It is hard being a minor character. If you do a poor job, you will lose your job, but if you do too well, it will seem like you are trying to steal the spotlight. I was able to experience it firsthand today so I felt sympathy towards her.
“Okay, I’ll make sure to tell her, don’t worry… But, you should probably tell me your name? Otherwise, how would I tell Ai Mi?”
The girl with the long braids in full armor was stunned for a bit. She had already heard me call ‘Miss Ai Mi’er’ as ‘Ai Mi’ multiple times, and this was probably one of the reasons which made her believe I had a close relationship with Ai Mi.
“I’m sorry, I was too nervous. I can’t believe I didn’t introduce myself…”
The girl’s cramped expression was as if she was currently in an interview.
“My name is Su Qiao. I’m from Hebei, WuQiao, otherwise known as ‘the home of Chinese acrobatics’… but acrobatics is too hard for me. Whether it’s trapeze or plate spinning, my shoulders would be so sore that I can’t fall asleep at night. So, I ran away from home and followed a distant female cousin and came to film city to find work…”
So you are an ex-acrobat? So that’s why you are so nimble! Doing flips on land is much simpler compared to trapeze.
Although she was covered in armor from the neck down, it seemed she had no sense of security when she spoke. Her body seemed to be even more frail and weak against the st.u.r.dy armor.
Acrobats and gymnasts or other similar athletes all have a low body fat percentage. I heard one of the most popular performances from the Wuqiao acrobatics group was ‘Shoulder Ballet’. A female performer would dance ballet on top of the shoulder of a male performer. If the female performer was not skinny, but rather robust like Loud Mouth, wouldn’t the male performer have long retired due to work injuries?
“Um, Mr. Ye, thank you for helping me today afternoon on the set… You probably already realized my foot was injured. If I kept going, then an accident may have occurred…”
“Stop calling Mr. Ye, you don’t need to use honorifics. It makes me seem like an old man!”
I was not sure what was funny about what I said, but it indeed made Su Qiao laugh. But her laugh quickly became a bitter smile and she finally lowered her head.
“No, it gives me peace of mind to refer to you like so. Although I’m not sure of your relationship with Miss Ai Mi’er or our martial arts director, I can see that you have a good heart….”
You can see? Did I finally meet someone who can look past my murderous face and see that I am actually a good person? No, stay calm, it was only a simple description. She must have heard me stop Ai Mi from mistreating her on the scene, so she could guess I do not really have a bad nature.
It seems like I am still not brave enough to face the gloomy truth.
Su Qiao interlaced both her hands while holding her helmet and made an anxious expression.
“…Although I know it’s presumptuous of me to come running to you for help, but I have no other choice! I just started here two weeks ago and I don’t really know anyone here. I also heard that everyone who Miss Ai Mi’er doesn’t like will be chased out! Previously, two makeup artists were already fired, and today the prop master had to terminate his contract!”
Huh? Doesn’t Ai Mi have too much power even if she is the main actor and an idol? Perhaps it is because she has Ai ShuQiao’s influence as support?
“That’s why Mr. Ye, can you help me out? I’ve never seen anyone speak to Miss Ai Mi’er that way, but if you help me put in some good words, it’ll definitely work…”
At this time, a colleague who was wearing the same set of armor beckoned and called her from outside the bamboo forest:
“Su Qiao! What are you doing? You’re on!”
After she heard her colleague, Su Qiao’s tone became excited, and at the same time her face revealed a frail expression:
“Mr. Ye, you… will help me right? Please, I’m begging you, it was hard to join this crew that actually treats us pretty well. Acrobatics is too exhausting and I don’t want to go back. I also don’t have the face to run back to my parents with my tail between my legs…”
I consoled her a couple times, told her not to worry, and promised her Ai Mi will not chase her out.
Su Qiao once again expressed her grat.i.tude, then she limped out of the bamboo forest to head to the film grounds with her colleague.
I looked at her thin back that was hidden under the armor and felt a bit of sympathy as fellow minor actors.
Maybe Ai Mi will never understand how hard it is to work hard for a single meal and a place to sleep? My sister who was born into fortune, I don’t expect you to understand right away, but at least don’t take away the opportunity of others.
I decided to plead for Su Qiao, but for the most part, it was so Ai Mi could learn and grow. I don’t know how Ai Shuqiao used the etiquette of the upper cla.s.s to educate her daughter, but as her brother, I have to educate my sister with common sense. In the end, we will find out which side will win!
I returned to the RV with a n.o.ble mood and I was almost infuriated to death by what I saw.
After the open-air barbecue came to an end and their stomachs were full, both of them pulled out baguettes from G.o.d knows where, and they were having a sword fight!
Ai Mi shouted: “Look at my light saber!”
Xiao Qin could not show weakness: “I’ll punish you!”
The two baguettes clashed, causing large crumbs to fly and attracted multiple brave sparrows around their feet who began to eat happily.
Ai Mi suddenly lowered her baguette and reminded Xiao Qin with a frown: “You said it wrong, it should be ‘the force is with me’.”
Xiao Qin raised the baguette above her head: “The moon is with me!”
“It’s force, not moon!”
“Yahhh!”
“Yossshhhhaa!”
The two girls started a food battle while bickering.
b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! The cla.s.s leader will pull your ears if she sees you wasting food like this! When you were fighting over the bbq earlier, it was still to eat, but now isn’t it just plain fooling around?
I went up and s.n.a.t.c.hed the baguettes away without another word. These baguettes are actually pretty d.a.m.n hard, you might be able to actually use it as a weapon.
“Don’t you know wasting food is a sin?” I berated the two of them.
Xiao Qin and Ai Mi were still role-playing. They looked at me with suspicious eyes as if I was a monster that intruded their battle.
“How can you take away my light saber with your bare hands? Which faction are you from?”
Ai Mi was using the ‘Star Wars’ setting.
Xiao Qin suddenly covered her chest, “Ah! My prize sword was stolen! I waited for him for 500 years, I don’t want to leave him anymore!”
Enough! Stop messing around!
I pa.s.sed the baguette to the chef who was watching from the sides. It was fine even if it was fed to the birds, if baguettes were used as a weapon, then the French who love peace and are always the first to surrender will be heart-broken.
Ai Mi thought that I dampened the mood, so she placed her hands at her waist unhappily, “We were just getting to the good part, why did you have to get in the way!”
She said as she pointed to a box of donuts next to the chef, “You should at least throw some donuts at us as flying targets!”
Xiao Qin’s eyes brightened and she clapped: “Good idea! How about Miss Ai Mi throws donuts at us, and we try to catch them with the baguettes!”
In order to prevent them from wasting more food, I picked up the box of donuts, and pulled on Xiao Qin’s ear as punishment.
“Ahhhhh! It hurts! Ye Lin cla.s.smate, stop! It hurts!”
Xiao Qin begged for forgiveness in a hurry. I also wanted to pull Ai Mi’s ears, but Xiao Qin stood between us and blocked me.
“If you have to punish us, then me alone is enough! I used the bread to hit her first! You should not subject the cute Miss Ai Mi to the cruel punishment of ear-pulling!”
Xiao Qin rubbed her red ear while trying to spout out words of justice.
Regardless, it was finally quiet I took the opportunity to discuss Su Qiao with Ai Mi.
“Su Qiao? Who’s Su Qiao?” Ai Mi had a bewildered expression, “Oh, that minor actor? Chase her away? Why would I chase her away? She’s too egotistical, does she think I would pay attention to her minor role?”
Ai Mi received the apple juice Xiao Qin pa.s.sed her and lazily sat down on the lawn chair that was under the parasol, “Hmph, since she thinks I will chase her away, then I’ll fulfill her wishes. She doesn’t need to come to work tomorrow!”
“No!” I stopped her with a stern tone, “I already promised her I would help her keep her job. If you insist on chasing her out, then it would seem like I’m untrustworthy! I won’t be happy!”
Ai Mi disapproved, “Servants are supposed to make their owner’s happy, why would I care if the servants are happy or not?”
She changed her mind unnaturally under my fierce gaze: “Hmph, now dogs will bite their owner’s if they’re not full… Fine, it’s not like it matters if she stays or not, so I’ll tentatively keep her as a joke to laugh at!”
Ai Mi did not have a lot of scenes in the afternoon, and if it was not a fight scene, it would be dialogue. I got a headache listening to them speak English, and right when I was about to sit down to rest, I saw Auntie Ren coming towards me with two bottles of water.
She gave me one bottle, and the other one to Xiao Qin. I felt embarra.s.sed and wanted to give my bottle back and say I could share with Xiao Qin.
In the end, Xiao Qin said before me: “Mom, you leave one for yourself. I’ll keep this bottle of water in my mouth and feed it to Ye Lin cla.s.smate with my mouth!”
Screw you! Can you not say we will share a bottle like a normal person? Are you not satisfied with an indirect kiss, and you will only be happy after feeding me mouth to mouth? But your mom is not happy at all! She’s looking down on me like I was the one who made you this way!
Auntie Ren stuffed both bottles of water into my bosom. I felt she was looking at me as if to say: “You can have as much water as you want, just don’t touch my daughter.”
I suffered from the hostile gaze of Auntie Ren for over half an hour. Although Xiao Qin was lively and talking about foolish nonsense, Auntie Ren still maintained a dreadful silence.
Finally, Auntie Ren told me: The director wanted to give me a role so he can make use of my face.
“Eh? But I can’t speak English? Is he going to dub my voice or something?”
“Dubs aren’t necessary.” Auntie Ren said without emotion, “The director wants you to be a lackey of the BOSS of the first season, the blood prince. The worst one of his seven fresh blood guards, the deaf and mute evil monk. It’s fine if you just make strange noises and grunts.”
He wants me to be a monk? He wants me to play deaf and mute? Even though I will make more money, but it feels like I will be ridiculed by the Americans! Also, isn’t the director too careless? Does he not know that I am a student and that I could only film during public holidays?
I suddenly had a thought: “Auntie Ren, do you know what arrangements were made for Su Qiao?”
Auntie Ren paused for a moment, “Su Qiao? How do you know her? She just got a role as the blood prince’s maid, and she has two to three times more scenes than you. But her English isn’t that fluent, so I’m not sure how she obtained that role.”
It should be Ai Mi applying pressure to the director from the shadows? In order for me to be on the scene with her, she gave me a role that does not need to speak English. To my surprise, she also gave Su Qiao a great opportunity to prove herself. I thought Ai Mi would only do the minimum and not chase her out!
I can’t believe Ai Mi gave Su Qiao a role with three times as many scenes as me, what a surprise… No, I am definitely not envious, I just felt gratified as a brother because Ai Mi suddenly got a big heart.
Su Qiao should be very happy, right?