358 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System

Chapter 358: Believe in Science (Part 3) After Liu Qi sent the young girl's photo to Director Zhang, it wasn't long before Su Qi received a call from him. Unexpectedly, Director Zhang told her to go to Nanjing with her brother the day after tomorrow to start filming. He informed her that she was directly cast and didn't even need a screen test. Moreover, he told Su Qi to look over the script tomorrow and rehearse with her brother. After hanging up the phone, Su Qi felt a bit unreal; had she really just got the role? Although this outfit was quite suitable for Su Daji, was the 3 million fee something a newbie like her could really earn? Su Siyang heard his sister's conversation and was even happier than Su Qi upon learning she secured the role. After all, he had always wanted to make up for all the times he'd overlooked his 'little sister,' though she seemed to resent him a bit. This time, he was determined to improve their relationship, at least ranking higher than their dad. At that moment, Liu Qi, Su Siyang's agent, slowly approached, clearing her throat as she spoke to Lu Ran and Su Lujun: "Auntie Lu, Uncle Su, this is Xiaoqi's first acting role. Although the third female lead is still a role, she needs an agent to guide her. How about I take care of Xiaoqi?" Lu Ran looked at Liu Qi, her eyes filled with the same enthusiasm they had when she first met Su Siyang. Lu Ran trusted Liu Qi, knowing her son's success was not just due to hard work but also thanks to Liu Qi's efforts as his agent. However, she reminded, "Xiaoqi's acting should be just for entertainment, so don't let her sign with any entertainment companies and make sure she's not bullied in the crew." Initially, Su Qi understood their conversation, but halfway through, many of the professional terms started to lose her. She decided to focus on the script her brother handed over instead. Su Qi's current plan was simple: act, earn money, and leave. She didn't worry much about having an agent. After all, she planned to listen to her brother once on set. Su Qi was a fast reader, and even without the ensemble, she finished the entire script in about three minutes. Overall, there weren't many scenes for Su Daji in the play. The major scenes included the beginning when King Zhou led his army to conquer the Su tribe, which offered Su Daji as a tribute, and at the end, after King Zhou's defeat and death, Su Daji walks alone to the Deer Tower. Her other appearances were through short segments highlighting her as a demoness and cruel consort. Su Siyang knew his sister read quickly and was surprised when he saw her set down the script in just a few minutes. "You finished it? These lines need to be memorized! Although not word for word, you need the general idea. But if you're too nervous, you can just say numbers!" Su Qi was puzzled by her brother’s explanation, especially the last part. Su Siyang, noticing her confusion, proudly explained a theatrical trick to her by pointing to a line of King Zhou's dialogue, "Look at this line: 'When a ruler commands a minister to die, disobedience is disloyalty. To ruin a lord on stage, is to diminish a minister’s integrity!' It's quite a mouthful, right? So if you can't remember it on stage, you can just say 1234, 4567, 6789, 3456." Hearing this, Su Qi was stunned. She finally understood why some TV dramas got criticized for mismatched mouth movements; this was the reason! Su Siyang quickly defended himself, "Your brother has memorized the entire script and doesn't need to use numbers." Su Qi didn’t doubt this, because her brother had always excelled academically. If he couldn’t memorize a script, it would indeed be surprising. Having resolved the 'dialogue problem,' Su Siyang began teaching Su Qi some acting tips, like keeping her eyes still and avoiding stiff expressions. After a basic lesson, King Zhou, played by Su Siyang, started a rehearsal with Su Daji, played by Su Qi. Rehearsing mainly involved practicing lines and some expressions and gestures. Su Qi was glad that the role of King Zhou was played by her brother; if it were some other man, she could almost guarantee she'd feel uncomfortable. During the rehearsal, Su Siyang noticed his sister had indeed memorized all the lines, and he couldn’t help but feel envious. However, memorizing the lines didn’t mean Su Qi acted well. On the contrary, Su Siyang thought her performance was somewhat poor. Especially when delivering some 'imposing' lines, her cheeks would flush with excitement, which clashed with Su Daji's character. Though her clothing was perfect for the 'demon consort,' her temperament didn't quite match. Su Qi could feel the issues her brother noticed. After all, the sensation of her face heating up was unmistakable. As she contemplated on how to fix this, she heard the crisp, sweet voice of the system: "Friendly reminder, the jewelry voucher from Homeroom Teacher 2 hasn't been used yet, perhaps it could help!" Hearing this, Su Qi brightened. Of course, how could she forget? So, Su Siyang watched his sister suddenly say, "Brother, I'll think about it in my room," before she scurried back, leaving him puzzled. Had he been too harsh? No, he hadn’t. Unaware that her brother was pondering, Su Qi opened her phone and accessed the system’s green treasure interface, which brought up the system's marketplace. She then browsed the jewelry section for the first time. The items displayed on her phone screen were dazzling, making it hard for her to choose. Moreover, the price range varied greatly, from simple bracelets priced at 3,000 to an extravagant crown costing 1.2 million. Each piece had unique effects. But when Su Qi spotted a pair of earrings, they caught her attention. Ningling Earrings: It is rumored that these earrings were once worn by Su Daji. They carry a hint of her aura, granting the wearer a touch of 'enchantress' demeanor. Reading the description, Su Qi was a bit scared and asked the system, "System, wearing these won't cause me to be possessed, right?" The system responded confidently, "Host, don't worry. Possession only exists in books. You need to believe in science!"