Chapter 301 - Wrong hand

"Three, two--" the director murmured to himself as he stared at the screen. One of his arms was raised, and he was about to shout "Cut", but suddenly, Vivian Siew turned around to the camera and bowed apologetically before saying with a guilty expression, "I'm sorry, Director. I think I've messed up that scene. Can we do it again? I want to show my very best performance. Besides, I think Ms. Xiao Lei would want to try again, right?"

Vivian Siew turned to Xiao Lei, whose face now had a red palm on it, and said, "Ms. Xiao Lei, don't you think that my performance was a little off earlier? We should try again, right? I mean, I'm sorry, but I just want to do my best."  

The director stared at her for a few seconds. He then looked at Xiao Lei. After a moment of hesitation, he cleared his throat and said, "There's no need. The shot-"

"Was indeed slightly off," Xiao Lei interrupted him. She smiled and looked at the director. "I'm sorry, Director, but since Ms. Vivian screwed up on the shot earlier, we would have no choice but to try again. I'm new here, but I was told that Ms. Vivian has been acting for years." 

She then sighed wryly. "Even though I didn't expect a veteran in this field to act in a state other than their very best, I believe that sometimes people do make mistakes, silly as it might be since that was quite an easy scene." 

Some of the staff members could not help but chuckle discreetly; even the director had to fake a cough to hide his own chuckle. No matter what, he was the director, and he had an image to keep. However, that not thinly-veiled insult made by Xiao Lei made her more interesting in the director's eye. 

"She's saucy," the assistant whispered to the director. 

"At least that means that she wouldn't be easily bullied. That's a good thing to have in this industry. But without any backers, she would die off quickly enough," the director remarked in private to his assistant. In his more than twenty years of experience, he had seen all types of people in the field. Someone who was strong-willed would end up quitting the industry without any protectors or significant background. It was the cruel reality. 

He then raised his voice and said to his team, "Since Xiao Lei said so, we will do another take. Two minutes break!" 

After everyone dispersed to do whatever they had to do, the assistant looked at the director and said in a soft voice, "It's unlike you... That was a good take. So why?" 

The director shrugged. "When you live old enough, you just want to see some sort of entertainment, however small it is." 

The assistant raised a brow as he asked curiously, "Isn't she introduced by President Wei? Is he her backer?" 

"Who knows... That man said he saw her at a party and felt that she was really suitable for the female lead role," the director replied as he glanced at Xiao Lei, whose assistant was tending to her face. "A newbie as the female lead; life won't be easy for her here."

...

Xiao Lei was laughing as her assistant tended to her reddened cheek. "It's just a slap. I didn't break a facial bone or anything." 

Assistant Yoon frowned. "This is not funny. Your makeup is on! If you had a red palm mark on your makeup-free face, I would be less worried, but with makeup on? How hard did that woman slap you?!"

She placed her fingers on Xiao Lei's chin and lifted it higher so that she could have a better look. "If Mr. Han knew of this..."

Xiao Lei put her hand on her assistant's wrist and said, "And he would never know." 

Assistant Yoon took her hand away from Xiao Lei's chin and sighed. "This kind of thing is not going to remain a secret, Ms. Xiao."

"Well... Fine... I'll tell him myself then."

"Just tell the director to use your stunt double. That's why they hired her!" the assistant said. "I don't understand why won't you use her? Other actresses would use their stunt doubles for even tinier things!" 

"I want to experience this for myself, all of it," Xiao Lei said with a smile. She then stood up from her chair and said, "I'd be fine. She could only hit me one more time." 

"Be careful..." Assistant Yoon said. When Xiao Lei went back to her position, Assistant Yoon took out her phone and reported back to Han Ye. No matter what Xiao Lei said, Assistant Yoon was under Shenlong Family, and during the briefing session prior to coming here, she and the rest were told to report to Han Ye. As such, she was unable to follow Xiao Lei's wishes. 

....

"Ready, action!" the director yelled after making sure that everyone was ready. 

"Over my dead body!" Xiao Lei snapped at her character's husband before glaring at Vivian Siew with a scary gaze. "There's no way I would let a two-faced s.l.u.t like you be my son's mother! Anybody but you!" 

Vivian Siew raised her right hand. 

Xiao Lei noticed that it was the wrong hand. With the position of the cameras, Vivian Siew was supposed to raise her left hand. Otherwise, she would block the view, and that would be her reason to ask for another take.

Xiao Lei did not change her expression. 

When Vivian Siew's hand was an inch away, Xiao Lei took a step backward, causing Vivian Siew to fall onto the floor from the momentum.

Bam!

"Argh!" Vivian Siew groaned as she rubbed her knees. She had fallen on her knees first, before bracing the fall with the palms of her hands. As such, she was in pain in multiple areas. "You! Why did you do that for?" she yelled at Xiao Lei. She then turned to the director and complained, "She did it on purpose! What if I got hurt?!"

Xiao Lei turned to the director and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry, sir, but she used the wrong hand."

The director blinked, and he looked at the screen, rewinding it slightly, before nodding. "Indeed."

He should have noticed it earlier, but his eyes were on Xiao Lei earlier. For some reason, he felt as if he could see someone he once knew in her. That person once took the breath away from the youthful him with her acting, and for a split second, Xiao Lei's facial expression reminded him of that person.

...