Chapter 13: The Female Lead Arrives
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Liu Waner was called aside by the director for criticism and education, while An Bu sat on a bench holding a fruit juice, lip-reading among the crowd and playing multiple roles in her mind, simulating the plot.
The second female lead, Wang Luoxue, was a tragic character who fell in love with the antagonist, Xue Ciyi. She betrayed her father for him and eventually suffered the loss of her family, leading to a life of madness. In An Bu’s opinion, Liu Waner wasn’t suitable for this role, not just because of her acting skills but also due to her lack of psychological resilience.
After a few minutes of rest, the shooting continued. Despite two NGs, it barely passed. The director wore a constipated expression, not entirely satisfied with the shooting effect, but considering Liu Waner’s acting skills, this was probably the best they could achieve.
The scenes between the antagonist and the second female lead were shot until late in the evening. An Bu switched between various roles, from a passerby to a courtesan and then a maid. Her makeup was almost worn off, but as a lifeless body, she wasn’t worried about skin damage. She only lost a few points of vitality, easily replenished with a glass of juice.
After the shoot, An Bu didn’t stay in the temporary dormitory with other extras but booked a nearby hotel. While she didn’t care about the status of her profession, the quality of life was non-negotiable.
Ordering a nutritious meal, An Bu sat by the window in the hotel restaurant, enjoying an unknown delicacy while browsing the web on her laptop.
“Mind if I join you?” A pleasant male voice suddenly came from beside her.
An Bu looked up to see Yu Hao, casually dressed, standing in front of her, gazing at her with his deep eyes.
“Yes, I mind,” An Bu rejected without hesitation.
“Do you hate me?” Yu Hao couldn’t recall doing anything to be disliked.
“You’re too conspicuous. I don’t want to be photographed by paparazzi,” An Bu replied, putting on sunglasses she somehow found.
Yu Hao, being called “conspicuous” for the first time: “…”
Just as Yu Hao was about to say something, his assistant hurriedly ran over, looking helpless. “My young master, if you want to eat something, just tell me. Don’t just run out without a word. Although the hotel has good security, paparazzi might sneak in.”
“It’s just a meal, no need to be so nervous.” Yu Hao’s expression darkened slightly. He glanced at An Bu and then turned to walk towards his room.
Entering the elevator, he suddenly asked his assistant, “How much is a night at this hotel?”
The assistant hesitated for a moment and replied, “450 for a standard room.”
Yu Hao looked contemplative. That girl was just an extra, and her earnings probably wouldn’t cover the hotel and dining expenses…
After dinner, An Bu was about to return to her room when she noticed a group of people entering the hotel.
At the forefront were a man and a woman, both outstanding in appearance and stature. They were the male and female leads of the drama—Hua Ao and Ji Siqi. They seemed to have rushed over by plane overnight, looking fatigued.
An Bu gave them a cursory glance and then proceeded to the elevator. As the elevator door was about to close, Hua Ao suddenly reached out to stop it. An Bu found herself in a crowded elevator, and when the last person entered, the elevator signaled an overweight warning.
Almost simultaneously, everyone in the elevator turned their eyes to An Bu, the only outsider.
An Bu, sandwiched between them: “…”
This was getting awkward.
Feeling outnumbered, An Bu was about to step out when Ji Siqi, in an irritated tone, scolded, “Didn’t you see the elevator is overloaded?”
An Bu, having just lifted her right foot, chuckled, “Yeah, I’ll have to trouble one of you to go out and change to another elevator.”
Ji Siqi exclaimed, “Are you blind? All these people are mine. If someone has to leave, it will be you.”
Leaning against the handrail, An Bu lazily said, “Sorry, my legs are sore. I can’t walk. Hope you can understand.”
Ji Siqi, who had been on the road all day and was already irritable, now encountered someone she deemed impolite. She pointed at a bodyguard, commanding, “You, get her out!”
Hua Ao on the side showed no intention of stopping, standing by with arms crossed, coldly watching.
The muscular bodyguard reached to grab An Bu’s arm, but with a slight sidestep, An Bu let him pass. She pushed him lightly, seemingly without much force, causing the burly bodyguard to stumble forward a few steps and conveniently exit the elevator.
An Bu immediately pressed the button for the 15th floor, and the elevator doors slowly closed as the bodyguard turned around.
Everything happened in a matter of seconds, leaving Ji Siqi speechless and Hua Ao glancing at An Bu with interest.
“What do you mean by that? Why did you push my bodyguard out?” Ji Siqi took off her sunglasses and angrily pointed at An Bu.
“I just patted his shoulder lightly, didn’t use any force at all,” An Bu said calmly. “The bodyguard obviously wanted to show some chivalry and took the opportunity to give up his place for me. Otherwise, do you think, with my strength, how could I possibly push a well-trained, strong bodyguard?”
Ji Siqi was left speechless by her explanation.
At that moment, a ding sound indicated that they had arrived at the 15th floor. An Bu politely thanked them, stepped out of the elevator, leaving them with an elegant silhouette.
Right before the elevator door closed, Hua Ao suddenly reached out to stop it and said to Ji Siqi, “Let’s go; we’re also on the 15th floor.”
After that, he walked out of the elevator, following An Bu closely, and found that she was staying in the room next to his.
“What a coincidence,” An Bu said, brushing her room keycard. She turned to Hua Ao, saying.
Hua Ao asked: “Are you also in ‘Unrivaled Everywhere’?”
“Sort of,” An Bu replied casually, then walked into her room, closing the door.
“She also participated in ‘Unrivaled Everywhere’? What role is she playing? Why haven’t I seen her?” Ji Siqi asked Hua Ao.
Hua Ao shook his head, “Don’t know.”
“Ha, probably just an unknown newcomer,” sneered Ji Siqi. “She can’t possibly not know who we are? With such an arrogant attitude, she must have latched onto some wealthy sponsor, feeling invincible.”
Hua Ao remained silent, opening the door to his room and walking in.
Ji Siqi stared at An Bu’s door, a hint of gloominess flashing in her eyes, coldly sneering inside. How dare a mere newcomer oppose her? She would surely make her understand the consequences of offending her.
Ji Siqi and Hua Ao, like stars surrounding the moon, entered the set, greeting everyone. Ji Siqi looked around but didn’t find the person she was looking for. She stopped a staff member and asked, “Are all the actors shooting today here?”
“Yes, the director asked everyone to be on time, and no one was late,” the staff member replied truthfully.
Ji Siqi frowned, hesitatingly asking, “Have you seen a girl in her early twenties, long hair, extremely pale skin, and somewhat decent-looking?”
Staff member: There are many girls with that appearance…
Seeing he couldn’t provide an answer, Ji Siqi reluctantly added, “Actually, she’s quite beautiful, around 168 cm tall, wearing pink flat shoes.”
Staff member: “I… didn’t pay much attention to those details.”
“Forget it, just go. You’re useless,” Ji Siqi impatiently dismissed him, thinking that the woman might have deceived her. What if she wasn’t part of this cast?
While contemplating, a woman’s voice suddenly came from behind, “I think I know who you’re looking for.”
Ji Siqi turned around to see Liu Waner walking gracefully towards her, smiling politely, “Hello, Sister Ji, I’m Liu Waner. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”
“You say you know?” Ji Siqi asked directly. “Who is she, and where is she?”
“The only girl in the entire crew wearing pink flat shoes.” Liu Waner pointed ahead, “See, over there to the left, the second one.”
Ji Siqi followed her direction and saw a group of ragged people sitting on the steps not far away.
An Bu, dressed in tattered beggar’s attire, hair disheveled, face stained with dirt, sat casually with a group of people, chatting and laughing while basking in the sun.
Ji Siqi: “…” She had considered numerous possibilities, but the only one she didn’t think of was an extra! With her attractive appearance, why would she choose to be a low-skilled extra?
Extras didn’t have influential backers or backstage connections! Was it worth her effort to deal with her?
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