Chapter 313 - 246: What is Luxury

When she first read the script, Ni Bingyan knew that filming this movie would be an eye-opening experience.

She just didn’t expect how eye-opening it would be.

Luo Xiaoou had just been brought home by her biological grandfather. Everything was new and wondrous to her, and she was cautious in everything she did.

To introduce her to friends and family, her grandfather held a special banquet.

The huge family had been without an Inheritor, and then a true heiress suddenly appeared. The daggers were out, and the veiled attacks were simply endless.

To ensure she made a perfect debut at the banquet, her grandfather hired the world’s best styling team.

That night, she was dressed like a princess.

But no matter how exquisite her makeup, how gorgeous her dress, or how expensive her jewelry, the guests—and even the servants—could see her discomfort.

Her grandfather was a powerful man and still had a firm grip on the family, so no one dared to openly give her trouble. But the condescending looks in their eyes, the hands covering their mouths as they whispered and snickered—for the sensitive Luo Xiaoou, it all felt like daggers to the heart.

To draw out that cautiousness—a blend of being a newcomer and feeling inferior—Wu Xi waited until the cameras were rolling to tell her that the crown on her head was real.

Not only was it real, but it was also an antique that had once belonged to the royal family of some foreign country, borrowed from the owner of the manor.

If she’d been the original, naive, love-struck owner of her body, Wu Xi’s trick might not have had much effect.

But Ni Bingyan came from a poor background. Even with the original owner’s memories gifted to her upon transmigration, she couldn’t help but feel terrified wearing that thing for the scene.

She was afraid it might decide to take a leap of faith off her head and lose a diamond or two.

This caused her posture to become slightly stiff as she walked, exuding an indescribable sense of restraint.

After filming the scene, Wu Xi clapped and praised her excellent performance, saying she had perfectly captured Luo Xiaoou’s psychological state.

Ni Bingyan didn’t take the compliment to heart.

Wu Xi was a master of flattery; as long as you satisfied her, she never skimped on the praise.

She thought the day would pass smoothly after that, but when they wrapped up, Wu Xi blinked and told her that while it was indeed a real crown, it wasn’t an antique. It was a replica.

The diamonds were synthetic, not natural, and the frame wasn’t platinum, but silver.

At that moment, Ni Bingyan’s feelings were truly indescribable.

When Wu Xi had said the thing was real before filming, Ni Bingyan’s first reaction was that she was lying, because it didn’t look quite authentic to her.

But then Wu Xi swore an oath: if she was lying, she’d go bald!

The oath was just too convincing!

Plus, Ni Bingyan hadn’t seen much antique jewelry, so she assumed its slightly off appearance was due to its age and believed her.

She never imagined a woman could be so ruthless as to not even care about her hair.

Next, they began filming the process of Luo Xiaoou slowly adapting to her life of wealth.

Her grandfather naturally noticed the discomfort of his granddaughter, who had grown up in poverty and was struggling to adjust to the family’s opulence.

To boost her confidence, her grandfather personally gave her a tour of the house, carefully introducing every meaningful item to her.

They walked down a long corridor lined with oil paintings. Her grandfather walked ahead, pointing to the paintings on the wall and explaining them to her.

"This one," he began, "was a ’souvenir’ your great-great-grandfather brought back when he was studying abroad in France as a young man. After he passed away and your great-grandfather took over the family, he came across this painting while taking inventory of the estate and discovered that its artist had become world-famous. Heh heh~

"Time is a magical thing. A penniless vagrant who once had to trade his paintings for bread can become globally renowned after a long time has passed. He probably never even imagined that himself.

"Once-glorious dynasties can vanish into the river of time. Some families can last for many, many generations, while others fall into ruin in no more than three. The people involved likely never imagine it either."

The grandfather had a kind face, but his aura was extraordinary. Though he didn’t utter a single boastful word, to anyone listening, it somehow sounded like the ultimate humblebrag.

Luo Xiaoou followed beside him stiffly, feeling as if she understood, yet didn’t understand at all.

Her clear eyes held a bewilderment she couldn’t hide, and the director immediately went in for a close-up.

"And this one was part of your grandmother’s dowry. It’s quite old, so it requires a lot of effort to maintain every year. Sigh, it’s such a finicky little thing! If your grandmother were still here and heard me say that, she’d surely get mad at me again."

"What did Grandmother look like?"

"Here, this is her portrait."

The grandfather led Luo Xiaoou slowly down the corridor, introducing the paintings one by one.

In his eyes, these were just little things with great sentimental value.

Who painted them wasn’t important, nor was how much they were worth.

The stories they shared with his family were what was most worth talking about.

"Come, stand here next to Grandpa and admire this piece by a representative Impressionist painter. This painting is very special. From a distance, it looks like a Western painting; up close, it looks like a chaotic brawl. Haha, the whole family agrees that you have to stand in this exact spot to appreciate its beauty to the fullest."

By the time they reached the end of the corridor, Luo Xiaoou’s demeanor had changed without her even realizing it.

At first, she seemed to be obediently following her grandfather, but her furtive body language revealed her thoughts—

’These things must be incredibly expensive. If I accidentally touch and break something, I could never afford to replace it! I’d better be careful!’

As if he knew exactly what Luo Xiaoou was thinking, her grandfather quickly led her to the end of the corridor and pointed to a statue by the wall.

"Look, this marble statue is from Ancient Rome. Your father loved it when he was a little boy. Haha, see the colored toenails? Your dad painted them with watercolors when he was two."

In her grandfather’s mind, this was just an amusing anecdote.

"But this rare antique work of art... it’s been ruined."

Marble stains easily. The watercolor paint wasn’t cleaned off in time, so now it could never be completely removed.

Luo Xiaoou thought it was a terrible shame.

As her mindset shifted, she found the courage to voice her disagreement when she encountered something she didn’t approve of.

"No, child, you must remember: things are inanimate, but people are alive. The value of an object is relatively fixed, but the value of a person has no upper limit. When your father painted its toenails, he didn’t ruin it. On the contrary, he gave it a unique meaning for our family."

This was the kind of thing that challenged Luo Xiaoou’s entire worldview. She still couldn’t understand it, but she no longer had the courage to argue back.

Her grandfather led her on a stroll through the luxurious manor, teaching her as they walked.

"What is luxury?"

Before Luo Xiaoou could answer, her grandfather said with a gentle smile:

"People these days treasure material possessions: designer clothes, rare jewels, works of art, antiques, spices, manors, yachts, private jets..."

The veteran actor playing the grandfather spoke for the entire scene, while Ni Bingyan had pitifully few lines.

This required her to deliver a powerful performance to keep the audience’s attention on her.

Her micro-expressions had always been one of her strong suits.

The grandfather looked at her earnestly as he continued slowly,

"To me, the greatest luxury isn’t a rare treasure, but a worthy Inheritor."

For someone who came from nothing and had been bullied her whole life, to suddenly have an old, wealthy tycoon appear before her and say, "I’m your grandfather. Come home with me!"

He gave her the best food, the best clothes, the best of everything. He showed her the family’s collection of treasures, and then told her that in his eyes, none of these priceless artifacts were as important as she was.

Because she was his only Inheritor.

In a situation like this, what’s a cool, flashy, domineering CEO to her?

’Forget that, I’m going to work hard and become a domineering CEO myself!’

With such a high-octane, satisfying web novel plot happening to her in real life, even someone as insecure as Luo Xiaoou instantly perked up!

It was like a crumpled flower bud, which had been trying to shrink its presence, suddenly bursting into full bloom with the arrival of spring.

Under Ni Bingyan’s heartfelt portrayal, that momentary transformation was breathtaking.

"Excellent! Let’s get another close-up on the female lead’s micro-expressions!"

Wu Xi was beaming as she filmed, but she didn’t forget to remind the crew:

"Everyone be careful! Don’t go bumping into or breaking the homeowner’s things!"