After Being Dumped by the Film Empress, My Acting Skills Soared - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The moment she held the contract, Shao Niannian felt a surge of joy—but it lasted only a second, maybe a minute. As soon as her eyes drifted from the contract, they landed on the character biography Director Mo had sent back. The entire screen was “bleeding” red.

Scrolling down, the Word document was so densely packed with red annotations that Shao Niannian was instantly transported back to her senior year of college, struggling with her thesis. Same “River of Red,” same massive headache.

In the beginning, Director Mo had been relatively patient, writing long paragraphs of critique and even highlighting sections in red to provide examples for Shao Niannian.

However, all patience has its limits—and Director Mo’s patience threshold was about half that of a normal director. Shao Niannian’s university professors usually managed to hold their tempers until page five; Director Mo only made it to page three.

The annotations on the first three pages were professional and responsible. From page four onward, Mo Yu’s feedback on the submitted character analysis devolved into a handful of blunt phrases: “Huh?”, “Heh,”, “Did you dream this up?”, “Which part of the script led you to this analysis?”, “Did you skip Chinese class during the college entrance exams?”, “Take your salary from your last trashy drama and go see a doctor—try to get your brain fixed before you join the set.”

Staring at these borderline personal attacks, Shao Niannian felt her hands and feet go cold. Her brain stalled as she sat frozen in her chair. She slumped over her desk, reading the final line Director Mo had included in the email: “Revise it. Hand it in again the day you arrive on set.”

As her spirit crumbled, so did her composure in her chat with Su Chaoyue.

Shao Niannian: “AHHH—Why do humans have to work? Why did I study art? Why did I learn to act? Why did I join Director Mo’s crew? Why why why why why?”

Shao Niannian: “Is there any way I can just… not work?”

Su Chaoyue, who had only been asleep for a short while before being woken up by her supervisor, was currently staring at her laptop, revising her thesis while battling a fever. The blurry German text looked like tiny ants crawling across the screen.

Upon seeing Shao Niannian’s messages, her first reaction wasn’t to reply with words. Instead, she switched windows, checked her latest notifications, opened her bank app, took a screenshot of her balance, and sent it over.

Su Chaoyue: “I’d love to say ‘Don’t work, I’ll support you.’ Scoff. Look at this balance…”

Su Chaoyue: “If you don’t work hard, we’ll both be living on nothing but fresh air.”

Shao Niannian, who had been rolling around in bed complaining, suddenly snapped her laptop shut and sat bolt upright. She turned to Gao Hui, who was standing nearby. “Fine, fine. Didn’t you say there was a last-minute promotional event? Let’s get moving. Early start, early finish.”

“I thought you said you weren’t going? What changed your mind?” Gao Hui raised an eyebrow, not moving yet.

“I have a feeling that after I finish Director Mo’s movie, I’ll be so mentally exhausted I might not even make it to the halfway point,” Shao Niannian said as she sat at her vanity to start her makeup. Since it was a last-minute job, there was no time to book a professional artist; she had to do it herself.

She directed Gao Hui to grab an outfit from the closet. “If I can’t hold on, won’t my salary go down the drain? I might even have to pay back damages… Better to earn some pocket money before we join the set. That way, if I breach the contract, at least I won’t be homeless.”

Gao Hui was speechless. “What goes on in that head of yours? You haven’t even stepped onto the set and you’re already thinking about the penalty fee?”

“Let me tell you right now,” Gao Hui said, tossing the clothes to her, “Even if you truly can’t act anymore and want to jump off a building, I won’t let you quit. Do you know how many people break their necks trying to get into a Mo Yu production? People try to sleep their way in, buy their way in, use fame and money to lure her… There is nothing people won’t do to get a shot at success. It’s a rare miracle Director Mo went blind for a second and picked you. As long as she’s paying you, you’d better stay in that crew even if it kills you.”

Gao Hui’s phone vibrated. She glanced at a message from Su Chaoyue but didn’t reply. Instead, she urged the “little ancestor” sitting on the stool to hurry. “Stop sitting there. Didn’t you just say you were anxious to earn money? Why are you still not moving?”

“I still need blush!” Shao Niannian cried, frantically dabbing her face before grabbing her clothes to change in the van. Before stepping out, she doubled back to grab her laptop, intending to study Mo Yu’s rejected outline during the commute.

The promotional event was simple. Shao Niannian went through the general flow before spending an hour cooperating with the organizers on commercial tasks and promotion. Because fans had swarmed the venue, Gao Hui negotiated an extra activity to let Shao Niannian interact more with them.

When she finally finished, the fans followed her, reluctant to leave. “Go home quickly,” Shao Niannian urged them. She recognized the girl leading the group, who had organized several previous events. “If you’re any later, you’ll miss the last bus and subway.”

Once inside the van, Shao Niannian sent a red envelope to the fan group chat, telling them to take taxis home and stay safe.

Gao Hui glanced in the rearview mirror as Shao Niannian pulled the curtains. “Changing clothes in the car again? Where are you going now?”

“Late-night snacks.”

Inside the car was warm, but the outside temperature was low and windy. Shao Niannian threw on an extra coat, wiped off every trace of makeup, and covered up with a hat and mask.

“Eating what?” Gao Hui’s voice spiked so sharply the car swerved slightly. Shao Niannian gripped the back of the seat, complaining loudly.

“Sister Hui, what are you doing? Are you trying to take my life over a snack?”

“You are an artist, my ancestor! You are about to join a film crew and you’re going out for late-night snacks? You are the one taking my life!”

Shao Niannian slumped like a puddle, waving her laptop. “I need some brain food; I’ve got a tough battle ahead tonight.”

Knowing she couldn’t stop her, Gao Hui simply nagged her one last time before dropping her off near her home. After confirming Shao Niannian was heading into the alleyway, Gao Hui sent a message telling her to check in once she arrived.

Rounding the corner of the alley, a BBQ stall appeared. The scent of spicy cumin drifted through the air, instantly triggering Shao Niannian’s cravings.

“Boss, I want ten skewers of gluten, one eggplant, one honey corn, fifteen lamb skewers, and the usual sweet soup.”

Without even looking up, the owner’s wife recognized the voice. “Niannian! We just started serving Peach Resin Coconut Milk; want to try some?”

“Peach resin coconut milk? Sure! Swap the soup for that.”

“Got it. Find yourself a seat.”

The stall was bustling. Shao Niannian paced around before finding a table in a dimly lit corner. Ignoring the noise around her, she opened her laptop. Seconds later, the screen was once again filled with the “River of Red” character biography.

“…”

Shao Niannian couldn’t help but mutter, “This is more terrifying than being haunted by a ghost in a red dress.”