Chapter One: Unfulfilled Ambition

  Yangcheng Hotel, Xu Ziyao and a group of people from the crew were having a lively discussion.

  Xue Zhongrui, Gao Lanchun, Yao Chang'an, Li Hongtao, Gong Xuehua... Almost all the actors with heavy roles are here. Chen Jialin and Director Jia are sitting in the front row, while Xu Ziyao keeps adding dishes.

  "Director Xu, you've splurged this time!" Chen Daoming said with a smile. They were going to shoot in the afternoon and had only ordered a little wine, so everyone was being mindful of their intake.

  They were eating hot pot, the weather had turned cool, and everyone was having a great time.

  "Far from it, I've been in Ulan Bator for almost a month and haven't even treated you all to a meal, which is my fault. Come on, everyone, teachers, eat up! This is the prairie's specialty, pure mutton hot pot, you can't get such natural and fresh mutton anywhere else."

  "Those who can drink should have a little, eating hot pot without drinking is not fun at all." Xu Ziyao laughed loudly and kept persuading.

  "Hey, Xiaogong, you can't drink too much, this afternoon your play doesn't have lines, but you can't not stand up, okay?" Yao Chang'an loudly advised Gong Xuehua, who was notoriously known as the female wine king and always had to have wine to be happy.

  "This little wine is not even enough for me to rinse my mouth." Gong Xuehua said with a smile, but she also put down her wine cup.

  Xu Zizai called the waiter over and ordered a leg of lamb, which was cut and served immediately.

  After eating for a while, he smiled and said: "Looking at the play here is about to be finished, if I don't invite everyone to gather together, this landlord will not live up to his name. Speaking of which, we also need to thank the director and teachers for giving newcomers an opportunity. Li Ruijin, won't you give a round of tea instead of wine to all the teachers?"

  Li Ruijin, who was sitting next to him, hastily stood up, poured a cup of tea and said with a smile: "Thank you for your concern, directors and teachers."

  "No need, it's proper to give guidance to newcomers." "Yes, you're a talented and imaginative newcomer, with time, you'll definitely become a great talent."

  Li Rui's face was smiling, but the muscles underneath were twitching. He felt that the other person's smile was so fake.

  If he was extremely pleased in his heart before, but now everyone knows that there is another Lin Xiao on his head, the other party is just a polite remark.

  Lin Xiao! It's all you! He gritted his teeth secretly, and then smiled again. Never mind, after today, even if he doesn't get kicked out, he'll make sure the director is annoyed just by looking at him, making it impossible for him to turn things around!

  "Director Xu, isn't it about time?" Chen Jialin glanced at his watch and said "It's almost one thirty, with so many people here, if we miss this timing, the rest of the play will have to be postponed."

  "That's it, that's it." Xu Ziyou rubbed his hands regretfully. "Since Director Chen has spoken up, I also can't delay everyone's work because of this. What do you all think?"

  "Let's go." "Let's just stop here, having hot pot without wine feels like something is missing, haha." "Next time, next time we'll drink again, after filming is done here, let's drink together."

  Everyone bid each other farewell and walked towards the cars parked outside.

  "Take care everyone, I still have some things to attend to, I'll be back later." Xu Ziyao smiled and saw them off.

  "Bang." As soon as the car door closed, Gao Lan Chun immediately retracted her smile and said to Xue Zhong Rui beside her, "Old Xue, this guest is not worth inviting."

  Xue Zhongrui lit a cigarette and smiled, saying "You think so too?"

  "It's nothing, just being overly polite." Gaolan Chun hummed a response.

  "Old Gao, there are some things that can't be taken too lightly. Sometimes, letting someone take a loss is to help them remember the lesson, and being too sharp isn't a good thing. He's not your family or anything, just a talented young guy. Not worth it." Xue Zhongrui said with a serious tone, "But it seems that Li Ruijin still has some weight in Xu Ziyao's heart, and he's willing to take action personally."

  "He? He's as stingy as can be!" Gao Lan Chun seemed to have tacitly agreed with Xue Zhong Rui's words. "This meal, I think 80 or 90 percent of it was paid for by Li Rui Jin, he just borrowed the money to make an offering to Buddha."

  In the car, everyone had their own thoughts. And at Yangcheng Restaurant, Li Ruijin walked out after entering, and Qian Zhong followed him out like a ghost.

  "Is it okay over there?" Xu Ziyao asked, looking in the direction where the car had left.

  "Just wait until the people on this side have passed."

  Xu Ziyao nodded and walked towards the restaurant. After a few steps, he turned back and said "Remember, I know nothing."

  "Director Xu, don't worry about this matter, it's all right." Qian Zhong felt extremely relieved, the thorn in his heart was finally going to be removed, making him feel carefree and happy.

  Unexpectedly, Xu Zi Yao coldly looked at him and repeated "I don't know anything."

  "Yes, you really don't know." Qian Zhong immediately retracted his smiling face and smiled apologetically.

  Xu Ziyao just walked into the restaurant.

  "Director Xu is really cautious, how could this matter go wrong." Qian Zhong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "However, we must find an opportunity to make up for Li Ruijin's meal money, Director Xu is really ruthless, after all, he is his cousin, this amount of money doesn't count as much for him, but for a newcomer it's the price of a small play..."

  Bai Qing picked up a brush and drew for the newcomer in a casual and careless manner.

  "Brother Bai... isn't that enough?" The newcomer looked at the makeup in the mirror with some concern. How could an extra have such elaborate makeup? And it's so meticulously done! If everyone was made up like Bai Qing, they'd be lucky to finish five or six people in one afternoon.

  "What's the hurry?" Bai Qing carefully examined herself in the mirror, suddenly let out a sharp cry "Ah, it's all because of you, scared me to death, my makeup is ruined, and I have to redo my eyebrows."

  You scared me! The newcomer cursed in his heart and patiently let Bai Qing continue to talk nonsense.

  Another ten minutes passed before he finally couldn't help but say "Bai Ge, Lin Ge is still waiting outside."

  "Are you a makeup artist or me?!" Bai Qing's face immediately fell.

  Newcomers dare not speak much, continue to let Bai Qing draw.

  After a few more minutes, Bai Qing finally felt the phone in his pants pocket vibrate. He quickly took it out and looked at it, then burst out laughing.

  "Alright, it's done."

  The newcomer immediately stood up with a sigh of relief and let out a long breath, probably longer than the time it took to paint his portrait.

  "Call Lin Xiao in," said Bai Qing.

  The newcomer hastily went out and walked outside, looking at Lin Xiao who was leisurely enjoying the view of the grassland.

  "Brother Lin, it's your turn." The newcomer's eyes flickered a bit, Lin Xiao nodded and walked in without saying anything. The newcomer finally couldn't help but say, "Xiao Ge, be careful... something doesn't feel right."

  Lin Xiao suddenly stopped and turned around to ask "How many times did he check his phone?"

  The newcomer was stunned, but after thinking for a moment, he still said "twice."

  "Thanks," said Lin Xiao, and then he lifted up the tent flap and walked in.

  "Hey! Xiao Ge... don't be in a hurry!" Watching Lin Xiao walk into the shadows, the newcomer finally couldn't help but shout out.

  "What's going on?! Those who have finished drawing are all waiting at the scene! Are you waiting for Director Chen to come and invite you personally?!" Yui Yui's high-pitched voice came from another tent, and it was only then that the newcomer realized that there wasn't a single person outside.

  At the speed at which Bai Qing is putting on makeup, there should be a lot of people arriving now. He thought to himself in confusion and looked at his watch.

  "Damn it, 1:20! The makeup artist has been working on this for an hour!" He rushed to the film set.

  Lin Xiao entered the tent, with Bai Qing's legs crossed in a majestic and domineering posture, looking at him.

  He didn't sit down either, and the two of them just stared at each other like this.

  "Pfft." Bai Qing suddenly burst out laughing, her little finger hooked on the edge of her lips as she said "Yi Ge's taste is really special. You say he's not very handsome, but his figure is okay. There are plenty of people like that in our circle, and yet he chose a mediocre horse."

  "Haha, it's better if you don't show such concern." Lin Xiao also smiled.

  "It's done." Bai Qing shook her hand, pulled out a handkerchief from somewhere, wiped her hands, and a fragrance wafted towards her.

  He pulled out a card and put it on the table.

  "I believe you've seen this before."

  "Ah, Liu Yiyi's room card."

  Bai Qing sneered, "Now even brother isn't called? The sign is quite big, huh?"

  Lin Xiao also laughed "We've already torn our faces apart, what's there to be afraid of?"

  The two locked eyes for a few seconds before Bai Qing coldly raised her chin slightly towards Fang Ka.

  "Last chance."

  Lin Xiao suddenly burst out laughing "I didn't think he still had a conscience."

  He suddenly collected his smiling face and said faintly, "You're so blatant, aren't you afraid that the crew will investigate?"

  "What's to investigate?!" Bai Qing seemed to have heard a huge joke, and burst out laughing. The handkerchief in his hand fluttered like a white dragon dancing in the air. "Who's going to investigate? I'll tell you straight out, today you're going to paint whether you want to or not. Right now, it's just you and me here. This matter isn't over yet, no one can leave. When someone arrives, you should also scram. If anyone wants to speak up for you, they'll have to scram too."

  "Do you think any newcomer is as stupid as you? Making fun of your own first film?"

  "Man, sometimes being too proud isn't a good thing." Bai Qing said with a smile "We just know you don't have any backing, no one dares to help you out, what can you do? It's clear that we're going to bully you, and what can you do about it? It's all because you didn't find yourself a powerful patron like your good friend Song Qingming did. Look at him, whenever Zhao Jie farts, the people acting with him hurry to say it smells nice."

  Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow "You're quite eloquent, aren't you afraid of capsizing in a ditch?"

  "What a pity, this ditch is even wider than the Flowing Sand River." Bai Qing patted the chair "It seems that poor Yiyi sister can't open the door for you today, come and sit down, what are you looking at?"

  Lin Xiao laughed, and Bai Qing suddenly felt a sharp pain in his eyes. He extremely disliked this feeling of being out of control, as if something was happening under his eyelids.

  He thought back again, no, nothing had happened at all.

  He was just being paranoid, besides, with Xu Ziyao around, what did he have to be afraid of? Thinking this, he smiled and picked up his eyebrow pencil.

  "Bai Qing." Lin Xiao sat down, suddenly turned his head and said with a smile "You come with me to the small tent to make up now, later I can consider letting you off easy."

  The white-clothed hand holding the eyebrow pencil trembled for a moment, but immediately steadied again.

  "Just sit back and worry about whether you can survive today."