Oh No, My Tail Has Been Seen! - Chapter 28
Chapter 28: You Both Have to Work Hard
The final farewell came quickly. After a round of interviews, everyone gathered on the lawn for a group photo, officially ending the group filming.
Su Miao’s foot was still swollen, but Bai Jin had Xu Qingqing bring a wheelchair so she could comfortably film the whole morning.
“Are you tired, Sister Su Miao?” The midday sun was scorching. Xu Qingqing was pushing Su Miao’s wheelchair and wondering how she could free up a hand to hold an umbrella for her.
“No, I’ve been sitting the whole time.” Su Miao closed her eyes and felt the sunlight. As a mermaid, she actually yearned for the sun. After all, she had grown up in the cold seawater, and her teachers often spoke of the dangers of the human world, so they were too afraid to surface.
But luckily, her parents had lived in the human world for a long time, so they brought her to live on land early on, and she was able to feel the warmth of the sun.
Xu Qingqing saw Su Miao tilting her head back and didn’t look like she was afraid of the sun, so she didn’t mention holding an umbrella.
“First, we’ll go to the hospital for a check-up, then get your hair dyed black. You’ll be joining the crew tomorrow,” Bai Jin said, looking at the schedule and making arrangements for Su Miao. “We’ll have to work hard tonight and catch the 9 p.m. flight. I’ve already booked a hotel next to the film set. We’ll go straight to the hotel when we land.”
Su Miao looked at her hair. She was born with golden hair that sparkled in the sun. She had dyed her hair black when she was in a human school. Later, in college, people didn’t care much about hair color, so she didn’t continue dyeing it, and it gradually returned to its golden color.
“Okay.” She wasn’t that attached to her hair. This was what she had to do to portray the character well, and it was her commitment as an actress.
The day’s schedule was all planned by Bai Jin. First, they went to the hospital.
As a newcomer to the entertainment industry, and having never played a supporting role before, Su Miao had no fame to speak of.
However, her looks were the best trademark.
As Xu Qingqing pushed Su Miao forward, she felt many eyes on her.
She had also been an assistant to a big star before, and the attention they received was about the same as now.
The difference was that if it were a big star, fans might rush over for an autograph. But since Su Miao was a newcomer, the onlookers quietly observed, perhaps wondering which new talent she was, looking so beautiful.
She looked down at Su Miao. Her eyes were open now, and she faced everyone’s gazes with a calm composure. She had no expression on her face, but she looked relaxed, not affected by the attention at all.
It was as if she was used to it, with an air of “unaffected by favor or disgrace.”
If she were a great beauty like Su Miao, she would probably be carried away by all this attention, but being so vain wouldn’t suit the entertainment industry. She realized she wasn’t cut out to be a “beauty.”
“Alright, I’ll go check Sister Su Miao in. You two can wait here and watch the screen,” Xu Qingqing said, taking the registration screenshot from Su Miao and walking toward the nurse’s station.
Only Su Miao and Bai Jin were left, one in a wheelchair and the other sitting in a public seat.
Both of them were very pleasing to the eye, and many people were secretly watching them. Some even took pictures.
Bai Jin took two masks out of her pocket, one for Su Miao and one for herself.
Su Miao quietly took it and put it on obediently.
“That’s Manager Bai Jin, isn’t it?” A girl waiting for her number to be called recognized Bai Jin. She covered her mouth with her hand, her arm trembling slightly with excitement. Her wide eyes conveyed her surprise.
Bai Jin’s brow furrowed slightly, but she didn’t respond. She had noticed the girl when she sat down. She was wearing a school uniform and a ponytail, and she looked like a middle school student. Girls her age loved to worship things, and they were a significant part of the fan base.
“I noticed you as soon as you took off your mask. You’re so beautiful in person,” the student thought for a moment before continuing. “Even more beautiful than on camera.”
Su Miao was stunned. It sounded like Bai Jin was a big star, and she was even comparing her in-person looks to her on-camera looks.
The student didn’t give up when Bai Jin didn’t reply. She continued, “The first time I saw you was during An Yixin’s award acceptance speech. In that one shot, I found out that managers could also be this beautiful. You must be very capable to have managed a famous actress like An Yixin. From that moment on, I started studying your resume. You were a top student, always number one in your grade from middle school to high school. It’s a shame you didn’t take the college entrance exam. You are a truly excellent person, and I’ve always admired you.”
Su Miao understood now. This student was a complete fan of Bai Jin personally, not just an “extended” fan who liked the manager because of An Yixin.
She wondered when she would have such a simple and pure fan.
And she was so direct in expressing her admiration to Bai Jin, something she wouldn’t have dared to do at that age.
She suddenly looked at Bai Jin, curious about how she would react to such a young fan.
After all, she couldn’t crush the girl’s sincerity.
“What’s your name?” Bai Jin suddenly asked.
Being asked her name by her idol, the student’s face immediately lit up. “Jiang Rong. You can just call me A’Rong.”
“A’Rong,” Bai Jin’s voice softened. “I want to ask you a question. What has liking me brought you?”
After being called out, Jiang Rong sat up straight, tilting her ear slightly toward Bai Jin, wanting to hear every word and remember it in her heart.
If it weren’t rude to play on her phone in front of her idol, she would even want to record their conversation to treasure it later.
Hearing Bai Jin’s words, she immediately turned around, unzipped her backpack, and took out several test papers, unfolding the first page to show Bai Jin. “Sister Bai Jin, you are my direction. I want to be like you and get first place in every stage. I was stable in my first and second years of middle school, but in my third year, my grades have been a little unstable. I’ve been working hard, but I still feel like I’m not strong enough. I’ve lost my top spot a few times.”
Her eyes dimmed a little, and she lowered her head.
Bai Jin took her test papers, looked at them carefully, and then folded them neatly before handing them back to her.
“You’ve already done very well. You don’t have to feel bad about a temporary setback,” Bai Jin said earnestly. “I’m not an idol. I don’t know how to bring you positive energy. But if you can draw energy from me to work hard and fight, that’s my honor. Being number one in your grade isn’t the most important thing. What’s important is your perseverance. I believe that if you’ve been number one for so long, you must have some talent. And with your perseverance, you can succeed in what you want to do.”
Bai Jin was doing what a teacher should do, encouraging the student to believe in herself.
Besides Jiang Rong, Su Miao also listened humbly. On one hand, Bai Jin’s voice was so pleasant when she spoke in this tone. On the other, she loved listening to Bai Jin’s advice; it was always so reasonable and insightful.
Jiang Rong was clearly a good student who listened well. She nodded in agreement after hearing Bai Jin’s words, a satisfied smile on her face. “Thank you, Sister Bai Jin. I can definitely do it. I hope one day I can work hard and do the same job as you.”
Bai Jin frowned slightly. “A manager?”
Bai Jin’s guess seemed to be correct because the next moment, Jiang Rong nodded vigorously. “Yes, I also want to be a successful manager, plan for my artists, and watch them perform on beautiful stages. And… and also know a lot of behind-the-scenes gossip.”
She said the last part very carefully, as if asking if it was okay to say that.
She wasn’t that young anymore. Middle school was a period of rebellion and also the time when one’s personality was easily shaped. The curiosity about celebrities was more prominent than at other ages.
This should be a child’s innocent remark. Bai Jin rubbed her temples after hearing it. “Aim to be your own goal, not to become me. If you can discover what you truly love and fight for it, I’ll be happy for you, too.”
The entertainment industry was not as simple as she thought.
There were so many artists here. Some shone brightly for a moment and then disappeared. Some tried their best but still couldn’t get recognition. So here, it’s not just about hard work; luck and talent are also very important.
Once upon a time, Bai Jin had also been her goal, which was why she later worked so hard to get into the same high school as Bai Jin.
It was a key high school in the city.
She worked so hard during that time. Luckily, her grades didn’t fail her, and she eventually met Bai Jin on campus.
For some reason, she felt that this student was a little like her back then.
Jiang Rong nodded in response, half-understanding. She turned her back and took a notebook and a pen from her bag, handing them to Bai Jin. “Sister Bai Jin, can I have your autograph?”
Her eyes were bright, filled with anticipation.
But Bai Jin just shook her head, took her notebook, and put it back in her backpack. “I’m not a celebrity. My autograph is useless to you. But since you’re my little fan, I’ll leave a message for you.”
“Think clearly before you do anything, and never do anything you’ll regret.”
They were simple words, and Su Miao also silently remembered them.
Although Jiang Rong was a little disappointed by the rejection, she immediately took her notebook and wrote the sentence down.
“I’ll remember it,” she said. She was about to say more when the number caller rang, and a new number was called. She looked at the screen and saw her name.
She quickly packed her bag, stood up, and looked back at Bai Jin and Su Miao. “Sister Bai Jin, and… uh, pretty sister, you both have to work hard!”