Chapter 15: Could Bullying Actually Lead To Possessiveness?
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Before filming began, the crew usually held an opening ceremony. They burned incense and worshipped the gods, which belonged to the realm of metaphysics. Although there was no scientific basis for it, the crew typically placed great importance on it.
On regular days, Qin Shiyue only participated in such ceremonies casually with the crew. However, this time, driven by ambition and a desire for change, she was exceptionally devout when burning incense. Qin Shiyue did not wish for the drama or herself to become a hit. After all, she was already very popular, and gaining more popularity would just be icing on the cake. She only hoped to improve her acting skills.
She knew it was nearly impossible to achieve instant success, but she simply wanted to amaze people and show those haters that she, Qin Shiyue, was no longer the acting black hole she used to be.
Whether Qin Shiyue's devotion moved the gods was uncertain, but it certainly affected her manager, Fang Xinhua. Fang Xinhua noticed that this time, Baby Qin'er seemed distinctly different when joining the crew. She appeared especially motivated, arriving at the set early in the morning, even earlier than the other lead actors.
Even the director, Song Chengmu, was moved. After all, these days, popular actresses and young male idols tend to act increasingly high and mighty. Showing up an hour late was considered good while arriving early was as rare as a phoenix feather.
However, Song Chengmu soon realized he might have been moved too quickly. It did not take long for him to understand why Qin Shiyue was known as an "acting black hole" and the entertainment industry's number one vase. Her acting was so atrocious that it made him want to die. Despite her lack of skill, she loved to overact, which made her performances unbearably awkward.
Qin Shiyue's acting was as hopeless as rotten cabbage. However, she had a good temper and was willing to keep reshooting despite constantly messing up. As a result, Song Chengmu could only keep reshooting, selecting the least terrible takes from the pile of bad ones.
With Qin Shiyue repeatedly causing NGs, the other cast members were clearly dissatisfied. Especially the lead actors, whose schedules were packed, and they had no time to waste redoing scenes over and over with this popular idol actress.
Yet, considering Qin Shiyue's status and her sister, Qin Shilan, who was the second-largest shareholder of AX Video Platform, no one dared to offend her. Even though they were frustrated with how she was delaying the progress, they could only swallow their anger, putting on fake smiles and fawning over Qin Shiyue on the surface.
Qin Shiyue never imagined that her serious attitude and wholehearted effort to perform well would lead to an even more miserable outcome than when she used to act casually. Although the other actors said nothing, Qin Shiyue could already feel their extreme dissatisfaction with her for delaying progress.
She felt especially upset. The more she didn’t want to hold others back, the more anxious she became. The more she wanted to do well, the more she overacted in scenes, which led to more NGs. This vicious cycle seemed to spiral endlessly, like a cursed loop.
"Baby, don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Just act like before; no need to care too much about your acting. Relax, and it’ll be fine," Fang Xinhua quickly comforted her, noticing that Qin Shiyue was on the verge of a breakdown. This drama’s lead female role was a perfect match for Baby Qin'er. As long as she played it naturally, she didn’t need to showcase any particular acting skills. It shouldn’t be too bad.
Yet, Baby Qin'er was now too eager to make a comeback. The harder she tried, the more she botched things and overcomplicated them.
"I know," Qin Shiyue replied gloomily. Her mindset was indeed on the verge of collapse. In the past, she had never put in any effort. If her acting was bad, so be it. Her attitude back then was like failing an exam without studying—she accepted it because she hadn’t tried.
But now, she had worked so hard and still couldn’t get it right. Under such circumstances, it was hard not to doubt herself. She wondered if she was simply incapable.
A week after Qin Shiyue joined the crew, Lin Qingyi’s mainstream film project was also about to begin shooting.
After attending the opening ceremony, Lin Qingyi went to a cold drink shop in the film city and ordered a glass of lemonade. Since there were no scenes scheduled for her today, she could take another day off. The weather in southern China in August was still quite hot. Filming in such heat was exhausting, and it was far more comfortable to sit idle and enjoy the air conditioning.
Lin Qingyi knew that if she wanted to postpone filming by another month or two and wait for cooler weather, the crew would undoubtedly agree. However, her perfectionist tendencies kicked in. She felt that making the crew wait just because she feared hardship didn’t align with her ideal image of perfection.
It seemed better to maintain the persona of someone who worked diligently, no matter how hot or exhausting it was. But then again, this pursuit of a perfect image felt a bit dull. Lately, she had sensed a streak of rebellion growing inside her.
"I might have been unlucky for eight lifetimes, to end up in the same crew as the entertainment industry’s number one vase! She keeps NGing, and now I’m nearly dying from standing in the sun all day..." A supporting actress from the “My Princess Girlfriend” crew angrily complained. She had finally gotten a break with no scenes to film and could now relax in the air conditioning.
"I’ve seen bad acting, but never anything this awful. Even a vase probably has more acting skills than her..." Another actress, whose face was clearly the result of internet-famous beauty standards, chimed in. Her acting wasn’t much better, but she thought she could easily crush Qin Shiyue in comparison. The fact that someone like Qin Shiyue could become famous while she couldn’t, felt downright unfair to her.
The others burst into loud laughter, agreeing with their remarks.
"You’re not wrong. She’s just lucky and has a powerful background. Look at her—she’s NGed countless times and seriously delayed the crew’s progress, yet Director Song doesn’t even dare utter a single complaint..."
"Exactly! She used all her skills on being born into the right family. She’s the younger sister of the second-largest shareholder of AX Video. No matter how terrible her acting is, someone will always prop her up. That kind of luck is enviable but impossible to replicate," another actress chimed in with a sarcastic tone.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
"She’s filming here too?" Lin Qingyi’s gaze casually swept over the group of gossiping women below the loft. She asked offhandedly. She didn’t recognize any of them. Did they have great acting skills themselves? Were they qualified to criticize others?
"Who?" Bai Wenxi, who was busy checking messages, hadn’t noticed the conversation below. Lin Qingyi’s sudden question left her looking completely baffled.
"That vase, Qin Shiyue." Lin Qingyi’s lips curved into a faint smile, a detail even she didn’t notice, as she mentioned Qin Shiyue.
"Let me check." Bai Wenxi, though unsure why Lin Qingyi suddenly took an interest in Qin Shiyue, quickly searched online for information. As Lin Qingyi’s capable manager, she made sure to gather the details right away. Qin Shiyue was incredibly popular, so it was easy to find everything with just a quick search.
"Yes, she’s filming an idol drama here in the film city. The title is “My Princess Girlfriend”. The production started a week ago. The male lead is Zhong Rui and the director is..." Bai Wenxi reported everything she had found to Lin Qingyi truthfully.
"No wonder Kong Huizhi divorced her. If it were me, I wouldn’t want a vase like that either..." The women’s voices from below continued their discussion.
At this point, Bai Wenxi noticed the conversation happening below the loft and immediately understood why Lin Qingyi had brought up Qin Shiyue.
Lin Qingyi suddenly stood up. Under Bai Wenxi’s surprised gaze, she gracefully descended from the loft.
"Which production crew are you with?" Lin Qingyi asked casually, her tone carrying a hint of indifference.
The three or four actresses who had been gossiping about Qin Shiyue were stunned by Lin Qingyi’s sudden appearance.
"I’m with..." The group scrambled to introduce themselves to Lin Qingyi, eager to answer first.
"In the future, spend less time gossiping behind others’ backs. If you have that much free time, you might as well work on improving your acting skills. With looks like that and poor acting, it’s no wonder you’re stuck playing supporting roles to vases." Lin Qingyi finished speaking and then pushed the door open, leaving the cold drink shop.
The women who had been called out by Lin Qingyi looked at each other, momentarily stunned and unable to react.
Seeing Lin Qingyi leave the shop, Bai Wenxi finally snapped out of her daze. She grabbed her bag and quickly descended from the loft to catch up.
"Are you standing up for Qin Shiyue?" Bai Wenxi asked cautiously. This behavior was completely uncharacteristic of Lin Qingyi. Shouldn’t she be the type to stay indifferent and uninvolved?
"Standing up? You’re overthinking it. I just don’t like the people I’ve bullied being bullied by others—it cheapens my style." Lin Qingyi replied nonchalantly.
That sounded more like Lin Qingyi. Bai Wenxi mulled over her words and immediately sensed something was off. Did Lin Qingyi have a possessive approach to bullying? Was she implying only she could bully Qin Shiyue, and no one else was allowed to?
"Come on, let’s go watch the fun." Lin Qingyi put on her sunglasses, hiding her pair of stunningly elegant and aloof eyes.
Author's Note:
Lin Qingyi was preparing to visit Baby Qin’er’s set.
The year was about to end. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
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