After Reuniting with My Aloof Movie Queen Childhood Friend - Chapter 32

Within the meeting room, the crew members scattered in small groups, chatting while eating their late-night snacks. Their laughter, mingled with the savory aroma of food, filled the entire room.

Only Ji Youyi remained seated in her original spot. Surrounded by the lively chatter, an invisible barrier seemed to shield her from any outside distractions.

Her eyes were glued to her laptop screen.

To precisely judge the actors’ suitability, Ruan Congfei recorded every audition segment. Ji Youyi replayed these videos repeatedly, planning to conduct a frame by frame comparison to pick the absolute best candidate.

She had already narrowed it down to three and was about to begin the next round of comparisons when someone beside her suddenly asked, “Are you not going to consider Teacher Ye from S-Film?”

Ji Youyi turned her head.

Meng Xingshu’s lips curved slightly in a casual, nonchalant tone. “I thought you were most satisfied with her, since you treated her to milk tea alone yesterday.”

Ji Youyi shook her head. “No.”

Ji Youyi was indeed most satisfied with Ye Ciyin.

However, it wasn’t the audition segment she liked, but rather Ye Ciyin’s initial “performance.”

That specific line, expressing a reluctant, contrary to heart “I really like it” to someone of higher status just to blend into the environment, perfectly mirrored a certain phase of Chen Zhen’s character in the script.

But insisting on choosing Ye Ciyin despite knowing this background would be too malicious. It would be incredibly disrespectful to Ye Ciyin, to Meng Xingshu, and to the entire project.

Ye Ciyin’s rejection of Meng Xingshu was plain to see.

Yet, Meng Xingshu was not only the great financier mom but also the hardworking producer mom. No matter what happened, you couldn’t replace Mom.

Faced with choosing between the two, Ji Youyi didn’t need to hesitate to know who to pick.

Whether for the crew’s atmosphere or for Meng Xingshu’s personal feelings, Ji Youyi could never bring herself to do something like “making Meng Xingshu pay someone who clearly detested her.”

“Is it because of me?” Meng Xingshu asked.

“Not entirely,” Ji Youyi explained. “Mainly, I’m worried it will affect the shooting. Psychological states are the hardest to adjust, and acting is a profession that demands emotional expression. I’m afraid she won’t be able to control it well.”

Meng Xingshu didn’t poke through the explanation, merely suggesting, “We can talk to her first. If we confirm she can’t act the part well, it won’t be too late to consider others.”

Her eyelashes fluttered. “Don’t worry about my feelings. If she doesn’t like me, I’ll just visit the set less often. I won’t be of much use anyway, so the actors should come first.”

As she finished speaking, she smiled at Ji Youyi. But no matter how Ji Youyi looked at it, that smile felt incredibly forced.

Ji Youyi’s heart tightened, and she quickly countered, “How can you say that? You’re super useful!”

“Are you kidding? Our grand producer is Meng Xingshu, the dream goddess of countless people!”

Using an exaggerated tone, she showered her with endless praise before demanding firmly, “You must visit the set! You have to come often! The more you show up, the harder everyone will work!”

Meng Xingshu lowered her eyes, let out a silent laugh, and agreed, “Alright.”

She pulled out her phone. “Then let’s arrange it this way? I’ll have Teacher Han bring her over, and you can take your time chatting.”

After sending the message, she stood up. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it instantly silenced the meeting room, causing pairs of eyes to brush over her in unison.

“Thank you for your hard work today, everyone. Go back and rest early. The meeting room will be needed again shortly. Before you leave, remember to check in with Director Ji to confirm all tasks are complete.”

With that, she leaned down and whispered to Ji Youyi, “See who you want to stay behind with you. I’ll wait outside. Call me whenever you need anything.”

The producer’s yielding posture was far too generous. Watching Meng Xingshu’s departing figure, a deep wave of guilt welled up inside Ji Youyi.

Li Zhulan packed up her things and bounced over to receive her orders. She wanted to ask what she needed to do, only to find Ji Youyi staring at the doorway in deep thought.

Curious, she asked, “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Ji Youyi withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to press her brow. “I was just thinking… I need to treat our producer better in the future.”

Li Zhulan: “??”

Wait, wait a minute. Better in what way?

Ultimately, Ji Youyi kept the screenwriter and the director of photography behind, one to help explain the character, and the other to handle the recording.

Since the final decision hadn’t been made yet, she couldn’t hand over the original script directly. Instead, she selected three different phases of the protagonist’s journey for Ye Ciyin to perform.

This time, rather than letting Ye Ciyin interpret it on her own, Ji Youyi explained the scenes before the acting began.

Ji Youyi pulled up a stool, inviting Ye Ciyin to sit, while she stood nearby to break down the scenes.

She took the three scenes and dissected them piece by piece for Ye Ciyin.

She personally demonstrated every single movement, explaining the underlying reasons as she acted, instructing Ye Ciyin on where to inject specific details.

Then, through Ye Ciyin’s imitation, she identified areas of concern and dove deeper into those points until Ye Ciyin fully understood.

Ye Ciyin studied with immense focus.

With how her audition had opened, she thought she had completely lost any chance. She never expected to get another opportunity, and she seized it without hesitation.

Her innate comprehension was excellent, and her plasticity was strong. Coupled with Ji Youyi’s guidance, she quickly won the approval of the three people present after acting through the scenes a few times.

Li Zhulan, who had been feeling guilty for an entire week because the character she wrote was too difficult, was the first to clap. “I think she can do it!”

Ruan Congfei pulled up the freshly shot footage to replay it, praising her as she watched, “She’s sharp, and she looks great on camera. Very easy on the eyes.”

Ye Ciyin blushed under the praise. “No, no, it’s all because Director Ji taught me well. Actually, I feel Director Ji is more suited than me, she acts much better than I do.”

“Director Ji isn’t as suited as you.”

Li Zhulan and Ruan Congfei chimed in one after another.

“Her face is too small.”

“Her aura doesn’t match.”

“Her looks are the very bright and radiant type.”

“She’s also a bit short.”

Ji Youyi listened, feeling something was amiss. “What did that last sentence mean?”

The two who had just been chattering away immediately spoke in unison, “It wasn’t me!”

After speaking, one hid her face behind the script, while the other blocked hers with the camera.

Ye Ciyin’s eyes curved with amusement. She picked up a bag she had brought along, walked over to Ji Youyi, and handed it to her. “I bought some desserts. Would you like some?”

“Sure, thank you.” Ji Youyi didn’t take it, instead instructing, “Pass it around to everyone so we can eat together.”

She gave Ye Ciyin’s cheek a gentle pinch, her expression turning serious. “Yinyin, although you haven’t graduated yet, since we are shooting a drama, I’m going to treat you directly as a working professional. There are a few things I must clarify with you in advance.”

“First, our current shooting schedule is four months. Counting holidays, we’ll be filming until February next year before wrapping up. Aside from exams, I won’t let you leave the crew, so you must ensure you have the time.”

“Second, our production conditions aren’t luxurious, and I am a very strict director. I won’t lower my standards just because you’re a newcomer, so you must prepare yourself to endure hardships.”

“Third, and most importantly. Teacher Meng is the core of our entire project. Even I can get fired, but she won’t. As the investor and producer, she will inevitably have a large amount of professional contact with the lead actors. If you take this role, the obstacles you’ll have to overcome might be far more than you imagine.”

Ji Youyi looked at her intently, her tone solemn. “If you decide to join the crew, it means that unless you pay an exorbitant breach of contract fee, I will not allow you to affect the project’s progress due to any personal matters. So, you must think it through carefully before making a decision.”

Ye Ciyin nodded. “I’ve thought it through. I want to act.”

The moment she first walked into this room and saw Meng Xingshu, she had already thought it through.

Even if she had known from the start that Meng Xingshu was the producer of this project, she still would have chosen to audition because she wanted to act.

After returning to her dorm yesterday, she finished reading The Billionaire’s Bone. She also caught up on the only drama promotion livestream Ji Youyi had ever participated in.

The cut from that livestream with the highest views had already surpassed ten million.

The cut featured the screen recording during the live broadcast, complete with the rolling bullet comments.

The dense comments were packed with malicious words, sweeping from right to left like a tsunami. Yet, the person in the center of the screen sat as steady as a small mountain, a faint or bright smile always remaining on her face.

Ye Ciyin had cried a river when Ning Li died in the drama, and she had cried for a long time while biting a tissue watching that livestream cut.

Last night after falling asleep, she dreamed of many past events.

Things that she used to hold with heavy significance, but upon careful thought, didn’t really amount to much at all.