They Didn't Fancy You

Jin Sha went off to make a phone call while Shen Qi listened to the director explain the music video's script.

The plot was simple.

Shen Qi had acted in plenty of productions by now, so he had no need to use the Magic Book.

At most, he would need to memorize the choreographer's moves and copy them as best he could.

The music video included a rap section, but it had already been recorded. All he had to do was lip-sync.

Once the director finished explaining the script, Shen Qi changed clothes and had his makeup done.

He also got a firsthand look at the "luxury setup" behind Jin Sha's team: a stylist, a makeup artist, and a hairstylist, all present and accounted for.

This little music video crew was better staffed than the entire My Own Swordsman production.

By the time he was ready, Jin Sha had brought over the producers.

There were... three of them!

Among them was Bi Xiaoshi, president of Capital Hu Die.

Bi Xiaoshi's original plan had been to use a different male model for each of the six music videos, giving them more visual variety.

Six models would cost more than one, but the company could afford it.

Jin Sha, however, insisted that the new model shoot another video.

Curious, they came over to have a look.

After all, Jin Sha was adamant that the new model appear with her in two music videos.

The moment Bi Xiaoshi saw him in person, he understood.

Jin Sha wasn't being willful. That face really did deserve another booking.

"Your surname?"

Bi Xiaoshi held out a hand to Shen Qi.

He was a renowned composer on the mainland, with works including "Blue Night, Blue Dream," "Tell You Softly," and "Heart Rain."

He had also served as music director for the Spring Festival Gala and as a judge for a national youth singing competition.

He had a commanding presence, and every gesture carried an authority that was impossible to ignore.

Shen Qi had grown much more confident since acquiring the Magic Book, but before someone of Bi Xiaoshi's stature, he still felt a little awkward.

"Shen... Shen Qi."

"Thank you for helping with Jin Sha's album. She's young and can be temperamental sometimes, so I hope you'll be patient with her."

Faced with such a courteous producer, Shen Qi naturally nodded along.

But he understood perfectly well: Bi Xiaoshi's words were gracious, yet he never stopped looking down from above.

That's how people in this business are, I guess.

"I'll do my best!"

Shen Qi didn't care much about Bi Xiaoshi's attitude, whether it was courteous or arrogant.

He was here to make money.

In the end, the second music video collaboration Jin Sha had hoped for fell through, just as expected.

Of course it did!

Seeing Jin Sha act as though she might pounce at any moment, Bi Xiaoshi only wanted to send Shen Qi on his way as soon as possible.

There was no chance he would arrange a second music video.

Throughout the shoot, Bi Xiaoshi kept watch, his eyes as wary as an old farmer guarding his vegetable patch.

It was understandable.

Capital Hu Die had only been founded the previous year. Bi Xiaoshi had been called in to take the helm, and he saw promise in Jin Sha. The company had poured considerable money and resources into her debut album.

If a scandal about "falling in love on set" broke before the album even came out,

all that investment would be down the drain!

The music video took two days to shoot.

Mainly because the director, Lin Jinhua, had high standards.

He wanted every shot to look beautiful.

Now and then, he also had to deal with the female lead's unreasonable requests for extra scenes.

With the mood already like this...

Shouldn't there be an innocent little kiss on the lips?

I promise I won't use tongue!

Fortunately, Lin Jinhua was a man of principle.

If a request didn't fit the music video's style, he refused it outright.

Aside from the two thousand yuan, Shen Qi's biggest gain from the shoot was meeting Lin Jinhua.

Nicknamed "Bullhead," the director was known in Taiwan's music scene as one of the "two eccentric talents," alongside Kuang Sheng.

Music videos were his specialty.

He had worked with many of the biggest names in Chinese-language music, including Jacky Cheung, Eason Chan, A-mei, Jolin Tsai, and Stefanie Sun.

"Interested in coming back to Taiwan with me to build your career?" Lin Jinhua asked.

"Uh..." Shen Qi scratched his head. "I'm not a professional model. I'm actually an actor, and I start on a new production on the twelfth of this month."

Go back with you to do what, become a full-time music video model?

A music video might pay several thousand yuan for two days' work, but audiences could tire of seeing the same face.

If Shen Qi played the male lead in every music video, the whole industry would become a mess.

It wasn't like Avi, where the same few male actors appeared over and over—and even then, some looked like Jay Chou or Old Man Bi.

Of course, Shen Qi wasn't opposed to appearing in music videos.

Little work, good money.

Besides, after playing Yin Zhiping, he needed a bright, handsome image to soften the negative impression.

Male leads in music videos were generally the bright, handsome type.

They got to interact with all kinds of female singers.

That would make it easy to dilute the negative impression.

As for whether those singers might be dragged down by association, Shen Qi didn't think it was that serious.

Even if people had strong feelings about him,

they would probably sympathize with the singers for having been "tainted" by him.

"I see. Well, if I have a music video I'd like you to shoot in the future..."

Lin Jinhua would have been lying if he said he wasn't disappointed.

But after thinking about it, he knew Shen Qi's answer was only natural.

With Shen Qi's looks and the acting ability he had shown on set, why would he settle for being a music video model?

"Absolutely. As long as we can work around my schedule, just call me."

That was exactly what Shen Qi had been waiting to hear.

Acting alone wasn't likely to make him big money anytime soon.

Not unless someone was willing to promote him.

But he had no intention of exhausting himself for a patron in public or paying a different price behind closed doors.

So the road ahead was bound to be rough.

Some actresses might even try to suppress him after failing to get what they wanted and turning their affection into resentment.

All the more reason to build connections elsewhere.

As Shen Qi packed up and left the music video set, Jin Sha's gaze lingered on him.

"Stop looking. You two aren't right for each other!"

Bi Xiaoshi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"We haven't even tried. How do you know we're not right for each other? He was born in '81, so we're about the same age. He went to university, and he's an actor..."

Jin Sha felt wronged. She had finally met someone who made her heart race.

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" Bi Xiaoshi said, his stomach aching with frustration. "He isn't interested in you at all. Outside of filming, when did he ever give you a proper look?"

"He's just shy. If I take the initiative..."

Jin Sha refused to concede.

"You'll only humiliate yourself. You're at a critical point in your career. Take this chance to make the album properly. Once you've made it in both acting and music..."

Bi Xiaoshi kept trying to reason with her.

"I know..."

Jin Sha wasn't completely blinded by love. She knew she would have her pick of men only after she became successful.

For now, she could only watch Shen Qi leave.

Her disappointment soon turned into motivation.

Work hard, become famous, and win him over!

She sincerely hoped Shen Qi's career would go well too. Otherwise, he might run out of options and end up in adult films, giving other women the benefit.

Once Shen Qi got his money, Jin Sha vanished from his thoughts.

He sent the money straight home.

The new school term was about to begin.

Without the money he sent, his younger sister's high school tuition would surely be overdue again.

For children from rural families, tuition was a hurdle. Parents scraped together whatever they could and borrowed from everyone they knew to pay it.

If they paid on time, they could breathe easy.

If they couldn't, the teachers would start demanding payment.

In front of the whole class, they would ask why you hadn't paid your tuition. What else could the answer be? Your family had no money!

That kind of humiliation was hard for a teenager to take in stride.

Shen Qi had endured it more than once.

He didn't want his sister to suffer as he had, unable to hold her head up under everyone's gaze.

After sending the money, Shen Qi remembered to call home.

Ever since the school fired him, his family had been his greatest worry.

If Shen Qi hadn't stopped him, his father would have gone to the education bureau to petition them. If it meant getting his son's job back, he was willing to smash his head against the bureau's entrance until he died.

There was no need!

The school wasn't the only one that wanted Shen Qi gone. Shen Qi wanted to be rid of the school too.

The wheels of fate hadn't budged, and one push had snapped the chain of his old life.

That meager salary could never carry the weight of his family's needs.