or take off without assistance." Shirley started lecturing Lilia.
Even though her words sounded like she was exhorting, her voice was tinged with arrogance. Shirley acted like she was lecturing a film crew member who just joined and didn't understand anything. Lilia knew right away that this actress had bad intentions towards her. But she didn't understand why that woman was trying to cause trouble for her. Did Lilia do something that offended Shirley?
Lilia decided not to think too much about it. She just smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you for your advice, Miss Shirley. But Mr. Louis said that today will only be a photo shoot. We won't officially start filming, so it doesn't make any difference whether I bring an assistant or not."
Shirley's face turned red when she heard those words. She opened her mouth to argue, but Lilia cut her off.
"I don't have much time, so I have to get changed immediately. See you later, Miss Shirley." Lilia said before turning around.
She entered her dressing room and closed the door behind her without looking back. Lilia didn't know what Shirley's expression was like, but she could tell that the woman must be furious.
"Too bad, but I'm not a new kid you can just bully." Lilia muttered as she started changing clothes.
Outside Lilia's dressing room, Shirley gritted her teeth while glaring at the wooden door. She often heard about Lilia, especially after she became a world-recognized model. Lilia was always described as a humble model and had a good character. Her reputation was beyond reproach and she had many loyal fans.
The news made Shirley look down on Lilia. She considered the model to be an obedient and kind person who could be taken advantage of easily. However, Shirley forgot that the model that caught everyone's attention on the opening night of Milan Fashion Week could not be an ordinary model. Lilia was a wolf hiding under lambskin.
"Sis Shirley, that woman is really ungrateful!" Lisa said angrily as she stomped her foot. Shirley's assistant also glared at Lilia's changing room door.
Shirley glanced at Lisa with a cold expression, "Don't talk nonsense!" She scolded before starting to walk away. Lisa hurriedly followed Shirley while lifting the woman's skirt.
The two of them kept on walking until they reached a quiet and hidden place.
"What about the investigation I ordered yesterday? Is there any result?" Shirley asked.
Lisa put down Shirley's skirt and immediately came closer, then whispered something in the actress's ear.
In that instant, Shirley's expression changed, "Are you sure?" She asked.
Lisa quickly nodded, "I am sure! Another assistant told me that Lilia Pangestu often went out with the fourth son of the Widjaya Family. But… " Lisa's voice suddenly became smaller, "… No one knows the exact relationship between them. I only heard that Lilia Pangestu has close relations with respectable families."
Hearing that, Shirley narrowed her eyes with a suspicious expression.
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