Selena wasn't stupid, but it still took her a full half minute to realize what Feifei meant. Even then, she couldn't quite believe it. "W-which Mr. Qi?"
"That Mr. Qi."
"Y-you mean that Mr. Qi?"
"Who else could I mean?"
She finally believed it, but the whole thing felt surreal. She stammered, "Th-the script? The script that Mr. Qi gave us?"
"Yes, a movie script! I'm the director!" Feifei pointed to herself, then to Selena. "You're the leading lady! Thank you for bringing me the leading man, the music, and an entire film crew."
"I—I can't act. I've only had bit parts in a few TV shows." Selena felt completely unable to follow Feifei's train of thought.
"That's exactly the fresh, amateur feel we need! You have to tell Mr. Pingdong and the others that it's Mr. Qi's script." Seeing Selena still looking bewildered, Feifei added, "Selena, don't you feel like you can't find a direction for your future? Then look at it another way. If you really finish this film, you'll probably understand the protesting Losans: why they resorted to such extreme methods, and why they chose the wrong path."
Selena still looked lost, but she felt a certain strength in Feifei's bright eyes. Hesitantly, she said, "Th-then, I'll give it a try?"
"Give it a try. It's a low-budget film, so it won't take long."
Selena nodded, then seemed to remember something. She said, embarrassed, "...Xiao Qing's going to be really upset if she finds out."
Xiao Qing, of course, was the daughter of the Earl of Yongdi who was determined to become a proper actress. This young woman was a legitimate heir to an imperial earldom and a fourth-ring psyker, yet she'd gone to the Alliance as casually as could be to pursue her acting dream. And,