madnovel Chapter 22 Envy and Jealousy
Chapter 22 Envy and Jealousy
"She's from the affiliated high school of Beijing Dance Academy. She's been practicing dance since she was little, so her basic skills are exceptionally solid. She has a quiet personality, but she dances with tremendous energy. You two are both studying dance, so you should be able to get along well."
Liu Haochun nodded slightly and gave Li Xue a shy smile: "Hello, my name is Liu Haochun."
Li Xue quickly returned the greeting, a sincere smile on her face: "Hello Weiwei, hello Haochun, my name is Li Xue, please take care of me in the future. I didn't expect Haochun to also study dance. I graduated from Beijing Dance Academy, we might even know the same teacher."
"Really?" Liu Haochun's eyes lit up. People who study dance always feel closer to each other when they meet someone in the same major. "My teacher is Teacher Zhang, who teaches classical dance."
"I know Teacher Zhang!" Li Xue smiled. "I even audited her classes when I was in school. Her class on body movement was particularly excellent."
"That's such a coincidence!" Tian Xiwei interjected from the side.
Watching them chat, I said, "We have filming this afternoon. I'll take Li Xue to put her luggage away first. You two wait here for a bit, and we'll have lunch together later."
Li Xue didn't have much luggage; a small suitcase contained a change of clothes and a few books. She was led to a hotel room. "The conditions are a bit basic, but you'll have to make do for now."
"Mr. Lin, you're too kind. This is already very kind of you." Li Xue quickly waved her hand, knowing that having a private room was already a good thing. "I'm not that particular."
After putting their luggage away, the two headed to the film set. "There are two more scenes to shoot this afternoon, so I won't have a special welcome lunch for you. You'll have boxed lunches with everyone first, and I'll treat you to a nice meal after we finish filming tonight."
"Please don't trouble yourself!" Li Xue quickly said, "I'm fine with anything, the boxed lunch is perfectly good, there's really no need to spend extra money. I'm already very grateful to be able to come to the film crew to learn, how could I let you treat me to a meal?"
When they arrived at the film set, Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun had already received their boxed lunches and were waiting. The four of them found a table in a corner and sat down.
"Eat up, the ribs smell delicious." Tian Xiwei picked up a piece of rib from her lunchbox and gave it to Li Xue. "You must be hungry since you just arrived in Shancheng."
"Thank you, Weiwei." Li Xue felt a warmth in her heart, not expecting this seemingly carefree girl to be so kind.
He ate quickly and put down his chopsticks after a short while: "You guys take your time eating. I'm going to go talk to Brother Zhou about the afternoon's filming schedule."
"Go ahead, go ahead." Tian Xi waved her hand slightly, her attention now entirely on Li Xue.
As soon as he left, Li Xue took the initiative to start a conversation. She knew that maintaining good relationships with the people around the boss was very important to him. "Weiwei, you and Director Lin grew up together. Did he always love to boss people around when he was a child?" she asked with a smile, her tone full of curiosity.
"Absolutely!" Tian Xiwei immediately launched into a long explanation. "He's always been very strict with me since I was little, and he still watches me do my homework every day!"
She complained, but her eyes were full of smiles. "But he's a really nice person. When my parents were busy when I was little, he would always take me home for dinner. He would always give me the lean part of the braised pork that Aunt Wang made."
Li Xue secretly noted that Director Lin and Tian Xiwei had a very close relationship, like siblings. He should take good care of Tian Xiwei in the future and not neglect her.
She then looked at Liu Haochun and changed the subject: "Haochun, how did you get into the film crew? Your acting seems quite natural. Have you acted before?"
Liu Haochun lowered his head and said softly, "No, this is my first time acting. It was Brother Feng... Director Lin who came to our school to select actors and thought I was suitable, so he asked me to come."
"You're so lucky!" Li Xue said sincerely, but a hint of envy rose in her heart. She had to put in so much effort for a short film role that only lasted a few dozen seconds, while Liu Haochun got an important role so easily. How could the difference between people be so great?
"I was extremely nervous at first and kept forgetting my lines, but Director Lin and Tian Xiwei were always there to help me," Liu Haochun quickly added, not wanting people to think she got lucky. "Director Lin taught me a lot of acting techniques, and Weiwei was always encouraging me."
"Haochun, you must be an amazing dancer, right?" Li Xue asked again, steer the conversation back to dance. "When I was little, I practiced dancing, and I cried every day from stretching my legs. But I got used to it, and it became a little easier. What kind of dance do you like?"
"I love classical dance," Liu Haochun said, becoming more talkative when the topic turned to dance. "Although practicing the basics is tough, I feel incredibly free when I put on my dance costume and spin around. But sometimes, when I'm training my physical fitness, I get so tired that I don't want to move."
"I totally understand!" Li Xue said with deep agreement. "I used to practice a spinning move for three days straight, and I was so dizzy that I couldn't even eat. Back then, I always thought about giving up, but now I'm glad I didn't."
In the time it takes to eat a meal, Li Xue has already figured out the personalities of the two women quite well. Tian Xiwei is simple and straightforward, with clear likes and dislikes. When getting along with her, you have to be sincere and not play tricks on her.
Liu Haochun is introverted, sensitive, and thoughtful. She secretly planned to bring Weiwei snacks more often, chat with her about gossip, talk to Haochun about dance, share her dance practice experiences, and build a good relationship with her.
After finishing their meal, Li Xue tidied up the lunchboxes quickly and efficiently. Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun went to touch up their makeup, so she followed behind, helping them carry their bags and water bottles.
In the afternoon, during filming, Li Xue stood next to the monitor, watching Lin Feng direct the scene.
Li Xue watched as Lin Feng methodically directed the operation, sometimes instructing the cameraman on camera angles, sometimes explaining lighting to the lighting crew. Although his tone was gentle, it carried an undeniable authority.
She found it hard to believe that this young man, who looked a few years younger than her, could manage the entire film crew so well.
She had met many directors in other film crews before, and they were either short-tempered or perfunctory. She had never met one as young and steady as Raymond Lam.
"No wonder he can start his own company, he's got some skills." Li Xue muttered to herself, feeling even more admiration for her new boss. She increasingly felt that coming here was the right decision; she was sure she could learn a lot from someone like him.
She then looked at Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun. In the footage, their interaction seemed so natural, like that of real best friends, that it was impossible to tell they were acting. Li Xue felt a mix of emotions—envy, admiration, and a touch of jealousy.
She recalled her experiences over the past two years, running to countless auditions, and playing mostly minor roles with no more than three lines. In order to win a role as the second female lead in a short film, she paid for a tutor to work on her lines and stayed up several nights studying the script, but was ultimately replaced because she was "unknown".
Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun, who are so young yet have such good resources and such a good platform, will probably never know what it feels like to give your all for a small role.
"But it's okay," Li Xue encouraged herself. "They have talent and luck, and I have resilience. Now I can work as Director Lin's assistant, observe and learn as much as I can. One day, I will be able to stand in front of the camera and play a real lead role."
She looked at Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun's smiling faces on the monitor, then glanced at Lin Feng's focused profile, and quietly clenched her fist.
She wanted to do her best as an assistant, to understand the crew's operations thoroughly, and to memorize Director Lin's work habits. As long as she could stay in this industry, as long as she could seize even the smallest opportunity, she wouldn't give up.
The afternoon's filming went smoothly, and it was only five o'clock when we wrapped up. He glanced at his watch and said to Li Xue, "Let's go, I'll treat you to dinner, as promised."
"Really, Director Lin, it's not necessary..."
"Don't be shy, consider this a welcome to our new colleague. Weiwei, Haochun, you two come along too."
"Yay!" Tian Xiwei cheered immediately. "I want to eat hot pot!"
"Okay, let's have hot pot."