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

#Chapter 365: A Perfect Portrayal of Su Daji As the sun set in the west, Su Qi returned with her brother to their apartment in Haicheng, 1507. Watching the clock's hour hand pointing towards 8, Su Qi felt the hard work involved in being an actor. She hadn't realized that the job required working a grueling 14-hour day, with no overtime pay. However, the thought of the final paycheck of three million gave her boundless energy. Although the filming hours were long, acting wasn't as labor-intensive as other forms of physical labor that required constant movement. Much of her time was spent contemplating how best to express the emotions of her character. For Su Qi, this was relatively easy, especially since she had inherited the aura of Su Daji after wearing Ning Ling's earrings. Thus, when everyone else was deep in discussion, Su Qi could take a furtive break, finding a seat to rest. Standing for too long quickly drained the limited stamina of her frail body. Fortunately, no one said anything about her taking a moment off her feet, understanding that her performance as Su Daji the previous day had been quite admirable. Having already eaten supper on set, Su Qi changed into a business suit upon arriving home and began studying the stock market trends. As she studied, she jotted notes on paper, constantly scribbling and revising, selecting a few stocks she thought had potential. These predictions were then posted on the small blackboard gifted by Wang Yun. Recently, Su Qi had a premonition that three stocks were on the brink of a significant rise, especially one jade-related stock named "Jade Rabbit." Despite its current stability, Su Qi sensed it was akin to a dormant volcano ready to erupt; it was merely gathering strength for now. Unfortunately, although she could predict a rise within a year, her lack of information made it difficult to pinpoint the exact timing. In an attempt to solve this puzzle, Su Qi turned her attention to a nearby stock trading guide. She felt there must be some important description on sourcing firsthand information in the guide. However, she had not yet reached that part of it. Meanwhile, Liu Qi sat in the living room, watching with excitement as Su Qi's Weibo account had garnered over ten thousand followers and countless comments. As Liu Qi scrolled through the remarks, she clasped her phone tightly and typed rapidly. Although Su Siyan's fanbase was undoubtedly larger than Su Qi's, Liu Qi felt a greater sense of accomplishment managing this account entirely on her own authority. Her eyes were fervent with excitement, and occasional giggles escaped her. Seeing this, Su Siyan was reminded of a private conversation the previous day when his sister confided that Liu Qi sometimes seemed off in her gaze and breathing. At that time, Su Siyan thought his sister might have been overthinking it, given their four years of acquaintance and familiarity. However, hearing Liu Qi's slightly eerie laughter made him share a bit of his sister's concern. Thinking it over, he suggested to Liu Qi, "Sister Qi, if you're feeling tired, please let me know. Mental health is important too." Liu Qi was genuinely touched by his words since she did desire a few days of rest. However, after glancing at the light streaming from Su Qi's room and the growing Weibo fanbase, she shook her head. She couldn't rest now — taking a break would mean no photos of the little one and no follower growth the next day. Leisure wasn't an option. Thus, once more, she immersed herself in Weibo, releasing another round of her infectious laughter. The following morning, a diverse group of actors assembled once again. After spending a day together, Su Qi had acquainted herself with some of the performers and waved a casual greeting. Just as Boyi Kao was about to return Su Daji's greeting, Zhou Wang stepped in between them assertively, knowing all too well the nature of men and preferring not to see anyone getting too close to his sister. Su Qi didn't mind her brother interrupting her greetings. In fact, she preferred minimal interaction with men. As an artist who had worked on 18+ and H-games, and having previously been a boy herself, Su Qi didn't believe any man encountering her would be free of peculiar thoughts. For safety's sake, it was better to keep interactions limited. Soon enough, Director Zhang's authoritative voice signaled the start of the day's first scene. Inspired by Su Daji's remarkable performance the previous day, he decided to film a scene that demanded nuanced acting. The scene featured Zhou Wang, infatuated with Su Daji to the point of neglecting his rulers' duties. His loyal ministers implored him to abandon Su Daji for the kingdom's sake. Just as they beseeched at the royal court, a mesmerizing Su Daji enchanted Shang Zhou Wang, leading to a chilling act against the ministers. With Director Zhang's command of "Action!" the actors transformed into their roles. After a customary sequence praising the emperor, ministers continuously presented their written appeals, insisting that removing the demon consort was crucial to the kingdom's safety. At this moment, Su Daji, wrapped in a fiery red gown evoking the tail plume of a phoenix, appeared, running from the side of the court. Her presence introduced an alluring fragrance to the hall. Her bewitching form leapt into Zhou Wang's arms, revealing a beauty that could halt time itself. Her skin was akin to flawless jade and snow, with delicately painted brows and eyes carrying innocent allure tinged with seduction, drawing everyone in as if she was an ethereal goddess descending from the heavens. Amidst astonished ministers readying themselves for a formal audience, Su Daji's melodious voice chimed, "My king, they all speak ill of me. How about we turn them into human sticks?" Though frightening, her words felt unnervingly sensible. Her sweet, youthful voice exuded a seductive charm, leaving several actors frozen in their tracks, including the ministers supposed to signal her execution. As Director Zhang prepared to call for a cut and redo, Zhou Wang's hearty laughter filled the hall, placing Su Daji on the edge of his dragonscale throne—a small detail showcasing Zhou Wang's favor and exclusivity. Seeing the ministerial actor still stunned, Su Siyan realized his sister's remarkable portrayal had surely mesmerized him. Unable to deny his sister's astonishing performance, Su Siyan stepped in to aid the paralyzed actor. Wearing the emperor's golden imperial robes, Zhou Wang's booming voice commanded, "Guards, reduce anyone maligning my beloved into human sticks." His pronouncement jolted everyone back to their roles, kneeling and begging the king to reconsider, ultimately steering the narrative back on track. By the time this intense scene concluded, although Su Siyan's timely intervention had averted disaster, all eyes remained firmly on Su Daji beside Zhou Wang, captivated as they were by her enchanting performance.