After We Broke Up, She Started Pursuing Me [Entertainment Industry] 8

Chapter 8

Shi Qin bent down, tilting her head to look at her. Her eyes curved into crescents, a bright smile on her lips. Zhou Jinsi lifted her gaze to meet hers. The moment their eyes touched, her heart skipped a beat, and she froze.

It was as if she had returned to her student days, on some ordinary afternoon, when the person she adored suddenly ran up to her, a smile on her face, and asked, “Do you have a crush on me?”

Seeing the other woman staring at her in a daze, Shi Qin couldn’t help but find it amusing. Why hadn’t she ever realized before what a fun thing it was to make Zhou Jinsi blush?

When she didn’t reply, Shi Qin moved her face a little closer, a smile still in her eyes. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Faced with Shi Qin’s persistent questioning, Zhou Jinsi couldn’t squeeze out a single word. She could only turn her head away in silence. But unexpectedly, the person in front of her grabbed the lapels of her shirt and pulled her down. Zhou Jinsi’s body stumbled forward uncontrollably.

Shi Qin, who had been smiling just a moment ago, suddenly turned cold. Her enchanting almond eyes stared directly into Zhou Jinsi’s, which were still filled with surprise. “How long are you going to keep hiding from me?” she demanded.

She didn’t understand. What unspeakable secret was preventing Zhou Jinsi from talking, even after two years?

But she just couldn’t accept a breakup without a clear reason. She didn’t want to let go of the person she liked just like that. Who could ever get over a relationship that ended so abruptly?

Fine. Even if it was as Zhou Jinsi said—that she felt they weren’t a good fit, or that she no longer had feelings for her—it didn’t matter. Shi Qin was confident she could make her fall in love with her again. But she couldn’t stand Zhou Jinsi constantly avoiding her, especially when she could clearly feel that she still cared about her, couldn’t she?

Zhou Jinsi had never been able to resist Shi Qin’s proximity. She couldn’t understand how Shi Qin had changed so much in just two years. When they were together before, she had never been this… bold…

Her mind went blank. In the end, all she could manage was a whisper-thin, “I’m not…”

Shi Qin was not satisfied with this answer. She was about to say more when a phone call interrupted her thoughts.

“Hello? What’s wrong, Xiao Li?”

“Jie, where are you? They’re about to start preparing over here,” Mo Li’s slightly urgent voice came from the other end.

“Okay, I’m on my way,” Shi Qin replied faintly, hung up the phone, and then looked at Zhou Jinsi. The other woman’s face seemed to show an expression of ‘surviving a disaster.’ Shi Qin couldn’t help but wonder, was she really that terrifying?

“You should get back to your work. I have to go too,” Zhou Jinsi said without looking at her, her words coming out in a rush. She then tried to walk past Shi Qin.

“Wait.” Shi Qin grabbed her by the forearm.
“Take out your phone.”

Zhou Jinsi looked at her, subconsciously asking in confusion, “What?”

“Your phone,” Shi Qin repeated, this time holding out her hand directly. Her tone had even softened. Zhou Jinsi was a good deal taller than her, so from her perspective, Shi Qin looked quite small. Her big eyes blinked up at her, carrying what seemed to be a hint of a plea.

Seeing that expression, Zhou Jinsi’s heart couldn’t help but soften. Without even asking what she needed it for, she obediently took out her phone.

Next, Shi Qin re-entered her phone number into Zhou Jinsi’s contacts and, after confirming their successful connection on WeChat, finally let her go.

Watching her hurried escape, Shi Qin couldn’t help but smile. This whole situation made her feel like a hunter, and Zhou Jinsi was the prey she had set her sights on.

But then again… on second thought, that didn’t seem entirely wrong.

…

“I’m sorry, Director, I’m late. I just went to the restroom.”

When Shi Qin rushed back to the set and heard from Mo Li that they were already looking for her, she immediately went to apologize to Shen Junnan. Although it was a small matter, in this industry, building good relationships and maintaining connections was crucial. It could help an artist’s development in many ways, especially for someone like Shi Qin who had no connections.

Shen Junnan was in his late thirties, still considered a young director. He was modest and easygoing. The crew was still preparing, and filming hadn’t officially started, so it wasn’t a major issue. Seeing Shi Qin’s sincere attitude, his impression of her improved even more.

Everyone was here to work, and he naturally preferred actors who were serious and had a good attitude. In comparison, Yin Chenxuan, who was also a young actor, had been late on the first day of filming, wasn’t in the right state of mind during the shoot just now, and had required several retakes. The contrast was stark.

He recalled that Yin Chenxuan had initially been the second choice for the role, but one of the investors was his company. With such a strong hint, Shen Junnan hadn’t said anything, figuring that his “couple” buzz with Shi Qin might also help promote the movie later on.

He smiled warmly at Shi Qin. “It’s alright, it’s alright. We haven’t officially started yet. You can go wait over there for a bit.”

Shi Qin agreed and found an empty chair nearby to sit down and read her script. This scene was the first conversation between the male and female leads, the starting point of their interaction. Shi Qin took the pen clipped to her script and made notes on some of the lines, jotting down the character’s inner turmoil at that moment.

Mo Li stood beside her, quietly taking a few profile shots with her phone, thinking they could be used as behind-the-scenes material to promote the movie later. After taking them, Mo Li looked at the photos in her album. It was truly a scene of a campus goddess sitting there, quietly reading a book.

Not long after, once everyone was in position, the director called for action.

This scene depicted the male lead keeping the female lead behind after all the other students had left the assembly. He, who was usually rebellious and unruly in front of others, suddenly becomes shy in front of her.

A serious Yin Chenxuan’s acting was actually not bad; after all, he had won a newcomer award before. He was now immersed in his role. Shi Qin’s character was the person he had fallen for at first sight, yet now, facing her, he found himself stuttering, unable to speak.

“What is it?” Shi Qin spoke. The female lead had been a well-behaved girl all her life. Although she didn’t have a good impression of the boy who had just been criticized on stage by the dean, she had stayed behind out of politeness when he said he needed to talk to her.

“I… ahem… I want to get to know you. Can I have your contact information?”

The person in front of her wanted to look at her but didn’t dare to look directly, yet would steal glances when she looked away. Suddenly, an image of Zhou Jinsi flashed through Shi Qin’s mind. It was as if, many years ago, she had caught her looking at her with the same kind of gaze.

The original script had the female lead coldly rejecting the male lead. But Shi Qin added her own little touch. Especially after thinking of Zhou Jinsi just now, this subconscious reaction felt more logical to her.

Seeing the person in front of her become exceptionally shy, she lowered her chin slightly. A flash of amusement flickered in her eyes at the contrast of this rebellious boy suddenly becoming so flustered in front of her. Then, she quickly lowered her gaze, her face returning to a cool expression as she said, “Sorry, no thank you.”

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving the boy to stare blankly at her slender back.

“Cut!”
“That was excellent! We got it in one take!”

Shen Junnan walked over to the two actors and praised them, especially Shi Qin. The fleeting smile on her face had added more depth to the character’s emotions. He thought his judgment probably wasn’t wrong; Shi Qin was indeed a very talented and promising actress.

All she needed was a chance.

A chance to let her beauty and glamour fully bloom before everyone.

Upon receiving Shen Junnan’s praise again, Shi Qin wasn’t overly modest. She simply nodded her thanks and said she would continue to work hard. With this scene wrapped, her morning scenes were finished. When she returned to the dressing room, Mo Li had already placed a lunch box on the table for her.

“Hurry and eat. You didn’t have breakfast this morning,” she said, walking over and thoughtfully opening the lid for her. The lunch box was still warm, and Shi Qin could smell the fragrant aroma as it was opened.

“Thanks. Have you eaten?” Shi Qin smiled at her, picking up her chopsticks and asking casually.

“I’m not busy. I ate just now. Oh, by the way, I was just scrolling through Weibo and saw the discussions about this movie. Everyone is looking forward to its release. It might be a huge hit.”

Many lesser-known actors could become famous through a single hit drama. Some actors successfully rehabilitated their image with one opportunity, while others managed to climb up the industry ladder. It was clear how much a good drama or film could help an actor’s success.

Shi Qin looked at the excited expression on Mo Li’s face and smiled as well, but only said, “I hope so. It would be great if it becomes a hit.”

The two chatted casually about recent entertainment gossip. Mo Li’s mind turned, and as if remembering something, she asked with curiosity, “By the way, why did you choose to enter this industry in the first place?”

When Mo Li first became Shi Qin’s assistant, she had looked up information about her online to better perform her job.

One thing that surprised her was that Shi Qin hadn’t come from a performing arts background. Her university major was completely unrelated to film and television, yet her degree was from a prestigious “211” university. This was an impressive academic credential, whether in the entertainment industry or society in general.

“Was it because you love acting?” Mo Li suggested the most common and logical reason, but Shi Qin denied it.

She shook her head. She seemed to have thought of something, and her expression suddenly became unfamiliar to Mo Li.

“Then it’s because…”

Shi Qin turned to her and smiled faintly, a cold and captivating beauty. She said, “Because I want to be famous.”

Mo Li was stunned. She had never seen an artist so openly admit their ambitions. But Shi Qin would just lay it out for you to see, yet it didn’t feel vain or off-putting. It was because she seemed to have been born a rose that would attract everyone’s attention, brilliant and enchanting.

Noticing her young assistant’s astonishment, Shi Qin just smiled nonchalantly. But the moment she lowered her head and her eyes fell, the smile vanished from their depths.

She said to herself, “Only then, will I have a chance…”

Mo Li followed her line of thought and asked, “A chance for what?”

But Shi Qin seemed to have fallen into a memory, her eyes turning vacant. After a moment of silence, she returned to her usual charming self and smiled at Mo Li. “A chance… to let everyone see that I exist.”