Huayu: The young actress is heavily dependent on me

In mid-July, the final grades were announced.

Chen Li received the highest score in the class for her final short film assignment.

Xu Xiaodan wrote eight words in her review: "Mature narrative and skillful directing."

To his surprise, the short film was selected by the School of Performing Arts to participate in the first College Student Micro Film Festival this year, and ultimately won the "Best Original Screenplay by College Students" award in the college competition unit.

With the recent announcement of Chen Li's project within the school, Chen Li has become incredibly popular at the Beijing Film Academy, and people are talking about her wherever she goes.

Because Chen Li's project falls under the "teaching experiment" category and is not open to external casting, many alumni of the Beijing Film Academy come to look for opportunities.

However, without a doubt, the male lead will be played by Chen Li himself.

He had already decided on the female lead.

That must be Tian Xiwei.

Judging by the timeline, she should be in her first year of high school, which is perfect for summer vacation. She doesn't need to ask for leave, so there's no problem with the timing.

He opened WeChat, found Tian Xiwei's profile picture—a cartoon cat holding a star—and sent her a message:

"Oda, are you free during summer vacation?"

Xiao Tian replied almost instantly: "I'm free! Brother Chen Li, what made you think of contacting me?"

Three hopping rabbit emojis followed.

Chen Li leaned against the headboard and typed:

"Do you remember what I said in Chongqing last time—when I make my own movies, I'll ask you to act in them?"

The dialog box displayed "The other party is typing" at the top, then paused for two seconds, and then started flashing again.

In the end, Oda only replied with two words: "I remember!!!"

Chen Li chuckled and continued typing: "I have a web series project in hand right now, a campus youth drama, the female lead hasn't been cast yet. Are you interested in giving it a try?"

This time, the silence on the other side lasted even longer than before.

Chen Li didn't urge him, and put his phone on his lap to wait.

About two minutes later, the screen lit up.

"Brother Chen Li, are you serious? You want me to play the female lead? Me? Tian Xiwei?"

"Don't lie to me."

Chen Li could almost picture a Chongqing girl jumping up from the sofa.

He replied with a voice message, his tone serious:

"I'm not kidding. The female lead is supposed to be a sixteen or seventeen-year-old high school student with a lively and cute personality. You're perfect for the role in every way."

"The filming will take place during summer vacation, so it won't interfere with your classes. Talk to your parents about it, and if they agree, you can come to Beijing anytime."

"Wait a minute! I'll go tell my mom!"

Chen Li put her phone on the bedside table and got up to pour herself a glass of water.

The most crucial factor is not whether Xiaotian is willing, but whether her parents are willing.

For underage artists to film, parental consent is the first hurdle; without parental signatures, the contract is meaningless.

About ten minutes later, the WeChat video call notification sounded suddenly.

He answered the phone, and a rosy face appeared on the screen.

Xiao Tian had probably just run a lap; sweat was beading on his forehead, but his eyes were bright and sparkling.

"Brother Chen Li!" she called out, then realized she was speaking too loudly and quickly lowered her voice.

"I told my parents! They agreed that I could film the drama as long as it didn't affect my studies."

"But there's one condition: my mom said she has to come to Beijing with me; I can't go alone."

"No problem." Chen Li replied almost without hesitation.

There was a moment of silence on Xiaotian's end, then her voice rang out again:

"When am I going to Beijing? What do I need to prepare? Are there many lines? Should I prepare in advance—"

Chen Li interrupted her with a smile: "Don't rush, I'll send you the script, you can read it first, and then we'll talk."

"Filming is scheduled for mid-July, so you have about two weeks to prepare. Don't bring too many clothes; the crew has provided them."

"Okay!" Xiaotian nodded vigorously, causing the phone camera to shake.

After hanging up the video call, Chen Li checked the box for the female lead on the preparation list.

In the blank remarks column next to him, he wrote four words: Xiaotian has been decided.

"Wow! That's awesome!"

The moment the video call ended, Tian Xiwei sprang up from the sofa, barefoot, hopping and shouting at the top of her lungs towards the kitchen:

"Mom—! I'm going to film a movie! The female lead! The female lead!"

"Weiwei, keep your voice down! The neighbors think we've been burgled."

Although Tian's mother complained, she was happy to see her daughter so happy.

"Put your shoes on! You're such a big girl, what kind of image do you have going barefoot?"

Tian Xiwei wouldn't listen to anything and rushed over to hug her mother's arm:

"Mom, you don't understand! Brother Chen Li is an exceptionally good person."

"You'll definitely like him when you meet him, I promise, you'll absolutely love him!"

"Alright, alright, don't get carried away. If your performance drops during these two months of filming, don't even think about leaving again."

"Absolutely! Definitely! Must be completed!" Tian Xiwei raised three fingers and swore to the heavens.

Tian's mother put the spatula back on the stove, wiped her hands with her apron, and looked back at her daughter.

Xiaotian had a bright smile on her face, her eyebrows were curved, and her cheeks were pink.

Why is this kid so happy?

Why do I have this feeling that this cabbage is about to be stolen?

Aunt Tian picked up the spatula again, poured some oil into the pan, and with a sizzle, the rising smoke obscured the thoughtful expression on her face.

Ever since my daughter came back from Chongqing, I've changed my phone wallpaper to that kid's picture.

The main reason I asked to accompany my daughter this time was because I was worried about her safety, and also because I was afraid that the young man named Chen Li might have ill intentions.

After all, I've heard that the entertainment industry is a murky and chaotic place...

"Eat your food! Calm down!"

Tian Xiwei jumped off the sofa, picked up her bowl and took a bite of rice. Suddenly, she thought of something, bit the tip of her chopsticks, and her ears slowly turned red.

Mom will be going to Beijing with me to meet Chen Li.

Does this count as meeting the parents ahead of time?

Pshaw, what are you thinking...?

……

"What?! I'm just a supporting actress?"

When Meng Ziyi heard that her role was Zhu Jinxiao, she immediately exploded.

After reading the script Chen Li handed her, she really liked it.

Besides, this is Chen Li's project, and she doesn't want to miss it.

This was their first time together...

She had already started fantasizing about Chen Li playing Tan Song, her playing Huang Chengzi, and then the scene of them sharing sweet moments on set.

And now you're telling me you're going to play the second female lead, and that you'll have to watch Chen Li act as a couple with someone else?

Besides, the female lead is a high school student??

Why don't you two just get married right now? I'll just watch from under the bed...

Feeling like she'd been NTR'd, Sister Meng stared at Chen Li with teary eyes, already feeling wronged, before Chen Li could even explain.

Chen Li wasn't surprised by Meng Jie's reaction.

After all, Sister Meng has a spoiled temperament, so it's inevitable that she would feel wronged in this kind of situation.

"Sister Meng, you know this role isn't really suitable for you; you're not the sweet girl type."

"But the second female lead is very suitable. That kind of gentle and academically gifted girl is easy to control. Forcing a transformation would be counterproductive."

Hearing this, Meng Ziyi became even more indignant and snorted coldly:

"Hmph! So your dear high school sister would be suitable?"

"Has she even acted before? She's barely grown any hair and she's already comparing herself to me!"

Chen Li silently handed over her phone and showed Meng Ziyi a photo of Tian Xiwei.

Seeing the girl smiling sweetly at the camera, Meng Ziyi fell silent.

Everyone has their own acting style; even a blind person can see that Xiao Tian is much more suitable than Meng Ziyi.

Damn it! Where did this brat come from?

Meng Ziyi gritted his teeth, feeling a sour taste in his mouth and a very unpleasant feeling, but he was clearly already wavering.