Jin Xiaoxi looked up at her father and nodded obediently.
Jin's mother walked into the adjacent room, her expression very serious. "Xiaoye, did you completely disregard what I told you on the phone today?"
In the afternoon, Jin Ye had heard his mother call, saying Su Ding had scolded her and told him to separate from Su Ding.
He used the excuse of a meeting and hung up the phone.
But as soon as he got home, he was forced to make a choice again. He didn't understand why the atmosphere in his home had become so suffocating.
"Mother, she is your daughter-in-law. Can you please not make things difficult for her?"
"You! You're saying this to your own mother for that woman?" Jin's mother looked at Jin Ye in disbelief.
Jin Ye's expression turned terribly grim, but he remained silent.
He had seen his mother's dissatisfaction and rejection of Su Ding. He truly couldn't allow his woman to be wronged for the sake of filial piety.
"Dad, Grandma."
Jin Xiaoxi, pale and in his pajamas, looked at them timidly.
Jin's mother quickly changed her expression and picked up her beloved grandson. "Xiaoxi, why are you out here?"
"Can you stop arguing?" Jin Xiaoxi's big eyes were tearful. "Grandma, I like Mommy, and I like Grandma too."
As he spoke, big tears rolled down his cheeks.
Jin's mother panicked. "Don't cry, don't cry, Xiaoxi, good boy."
Jin Ye's heart ached, and he hated his own incompetence for not being able to manage the relationship between the two women in his family, leaving their child caught in the middle and distressed.
Jin Xiaoxi, still crying, hugged his grandmother's neck tightly. "Grandma, Mommy is very good to me..."
Jin's mother could only nod helplessly. "Yes, yes, darling grandson, let's go back to the room and talk."
Back in the room, Jin's mother gently held Xiaoxi, patting his back. "Go to sleep, Grandma knows everything, good boy..."
Jin Xiaoxi had just taken his medicine and soon fell asleep.
"Mother, you should rest early..."
Before Jin Ye could finish speaking, Jin's mother turned and left without even looking at him, clearly still angry.
He clenched his fist in frustration and returned to his room.
...
The next morning, after Su Ding drove Xiaorui to school, she followed Xiao Yuan into the new film crew.
This time, she had taken on a modern workplace drama. With Jin Ye's backing, Xiao Yuan managed to secure Su Ding the role of the third female lead.
As soon as she entered the set, Su Ding spotted a familiar figure.
Xue Zhiqiang?!
Before she could say hello, Xue Zhiqiang saw her from the crowd and waved.
She remembered not seeing his name on the cast list when she'd checked earlier.
Xue Zhiqiang jogged over, greeting her with a smile, "Surprise, surprise?"
Su Ding chuckled. "Why are you here?"
"Song Heng's schedule clashed, so they pulled me in to fill in," Xue Zhiqiang raised an eyebrow. "Oh, what, you're not happy to see me?"
Song Heng was the male lead on the original cast list.
Su Ding understood and smiled. "Not at all, I'm just surprised."
Xue Zhiqiang snorted. "Come on, come on, I know you."
"You know nothing," Su Ding retorted unceremoniously. Seeing Xiao Yuan gesturing to her to touch up her makeup, she said, "I'm going to get my makeup done. See you later."
"Mhm, go ahead."
Xue Zhiqiang waved. After Su Ding turned and left, the smile on his face gradually faded, and the light in his eyes dimmed.
"Zhiqiang?"
His agent, Fan Ku, came over. Seeing his dejected expression, he looked somewhat surprised.
Xue Zhiqiang immediately regained his composure and put on a dashing, radiant smile. "Brother Fan, what's up?"
"Who was that female actor just now?" Brother Fan had only seen Su Ding's back when he arrived.
"Su Ding, a friend I knew from abroad."
"Su Ding..." Fan Ku sounded surprised upon hearing the name.
Before Xue Zhiqiang joined the crew, he had looked into information about the related actors. He had heard of other actors to some extent, but this Su Ding, who had no fame, was inexplicably cast as the third female lead.
Her background must be extraordinary.
He hadn't expected Xue Zhiqiang to know such a person and couldn't help but ask, "Are you very familiar?"
Xue Zhiqiang walked forward with his hands in his pockets. "Very familiar."
...
After Su Ding finished her costume photos, she had nothing to do for the moment.
She walked over to the director's chairs placed in the set and sat down, holding a cup of hot water and taking a sip as she read her script.
"Who told you to sit here!"
A female voice sounded in front of her. Su Ding looked up and saw a delicate and pretty girl angrily pointing at her.
Xiao Yuan hurried over upon seeing this. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Xiaoyu was a recently popular member of a girl group with a large fan base, and many knew her name.
Although this was her first time acting, the treatment she received was comparable to that of the lead actress.
Seeing Xiao Yuan's apologetic smile, Jiang Xiaoyu's arrogance grew. Her sweet face was full of disdain. "You sat in my spot, what do you mean by that? Are you bullying me because I'm new?"
Su Ding frowned and looked at her, her tone also unfriendly. "This was placed here by the crew staff, anyone can rest here. Is your name written on it?"
"Who are you, talking so arrogantly!"
Jiang Xiaoyu's face became even more unsightly as she saw people looking over.
Su Ding chuckled in anger. She was speaking politely, and this was considered arrogant?
She sized up the young girl in front of her. After a moment, she stood up from the stool. "Forget it, I'll give it to you."
Jiang Xiaoyu heard this and felt even more embarrassed.
She was an artist carefully cultivated by Qiyu, and her future path was destined to be brilliant. Now, everyone had to speak to her courteously, yet this woman was speaking to her like this!
"You, stop."
Seeing Su Ding turn to leave, Jiang Xiaoyu raised her hand and called out to them.