Two weeks later, Qin Ting received the film's script.
“Doesn't everyone say his films always put the male lead together with the second female lead? I read the whole thing. Why doesn't anyone fall in love with anyone?”
“Sister, I think that's a good thing.” Assistant Zhou Dao speared a piece of watermelon and fed it to Qin Ting. “Think about it. If your character really dated his, you wouldn't get to enjoy such juicy online gossip.”
Qin Ting considered this and found it reasonable. “Xiao Zhou, your name really suits you. You think of everything.”
She flipped through the thick stack of pages. The short dramas she used to film might have many episodes, but each lasted only a few minutes. If the director wanted to rush, production could finish in days.
But this...
Her confidence faltered.
Zhou Dao checked the time and nudged her back to reality. “Sister, it's time for voice class. There's also a dinner tonight organized by people from your last production. Everyone is going. Sister Zhao says it would look bad if we didn't.”
“I know. She's afraid I'll become obscure again after this film, so we can't throw away our old connections.”
Qin Ting entered the dressing room and grabbed a pale cocktail dress. Its excellent tailoring emphasized her waist perfectly. She also found a pair of heels she had never worn since buying them.
She handed the outfit to Zhou Dao to put in the vehicle, then wore a fitted T-shirt with simple jeans and headed out.
Ever since they wrecked the company's only van available to her, the boss had forbidden her from using company vehicles. There was nothing available anyway. Ning Jiajia's new short drama had become an even bigger hit as soon as it aired, and she had landed a role in a full-length series with a substantial amount of screen time.
When Qin Ting's mother learned about the van, she bought her a Sprinter and hired a dedicated driver.
Zhang Youfu believed Qin Ting had passed the audition only because the director's eyesight had failed and that she would soon be replaced. He continued to ignore her and was delighted that she had purchased her own vehicle, saving him considerable expense.
After voice class, Qin Ting and Zhou Dao made up a missed boxing lesson. They reached the restaurant about five minutes late.
Qin Ting spared Zhou Dao the suffering upstairs and opened the private dining room alone.
Only one chair remained empty—beside the person with whom she had clashed during filming. More than a dozen people stopped talking at once and looked at her with varied expressions.
Someone could not resist speaking first, every word dripping with sarcasm.
“Well, if it isn't the great star Qin Ting, personally chosen at a glance by the great Director Qin. I thought you might refuse to honor your former colleagues with your presence.”
Qin Ting twisted her lips. “What, you started drinking before I arrived? Your tolerance isn't impressive. A few sips and you're already babbling nonsense.”
As she reached her chair, she swung her elbow backward as though pulling it out and struck the speaker directly in the mouth.
“Oh! I'm terribly sorry.”
“Give you an inch and you take a mile, don't you? Have some shame!” The person shot upright and glared down at her with the advantage of height.
Qin Ting was not intimidated. She widened her eyes and glared back.
“Who's shameless? Didn't your foul mouth start this? Some people are practically shaped like cubes and still have the nerve to come eat. You didn't have this many lines in the entire production, did you?”
“You...!”
As the atmosphere hardened, the man in the seat of honor finally intervened.
“Stop arguing. I invited everyone to reunite, not fight. If anger fills your stomachs, all this food will go to waste.” He waved. “Sit down and behave. Xiao Nie, trade places with Sister Ting.”
The speaker was executive producer He Huanlian, whom everyone called Brother Lian. True to his name, his mind had as many holes as a honeycomb briquette; every shift of his eyes meant another calculation.
No one had seemed especially close during filming, though enemies were easy to spot. After wrapping, everyone probably wanted to visit a temple and pray never to encounter the people they hated again, followed by a thorough bath to wash away the bad luck.
Xiao Nie had been sitting beside He Huanlian. With this seat exchange, Qin Ting would have to be an idiot not to realize the dinner was aimed at her.
Who knows how they've accused me of using every dirty trick and connection behind my back?
She rolled her eyes internally.
“Xiao Ting, I'm older than you. Calling you my little sister isn't taking advantage, is it?” He Huanlian raised his glass.
“I gathered everyone for two reasons. First, I wanted to make up for our rushed farewell. We pushed the schedule so hard that everyone slept only three or four hours a day. After filming, I rushed to another project and only said a few careless words in the group chat. That isn't my style. I hope it isn't too late to compensate you.”
“Second, I heard our Tingting passed the great Director Qin Sheng's audition and will soon become a major star. I presumptuously decided to celebrate for my little sister too. You don't mind, do you?”
I mind so much I could die.
Qin Ting saw that her glass had already been filled. She stood and raised it.
“Brother Lian, you're too kind. I'm still waiting at home for official notice. How did you learn that I passed? If it's true, I must visit and thank you personally—and tell everyone how accurate Brother Lian's mouth is!”
He Huanlian's expression stiffened, then quickly recovered.
“Ah, then your brother was too hasty. I'll punish myself with a drink.” He swallowed the baijiu in one gulp. “I only heard that you auditioned at Z University and Director Qin chose you immediately. If it's merely a rumor, I won't say anything more.”
“Brother is right. Sometimes we should simply eat and drink. Too many words become unnecessary.” Under everyone's gaze, Qin Ting drained her glass, sat down without changing expression, and even invited everyone to eat.
Her answer choked He Huanlian so badly that he barely touched his food. Throughout dinner, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then raised his glass toward someone else whenever she noticed.
Qin Ting did not care how he would describe her attitude afterward. She focused on filling her stomach with the free meal. Once home, she intended to ask Ning Jiajia whether playing too many gossipy characters had made her forget which words should remain unspoken.
Any normal director would be displeased to hear that an actress he had just chosen was already bragging everywhere with her tail raised to the heavens.
If this cost Qin Ting the role already at her lips, she would tear Ning Jiajia's mouth apart.
Everyone at the table had their own thoughts and concentrated on eating and drinking. Under alcohol's influence, the later atmosphere became strangely harmonious.
He Huanlian first toasted the entire table. Then he invented drinking rules: people from the same province drank together; those using twenty-four-key phone keyboards drank separately from those using nine-key keyboards. After several rounds, everyone reached their limit. They embraced one another like lifelong friends.
Qin Ting maintained her dignity until they dispersed. The moment she entered the vehicle, she kicked off her heels and changed into the slippers Zhou Dao had prepared. The shoes had rubbed her feet bloody.
“Xiao Zhou, ask around and find out what Ning Jiajia is doing now.”
Zhou Dao carefully disinfected the wounds and applied bandages. “The last thing I heard was from Sister Zhao. She said Ning Jiajia was joining a full-length series. I told you then.”
“Ask again. See whether she failed to join after all.”
“All right. I have friends in every industry. I'll investigate thoroughly.”
Zhou Dao lifted Qin Ting's legs onto her lap and massaged them. The Mercedes Sprinter's large sofa gave Qin Ting enough room to lie down.
“Is Sister Zhao still following Ning Jiajia everywhere? Why does she treasure her and ignore me?”
Qin Ting had been drinking. She was not drunk, but her words had become childish. Fortunately, Zhou Dao excelled at soothing children.
“Not at all. She just asked me where you were.”
Zhou Dao's massage made Qin Ting sleepy, her eyes barely staying open. “Why did she ask?”
“She said the script may change. She'll visit tomorrow to explain. It may interfere with the livestream, so I posted a video in advance.”
“Okay...”
Before the word finished, Qin Ting fell asleep. In the blink of an eye, only a snoring little cat remained where she had been lying.
The driver hired by Qin Ting's mother was skilled and discreet, never saying an unnecessary word. A partition separated the driver's area from the rear, so Qin Ting slept blissfully throughout the trip. She did not wake even when Zhou Dao carried her inside.
During that sleep, Qin Ting took revenge in her dreams. The benefactor who had saved her six months earlier descended from the sky again and dealt with everyone she hated.
She leaped from bed, ran lightly into Zhou Dao's room, shook her awake, and pushed a phone before her face.
“Before the manager comes, hurry and record a video.”
“Sorry, everyone! Tingting has a medical examination today, so we can't livestream. We'll announce the next stream in the fan group. Thank you for waiting.”
Zou Songpu frowned and pushed his tablet aside. It slid next to Zhuang Qian. Assuming he wanted her to see something, she reached for it, but he snatched it back.
“Wasn't that for me?” his manager asked.
“No. I tossed it there.”
“Did you hear anything I just said?”
“I heard. You said I'm playing a lawyer and have too many lines, so I should take it easy during filming and let a voice actor dub them later.”
Zou Songpu searched through old clips from Tingting's livestream. The cat's meows and the rasp of claws on a scratching board sounded intermittently.
“...I asked whether you actually listened.”
“No. I won't do that.”
Zou Songpu shifted his gaze from the tablet to his manager and spoke firmly.
“Even if the production uses dubbing afterward, I won't merely move my lips while filming. That isn't who I am.”
Zhuang Qian had managed him for years. Everything about him was excellent except for his occasional, extreme stubbornness. Once he decided on something, he pursued it regardless of the cost.
When his family locked him in his former home, he jumped from the second floor, nearly broke his legs, and moved anyway. He still searched constantly for his cat's collar chip. Recently, he had even adopted an internet-famous cat as an emotional substitute.
Whatever he became obsessed with, he fought for until his head bled, regardless of the result.
Fortunately, this cat had given him something to anticipate. He took his medicine on time, and even his temper had improved.
“What about your throat?” Zhuang Qian did not indulge him. “Are you planning to become a mute after filming?”
Her foremost concern was keeping Zou Songpu profitable—and raising her own value along the way.
“My throat is fine now. I take the medicine. The doctor said nothing at my follow-up.”
“Keep being stubborn. Let's see what happens if you truly lose your voice halfway through filming.”
“You'll make sure I remain popular.” Zou Songpu had absolute confidence in her professional ability. “Go do your work. I know what I'm doing.”
For once, Zhuang Qian had no reply. After a long pause, she told him to drink more water, left the script on the table, and departed.
Xiao Chen emerged from the kitchen with freshly cut fruit and discovered she was gone.
“She didn't even eat any. Why did she leave so quickly?”
“She choked. Going back to work will aid digestion.”
Zou Songpu's private account had finally met the minimum follow-time required to enter Tingting's fan group. He was now frantically saving the reaction images posted by other members.
In his eyes, Tingting was simply a female version of Shuohua who could talk—unbearably adorable.