Chapter 31: Joining the Cast

One hardly needs telepathy to know what everyone is thinking. It is obvious that Qi Fei holds the highest status here, and being treated with such cautious reverence by so many people is beginning to wear on her.

Using her telepathic ability, Qi Fei discovers another reason for their behavior: this production team had previously disbanded, and it was only because of Qi Fei’s recent public image rehabilitation that the director was able to bring everyone back together. Even the actors present are here specifically for her. A high-profile actor brings attention to a project; otherwise, who would notice a low-budget web drama? This is a key reason for their extreme politeness. Had she not looked up how script table reads are supposed to work online, she might have actually thought this was the norm.

"Everyone, please don't be so formal. I’ve just been in the entertainment industry a few years longer than you have," she says, adding jokingly, "Don’t worry, I’m not so ill-tempered that I’d lash out at my colleagues just because I’m in a bad mood."

"Director Yao."

Hearing his name, Yao Kang stands up and walks over.

Qi Fei says with a helpless expression, "We’ll be spending every day together for the next few months. You don’t need to be so formal; it makes me feel quite awkward."

The director, Yao Kang, has filmed web dramas before, but his last project was lukewarm, leaving him a newcomer in both the industry and the directing circle. He is being so deferential to Qi Fei simply because this is his first time working with such a big star. After all, she is a recognizable second-tier celebrity with significant buzz.

*[She’s being so careful, she’s probably just worried I’ll dislike certain scenes or plot points. It’s not like there’s a shortage of stars in this industry who love to rewrite scripts.]*

Hearing this thought, she realizes they are truly treating her like a sacred ancestor. Qi Fei doesn't know what to say. She adopts a joking tone, "You’re the director. We’ll follow your lead on how to perform. If something isn't right or if you have ideas, just say so. I’m not that hard to work with."

As soon as she speaks, the tension in the room dissipates. The more outgoing members of the cast even chuckle. Yao Kang relaxes visibly; the rumors online claimed Qi Fei was difficult and prone to outbursts on set, but seeing her in person, he realizes it was all gossip. She seems quite pleasant.

"For the next three days, we’ll spend the mornings reading the script and the afternoons practicing martial arts choreography with the instructor."

Despite saying this, Yao Kang never expected Qi Fei to handle the action scenes herself; he had already found a stunt double. *[And the horseback riding—if it comes to it, we'll just use props.]* He looks at Qi Fei and asks, "Does that work for you?"

The plan sounded organized enough, but that last comment...

"You’re the director; I’ll follow your arrangements."

She doesn't need a stunt double, but given her previous reputation, saying so now wouldn't be very credible. As for wirework and horseback riding, she can just learn them. Qi Fei has no objections, especially since she is playing a character skilled in martial arts. If the situation weren't so inappropriate, she would have loved to ask why he would cast her in such a demanding role, given the original owner's infamously poor acting skills that other directors had despised.

After spending the afternoon together, eating and chatting, the awkwardness from their first meeting is gone by the next day. During the morning script reading, everyone is stunned to find that Qi Fei has memorized every single line, not just her own, but those of her scene partners as well.

"Sister Fei, did you... memorize the entire script?" asks the male lead, Yuan Wei, unable to hold back his curiosity.

Qi Fei doesn't see it as something to boast about. "I suppose so. It’s not a big deal."

"Sister Feifei, you’re so hardworking, how are we supposed to survive?" chimes in the supporting actress, Tian Wei, a lively girl who just graduated from film school.

"I just have a good memory," Qi Fei replies. She only realized after arriving here that she possesses a photographic memory. She can remember anything after seeing it twice, right down to punctuation marks and page numbers.

Not only the actors but the director is also surprised. He hadn't expected Qi Fei to be so professional despite her mediocre acting reputation. Now he understands why she has managed to maintain a foothold in the industry—aside from her looks, she has her merits.

While the morning reading wasn't exactly boring, she looks forward to the afternoon. To Qi Fei, the martial arts practice is essentially just sparring. Seeing the swords on the rack, she is the first to rush over. Though not as effective as modern weapons, a weapon is still a weapon.

The director hands her a beautifully crafted dagger in a sheath. She takes it, feeling a sense of nostalgia. In the early days of the apocalypse, her first life-saving weapon was a military dagger; this one feels strangely familiar. Although it isn't sharpened, it has a decent weight.

"Can this pass through security?" she asks. If it could, she’d consider buying one for self-defense.

The group is stunned by her question.

"Probably not. Even without an edge, it’s made of solid material."

Fair enough. Qi Fei had hoped to keep one for protection; she can't carry a firearm, but a knife would provide some peace of mind.

Through introductions, she learns the man who answered is You Yong, the prop master. He crafts the items they can't buy, and Qi Fei becomes interested in him. She wonders if she could commission a custom self-defense weapon, but it’s not the right time yet.

She had been looking forward to a good fight, but seeing the reality, she can't help but feel disappointed. She had expected real sparring, but it turns out to be just the instructor demonstrating moves for the actors to mimic. The difference between filming and real combat is that film choreography emphasizes grand, sweeping gestures—many of which seem redundant to her—where strength is secondary and aesthetics are everything.

However, she discovers something that excites her: these martial arts instructors actually have genuine skills. The fact that Qi Fei can replicate every move perfectly after seeing it just once or twice soon catches the attention of the head instructor. Furthermore, she notices that Qi Fei’s movements aren't the soft, dance-like style typical of some actors; she executes every strike with genuine power.

The instructor thinks to himself that if every actor were like Qi Fei, this job would be far too easy.

Soon, Qi Fei can no longer contain herself. "Come on, Instructor Zhang, let’s have a go."

Su Xu, who is responsible for teaching her, has already realized that Qi Fei definitely knows how to fight. He hesitates, afraid that if he doesn't hold back, he might hurt her and end up in big trouble.

"Don't worry, you won't be able to land a single hit on me, even if I use only one hand."

Su Xu: "..." That is incredibly arrogant.

She raises an eyebrow, challenging him. "Well? If you hurt me, it’s on me. I won't hold you responsible."

A young man can hardly withstand such a challenge. With her permission, Su Xu makes the first move. When they were practicing earlier, he had slowed his movements, but now he unconsciously adds force to his strikes. The vibration when their swords clash is the first thing that makes it feel like an action scene to Qi Fei. Even so, she constantly reminds herself that this is just for show and that she must hold back.