Huayu: This director specializes in promoting young actresses.

Chapter 23 Li Xue's Observations in One Day

The old hot pot restaurant near the film crew's location was tucked away in an alley, and you could smell the aroma of butter and Sichuan peppercorns from afar. Pushing open the door, a wave of heat mixed with the sounds of people rushed out.

"This is the place. I heard the food here is pretty good. Boss, give me a half-and-half hot pot, with the spicy broth slightly spicy."

"Alright!" The boss's voice boomed, and soon he brought over a heavy iron pot.

"Go and get the food yourselves, take whatever you want, don't be shy."

Tian Xiwei was the first to rush over, her eyes darting among the dazzling array of dishes. Soon, the plates in her hands piled up into a small mountain. Thick slices of spicy beef were coated with bright red chili powder, along with beef tripe and duck intestines, as well as luncheon meat, chicken gizzards, and chicken gizzards... She weighed them in her hand, then added two more boxes of beef rolls before walking back satisfied.

"Are you sure you can finish all this food?" he asked, looking at the plate she was carrying that she could barely hold up.

"Don't worry, Feng-ge, I'm a super strong eater!" Tian Xiwei put the plate on the table, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Besides, if we can't finish it, you're still here, right?"

The plate in Liu Haochun's hand contained: a portion of tripe, a small portion of beef tripe, her favorite crispy pork, and a few light vegetarian dishes.

She saw that Li Xue had taken beef, shrimp paste, and tofu, with two plates of vegetables next to her: "Senior sister, you also like shrimp paste? My mom used to say that shrimp paste tastes best when cooked in clear soup."

"Yes," Li Xue nodded, "The spicy soup is too hot for me, the clear soup with shrimp balls is just right." Seeing that Liu Haochun hadn't taken much food, she added a few quail eggs to her plate, "These are also good in clear soup, want to try them?"

"Thanks."

Lin Feng arrived last, carrying three items: tripe, kidney, and duck blood. "A hot pot trio—it just doesn't taste right without any of them."

He put the duck blood into the red broth, explaining, "Duck blood has to be put into a cold pot; it will be tender when cooked."

Tian Xiwei had already opened a bottle of Daweiyi and poured a glass for everyone: "Drink up, drink up!"

While waiting for the pot to boil, Li Xue took the initiative to start a conversation: "Weiwei, you've been filming for so long, don't you feel tired? I once spent two days in a short film crew, and my legs were sore from just standing around during the blocking."

"It's tiring, but it's so much fun!" Tian Xi took a sip of her drink. "Think about it, experiencing a different life and playing around with Hao Chun is much more interesting than going to school!"

She picked at the crispy pork on her plate, saying, "Sometimes filming crying scenes is quite tiring; my eyes hurt afterward."

"Then how come your crying scenes are so natural?" Li Xue asked curiously. "The way your eyes are red but you don't shed tears is so moving."

Mentioning this, Tian Xiwei said with a hint of pride, "Brother Feng taught me that. He said crying scenes don't necessarily have to involve wailing; sometimes holding it in is even more painful." She turned to look at Lin Feng, "Right, Brother Feng?"

"Yes, conveying the right emotions is more important than tears." Hearing this, the person who was adding duck blood to the soup looked up and smiled. "Your scene today was very good; you've improved a lot since last time."

"Haochun, why aren't you saying anything?" Li Xue noticed her silence and asked with a smile, "Do you think we're too noisy?"

"No, no," Liu Haochun quickly waved his hand. "I was thinking... about the dance you mentioned, if I practice less now, will my skills regress?"

"Definitely." Li Xue sighed, her tone tinged with melancholy. "These past two years, I've been going to auditions every day, and my dance skills have deteriorated." She laughed self-deprecatingly. "Sometimes I regret it. I've practiced dancing for over ten years, but in the end, I didn't make it in this industry. It feels like I've wasted my time."

"Don't say that," Tian Xiwei said nonchalantly, oblivious to the melancholy in her voice. "Isn't dancing great? Look how beautifully Hao Chun dances! She performed a classical dance for us on set last time; she was like a fairy!"

Li Xue looked at Liu Haochun, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes: "Then you must love dancing very much, right? It's not easy to stick with it for ten years."

Liu Haochun lowered her head and remained silent. Did she love it? She used to love it—the feeling of her skirt billowing as she twirled, the moment she stood on stage bathed in the spotlight. But now, the novelty and sense of accomplishment that acting brought her left her feeling somewhat lost.

"Alright, the pot's boiling, let's eat the tripe first!" He interrupted the conversation, picked up a large mouthful of tripe and dipped it into the red broth, "Seven dips up and eight dips, fifteen seconds is enough."

Tian Xiwei's attention was immediately diverted, and she snatched the strainer: "Let me do it! Haochun, do you want some? I'll rinse it with clear broth for you!"

"Thank you, I can do it myself." Liu Haochun forced a smile, picked up a slice of tripe and put it into the clear broth pot.

"Hmph, I won't!" Tian Xi complained, but then picked up a piece of spicy beef and put it in Lin Feng's bowl. "Here, to shut you up."

Halfway through the meal, Li Xue recounted her experience auditioning for roles: "Last time I auditioned for a minor palace maid role in a period drama. I waited from morning till midnight, but in the end, the director just glanced at me and said, 'You're too thin, you can't fill out the clothes,' and sent me away."

Tian Xiwei's eyes widened in disbelief: "Such a thing is possible? That's outrageous!"

Liu Haochun also put down her chopsticks. She had never imagined that being an actress would involve so much. She had a role to play right away, and Feng Ge and Tian Xiwei took care of her every day.

"It's all in the past." Li Xue waved her hand, her smile frank. "Isn't it great now? Being able to learn from Director Lin is better than anything else." She looked at Lin Feng, her eyes filled with sincere gratitude. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Director Lin."

"You're welcome," Lin Feng said, wiping his mouth. "Opportunities are for those who are prepared. Your past experiences weren't wasted." He paused, "If the company has a suitable role in the future, we'll definitely give you an audition first."

Li Xue felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and her eyes reddened slightly. After running around for so long, this was the first time someone had told her, "Your efforts haven't been in vain." She nodded vigorously, "I will definitely do my best!"

The meal lasted almost two hours. As we walked out of the hot pot restaurant, we said, "Let's take a walk to digest."

The four of them walked slowly along the alley. Tian Xi, with her stomach slightly bulging, grumbled, "I should have eaten less. I can't walk anymore now."

"Who told you to fight over the food like a pig?" He poked her forehead.

"It's all because you told me to eat as much as I wanted!" Tian Xi retorted defiantly, but secretly took his arm.

Liu Haochun and Li Xue followed behind, chatting casually.

"Are you still practicing the basics every day?" Li Xue asked.

"Yeah, I'll practice back at the hotel after work, but I'm afraid I'll regress," Liu Haochun said softly.

"Don't be afraid," Li Xue smiled, "You are more talented than me, and you are also luckier than me. You will definitely not end up like me."

She watched Lin Feng and Tian Xiwei's retreating figures ahead, "Didn't Director Lin say he'd cast you in another film sometime? Just do your best then."

Liu Haochun nodded, her unease gradually dissipating. Yes, Brother Feng wouldn't lie to her.

After walking for more than half an hour, we arrived at the hotel.

"Go on upstairs, get some rest, and don't forget to do your homework; I'll be checking it tomorrow."

"I know, I know, you're even more nagging than my mom!" Tian Xi rolled her eyes, turned around and ran into the elevator, making a face at them before entering.

"Li Xue, you should get some rest too. Tomorrow, come with me to familiarize yourself with the crew's procedures."

"Okay, Director Lin, you should get some rest too."

Back in her room, Li Xue took a shower, changed into her pajamas, and lay on the bed. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, as the day's events replayed in her mind like a movie.

The tension at the airport in the morning, the surprise when I saw Raymond Lam, the relaxation when chatting with Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun, and Raymond Lam saying at the hot pot table, "Opportunity is for those who are prepared."

She took out her phone and scrolled through photos she had taken when she was auditioning for roles before. She was wearing ill-fitting costumes and waiting for her audition in the cold wind, her eyes full of exhaustion.

"I must seize this opportunity," she told herself. Starting tomorrow, she would take good notes, familiarize herself with the work of each department, help the boss with miscellaneous tasks, and also get along well with Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun.

One day, she too will stand in front of the camera and let others see her brilliance.