Early next morning, Ning Ran returned to the filming location.
Based on their current progress, the film would be able to make its debut after about a month.
Their current dilemma was that Zheng Lunlun was M.I.A because he was recovering from his illness. There were plenty of scenes that hadn’t been completed yet because of his absence, and they had to wait until he fully recovered before they could finish filming.
Ning Ran obviously wished for Zheng Lunlun’s speedy recovery so that he could return and continue filming with her. Ning Ran felt safer whenever Zheng Lunlun was around.
Ning Ran really believed that their duo performance in this movie would go viral and blow their views up.
After completing a scene, Ning Ran sat down to take a break while the crew rested as well.
One of the male actors who had played a minor character alongside her walked over. Ning Ran turned away, not looking at him.
“Ding, have some water.” The actor passed a bottle of water to her with a respectful yet fearful look on his face.
“I’m good,” Ning Ran said coldly.
“Ding, when are your kids going to visit the set again?” the actor asked.
Ning Ran was immediately annoyed at that. “Why? So you can keep tormenting them?”
The actor looked terrified and shook his head in denial. “No, of course not, Ding. I was foolish to make such a mistake that day. I’m sorry for upsetting the children, and I really, really want to apologize to them in person.”
“Apologize? You want to apologize to two kids? Am I hearing you right?”
“Yes. I want to apologize, and I need their forgiveness. If not-”
“If not, what?”
“If not, then I’ll feel really bad. I won’t be able to get over it.”
Ning Ran scoffed at the absurdity of his words. What nonsense is he spouting? After seeing how full of himself he was that day, I doubt he even has a conscience.
“Did you forget that we’re all actors here? Stop showing off your mediocrity in front of me. You have much to improve before you can begin to fool me with your acting, so just give up already,” Ning Ran cut him off sharply.
“That’s not what I meant, I-”
“Enough. I don’t want to hear it. Just let bygones be bygones. My children were in the wrong as well, but they are kids, after all. If you want to be so petty with literal children, then I have nothing to say,” Ning Ran said in an icy tone.
“That’s not what I meant. It was completely my fault. Ding, please just bring your kids here so I can apologize to them in person. I was completely in the wrong.”
Ning Ran glanced at the actor. He was already sweating bullets at this point, so he probably wasn’t acting.
If he wasn’t acting, that meant someone was pressuring him to apologize.
The only ones who would do such a thing were the Nan family.
That day, the actor had thrown a fit and argued with Erbao. Hurt and scared, Erbao had told Nan Chen about everything.
Ning Ran didn’t know what Nan Chen did after that, but based on what she could see right now, it must have been pretty intense.
“Why are you suddenly so apologetic?” Ning Ran asked, glaring at the actor.
“I just feel uneasy since I didn’t apologize-”
“Why would you suddenly feel uneasy? You were pretty haughty that day.”
“I reflected on my behavior after going home. I felt really bad toward your children; they didn’t know better because they are still young, but I retaliated as an adult. I feel like a real fool.”
“Enough, it’s all in the past, and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. You don’t have to apologize, either.” Ning Ran waved a hand to dismiss him.
“No, I really have to apologize to them. In fact, I have to apologize to them in front of the whole cast and crew,” the actor said firmly.
“Why?”
“That’s the only way I can fix my mistake,” the actor said desperately.
“Who asked you to apologize?” Ning Ran asked.
“N-no one! I was the one who realized my mistake.” The actor started sweating even more profusely at that.
“If you don’t tell me honestly, then I won’t bring them here. I don’t want them to become the target of ridicule again.”
“Please, I’m begging you, Ding. Just help me out this once.”
The actor suddenly dropped to his knees.
Ning Ran was taken aback. What is he up to?
“Get up, quick. Don’t pull this stunt with me. Others might think I’m bullying you or something,” Ning Ran said in surprise.
“Ding, I won’t get up unless you agree,” the actor said.
The crew were shocked by the current situation. Are they simply rehearsing, or is a real-life melodrama unfolding before their very eyes?
The rest of the crew racked their brains but couldn’t seem to recall a scene that required the character to kneel in front of Ning Ran. They wondered if he was simply improvising.
“Get up! I’m not going along with this.”
“I’ll get up once you agree. If not, I refuse to stand.”
“Are you really going to just stay there, then? Because I won’t agree.”
“I need to apologize to the kids, I need to. I absolutely need to,” the actor pleaded.
Ning Ran didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What exactly had Nan Chen done to strike such fear in this punk’s heart?
“What’ll happen to you if you don’t apologize?”
“All of my current jobs will be replaced by other actors and I’ll never see the light of day again. I’ll basically be trash.”
With that, Ning Ran immediately realized that Nan Chen was up to something.
No one apart from him had the ability to do such a thing.
Ning Ran was grateful that she had never crossed Nan Chen. If she did, would she have to kneel and beg for forgiveness from him, too, lest she was banned from ever showing her face in the entertainment industry again?
“Get up. I’ll forgive you. You really don’t need to do that. In fact, you’re just going to cause an even bigger scene,” Ning Ran sighed.
“No! If I can’t apologize to your children in front of the whole cast and crew, I’ll really be done for.”
“If you don’t get up right now, you’ll really be done for. I know who’s doing this to you, and I’ll talk to him in your favor. You don’t need to apologize to my kids. Christ, they’re kids, after all, and I won’t let them become bullies. You don’t need to blow this up. If you don’t get up within the next minute, I’ll make sure you’re really done for,” Ning Ran threatened.
The actor still looked terrified. “Ding-”
“Get up already! Grow a spine, come on. If you still stay down there, I’m going to leave.”
The actor finally got to his feet. “Please, help me convince Mr. Qiao. I know what I did was wrong, so please ask him to let me off.”
So, Nan Chen didn’t even show up. Qiao Zhan was the one who settled it.
After all, Nan Chen was a busy man. He would have been too busy to visit personally.
“I’ll call him right now, okay? Stop worrying.”
The actor finally got up and hung his head sheepishly. He didn’t dare to look at the other cast and crew members.
At first, she had been feeling pretty put off by acting alongside this actor, but with this turn of events, Ning Ran suddenly started feeling bad for him.
After all, they all came from the same place. Why was there a need to target each other?
Ning Ran made the call, and an alluring voice answered. “Hey.”
That did not sound like Qiao Zhan. Ning Ran hurriedly glanced at the number and cursed under her breath. She had accidentally called Nan Chen.
Still reeling in shock from the actor’s antics, she had dialed Nan Chen’s number by accident.
“Speak,” Nan Chen said curtly.
“D-don’t go after that actor anymore. They’re just kids, there’s no need to make it any bigger than it is. He doesn’t have to apologize to them,” Ning Ran stammered.
“You were the one who failed to protect the kids. If I want to help them, who are you to stop me?” Nan Chen said coldly.
Sh*t, did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed? I’m just having a normal conversation with him! Why is he biting my head off?
