Chapter 116: Little Bei Got Slapped
Tian Xiaoxiao saw this, and her temper worsened. Right from the start, Mu Jingzhe had already heard rumors about this child star from the crew members she was familiar with.
It was said that she really knew how to act but didn't have a good reputation. There were also rumors that she would bully children her age. She would even look down on and suppress some little-known adult actors.
Upon hearing this, Mu Jingzhe made a mental note to stay alert at all times.
She accompanied Little Bei to filming, but unlike Mother Tian, she wasn't a full-time caregiver. Mu Jingzhe was only doing this part-time. After meeting Director Lu last time, she had created a job in the production team for herself by helping out with costumes and makeup.
Coincidentally, the costumes and makeup person Lu Yuan had previously worked with had left to give birth, so Mu Jingzhe took over.
Although there was a change in the working mode, this was still her old profession. Furthermore, period costumes weren't used in this movie. Many actors could even wear their own clothes during filming, so Mu Jingzhe easily got the hang of it.
The filming process had started three days ago, and everything was going quite smoothly. Because the filming location was in the county city, the other four kids even came to visit.
However, something went wrong on the fourth day. Tian Xiaoxiao's character also had a lot of tragic scenes, so she needed to wear makeup.
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It was fine with Little Bei and the others, but when it was Tian Xiaoxiao's turn, she cried out in pain while Mu Jingzhe was applying theatrical blood on her face. "Auntie, what are you applying on me? My face hurts, and it feels so uncomfortable."
When Mu Jingzhe heard that, she quickly washed her up. After washing her up, she didn't see any redness or pimples. Everything appeared normal.
However, Tian Xiaoxiao kept crying out in pain. The same happened when she applied makeup on her again. Mother Tian said that it was too dangerous and refused to let Mu Jingzhe touch her daughter's face again.
Mu Jingzhe had no choice but to stop. "Maybe she's a little allergic."
In order to solve Tian Xiaoxiao's allergy problem, Mu Jingzhe had to make a trip to the city to get new cosmetics.
She had to deliver the goods as well, so she left for two days. Before she left, she reminded Shao Qiyang to take good care of Little Bei.
Mu Jingzhe's hair ornament business had stabilized, and the number of customers was steadily increasing. It would be fine as long as the business slowly developed.
Ever since Mu Jingzhe had worked with the film crew and interacted with the television station, she'd had a new job designing stage costumes. Many of them were ancient-style costumes.
Mu Jingzhe had found a factory to collaborate with and slowly started this business. Now, there were even clients who came to her.
On the way to the city, Mu Jingzhe had to go to the factory to inspect the goods. If there were no problems, she would hand them over to the TV station.
The factory had a good reputation, and there were no problems with the goods. After Mu Jingzhe handed them over to the TV station, they ordered another batch.
"I want the kind with the cape this time. We all love the blueprints you sent us last time and want to get a set each. My brother-in-law owns a gallery, and their clothes aren't even as nice as yours."
Mu Jingzhe blinked. "Sure, I can make more. You can collect them when they're ready. It's not expensive."
In the modern era, there were more and more photography studios, and they all provided clothing. This was also a business. As Mu Jingzhe had worked with a photography studio before, she didn't feel any pressure.
The TV station staff member's eyes lit up. "Then I'll order them!"
Mu Jingzhe nodded with a smile. This was how a business grew.
The TV station was satisfied. Mu Jingzhe also received another piece of good news from the production team of the period drama that she had contacted previously. They replied that they were quite satisfied with her costumes, accessories, and makeup.
Not only did Mu Jingzhe provide fashion design, but she also provided simple hairstyling and makeup services. That production team was tempted.
Mu Jingzhe answered them, feeling satisfied with her new business.
While she was busy, Little Bei wasn't doing well.
Shao Qiyang had replaced Mu Jingzhe and was following Little Bei around. Even Shao Nan was worried and had come over to protect his younger sister, but when Mu Jingzhe was gone, there were still some changes to the situation.
Tian Xiaoxiao and her mother were very familiar with the production team. Compared to the unfamiliar Shao Qiyang and Shao Nan, they knew how to attract everyone's attention and pull them over to their side to help.
In the morning, when Mu Jingzhe wasn't around, it was Little Bei's turn to start filming, but her makeup wasn't done yet.
During the filming session in the afternoon, due to an issue with the props, the order of filming was adjusted, and some later scenes were brought forward.
There happened to be a scene when Little Bei would be slapped by Tian Xiaoxiao. Tian Xiaoxiao played the role of Xiao Jiu's older cousin, who was also neglected by her parents, but she also bullied Little Bei, who was weaker than her.
Usually, there was a trick to slapping someone. It might look painful on camera, but the actor generally wouldn't slap the other person for real.
The director had even specially instructed Tian Xiaoxiao how to go about doing it and asked Little Bei not to be afraid.
Tian Xiaoxiao and the director had agreed that it would only be loud and clear but wouldn't hurt. Tian Xiaoxiao had learned before how to slap without hurting anyone. When the time came, they would just apply makeup to make Little Bei's face appear red and swollen.
However, when it was time to film, Tian Xiaoxiao slapped Little Bei for real. The slap was so crisp that Little Bei's face hurt.
Tian Xiaoxiao had been in the production team since she was young. She was smart and she had learned to observe things from a young age. She had seen and learned all kinds of open strifes and veiled struggles between men and women in the production team.
To Tian Xiaoxiao, taking advantage of filming to vent her anger was a piece of cake.
Little Bei felt that something was amiss. This was different from what Mu Jingzhe had described before. However, seeing that Tian Xiaoxiao acted as if this was only natural and she hadn't made a mistake, and because the director didn't say anything, she swallowed what she wanted to say.
Shao Qiyang had no clue what was going on. Thus, Little Bei was at a disadvantage.
When Tian Xiaoxiao saw that Little Bei didn't say anything, she knew in her heart what to do. She could have completed this scene smoothly, but she deliberately made a mistake so that the scene had to be shot again.
The face-slapping scene started once more. This time, Tian Xiaoxiao hit Little Bei even harder than last time. The slap was so hard that Little Bei's ears were ringing, and she couldn't react for a while. Thus, this time, the scene had to be shot again.
In the end, they filmed two more scenes. Tian Xiaoxiao slapped Little Bei harder and harder each time. Little Bei's face was red from the slaps. Tian Xiaoxiao was afraid that the director would suspect her, so she even said that Little Bei's skin was too tender and would turn red with just a touch.
Little Bei, who was standing the closest to Tian Xiaoxiao, could feel the thick malice in her. At this point, everything was clear to Little Bei.
Tian Xiaoxiao was doing this on purpose. She deliberately slapped her so hard and kept messing up so that they could reshoot this scene over and over again.
Each time the scene was reshot, she had to endure another hard slap. If she was slapped a few more times, her face would definitely swell to the point that one wouldn't be able to look at it anymore.
Little Bei looked at Tian Xiaoxiao and Mother Tian. She held back her tears and looked at Shao Qiyang and Shao Nan.
They were asking around why she had to be slapped like this, but everyone told them that this was what filming was like.
At that moment, Little Bei was certain that her mother had been sent away on purpose. They wanted to deal with her while Mu Jingzhe wasn't around.
Little Bei was right, but there was more to it than what had occurred to her. Hitting her and bullying her on purpose was only the beginning. Tian Xiaoxiao had bigger ambitions. She hoped that after this incident, Little Bei would be afraid and would leave on her own.
This way, she might be able to get the leading role and kick out a strong competitor.
This was the method that Tian Xiaoxiao had learned to use previously. Some children were very young and foolish. They were unable to endure any hardships or pain. They only had to be tormented a little and they would stop showing up out of fear.
During the next take, Tian Xiaoxiao shook her aching hand and used a lot of strength to give Little Bei a tight slap across the face. However, this time, something changed.
Chapter 117: Revenge
When Tian Xiaoxiao slapped her face this time, Little Bei no longer held her footing despite trembling, which Director Lu had praised her for previously. Instead, she fell heavily to the ground.
Bam! Little Bei didn't get up for a long time.
Everyone was startled. In the end, Shao Nan was the fastest. Not caring whether they were still filming or not, he ran over. "Little Bei!"
Shao Nan pulled Little Bei up, who then revealed her bruised knees and elbows.
When Little Bei saw Shao Nan, tears rolled down her cheeks, but she didn't cry. She quickly wiped her tears and apologized to the director.
"I'm sorry, Director. I lost my balance…"
Director Lu didn't expect Little Bei to apologize to him. He felt upset. "It's okay. You're in an awful state, so why are you apologizing to me? Quick, someone come over and treat her wound."
After saying that, Director Lu noticed that something was amiss. He looked at Little Bei's flushed cheeks and abruptly shifted his gaze to Tian Xiaoxiao.
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"Tian Xiaoxiao, what's wrong with you? Did you hit Little Bei for real? Why did you use so much strength?"
"I didn't. I didn't use any strength." Tian Xiaoxiao was dumbfounded by Little Bei's reaction.
She knew that she had hit her hard, but she was only eight years old. How could she have so much strength? Little Bei couldn't have been sent flying by her until she fell to the ground so heavily.
At the thought of this, Tian Xiaoxiao knew that Little Bei was deliberately implicating her. "Director Lu, she's putting on an act. She fell on purpose. Even if I hit her a little harder, it was not that bad!"
However, Tian Xiaoxiao's accusation only made everyone angrier due to the tragic comparison and Little Bei's tears.
"You still dare quibble now? Look at how hard you slapped Little Bei."
Director Lu had been too focused on the show to notice these details, but he wasn't a fool who couldn't tell even now.
The others were the same. Previously, they had sensed that something was off, but Director Lu hadn't said anything, and Little Bei's family hadn't complained either, so they'd simply stood by and watched.
Now that they had all seen it, they began to criticize Tian Xiaoxiao. Shao Qiyang was so angry that he almost made a move.
No matter how Mother Tian tried to explain that Tian Xiaoxiao was just too engrossed in her character, it was no use. Although Tian Xiaoxiao was very mature at times, she was still only eight years old. Feeling upset due to all the criticism, she ran away crying.
Since Little Bei had been slapped so badly and had even gotten injured, the filming session ended. Only then did Shao Qiyang and Shao Nan learn that this kind of scene could be faked.
Shao Qiyang was so angry that he went to argue with them. However, he ended up getting scolded by fearless Mother Tian, who had no problem dealing with a young man like Shao Qiyang.
"What? Do you want to fight? Try hitting me. That's what filming is like, do you understand?"
She bumped against Shao Qiyang, causing him to retreat in defeat.
Shao Qiyang returned with a defeated look. Shao Nan pursed his lips and looked at Little Bei, who was being bandaged by the crew members. Then, he looked at her increasingly swollen, red face. His countenance grew terrifyingly dark. However, because they hadn't said a word before and what needed to be said had been said, he knew that this matter was more or less over.
It was impossible to replace Tian Xiaoxiao because of this. After all, this was filming. Just as Mother Tian had said, it could be said that she was too engrossed in the role. Surely one couldn't chase after her and slap her back?
If they did this, the nature of the matter would change. Shao Qiyang had gone to reason with them, but there was nothing that could be done.
However, Shao Nan couldn't take this lying down. When he saw Little Bei's red face, he felt a mixture of self-reproach and fury.
Although Little Bei had suffered a little in the past, as their only sister, they had tried their best to protect her. They had carefully shielded her since she was young, protecting her from Zhao Lan and the rest.
In the end, Little Bei, whom they were so protective of, had been beaten up by that brat because of the filming process.
If Mommy had been around, she wouldn't have allowed such a thing to happen. He had failed to do his duty and protect Little Bei well. To think he'd even specially come to the set to protect Little Bei.
The more Shao Nan thought about it, the angrier he got. In order to avenge Little Bei, he thought of a way to drug Tian Xiaoxiao and her mother's food with laxatives that night.
Tian Xiaoxiao and her mother started having diarrhea that night. The entire production team ate and drank almost the same things as them, but they were the only ones who got diarrhea.
Mother Tian, who was initially feeling guilty and had only managed to hang on thanks to her shamelessness, suddenly perked up and insisted that this must be the doing of Little Bei. After all, the only person they had offended was Little Bei.
"You put on an act to frame Xiaoxiao yesterday and even drugged her today. You're so lawless. This time, you drugged her with laxatives. Are you going to poison her next time?"
Mother Tian clutched her stomach and pretended to be pitiful on set. "You're so young, yet you're really vicious. You put on an act and you drugged our food with laxatives. If you don't give me an explanation today, I won't let you off!"
Mother Tian thought to herself that Little Bei could forget about filming from now on.
Little Bei kept saying that it wasn't her. However, the timing was too coincidental and Mother Tian kept harping on about this matter, so things became complicated.
Although Shao Nan hadn't left any evidence behind and they couldn't find any proof, Mother Tian was certain that they were the culprits and kept acting pitiful. This caused Shao Nan and Little Bei's position to become complicated.
Tian Xiaoxiao and her mother were clearly the ones who had bullied others first, but because it now appeared that they had been drugged with laxatives, everything was reversed.
When Mu Jingzhe returned to the production team, she faced this situation. After hearing a simple recount of the incident, Mu Jingzhe knew what had happened. She immediately told Mother Tian, who was acting pitiful and throwing a tantrum.
"Don't be in such a hurry to point fingers. I wasn't around yesterday. I want to see how you guys filmed that slap scene."
Mu Jingzhe looked at Director Lu. "Director Lu, can you show me the slap scene?"
"Sure." Director Lu's head hurt. He just hoped that the problem would be solved soon.
After she took a look, Mu Jingzhe's expression turned increasingly icy. She looked at Tian Xiaoxiao, who said that she wasn't feeling well, and reached a conclusion. "Tian Xiaoxiao, you did it on purpose. You hit her very hard, and when you hit her, there was a flash of smugness in your eyes."
"I did not. I was just in a bad state. I merely used a little bit more strength to get a feel for—"
"If you were in a bad state, how could you have slapped her so hard? Is this your first day filming? If you're not in a good state, you can adjust. What do you mean you slapped Little Bei to get a feel for it? You could've just told me if you like slaps so much. I can slap you a few times to wake you up and show you how it feels. Wouldn't that be faster than hitting Little Bei?
"If you can act, then act. If you can't act, then get lost. This is the first time I've heard of slapping someone to get a feel for acting. Based on your method, if you have to film a murder scene, you'll really have to stab someone to get a feel for it?"
Tian Xiaoxiao was left speechless. Mother Tian quickly defended her. "You can't put it that way. Xiaoxiao just isn't in a good state today…"
Mu Jingzhe cut her off. "Don't talk to me about your state. You filmed the other scenes just fine, but when it was time for the face-slapping scene, your condition wasn't good? You keep blaming this problem or that problem. Do you think we're all so blind that we can't tell?
"Tian Xiaoxiao, all of us can see the expression on your face. I won't ask you why you don't like Little Bei. Even if you don't like Little Bei, you can't take revenge on her by using filming as an excuse. Do you know how to separate public matters from private matters? If you can't even separate the two, stop acting!"
Mu Jingzhe didn't give Tian Xiaoxiao a chance to speak, nor did she hold back because Tian Xiaoxiao was still young. Just by looking at the filmed scenes and Little Bei's swollen face, one could tell how much strength she had used.
Chapter 118: Education
Mu Jingzhe really detested this kind of lousy tricks. Taking revenge in the name of acting was common when it came to slapping scenes, drowning scenes, and kneeling scenes.
In her previous life, Mu Jingzhe had seen too many such tricks. She hadn't expected to see one again in this life, much less from a child as small as Tian Xiaoxiao.
Thus, Mu Jingzhe hadn't belittled Tian Xiaoxiao at all. How could someone who could do such a thing be a normal child? Since she'd dared to do it, she would retaliate.
"Tian Xiaoxiao, you're wasting everyone's time, money, and energy for your own selfish desires. Do you take us for fools and think we can't do anything to you?"
Mu Jingzhe's words caused everyone's expression to change. Tian Xiaoxiao and her mother's expressions changed drastically.
Everyone was there to work. Tian Xiaoxiao's actions had held up the filming progress and caused everyone to have a hard time. They had long formed their own opinions about this, and Mu Jingzhe's words really struck a chord with them.
Tian Xiaoxiao and her mother knew that the tide had turned against them. Seeing everyone's expression, they panicked. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Don't slander Xiaoxiao!"
"I didn't do that!" Tian Xiaoxiao also shouted.
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"Everyone knows whether I'm talking nonsense or not. Everyone is working together to film a good movie. You're the only ones dragging us down. What do you think the production team is? Is this a place for you to play house?"
"Previously, when you deliberately said your face hurt, I tolerated it. I thought that your skin really was sensitive and thought of ways to deal with it. But now, look at what you've done! It's obvious you did that on purpose!
"Tian Xiaoxiao, were you very pleased with yourself when you sent me away? Look at how old you are, yet your thoughts are so deep and vicious. Today, you sent me away because you didn't like Little Bei. You took advantage of the filming process to slap her harder and more times than was necessary. Are you going to use props to kill people in the future?"
Mother Tian and Tian Xiaoxiao got anxious. "How can you talk about killing people? Who's killing people?"
Seeing everyone's accusing gazes, Tian Xiaoxiao shouted, "I was filming! I was just filming! I didn't kill anyone!"
Because of her cute looks and young age, she had always been liked by everyone in the production team since she had started acting at two.
Tian Xiaoxiao knew how to make people like her. Although her reputation had deteriorated as she grew older, she was still good at feigning obedience in front of others. She was also sweet-tongued and had honed her ability to play a double game when speaking to different people.
As a result, even though everyone knew what she had done, because she was sensible and knew how to speak, everyone greeted her with smiles when they were in front of her.
Adults would always be more tolerant of children.
Tian Xiaoxiao had always received praise and kind gazes and had never been treated in such a manner in her entire life. She felt wronged, so she finally panicked.
Mu Jingzhe looked at Tian Xiaoxiao coldly. "Facts speak louder than words. Remember what I said today. If you dare to tamper with the filming process again, I don't care if you're filming or not. I'll just hit you back.
"If I do hit you back, it won't be just a fall. I can even knock out all your teeth with one punch. If you're not afraid, you can try me."
Fear flashed across Tian Xiaoxiao's face. Even though it was Mu Jingzhe's first day on set, she had already helped carry things on set. Everyone knew that Mu Jingzhe was strong, so Tian Xiaoxiao knew that she wasn't kidding when she said she could knock out all her teeth.
Mother Tian had considered that matter over and hadn't expected Mu Jingzhe to bring it up again. Looking at everyone's expressions, she quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Why are you bringing up this matter? It's your child who spiked our food with laxatives…"
Mu Jingzhe cut her off. "If you want to accuse us of drugging you with laxatives, just show us the evidence. If you have evidence, you can report it to the police or do whatever you want.
"However, if you have no evidence, we won't accept any of this. From now on, you will stop blaming us. This concerns the reputation of my children's innocence. If you continue to accuse us, I won't hold back."
"What are you going to do to us? You people did it. Who else but your two kids—"
"If you want to shoot your mouth off without any evidence, then I can do it too. If you say that we harmed you, then I'll say that you're not acclimatized or you've given yourself laxatives to frame us. Rather than clamoring here, you might as well go see a doctor or call the police."
Mother Tian was so angry that she fell backward. "Why would we drug ourselves to frame you?"
"How would I know? Based on the way you guys acted earlier, what aren't you capable of doing?"
When everyone heard this, they suddenly felt that this mother-and-daughter duo was truly capable of doing something like this. As they faced everyone's doubtful gazes, Tian Xiaoxiao and her mother's faces turned purple. They glared at Mu Jingzhe as if they wanted to eat her up.
Mu Jingzhe lifted her chin and turned the situation around with a firm attitude. However, when Mu Jingzhe pulled Little Bei and Shao Nan back to their room, her face instantly sank.
"What exactly happened? Tell me honestly."
Shao Nan and Little Bei froze immediately. However, they didn't dare hide anything and came clean with the truth.
For example, Little Bei's fall had been only half real. The other half had been fake. The cuts on her knees and elbows were a result of her deliberately falling somewhere where there was gravel.
Shao Nan admitted that he was the one who had drugged the mother-and-daughter duo with laxatives.
Mu Jingzhe closed her eyes. "I knew it."
Shao Nan's laxative method had inevitably made Mu Jingzhe think of the version of Shao Nan she had read about in the book. In order to take revenge, he had concocted a colorless, odorless poison. Although the results had been vastly different, there was a trace of similarity. Mu Jingzhe had worked hard for a long time and had even helped them learn the law because she wanted them to know the consequences of doing something illegal.
Although Shao Nan seemed to have changed a lot, in a situation like this, Mu Jingzhe could still feel that his nature hadn't changed. The choices Shao Nan made hadn't changed.
Her face darkened as she looked at Shao Nan. "Shao Nan, have you forgotten the law book you read? Do you know that what you did was illegal?"
Earlier, Shao Nan had been happy that Mu Jingzhe had finally avenged Little Bei. Now, when he heard this question, he only felt uneasy. "I still remember, Mom. That's why I only drugged them with a small dose of laxatives. They'll be fine. I just wanted to punish them a little, that's all…"
"What if something happened to them after taking the laxatives?" Mu Jingzhe interrupted him. "You're lucky this time. They're in good health, so things didn't go wrong. But what if something irreversible had happened because of the laxatives you gave them? Don't think that diarrhea is a small matter. One can get dehydrated and die from diarrhea."
Shao Nan shook his head. "That won't happen. I was very careful with the dosage…"
"Then what if they're sensitive to laxatives and their diarrhea gets out of control? Or what if they have latent health conditions?" Mu Jingzhe interrupted Shao Nan again and bent over to press Shao Nan's shoulder.
"Shao Nan, don't think that everything will definitely work out as you've planned it. That's not up to you. Have you heard of the saying 'one ant hole may cause the collapse of a thousand-li dyke'? Any small mistake has the potential to cause a great disaster.
"So, Shao Nan, don't think that a little bit of laxative is fine. Even a small dose of laxative can be fatal. If that happens, their blood will be on your hands. Do you believe that?"
For the first time, there was confusion in Shao Nan's eyes. "Even a small dose of laxative can do that?"
Chapter 119: I Don't Want Mommy to Go to Jail
"Even if it's just a small dose of laxative?"
Mu Jingzhe nodded in affirmation. "Yes, Shao Nan, someone could get killed by this. Even if the possibility is very small, there are many repercussions that can be caused by diarrhea.
"Diarrhea can affect a lot of things. It can delay a lot of events and it might even affect a person's life. For example, if you have to go to an interview at the agreed time, you might be able to change your life after passing the interview, or you might miss your lover for an entire life. Anything can happen.
"Therefore, Shao Nan, we can't think that it's not a big deal just because it's only a little bit of laxative. Many opportunities are fleeting, and losing that one opportunity can mean missing out on it for good."
Shao Nan opened his mouth, but no words came out.
What Mu Jingzhe told him was already heavy enough, but Mu Jingzhe still had something to say. She squatted down and looked at Shao Nan. "Little Nan, there's one more thing. You know that I lied for you just now and threw a tantrum for you, right?"
Shao Nan nodded. "Mom, I'm sorry…"
"Don't apologize now. This isn't a problem that can be solved with an apology. If an apology was useful, why would we need the police?" Mu Jingzhe accidentally said a line from a television drama, but it was also the truth. She didn't laugh. She only continued.
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"Let's talk about the legal aspect of this day. Think about the legal clauses that you have learned about. If something serious had happened to Tian Xiaoxiao and her mom today, you're not the only one who would have been responsible. I have also lied for you. From a legal point of view, it means that I have committed perjury. Therefore, I would also be punished along with you and might even go to jail. As the beneficiary, Little Bei would also be implicated."
Shao Nan's expression changed drastically. "No, I did it alone. It had nothing to do with you and Little Bei. I don't want you to go to jail."
"But it's not up to you, Little Nan. It's up to the law."
Shao Nan gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault. Mommy, you shouldn't have lied for me."
Mu Jingzhe exhaled. "But I don't want you to be punished either. You see, even though I know that this is wrong, because it's you, I still lied for you. Therefore, I have to take responsibility for this.
"Little Nan, before you do something in the future, think more about whether what you did was right or wrong. I know that you felt bad for Little Bei and wanted to help avenge her, but you can't use a method like this. Look at this situation. Even though we were in the right initially, after what you did, that's no longer the case. There's even a big latent danger."
The children used to have no one to protect them in the past, and because they were only children, they were used to using someone else to get rid of an adversary or take revenge afterward. These were the only methods they had been able to use previously.
But this couldn't develop into a habit, nor could they allow such behavior to snowball.
"Little Nan, think about it before you do anything in the future. You guys have me now. You also had your Young Uncle previously. You can discuss it with me and Uncle, right? We adults don't fight back directly and take revenge like you, but it's not because we're weak, nor is it because we don't care about Little Bei and don't wish to take revenge for her. It's because we know better than to act rashly.
"Regarding today's matter, your uncle isn't familiar with the crew, so he might not have been able to do anything about it. However, you only had to wait for me to come back. If you hadn't drugged them with laxatives, I wouldn't have had to lie or throw a tantrum today. I would just have confronted them with facts.
"No matter what, I won't let Little Bei suffer. No matter what, I will show Tian Xiaoxiao her mistake. I will make sure she doesn't dare bully Little Bei again. Do you believe me?"
Shao Nan nodded. "I believe you."
This was the first time his thoughts were such a mess, and it was also the first time his mind was so clear. The words that Mu Jingzhe had subtly said or influenced him with previously were now working.
This lesson had left a deep impression on him, and he knew that Mu Jingzhe was doing this for his own good.
He could see her emotions in her eyes.
Shao Nan reached out and hugged Mu Jingzhe. "Mom, I was wrong. I won't do it again."
His actions showed his reliance. This was the first time he relied completely on Mu Jingzhe. This time, his apology was sincere. He was willing to accept whatever Mu Jingzhe said.
Actually, he knew that such behavior was wrong. It was just that no one had ever taught him that before, let alone been so thorough about it. Of course, no one had stood up for them. No one had cared.
When given a choice, who would like to use such a method? Everyone liked to be protected. They'd had no choice in the past, but they had Mommy now.
He would remember Mommy's words. He'd also learned that his actions would affect his family, so he would be cautious from now on and would never do such a thing again.
Shao Nan felt that he had to be more familiar with the legal provisions and use them in real life. He couldn't make such a mistake again. Just like Mommy had said, he had to think before acting in the future.
Mu Jingzhe let out a sigh of relief when she heard Shao Nan sincerely admit his mistake. "It's good that you've recognized your mistake."
Little Bei, who had been watching anxiously from the side, heaved a sigh of relief too. "Mommy, don't be angry."
After Mu Jingzhe let go of Shao Nan, she looked at Little Bei. "Now that I'm done with Shao Nan, let's talk about you, Little Bei."
Little Bei got nervous when she heard that. She stood up straight obediently and looked flustered. "Mommy, I… I shouldn't have pretended…"
"That's not the only problem." Mu Jingzhe looked at Little Bei and recalled what had happened in the book. Little Bei had done this many times in the entertainment industry. There were many people like that in the industry, and everyone spoke half-truths. No one dared to reveal their true colors. However, her reputation was the worst, and she had been known as a drama queen and a liar.
Many people lived their lives wearing masks, and framing and backstabbing were common in the industry, but she had suffered the most backlash.
"Little Bei, strictly speaking, you actually weren't wrong to do that this time. By doing that, you cleverly resolved the crisis and made everyone see Tian Xiaoxiao's true colors. You indeed helped yourself."
Mu Jingzhe changed the topic. "But this time, everyone believed you mainly because Tian Xiaoxiao really hit you. She was in the wrong in the first place. Although you were acting, no one could tell. They really believed you. One of the reasons is because you're really in pain, and the other is that you're still a child. No one will think that you're acting because of that.
"However, you can't play too many tricks like this because there will always be someone who will see through you. If you're discovered, your pain will seem fake. Even if you're really in pain, that person will think that you're acting and that you're no different from Tian Xiaoxiao."
Little Bei opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"Just because everyone believed you today, it doesn't mean that they will always believe you in the future. Besides, what about when you grow up? Will it be like this every time?"
Mu Jingzhe looked into Little Bei's eyes. "Little Bei, although I've always praised you for being smart, and you are indeed smart, we can't belittle everyone in this world and think that they are stupid.
"If that's what you think, then you're the stupid ones. Everyone else may not be as smart as you, but we're not stupid. We're all smart people. You can't have too much confidence in yourselves."
These words were directed at both Little Bei and Shao Nan.
Chapter 120: Protect Yourself
Mu Jingzhe continued to talk about Little Bei. "If we encounter such a problem again in the future, Little Bei, we can use some clever methods, but they have to be appropriate.
"If there's a problem, we can just say so directly. If you want to take revenge, you can do it openly. Even if I'm not around, you can speak bravely if you're in the right. If you felt that something was wrong with the slap, you could have just spoken out and Tian Xiaoxiao would have restrained herself."
Little Bei nodded. "Mommy, I understand. I'll speak out in the future."
Mu Jingzhe looked at the obedient Little Bei and then at her swollen face. She carefully touched it. "Most importantly, Little Bei, you have to protect yourself at all times."
Little Bei was stunned. "Protect myself?"
"That's right. Protecting yourself is the most important thing. I said so much just now, but this is the most important thing I want to tell you. Your counterattack this time was successful, but I don't like it. The reason I don't like it is because you paid by scratching your skin and bleeding.
"Little Bei, you hurt yourself, and even then, you didn't even manage to hurt your enemy. Tian Xiaoxiao was merely scolded a little because of you, but your wounds are still there.
"It seems to me that it would be better for you to slap her back directly than using this method. If you slap her back, you might not be in the right, but at least you won't have to suffer through this. You're making our hearts ache."
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Little Bei hadn't expected this to be the most important reason. Initially, she had felt that it was not a big deal to suffer a little bit of pain. At least this way, she wouldn't cause Mommy trouble. This would also show everyone Tian Xiaoxiao's plans and bad intentions.
In the past, when she had been bullied by Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ, she would use some methods to gain the sympathy of the villagers and get through those difficult times. At the time, she had gotten used to feeling pain.
Now, Mu Jingzhe had said that her heart ached and that she had failed to protect her.
Little Bei, who had been trying hard to tell herself that it didn't hurt, suddenly couldn't take it anymore.
It was as if the pain that she'd said didn't hurt suddenly did. Even though those wounds had healed long ago and the pain was long gone, she remembered everything now.
In the past, she used to look down on the children who would run crying to the adults after falling. She had wondered why they loved to cry so much.
It was only now that she realized that they liked crying so much because someone doted on them.
"Then I won't do it again. Next time, I'll slap that person back, Mommy. I actually wanted to slap her back yesterday because it hurt so much…"
For the first time, Little Bei didn't say, "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt." Instead, she said what she truly felt.
"She slapped me so hard that my face went numb, and then my ears started ringing, but I held back because I was afraid of trouble. I didn't dare cry. If I'd known you would say that, Mommy, I would have hit back…"
Little Bei cried and finally let down her guard. She finally dared to voice her true thoughts.
In the past, her older brothers had protected her. She knew how good they were to her. Knowing that their hearts would ache for her, sometimes, she didn't dare say anything out loud. Also, she was afraid of getting into trouble. From a young age, she had learned to endure.
Later on, when Shao Qihai had come back, he'd also taught her not to cry and unintentionally caused the five of them to lose many of the rights that children should have. She had always been timid.
Compared to Shao Dong and Shao Nan, Little Bei was the most naive. She had been the first to accept Mu Jingzhe, but she also had her own wounds in the depths of her heart.
It wasn't until Mu Jingzhe stood in front of her time and again, boldening her up, that she finally spoke her mind.
Seeing Little Bei cry and say that she was in pain, Mu Jingzhe wiped her tears and asked, "So you have to protect yourself in the future and never get hurt again, understand?"
"Mm." Little Bei nodded. "Mommy, will you blow it for me?"
Whenever other children fell or broke something, their mother would blow on it. She wanted to know if blowing on it would stop the pain.
"Okay, I'll blow on it for you. It won't hurt anymore."
Mu Jingzhe blew on her wound, and Little Bei really felt that it wasn't that painful anymore. Even though her face was full of tears, she laughed.
Shao Nan stared blankly at Little Bei's smile from the side, feeling terrible.
They had tried their best to protect Little Bei, but Little Bei didn't even dare tell them the truth. Previously, he had kept Little Bei company, but she'd kept reassuring him and saying that it didn't hurt.
He had always thought that he was protecting Little Bei, but now he knew that Little Bei was also protecting him and her other older brothers.
What he had done was far from enough. Little Bei didn't even dare speak the truth. Yesterday, Little Bei's ears had been ringing from the beating, but even then, she hadn't made a sound.
If Mommy hadn't come today, he might not have found out the truth his whole life. He might even have thought that he had done well.
"I'll blow on it for you too." Shao Nan went forward and blew on Little Bei's wound. "You have to tell us when it hurts in the future. Let's not be afraid, okay?"
Little Bei nodded obediently. "Okay, Brother, don't be sad. I really like you, Big Brother, Second Brother, and Xiao Wu."
"Okay." Shao Nan nodded. "Next time, we'll do what Mommy said. If it hurts, we'll shout out. We'll do everything openly, alright?"
Actually, Little Bei wasn't the only one. When had the few of them ever cried out in pain?
None of them had, as there used to be no one for them to complain to before, even if they were in pain. Now, there was. If it hurt, they could now tell their mommy.
They weren't afraid that they wouldn't have anyone to back them up anymore. In the past, they didn't dare do it openly because they didn't have parents and no one had cared about them. Everyone had belittled them. Now, they had Mu Jingzhe.
"In the future, if anyone dares to bully you during filming, don't be afraid. Just say it out loud, okay?"
"Okay, got it."
Little Bei giggled and raised her arm. "Brother, blow on it again."
Shao Nan puffed up his cheeks and blew on her wound.
Mu Jingzhe watched the siblings interact and simply let them be. However, seeing that they didn't stop after a while, she quickly stopped them.
"Little Bei, that should be enough. If your brother continues blowing, his cheeks will hurt."
Due to the ruckus that took place that day, the production team stopped working for a day, much to the dismay of Director Lu. However, he didn't dare rush Little Bei and the rest the next day and could only film other scenes. Although he couldn't fire Tian Xiaoxiao right now, everyone's attitude toward Tian Xiaoxiao had changed.
Tian Xiaoxiao and Mother Tian had really kicked an iron plate this time. Their reputation in the production team was completely tarnished. Although communication wasn't as well-developed as in modern times, when they could easily get news, everyone liked to watch celebrity gossip. If the media and reporters knew about this and reported on it, they would be in trouble.
If word got out that their reputation was bad, many people would be afraid and would stop seeking them out to work together.
Mother Tian knew the severity of this. Although she felt extremely disgusted, she still had to put on a smile in order to ease her relationship with the crew so that they wouldn't speak of the incident around outsiders.
Because of this, she even went to buy some things for everyone and said that she would treat everyone to a meal after filming today.
Although she hated Little Bei and Mu Jingzhe to death, when Mu Jingzhe and Little Bei arrived, she greeted them with a smile as if nothing had happened.
Tian Xiaoxiao was also completely quiet in the production team. She was quietly filming and was no longer causing trouble or putting on the airs of a child star.
Little Bei didn't want to care about Tian Xiaoxiao, and once filming started, she would forget about all this and put her whole heart and soul into the process. The filming schedule finally got on track, and the process went smoothly. Director Lu heaved a sigh of relief.
However, from this point onward, he paid more attention to protecting Little Bei. Mu Jingzhe was watching from the side like a tiger watching its prey. This made Director Lu feel extremely pressured, especially while filming the crying scene toward the end.