Chapter 23: Next Time, Teacher Shi

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Seeing how Shi Qiu handled things, Zhong Xiyuan increasingly felt like he was being treated like a secret lover. Hiding their relationship, avoiding Jiang Fengmian, and even being shoved into a closet like some guilty intruder.

But he didn’t dare complain. Because in Shi Qiu’s world, Jiang Fengmian was everything. When Shi Qiu said he’d die for Jiang Fengmian, it wasn’t a joke.

Zhong Xiyuan wrapped his arms around Shi Qiu’s waist, kissed his neck, and slid his hand under his sweater again.

“Then reward me,” he whispered.

Shi Qiu lazily pushed at his chest.

“Next time,” he said.

He was already feeling tired. It had been a long day.

Zhong Xiyuan saw the fatigue in his eyes and withdrew his hand, but still tried to bargain.

“Then how will you reward me next time?”

Shi Qiu glanced at him. He had to admit, Zhong Xiyuan had been behaving lately. He yawned, his eyes watery and soft.

“Next time I’ll step on you,” he murmured.

Zhong Xiyuan perked up instantly, but Shi Qiu was already pushing him away.

“I’ll head out then?” Zhong Xiyuan asked reluctantly.

“Get lost,” Shi Qiu said, pulling off his clothes. His voice was sleepy and soft, even his insults sounded cute and easy to bully.

Zhong Xiyuan didn’t want to leave, but he had no choice. He repeated again, “You promised to reward me next time.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now go,” Shi Qiu said, ushering him out.

Only then did Zhong Xiyuan finally leave.

Shi Qiu curled up under the covers and lazily checked his phone before bed. He saw that Hong Xinxue had sent him a red envelope for 8,888 yuan.

Hong Xinxue: Thank you so much for your guidance today, Teacher Shi. This little gift is just a token of appreciation. Please enjoy some tea [rose].

Shi Qiu accepted the red envelope and replied with a cute cat sticker.

Hong Xinxue really knew how to handle things. Considering Jiang Fengmian’s pay per episode was only 8,000, Shi Qiu’s value was looking pretty high.

In the following days of filming, Hong Xinxue seemed to have taken Shi Qiu’s advice to heart. Her performance improved significantly. Director Chang didn’t scold her again, and the shooting schedule moved along smoothly.

Shi Qiu stayed close to Director Chang or stuck to Yuan Lingtong, keeping his distance from anyone trying to cozy up to him.

Ever since he helped Hong Xinxue break through, other actors had been trying to get close, hoping for guidance too.

But Shi Qiu had no intention of opening that door. If he started helping side characters, he’d become a full-time tool.

After a few days of steady performance, Hong Xinxue couldn’t resist approaching Shi Qiu again.

It happened while Jiang Fengmian was filming scenes about the male lead’s family. Hong Xinxue came over with her script and sat beside Shi Qiu.

Shi Qiu could block others by staying near Director Chang, but not her.

She sat down with a smile.

“Teacher Shi, I’d like to ask you something again.”

Since she had sent him a red envelope last time, Shi Qiu leaned forward slightly and gestured for her to continue.

It wasn’t that he needed the money. It was her respectful attitude. Otherwise, 8,888 wouldn’t be enough to consult someone of his level.

“You told me to interpret the character myself, right? I went home and analyzed the female lead, but the more I studied her, the more I felt I couldn’t grasp her…”

She hugged her script, growing more discouraged as she spoke.

She had never analyzed a character so seriously before. But the deeper she went, the more she realized this girl was far outside her comfort zone. She was used to playing cute or elegant school goddesses. She didn’t know how to portray someone so ordinary, introverted, and emotionally nuanced.

Yet somehow, her performance had been smoother than before. Still, it felt fragile. She wanted peace of mind.

“The more I think about it, the more I feel the female lead is nothing like me,” she said.

Shi Qiu pulled down his mask and asked lazily, “And she doesn’t have any obvious traits, right?”

“Exactly,” Hong Xinxue replied.

The more ordinary a character, the harder it was to portray.

“That’s why you have to interpret her yourself,” Shi Qiu said, resting his chin in his hand. “She’s not a flat character defined by one trait. She’s full and dimensional. Even among all of Teacher Yuan’s works, ‘A Long Winter’ is one of her top three. If you want to play this girl well, you have to make her yours. You have to become her.”

“Your acting fundamentals are solid. But you haven’t merged with the role. Jiang Fengmian is doing better because he’s becoming the character.”

Hong Xinxue looked even more defeated.

“But…”

But the more she tried, the more she felt the gap between herself and the character. She couldn’t get inside her.

“You can. She’ll become the version you want to portray. You just need a point of entry,” Shi Qiu said gently. “From what I see, you share a lot with her. Her confusion about life, her pessimism about the future, her frustration with controlling parents, her guilt over disappointing them… don’t you relate to those feelings?”

Of course she did.

Her career was in decline. She knew that confusion and pessimism well. Her fans were mostly career-focused and held her to high standards. If a drama didn’t perform well or her red carpet look wasn’t perfect, the top fans would leave harsh comments, full of disappointment. Their pressure was no less than that of strict parents.

“You can understand her. You can step into her shoes. Then you interpret her. But that interpretation needs a core. What do you want her essence to be?” Shi Qiu asked, seeing her deep in thought.

“I… I need to think about it,” Hong Xinxue said, scribbling notes in her script as she bit her pen and pondered.

She had never needed this before. Her natural charm and experience had always been enough. But Shi Qiu’s attitude felt like that of a strict mentor, and she couldn’t help but take him seriously.

She was grateful for that seriousness. Following his guidance, she wrote down everything she could think of. Then she looked up and smiled.

“Thank you, Teacher Shi.”

“No problem,” Shi Qiu said, seeing her inspired. He pulled his mask back up and snuggled into his down jacket.

Hong Xinxue asked warmly, “Are you cold? I have a heat patch. It’s really warm if you stick it inside your coat.”

“No need. I already have one on,” Shi Qiu smiled.

He was still recovering from blood loss and felt weak, which made him more sensitive to the cold.

But his layers were already doing their job.

Seeing that he didn’t want to talk anymore, Hong Xinxue thought for a moment and left.

A little while later, her assistant came over with a cheerful smile.

“Teacher Shi, Hong Jie is treating the crew to drinks. What would you like?”

Shi Qiu thought Hong Xinxue really knew how to handle things. He considered for a moment and said, “Hot chocolate, please. Thank you.”

“Got it,” the assistant said, jotting it down and heading off to arrange it. 

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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 🤗