Chapter 2

Director Cao was a little worried about the only trending star in the film crew, Li Man. In a situation where every other actor’s performance was top-notch, if one person’s acting completely failed, it would be a stain on the entire TV series.

Although Director Cao needed Li Man’s popularity, her acting was also what he minded the most.

So, Director Cao had a love-hate feeling towards Li Man. He specifically and carefully instructed her to diligently learn from the big bosses.

While nagging, he thought to himself: These trending stars in the entertainment circle are all a bunch of brats spoiled by their fans. They don’t know their own limits and dare to join even a film crew like mine. One can only say newborn calves are not afraid of tigers.

His worry was written all over his face. Ah Man smiled, not taking it seriously. He said his piece; she just let it go in one ear and out the other.

These directors and executives in the entertainment circle were all hypocrites.

They coveted the popularity of trending stars but also looked down on them, deliberately using them as gimmicks and arbitrarily letting them be vilified. Once they’d squeezed all the value out of a trending star’s name, they’d just dust off their hands and walk away.

But Ah Man wouldn’t give him the chance to profit from her misfortune.

During the script reading, Ah Man kept her attention on Song Ruoshi. She could see that Song Ruoshi had already entered her role; the woman was shining.

Her gaze was firm, showing no weakness. Her spine was straight, her aura aloof and unique.

She was the war hero in the story. She was her character.

Ah Man rested her chin on her hand, smiling happily. No wonder a person like this was called a White Moonlight by readers. Some people were simply destined for the screen, and Song Ruoshi was one of them.

“Li Man.”

Ah Man came back to her senses and fluently recited her lines. Her voice was very pleasant; because she was a singer, she still had plenty of breath and strength even after delivering a long passage of dialogue.

In everyone’s minds, Li Man’s score was a failing one. If the full mark was 100, her acting was only around 20 points. So after Li Man finished speaking her lines, everyone showed expressions of satisfaction. Several people nodded. Not bad, much better than expected.

Ah Man used the script to cover her face, revealing only her expressive eyes. Her ears were bright red. It seemed she was shy.

“Seniors, after I finished filming that web drama, I did find an acting coach to learn from. But later, the company gave me too many schedules, and I couldn’t spare the time. So only my line delivery has improved a little. As for my acting… I still hope all you teachers and seniors won’t be scared off by me.” After saying this, she scratched her head, her flustered manner drawing kind laughter from everyone.

Seeing her little face flushed pink, her big eyes blinking rapidly, even the slight messiness of her hair looked incredibly cute.

Song Ruoshi held back her smile and proactively praised her, “Miss Li’s line delivery was wonderful.”

Ah Man leaned a little closer to her and whispered, “Was it really okay? And didn’t I tell you to call me Ah Man?”

Ah Man had specially chosen this spot. Close contact was much better than being far away and unreachable, right?

This was also why Ah Man joined the film crew—after all, near the waterfront, one gets the moonlight first.

Song Ruoshi turned her face slightly. From this angle, Ah Man’s eyes looked as cunning as a cat’s, round, making her seem much younger than her actual age.

Back during that variety show, Song Ruoshi had thought Ah Man was a contestant who hadn’t come of age yet. On stage, she was shy and green. Yet, the moment the music started, she became the most captivating presence.

This gap moe captivated more than just Song Ruoshi. So, in that round of voting, she steadily held the highest rank, number one. From that moment on, the girl named Li Man was already destined for explosive fame.

Song Ruoshi said, “It really was very good. Ah Man must have practiced in private, right?”

Ah Man’s eyes lit up. She leaned in closer again; her leg was just a sliver away from touching Song Ruoshi’s. “Exactly, exactly! That long passage of lines, I read it so many times before I could finally get it smooth and right.”

Song Ruoshi’s “mom fan” smile appeared once more. She said with certainty, “Then during these days in the film crew, you must study well. These seniors are all the best acting teachers.”

Ah Man gripped her script tightly and whispered, “Teacher Song is also very amazing.”

Song Ruoshi’s eyes curved in a smile. “Thank you for your affirmation.”

Time passed quickly, and the sky gradually darkened.

Ah Man hugged her script and followed behind the crowd. She was petite but had excellent proportions. Her long, jet-black straight hair hung down over her white knitted cardigan. She smiled at everyone she met. Her temper seemed very docile, like a student who had just graduated from university.

Song Ruoshi glanced sideways. She knew very well that when Ah Man put on heavy, gorgeous makeup, she became a completely different person. On stage, those eyes of hers, painted in brilliant colors, were incredibly alluring.

Back when she was still in the fan group, she’d seen many fans calling Ah Man “Su Su” after her stage performances because her singing and dancing could make one’s bones go numb, make the heart’s chambers tingle.

“Teacher Song, your phone is ringing.”

Ah Man stopped walking and poked Song Ruoshi’s arm.

“Ah, thank you.”

Song Ruoshi had just been lost in thought about Ah Man. She saw the caller’s name on her phone, and her red lips subconsciously pressed together, then she licked them and answered the call.

Song Ruoshi turned her back and said, “Didn’t I tell you before? I’m on set at this time. You shouldn’t be calling to disturb me.”

Ah Man leaned against the wall, watching Song Ruoshi’s back. The caller had to be Gu Qian. When Song Ruoshi answered just now, her manner had been tinged with impatience. So it was clear their current relationship was very ordinary. She wondered how Gu Qian had managed to pursue Song Ruoshi successfully.

“Dinner? That probably won’t work. I already have plans with someone else. Alright, another day, then. You’re busy, bye.”

After Song Ruoshi hung up, she turned around and saw Ah Man standing right there. She raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, “Eavesdropping on my phone calls isn’t the behavior of a good child.”

Ah Man put her hands behind her back and proactively said, “Then to express my apologies, let me treat Teacher Song to dinner, okay?”

If your former idol invited you to dinner, would you refuse or accept?

This thought flashed through Song Ruoshi’s mind. She took a face mask from her bag and handed it to Ah Man, saying, “Here, this is for you.”

Ah Man let out a sigh of relief, her comical antics making Song Ruoshi laugh despite herself. Ah Man puffed out her cheeks. “I thought Teacher Song didn’t want to eat with me.”

Song Ruoshi blinked playfully. “How could I bear to refuse when a Superstar offers to treat me to a meal?”

Ah Man bounced on the spot. “Then let’s go quickly! There’s this restaurant, it’s super delicious.”

She ran on for a few steps, then realized Song Ruoshi wasn’t moving. She just stood there and waved at Song Ruoshi. “Teacher Song?”

Song Ruoshi followed, feeling that the day’s developments were very intriguing.

The steaming, exquisitely cooked dishes carried a sense of home.

During the meal, Ah Man’s long hair was always a bit bothersome. She tucked it back, but it still slipped disobediently from her ear.

Song Ruoshi took off her own hair clip and handed it to her.

Ah Man tilted her face and asked Song Ruoshi, “Does it look good?”

The star-shaped hair clip looked intellectual and elegant in Song Ruoshi’s hair, but when Ah Man wore it, it made Song Ruoshi feel it had a bit more of a cute, childlike charm.

Song Ruoshi raised an eyebrow. “It looks good.”

“But what about Teacher Song?”

Song Ruoshi picked up her bag, reached inside to feel around, and pulled out a ballpoint pen. She shook it. “I’ll use this.”

When she lifted her hand, her sleeve slid down, revealing her fair arm. Under the light, it glowed with a luster like white jade.

The pearl bracelet on her wrist, the thin gold ring on her fingertip—every part of her exuded elegance.

So, when she used a simple black ballpoint pen to twist up her long, curly hair, Ah Man actually felt a little wronged on her behalf.

“It looks so beautiful. Teacher Song, even more beautiful than when I saw you acting on stage.”

Song Ruoshi couldn’t believe her words. A celebrity as popular as Ah Man wouldn’t have time to watch a play.

But as Ah Man reminisced, Song Ruoshi couldn’t help but feel surprised. It turned out she had wronged her. She really had seen her play.

Song Ruoshi was delighted. No matter who they were, hearing praise would make anyone smile.

“When did you go see it?”

Ah Man explained, “Just a month ago. At that time, I had haters swearing at me on Weibo every day, saying my acting was terrible, that I should just go die. I was really angry. I didn’t want to cry, but then I saw a fan say they went from a fan to a casual passerby because my acting was so bad. I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. I don’t care how others curse me, I don’t mind… but she was my fan.”

The more Ah Man spoke, the angrier she got. She lowered her head to eat a poached shrimp, as if that could improve her mood.

But she didn’t notice Song Ruoshi’s expression. Song Ruoshi gently furrowed her brows and asked softly, “How did you know she was your fan?”

Ah Man looked up, biting her chopsticks. “By clicking on her Weibo profile. I also remember her avatar was a sunflower. Most of her Weibo posts were related to me. But that fan probably didn’t use Weibo often, only a little over a hundred posts; I finished them quickly. She became a fan of mine back when I did that variety show. I didn’t expect she’d unfan me later because my acting was too bad…”

Song Ruoshi’s expression lost control for a split second. But she quickly used her acting skills, showing no trace of panic. She looked perfectly composed, calm and collected as she comforted Ah Man, saying, “Don’t worry, I will definitely focus on teaching you acting.”

Ah Man clenched her little fist. “Hmph, right! I’m going to become super amazing and make that fan regret unfanning me!”

Song Ruoshi nodded with a dry laugh. Help, she had socially died today!

The meal left their stomachs full. After Ah Man returned to her trailer, her assistant looked at her with displeasure. “Ah Man, you’ve changed. When we went out to eat before, you always brought me along!”

Ah Man glanced at her sideways. Bring you along? What she wanted was a world of two! If she’d brought you, would she have been able to get Song Ruoshi’s hair clip?

“You’re still young, you don’t understand.”

“Huh? What?”

Ah Man, please don’t forget, you’re two full years younger than me!