Chapter 83: Chapter 83 - Eight-Three: Self-Recommendation

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“No! No, I mean, you got the wrong idea! Of course, I think you can take the lead role! You did great!” Mika praised as he stepped forward and stared intently at Shi Xiu.

“Really? For real?” Shi Xiu squealed, overjoyed. Mika turned around and asked, “What do you think?” Fang Xi nodded, and Yun Nan sighed.

“Yun Nan, are you dissatisfied with my acting?” Shi Xiu dejectedly inquired. Yun Nan facepalmed and said weakly, “Can you go home and ask your parents for their opinions first?”

Shi Xiu widened her eyes and questioned, “Does that mean you think I can do it?” Yun Nan nodded somewhat reluctantly.

Shi Xiu’s eyes lit up, and she beamed, “That’s good! My parents’ opinions aren’t all that important. Besides, what opinions would they have? If you think I can do it, then I’ll go and get myself prepared!”

Mika was the casting director as well as the executive director, and he didn’t care about the consequences; he would have Shi Xiu as the lead actress no matter what. He immediately pulled Shi Xiu over and enthusiastically prattled, “Oh, you precious little thing! You’re my darling princess from now on! You’re a lifesaver! I’ll repay your kindness in the future!”

Mika continued, “But first, I need you to come over here and discuss the script. Hong Can, you too—Oh, that’s right! You show up later on, so it’s not your scene yet. I’ve changed my mind; you don’t have to come over. You two! The ones who play her evil adoptive parents! Get over here! Let’s practice your scenes. Come on!”

Soon, everyone was in high spirits thanks to Shi Xiu’s involvement and Mika’s excited energy. They surrounded Shi Xiu and Mika and started to discuss the movie script. Then, the group felt the conference room wasn’t enough for them, so someone took the lead and swiftly moved everyone to the movie set.

Leaving behind Fang Xi and a resigned-looking Yun Nan. Seeing her friend’s expression, Fang Xi reassured her, “It’s fine. Even though Shi Xiu is young, she has a mind of her own and knows what she’s doing. You don’t have to worry about her. If she can take on the lead role, Mika and I will beg for forgiveness from her family ourselves.” Yun Nan gave her a wry smile. What else could she say to that?

Due to the rollercoaster of emotions the entire production team had experienced that day, spirits were high, and the team took the initiative to retake last week’s scenes. Everything went smoothly; Shi Xiu was a very hardworking girl. She shot half of the previous scenes in one go. If Mika didn’t pay such great attention to the characters’ emotional development, they wouldn’t have realized the day had already gotten so late.

Yun Nan walked up to Shi Xiu and handed her a towel and a bottle of water. “Shi Xiu, are you tired?” she asked in concern.

Due to her multiple crying scenes, Shi Xiu’s eyes were a little swollen, but they shone like stars, and she looked exhilarated. “Nope! I’m not tired at all, Yun Nan.”

There was a sudden commotion in the crowd. When Yun Nan turned around to find out what was happening, she saw Shi Nian walking through the crowd toward them. Everyone was staring at them with smiles on their faces.

“Shi Nian!” Shi Xiu happily waved her hands at her brother. Yun Nan’s heart sank. “Oh, no!” she whispered to Shi Xiu. “I forgot! We were supposed to have dinner with your family tonight.”

‘How negligent ofme!’ she inwardly sighed. Shi Xiu, on the other hand, wasn’t concerned; she held Yun Nan’s hand as they walked toward her brother and told Yun Nan, “It’s fine! They won’t start dinner without us.”

‘ What?! Yun Nan was a little terrified at the thought that she’d made the entire Shi family wait for her.

“Ladies, are you done with your work? May we go now?” Shi Nian queried. He’d noticed Yun Nan’s expression and could guess what was going through her mind. He didn’t expect her to beat herself up over this small slip-up. ‘She’s quite dedicated and has good professional ethics,’ he mused.

‘However, does she truly not have any feelings for me? Does she plan to fix herself to what was required ofher within the scope of the contract? *Sigh * What a worrying situation I’ve gotten myselfinto!’

“Yes, we’re done here, Shi Nian. I have good news to share! I’ll tell you more when we get home.” So saying, Shi Xiu handed Yun Nan over to Shi Nian and skipped off to bid her farewells. Yun Nan said her goodbyes to Fang Xi, who shooed her away. She’ll be staying behind to have a meeting with Mika and the rest of the team.

On the way home, Shi Xiu seized the opportunity to ask Yun Nan about Xiao He’s—the female lead’s—emotional journey and mentality throughout the story. Shi Xiu was indeed intelligent, and before she knew it, Yun Nan was giving her an in-depth and detailed explanation.

Shi Xiu nodded as she listened. “This is so touching. Yun Nan, how did you come up with such a great story?” she probed.

Yun Nan was momentarily silent before she decided to give Shi Xiu an honest answer. “The lead character, Xiao He, was based on my adoptive mother. The movie tells the story of my adoptive mother’s life. It is also my adoptive parents’ love story.”

Shi Xiu’s mouth gaped open, and she uttered, “Oh my god! So that’s how it is. Then, Yun Nan… Do you think I can play this role properly? Can I really do this character justice? I’m feeling the pressure now.”

Yun Nan looked at her and smiled. “We didn’t pick you for the lead role previously because we had already chosen Gao Bei, so we—including Mika— didn’t picture you as Xiao He. We’d arranged for you to play the role of a kind and innocent girl from a wealthy family who helped Xiao He because you had no prior acting experience, and we thought you would be very outstanding if you played a role similar to your identity. However, your self-recommendation today was amazing. It blew us out of the water.”

Such affirmation, especially from the author herself, was a great honor for ShXiu..