Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 40 Bai Mengyan's Acting Class

Meng Ziyi's eyes lit up, and a bright smile instantly bloomed on her face, showing no embarrassment at mistaking the person for a cleaner.

Instead, she strode over in her high heels and patted Bai Mengyan's arm affectionately: "Oh, so this is our newly signed junior sister?"

Jiang Ye was taken aback. What did that mean?
He hasn't decided yet whether or not to sign Meng Ziyi...

Does this mean Sister Meng has already implicitly acknowledged that she is a company employee?
She then turned to the girls next to her and said, "Cheer up! Do your best, and I'll treat you to a big meal later!"

"Huh?" A girl with dreadlocks immediately looked disappointed. "Old Meng, didn't you say a company invited us to audition? Why are we sweeping the floor now?"

Another short-haired girl chimed in with a sneer: "Exactly, coming all this way to work as a cleaner? That's ridiculous."

Meng Ziyi deftly tucked her long hair behind her ears and picked up a broom from the corner: "Enough nonsense, just consider this a preview of life on set."

She winked at Jiang Ye: "Our A-Ye is a future famous director. He's helping to tidy up the set now, and who knows, he might reserve a good role for you guys when he makes a big film later~"

"Meng Ziyi!" several girls cried out in unison.

"Hurry up," Meng Ziyi had already bent down to sweep the floor, "After you're done sweeping, Director Jiang will treat you to a Starbucks."

Bai Mengyan secretly observed from the side and was surprised to see that although she was wearing an expensive Miu Miu suit, she swept the floor without any hesitation and did not care that her hair was covered in dust.

Could this be the proprietress?
The boss's judgment isn't very good either...

"What are you standing there for?" Meng Ziyi suddenly leaned over, shoved a rag into her hand, and said in a light tone, "Junior sister, wipe it clean. This is the base of our future listed company!"

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone present to hear.

Although the girls scoffed, they reluctantly picked up the tools and got to work.

Jiang Ye seized the opportunity to encourage everyone: "Give it your all! When the company starts a new drama, I'll pull strings for you!"

"Junior, you'd better keep your word..."

"Director Jiang, we'll remember that..."

Thanks to everyone's efforts, the office was finally transformed.

"Thank you all for your hard work!" Jiang Ye clapped his hands. "To express my gratitude, I'll treat you all to barbecue!"

"Wow! The boss is so generous!" several girls cheered, and Meng Ziyi even gave an exaggerated curtsy, "Thank you so much, Your Majesty!"

Bai Mengyan stood at the edge of the crowd, her face still covered in sweat from cleaning, but her eyes were bright and sparkling.

She had just arrived in Yanjing and was full of curiosity about everything.

The barbecue restaurant wasn't far from the office. The group of us walked in in a large entourage and occupied the big round table at the very back.

The waitress was a young woman in her early twenties. She hurriedly brought them charcoal and ingredients, helped grill a few skewers of beef and chicken wings, and then was called away by other customers.

"Do you still have to do it yourself?" Bai Mengyan muttered softly, poking the meat on the grill with tongs. "Where we come from, the waiters grill it for us."

Her voice wasn't loud, but Jiang Ye keenly caught the meaning of her words.

His eyes lit up, and he turned to Bai Mengyan: "Would you like the waiter to help you grill it? That's easy."

Bai Mengyan blinked, looking completely bewildered: "Huh? He's so busy, would he be willing?"

Jiang Ye put down his chopsticks and leaned forward slightly: "Today I'll give you your first lesson. If you want to be an actor, you need to understand what acting is first." He beckoned Meng Ziyi and another girl closer and whispered a few words to them.

Meng Ziyi rolled her eyes, but a smile of excitement appeared on her lips: "You're so naughty!"

When the waiter came over with the vegetable platter again, Meng Ziyi suddenly raised her voice: "What will it take for you to break up with my boyfriend?"

The waiter's hand visibly trembled, and the vegetables almost fell onto the table.

She quickly put down the plate and pretended to tidy up the condiments on the table, but her ears were perked up.

Another girl immediately chimed in: "Why should I break up with him? Why don't you break up with him?"

The waitress's eyes lit up instantly. She subtly moved a step toward the table, picked up the tongs, and began to flip the meat on the grill.

Meng Ziyi sneered and tapped her fingers lightly on the table: "Just because I'm pregnant with his child."

"puff--"

A boy at the next table who was eavesdropping sprayed his drink out of his mouth and quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe it.

The waiter's hand froze in mid-air, his eyes wide open, and he even held his breath.

While other tables in the restaurant were calling for waiters, she seemed not to hear them, focusing intently on taking care of Jiang Ye's table's barbecue, her movements as gentle as if she were caring for a baby.

"You, you're lying!" another girl raised her voice in agreement. "He clearly told me he had a vasectomy!"

Even Jiang Ye almost choked on his own saliva.

Meng Ziyi kicked the girl hard under the table, giving her a look that she had gone too far.

The waitress had completely forgotten about her other duties. She not only diligently turned the grilled meat, but also thoughtfully cleaned the fruit platter and poured drinks for everyone, as if afraid of missing any part of the story.

"you……"

Bai Mengyan stared dumbfounded at the farce, then glanced at the completely captivated waiter, and whispered to Jiang Ye, "This actually works?"

Jiang Ye smiled and lowered his voice: "That's the power of acting. People are always curious about other people's stories, especially dramatic conflicts. A good actor not only needs to be able to act, but also needs to know how to use acting to influence reality."

The waiter was finally called away by the manager with great reluctance, turning back several times before leaving, clearly still thinking about the plot development.

"That's amazing!" Bai Mengyan exclaimed in surprise. "So acting isn't just for filming?"

Jiang Ye picked up a string of grilled shiitake mushrooms: "Performance is an innate human ability. Babies use crying to get attention, businessmen use enthusiasm to promote their products, and politicians use passionate speeches to garner votes."

"Essentially, it's all acting. The difference is that professional actors know better how to control this ability."

He took a bite of a shiitake mushroom and continued, "That waitress wasn't fooled by us; she was drawn in by the story. People always crave drama, which is why melodramas always have a market. A good actor needs to understand this human nature."

"But you have to be careful not to overdo it. Zhang Xuejie's comment about tubal ligation was a bit too much and could easily give you away. Good improvisation should be close to life but slightly more than life."

Bai Mengyan nodded thoughtfully, her eyes growing brighter: "So actors are actually studying human nature?"

“That’s right.” Jiang Ye smiled approvingly. “Technique can be trained, but understanding human nature is the key to distinguishing a good actor from an ordinary one. You did very well today, noticing the changes in the waiter’s reaction.”

Jiang Ye raised his drink glass: "Bai Mengyan, welcome to the world of acting. Remember, from today onwards, every person and everything you see could become material for your future performances."

(End of this chapter)