Before she could even get a look at the woman, a bald old man hopped out. Despite his age, he was surprisingly spry, bouncing right up in front of Ding Sishu. “Little He, so this is the girl you wanted to introduce?”
“Old Zhao, you’re still with the crew?” The old man seemed to have some status. The moment her cousin saw him, she broke into a beaming smile.
Old Zhao sized up Ding Sishu. When she wasn’t talking, she actually looked quite refined, and even her voice sounded pleasantly feminine. She came across like a fresh university graduate. In front of a young woman, Old Zhao cleared his throat. “Without me on this crew, could things even run?”
Her cousin played along. “Exactly. Our big star Miss Pang couldn’t possibly do without you.”
Old Zhao didn’t respond to that, but his self-satisfied expression made it clear he thoroughly enjoyed the remark. Her cousin went on to introduce Ding Sishu’s background, and Old Zhao’s eyes narrowed into slits as he looked at her. “So you’re Little He’s sister! Shushu — what a lovely name.”
Ding Sishu hesitated for half a second, debating whether to call him “grandpa.” But the old man beat her to it. “Since you’re Little He’s sister, no need to call me ‘senior’ — that’s too stiff. Just call me Brother Zhao.”
“…” Ding Sishu stared at his nearly-white hair. No, sir. With a face like that, I’d feel bad taking advantage of you. Under the combined gaze of Old Zhao and her cousin, Ding Sishu was seized by the familiar dread of being forced to address elders during Chinese New Year. She forced the word out, voice barely audible. Fortunately, an assistant director shouted “that’s a wrap!” from not too far away, rescuing Ding Sishu.
“You’re shy around strangers?” Her cousin said.
Old Zhao seemed quite pleased with Ding Sishu’s quiet demeanor. “Don’t be so hard on her, Little He. Girls in their twenties are all like this.”
Old Zhao was Miss Pang’s manager — Miss Pang being the female star who was hiring. Ding Sishu’s whole reason for being here. Learning that Ding Sishu had served in Africa, Old Zhao perked up again, claiming he’d studied a martial arts form under some master and wanted to test it against her. Then he started talking about wanting to see her demonstrate some moves.
Once Old Zhao turned away, Ding Sishu whispered to her cousin, “Sis, you didn’t mention the bodyguard position came with a circus performance requirement.”
That stuff about sweeping kicks and backflips — that was basically acrobatics!
“Old Zhao is the middleman now. If he talks like an amateur, you’d better take it seriously. Amuse him — never mind a backflip, if he told you to flip to the sky, you’d hop twice.” Her cousin said.
“Sis, don’t lecture me. I just wasn’t prepared.” Ding Sishu said. “If you’d told me earlier, I wouldn’t just do a backflip — I’d do the whole Shaolin Seventy-Two Ultimate Techniques on the spot.”
Her cousin rolled her eyes. “Keep bullshitting. Think I can’t tell?”
“Old He, over here!” At that moment, someone from the crew waved her cousin over.
Her cousin led Ding Sishu to wait around the set. The female star had already gone to her lounge, and Old Zhao had followed. After twenty-some minutes, Old Zhao sent his assistant out. Ding Sishu followed the assistant and waited outside the lounge.
There were quite a few applicants today. By the time Ding Sishu arrived, several “fitness coach” types were already there. They knew each other, roughhousing outside, and Ding Sishu could read the “sisterhood” between them. She’d seen plenty of that abroad, but it was still a bit novel seeing it among people with yellow skin. If she hadn’t been there, they’d already be covering their mouths, giggling, and starting their tea party.
The female star was a fairly well-known young actress who’d recently made a name for herself. She’d also shaved two years off her stated age.
As Ding Sishu entered the lounge, she made a point of glancing at the “boss.” Celebrities, after all, were always more beautiful than ordinary people. Earlier, she’d been intercepted by Old Zhao before getting a clear look. Now the boss stood up, and the applicants lined up in a row. The boss inspected them one by one. She started off normal, but when she reached the people around Ding Sishu, her hands started wandering.
“How long have you been training?” The female star squeezed a fitness coach’s shoulder muscle. With a face that pretty, it certainly wasn’t a cheap grope.
The fitness coach blushed. “Two years.”
“Two years.” The female star’s hand drifted down to his pecs. “That’s pretty good.”
Was this really a bodyguard selection? This was livestock auction! She was an animal!
Ding Sishu reflexively puffed out her chest.
Animal, come at me — I dare you.
Except, it was crystal clear the female star was straight. Board-straight. The moment she saw Ding Sishu, her expression cooled. She turned to Old Zhao. “Why is there a girl here?”
Boss, I’m already sticking my chest out. Don’t you want to try? In front of a beautiful female star, Ding Sishu stood tall without needing her cousin’s reminder.
“This one’s a bit special. Young as she looks, her resume’s actually…”
“Oh.” The female star didn’t even listen. She cut straight to the cousin beside Old Zhao. “You recommended her?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Her cousin said. “Miss Pang, I’m not recommending her just because she’s family. I genuinely think she’s suitable. Don’t believe me? Have her show you a backflip?”
“No need. Does this look like the place for backflips?” The female star said.
At that, Ding Sishu looked up at the ceiling. Her cousin looked up at the ceiling too.
Following Ding Sishu’s gaze, the female star also looked at the ceiling.
“Flying to the sky is even less necessary.” The female star said.
Her cousin had said “flip to the sky,” and Ding Sishu had thought she was about to get called on it.
The female star flipped through the resume, then looked at Ding Sishu. “Previously served in Africa?”
“Yes.”
“Grassland Wild Wolf?” Reading the file, the female star paused.
This was the second time. It had evolved from “public execution” to “desecrating the corpse.”
The fitness coaches all turned to look, their eyes brimming with “so that’s a thing?!”. They practically vibrated with envy, clearly wishing they could go back ten minutes and add “Beijing Cheetah” to their own resumes.
“Can you tell me the story behind it?” The female star said.
Ding Sishu hesitated. “Miss Pang, as you know, I come from the military. Some things I’m not at liberty to discuss. It’s classified.”
The moment the words left her mouth — if this hadn’t been an open audition, the fitness coaches would’ve been applauding. What the hell, that was awesome!
The female star blinked. “I didn’t know that.”
… Boss, if you don’t play along with the bit, the atmosphere gets a little awkward.
“You have a lot of experience. Logically speaking, staying in the military wouldn’t have been a problem.” The female star said. “Can you tell me why you were discharged?”
That wasn’t an easy question either. Ding Sishu hesitated again.
At her hesitation, the female star nodded with an “oh” expression, as if she understood. “State secret?”
“Miss Pang, you’re so smart!” Pretty and considerate — Ding Sishu almost gave her a thumbs up.
The female star smiled.
Ding Sishu was rejected on the spot.
“Sis.” Ding Sishu picked up an apple from the table and looked at her cousin. “You want an apple?”
Ding Sishu had gone back to her cousin’s place — a rental still in chaos from the move. Her cousin sat on a cardboard box, arms crossed, foot in a flip-flop tapping the floor impatiently.
“An apple?” Her cousin gritted her teeth. “Or you?”
Ding Sishu hesitated. “That’s not appropriate. We’re sisters. It’s not that… I’m afraid Mom and Dad…”
“Shut up!” Her cousin snapped, clearly enraged, snatching the apple from Ding Sishu’s hand. “Who told you to touch it? This is my apple. If anyone’s asking, it’s me.”
“I don’t want it.” Ding Sishu replied.
Those words were the last straw. Her cousin leaped up and grabbed Ding Sishu by the throat. “What exactly did you say to Miss Pang back there?! I should’ve caught the warning sign the moment that delivery guy shouted ‘Wild Wolf.'”
“Heaven knows, in Africa I really was a damn ‘wild wolf.'”
Her cousin paused. “You’re probably a genuine idiot.”
“Shit! And now Old Zhao’s already eaten two meals off me.” Her cousin sat back down, still furious, and cursed a few more times.
“Sis, I was in Africa for five years…” As a military veteran, Ding Sishu felt she deserved some basic respect.
Crunch — her cousin’s fruit knife sank directly into the apple. “What?”
“…I-I also brought back some local specialty products from Africa. Would you like to try them?”
Her cousin waved a hand, extremely impatient. “Don’t mention your African stuff again, ever.”
“That’s… not great.”
“Hm?”
“It’s a part of my life story. It shaped who I am…” At the sight of apple juice spraying everywhere, Ding Sishu’s voice pitched upward and her words whiplashed in a new direction. “Hahaha, but life needs a little incompleteness, right? Isn’t that exactly why Venus de Milo has no arms? Hahaha!”
Her cousin not only stabbed the knife into the apple, she twisted it, sending juice flying. “Is that so? I wonder if Venus had a cousin.”
“Oh hey, Sis, look at what you’re saying. Not everyone’s blessed with that kind of luck, right?” Ding Sishu rubbed her own arm.
She took the knife from her cousin, who bit into the apple with bitter resentment. “Those two meals Old Zhao ate — that’s on your tab.”
“No problem.” Ding Sishu grinned. “Once I find a job, I’ll definitely pay you back!”
After her discharge, Ding Sishu stayed pretty optimistic. With all these job opportunities in China, she couldn’t possibly starve to death, right?
“Five years abroad, and your standard is just ‘don’t starve’?” Her cousin, who’d wandered past and spotted the job listings on Ding Sishu’s phone screen, wandered back. “You know how much those two meals for Old Zhao cost? You know how much this place costs per month?”
“And you know the instant noodles you’re eating are imported?” Her cousin gritted her teeth, staring at the cup noodles in Ding Sishu’s hand. It was already late at night — this was Ding Sishu’s third cup!
