Chapter 134 The Neighborhood Darling: Metamorphosis of a Butterfly, A Prodigal's Awakening

Song Ying only has one scene left today. Since there are no lines, she only needs to pay attention to her positioning and facial expressions, which is much easier than her previous scenes.

After making a video call with Qin Shu, Mina helped her touch up her makeup. With nothing else to do, Song Ying sat down next to the others and watched the filming.

At this moment, Shen Yuning, who was standing next to him, unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it over.

"Teacher Song, please have some water."

"Thanks."

Song Ying thanked him and accepted the gift. Then Shen Yuning said, "Teacher Song, thank you. I was so busy with other events that I didn't have time to do this. If it weren't for you guiding me, I definitely wouldn't have passed the scene so easily today."

"You acted quite well."

Song Ying expressed her approval of Shen Yuning, saying, "For your first role, you've done exceptionally well among your peers. Even without me, if you don't get nervous, you'll definitely succeed with that move if you try a few more times."

As a singing and dancing idol who came from a talent show, Shen Yuning has extremely high popularity, but he is not a professional actor.

So Song Ying's words were not a compliment.

"Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Song. Actually, I'm not as good as you say..."

Shen Yuning scratched his head; the tall, 1.8-meter-tall boy was unusually shy.

"Have you studied acting before?" Song Ying asked casually.

"I underwent several months of intensive acting training."

Once this topic was brought up, Shen Yuning immediately started talking.

"Actually, for the first two months or so, I didn't make much progress. My agent, Sister Li, kept saying that watching me act would make me rich in Beijing, because every time she watched me act, she could awkwardly dig out a villa."

"Later, I went to the company and happened to run into Teacher Wen Nian. After listening to her words, it was as if I suddenly had an epiphany. When I came back and practiced again, I felt like my Ren and Du meridians had been opened up, and I slowly found my rhythm."

"So if I really have to say, the person I'm most grateful to is Teacher Wen Nian!"

At the end of her speech, Shen Yuning mentioned Wen Nian.

Song Ying then subconsciously looked around.

Soon, she saw the gentle and sweet girl not far from the director.

Beside her stood an extremely refined, handsome, and aloof man, and the two were talking about something.

Song Ying was slightly taken aback.

Regardless of her temperament or appearance, this person would be considered a top star in the entertainment industry, yet she searched the entire industry and couldn't find anyone who matched her.

To be frank, the man standing there reminds me of Qi Zechen, the male lead in the TV series "Temptation Star".

Of course, Shen Yuning's portrayal of Qi Zechen was also excellent.

But this man didn't need to act at all; he was exactly Qi Zechen himself.

"Who is that? Is he also an actor?"

Song Ying asked in a low voice.

"Who?" Shen Yuning looked up and followed Song Ying's gaze. "Oh, you mean Brother Ji!"

"Brother Ji?"

"Ji Zhiheng. Wen Nian's boyfriend, and also the producer of this drama, a high-ranking executive at Huatian."

Shen Yuning spoke casually and familiarly, as if he were very familiar with Ji Zhiheng.

Song Ying thought to herself, Shen Yuning is indeed Hua Tian's prized possession.

However, Song Ying had heard snippets of information about Ji Zhiheng in gossip posts before, and besides, she also followed Wen Nian's comics.

He holds dual doctorates in medicine and economics from Imperial University of Beijing. In addition to holding a high position at Huatian Medical Center, he is also the youngest promising young surgeon at the First Hospital of Beijing.

"I didn't expect him to be even more handsome in person than in the comics."

Song Ying sighed.

Even though I've seen many handsome men, Ji Zhiheng and Qin Shu are two different styles.

One is a scholar, the other a warrior; one is mature and steady, the other is unrestrained and flamboyant.

The battle between the "father-type" and the "wolf-type" is a close contest, with each having its own strengths and weaknesses.

“He’s more than just handsome,” Shen Yuning glanced at Ji Zhiheng, “he’s also a gentleman in the living room and a domestic goddess in the kitchen. We eat pitifully boxed lunches every day, but Brother Ji personally cooks special meals for Sister Nian every day, and he never repeats the same thing twice in a week—he always keeps warm honey water in his thermos, and he even keeps homemade cookies and snacks in his car. If I were a girl, I would want to marry him.”

"Originally, Brother Ji worked in the capital, but he took a special annual leave to come back to accompany Sister Nian to Mocheng to film a movie and see her parents. The two of them were almost inseparable. After being lonely for twenty-eight years, the iron tree finally bloomed, and it was so sweet it was sickening."

In Shen Yuning's description, Ji Zhiheng was simply the perfect boyfriend.

"Hearing this, Mr. Ji is indeed outstanding. Nian Nian is gentle and lovely, and Mr. Ji is steady, reliable, and gives a sense of security. They are even more well-matched than in the comics."

Song Ying felt inexplicably excited that "the couple I shipped has become a real couple, and it's even sweeter than in the story."

Suddenly I understood why viewers like watching dating reality shows.

"You and Teacher Qin Shu are a perfect match! I've actually watched all the dating reality shows you've been on before, and I really like you both. In my heart, you two are the best on-screen couple in the industry, and Brother Ji and Sister Wen are the best off-screen couple. I hope I can see you two on a dating reality show together in my lifetime."

At this point, Shen Yuning sighed.

"Everyone around me is in a sweet relationship, but I'm still a single dog that no one wants."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone slapped Shen Yuning on the back of the head.

"How old are you? You're already thinking about dating. Didn't you read the contract? It's summer and you're still daydreaming about spring? Have you finished memorizing the script?"

"Li, Sister Li... I was just joking..."

Shen Yuning was clearly guilty; his previous gossipy demeanor vanished instantly.

Then her agent, Sister Li, shoved the script into her arms, saying, "Go memorize it! You're such a worry."

Song Ying blinked, then looked at Ji Zhiheng and Wen Nian.

Shen Yuning was right.

It would definitely be interesting to see Ji Zhiheng and Wen Nian on a dating reality show together.

With this in mind, an idea began to sprout in President Song's mind.

-

Song Ying's last scene was in the classroom.

The main actors are the male and female leads and their classmates. Song Ying plays Qi Yue, whose role is simply to appear by the window as a spy, watching the interaction between the male and female leads in the classroom, and then add a scene of inner monologue with her eyes.

We finished filming at exactly six o'clock.

After a brief farewell to the crew, Jiang Xiuyuan drove Song Ying home.

"This film crew is very different from what I imagined."

"How so?"

"There weren't so many messy arguments and fights. I used to always see this actor and that actor competing today, that star and this star comparing their status, and those who could clearly act but would deliberately slap someone again and again, or add scenes for themselves, or change lines at the last minute, or the domineering actor using their aura to intimidate the other actor and make them forget their lines..."

Song Ying: "...? Where did you learn all this?"

"There was a document that went viral online before, more than a thousand pages long, all about love and hate in the entertainment industry."

Song Ying: "...Is this all you usually watch? So you came here today just to watch the drama unfold?"

"yes."

Jiang Xiuyuan nodded naturally. In his mind, wasn't that what the entertainment industry was like?

It was even more exciting than middle-aged women fighting and tearing each other apart on the street.

Song Ying fell silent.

She seemed to suddenly understand why her grandfather hadn't wanted her mother to join the entertainment industry.

Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast.

The public often finds it difficult to see actors who work diligently on their films, but is always more interested in those who engage in excessive marketing and sensational love-hate relationships.

Over time, this has led to the perception that the entertainment industry is truly chaotic.

"What you described does exist, but that's a special case. There are still more normal people in this world. Most actors just want to take on jobs peacefully. As a job, acting is no different from any other job in essence. But because of the higher salary and the seemingly glamorous exposure on stage, it seems to have an extra layer of special halo, but in essence, we are all just working people. Actors are not superior to ordinary people, nor are they dirtier or more chaotic than ordinary people—at least that's what I think."

Song Ying does not deny that the entertainment industry environment is getting worse and worse.

But the problem isn't the industry itself, but the people who dominate this game and set the rules.

Acting is her passion.

If we want people to change their attitudes and re-evaluate this industry, individual efforts are far from enough.

She needs enough influence, she needs to be the one who sets the rules, in order to truly change the status quo of the industry and clean up the circle again.

-

After dinner, Song Ying copied the adapted song onto a USB drive and, while she still had some time, sketched out a simple design draft on her tablet.

After we finished doing all that, the grandpas and grandmas who used to do square dancing outside also came over.

On the lawn, people were whispering among themselves.

"If Ying's adaptation isn't suitable later, please be careful not to be too blunt and hurt her feelings."

"Yes, be tactful. Kids these days are sensitive, we can't make the little girl sad."

"If it's not particularly difficult, we can always just use the girl's modified version."

Every word they spoke reflected the understanding and care that Song Ying received from her grandparents.

Upon hearing this, Old Master Jiang waved his hand and said...

“The Jiang family’s children, apart from Xiu Yuan who’s a good-for-nothing, all earn their living through their own abilities. If Ying doesn’t change well, you don’t need to indulge her. The competition is the most important thing. Besides, this girl has been strong-willed since she was little and isn’t that fragile.”

Jiang Xiuyuan, who was waiting to watch the show from the sidelines: ...?

How can he not earn a living through his own abilities?

But obviously no one paid any attention to him.

How someone dances in the square is more important than how they eat.

The Chiang family has strict rules, and Old Master Chiang would not force so many people to jump.

Most importantly, Mr. Jiang believed in Song Ying's abilities.

Grandma Jiang shared his thoughts.

"I supported Ah Ying yesterday because I believed she could definitely do it, not to coerce anyone. You can't do it like that!"

As they were talking, Song Ying arrived at the venue.

The surroundings fell silent, and everyone's attention was focused on her.

"In order to make the dance and music styles consistent, I made some slight modifications to the original music. I have seen the competition notice and confirmed with the organizer that we can make our own modifications to the dance and music, so these are all within the rules."

As she said this, Song Ying plugged the USB drive into the USB port, tapped a few times on the touchscreen, and then selected a track.

"I'll first give you a full rundown of my revised version. Take a look, and then we can discuss any issues together."

As she said this, Song Ying pressed the play button.

It's worth mentioning that she was playing a video file.

Inside are 3D modeled character models with animations, created by Peng Wen according to the number of participants, including changes in formation and changes in duo actions.

Song Ying herself then gave a live demonstration within the circle formed by everyone.

The four-and-a-half-minute rearranged song retains the catchy rhythm of the previous hit, but it has shed the cheesy and vulgar feel and gained more vitality and a love for life.

The animation has been significantly modified, becoming much simpler than before, yet still extremely aesthetically pleasing.

Especially the doubles moves, which are indescribably graceful.

At first, everyone felt that too many movements had been changed and that they would have to memorize them all over again. However, as some elderly women couldn't help but dance along with Song Ying and the video, everyone was pleasantly surprised to find that although these movements seemed unfamiliar at first glance, they were easy to learn and performed very naturally.

Song Ying originally intended to stop and discuss with everyone after finishing the dance once, but as the video played automatically in a loop, more and more people joined in and danced along, so she danced with them again.

After three takes, almost everyone couldn't help but move along, and Song Ying finally pressed pause.

"What did everyone think of this version just now?"

"Great! Excellent!" Grandma Juan gave a thumbs up. "Wow, it's both beautiful and relaxing, it's comfortable to dance, and it makes me feel good too!"

"Exactly. At first, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to learn it after so many changes, but I learned it right away. It's much better than the previous choreography."

"Your granddaughter is amazing!"

An old man gave a thumbs up, saying, "You've saved me!"

Who knows that those few moves almost cost him his life?

Amidst the praise, the usually unmoved Grandpa Jiang wore a slightly smug expression, saying, "That's right! Don't you know whose family it is?"

Grandma Jiang chuckled and teased, "You're not just saying all these compliments to make the child happy, are you?"

"Of course not!"

"That's right, it can't be!"

"I really think it's great!"

"I'm absolutely convinced that we'll win the championship this time!"

The morale of the square dance team soared.

Everyone was happy, and Song Ying was in a good mood as well, so she opened another file.

"Besides this, I've also redesigned a set of performance outfits for everyone. Previously, both the men's and women's outfits were bright red, which wasn't very distinctive. Although they looked eye-catching, it was easy to run into someone else wearing the same outfit. Plus, it's so hot in the summer, and bright red can be a bit too intense. Grandpas and grandmas, take a look at this design. If you like it, I'll find someone to make it for you in the next few days."

Everyone was surprised that Song Ying had even thought of clothing.

I liked it at first sight.

"This outfit is so beautiful!"

"Exactly! If I had an outfit like that, I'd wear it every day!"

"My sister and her friends even bought their performance costumes online, but none of them are as nice as this!"

"If you ask me, Ying is simply a gift from heaven to help us win the game!"

-

What was a casual act for Song Ying turned her into a hot commodity among the elderly people in the neighborhood.

In just one night, he became a local celebrity.

Especially on the second morning, when she had no scenes to film, she went for a run with her grandfather. On the way, she met Grandma Zhang who gave her two cabbages, Grandma Song who gave her a pound of pork ribs, and Grandpa Wang who gave her a bag of local eggs.

Fearing the eggs would break, Song Ying had no choice but to stop and walk.

Even so, they still ran into Grandma Juan taking her granddaughter to school, and the two of them wanted to take a photo with her.

Grandma Juan also patiently taught her granddaughter.

"See this? This is your favorite sister, Song Ying. From now on, Grandma will tell your parents that you're allowed to be a fan, but you must learn from Sister Song. She's great at dancing, singing, and acting, and she even designs clothes for us!"

This made Song Ying feel both embarrassed and awkward at the time.

"These grandpas and grandmas are so enthusiastic, I almost couldn't handle it."

Back home, Song Ying took the vegetables, meat, and eggs she had received to the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's good that people are enthusiastic; it means they like you. Look at Xiu Yuan, no one gives him gifts."

Having just finished washing up and heading into the kitchen to get some fruit, Jiang Xiuyuan thought: ...?

Why am I always the one who gets hurt?

After breakfast, Song Ying was about to go upstairs to deal with the Qingcheng files sent by Peng Wen when she remembered something and turned back to look at Jiang Xiuyuan.

"Are you coming with me to the filming this afternoon? Or are you going to the company?"

"I'll drop you off first, then I'll go to the company."

Upon hearing this, Song Ying raised an eyebrow. "Oh my, that's rare."

Surprisingly, they no longer reject it.

"I've thought it through. Everyone has something they're passionate about, but I don't. It's not good to just drift along like this. I might as well do something honestly and maybe one day I'll find something I truly love."

What Chiang Hsiu-Yuan saw and heard on set yesterday had a great impact on him.

The Jiang family was wealthy, and his grandfather often said that he was blessed but didn't know it. He always felt that the Jiang family was a big cage, trapping him and making it difficult for him to move an inch.

But now that I look at it...

His behavior was exactly like the affected whining of a rich kid.

He despised the Jiang family as a cage, but wasn't it also this cage that gave him a life of luxury and ease?

Besides, what can he do even if he jumps out of this cage?

So many people are working hard to make a living, but he is the only one.

They refuse to improve themselves and even complain.

Refusing to study, yet still dreaming.

Naïve and ignorant.

"I have to do something, at least I can't really be a useless person."

After saying this, Jiang Xiuyuan chuckled, turned around, waved to Song Ying, and walked out.

Unexpectedly, he bumped his calf on the corner of the coffee table.

He was in so much pain that he clutched his legs and jumped up and down, gasping for breath.

His face was ferocious.

He was cool for only three seconds.

Song Ying: "..."

Sorry, I laughed at that.

-

Jiang Xiuyuan only suffered a minor bump and bruise, and soon she was back to her lively self.

However, his previous words didn't seem like a lie; after dropping Song Ying off at the film set that afternoon, he actually went to the company.

Song Ying's scenes today are quite concentrated, a full twenty scenes this afternoon without a break.

During a rare break while touching up her makeup, Song Ying was about to get some water when someone handed her a bottle first.

"Ah Ying, this is monk fruit and honey tea. Drinking this will be better for your throat."

Song Ying couldn't move her face, but when she turned her eyes to the side, she saw that the person who came was Wen Nian.

Somewhat unexpected.

"Thanks!"

Song Ying thanked her and accepted the gift.

Mina, who was quite familiar with Song Ying, casually asked, "Ying, didn't you bring your assistant? Where's that handsome young man from yesterday? I haven't seen him all day."

“That’s not my assistant, it’s my cousin, he’s also from Mo City. He wanted to come over yesterday to visit and see what the film set is like, so I told the director and brought him along. My assistant is in Beijing, and I had other things arranged for her. Plus, my part of the film is relatively simple, so it wasn’t too much of a hassle.”

"Huh? I thought someone of your status, Ah Ying, would have at least three people accompanying her!"

Mina was shocked.

Having worked with film crews for so many years, I've learned that, aside from extras, most actors bring at least one assistant with them.

If someone has a slightly higher status, they'll have an agent accompanying them, along with their own personal driver, stylist, and even photographer.

The most extreme case she had ever seen was an actor who brought ten people with him, and in the end, the crew had to provide food and lodging for them; it was practically like moving house.

Now that Song Ying's identity has been revealed, although she is still a newcomer in the acting industry, given her status as a top star in the music industry and the chairman of Qingcheng, it would be normal for her to be surrounded by a retinue.

He was all alone.

He was so low-key that Mina couldn't even respond.

Moreover, after getting to know Song Ying, Mina discovered that her true personality was very different from the prickly character she portrayed on the variety show.

She has absolutely no airs.

Extremely approachable.

"Does Aying have any relatives from Mocheng?" Wen Nian noticed another detail.

While Mina was changing her powder brush, Song Ying took a sip of water and nodded. "My maternal grandfather's family is in Mocheng. When I was a child, I lived in Mocheng for a few years."

"What a coincidence! Teacher Wen Nian and Mr. Ji are also from Mo City!" Mina exclaimed in surprise.

Song Ying already knew that Wen Nian and Ji Zhiheng were both from Mo City.

“I saw online that the high school Qi Zechen, Qi Xing and Qi Yue attended in ‘Temptation Star’ was based on Nian Nian’s alma mater, Mo Cheng No. 1 High School. That’s why we filmed the first half of the movie here. ‘Rabbit’ also mentions that Nian Nian and Mr. Ji live in the same neighborhood. It’s clear that this is a destiny ordained by heaven.”

Upon hearing Song Ying mention Ji Zhiheng, Wen Nian's ears quickly turned red.

Song Ying, however, had a different idea.

Why haven't I seen Mr. Ji today?

“There are some diseases emerging in the south, which are quite troublesome. We need to send some people to provide support. Many people from their hospital have gone, but we still don’t have enough manpower, so the hospital asked him to go with us.”

That's just how professions like medicine are.

Often, it's like a brick; you move it wherever it's needed.

However, "Is Mr. Ji usually this busy?"

Wen Nian nodded slightly.

"There's a bit too much work in surgery, and he's often busy. Plus, he's relatively young in the department, so he often works overtime and rarely takes time off."

Before meeting Wen Nian, Ji Zhiheng worked almost year-round without a break. Whenever his colleagues in the department who had families were on night shifts, he would help cover for them when it was convenient for him. He was once known by his colleagues as a model worker in surgery.

These past few days have been the first time he's taken annual leave since joining the company.

But just a few days later, he was summoned away again.

Although Wen Nian was reluctant, he understood and supported this decision.

Just as Ji Zhiheng supported her work, she was unwilling to let superficial love bind him to continue moving forward in the things he loved.

However, Song Ying had other considerations.

— Ji Zhiheng is so busy, a workaholic, and most importantly, he's not short of money.

In this situation, how could she invite the other party to participate in Qingcheng's dating reality show with Wen Nian?