After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 32.1

Her dream started from when she was nine years old, holding her mother’s hand out of the movie theater and shouting, “I want to be an actor in the future!” It went all the way until the end, where she heard Ji Youyi tell her, “You’re quite talented.”

Ji Youyi said she was talented.

Although believing in such vague words at her age seemed foolish, Ye Ciyin chose to believe it anyway.

Therefore, when Ji Youyi brought over the contract, she grabbed the pen, quickly flipped to the last page, and signed without a shred of hesitation.

The photographer and screenwriter beside them were both utterly stunned.

“Aren’t you even going to look at it?” Ji Youyi propped her head up with a headache, caught between tears and laughter. “You absolutely cannot do this in the future. You must at least finish reading the contract clauses before signing.”

She had a rather bad premonition that their production crew’s kindergarten was about to welcome another new toddler.

“Ah…” Ye Ciyin tugged at her hair. “But if I study it clause by clause, that would take so much time and make you all wait. Plus… it makes it look like I don’t trust you guys…”

“You’re supposed to not trust people. The more particular you are, the less others will dare to slight you,” Ji Youyi educated her. “In the future, for any contract, not only must you read it carefully, but you also need to find a lawyer to review it for you. You can only sign once you’re certain there are no issues, understand?”

Ji Youyi picked up the pen and flipped the contract back to the first page. “Come over, sit here. Today will be a mock exam. We’ll start by reviewing this contract.”

By the time Ji Youyi finished guiding Ye Ciyin through the contract clause by clause, it was nearly three in the morning.

She booked a hotel room for Ye Ciyin, had Li Zhulan and Ruan Congfei accompany her there, while she took the contract to find Meng Xingshu for her signature.

Looking at the time, Ji Youyi’s guilt toward Meng Xingshu had peaked.

She pulled two mango pancakes out of her pocket and offered them up with both hands.

After signing her name, Meng Xingshu turned her head to look at her. “What’s this?”

Although she really wanted to eat them herself, still…

Ji Youyi blinked her eyes, pushing the box a bit closer to Meng Xingshu. “For you.”

“Where did they come from?” Meng Xingshu took the pancakes, a subtle emotion softening her eyes.

“Yinyin bought them. I’m just borrowing a gift to present to a Buddha,” Ji Youyi smiled slyly. “The mango pomelo sago and double skin milk were eaten by Teacher Li and Teacher Ruan. I snatched the pancakes immediately because they’re easy to bring out to you. Am I smart?”

Meng Xingshu let out an “mm,” opening one of the pancake boxes and asking, “Where’s the spoon?”

“I have it! Rest assured when I handle things!” Ji Youyi patted her pants pocket and pulled out a packet of utensils.

Only after Meng Xingshu sliced the pancake into neat pieces did she hand the container back to Ji Youyi. “Eat. The skin of this pastry is a bit thick, take smaller bites.”

Looking at the enticing dessert radiating a sweet aroma, Ji Youyi’s eyes lit up. She peered back at Meng Xingshu. “Don’t you want any?”

Meng Xingshu gazed into her eyes, shook her head, and reached out to open the other box.

“Alright then.” Ji Youyi poked a piece with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth. The cream was sweet and smooth, its wonderful flavor spreading comfort through her entire body.

Holding the fork in her mouth, she watched Meng Xingshu slice the pancake for her. The corners of her lips couldn’t help but rise, her mood turning blissful.

Sigh, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to treat the grand producer well, but rather that the producer was too picky with her diet. The delicious food could only be enjoyed by her alone.

The two pancakes were ultimately divided into ten bites and landed safely in Ji Youyi’s stomach.

After eating, she didn’t rush back to her room to sleep, choosing instead to review the next day’s work schedule with Meng Xingshu.

With the selection of the female lead finalized, the casting for Anaerobic was completely finished.

Aside from the second female lead being played by Li Anran, Ji Youyi herself under Li Zhulan’s soft and hard pestering, had accepted a minor supporting role with only a few scenes. The remaining characters were all cast with actors who possessed solid acting skills but lacked fame.

Ji Youyi didn’t believe a lack of fame was an issue.

Traffic stars indeed carried huge names, but they came with a pile of drawbacks. They were expensive, busy, and blind; not to mention failing to comprehend characters or act well, many wouldn’t even cooperate with basic shooting schedules.

In Ji Youyi’s view, the negative impact traffic stars brought to a crew far outweighed the positive.

Regrettably, today’s film and television market insisted on prioritizing traffic.

Idol dramas went without saying, but even for serious historical or realistic productions, investors would always demand casting one or two traffic stars to act as a safety net for the project.

Fortunately, Meng Xingshu, this investor mom was incredibly easy to talk to. She neither stuffed people into the project nor overrode the director’s opinions.

Therefore, for someone as wonderful as Meng Xingshu, it was only natural that she would unconsciously want to… want to be close to her, right?

Ji Youyi gazed at the serious profile of the person working beside her.

Her lowered eyes and brows were clearly a bit cold, devoid of any expression, yet they still managed to make her lose herself in a daze.

The soft sweetness of cream and fruit still lingered in her mouth, and her heartbeat seemed to be getting faster and faster.

Flustered, she quickly lowered her head and swallowed hard several times before finally forcing her gaze back onto the tablet in Meng Xingshu’s hands.

By the time they confirmed the makeup and wardrobe arrangements for the following days, it was close to four o’clock. After washing up, Ji Youyi threw her exhausted body onto the bed and buried her head in sleep.

Sleeping until eight, she ate breakfast and prepared to take Ye Ciyin for her makeup test.

Knocking on the room door, she found Ye Ciyin sporting massive panda eyes, looking entirely drained of life. “Director Ji, I’m sorry. I might not be able to act anymore.”

“Didn’t sleep last night? Are you unfamiliar with the bed?” Ji Youyi asked.

“No.” Ye Ciyin shook her head weakly. “I told my mom about the acting gig last night, and she didn’t agree. We argued the whole night.”

Li Zhulan patted Ye Ciyin’s shoulder sympathetically. “I understand you. When I resigned from my civil service job, my mom also argued with me day and night. If I hadn’t made a bit of a name for myself with my last drama, I’d still be getting scolded right now. But your mom is fierce, it was already three in the morning when we signed the contract last night. Does she not sleep at night?”

Ye Ciyin leaned against the wall, looking completely detached from life. “Haha, she’s even fiercer than that. She didn’t sleep all night and is currently on a plane rushing here to capture me. She lands at eleven. Oh, by the way, her amateur hobby is free combat, she can literally sling me over her shoulder and carry me away.”

Ji Youyi was facing this kind of situation for the first time.

When she shot dramas in her previous world, she was either too low in rank to be involved in these matters, or she was already famous, and actors scrambled to be in her works.

As for herself, ever since she refused to act, her adoptive mother never bothered with her again, as long as she could continuously bring back money.

Ji Youyi asked for Ye Ciyin’s phone and roughly browsed through her mother’s WeChat Moments. Recalling the “standard” families she had seen inside and outside of film and television, she carefully pondered what kind of emotions a mother would hold toward her nineteen-year-old daughter.

After thinking it through, Ji Youyi felt it wasn’t difficult. “Don’t worry, it’s easy to solve. Go eat something and head back to sleep. I’ll arrange for others to do their makeup tests this morning. Call me when your mom arrives.”

Perhaps because Ye Ciyin felt bad about bothering her, Ji Youyi didn’t receive her message until noon.

She simply granted the crew a lunch break and took the assistant producer along to find Ye Ciyin.

Fearing there might be danger, Li Zhulan insisted on tagging along like a loyal dog, holding a script against her chest like a shield and gripping a pen tightly in her hand.

Ye Ciyin’s mother was somewhat different from what Ji Youyi had imagined.

Ye Ciyin was already considered tall, but her mother was actually half a head taller than her. Her medium length hair was tied tightly into a high ponytail, and she wore a sharp short-sleeved t-shirt and trousers, revealing tightly muscled arms.

Perhaps due to her love for sports, the mother’s skin was even smoother than the daughter’s. Her features were seventy percent similar to Ye Ciyin’s, but her high nasal bridge and sharp brows made her look incredibly heroic.

The moment she saw Ji Youyi, she marched over aggressively, her face dark as if she had come to wreck the place. “I’m looking for your leader.”

Ji Youyi gracefully extended her right hand. “Hello, Ms. Ye. Our producer is currently busy. I am the director of the crew. If you have any requests, you can speak with me first.”

Ye Rong looked at Ji Youyi’s appearance suspiciously, then turned to look at Ye Ciyin. Seeing Ye Ciyin nodding like a pounding garlic, her gaze shifted back.

She didn’t shake Ji Youyi’s hand, merely crossing her arms and taking a step forward, asking, “Are you Yinyin’s classmate?”

Ye Ciyin wasn’t an acting major, and Ye Rong had never intended for her to develop as an actor.

Their hometown was a new first-tier city in the southwest, and their family conditions were good. The only reason she let her take the entrance exam for S-Film was purely because Ye Rong was willing to spend a bit more money so her daughter wouldn’t have to suffer as much during the standard college entrance examinations.

Originally, Ye Rong’s plan was that once Ye Ciyin graduated, she would find her an easy job at the hometown television station.

In any case, she had already prepared a house, a car, travel funds, and a retirement pension, ensuring she could live a comfortable life for the rest of her days.

Yet last night, that rebellious daughter sent a message saying she was going to act in a drama!

Filming for five consecutive months, skipping school, and taking a leave of absence all the way until next February!

Ye Rong had been consumed by a raging fury. If she could have passed through airport security with it, she would have brought a handy blade along when she left the house.

Her precious daughter suddenly wanted to act; what else could it be for! She must have been tricked by some unscrupulous production crew!

And she even said things like “The director is especially good” and “You don’t understand, don’t talk nonsense.” The bashful expression she wore while speaking made her anger surge continuously.

Ye Rong’s imaginary enemy was the kind of self-proclaimed “artist” who indulged in smoking and drinking and dabbled in modern vices.

She had already rolled up her sleeves, fully prepared to flip the world upside down, but she never expected the director of the crew to be a beautiful young girl.

The most ordinary shoulder-length black hair, thin straight bangs, no makeup, and a simple outfit of a short-sleeved shirt, capri pants, and sneakers. Small and petite, she stood with a straight spine, looking even younger than Ye Ciyin.

When her eyes crinkled into a smile, the sweetness melted Ye Rong’s heart instantly. “Auntie, no. I’m not nearly as amazing as Yinyin. I couldn’t pass the exam for S-Film.”

“Sigh, her…” Ye Rong indeed felt her daughter was amazing. That was S-Film, publicly acknowledged as the hardest art university to get into nationwide!

She waved her hand instinctively, the corners of her mouth about to curve upward when she suddenly remembered her purpose for coming and forced them back down.

Ye Rong cleared her throat, maintaining a cold face. “Since you’re the director, I’ll tell you straight. Ye Ciyin can’t shoot this drama. She’s only a sophomore, and she studies a proper major, unlike those actors who can take leave whenever they want. Don’t talk to me about causing how much loss to the crew, the contract was just signed last night. If we terminate it now, how much trouble could it possibly cause you?”

Unilateral termination required paying a breach of contract fee. It wasn’t that Ye Rong couldn’t afford it, but she needed to drive the price down first.

Ji Youyi nodded. “Understood.”

She looked at Han Lei. “Leilei, go get the contract.”

“Ah?” Han Lei looked at the tense situation on the field, then looked at Director Ji, who was as thin as a sheet of paper, and finally looked at the rookie screenwriter shrinking behind the director, clutching a pen and clearly looking utterly useless. She hesitated.

“Just go.” Ji Youyi smiled gently, urging her.

“Oh, oh, oh, alright.” Han Lei dashed out, pulling out her phone to send a text for backup as she ran.

Han Lei: Boss, save us! The female lead’s mom has stormed the place! She’s huge and looks terrifying! No words are working, and she’s cornering Director Ji to demand a termination!! I’m going to grab the contract now. Only Li-Coward-Lan is left over there, and she’s only good for dragging us down!

When Meng Xingshu arrived, it was five minutes later.

Upon stepping inside, her eyes locked onto Ji Youyi instantly from among the crowd.

The girl’s eyes were clear, and her small pearly teeth were brilliantly white.

She sat on the sofa with a light, cheerful smile, her hands propped up on either side of her body. Below her shorts, a pair of slender calves swayed naturally, sometimes bending, sometimes extending forward as she spoke.

Sitting on the opposite sofa were Li Zhulan and Ye Ciyin, and beside them was an unfamiliar woman. Though tall and imposing, her expression was exceptionally gentle, lacking even a hint of anger.

From the wrinkles crinkling around the corners of her eyes, it was evident they were having a highly pleasant conversation.

Meng Xingshu replied to Han Lei’s message and quickened her pace. As she drew close enough to clearly hear Ji Youyi’s sweet voice, she slowed her steps once more.

“…When I first went out to act, my mom also said the same thing.”

The girl imitated vividly, “The crew is so tiring, the boxed meals taste awful, and you’re so picky with food and love to sleep in. Can you handle this kind of hardship?”

“Exactly! Yinyin also loves to sleep in!” Once Ye Rong started talking about her daughter, she couldn’t stop. She gave Ye Ciyin a look that seemed to hold a trace of complaint. “She gets lazier the older she gets. During winter and summer breaks at home, it’s impossible for her to wake up before the afternoon. Don’t let her oversleep and delay your shooting when the time comes.”

Ji Youyi said, “Once you enter a crew, it’s just like entering the workforce. The people in the crew won’t indulge me like my mom does, so bad habits naturally get corrected.”

Li Zhulan helped supplement, “Auntie, what she said is true. Right now, forget about being picky, even if the boxed meals were pig feed, she could finish two boxes and pack two more. I witnessed it with my own eyes.”

“Then I definitely have to eat more.” Ji Youyi tilted her head. “Filming is so tiring, if I don’t replenish my nutrition, my mom will worry.”