CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 40: THE NEW ASSISTANT (PART 4)

Xiang Qichen smiled faintly, smoothed the quilt, and said calmly, "I’m used to it."

Yang Li was skeptical, his gaze moved back and forth between the two with a strange look, and finally he said, "Oh," then continued, "Then Zhou Huaiyi, you come with me, let’s go buy some breakfast."

Xiang Qichen puffed his cheek, feeling uncomfortable as he hadn’t brushed his teeth yet. He paused for a moment, then walked to the door and said to Yang Li, "You wait for me downstairs, I’ll go back to the room to get something."

"Alright." Yang Li responded readily, nodded, and then closed the door as he left the room.

With the sound of the door closing, the anxiety in Zhou Huaiyi’s chest eased, and she let out a sigh of relief and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

,

Early in the morning, after a simple breakfast, Zhou Huaiyi joined the crew to start makeup and prepare for a day of shooting.

During this time, Zhou Huaiyi held the script and continued memorizing lines. In her view, even if she had to do a retake due to nuances in expressions, she must not let the director call "cut" for forgetting basic lines, which would smear Xiang Qichen’s reputation.

Only two days into substituting, Zhou Huaiyi deeply realized how challenging it is to be an actor, let alone someone as dedicated and hardworking as Xiang Qichen.

Fortunately, no matter how much noise there is outside, she chooses to trust him. And fortunately, he has never disappointed anyone, always staying true to his original intention, focusing on being a good actor.

After makeup, waiting in the outdoor RV for her shot, Xiang Qichen noticed Zhou Huaiyi giggling with a silly grin since just now. He frowned, went over, and patted her: "What are you laughing at?"

Zhou Huaiyi smiled with crescent eyes: "Hehe, you’re really good-looking."

"...Are you complimenting yourself?" Xiang Qichen pointed at his own current face.

Zhou Huaiyi seriously waved her hand, poking her cheek with a finger: "No, no, no, it’s this face."

Xiang Qichen: "..."

Half an hour later, the first scene of the day started shooting, once again a scene with a counterpart, but this time the counterpart is... Zhang Yuan.

Regarding that previous incident with Zhang Yuan, Zhou Huaiyi hasn’t forgotten until now. She has always been carefree, and very few people have truly angered her throughout her life, Zhang Yuan is one of the few. Moreover, Zhang Yuan’s arrogant demeanor, as if she’s superior to others, is something Zhou Huaiyi has disliked for a long time.

As for the lines in this scene, Zhou Huaiyi knew them by heart. After all, for the dislike she felt towards Zhang Yuan, she didn’t need to act; she just needed to show the expression of disdain she already had.

In the drama, Zhang Yuan’s character is named Du Xi, a role quite similar to her real self, a rich and spoiled girl, capricious and uneducated, yet madly in love with Liu Xuan.

In other words, this is arguably a perfect role for her to play naturally?

In the drama, Du Xi loves Liu Xuan, but Liu Xuan loves the female protagonist Ying Zhiqing, and he becomes annoyed with Du Xi’s arrogance and willfulness.

It’s worth mentioning that this show has a rather clichéd emotional line, with the setting where jealousy drives people crazy—

Du Xi, unable to have Liu Xuan, schemes against Ying Zhiqing to harm her, only to be caught red-handed by Liu Xuan, and the scene Zhou Huaiyi and Zhang Yuan are about to act out is the one where Du Xi is caught.

"Liu Xuan..." Her meticulously planned scheme was seen through by her beloved, and Du Xi was so scared that her legs went weak, slumping to the ground, still trying to defend herself in vain, "It wasn’t me, Liu Xuan, it wasn’t me, it wasn’t me."

Liu Xuan’s face was gloomy, his gentle eyes were filled with sternness, making one shiver. He suddenly tossed the small ceramic jar he was holding onto the table, and sarcastically said, "Ha, wasn’t you? Then why was this jar in your possession?"

Tears stained Du Xi’s face as she pretended to be innocent, crawling to Liu Xuan’s feet, still unwilling to give up amidst the panic, "It was... it was... it was her... it was Ying Zhiqing... it was Ying Zhiqing who framed me... it was Ying Zhiqing!"

Her words turned into a wail at the end, her face full of tears and pitiful look, as if everything she said was real.

Liu Xuan couldn’t endure it any longer, no longer considering any affection, leaned down and pushed her away firmly, his words cold and filled with disappointment: "Du Xi, I really underestimated you."

"Liu Xuan!" Du Xi suddenly raised her voice in a roar, unable to hide the sorrow within her words, "Why are you treating me like this? After all these years, can’t you see all that I’ve done for you!"

Liu Xuan gave a harsh laugh, turned away without any trace of sympathy, and his voice suddenly lowered, "Get out."

The scene ends with Zhang Yuan’s portrayal of Du Xi, despairingly lying on the floor, alone, with her sorrowful and painful sobs echoing in the huge room.

...

"Cut!" The director was very satisfied, "Very good! Take a break!"

Upon hearing the director’s voice, Zhou Huaiyi immediately snapped out of character, looked back disdainfully at Zhang Yuan, who was still on the ground adjusting her emotions, and eagerly ran to Xiang Qichen to seek praise: "How was it? How was it?"

Xiang Qichen folded his arms, slightly raised the corners of his mouth and nodded, "Very good."

Zhou Huaiyi grinned mischievously, speaking bluntly, "After all, I really dislike her, so it was genuine emotion..." At this, she leaned closer to Xiang Qichen’s ear and whispered, "Honestly, seeing her cry felt great! Even though it wasn’t because I bullied her..."

"..."