Chapter 58: Teacher Ji's Mini-Class! (Monthly Votes Appreciated)

After a busy afternoon on set, Ji Yu wrapped up his work a little past five o'clock.

His scenes weren't particularly heavy in the early stages.

The beginning focused mostly on the feuds between the two major martial arts families and the imperial court, as well as the tangled love-hate relationship between the Third Young Master and Murong Qiudi.

His role would become much more prominent later on, so things were quite relaxing for him at the moment.

Since he finished early, Ji Yu didn't plan to head straight back to the hotel. Being right here in Hengdian and not doing side quests would be a terrible waste.

Still, he needed to put on a disguise. After all, big or small, he was considered a celebrity now.

After a simple disguise, he strolled out to look for some gigs.

Besides, extras didn't need makeup, and nobody would be staring closely at his face—he just needed to serve as a background prop.

Hengdian was filled almost entirely with historical drama crews, and scenes shot in the dead of night were either intense fight sequences or grand imperial banquets.

The extras needed were always thugs A, B, C, and D, or guards A, B, C, and D.

The quest rewards Ji Yu usually farmed were mostly combat and disguise skills.

Actually, Ji Yu really wanted to play a eunuch, as that could unlock voice-transformation skill rewards.

The better one's control over their voice, the more one's line delivery would improve as a consequence.

It was all connected by the same underlying principle.

At a little past nine in the evening, Ji Yu left the set after finishing his final role as a corpse.

When he returned to the hotel, he happened to run into the production crew coming back from the location.

Everyone looked exhausted and listless, but upon hearing the production manager announce that late-night snacks were available in the dining hall, they all burst into cheers again.

Ji Yu joined in the cheering as well—what great timing, he could freeload a midnight snack!

As Ji Yu was happily eating a plate of boiled dumplings, Jin Demao sat down opposite him.

Curious, Jin Demao asked, "Didn't you wrap up ages ago?"

"Wrapped up too early and missed out on dinner," Ji Yu joked in reply.

Jin Demao thought about it and realized it was true; Ji Yu had indeed left before dinner was served a little past five.

Still, it wasn't as if he couldn't afford a meal.

At that moment, Yu Feihong also scanned the dining hall with her plate in hand, eventually walking over to the table where Ji Yu and Jin Demao were sitting.

Ji Yu remembered that Yu Feihong was born in 1971.

In just over ten days, she would be turning thirty.

A thirty-year-old woman.

He glanced at Yu Feihong's face, which still had traces of makeup on it, and thought she looked quite young.

More like twenty-six or twenty-seven, rather than thirty.

However, there was an air of maturity about Yu Feihong, though he couldn't tell if it was due to her facial features.

Judging solely by her aura, she felt more like someone in her mid-thirties.

Ji Yu simply nodded to greet her and lowered his head to continue eating his dumplings.

Nothing beats dumplings for food, and nothing beats... well, he'd never had a sister-in-law, so he didn't know if they were fun or not.

Someone like Yu Feihong certainly carried the graceful charm and flavor of an elder brother's wife.

Too bad she was a professed single-dog.

As Ji Yu ate his piping-hot dumplings, he suddenly noticed a bouncy young woman darting around looking for a seat.

Her face was round and plump, and she was wearing a tender green costume, looking rather cute.

Curious, Ji Yu asked Jin Demao, "What's that actress's name?"

Jin Demao gave Ji Yu a knowing, half-mocking smile, then turned his head and called out directly, "Siyan, come sit over here!"

Huo Siyan trotted over immediately. After sitting down, she sweetly greeted the director, then turned to say hello to Yu Feihong, her tone tinged with a hint of flattery.

Smiling, Jin Demao said to her, "Siyan, he wants to get to know you. Introduce yourself."

Ji Yu instantly blushed furiously, and the dumplings in his mouth almost sprayed out.

Inwardly, he cursed the director for failing to act his age!

How could he betray him like that!

Besides, he was merely curious; he never said he wanted to get to know her!

Seeing Jin Demao's teasing expression and Ji Yu's embarrassment, Yu Feihong couldn't help bursting into laughter.

What a pair of characters!

Huo Siyan felt a bit awkward herself; the director was practically playing matchmaker.

Glancing at Ji Yu, she said somewhat shyly, "Hello, my name is Huo Siyan."

"Huo Siyan?" Ji Yu asked, somewhat surprised, as he hadn't recognized her at all just now.

He didn't remember Huo Siyan looking like this. Was she really this cute when she was young?

He looked her over carefully before saying, "I'm Ji Yu. Don't listen to the director's nonsense—I didn't mean anything by it, I just thought you looked quite familiar."

"Then you've probably seen a TV drama or a commercial I was in."

"Right, right, right! That jelly commercial!"

Ji Yu finally remembered. It was the Xizhilang Crystal Love commercial, the one where they imitated the bow-of-the-Titanic embrace!

The female lead in that commercial was none other than Huo Siyan!

Unable to help her laughter, Huo Siyan reached into her small handbag, fished out a piece of jelly, and handed it over.

"Here, have one on me."

She carried jelly around with her everywhere nowadays precisely so people would remember her.

That Xizhilang commercial had been quite successful, and a lot of people had seen it.

That jelly was her best calling card!

It also served as a quick icebreaker to shorten the distance between people.

Ji Yu took the jelly and glanced at her, suppressing a chuckle. She had a bit of scheming in her, didn't she?

Yet, she didn't seem as exaggerated as the gossip tabloids in the future would make her out to be.

She had some subtle ambitions, but she definitely didn't give off the vibe of a social butterfly.

Perhaps it was because she was still young.

Ever since meeting Fan Bingbing, Ji Yu had developed a different perspective on celebrities.

It was deeply unfair to judge their past selves through the lens of their future reputations.

Who hadn't been young once? Nobody was born a mistress or a socialite.

Huo Siyan smiled at him and lowered her head to eat her dumplings.

Only then did Ji Yu have time to settle scores with Jin Demao. Seeing the director's teasing grin, Ji Yu picked a dumpling straight out of his bowl.

"This is punishment for slandering me!"

Jin Demao was stunned, never expecting Ji Yu to be so childish—and so bold as to snatch food right out of his bowl.

Still, he wasn't about to get genuinely angry over this. He just glared and said, "Immature!"

With a smug expression, Ji Yu popped the dumpling into his mouth in one bite, pushed the piece of jelly across the table, and said, "Here, you can have this."

Jin Demao couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. He found Ji Yu quite amusing, and this kind of personality was genuinely endearing.

As Ji Yu continued eating his dumplings, he looked at the director with eager puppy-dog eyes and asked, "Can my scenes tomorrow be scheduled a little earlier?"

"A single piece of jelly and you think you can bribe me? In your dreams!" Jin Demao immediately shoved the jelly back.

Ji Yu turned to Huo Siyan and asked, "Lend me another piece of jelly, please? The director is way too greedy!"

Jin Demao: "......" Good grief! Was this really about the number of pieces of jelly?!

He looked between laughing and crying as Huo Siyan dazedly dug out yet another piece of jelly.

Why was this girl acting so dazed too? She was actually going to lend him one!

Jin Demao picked up his bowl and walked away, taking the two pieces of jelly from Ji Yu's hand with him as he went.

The bribe must be accepted, but the favor would absolutely not be granted!

Ji Yu shouted at his retreating back, "Director, are you going to do it or not?!"

"No! Stop dreaming!"

Jin Demao tossed the reply over his shoulder and quickened his pace. If he stayed around Ji Yu any longer, he felt like he was going to turn childish too.

Ji Yu scoffed at his back!

Their little playful interaction was witnessed by others in the dining hall, causing whispers of doubt to ripple through the room.

Ji Yu and the director were this close? No wonder he could parachute in and snatch up resources like that.

Noticing the reactions of the people around him, Ji Yu couldn't help humming a little tune.

If you don't have a backing, create your own backing!

Looking at Ji Yu with a measure of admiration, Huo Siyan thought to herself that this guy was really something!

Ji Yu gave her a smug look. *Little sister, watch and learn!*

Ji Yu finished his dumplings quickly, said goodbye to them, and was about to leave when Huo Siyan called him back.

She handed over another piece of jelly and said, "The director took yours, so have this one instead."

Ji Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. *The little sister learns fast.*

He reached out, took the jelly, and said, "Thanks. Let's grab a meal together sometime—Sister Hong, you should join too."

"I might not have time."

"Come on, if you don't come, how am I supposed to trick the director into treating us?"

Yu Feihong smiled in amusement, watching him with growing interest.

She nodded with a smile and said, "Alright, make sure you call me then."

"It's a deal then. I'm heading out, bye-bye."

Ji Yu waved his hand, clutched the jelly, and flashed away.