Qin Sizheng slept well that night. When he arrived on set the next morning, he was brimming with energy.
Zhou Changjiang saw him walking over while biting into a steamed bun and even throwing a couple of punches in the air. He burst out laughing. “What is this? You injected with adrenaline?”
Qin Sizheng swallowed the bun in a few quick bites and greeted him politely.
“Go get makeup done,” Zhou Changjiang said. “We are filming Lu Xianqing’s scenes first. Hurry.”
“Okay.”
Chen Qiu had woken up late. On the way to the dressing room, Qin Sizheng ran into Yao Jinwei, who had just finished her makeup. Unlike the first day, when she had looked down her nose at everyone, she actually smiled and greeted him first.
“Little Qin, you are up early.”
Unsure of her attitude, Qin Sizheng responded politely, “Sister Yao.”
He thought that would be the end of it, but as they passed each other, Yao Jinwei suddenly said, “Being able to fight is nothing. Playing yourself does not show acting skill. Real ability shows in proper scene work. Do not get arrogant.”
Qin Sizheng stopped in his tracks. “If you can fight, why do you not step in? Or are you questioning Director Zhou?”
Chen Qiu snorted with laughter.
Yao Jinwei’s face instantly darkened. “When did I question Director Zhou? Do not twist my words and stir trouble!”
Thinking about how she had caused repeated retakes last night, forcing a night-blind Lu Xianqing to stay up half the night, Qin Sizheng decided he did not feel like tolerating her.
“Are you not tired after filming night scenes for that long?”
Yao Jinwei choked. “You—!”
Chen Qiu stifled a laugh and greeted her politely. “Sister Yao, why so angry? Director Zhou is waiting for you. Better hurry.”
Already fuming, Yao Jinwei brushed off his hand with a cold snort and glared at Qin Sizheng’s back. “Do not think getting praised for one scene by Zhou Changjiang means you do not know your own name. There are tons of old clips of your terrible acting everywhere.”
Chen Qiu frowned. “Sister Yao, that is a bit much. Everyone has awkward performances when they first debut.”
Yao Jinwei shot him a contemptuous look. “Do not speak up for him. Oh right—back when he was attacking the entire entertainment industry, he did not seem to insult you. Are you two close? Yesterday at the opening ceremony you were still clinging to me for attention. Birds of a feather.”
Chen Qiu was left speechless.
Qin Sizheng turned back to face her. “But the one who kept causing retakes yesterday was you. We have scenes together later, right? I look forward to your guidance.”
One strike. Direct hit.
Yao Jinwei’s expression changed immediately. Just then, her assistant returned with her belongings and timidly called out, “Sister Yao.”
“Why did it take you so long to grab something? Useless!” Yao Jinwei snatched her hat and stormed off.
Her assistant forced a polite smile at the two of them before hurrying after her.
Chen Qiu watched her retreating figure, then looked at Qin Sizheng entering the dressing room with a blank expression. Silently, he thought: Talking back really does feel amazing. No wonder Qin Sizheng used to be like that.
Yesterday he had tried to persuade him? Persuade my ass.
Chen Qiu slipped into the dressing room. “Hey Sizheng, that was seriously badass. I do not even dare offend them. You have no idea—these people are impossible to deal with. Say the wrong thing and one day they will buy you a trending smear.”
Qin Sizheng actually felt a flicker of regret after speaking, but what was said was said.
“Let them smear me,” he replied calmly. “It is not like my reputation can get much worse.”
Chen Qiu said, “Then when you do your scene with her later, make sure you really nail it. Do not underestimate Sister Yao. She has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress before. She kept getting NGs yesterday because she was acting opposite Fourth Brother. Not many people can hold their own against him. You are different.”
Qin Sizheng replied, “Do what we can and leave the rest to fate. What is said is said. And she should not have insulted you.”
Chen Qiu froze. So he had snapped at Yao Jinwei because of him?
After makeup, they headed to set. Lu Xianqing had just finished a take. He took the water An Ning handed him and drank a couple of sips, then lowered his head slightly so she could wipe the sweat from his forehead.
It was sweltering during the day. The sound of the air conditioner would interfere with recording, so there was no cooling equipment in the room. Lu Xianqing was also wearing a suit; he was probably soaked through.
The corners of his eyes were a little red—whether from makeup or the heat, it was hard to tell. He looked drained, his complexion paler than yesterday. Qin Sizheng met his gaze from across the set, and his heart thudded hard in his chest.
“Ah Jing is here.” Zhou Changjiang called to him, then raised his voice to call Yao Jinwei as well. He briefly explained the upcoming scene: Chu Jing would step in to save her, forming the bridge of their friendship.
“Understand? Five minutes to get into it.”
Qin Sizheng held the script and murmured his lines to himself. From a distance, Chen Qiu watched him anxiously. Everyone knew Qin Sizheng’s acting level; compared to Yao Jinwei, the gap was more than just a little.
He was probably going to embarrass himself.
“Damn… this is all my fault. If he had not stood up for me… why is he so damn nice?” Chen Qiu muttered, full of regret.
Lu Xianqing had gone over this scene with Qin Sizheng. He reviewed it again and felt it should be fine. Yet only a few seconds after filming began, Zhou Changjiang shouted, “Cut! Your blocking is off. Watch your mark. They are only getting half your body—can you not see that? Focus! Where is your head at?”
Qin Sizheng hated holding other people up and hurried to apologize. Beside him, Yao Jinwei gave a gentle smile. “Sizheng, do not be nervous. Take it slow. Everyone has weak acting when they first debut.”
Chen Qiu nearly had a stroke hearing that. She had actually thrown those words back in Qin Sizheng’s face.
“Damn it.”
His assistant heard him curse and quickly whispered, “Watch your language. Mind your image.”
Chen Qiu found Yao Jinwei’s expression more and more irritating. The curse words stuck to the tip of his tongue, but he forced them back down. “Got it.”
Qin Sizheng adjusted his emotions. The slate clapped, and filming resumed.
Yao Jinwei was dressed in something gorgeous and refined. Even her high heels were spotless. She looked every bit the well-bred young lady from a wealthy family.
But the wealthy young lady was in disarray now, wiping her tears as she walked, as though she had suffered a great injustice.
“Cut!” Zhou Changjiang called again. “Yao Jinwei, the emotion is wrong. Your boyfriend was only with you for your money, and he is fooling around with an intern at his firm. You should be in pain—unwilling, furious, heartbroken. Where are your tears? Dry wiping? Cry!”
Seeing Qin Sizheng get scolded earlier had vented Yao Jinwei’s resentment. She felt far too satisfied to cry now.
“…I will adjust.” She closed her eyes and gathered her emotions. When filming started again, tears finally fell. She staggered forward, crying in humiliation, not watching where she was going until she turned into a small alley.
“Hey there, little beauty. Lost your way? Tell big brother where you are going—I will take you.”
A few thugs blocked the alley entrance. She retreated in fear. “Y-You… do not come any closer! I will call the police! You had better step aside!”
“What if we do not?” The thugs circled her, laughing. Yao Jinwei kept backing up, her face pale with fear, though she still lifted her chin arrogantly. “Let me tell you—my father is the mayor of Mei City! My brother is on the criminal investigation team. My boyfriend is a lawyer. If you dare touch me, I will make sure you rot in prison for life!”
The thugs burst out laughing. “Reciting your family tree to me? I am not proposing marriage. No need for details. And you think you can scare me? The mayor’s daughter wandering into the slums?”
Another thug swallowed, eyes gleaming as he rubbed his hands and stepped forward. “I like this kind of delicate rich woman. Let me go first.”
Yao Jinwei retreated again. Her heel hit a loose stone in the corner, and she twisted her ankle with a scream. Her tightly wound nerves snapped. “Do not come closer! You want money, right? I will give you money. Just let me go. However much you want, I will give it to you.”
“We do not want money. Play with us for a bit, and we will let you go.”
Sitting on the ground, she did not care about the dirt anymore. She cried and crawled backward. “Do not come near me!”
“Hey.”
A clear, cool voice rang out.
Yao Jinwei jerked her head up. The two thugs turned as well. A young man stood at the mouth of the alley, crooking his finger at them. “Come here. Let me teach you a little about how to behave like decent human beings.”
Seeing him, Yao Jinwei did not care whether he was a straw to clutch at. She immediately cried out, “Help me!”
“Where did this brat come from? Get lost.”
Chu Jing let out a soft laugh. “If your parents did not teach you, then a brat will. I will not make you call me father. Just let the girl go.”
The thugs could not stand that. They rushed him at once, only to be knocked flat within moments. They lay on the ground wailing, pinned under Chu Jing’s foot as he lectured them on the core values of socialism.
“Still going to do this kind of thing?”
“No more, no more! Let go, let go! Big brother—Dad—we were wrong!”
Chu Jing smiled. In the boy’s eyes seemed to shimmer an entire galaxy. Zhou Changjiang had always liked the way he looked on camera—that sincerity compensating for his inexperience, that raw potential waiting to be shaped.
This shot was nearly perfect…
Before he could finish the thought, his expression darkened. He barked, “Stop! Yao Jinwei, what is going on with you? He just saved you! Your face should show fear from surviving and gratitude! What is that look of disgust? What, did you not want to be rescued?”
Yao Jinwei had barely managed the first scolding. The second made her face burn. And it was in front of Qin Sizheng—the person she had always looked down on, the one she had just mocked.
After being saved, she was unable to walk. Chu Jing came over to help her up and rubbed her ankle. The slightly intimate gesture had triggered a flicker of instinctive disgust on her face.
Zhou Changjiang was about to explode. That shot had been so perfect—and now it was wasted.
The assistant director’s temper wasn’t so harsh and hurriedly tried to calm her: “Alright, alright, it’s normal for actors who aren’t familiar with each other. If you don’t want to use that shot, it can be cut—there’s no rule saying you have to keep it.”
Zhou Changjiang, of course, wasn’t thinking along those lines. He just felt that for a veteran actress, her performance was utterly disappointing. “Again!”
Yao Jinwei took several deep breaths, only to be told “Cut” once more.
Zhou Changjiang tried to keep his patience. “Too forced, not natural enough. Again.”
“Your gaze is wandering. Scared? Too busy being grateful? Right now, you should be feeling more fear than gratitude. Do it again!”
“Your ankle is twisted. Rubbing it doesn’t hurt? Show some expression!”
Shot after shot ended in NGs. Zhou Changjiang’s dwindling patience finally snapped, and he threw the script to the ground. “All of you are exhausted, and you’re just here playing monkeys for me?”
Yao Jinwei couldn’t say a word. Her mindset had completely collapsed. Initially, her overconfidence caused the NGs. Then being constantly scolded, combined with the fact that her scene partner was Qin Sizheng, made her even more desperate to perform well—to outshine him. But the harder she tried, the more mistakes she made.
Qin Sizheng, meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected. Seeing this only made Yao Jinwei more anxious and frustrated. She even forgot her blocking—sometimes stepping out of frame, sometimes letting her gaze wander, forgetting to even cry out in pain when rubbing her ankle.
She was furious at herself, yet knew she alone was to blame. Meanwhile, Zhou Changjiang’s eyes were particularly satisfied with Qin Sizheng’s performance, adding yet another layer of jealousy to Yao Jinwei’s heart.
“Director Zhou, I’m sorry. It’s my fault.” She stepped forward to apologize. Zhou Changjiang, not wanting to scold further, let Qin Sizheng go touch up his makeup, sighed, and said to Yao Jinwei: “Your acting is solid, so why so many mistakes? Is there some personal issue?”
Yao Jinwei couldn’t admit that she was annoyed with Qin Sizheng, so she offered an excuse: “I’m not feeling well. I’ll do better in the next take and won’t cause trouble for everyone.”
Zhou Changjiang said, “If you’re unwell, just say it—don’t push through. It affects the shooting schedule. Need me to take you to the hospital?”
“No, it’s fine!” Yao Jinwei quickly replied.
Zhou Changjiang frowned, scanning her flushed cheeks. She seemed okay. “Alright, I’ll go over the scene with you again. Let’s aim for a clean take next.”
Yao Jinwei exhaled in relief. This time, she had to avoid embarrassing herself in front of Qin Sizheng.