Compelled

"I heard that the Jianghua Group and the Taichang Company pumped a lot of money into 'Rescue Mission' as investment. The male lead, Liu Ye, won Best Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards. Didn't you say that you want to join the entertainment industry? We should take a look at Shen Villa. With your looks, the director might even like you and make you a female lead."

Lu Baobao's mind worked quickly. To fulfill her objectives, she could go on and on without ever stopping.

"Let's go. We don't have anything else to do anyway. Are you telling me that you're actually intending to work hard in your studies and improve yourself?" She rolled her eyes, clearly not even believing that.

The original Jiang Se did poorly in her studies. All she wanted to do was join the entertainment industry after graduating high school.

Naturally, the current Jiang Se had different thoughts compared to the original Jiang Se. However, even if she managed to get into a university, she would not be able to pay for her tuition fees.

As Feng Nan, she had learned many things. However, after being reborn as Jiang Se, she could do none of the things she once knew.

The original Jiang Se's sole redeeming quality was her looks. However, she wanted to join the entertainment industry as a star and become rich.

Jiang Se would not be so bold as to dream of becoming rich. However, she had the desire to make money during the summer holidays.

"I'm begging you. Go with me, please." Lu Baobao squeezed her arm and swayed it again. "This is a grand production and there are many celebrities as well."

She reached for her cellphone again. "See? There's Lu Bingbing and Zhao Ruoyun. They're famous female actors. The male lead is Liu Ye whereas the director is the famous Zhang Jingan. That's how they attracted so much attention. The movie became famous even before they started shooting." When she mentioned the names of the celebrities, her eyes glittered.

"With a cast and crew this huge, we might even have a chance to become extras. If we're lucky, we might even be able to get the Best Actor's autograph. We'll be the envy of our classmates!"

Jiang Se's attention was immediately attracted by her mention of extras. "Extras?"

"Yeah." Lu Baobao nodded with her eyes transfixed on her phone. "I'm sure they'll need some background actors with a cast and crew of this size. We'll be able to film with the stars and might even be able to make it on television!"

"How much can we earn by becoming background actors?" Jiang Se was not interested in the best actor or celebrities. However, she was in dire need of money.

Lu Baobao opened her mouth, but it was clear that she did not know much about this matter either. She had never become an extra herself, but she did not want Jiang Se to look down upon her. After thinking about it for a long while, she put on a bold face and answered, "I'm sure we'll be able to make 100 bucks or so, right? It is a grand production, after all."

Her words might not be completely trustworthy, but Jiang Se nodded after considering it. "Let's check it out on Saturday."

After sealing the deal with Lu Baobao, she was finally left alone.

The first thing the math teacher did was to write the remaining number of days to the NCEE on the whiteboard before promptly beginning her class. Jiang Se paid attention at the beginning. When she turned to look at Lu Baobao for no particular reason, she found that her friend was already daydreaming.

On Saturday morning, Jiang Se helped Zhou Hui prepare breakfast. When Du Changqun came down with the same stiff expression on his face, he gave Jiang Se a glance.

He had been a salesperson in an electronic factory in the imperial capital for years and never made much progress in his career. He received a meager paycheck which he had to rely on to feed many mouths.

Because Jiang Se was not his biological daughter, Du Changqun naturally disliked her.

Since it was a Saturday, Jiang Se had to help out in the house early in the morning while Du Honghong and Du You were allowed to sleep until they woke up naturally.

Zhou Hui brought some porridge into her mother-in-law's room. At the dining table, Du Changqun lowered his head, brought the bowl of porridge closer to his mouth, and ate a mouthful. He picked some pickled vegetables up with his chopsticks and placed it in his bowl.

The Du family was not a fussy bunch, so they did not use public chopsticks. When Jiang Se saw the rice sticking to his chopsticks, she suddenly lost the appetite to eat.

For a while, the atmosphere in the room was rather chilly. Du Changqun chewed on some pickled vegetables, but when he looked at his stepdaughter, who was eating her meal with her head lowered, a look of revulsion flashed across his eyes.

"You're not young anymore," he suddenly began, "and you're about to graduate from high school. When I was your age, I already joined the factory and was bringing home $1,000 a month to help make ends meet."

When Jiang Se heard this, she slowly put her chopsticks down.

"You see how it is in our family. Honghong is going to sit for her Senior High School Entrance Examination soon. She'll be counting on you as her elder sister for her tuition fees and pocket money," Du Changqun finished his statement without any expression on his face. Then, he wiped his mouth with his hand.

"I've asked around in the factory. They're looking for female workers as well."

Jiang Se made no comment, and Du Changqun did not wait for any reply as well. He grabbed his satchel and left.

Although it was a Saturday, he did not rest. Jiang Se waited for him to leave before turning around. She saw Zhou Hui standing at her mother-in-law's door with an empty bowl in her hands. Clearly, she had heard what Du Changqun said just now.

"Your Uncle Du has a point. With the situation here in the house…" Zhou Hui's lips tightened. Jiang Se stifled her anger. "If it were Honghong, would you have made her stop after graduating high school?"

Zhou Hui managed to mumble a reply, "Your results aren't the best…"

Jiang Se stood up and started clearing the table. "I'm full. I've promised my friends that we'll meet up."

Zhou Hui's lips twitched. She did not say anything when she saw Jiang Se taking the cutleries into the kitchen to wash.

It was more than a 10-minute walk from the Du residence to the nearest bus stop.

She could not afford the fares of an air-conditioned bus. In the sweltering heat, she could only look on as the buses passed before her. After a long wait, the crowd at the bus stop thinned. Finally, there was a bus without air conditioning.

The bus she boarded was quite empty. She sat down by a window and opened it. At the very least, the wind that blew into the bus as it moved forward brought her some relief from the heat.

Jiang Se had lived for 24 years before this, but this was the first time she understood what being poor meant.

Lu Baobao's house was only four stops away from the Du residence. Although the Lu family was not rich, they were far better off compared to the Dus.

By the time she knocked on the Lu residence, Lu Baobao had been waiting for her for half a day. When Lu Baobao answered the door and saw that it was Jiang Se, she immediately sighed in relief. "You're finally here."

Lu Baobao complained softly, "I thought you weren't coming. Don't scare me like that." She was holding a fountain pen. Obviously, her parents had made her do her homework before Jiang Se arrived.

Jiang Se's lips curled upward. She was sweating from the effort of climbing the stairs. "Something came up at home."

Lu Baobao pouted. She got Jiang Se to wait for her while she dashed into her room and re-emerged with a satchel in her hand. She shouted to her parents who were in the living room, "Dad, Mum, I'm going to the library with a classmate to work on our project. I won't be coming home for lunch. Don't wait for me."

Without waiting for a reply from her parents, she yanked Jiang Se and said in an undertone, "Let's go. Hurry!"

As they rushed down the stairs, Mother Lu shouted at Lu Baobao. "Don't stay out too late!"

Lu Baobao merely waved. When the two of them got further away from the house, she grew even more excited. "We're finally out!"

It was a long journey to Shen Villa. Although it was just in the suburbs of the imperial capital, it would still take them more than an hour to reach by bus.