At the shooting site, Chu Qingchan and Liu Qinnuan got busy again, while he idly scrolled through his phone and downloaded a post from a certain blogger. Although it wasn't a good place with all sorts of people, entertainment industry news circulated here.
He casually searched and found that the news related to Liu Qinnuan was mostly positive, with information about the set not completely blocked but all related to the statements from Jinling. Under her Weibo posts, people were comforting her, advising her not to let it affect her mood, and asking about the content of the shoot.
There was a comment under a post mentioning the director Sun Jian, which was the most popular, with everyone curious whether it was a movie or a TV series. Among them, a reply mentioned it was a short film and hinted at a retired celebrity, presumably referring to Chu Qingchan.
It seemed that while most of the photos could be managed, the text couldn't be completely controlled, but there wasn't any particularly strange news. So he searched for Chu Qingchan's Weibo, with the latest post being over three months ago, talking about her retirement.
Opening the comment section, it was indeed a battleground for anti-fans, but the newer replies closer to the present were all anticipating her return. This left Xu Lin a bit confused, and he clicked into the second hottest comment, posting a sentence on the big V's profile saying, "The good is gone."
He found indeed an explanation for this shift in opinion, saying that he now wants Chu Qingchan, and although her acting skills aren't great, she's good-looking.
These new actors can't act well and aren't as good-looking as Chu Qingchan, specifically referring to the idols from a certain programme.
Xu Lin didn't know if it was criticism or what. There were also hundreds of replies below, all saying they are looking forward to Chu Qingchan's return: 'I want to see the beautiful sister.'
So he searched for this programme again and found out it's a talent show that has reached its final two episodes, a segment testing acting skills.
All the girls are performing terribly, and they all look the same, as if they were carved from the same mold.
No wonder they're being criticized. Xu Lin glanced at Chun Qingchan in the distance, then glanced at Chun Fengyi beside him. This is beauty, and his standards have become picky.
"What's so good about those girls? Are they as good as me?"
"No, I didn't mean that. I just saw your sister's comments, and their information came up."
"I saw it too. By the way, the investment company in this programme is also invested in us."
"Wow... you guys are really something. But you always argue with your sister, yet you seem to care about her~"
"Who cares about her?"
"Your tsundere attitude is too strong!"
"Hmph! I bet your wound isn't hurting anymore."
"Ouch... Agh! It hurts so much!"
Finally, the main scenes between Chu Qingchan and Liu Qinnuan have ended. Xu Lin is about to appear, marking the end of this transitional scene. With that, the shooting is officially complete.
"Is your hand okay?"
"It's fine. Luckily, I didn't get beaten up in the storyline, so I don't need makeup."
"That's true. Let's get ready to shoot. Everyone to your positions!"
With the director's shout, Xu Lin and others lined up, and the cameraman found the perfect angle. Ground and aerial shots began simultaneously.
A few minutes later, as the drone slowly descended, the director shouted and the crew cheered, "It's a wrap!"
Then, the actors with roles embraced each other, and the crew members presented bouquets to Chu Qingchan and Liu Qinnuan.
The director walked to the middle of Liu Qinnuan and Chu Qingchan with a loudspeaker.
"Everyone, you all did a great job in this shoot. Originally planned for 5 days, we successfully compressed it to 2 and a half days. Thank you, everyone!"
"The background actors might feel a bit left out, but although today was half a day, we'll still count it as a full day."
"Thank you, director!"
"If you want to thank someone, thank the producers. Also, I want to especially praise Chu Qingchan. Although her acting isn't the best, she's the fastest-improving actor I've ever seen."
"This is definitely related to her hard work behind the scenes. I hope, whether you're a background actor or a supporting role, you'll all work hard together. It really can make a difference."
Sun Jian said this, and many background actors clenched their fists, feeling touched because directors rarely pay attention to extras.
"Encourage Miss Chu Qingchan as well; although she has temporarily left the entertainment industry, this short film will also serve as a good conclusion."
Everyone applauded and then praised Liu Qinnuan, as well as the other actors, before turning to him.
"How do you all feel about Xu Lin's performance?" Sun Jian draped his arm around his shoulder.
"Not bad!"
"Xu Lin did a great job!"
"Awesome!"
"Haha!"
"Well, honestly, I think Xu Lin is a genius, a genius in acting. It's his first time acting; he has never performed in front of the camera before."
"Although we don't know if Xu Lin will become an actor, I hope everyone understands that such genius exists in the world, as well as the efforts of people like Chu Qingchan."
"So, even so, should the rest of us give up? No, we must work even harder!"
Amidst the applause once again, the filming of the short film came to a complete close!
Xu Lin quickly removed his makeup, changed back into his own clothes, and sat aside, waiting for Chu Qingchan to finish tidying up.
He thought about what to buy for his parents. His remuneration had just arrived: 9k yuan, which was his first income since his rebirth.
This time, he could finally spend his own money to buy gifts for his parents. Too-expensive gifts would definitely not please them; they must be practical.
What would be practical? He couldn't buy two bags of 100 kilogrammes of rice, right? He'll consult them later.
But what about Class Monitor Ji and the others? Buying gifts for other girls in front of Chu's sisters might make him seem overly arrogant.
Just as he was a bit unsure of what to buy, someone sat next to him, emitting a faint, elegant fragrance.
"Are you leaving Jinling today?"
"What? Sorry, Miss Liu, I was lost in thought just now."
"Are you leaving today?"
"Yeah, let's go back early. Although we didn't have time to wander around this time, filming wasn't easy. We'll come back specifically for leisure next time when we're not working."
"Um, next time, come to play with ease." After saying that, Liu Qinnuan's small hands clenched tightly together, wanting to say something but then releasing them.
Xu Lin didn't notice her change, took out his phone, and continued scrolling. Then he saw a piece of gossip news, and his eyes widened instantly.
"Is this me?"
A blurry image, clearly taken in the school's filming location, but not from yesterday's scene with Liu Qinnuan but from the day before yesterday's shoot.
There he was, with some extras in the background, but it seemed like they were far away. Although his profile was visible, it wouldn't necessarily be easy for others to directly match it with his.
The text said it was the male lead of Liu Qinnuan's filming location, leaving Xu Lin speechless. A male lead whose role was ranked in the 7th or 8th position? But the comments below made him feel better.
"He's so handsome!"
"Who's that young man?"
"Don't know, a newcomer? It looks good though."
But there were also rumours, which Xu Lin ignored automatically, and the joy in his heart faded a bit, understanding some of the feelings of public figures.
You get some praise, but you also have to face some criticism. If you can't handle the criticism, then you're not suitable to be a public figure.
"Hey, Brother Xu."
"Yeah?"
"I'm really sorry!" She suddenly stood up and bowed to him.
"What are you doing? Didn't you already apologise in the car?"
"No, no, this time you helped me twice, got injured once, and almost got hurt again. I really should apologise properly. Of course, this is just to ease my own conscience."
"You sit down first." Xu Lin became serious, indicating that she should calm down first.
"Okay."
"Liu Qinnuan, you're from the entertainment industry, right?"
"Yes."
"Just like the director said, people in the entertainment industry all have some scheming and thoughts. Otherwise, how can they survive and earn more money?"
"But I'm not just for money, just for the sake of satisfying my own surface perfection."
Li Qinnuan didn't show that gentle and cute smile for the first time, losing some of her fairy-like temperament but gaining a bit of maturity.
"But by telling me all this now, aren't you admitting your own issues? Since you can reflect, that's progress."
"The scariest thing about people is not understanding themselves! If you know your desires and have goals, then there's no need to feel uneasy."
"You used me; I could hate you, but why make yourself unhappy when you've achieved your goal?"
"The hardest thing in life is to live the way you want. If external perfection is what you desire, then you're not wrong."
"If it's not what you want and you're still young, go chase after what you truly desire!"
After saying that, when Xu Lin saw Chu Qingchan coming out, he also picked up his bag and stood up, walking coolly towards that side, leaving Liu Qinnuan with an unforgettable figure from behind.