Oh No, My Tail Has Been Seen! - Chapter 42

Chapter 42

◎She Has No Way Out Now◎

Su Miao was a little happy. Not only was she playing the second female lead, but she also had a familiar friend on the crew.

However, Bai Jin had left early that morning for a prior engagement and would be gone for the next few days, so Su Miao was on her own.

With her previous experience on set, she knew she had to be cautious, as someone might be digging a hole for her to fall into.

Sure enough, the next day, she ran into a problem while getting her makeup done.

The makeup artist was also new to the crew. She used a foundation that was unsuitable for Su Miao’s skin tone. Su Miao’s skin was naturally fair and rosy, but the foundation, meant for yellow undertones, made her complexion look dull and a shade darker.

“Is there something wrong with this makeup?” Su Miao couldn’t help but ask. Although her superior facial features still shone through, the unflattering makeup was still noticeable.

The makeup artist seemed very nervous and quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, this was Director Xu’s idea. You’re just too beautiful, so…”

Was she being asked to tone down her looks?

Su Miao immediately understood. An Yutong felt that Su Miao would overshadow her as the lead, so she deliberately instructed the makeup artist to do a sloppy job.

However, makeup and styling were just supplementary in a show; acting was what truly mattered.

If Bai Jin were here, she probably wouldn’t stop them either.

This kind of “toning down” showed a person’s character and the other’s lack of confidence.

By acting magnanimous, Su Miao could win the audience’s favor.

“It’s alright. Please continue.”

“Huh?” The makeup artist’s eyes shifted, seemingly shocked by her reaction. She had expected to be reprimanded but was surprised that Su Miao would let it go so easily. Looking at Su Miao’s face, she felt a pang of reluctance to continue making her look unattractive.

In the end, Su Miao was not satisfied with the finished makeup, but she hoped that the people who wanted to make her look ugly would be.

She walked over to the set and found a seat. Just as she sat down, Xu Sheng came over.

“Senior sister, your makeup today is so different from what you usually do,” Xu Sheng said with a frown, as if she had just figured something out. “They went too far.”

With that, she stood up, intending to leave.

Su Miao reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Don’t be impulsive. I’m fine,” Su Miao said, pulling her back to her seat. “It’s just unflattering makeup. It won’t affect anything. Besides, I won’t look like this all the time.”

After the last time, Su Miao had learned that makeup was only temporary. Her face and her look were more important. She wanted the audience to remember the character she was portraying, not the makeup or styling.

Seeing Su Miao’s firm gaze, Xu Sheng couldn’t say anything more.

“I just feel like you’re getting the short end of the stick.”

Xu Sheng lowered her voice.

“This is nothing. I won’t lose out,” Su Miao comforted her. “If I can make the character stand out even with this look, that will show my true ability.”

Xu Sheng looked at Su Miao and suddenly chuckled. “Now you’re the one comforting me.”

Just as they were chatting, Director Xu clapped his hands to signal everyone to gather. Su Miao walked over and immediately noticed An Yutong in the crowd.

She was very beautiful, too.

Her fox-like eyes gave her a slightly aggressive beauty, and her silk pajamas added a touch of maturity.

Su Miao remembered that An Yutong wasn’t very old. Today’s styling was deliberately trying to make her look more mature and sexy.

“Everyone, this is our first scene. Get your energy up,” Director Xu said, looking at An Yutong and then at Su Miao. “The first scene is your interaction at home. You’re the spoiled younger sister who’s supposed to be doting on her older sister, but you have to get the right balance.”

Su Miao listened carefully and nodded. “Understood.”

Next, it was the director’s turn to talk to An Yutong. After their discussion, the first scene began.

Su Miao, playing Xia Anlin, was sitting at the dining table. Behind her, her sister Xia Wan, played by An Yutong, was putting on an apron.

“What do you want for breakfast today?” Xia Wan said dotingly, her hands behind her back, trying to tie the apron strings. For some reason, they were not cooperating today.

“I’ll help you,” Xia Anlin said with a smile, walking over to grab her sister’s fingers and pull the apron strings from her grasp.

As she tied the apron, her fingertips occasionally brushed against her sister’s silk pajamas. The soft, smooth feeling made Xia Anlin’s smile deepen.

Her movements were slow, as if deliberately prolonged. Only when a look of confusion appeared in Xia Wan’s eyes did she finally tie the apron strings.

“There you go, sister.” After tying the apron, Xia Anlin returned to her seat and obediently waited for breakfast.

“Cut!” Director Xu walked over and immediately gave Su Miao a thumbs-up. “Your expression was spot-on. You perfectly captured the feeling of being attached to your sister.”

Su Miao was a little embarrassed to be praised so directly in front of everyone.

“Thank you,” Su Miao responded politely.

Then the director looked at An Yutong and said, “When Su Miao was tying your apron just now, your expression should have shifted from waiting for her to an expression of confusion about why it was taking her so long, not impatience. You need to pay attention to that.”

An Yutong frowned slightly but nodded, saying, “I understand.”

Director Xu said, “Let’s do that take again.”

Su Miao adjusted her emotions. The makeup artist came over to touch up her makeup. Once she was ready, they started again.

This time, Su Miao’s performance was just as good. However, An Yutong’s emotional delivery was flat, and her eyes looked vacant.

The director called for a stop again.

“An Yutong, your emotions are still off,” Director Xu said, now a little anxious and directly calling out her name. “You should be showing affection for your younger sister, not looking at her like a stranger with no emotion.”

An Yutong was also a little annoyed. She clenched her fists but held back. “I understand, Director. I’ll do better this time.”

Director Xu was half-convinced but still had everyone prepare for another take.

In this third take, Su Miao once again performed perfectly. When the director called for a cut, he stared at the monitor in silence for a long time before finally saying, “That’s a wrap.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Su Miao looked at the director’s unhappy expression and wisely kept quiet.

Just then, Xu Qingqing came over to give her some water. Su Miao took a small sip.

An Yutong was surrounded by a group of people. Her assistant was giving her water and wiping her sweat, and the makeup artist was touching up her makeup.

“Sister Bai said to do your best with your own performance,” Xu Qingqing whispered. “She’ll handle everything else.”

Did Bai Jin not trust her, so she specifically sent Xu Qingqing to tell her that?

Su Miao felt a sense of peace settle over her.

After a few minutes of rest, they moved on to the next scene.

An Yutong changed her clothes and came back, but Su Miao didn’t.

Director Xu explained the scene to them as he had before, and only after he was sure they understood the key points did they start filming.

This time, Su Miao’s performance was still great, but An Yutong had issues again.

Director Xu walked over to An Yutong with a frown. “Why are your eyes still so vacant? Didn’t you get enough sleep last night?”

Having been called out by the director a few times, An Yutong’s face was even more grim. This time, she didn’t back down. “My eyes are the only problem, right? My lines and actions are correct. Why are your standards so high?”

“Your emotions have to match!” Director Xu said, his tone a little sharper, having grown tired of repeatedly bringing up the emotional issue. “Otherwise, your performance will be jarring. This isn’t a stage play.”

Su Miao realized the atmosphere was getting tense. Everyone was watching them.

“Where are my emotions not matching? Did I not smile at her just now?” An Yutong pointed at Su Miao. “You praise her so much, but I don’t see what’s so great about her.”

Now she was backed into a corner, and Su Miao was finally being used as an example.

“Uh, actually, I think… maybe An Yutong and I should go over the lines first,” Su Miao stepped forward and said. “It’s always better to practice the scene with your partner than to watch from the sidelines.”

Director Xu seemed to see a savior and immediately said, before An Yutong could speak, “Yes, you two go and get familiar with the script.”

Su Miao walked over to An Yutong and said, “Actually, I’m a little rusty on my lines, so I want to take some more time to review them.”

An Yutong looked at her with confusion. She could feel that Su Miao was giving her an easy way out. If she had kept arguing with the director, it would have created an even bigger scene, and she would have been labeled as having a “diva attitude,” which would be even more troublesome.

But why would Su Miao help her?

Didn’t she know that An Yutong had deliberately had her makeup toned down?

Su Miao didn’t wait for her to start practicing. She went to the side and buried her head in the script.

Since they had agreed to practice together, An Yutong couldn’t just leave Su Miao alone. So she walked over to Su Miao and also began to read the script.

“Let’s rehearse this scene,” An Yutong said, pointing to the part in the script that the director had been unhappy with.

Su Miao nodded and agreed.

Then, she watched An Yutong deliver her lines without any action. Her expression was completely in character, fully immersed in the story.

An Yutong was taken aback. Was so much dedication needed for a simple rehearsal?

Su Miao finished her lines, and it was An Yutong’s turn. But she was so absorbed in watching Su Miao that she didn’t respond.

Su Miao didn’t rush her and just waited quietly.

“Uh, sorry, I need to check the script again.”

An Yutong realized her mistake, lowered her head, and read her lines.

“No problem, take your time,” Su Miao said.

Su Miao took the opportunity to review her own lines again. Only when An Yutong gestured that she was ready did they begin to rehearse again.

They practiced a few more times, and only stopped when the director came over.

“Alright, let’s try one more take,” Director Xu said, a little helpless but still going over the scene with An Yutong one more time.