35 Money and Magic
Male protagonist's perspective:
Twenty-year-old Meng Tingtai is a junior in the Computer Science Department at Seoul National University. Beneath his cool, handsome face lies a secret. Although usually aloof and polite, Meng, the schoolboy, awakened supernatural powers at the age of five.
His superpower is: the ability to speed up the passage of time for something.
For example, he could make a wooden chair decay after a hundred years, or he could make a budding flower bloom instantly.
Carrying such a secret, Meng Tingtai knew from a very young age to keep his distance from others because he was afraid that one day he would lose control of his superpowers and harm others.
But he had a handsome face and was popular since childhood, with many boys and girls liking him. So Meng Tingtai had to be more careful and never refused invitations from his classmates.
But something seemed to be wrong. The more indifferent and distant he became to others, the more people came to see him secretly. Everyone called him the Iceberg School Prince.
Meng Tingtai:?
In reality, Meng Tingtai was also troubled. A gentle and kind boy, he felt sad when, as a child, he inevitably lost a blade of grass during practice. He envied his classmates and the ability to walk alongside his good friend.
This summer, Meng Tingtai landed a great internship as an IT worker at a branch of the large company Fang. He rented a two-bedroom apartment nearby. Next door lived a woman who, I heard, owned a spicy hot pot restaurant.
Meng Tingtai was stunned to find that his female neighbor came to their company to see their boss. Most importantly, why did she carry a super big soup spoon!
-
After reading the scripts for the first few episodes, Song Qixian felt that the story was inexplicable yet very interesting.
What kind of mental state did screenwriter Ha Mi-sook have when she wrote this story?
Song Qixian really likes the character Fang Xiyu. In his opinion, this character has many flaws and is an imperfect person. However, it is precisely this imperfection that makes him even more delighted.
His first TV role, Yoon Min-woo in the drama "Family Fun," was a reserved, brilliant, and academically gifted character. While he had his flaws, the director focused on showcasing his performance in front of the female lead. Yoon Min-woo was perfect in front of Eun-mi.
It’s not that perfect characters are bad, but as an actor, Song Qixian would like to challenge a multifaceted role, and Fang Xiyu is such a role.
He is fussy, picky and even arrogant, which is completely different from Song Qixian's own personality, but the more Song Qixian looks at him, the more he finds him adorable.
First, Fang Xiyu's character flaws aren't without reason. Having grown up alone abroad, where his English-style butler taught him to be polite, he developed a natural arrogance. After returning to China, he learned to be more cautious while battling his family, which is why he's wary of the lowly female protagonist, Jiang Zhu.
Is she trying to get my attention this way? It's a shame, a man like me is not something a woman like you can reach.
When such an arrogant man meets a woman whose face is filled with all kinds of emotions, it is bound to create unusual sparks.
Also because of his personality, he will continue to suffer setbacks in his competition with Meng Tingtai.
It has to be said that the screenwriter has a bad taste in letting a man of privileged background be repeatedly educated and have his values reshaped as the plot progresses.
But Song Qixian could understand that Fang Xiyu was too hateful in the early days.
To his employees, he is like the coldest and most biting wind in winter.
Fang's employees all knew their boss was very demanding. If a design didn't meet his standards, he'd have to come back to work at 2 a.m. Fortunately, he'd learned from German companies and strictly adhered to their benefits standards, which kept employees from leaving.
But this does not prevent him from becoming a devil in the eyes of the company's employees. The fastest way for new employees to get along well with old employees is to talk about his gossip with everyone.
I heard that the younger boss was exiled abroad because his son was born to the eldest wife. But the company is currently under the control of the younger wife's child, so the younger boss can only be exiled to their branch.
The best thing the small boss did was to get rid of the previous big boss's relative who had exploited a female employee at work. Because of this, the female employees, though they still nag him, will speak up for him. It's not for any other reason, but simply because it's equal pay for equal work and equal treatment.
Fang Xiyu is not at all kind to his family.
Chairman Fang was deeply troubled by the news that his youngest son had returned to China. While this was supposed to be a happy occasion, he treated him with a cold shoulder, and he also treated his wife and eldest son with disapproval. Chairman Fang understood his son's complaints, but after considering the board's opinions, he transferred him to the branch office.
I hope he can learn how to manage a company. I believe Xiyu will figure it out when we meet next time.
To Jiang Zhu, he is an unsympathetic and hateful capitalist.
Fang's employees were simply captivated by her unique spicy hot pot recipe and ate it a few times, but this abominable capitalist ordered them not to visit her again. Restricting employees' freedom is simply unreasonable!
Even though she later learned that Mr. Fang's slander against her was a misunderstanding, Jiang Zhu still believed that this man was the same as those high-ranking chaebols.
Apart from this, Fang Xiyu has no friends.
Song Qixian felt that the audience would be very happy to see such a guy who was hated by everyone being humiliated.
-
After joining the crew, Song Qixian met Choi Ye-young, a fourth-tier actress who played Jiang Zhu. A few days later, he met Yoo Sun, a second-tier actor who played Meng Tingtai.
The actors who play the male and female protagonists are not big names in South Korea. Choi Ye-young's most famous role is the best friend of the heroine in "High Heels" written by Ha Mi-sook. She often plays supporting female roles in various dramas. She is 26 years old this year and is Noona.
Liu Xuan, a 23-year-old rising actor with a former athlete and a height of nearly 1.9 meters, has starred in a small-budget web drama, which has received good ratings. However, viewers have criticized Liu Xuan for his lackluster acting skills, despite his beautiful face, not matching those of his supporting male counterparts, and calling him "mediocre."
Cui Yiying and Liu Xuan were also very curious about Song Qixian. Cui Yiying became an actor in her teens and worked hard for many years before getting an offer from screenwriter Ha Mishu. This polite boy in front of her had only acted in one drama, but he got the second male lead in Ha Mishu's new drama. She was somewhat envious.
However, she is the only female lead in this drama, and no matter how Song Qixian performs, she will be the final winner, so Cui Yiying is more curious about Song Qixian.
In comparison, Liu Xuan was more wary of Song Qixian. He signed with a good company, and a drama was tailor-made for him, which was why he became an instant hit and quickly rose to second-tier status. But Liu Xuan knew that his acting wasn't great, and during his acting classes, the teacher came to guide him the most...
So his agent cast him in the introverted role of Meng Tingtai, a role that didn't require complex acting skills, just handsomeness. Coupled with the collaboration of the golden screenwriter Ha Mi-sook, a first-tier role was just around the corner.
Under these circumstances, Yoo Sun had some issues with Song Ki-hyun. When the crew met, screenwriter Ha Mi-sook specifically explained that Song Ki-hyun still had two months until he came of age. For him to be cast at such a young age, he either had a connection like hers, or, like the male supporting actor in her previous drama, he had better acting skills.
Liu Xuan hoped it was the former, so when he learned that Song Qixian's company was M Company, he breathed a sigh of relief.
This time we joined the crew to shoot episodes 1 to 4, and everyone received the detailed scripts for the first four episodes.
Before filming, the three protagonists began to have simple scenes together.
As the heroine who started out as a child actor, Choi Ye-young has excellent acting skills. She got into the role right from the beginning.
Jiang Zhu folded her arms and sneered, unable to bear Fang Xiyu's explanation.
"You mean, I wronged him?"
The other party replied with something unclear, but Jiang Zhu's expression became even more agitated. "Then why did he put up such a big notice at the door? I don't know how my shop offended him. I worked hard for three years to learn this in China, and every spicy hot pot dish is the product of my hard work!"
Fang Xiyu was irritated by a soup stain on his custom-made suit. He wanted to go to the bathroom to clean it, but Jiang Zhu, convinced he was trying to escape, stopped him. Hearing this, he was furious and his words were not very pleasant.
"What's wrong with you, woman? I've explained it clearly to you. I never insulted your, uh, golden soup base. Do you have no ears or brains? Do you know who you're talking to now? I, Fang Xiyu, my time, every second of it is precious. So, I don't have time to argue with you here. If you continue to act unreasonably, I'll call the police and hire a lawyer to sue you for defamation!"
Meng Tingtai heard Fang Xiyu's roar among the onlookers. Worried that Jiang Zhu would be hurt, he pushed open the office door in desperation.
There was silence in the room. Fang Xiyu, Jiang Zhu and Dog Leg Number One all looked at Meng Tingtai who had fallen to the ground.
The employees at the door scattered and the scene was dead silent.
Meng Tingtai rubbed his waist and stood up, still remembering the purpose of coming in.
"I think I can explain all this to you..."
The three of them sat down at the coffee shop downstairs and gathered around a table.
The clerk looked at the wonderful combination of these two men and one woman and the colorful changes in their expressions, and had already imagined a long plot in his mind.
"I wronged you. I'm sorry. Next time you come to eat my spicy hot pot, I'll give you a free... I'll give you a 20% discount."
Jiang Zhu was quite single, and knowing it was a misunderstanding, she readily apologized. Fang Xiyu's face was a little awkward, but because he was somewhat in the wrong about the notice, he reluctantly accepted the apology, even though his face was still grim.
Meng Tingtai was delighted. This boy, who was usually aloof in front of his classmates and colleagues, couldn't help but reveal his kind nature. He smiled and said, "That's it. This is how we should get along!"
Jiang Zhu and Fang Xiyu looked at each other and then turned away.
Only Meng Tingtai, the real "kind little white rabbit", naively thought that the two of them had really put aside their past grudges.
After the first scene, Song Qixian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He admired Cui Yiying even more. She was so amazing. She could recite such a long section of lines without a script after just a few glances!
Song Qixian's performance was also seen by everyone.
【Author’s words】
There are many new babies here, welcome you all [heart]
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