In the Years When I Was a Father

Chapter 150: Flirtatious Father of the Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (4)

Inside the director’s lounge, apart from Director Liu and his wife, Screenwriter Shi, to Qi Xinglin’s surprise, even Xiao Ge was present.

Qi Xinglin was momentarily confused. After entering, she deliberately ignored Xiao Ge and looked at Director Liu with curiosity, asking, “Director, what did you need me for?”

“It’s like this, Xinglin. After some discussion between the production team and the investors, we’ve concluded that the upcoming plot might not be quite suitable for you. So we’ve decided to revise and improve the story based on the original. There may be a lot of scenes that will need to be reshot—you should be mentally prepared for that.”

Qi Xinglin didn’t have other work lined up, so she wasn’t particularly bothered by the filming being extended. What she was curious about was, “So what direction is the new script heading in? Is my character changing?”

This time, it was Screenwriter Shi who answered. She looked at the glittering Qi Xinglin and said, “Our original story was about a Cinderella-style character rising up through perseverance, right? After the revision, the inspirational theme remains, but Cinderella has an added identity.”

“What identity? Don’t tell me she turns out to be the male lead’s half-sister or long-lost sibling?”

You’re overthinking it—we’re not making a Korean drama!

Screenwriter Shi thought silently to herself but explained on the surface, “No, she’s actually a rich heiress too—just hiding her identity for fun in the beginning.”

“Ohhh.” Qi Xinglin nodded reflexively, then perked up as she processed what that meant.

She asked with excitement, “Does that mean I won’t have to act like a poor pitiful cabbage in the latter half of the drama?” Screenwriter Shi was dumbfounded by her phrasing and internally objected: My original female lead was never some pitiful cabbage! She was a textbook example of an inspiring, self-made woman!

But she knew Qi Xinglin wouldn’t get it anyway. In the original script, the female lead gradually grew to become an independent art director running an entire division, earning a million a year and living a glamorous life.

But after reading the script, Qi Xinglin had said, “She worked this hard for so many years and beat so many levels, and she’s only making a million a year? As an art director, how many limited edition handbags could she buy with that?”

That one line had completely stumped Screenwriter Shi. She thought, My female lead is all about ambition, frugality, and perseverance—how could she possibly be tempted by something as flashy, expensive, and impractical as a limited edition handbag?

Indeed, the world of the wealthy is something they just don’t understand.

Back to reality, Screenwriter Shi responded to Qi Xinglin’s question, “Yes, you’ll be able to act as yourself in the second half.”

Hearing that, Qi Xinglin immediately lit up with excitement. She eagerly said, “I’m good at that! For the second half, the wardrobe and jewelry don’t need to be provided by the crew. I’ll handle it myself. Oh, right—if I’m playing a rich heiress, are there any specific conditions? Like switching to a different car every day? I’m planning to buy another sports car—would five be enough?”

Everyone who already knew the Qi family was insanely wealthy: “…”

“Two is more than enough,” Director Liu quickly interjected, worried that Qi Xinglin might impulsively go on a shopping spree. He definitely didn’t want people accusing the production of exploiting the actor’s wealth.

Qi Xinglin looked a little disappointed, but whether or not to buy cars was still up to her. She had already made up her mind in her heart. Then she asked curiously, “In the original script, the ‘pitiful cabbage’ heroine broke up with the male lead out of inferiority over her background. Will they still break up after graduation in the new version?”

“They will, but it’s still because of identity. The Wen family has a new business partner, and without Wen Jiarui’s knowledge, his mother agrees to an arranged marriage. Shen Qingman misunderstands and, heartbroken, chooses to break up.”

Wen Jiarui is the male lead’s name in the drama—a campus heartthrob and rich heir. Shen Qingman is the character played by Qi Xinglin.

Upon hearing that, Qi Xinglin frowned. “Isn’t that way too melodramatic? Why would she break up in that situation? Isn’t Shen Qingman also a rich second generation? She should just throw money at the problem and win him back!”

Screenwriter Shi looked conflicted. “That could work, but don’t you think it’s more compelling to see the two of them working together to overcome challenges?”

Qi Xinglin shook her head. “Not at all. I’m rich. If someone tries to steal my boyfriend, I’ll crush them with money!”

“Ms. Shi, I think in this situation, it could totally go like this: the second female lead falls for Wen Jiarui and, even after finding out he has a girlfriend, she refuses to give up. At this point, Shen Qingman, as his girlfriend, uses her personal charm and understated aristocratic temperament to make the nouveau riche second female lead feel inferior and jealous, eventually realizing she can’t compare and backing out in defeat.”

As soon as Qi Xinglin finished speaking, Xiao Ge, who had been maintaining his aloof persona, nearly broke character and laughed out loud. He clenched his fist and pressed it to the corner of his mouth, trying hard to suppress his laughter so he wouldn’t attract Qi Xinglin’s attention.

Xiao Ge inwardly snarked: What “understated aristocratic temperament”? Just look at yourself! How is anything on you even remotely “understated”?!

He wasn’t the only one thinking that. The director and his wife exchanged a quiet glance, both wondering just how Qi Xinglin was supposed to pull off “low-profile.”

“Uh, well… that’s one direction to consider,” Screenwriter Shi said awkwardly. “I’ll send you all the scripts for this week’s scenes shortly. As for the plot changes, I’ll finalize them this week. But don’t worry—we’ll make sure you’re satisfied.”

Qi Xinglin blinked. Why did it feel like Screenwriter Shi was saying the whole production was now revolving around her?

Since she had doubts, she asked directly: “Director, why are you all being so agreeable this time? Before, whenever I asked you to tweak the script, you were firmly against it.”

Qi Xinglin had never understood why Shen Qingman had to be insecure. Her boyfriend was handsome and considerate—shouldn’t she just go for it? What’s with all the emotional drama?

She had opposed that plotline many times, but each time the director had shut her down. So what changed today? They were finally taking her opinion seriously?

Director Liu looked surprised. “You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

Seeing her genuinely clueless, Director Liu explained, “President Qi sent someone over yesterday. He doubled the investment in this drama and also suggested modifying the main character’s setting.”

Yesterday, the assistant had made it clear—money wasn’t a problem, but the story had to highlight Qi Xinglin’s acting skills and avoid scenes that might make her look awkward on screen.

With such a wealthy and generous investor, Director Liu was more than happy to accept the proposal. He couldn’t replace Qi Xinglin now, and he had been worried about how to proceed—until President Qi personally stepped in to clean up the mess.

Director Liu chuckled to himself. Since money isn’t an issue, why not just revise the whole plot? With Qi Xinglin’s acting skills, if you want to avoid awkward scenes, what option do you have besides letting her just play herself?

So, after a quick discussion with his wife, they decided to rewrite the script entirely—leading to this morning’s developments.

Qi Xinglin was pleasantly surprised. She hadn’t expected her dad to come through so perfectly this time. Excellent! She could be the queen again!

Feeling smug, Qi Xinglin said, “Ms. Shi, I think Wen Jiarui’s love for Shen Qingman is too reserved. What if the audience doesn’t get it? He should show his emotions more. Like maybe cry under my window all night? Or get down on one knee and propose?”

Xiao Ge had been trying to be invisible this whole time, but he was still dragged into it by Qi Xinglin. He gave her a death glare, only to meet her smug little expression—like a kid who just stole a snack and was showing off.

Today, Qi Xinglin had gone all out to make a stunning entrance. She wore a sleeveless lemon-yellow maxi dress, paired with voluminous curls and bold red lips. Her look was a blend of sexy and sweet. Now, as she stared triumphantly at Xiao Ge, she looked every bit like a child reveling in victory.

Xiao Ge silently turned away, saying nothing and continuing to play invisible.

President Qi’s money sure came through!

I’m a professional actor!

Enjoy your moment now. On set, I’ll make sure your character suffers!

……

Hmm, today’s Qi Xinglin… seems kind of cute…

Ugh! What nonsense!

Qi Xinglin had no idea what Xiao Ge was going through internally. She was currently in high spirits and felt like bursting into song to express her joy. Naturally, she didn’t keep her happiness low-key. When she saw her agent, Shi Tou, arriving, she immediately declared, “I’m in a great mood today! Lunch and afternoon tea for the whole crew is on me!”

Shi Tou looked at her, exhausted, and asked, “Just today, or every day?”

“Of course… huh?”

Qi Xinglin had originally wanted to say “of course every day!”—even if it meant treating them to Michelin five-star meals daily, she wouldn’t flinch. But at the last second, she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Her dad had been unusually generous this time, and she couldn’t shake a vague sense of unease.

So she raised her chin proudly and said, “Just for today. We’ll see how they perform before I decide.”

Back on set, Qi Xinglin once again experienced the feeling of being the center of attention. She had long forgotten the need to treat the staff kindly, now acting every bit like a proud little princess. Those who had secretly mocked or looked down on her for her terrible acting before now trembled and kept their distance.

While Qi Xinglin was still in the makeup room removing her makeup, in the male lead’s lounge, assistant Wang Bo looked at the expressionless Xiao Ge and muttered, “I really didn’t expect Qi Xinglin to be the daughter of Big Boss Qi. President Xiao, tell me, why would a rich heiress like her come act when she clearly can’t stand hardship?”

“Ugh, Sun Qi is really out of luck this time. She accidentally offended the wrong person. Doudou just told me that Sun Qi’s been holed up in her room crying nonstop. Now the higher-ups at her agency are planning to shelve her. She was about to move up to B-list, and now her career’s basically over.”

Xiao Ge didn’t respond as Wang Bo spoke. This assistant was newly assigned by his agent not long ago—his previous assistant had gone on maternity leave. Xiao Ge wasn’t a difficult person to work with, so after a brief period of nervousness, Wang Bo had become more and more unrestrained in his comments.

Just like now—despite Xiao Ge explicitly banning him from gossiping about Qi Xinglin, Wang Bo had still cozied up to Sun Qi’s assistant Doudou to complain.

Xiao Ge had already told his agent to transfer Wang Bo out. If it weren’t for his agent being tied up with negotiating roles for him, it would’ve been done by now.

“I told you to stop paying attention to anything involving Qi Xinglin, didn’t I?”

Xiao Ge had long noticed Sun Qi’s little schemes. The entertainment industry was full of cunning people—Sun Qi wasn’t the most calculating, but she wasn’t naïve either. Xiao Ge had no patience for backstabbers who pretended to be friends on the surface. So when he realized she was using her tricks on Qi Xinglin, he didn’t bother warning her.

He knew these petty tactics wouldn’t actually harm Qi Xinglin. Unless President Qi himself decided to teach his daughter a lesson, no one could do anything to her—not even if she genuinely bullied others on set.

Xiao Ge’s face remained emotionless, but that one sentence instantly made the still-disgruntled Wang Bo tense up.

“P-President Xiao, I just… I was standing up for you! She kept messing up her lines and made you reshoot again and again—I just couldn’t stand it…”

Xiao Ge didn’t feel touched by his words. So what if he “couldn’t stand it”? Could complaining solve anything?

He could reshoot scenes with Qi Xinglin without a shred of negative emotion, but a couple of careless complaints from Wang Bo could undo all his effort.

The entertainment industry was a playground for the rich, but for those without connections, it was full of obstacles. After years in the business, Xiao Ge was used to it. Qi Xinglin wasn’t the first to make him redo scenes, and if he started complaining too, it wouldn’t reduce his hardships—it would only invite more trouble.

He had already tried to give Wang Bo advice, but it was obvious he hadn’t taken it seriously. Xiao Ge wasn’t the type to lecture people repeatedly. What needed to be said had already been said. He couldn’t be bothered to repeat himself.

“Go get the neck pillow from the car,” Xiao Ge said, then closed his eyes.

Once Wang Bo left reluctantly, Xiao Ge finally enjoyed a rare moment of peace. With his eyes closed, he suddenly recalled how smug and triumphant Qi Xinglin had looked in the meeting earlier—and couldn’t help but curl the corner of his mouth slightly.

She’s kind of dumb.