After Being Blackened All Over the Internet, I Ruled the Military Variety Shows
Chapter 264: You Pretend, I Pretend Too

Chapter 264: Chapter 264: You Pretend, I Pretend Too

The photography studio was sweltering, especially for Jiang Xiyu who was being illuminated by two spotlights on either side. Wrapped in layers of costume, she felt like she was about to catch fire.

The photographer, however, kept babbling on with the camera in hand: "Ms. Jiang, your expression looks a bit stiff, a more natural look would be better."

"Ms. Jiang, please tidy up your hem, it’s looking a bit messy."

"Ms. Jiang..."

Jiang Xiyu finally couldn’t hold her temper any longer. She was already in a bad mood ever since she suspected that Lin Ying might genuinely dislike her. She had been racking her brains trying to figure out how to change his attitude towards her, yet the constant buzzing noise in her ears wouldn’t let her calm down to think.

"Just a single costume shot..."

"Ms. Xu, you’re here."

"Ms. Xu, I have a small fan for you to use."

Jiang Xiyu’s voice cut off sharply as she suddenly looked up at the figure being ushered in with great fanfare.

Even the photographer, who had been incessantly chattering in front of her, stopped shooting and greeted Xu Qingmei with utmost respect.

Jiang Xiyu couldn’t help but lower her eyes, suppressing the envy and jealousy in her heart.

Heaven knows how much she wanted to be like Xu Qingmei, who everywhere she went, always received admiring and affectionate gazes. Whatever she desired, she didn’t even have to ask, and someone would hand it to her with both hands. She was always the leading lady in films, the grand finale on the red carpet, her fame sky-high, seemingly indestructible.

But the reality was, she was sitting under the spotlights, while everyone else in the studio rushed over to greet Xu Qingmei as if they had all suddenly forgotten her existence.

The stark contrast made her feel utterly disheartened and uncomfortable.

Her hand, resting on her knee, gripped the costume tightly, forming wrinkles without her realizing it.

Although Jiang Xiyu’s gaze was only uncovered for a split second, Xu Qingmei, who had specifically come over to see why that person had taken a liking to her, naturally caught sight of that unwilling look.

She maintained the image of a gentle, faint smile on her face, but inwardly she scoffed with disdain.

That person’s taste was really getting worse and worse!

But still, with Jiang Xiyu’s shallow, vain, and poorly disguised nature, even if she was chosen by that person, she would probably just serve as a tool.

She really couldn’t see what threat this person posed, her level was simply too low.

Although Jiang Xiyu was even worse than she had imagined, making her even less interested, since she was already here, she figured she might as well put on a good act.

Xu Qingmei, surrounded by people, walked up to Jiang Xiyu, "So this is my little disciple Yu Xin?"

"Hello, Ms. Xu," Jiang Xiyu looked up at Xu Qingmei, her face filled with total admiration and delight, "Since the last time we parted, I never expected that one day I’d be acting in the same show as you. In the future, I hope to learn more from you on the set."

"Last time?" A genuine look of confusion appeared on Xu Qingmei’s face.

But in Jiang Xiyu’s eyes, it only made her clutch the costume tighter, "I rushed off a bit too quick last time and accidentally bumped your arm."

Xu Qingmei suddenly remembered, "Oh that, I forgot all about it."

This was actually true. Before hearing Jiang Xiyu’s name from that person, she had hardly any impression of this insignificant little actress because there simply was no need to remember her.

"Ms. Xu has always been good-tempered."

"Yes, once someone accidentally spilled water on Ms. Xu, and she even reminded him to be careful while walking."

Jiang Xiyu: "..."

She thought she was quite good at pretending, but unexpectedly the person in front of her was even more adept at it.

Maintaining a smile, why was it so difficult!

After Xu Qingmei left, the costume photoshoot continued.

Jiang Xiyu sat there for almost half an hour more, feeling as if her face was getting roasted to the point of peeling, when finally, she heard, "Okay."

"Quick, take me to the break room, I need water!"

On the other end, Lin Ying quickly received the costume photos from the photographer. After opening and glancing at them briefly, he frowned, "Didn’t Ms. Xu insist this costume shot must be done perfectly, with great precision? We spent almost the entire morning and came up with just this one?"

After speaking, he couldn’t help but mumble quietly, "This isn’t even as good as the shot Yu Si took earlier. Who knows what Xu Qingmei was thinking, recommending someone like this."

But no matter how dissatisfied he was, he had to keep shooting.

He couldn’t overturn Xu Qingmei’s decision, but he could definitely give Jiang Xiyu a hard time.

Unless Jiang Xiyu’s acting could surpass Yu Si from before!

After the morning’s costume photoshoot, the actual filming began in the afternoon.

Jiang Xiyu’s first scene was opposite Xu Qingmei.

After all, she played the main character’s disciple, meaning most of her scenes were opposite the main character.

At first, Jiang Xiyu was quite excited.

She had never imagined that she could act in the same frame as Xu Qingmei.

Having this experience on her acting résumé would open up many more opportunities in the future.

But after several consecutive takes, hearing Lin Ying’s increasingly agitated scolding, with comments like ’face as stiff as a rock,’ ’are both your legs and arms dysfunctional? Where’s the upper body movement I needed?’ and ’can’t even remember those few lines, what’s going on in your head,’ Jiang Xiyu was about ready to wish for Lin Ying’s immediate demise.

This was targeted at her, definitely targeting her!

Fortunately, the only comfort was that Xu Qingmei also stayed through the NGs with her, without a hint of impatience. She even interceded for her with Lin Ying, "Director, Xiyu just arrived, and she’s not yet familiar with the rest of the cast, and now she’s doing a direct scene with me, she’s probably just nervous."

To make a fool feel grateful, all you need to do is wreck them until they’re close to breaking, then show a tiny bit of goodwill; she was all too familiar with this method!

Lin Ying angrily put down the loudspeaker, "Take a twenty-minute break and then continue shooting."

Jiang Xiyu wasn’t sure whether Xu Qingmei, who was speaking for her, was also pretending to be generous, but since the other party wanted to appear friendly to a junior, naturally, she wouldn’t mind stepping up.

She couldn’t let Lin Ying continue to target her. Since pleasing the director was out of the question, she might as well use this chance to get closer to Xu Qingmei, and perhaps by the time this film wrapped, she might become close to Xu Qingmei and use her connections to land other great scripts.

Seated and standing, both of them smiled gently at each other the moment they made eye contact, skillfully hiding their respective agendas.

*

Elsewhere.

Yu Si was curled up in her small apartment, bought with a mortgage in Imperial City, browsing recent work opportunities through the connections she’d gained from acting in previous years.

Although she’d been forced out of the ’Qingcheng Legend’ crew both openly and covertly, she still received a breach of contract compensation from the previously signed agreement.

But relying solely on her savings wasn’t in her character; she genuinely enjoyed the acting process and would naturally want to try out new opportunities if they arose.

After searching around and not finding anything suitable, she didn’t feel anxious. Receiving a lunch invitation from a friend who was also resting at home, she cheerfully put on some makeup, changed into her favorite dress, and happily went out to meet.

The moment they met, her friend fixed her with an exasperated yet concerned look, "I say, can’t you be a bit more ambitious? If it weren’t for ’Qingcheng Legend’ posting an update today, I wouldn’t even know that Jiang Xiyu snatched your role. What is this all about? How did Jiang Xiyu have the nerve to do that?"

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