After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 17

Having not touched a bed for an entire week, Ji Youyi returned to her rental apartment and hugged her long-lost “blanket,” falling into a deep, dreamless slumber. She slept peacefully until seven o’clock.

While she slept soundly, someone in a room on the same floor remained wide awake all night.

Qiu Xiaoya sat curled up in her chair, clutching her phone, weeping uncontrollably. She had been crying for an entire day.

She was at the film set when she scrolled past a clip of Zhou Wenchen’s livestream. It was during lunch break; she had just received her meal box and hadn’t even taken a bite when her eyes were stung by the sight of the bright red roses on the screen.

Rumors about Zhou Wenchen’s scandals had been circulating since the beginning of the year.

When she first heard the news, Qiu Xiaoya had cried for a whole day just like this. Later, after listening to the rational analysis of her fellow fans, she slowly tried to accept it.

She had especially witnessed the audacity of that “bitch” Ji Youyi, who stuck to her “Big Brother” like a piece of dog shit, it was disgusting. It made her realize that her Brother was so perfect that no one in the world was worthy of him, and ordinary people didn’t even have the right to touch him!

But being understanding was one thing, seeing it still broke her heart every time.

Qiu Xiaoya looked at the “perfect couple” on the screen, her eyes like broken faucets. Her hands trembled as she typed into the comments and bullet chats: [They are just good friends. Shipping-brains, get out of here. Can you stop spreading rumors?] [Brother is so handsome and loyal! Upright and reliable! (Heart)]

She began copy-pasting Zhou Wenchen’s career achievements. This was organized in advance by the fan club leader. After all, her Brother was a top star; people wanted to harm him every day, and she had to protect him.

Tears soaked her meal box, and her makeup was completely ruined. She had no heart to film her scenes in the afternoon, so she quit her role as an extra and returned to her room to cry while boosting Zhou Wenchen’s data.

The “defense battles” organized by the fans happened one after another.

The final battle of the day was a complete success. Looking at the peaceful “square” (social media feed), the blessing filled comment sections, and the calm trending topics, Qiu Xiaoya wiped her eyes and switched to the private message interface.

Because her performance was outstanding, the fan club leader had always looked out for her and sent a message of comfort: [Xiaoya, don’t be sad. They really are just good friends. Your comment on Brother’s Weibo has been upvoted to the third spot, he’ll see you at first glance.]

Qiu Xiaoya gave a gratified smile and typed through her tears: [It wouldn’t matter even if it were true. I just want Brother to be happy. I know I’m not good enough for him. The Meng family is wealthy, their class is different from ours. Meng Xiao is Meng Xingshu’s sister, so she can definitely provide Brother with a lot of help.]

Fan Leader: [Yeah, exactly. By the way, Xiaoya, have you been paid? Brother’s new magazine goes on sale next week. The crowd funding for the “Ground Promotion” is still short a lot. I’m so worried.]

“Ground Promotion” referred to fans buying magazines in bulk and distributing them to passersby for free to boost sales and publicity. Its importance couldn’t be overstated.

Qiu Xiaoya had moved to D City specifically to chase her idol. Her life’s dream was to say a single word to Zhou Wenchen. She didn’t earn much, and to save money for him, she hadn’t bought new clothes in years.

Qiu Xiaoya checked her account balance. To the last cent, she transferred everything to the fan leader.

The fan leader waited a few seconds before replying with a crying face.

Qiu Xiaoya asked hurriedly: [What’s wrong? Are there more haters? Send me the links. I’ll go report them.]

Fan Leader: [No, no. Sigh, I’m just worried. You know our fandom never forces anyone to spend money, so the fans are very chill. The sales this time will probably look terrible, which will definitely affect Brother’s future resources [Crying]. I’ve already put in my whole salary. I’m planning to borrow some money from friends, every bit counts.]

Qiu Xiaoya stared at the screen, seemingly making a difficult decision. Her fingers trembled over the screen before she switched apps, found a web-lending platform, and submitted her registration.

The maximum loan amount was 30,000. She bit her lip, took the full loan, and transferred it to the fan leader.

Fan Leader: [(Touched) Xiaoya, you are so dedicated. If everyone loved Brother like you, we wouldn’t be mocked by other fandoms. I’m going to screenshot this and post it on Weibo to call on everyone to learn from you.]

Qiu Xiaoya: [I’ll go too. We must let everyone know the importance of this fundraiser. We can’t be by Brother’s side, so this is all we can do. Let the entertainment industry see the strength of a Top Star!]

Busy from dusk till dawn, Qiu Xiaoya hadn’t eaten all night, and her stomach was growling. She still had some credit left on her “Huabei” (digital credit line) and planned to go downstairs to buy food.

As she walked through the hallway, a door to a room on the same floor opened. A girl holding a toothbrush cup walked out, yawning, her eyes barely open.

Qiu Xiaoya froze. She walked quickly away from the girl, hiding in a corner of the corridor, the hatred in her eyes flowing out uncontrollably.

Even though the other woman wasn’t wearing makeup and her aura was different from her online persona, Qiu Xiaoya had Photoshopped her face countless times, she recognized her instantly.

Zhou Wenchen had just done a livestream last week, tearfully apologizing for the “suicide by pills” incident that Ji Youyi had directed and acted out herself! He even mentioned he had fallen into depression due to guilt!

What did Brother do wrong? Why did he have to apologize? The person who deserved to die was someone else!

Why was her kind Brother suffering from illness while the “bitch” who made him sick was living her life comfortably!

She took out her phone, opened a chat, and sent a message: [Group Leader, I can’t make it to the night shoot today.]

The hallway had no windows. In the darkness, only the eerie glow of the phone screen illuminated her grim face.

After washing up, Ji Youyi arrived at the film set in high spirits, ready to start a new day of work. Then, she received terrible news.

The Director of Photography (DP) had been arrested!

Yesterday’s wrap-up was early, and because Meng Xingshu’s visit had brought hope to the entire crew, everyone was feeling a bit lightheaded. The camera crew even went out for a small dinner to celebrate their “bright future.”

Several members of the camera crew had worked together for years and lived in the same area. They usually commuted together. They ended up drinking at dinner, and for some reason, they foolishly decided to drive home.

As a result, a DUI checkpoint caught them. The driver was hauled away.

In the detention center, the DP felt very aggrieved: “Director Ji, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know one can of beer counted as drunk driving.”

“You didn’t know? How did you get your license if you didn’t know? You didn’t just let me down, you let down the crew and everyone in that car!” Ji Youyi shouted coldly. “You’re lucky to just be detained. If an accident had happened, where would you go to cry then?”

She didn’t want to hear his excuses. She only asked, “How long until you’re out?”

“It’s… it’s a 15 days detention…”

15 days? The drama would be finished by then!

Ji Youyi took a deep breath. “First, reflect on your actions in there. I won’t sue you, but I can’t pay your final installment. Any objections? Second, you need to find me a replacement, someone who can at least operate the camera, otherwise, I can’t film.”

The DP knew how much Ji Youyi valued cinematography. He cried, “Director Ji, I certainly don’t have the face to ask for the final pay, but for a camera operator… I really can’t find anyone reliable on short notice. Why don’t you ask Xiao Liu? She should know how, she just hasn’t had the chance to do it in practice. If she can’t do it, I’ll… I’ll… Director Ji, I know I was wrong! I’ll kowtow to you when I get out!!”

Ji Youyi hung up the phone and walked toward the camera. “Xiao Liu, come here. Show me what you can do.”

Due to economic considerations, this crew used a dual camera setup. While a single camera allows for precise control over frame and lighting, it also means filming the same material takes twice as long. Ji Youyi only had ten days, she couldn’t afford that.

Camera B had a dedicated operator, but Camera A was handled by the DP himself. Xiao Liu was a camera assistant whose job usually involved setting up equipment and signals. Ji Youyi had her film two scenes and found that her “knowledge” was limited to operating the machine; her understanding of composition and movement was stiff.

It might be enough for other small crews, but for Ji Youyi, it was unusable.

Xiao Liu looked at the monitor and felt ashamed. “Director Ji, I’m… I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault. Go get back to work.” Ji Youyi forced a smile and comforted her with a look, letting her leave. She stood there alone, tapping the machine rhythmically as she thought of a solution.

The people around her didn’t dare say a word, working silently to avoid disturbing the director.

Within moments, Ji Youyi made her decision. She called the screenwriter over. “Li Zhulan, change the script.”

“Here!” Li Zhulan ran over like a gust of wind and gave a salute. “Reporting to Director Ji, standing by!”

Ji Youyi was amused, and her expression finally softened. She instructed, “Kill off Ning Li. Take her later scenes and distribute them among the other characters.”

Li Zhulan didn’t expect such an arrangement. Her smile vanished, and she froze. “Why?”

“We’re short a camera operator. I have to take over from now on, so I can’t act anymore.”

Li Zhulan was still stunned. “But why?”

“Operating the camera means I’m behind the lens,” Ji Youyi explained patiently. “Think about it. Since I have to film others, how can I be filmed myself? Ning Li is an important character in the early and middle stages; she can’t just stop appearing in the later stages without a reason. You explain the cause and kill her off. We’ll only need a single camera for those few segments. It’ll save time and be more logical.”

Furthermore, as a film director, Ji Youyi had extremely high standards for visuals. Her taking over the camera would elevate the quality of the drama.

But Li Zhulan seemed not to hear. She asked again, “I’m asking you, why do you want me to kill her off?”

“Huh?” Ji Youyi was baffled. Hadn’t she been clear enough? Did Li Zhulan not realize Ning Li was her character?

“They promised each other that no matter where Cao Qiu was or what she was doing, Ning Li would be her deputy for life!” Li Zhulan spoke word by word, her voice rising. “Do you know how important Ning Li is to Cao Qiu? If you kill Ning Li, what is Cao Qiu supposed to do!”

Ji Youyi was somewhat helpless. “I understand you have feelings for the character, but a script is essentially a working document. When practical operations become difficult, the script must compromise. Besides, don’t you think it’s a bit monotonous if all three protagonists end up in the center of power? If we make it more diverse, the plot becomes more exciting.”

Exciting? Ji Youyi said her “baby’s” death was exciting?!

Li Zhulan was furious. “Then why does a character have to compromise? Do you have to operate the camera? I don’t have to act, teach me! Let me do it! Or… or just film with one camera! If there’s not enough time, go talk to the investors! Ask them for more money! Isn’t that what a producer is supposed to do!”

Oh boy, this kid is talking nonsense now.

Ji Youyi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I don’t care!” Li Zhulan roared. “Anyway, I’m not changing it! I won’t! If you want to change it, do it yourself!”

Sensing she was about to cry, she turned and ran away.

Ji Youyi watched Li Zhulan leave, then called the coordinator to adjust today’s shooting schedule. The script had to be changed. From now on, until Li Zhulan wrote Ning Li’s ending, there would be no more scenes requiring Ning Li.