Is it hard to chase the school beauty?It doesn't matter, she still has roommates

The director, a middle-aged man in his forties, was frowning as he looked at the script in his hand. When he saw Xiao Ruoxi come in, he put down the script, his face expressionless, and went straight to the point.

"Ruoxi, your scenes are finished here. Thank you for your hard work. You don't need to come to the set anymore."

"Filming wrapped?"

Xiao Ruoxi was stunned, thinking she had misheard.

"Director, are you sure you're not mistaken? I saw on the call sheet that I have two more scenes to shoot today. And according to the script, my character is supposed to be the one who survives until the end..."

Although her role as the third female lead is not large, it is indeed a character who runs through the middle and later stages and has a complete storyline, so it is impossible for her to finish filming now.

A hint of embarrassment and helplessness flickered across the director's face. He sighed and spoke in a low voice.

"Ruoxi, I won't beat around the bush with you anymore. Your scenes... have been taken over."

"This is a requirement from above; you must be replaced and you can no longer stay in the production crew."

"Someone's already taken over? What are the requirements from above?"

Xiao Ruoxi was struck dumb, her face turning deathly pale instantly. She pressed for an answer.

"Why? Director, there has to be a reason, right? Did I do something wrong? I can fix it!"

Seeing her anxious and helpless appearance, the director felt a little sorry for her, but he still shook his head and lowered his voice even further.

"It's not a matter of whether you're good or not. It's that you... offended someone."

Someone has said that as long as you remain on set, he will refuse to film. Our entire crew can't afford to wait any longer, Ruoxi, do you understand? I have no choice.”

Having said all that, even if Xiao Ruoxi was naive, she would understand!
Who else could she have offended besides Chen Tianfeng, with whom she had a conflict in the parking lot yesterday?!

She had originally planned to take the opportunity to apologize to Chen Tianfeng when she arrived at the film set today, say a few kind words, and let yesterday's incident go.

But to her utter surprise, the other party was so domineering and ruthless that they didn't even give her a chance to apologize and directly used their connections to kick her out of the crew!
This ruined her precious opportunity to appear in such a big production, learn, and gain experience!

"Director... I... I know I was wrong. Can I go and apologize to Young Master Feng? Please, give me another chance!"

This role is really important to me...

Xiao Ruoxi's voice was choked with sobs as she pleaded desperately, tears welling up in her eyes.

The director waved his hand helplessly, turned away, and stopped looking at her.

"Go back, Ruoxi. This matter is settled and cannot be changed. The penalty for breach of contract will be deposited into your account as per the contract."

After saying that, the director picked up the script, pretended to continue working, and ignored her.

Xiao Ruoxi stood there blankly, watching the director's resolute back, her last glimmer of hope shattered.

Her legs buckled, and she slowly squatted down, burying her face in her knees. Unable to control herself any longer, her shoulders trembled violently, and she let out a suppressed and desperate sob.

All the grievances, resentment, and anger erupted completely at this moment.

I don't know how long I cried, but a security guard came over. His tone was polite enough, but it carried a cold, businesslike indifference.

"Miss Xiao, please pack your personal belongings and leave. This is a filming location, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed to linger."

Xiao Ruoxi raised her tear-filled face and recognized him as a security guard who was usually quite kind to her. She pleaded, choking back tears, as if grasping at the last straw.

"Brother Wang, please, I beg you, put in a good word for me, let me see the director one more time or see Young Master Feng... I can't lose this role..."

The security guard surnamed Wang looked troubled and sighed.

"Miss Xiao, please don't make things difficult for me. I'm just a gatekeeper. I can't do anything about what the higher-ups have said. You should... leave now."

The last glimmer of hope was completely extinguished.

Xiao Ruoxi felt utterly hopeless. She slowly stood up, hastily wiped away the tears on her face, and under the watchful eyes of the staff around her—some sympathetic, some gloating, and some indifferent—she packed her few personal belongings and left the film crew, which she had once been full of anticipation and enthusiasm, with resentment and desolation.

……

When I got back to the building where I was renting a room, it was still early, well before noon.

Qin Luo was leaning against the car smoking when he saw her return so early, with red and swollen eyes and a downcast expression. He couldn't help but feel strange and went up to ask her.

"Why are you back so early? Did you finish filming your scenes today?"

On her way back, Xiao Ruoxi forced herself to calm down and prepared her explanation.

She understood Qin Luo's personality; he seemed easygoing, but in reality, he was extremely protective of his own and used ruthless methods.

If he finds out that he was maliciously kicked out of the crew by Chen Tianfeng because of yesterday's parking lot incident, given his personality, he will definitely go and cause trouble for Chen Tianfeng.

Although she didn't know the specifics of Qin Luo's background and the extent of his power, she had heard of Chen Tianfeng's reputation as a "young master of Beijing's entertainment circle" and his family's intricate network of connections within the industry, which she considered an absolutely formidable force.

She didn't want Qin Luo to confront her directly because of her own issues, fearing he would suffer a loss.

So she forced a smile that looked as natural as possible to cover it up.

"Um... today... the crew changed the shooting schedule at the last minute, and all my scenes... were filmed in one go, so... we wrapped up early."

She dared not look Qin Luo in the eye, afraid that he would see through her disguise.

Qin Luo frowned slightly as he looked at her forced smile and shifty eyes, sensing that she was hiding something. However, seeing that she was unwilling to say more, he did not press her further.

"Since you're free this afternoon, shall we head to the recording studio now?"

Qin Luo stubbed out his cigarette and made the suggestion.

"Huh? Now?"

Xiao Ruoxi was stunned for a moment, not expecting it to happen so quickly. She had originally wanted to adjust her emotions.

"Okay, finish recording as soon as possible so you can feel at ease."

Qin Luo said.

Xiao Ruoxi thought about it and agreed. Using work to numb herself might temporarily help her forget the pain of being kicked out of the production team. So she nodded.

"Okay, I know a pretty professional recording studio nearby."

Led by Xiao Ruoxi, the two arrived at a professional music studio called "Fanyu" in Hengdian.

The interior design here is quite modern, and it's said that all the recording equipment inside is from top-tier imported brands, with sound quality reaching world-class standards. Of course, the rent isn't cheap either, costing 1,000 yuan per day.

After renting a recording studio, the two entered the professional recording facility. Soundproof glass separated the inside from the outside, leaving only them and the expensive equipment inside.

Qin Luo took out his phone and looked at the sheet music for "Ruo Qiu" that Ni Ruolan had sent him again.

Thanks to the system-rewarded [God-level Voice] and [Mastery of Music], he only needed to quickly browse through the song twice to grasp the melody, rhythm, and key emotional expressions of the entire song clearly in his mind. He put on his headphones, spoke into the microphone, and signaled to the recording engineer that he could begin.

As the intro began, the moment Qin Luo opened his mouth, his deep, magnetic, textured, and fully controlled voice immediately caught the eye of the recording engineer outside the soundproof glass! Whether it was pitch, breath control, or understanding and expression of the song's emotions, it was almost impeccable. After one take, it was as smooth as if he had practiced it hundreds of times.

In contrast, Xiao Ruoxi has a very good voice, clear and spirited, which is why Ni Ruolan is optimistic about her.

But this afternoon, she was completely out of sorts.

After the recording began, Xiao Ruoxi encountered a series of problems.

Either the song starts too late, or the singer suddenly goes off-key; even when the pitch is finally right, the breath control is insufficient, or the voice control in a certain high range is unstable, resulting in flaws.

Over the course of the afternoon, she made over a dozen mistakes and had to record countless takes. Even the sound engineer couldn't help but shake his head slightly, clearly dissatisfied with her performance.

Qin Luo took off his headphones, walked up to Xiao Ruoxi, and looked at her as she became increasingly anxious due to her repeated mistakes, and even her eyes began to redden again. He understood.

He reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable strength.

"Stop for a second. Ruoxi, your mind is not on this at all today; you can't concentrate at all."

Continuing to record like this is just a waste of time and tortures yourself.

He looked into her evasive eyes and continued speaking.

"That's all for today, we're done recording. Let's rest for the night, you can get yourself ready, and we'll talk again tomorrow."

Emerging from the soundproof recording studio, Xiao Ruoxi was still somewhat downcast.

She walked up to Qin Luo, head down, like a child who had done something wrong, her voice filled with guilt and a hint of hoarseness.

"I'm sorry, Qin Luo... I wasn't feeling well today, I wasted so much time, and I even made you rent the recording studio for another day..."

Seeing her like this, Qin Luo's doubts deepened.

With his hands in his pockets, his gaze calm yet insightful, he looked directly into Xiao Ruoxi's eyes and asked.

"Did something happen? You seemed a bit off since you came back from the film set."

Xiao Ruoxi's heart tightened suddenly, afraid that he would see through her.

She quickly raised her head, forcing a bright, even exaggerated smile onto her face. She even winked and made a playful peace sign with her hand, using a light and lively tone to cover it up.

"Oh, really, it's nothing! Maybe it's just...maybe it's just because you suddenly appeared next to me and watched me record, I was a little nervous! Yes, I was nervous! Do you know how scary you are when you have a serious face!"

She tried to get away with this joking manner.

Looking at her deliberately "relaxed" demeanor and her slightly stiff peace sign, Qin Luo knew that she must have something on her mind, something she didn't want to tell him.

He looked at her silently for a few seconds, and seeing that her eyes were darting away, he ultimately did not press her further.

"It's okay."

He said it casually, then turned around and started packing his things.

"Let's go and eat first."

……

That evening, the two grabbed a quick bite at a bustling roadside stall near Hengdian World Studios. During the meal, Xiao Ruoxi tried her best to maintain a cheerful facade, but the sadness and disappointment in her eyes were difficult to completely conceal.

After finishing their meal, the two parted ways.

Xiao Ruoxi returned alone to the simple guesthouse she rented, while Qin Luo went to an ordinary hotel that he had finally booked that morning.

Returning to that cramped room with only a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk, I closed the door, and all my pretense and strength crumbled at that moment.

Xiao Ruoxi leaned against the cold door and slowly slid down to sit on the floor. The humiliation, resentment, and grievances she had suffered on set during the day surged back into her heart like a tide.

She thought about how much effort she had put in to win the role of the third female lead, how many nights she had stayed up studying the script and trying to understand the character;
Thinking back to how she humbled herself and took the initiative to help with all sorts of things on set, always greeting everyone with a smile, she hoped to leave a good impression and learn as much as possible.
Thinking about the exposure and opportunities this role might bring... but now, everything has vanished, all because I offended that vindictive young master from Beijing's elite circles!

The more she thought about it, the sadder and more desperate she became. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and threw herself onto the relatively soft bed, burying her face in the pillow and bursting into loud sobs! Her cries echoed in the quiet little room, filled with helplessness and sorrow.

She didn't know how long she cried, until her voice was hoarse and her tears seemed to have dried up, before Xiao Ruoxi suddenly sat up in bed.

She forcefully wiped away the tears on her face, took a few deep breaths, and her chest was still sobbing from crying.

"No! I can't just give up like this! I can't leave Hengdian like this, leaving the place where my dream began!"

She roared defiantly at her invisible opponent in the air, a rekindled flame of defiance burning in her eyes.

She was unwilling to accept defeat! Even if it meant starting all over again from the very bottom, she would never give up!
Thinking of this, she felt as if she had regained her strength.

She picked up her phone, scrolled through her contacts, and found a phone number labeled "Ruyi Guild - Brother Huang".

These guilds are usually responsible for recruiting a large number of extras for film crews.

Xiao Ruoxi took a deep breath and dialed the number.

"Hello? Is this Brother Huang? Hello, this is Xiao Ruoxi."

Her voice still had a slight nasal tone from crying, but she tried to sound positive.

"Xiao Ruoxi?"

Brother Huang on the other end of the phone seemed somewhat surprised.

"Oh, I remember now, that little girl who used to play a few extra roles? What's up?"

"Brother Huang, I want to act."

Xiao Ruoxi's tone was firm.

"I'll take any role, whether it's an extra, a special guest, or even just a background character whose back is visible! Please give me a chance!"

Brother Huang paused for a moment on the other end, clearly surprised.

In his memory, Xiao Ruoxi was a very intelligent and ambitious girl. Why did she suddenly ask to play an extra?

He assumed the young man wanted to hone his acting skills and experience life, so he didn't think much of it and readily agreed.

"Sure! There's a period drama set in the Republican era that needs a group of extras tomorrow. The requirements aren't high, so you can come! Be at the guild at eight o'clock sharp in the morning, don't be late!"

Xiao Ruoxi was overjoyed upon hearing this, as if she had seen a ray of light in the darkness, and thanked him repeatedly.

"Thank you, Brother Huang! Thank you so much! I'll definitely be there on time! Thank you so much!"

The next morning, Xiao Ruoxi dressed up carefully, trying to look her best, and arrived early at the "Ruyi Guild" meeting point. Seeing Brother Huang arranging people, she quickly ran over, her face beaming. (End of Chapter)