Qiu Sisi and Ou Yang hurried over. Qiu Sisi asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Is she too deep in the role and can’t get out?”
Yu Jingming had never encountered such a situation before. He frowned and said, “Let her be alone for a while. We’ll shoot other scenes first.”
About half an hour later, Yu Jingming stood by Chi Yan’s side, watching her. When he saw her expression gradually relax, he asked, “Are you feeling better?”
Chi Yan lifted her head and said, “Much better. I’ll go change.”
After speaking, she stood up, her face calm and composed, looking just as normal as usual.
Yu Jingming hesitated for a moment but still decided to inform Shen Chen about what had happened.
After sending a brief summary of the situation, he added, “If she seems off during dinner later, just be patient with her.”
Shen Chen replied almost immediately, “Okay. Is this normal for her?”
“I’ve never seen it before. You know that most of the actors I’ve worked with are newcomers, and none of them have experienced this. Chi Yan’s acting style feels like that of a method actor.”
“Is method acting bad?”
“No, it’s great. She’s very talented. Chu Heng is also a method actor. But it takes a heavy emotional toll and can be physically exhausting.”
This time, Shen Chen took a long time to reply: “Got it. Are you guys done filming? I’ll come pick you up.”
“There are still a few shots left to finish. You can come over now.”
Chi Yan was unaware of this conversation. At that moment, she was wandering around alone.
After changing out of her costume, she told the crew she wanted to take a stroll around the film set and asked them to inform Yu Jingming.
She hadn’t expected to feel so overwhelmed after filming this scene, struggling to shake off the emotions for so long.
Chi Yan walked through the nearby alleys, stepping on the blue stone pavement, looking at the peach blossom branches stretching out from the surrounding buildings. She gradually felt more relaxed.
There was no one familiar following her, nor any strangers around. She simply admired the newly constructed scenery of Henghai Film Studio.
When Chi Yan passed a white jade bridge, she recalled that this would be the site of a famous TV drama. The scene where the male and female leads bid farewell on this bridge had made countless viewers cry. When she entered the “concession” area of the film city, she could almost envision the future criticism of it as an exaggerated “anti-Japanese drama.”
After wandering for a while, Chi Yan felt much better. The lingering sadness in her heart had almost completely dissipated.
At that moment, the sun was just about to set, hanging low in the sky. The breathtaking view compelled her to take a photo.
In the picture, the setting sun, colorful clouds, and rolling mountains formed a magnificent scene.
Chi Yan uploaded the photo to Weibo with the caption: Goodbye, Princess Jiayin.
She walked slowly back toward the film crew and unexpectedly ran into Shen Chen.
She heard a car honk behind her and thought she was blocking the way, so she stepped aside. But then she heard someone call her name.
“Chi Yan.”
She turned around and saw Shen Chen. He was sitting in the front passenger seat and said to her, “Get in. Jingming said they’re done, so we’ll pick him up and go eat.”
Chi Yan nodded, opened the back door, and got into the car.
“Congratulations on wrapping up filming,” Shen Chen said as he handed her a cake. “Jingming told me to grab this on the way—it’s for your celebration.”
Chi Yan smiled and said, “Thank you.”
To Shen Chen, she looked exactly the same as when they first met—barefaced, with her hair down. He could tell she had already adjusted her emotions.
“What do you want to eat tonight?”
Chi Yan seriously considered it. During filming, she had been controlling her weight and hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a long time.
Her meals mostly consisted of vegetables, and she hadn’t seen even a bit of meat. Sometimes, dinner was just a salad.
“Meat,” she said without hesitation. “Even stir-fried pork with green peppers would do.”
Shen Chen laughed and said, “Don’t worry, you won’t be deprived of meat. Tonight, you can eat as much as you want.”
Chi Yan nodded and didn’t say anything else. She took out her phone, opened the calendar, and started counting the days.
It was Friday. The production team of The Actor’s Path had already contacted her, informing her that the competition to select the top 20 contestants was about to begin and that she should be prepared.
The competition for the top 20 would last a week. During this time, the contestants would live in an apartment arranged by the show, with a 24-hour live broadcast. The exact move-in date would be announced later.
Chi Yan knew that two of the top 20 spots had already been predetermined—one belonged to a child star who had been acting since a young age, and the other to the daughter of the chairman of Startrack Entertainment.
Thirteen contestants would be chosen by the mentors, while the remaining five would be determined by their popularity.
Her goal was to showcase her skills and secure the top spot in both the mentors’ and the audience’s rankings.
The hardest part was the first week—under constant surveillance, she needed to ensure that the audience noticed and remembered her.
But this was the least of her worries. She already had fans, and Qiu Sisi would help her when the time came. All she had to do was focus on acting.
By the time Yu Jingming wrapped up filming, he was waiting by the roadside for Shen Chen.
As soon as he stood there, he saw Shen Chen’s car approaching.
He wasn’t surprised to see Chi Yan in the car—Shen Chen had already informed him when he picked her up.
“How are you feeling? Any better?” he asked Chi Yan.
“Director Yu, don’t worry. The one who was struggling was Princess Jiayin, but now I am Chi Yan.”
Yu Jingming couldn’t help but advise her, “I know you didn’t attend acting school and have to use this method to experience the role, but you shouldn’t go too deep into it.”
Chi Yan understood this principle, but she was still grateful that Yu Jingming brought it up. She replied, “Thank you, Director Yu. I understand.”
“By the way, you should talk more with Si Si and Ou Yang. This is their first time acting too, but their theoretical knowledge is stronger than yours.”
Chi Yan nodded. “Alright, I got it.”
Yu Jingming glanced at his phone and added, “You saw the message from the show’s production team, right? When they go on variety shows, they’ll definitely create a certain public persona for themselves. In just one week, they can easily hide their true selves without being exposed. But my advice to you is that it’s best to just be yourself. As long as you handle small details properly, the audience will find you more likable.”
Chi Yan said, “That’s my plan too. Since I’ve decided to pursue acting, I won’t just be in this industry for a day or two. Instead of risking my public persona collapsing, I’d rather be myself. That way, at least I won’t make any mistakes.”
“You’re smart,” Yu Jingming looked at her. “I guess I was overthinking.”
“Not at all. I know you’re just worried I might take the wrong step. I appreciate it.”
Shen Chen suddenly asked, “When does the show air?”
“It’ll take a while,” Chi Yan replied. “We don’t know for sure yet since the production team hasn’t decided, but it’ll probably be within the next half-month.”
“Alright, let me know when it airs. I’ll watch it.”
Chi Yan was momentarily surprised, then said, “Sure.”
She thought, I’ll have to send out links to ask people to vote for me anyway. Sending one to Shen Chen wouldn’t be that strange.
That night, Yu Jingming treated them to dinner at a hotel near Henghai Film City.
As they got out of the car, he boasted to Shen Chen and Chi Yan, “This is the best restaurant near Henghai Film City. I tried so many before finding this one.”
Then, lowering his voice slightly, he added, “The only downside is that quite a few celebrities come here to meet their sponsors.”
Shen Chen frowned. “If you know about it, the paparazzi must know too. We’re just walking in like this—if we get photographed, won’t it give people a reason to spread rumors?”
“That’s why I told you to bring sunglasses!” Yu Jingming said confidently.
Chi Yan glanced at the sunglasses in her hand and promptly put them on. She teased, “Director Yu, if Shen Chen and I get photographed together, even a hundred explanations won’t clear things up.”
Shen Chen suddenly felt that Yu Jingming’s restaurant choice was really not great.
Sure enough, as soon as they stepped into the hotel lobby, several people holding cameras locked their eyes on them.
Yu Jingming groaned, “Why are there so many today? Are they rushing to meet their monthly quotas? Come on, follow me and shake them off.”
Chi Yan had plenty of experience avoiding paparazzi. The more you tried to hide, the more suspicious they became. But if you acted completely normal, they might second-guess themselves.
“Shen Chen, just walk like you normally would in any hotel. The more natural you act, the less likely they are to take your picture,” she quietly reminded him.
Shen Chen nodded. “Got it.”
Sure enough, since they didn’t seem to be hiding anything, most reporters gave up on following them. A few were persistent, but in the blink of an eye, they lost track of their targets.
Inside the private dining room, Yu Jingming reassured them, “I promise that’s the only hassle. The food here is worth it—you’ll definitely want to come back.”
He picked up the menu and asked, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
“I can’t eat spicy food very well, and I don’t really like sweet dishes. Other than that, I’m fine,” Chi Yan said.
“I’m good with anything. You can decide,” Shen Chen added.
While waiting for food, Yu Jingming asked, “I know a lot of actresses avoid spicy food because they’re afraid of breakouts. Is that why you don’t eat it?”
Chi Yan shook her head. “I genuinely can’t handle spice. Things that don’t seem spicy to others make me tear up.”
“That bad?” Yu Jingming said. “Shen Chen’s different—his mom is from Hunan, so he grew up loving spicy food.”
“Really?” Chi Yan was surprised. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”
Yu Jingming wasn’t exaggerating—the food was indeed excellent. The three of them nearly finished five or six dishes, not including the complimentary desserts from the hotel.
Chi Yan wanted another few bowls but held back, mindful of her weight.
“Director Yu, your recommendation is spot on,” she praised. “Now I know where to eat whenever I film in Henghai.”
In her past life, Chi Yan rarely ate out. She cherished the warmth of home. Even when she had unavoidable business dinners, she would just eat a little to be polite and have her real meal at home.
Besides, the restaurants that investors picked were always expensive but tasted awful—making her feel like they treated customers like fools.
“I’m good, right?” Yu Jingming said smugly. “Once your competition is over, I’ll take you out for another great meal.”
“Sounds good!” Chi Yan thought about how each mentor would take their group out for dinner. If Yu Jingming picked the place, it was bound to be good—she’d eat to her heart’s content then.
As for controlling her weight, she could always diet later.
Shen Chen asked, “Did you find out who was responsible for what happened yesterday?”
“Pretty much. The guy who tampered with the arrow has been caught, but he was just a hired hand,” Yu Jingming said, turning to Chi Yan. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep digging. No crew will ever hire someone like that again.”
