Chapter 252 - Additional Screen Time (1/2)

“Huh? Oh no, you’re fine.”

Bai Zhi snapped back to reality as she felt her cheeks burn, but it wasn’t because she was feeling bashful as her eyes remained ablaze, glaring at Meng Fan. “Fan, what did you do this time? Why do I feel like you’ve gotten more attractive!”

She then reached out and squeezed his face. “I don’t feel any plastic surgery! It’s like you look the same, but your entire person is much more attractive!”

“Sister Bai, your hands are so greasy!”

Meng Fan touched his face, feeling the oil slicked on him. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He was nervous after all, but not because he was scared of Bai Zhi discovering something; it was more instinctive. After all, Charm was a metaphysical attribute. Even if it was Bai Zhi facing him, he still felt strange. He couldn’t describe it, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling, either.

“What do you mean got more handsome? Has my attractiveness increased by several tiers so it’s like I used to be really ugly or something? Your little bro is charming. Is this your first time noticing?” Meng Fan bellowed with laughter. “Sister Bai, have you gone mad from rehearsing your voice demo?”

“No, wait!”

Bai Zhi was not easy to trick. She shook her head and continued analyzing Meng Fan’s face, rattling all the while. “You little brat, you must be hiding something from me! There’s a secret inside you, brat — and a big one, too!”

Meng Fan was officially scared by this, but managed to maintain a nonchalant expression. He knew that people would suspect him, but as long as he remains quiet, nobody would actually think twice. Hearing Bai Zhi, he instinctively lowered his head and leaned forward, smiling. “Sister Bai, why don’t you check if I have horns on my head?” He then turned around and stuck out his behind. “Maybe there’s a tail here, too?”

Bai Zhi was fuming by now as she reached out and smacked Meng Fan on the behind. “Alright, get outta here! I’ll find your secret eventually!” She laughed.

Meng Fan clutched his butt. “Sister Bai, you can say this kind of stuff to me, but don’t ever say it to another man. Otherwise, they will take advantage of you.”

“Get the h*ll out! You dare make fun of your older sister!”

Bai Zhi gave Meng Fan a glare and continued to eat. She was still pondering how Meng Fan got to be so attractive all of a sudden, even causing her to be stunned for an instant.

Meng Fan chuckled to himself and quickly changed the subject, asking Bai Zhi how the rehearsal for her individual performances was going.

“It’s alright, I’ve gotten a lot better thanks to Professor Di’s help. I also started rehearsing the collaboration clips as well so you won’t berate me for not keeping up.”

Bai Zhi didn’t eat everything and split a portion of the food with her staff. This kind of street food was delicious, but for female celebrities, it could only satisfy a temptation; she didn’t dare to eat more.

Su Qingcen had let herself go completely tonight and had eaten to her heart’s content, but afterwards, she will be desperately compensating for her actions with added fitness exercises and intensive skincare regimens.

After she finished, Bai Zhi took a break before starting her rehearsal with Meng Fan immediately.

From the scripts she had selected, Meng Fan could tell Bai Zhi admired Mrs. Ning Jing greatly. Both film clips she had asked Meng Fan to choose from had featured Mrs. Ning Jing, where she was domineering and seductive, gentle yet bitter… Bai Zhi highly respected Mrs. Ning Jing’s acting skills, as well as the complexities and contradictions embodied in her roles. These were aspects that Bai Zhi had been working towards in her television and film career.

Perhaps it was because most of the roles she’d played since entering the industry had been very uniform that crews contact her with an existing trope in mind. Bai Zhi’s range of roles had been very tightly restricted and she had only been able to make some breakthroughs in the last two years.

In a way, she had wanted to prove herself and broaden the range of roles she could take on by attending this show again.

With Mrs. Ning Jing’s Zhu Yu as a foundation, it would be very difficult to play the role of Da Yuer with the same standard. Evidently, Bai Zhi had been preparing for this role and, from the beginning, her proficiency in practice had shown Meng Fan how hard she was willing to work to understand the character’s personality.

“Don’t be like this!”

After Meng Fan was able to dissect the role and read the script, Bai Zhi had a breakdown halfway through. She reached out and punched him lightly, visibly upset yet entertained. “Can you be a bit more serious? Are you trying to make me die of laughter?”

Even the staff members standing to the side had been paralyzed with laughter from Meng Fan’s imitation of the Pao Xiao Emperor’s Hong Kong accent.

“Isn’t this a better outcome?” Meng Fan said.