Su Qinqin had a sweet appearance with round eyes, a pretty nose, thin lips, and white teeth. Her long, milk tea-brown hair fell to her waist. She wore a light purple JK outfit with an innocent smile on her face. She was extremely late but the producer and director were not angry. Instead, they greeted her with a smile.
When Song Qingli saw Su Qinqin's face, the smile on her face gradually froze. Her jaw tightened and her brows furrowed slightly. This was the woman! In her previous life, this was the woman who pulled Xiao Yi down from the altar.
Li Zhen glanced at Song Qingli out of the corner of his eye and kicked her under the table, warning her in a low voice, "Have control over your face."
Only then did Song Qingli turn her face away and reorganise her expressions.
The girl standing amongst the group of directors and producers clasped her hands together and apologised. "I'm terribly sorry. My assistant didn't arrange the schedule well which delayed my plan causing me to be late for dinner. As an apology, I'll treat everyone to a cup of milk tea. Please forgive me."
The girl raised her eyebrows and lowered her voice. She didn't look apologetic at all. She was just saying it and cleverly pushed the responsibility to the assistant.
Of course, not everyone was in love with her. There were some veteran actors in the film who couldn't stand these young and impetuous people. Just because they were young and growing, doesn't mean that they could be late and have everyone waiting for them.
"Since you're here, hurry up and take a seat. You've made hundreds of people wait for two hours. I had the misconception that you might actually be someone great." The man who spoke was Liu Buqun, a great actor. He had been acting for forty years and was an experienced senior in the entertainment industry. There were so many historical and Xianxia dramas that he had acted in. He had the aura of a celestial being and was full of spirits. Even if he was already close to fifty years old, his eyes were lively and they caught the audience's attention.
Su Qinqin's eyes flashed with disgust after being humiliated. The directors and producers immediately tried to smooth things over, "Since everyone is here, let's raise our glasses and start the banquet. Let's hurry up! The male and female lead still have to shoot tonight."
Originally, Producer Su had arranged for Su Qinqin to sit with Liu Buqun. After all, they were all leading actors at the table and all of them were experienced actors. He wanted to talk to them together during the meal as it would be helpful for their upcoming work together. Who knew that Su Qinqin and Liu Buqun would have a conflict as soon as they met? Su Qinqin didn't want to sit at the same table as well. Thus, Producer Su had no choice but to find an empty seat for her.
Coincidentally, she ended up sitting at the same table as Song Qingli and Li Zhen.
Su Qinqin had been paying attention to Song Qingli since she sat down. Her scrutinising eyes scanned Song Qingli from top to bottom and jealousy filled her eyes.
The corners of Li Zhen's mouth curled up as she raised his glass and gave her a toast. "Su Qinqin, congratulations. You must have put in a lot of effort to get such a big role, didn't you?"
Su Qinqin retracted her scrutinising gaze and that's when she noticed that Li Zhen, the great manager Li, was also at the table. There were indeed hidden secrets in this new girl. She saw the mockery in Li Zhen's eyes and felt guilty. Her eyes were slowly filled with displeasure. Su Qinqin quickly collected her emotions and raised her glass. "Oh? It's manager Li. Last month when you rejected me, I was wondering who it was for..."
She stopped mid-sentence and looked at Song Qingli with smiling eyes. "Nowadays, having a good appearance would bring you everything you want. However, the faster you rise to fame, the faster you'll fall. This was what manager Li told me."
"Qinqin, do you know why I didn't want to be your manager?" Li Zhen took a sip of the champagne and put it down. Her face was full of disdain and she didn't even bat her eyelids. "Because you are someone who has beauty without brains."
Su Qinqin's face turned red as she got mad but there was nothing that she could say in return. Although she had some conflicts with Li Zhen a long time ago, she still wanted to work in this industry and she couldn't afford to offend anyone. Otherwise, it would be more difficult for her in the future.
The people who were eating at the table all looked at her chest. Song Qingli could not help but raise her eyebrows as well. This had to be 38C, right?
It was indeed big.
"Yes, yes. Manager Li is a knowledgeable woman. You're right. It's a pity that I couldn't work with you but if there's ever a chance, just tell me how would want. I'll definitely sign the contract without any hesitation."
"I'm afraid there's no need for that. I've never looked at the pay when I accept artists. I only look at their character."
The atmosphere at the table scared everyone so badly that they did not even dare to move their chopsticks. Song Qingli felt that Sister Li was a hypocrite. Sister Li told her not to say anything and offend others but she went head to head with another artist! This woman was the female lead in the drama. If the female lead got offended, Su Qinqin would start stirring up trouble for the others!
The young girl looked at Su Qinqin and Su Qinqin was so angry that her breathing became irregular. Although was satisfying to see Su Qinqin in this state since she had lied to Xiao Yi in Song Qingli's previous life, Su Qinqin still had not done anything wrong yet in this life. As long as Xiao Yi knew her true colour earlier on, he could avoid the following tragedy.
"Sister Li, I've peeled prawns for you. Try it. I heard that the male and female leads will be shooting tonight so you have to hurry." Song Qingli peeled the prawns very quickly with her bare hands. As she spoke, Li Zhen's bowl was already filled with prawns.
Although Li Zhen disliked this kind of flattery the most, she could still distinguish between friend and foe. She could tell that Song Qingli was trying to interrupt the conversation. Plus, Li Zhen did not want to talk too much with a fool for fear that it might affect her intelligence so she simply picked up her chopsticks and tasted them.
The sun hid behind the mountain and the sunset had also quietly passed. While they were eating, the crew had already set up the scene. Inside one of the large sheds, there was a ten-metre-tall green cloth, crystal chairs, a green Lake, and a wooden bridge. There were blue flames that flickered everywhere and the ground was covered in white mist formed from dry ice.
"The Cry of the Sword from Ninth Heaven" was about a modern girl whose soul had travelled to the immortal world and was loved by the prime celestial, Bai Tu. This scene was their first encounter. The girl from the modern era fell from the sky. She was dressed in a strange dress, with a silly and cute expression. She ended up being locked up in prison because she had accidentally entered the forbidden area of the prime celestial.
The large shed couldn't fit a lot of them which was why only a few of them were allowed to watch. Song Qingli wasn't even allowed into the shed at first but she managed to squeeze in on Li Zhen's account.
As soon as she entered, she saw Su Qinqin being lifted up to a height of more than ten metres and Su Qinqin was screaming non-stop. Su Qinqin was so scared that tears and snot were all over her face, forget about trying to act. Xiao Yi, who was standing on the ground, was the total opposite. He was dressed in a soft white robe, his silver hair tied up high, and he had a cold expression on his face. Xiao Yi stood with his back straight on the wooden bridge. The entire frame was like a painting.
"Oh my, Qinqin. You don't even have to act in this scene. Just look frightened but pay attention to your image. Keep your snot inside your nose." When the director spoke into the walkie-talkie, everyone in the studio tried to hold back their laughter. Su Qinqin's face turned red and she cried, "Director, I need a stunt double! I'm really afraid of heights."
The producers and directors all sighed silently. Young actors these days could not take any hardship at all. These actors were afraid of everything. The directors and producers had no idea why the investors had chosen a rookie singer, who had never acted before, to be here. Although they had a vague assumption in their hearts that Su Qinqin might have used some dirty tricks, they were afraid of the investor that had picked Su Qinqin so no one dared to be angry at her.
Li Zhen looked coldly at Su Qinqin, who was stumbling as the wires were being removed. Su Qinqin's pale face was streaked with tears and she looked extremely pitiful.
"Ridiculous." After Li Zhen finished speaking, she turned and left but Song Qingli didn't. She kept looking at Xiao Yi, who was standing on the wooden bridge. He had a gentle personality and even though he was a famous actor, he didn't have any temper at all. The staff around him also loved working with him. They liked fixing his hair and makeup since he was also very cooperative.
The preparations for today were done in a short period of time and the female lead had arrived late, so there was no time to find a stunt double. The producers and directors sat in a group while having a heated discussion. In the end, Producer Su couldn't suppress his temper and slammed the table. "It's easy for you to say. Where can we find a female stunt double now with a similar figure?"
Suddenly, a head popped up amongst the directors and producers. Song Qingli's eyes lit up as she said in a clear voice, "Do you think I am a good fit?"