Superstar's Development Diary
Chapter 109: Showing Off

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Showing Off

He Jinxia sat in a chair and blinked, as if she had to say something...

She coughed a few times, suddenly attracting the attention of everyone present. Under their gaze, He Jinxia timidly spoke up, "Director, I’m sorry, but I was the one who embroidered this bamboo."

She explained, "Yesterday, after shooting a few scenes that involved needlework, I used this Brocade Handkerchief so much that I effortlessly embroidered a bamboo onto it. Today, I just added a few bamboo leaves around it. I’m sorry, Director, I thought you wouldn’t specifically shoot the handkerchief in my hand."

Gu Qiao: "..."

The head of the props department: "..."

It took a long while before Gu Qiao came back to his senses, and he asked incredulously, "You embroidered a small bamboo just in those few minutes of filming?"

He Jinxia shook her head and said, "Not just during filming, but also while waiting at other times, I kept embroidering on the Brocade Handkerchief."

No matter how long it took her to embroider, He Jinxia’s move was undeniably impressive!

If this was showing off, they would definitely give it full marks.

In the end, Gu Qiao had the props department fetch a new, pristine Brocade Handkerchief for He Jinxia, instructed her not to embroider bamboo but to embroider some flowers instead, and then they resumed shooting.

By the time they finished shooting that morning, the whole crew knew of He Jinxia’s embroidery skills.

During lunch, Luo Sifang specifically came over to ask how to embroider something, wanting to learn. Others curiously gathered around to watch.

There are many types of embroidery, the most common being Suzhou Embroidery, Xiangxiu, Shu Embroidery, and Yue Embroidery. He Jinxia knew Suzhou Embroidery and a rarer type known as Bian Embroidery.

In ancient times, the craft of embroidery was handed down from generation to generation, and was not easily shared with outsiders. But in modern times, that concern no longer exists. It has become difficult to pass down as fewer people are willing to learn it.

He Jinxia was open about it, sharing the essentials of Bian Embroidery. But seeing that Luo Sifang and the others couldn’t understand at all, she switched to teaching a more common embroidery method.

As the people saw He Jinxia narrate and embroider at the same time, crafting a cute, pinkish little flower in less than ten minutes, and as Luo Sifang cautiously tried and failed to even get a petal right, let alone finish a flower in ten minutes and even accidentally pricking her finger with the needle!

As the saying goes, without comparisons there would be no harm done. After seeing He Jinxia’s skills, some people in the crew looked at her differently, with even more respect.

Having a skill is respected wherever you go, even if embroidery might not seem to add much for a celebrity, it’s still better than not knowing anything but having a pretty face, right?

In the afternoon, while preparing to start shooting, Luo Dingxin was called back by the director from outdoor to indoor scenes.

Upon his arrival, he heard about He Jinxia’s embroidery skills and was surprised. Eager, he went to see where He Jinxia was resting and wanted a glimpse of her work.

Seeing Luo Dingxin come to look at her bamboo embroidery, He Jinxia generously took it out, along with another handkerchief embroidered with a Red Flower. It was no trouble at all, as Luo Sifang had just left not long ago.

The props department had intended to discard the bamboo-embroidered Brocade Handkerchief, but the head of the department had an idea and ended up giving it to Xiao Hua along with some needles and thread, and Xiao Hua naturally handed these items to He Jinxia.

With this move, the head of the department had skillfully sought a favor from He Jinxia.

Upon seeing those Brocade Handkerchiefs, He Jinxia couldn’t help but smile meaningfully.

Who says a strict director’s crew can’t have its maneuvers?

A crew including makeup artists, lighting technicians, assistants, and extras numbers in the hundreds; wherever there are people, there’s Itinerant World. A small, united crew like "Chen Xiaohui, Go Forward!" is almost unheard of in the entertainment circle.

Cheng Xiaohua asked her if she wanted to retreat, but He Jinxia shook her head, said nothing, and just told her to put it away.

"This bamboo seems not too difficult; how long did it take you to embroider it?" Luo Dingxin curiously asked.

He Jinxia came back to her senses and said uncertainly, "Maybe more than ten minutes?"

There wasn’t much time for her to be bored on set, as she was mostly busy, only embroidering while waiting for other actors to enter the scene, position themselves, or while the lighting crew set up the lights, preventing her from immediately filming.

She would only pick up the handkerchief and casually embroider when she got fed up reading the script during waits.

Hearing this, Luo Dingxin grew even more curious, "Then you’re quite fast. Although the bamboo looks simple, if it were me, I probably couldn’t do it well even in an afternoon. Did you practice specifically to embroider so quickly?"

He Jinxia smiled slightly, "I’ve practiced a little."

Luo Dingxin said, "Have you ever thought about selling your embroidery? I think they look pretty good. If you do decide to sell, remember to tell me; I’ll definitely buy one."

Upon hearing this, He Jinxia couldn’t help but laugh slightly, "There’s no need to sell it; this is just a hobby of mine. If you like the embroidery, you can have your girlfriend embroider one for you in the future. In ancient times, only close ones would embroider items for each other."

Seeing her smile, Luo Dingxin was momentarily lost in thought.

He Jinxia’s charming phoenix eyes sparkled, especially enchanting. Her eyes slightly lifted with her smile, appearing even more ethereal and captivating, making his heart skip a few beats.

He tightened his grip on the handkerchief slightly and quickly regained his composure with a smile, "I’m afraid my girlfriend doesn’t have the skills you do; it’s a pity you don’t sell them, as I quite like embroidery, these artifacts of ancient culture."

He Jinxia thought for a moment and said, "I only do simple embroidery here, it’s nothing noteworthy. If you like collecting these items, you could visit Suzhou. There, you’ll find plenty of master embroiderers’ works, and chances of coming across a gem are high."

The two then chatted about Suzhou for a while before Luo Dingxin eventually left.

After he left, He Jinxia’s gaze lowered in contemplation, and when she looked up again, her eyes were clear.

Cheng Xiaohua, who had been sitting not far away, ran over and asked anxiously, "Fat Emperor, what did he want with you?"

She glanced at Cheng Xiaohua and said lightly, "Nothing much, he was just curious about me embroidering the bamboo and came to have a look."

Cheng Xiaohua frowned, "Is that all? Why do I feel like he has other intentions?"

Seeing her anxious appearance, He Jinxia was amused and said, "Alright, don’t worry. I’m not interested in dating now, and I don’t have feelings for Luo Dingxin. If you’re really concerned, I’ll just reduce my interactions with him."

Cheng Xiaohua quickly shook her head, "Jinxia, that’s not what I mean. I won’t stop you from dating, and neither will the team. Celebrities are human, not machines, and it’s normal to be in a relationship.

"But if you do start dating, as your assistant, I must make sure to screen them properly. If a scumbag comes courting and you get carried away by him, then I’d be deeply at fault!"

He Jinxia, "...Do I make you all that anxious? If he really were a scumbag, I wouldn’t accept him."

Cheng Xiaohua stated as a matter of fact, "Of course we’re anxious; women are naive!"

He Jinxia, "I’m not naive."

Cheng Xiaohua, "But you look so easily deceived!"

He Jinxia, "..."