After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Gao Hui watched the girl lying listlessly on the sofa clutching her script, puzzled. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” Shao Niannian waved a hand dismissively, her body draped over the cushions as she closed her eyes to recite lines under her breath. “Sister Hui, what time did you say the table read starts?”

“The day after tomorrow.” Gao Hui suddenly remembered her purpose. She pulled two 30-inch suitcases into the room and gestured toward them. “Director Mo wants everyone to assemble today, so I’m taking you to the set now. Do you think two suitcases are enough?”

“How long are we going for?” Niannian sat up. “Should I leave Baobab at your place?”

“Leave her at Huo Lülü’s. She only has minor gigs this month. Besides, she was complaining the other day that her cat, Jiu-Jiu, is lonely at home, crouching by the door waiting for her every evening. It’s breaking her heart.”

Shao Niannian understood Jiu-Jiu perfectly. She pulled on a coat, gathered Baobab and her pre-packed cat food, and prepared to head to Lülü’s. “Is Jiu-Jiu really waiting for her? I don’t have the heart to tell her the truth…” Jiu-Jiu simply liked lying in the hallway because of the nightlight; whenever someone walked by, the light would turn on, making the timid cat feel safe.

“Wear your mask,” Gao Hui reminded her, acting like a worried mother while she agonized over which clothes would be best for the upcoming location.

By the time everything was packed, Niannian returned carrying a bag of snacks.

“Did Huo Lülü buy more snacks secretly? Has she not had enough of the treadmill?!” Gao Hui reached for the bag, but Niannian skillfully dodged her. At twenty-six, she protected her snacks like her life depended on it.

“Sister Hui, why didn’t you tell me we’d be stuck in that small county for three months?” Niannian fished out a jelly and peeled it open.

“It hasn’t been finalized yet,” Gao Hui muttered, checking the time. “Hurry up, don’t dawdle. Are you sure you don’t want an assistant? It would make communicating with the crew easier.”

“No need. I can take care of myself.” Niannian stuffed a handful of snacks into her backpack and wheeled her suitcase toward the elevator. “I’ve joined sets alone before. I’ll be fine.”

Gao Hui frowned, thinking of the news she’d heard. She wasn’t sure if it would be a blessing or a curse for Niannian. Watching her walk to the car, Gao Hui sighed. It should be a good thing, right? Mo Yu hired Jiang Yan as the acting coach. Niannian’s idol is Jiang Yan—she should be thrilled to see her.

The logistics were seamless. As soon as she landed, Niannian received a call from the coordinator. They were waiting at the airport exit in a bus.

The production was truly “no-frills.” When they said bus, they meant a standard 70-seater tour bus. Scanning the rows, Niannian saw only one empty seat—right next to Director Mo Yu.

As she boarded, several crew members peeked at her. The moment they realized the only seat was next to the director, they all simultaneously turned to look out the windows or faked sleep. No one was going to save her.

Shao Niannian: “…” Is there something wrong with this crew?

“What are you standing there for? Is everyone supposed to wait for you? Sit down, we’re leaving.” Mo Yu’s voice was as raspy and cold as ever. Terrified, Niannian sat down as obediently as a primary school student.

As the bus started, Niannian felt trapped. She suffered from motion sickness, and the smell of the air conditioning was making her stomach churn.

“Did you finish the revisions I asked for?” Mo Yu, fully bundled up in a hat and mask, sat with her eyes closed.

“Finished… I finished them.” Niannian thought about the parts she had totaly bs-ed at the end and hoped Mo Yu wouldn’t read it too closely. If the director checked word for word, Niannian might be kicked off the set before her first day.

“Good,” Mo Yu said. She suddenly cracked one eye open. “Are you close with Jiang Yan?”

“Me?” Niannian froze, her hands waving frantically. “No, no. Not close at all. Not even a little.” She thought of the awkward encounter at the BBQ stall. Forget being close; the woman didn’t even remember they had worked together before.

Mo Yu didn’t change her expression, but she scanned Niannian up and down with a gaze that made her skin crawl. Niannian sat up straight, swallowing back the bile rising in her throat as the bus began to navigate a winding mountain road.

“Oh.”

The response was anticlimactic. Mo Yu went back to leaning against the headrest. “If you didn’t bring motion sickness pills, you’d better drink some water and try to sleep. This mountain road has a lot of turns.”

Niannian’s face went pale. “How much further?”

“Two hours to the filming location. Sleep. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

Unable to fight the dizziness, Niannian closed her eyes and drifted off, lose to the direction the bus was taking.

When she finally stirred awake, the person sitting next to her had changed. It wasn’t Mo Yu anymore—it was Wen Jing.

Wen Jing hadn’t even been on the bus when they started. Seeing Niannian wake up, Wen Jing rubbed her sore shoulder and let out a smirk. “You sure can sleep. You spent the whole trip using Director Mo’s shoulder as a pillow. Even the noise of unloading luggage didn’t wake you. Impressive.”

“…” Niannian rubbed her nose sheepishly. “Why are you here? Where is everyone else?”

“Gone to have a fight,” Wen Jing said nonchalantly, as if this were a minor detail.

“A fight?”

“Yeah,” Wen Jing explained. “The crew had a deal with this hotel, but they hiked the prices at the last minute trying to scam us. Director Mo took everyone over to have a shouting match.”

“Everyone?” Niannian imagined seventy people descending upon a hotel lobby to argue. It was a spectacular mental image.