Chapter 123: She Is Not Portraying This Role

She is also an actress, and she fully understands that if this script is interpreted with excellence, Yun Fu will instantly become a superb performer. No one will ever be able to claim that she lacks a signature role, and it is even possible that the reigning empress of the silver screen will be overshadowed by her. She cannot allow such a thing to occur.

Meanwhile, Qiu Fangfei from the crew of *You Are the Best Version of Yourself* did not secure the female lead and instead settled for the role of female second. She also refused to let Yun Fu complete this film to its full potential, so Yun Fu had to be brought down at all costs.

The script reading concluded, followed by the opening ceremony and the commencement of principal photography. The film’s director, Liu, had poured his entire heart into the project, ensuring perfection both in the screenplay and the cast.

“Little Fu, have you memorized the lines?” Qiao An held out Yun Fu’s thermos and watched as she lounged lazily in her chair, eyes closed and oblivious to the script. She could not resist asking once more.

Yun Fu offered a casual nod. She had committed every line to memory the day the script arrived, sparing her any cause for concern.

Qiao An, seeing her confidence, said nothing further and was about to inquire about the game advertisement shoot when a voice interrupted.

“Yun Fu Jie, Qiao An Jie.”

Yun Fu lifted her gaze, her flawless features catching the sunlight with renewed brilliance. The speaker, still a student at the film academy and blessed with clean features and gentle dimples, explained their purpose. “Should we run through the lines before we begin? We are about to start.”

Yun Fu was about to decline, but Qiao An intercepted her with a lazy nod of agreement.

Zhang Ting observed that Yun Fu needed no reference to the script; she matched every line with the precise emotional nuance required. Seated as she was, appearing every bit as indolent as before, the depth of her skill left him increasingly awed.

“Yun Fu Jie, you are truly remarkable. May I continue to learn from you in the future?”

Yun Fu’s head rested against the chair back, warm sunlight caressing her face. She raised a hand to shield her eyes and glanced toward Zhang Ting. His heart raced as though he stood before an examiner, far more nervous than any exam. Then she murmured a soft “Mm.”

Only then did his tension ease, replaced by wonder. Having entered the film academy with a fervent dream of acting, he revered every accomplished performer, and Yun Fu now stood among them.

On the other side, Qiu Fangfei watched Zhang Ting smile warmly at Yun Fu while she herself remained distant and cold. Her fingers clenched white against her knees.

“Hmph. Besides seducing men, what else is she capable of? When the cameras roll, she will merely be a lifeless prop.”

Moments later the director called for action. Yun Fu accepted the box from Yi Huansheng and passed it to Qiao An. “All departments ready. First scene—action!”

The moment the word fell, the set fell silent. Yun Fu’s aura shifted instantly. The once-arrogant, piercing gaze softened into something meek and trembling, as though she had become the timid Meng Chuqi of the script itself. Even Director Liu, who had witnessed her audition, could not suppress his astonishment. Yun Fu was a master of concealment, a killer who had mastered the art of blending into society through flawless appearances—whether as a gentle pregnant woman, an unremarkable man, a righteous hero, or any other role. These characters, though simple on paper, demanded absolute transformation.

She was no longer merely portraying Meng Chuqi; she *became* her. Lines flowed from her lips, and the audience saw the girl in the script through Yun Fu’s eyes: warm yet untouched by the world’s affection, kind yet perpetually betrayed, her quiet hopes shattered one by one until despair settled into her bones.

“Cut! That was brilliant!”

Director Liu’s praise rang out for her first scene. The pressure on the remaining actors intensified. Zhang Ting, having already rehearsed with her, fared well, yet Qiu Fangfei—once convinced that years of experience would guarantee her mastery—faltered repeatedly.

“What is the matter with you? As an experienced performer, do you not know what acting must avoid at all costs? Your own style is far too heavy-handed. Did you not see how the others performed? You are playing an envious girl, not a vicious woman who resents others!”

Pulled into comparison and belittled to insignificance, Qiu Fangfei burned with murderous intent. Yet she dared not challenge Director Liu and instead vented her fury on Yun Fu.

Yun Fu, now the unwilling scapegoat, reclined on the director’s specially provided lounge chair, basking contentedly in the sun like a lazy kitten. After repeated takes under Director Liu’s increasingly thunderous expression, she finally passed.

When her next scene arrived, the crew breathed a collective sigh of relief. The girl rose slowly toward the camera, lifting her head so that her eyes glistened with moisture and vulnerability. “Teacher, I truly did not dirty anyone’s notebook.”

This was the moment when Meng Chuqi was falsely accused by classmates and misunderstood by her teacher. Her despair was forged through layer upon layer of disappointment. Her voice lost the icy detachment of Qianxuan and the cool detachment of Yun Fu; it became soft, gentle, weak. In her flickering eyes reflected the shadows of others—grieved yet unbowed. This was Meng Chuqi’s world: a kind soul forever betrayed.

Director Liu nearly applauded outright. The performance was flawless, exactly the Meng Chuqi he had envisioned. Moreover, she drew the other actors into her orbit, a gift reserved for true masters of their craft.

After the scene, Director Liu felt only exhilaration. The crew moved with effortless grace, and the opposing actors showered her with praise. Yet she met every compliment with quiet dignity, a faint smile never leaving her lips.

In his heart Director Liu sighed with admiration: Given enough time, a place for Yun Fu would be carved out among the greats. He could not yet imagine how high she might rise.