Preparations before filming continued. The next day, another woman with outstanding looks and excellent temperament came to find Cheng Lele. The business card she handed over showed she was a teacher from an acting training class, saying she was specifically there to improve Cheng Lele’s acting skills.
At first, Cheng Lele thought she was hired by the production side and very politely said, “Sorry to trouble the crew again.” But the teacher said it was General Manager Chen who had asked her to come for tutoring, and the teaching goal he set for her was to have Cheng Lele complete her actual performance within three takes.
The teacher said with a smile: “General Manager Chen is worried you’ll be too nervous on set and won’t perform well, dragging it out repeatedly until you’re physically and mentally exhausted, so he asked me to come teach you hands-on. He also said that if the scene where you lean on the male lead’s shoulder is done in one take, I’ll receive an extra bonus.”
Cheng Lele really wanted to roll her eyes. Making such a big fuss really made her wonder if she was gaining a sesame seed but losing a watermelon.
She sent Chen An a WeChat message: [I didn’t know you were so good at spending money.]
Chen An replied: [It’s all coming out of your performance compensation. Otherwise, why do you think celebrities charge such high fees?]
Cheng Lele: […]
In the evening, Chen Xiaomu sent a WeChat message: [Brother Duan suddenly asked me to help out with their crew, saying I’d be your dedicated makeup artist.]
Cheng Lele hadn’t expected her status had risen to the point where even the makeup artist needed to be designated: [Are you coming?]
Chen Xiaomu said: [I have to come even if I don’t want to. Brother Duan said he’s afraid you’ll act like a diva on set, so he wants me to smooth things over. Cheng Lele, I heard your backing is quite solid now.]
Cheng Lele admitted very directly: [Yes, I only found out these past two days that I’m someone with backing.]
Chen Xiaomu: [Is it Chen An?]
Cheng Lele: [Yes.]
Chen Xiaomu: [Has he become a domineering CEO? Have you become a domineering CEO’s little darling wife?]
Cheng Lele: […]
Chen Xiaomu: [Then why don’t you have the domineering CEO go deal with Qin Rui?]
Cheng Lele: [If you see Little Brother this time, don’t mention any of this stuff.]
Chen Xiaomu: [Why not?]
Cheng Lele: [It’s all in the past. What positive meaning would there be in bringing it up again besides making him sad?]
Chen Xiaomu: [What do you mean it’s in the past? Aren’t you still paying back money to his family?]
Cheng Lele: [Haven’t heard anything about him for a long time. He’s probably back in rehab.]
Chen Xiaomu: [How is that scum still not dead from drug use after all this time? The old one isn’t a good person either. Whatever, just be careful. If Qin Rui really sniffs you out and comes looking, don’t let Chen An be caught off guard.]
Chen Xiaomu’s reminder brought long-absent gloom to Cheng Lele. She opened her calculator and figured out the approximate amount she owed the Qin family, wondering if after this performance fee, minus a pile of facilitation costs, the remaining funds could pay it all off at once. She was also considering what kind of trouble Qin Rui would cause after it was all paid off. However, now that her mother had passed away, she was no longer as restricted as before. If he really came looking, she wasn’t afraid, but the past would definitely be impossible to hide. When that time came, Little Brother would feel bad for her again, and perhaps would also hold onto lingering resentment about it.
She really disliked reviewing and dwelling on those difficult times in the past. She hoped that she and Little Brother only needed to run forward wholeheartedly, so she sincerely prayed that Qin Rui would stay in rehab forever and ever, and they would never have to see each other again for the rest of their lives.