The most outrageous thing Ai Yi ever did was go undercover on a film set and get so caught up in a Republican-era drama that she wound up inside the story. A popular actress in the entertainment industry, she fell from a wire during a night shoot for The Seven Misses of Shanghai while trying to save an extra. Before losing consciousness, she caught sight of the bold words “Sheng Aiyi dies of illness” in the script. When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on a carved bed in the Sheng family’s Western-style mansion, having become the Seventh Miss who had just been rescued after jumping into a lake.
The original owner’s life was a rich-family tragedy: to cover the moneylender’s debts, her eldest brother handed her over to a smuggler named Zhuang Kaiping. She eventually died in a marriage that was a prison. Ai Yi couldn’t accept that ending. Then she spotted a casting notice for extras from Qixing, and her eyes lit up...
She hid her identity and took an extra role. During the audition for Storm, her tearful performance, full of empathy, made director Zhang Rang decide on the spot: “Keep this girl.” When playing a wealthy young lady’s maid, she added a tiny detail, secretly slipping her mistress a warm pastry, and brought the character to life. Later, she naturally landed the lead role in Shanghai Spring Dream. The moment the film came out, “Miss Sheng Seven” caused a sensation in Shanghai. Even foreigners in the concessions knew she had brought an awakened woman to life on screen.
Building a career amid the chaos of war was never going to be smooth sailing. She had to use her celebrity status to deal with all sides, drive off the endlessly pestering Zhuang Kaiping, expose the impractical ideals of Song Chenghuai, and deal with the R Army’s attempt to recruit her to make a pro-R film. She modified a lighter into a video camera and leaked the footage to foreign media...
But Shanghai in the Republican era was no paradise. When it became an “isolated island,” she cut her hair short, disguised herself as a man, and founded an “artists’ intelligence network.” Joining forces with business magnate Xu Yinglin, she fought warlords, resisted the R Army, and defended her homeland…
The subject matter of the novel is relatively new, and the story rewrites Sheng Aiyi's life path. But in general, stories about the Republic of China will have more endings, so... We'll have to wait and see how the plot develops in the later stages.
It sounds so good! I also gained a lot of knowledge after reading this book. I learned that Kodak film existed during the Republic of China. I like Ai Yi's character. She has a clear sense of affection and fruitfulness and is smart. This is my favorite character!