Chapter 35: Dancing On Teacher Lin’s Tolerance

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

"Let's find a place to eat first," Fang Xinhua suggested. Interrupting others flirting wasn’t very polite, but the set really wasn't the right place for it. This was already Movie Queen Lin’s second time visiting the set. The frequency was getting a bit high. It felt like if this didn’t make it to the hot searches, it’d be letting down baby Qin’er’s hot search constitution.

"I know a restaurant nearby that's pretty good. It's close to the set and won’t delay anything," Bai Wenxi offered.

Her own Teacher Lin was picky with food and didn’t like eating the same things repeatedly, so she had long since searched through every restaurant around the film studio. Using her professional standards from a family of chefs, she picked a few places with decent flavor as backup options. When it came to picking other things, Bai Wenxi didn’t dare guarantee anything, but when it came to picking restaurants, no one was better than her.

The group headed to the restaurant Bai Wenxi picked. The environment was very average, but the food was indeed delicious.

"Manager Bai, the rice in this place is really good." Even Qin Shiyue, who was used to delicacies from the mountains and seas, felt like the rice was the soul of this restaurant. She felt that even without any side dishes, she could eat two bowls just with the rice.

Lin Qingyi looked at Qin Shiyue as she scraped the bottom of the rice bowl. With a face like that and a body like that, how many female celebrities in the entertainment industry would be jealous? Eating big bowls of rice like this—one or two bowls—for a female celebrity, it was practically a luxury.

"To me, eating is all about the rice—it’s the soul of the meal. If the rice isn’t up to standard, I blacklist the restaurant," Bai Wenxi felt that Little Boss Qin really had good taste.

Fang Xinhua looked at Bai Wenxi in surprise. So it wasn’t just Movie Queen Lin who had high standards for detail—Manager Bai seemed the same.

“Manager Bai, are you a Virgo?” Fang Xinhua asked curiously.

“Sister Fang is amazing. You got it in one.” Bai Wenxi thought, is her Virgo vibe that obvious?

“Shouldn’t it be her?” Qin Shiyue pointed at Lin Qingyi with her eyes.

“Little Boss Qin is pretty sharp too. Teacher Lin is also a Virgo.” Bai Wenxi hadn’t expected Qin Shiyue to guess her master’s zodiac sign right away.

*In Astrology, people born under the Virgo sign are said to be analytical, detail-oriented and perfectionist.

“Lin Qingyi, you really are full of yourself. You even picked a manager with the same sign as you.” Qin Shiyue didn’t hold back with her jab.

Lin Qingyi raised her brows slightly. This vase was getting bolder by the day. Before, she'd at least fake some politeness and call her “Sister” or “Teacher Lin.” Now she was calling her by full name—and even trash-talking her in front of outsiders? Definitely needs to be taught a lesson.

Bai Wenxi was even more surprised when she heard Qin Shiyue say that. During her interview back then, the first question her Teacher Lin asked was really about her zodiac sign. Later on, she found out that she and Teacher Lin shared the same sign. She used to think it was just because, as fellow Virgos, they both valued details and pursued perfection, so they would naturally work well together. She never considered the possibility that Teacher Lin did it out of narcissism—wanting a mirror effect.

She truly didn’t expect that, while Qin Shiyue was pretty naive, when it came to reading her Teacher Lin, she was actually quite accurate.

And calling out her Teacher Lin face-to-face like that was basically taboo. If anyone else had said the same thing, her Teacher Lin definitely wouldn’t have been pleased. But Qin Shiyue could practically dance on her Teacher Lin’s tolerance threshold.

Bai Wenxi felt that Qin Shiyue had a gift for handling her Teacher Lin. Even if she didn’t know her weight in Teacher Lin’s heart, she was already acting spoiled with confidence. If she ever found out, that’d be something else. Bai Wenxi suddenly found herself looking forward to it.

Fang Xinhua thought, Baby Qin'er really didn’t treat Movie Queen Lin like an outsider. She couldn’t help watching Lin Qingyi’s expression—there was a very faint smile. Looks like she didn’t mind. Baby Qin'er being this blunt was likely because Movie Queen Lin allowed it.

“Isn’t there a saying online that Pisces and Virgo are a perfect match?” Fang Xinhua asked Bai Wenxi.

“Yes, they’re basically an official couple,” Bai Wenxi nodded and said.

"My Baby Qin'er is a Pisces," Fang Xinhua said lightly.

In her heart, Bai Wenxi gave her a silent thumbs-up. Sister Fang really knew what she was doing—what a beautiful assist.

Qin Shiyue had never paid attention to all these messy horoscope things before, but when she heard them say she and Lin Qingyi were a perfect match, she suddenly hit a new level of embarrassment. She and Lin Qingyi were a match? What nonsense! It was all ridiculous—but then why did she feel a bit secretly happy inside?

"Nonsense. How could I be a match with her?" Qin Shiyue looked like she didn’t want to be paired with Lin Qingyi at all, yet her shy tone carried a strange touch of pride.

Fang Xinhua and Bai Wenxi exchanged a smile. With two Virgos present, it was obvious Qin Shiyue only ever thought about matching with Lin Qingyi. Women really did say one thing and mean another.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5821232
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

"You're right, not quite a match. For you to match with me, you're still a bit lacking," Lin Qingyi said in a cold tone.

Qin Shiyue got angry the moment she heard that. Sure, maybe she really wasn’t quite a match for her, but would it kill Lin Qingyi to give her a little face? Did she have to look down on her that openly? This woman was officially the one she hated most—no exceptions.

"I'm a genuine rich and pretty heiress. How am I not a match for you, you narcissistic monster? Is it my looks that don’t match, or my family background?" Qin Shiyue thought that even if she was going to lose, she couldn’t lose in momentum.

"Your acting doesn't match," Lin Qingyi added another stab.

Damn, that stab was too ruthless. Qin Shiyue’s puffed-up momentum deflated instantly. She really couldn’t argue back.

Qin Shiyue glared at Lin Qingyi, waved the white flag, and dropped the fight.

Lin Qingyi met her eyes and unconsciously curled her lips. Her mood was great. Who told this little vase to call her narcissistic—and monster, no less? Not a match? Hah, I more than match you, thank you very much.

Bai Wenxi thought to herself, is it really okay for Teacher Lin to bully her not-yet-married wife this much?

"Right, Sister Fang, what's your zodiac sign?" Bai Wenxi asked the only person present whose sign she didn’t know yet. Good social skills meant including everyone in the room, and naturally, she couldn't leave Sister Fang out. Though it was partly for social balance, Bai Wenxi was also just a little curious.

Fang Xinhua sighed. Bai Wenxi was good in every way, but a bit too thoughtful. Fang herself had always been low-key and didn’t like being the topic of conversation—even if it was just about star signs.

"Sister Fang is a Taurus," Baby Qin’er answered on Fang Xinhua’s behalf.

"Taurus and Virgo are also a good match," Lin Qingyi casually added.

Now it was Fang Xinhua and Bai Wenxi’s turn to feel awkward. They both had the same thought—Movie Queen Lin really wasn’t someone to mess with. She clearly knew how to return fire just right.

"Oh? So Queen Lin knows about star signs too. But zodiac signs aren't reliable. Sister may be divorced, but she's straight. What about you, Manager Bai? Are you straight or not?" Qin Shiyue asked curiously.

"I'm straight too." Bai Wenxi had dated a guy in college, so she figured her orientation was straight.

"See? I told you star signs aren’t accurate," Qin Shiyue said, her tone a bit smug.

"Everyone’s just making casual comments, but Little Boss Qin seems to take it really seriously," Lin Qingyi said with a smile as she looked at her.

Qin Shiyue had no comeback. She felt like she had lost again.

They each had scenes to shoot that afternoon, so after a quick homestyle lunch, they didn’t stay long.

"When you're acting opposite the male lead and can't get into character, just pretend he's me. Think back to how it felt and how you reacted when we acted together last night," Lin Qingyi reminded her just before they parted ways.

"Mm." Qin Shiyue nodded, though she still didn’t feel confident.

It is easier said than done.

Back on set, Qin Shiyue acted naturally in scenes with others, since she only needed to be herself. The shoot went smoothly, and they finished earlier than Director Song Chengmu had planned—a first since filming began.

Seeing they still had time, Song added one more scene between the male and female lead.

This scene was one she had not practiced with Lin Qingyi the night before. She had no idea what kind of feeling or reaction to bring. It was hard trying to imagine the male lead as Lin Qingyi.

Qin Shiyue started messing up again and again. As the sky darkened, they still hadn’t passed this take.

"Maybe we should call it a day?" Song Chengmu decided to give up. He figured Qin Shiyue had been filming all day and might be exhausted. He could only hope for better tomorrow. If not, they’d just let it slide like before. Still, since Qin Shiyue had shown real improvement earlier, he had some hope.

They had already wasted a lot of time on this scene. Qin Shiyue didn’t want to give up so easily—especially after remembering what Lin Qingyi said over lunch: that her acting didn’t match up to hers. That had left a sour taste.

"Let me try two or three more times," Qin Shiyue took the initiative to say to Song Chengmu.

Song Chengmu was a little surprised that Qin Shiyue would take the initiative to ask for another take. A traffic actress willing to keep redoing a scene was certainly a good thing. Although her acting had been weak since joining the crew, her attitude had always been cooperative. He could see she was trying—her skills were just lacking.

Qin Shiyue realized her mindset might be the problem. The male lead’s acting was leagues below Lin Qingyi’s, true, but he wasn’t worse than her. If she was looking down on him, that was kind of unreasonable. For all she knew, the male lead might be looking down on her acting, too.

With that thought, she became a little humbler inside. Though the gender was still wrong, when she looked at Zhong Rui again, she didn’t find him quite so unbearable anymore.

While filming the next scene with Zhong Rui, she tried her best to imagine—if the person in front of her right now were Lin Qingyi, how would she react?

“Cut!” Song Chengmu called out when he saw Qin Shiyue freeze up, showing no reaction. Continuing like this would only waste everyone's time.

"Qin Shiyue seems really tired. Maybe we should call it a day?" Song suggested again. It was already dark, and everyone was exhausted. No one had the energy to keep fussing over this flower vase.

"Just one last try. If it doesn't work, then we'll stop," Qin Shiyue said, seeing that even the usually patient Song Chengmu was losing his temper. She asked for one final take.

In that final take, Qin Shiyue truly brought in the feelings and reactions she might have when facing Lin Qingyi.

Song Chengmu, who had already given up hope, was surprised to find that Qin Shiyue actually did quite well this time. They finally wrapped up the scene smoothly.

“Teacher Qin, that last scene was great. Keep it up tomorrow,” Song Chengmu said with a good mood, happy the time spent hadn’t been wasted.

“Thank you, Director Song. And thank you, everyone,” Qin Shiyue nodded and said.

Only after everyone had left did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. She had worried she might still mess up the last take. She knew she couldn’t just casually waste other people’s effort and time—thankfully, she hadn’t let them down.

“Tired?” Fang Xinhua handed her a bottle of water.

“Mm, it’s the first time I’ve felt that acting is this exhausting—mentally and physically,” Qin Shiyue nodded.

“You could still go back to how you were before,” Fang Xinhua said with a smile. Shiyue had the kind of background that let her be a little princess for life. She never needed to work this hard.

“No, I’ve already taken that first step, there’s no way I’m going back. It really is tough and tiring, but I can feel myself getting better. Even if it’s just a tiny bit, it gives me a real sense of achievement. It feels steady… and it makes me happy,” Qin Shiyue smiled at Fang Xinhua, her joy showing clearly.

“Baby really has grown up,” Fang Xinhua said with a smile as she gently patted Qin Shiyue’s head.

Author's Note:

Qin Shiyue: Why’s your mouth so sharp? Can’t you let me win once?

Lin Qingyi: Want to find out what good a sharp mouth can do?

Choosing a title every day is such a hassle. Let me ask—do you care whether chapters have titles or not?