Chapter 13: I’ve Never Met Someone So Shameless!
Time passed quietly. The easy extra work, just sitting there for a close-up, was gone. Yu Linna’s small dream, just beginning to sprout, was ruthlessly plucked. However, the unyielding Yu Linna still tried her luck, but few film crews offered her such opportunities.
Some staff members suggested she try out as a background actor, earning 80 yuan a day, which was considered a high rate. Yu Linna initially thought this job wasn’t bad and joined a film crew as an extra, but the work was far more arduous than she imagined.
“Yu girl, stop dawdling and come over here, the director is about to call ‘action!’”
On set, Yu Linna wore a costume, no makeup, and hurriedly followed the group, taking her place among the crowd of onlookers. Her role was just a background character, like most of the others, playing a member of the crowd watching the scene unfold. She wore a costume, playing a student from the Republican era, and even had her hair styled in braids for the camera, perfectly embodying the image of a student from that time.
But it was all for nothing. She had no lines, didn’t need to do anything, just followed the crowd. A day’s work was incredibly tiring. If it weren’t for the free boxed lunch, she wouldn’t have bothered.
It was too exhausting.
Under the scorching sun, Yu Linna was drenched in sweat. This job was a far cry from the small role she played two days ago. Back then, she at least had a close-up shot. This time, she was completely lost in the crowd. And the pay was meager.
Previously, she received the fee of a featured extra. This time, she received the pay of a background actor. The nature of the work was different, and Yu Linna felt increasingly bored. She had classes on weekdays and could only come here on holidays. Besides this, she had other part-time jobs, working tirelessly, yet she still hadn’t gotten any closer to her dream.
Her bold proclamations felt like a joke.
At noon, all the extras could get their boxed lunches. Yu Linna queued up with the crowd to get her food. Many of the extras here were uneducated older men. Seeing a young girl like her working so hard, and with her striking appearance, they naturally liked to approach her and ask questions. Yu Linna disliked being disturbed and put on a cold expression, ignoring everyone.
But there were still a few persistent individuals who tried to chat her up. There was no helping it; Yu Linna was beautiful, and everyone wanted to hit on her.
Yu Linna took her boxed lunch to a shady spot under a large tree to eat, wanting to avoid these people. Seeing her resistance, they didn’t have the nerve to continue bothering her.
Yu Linna wolfed down her food, her dislike for this place growing.
“What a lousy place, and this boxed lunch, not a single shred of meat. Do they think I’m a monk?”
Although she complained, she still ate everything. There was no helping it; it was free food, after all.
Moreover, for the sake of her future livelihood, she needed this kind of work. Even though she was underage, no one cared. As long as she could earn money, it was fine.
During the lunch break, a visitor arrived at the set: Li Yuexin. As a popular actress in the entertainment industry, Li Yuexin was naturally well-known. It was impossible for her to visit the set unnoticed.
“Miss Li, what brings you here? Come, have a seat.”
“I’m here to see Sister Xiao Yun.”
“I figured. She’s inside.”
Xiao Yun, a well-known actress in the entertainment industry, was also Li Yuexin’s senior. Li Yuexin had been under her care earlier in her career. Although Xiao Yun’s career wasn’t as booming as Li Yuexin’s, as a graduate of a prestigious school, she had good resources and acting skills. After graduation, she participated in many excellent film and television productions. The TV drama she was currently filming was one of them.
Learning that her junior had come to visit, Xiao Yun, still in her costume, came to see her. Xiao Yun was dressed in a Republican-era style, a long dress displaying elegance. Because her shoes were inconvenient, she couldn’t run over. She played a young lady from a wealthy family in the drama, a supporting role, but she shared scenes with famous actors, including the lead, who was a big name in the entertainment industry. Therefore, she could learn a lot, and she was quite satisfied with this opportunity.
“Yuexin, are you off work today or just have nothing to do? It’s not like you, a busy person, to come visit me.”
Although Xiao Yun’s words were teasing, her face wore a kind smile. With their close relationship, such jokes were harmless.
“Sister Xiao, it’s been a while. I have some free time, so I came to see you. I heard you were filming here, so I came over.”
“It’s good that you thought of me. How about we have dinner together tonight?”
“No, I still have work later. I just came over during my break. I have to go back to school tomorrow. My teacher is getting angry about me skipping classes. I don’t want to fail my courses.”
A popular star like Li Yuexin, who had already established herself in the entertainment industry, was actually afraid of failing her courses. If her fans knew, they would probably die of laughter.
Li Yuexin came here today to see her graduated senior and also wanted to talk to her about Nangong Ying. Nangong Ying had greatly impressed her, and she wanted her to join her band and make a name for themselves in the music industry, instead of relying on her own fame as an actress to support the band.
She knew that introducing a newcomer was an unwise move, but it was worth a try. Nangong Ying was talented. Looking at her resume, Li Yuexin knew that this girl had stage experience from a young age and had even won a national championship. Back then, Li Yuexin didn’t have such achievements. She debuted through a singing competition, followed that path, and on her teacher’s advice, enrolled in film school, entering the entertainment industry and becoming famous.
Nangong Ying was somewhat similar to her, and she wanted to help and nurture her.
Meanwhile, Yu Linna, eating under the tree, saw the two actresses chatting in the distance. At first, she didn’t think much of it, but as she watched, she suddenly felt that the actress who came to visit looked familiar. She looked closely, searching her memory, and then her eyes widened in surprise.
Wasn’t that the actress who had recently become popular on TV? Why was she here?!
Although Yu Linna rarely watched TV dramas, preferring ACG, she wasn’t completely ignorant of celebrities. At least she knew about this recently popular star named Li Yuexin.
“Hello!”
As Li Yuexin was talking to her senior, someone suddenly interrupted. She was wondering which inconsiderate girl would interrupt their conversation when she turned around and saw a petite and adorable girl, holding a stack of photo albums, looking at her expectantly.
Seeing such a cute girl, Li Yuexin’s annoyance vanished. How could she be angry with such a girl?
“Hello, I’m your fan! Can I have your autograph?”
Yu Linna bowed deeply and presented the stack of photo albums.
Li Yuexin and Xiao Yun exchanged glances and chuckled. As celebrities, this kind of thing was common. Li Yuexin had encountered this many times during her visits to film sets. Many extras would come to her for autographs, and she was used to it. It was just an autograph, no big deal.
“Of course, anytime. Here you go, signed.”
Li Yuexin always carried a pen with her. A quick signature, and it was done. She was used to dealing with this kind of thing.
Since becoming famous, she often did this, which was why she had to wear a mask and sunglasses even on the streets, to keep a low profile. After all, fans could be scary.
“Could you please sign a few more?”
“Huh?”
Li Yuexin had already signed one, but Yu Linna handed her another one, asking her to sign again. Li Yuexin was taken aback. She had met all kinds of fans, but this was the first time she encountered a fan who asked for multiple autographs one after another.
Since it wasn’t a big deal, Li Yuexin signed the next one. However, it didn’t end there. Yu Linna continued to pull out another photo, asking her to sign again. Li Yuexin ended up signing at least ten times, and almost all of these autographs were given to Yu Linna.
“Um, little girl?”
“Okay, okay, that’s enough, hehe, thank you. Because many of my classmates like you, I wanted to take these autographs back to share with them. Please don’t mind.”
Yu Linna knew when to stop, happily holding the stack of signed photos. With so many autographs, she was more than satisfied.
“So that’s why. Alright then.”
Li Yuexin didn’t suspect anything. After all, it wasn’t a big deal.
But what was Yu Linna’s intention?
Duh, did you think she was really a fan?! Although she knew Li Yuexin, it didn’t mean she was a die-hard fan. She asked for autographs because they were valuable and could be resold at a high price. Then, she wouldn’t have to worry about money!
It had to be said, Yu Linna was a shrewd businesswoman.
Moreover, she even asked to take a photo with Li Yuexin and then another one with both Li Yuexin and Xiao Yun. These photos were also valuable. She would see if she could sell them to Fang Jiayi later, earning whatever she could.
“Your fan is quite cute. She said she’s still in high school. I think she’d be suitable to be an actress.”
After Yu Linna left, Xiao Yun discussed the little fan with Li Yuexin. Although Yu Linna was just one of the countless extras on set, her appearance was truly outstanding, very suitable for the entertainment industry. Regardless of her acting skills, at least she was pretty.
“Yeah, that’s the first time I’ve met such a strange fan. But she’s so cute, I can’t even get mad. But why is she working as an extra? She’s so pretty; she could easily stand out in a beauty pageant. Why work as a background actor, a thankless job? Even giving her a small speaking role would be better than staying here.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to enter the industry.”
“Nonsense, then what is she doing on a film set? If she didn’t have some aspirations, who would work as an extra? The pay isn’t even as high as a factory worker’s. Only a fool would do this.”
Her words were harsh, but true.
Without aspirations, no one would work as an extra. It was a thankless job. There were so many people in the country, and many wanted to be stars, but not everyone could stand out from the crowd of extras and become famous. At least, most celebrities graduated from professional academies or transitioned from singing careers. Very few emerged from being extras.
Yu Linna, although she didn’t say it, didn’t necessarily mean she didn’t harbor such aspirations.
Leave a Reply