Even before Qin Ran arrived, the support vans arranged by Sister Li had already shown up. Sister Li had paid a rush fee, tripling the usual price for such services. With such a generous budget, every staff member greeted them with smiles, determined to take good care of such a lucrative client. They were well aware of 99 Entertainment's reputation, and now that they finally had a chance to work together, they were keen to live up to their high expectations.
The team from the support vans beamed as they invited the crew to come over and grab some snacks and take a break. The director, fuming with anger, was ready to chase them off, but the producer quickly intervened. "Oh, come on, we've all been working so hard. Let's take a short break and grab something to eat. It's just a little token of appreciation from the investors."
He deliberately refrained from attributing this gesture to Yu Shuman, fearing that the director, in his stubbornness, might hold it against her and cause trouble for her on set.
Thanks to the producer's adept diplomacy, the director had no choice but to let everyone take a break. As the crew stepped outside, they were greeted by a scene of Yu Shuman's life-sized cutouts and banners proclaiming her as "Manman's No.1 Fan." Seeing this, Zeng Qian, also part of the crew, couldn't help but tease Yu Shuman. "This must be little Qin's doing, right? Wow, three support vans—how extravagant!"
Everyone joined in the teasing. If Yu Shuman's relationship with Qin Ran had been purely platonic, she would have likely joked back and urged everyone to dig in. But given that her relationship with Qin Ran was far from innocent, Yu Shuman's face turned slightly red as she pushed Zeng Qian forward. "Stop talking and eat more; you never shut up!"
"No way! I'm a star—I can't eat too much or I'll get fat!"
With them leading the way, the rest of the crew soon followed, helping themselves to the food and drinks. Even Xiaoyue the screenwriter joined in, grabbing a meal for herself. If nothing else, she certainly wasn't going to miss out on a good meal. After so many days on set, even though the production budget was decent and the boxed meals were among the better options available in the film city, after ten consecutive days of the same food, even the least picky eater would find it hard to keep it down.
And no matter how good those boxed meals were, they were still just boxed meals—one large portion of meat, a smaller portion, and two vegetables, with nothing else. After wrapping up for the day and returning to the hotel, most people were too tired to go out. While the stars could send their assistants to run errands, even ordering takeout offered limited options.
Sister Li's food trucks, however, were a whole different story, offering a variety of meals to choose from. There were braised pork rice, hand-pulled noodles, tangyuan, dumplings, and even steak, pasta, fries, grilled chicken wings, and fried squid balls. While these weren't particularly expensive items, they were a welcome change from the monotony of the boxed meals.
The dessert truck offered fresh fruit and cakes, an irresistible temptation after so many days of bland food.
Xiaoyue the screenwriter got herself a meal with steak, spaghetti Bolognese, and three fried baby potatoes. Seeing such calorie-laden and sinful food brought tears to her eyes as she ate. Even Zeng Qian, who initially claimed she couldn't eat much, ended up with a bowl of hand-pulled noodles and a slice of tiramisu.
The coffee truck was surrounded by people. Despite its name, it also offered fruit tea and milk tea. Yu Shuman opted for a freshly squeezed orange juice, and after drinking it, she felt rejuvenated, the morning's fatigue completely washed away.
By the time everyone had eaten and it was time to resume work in the afternoon, Yu Shuman spotted Qin Ran, Wu Special Assistant, and Sister Li chatting with the producer in a corner. She had gone to grab a bottle of water and, seeing them, she waved cheerfully at Qin Ran.
Qin Ran noticed Yu Shuman immediately. Dressed in a black coat, she held a cup of hot coffee in her hand. When she saw Yu Shuman waving, she smiled and waved back.
Yu Shuman wanted to run over to Qin Ran, but she knew she had work to do. Instead, she pressed her hands together in a gesture of apology. Qin Ran, not minding at all, simply waved her off, signaling her to go back to work.
Yu Shuman's scene was up next. The producer, still beside Qin Ran, was singing her praises. "Miss Yu Shuman has been doing exceptionally well. Though her interpretation of the third female lead differed from the director's original vision, she quickly won him over. They've been collaborating closely on set…"
Before the producer could finish, the director suddenly yelled, "Cut!" His script, crumpled in frustration, was clenched tightly in his hands. His voice echoed throughout the studio, loud enough to startle Qin Ran. "Yu Shuman! What's going on? Do you call that acting? Do you even know what character you're supposed to be playing? You were fine this morning, but now you're all over the place!"
Yu Shuman, her face tinged with embarrassment, quickly apologized, sincerely promising to make adjustments. The director, still fuming, finally relented. "Five minutes," he snapped.
Meaning, a five-minute break. Lucy rushed over to touch up Yu Shuman's makeup, while Xiao An handed her some water and offered words of comfort. "Manman, you're doing great! Every actor gets yelled at by the director; you've been yelled at the least. Hang in there, and we'll nail the next take!"
Yu Shuman shook her head, unfazed by the idea of getting it right on the first take. She knew the director's high standards made it nearly impossible.
"It was my fault just now. I got a little distracted, and the director was right—I wasn't in character. I'll take a moment to readjust."
She admitted her mistake, fully aware of the reason behind her lapse in focus. Seeing Qin Ran earlier had caused her to momentarily slip into her true self rather than the third female lead. Determined, she resolved not to glance in Qin Ran's direction again, unaware that the producer was nervously apologizing to Qin Ran.
"President Qin, please understand—our director isn't singling out Miss Yu Shuman. He's this strict with everyone. Miss Yu Shuman has been doing very well, improving rapidly, and hardly ever gets criticized. This is unusual…" Despite the warmth of the studio's heating, the large space made it difficult to keep it warm, and the producer was sweating profusely, clearly on edge.
Qin Ran took a sip of her coffee. Honestly, she was seriously considering replacing the director. How dare he berate Yu Shuman in front of her? It seemed like he didn't want to keep his job. But Yu Shuman had always objected to this idea, understanding that the director, for all his faults, did possess some talent. She even reassured Qin Ran, saying, "It's really nothing—just one film, and we won't see much of each other anyway."
Seeing Qin Ran remain silent, the producer grew increasingly anxious. When Qin Ran finished her coffee, she handed the cup to Wu Special Assistant, who promptly disposed of it. Sister Li, trying to smooth things over, chimed in, "No need to be so tense. It's just a small issue. Our President Qin isn't petty enough to hold grudges over something like this."
Sister Li's subtle reminders made Qin Ran glance at her but say nothing. Qin Ran understood that Sister Li was cautioning her against letting her dominant side show at this moment. Otherwise, Yu Shuman's career in the industry might be jeopardized. Sister Li, as an experienced manager, knew that being overly pampered on set was not conducive to Yu Shuman's growth. While the director had his flaws, he was honest in his critiques and genuinely invested in helping Yu Shuman improve. Despite his shortcomings as a person, he was a capable director, and Yu Shuman could learn a lot from him.
Reluctantly, Qin Ran decided to hold back her temper.
The next take began, and Yu Shuman's performance improved. The director, seated behind the monitor, closely observed her reactions, occasionally using the walkie-talkie to direct the lighting and camera angles.
Though Qin Ran wasn't well-versed in filming, she acknowledged the director's solid coordination skills. However, it still took ten takes before the scene was approved. Seeing the producer's worried expression, Qin Ran couldn't help but laugh inwardly as he wiped sweat from his brow, bowing slightly as he said, "I swear, it wasn't personal—this is just how he is. I'll definitely have a word with him and make sure he tones it down."
Qin Ran scoffed. As if that temper of his could change?
She didn't believe it for a second.
But the director's attitude did need adjusting. If he couldn't change, Qin Ran would help him do so.
So many people had urged her not to replace him, and she could agree to that. But if he didn't adjust his attitude, was she really expected to let Yu Shuman suffer?
Luckily, they managed to complete the scene, giving Yu Shuman some time to rest. Xiao An led her to a folding chair, urging her to take a break. Yu Shuman instinctively looked around and soon saw Qin Ran approaching. She smiled, her lips curving up.
Qin Ran, concerned for Yu Shuman, couldn't help but ask, "Manman, are you tired?"
Yu Shuman shook her head, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead, though her expression remained cheerful. Qin Ran continued, "Manman, are you having fun?" Initially, Qin Ran had thought that as long as Yu Shuman was happy, everything would be fine. But seeing her being scolded like this, Qin Ran doubted that it was truly enjoyable.
Yu Shuman took a sip of water and replied, "Of course, I'm happy. I think my acting has improved a bit. I feel like the scene we just shot could still be refined a little."
Director is fuming; producer is smiling (nervously bowing and apologizing)
Qin Ran (clenching fists): Yelling at our Manman, are you?