Chapter 33: Have Feelings
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
“I’ll help you take off your shoe. A massage will make it feel much better.”
Lin Qingyi knelt on one knee in front of Qin Shiyue and gently took off her shoe.
Even though she knew it was just a rehearsal, Qin Shiyue still felt a natural wave of shyness. She instinctively pulled her foot back just a little, but it still ended up resting in Lin Qingyi’s palm. It was as if her foot had really twisted. The way Lin Qingyi moved was so gentle, so careful.
Qin Shiyue once again realized just how good Lin Qingyi’s acting was. In that moment, the woman half-kneeling before her, massaging her foot, seemed to have become the male lead from the script—tender and full of affection. It was clearly just practice, she could have gone through the motions, yet Lin Qingyi was being so focused, so serious.
The scene might be fake, but the physical contact was real.
Qin Shiyue felt her clearly uninjured ankle being massaged so comfortably, it even sent a tingling sensation through her. As soon as she realized her body was reacting, she felt overwhelmed by shame and embarrassment. It was just a rehearsal—how could she be getting feelings from Lin Qingyi massaging her leg? Her cheeks flushed red, and she couldn’t hide it at all. She felt incredibly ashamed of her unprofessional reaction and silently scolded herself.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore…”
She still managed to remember her line, but Qin Shiyue said it shyly as she tried to pull her leg back. The script said she should, but this time, it was exactly how she felt—she wanted to pull away and avoid Lin Qingyi’s touch.
Lin Qingyi looked up at her. She saw the woman’s cheeks blushing bright red, looking just like a shy cherry that made people want to take a bite. She knew this Vase probably wasn’t that good at acting—was she really shy? Just from a little foot massage? Could the Vase really be this pure?
So Lin Qingyi got even more wicked. Taking advantage of the scene, she held onto Qin Shiyue’s calf, her palm pressed against the soft curve of it, gently stroking downward along the smooth skin.
The calf being stroked felt even more tingly than before. Startled by the sensation, Qin Shiyue wanted to pull her leg back again. But the script did not allow for it, so she had to fight down that urge.
Luckily, Lin Qingyi’s hand did not linger long on her calf and soon returned to her ankle.
Fang Xinhua had never seen her Baby Qin'er act this naturally before. Watching Qin Shiyue now—her performance so natural it could not be more natural—Fang Xinhua was a little moved. That bashful expression was absolutely perfect. But she was unsure if it was Movie Queen Lin leading the scene so well, or if the two of them were just fake-acting real love, which made their chemistry unbelievably natural and sweet.
Either way, as long as her Baby Qin'er could act like this during tomorrow’s shoot, this comeback might really succeed. Fang Xinhua had a hunch this drama might explode in popularity, even more than any of Baby Qin'er's previous works.
“Cut!”
Bai Wenxi, acting as the director, shouted once the scene was done.
As soon as she heard “cut”, Qin Shiyue quickly pulled her foot back and did not dare look at Lin Qingyi.
Still crouched on one knee, Lin Qingyi finally stood up.
“Baby, that was a good scene. Even better than I expected,” Lin Qingyi praised her.
“Not at all. It must be because Teacher Lin led me well,” Qin Shiyue replied modestly, feeling a little guilty from the praise. She thought to herself that there were several moments just now where she completely forgot she was acting. Having such shameful, awkward feelings—how could that be professional at all?
Fang Xinhua and Bai Wenxi exchanged another look. They had only been gone for a short while, and the relationship had already progressed to the point where they were calling each other “baby”? Even magnets did not have that kind of pull.
“Baby’s acting just now was really natural and really good. As long as you don't lose this state tomorrow, you’ll be fine,” Fang Xinhua said, affirming her as well.
When Qin Shiyue heard Fang Xinhua call her baby, her slow reflexes finally caught up. She realized Lin Qingyi had also called her baby just now—and right in front of Sister Fang and Manager Bai too. But being called baby by Lin Qingyi didn’t feel the same at all as being called baby by Sister Fang. Wait, how can she be a baby? She is supposed to be focused on her career, aiming to be a cool big sister type and the dream woman of the lesbian world.
Qin Shiyue thought about how Lin Qingyi was also ranked number one as the lesbian circle‘s dream woman, and she felt unbalanced again. How can a straight woman take that title? She doesn't deserve it. Qin Shiyue told herself she was the pure and unpolluted real deal.
“Don’t call me baby. It makes me sound so childish,” Qin Shiyue said seriously, standing up for herself.
“If you do not want to be baby, how about Blue And White Porcelain?” Bai Wenxi suddenly cut in. She still felt that her name choice had class, sounded nice, and had an elegant ring to it.
Fang Xinhua thought Manager Bai really did have some strange obsession with Blue And White Porcelain.
“It’s too plain. It doesn't match,” Lin Qingyi shot the idea down right away.
Qin Shiyue finally caught on and gave Bai Wenxi a resentful look. She had thought Manager Bai was a good person who would not make fun of others, but apparently she also saw her as a flower vase and even gave her a matching nickname.
“I think baby is really cute too,” Bai Wenxi added quickly, feeling guilty under Qin Shiyue’s pitiful gaze.
Just then, Lin Qingyi glanced over at Bai Wenxi.
Bai Wenxi quickly understood her boss’s displeasure. She thought, No way, her possessiveness is so strong. Only she can call Baby "Baby," no one else is allowed? If she can, she should glare at Sister Fang too. This double standard is not very good.
“Let’s stop the shooting here for today. We will continue tomorrow night,” Lin Qingyi looked at the time. It was already past eleven. As they say, the master only leads you to the door, cultivation depends on the person. Tomorrow, Vase Qin’er would have to rely on her own live performance.
“Thank you Teacher Lin and Manager Bai for the help. We will not disturb your rest,” Fang Xinhua said gratefully.
“Baby, how did it feel acting with Teacher Lin?” On the way back, Fang Xinhua asked curiously. She had never thought her Baby Qin’er would have the chance to act with an actress of the top level, and even hold her own in the scenes. When she got back, she would quickly report this good news to President Qin.
How did it feel? Qin Shiyue recalled the feeling when acting with Lin Qingyi. It felt like she was the female lead, and the male lead—no, the female lead—made her heart beat. Lin Qingyi’s character in the play was not so annoying, but especially gentle and considerate, without mocking or teasing her.
The feeling of acting with Lin Qingyi was: she wanted to fall in love with Lin Qingyi in the play.
“Just so-so,” Qin Shiyue said casually. Of course, she could not tell others her infatuated thoughts. It was too embarrassing.
“Lin Qingyi is really worthy of her reputation. She is great herself, and even you got carried away by her. She acts with such seriousness and charm. So many online praises are not without reason…” Fang Xinhua couldn’t help but praise. If she were not a rational old auntie, she almost wanted to become a fan.
When Qin Shiyue heard what Fang Xinhua said, she thought, So it is not just me who thinks this way. Even Sister Fang thinks she is charming. That means I only admire her, definitely have no improper thoughts. Thinking like this, Qin Shiyue suddenly felt much more at ease.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
“She is not as great as you say!” Qin Shiyue said stubbornly like a duck with a stiff beak.
“True, our Baby is not bad either. Your progress today was like a thousand miles in one day,” Fang Xinhua praised her Baby Qin'er again.
“My acting really improved?” Qin Shiyue asked uncertainly. She did not feel much herself. She had only acted according to Lin Qingyi’s instructions.
“Yes, I have almost never seen you act so naturally before. It was really great.” Whether or not she had fallen for Lin Qingyi for real during the acting, just judging from the performance alone, Baby Qin’er did very well tonight.
After hearing Fang Xinhua’s affirmation, Qin Shiyue thought, This is probably the benefit of playing myself. Many reactions were my true reactions. So she clearly realized how much of her praised performance was just her being herself. But it was still the first time she had been praised for her acting. That alone made her very happy.
Tomorrow, I should be able to do well too, Qin Shiyue thought with longing.
Qin Shiyue and Fang Xinhua arrived early at the filming crew.
When Song Chengmu saw that this living Buddha had returned as scheduled, he let out a breath of relief. But just as he relaxed, Manager Fang told him they were going to change the script and the whole crew had to follow the new one. When Song Chengmu heard that, his head went numb. He hated that his status was not high enough to throw a fit and walk out. This show was really getting hard to shoot.
But the situation was stronger than the person. Who told this living Buddha to have an even greater Buddha behind her? He could not afford to offend them. Even if they forced the script to be changed, what else could the entire crew do but go along?
Song Chengmu still wanted to put up a final struggle, hoping to change their decision to rewrite the whole script.
“This isn't very good, right? Changing the script like this affects all the actors in the crew. Everyone's already memorized their lines, and now with the changes, they'll have to get used to everything again. I'm worried people might have opinions about this.” Song Chengmu spoke tactfully. In truth, it wasn't just him who felt unhappy—no one in the crew would be happy about it.
“Director Song, please don't be in a rush to say no. Just take a look at the new script first. We know our Shiyue's acting isn't good. We're aware she's dragging down the whole crew, and we feel bad about it too. We just want to do a bit of damage control. If her acting doesn't come through, maybe a smoother script will help. If the script flows better, maybe our Shiyue can act better too.” Fang Xinhua spoke with logic and reason, not trying to force anything. She believed that after reading the script, Song Chengmu would agree that the new version was better.
“Alright, then I’ll take a look at the script first.” Since the top agent herself had spoken, what could Song Chengmu do? He could only read the script. He just hoped the changes weren’t too outrageous or too absurd.
At first, Song Chengmu read the new script with a resigned mindset. But after reading it, he found that the changes weren't random at all. In fact, they were surprisingly well done. So Qin Shiyue’s team really did want to help her act well in this drama, not just let her mess around? If that was truly the case, then this was a good thing. The filming ahead might actually go more smoothly.
“This script is indeed better than the previous one, but it's still a bit tricky. I'll go talk to everyone and get the whole crew to cooperate with Teacher Qin.” After reading the script, Song Chengmu gave a reluctant compromise. Even if the script was better, there would probably still be people unhappy about it.
“Then I’ll have to trouble, Director Song.” Fang Xinhua said politely.
With the new script in place, the whole cast had to adjust, and filming was delayed by one or two hours.
Under Lin Qingyi’s guidance last night, when Qin Shiyue performed as herself today, she indeed became much more natural. Although it was still far from last night’s standard, compared to her earlier awkward acting, there was truly a qualitative leap.
Song Chengmu was very surprised. He had already completely given up hope on Qin Shiyue’s acting. He did not expect that after filming resumed today, Qin Shiyue would give him such a big surprise. Her acting did not become amazing, but at least it was no longer awkward, and it was much more natural.
Song Chengmu did not think the improvement was only because of the revised script. Has someone skilled given her advice?
But very quickly, Song Chengmu realized that he had been happy too early.
When Qin Shiyue acted alone or with others, it was still acceptable. However, once she acted with the male lead, her acting instantly returned to its previous state. There had already been countless NGs*.
*No good/reject
This could not be blamed on Qin Shiyue. Last night, the person who acted with her was Lin Qingyi. Her acting was good, her gender was right, her looks were beautiful, and her character in the drama was gentle and considerate. She completely fit Qin Shiyue’s standards for a romantic partner, making her genuinely want to fall in love with her.
But now, facing the male lead, Qin Shiyue not only did not want to fall in love, she could hardly suppress her inner dislike.
The male lead, Zhong Rui, was a newly popular idol. His status was still far below that of someone like Qin Shiyue, who had been popular for years. Usually, these idols, whether male or female, did not have good acting skills. Zhong Rui’s acting was only slightly better than Qin Shiyue’s past performance. His looks were passable, but as the male lead acting opposite the face queen Qin Shiyue, he was still not a match in appearance, not handsome enough.
Last night, she had just acted with movie queen-level Lin Qingyi. Now suddenly changing to a popular male idol—there was no harm without comparison. After the comparison, even Qin Shiyue could not help but feel disdain toward Zhong Rui’s acting. Adding the mismatch in gender, Qin Shiyue could not feel his handsomeness at all. Even if she could, compared to Lin Qingyi’s looks, they were not in the same league.
Qin Shiyue felt that she really had become too arrogant. Her acting had just barely improved, yet she could already dislike other people’s acting. But she thought the main reason was still that the other party’s gender did not suit her taste. If the other person was a beauty, she would definitely get into the scene more. But now, she completely could not stop herself from snapping out of the act again and again.
Just like right now—Zhong Rui was massaging her ankle. Not only did Qin Shiyue not feel shy like last night, she only felt repulsed. She even wanted to lift her foot and kick the man in front of her ten thousand eight thousand miles away.
Qin Shiyue felt that she did not want to act in male-female idol dramas anymore in the future. Female-female was still acceptable. But the female-female market was not as big as male-female, so no one invited her to act in female-female dramas. Probably it was because her pay was too high and it was not cost-effective to cast her in a female-female drama. Qin Shiyue felt that if it was a female-female drama, she could take less pay. After all, she was not short of money. At least it would not be as hard to act as it was now.
Qin Shiyue also thought it was Lin Qingyi’s fault for acting too well with her last night. Originally she did not dislike Zhong Rui this much. But after driving a luxury sports car, who could go back to settling for this broken bicycle?
With this kind of mindset, Qin Shiyue simply could not create a CP feeling, nor could she act out the sweet atmosphere of an idol drama.
Even Director Song Chengmu could feel how much Qin Shiyue disliked the male lead. He thought, this was just filming—did she have to dislike him this clearly? Before, although Qin Shiyue’s acting was awkward, at least her dislike for the male lead was not so obvious. But now it was so obvious—how was he supposed to film this idol drama? The acting in idol dramas could be a bit worse, but the CP feeling and romantic atmosphere were still very important. So at this moment, Song Chengmu could no longer tell whether the current situation was better or worse.
It should be worse.
Song Chengmu could only call a break. Without hope, there would be no disappointment. It really was a joy in vain. Song Chengmu could not help letting out a long sigh.
Lin Qingyi, who was also filming, could not help thinking of Qin Shiyue during the break. She did not know what was going on with that vase over there.
“What’s going on over there?” Lin Qingyi could not help asking Bai Wenxi.
“What?” Bai Wenxi actually knew Lin Qingyi was asking about Qin Shiyue, but she pretended not to understand on purpose.
Lin Qingyi stared at Bai Wenxi and gave her three more seconds.
“Are you asking about your baby?” Bai Wenxi seemed to suddenly catch on and asked teasingly. She felt that the words “your baby” were so mushy it gave her goosebumps.
Lin Qingyi raised her brows. Bai Wenxi had been getting a bit cheeky lately.
“I also want to know if the time and energy I spent last night were all poured into the water.” Lin Qingyi had a look of “I am not caring about her, I am caring about the time and effort I put in.”
This was obviously “there are no 300 taels of silver here* ”
*obvious lie
Author's Note:
Bai Wenxi: Your baby, mushy to the point I gave myself goosebumps, rubbed and rubbed my goosebumps.
Qin Shiyue: Wanting to date the Lin Qingyi in the drama, can be counted as a kind of career pursuit too, right?
Lin Qingyi: Chasing me should count too. The biggest career pursuit in this text.
Even though I know there are many fattening-up parties*, I still prefer company all the way, and like reading comments.
*stockpiling the chapters to binge read
There are still random red envelopes too.
