Chapter 19 (1/2)

Se Cai shrugged Xu Ran’s

hostility off. “Director Bai, I know you have complete faith on Zhang Xin Yu’s

capability and she has a s.h.i.+ning track record, so you really don’t need me

there,” he pleaded.

“Listen to me, Se Cai. The time

is ticking and I won’t allow any mistake to happen. If let’s say today Xin Yu

slips up, we’ll be wasting another 20 minutes, do you have any idea how serious

that will be?”

Director Bai warned in an

uncharacteristically stern voice. Se Cai lowered his head in defeat. With script

in hand, he knocked on the dubbing studio’s door.

“Come in.”

Xin Yu said as she put down the

heavy <contemporary chinese=”” dictionary=””> she was reading.

Xin Yu stumbled across an

unfamiliar word in one of her scripts and she was researching its p.r.o.nunciation

in the dictionary.

The anchors we see on tv exudes

confidence and fluency in their language but that comes from intensive

behind-the-scene research.

Se Cai realized this had become

such a force of habit among the anchors that they would flip out their phone to

check an unfamiliar word in everyday life.

“It’s you?”

Xin Yu fixed a level gaze at Se

Cai as he walked in. She added coldly, “You left your hard-disc in here, take

it with you when you leave.”

She surrept.i.tiously kicked a bag

deeper into the shadows under her table.

Se Cai enhanced eye sight saw

that it was the bag he sat on that morning.

“It was really an accident what

happened this morning…”

Se Cai found himself explaining

again.

“Save your explanations. Give me

the script, I’ll call you when I’m done.”

The rebuff annoyed Se Cai.

He had tried multiple times to

offer explanation but she refused to listen, plus at the end of the day, he did

save her once, couldn’t they just call it even?

He was indignant but replied as calmly

as he could, “Do you think I wanted this? Not everyone is like Xu Ran, ready at

your beck and call. I’m here because Director Bai wants me to supervise you, to

make sure that you don’t do any mistakes.”

“You? Supervise me?”

Xin Yu spat contemptuously, “Your

Standard Chinese is barely presentable, I doubt you can pa.s.s the exam with B1

grade and he has you supervise me? You must be kidding.”

Xin Yu wasn’t just picking

fights for no reason, her expertise was acknowledged by the whole station.

Previous anchors tend to slur,

stutter or slip during tapings and they would have to conduct repeat takes to

compile a presentable reel. Xin Yu though was a consummate professional. Even

Manager Wei joked she could be doing it live.

“Even a broken clock gets the

time correct twice a day. Who can really say I will not be of any use. Plus

this news is going to the central station so can you hurry it up?”

Se Cai dropped his civility and threw

the script on her table. He pulled a chair and crossed his legs, making a show

of his impatience.

“Fine!”

Xin Yu’s temper flared in

response.

However, her professionalism quickly

took over. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Scanning the script, she

stood before the microphone ready to start.

“Be careful don’t get the names

wrong. Especially the commissioner’s. G.o.d knows he’s not someone our station

can slight.”

Se Cai added.

“The new commissioner? Do you

think I would perform rookie mistake like p.r.o.nouncing his surname as Jie?