CHAPTER 8

After a scene ended, everyone took a temporary break.

Xiang Xiaoyuan sat in a corner, trying to calm her emotions. Her eyes were no longer red, but lost in thought.

Just moments ago, when they finished filming, Zou Yirui's triumphant glee was clearly written on her face. Cai Juan, concerned that Xiang Xiaoyuan might be too discouraged, whispered to her, "It's okay, Yuan'er, I think you did really well."

Xiaoyuan pouted, feeling downcast. , "If the role is practically served to me on a a silver platter, and I still can't handle it, then I must be really bad, right?"

It was too embarrassing. Although He Chenying was a senior and naturally better, she felt too weak... She could only say she barely managed to keep up, but learning from her was out of the question.

"Ah..." Cai Juan scratched his head and whispered to her, "Do you know what He Chenying's nickname is?"

Xiaoyuan looked at her.

"...Smiling Tiger!"

Xiang Xiaoyuan: "Huh? Oh I know! She's a tiger in the zodiac and seems to love smiling. The nickname doesn't have any other meaning, right?"

Cai Juan hesitated to continue.

Actually, she also noticed that Xiang Xiaoyuan hadn't reached her best state. She hadn't fully immersed herself in that situation, or perhaps wasn't ready, but He Chenying had pulled her in.

The performance itself was fine, but someone like Xiang Xiaoyuan, who held herself to high standards, would inevitably feel frustrated and disappointed.

"It's different when acting with a sister compared to acting with a mother..." she murmured, her eyelashes slightly lowered.

"Having you here really makes a difference, it saves us a lot of trouble." Chen Yunxiu said, his eyes bright with a smile.

"Yeah, Sister Ying, it's great that you're here!" Wei Jiabao grinned, his tone warm.

He Chenying stood with the two of them, forming a triangle. She chuckled and glanced at Wei Jiabao, asking, "Which one of them is your girlfriend?"

Coughing, Wei Jiabao cleared his throat. "One of them isn't anymore."

The other one still wasn't.

Chen Yunxiu's expression was a bit odd, but he held back from saying anything.

"Sister, what do you think of her?" Wei Jiabao tilted his chin in Xiang Xiaoyuan's direction.

He Chenying asked, "What do you mean? Are you referring to her appearance or her acting skills?"

Wei Jiabao chuckled, "Just give your opinions on both."

"It's my first time working with this young lady, I didn't know her before." He Chenying added.

Chen Yunxiu chimed in, "She acted in Lao He's 'Xiao Wen.' This girl has potential."

As an actress, He Chenying's perspective was slightly different from theirs. Having been in the industry for so many years and collaborating with numerous people, both young and old, she could only say that the girl was doing pretty well for now.

The eagerness to prove herself reminded her of a little kitten swinging its paws.

"Let's wait and see, it's too early to judge."

Hearing that they were only commenting on her acting, Wei Jiabao's gaze wandered over. "I think she actually... has a unique charm."

He felt he hadn't found the right words to describe her yet.

He Chenying shot him a sideways glance, following his gaze.

The sunlight cast a gentle glow on the girl's fair forehead, giving it a velvety texture. She sat quietly, lost in thought, while her assistant stood nearby, also silent, not daring to disturb her.

This scene carried a certain aesthetic of stillness.

Just as He Chenying was about to look away, the girl fluttered her eyelashes, lifted her head, seeming to have resolved something. Although too far to discern subtle expressions, one could feel her whole face light up, exuding a radiant and bright aura.

The contrast between stillness and movement evoked distinct feelings and beauty.

He Chenying's gaze lingered in the air for a moment, then she stretched her arms, tilted her head slightly backward, and lazily suggested, "Alright, let's continue shooting."

......

"Child, only you can save your younger sister now. Her situation can't be delayed any longer. This is the last resort." He Chenying stood while Xiang Xiaoyuan and Zou Yirui remained seated. Zou Yirui, with furrowed brows and a pale face, reached out to grab He Chenying's hand.

He Chenying continued to look at Xiang Xiaoyuan, subconsciously tightening Zou Yirui's hand, which seemed to comfort the latter, who in turn held on tighter, seeking more solace. He Chenying had to turn sideways, stepping back a bit, allowing her to lean against her side.

The two shared a sense of mutual support, forming a cohesive unit.

It must be said that whenever Zou Yirui acted alongside He Chenying, she showcased a performance that was beyond exceptional.

He Chenying was indeed skilled at leading a scene.

Xiang Xiaoyuan's gaze swept over them, and she tugged at her lips. "What if I don't agree?"

He Chenying's shoulder slumped momentarily, then straightened up again, and in a hoarse voice, she said, "If I could find a suitable match, I wouldn't ask you for a transplant."

"If you could find a match, you wouldn't be looking for me, right?" Xiaoyuan's eyes were vacant, not lifeless but filled with a profound sense of helplessness, a bleak and bitter powerlessness that appeared empty and calm on the surface but concealed deep sorrow and bitterness within.

She thought she was starting to develop some feelings for her mother, believed that her mother would genuinely care for her, and that they would finally try to bridge the gap of estrangement that had persisted for years by living together.

But the truth was that she needed to be a match for her sister?

When had they taken her blood samples?

Oh, was it during their reunion? When He Chenying mentioned wanting to check her health and promised to take her for a medical examination, had she secretly taken a sample for matching?

Despair filled Xiang Xiaoyuan's eyes, yet a strange smile crept onto her lips as she leaned back slightly, scrutinizing them.

The sadness in her eyes contrasted sharply with the irony in her smile. Was she mocking her biological mother and sister? Was she mocking her own fate? This shattered life gave her no glimpse of happiness, such meagerness, such cruelty! Her actions, her gaze, were filled with anger, burning with fury, demanding answers! Did she never intend to find her? Was she only looking for her to be a donor for her precious daughter?!

To portray a character, one must first become her.

And she had to confirm that she was indeed that character!

This is the conviction that every actor must possess! It is the foundation that makes all performances convincing and evoke empathy.

The atmosphere of this scene has changed!

Not just Cai Juan, but all the crew members noticed it.

The entire place fell into a profound silence, at this moment, everyone entered the eldest daughter's mindset!

Yes! Speak clearly! What is the truth after all!

He Chenying felt a stir within her. Huh?

Such accusations are unbearable for any mother. He Chenying's lips trembled, struggling to control her emotions for a moment, murmuring, "Of course not, Mom, Mom has also searched for you, searched for a long time..."

Her whole body went limp, as if she couldn't stand anymore, "Searched in many places... searched for you..."

Her lines were fragmented, repetitive, as if she couldn't bring herself to articulate it clearly, or perhaps truly couldn't, over the years, every hope was met with disappointment, until she stopped searching, couldn't bear it anymore, until she had a newborn child and unconsciously shifted her focus, the search continued, yet...

Perhaps she dared not, or maybe she was unwilling to place so much hope again.

Yes, she told herself this was the reason, not that she was unwilling to search.

"I..." He Chenying seemed to collapse, her legs weakened, and she stumbled slightly, then steadied herself, bowing her head to cover her lips, trembling shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

In the end, there was a debt owed, and she couldn't bear to meet such a gaze.

Ah... it was so hard!!

The audience outside felt their hearts clenching, furrowing their brows, watching the mother. The mother was suffering too! She didn't want this either! She had made efforts!

Zou Yirui was bewildered. Were these two really acting? Wow! Was this confrontation so direct?

Wait, she was also in the frame!

Zou Yirui felt a bit flustered in her heart, her rhythm disrupted, her face showing a mix of confusion. At that moment, her palm was gently squeezed, jolting her back to reality, and she cried out, "Mom!"

Just crying along was the right thing to do!

Xiang Xiaoyuan stood there, the smile at the corner of her lips fading, tears gradually welling up in her eyes, slowly spreading as a wave of sadness enveloped her.

"I asked the doctor. If she receive a kidney transplant, and if there are no rejection issues, she'll have a good chance of survival. But If I lost one, If there are complications, I won't make it. I'm afraid of dying, I want to live. Is that not possible?"

"Mom, forget it. I don't want my big sister's kidney. I don't want it!" Fortunately, Zou Yirui remembered her lines, pulling He Chenying's arm and shouting.

"I know you blame me, but your sister is innocent. When I was pregnant with her, it was an unexpected joy. I didn't plan on having another child. I was old and not in good health... She was born prematurely, so her health has always been fragile since childhood. It's my fault for not taking good care of her. After her father left, she was all I had left. I could no longer escape, I had to take good care of her..."

Favoring one over the other, she was bound to owe one.

He Chenying's emotions overflowed as she struggled to maintain control. Her lines were spoken clearly, word by word, deliberately trying to mask her calmness, but it couldn't be hidden. She needed to convince her daughter, and it felt like reopening a scabbed wound.

Even though her eyes were filled with tears and her whole body trembled to the point of nearly collapsing, she still held tightly onto her younger daughter's hand, pleading with her gaze towards her eldest.

She was indeed biased, and she was truly in a difficult position.

In the tidy living room, three women struggled between family ties, weaving between protection and sacrifice. The central figure was He Chenying, whose performance firmly captured the audience's attention, fully drawing them into her emotional state, struggling and entangled. They felt she was selfish, yet they also recognized the difficulty of her reality.

This scene is so captivating, essentially a duel between two people.

The attention shifted to Xiang Xiaoyuan, waiting to see how she would act.

Xiaoyuan felt an unprecedented pressure, a face-to-face, compelling interaction. Although on the surface it seemed the mother was pleading with her eldest daughter, and though He Chenying portrayed herself as "weak," the subtle movements of her facial muscles and the hint of desperation in her eyes, coupled with the glimmer of her tears, silently entwined around Xiang Xiaoyuan, binding her tightly.

She felt as if the air had been sucked out...

Suddenly, He Chenying dropped to her knees, pulling Zou Yirui down with her. "Child! I'm begging you!"

Xiang Xiaoyuan's face went pale, instinctively stumbling back.

He Chenying didn't wait for her to react further, she pulled the bewildered Zou Yirui close, lowering her head. "Child, both Mom and your little sister are begging you! Its Mom who's sorry, but your sister is innocent. Please, for the sake of... she's your sister..."

She then lifted her face, tears streaming down, in a close-up shot. "You are her only sister. Can you really watch your loved one die in front of you?..."

Zou Yirui, feeling the need to not be a hindrance, also cried as she tried to console her. "Mom, Mom, please don't be like this, it's okay, I..."

She forgot her lines, but it didn't matter—at this moment, crying was all that mattered.

The two women knelt together, embracing and weeping.

The mother and daughter knelt together, embracing each other in tears.

"Mom..."

"Poor baby..."

What does it mean to kill with a soft knife? This is it!

What does emotional blackmail look like? This is it!

Everyone present felt a heaviness in their hearts, suffocated, as if a great mountain were pressing down on them.

From the initial subtle control to the final explosive performance, every step was part of He Chenying's plan, executed flawlessly. What seemed like a gentle performance, when you relaxed your guard, would suddenly 'devour' you whole, leaving nothing behind.

This is the true essence of the nickname "Smiling Tiger"! Cai Juan clenched his fists, unable to look away, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.

The control over the scene, the emotional intensity, is outstanding!

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