The Whole World Wants Them to Get a Divorce - Chapter 23

Liang Yufei was indeed stunned.

She had thought that Si Yu couldn’t act and was smug about having the original female lead’s acting skills. In her mind, she had rehearsed countless times how Si Yu would be embarrassed and humiliated by her acting. She fantasized about Si Yu failing and being cursed at by the director, being pointed at by the other actors and crew, and being drowned in a sea of criticism from netizens.

After learning that Si Yu was going to play the second female lead, Liang Yufei had been eagerly waiting to join the cast. She couldn’t wait to act with Si Yu. She wanted to slap that woman in the face and watch her make a fool of herself!

But now, the plot was developing in the complete opposite direction from what she had imagined…

In such a simple scene, she was so scared by Si Yu that she forgot her lines twice in a row.

It was a complete shock.

Liang Yufei had a golden ticket. With the original female lead’s acting skills, acting was effortless for her. But she had no experience in performing. In this situation, she had no idea what to do. She couldn’t keep up with the scene, and all she felt was panic.

She even forgot that they were acting. Looking at Si Yu’s eyes and expression, she had no doubt that Si Yu genuinely wanted to hit her. She instinctively flinched.

“Cut!” Director Qian Lei stood up and pointed angrily at Liang Yufei. “Yufei, why are you trembling? Say your lines! Although Chen Shuang is a school bully, Yu Su, the character you’re playing, is a soft-looking but strong-willed female lead. You’re afraid, but you’re not going to give up. You have to push her away and confront her!”

Liang Yufei came to her senses. “I’m sorry, Director. I… I’ll be more careful next time,” she said meekly.

Liang Yufei didn’t dare to say that she had forgotten her lines again. The director’s voice was loud, and everyone was looking at her. She felt more humiliated than ever. She bowed, and when she turned her head, she met Si Yu’s meaningful gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she gritted her teeth in hatred.

Director Qian Lei was truly unhappy. He wasn’t against actors making mistakes, but he could tell that Liang Yufei wasn’t focused. Before filming, he had explained every movement and expression in detail, but Liang Yufei didn’t act them out.

On the other hand, Si Yu’s performance was a huge surprise to him.

For the second female lead, Director Qian Lei had initially wanted Guan Qiao Qiao, but Guangying had replaced her with Si Yu. He was very displeased. After reading the negative rumors about Si Yu online, he didn’t have any expectations for her. He was prepared for a lot of retakes. He never expected Si Yu to be able to act!

Were the rumors fake? Or did Si Yu specially learn acting during this time?

Director Qian Lei didn’t have time to think about it. He looked at Si Yu. “You did a great job. Your eyes and expression were perfect. Just keep acting with that same feeling.”

He was suddenly very excited to see what other surprises Si Yu would bring to the table. After all, Chen Shuang was a complex and well-liked character. The book fans loved her, and he loved her, too. It would have been a shame if the character was ruined.

Si Yu remained unbothered by praise or criticism. “Thank you, Director. I understand,” she said.

Liang Yufei’s expression stiffened slightly.

The director actually complimented Si Yu? Besides being shocked, Liang Yufei was more displeased.

She felt that the director must have misjudged her. Was Si Yu’s acting just now really that good? Si Yu’s character was an evil female villain who threatened and bullied people. Wasn’t that just her being herself? What acting skills?

That’s right, she’s just being herself.

Liang Yufei instantly felt better.

High school-aged Chen Shuang was a notorious school bully. Wasn’t that just Si Yu’s character? Let’s see how she acts when we get to the part where she enters society!

Liang Yufei regained her confidence. Before she could feel smug, she heard Director Qian Lei say, “Yufei, focus. If you don’t act properly, I’m really going to get mad.”

After being criticized twice, Liang Yufei’s face flushed red and then paled. She took a deep breath. “Director Qian, please give me another chance,” she said.

Director Qian Lei waved his hand, signaling for the clapperboard to be hit.

When they started filming the third take, Liang Yufei finally didn’t forget her lines. But Director Qian Lei felt that she didn’t show the female lead’s gentle yet strong personality. She seemed timid and a little weak.

They did it again. Liang Yufei was strong this time, but she was a little too strong. The female lead’s innocence was gone.

On the fifth take, Director Qian Lei was finally satisfied. He had Zhang Sikai come over to get ready for the next scene.

In the next scene, the male lead, Zhang Yang, was flirting with the female lead, Yu Su, in the hallway. The second female lead, Chen Shuang, saw them. She was consumed with jealousy and rushed over to confront them. Zhang Yang ridiculed and rejected her. In the end, Zhang Yang left with Yu Su, and Chen Shuang was left in the hallway feeling sad.

The director came over again to explain the scene to them. Liang Yufei didn’t dare to not listen this time.

This scene had a more intense conflict and emotional entanglement between the three characters. It was not as easy to film as the previous one. It took them seven takes to get it right.

Liang Yufei was not scolded again, but she was not praised either. She felt a little disappointed.

Director Qian Lei looked at the monitor and said with a smile, “Si Yu’s handling of the teary, hateful look in her eyes was great. Without any lines, just a single look fully conveyed the conflict in Chen Shuang’s heart. Excellent!”

Liang Yufei didn’t see the last shot. She didn’t believe that Si Yu was as good as the director said. She ran to the monitor to watch the playback. The more she watched, the more she felt resentful.

The way Chen Shuang raised her hand as if to slap her and the crazy jealous look in her eyes when she stared at her and Zhang Yang, wasn’t that just Si Yu being herself?

What “good handling”? What “fully conveyed”? She’s just being herself, Director!

Director Qian Lei couldn’t hear Liang Yufei’s inner thoughts. The more he looked at Si Yu’s performance, the more satisfied he was. He said with a serious expression, “I was misled by the rumors online that you couldn’t act and was not happy about having you. I apologize now. I’m sorry.”

When they were shooting the promotional photos, Si Yu felt that Director Qian Lei’s attitude toward her was cold. After joining the cast, Si Yu had been keeping a low profile. She didn’t try to curry favor with Director Qian Lei. She just wanted to act well and prove herself.

Director Qian Lei had praised her twice in a row, which clearly showed that his attitude toward her had changed. Si Yu was happy, but she never expected Director Qian Lei, as a director, to apologize to her in front of so many people.

Si Yu was flattered. “You’re too kind, Director Qian,” she quickly said.

Director Qian Lei was a straightforward person. He didn’t think that apologizing to an actor was a big deal. He laughed loudly. “I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to act and would ruin the role of Chen Shuang. But now it seems that you’re a great fit. Do a good job!”

Si Yu smiled brightly. “Thank you, Director. I’ll do my best,” she said.

Liang Yufei, who was standing on the side and being ignored, looked a little grim. She waited for a long time for Director Qian Lei to compliment her. She stomped out of the filming location in a fit of rage.

One of the extras who played a student was a fan of Liang Yufei. She saw her leaving the set with sweat all over her face. She eagerly gave her a bottle of water. “Yufei, you were so good,” she said.

Liang Yufei’s mood finally got a little better. She put on her signature pure and innocent smile, took a sip of the water her fan had given her, and went to rest on the side.

As soon as she sat down, she heard other extras praising her.

“Liang Yufei has such a pure aura. She’s twenty-three, but she looks so natural as a high school student. She’s so youthful.”

“I love her in The Princess’s Favorite! She really brought Ling’er to life.”

“Yu Su’s acting is great, too. She’s so innocent and sweet, but also a little fierce. She’s so cute.”

“Did you guys not notice that Si Yu’s acting was so good? I don’t know who started the rumor that she used connections and couldn’t act.”

“Exactly! I was misled by those rumors, too. I thought Si Yu was just a pretty face with no talent. I didn’t expect her to be so good! Liang Yufei couldn’t even keep up with her just now. The look in her eyes as Chen Shuang was amazing. It scared me.”

“I think Si Yu is a better actress than Liang Yufei.”

“I agree. Si Yu’s acting skills are better. Her eyes are so expressive.”

“Ah!” Xiao Yan was holding a small fan to cool Liang Yufei down. She was suddenly splashed with water. She looked at the crumpled water bottle in Liang Yufei’s hand in shock. Then she looked at Liang Yufei and saw that her expression was strange. “Yufei, what’s wrong?” she asked.

It was as if a switch had been flipped. Liang Yufei quickly hid the hatred in her eyes. She turned back into an innocent and harmless little white flower. “Nothing. I’m just a little tired,” she said with a smile.

They had a night scene to film. When Si Yu finished for the day, she only saw her assistant, Xia Xia. “Is Sister Qi gone?” she asked.

“No, she’s over there.”

Si Yu looked in the direction she was pointing. She saw Zhu Qi and Liang Yufei standing face to face. They both had smiles on their faces and seemed to be having a pleasant conversation.

After about two minutes, their conversation ended. Zhu Qi saw that filming had finished and walked over to Si Yu and her assistant.

Si Yu was direct. “What were you two talking about?” she asked.

Zhu Qi looked around at the people nearby and said in a low voice, “Let’s talk about it later.”

After they got in the van, Zhu Qi told her, “This Liang Yufei is so strange. She suddenly asked me if I would take on other artists in the future.”

“And?”

“I asked her if she wanted to recommend an artist to me, and she said no. She said she was just asking.” Zhu Qi paused. “Her current management company doesn’t have many resources. I suspect she wants to switch.”

Si Yu sneered. Someone is probably losing their patience and wants to steal her agent.

In the novel, Zhu Qi was the original female lead’s agent. If Liang Yufei were still the original Liang Yufei and she wanted to join Zhu Qi, Si Yu wouldn’t mind. But this Liang Yufei had a different personality. She was fake and scheming. She was probably up to no good. Si Yu couldn’t let her succeed.

Si Yu smiled. “If Liang Yufei really switches to Guangying, would you take her, Sister Qi?” she asked.

Zhu Qi hadn’t thought about this question. She pondered for a moment. “Liang Yufei has a lot of potential and is worth training. If I hadn’t already signed with you, I would have considered taking her on.”

Si Yu liked her honesty. She became serious. “Sister Qi, I’ll show you that signing with me is more valuable than signing with Liang Yufei.”

Zhu Qi looked like she wanted to say something but held back. She didn’t want the driver and Xia Xia to hear.

Of course, she knew that signing with Si Yu was more valuable than signing with Liang Yufei. Putting acting skills aside, Si Yu’s connections were far superior to Liang Yufei’s.

After Zhu Qi left, Si Yu went to wash her hair and take a shower.

It had been a while since she had acted, and she was tired. Si Yu didn’t want to read the script anymore after she was done. She picked up her phone to relax before bed. When she unlocked it, she saw a WeChat message and was stunned.

Lu Xi: “Are you done filming?”

It was sent half an hour ago. Si Yu was in the bathroom and didn’t hear it.

Lu Xi was actually initiating a conversation and asking about her filming schedule. Could it be that she was starting to like her?

Thinking of this possibility, Si Yu instantly felt energized. She quickly typed, “I finished and I’m back at the hotel!”

She sent it, but there was no response for a long time.

Si Yu was bored waiting. She decided to take the initiative. Just as she typed “Did you miss me?” and was about to press send, another message popped up.

Lu Xi: “Can we video chat?”

Video chat!

Yes! It’s very convenient!

Si Yu’s heart pounded. She deleted the line she had typed and quickly found a provocative emoji to send. “[Come here, baby]”

The next second, her phone started ringing.

Si Yu subconsciously reached to answer, but she suddenly stopped.

This was her and Lu Xi’s first video call! And Lu Xi was the one who initiated it! This was a rare opportunity!

She untied her hair and deliberately messed it up. She tugged at her tank top to reveal her cleavage. She placed her phone on the nightstand and lay on the bed in a seductive pose.

I wonder if Lu Xi will be moved and lose control when she sees me like this…

Si Yu was so excited just thinking about it. She answered the video call just before it was about to end.

“Honey~”

“Qiao Qiao!” On the other end of the video was the white-haired, rosy-cheeked old woman. Her eyesight wasn’t very good. She leaned close to the screen. She saw Si Yu’s bare shoulders and white chest. “Are you not wearing any clothes?” she asked.

“Grandma, Grandma, Grandma!” Si Yu was so scared that her soul left her body. She fumbled with her straps, pulled at her clothes, and made sure that nothing was exposed. She held up her phone. “I didn’t expect it to be you calling… Have you eaten?” she said with an awkward laugh.

Luckily, the old woman didn’t suspect anything about her seductive posture. “I ate a long time ago. I was just worried that you weren’t used to filming on your first day, so I asked Xi Xi to help me with a video call. Is filming going well today? Is it hard?” she asked.

All the strange thoughts in Si Yu’s mind had already been scared away. She was glad that she hadn’t been naked just now. She composed herself. “It’s not hard, Grandma. Filming went very smoothly. Everyone takes good care of me,” she said.

“How’s the food?”

“It’s great. We had pork ribs, pig’s feet, eggplant, broccoli…”

The grandmother and granddaughter chatted for about twenty minutes like they were just catching up. Si Yu became more and more excited as they talked, but she saw that the old woman looked tired. She looked at the time on her phone. “Grandma, you should rest now,” she said softly.

“Okay.” The old woman didn’t insist on staying up. She yawned. “I’ve been on the phone with you for so long, and you two haven’t even had a chance to talk. I’m going back to my room. You two can have a private conversation.”

The old woman said the last part to someone off-screen.

Si Yu was confused. She then heard a familiar voice. “You should rest early,” Lu Xi said.

It was Lu Xi.

So Lu Xi was here the whole time!

I wonder if Lu Xi saw what I was doing just now…

“Qiao Qiao, goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Grandma.”

Si Yu said goodnight in a daze. She held her breath and waited.

The camera shook. After some rustling sounds, a beautiful face appeared on the screen.

Si Yu’s brain froze. She suddenly didn’t know what to say. Her eyes darted around. “I thought you wanted to video chat with me,” she stammered.

I really was overthinking it.

Lu Xi must have also just taken a shower. Her damp hair rested on her collarbones, making her look relaxed and casual. Her clear eyes were not as cold as they usually were. “Grandma originally wanted to call you, but then she heard that she could video chat. She thought it was fun and wanted to try it,” she said.

“Oh.”

“…”

“…”

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a few seconds. Lu Xi broke the silence. “Grandma was actually very sad that you were leaving, but she didn’t want to say it so you wouldn’t worry. You can chat with her more when you’re not filming.”

“I know.” It was tiring to hold her phone up for so long. Si Yu went back to lying on her stomach. She rolled her eyes. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?” she asked.

“Like what?”

“Private things.”

“…We don’t have any private things to talk about.”

Si Yu thought about it. They really didn’t.

Other couples’ video calls were filled with things like, “I miss you. Do you miss me?” and “I love you. I love you, too.” But those words didn’t seem to apply to her and Lu Xi.

Their relationship was still very awkward.

She had been acting all day and was tired. Si Yu didn’t want to act like a passionate villainess anymore. She lowered her head and felt a little defeated.

She had to get up early to film again tomorrow. Just staring at each other like this was not going to work. Si Yu was trying to figure out how to end the video call when she heard a knock on the door.

Perfect timing.

Si Yu let out a silent sigh of relief. She said with a smile, “Someone’s here for me. I’ll talk to you later. I’m going to hang up now.”

“Wait,” Lu Xi suddenly stopped her.

“Hmm?”

Lu Xi’s cold gaze swept over the strap that had slipped down her shoulder and the exposed skin on her chest as she stood up. Her eyes flickered. “Put on a shirt before you open the door.”