Xia Weiliang was having a video call with her master, sitting upright in the living room, threading it taut as she fashioned umbrella ribs from bamboo.
"Master, you don't need to worry about me. My leg has been better for a long time… and it won't leave a scar. Even if it does, it's fine, it's my hero's medal!"
"Alas, this girl of yours is good in every way, but her heart is too big."
On the other end of the video, Uncle Qu had a tablet in front of him, sent by Xia Weiliang. Lang Yue had specifically come over to teach him how to video call.
"Meow!"
A meow caught her attention. Xia Weiliang put down her work and looked up sharply. "Xiao Hei?!"
Xiao Hei, the cat that had defeated all dogs, suddenly appeared at Uncle Qu's feet, rubbing against his leg, occasionally glancing this way.
"Master, how did this little guy end up with you?"
"That wooden house collapsed entirely, so it had nowhere to go, and I brought it back."
Uncle Qu's hands didn't stop as he skillfully worked, his head lowered. "But this little thing has only been here for two days and has already caused trouble for me."
"Did it get into a fight with someone else's dog again?"
"Li Dashu."
"Him?"
Upon mentioning him, Xia Weiliang felt a wave of dislike and immediately asked sternly, "Who won?"
Uncle Qu looked at her, suppressing a smile, and nudged his chin towards Xiao Hei at his feet.
"Hahaha…"
Xia Weiliang laughed heartily, "I'll buy Xiao Hei some canned fish to reward it later!" Remembering something, she quickly asked, "Did that guy give you any trouble?"
"He came a few times. He and his woman, with their child, blocked the door."
What the heck!
This infuriated Xia Weiliang!
They weren't this active when their daughter went missing, yet they came to demand justice just because the cat won a fight?
Where was their dignity?!
"Didn't you chase them away with a broom?"
Uncle Qu shook his head and nudged his chin towards Xiao Hei, who was lying at his feet. "It did."
Pfft!
Xia Weiliang gave him a thumbs-up.
Xiao Hei was the king!
"However, they probably won't be able to come anymore," Uncle Qu said. "A police car came yesterday and took both of them away for investigation."
"Because… Xiao Jinzi?"
She knew about netizens reporting it. Moreover, even if netizens hadn't reported it, given the popularity of "Courage," the police would naturally come to inquire.
Xia Weiliang continued making her umbrella. She hadn't expected that after just one episode, she would fall in love with this kind of handicraft; it was more stress-relieving than playing mobile games.
When it was time for dinner, the owner of the general store brought the food and even came to the camera to greet her. "Quick, take a look! Four dishes and one soup. I didn't skimp on your master!"
"Wow, the proprietress's cooking is so good, it's making my mouth water!"
"Come back again when you have time, and I'll have my Tie Zhu make you a table full of dishes!"
"Heh heh, thank you, boss and boss lady!"
After reminding her master a few more times, she finally cut off the video.
Soon, Ji Huan called again.
"You'll be resting at home during this period. I've hired a performance teacher for you."
"That's great! I'm really starting to mold. Who is the teacher? Do I know them?"
"A senior in the industry. You'll know when you meet them."
Ji Huan deliberately played coy.
"He knows about your leg injury, so he won't make things difficult for you. He'll be coming to your place personally this afternoon."
"Is there still such a thing as charity and warmth in the entertainment industry now?"
"Perhaps not in the past, but who told you your reputation is booming now."
Ji Huan was stating a fact, and indeed, a reality.
In the afternoon, Xia Weiliang finally met this teacher who was bringing warmth.
"Xi… Teacher Xi?"
Standing at the door was none other than the Film Emperor Xi En.
If Xiao Yi was half the entertainment industry, then Xi En, who had won the three major Film Emperor awards for television dramas, was the other half.
The entertainment industry also had a hierarchy: those who acted in stage plays looked down on those who filmed movies, and those who filmed movies looked down on those who filmed television dramas. Movie actors rarely condescended to appear in TV dramas, and TV drama actors had to squeeze into the film circle to reach higher stages. However, each had its drawbacks. The film circle had prestige, but in terms of traffic and earnings, it couldn't compare to television drama big shots.
As for the Film Emperor Xi En, like Xiao Yi, he was a perfect guarantee for viewership.
Any TV drama he participated in would have the strongest cast and crew, be praised for having the quality and pacing of a movie, boast an excellent script, and also earn him the title of Film Emperor. Sudan Novel Network.
If one had to say who could contend with Xiao Yi, it would undoubtedly be this Film Emperor.
Compared to movies, Xia Weiliang watched more TV dramas, and she hadn't missed a single one starring Xi En! She was even more enthusiastic about watching Xi En's dramas than Xiao Yi's movies; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call herself his fan!
The moment she saw Xi En, Xia Weiliang became like a little fan seeing her idol, so excited she couldn't speak!
Xi En had been in the industry longer than Xiao Yi. In his early thirties, he was a bit older than him.
However, his handsome appearance showed no age difference. Unlike his aloof characters in TV dramas, in private, he dressed casually, wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and had a refined, picturesque face.
"Xia Weiliang?" Xi En smiled at her. Although his gentle appearance made it easy to feel close, Xia Weiliang sensed a subtle sense of distance from him.
In fact, many celebrities in the entertainment industry were like this. They were naturally indifferent but forced themselves to integrate into their surroundings. Over time, this seemingly polite closeness, in reality, had erected an invisible wall.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Xia Weiliang quickly invited him in. "Teacher Xi, Xi, Xi! I didn't expect it to be you… Please come in!"
"Yes, I didn't expect it either." Xi En maintained his smile as he looked at her.
Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt his smile had become even more distant at this moment.
She went to make tea and brought it over. "Teacher Xi, you're so busy, I didn't expect you to come and guide my acting. I don't know how to thank you."
Xi En took a sip, his smile undiminished. "You don't need to feel burdened. The company assigned me, and I'm just executing it."
"That's truly… thank you for your trouble!" She stood up and bowed to him.
Xi En raised an eyebrow, his eyes seeming to lose focus, devoid of emotion, yet the smile on his face never faded.
"Then let's begin."
He didn't want to waste time, or perhaps, he actually disliked her?
This realization made Xia Weiliang feel a bit uncomfortable.
Xi En was a practitioner. Without any pleasantries, he entered the guidance phase.
He first asked her to perform a scene without props, acting as if she were being attacked by a monster.
Xia Weiliang began to perform based on her imagination and understanding. After only half a minute, she was stopped.
Xi En raised his handsome eyes, his light brown irises glancing at her nonchalantly. "Acting isn't about variety shows; it's not about being more exaggerated."
Suddenly, the corners of his lips curled, revealing a heartwarming smile. "Try again."
Xia Weiliang looked at him, her face flushing. She was diligently learning to act precisely because she didn't want to be labeled a variety show star, yet his understanding of variety shows seemed too superficial.