Several detectives rushed through the doors, brushing past numerous staff members. Ignoring the gasps and murmurs around them, they pushed their way into the VIP section of the performance hall. Dozens of large round tables filled with entertainment industry celebrities occupied the space. Clearly, an important award was being presented on stage, and all eyes were fixed intently on the stage.
The CSI team approached a blonde woman with solemn expressions. Nick stepped forward, careful not to block the view of guests behind him. He tapped her shoulder lightly. "Vanita Casson?"
The blonde woman slowly turned her head. Her lips were painted in a classic fiery red, her skin snow-white, her eyes deep and piercing. The corners of her mouth curved upward in a faint, enigmatic smile, radiating an indescribable allure. Faced with this sudden interruption, she showed no sign of panic. Instead, she seemed to know exactly what was happening, offering a knowing smile as she calmly replied, "Yes?"
The police officers let out low sighs. Nick swallowed hard, forcing himself to stay calm. "I—I—uh—"
Vanita's eyes crinkled with amusement. Crossing her legs and tilting her head slightly, she waited patiently for Nick to continue, her blue-green eyes sparkling with interest as she appraised the young, handsome man. "Yes?"
"I—I—" Nick suddenly blurted out a curse. "Fuck, sorry, I forgot my lines again."
A wave of good-natured laughter rippled through the set. Jenny suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and joined in—this was Nick's fourth flub on this scene alone.
The makeup artist stepped in to touch up both actors. George Edes—Nick's stand-in—seized the moment to quickly recite his lines, while the special effects crew promptly adjusted the green screen. After a brief break, the director called out, "Action!"
As he spoke, Jenny deftly activated the performance space, summoning Marilyn Monroe's character emotions and reimmersing herself in the role. She focused intently on the green screen nearby—in fact, only her table and two or three adjacent ones would be genuinely performed at the awards ceremony. The rest would be created with special effects later, embedding them into the Emmy Awards ceremony held earlier this year—one of the gimmicks for Season 2, Episode 1. This approach would also be used for elements like the live audience later on.
Unlike the finished production with its score and background chatter, the set was eerily quiet. Jenny could clearly hear Nick's footsteps, followed by his tap. "Vanita Kasson?"
She suddenly recalled Marilyn's first appearance under the spotlight—that alluring smile and every gesture. For Marilyn, sensuality was her greatest weapon, her most solid armor. Her beauty gave her an advantage anytime, anywhere, keeping everything firmly within her grasp.
A confident, enigmatic smile naturally curved Vanita's lips as she turned calmly. "Yes?"
This time, George froze completely, unable even to continue his line. The director's voice crackled with obvious irritation. "Cut—No good!"
He stepped forward and pulled George aside. "Listen, buddy, I know you're smitten with her. Hell, we all are. She's breathtaking when she's in character. I bet a lot of guys will be jerking off to her tonight."
He pointed at Jenny, completely disregarding her presence right there, clearly within earshot. "There's no shame in it. You don't need to hold back. What you need to do is get into character. Nick is head over heels for Vanita too. The chemistry between you is great. Just remember to deliver your lines like Nick—utterly smitten, but still struggling to do his job. You get what I mean? George, this is playing to your strengths. There's no reason you can't nail it."
George shot Jenny an awkward glance. She smiled back at him, though he showed no signs of being utterly smitten—Jenny had already tested the limits of this role-playing empathy. The intensity that could completely alter her demeanor lasted only briefly, maybe three to five minutes, the length of a single take.
"Okay, I'll try," he said, smiling good-naturedly at the director. "Don't get mad at me, okay? You said it—everyone's head over heels for her. I'm closest to her, so of course I can't be an exception."
"Hey, I'm right here," Jenny said with a laugh.
The director flashed her a pained grin, his expression somewhere between exasperation and affection. He muttered, "God knows what kind of devil you are, I mean—"
He shook his head, cutting himself off before rushing back. "No time to waste, George. Get into it. Ready? Go."
George stood alone, silently gathering his breath. "I'm ready."
This time, they sailed through the take smoothly. A brief intermission followed, during which George would shoot additional scenes on the same set while Jenny could rest before waiting for her next sequence. Of course, she couldn't remove her gown—her next scenes required a change of location but not of costume.
Though it would appear on TV for less than 20 seconds, this sequence took nearly an hour to shoot back and forth. Jenny was feeling a bit tired too. She headed toward the snack area in the corner of the studio to get some water, and George followed. "Hey, I wanted to say sorry. I might've been a bit off this morning."
Jenny flashed a toothy grin. "Doesn't that just prove my charm? Just like the director said—you're head over heels for Vanita."
George chuckled too, studying Jenny intently before suddenly saying, "Wow, seriously, on and off camera, you're like two different people—I mean, when you smile like that in front of the camera, I feel like a lovesick teenager, completely smitten by you. But the moment we wrap, boom—all that mysterious charm vanishes. You're still beautiful, but—but—I don't know how to put it. It's like you're a different person."
"Are you trying to ask me out or compliment my acting?" Jenny teased. "If it's the former, you're doing a terrible job."
"And if it was the latter?" George grabbed a bottle of water, popped the cap, and took a couple of gulps.
"Then you've done a fantastic job," Jenny replied.
George laughed heartily. "Thanks—and honestly, I'm relieved you're two different people on and off stage. I mean, geez, I have a girlfriend, and I love her. I don't want to let her down."
Jenny laughed too. They chatted a bit more, and George invited her to his party sometime. Then he headed back to the set.
According to the shooting schedule, she had a five-hour break next, and after wrapping the interrogation scene, she could go home. Jenny looked around and quickly spotted Dave standing in a corner of the set. She walked toward him happily, "Did I do okay?"
Dave's gaze was complex as he looked at her. After a moment, he smiled, "You were fantastic."
If I was that great, why aren't you happy for me? Jenny wanted to say, but held her tongue. If the real Jenny were here, she might not understand Dave's feelings now, but as Chen Zhen, she couldn't help but grasp it.
They walked in silence, saying little even in the trailer—a shared space where two or three other extras waited for their scenes.
Only when the trailer emptied, leaving just the two of them, did Dave speak. "Jenny, you were incredible."
He seemed uneasy and guilty. Jenny gave him a questioning look. "Thanks?"
Dave sighed and finally told the truth. "I'm afraid you won't get that recurring role on Buffy."
"This—" Jenny didn't know what to say. A whirlwind of complex thoughts raced through her mind. Could it be... But she refused to think Dave was that selfish...
"You're too beautiful," Dave said, cutting through her confusion. "And your acting is too good. You're like two completely different people on and off the set. I never expected you to be so... so..."
He stuttered for a moment before completing the thought. "So radiant, so beautiful. Like a natural-born superstar. I think you could walk into any audition room, and your beauty and talent alone would land you the role."
It was the first time Jenny had received so many compliments in a single day. Though she herself had sensed the impact of Jenny Jane's youthful beauty combined with Marilyn Monroe's powerful presence while repeatedly reviewing footage in the acting space, she hadn't anticipated the final result would be so dazzling. From her co-star George Edes to the director, not to mention the makeup artist and now Dave...
"Oh, Dave," she murmured, a smile slipping onto her lips.
Dave shook his head, looking even more apologetic. "But precisely because of that, I can't give you the role of Buffy. I'm sorry, Jen. It's just a supporting part—it shouldn't overshadow the lead. Your presence would completely outshine Sarah. This is a female-driven drama; the heroine must be the brightest star in the sky."
He seemed reluctant to stop there, adding, "I can't sacrifice her for you—even if I wanted to, and even if you made it into the cast, Sarah would push you out. Your roles are fundamentally incompatible."
Jenny already knew that on their first date night, the person who'd booked Dave for a one-night stand was Sarah Michelle Gellar. She and Dave were good friends, and Sarah was Hollywood's hottest young starlet—another blonde bombshell. But Jenny hadn't expected that her outstanding performance on CSI would actually cost her a job.
Still, it showed Dave's professionalism. No matter what, he remained dedicated to his work as an assistant director. At least after she'd gone all out, he hadn't been swept off his feet. Instead, he'd immediately thought about his job.
"I get it," Jenny said, forcing a smile to comfort him. "I understand, Dave. You mean I'm too good, too intense for that role."
Dave seemed to relax slightly and nodded. "You should be thankful you were just a guest star on CSI, and there wasn't another character like yours in the show. Otherwise, she would have pulled every string to cut your scenes, even threatening the writers to kill you off fast. And if she didn't, her agent would have done it for her."
This was a clear hint that if Sarah joined the Buffy crew, Dave believed she'd target Jenny. Given his close familiarity with Sarah, Jenny trusted Dave's assessment. She also understood what Dave hadn't said—he'd been the one to recommend her for the role. Once Sarah realized Jenny's acting skills and beauty completely overshadowed hers in their scenes together, it would inevitably strain Dave's friendship with her.
Compared to the sole lead actress, the assistant director for actors, while important, wasn't quite irreplaceable.
"I get it," she exhaled, reassuring Dave. "Don't worry, Dave. That wasn't my goal anyway."
Dave seemed to believe her. Curiously, he asked, "Then what is your goal?"
"Probably the same as every girl's. My dream is to be the lead in an A-list production," Jenny shrugged, trying to sound lighthearted. " You know, not just a recurring role on a TV show. So losing this chance is disappointing, but it won't crush me."
She hoped Dave would tease her for aiming too high, advise her to take things step by step, tell her Buffy's recurring role was a great opportunity for a newcomer. But Dave didn't.
Instead, he looked at her with a peculiar expression and said slowly, "For many people, that's an impossible dream, Jenny. But not for you. Trust me, you've got everything it takes to make it on the big screen. All you need is a chance. Lots of people come to L.A. with that dream and end up struggling to make ends meet—but not you. Some people are born in the fast lane, racing toward the top much faster than others. Trust me, Jenny, you're one of them."
Jenny didn't know whether to praise his keen insight or give him a wry smile and say: Of course you're right—you're praising Jenny Jane + Marilyn Monroe.
In the end, she simply smiled. "Oh, Dave, save that encouragement for when the opportunity comes. Right now, I just want to nail this scene."
Dave hesitated, then nodded. "Of course, that's the most important thing... but be careful, Jen."
His expression turned serious. "On set, jealousy and resentment are never in short supply."