Huayu: This director specializes in promoting young actresses.

Chapter 31 I got a stolen kiss

In the evening, Lin Feng stood in the kitchen of the rented room. The water in the pot was bubbling and boiling, and the baby bok choy was rolling in the boiling water. In the steamer next to him, the sausages were glistening with oil.

"That's about it." I turned off the heat, took the baby bok choy out, took a small bowl from the cupboard, scooped out two spoonfuls of chili powder from my hometown, put the chopped scallions, ginger and garlic on top, and poured boiling hot rapeseed oil over it. With a "sizzle," the aroma exploded instantly.

Rice with pickled vegetables and sausage—a simple meal. Most men from Sichuan and Chongqing know how to cook, and he is no exception; he learned it from a young age through exposure to the local cuisine.

Just as I picked up my chopsticks, my phone started buzzing, and the words "Xiao Tian" appeared on the screen, followed by a quirky emoji.

"Feed?" I answered the phone and started a video call.

Tian Xiwei's face immediately appeared on the screen, her hair tied in a bun with some wispy bangs: "Brother Feng! What are you doing?"

"Ready to eat." He propped his phone up on a condiment bottle, pointing the camera at the dining table.

"Wow! Baby bok choy! And sausage!" Tian Xiwei's voice rose eight octaves. "It looks so delicious! My mom made sausage today too."

"Did you just finish eating?"

"Yeah! I just put my bowl down!" Tian Xi leaned closer to the camera. "Brother Feng, are you eating alone?"

"Otherwise what?"

"How pitiful." She sighed, wrinkling her nose, then smiled. "But it's okay! Feng-ge, let me tell you, I'm planning to apply to the Beijing Film Academy! Once I get in, I'll come to you for meals every day, then you won't be lonely anymore!"

"Your goal is quite clear. Get back to studying and stop thinking about all that nonsense."

"Okay!" Tian Xi drawled, "Then hurry up and eat, I won't bother you anymore. Remember to eat plenty of sausages!"

After finishing his meal and cleaning up the dishes, Feng sat down at his desk and opened the script for "The Beginning".

The next morning, after arriving at the office, he called out to Li Xue, "Come to my office for a moment."

Li Xue's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously touched the script in her arms.

"Director Lin, you wanted to see me?" She stood in front of the desk.

"How's the script coming along?" Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her.

"Hmm... I've watched it three times." Li Xue took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady. "I think the character Li Shiqing is an ordinary college student at the beginning, a bit timid, but with a strong will. After she gets caught in the loop, from the initial panic and wanting to escape alone, to gradually learning to trust Xiao Heyun and even wanting to save everyone on the bus... her growth story is what touched me the most."

She paused, then added, "I can totally understand her fear, that feeling of knowing something dangerous is going to happen but being powerless to change it, like... like being called on by the teacher to answer a question when you're a child, even though you don't know the answer, you still have to stand up."

"Then try acting out a scene." He turned to a page, "This one, the scene where she first tells Xiao Heyun 'We're in a loop,' and is treated like a madwoman."

Li Xue clenched her fists, closed her eyes to recall her lines, and when she opened them again, her eyes were filled with a hint of panic.

"Listen to me!" She took two steps forward, her voice urgent and somewhat incoherent. "We're on a bus, and this bus... it's going to explode! We've already died once! Believe me, really! Just two more blocks ahead, and it will..."

Her voice grew increasingly urgent, fear and helplessness flashed in her eyes, and her hands unconsciously gripped the edge of the table.

When Xiao Heyun impatiently interrupted her, Li Xue's shoulders slumped, the light in her eyes gradually dimmed, and she said with a hint of grievance and despair, "I didn't lie to you..."

"stop."

Li Xue stopped immediately, looking at him nervously, her heart pounding. She knew she hadn't acted well; she'd tried too hard.

Lin Feng didn't speak, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, his brows furrowed as if he were thinking seriously.

Time ticked by, and Li Xue's palms were sweaty. Her heart pounded with anxiety—was it really that bad? Was Director Lin regretting it? She shouldn't have agreed so quickly; she was simply not cut out for acting…

"I understand, but the performance was too superficial." After a while, he said, "Fear isn't just about staring and clenching fists; there are subtle things, like the rhythm of breathing, pauses in speech, and even unconscious little gestures. Li Shiqing is an ordinary person; her reactions should be more restrained, more...real."

Li Xue's face paled instantly, and her heart sank to the bottom. As expected, it still wouldn't work. She lowered her head, her voice a little hoarse: "I'm sorry, Director Lin, I... I understood too superficially."

"However," she changed the subject, a smile playing on her lips, "the foundation is decent, there's potential. With some proper polishing, it might just be a good fit."

Li Xue looked up abruptly, a flicker of disbelief in her eyes: "You...you mean?"

"What I mean is, this role is temporarily yours. But don't get too excited yet. There's still a month before filming starts, and your acting skills are too raw, so you need intensive training. I'll find you an acting coach, and you'll practice for four hours every day, covering lines, body language, and emotional control—you can't neglect any of them."

Overwhelmed by the huge surprise, Li Xue was a little stunned. Suddenly, she felt a lump in her throat, and all her tension and grievances turned into excitement.

"Thank you, Director Lin! I will definitely study hard!" She rushed over, hugged Lin Feng's neck without thinking, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

A soft touch landed on her cheek, carrying a faint scent of shampoo. She was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, Li Xue had already let go of her hand.

"Ah!" Li Xue looked at her hand, then at the mark on Lin Feng's face, and instantly blushed, her face turning as red as a boiled shrimp. How could she have done such a thing? How utterly rude!

"I...I didn't mean to!" She stood there, flustered, not knowing what to do with her hands. "I just...got too excited..."

Lin Feng then came to his senses, touched the spot where she had been kissed, and couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassed expression: "According to the rules, an employee who assaults his boss should have his wages deducted."

"Ah?" Li Xue panicked even more, waving her hands frantically, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I..."

"Just kidding, but if you do that again next time, I'll really be penalized."

Li Xue finally breathed a sigh of relief, her cheeks turning even redder. She muttered softly, "President Lin, I was just a little excited... Besides, you didn't lose anything."

"Oh? So I'm the one who got the better deal?"

"That's not what I meant!" Li Xue hurriedly explained, but the more she explained, the more confused she became. Finally, she simply lowered her head and whispered, "Anyway... anyway, it was an accident..."

Seeing her shy expression, he stopped teasing her: "Alright, let's get down to business. I'll contact the acting coach this afternoon. You need to clear your schedule for the next month, and dedicate all your time to acting practice, except for essential matters. Can you manage that?"

"Yes!" Li Xue immediately looked up. "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

"Okay, go ahead and get busy. Call Old Yang in while you're at it."

"good!"

"Hello, Teacher Zhang, are you busy?... I have a student I'd like to ask you to mentor him for a month..."