Chapter – 54
“Too plain, doesn’t match.” Lin Qingyi immediately rejected Bai Wenxi’s suggestion.
Qin Shiye realized what was happening. She looked at Bai Wenxi with a hint of grievance. She had thought Bai, her agent, was kind and wouldn’t mock anyone—but it turned out she considered her just a pretty face and even gave her a nickname.
“I think the baby is really cute too.” Bai Wenxi, feeling slightly guilty under Qin Shiye’s mournful gaze, hurriedly tried to make amends.
At that moment, Lin Qingyi glanced at Bai Wenxi.
Bai Wenxi immediately understood her master’s displeasure and thought to herself: “Seriously? Her possessiveness is so strong. Only she can call her ‘baby,’ and no one else? Well, she could try glancing at Fang sister then—this double standard isn’t fair.”
“Let’s wrap it up for today. We’ll continue tomorrow night.” Lin Qingyi checked the time—it was already past eleven. As the saying goes, a teacher can lead you to the door, but cultivation depends on the individual. Tomorrow, the ‘pretty vase’ would have to rely on her own improvisation.
“Thank you, Teacher Lin and Agent Bai, for your help. We won’t disturb your rest any longer.” Fang Xinhua said with gratitude.
“Baby, how did it feel acting with Teacher Lin?” On the way back, Fang Xinhua asked curiously. She had never imagined her second child would have the chance to act opposite an actress of Lin Qingyi’s caliber—and she even managed to hold her own in the scene. Once they got back, she planned to report this good news to CEO Qin immediately.
“Felt… okay, I guess.” Qin Shiye recalled her feelings while acting with Lin Qingyi. In that moment, she felt as if she were the female lead, and Lin Qingyi—the scene’s female lead—was warm, gentle, and considerate, not mocking or teasing her.
Acting with Lin Qingyi felt like: she wanted to fall in love with the Lin Qingyi in the scene.
“Just… okay.” Qin Shiye said casually, though she couldn’t possibly admit to anyone that she’d been crushing a little on her co-star—it was too embarrassing.
“Lin Qingyi really lives up to her reputation. Not only is she excellent, but she also brought you along. When she acts, she’s incredibly focused and captivating. All the praise online is totally deserved…” Fang Xinhua couldn’t help but compliment. If she weren’t a rational ‘older aunt,’ she might have almost become a fan herself.
Hearing Fang Xinhua’s words, Qin Shiye thought: so she’s not the only one who finds Lin Qingyi charming. Even Fang sister sees her appeal. So her own feelings are purely admiration, nothing inappropriate. Thinking this way made Qin Shiye feel much more at ease.
“She’s not as great as you make her out to be!” Qin Shiye said stubbornly.
“Maybe so, but our baby isn’t bad either. Today she improved by leaps and bounds.” Fang Xinhua gave her second child another compliment.
“Did my acting really improve?” Qin Shiye asked uncertainly. She hadn’t felt much difference—she had just acted according to Lin Qingyi’s guidance.
“Yes. I’ve almost never seen you act so naturally. You were amazing.” Regardless of whether Qin Shiye had any real feelings for Lin Qingyi, judging purely by the acting, the second child had performed exceptionally well tonight.
Hearing Fang Xinhua’s affirmation, Qin Shiye realized that a lot of her performance’s success came from simply being herself—many reactions were genuine. She also knew that some of the praise for her acting had a bit of exaggeration, but it was still the first time she’d been acknowledged for her acting. On the whole, she felt very happy.
Tomorrow, she should be able to do well too, Qin Shiye imagined with anticipation.
Qin Shiye and Fang Xinhua arrived at the set earlier than usual.
Song Chengmu breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the “big shot” arrive on time. But just as he relaxed, Fang’s agent announced that they were changing the script and that the entire crew would follow the new version. Hearing this, Song Chengmu felt a headache coming on. He cursed himself for lacking enough clout to walk away in protest—this drama was becoming almost impossible to shoot.
But circumstances outweighed personal will. This “big shot” had an even bigger backer; they simply couldn’t afford to offend her. Even if they forced a script change, the entire crew would have to comply.
Still, Song Chengmu wanted to make one last desperate attempt to alter their decision.
“This doesn’t seem quite right. Changing the script affects the whole crew. Everyone has memorized their lines, and now they’ll have to adjust again. I’m worried some people might object,” Song Chengmu said diplomatically. Indeed, he wasn’t the only one displeased—the actors on the crew likely felt the same.
“Director Song, don’t reject it just yet. Please review the new script first. We know our Shiye’s acting isn’t perfect, and we feel bad that it might affect the crew. We just want to make some adjustments. If her acting struggles, a smoother script might help her perform better.” Fang Xinhua explained rationally, without being forceful. She believed that once Song Chengmu read the script, he would see the improvement.
“Alright, I’ll read it first.” With Fang’s agent saying this, what choice did Song Chengmu have? He could only read the script, hoping it wasn’t too absurd or outrageous.
Initially reluctant, Song Chengmu realized that the revised script was indeed skillfully done. It was clear that Qin Shiye’s team genuinely wanted her to perform well, not just let her fail. If so, this would likely make shooting much smoother in the future.
“This new script is better than the previous one. I’ll try to coordinate with the crew so they can support Teacher Qin.” Song Chengmu said, reluctantly conceding. Even if the script was improved, there would still be some complaints.
“Thank you, Director Song,” Fang Xinhua said politely.
With the new script, the cast had to adjust, and filming was delayed by an hour or two.
Under Lin Qingyi’s guidance the previous night, Qin Shiye’s natural performance today was indeed much smoother. Compared to last night, there were still some differences, but compared to her previously awkward acting, this was a qualitative leap.
