Chapter 6
Lin Jin crouched beside Yuan Yujing. Neither of them had any scenes at the moment, but Yuan Yujing could not bear to go to another production to pick up a small job. She insisted on dragging Lin Jin along to watch Chu Fengruo act.
“If I had even half her acting ability, I would’ve gone viral across the entire internet by now.” Every inch of Yuan Yujing radiated envy.
Watching Chu Fengruo from afar, Lin Jin whispered, “Why do I feel like her emotions are drifting today? It doesn’t seem like she’s gotten into character at all.”
“Shut up! You’re not allowed to say that about my goddess!” Yuan Yujing accused her fiercely. “Keep talking nonsense, and I won’t share my chicken leg with you at lunch tomorrow.”
Chu Fengruo fell out of character once again, and Ma Youcai called “Cut” for yet another time.
The Alpha actor performing opposite her was becoming irritated, but faced with Chu Fengruo, who had far greater standing in the industry, he did not dare say anything.
Filming began again.
Chu Fengruo devoted herself completely to the scene, doing her best to get through the take successfully.
When Ma Youcai finally called “Cut,” Chu Fengruo walked over and sat beside him. Ma Youcai pointed at the playback on the monitor for her to watch.
Chu Fengruo took one look.
It was terrible.
After so many years in the industry, this was the first time she had delivered acting so painfully awful to watch.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. We can use this take. We can also splice together parts from the previous ones,” Ma Youcai comforted her.
Chu Fengruo did not suggest filming it again. She remained seated and used a small prop fan to cool herself.
“I heard you’ve been taking care of your child by yourself lately?”
Ma Youcai did not criticize her too harshly. After all, Chu Fengruo was not a god. A few flaws in her performance were perfectly normal.
Besides, Chu Fengruo had invested in this drama. She would not deliberately throw her own money away for amusement. For all he knew, she might already feel worse about it than anyone else.
Her ability was also beyond question. They had been friends and collaborators for many years, so he understood her to some extent. He could tell that something was genuinely wrong with her mood today.
And so, Ma Youcai asked about the gossip he had heard from the makeup artist.
Chu Fengruo nodded lightly. “I’m taking care of her. I haven’t found a new nanny yet, and I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m struggling to keep up today. I’ll adjust as quickly as possible.”
“Ah. It seems even the most energetic person will end up haggard after looking after a child for one night.”
Ma Youcai sighed emotionally, then told her about the months after his wife had given birth, when he had also spent every day rushing around. Sometimes, he felt as though he was mixing formula and changing diapers even in his dreams.
Chu Fengruo listened silently before asking, “I heard you want to give Nianyan more scenes?”
“Yes, though nothing has been decided yet. It’s just an idea.” Ma Youcai smiled. “I have a feeling Lin Jin is definitely going to become popular, so I asked Screenwriter Zheng to speak with her first.”
Chu Fengruo said nothing more.
Her gaze fell on Lin Jin in the distance. Lin Jin was speaking with the screenwriter, Zheng Yang, and both of them appeared rather emotional.
Zheng Yang said to Lin Jin, “Director Ma asked me to arrange another scene for you. How are you at crying scenes?”
“I’m sorry, Screenwriter Zheng. I don’t know how to act. My acting is terrible.”
Lin Jin scratched her head and answered with embarrassment and helplessness.
“There’s no need to add more scenes for me. If I perform badly, I’ll waste everyone’s time and energy, as well as the production’s money. It really isn’t necessary.”
This was the first time Zheng Yang had encountered an actor like her.
The director appreciated her and was willing to give her more scenes, yet she was refusing.
As Lin Jin continued rejecting the offer, the screenwriter started to become angry.
Yuan Yujing could not understand either.
Ever since childhood, Lin Jin’s dream had been to become a major star and an accomplished actress. Now that an opportunity had practically fallen into her lap, why was she refusing it?
Zheng Yang left with anger written across her face.
When Ma Youcai saw her returning, he smiled and asked, “How did it go, Screenwriter Zheng? What kind of scene did you add?”
“Add, my ass! She doesn’t know what’s good for her. Bah!”
Ma Youcai froze.
He exchanged a glance with Chu Fengruo, then stood and took Zheng Yang’s script. He flipped through it and saw that there were already quite a few scenes involving Nianyan. Every possible place for an added scene had been circled, and all of them looked quite memorable.
“Couldn’t you add scenes in all these places? You’re an experienced screenwriter. Don’t tell me you can’t handle something this simple.”
Ma Youcai became even more curious.
Zheng Yang was so furious she nearly had a heart attack. She sat directly in Ma Youcai’s chair, looked around, then snatched the small prop fan from Chu Fengruo’s hand and frantically fanned herself to cool her anger.
Hearing Ma Youcai question her, she pointed the fan at Lin Jin and said furiously, “Do you think I’m the one refusing to give her more scenes? She’s the one making excuse after excuse and refusing!”
“Does she even know who I am? Huh? Does she know how many people beg me to write scripts for them or add scenes for them? What exactly is she trying to do?”
At first, Chu Fengruo had not paid much attention.
Without her fan, she casually picked up a suitably sized piece of stiff cardboard and used it to cool herself instead.
But when she heard that Lin Jin herself had refused the additional scenes, her hand paused, and the cardboard nearly smacked her in the face.
“Couldn’t you agree on the pay?” Chu Fengruo asked.
Ma Youcai became anxious as soon as he heard that.
“Did she demand an outrageous amount? How much does she want? Whatever the amount, we can discuss it. This production has plenty of funding. If there isn’t enough, we can always ask our financial backer for more.”
He pointed at Chu Fengruo.
“Our backer is sitting right here. How convenient could it be?”
“…”
Chu Fengruo resisted the urge to roll her eyes and continued fanning herself.
“We never even discussed money. I told her I wanted to add scenes, and she just kept refusing.” Zheng Yang fumed. “I’ve worked in this industry for years and met plenty of actors who play games. But today I ran into this stubborn mule. Is she pretending to refuse while secretly wanting it, or is she retreating in order to advance?”
Ma Youcai was confused too.
He looked at the script again.
After watching Lin Jin’s dance clip, Zheng Yang had waved her pen and added four or five scenes for Nianyan. Most of them were already nearly finished.
She had gone to speak with Lin Jin merely because she wanted the actor and character to fit together more closely. She planned to add scenes that would better showcase Lin Jin’s personal charm so that Nianyan and Lin Jin could complement each other.
Instead, she had been firmly rejected, so naturally she felt unhappy.
“Why did she refuse?” Chu Fengruo asked.
She looked toward Lin Jin and Yuan Yujing in the distance. Yuan Yujing appeared emotionally worked up as well. It seemed even Lin Jin’s good friend had no idea why she had refused.
“She told me she can’t act.”
The moment Zheng Yang finished speaking, her anger flared again.
“If she can’t act, what is she doing here? Is this a game to her?”
She stood, tossed the small fan back to Chu Fengruo, then snatched her script out of Ma Youcai’s hands. Filled with fury, she stormed away as though the wind were beneath her feet.
Watching her retreat, Ma Youcai waggled his eyebrows at Chu Fengruo.
“Screenwriter Zheng is seriously angry today.”
Chu Fengruo set the cardboard aside and resumed fanning herself with her own little fan.
She replied casually, “She wrote four scenes in one go, only to be rejected by the actor herself. Zheng Yang is a top screenwriter. Wherever she goes, people flatter and coax her. When has she ever suffered humiliation like this?”
Ma Youcai looked at Lin Jin, his eyes shifting thoughtfully. Then he said to Chu Fengruo, “Since you can’t get into the right state while acting with the second female lead anyway, why don’t we try a scene with Nianyan first?”
“We can test the scene where Nianyan urges the princess to escape. It doesn’t require any major movements. As long as the emotions are right, it’ll work. The dialogue is simple too—only six lines.”
Chu Fengruo glanced at Lin Jin.
The confrontation between them yesterday immediately resurfaced in her mind.
“No,” she replied irritably.
“Come on. Lin Jin was foolish enough to offend Zheng Yang, but she hasn’t offended you. The two of you haven’t even exchanged a single word today, have you?”
Ma Youcai continued, “I heard Zhao Mo say Lin Jin has a beautiful voice. Come on. I’ll take you over so you can hear it.”
“…What’s so special about it?”
Before Chu Fengruo could resist, Ma Youcai pulled her to her feet.
“It’s just an Alpha’s voice. The streets are full of Alphas.”
Ma Youcai urged her, “You don’t understand! Lin Jin is different!”
Then he leaned closer and threatened her, “Come on, come on. You don’t want to get into a tug-of-war with a greasy fat man like me in front of everyone, do you? We’d end up on tomorrow’s front page and disgust you to death.”
“…”
Chu Fengruo had no way to argue.
“Fine, I’ll go. Stop pulling my sleeve. This costume costs seventy-eight thousand. Who’s paying if you tear it?”
Lin Jin was explaining to Yuan Yujing that she truly could not act and had no way of learning how, but Yuan Yujing refused to believe her and kept trying to persuade her to accept the additional scenes.
The two were in the middle of arguing when they noticed Ma Youcai and Chu Fengruo approaching.
In an instant, Lin Jin and Yuan Yujing became like two yelping puppies suddenly lifted by the scruffs of their necks. Both drew in their shoulders, fell completely still, and became silent and uneasy.
Chu Fengruo did not speak.
Without showing it, she carefully examined Lin Jin.
At this moment, Lin Jin possessed neither the viciousness she had displayed when attacking the child yesterday nor the confident brilliance she had shown in the dance studio that morning.
Instead, she seemed shy and bashful, harmless in a way that made people want to approach her.
“You’re Lin Jin, right?”
With his hands behind his back, Ma Youcai studied her and asked with a smile, “Why did you refuse when Screenwriter Zheng offered to add more scenes for you? You should know that she rarely takes the initiative to add scenes for an actor.”
“Hello, Director Ma. Hello, Teacher Chu.”
Lin Jin explained, “It isn’t that I don’t appreciate the opportunity. I truly can’t do it well. I’ll only waste everyone’s time and energy.”
“What do you mean by that? You haven’t even tried, so how do you know you can’t do it? Besides, didn’t you dance very well earlier?”
Ma Youcai patted her shoulder, then pointed at Chu Fengruo.
“How about this? Let’s try the scene once. I’ll have Teacher Chu perform with you, all right?”
Lin Jin was beginning to feel that she really was being ungrateful.
She had just angered the screenwriter enough to make her leave, and now even the director had come over.
If she refused Chu Fengruo too, she might take another step closer to being thrown into the sea and fed to the fish.
“All right.”
Lin Jin gritted her teeth and accepted.
She would give it a try.
Once they were frightened away by her acting, they would never dare mention adding scenes again.
Ma Youcai was extremely satisfied.
He pulled the script from where it had been tucked into his waistband, smoothed it out, and handed it to Lin Jin.
“Take a look. It’s very simple. You only need to memorize the dialogue. Teacher Chu will guide you into character for everything else. Her ability is unquestionable.”
Lin Jin hurriedly agreed.
She opened the script and found Nianyan’s lines. There were only six sentences in total. After reading them twice, she had already memorized them.
“You’ve memorized them?” Ma Youcai asked.
There was even some admiration in his eyes. Being quick at memorizing dialogue was an advantage too.
Lin Jin recited a portion to prove it.
The satisfaction in Ma Youcai’s eyes grew increasingly intense, and he immediately urged Chu Fengruo to begin the scene.
Chu Fengruo took the script and glanced over her own part, then told Lin Jin to say her lines.
Although Chu Fengruo was not in proper form today, her understanding of the character was profound. Her emotional expression in this scene was natural and full.
She quickly entered the role.
But the instant Lin Jin opened her mouth, Chu Fengruo fell straight back out of character.
“Your Highness, Zhuque Gate has fallen. The rebels have reached the palace steps. Please, Your Highness…”
“Cut!”
Ma Youcai could not stop himself from interrupting Lin Jin.
With a pained expression, he said, “Lin Jin, emotion! Put some emotion into it! The capital is about to fall, and both you and the princess are going to die. Show us the emotion, all right?”
“Anger, grief, urgency, panic—bring them out little by little, okay?”
Lin Jin hurriedly apologized. “I’m sorry, Director Ma. It’s my fault. I’ll start again.”
“Good. Continue.”
“Your Highness! Zhuque Gate—has fallen! The rebels! Have reached…”
“Cut!”
Ma Youcai did not know whether to cover his ears or his eyes.
His eyebrows knotted together, and disbelief filled his face.
“I said emotion, not screaming. Emotion isn’t about whoever shouts the loudest being correct. You need subtle facial expressions. Do you understand? You can’t…”
Ma Youcai paused to choose his words, then pointed at Lin Jin’s face.
“You can’t keep wearing the exact same expression. Put away that gentle smile of yours.”
Lin Jin apologized again and tried once more.
“Your Highness! Zhuque Gate has fallen, and the rebels have reached the palace steps! Please, Your Highness…”
“Cut.”
Ma Youcai clutched his head and crouched on the ground.
Unable to control himself, he thumped his own skull.
His head hurt.
How could an actor’s skills possibly be this terrible?
Chu Fengruo’s expression was complicated as well.
She examined Lin Jin.
With acting like this, Lin Jin would not even pass the preliminary selection for Ningning’s kindergarten performance.
Yet she had actually possessed the courage to sign with an agency and enter the entertainment industry.
At least Lin Jin’s bravery and confidence matched Chu Fengruo’s stereotype of her.
Lin Jin felt as though Chu Fengruo’s gaze were slowly slicing her apart, inch by inch.
She lowered her head and did not dare meet her eyes.
“Lin Jin, if I remember correctly, you debuted five years ago, didn’t you?” Chu Fengruo asked.
She recalled the publicly available information Wang Lin had gathered about Lin Jin.
Five years earlier, Lin Jin had signed with a small agency. Although the company itself had never become particularly successful, during the early stages it had still provided Lin Jin with a few opportunities because of her decent appearance.
Now Chu Fengruo finally understood why five years had passed, yet Lin Jin remained completely unknown in the entertainment industry.
She had previously wondered whether there were hidden issues inside the agency or whether Lin Jin’s personal conduct was so terrible that the company had refused to invest further in her.
Now she understood.
Lin Jin’s abilities were simply far too poor. The company had been unable to lift her up and had eventually given up.
Ma Youcai stood and looked at Lin Jin with an indescribably complicated expression.
Then he asked, “Why do you always wear that smiling, good-tempered expression no matter what line you say? Don’t you have any other emotions?”
Lin Jin thought for a moment.
“I do.”
Ma Youcai discovered that even now, while he was openly questioning her, Lin Jin still maintained that warm, approachable smile. It made people reluctant to treat her too harshly.
This was bizarre as hell.
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