What Should I Do If the Aloof Movie Queen Is Too in Love With Me? - Chapter 17

Having not touched a bed for an entire week, Ji Youyi returned to her rental and slept like the dead, clutching her long-lost blanket. She had a blissful sleep until seven o’clock.

While she slept sweetly, in a certain room on the same floor, someone had stayed awake all night.

Qiu Xiaoya curled up on her chair, clutching her phone, weeping incessantly.

She had been crying for a whole day.

When she scrolled past the livestream clip of Zhou Wenchen, she was at the film set. It was during the lunch break, and she had just received her lunch box. Before she could take a single bite, her eyes were stung by the vivid red roses on the screen.

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

When she first heard the news, Qiu Xiaoya had wept for an entire day just like this. But later, after listening to the rational analysis of her fellow fans, she slowly tried to accept it.

Especially after witnessing the true colors of that bitch Ji Youyi halfway through—sticking to her “oppa” like a piece of dog shit, how disgusting. It made her deeply realize that her oppa was such a perfect person that no one in the world was worthy of him, and ordinary people didn’t even have the right to touch him!

But being sensible was one thing; every time she saw it, her heart still felt like it was being pierced through.

Qiu Xiaoya looked at the perfect couple on the screen, her eyes leaking tears like a broken faucet. Her hands trembled as she typed into the bullet chats and comment sections:

“They are just good friends. ‘Relationship-brained’ people get out, can you stop spreading rumors?”

“Oppa is so handsome and loyal! Upright and reliable! [heart]”

She then began to copy and paste Zhou Wenchen’s various achievements.

This was organized in advance by the fan leader. After all, her oppa was a top star, and there were people trying to harm him every day, she had to protect him.

Tears soaked her lunch box, and Qiu Xiaoya’s makeup was completely ruined. She no longer had the heart to film the afternoon scenes, so she simply quit her role as an extra and returned to her room. While crying, she continued to boost Zhou Wenchen’s data.

The defense battles organized by fans happened one after another.

Today’s final battle was also a complete success. Looking at the peaceful timeline, the comment section full of blessings, and the harmonious trending searches, Qiu Xiaoya wiped away her unstoppable tears and switched to the private message interface.

Because her combat record was particularly outstanding, the fan leader had always looked after her and sent a comforting message: “Xiaoya, don’t be sad, they really are just good friends. Your comment under oppa’s Weibo has been voted up to third place, he’ll be able to see you at a single glance.”

Qiu Xiaoya gave a gratified smile and typed while crying: “It doesn’t matter even if they are; I just want oppa to be happy. I know I’m not good enough for him. The Meng family is a wealthy clan; their class is different from ours. Plus, Meng Xiao is Meng Xingzhu’s sister; she can definitely provide a lot of help to oppa.”

Fan leader: “Yeah, that’s true. By the way, Xiaoya, has your salary been paid? Oppa’s new magazine goes on sale next week, and we’re still short a lot for the offline advertisement fundraising. I’m so worried.”

“Offline advertisement” referred to fans buying large quantities of magazines and then distributing them for free to passersby offline. This way, they could boost sales and serve as promotion at the same time; its importance was obvious.

Qiu Xiaoya had originally come to D City to chase stars. her dream in life was to say a single word to Zhou Wenchen. She didn’t earn much, and to save money for Zhou Wenchen, she hadn’t bought new clothes for several years.

Qiu Xiaoya looked at her account balance—counting every cent, she transferred it all to the fan leader.

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

Qiu Xiaoya hurriedly asked: “What’s wrong? Are there more haters? Send them to me quickly, I’ll go report them.”

Fan leader: “No, no. Sigh, I’m just worried. You know, our fandom never forces anyone to spend money, and the fans are all very chill. The sales this time will probably look very bad, which will definitely affect oppa’s subsequent resources [cry]. I’ve already invested my entire salary; I’m planning to borrow some money from my friends. Every little bit counts.”

Qiu Xiaoya stared intently at the screen, as if trying to make a decision while still feeling some hesitation. Her fingers trembled in the air a few times, but eventually, she switched apps, found an online lending platform, and submitted her registration information.

The maximum loan limit showed 30,000 yuan. She gritted her teeth, took the full loan, and transferred it to the fan leader.

Fan leader: “[touched] Xiaoya, you are so dedicated. If everyone loved oppa like you do, we wouldn’t be mocked by other fandoms. I’m going to take a screenshot 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 fundraising. We can’t be by oppa’s side, so this is all we can do. Let the domestic entertainment circle see what the power of a top star looks like!”

Busy from dark until dawn, Qiu Xiaoya hadn’t eaten all night, and her stomach was growling. She still had some credit on her virtual payment app and planned to go downstairs to buy food.

While passing through the hallway, the door of a room on the same floor happened to open. A girl holding a toothbrush cup walked out while yawning, so sleepy she couldn’t even open her eyes.

Qiu Xiaoya stiffened. She quickly moved away from the girl and hid in the corner of the hallway, the disgust in her eyes flowing out frantically.

Even though the other party wasn’t wearing makeup and her temperament was very different from online, Qiu Xiaoya had photoshopped her pictures countless times, so she naturally recognized her at a single glance.

Zhou Wenchen had just held a livestream last week, tearfully apologizing for the “pill-swallowing incident” self-directed and acted by Ji Youyi, stating that he had developed depression because of his unbearable self-reproach!

What did her oppa do wrong? Why should he apologize! Clearly, the one who deserves to die is someone else!

Why should such a kind oppa be tortured by illness while the bitch who made him sick lives her life so comfortably!

She pulled out her phone, opened a chat box, and sent a message: “Group leader, I won’t be able to make it to the night scene today.”

There were no windows in the hallway. In the dimness, only the faint fluorescent glow from the screen illuminated her grim face.

After washing up, Ji Youyi arrived at the set in high spirits, intending to start a new day of work. Immediately after, she received a piece of bad news—

The Director of Photography (DP) had been arrested!

Work finished a bit early last night, and because Meng Xingzhu’s visit had brought hope to the whole crew, everyone was feeling a bit lightheaded. The camera crew even went out for a small dinner gathering before going home to dream of a bright future.

The members of the camera crew had worked together for many years and rented apartments in the same area. Usually, they moved together for work, driving to and from the set.

As a result, they drank at the dinner last night. Drinking was one thing, but for some reason, they decided to take a gamble and drive themselves.

Consequently, during a DUI check, the driver was taken in.

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 driver’s license if you didn’t know! You’re not just sorry to me, you’re sorry to the crew, and sorry to everyone in that car!”

Ji Youyi scolded him coldly, “You’re lucky you were just detained. If something had actually happened, I’d like to see where you’d go to cry!”

She didn’t bother listening to his lamentations and simply asked, “How long until you can get out?”

“I… I have to be detained for 15 days…”

15 days? Her crew would have wrapped filming by then!

Ji Youyi took a deep breath: “First, reflect on yourself in there. I won’t pursue your liability, but I won’t be able to pay your final balance. Any objections? Second, you must find me a replacement, at least someone who can operate the camera, otherwise I can’t film this drama.”

The DP knew how much Ji Youyi valued cinematography and cried out: “Director Ji, I definitely have no face to ask for the final balance. But for the camera operator job, I really can’t find anyone reliable on such short notice. How about you ask Xiao Liu? She should know how, it’s just that she hasn’t had the chance to practice before. If she’s no good, I’ll… I’ll… Director Ji, I know I was wrong, I’m truly sorry, I’ll kowtow to you as soon as I get out!!”

Ji Youyi hung up the phone directly and walked toward the camera: “Xiao Liu, come here. Film something for me to see.”

Based on economic considerations, Ji Youyi’s crew, like most crews, used a dual-camera setup. Although a single-camera setup allows for precise control over the frame and lighting, it also means that filming the same material consumes double the time.

Ji Youyi only had ten days; she couldn’t afford that kind of consumption.

The B-camera had a dedicated operator, while the A-camera was operated by the DP himself. Xiao Liu was a camera assistant who had always done jobs like assembling the equipment and connecting signals. Ji Youyi chose two plot segments for her to film and found that her so-called “knowing how” was merely knowing how to use the camera; her understanding of composition and camera movement was still quite stiff.

It would be enough for other small crews, but for Ji Youyi, these things were simply unusable.

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

“It’s not your problem, go get busy.” Ji Youyi curled her lips into a smile to comfort her with a look, tilted her head, and let her leave first. She remained standing there, considering a strategy, her fingers tapping the equipment rhythmically.

The people around her didn’t dare say a word, doing their work silently for fear of disturbing the director.

Within a few moments, Ji Youyi had made a decision. She called the screenwriter over: “Li Zhulan, change the script.”

“Present!” Li Zhulan jogged over like a gust of wind and gave a salute. “Reporting to Director Ji, standing by at all times!”

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

Li Zhulan didn’t expect to hear such an arrangement. Her smile vanished, and she stood frozen: “Why?”

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

Li Zhulan was still dazed: “Why?”

“Operating the camera means handling the cinematography equipment,” Ji Youyi explained patiently. “Think about it, since I have to film others, how am I supposed to let myself be filmed? Ning Li is considered an important character in the early and middle stages; it’s impossible for her to not appear at all in the later stages. You explain the reason, then kill her off. That way, we only need a single camera to film these few segments. We’ll make it in time, and it’ll be more logical.”

Furthermore, Ji Youyi had a background in film and had extremely high standards for visuals. Operating the camera herself would take the quality of this drama to the next level, which was beneficial with no downsides.

Li Zhulan, however, seemed as if she hadn’t understood, and asked again: “I’m asking you, why do you want me to kill her off?”

“Huh?” Ji Youyi was baffled. Hadn’t she explained clearly enough? Did Li Zhulan not know that Ning Li was played by her?

“They already agreed that in the future, no matter where Cao Qiu is or what she does, Ning Li will be Cao Qiu’s second-in-command for a lifetime.”

Li Zhulan spoke word by word, her voice getting louder, “Do you have any idea how important Ning Li is to Cao Qiu? If you kill off Ning Li, what do you expect Cao Qiu to do!”

Ji Youyi felt a bit helpless: “I understand that you have feelings for the character, but a script is essentially a working document. When practical operation encounters difficulties, the script must make compromises. And don’t you think it’s a bit monotonous if all three main characters end up in the center of power at the end? If we design it with more variety, the plot will be more exciting.”

Exciting? Ji Youyi actually said her baby’s death would be exciting?!

Li Zhulan was about to explode with anger: “Then why should one character have to compromise? Do you absolutely have to operate the camera? I don’t have to act anyway—teach me, can’t I do it! Or, or just film with a single camera! If there isn’t enough time, go talk to the investors and ask them to add more investment! Isn’t that what a producer is supposed to do!”

Uh oh, the kid was starting to talk nonsense.

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

“I don’t know!” Li Zhulan wailed and roared, “Anyway, I won’t change it, I won’t! If you want to change it, do it yourself!”

Before she could finish, her tears were about to burst out, and she turned and ran away.

Ji Youyi looked in the direction Li Zhulan had run, called the production coordinator over, and adjusted today’s shooting schedule.

The script definitely had to be changed. From now on, until Li Zhulan wrote Ning Li’s ending, there would be no more scenes requiring Ning Li’s presence.

Ji Youyi took over the duties of the DP and camera operator, and the crew’s filming efficiency increased by another notch.

At eleven in the morning, Ji Youyi had just finished a take when she turned around and saw Li Zhulan standing beside her.

She was holding a thermos in one hand and a medicine bottle in the other, saying fiercely: “Take your medicine!”

Ji Youyi chuckled and took the medicine: “Thanks, Zhubao.”

Li Zhulan didn’t even look at her. After she finished the medicine, she gathered the two items, let out a loud “Tch,” and walked away.

In the blink of an eye, it was lunch time. Ji Youyi let everyone go to eat while she habitually checked the footage they had just filmed.

She was too busy; lately, Li Zhulan had been helping her pick up her lunch box.

Today, everyone in the crew knew the two of them had fought. The craft service assistant tentatively came over to ask: “Director Ji, are you eating lunch? I can grab a portion for you?”

Ji Youyi glanced at Li Zhulan, who was resentfully typing on her laptop, and smiled: “It’s fine, I’ll go get it myself.”

Someone sat down in the chair beside her, and a lunch box was moved over. Li Zhulan snapped her laptop shut with a “Clack” and didn’t look at the newcomer: “I hate you. I won’t eat the food you brought.”

“Come on, the dishes are great today; it would be a shame not to eat.” Ji Youyi sighed leisurely and opened the lunch box for Li Zhulan.

“Bullshit, lunch boxes are never delicio—” Before Li Zhulan could finish, a piece of eggplant was forced into her mouth. Oh god, it tasted terrible; she felt tainted.

Li Zhulan held her breath and swallowed the eggplant, her eyes quickly turning red from how bad it tasted.

Tears fell as she cried and spoke, “I hate you. You said you would support my creation and give me full room to express myself. You said you would film the stories I wrote into exceptionally beautiful dramas. But now you’re asking me to kill off my favorite character. You lied to me. I hate you, I hate you!”

Li Zhulan hadn’t originally liked Ning Li. Ning Li was just a character she had written casually according to the trope of a vicious female supporting character. Because her most hated fruit was pears, she named her Ning Li.

But on the day they first met, it was the script reading session. The lead actors were playing with their phones, and the main creators were eating sunflower seeds. The actress playing that vicious female supporting character had seriously read every single line of dialogue she had written for her and said with a smile: “These lines are really well-written; they make me seem especially wicked.”

Li Zhulan had gnawed on the end of her pen and brooded over the script for a long time because she felt something wasn’t right—why did it sound like it wasn’t wicked enough, but instead, a bit cute?

But after reviewing the script and looking through countless other works, she still didn’t know how to modify it—clearly everyone wrote it that way, so where exactly was the problem?

The next day, they had lunch together. She was wearing a yellowish-green long dress and was about to leave, but then she flitted back to her side.

The breeze blew her skirt, and she smiled as she put an arm around her shoulder, saying she would help her revise the script together.

It was at that moment that Ning Li’s characterization gradually became full in Li Zhulan’s heart.

But for a vicious female supporting character in an idol drama, the biggest taboo was being three-dimensional. She originally thought these things were destined to rot in her heart. Unexpectedly, the male lead ran away, and the script underwent a major revision.

After being unlucky for many years, she discovered for the first time that she was actually lucky.

Writing the title page and polishing the script was extremely, extremely painful. But Li Zhulan was also incredibly happy.

Her favorite thing to do was to take a small stool and sit at the edge of the set whenever there were scenes with Ning Li, watching intently without blinking.

She told others it helped her organize the plot, but in reality, only she knew what she was actually looking at.

She didn’t even hate pears anymore! She had just placed an online order for two boxes of huge “Imperial Crown” pears this morning. Before they were even shipped, she received this bad news.

She actually bought two boxes of sacrificial offerings!!

“I’m sorry.” Ji Youyi apologized sincerely.

Li Zhulan: “Pay me back! That stinking seller refused to include free shipping no matter what; do you know how expensive the shipping was!”

“?” Ji Youyi had no idea what she was talking about. “Fine, fine, fine, I’ll pay. Send me a screenshot of the order, and I’ll reimburse it as equipment procurement.”

“As if I care.” Li Zhulan sobbed for a while, then asked in a muffled voice, “Is it really that hard to hire a camera operator?”

“It’s not hard, it’s just hard to hire a good one.”

The DP was someone she had painstakingly scouted and then personally taught for a whole week. Within a short time, it was almost impossible for her to find a camera operator of the same caliber. For the sake of the drama, she could only do it herself.

“Can we ask Teacher Meng for help? She must know many amazing ones.”

Ji Youyi laughed: “You don’t know the cost of living because you aren’t the head of the household. Would you even dare to use someone she recommends? Sign them today, and the crew will declare bankruptcy tomorrow. When the accounts are checked—oh, it turns out it was all paid to the cinematographer.”

“I see.” Li Zhulan murmured.

Ji Youyi touched her wet face and said seriously: “Little Zhuzi, I know you really like Ning Li. But liking a character doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give her wealth and glory. What’s more important is that you give her a highlight, give her a plot that is unforgettable. Ning Li is so good, it shouldn’t be just you who likes her, right?”