The birth of an actor

Chapter 1 Actors? Even dogs wouldn't...

"Director He, this is the family that raises the most horses among the local herders."

In Chifeng, KSKTQ, amidst the boundless, breathtakingly beautiful green landscape of the Saihanba Grassland, two Toyota Prados, seemingly out of place in this scenery, were speeding across the grassland. Inside one of the vehicles, a middle-aged man with a slightly purplish complexion leaned forward slightly and spoke to He Xiuqiong, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

He Xiuqiong didn't say anything. At this moment, she was holding a camera and frantically pressing the shutter button on the more than one hundred galloping horses outside the window.

As she took the photos, a hint of amazement appeared in her eyes.

The scenery on the mainland is definitely better...

she said to herself.

In June, the Saihanba Grassland is as green as an emerald. The sky is a vibrant, multicolored blue, and just being there feels like being in paradise. Not to mention the galloping horses, which resemble black pearls scattered across the landscape.

This scenery... was definitely the right choice!
Just as I was feeling sentimental, the car suddenly slowed down.

The driver slowed down and rolled down the car window.

He Xiuqiong instinctively turned her head, her eyes suddenly flickering.

On the grassland outside the car window, two magnificent horses, one black and one red, galloped like the wind. Their coats were glossy and shimmered in the sunlight, making them appear exceptionally handsome. But what truly captivated her was not the horses themselves, but the people riding them.

Two shirtless young men, neither of whom looked very old.

The two boys were skilled riders. As their horses galloped, their bodies swayed with the movement of the horses. One had dark skin, while the other was somewhat fair-skinned.

Furthermore, their temperaments were quite different. The dark-skinned boy gave off a wild and free feeling, while the other, somewhat fair-skinned boy, seemed more sunny and clean.

He Xiuqiong focused most of her attention on sizing up the fair-skinned young man.

Looking at their identically muscular physiques, sunny dispositions, and strikingly handsome faces.

Her eyes lit up.

This child... is very pleasing to the eye.

As she looked around, she instinctively raised her camera.

Watching the boy galloping towards me, the line "Riding on the spring breeze, the horse's hooves are swift" inexplicably popped into my mind.

It just felt particularly fitting for the occasion and the people involved.

At this moment, the dark-skinned boy steed his horse to the side of the carriage and shouted a few words that He Xiuqiong couldn't quite understand. The purplish-red man sitting in the back responded a few times. The boy was taken aback, then nodded, pointed to the yurts in the distance and said something. He then turned to his companion and said something, followed by a strange "yahoo!" The red horse accelerated and galloped forward.

The fair-skinned young man, both amused and exasperated, politely nodded to the people in the car and then followed them.

"Trying to pull a trick, huh! Giddy up!"

The clatter of hooves, the galloping youth—a breathtaking sight.

He Xiuqiong's gaze practically followed the two people's backs as she listened, while simultaneously hearing the guide's voice behind them:
"Director He, the boy riding the red horse is named Na Shun, and he is the son of the horse owner, Batu."

"...What about the other child riding the black horse?"

"Uh……"

The guide paused, then shook his head:

"I'm not sure, but it should be Na Shun's classmate, right?"

"..."

He Xiuqiong nodded slightly, put down her camera for the moment, and her eyes brightened slightly.

……

In front of the yurt, a scoop of cold water splashed onto An Xin's back. The icy river water made him shiver violently. When he turned his head, he saw Na Shun grinning slyly at him.

Anxin rolled her eyes, pulled up her cowboy hat, and went straight to the entrance of the yurt, shouting to Batu, who was sitting inside smoking:
"Uncle, the director has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Batu, who was around 40 years old, put out his cigarette, got up, and walked out, smiling as he said to Anxin:

"Eat more meat at noon."

"Ah."

Anxin smiled and agreed, then stood to the side with Nashun, looking at the two Toyota cars in the distance, feeling a bit sentimental.

Back in 1996, mobile phones were still a rarity, and pagers weren't something everyone could afford. Most people who came to the grasslands drove Jeeps or motorcycles, but this guy drove a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

Tsk tsk.

As he sighed, he patted Na Shun on the shoulder:

"Come on, we have a guest. Go get dressed."

"okay."

The two walked towards the small Mongolian yurt next to them.

As they walked, Na Shun said:
"Don't worry, what kind of movie do you think they're filming? They need to rent so many horses, it must be a war movie, right? Like 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'?"

"Who knows."

Anxin casually uttered a sentence, but she knew exactly what was going on in her mind.

Princess Pearl.

My first mistake back then.

Batu was his father's comrade-in-arms, and the two had a particularly good relationship. When Anxin was very young, he would come here for a period of time almost every summer. In his previous life, during the summer after he finished his college entrance exams, he came to Uncle Batu's house and met the mature woman who is still sitting in the car now.

He Xiuqiong, Qiongyao's daughter-in-law.

Back then, I knew nothing, and when asked if I wanted to be an actor, I refused very decisively.

In fact, Anxin now understands why she refused back then. Although being a star is great, asking a high-achieving student who entered university at the age of 16 to become an actor is indeed a bit of an insult.

Even later, when "Princess Pearl" became a huge hit and he watched it on TV every day, he didn't realize what he had missed.

Many years later, when he saw an interview with He Xiuqiong, in which she talked about meeting a young man who was very suitable for the role of Ertai when renting horses during the pre-production of "Princess Pearl," he belatedly realized, speechless, that the person she was talking about seemed to be himself...

This is outrageous.

However, he had already graduated and settled down by then, so he just laughed it off in the face of the interview.

Besides, he missed out on far more things in his past life. Compared to those missed opportunities, "Princess Pearl" is nothing.

But now...

I used to look down on actors. Not even a dog would bother with them…

Yes! Absolutely!
Exactly word for word!

I'm just an actor. Forget about the lead actor's salary of 2000 yuan per episode. As long as I can save up my first pot of gold, I'll do it even if it's only 1,000 yuan!

While pondering this, he changed his clothes and went out with Na Shun.

The two cars were now parked, and the guests had obviously gotten out and entered the yurt. So Nashun went in first, followed by him, and they both entered the yurt together.

Anxin was stunned as soon as she entered.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Why is she here?

Looking at the girl whose face, though not yet fully grown, already hinted at unparalleled beauty, An Xin felt somewhat dazed.

In her previous life... was she there?
Why don't I remember this?

While he was staring blankly at the girl, he was unaware that the others had also seen him and Na Shun walk in.

There was no other way; the windows of the yurt were very small, and the only light during the day came from the doorway. With two grown men blocking the entrance, it was impossible for others not to notice.

Some people only glanced at it, while others stared at it intently.

From the moment An Xin entered, He Xiuqiong's eyes were fixed on him.

This boy... was clean-cut, sunny, and had striking yet natural features. That kind of aura, combined with the carefree and dashing youthful exuberance she felt when she saw him riding a horse shirtless in the car, instantly reminded her of "Ertai."

The boy possessed a natural beauty that completely captivated her attention.

Handsome young man!
Good seedling!
I'm really tempted!
As she observed and pondered, she also noticed that the boy was staring in one direction.

Following the direction An Xin was looking, she tilted her head slightly and immediately realized that the other person was looking at Fan Bing, the girl who had come with her this time.

She is also one of the candidates for "Princess Ziwei" in her heart.

A girl with outstanding physical appearance.

After understanding all of this, a thought inexplicably flashed through her mind.

He's just a little boy... still young.

However, this thought only flashed through her mind for a moment, because she heard Batu's introduction:

“My son, Na Shun. My nephew, An Xin.”

The men from the grasslands didn't offer any particularly polite words. After introducing the two younger relatives, Anxin and Nashun politely replied, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt." Batu then continued:
"Na Shun, go and call your mother, the guests have arrived."

"Ok."

He nodded in agreement and turned to leave. An Xin sat down to the side, not too far from He Xiuqiong, just right.

He didn't speak, appearing somewhat shy.

The conversation mainly took place between Batu and another middle-aged man, who were discussing the size of the horse herd and the leasing arrangements.

He sat there for about three to five minutes, during which he could feel He Xiuqiong's gaze. When their eyes met occasionally, he only gave a shy smile. Then, when Na Shun and his mother, Sarina, walked in, Na Shun called out:
"Don't worry, let's go make milk tea. The meat will be ready soon~" "Okay."

Anxin nodded in agreement, got up, and walked out of the yurt. Just as she stepped outside, she saw Na Shun winking and making faces at her.
"Hey, that girl is really pretty, but I've never seen her on TV before, she's probably not very famous."

Hearing this, An Xinxin said she's not very famous? You can only say that now. In another fifteen years, no one in the Chinese entertainment industry will be as famous as her.

Of course, no one "died" as tragically as her.

However, seeing Shun making faces at the yurt, he instantly understood his playmate's personality, rolled his eyes speechlessly, waved his hand to signal him to go inside, and continued to stay by the stove to make milk tea, while the aroma of meat wafted from the large pot next to him.

When guests come to visit, slaughtering cattle and sheep is not considered a great honor; the goal is always to make the guests feel the hospitality of the herders.

Until he heard footsteps.

Turning his head, he saw Fan Bingbing, wearing a blue T-shirt, emerge from the yurt. Upon seeing him, she whispered:

"Excuse me, where is the restroom?"

"That."

He pointed to a simple, square toilet not far away.

"Thank you."

"fine."

She responded, then pondered the news from her past life, and why she had no recollection of coming along to rent horses in her previous life.

As he was pondering this, suddenly, as if remembering something, he spoke up to remind him:

"Hold your breath."

"……what?"

Fan Bing was taken aback.

Then I saw the boy's friendly reminder:
"Hold your breath before going in. And... there are a lot of flies, don't worry about them, just get it over with quickly."

"Uh……"

The girl blinked and nodded.

A moment later, the girl came out looking uncomfortable and said to An Xin:
"Thank you, where can I wash my hands?"

"Hold on."

Anxin turned and walked into the yurt. Right at the entrance was a dilapidated-looking washbasin stand, but instead of taking the basin still filled with murky water, he took a bar of soap and came out. Then, he took a water ladle, scooped a ladleful of water from the bucket, found an open space, and handed the soap to the other person.
"is this okay?"

"Okay, thank you."

"You're welcome."

After he finished washing her hands, he heard the girl say:

"Hello, Fan Bing."

Looking at the smiling girl, An Xin felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, as the image of the youthful girl before her began to overlap with that of the person from her past life…

But they still quickly responded:
"Hello, my name is Anxin, An as in safety and Xin as in heart."

Fan Bingbing's eyes curved into crescent moons:

"Hmm, hello, Anxin... How old are you?"

"Born in 80, you're 16 this year, how about you?"

But after hearing his words, the girl's expression turned strange. However, after thinking for a moment, she still said:

“I… am 17, one year older than you.”

"?"

Hearing her response, Anxin looked at her in surprise.

Are you trying to fool the ghosts by burning newspapers at their graves?

Aren't you also a post-80s generation? You've aged a year in vain?
However, he didn't dwell on it, but casually said:
"Then I should call you 'older sister.' But..."

"how?"

"You don't look like it; you seem to be around 20 years old."

The somewhat offensive tone didn't anger the girl; instead, she said smugly:
"I'm wearing makeup, can't you tell?"

"Ah."

Anxin responded and asked:
Are you guys filming a period drama?

"Yes, 'Princess Pearl,' have you read the novel?"

"No. What exactly did you talk about?"

"Well, I can't tell you, the director forbids me from saying. But I'm playing a princess."

When the girl said those words, she seemed to become radiant, and she was clearly quite happy.

But Anxin thought to herself, "What kind of princess are you playing? You're clearly just a maid."

Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from behind him:
"Peace of mind."

"Eh."

Anxin turned her head and saw Uncle Batu, then asked:

"Uncle, what's wrong?"

"You and Director He should go check on the horses and bring them all over."

"Ok."

An Xin didn't think much of it, and after responding, she was about to leave when He Xiuqiong said:

"Shall I come with you? But I'm not very good at riding horses. Could you find a gentle one?"

Upon hearing this, Anxin glanced at Uncle Batu, and seeing him nod, she responded with a soft "Yes."
"Okay, then wait a moment."

As he spoke, he whistled.

The glossy black horse neighed, stopped eating, and galloped over.

Anxin mounted the horse with a slight aggression, and the horse immediately reared up and neighed.

"Ha~"

All the onlookers saw was the young man let out a soft laugh, his body skillfully drawn into a bow shape as he pulled the reins, calming the horse down.

His skillful riding and his hearty smile were as scorching as the sun overhead.

It has been imprinted in everyone's hearts.

Without waiting for the others, he ran towards the grazing horses. After a short while, he led over a chestnut horse that wasn't particularly tall.

"This one will do. I've already talked to it, and it won't abandon you."

His words left He Xiuqiong somewhat stunned.

Clearly, they didn't understand.

Anxin didn't explain, while Nashun had already started saddled the chestnut horse.

In just a few minutes, the horse was saddled, and He Xiuqiong, somewhat clumsily, mounted it with Na Shun's help.

However, the chestnut horse, which had seemed quite docile, became restless the moment she mounted it, its front hooves suddenly trying to lift high.

He Xiuqiong instinctively grabbed the mane, somewhat panicked, but the next second, An Xin took control of its reins:

"Okay, okay, it's alright, I'm here..."

And so, the chestnut horse gradually calmed down under his soothing words.

To be honest, aside from what just happened, this horse is indeed very docile. It's just a little too docile; it doesn't even need her to control it. As soon as Anxin started riding away, it followed on its own.

He Xiuqiong was initially a little uneasy, until she heard Anxin's words:

"It will follow you by itself, just sit tight."

Then I felt relieved.

Meanwhile, Na Shun went to find his horse.

At that moment, it was just He Xiuqiong and An Xin, their horses clattering as they strolled through this boundless, emerald-green landscape. Any traveler would feel refreshed and invigorated. But her mind wasn't on that.

I followed behind Anxin, staring at his profile.

Occasionally, it would tilt its head from side to side, as if trying to find the right angle. After watching for about half a minute, it suddenly said:
"Your name is An Xin? How old are you?"

"sixteen."

"From 80?"

"Yes, February 80."

After confirming her age, He Xiuqiong thought for a moment and suddenly said:
Are you interested in becoming an actor?

(End of this chapter)