Chapter 13: Substitute Model
The Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE), commonly known as the CE among students, is a public examination organized by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority.
The HKCEE is usually held in April or May each year, and the results are announced in the second week of August. Students who have completed Form 5 can use their HKCEE results to continue their studies in pre-university classes.
During these months, Li Sishi received the kind of national treasure treatment jointly provided by the school and her family. It wasn't until she finished her last exam at the end of May that this atmosphere of extreme tension and attention from everyone gradually dissipated.
After the exam, Li Sishi felt quite confident, but fearing that her abilities might not be up to par or her expectations might be too high, she remained outwardly silent, so others didn't dare to ask too many questions.
Since the exams are already over and the outcome is already decided, it's better to wait for the results and discuss everything then.
Therefore, Li Sishi was quite happy to have some free time after the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE), which made her the envy of Zhou Huichang and Zhou Huiguang, who are currently in Form 4 and about to enter Form 5.
“After you finish your exams next year, you can ‘enjoy’ like me too,” Li Sishi said with a smile. “I’m not too worried about Changchang, but Guangzai, you need to work harder, play fewer games and study more.”
“I’ve been playing much less lately, and besides, Lok and Spaghetti Guy don’t have time either…” Zhou Huiguang quickly stated his position.
Sigh, it's said that the entertainment industry is booming lately, so not only has Cheng Erjian, who works at the TV station, had a lot more work, but Luo Xuan has also been doing quite well recently, getting MV collaborations with second- and third-tier singers.
Seeing Zhou Huiguang's listless appearance, Li Sishi was both annoyed and amused: Ever since the game console that Zhou Huichang gave to Zhou Huiguang and Cheng Erjian connected, the two gaming enthusiasts hit it off immediately. Whenever they had time, they would meet up at home to play games, and even Luo Xuan, who also loved playing games, would join them. When they got together, it was no exaggeration to say that it was a chaotic scene.
After spending a lot of time together, Zhou Huiguang and Luo Xuan started calling Cheng Erjian "Spaghetti" because of the similarity in his name. They would sometimes joke that his homebody personality was just like overcooked spaghetti, soft and mushy.
In front of men, Cheng Erjian was more open, stating frankly that he is actually a very manly man, and even cited his recent roles as a way to refute this claim...
"Come on, I'm not trying to be mean, but why did you take on this kind of role? Don't you think it's damaging to your image as a children's program host?"
"Really?" Zhou Huichang expressed her dissatisfaction that Cheng Erjian, who seemed so innocent, had recently been taking on villainous roles. "Especially that Julian, he's really twisted!"
“I also think he’s really weird, but it’s hard to make a living in this world. If I don’t take the role, I might not be able to work in the future…” Cheng Erjian looked aggrieved and helpless when he talked about why he took the role.
“Maybe future generations will like this type?” Li Sishi interjected.
"No way?"
"Would anyone actually like a villain who's covered in blood and also gay?" Cheng Erjian himself was the first to doubt it.
"Don't be so discouraged. I've seen your performance, and it wasn't bad. Maybe someone will appreciate your acting skills? I think this character is quite different from your own personality, and you performed well in it." Having watched a lot of music videos lately, Luo Xuan, who considered himself to have some aesthetic sense, immediately offered a few words of comfort.
"I hope so. It's not that I don't care. Anyway, the pay for this job is enough for me to buy new games." Cheng Erjian's mindset is quite relaxed, which means he has already adjusted himself.
Seeing that the three guys were engrossed in the game again, Li Sishi and Zhou Huichang exchanged a glance and saw the helplessness in each other's eyes.
Of course, Li Sishi had other thoughts in mind: although a villain with a distinct personality would indeed gain popularity and be memorable in the future, from the current perspective, it would be better to develop into an absolutely righteous protagonist.
The most crucial point is that once you've played a successful villain role, it becomes quite difficult to transition to a different role later.
Movies and TV series from that era rarely featured true villains. Even if a character was initially portrayed as a "bad guy," they would eventually either retain a conscience or meet a tragic end.
This is the only way to avoid being complained about for "teaching bad people."
As Li Sishi pondered, she secretly memorized some things.
Another day has passed without incident. With the arrival of summer heat, the day for the results to be announced is getting closer and closer.
One day, Li Sishi, who had nothing to do, went to deliver food for her family's tea restaurant to earn some pocket money. Suddenly, she ran into Luo Xuan, whom she hadn't seen for some time.
"What are you doing here?" Li Sishi asked curiously, putting down the takeout basket she was holding.
"Don't even mention it. It's rare to get a good deal, but the model we're working with is stuck in traffic and is over half an hour late. The agent on the other end is furious..." Luo Xuan said, helping her put the egg tarts, milk tea, and lemon juice into the delivery basket.
He took out the tea and other things, explaining helplessly.
"Then you still have the mind to order takeout?" Li Sishi looked at him.
"Oh, Leo has a good temper. He said everyone must be tired of waiting, so he'll treat us to afternoon tea while we wait." Luo Xuan signed the bill for Li Sishi, and then asked the staff to distribute it.
He clicked his tongue again as he spoke: "It's rare that I'm working with Leo, but it's a pity that Zhou Huichang missed out today, she didn't even come to deliver the food."
"Wow, I didn't realize you'd reached the level where you can work with Leo now?" Li Sishi laughed.
"I was just lucky. This order was originally taken by a senior colleague in the head office, but he suddenly fell ill and had to transfer it. Then, people in the company fought tooth and nail for it, and in the end, the big boss had to step in to calm things down. So, it ended up being a lucky break for me, a 'marginal person' who didn't participate in the competition..." Luo Xuan was quite surprised and delighted that he could still pick up a bargain while lying down.
Since work hasn't officially started yet, he might as well eat and chat at the same time.
But accidents always happen so suddenly. Luo Xuan hadn't even had a couple of sips of his iced lemon tea when he answered a phone call and almost spat it all out. "What did you say?! You suddenly feel unwell, so you can't come—what do you mean?!"
"Do you even know who we're working with this time?! Why didn't you say so earlier if you couldn't make it?! Now that it's at this last minute, where am I supposed to find someone to replace you?!" Luo Xuan angrily yelled into his cell phone.
“It seems this might not be a ‘last-minute emergency’,” Li Sishi said quietly after listening carefully.
"You mean..." Luo Xuan was still angry, but after being reminded, he quickly realized the suspicious point, "Someone was unhappy that I got this lucky break, so they deliberately waited for this moment to trip me up?"
“Very likely, otherwise how could it be such a coincidence?” Li Sishi had seen too many of these underhanded tactics in her past life, and immediately sneered, “Would a model waiting for an opportunity to rise to the top suddenly be willing to give up the chance to work with a rising star for no reason?”
“That’s right. Normally, with such a good opportunity, I would have to endure it until the filming was finished, no matter how uncomfortable I was!” Luo Xuan’s face darkened, and after a long silence, he turned and headed towards the lounge.
"Where are you going?" Li Sishi called out to him.
"Where else can we go? Go tell Leo's manager that no models are coming today and ask him to reschedule." Luo Xuan's face was dark at this moment.
Well, it all made his pretty face look a shade darker. "I guess I just didn't have that kind of luck."
“That’s not necessarily true—” Li Sishi slowly drew out her words, “Why not just find someone to replace you?”
Having known each other for some time, Luo Xuan quickly understood Li Sishi's meaning: "You mean..."
"I believe I am second to none," Li Sishi said with considerable confidence.
This rare display of confidence, even bordering on smugness, made Luo Xuan laugh: "Shooting a music video isn't as simple as you think. Sometimes you might look beautiful in everyday life, but you just don't look as good on camera..."
“Don’t worry, I’ve taken photos and videos before when I was in Annam, and the photographers all said I have a good sense of the camera…” Li Sishi knew what he was worried about, so she added a few more words.
This is absolutely not her bragging—in her past life, whether she was in the entertainment industry or socializing with wealthy women, there were often opportunities to take photos or videos. Back then, she was both excessively vain and naturally blessed with good looks, so no matter the time or style, she could always take beautiful photos. Even the notoriously unflattering Fruit Daily couldn't capture a single unflattering picture of her...
If it weren't for her truly ethereal beauty, she would inevitably have earned the reputation of "abusing her beauty to commit crimes."
"Besides, you probably don't want to just watch this great opportunity slip away, do you?" Li Sishi gently added the final straw.
Luo Xuan paused again, probably because he really couldn't bear to let this golden opportunity slip away. So he gritted his teeth and brought Li Sishi to his agent, Lei Jun.
"Lei Sheng, the backup model is here. I picked her out especially for you!" Luo Xuan pushed Li Sishi in front of him. "Look, isn't she both young and beautiful?"
“We do need younger talent this time, but too young or without filming experience won’t do…” Lei Jun was talking to his assistant when he heard this and looked up. His tone softened considerably. “Although the quality is good, we still need Leo to take a look. Only if he is satisfied will it be fine.”
"Leo, the new model has arrived. Take a look and see if he's suitable..."
"Is it really you? Why haven't you called me?"
Before Lei Jun could finish speaking, Ling Chen, who had been resting with his eyes closed on the folding chair, opened his eyes and looked at Li Sishi, speaking to her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
