Yan Ningke opened the digital script and memorized his two lines.
Shao Ke studied him without giving anything away.
Ever since getting into the car, this man had been perfectly calm, without a trace of surprise, as though this was exactly how things should be.
That made no sense.
Everyone knew that Young Master Shao had been exiled for years, and the house he lived in had been left behind by his parents.
But a luxury car should have been beyond his current means.
Anyone who knew anything about cars could tell from its interior that this one had been customized.
From the accessories to the supplies, everything was high-end and expensive.
Shao Ke frowned and asked with feigned casualness, "What do you think of this car?"
Yan Ningke looked up and glanced around, answering casually, "It's great."
The driver was skilled, too. He had barely felt a bump the entire way.
Shao Ke said, "That's it?"
"What else?"
Meeting Yan Ningke's uncomprehending gaze, Shao Ke fell silent.
If this was an act, even Shao Ke would feel he had been robbed if he didn't get an Oscar.
When they reached the film studios, cars weren't allowed past the entrance. Yan Ningke unzipped his backpack and placed the lunch box and insulated flask he had prepared on the little tray table.
"Have a few bites if you get hungry. There are sandwiches and barley water in there. I don't know what time I'll finish yet, so head home first if you get tired."
The way he fussed sounded like he was giving instructions to a child who didn't know any better.
Shao Ke: "..."
"Did you hear me?"
Shao Ke said coldly, "Get out."
Yan Ningke rolled his eyes with his back to him. No good deed went unpunished.
There were people everywhere. He found the phone number listed on the script and called it.
After he introduced himself, the person on the other end gave him a location and quickly hung up.
He could tell they were busy.
Before going inside, Yan Ningke turned back and waved at the car parked beneath a large tree.
He didn't bother wondering whether the person inside could see him.
He was pleased with himself, anyway.
"Yep! I really am such a polite, well-behaved boy!"
He puffed out his chest and strode inside.
In the car, the driver shook his head with a smile. "Mr. Yan really is an interesting person."
Ever since he had started working for Shao Ke, he had never seen anyone interact with him like this.
All around him were slander, mockery, empty pleasantries, and contempt.
Not a single person was willing to interact with Shao Ke normally.
Yan Ningke was sincere and at ease, neither avoiding his disability nor fearing it.
The way they interacted was less like an employer and employee and more like friends.
Shao Ke stared at the clear lunch box and black insulated flask on the table, his eyes pitch-black.
Who wanted to be friends with him!
Meanwhile, Yan Ningke had to ask several people before he found the production crew.
He stopped someone wearing a staff badge and asked with a smile, "Hello, I'm playing the newspaper seller..."
The young woman was so struck by his smile that she froze for a moment before looking through the call sheet in her hands.
"Yan Ningke?"
"That's right."
You didn't hit someone who greeted you with a smile. Yan Ningke knew that saying well. Over the years, only the truly bizarre types had refused to respond to it.
Most people reciprocated his friendly smile.
The young woman glanced at the sheet in her hands, then at the fair, clean-cut young man with his bright, sweet smile.
Wait, nobody said the newspaper seller was this handsome.
The question was, how had she never seen someone with such a lovely smile in the entertainment industry?
That was because all the roles the original owner of this body had played before required him to look ugly and filthy, leaving his actual appearance unrecognizable.
Yan Ningke felt his face going stiff from smiling. "Miss?"
"Ah! Go to the southwest corner first for makeup and wardrobe."
The young woman snapped out of it. Won over by his smile, she gave him directions in a soft, gentle voice.
Yan Ningke gave her another big smile. "Thank you!"
The young woman blushed a little. "You're welcome. Just doing my job."
"I'll be off, then. I'll let you get back to work."
Yan Ningke waved and jogged toward the southwest corner.
The young woman was still standing there in a daze.
"Lili, what are you doing? The director's calling you."
"Oh, oh! Coming!"
Yan Ningke was pretty, with rosy lips and white teeth. His eyes curved when he smiled, making him look sweet and well-behaved. He kept addressing everyone as "miss" and "sir," charming the makeup artist and wardrobe stylist into beaming smiles.
They not only took the initiative to find him clean clothes that fit, but also tried to make his makeup as un-ugly as possible.
"With looks like yours, you're bound to hit it big someday."
The makeup artist sighed in admiration.
Yan Ningke blinked and joked, "Then I'll take your word for it, miss. Once I'm famous, I'll definitely spend a fortune hiring you as my personal makeup artist. A big, fat salary!"
"Hahahaha!"
The makeup room instantly filled with laughter.
"All right, I'll be waiting."
Yan Ningke thumped his chest playfully. "You can count on it."
He excelled at finding fun in his work. After years out in the world, Yan Ningke had his own way of handling people.
A day passed whether you were happy or unhappy.
The same applied at work. Say a few nice things, offer a few more smiles, and everyone could get along happily while still getting the work done efficiently.
Several birds with one stone.
After saying goodbye to the makeup artists, Yan Ningke returned to where he had first arrived.
Filming was underway, and he spotted the girl he had asked for directions standing behind the director.
She seemed to have quite a bit of authority.
Watching on television was different from watching in person.
By the time a scene finished, Yan Ningke had developed a deep respect for acting as a profession.
With everyone watching, and possible noises coming from nearby, actors had to perform in that setting without letting anything distract them.
Most people really couldn't do that.
Yan Ningke suddenly understood the sense of conviction actors talked about.
It was incredible.
There was a reason they earned so much.
Having never ventured into this line of work before, he found it quite fun.
He followed the crew, running here one moment and somewhere else the next, watching the scenes in person.
All he needed was a handful of sunflower seeds.
"Want some?"
Ask and you shall receive.
A hand holding sunflower seeds reached toward him.
Yan Ningke accepted them instinctively. "Thanks."
He looked up. The other man had sharp brows, bright eyes, and short hair, giving him a cool, breezy look.
"What are you playing?"
Yan Ningke answered, "The newspaper seller."
The other man nodded.
"What about you?"
"The guy who beats you up."
Yan Ningke: "..."
The cool guy laughed at his reaction. "The thug who beats you up in the scene."
Yan Ningke understood at once.
With the unfamiliarity gone, he smiled and said, "Then remember to go easy on me later."
The cool guy raised an eyebrow. "Zhou Nanxing."
"Yan Ningke."
The two hid in a corner, cracking sunflower seeds and picking apart the plot.
Of course, Yan Ningke did most of the talking, while Zhou Nanxing merely nodded along.
Time passed bit by bit.
Soon it was time for lunch to be handed out.
Yan Ningke genuinely hadn't expected the production crew to be so considerate.
He got fed even without filming.
He actually found himself shamefully tempted.
Few scenes, meals provided, and he could watch the filming, too.
What a great job!
It was so, so much better than sitting in an office playing mind games with people, or standing under the blazing sun handing out flyers with a deferential smile!
The boxed lunch came with two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and a big chicken drumstick.
Yan Ningke and Zhou Nanxing sat in the shade, thoroughly enjoying their food.
"Are the benefits in your line of work really this good?"
Zhou Nanxing gnawed on his drumstick. "They're decent. Smaller productions don't have it this good."
Yan Ningke understood instantly. The difference between a big company and a little workshop.
"You think it's good because it's new to you. Two hundred per line, but there's no time limit. You wait around from morning till night, and if they don't get to your scene, you have to spend the next day hanging around here, too."
Zhou Nanxing said, "If you're not doing it for money or to make a living, though, it's all right."
Before you continue