Ran Xinxin and the others didn't expect Director Qiao to come over, as they were just about to go check the filming results.
"Director Qiao, what's the matter?"
"Xinxin, although the recording just now was decent, your presence was practically overshadowed by Alice. That won't do..." Director Qiao explained the key points for the next shot and then urged Ran Xinxin to exaggerate her movements and expressions even more.
"Xinxin, you must let go of your actor's inhibitions and boldly break free from people's fixed impressions of you. A nonsensical script can't be played too seriously, understand? If you keep this up, you'll never improve."
Director Qiao's tone was stern, his brows furrowed. Though Ran Xinxin was a rising star, it meant little to him.
"Got it, Director Qiao." Ran Xinxin had thought she performed well, but after being criticized, she could only nod obediently. Meanwhile, Director Qiao's gaze shifted to Ye Shuang and his group.
"They're my friends, just visiting by chance," Ran Xinxin quickly explained.
"I see. Feel free to look around." But as Director Qiao spoke, his eyes lingered on Ye Shuang standing nearby. He squinted slightly, then looked surprised.
"You... Mr. Ye?!"
"Huh?" Ye Shuang was taken aback. "You know me?"
"Ah, Mr. Ye, you must have forgotten—we met at the annual party, the one hosted by President Chen... We even chatted briefly back then."
Ye Shuang suddenly remembered—it must have been at Chen Qin's company's annual party. Back then, Chen Qin couldn't drink much, so Ye Shuang had helped fend off the toasts. Maybe that led people to assume some special connection between them?
"So, Mr. Ye is friends with Xinxin?" Director Qiao immediately began praising Ran Xinxin. "Xinxin performed wonderfully. Actually, what I said earlier might not be entirely correct. The most important thing is how she interprets the role herself."
"Right, Xinxin?"
Ran Xinxin was still a little dazed. Seeing Director Qiao's suddenly amiable demeanor, she wondered if this was the same person who had just scolded her for not being exaggerated enough.
"Well, criticism leads to improvement," Ye Shuang chimed in.
"Exactly, you're absolutely right."
The two exchanged polite words, and then Director Qiao noticed Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke beside Ye Shuang, seemingly struck by Bai Yuyou's delicate beauty and Tang Keke's striking presence with her backpack.
"Um, are these two... Mr. Ye's...?"
"Big brother's friends!" Tang Keke blurted out, while Tang Duoduo raised her hand and added, "Little sister friends!"
Bai Yuyou, however, simply said, "Husband and wife."
Husband and wife?
Director Qiao froze for a moment, then immediately recalled the relationship between Chen Qin and Ye Shuang. But in their circles, such arrangements weren’t unusual, so he tactfully avoided probing further and instead asked,
"Would you two be interested in acting in a short film I'm shooting?"
"Huh?" Not just Bai Yuyou and the other girls, even Ye Shuang looked surprised. "They'd act in a film?"
"We happen to have two roles that fit them perfectly—just a friendly cameo. Of course, it's fine if they’re not interested." Director Qiao smiled.
"I think Director Qiao just wants them for their looks," Alice interjected with a deadpan expression, mercilessly exposing him.
"Pretty faces attract viewers, after all." Director Qiao coughed lightly, completely unashamed.
"If it's just a small part, I don’t mind..." Ye Shuang was somewhat surprised that Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke had been invited for such a quirky short film—though it felt oddly random.
Still, it would be a unique life experience.
"Sis, are you gonna be a big star?!" Tang Duoduo shook Tang Keke's arm excitedly.
"I'm not the lead."
"Acting..." Bai Yuyou was also a little lost, as this was unfamiliar territory for her. But the girl was a quick learner—Ye Shuang only had to explain briefly before she understood, especially after seeing Alice demonstrate earlier.
"The two roles are: a highly skilled swordswoman and a demon king who’s crossed into another world."
Ye Shuang: "..."
This script is... quite the patchwork, huh?
Still, they ended up having a blast.
Bai Yuyou played the swordswoman, standing before the green screen with a prop sword, looking every bit the part. Her character was a cold, silent warrior—exactly the vibe Director Qiao wanted.
Tang Keke, meanwhile, played the demon king, clad in a costume that accentuated her figure. In one scene, she sat on a male actor’s back as if he were a chair, then whipped another actor with a prop flogger.
Watching Tang Keke’s flushed face, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she swung the whip, it was as if she had awakened some dangerous new side of herself.
But they all had fun.
As the sky turned orange, it was time to wrap up.
Today seemed to be Alice and her group’s last day of filming here, so Director Qiao invited Ye Shuang and the others to dinner.
"Care to join us?" Ye Shuang didn’t refuse, but he felt a little guilty as a guest at Tang Keke’s house—would it be impolite not to return for the evening?
"No problem, I’ll call and ask!" Tang Keke and Tang Duoduo, eager for a feast, immediately phoned home.
After getting permission from Tang's father and mother, Ye Shuang’s group boarded the bus to a nearby restaurant.
Ye Shuang sat in his seat while the girls, exhausted, dozed off around him—Bai Yuyou resting her head on his shoulder, Tang Keke and Tang Duoduo leaning against each other in deep sleep.
In contrast, Alice and Ran Xinxin weren’t as worn out, still energetic.
"Amateurs, tiring out so easily," Alice huffed. "I once filmed for a full day and night without sleep, you know."
"Miss Alice, napping in the company van doesn’t count."
"I did no such thing!"
Ran Xinxin covered her mouth, giggling at Alice’s bristling reaction. Then her gaze drifted and settled on Ye Shuang.
"Brother Ye, thank you."
"Hm? For what?" Ye Shuang adjusted his shoulder slightly to let Bai Yuyou rest more comfortably before turning to her.
"Just... thank you, hehe." Ran Xinxin didn’t elaborate, simply smiling.
"I see..."
Ye Shuang returned a faint smile, not pressing further.
Between adults, some things were better left unsaid.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
