Chapter 45: Acting
“Director Pan…” Jiang Lingling, glancing at the foolish Ji Junxin, held out the crumpled script with a pitiful expression.
Director Pan didn’t take it.
Jiang Lingling felt her heart breaking.
The wrinkled, circled, and dirty script swayed forlornly in the wind.
“You can go, I have other arrangements for today’s scenes.” Director Pan waved his hand resignedly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Lingling straightened up, threw out a “Thank you, Director Pan!”, grabbed Mi Hongdou’s hand, and left. It didn’t matter what his arrangements were, leaving quickly before he changed his mind was the right thing to do. After taking a step, she noticed Ji Junxin, who seemed to have something to say. Jiang Lingling’s heart skipped a beat, and she reached out with her other hand, pulling Ji Junxin along as well.
Ji Junxin didn’t budge and looked at Jiang Lingling questioningly. Where was the unspoken understanding between people! Jiang Lingling choked, suddenly feeling annoyed. She put her arm around Ji Junxin’s waist, lifted her up, and, without further ado, lifted Mi Hongdou with her other hand and quickly retreated.
Carrying one person in each hand, Jiang Lingling felt a little tired. But if she had a third hand, she would definitely use it to cover Ji Junxin’s mouth.
Jiang Lingling had grown up in the mountains and fields until she was over ten years old. Chopping trees, catching fish, climbing mountains, swimming in rivers, she had done it all. Life was hard, and she had developed considerable strength. Later, after being taken in by Dong Yuannan, she was pampered, but the strength she had developed earlier would probably last her two lifetimes. Now, Jiang Lingling was afraid that Ji Junxin would say something that would make Director Pan change his mind, so she forgot all about Dong Yuannan’s advice to hide her strength.
It felt good not having to pretend to be weak. What was a heavy costume? What was a single dog? A single dog could lift both of them at once, hmph! Jiang Lingling, fueled by a strange energy, carried the two all the way back to the backstage area. Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin, experiencing being carried for the first time, were stunned and didn’t even say goodbye to Director Pan before being taken away by Jiang Lingling.
The two looked at each other over Jiang Lingling’s head, then at Jiang Lingling, who was carrying them without any sign of effort, and both recalled a song: “Rouge and powder on her face, a chicken in her left hand, a duck in her right, and a fat baby on her back…”
What the hell… Put me down! But if she spoke now, would she be punched in the head? Mi Hongdou, afraid of scaring Ji Junxin, tried to maintain a calm expression, but her inner thoughts were racing.
Fortunately, as Jiang Lingling’s energy waned, her reason returned. Reaching a deserted area near the backstage, Jiang Lingling slowly put them down with a slightly awkward smile.
Ji Junxin still seemed a little dazed. Mi Hongdou awkwardly twitched the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile in return.
The three just stood there, an awkward silence descending.
Jiang Lingling had just wanted to quickly get away from Director Pan and, in a moment of impulse… had carried them away like piglets. While carrying them, she had felt a thrill of a single dog breaking up a couple, but now that she had put them down, and no one was speaking, she felt embarrassed. They were all delicate and beautiful girls, and she, only she, was the strangely strong one… Jiang Lingling, who was usually so proud, now felt embarrassed and annoyed, mortified! Where was her little princess image? She didn’t want to catch adulterers anymore, she wanted to find her godfather and cry!
“Hehe… um, shall we go remove our makeup?” Mi Hongdou, who knew more about Jiang Lingling’s background, recovered more quickly. But she had never heard of this strange strength, even in her previous life! It was better not to mention it, it was too awkward. She might be silenced. Mi Hongdou glanced at Jiang Lingling, whose face was slightly flushed. She seemed to be on the verge of exploding from embarrassment.
They didn’t even ask her, didn’t even listen to her explanation! She didn’t want this strength either! How could she ask them to keep it a secret if they didn’t even ask! Jiang Lingling’s heart was flooded with tears. She should have maintained her aloofness, why did she try to befriend Mi Hongdou? A moment of carelessness, and now she regretted it deeply.
After suggesting removing their makeup, Mi Hongdou started walking towards the backstage area. But after taking two steps, she realized that the other two hadn’t moved.
Hey, let’s go, it’s awkward for Jiang Lingling to just stand here, she might hit you later, Mi Hongdou winked at Ji Junxin.
Ji Junxin pretended not to receive the message.
Mi Hongdou could only turn to the other person, “Um, Jiang Lingling, let’s go, remove our makeup…”
A blushing, mysterious silence.
It was impossible to be friends with them anymore! Had she lost her memory? Was she the one who had just carried two people and run? Why were they ignoring her! Why! Mi Hongdou looked at the pensive Ji Junxin and the blushing Jiang Lingling, feeling frustrated.
Just then, Ji Junxin started to move, slowly shuffling from Jiang Lingling’s side to face her, and then said with utmost seriousness: “Jiang Lingling, we have a can of peaches in our locker, and we can’t open it. Can you help us?”
Compared to Mi Hongdou, who felt like she had been hit by a meteorite, this sentence made Jiang Lingling feel the force of ten thousand alpacas trampling over her.
Her slightly flushed face turned crimson. Jiang Lingling heard herself say, “O… kay…” Each word felt like it had been trampled flat by ten thousand alpacas before floating out of her mouth.
Mi Hongdou quickly stepped forward, seemingly casually, and separated the two. “Let’s remove our makeup…” This was the nth time she had said it! Pay attention to her, would they? Were they still friends!
“Great, can we ask you to open any cans we can’t open in the future?” Ji Junxin’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Jiang Lingling with a bright smile, speaking seriously, seemingly oblivious to the other person’s mortification.
“Sure.” This time, it was Jiang Lingling who trampled the words, along with the ten thousand alpacas. Having said this much, she was no longer embarrassed, but rather angry. So, delicate little girl, you’re making fun of me! Aren’t you, aren’t you!
Ji Junxin’s eyes curved into a smile: “Jiang Lingling, you’re such a good person. Let me tell you, that can is really stubborn. My assistant asked everyone in the crew, and no one could open it. We thought you could definitely do it. But let’s open it quietly later, we can’t let those men see, it might hurt their pride.” Ji Junxin nodded to herself, as if confirming her own words. “And they might also ask you to move those props they can’t move. We definitely can’t let anyone know. Right?”
Ji Junxin looked at Mi Hongdou.
“Right…” In Mi Hongdou’s eyes, whatever her goddess said was right.
Jiang Lingling’s expression gradually improved as Ji Junxin spoke. Although she felt that something was off about Ji Junxin’s words, at least they had reached a consensus and wouldn’t reveal her secret strength. Jiang Lingling breathed a sigh of relief and waved her hand, “Let’s go open the can!”
Ji Junxin followed.
Mi Hongdou, feeling ignored and abandoned, trailed behind and heard Jiang Lingling’s voice: “Ji Junxin, you should eat more, your waist is so thin.”
Waist! Right! She had just put her arm around Ji Junxin’s waist! Mi Hongdou gritted her teeth. Damn it, she hadn’t even hugged her goddess’s waist yet! And she dared to mention it!
“Really? I feel like my waist has gotten a little thicker recently from eating too much.” Ji Junxin replied.
Oh my god… her goddess was discussing her waist with someone else! How annoying! Mi Hongdou silently followed behind them, listening to their cheerful chatter, grinding her teeth all the way.
There was a large locker in the backstage area where they could store things they didn’t want to carry around. Backstage, Ji Junxin took out a can of peaches from the locker, and Jiang Lingling easily opened it. Her goddess rewarded her with countless admiring glances and a basketful of compliments. Jiang Lingling, her face beaming, went to change her clothes, urging the still-rooted Mi Hongdou to do the same.
Now you can see me, but I can no longer see you, hmph! Mi Hongdou didn’t move. After Jiang Lingling went to the changing room, she pulled Ji Junxin, who was still holding the can of peaches, to a secluded corner.
“Jiang Lingling was clearly embarrassed that we saw her strength, her face was all red, didn’t you see? And you even brought it up specifically…” Mi Hongdou felt that even if Ji Junxin was a foodie, she shouldn’t be so clueless.
Ji Junxin slowly closed the lid of the peach can: “I brought it up precisely because I saw it. Judging by Jiang Lingling’s reaction, she probably considers her strength a big secret. She must be very anxious now that we know. Qiao Rubai also said that this industry is complicated, and many people’s secrets are exposed by those closest to them. We don’t think having great strength is a big deal, we were just a little surprised, to be honest, I think it’s quite cute. But Jiang Lingling wants to be in the entertainment industry, we don’t know how much she minds it. This past month, those who offended her didn’t end well. Although we didn’t pry the secret out of her, we still know it. What if she minds it very much…”
“Then why did you ask her to open the can…” Mi Hongdou didn’t understand.
“We already know, pretending not to know is useless. But Jiang Lingling, although she appears arrogant, probably needs validation from others. I remember a character I played in a previous drama, arrogant and capricious, but it was all a facade.” Ji Junxin suddenly thought of Jiang Lingling’s indescribable hurt expression when she was about to return the KFC bag earlier. She paused before continuing, “That character’s arrogance and capriciousness were a facade, her hurting others was also a facade. What she truly wanted was validation from others. Of course, admiration would make her even happier. Naive people who need her and admire her can easily become her friends. That’s how it was written in the script, and I think it’s quite reasonable. So, just now, I acted like someone who could make that character let down her guard and even feel happy. Someone naive, who needs her and admires her.”
“Wait, you’re saying, you were acting a persona?” Mi Hongdou was confused at first, but now it clicked, followed by a sudden realization.
Ji Junxin nodded innocently: “Yes.”
“You mean, you were acting just now?” Mi Hongdou blurted out, then quickly added, “Which part?”
“Every part…”
“Every part?”
“Every part.”
Ji Junxin’s confirmation made Mi Hongdou gasp.
From the moment Jiang Lingling put them down, Mi Hongdou had been worried, confused, angry, even strangely jealous, but she never thought that from the beginning, every word Ji Junxin said was an act. To create a persona of someone naive, who needed Jiang Lingling and posed no threat, someone admiring and harmless. Mi Hongdou finally understood what Ji Junxin had been thinking about before speaking.
“Don’t worry, I’ve thought about it. In that situation just now, we were a unit. The impression I gave her will also apply to you. Don’t worry, if she targets you, I’ll protect you.” Ji Junxin thought that Mi Hongdou’s current expression was due to fear of Jiang Lingling and reassured her, “Actually, we don’t need to be afraid of her retaliation. I just wanted to avoid trouble. Now it seems like it’s fine.” Ji Junxin touched the peach can in her hand.
“So… wanting to eat canned peaches was also part of the act?” Mi Hongdou felt a chill.
“Pfft…” Ji Junxin held the can up to Mi Hongdou’s face. “It expired a few days ago.”
Mi Hongdou gasped. A chill ran down her spine. She didn’t quite understand why she felt cold, she just felt that the person in front of her seemed… somewhat unfamiliar.
“Actually, Jiang Lingling isn’t that complicated. Even if we didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t do anything to us.” Mi Hongdou felt a little helpless. Jiang Lingling was vengeful, but she wasn’t someone who went around making enemies. She knew this, but it was normal for Ji Junxin not to. This kind of self-preservation through acting wasn’t wrong, but something still felt off. Her acting was so realistic, she hadn’t noticed anything… It didn’t seem like acting at all, just like the fake stomachache earlier, hadn’t she easily believed it too?
Ji Junxin hadn’t expected Mi Hongdou to speak up for Jiang Lingling. She lowered her head and rubbed the glass can, remaining silent for a while.
This conversation made Mi Hongdou feel cold, as if the sweat from earlier, when she was worried about Ji Junxin’s stomachache, had turned to ice inside her clothes.
“Before you become friends with someone, do you always analyze their personality and then act out a role that’s more likely to befriend them?” Mi Hongdou heard herself ask this question, such a cold and distant question, it was unbelievable. No, that wasn’t what she really wanted to say. Why did she say such a thing…
Ji Junxin abruptly looked up, her eyes full of shock.
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