CHAPTER 196: CHAPTER 196 RECORDING NEW VARIETY SHOW: WHO IS THE ACTING EXPERT?

President Wang was very straightforward. On the same day the livestream ended, he instructed the company’s finance team to settle Sang Ning’s appearance fee.

After splitting it with the company, Sang Ning transferred some living expenses to Hu Zhi and Sang Youming, telling them not to scrimp on themselves while living outside—eat well and drink well, and absolutely no skimping.

In response, Hu Zhi and Sang Youming made a video call to her and cried with her for a long time, saying how useless they felt, relying on their daughter to support them at their age.

Hu Zhi and Sang Youming cried like it was the end of the world. Just when Sang Ning thought they might feel guilty and return the money...

Suddenly, their demeanor took a sharp turn. They wiped away their tears, bared their teeth in wide grins, smiling brilliantly.

"Sweet daughter, then we’ll graciously accept it! ~"

Sang Ning was left speechless, torn between laughter and exasperation. These two were truly something else...

Afterward, Sang Ning made a call to Gao Mingsong to check up on how Sang Chuan was doing at school over the past couple of days.

Gao Mingsong told her that Sang Chuan had been behaving well so far, with no signs of getting into trouble for the moment.

This reassured Sang Ning. With these three troublemakers off her mind, she could focus entirely on her work. After all, the variety show she was set to record the next day was a real headache for her.

Both her manager and company boss, Chen Ming, had high hopes for her, wishing she could make it all the way to the finals and take the championship.

But some things couldn’t happen simply because one willed them to. Sang Ning had tried rehearsing a crying scene.

She dug deep into every sad experience from her entire life but still couldn’t squeeze out a single tear.

Clearly, acting wasn’t her strong suit. All she could hope for was to get through the preliminary round without making a fool of herself.

**

The first episode of *Who’s the Acting Ace* was officially recorded the next day.

Thirty-six competing actors entered the waiting room one by one, following the sequence dictated by the program team.

At the door to the waiting room stood a whiteboard. Before entering, each actor had to write two characters on it representing their understanding of acting.

Most actors wrote words with positive connotations on the board.

Perseverance, talent, inspiration, opportunity...

But then there were some actors who couldn’t help but stand out, writing words that baffled everyone.

Sang Ning was one of those standout individuals.

"Drama, Queen."

The PD tilted his head and read the words on the board aloud, carefully enunciating each syllable.

Then, his gaze shifted to Sang Ning, his face puzzled. "Ms. Sang Ning, why did you write ’Drama Queen’? Could you elaborate on what acting means to you?"

"Only by being thoroughly multifaceted can an actor portray a range of characters. A great actor is, without a doubt, a drama queen," Sang Ning answered earnestly, staring straight into the PD’s eyes.

"Drama queen" typically carried a tongue-in-cheek connotation. The PD assumed it wasn’t exactly a compliment and countered her, "So, do you aspire to be a drama queen?"

Sang Ning paused for a second and then shook her head. "No, I’d rather be a normal person."

This was the truest reflection of Sang Ning’s inner thoughts.

Many great actors were endowed with a strong ability to empathize, which was also why they could connect deeply with their roles.

But for such actors, it was easier to get overly immersed in their roles. If they played a tragic character, they often struggled to detach themselves from the emotion, sometimes even slipping into depression due to their roles.

Sang Ning only wanted to be a stable, ordinary person. She had no interest in experiencing emotional whiplash, the highs and lows that drained one’s spirit.

So, it wasn’t so much that she lacked acting talent—rather, she excelled in pulling herself out of emotional whirlpools.

Simply put, she was heartless to a fault.

Sang Ning answered genuinely, but the PD’s expression shifted awkwardly. Could it be she was here just to throw a wrench in things?

"Haha, Ms. Sang Ning’s perspective truly is unique. Thank you for sharing. Please proceed to the waiting room." The PD hurriedly wrapped up the conversation.

Sang Ning was the 20th contestant to enter the waiting room, where quite a few people had already gathered.

As soon as she walked in, some people stood up to shake her hand and greet her. Sang Ning politely returned the gestures one by one.

Unexpectedly, besides unfamiliar faces, she spotted some old acquaintances.

"Sangsang, come sit here!"

Someone called out to her enthusiastically. Sang Ning turned to her left and saw Qin Kai waving at her.

"Brother Kai?" Sang Ning looked a little surprised.

And then she saw two more familiar faces sitting next to Qin Kai.

Sang Ning moved closer. The guy wearing the trademark baseball cap stood up to make space for her. "Here, sit down."

"Tsk tsk tsk, the big star truly knows how to play the diva. Saw your Sister Ning but didn’t even bother greeting her first?"

Unfazed, Sang Ning plopped down in the seat and teased shamelessly.

"Hello, Sister Ning," Shen Yi said, feigning seriousness, playing along with her tone.

Qin Kai quickly interjected to mediate. "Alright, alright, that’s enough. Careful, or you’ll set off the trending ’black scandal’ alerts."

#RuralTeamReunion# trending again would undoubtedly boost the show’s heat. Even the camera crew tactfully gave the group a close-up.

The trio’s playful banter left Chu Xi feeling like an outsider, prompting her to look for an opening to stir up trouble for Sang Ning.

"Ms. Sang Ning, are you trying to transition into being an acclaimed actor now? Acting is tough, you know. Being a celebrity’s much easier—you can just take any endorsement and pose around for a quick paycheck," Chu Xi remarked with a smile, her tone dripping with faux-friendly sarcasm.

Sang Ning immediately caught onto Chu Xi’s passive-aggressive jab, knowing full well she was mocking her for being just a pretty face.

Without missing a beat, Sang Ning patted Chu Xi on the shoulder, her expression solemn. "Actors like you, who focus solely on acting, wouldn’t understand my struggles. Having too many endorsements isn’t a good thing either—sometimes you end up changing into dozens of outfits in a single day. My delicate skin easily gets irritated."

Her subtext: you’re not even qualified to be a ’decorative vase.’

Chu Xi’s face visibly darkened, while Sang Ning pretended not to notice. She even pinched Chu Xi’s cheek playfully. "Xixi, your face is practically born for acting."

Chu Xi jerked away forcefully, shaking off Sang Ning’s hand.

Couldn’t Sang Ning tell how much she disliked her?!

Why did she always insist on acting chummy? It was utterly infuriating!

After Sang Ning found her seat, a few more contestants entered the waiting room one after another.

Each time someone walked in, the room collectively stood up to clap and welcome them.

Among the program’s contestants, the most popular were undoubtedly the four members of the Rural Team.

So up until the 35th contestant’s arrival, the atmosphere in the waiting room had been relatively drama-free.

But when the broadcast in the waiting room announced the information of the 36th contestant, chaos broke out instantly.

"Now introducing the 36th contestant—Qingyue!"

As soon as the announcement ended, every pair of eyes in the room turned to Shen Yi.

The production team was clearly itching to stir up trouble!

The contestants began whispering to each other.

"What’s going on? Isn’t Qingyue semi-retired? Why would she join the show now?"

"Once this airs, Shen Yi’s and Qingyue’s fans will tear each other apart!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, enemies meeting face to face—it’s about to get petty in here. Are Shen Yi and Qingyue gonna throw punches later?"