Chapter 8: Teacher Li, Please Massage My Shoulders for Me

In the dimly lit bar, Ji Yu longed for a drink to ease the fury and humiliation inflicted by the system.
So dirty!
What a damn system!
But there was no real alcohol on set to drink.
He still had to keep working.
Picking up the tray, he continued playing the role of a waiter.
The afternoon scenes in the bar were much like the morning’s cabin interior shots—many scenes filmed in the same setting.
Since they rented the bar for the entire afternoon, they had to make good use of it.
If they didn’t finish filming today, they’d have to rent it again tomorrow, which would add to the costs.
Ji Yu stayed in character as the waiter until after six in the evening, when they finally wrapped up.
They also had to leave time for the bar to be cleaned before opening for the night.
At least this scene was done.
By now, Ji Yu understood—the crew was genuinely broke, with terrible equipment and sets.
The TV show they were filming would surely turn out to be a pile of rubbish.
No wonder he had never even heard of it.
He wondered if tomorrow he’d even get a role with lines.
Ji Yu glanced at the assistant director, who was busy directing the crew to pack up.
That guy definitely held a grudge; tomorrow, Ji Yu probably wouldn’t even get to be a background extra.
It’s so hard for extras to get ahead; signing with an agency was the way to go.
But Ji Yu wasn’t from a professional school, so even getting signed would be tough.
The entertainment industry was a closed circle; outsiders had a hard time breaking in.
If it were so easy to sign with an agency and become a star, why would there be actresses sleeping their way up from extras to directors?
Even if they scored a full sweep by using their charms, they still kept running as extras.
The entertainment world demanded self-respect, and yet, paradoxically, not being too proud was also necessary.
It was all about aligning with the right talent.
Ji Yu pondered which agencies might accept someone like him.
If only a female boss would take a liking to him, he could just lie back and relax.
He sighed and changed clothes, planning to invite Teacher Li out for a meal.
But when he finished changing and went to find her, she said she had something come up and couldn’t make it.
“The wrap for ‘Like Mist’ is today, and they invited me to the wrap party,” Li Xiaoran said apologetically.
“No problem, Teacher Li. I’ll treat you to dinner next time!”
Ji Yu wasn’t bothered and hopped on his bike, saving some money.
He could just buy some marinated dishes to take home and celebrate with a little beer.
He decided not to come to this crew again tomorrow and instead visit several companies in Shanghai to see if they’d take him.
Early the next morning, Ji Yu got a haircut and went to the mall to buy a few stylish outfits for himself.

The entertainment world was strange. In the 2000s, standards for aesthetics were low.
Stars didn’t fuss over haute couture for events.
It was common to see celebrities attending functions in ordinary clothes.
Outfits scored zero points, makeup zero points—they relied solely on their faces to make it.
Ji Yu decided to give them a shock.
He wanted the entertainment world to see what a true trendsetting boy looked like!
However, the clothing styles of the time were a headache—still carrying the vibe of the 1990s.
Putting together a good-looking outfit was genuinely difficult.
Ji Yu spent the entire morning selecting a few decent sets.
After buying the clothes, he chose some accessories.
Fashion taste was all in the details.
By the time he finished, it was already past three in the afternoon.
No time to visit more agencies today.
He would go tomorrow and prepare thoroughly in the evening.

At the set of the drama “Life,” Li Xiaoran waited all day but didn’t see Ji Yu.
That morning, she even brought a small gift for him—after all, they were friends, and she wanted to commemorate his first role with lines.
She thought about calling him but hesitated, worried he might overthink it.
After much internal struggle, she gave up and decided to wait for fate to bring them together again.
She carefully put away the photo she had specially developed—one of Ji Yu’s shots from yesterday’s scene, obtained from the production team.
The assistant director was feeling down today.
He had planned to humiliate Ji Yu severely when he came looking for work, but who would have thought Ji Yu just wouldn’t show up at all?
So infuriating!
Soon, the set was nearing wrap-up time. Li Xiaoran was packing to leave but was stopped by the assistant director.
“Xiaoran, are you free tonight? Let’s have dinner together.”
Li Xiaoran didn’t want to deal with him and smiled slightly, “I have plans, sorry.”
“Xiaoran, just dinner. I’ve asked you several times—give me some face, will you?”
“I really have plans. Sorry.”
She hated how he stuck to her like glue.
She said no, yet he kept pestering her.
Lowering her head, she tried to leave, but the assistant director followed, talking non-stop.
Li Xiaoran was so annoyed; all she wanted was to hail a taxi and get away quickly.
The street was deserted, no taxis in sight, and the incessant chatter in her ear was maddening.
She wished she could instantly conjure a car and get in.
Just then, a red taxi appeared. Her eyes lit up, and she reached out to hail it—only to see someone already inside.

The assistant director quickly said, “Xiaoran, if you don’t have time for dinner, forget it. Where are you going? I’ll drive you—I have a car!”
Li Xiaoran forced a smile, “My friend’s coming to pick me up. You go ahead.”
The assistant director saw right through her—there was no friend; it was just an excuse!
“Xiaoran, you’re really not giving me any face.”
Crossing his arms, he stood stubbornly in place.
“I want to see if anyone really comes for you!”
The taxi stopped right in front of them. Inside was Ji Yu’s face.
Only today, he looked much more polished.
If one word could describe him, it was handsome.
Li Xiaoran was surprised and almost didn’t recognize him.
Ji Yu lounged confidently in the back seat, his arm resting on the window frame.
He looked as if he were riding in the back of a Rolls-Royce.
He smiled slightly and said to Li Xiaoran, “Ranran, get in.”
She grinned and happily went around to open the door and sit down.
The assistant director was livid.
How did this guy suddenly show up again, looking so sharp?
Could it be he was going on a date with Li Xiaoran?
If so, he was in for a good night!
After Li Xiaoran closed the door, Ji Yu turned to the assistant director and said,
“So what if I don’t give you face? Who do you think you are?!”
Then he slowly rolled up the window, exuding the air of a boss.
The assistant director looked at Ji Yu’s victorious profile through the glass, utterly deflated.
Just as he moved to open the door, Ji Yu said coolly, “Drive!”
The driver slammed on the gas and sped off.
No time to dawdle picking up people—don’t waste my money!
Inside the taxi, Li Xiaoran finally burst out laughing.
She could clearly see Ji Yu’s arm muscles straining against his shirt, almost tearing it.
The old taxi’s window crank was harder to turn than a tractor’s.
To make matters worse, the handle was broken halfway, so he had to pinch it with just two fingers!
Halfway through rolling the window, the crank nearly jammed.
His fingers were cramping, yet he maintained a serene, boss-like expression.
Li Xiaoran held onto Ji Yu’s shoulder, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
“You’re too funny, haha...”
Ji Yu couldn’t keep up the act any longer. He raised his hand and said,
“I’m exhausted. Massage it for me—I’ve got cramps.”
Li Xiaoran looked at his long fingers and reached out to help.
But catching his mischievous grin from the corner of her eye, she snorted and playfully slapped his hand, thinking, “Nice try!”