Soft Legs
Tang Congnan had no idea what was really going through her artist's mind, but she did feel that Li Chu's personality had changed a lot since her differentiation. On the other hand, Li Chu's sudden sense of understanding made Tang Congnan feel a bit emotional.
Tang Congnan said with confidence, "Don't worry, honey. You're going to become even more powerful, and we'll be more popular than her!"
Li Chu, however, thought it was impossible for her to be more famous than the heroine. Being better in bed than the heroine seemed more achievable.
Tang Congnan gave her a list of things to be mindful of and told her not to be clueless.
Tang Congnan: "Take some time in the coming days to watch the show and learn from the mentors. I've arranged for a new assistant to help you out. I'll come to pick you up on the day of the recording."
Like a well-behaved student, Li Chu nodded and said, "Okay."
Once Tang Congnan left, Li Chu collapsed onto the sofa like a lifeless salted fish, having lost all sense of ambition.
This wasn't her first time experiencing something like this. In high school, she used to love cosplaying and would often take time out to attend events. She even had her own account. During college, she co-founded a music-related social media platform with classmates, and she was the face of it. She had also appeared on quiz shows. But those experiences were completely different from what she was about to face now. That's why Li Chu felt a bit nervous.
After all, she was a female star now, even though she was only eighteen.
Li Chu got up from the sofa, turned on the TV, found the show, and binge-watched several episodes.
Maybe it was due to her omega talents, but Li Chu found it easier to grasp the nuances of the show compared to before. She could feel and relate to the emotions more deeply. But she still had a long way to go before reaching the level of the mentors.
After watching the episodes, Li Chu began to analyze the structure and format of This is the Actor. The show had five mentors renowned directors, national first-class actors, and award-winning movie stars. In terms of professionalism, they were top-tier.
The elimination process of the show was brutal. In the first phase, 20 actors, both new and experienced, participated. They were divided into groups of five, performing scenes drawn by lot. Every round had eliminations, and by the third phase, the scores were reset, and five new actors would join the competition, meaning that even those who had performed well before were not guaranteed to stay.
The new actors could be very strong as well, adding to the tension. Under such pressure, some actors would break through, while others would crumble. As the competition progressed, the topics of discussion would only grow, and the show's popularity would rise.
However, the show wasn't a constant cycle of eliminations and new additions. From the information Tang Congnan sent her, Li Chu learned that after the first six episodes, the show would transition to a "10 vs. 10" format, meaning no more new actors would be brought in.
That's why Tang Congnan had stressed how crucial this one opportunity was. The show had already aired three episodes, and the fourth was currently being recorded. Li Chu was scheduled to join in the fifth episode, which was the last time new actors would be accepted. Both she and Ning Manqing were among the five new actors entering in the fifth episode.
Li Chu murmured, "It's really cruel."
She got up from the sofa and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, wearing her slippers. It was already midnight, and the city lights sparkled like a tiny galaxy.
With a heavy heart about her future, Li Chu lit some incense, then respectfully held her phone, opened Ning Manqing's WeChat, and paid her homepage three bows in reverence.
Dear Buddha, Avalokitesvara, Jade Emperor, and all the gods above, the believer is willing to trade ten pounds of her body weight for the chance to be teammates with the heroine. Please bless me!
The mentors and senior actors were all strong, but Li Chu decided to place her trust in Teacher Ning.
Teacher Ning was her eternal guiding light! The heroine was the best!
After chanting these slogans in her heart for a while, Li Chu collapsed onto the sofa again.
She thought about sending Ning Manqing a message tomorrow, asking for advice on preparing for the variety show next week. Maybe she could ask Ning to mentor her if they ended up in the same group.
While Ning would likely agree, given their... relationship from that spring incident, Li Chu didn't think much of it.
She knew Ning Manqing probably felt somewhat responsible, especially after what she said about marriage today .
But Li Chu wasn't trying to take advantage of Ning's guilt. In fact, Li Chu was the one who felt guilty, even though it wasn't really her fault it was her body's.
Blame that glass of water! That was the source of all the trouble!
#We still don't know why someone drank that glass of water on that day.#
Li Chu remembered the incident again, and regretted it once more.
After finishing her daily dose of regret before bed, Li Chu went to sleep peacefully, leaving tomorrow's worries for the next day.
The next morning, Li Chu was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing. Tang Congnan called to tell her that her new assistant had arrived and was waiting at the door.
Li Chu got out of bed, tugged at her messy hair, rubbed her eyes, and tried to maintain the image of a well-composed female star who had just woken up before opening the door.
Standing at the door was a young woman in her mid-twenties, holding breakfast. When she saw Li Chu, she smiled, revealing a cute dimple.
"Hello, Ms. Li. I'm your new assistant. My name is Qian Duoduo. I'm a beta, and I'll be responsible for your day-to-day needs."
"Hello, I'm Li Chu. Come in and sit. I'll go wash up first."
After a quick greeting, Li Chu went to the bathroom.
As Li Chu ate breakfast, Qian Duoduo tidied up the room and familiarized herself with the layout. Li Chu, meanwhile, munched on shrimp dumplings and sent a message to Ning Manqing.
In a moving car, Ran Yanru was discussing career plans with Ning Manqing when she noticed Ning's phone light up. Ning Manqing was briefly distracted, gestured for a pause, and picked up her phone to reply to the message.
Ran Yanru asked curiously, "What's going on?"
"It's a personal matter."
Ning Manqing replied casually, but her grip on the phone tightened.
"Is it about that little O you were with that day? Who is she? Someone from the industry? You'd better not hide it from me. If you're really in a relationship, tell me who it is. I need to prepare a PR strategy in advance."
Ran Yanru made the comment with a hint of playfulness, but she turned serious afterward.
"I'm not in love," Ning Manqing replied briskly, giving no additional information about the person Ran Yanru was curious about.
Ran Yanru had been waiting for more details, but Ning Manqing didn't say another word, leaving her friend to sigh helplessly.
Back when her friend was still a beta, she had a warm yet distant personality quiet, gentle, like still water. But after her differentiation, that calm pool of water became even more serene. Truly, she was a person who remained detached.
However, what Ran Yanru didn't know was that this "detached" person was actually collecting cute cat emojis and secretly saving a picture from Li Chu's WeChat.
[Tao Tao]: "Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!"
[Tao Tao]: Cat making a heart with its paws.jpg
[Ning]: "You're welcome. Even if we're not in the same group, I can still help you."
[Ning]: Cat making a heart with its paws.jpg
Li Chu couldn't help but laugh when she saw Ning Manqing's green-haired cat emoji sipping on a milk straw. Teacher Ning was so cute.
And the last thing she said made her even cuter!
[Li Xiaochu]: "Teacher Ning, you're so kind! See you then!"
[Teacher Ning]: "Good."
With the variety show coming up in a week, Li Chu threw herself into an intense study routine.
Her teacher taught her for six hours a day not just acting, but also lines and body movement. She knew she couldn't improve dramatically in such a short time, but learning even a little more was progress.
After class, Li Chu would spend an hour practicing in front of the mirror, another hour going over her lines, and then she would watch performances from senior actors to observe and learn.
The week flew by, and early in the morning, Tang Congnan arrived to pick her up, taking her to get makeup and select her outfit.
Of course, it wasn't appropriate to pick a dress for this occasion. The outfit needed to be casual yet stylish, something that would highlight Li Chu's figure.
Since it was summer, Li Chu ended up in a white shirt and pleated skirt. Her makeup was fresh and youthful, clearly designed to fit the company's strategy of promoting her as a "girl next door."
On the way to the TV station for the recording, Tang Congnan kept giving her advice, reminding her to wear a pheromone blocker and offering words of encouragement.
"I know, Brother Nan. I'm not nervous," Li Chu reassured him.
The closer they got, the calmer she felt, to the point where she found herself comforting Tang Congnan, who seemed more worried about her performance than she was.
"Are you really not nervous?" Tang Congnan asked, studying her face carefully. Li Chu had told him she was a little anxious before getting into the car.
"Really," she confirmed.
"Good. Just relax. Don't be afraid to make mistakes in front of the mentors; you're still a newcomer," Tang Congnan comforted her. By then, they had arrived at their destination. He opened the car door for her to step out.
As soon as Li Chu got out, she noticed another car arriving at the same time. The person inside stepped out, and they made eye contact.
It was Ning Manqing.
She nodded at Li Chu in greeting, and Li Chu tried to return the gesture with a stiff smile.
Her legs had gone weak.
Although they had been chatting over WeChat, they hadn't seen each other in over two weeks. Li Chu had thought that seeing Ning Manqing in person wouldn't affect her, but as soon as she saw that face, her body involuntarily remembered the cloud-mist tea pheromones that had enveloped her that day, causing her legs to turn to jelly.
How embarrassing!
Tang Congnan, noticing this, teased, "And you said you weren't nervous."
Li Chu: …
She really wasn't nervous!!!
Dragging her trembling legs, Li Chu hobbled into the building, only to meet Ning Manqing again a minute later at the elevator. The doors were just about to close.
"We'll catch the next one," Tang Congnan said just as the elevator doors slowly reopened in front of Li Chu.
Along with the doors, Ning Manqing's face appeared, unfolding before her like a painting, starting from her sharp eyes and nose, revealing the whole masterpiece.
Li Chu was struck by the beauty before her a total knockout and suddenly had a flood of thoughts about attraction and danger.