Uneasy daily life

Bai Ying said solemnly, "It took him about two months to complete his masterpiece, and he showed it to us with great enthusiasm. It was indeed a very beautiful doll, with excellent realism, detail, and flexibility. The troupe members praised it highly, and even the troupe leader said, 'Not bad, I'm looking forward to it.'"

Angelina cheered: "Hmm, that sounds like a good thing! Everyone's pretty united..."

Bai Ying nodded and said, "That's right, we're very united and ready to see the mouthpiece make a fool of itself."

Angelina: "?"

"For the first three days, the mouthpiece was proud and excited, carefully protecting the doll as if it were a pregnant wife, afraid of bumping it even slightly. On the fourth day, the mouthpiece began to ponder its masterpiece, and the more it looked at it, the more something seemed off. For half a month, the mouthpiece felt that there was something wrong with its masterpiece, and it kept muttering about its various shortcomings..."

Bai Ying exclaimed, "After a month, the mouthpiece finally erupted. It was a formal performance, and he was manipulating the puppets to dance on the stage, with the audience cheering enthusiastically. The irritated mouthpiece felt that the cheers were vulgar and stupid, so he abruptly interrupted the performance, rushed onto the stage from backstage, poured oil on his masterpiece, set it on fire, and laughed wildly in one go."

Angelina: "...Huh?"

Sakurajima Mai felt a little uneasy. How should she put it... Although she had assumed that the other person was definitely not normal, she didn't expect them to be this abnormal: "And then what happened?"

"Because the puppet made by the mouthpiece was so exquisite and realistic, the audience thought a madman was committing murder and called the police on the spot to arrest the mouthpiece. The police spent a whole day questioning, collecting information and reviewing the case, and only released him after confirming that he was just an idiot."

Bai Ying, shaking her head, loudly recited: "As soon as the mouthpiece returned to the troupe, everyone looked at him and laughed. A scoundrel shouted, 'Mouthpiece, your masterpiece is gone again?' He didn't answer, but said to the troupe leader, 'I'll do two more plays and be a stunt double again,' and took out the compensation money. Bai Yinghua deliberately shouted loudly, 'You must want to perform burning your masterpiece again!' The mouthpiece opened its eyes wide and said, 'How can you slander my art like this...' 'What art? I saw you burn your own masterpiece yesterday and were arrested by the police.' The mouthpiece then blushed, and the veins on its forehead bulged, arguing, 'Burning a stunt double isn't burning... art!... Can an artist's business be considered burning?' Then came a series of incomprehensible words, such as 'getting rid of the old and bringing in the new,' 'aesthetics,' which made everyone in the troupe burst into laughter: the troupe was filled with a joyful atmosphere."

In the distance, a voice from the mouthpiece responded loudly: "Get out of here! You're a guy even a cat can't beat!"

Bai Ying said while shoveling rice into her mouth, "Anyway, that's it. That guy misinterpreted the script, and the puppets used to act in this play bothered him. He just wanted to kill me while smashing the puppets; it's normal perfectionism. I prefer to call it 'the unattainable is always alluring, but holding onto it feels too empty.'"

Angelina seriously considered the issue of buying a return ticket.

"He truly has the spirit of a craftsman," Mai Sakurajima praised. "No wonder Mr. Mouthpiece can control the puppets to make such delicate movements. They can not only perform on stage, but also use the characteristics of puppets to express dynamic movements that some people cannot do. Simply using strings to pull puppets to perform is unheard of. It's so amazing that it's like a superpower."

Angelina: "Haha, yes, yes, it's amazing..."

“Miss Sakurajima,” the white figure said meaningfully, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If you have something to say, just say it.”

Mai Sakurajima clasped her hands together and laughed, "This is my honest opinion. Whether it's Mr. Puppet's singing, Mr. Mouth Tongue's manipulation of the puppets, or Mr. White's voice acting and performance, they have all broadened my horizons. The most obvious one is Mr. White's acting skills, which allow him to play multiple roles and switch between them seamlessly. He is truly amazing."

Bai Ying put away the lunchbox, casually pulled out a napkin, and demurely wiped the corner of her mouth: "Oh, no, no..."

Mai Sakurajima: "No need to be modest. As a fellow actress, I admire you very much."

Bai Ying frowned and said, "I'm asking what makes me so good."

"...?"

Mai Sakurajima felt she might have misunderstood some aspects of Chinese culture, so she patiently tolerated the nitpicking from the haters and seriously analyzed, "The most direct impression is the voice. He can portray voices of any age and type, especially in a natural, conversational manner. If you observe carefully, you can further appreciate Mr. Bai's acting skills, whether it's his body language or subtle facial expressions. Since it was just a simple rehearsal, and he didn't change into the corresponding costumes to give a first impression, you have to look closely to notice..."

"Hmm."

Bai Ying was very satisfied.

Mai Sakurajima clapped her hands lightly and smiled, "So, is your play still missing any supporting actors? I'd like to give it a try."

Bai Ying stroked her chin, somewhat disdainfully saying, "Drama and filmmaking are not the same thing... Why should I let you participate? Give me a reason that can convince me."

"I'm a somewhat famous celebrity, so I can bring some popularity with me, right?"

"We're just preparing a roadshow. We don't intend to make money or gain fame. It's no use if you can get the whole world to come and see it."

"Is there a performance fee required?"

"Huh? You're insulting art! You really are a spy in the dark entertainment industry!"

Where did you come from, Master Chef...?

Although he's a weird hater, if you remove the adjectives, he's still a hater at heart. From that perspective?

Mai Sakurajima sincerely said, "If I am lacking in any way, you can criticize me harshly. If I still fail to meet Mr. Shiro's standards in the end, I can accept the result of failure."

"It seems you do have a diligent and ambitious heart. If I were to simply deny it, it would seem unreasonable of me."

Bai Ying said seriously, "Then let me give you some pointers. If you meet the standards, it's not impossible for me to give you a role."

As expected of a hater—offering advice? He probably wants to give pointers.

Mai Sakurajima replied with a smile, "Then thank you, Mr. Shiro."

The white-clad figure, arrogant and with the air of a big shot, said: "Hmm, I'll go to the street later to check your quality and see if there's anything lacking."

"Speaking of which, Mr. Bai was playing games yesterday and rehearsing today..." Mai Sakurajima asked, remembering the crew still waiting in the wings, "Have you finished your script? I'd like to take a look at my part first, prepare in advance, and maybe use it as an assessment question, how about that?"

Bai Ying: "The writing went very smoothly, with a constant flow of inspiration, the pen moving like dragons and snakes, every word a gem. It's as if the ancient sages have possessed me, surpassing all my contemporaries. The script is undoubtedly a classic that will leave a lasting mark. But I need to think carefully about your role. No rush, no rush."

Mai Sakurajima: "...?"

There's a subtle contradiction in it—it's so far-fetched that I don't quite believe it, yet its absurdity makes me believe it completely.

Angelina kept her head down and ate silently, trying to make herself invisible.

Putting aside the fact that the betrayal of the superior has been discovered, given the current situation of haters versus celebrities, it's really best to remain silent...

Yesterday, I followed my superior the whole time, and apart from touching a little bit of the script on set, I didn't see him touch a pen at all.

Ok……

The officer must have been working hard all night writing the script!

Chapter 122 You're Heartless, Shameless, and Unreasonable

As a mother, I have failed.

She wanted her two daughters to have a strong will and a successful start in life, but she herself became the biggest obstacle to their becoming strong.

It's quite absurd when you think about it. The father believes he can't inherit the family business, but he insists on doing so. He believes his two daughters can inherit the family business, but they don't want to, and even Yukino, who has expressed her willingness, is now wavering.

If you fail, then you must face the failure and take responsibility for it.

I sorted out my emotions last night, and now I need to open my eyes and face reality.

"Yang Nai probably doesn't want to see me. I'm not sure if I can have a calm conversation with her. You should go and ask her first."

Under the snow, the mother gives orders.

No, the teacher's phone last night... Bai Ying and Zhong Nushen were definitely listening on the other end. Zhong Nushen must have understood the whole story. Perhaps she really didn't want to see Da Nushen, but it's hard to say what her feelings were behind that reluctance.

Yukinoshita's father asked, "Wife, are you sure Haruno doesn't want to see you?"

Yukinoshita's mother frowned, somewhat doubting her husband's logical thinking. Wasn't Haruno's emotion intense enough last night? If she went to see her now, it would most likely result in setting off a bomb, wouldn't it? Why don't you go and scout ahead first?

“No, what I mean is…” Yukinoshita’s father muttered softly, “Is the daughter your wife thinks of really the same as you think?”

I've been fooled by the goddess in the Chinese drama since I was a child.

"That's true. No amount of guessing or understanding can compare to being face-to-face."

Yukinoshita's mother was taking out her phone when Yukinoshita's father gestured for her to wait. He then took out his phone and made a call: "Hmm... She's coming over... Teacher, is Haruno still here? If she is, that's good... Where are you? Oh... Okay... We'll be there right away, in about ten minutes."

Yukinoshita's father hung up the phone and reported, "Yono is drinking at a shop on the east side of the street, and Ms. Hiratsuka is still watching her."

drink wine……

Yukinoshita's mother frowned and let out a heavy sigh: "Let's go."

"Yes!"

After considering it for a moment, Yukinoshita's father decided it was best not to tell the Great Goddess that Haruno knew about their conversation the night before.

Some things can never be as good as hearing them over a phone as they can be face-to-face. Rather than worrying that the two goddesses might suddenly start arguing, he was actually more worried that the goddess in the middle would avoid the conversation.

The goddess has now admitted defeat and will face it directly. If it turns into a cat-and-mouse game, the problem will be dragged on.

Hopefully, the goddess won't run away, and we can have a proper talk.

Yukinoshita's father accompanied his wife to the private room at the target location and immediately saw Hiratsuka Shizuka on the sofa, holding Yukinoshita Haruno in a grappling position.

Judging from the surrounding traces, it was probably after that phone call that Yukinoshita realized she had been betrayed by her drinking buddies and tried to escape but failed.

Yukinoshita's father: "..."

Yukinoshita's mother: "..."

"Oh? You two are here. I'll be going now."

Hiratsuka Shizuka wasn't in good spirits either. After finally completing her task, she quickly released Yukinoshita Haruno and got up to leave.

Yukinoshita Haruno grabbed Hiratsuka Shizuka in a bear hug from behind, slurring her words, "Haha... Why are you running? You won't let me run, hiccup~ Why are you running?"

"Hey! Stop struggling, stop pretending to be drunk. Your mom's blocking the door. Unless you're capable of knocking her down and running out!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka rolled her eyes and silenced the other party's stubborn resistance with a single sentence.

That damn bastard! That damn bastard! So he gave Xiaojing this kind of task, huh?! That makes sense, those two are in cahoots, he figured he'd end up drinking with Xiaojing anyway!

Yukinoshita had a headache, and she couldn't figure out if it was the current situation or the hangover that was causing her headache.

Ugh... This is so annoying, what am I supposed to say?

Hahaha, it was just a misunderstanding! Let's make up, mother and daughter then—ugh!

I'll never forgive you in this lifetime, get out—hiss!

Damn it! The old man knows he's wrong, so hurry up and give me a lot of gold coins, and don't bother with me anymore—crazy!

"Aunt Jing, Dad, get out, get out! You just want me to talk to her, okay? I'll talk to her, alright! That damned bastard!"

Yukino waved her hand irritably.

Hiratsuka Shizuka and Yukinoshita's father immediately left the private room, closing the door behind them.

Quiet.

Yukino Yukinoshita rolled over, intending to straighten her disheveled clothes, but then changed her mind and sat down instead. She picked up the half-empty bottle of liquor on the table—might as well gulp it down and pretend to be drunk…

"lay down!"

A sharp shout.

Seeing the anger on her mother's face, Yukinoshita was a little confused, and replied with increasing irritation, "I said you still want to control me—"

Yukinoshita's mother walked up with a cold face and swept her hand forcefully across the table.

Empty bottles and jars, leftover bowls and plates from breakfast, all crashed to the ground, many shattering into pieces.

Rude, violent, inexplicable...

Yukino was even more bewildered, and subconsciously glanced at the sleeves of the other's kimono that were stained with sake and some oil—it was a bit of a shock to her. From childhood to adulthood, when the other was angry, she would only smile and give a warning, and she always maintained a very good appearance and manners, dignified and elegant...

A hand reached out and snatched the bottle from Yukinoshita Haruno's hand, tossing it aside.

Yukinoshita's mother sat down, looked at her somewhat dazed daughter, and said with a stern face, "Now, let's talk about my failure."

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita was a little speechless. Wasn't that a bit off? The way you're trying to talk about your failures sounds like you're judging me!

"In my eyes, Haruno is someone even more capable than I was at the same age. She inherited her husband's shrewdness and my diligence. She has no problems in either her studies or her interpersonal skills. In addition, given Yukino's lack of ambition, Haruno is the one who will inherit the Yukinoshita family in the future. She has no objection to the family's work. This was my impression of you a month ago, and it was a completely wrong impression."

Yukino's mother slowly said, "The real Haruno was just someone who learned to pretend early on because she was too domineering in my life. She catered to my demands and expectations and grew into the excellent child in my eyes. Every time you pretended, I was deceived, and you gave up on your choices—it was my mistake to let a child learn this skill."

“I had selfish motives regarding your education. I hoped you could do what I couldn’t. So when you deviated from my expectations, I would always take a strong questioning stance, even if I said I was giving you the right to choose. In reality, my actions were destroying your right to choose. That was my mistake.”

Yukino opened her mouth, listening expressionlessly... I know, I knew it last night.

“My educational approach stems from correcting your father’s actions back then. He was a delinquent youth with all sorts of vices, and I corrected his life. But the same method is not suitable for you. Because you have just begun your own life, external forces from me will only make your life go from normal to abnormal—that is my mistake.”

I understand now. I know it's not that you're heartless, greedy, or family-first; it's just your past life experiences... It's so annoying. Why do people have to be so complicated? You be the ruthless patriarch, and I'll be the half-crippled, rebellious daughter of the family. That would be so simple, and we wouldn't have to worry about each other.

Yukino Yukinoshita sighed dejectedly: "So? What does Mother want to say?"

"I'm sorry, Yang Nai. The child did nothing wrong; it's the mother's fault."

Yukinoshita's mother said slowly, "You can ask whatever you want. You don't have to answer my questions, or even end the conversation here. But I must make the bottom line clear to you."

A bottom-line issue?

Yukinoshita raised her head irritably: "What else do you want to do..."

"Don't hurt yourself, don't indulge yourself, and if you have any difficulties, go to your father."

Under the snow, the mother's face was cold, but her eyes were glistening as she said in a deep voice, "This is the bottom line—you can disown me as your mother, you can pretend I don't exist, you can criticize my mistakes, you can never say a word to me for the rest of your life, you can do whatever you want... If you want me to ignore you, then you have to abide by these three rules, otherwise no matter what you say, I will take care of you."

"...Why...why...you..."

Yukinoshita opened her mouth, raised her hand to support her chin, and roared with a complicated expression, "You still have to tell me what to do—aren't you annoying?!"

Yukinoshita's mother took a deep breath, frowned, wiped away a few tears from the corner of her eyes, and said calmly, "I just don't have the habit of making the best of a bad situation."