Chapter 8 The Gap
Yu Xingye, who was in Beijing, received a call from Xu Ziqi.
"Brother Hoshino, I'm sorry, I can't come back here for the time being." Her voice carried a barely perceptible hint of perfunctoriness.
You Xingye frowned, his voice turning serious: "Weren't you going on vacation?"
The person on the other end of the phone stammered, "Brother Jingxuan is discussing a very important project, and I... I'm here to help out."
Xu Ziqi paused for a moment, seemingly making up her mind, "If all else fails, you can find someone else to shoot the music video first, and then just use AI to replace my face in at the end!"
After saying that, the call was disconnected before You Xingye could respond.
Yu Xingye held his phone, his knuckles turning slightly white.
He knew very well that the key partner in the project that You Jingxuan was negotiating abroad was a rather charming woman.
Xu Ziqi's so-called "help" was nothing more than a pretense; he was just keeping a watchful eye on You Jingxuan and dared not leave his side for even a moment.
This phone call was for the filming of the music video for the opening theme song of Xu Ziqi's new drama.
She asked him, the top producer, to handle the project, and he, who always obliged her requests, agreed without hesitation.
He personally composed and prepared the music, and his team put in a lot of effort, with the goal of winning a major music award at the end of the year.
And what was the result?
She had just finished filming when she said she needed to rest and flew abroad to "chase after her brother."
The entire team was waiting for her, and her schedule was repeatedly delayed, putting her at risk of missing the best opportunity to compete for awards and recognition.
With the situation at its most critical, she casually uttered, "AI face swapping?"
They grew up together, and he did indeed treat her like a younger sister.
The deterioration of this friendship began during the most rebellious and confused moment of his life—in college, he insisted on pursuing a career in music, which led to a fierce conflict with his family who strongly opposed it, and he ran away from home in a fit of anger.
That rainy night, he was soaked to the bone and didn't know where to go. It was Xu Ziqi who found him.
She held up a small umbrella, raindrops soaking her shoulders, yet her smile was incredibly warm and sweet: "Hoshino-nii, I understand you! My family doesn't want me to act either, but it's my dream. Let's work hard together to achieve our dreams, okay?"
At that moment, the dim yellow glow of the streetlights enveloped her, and a resonant light shone in her eyes.
An unusual throbbing sensation struck his heart clearly for the first time.
He knew that Xu Ziqi liked his older brother, but it didn't matter. He told himself that from now on, their dreams would go hand in hand.
However, the casual remark about "AI face swapping" on the phone was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last vestiges of tenderness in his heart.
He always cherished music as if it were life itself, yet she could treat the collaboration he poured his heart and soul into, and the "dream" they both cherished, so casually.
Yu Xingye looked down at the blacked-out phone screen, and the image of the girl who brought him warmth and salvation on the rainy night gradually became blurry and distant.
The music video shoot was imminent, but he knew that some things were gone forever.
When the system reported the situation here to Ling Wei, Ling Wei raised her eyebrows, not expecting such an unexpected surprise.
Judging from the fact that she was targeted and bullied for a single compliment, Xu Ziqi has a morbid possessiveness towards You Jingxuan.
So Ling Wei used her alternate account to post comments under the news about You Jingxuan, saying that the beautiful partner was a good match for him, and she couldn't hold back and flew directly to the scene.
This period was a precious developmental stage for Ling Wei, and her original plan was simply to keep Xu Ziqi from paying attention to her for the time being.
Who knew this person would stop acting altogether, have such poor professional ethics, and even stood up You Xingye.
According to the original timeline, Xu Ziqi starred in You Xingye's music video and won a major award. She then won the Best Actress award for her own TV series, which was a major turning point for her to switch to the film industry.
Now, that turning point is hanging in the balance.
The casting for the music video has reached a stalemate, leaving the team in a state of worry. The theme song captures the excitement of youth, but the female lead who was the most suitable for the role has quit. Where can they find a girl-next-door with a similar temperament?
Suddenly, someone on the team came across Ling Wei's video and had a brilliant idea: "Let the sign language interpreter act! After all, you don't need to speak in a music video!"
After that concert, "Sign Language Sister" became a special nickname given to Ling Wei by her team.
This song interprets a youthful love song that is both innocent and passionate, and the imagery needs to be of a pure girl with natural vitality.
Ling Wei fits the bill perfectly, and she wields a hoe all afternoon without stopping—her vitality is practically overflowing!
The team member who made the suggestion thought it was feasible more and more, so they presented the video of Ling Wei and the proposal to You Xingye.
You Xingye looked down at the various edits and clips made by Ling Wei's fans, accompanied by commentary from marketing accounts. The final shot was of her smiling and waving goodbye with her hair wet with sweat.
The image of that devout kiss on the tie at the concert flashed through his mind. His eyes flickered, and he immediately made a decision: "Contact her and ask her if she's interested."
An unexpected joy arrived, and the system roared with excitement, finally making up for all the good fortune the original owner had lacked!
Since filming the music video wouldn't take up too much time, allowing Ling Wei to focus on her studies, and since it was an invitation from her idol, she readily agreed after consulting with her family.
Finally, Ling Yang escorted Ling Wei to the film set.
He has daily work to do and can't be with her all the time, but Ling Wei has no problem communicating with him – voice messages and typing tools are very convenient.
Before leaving, Ling Yang gave her a flurry of instructions. Ling Wei could only nod obediently, placing her hands folded on her knees like a diligent schoolchild listening to a lecture.
"Is your phone fully charged? Call me immediately if you need anything!"
"Eat on time, don't go hungry!"
"Stay away from your idol! Keep a safe distance!" Ling Yang lowered his voice, but his tone was resolute.
"And one more thing! Absolutely! You are not allowed to kiss anyone again! Do you hear me?!"
Ling Wei pursed her lips helplessly and could only continue nodding like a chicken pecking at rice.
Just then, You Xingye walked in with his manager and overheard Ling Yang's last sentence.
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the serious-looking Ling Yang and the helplessly nodding Ling Wei, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
The agent next to him reacted quickly, coughing loudly and forcing a smile as she went to greet him: "Officer Ling, don't worry! We will definitely take good care of Weiwei! You go about your business!" She subtly blocked Ling Yang's "warning" gaze from You Xingye.
Ling Yang then left reluctantly.
Ling Wei quickly became familiar with the staff on site.
This is not surprising; she is just too "well-behaved"—not dull, but rather possesses a sincerity and focus that softens one's heart.
Whenever someone speaks to her, whether it's a director, a lighting technician, or a production assistant, she immediately puts down what she's doing, focuses intently on the person, and smiles slightly, as if what they're saying is the most important thing in the world.
Being stared at so intently and with such a smile, most people would blush or have their ears pop out.
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