Jiang Xiaowei hid in a corner, plucking at leaves.
She ground the torn leaves under her foot, pretending they were the innocent, harmless Jiang Xiaoxiao, ruthlessly crushing them back and forth.
She was certain Jiang Xiaoxiao was just putting on an act—that was the only way she could have won the approval of such a beautiful auntie and brother. She had miscalculated, never expecting that a little wretch could be so well-liked by them!
Meanwhile, the three people getting along so happily in the distance felt none of Jiang Xiaowei's malice from afar.
Qi Jinchen thought of his earlier question and asked curiously, "Why won't you let me call you River Imp?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao, who had originally forgotten about it, suddenly blushed bright red. "Be-because the villagers say River Uncle will catch little kids to be his river imps… Xiaoxiao doesn't want to be a river imp."
Yan Qiu knew you couldn't look at a five-year-old from an ordinary person's perspective, so she asked curiously, "Who is River Uncle?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao said matter-of-factly, "The uncle in the river, of course."
She lifted her adorable little head, gesturing wildly with her hands and feet. "River Uncle is thii~s big! His body is so so wide, even burlier than the uncle next to us. His facial features are all separated—he has countless eyes. Any child who falls into the river, he'll know instantly."
"River Uncle will send a whole bunch of river imps to drag the child who fell in back to become one of them! Super super scary." At this point, Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't help but shiver.
Thank goodness it wasn't River Uncle who caught her that day—it was the pretty brother!
Yan Qiu laughed so hard she was doubled over, thinking the little girl in front of her was explosively adorable!
Qi Jinchen's face, however, went dark.
So that day when she called him River Uncle, she was treating him as a ferocious water ghost!
Was he really that ugly?!
Qi Jinchen felt depressed.
"We can start filming now—" The assistant director shouted from not far away. Jiang Xiaoxiao perked up and bounced to her feet, her mouth grinning from ear to ear as she tugged Qi Jinchen happily toward that direction.
Jiang Xiaowei was playing the female second lead as a child.
Since childhood, she had been silent and withdrawn, only ever secretly admiring the male lead from afar. The two girls and one boy had all grown up together as childhood friends, except the female lead was more delicate and adorable, while the female second lead's personality was similar to the male lead's.
From a young age, no matter what she did, she always had to be better than the female lead, to the point that she wore an invisible halo above her head.
The village children would all compare themselves to the female second lead because she was good at everything.
The female lead had been scrapping and struggling since childhood, her clothes always filthy. But the female second lead was different—her clothes were spotless, her manner of speaking gentle and proper. All the elders liked her—everyone except the male lead. In the later storyline, the female second lead directly turned dark.
But Jiang Xiaowei couldn't act out the female second lead's dark transformation.
"Ready—" The country folk couldn't understand English, so Yan Qiu requested they switch to Chinese for easier communication. This scene was one where the female lead clung to the male lead while the female second lead watched from far away in hiding.
The female second lead had no lines—it was all eye contact throughout.
Jiang Xiaoxiao's performance flowed smoothly, almost without interruption, like a true female lead who had jumped right out of the script, chattering away nonstop. Yan Qiu, watching from outside the camera, couldn't hold back her amusement and commented, "This really is talent. I must nurture her properly in the future."
The assistant director nodded. "Director Yan has a good eye. I wonder if I could compete with you for her?"
This kind of talent was like heaven itself chasing after her to spoon-feed her.
Not only that, her features were delicate and petite. Although her skin was sallow, with some care she would definitely grow up to be very beautiful. Yan Qiu was reluctant to give them away. "No way. The little girl hit it off with my family member. I'm planning to adopt her." The assistant director laughed heartily. "You really plan to adopt? Such a good little girl, would they agree…"
Jiang Xiaowei, standing not far away, heard all of this.
Her small fists clenched tightly.
The flames of jealousy in her heart grew wildly, and just as they were about to break through her rationality, the assistant director patted her little head. "Little girl, it's your turn. Go stand over there…" The assistant director kindly directed her.
Jiang Xiaowei said nothing and walked to the designated spot.
How could a five-year-old know how to hide her feelings? Moreover, Jiang Xiaowei had been spoiled since childhood. In the past, she would hit Jiang Xiaoxiao whenever she wanted, take out her bad moods on the little bitch, and at the very least stir up other playmates to insult and beat Jiang Xiaoxiao together.
Now, a little thing that once didn't dare make a peep, a defeated opponent under her command.
Had turned the tables and become the master. How could she swallow that humiliation? Seeing the smile on Jiang Xiaoxiao's face, flames burst from her eyes.
The assistant director frowned while looking at the camera. "This isn't right."
"The second female lead is so young, she shouldn't be showing such malice yet, right?" He discussed with Yan Qiu beside him.
Yan Qiu already didn't like Jiang Xiaowei. Seeing her resentful gaze, she walked over, her face cold. "Jiang Xiaowei, if you don't want to act, then leave. Did you even read the script properly?"
Being lectured, Jiang Xiaowei felt unhappy. "Of course I read it properly!"
How could she be stupider than that idiot Jiang Xiaoxiao? She puffed out her small chest, full of confidence.
Yan Qiu didn't believe her. "Then let's run the lines."
Jiang Xiaowei felt guilty, her eyes darting evasively, but her mouth was stubborn. "This scene doesn't have any lines for me. Pretty auntie, how do you expect me to run lines?"
"Just run the next scene. It's only five lines, not hard." Yan Qiu waved her hand and directly called Jiang Xiaoxiao over, her expression impossibly gentle. "Xiaoxiao, run the second scene with her, okay?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao looked at Jiang Xiaowei's fierce gaze.
She was so frightened she hid behind Yan Qiu, quietly poking out her little head to look at Jiang Xiaowei. "Pretty auntie, I'm scared…" Her voice trembled, and her small hand clutched Yan Qiu's pant leg tightly, refusing to let go.
Yan Qiu frowned, squatted down, and gently held her in her arms. "Don't worry. You're auntie's person now. Whoever dares bully you, auntie will bully them back."
"Go ahead and run the lines boldly." Yan Qiu's gentle words gave Jiang Xiaoxiao immense strength.
She nodded vigorously and immediately got into character. "Miao Ya, you're amazing! How did you get your clothes so clean?" Jiang Xiaoxiao tilted her head, cute with a hint of confusion, and within that confusion swirled a thirst for knowledge.
Especially the two pigtails sticking up on top of her head, which added even more to her cuteness!
Jiang Xiaowei's cheeks turned bright red.
She hadn't listened carefully to the second scene at all—that would have been distracting. Uncle had asked her after explaining, but she didn't want to be worse than Jiang Xiaoxiao, so she stubbornly insisted she remembered everything!
Who knew that now she'd be tested on the second scene?
Jiang Xiaowei bit her tongue, but no matter what, she couldn't remember.
Jiang Xiaoxiao tilted her head, her beautiful big eyes blinking again and again as she looked at Jiang Xiaowei.
To Jiang Xiaowei, that expression looked like she was provoking and mocking her. Humiliated and furious, she pointed at her. "You did it on purpose! It must be Jiang Xiaoxiao deliberately making things difficult for me, trying to embarrass me!" She burst into loud sobs.
As before, whenever she cried, many people would choose to let the matter drop.
Jiang Xiaowei felt that this time would surely be like before—as long as she cried, Jiang Xiaoxiao would absolutely be scolded by everyone! She wiped her tears, feeling smug inside.