The Movie Queen's Beloved Crybaby Alpha - Chapter 12

Looking at the long string of messages Ning Yunshu had sent, Ye Qinglan rubbed her temples as she prepared to reply, only to see another message pop up.

[Ning Yunshu]: Sister, you must be tired. Maybe you should get ready and go to bed early.

Ye Qinglan couldn’t help but feel somewhat helpless.

[Ye Qinglan]: Ning Yunshu, don’t say that while staring eagerly at your phone.

Caught red-handed, Ning Yunshu touched her nose sheepishly.

Before she could reply, another message from Ye Qinglan appeared.

[Ye Qinglan]: Had dinner in the cafeteria, didn’t skip it. Not too busy today, but official training starts tomorrow. Teacher Wei is washing up, I’ll go after she’s done.

Seeing such a lengthy reply from Ye Qinglan, Ning Yunshu was as happy as a child.

[Ning Yunshu]: Okay, take care of yourself, sister.

[Ye Qinglan]: Got it. Teacher Wei’s done, so I’m going to wash up now.

[Ning Yunshu]: Then rest early after washing up. I won’t disturb you anymore. Goodnight.

[Ye Qinglan]: Mm, goodnight.

Ignoring whatever delighted state Ning Yunshu might be in on the other end, Ye Qinglan gathered her toiletries as soon as Wei Youning emerged.

Wei Youning, noticing, couldn’t help but tease, “Teacher Ye, who were you chatting with? You looked so happy.”

Ye Qinglan blinked in surprise. “Did I?”

Wei Youning pointed at her own mouth. “Your smile hasn’t faded once.”

Subconsciously touching her lips, Ye Qinglan realized Wei Youning was right and replied sheepishly, “It’s nothing, just chatting with a friend.”

Wei Youning gave her a knowing look. “No need to explain. I understand, I understand.”

Flustered, Ye Qinglan tried to clarify, but Wei Youning cut in, “There’s still hot water left. Go wash up quickly and rest early. Tomorrow’s going to be exhausting.”

“Alright.” Too embarrassed to steer the conversation back, Ye Qinglan could only head to the bathroom with her toiletries.

After washing up and doing her skincare routine, the two turned in early.

The next morning, before dawn, they were jolted awake by a sharp whistle blast, followed by Instructor Li’s booming voice over the loudspeaker.

“Everyone, assemble downstairs in ten minutes. One lap around the field for every minute late!”

Hearing this, Ye Qinglan, who had been groggy with sleep, snapped awake instantly. She and Wei Youning quickly changed into their camouflage uniforms, washed up hastily, applied sunscreen, and rushed downstairs.

The others were equally hurried, with no time for greetings.

By the time they assembled on the field, Instructor Li and his team were already waiting.

The group hastily lined up. Though none were fully alert, they had at least gathered within the time limit.

Instructor Li seemed satisfied. After a quick lineup check, he barked, “Morning session: physical training. Afternoon: specialized training. From this moment on, I’m your instructor, and you’re trainees. No complaints about exhaustion, just complete every task I assign. Understood?!”

“Understood!” they chorused.

“Louder! I can’t hear you!” Instructor Li roared.

“UNDERSTOOD!” they shouted at the top of their lungs.

Nodding in approval, Instructor Li continued, “Good. Start with three laps around the field. Breakfast in the cafeteria afterward.”

At the mention of three laps, their expressions faltered slightly.

Although they had all been keeping up with fitness training in private, suddenly having to do this without being fully awake or having breakfast still proved to be quite a challenge.

But Instructor Li clearly didn’t care about their expressions. Without a word, he blew his whistle and led everyone on a run around the track.

With the instructor personally leading the run, none of them could complain and had no choice but to obediently follow.

After three laps, even Xu Chaoyang, who had the best stamina among them was panting heavily and struggling to stand straight.

Ye Qinglan couldn’t exactly be called out of shape, but even she was left breathless, her legs feeling weak.

The others weren’t faring much better. Instructor Li watched them, blew his whistle again, and they hurriedly straightened up.

“Alright, now go eat. You have twenty minutes. Once you’re done, gather back here.”

Hearing that breakfast had a time limit, the group, who had originally planned to chat after dismissal, could only exchange bitter glances before rushing off to the cafeteria.

After breakfast, they returned to the training grounds.

The first day’s physical training consisted of standing at attention and holding horse stances seemingly simple but grueling in practice. By the end, Ye Qinglan’s vision was starting to blur.

Lunch, at least, wasn’t timed, giving them an hour and a half to rest. Sitting around the table, staring at their food, they all looked somewhat numb.

One could say that the excitement they felt yesterday had completely given way to exhaustion.

“Brings back memories of military training back in school,” Zhang Zishu said, rubbing her face.

“Tell me about it,” Wei Youning sighed. “These old bones of mine…”

Xu Chaoyang chuckled. “Wei-jie, you’re not old at all. You’re still young.”

Wei Youning was pleased by the flattery, then turned to Ye Qinglan. “How are you holding up, Xiao Ye?”

Ye Qinglan raised her hands in mock surrender. “I’ll have to work harder, or I won’t be fit to be this criminal investigation team leader.”

The group burst into laughter.

“Speaking of which, wasn’t there supposed to be another instructor joining us? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?” Fang Wenle asked quietly.

“Probably got replaced,” Xu Chaoyang said. “Director Jiang doesn’t tolerate slackers. Since the guy didn’t show up on time, and with how angry Director Jiang was yesterday, chances are he’s picking someone else.”

Wei Youning shook her head. “Young people these days so few can endure hardship.”

Ye Qinglan didn’t respond. She had heard about the original actor someone who had starred in two youth idol dramas and gained some fame, which was why the production team had considered him in the first place. But…

This industry was ruthless. Lost opportunities rarely came back, especially when it was due to personal reasons.

And she didn’t believe that starring in one movie alone would secure her this chance. If anything, Ke Ying, Xiao Wenjin, and possibly even Ning Yunshu had pulled strings behind the scenes.

She knew her own status and abilities weren’t enough, so she was determined to make the most of this trainingnot just to improve herself but also to build good relationships with the other actors.

Fortunately, Wei Youning, Xu Chaoyang, and the others were kind-hearted and took extra care of Ye Qinglan as a junior. From the start, Ye Qinglan had made her stance clear, she was here to learn from and adapt to the seniors which had endeared her to them.

After lunch, they all headed back to the dormitory for a nap, eager to get some proper rest.

Returning to the dormitory and picking up her phone, Ye Qinglan saw the messages Ning Yunshu had sent her undoubtedly reminders to eat properly and mind the weather. After a grueling morning of training, Ye Qinglan was utterly exhausted. She replied briefly with two messages before collapsing onto her bed and falling asleep.

The afternoon began with the shrill sound of a whistle rousing them awake. The good news was that the afternoon session wasn’t physical training; the bad news was that it was a theory lecture.

The group barely managed to keep their heads up, fighting off drowsiness as they struggled through the lesson.

By the time evening rolled around and they were finally allowed to eat, they shuffled into the cafeteria like zombies, rubbing their sore, swollen eyes.

One of the instructors, amused by their state, chuckled and said, “What’s this? Only the first day and you’re already like this? There are still over twenty days left, it’s only going to get harder. Hang in there.”

Their expressions darkened further.

If the first day was already this tough, the remaining days would only be worse.

No smiles. Absolutely none.

After dinner, they bid each other goodnight and returned to their rooms to wash up. Ye Qinglan, still clutching her phone, drowsily replied to Ning Yunshu’s messages, nearly nodding off mid-text. Fortunately, Wei Youning noticed and gave her a nudge.

Ye Qinglan pinched the bridge of her nose, thanked Wei Youning, and then sent another message to Ning Yunshu.

[Ye Qinglan]: Can’t do this anymore. I’m too tired. Going to sleep now. Goodnight.

Without waiting to see if Ning Yunshu replied, she dropped her phone, closed her eyes, and was out like a light.

Ning Yunshu sent back a “Goodnight,” but when no response came, she knew Ye Qinglan had already fallen asleep.

A helpless smile tugged at her lips before she tucked her phone away and re-entered the event venue, champagne glass in hand. This time, her gaze locked onto a specific target with precision.

“Director Xu, long time no see.”

The shrewd woman raised her glass, lightly clinking it against Ning Yunshu’s. “Yunshu, this is the first time you’ve sought me out since returning to the country.”

Ning Yunshu rubbed her nose, adopting an innocent expression. “You know how it is, I’ve been swamped with company matters. I’ve been neglecting you, but don’t take it to heart.”

Xu Su waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, I wouldn’t hold it against you. But tell me, when is your mother coming back?”

“They’ll probably be a while longer. Right now, they’re probably off skiing in Switzerland,” Ning Yunshu replied with a laugh.

“Professor Yun and Professor Ning are still as loving as ever. And what about you?” Xu Su teased, eyeing her knowingly.

“Didn’t my mom already tell you everything? Why ask me?” Ning Yunshu feigned annoyance.

Xu Su chuckled. “Well, you’d better work hard then. I’ve seen that little Ye’s work, she’s truly impressive for someone formally trained with a solid foundation in cinematography. With enough effort, it’s only a matter of time before she becomes a triple-crown actress.”

Hearing Xu Su praise Ye Qinglan, Ning Yunshu couldn’t stop smiling.

Xu Su’s expression turned serious. “I’m only giving her this chance out of respect for your mother. Whether she succeeds depends entirely on her.”

“Don’t worry, she won’t disappoint you,” Ning Yunshu quickly assured.

“Then it’s up to her. These days, some young talents forget their roots the moment they get famous.” Xu Su’s expression darkened noticeably as she spoke.

Ning Yunshu hurried to console her. “Director Xu, did something happen?”

“Nothing major. Don’t worry, it’s not your little Ye,” Xu Su clarified, waving her hand to dispel any misunderstanding.

Ning Yunshu chuckled softly, “Director Xu, don’t worry too much. Plenty of people would jump at the chance to work on your film. There’s no need to upset yourself over this.”

“You’re such a sweet talker, young lady. Alright then, remember to let me know when Professor Yun and the others return.”

“Of course, you can count on it.”

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