Chapter 304: The Female Boss and Her Male Subordinate
Ding ding dong—
Ma Lei felt a tightening in his chest.
As expected, the moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room instantly froze.
Everyone turned their eyes towards him.
The speaker was someone they couldn’t ignore under any circumstances.
That’s right, it was Song Yu, who had been lounging in the corner with his legs crossed, shaking his head the whole time.
“Director Song, could you tell us what the issue is?”
Ma Lei stepped forward and asked.
It seemed a few of the main creators had already braced themselves; their faces carried no look of discomfort. After all, they had anticipated that this guy would pop up and rant about something, so it wasn’t surprising in the least.
“This won’t do, it feels all wrong!”
Song Yu pointed at Gan Yan Yu in the distance and said,
“We’re aiming for the elite, successful people vibe here, and this trainee is just terrible! The male lead is too fresh-faced—it’s completely off the mark!”
What the heck! Isn’t this script exactly what we agreed on from the start!
The group’s bl**d pressure spiked instantly.
You wanted a little participation, a casual critique of some details, and everyone would pitch in to fix it.
But now, you’re taking potshots at the script itself? Back then, when we wanted to revise the script, you were against it!
“Director Song.”
Ma Lei rubbed his hands together nervously and approached Song Yu, saying,
“What you’re bringing up is more about the mismatch between the spokesperson and our theme casting—it’s not something we can resolve overnight. Plus, shouldn’t everyone have prepared for this before we started shooting?”
“I thought you guys could handle it! Since you’re experienced directors, you should be able to manage this!”
Song Yu’s words knocked the director speechless again.
“…”
Meanwhile, the director was still in discussions with Depp’s creative director.
On the other side, the news quickly spread through the crew.
Many workers had their morale crushed in an instant.
“What the heck?? Are we talking about reshooting??”
In the photography group, one guy started cursing outright,
“d*mn it, I say we shouldn’t give him an ounce of respect!!”
“What is he even talking about? He knows nothing about shooting, just pointing fingers!”
Nearby, a lighting technician sighed, trying to calm the guy down,
“We can’t help it; it’s not the first time we’ve run into a clueless client.”
“Fine. I could tolerate other stuff, but saying our actors are too fresh-faced? Who even says that?!”
“Our Teacher Moonlight is such a great actor, what more could be wanted?”
“…”
In that moment, the crew was filled with complaints and grievances.
Even Lin Tian, resting in the lounge, picked up on some of it.
“What’s going on?”
Gan Yan Yu asked curiously.
“It seems like Depp over there is saying it’s not good and wants to reshoot?”
“Ah?”
Gan Yan Yu shrank her head slightly,
“Is it my fault?”
“You idiot, how could it possibly be your fault?”
“Why not?”
Gan Yan Yu widened her eyes, then her voice lowered again,
“I think I didn’t catch your cues earlier; Lin Tian, you acted so well, I couldn’t keep up with your rhythm.”
“There were no lines, it’s not even about keeping up.”
Lin Tian flicked Gan Yan Yu lightly on the forehead, lifting her chin,
“It’s our first sh**t together. Even if we both acted like fools, it wouldn’t be our fault, it’s the crew’s issue.”
Lin Tian was not entirely just comforting Gan Yan Yu.
While his master-level acting skills were indeed unmatched, Gan Yan Yu’s role clearly also lacked much room for performance, which was a fact.
Moreover, he felt that he and Gan Yan Yu performed just fine together. If there was actually a problem, it was definitely not just theirs.
If pressed to say…
Lin Tian figured his issues were even bigger than Gan Yan Yu’s.
There was nothing wrong with Gan Yan Yu playing the trainee.
But when he played the domineering CEO, even though his acting had improved, his youthful demeanor still lingered.
“…”
As Lin Tian spoke, Gan Yan Yu fell into a pensive silence, seemingly unaware of what he was saying.
Then, she raised her finger seriously and declared,
“Lin Tian, I think it really is a casting issue.”
“Ah?”
“So what do you think we should do?”
Feeling helpless, Ma Lei finally adjusted his tone to one of respect and asked Song Yu,
If you asked for so much, then you make the call.
Even Ma Lei, with his usually good temper, was left with just one thought:
YOU CAN, YOU UP, NO CAN, NO BB.
“I’m not a professional; why are you asking me?”
Song Yu shook his head in frustration, with an attitude of “Since you’ve asked, don’t blame me for being rude,”
“Just bring the script over; I’ll take a look.”
“I’ll talk to the producer first,”
said Ma Lei before returning to his director’s seat.
At this point, the assistant director, producer, and photographer all gathered around.
“How’s it going?” the assistant director asked concernedly.
“Director Song wants to change the script,”
Ma Lei replied.
“Change my foot!”
the photographer cursed,
“We had said we wanted to change it before, and you wouldn’t let us! Now that we’re on site, he wants to rewrite the script all on his own? Doesn’t he know he might ruin it?”
“Honestly, if he likes changing things, let him. The end product is still going to be in their hands,” the producer said.
“Can’t say it like that,”
Ma Lei sighed, “Both Teacher Moonlight and Cat are very talented and committed actors. You can tell they’ve put in the effort, and since this is my work, I want to make it right.”
“…”
“Excuse me, when’s the next scene getting filmed?”
Just then, a voice sounded from beside them.
Everyone froze and turned their heads.
Lin Tian was standing in front of them.
“Teacher Moonlight, what are you doing here?”
Ma Lei looked startled.
“I saw we weren’t starting anytime soon, so I just came to check,”
Lin Tian replied.
“It’s fine; you should rest with Teacher Cat for now. We’ve hit a small snag but will let you know when we’re ready to go,”
Ma Lei said.
He wanted to keep the spokesperson teachers out of the mess since it was his job as director to handle any issues that arose in the crew—it couldn’t land on the actors. Not when Teacher Moonlight had just exhibited such impressive acting skills.
“It’s a character issue, isn’t it?”
Lin Tian said.
At this comment, several creators looked a bit taken aback.
Oh? He knew that already?
“I’m too youthful, and Teacher Cat looks too haggard, so we couldn’t project the high-end vibe they wanted, right?”
Lin Tian continued.
“…”
Ma Lei was even more shocked. He hadn’t expected Lin Tian to grasp that much.
He couldn’t help but say, “Then…”
“Which means it’s a casting issue; in this script, the boss role shouldn’t be played by someone lacking a mature aura, and the employee role shouldn’t be someone so timid! If we’re going high-end, it needs to reflect the ‘elite workplace’ feeling, right? It’s not complicated, even I can understand that,”
Lin Tian pointed out.
Hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but feel a bit defeated.
Yes, of course, it’s not complicated.
Everyone knew that simple truth.
But since the casting had already been decided, what else could they do with that foundation?
All they could do was try their best, and if they finished shooting and the director complained it wasn’t satisfactory, what could they do then!
“If the casting is bad, then switch it up!” Lin Tian suggested.
Ma Lei looked up in shock.
Switch?
Aren’t you the spokesperson?
Where would you switch to?
“Swap Teacher Cat to play the boss, and I’ll be the subordinate,”
Lin Tian declared, raising his finger with a serious tone,
“That’s what I just discussed with Teacher Cat.”
The machinery started getting set up again.
“Swapping roles?”
When the other crew members heard this news, they were all taken aback.
“Teacher Moonlight will play the subordinate, and Teacher Cat will be the boss??”
“Uh, can Teacher Cat really do it? She’s such a petite girl, how can she play that kind of role?”
“No way, Teacher Moonlight is so tall and handsome! In terms of presence, isn’t he bound to overshadow Teacher Cat? How does it even make sense for them to swap roles?”
This news was so explosive that before they even began filming, the crew erupted in chaos.
Though everyone had already seen the charming side of Teacher Cat in the spokesperson posters.
But still, a photo is a photo—makeup set and edited, it won’t be too bad, entirely different from shooting an actual advertisement.
As soon as Gan Yan Yu entered, everyone was captured by her unique fresh student vibe; who wouldn’t love that cute, shy look?
How could someone like her pull off a superior role like Teacher Moonlight’s?
The whole aura would be completely reversed!
It was as if…
In everyone’s imagination,
Gan Yan Yu, on top of Lin Tian.
Could that even happen?!
“Wait, are you all joking?? Swapping roles? What difference does that even make? What’s the point?”
Hearing the news, Song Yu wore a look of incredulity that nearly made him burst into laughter.
“Just give me the script to change it myself!”
“Let’s give it a shot; after all, it’s the spokesperson’s idea,” Ma Lei insisted.
“The spokesperson’s idea?” Song Yu choked on that.
He knew how much the higher-ups in the product department valued these two spokespersons.
In an instant, he couldn’t really say anything.
He could only helplessly look towards the set.
This time,
It was Lin Tian who changed his outfit from the boss’s role to the subordinate.
However, unlike Gan Yan Yu’s sweet and innocent vibe as a trainee,
Lin Tian donned glasses and sat confidently in front of a computer.
With an air of charm, he looked just like an office god.
At the very least, he was on the level of a Wall Street wolf.
“All departments ready.”
“Sound, slate!”
“Action!”
With the director’s command,
The cameras turned on again!
—
On the screen,
Lin Tian furiously typed on the keyboard, the mouse gliding across the desk.
Behind his elegant, transparent-framed glasses, a pair of dark eyes focused intently, portraying the essence of an effortlessly competent workplace elite.
Even during mundane tasks…
This scene alone was enough to become a stunning spectacle.
“Changed styles, huh?”
Soon someone noticed something was off—the Teacher Moonlight version of the subordinate was quite different from the previous Teacher Cat.
It seemed that he had suddenly morphed from a trainee into a career powerhouse in the office.
“Heard that was a request from Teacher Moonlight,”
another person whispered.
“True, Teacher Moonlight’s presence, while he was a CEO just now, though youthful, was still undeniably appealing; it’s a waste to cast him as a workplace rookie.”
“Exactly. With his level of charisma, how could Teacher Cat, at her size, possibly play a boss that would overshadow him?”
“Definitely. This is just too hard!”
—
After a while, with the sun setting, a hint of fatigue appeared on Lin Tian’s handsome face.
He leaned back in his chair and yawned.
At that moment, with a series of clear, resonant footsteps on high heels, the sound echoed across the floor.
With her black high heels and clad in a black leather outfit, Gan Yan Yu stepped into the scene!
The girl’s tall figure, combined with the heels, reached a height just shy of 1.7 meters, yet her graceful stride and poised expression gave off an air that seemed to reach 1.8 meters!
“Wait!”
People quickly noticed that something was off,
“How can she look so stunning?!”
She’d been dressed like a shy intern just moments ago.
But with just a change of clothes!
Now she radiated confidence and charm.
“Did you all forget? Teacher Cat is a cellist!”
That’s when everyone recalled.
They’d been so caught up in pondering the age gap that they nearly forgot.
Both Teacher Moonlight and Teacher Cat were classical musicians.
And Teacher Cat, no less, had supposedly been a professional cellist for quite a while now.
How could someone with that background lack presence?!
—
Gan Yan Yu lightly tapped Lin Tian on the shoulder.
Lin Tian turned and was surprised to see Gan Yan Yu.
The girl merely smiled slightly.
And handed him some milk.
“Hey, Xiao Lin.”
“Pfft—”
As soon as the line was spoken, He Zhi Chen nearly spit out the water in his mouth.
He quickly covered his mouth, bursting into laughter.
“Drink this.”
Gan Yan Yu maintained her elegant, exquisite smile.
Soon, Lin Tian chuckled, took the milk, and the two of them gently clinked their glasses before sipping together.
“Surprisingly… so harmonious.”
Even Ma Lei was taken by surprise.
There was absolutely no awkwardness in the scene!
Originally, they thought the visuals of Teacher Cat as boss and Teacher Moonlight as subordinate would be strange, but it turned out to be so harmonious.
Having Teacher Cat take on this role was simply a genius idea!
It must be said.
While Teacher Moonlight’s acting was quite exceptional.
In terms of presence,
It really had to be Teacher Cat stepping up!
She could truly embody the character of the female boss down to her core!
The role of the trainee earlier had truly stifled Teacher Cat’s talent!
No wonder they could come up with the idea of switching roles!
It showed just how well these two understood each other and how they could envision such a scene in their minds, prompting such a suggestion.
“So beautiful!”
At that point, Ma Lei was not only impressed by their outstanding acting and presence.
He was even more in awe of their courage to suggest “switching roles” in the crew and managing to pull it off so well.
What kind of wild creative thinking could lead to this?
Indeed, this is a creator’s duo, isn’t it?
—
As the camera switched,
In the shooting of the second act,
After drinking the milk, Lin Tian broke through the confines and began playing the piano in a colorful, sweet little room.
He took off his glasses, and his tie flew in the air.
Deeply focused on the piano, he played with passion.
This sequence was initially meant for post-production dubbing.
Due to the switch-up, they hadn’t prepared in advance.
But Lin Tian was genuinely playing the piano earnestly.
As the sounds of “Nocturne” filled the entire set,
Not only did the crew members watch in awe,
Even Song Yu was left mesmerized by this elegant piano performance.
What an outstanding interpretation this was!
Confident, expressive.
The atmosphere around him as he clinked glasses with Gan Yan Yu felt so harmonious.
In this office setting,
Neither of their performances fell short!
Nor did either of them lack in presence.
They perfectly embodied the innate elegance of this milk!
“…”
What was supposed to be a few seconds of footage to record,
Ma Lei rather reluctantly delayed saying “cut.”
They simply watched as Teacher Moonlight performed a complete segment of a piano piece.
When the director finally called for a stop,
After a brief silence, Ma Lei didn’t announce to take another shot.
This signaled that all the filming was complete.
And thus, the entire set resonated with the sound of everyone’s relieved cheers.
“That was incredible! One take and done!”
“Ahhh, filming this was such a blast! It felt like watching a live performance!”
“Not just Teacher Moonlight’s performance; it was also Teacher Cat’s stunning contrast!”
“…”
Watching the scene play out before him,
Song Yu’s mouth slightly agape, wanting to say something but failing to find his words.
At this moment, he too was caught in a daze.
He wanted to express something.
Like, Teacher Cat’s face was still too youthful.
Or, despite everything, both of them were just too young.
But those words all got lodged in his throat.
Because he, too, was struck by how wonderful that segment had been.
Whether it was their clinking glasses or Gan Yan Yu’s aura as the boss, or Lin Tian’s live performance at the end.
All of it was outstanding.
Especially that segment of “Nocturne.”
That piece fit the product perfectly!
Why didn’t they pick this piece earlier?
It should have always been Teacher Moonlight playing this role!
In that moment, Song Yu was surprisingly thrilled.
He couldn’t wait to see the final product!
“I think…”
Song Yu stood up, wanting to speak.
At that moment, Lin Tian approached the main creators, including Song Yu, and said,
“Oh, by the way.”
“That last performance needs to be cut!”
Saying this, Lin Tian looked toward Song Yu.
“Unless you pay me the copyright fee for ‘Nocturne.’”
(End of Chapter)
