Chapter 21: Hello, Teacher Shi. Do You Have Time for a Meal Soon?

Back                           TOC                             Next

 

Shi Qiu wondered if Hong Xinxue was really the type to hold a grudge. Chang Tianhe had only used him as an example. Even if he did wear a wig, he couldn’t possibly play a high school girl.

“Teacher Hong…” Shi Qiu greeted obediently.

Hong Xinxue smiled at his demeanor. Her tone was gentle.

“Teacher Shi…”

Shi Qiu choked a little.

Given their current positions, he absolutely didn’t deserve to be called “Teacher Shi” by Hong Xinxue.

“You…?” He coughed twice, looking at her in surprise.

Hong Xinxue smiled and said warmly, “Director Chang told me to learn from you.”

Shi Qiu felt his scalp itch. He scratched his cheek with a finger and said quietly, “Director Chang was just venting. Please don’t take it seriously.”

Her smile didn’t waver.

“That’s impossible. Director Chang isn’t someone who speaks carelessly. And I think he made a lot of sense.”

She had remembered Shi Qiu ever since the costume fitting. His understanding of acting was stronger than some actual teachers. Especially when he pulled down his mask and asked if they looked like peers. That youthful energy had been striking. And when he turned to speak with Chang Tianhe, that energy vanished completely.

It was a seamless shift in presence. His control over his own state was effortless. Hong Xinxue had heard the gossip around the crew, that Shi Qiu only wanted to be Jiang Fengmian’s assistant because he liked him and didn’t want to debut. Having seen all kinds of people in the entertainment industry, Hong Xinxue accepted this explanation without judgment.

After all, people with genius-level talent often had minds that worked differently. Doing things others couldn’t understand was perfectly normal.

Hong Xinxue was twenty-eight. She had debuted at twenty in school dramas and was once crowned the goddess of the genre. But eight years later, she was still playing schoolgirls. The fatigue of adulthood and subtle changes in her face were becoming more visible.

Many said her spark was fading. School dramas were no longer popular. If this continued, she wouldn’t even be able to rely on her past fame. Her current state wasn’t strong enough to keep playing sixteen-year-old girls at thirty. Fortunately, her fanbase was loyal and career-focused. Even as her condition declined, they continued to support her.

She had been anxious about her future. The more anxious she became, the worse her performance got. After repeated NGs and scoldings from Director Chang, she had been apologizing nonstop, losing sleep, worrying about her career, and feeling guilty toward her fans.

If swallowing her pride meant learning something useful from Shi Qiu, it would be worth it.

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Shi Qiu dropped his surface-level unease and politeness. He glanced at Jiang Fengmian, who was still being spoken to by Director Chang, then asked Hong Xinxue, “You really want to learn from me?”

“Of course,” she nodded.

Shi Qiu nodded back. Seeing the crew member handing out lunch boxes, he smiled.

“Let’s eat first. We can talk after.”

Hong Xinxue saw him already opening his lunch and unwrapping his chopsticks. She held back the rest of her words.

Jiang Fengmian finished his conversation with Director Chang and came over to sit down. He smiled politely at Hong Xinxue.

“Teacher Hong?”

“I came to ask Teacher Shi for some advice,” she said, accepting her lunch box from her assistant with a slightly helpless smile.

She wasn’t sure how this would go, but since Shi Qiu had asked her to wait, she could only wait.

Jiang Fengmian glanced at Shi Qiu, who was already eating, and said nothing. He simply nodded.

Technically, Shi Qiu shouldn’t have left someone hanging like that. Offending the biggest name in the cast wasn’t wise. But he was Jiang Fengmian’s younger brother. And he was hungry. Jiang Fengmian wouldn’t let him go hungry just to please someone else.

The three of them sat in silence, eating in the cold winter air. Jiang Fengmian and Hong Xinxue had light vegetarian meals with simple, clean proteins to maintain their figures. Shi Qiu’s lunch, once opened, released a wave of rich aromas: braised ribs, potato beef stew, sweet and sour pork. His rice was drenched in thick gravy. As he mixed it with his chopsticks, steam rose from every grain.

The smell was overwhelming.

Hong Xinxue stared at her box of greens, feeling her stomach twist and her mouth flood with saliva.

It was torture.

She glanced at Jiang Fengmian, who was expressionless as he ate his vegetables. She thought to herself, he must be a tough one to eat like this next to Shi Qiu every day.

She lowered her head, reminding herself that one bite meant gaining ten pounds. Then she buried herself in her salad. Ever since she got the audition invitation for this drama, she had been dieting. Not a single extra bite, all to maintain that youthful, delicate look on camera.

Shi Qiu noticed her eyes practically glowing green and pushed his lunch toward her.

“Teacher Hong, want some beef?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Thank you,” she said, but her eyes were glued to the potato beef stew.

“One small piece won’t make you gain weight. We’re eating in the cold. You’ve already burned off the calories. Just use your chopsticks.”

“This feels inappropriate…” she said, but her hand had already reached out and carefully picked up a small piece of beef. She lowered her head and ate it with a mix of guilt and gratitude.

Afterward, she felt even more ashamed. Jiang Fengmian was a newcomer and could resist temptation. Why couldn’t she?

Normally, she had more self-control. But no one had ever been as cruel as Shi Qiu, eating such a heavy meal right in front of her.

Shi Qiu felt a little sorry for her. He had dieted before. Being hungry in winter was miserable. At your worst, you felt like you could eat the person in front of you.

Thankfully, he had given up on being a celebrity. No need to suffer like this.

He happily gnawed on his braised ribs and focused on his meal.

Shi Qiu ate quickly. After finishing, he returned his lunch box, wiped his hands with a wet wipe, and put on his elegant white suede gloves.

He turned to Hong Xinxue.

“Teacher Hong, would you be willing to change your makeup?”

“My makeup?” She hesitated, then nodded. “Sure.”

If a change could improve her performance, she had no reason to refuse.

“Try a thinner brow shape, especially at the inner corners. Also, adjust the placement of your highlighter.”

“Let’s go to the makeup room and talk.”

“Alright.”

Hong Xinxue had brought her own makeup artist. After hearing Shi Qiu’s suggestions, the artist got to work without complaint.

She had worked with Hong Xinxue for years and knew her face well. The final result satisfied Shi Qiu. A nearby assistant, however, muttered, “I think this makes her look worse.”

“This character isn’t supposed to be too pretty,” Shi Qiu explained casually. “Teacher Hong usually plays school goddesses, but this role is a sensitive, emotionally repressed teenage girl. The goal isn’t beauty or purity, but a sense of story.”

If Hong Xinxue’s acting were strong enough, her current makeup would be fine. But since her performance wasn’t there yet, external adjustments were necessary.

Hong Xinxue stared at her reflection, a little dazed.

“Story” was a high-level word in acting. Top directors loved it. She had never imagined that someone who mostly did light school dramas could be associated with that concept.

She looked at her makeup artist, who said nothing but clearly understood and agreed with Shi Qiu’s vision.

“This look is fine for now. Next is the scene we couldn’t get right this morning. I’ll teach you a shortcut,” Shi Qiu said.

“What shortcut?” Hong Xinxue asked eagerly.

“When you act, don’t look at Jiang Fengmian.”

Director Chang was discussing whether to shoot Jiang Fengmian’s scenes first when Hong Xinxue hurried over.

“Director Chang, I think I’m ready. Let’s try again.”

He turned to look at her, surprised. It was as if something had shifted after lunch. She now had the quality he had been looking for.

Once everyone was in position, Hong Xinxue and Jiang Fengmian began filming the scene that had failed multiple times earlier.

It was obvious to everyone that her performance and aura had changed.

The girl looked at the sky, the ground, the distance, but never at the person beside her. Though they spoke openly, a subtle, youthful tension emerged.

“Good. That’s a wrap,” Director Chang shouted through his megaphone, clearly pleased. “Nice work, Hong Xinxue. Keep it up.”

Hong Xinxue clasped her hands in excitement. If this scene hadn’t worked, she would have broken down.

In the crowd watching, whispers began.

“Jiang Fengmian’s assistant… Shi Qiu… he’s really something.”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t Director Chang say this morning that Hong Xinxue couldn’t act and Shi Qiu in a wig would be more convincing? She actually went to learn from him.”

“She really did?”

She did. And Shi Qiu actually taught her. Look at that. Just over lunch, Hong Xinxue suddenly got it.

Shi Qiu was still lounging in a folding chair next to Director Chang, basking in the winter sun, looking completely relaxed. Meanwhile, his phone in his pocket kept lighting up with new friend requests.

Every verification message said the same thing:

“Hello, Teacher Shi. I’m XXX. Do you have time for a meal sometime soon?”

Back                           TOC                             Next

Translator note: 📌

Thank you for reading 💖 see you again in the next chapter, my lovely cherries 😘

📍Note: I’m pretty free lately, so I will be posting 3  to 4 chapters a day. Enjoy 🤭

📍Note: i got a new job so i will be busy. I wont be able to update everyday like before. 🥲 but, i will make sure to post 2 or 3 chapters every two days 🤗