Chapter 12: Miss Ye
In the end, Ye Zhiyun went alone. She didn’t expect that blockhead to accompany her. Sometimes, you could only rely on yourself; that’s what she thought.
After revealing her identity, she easily entered the film set. The actors were working, and the director she was looking for was busy directing the scene. She explained her purpose to the staff and waited to the side, planning to approach the director after work.
However, after hearing that Miss Ye had arrived, Murong Yan temporarily handed over the work to the assistant director and went to meet her personally.
“What brings you here, Miss Ye?”
“Cut it out, don’t call me that. I’m here to check on things. How much longer until filming is finished?”
“Well, give me about a month, and we’ll wrap up. But post-production will take a bit longer. It’ll be at least four months before it hits theaters.”
Ye Zhiyun frowned slightly. The schedule was a bit long. She had invested in this project and wanted to see results quickly. Otherwise, how could she prove her abilities to her parents?
She invested her meager funds because she saw some talent in Murong Yan. If it lost money, it would be a complete waste. Although this amount of money wasn’t much to her father, it was a significant amount to her.
“How about this, Miss Ye, we’ll work overtime and try to get it released in three months. How does that sound?”
Seeming to sense Ye Zhiyun’s displeasure, he offered to speed up the process, although it would be tough. But to appease Miss Ye about her investment and encourage her to spend more on later publicity, this was nothing.
“Fine, the sooner the better.”
Phew, finally dealt with this young lady, Murong Yan breathed a sigh of relief. As an unknown new director, he cared deeply about this film. Only with success could he establish himself in the entertainment industry. Otherwise, he would have to pack his bags and go home.
Although Miss Ye was young, she had business experience and wouldn’t throw her money away foolishly. The fact that she took a liking to Murong Yan’s script meant that he had potential, and he had to cherish the opportunity she gave him.
“By the way, didn’t you say you were looking for an extra for a specific scene? Did you find someone? Do you want me to ask around abroad?”
“Don’t worry about that. I already filmed it today. Luckily, I found an extra whose appearance perfectly matched what I had in mind, and it only cost 500 yuan. A real bargain.”
“You finished filming… I was going to say, if you hadn’t, I have a few suitable candidates…”
“Miss Ye, why don’t you take a look at the footage I shot today? I guarantee it’s one of my most satisfying shots.”
Ye Zhiyun didn’t refuse, simply watching the footage Murong Yan shot today out of curiosity, and then, she was stunned.
“It’s her?”
She was shocked but maintained a calm expression, revealing nothing.
No wonder she saw Yu Linna in H Residential Area today. So…
Ye Zhiyun’s thoughts became complex, unclear what she was thinking.
Leaving aside Yu Linna’s lucky break, things were going smoothly for Nangong Ying. She won the city championship without any surprises. Although it took some time, it wasn’t too difficult for her. She was inherently talented, and dealing with this level of competition was a piece of cake. Although it was her first time participating in a singing competition, she still dominated the stage.
She would represent the city in the provincial competition and was very likely to advance to the nationals. Many well-known producers and mentors were delighted to have discovered this talent. This young girl held immense potential. If she could represent the country in the future, becoming a member of the Chinese music scene, it would be incredibly significant.
“Sister Xin, you specifically sought out that girl, Nangong Ying. Do you have your eye on her?”
In a spacious practice room filled with musical instruments, staff members were busy adjusting the sound equipment, and several women were preparing to rehearse.
“Well, I do have my eye on her, but not her body, but her talent.”
Li Yuexin joked half-heartedly, tuning her guitar, thinking about how to achieve a better stage presence later.
“You don’t admire many people, but those you do are usually exceptional.”
A short-haired woman sat down at the piano sullenly, annoyed with her band’s lead singer.
This woman, Li Yuexin, as mentioned before, was a popular actress. Although still in university, she already had extensive experience in front of the camera. In addition to being an actress, she was also a member of a band. She and several friends formed a band and performed on stage, gaining some fame. Of course, her greatest fame came from her acting career.
“Nangong Ying is indeed a promising talent. I want to recruit her to our band. It would be nice to have another member.”
“Sister Xin, are you serious? You need to think this through.”
“Yeah, Yuexin, although Nangong Ying performed well on stage, she’s still a newcomer. Are you sure about bringing in a newcomer? Aren’t you worried about disrupting the harmony of our band?”
As the core member of the band and the most famous among them, Li Yuexin naturally knew the implications of her decision. However, she still wanted Nangong Ying, for no other reason than she simply liked her.
Perhaps this newcomer didn’t have much fame yet, but who started out famous? Every successful person started from scratch. If she nurtured her well, she might become like Li Yuexin in the future, entering both the entertainment and music industries, although this was just an optimistic thought.
What about Nangong Ying?
She was completely unaware of these developments. She was currently preparing for the provincial competition. Even though she boasted about winning the national championship, she was taking concrete actions. To gain something, one had to put in the effort.
She just wondered how Yu Linna was doing.
After Yu Linna was eliminated that day, she looked very disappointed. Nangong Ying wondered how she was doing, whether she was attending school properly. Unlike Yu Linna, after the school heard that she would represent the city in the provincial competition, they generously granted her leave, urging her to bring honor to the school.
But she wasn’t focused on that right now. She wanted to know how Yu Linna was doing, so she called her.
“Hello, Linna? Are you home?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“About the other day… I’m sorry, I couldn’t help you stay in the competition. Maybe I was too optimistic. The judging for this competition wasn’t what I expected. I didn’t think you’d be eliminated so quickly.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t care. I have a better job now.”
Yu Linna had long since stopped caring about the competition. She knew her own limitations, her basic skills were terrible, and being eliminated was expected.
Besides, she had already earned 500 yuan today, so why would she care about that competition?
“Nangong, am I pretty?”
“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly asking this?”
“Just answer me seriously.”
“…Fine, I have to admit, you are pretty, that’s true, but I’m not bad-looking either, you know.”
Towards the end, Nangong Ying specifically emphasized herself, wanting to remind Yu Linna of the hierarchy.
But Nangong Ying was indeed beautiful, that was a fact. Although not as striking as Yu Linna, if she were in a crowd, she would still stand out.
“I think I might become an actress.”
“Huh?”
“Really, I went to a film set today as an extra. Although it was a small role, only a few seconds, I had a close-up! It was my first time on camera, you know!”
Yu Linna was very happy and excited about her experience.
This was a big step in her life!
She had never experienced such a glorious moment. Although it was just a stroke of luck, it also showed that Yu Linna had potential. With her face, she could become famous!
“Nangong, if I become famous, I’ll be rich! I can become a rich person, do whatever I want, and never be bullied again!”
Naive Yu Linna, completely ignorant of her own future and her own capabilities. She only knew that she was luckier than others, so she must be better than others.
This girl, who had yet to experience the realities of life, was simply happy about earning 500 yuan.
Of course, it was mainly because she was terrified of poverty. She wanted to become rich, to become famous, to escape her current life. She desperately wanted to change her life.
For her, entering this circle meant becoming different from others, becoming someone above the masses.
“Really? That would be great, Linna. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to appear on screen with you.”
Nangong Ying smiled, happy for her friend’s experience. She had been worried that Yu Linna would be discouraged, but it seemed she had overthought it.
“Nangong, what do you want to do in the future?”
“Right now, I just want to win the championship, and then…”
“And then?”
“Become a big star. I want my concerts to be packed with people, and have fans asking for my autograph on the streets. That’s my dream.”
Dreams were beautiful words.
At the same time, they were also the greatest aspirations. Whether they could be realized was up to fate, not human will.
Nangong Ying’s dream was to become a big star.
“I wish you success in achieving your dream.”
“Thanks.”
After hanging up the phone, Yu Linna stretched. She should also set a goal for herself, a dream. Yes, she also wanted to strive to be like Nangong Ying. Nangong Ying was her role model.
After that, she waited for calls every day, hoping for another chance to appear on screen, even if it was just for a second. She wanted to experience the thrill of being on TV. However, several days passed, and no calls came. Everything felt like a dream.
Later, she took the initiative to call Huang Jinglin, only to be told that they didn’t need her as a special extra anymore. If she insisted on becoming an actress, she would have to find a film crew herself and become a regular extra; they were always short of people.
Helplessly, Yu Linna could only figure things out on her own.
Her path would never be smooth.
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