Chapter 51: World Two【21】 Part 2

“That’s truly a pity then. The originally cast actress can’t perform due to pregnancy, so that’s why I thought of you last minute, Little Shao. Since the scheduling doesn’t work out, I’ll choose a few other people to audition later and see who is more suitable,” Director Hua said with a smile, acting very much like a refined and cultured intellectual.

If Shao Qing hadn’t seen and heard certain things with her own eyes and ears, she probably wouldn’t have imagined such a seemingly amiable senior could be someone who played so wildly in private.

“Teacher Shao, if I remember correctly, Director Li’s drama should still be in the casting phase, right? The filming start date should be after the New Year?” Xu Yin appeared from somewhere, butting in.

“If you rush the schedule a bit, Teacher Shao, you could completely finish filming Director Hua’s scenes before joining the other crew. Wouldn’t that be a win-win situation?” Xu Yin said with a smile, sounding as if he was thinking on Shao Qing’s behalf.

But Shao Qing and Jing Ke knew very well why Xu Yin was saying this.

Xu Yin simply wanted to play a loving couple with Shao Qing on the big screen, exploiting a loophole to siphon off a bit of the fortune on her person.

So, upon hearing Xu Yin’s words, Shao Qing just smiled and approached the analysis from a different angle.

“I’ve seen the script Director Hua sent me. The female lead is someone who bears the world in her heart, a very noble and self-sacrificing character. To portray her well, I need time to contemplate and immerse myself in the role.”

“The most time I can squeeze out before the New Year is two months. If I enter with the mindset of rushing from the very start, I believe that would be disrespectful to Director Hua, and equally disrespectful to the character’s archetype.”

Shao Qing spoke with a serious expression. Her vibrant features seemed to shine even more brightly, attracting the gaze of more than half the attendees.

“A good work needs to be slowly polished. I don’t want my personal schedule to affect the filming atmosphere of the entire crew,” Shao Qing concluded.

“Well said. If only everyone in the crew had the same dedication as you, Little Shao,” Director Hua took the lead in applauding after hearing this, his eyes showing an extra layer of appreciation for Shao Qing.

“If we can’t collaborate this time, there’s always the next. When I’m preparing my new film, I’ll definitely give you, Little Shao, an early heads-up so you can reserve the time slot in advance.”

As Director Hua spoke, he proactively pulled a custom business card from his assistant’s hand and handed it to Shao Qing with a smile. “This is my private contact info. Save it, and when I contact you, don’t treat it as an unknown number and hang up.”

“Of course, thank you, Director Hua. I will definitely remember your number by heart,” Shao Qing accepted, the emotion in her eyes growing more complex.

Shao Qing could see that Director Hua currently had no other inappropriate intentions towards her; he purely recognized her as an actress.

But precisely because of that, Shao Qing felt Director Hua’s actions were all the more contradictory.

Director Hua could produce good work and agreed with the point she just made, meaning he knew what was right and what was wrong.

In that case, why did Director Hua do things he knew were wrong in private? Why associate with people like Mr. Yuan and accept such grey transactions?

After Director Hua spoke, everyone else who had opinions on the matter chose to swallow their unfinished words.

Xu Yin, as the miniseries’ male lead, was no exception. He quickly began echoing Director Hua’s words while hypocritically reflecting on the errors in his own earlier thinking.

–

After receiving the business card, Shao Qing took Jing Ke and retreated to an inconspicuous corner while Director Hua chatted with others, preparing to slip away as soon as he left.

But Director Hua proactively giving his card seemed to make others interpret things differently.

Shao Qing had barely sat down when some familiar faces who appeared on screen proactively came over, striking up conversations with Shao Qing. Some who had done their homework even recognized Jing Ke from the group photo Shao Qing had posted.

“Teacher Shao, if I’m not mistaken, this is Ms. Jing, who just returned from abroad?” A certain C-list male artist approached, trying to get closer to Shao Qing.

“Yes. Did you want to get to know me?” Jing Ke looked at the C-list male artist.

“I’ve been thinking about going abroad for further study recently. Was wondering if Ms. Jing has any recommendations?” The C-list male artist’s words were directed at Jing Ke, but his gaze mostly fell on Shao Qing.

The C-list artist quickly added, “Does Teacher Shao have any advice for me?”

“I rarely go abroad. Better let Jing Ke answer that one,” Shao Qing smiled and kicked the question away.

“Ms. Jing, could you give me some pointers?” The male artist had no choice but to shift his gaze to Jing Ke.

“If it’s to improve your acting skills, I suggest you find a sufficiently professional teacher. I had very little contact with the acting circle abroad. The only advice I can give you is not to go abroad alone. If you plan to settle there for a while, definitely find an assistant who speaks the local language to go with you.”

Jing Ke spoke calmly. She was very aware that she was present as Shao Qing’s friend; her words and actions to some extent represented Shao Qing’s attitude.

So, after seeing through the male artist’s intentions, Jing Ke didn’t directly mock his potentially lacking cultural level.

“Is it dangerous abroad? Many artists in the industry have already gotten foreign green cards,” the male artist didn’t grasp Jing Ke’s meaning.

“Do you think a place that allows zero-dollar shopping sprees would be very safe?” Jing Ke retorted.

The male artist couldn’t think of a retort, and the expression on his face faltered. “That might just happen in very few specific regions. And abroad, they’re bolder creatively, with many novel themes and ideas. What I’m interested in is the artistic atmosphere.”

“If you truly believe that, then try staying abroad alone for three months and see,” Jing Ke’s tone remained unchanged, her expression flat.

“If you really like the environment abroad, invest some money in local businesses, and you might easily get a green card,” Jing Ke said. “But our country doesn’t recognize dual citizenship. The renunciation fee, I believe, is 250.”

Having met a soft wall, the male artist was too embarrassed to linger, quickly making an excuse to leave.

Shao Qing shook her head slightly when she saw this. “It’s only been a few days, and some people have already forgotten my previous statement.”

“It might be because there hasn’t been a living example yet. Next time someone tries to leech off your popularity, let me handle it for you,” Jing Ke said.

Thinking about Jing Ke’s incredible hacking skills, Shao Qing agreed with a smile, even feeling a bit of anticipation for Jing Ke’s performance when the time came.

Director Hua didn’t stay at the banquet long, leaving before 8 PM with his old friends under some pretext, leaving only the butler to continue entertaining the guests.

Once the main host of the private banquet left, the high-profile artists also made excuses to depart. Only some second and third-tier artists lacking opportunities and resources remained, hoping to catch some scraps and latch onto a powerful backer.

After several currently popular artists had left, Shao Qing signaled Sister Ke from afar, then prepared to leave the banquet hall with Jing Ke.

–

Today was already an overcast day. When Jing Ke and Shao Qing emerged from the manor, they discovered it had started raining at some point. Combined with the moderately strong autumn wind, Shao Qing, dressed in a skirt, subconsciously rubbed her arms.

“It’s raining. Wear my jacket on the way out,” Jing Ke directly took off her outer coat and, using her height advantage, held it up above Shao Qing’s head.

Shao Qing looked down at her dress and didn’t refuse the offer, silently moving a little closer to Jing Ke, her right hand gripping the hem of Jing Ke’s shirt.

The jacket Jing Ke wore today was a relatively loose style. Stretched out, it just barely sheltered the two of them pressing closely together.

The sound of raindrops hitting an umbrella was crisp and sleep-inducing, but the sound of them hitting the jacket was slightly muffled.

Jogging through the rain for two minutes, Jing Ke and Shao Qing successfully made it into the car and settled into the driver’s and passenger’s seats, one after the other.

“Sister Ke says she’ll leave a bit later and told us to just take the car. Her assistant will drive over to pick her up later,” Shao Qing said, glancing at the message that just popped up on her phone while swiftly pulling out three or four tissues and handing them to Jing Ke.

“Okay, we’ll head straight back then,” Jing Ke took the tissues and casually wiped the rain-soaked spots on her body.

After fastening her seatbelt, Jing Ke expertly started the car and simultaneously turned on the interior heating to prevent them from catching a cold.

Feeling the warm air blowing out, Shao Qing glanced sideways at Jing Ke.

Noticing that Jing Ke’s right sleeve was almost entirely soaked, Shao Qing’s fine brows furrowed. She immediately sent a message to her little assistant, instructing him to have two cups of cold-dispelling ginger tea ready and waiting at the small villa.

Just as Jing Ke started the car and drove out of the manor’s main gate, a disheveled-looking woman suddenly dashed out from the bushes on the right, directly blocking the path of the car.

“Save me, please save me!” The woman’s hair was a mess, her voice hoarse.

Barefoot, her clothes were completely soaked and stained with some leaves. It looked like she had been hiding in the bushes for some time.

Jing Ke hit the brakes immediately. Fortunately, the speed wasn’t fast. The two inside only lurched forward slightly and were unharmed.

“I was forced! I wasn’t willing! I regret it! I want to leave! Please, take me away!” Seeing the car stop, the woman ran to the driver’s side door, her hands slapping the window glass, her eyes full of pleading.

Jing Ke frowned instinctively, instantly piecing together where this woman had run from.

However, Jing Ke didn’t immediately unlock the door. She turned to look at Shao Qing, asking for her opinion with her eyes.