However, Xie Lianqing's opinion didn't matter. He was adamant about not wanting to act, but in the end, he couldn't withstand Xu Qingqing's pulling and tugging and boarded this pirate ship.
Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao formed a team. Although they had enlisted the help of Zhou Chenyu and Xie Lianqing, they still had to hire other people to play the extras besides the main characters in the film.
Through the junior student who had initially introduced Xu Qingqing to the drama club, they got in touch with some students from the club to participate.
With the roles cast, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao decided to start filming soon. After all, finishing their graduation project early meant early liberation; later they still had an 8,000-word graduation thesis to write.
...
A few days later. On the sports field of University A.
The newly enrolled campus belle, Jiaojiao, walked towards the classroom, carrying a newly bought milk tea in one hand and notebooks in her arms.
She wore a white dress, her long black hair gently tousled by the breeze, like a beautiful, pure lotus in midsummer, a sight that caught everyone's eye.
On both sides of the path she passed, a group of classmates in student uniforms stood. As Jiaojiao walked by, they all exclaimed with exaggerated admiration: "Oh my god, she's so beautiful?!"
"Is this the newly enrolled junior? She's definitely going to be the next campus belle!"
"She's so gorgeous!"
Just as the many extras were diligently and dutifully praising the film's female lead, a different voice suddenly came from the roadside: "Hey, you! Stop right there!"
Xu Qingqing, in a uniform skirt that showed off her long, straight, slender legs, her appearance stunningly beautiful, sauntered out with her arms crossed.
Zhou Chenyu stood behind her, hands in his pockets, following her out leisurely. He wore the same uniform, with a band-aid on his face.
Both Xu Qingqing and Zhou Chenyu had arrogant expressions, their chins practically lifted to the sky.
Compared to the plain-looking classmates around them, these two looked haughty and acted outrageously, as if they wanted to carve the words "I am a villain" on their faces. Any audience would immediately know they were up to no good.
Xie Lianqing, in charge of filming, couldn't take it anymore and called out: "Cut!"
He walked over, frowning as he explained, "Qingqing, you and Zhou Chenyu are overacting. We're making a movie, not a comedy..."
Xu Qingqing had been building up her emotions just fine and was very dissatisfied with the interruption. She said, "Are you teaching me how to act?"
Xie Lianqing: ... I wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare.
Facing his girlfriend, he chose his words carefully, saying, "I was just making a suggestion."
Zhou Chenyu immediately chimed in loudly, "How are you talking to our boss? What do you mean 'suggestion'? Does our boss need your guidance on acting?"
Xie Lianqing: ... Aren't you just a sidekick, not a treacherous minister whispering slander??
He was taken aback for a moment; before he could give the arrogant Zhou Chenyu a bit of friendly "attention," Xu Qingqing chimed in, "Yeah. Which one of us is the art student here, anyway?"
Xie Lianqing frowned, "But you're not in the acting department either?"
Zhou Chenyu immediately jumped in again, "Do you even have the right to speak? Are you denying our boss's achievements in acting?"
Xu Qingqing suddenly turned her head and asked him curiously, "What achievements do I have in acting?" Wasn't this her first time acting?
Zhou Chenyu clicked his tongue and said, "How would I know? Aren't we just making stuff up?"
Because of the love letter incident a while back, he had been forced by Xie Lianqing to hide abroad for a month. Now he had finally found a chance for revenge.
Faced with both Zhou Chenyu and Xu Qingqing, Xie Lianqing's lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then thought better of it, ultimately giving up helplessly.
Forget it, there was no reasoning with these two!!
Later, Xie Lianqing also came to a realization. Since the script was already cheesy, brainless, and Mary Sue enough, what did it matter if the acting was a bit over the top? Maybe it would even be a better fit.
Xie Lianqing took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself, then smiled and said, "Alright, let's continue."
Xie Lianqing, CEO of the Xie Group, under the watchful eyes of his girlfriend and friends, slowly walked back behind the camera, questioning his life choices for what felt like the millionth time: Why on earth was he here?
Xu Qingqing, completely unaware of her boyfriend's inner turmoil, continued acting with Zhou Chenyu.
Zhou Chenyu said to Le Jiaojiao, "I heard you're the campus belle of our school, the most beautiful, the prettiest, and universally acknowledged as the most talented student, Jiaojiao?"
Le Jiaojiao instantly broke character, her delicate expression crumbling: "This line is supposed to be said by Xu Qingqing! Zhou Chenyu, you're stealing the scene!"
Zhou Chenyu shrugged and said, "Xu Qingqing told me to say it."
Xu Qingqing flipped her hair and declared loudly, "That's right! I'm not saying such an embarrassing line!"
That scheming woman Le Jiaojiao had deliberately written this kind of line for herself. If Xu Qingqing said it, this rival of hers would definitely hold it over her head forever, saying she admitted the other was more beautiful and prettier.
Xu Qingqing saw right through her plot.
Le Jiaojiao was furious: "I'm the screenwriter! Who said you could change my script?"
Xu Qingqing scoffed disdainfully, "What's a screenwriter? I'm the director."
Zhou Chenyu, hands in pockets, added lazily, "What's a screenwriter? I'm the investor."
Xie Lianqing walked over and said calmly, "Can I quit?"
For the first time, he missed his office immensely, missed those endless meetings and unending documents to revise, and even his occasionally foolish but mostly quite lovable subordinates.
Everyone: ...
After arguing for a while with no resolution, and most importantly, with one of the lead actors, Xie Lianqing, seemingly on the verge of going on strike, everyone had to compromise and continue filming.
The camera started rolling again.
Zhou Chenyu, hands in pockets, said in a cocky tone, "I heard you're the campus belle of our school, the most beautiful, the prettiest, and universally acknowledged as the most talented student, Jiaojiao?"
This line was way too long. Zhou Chenyu felt exhausted just saying it. He had no idea what Le Jiaojiao was thinking.
"That's me." Le Jiaojiao, in her little white dress, blinked her big eyes and said in a sugary voice, "Wh-what do you want?"
Xie Lianqing stood to the side, wanting to say something but holding back. He really wanted to step in and remind Le Jiaojiao that she was playing a campus innocent flower, not a village girl being abducted by local tyrants.
But after glancing at the trio who were completely immersed in their roles, he held back again, silently looking up at the sky.
Forget it. He'd endure it.
On set, Xu Qingqing clicked her lollipop and said arrogantly to the innocent flower, Le Jiaojiao, "To give you trouble."
Xu Qingqing brushed the hair off her shoulder and, in a malicious tone, waved her hand grandly, ordering her underling, "Tear up her homework!"
"Right away, boss!" Underling Zhou Chenyu responded promptly.
Le Jiaojiao immediately teared up: "No!! That's my homework, put it down, wuwuwu..."
After a long silence with no one picking up the next line, Xu Qingqing helplessly looked at Xie Lianqing standing to the side and said, "Xie Lianqing, it's your turn to come out and say your line!"
According to the script, Xie Lianqing should now rush forward to protect Le Jiaojiao, pointing at Xu Qingqing and saying, "You vicious woman!"
Watching Xie Lianqing, who still hadn't made a move, Xu Qingqing thought her boyfriend must have a poor memory. Why did he always forget his lines when filming?
Xie Lianqing: ... Because I really feel so out of place with you all!
He pressed his lips together and asked, "Why would there be holiday homework right after university starts?"
Summer assignments from high school?
Xu Qingqing turned her head to look at Le Jiaojiao and said, "Yeah, where did you get holiday homework from?"
Zhou Chenyu also turned his head, looking at Le Jiaojiao, asking in sync: "Yeah, where did you get holiday homework from?"
Le Jiaojiao: ...
Xie Lianqing held back at first, but couldn't any longer and interjected, "Didn't you guys check the plot's logic when you read the script earlier?"
Zhou Chenyu immediately turned his head and said arrogantly, "Is this any of your business? It's not your turn to appear yet... Hey, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, God Xie, bro, I'm sorry, I'm acting!! I'm really sorry!!"
When Zhou Chenyu and Xie Lianqing returned from the college's back garden, the band-aid on his face had changed position, while Xie Lianqing leisurely put down the sleeves he had just rolled up, his previously heavy mood completely gone.
Le Jiaojiao didn't notice at all that her cousin had been roughed up by the male lead for being too arrogant. She and Xu Qingqing hastily revised the script.
Filming resumed.
When it was Xie Lianqing's turn to go on, he looked at the script in his hand and couldn't read on.
Xie Lianqing simply couldn't bring himself to utter the brainless, melodramatic, roaring lines on the script. He could only painfully squeeze out a sentence of earnest advice to Xu Qingqing: "Bullying people isn't good."
He was wearing a white shirt, his hair strands hanging down, gently tousled by the breeze. His demeanor was gentle and upright, giving him a fresh, sunny look. Combined with the faint hint of disapproval in his expression, he appeared unusually restrained and attractive.
For some reason, Xu Qingqing suddenly abandoned the script. She stepped forward, reached out to touch Xie Lianqing's chin, raised an eyebrow, and said in a suggestive tone: "Not bullying her is fine. Then I'll bully you instead?"
Xu Qingqing improvised, and Zhou Chenyu followed suit with impromptu acting.
As the lackey of a vicious female supporting character, jacket slung over his shoulder, he shot Xie Lianqing a sidelong glance, walked up and said, "You there, you'd better be sensible and submit to our boss."
Xu Qingqing turned her head and gave her childhood friend and lackey an approving look.
Xie Lianqing, suddenly transformed from the savior rescuing the campus belle into a decent citizen being targeted and harassed by the vicious female supporting character, showed neither surprise nor hesitation, switching roles with remarkable speed.
Feeling Xu Qingqing's fingers slide across his body, he smiled: "How are you going to bully me?"
Le Jiaojiao, standing to the side and utterly ignored: ...???
What's going on? She's the female lead! She's the Mary Sue!
Seeing the script veer from a campus belle's tragic romance to a wicked woman forcibly seizing a good man, the screenwriter Le Jiaojiao stamped her foot in exasperation and shouted: "Xie Lianqing, Xu Qingqing, what exactly is going on with you two?! Are you two dating here?"
Xie Lianqing: ...Is that not allowed?
The filming process of the movie was full of various dramas. Because Xu Qingqing, Le Jiaojiao, and Zhou Chenyu loved to improvise, they had gotten used to randomly adding scenes and changing lines for each other. By the end, the finished movie was a far cry from the original script.
Considering that Xie Lianqing and Zhou Chenyu also had company matters, the movie was shot very quickly in just one week. After editing, the total runtime was only a little over forty minutes.
When the final cut was completed, among the group of messy, absurd, and exaggerated companions, Xie Lianqing was the only one who acted seriously and earnestly.
Xu Qingqing and Zhou Chenyu's performances were very exaggerated; only Xie Lianqing acted so seriously that he seemed like a phone screen protector under a bridge—utterly out of place among the other three monsters.
Once the final cut was finished, Xu Qingqing uploaded the work to a video platform and posted the link on her Weibo, asking everyone to support and vote because she wanted it to be selected as A University's outstanding graduation project of the year.
Xu Qingqing genuinely believed her movie was quite good. The subject matter was clichéd but showed innovation. The entire film was short and concise, packed with information, and the plot was full of twists and turns. It was simply a masterpiece!
If not for its limited scope, Xu Qingqing was even confidently thinking of submitting it to a film festival.
After Xu Qingqing posted on Weibo, Zhou Chenyu quickly reposted it. After all, barring any accidents, this film will probably be the only movie he ever acts in. Not supporting it would be a disservice to the hockey stick he used to carry around the A University campus!
Xie Lianqing, who also had many fans, was unlike his usual self and did not immediately give his girlfriend strong support.
Thinking of those cringe-inducing plotlines and scenes in the movie, Mr. Xie, who had been held up as a model child by others since his youth and who exuded an exceptionally high level of cool, fell silent.
He deliberately pretended not to see it, saying he was too busy with work and had forgotten to repost, trying to muddle through and erase that week from his past.
But no matter how much Mr. Xie fantasized, this micro-movie still went viral.
Xu Qingqing now rarely used Weibo, so every time she posted something it was a rare event that would attract massive attention from her fans. This time was no exception. After the post went up, comments increased by hundreds per minute. Fans flocked in as soon as they got the news.
—【Holy crap, am I seeing this right? Miss Xu made a movie?】
—【Didn't she say she wouldn't enter the entertainment industry? So disappointing...】
—【It's just her graduation project, not real acting. And even if she enters the entertainment industry, I'd be happy. There'd be a place to see her then ^^】
—【Holy crap, stop arguing upstairs and go watch the movie! I shouldn't be the only one feeling awkward!】
—[An extra from Group A gives a one-line spoiler: When you watch it, don't eat, and have tissues ready.]
At the beginning of the movie, there is a long shot of the weather, sunny with clear skies and no clouds.
The camera slowly zooms in, finally landing on the campus where students are laughing and frolicking. A banner hangs at the school gate: "Welcome New Students."
A girl in a small white dress with long hair over her shoulders appears. She has a gentle, graceful appearance, a petite figure, and looks delicate and innocent.
At this moment, she is dragging a suitcase and walking calmly towards the dormitory building under the envious gazes of many classmates.
Le Jiaojiao looks at the classmates around her, a faint smile curling at the corner of her mouth. A voice-over sounds at the right moment—"My name is Jiaojiao, and I'm a Mary Sue loved by everyone."
Since childhood, I have always stood out. In kindergarten, I won the "Most Little Red Flowers" award for two consecutive years. In middle school, I was elected the class arts representative. I gave piano recitals one after another.
"However, someone as excellent as me, after entering university, encountered a villain who changed the course of my life..."
—【Holy crap, these lines are so awkward!!】
—【She actually calls herself a Mary Sue??】
—【What a refreshingly un-pure and un-affected movie. Love it, love it.】
—【Feels a bit low-quality... Is all the information conveyed only by narration? How is this a movie?】
—[Upstairs didn't check the progress bar, did you? This movie is only a little over forty minutes in total. The pacing and plot must be fast. There's no time to slowly and subtly reveal information.]
The camera shifted. The next second, a female voice rings out: "Stop!"
Xu Qingqing makes her entrance with her lackey. One has her arms crossed, the other has hands in pockets, both looking very tough to deal with.
Zhou Chenyu raised his chin and said, "I heard you're the school belle recognized as the most beautiful, prettiest, and most talented in our school, classmate Jiaojiao?"
——[Who is this woman? Why does the young lady look like she's playing the villain for her? I thought Xu Qingqing was the female lead.]
——[Help, this is so cringe!! I'm cringing so hard my toes are curling, but it's so cringey yet I still want to watch!]
——[Right now, I just want to know what's going on with this movie's dialogue?? Who wrote it?]
——[The most handsome sidekick ever!!]
——[I'm in tears!! This sidekick is so handsome, I'm smitten! Is he a new actor? Does he have any other works?]
——[Went and searched, he's the young master of the Zhou Group.]
——[That's my husband ahhhhh! So he actually knows Xu Qingqing?]
——[Did the person upstairs forget? Back when Xu Qingqing got famous online and was cyberbullied, it was Young Master Zhou who stepped up to help her battle the masses, trading over a hundred insults with numerous netizens.]
The movie continued playing, with Xu Qingqing once again routinely directing her sidekick to bully Le Jiaojiao.
She took the milk tea she had snatched from Le Jiaojiao's hands and gulped it all down. A few tapioca pearls didn't come out, so she poked at them with the straw.
After Xu Qingqing finally ate the pearls too, she threw the cup into the trash and said disdainfully to Le Jiaojiao, "Hmph, not tasty at all. Of course only someone with such low taste as you would like this kind of milk tea."
After saying that, she swaggered off with her sidekick.
The barrage comments fell into an eerie silence for a moment.
——[Did I see that right? She finished it?]
——[...If it's not good, why did you finish it???]
——[She even poked out and ate those few pearls. Seems like it really was quite tasty. I'm going to place an order right now.]
——[It could also be that she didn't want to waste food. Did everyone forget what happened at the amusement park the other day?]
And when Xie Lianging appeared in the video, the audience's emotions and comments reached another peak.
On screen, as Qingqing, with her sidekick Zhou Chenyu, once again cornered Le Jiaojiao, the male lead of the show, Xie Lianging, finally arrived fashionably late.
With a steady and calm personality, he stood composedly in front of Le Jiaojiao, admonishing the villainous female supporting character Xu Qingqing, telling her not to bully her classmate.
Then the young lady readily agreed, saying, "Alright, I won't bully her. I'll bully you instead!"
Xie Lianging looked at her, slowly smiled, and said, "Alright."
...
——[What exactly are you agreeing to? She's the villain, why are you smiling so happily?]
——[I don't understand this direction. On the cast list, President Xie is the male lead, right? Qingqing is the supporting female character!]
——[President Xie is handsome, sure, but his acting isn't up to par here. The affection in his eyes when he looks at our Qingqing can't be hidden. Please remember you're the male lead, Qingqing is just the villainous supporting character! You're not a couple in the movie!]
——[I finally saw a real-life version of playing hard to get... President Xie says he doesn't like Qingqing, but the corners of his mouth are curling up.]
——[Am I the only one who thinks President Xie's smile is so doting? Ahhhhh why is he patting Qingqing's head? Snap out of it, she's the villainous supporting character!]
——[I'm dizzy. The pairing of a spoiled, mischievous young lady who's a poor student X a gentle, steady school heartthrob and academic genius—I'll ship this CP first!]
The movie was very lighthearted throughout, basically lavishing praise in various fancy ways on the Mary Sue Le Jiaojiao's beauty and talent.
Meanwhile, the villainous duo, Xu Qingqing and Zhou Chenyu, popped up in every corner of the school. They seemed to never have to attend classes, spending every day at school chasing, cornering, and bullying Le Jiaojiao with all sorts of childish, elementary school-level tactics.
Netizens summarized: It's both cringey and hilarious, and amidst the cringe, you can still scrape out a tiny bit of sugar between President Xie and Xu Qingqing.
However, in the latter part of the movie, the plot suddenly took a sharp turn.
The female lead, Jiaojiao, was recognized by her ancestors and returned to her roots, becoming the daughter of a royal family abroad. She woke up every day on a 500-square-meter bed, got lost even going to the bathroom, and became a veritable Mary Sue female protagonist.
Meanwhile, the villainous supporting character Qingqing's family went bankrupt, and she contracted a terminal illness. She left the country desolately with her sidekick Zhou Chenyu for treatment, and before her death, she didn't even say goodbye to the male lead.
In the final five minutes of the ending, the screen split into four parts, each documenting the movements of the four main characters in chronological order.
Jiaojiao was selecting her butler from over a dozen top male models, amidst dazzling lights and a decadent atmosphere. Qingqing was struggling in a white hospital room, hesitating whether to make one last phone call to the male lead.
Zhou Chenyu was placing flowers at Xu Qingqing's grave, a light drizzle falling on the lilies on an overcast day.
Xie Lianging was writing an email to Xu Qingqing in his office. Unaware of her death, he was smilingly sharing a story with his students in class, saying he was waiting for his girlfriend to recover from her illness and return, while the sun shone brightly outside.
So, whether it was the romantic lines or the friendship lines, this movie ended with a complete Be for everyone, not a single one left!
——[Holy crap? Is this a bad ending?]
——[Qingqing looked so pitiful when she died, only her sidekick was by her side. She originally wanted to call the male lead too, but in the end, she didn't.]
——[Who would have thought I could cry watching a silly, lighthearted show meant to watch while eating?]
——[Before Qingqing went abroad for treatment, she even told the male lead she'd come back to keep bullying him, and the male lead is still waiting for her... my tears are worthless wuwuwu]
——[The young lady explained on Weibo, saying this represents that evil gets its retribution, and you shouldn't bully classmates at school normally?]
——[The last montage of shots is really brilliant. It shows the life circumstances and futures of the four protagonists. Even the weather and environmental atmosphere perfectly reflect the characters' states of mind.]
Although this youth campus movie is widely recognized as a third-rate, melodramatic soap opera, its overall pacing is very distinct. The viewing experience was a mix of laughter and tears, and the script's ideas were surprisingly outlandish, to the point where some viewers thought the main actors were just improvising and winging it.
But overall, as a student graduation project, this movie was undoubtedly qualified. So, everyone flocked to A University's official website to vote for this film.
And this movie also later provided a wealth of material for numerous "shipping" analysts to create many fantastic edited videos.
After all, whether it's the pairing of the supporting female character and the female lead, the supporting female character and the supporting male character, or even the supporting male character and the female lead, they all weirdly have a strong CP chemistry!
As for the four main characters in the movie, everyone knew that Xu Qingqing, Zhou Chenyu, and Xie Lianging came from prominent families and were outstanding themselves, so they always believed that the actress playing the female lead, Jiaojiao, must also be extraordinary.
Of course! If she were ordinary, would Miss Xu have agreed to play a supporting role for her!
So, after digging for a long time and following the clues of Xu Qingqing and Zhou Chenyu, everyone finally found Le Jiaojiao, who was studying at A University, and unexpectedly learned that she was Zhou Chenyu's cousin.
If that's the case, then this matter should have ended there. Who would have thought that a month later, this movie was actually submitted to a certain international film festival in Europe!!
Everyone thought it was due to the efforts of Xu Qingqing, Xie Lianging, and the others. After all, these people have the connections and the money, and the movie's quality itself isn't bad. Submitting it to protect their hard work made sense.
However, everyone then discovered that this movie was also submitted to various large and small film festivals in the US, and even won a few awards that looked obviously dubious.
The film's submission to the festival was actually handled by an American producer. Several movies produced by this person were quite famous; everyone had either heard of them or seen them.
Out of curiosity, people searched this producer's biography and discovered that on their personal page, under the 'children' section, there was a link to Le Jiaojiao...
Netizens: Case solved! All four leads are incredibly well-connected big shots!!
Xu Qingqing's Weibo was once again flooded with visitors, everyone marveling at the strength of her social network. Connections spanned the globe and every industry imaginable. Is this just what it means to be a young lady from a wealthy family?
Xu Qingqing hadn't expected netizens to dig up Le Jiaojiao's background, and she couldn't help but marvel at their impressive information-gathering skills. After all, many people at A University had been Le Jiaojiao's classmates for years without knowing anything about her family. Not long ago, because Le Jiaojiao had stood up for her in the drama club, some people had even spread rumors that Le Jiaojiao was only trying to curry favor...
One wonders what those rumor-mongers are thinking now. Le Jiaojiao is a bona fide Upper East Side socialite, though both her parents are workaholics. She was left with her maternal grandparents in China as a child and only later brought back to her parents.
As for the film festival submission, Xu Qingqing hadn't known about it beforehand, but even now that she did, she didn't particularly care.
The submission was probably just Le Jiaojiao's father padding his daughter's resume. Countless films get submitted every year; very few receive nominations, with most sinking without a trace. One more film in the pool of also-rans didn't make much difference.
Zhou Chenyu didn't mind either; it's not like his opinion would have mattered anyway. Having been forced to act in such an awkward play, he was now fearless about whatever came next.
Xie Lianqing, however, brooded over it for a long time, so upset he couldn't even eat dinner that night.
Afterwards, he watched the film very seriously and discovered a major flaw: he seemed to have acted too earnestly, making him stand out awkwardly against the other three's chaotic performances.
In the film, whether it was Xu Qingqing, Le Jiaojiao, or Zhou Chenyu, everyone acted in an exaggerated, almost casual way. This resulted in a movie that was supposed to be a melodramatic campus romance being hailed by netizens as a hilarious comedy perfect for watching during meals.
Although the latter part of the film was sadder, the main cast's acting style remained unchanged—what you might call 'acting blind'. This meant the sad scenes still carried a hint of absurdity. Because the plot itself was already over-the-top, the audience didn't find the actors' exaggerated performances out of place.
So, just as the audience accepted this style of performance, Xie Lianqing's utterly serious acting became glaringly out of place.
It was the same movie, the same scene, yet he and the other three seemed completely disconnected, their styles clearly different.
Xie Lianqing even saw a comment that said: "Every time I see Xu Qingqing and Zhou Chenyu, I think this is a comedy. But then I see CEO Xie acting so seriously, and I remember, oh right, this is supposed to be a campus love story!"
Xie Lianqing: "..."
He had thought the movie trending on hot searches, being rewatched and hailed as a classic by netizens, and being edited into countless video clips was already enough...
He never expected Le Jiaojiao's father to pull off a masterstroke, making the film visible to people overseas. The thought of judges from all over the world watching this film with various expressions made Xie Lianqing feel utterly weary.
In stark contrast to her boyfriend's inner breakdown, Xu Qingqing was absolutely delighted.
While discussing her work and thesis with her advisor, she accidentally overheard other members of her former group blaming Zhao Zhi behind her back.
These members believed that if Zhao Zhi hadn't suddenly caused trouble and ostracized Xu Qingqing, they could have been part of Xu Qingqing's film too.
Even though many considered Xu Qingqing's film melodramatic and nonsensical, it was undeniably popular! And with someone pulling strings behind the scenes, getting it submitted to various international film festivals, even winning a few minor awards...
Everyone knew the awards weren't prestigious, but they still counted as resume material!! Whether they pursued directing or acting in the future, this experience could be written on their CVs.
If they hadn't fallen out with Xu Qingqing back then, they could have been leads or producers in this film. Maybe investors or talent agencies would have contacted them by now.
With Xu Qingqing's film enjoying such high popularity, they could have ridden that wave to great heights. How far they went afterwards would have depended on their own abilities.
Yet such a golden opportunity was ruined by Zhao Zhi's actions back then!
The other group members watched daily as the popularity of Xu Qingqing's film kept climbing, remaining a fixture on the trending searches. The fact that they had been assigned to the same group but missed the chance left them deeply frustrated.
Unlike the duo of Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao, their group, though larger with less individual workload, was full of conflicting opinions.
Group members had different ideas, arguing constantly. Just deciding on the film's theme and script took over a month.
For context, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao's film—from finishing the script to completing filming and editing—took only a month.
By the time Zhao Zhi's group finally settled on a script, everyone was somewhat dissatisfied with their roles.
Some thought their characters were too villainous, which would be detrimental to their future prospects in the entertainment industry. Others felt they had too few lines, reducing them from group members to mere background extras...
So, the disgruntled members gathered again to revise the script, each adding scenes and changing lines for themselves, engaging in countless overt and covert battles.
Another month passed before they finalized everything and prepared to start filming.
And just at that moment, Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao's film exploded in popularity!
Already exhausted from the long disputes, the group was instantly filled with regret. Their confidence in their yet-to-be-filmed project plummeted, along with their interest and passion.
They all knew perfectly well that no matter how good their graduation project turned out, it could never match the popularity of Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao's film.
The once confident group was now filled with regret and anger. They all blamed Zhao Zhi, shifting responsibility onto her: "I said back then we shouldn't have fallen out with Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao. They have connections; it's easier under a big tree. Being in their group would have saved us so much trouble."
"And they didn't even offend Zhao Zhi. If she hadn't picked a fight and cornered them with her words back then, Xu Qingqing wouldn't have gotten angry and quit the group."
Hearing the group's numerous complaints, Zhao Zhi was both angry and annoyed. Truth be told, she also felt some regret. Why hadn't she held back back then? She just found Xu Qingqing annoying, didn't want to be in the same group, and made the decision to split them off.
She believed Xu Qingqing had connections and family background but no real talent or skill, and would certainly not be able to make a good film. Even if Xu Qingqing's family spent money promoting a lousy movie across the entire internet, audiences wouldn't buy it and might even be put off by it.
So when Zhao Zhi separated Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao from the group, she didn't hesitate or feel much regret at all. She even felt pleased with her cleverness, because both Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao were prettier than she was.
If they had all appeared in the same film, the audience would definitely have paid more attention to the other two, which would have been very detrimental to her own fanbase growth.
Zhao Zhi had calculated many things, but it never occurred to her that Xu Qingqing could actually produce a film, and one that would receive such positive reviews and audience response.
The film itself was good, Xu Qingqing brought her own popularity, they enlisted Xie Lianqing and Young Master Zhou for support, and with Le Jiaojiao's family background, the film just became more and more popular...
Although filled with regret, Zhao Zhi would absolutely never admit her mistake in front of everyone. After all, if she admitted fault, her group members would pin all subsequent blame on her.
Whether it was their graduation project not being good enough, or the promotion lacking heat, or the poor reception... if any of these things happened, the first person the group would blame would be her.
So Zhao Zhi stiffened her back and argued loudly, "Who knew back then that Le Jiaojiao's father was a producer? Everyone thought she was just a bootlicker trying to curry favor with Xu Qingqing!"
If she had known Le Jiaojiao's background, she wouldn't have driven her away either. Her real target of dislike was only Xu Qingqing, after all.
One group member frowned and said impatiently, "Stop talking. If I remember correctly, the rumor that Le Jiaojiao came from a poor family and liked to suck up to Xu Qingqing also started from you."
Someone chimed in quietly, "I always said Le Jiaojiao wasn't that kind of person. Before, when others tried to flatter Xu Qingqing, she ignored them. If Le Jiaojiao were really like that, Xu Qingqing definitely wouldn't have paid her any mind either."
"I suspect Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao have known each other since childhood. I read online that Xu Qingqing and Zhou Chenyu are good friends, and Le Jiaojiao is Zhou Chenyu's cousin. No wonder they've been at odds since the start of the semester."
"Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao roped in Zhou Chenyu and Senior Xie to act in their film, clearly because they were short on people and needed to fill roles. If we had been in their group, those roles would definitely have been ours..."
The person speaking had a classmate from the next dorm who participated in Xu Qingqing's film, playing a minor supporting role. Probably because the character was likable and got a lot of audience discussion, that classmate had just signed with an established talent agency a few days ago.
Xu Qingqing and Le Jiaojiao had invited many classmates to make cameo appearances in their film. After the film became popular, those classmates also started receiving calls from talent agencies one after another.
...
The group members were in low spirits, talking over each other. Zhao Zhi was so angry at their words she felt dizzy, and she retorted defiantly, "So now you're all blaming me, is that it? Back then, Le Jiaojiao tried to win you over. It's your own fault for not going."
Back then, Le Jiaojiao had mocked her but been friendly to these people, trying to recruit them into the group. It was just that these people, out of a sense of obligation and not wanting to lose face, hadn't accepted the invitation to leave.
When Zhao Zhi brought this up, the others also looked embarrassed. Everyone remembered Le Jiaojiao's personal invitation and how, for the sake of their friendship with Zhao Zhi and not wanting to openly break ranks by accepting, they had missed such a precious opportunity...
When people make a mistake, it's hard for them to reflect on themselves immediately. This group first regretted their initial choice, but then quickly shifted all the responsibility onto Zhao Zhi. During filming and production, they couldn't help but frequently blame and resent her.
They forgot that they themselves hadn't agreed when Le Jiaojiao invited them. They just clung to the belief that if Zhao Zhi hadn't picked a fight with Xu Qingqing for no reason, they wouldn't have been forced to miss out on such a great opportunity.
The group itself was already lacking unity. After this incident, everyone was full of complaints. They didn't put much effort into the filming, editing, or post-production, all immersed in regret and mutual resentment.
So, unsurprisingly, the work they produced was rough, with stiff acting, even worse than their usual standard. After hastily submitting it to their advisor, none of them dared to watch their self-directed and self-acted film again on their own.
When Xu Qingqing learned about this, she sighed at home, thankful she hadn't been in the same group as these people. She and Le Jiaojiao, just the two of them, although the workload was heavier, found it easy to discuss and agree on things.
If Zhao Zhi and the others had been in her group, with so many people all having different ideas, it would have actually been detrimental to making her film.
