He cursed under his breath and glared angrily at Ying Duyuan. But as he continued to look, his eyes gradually fixated on Ying Duyuan’s hands.
Those hands… Hmm, from Young Master Ji’s perspective, they weren’t particularly attractive. After all, they were a man’s hands, rough from hard work. Compared to his own hands, they were vastly different.
However, the skills those hands displayed were truly impressive.
Ji Yunsheng had been watching people use knives since he was a child, while in his grandfather’s and father’s arms. But he had rarely seen anyone as skilled as Ying Duyuan. Even the head chef at the Ji family restaurant couldn’t compare. The third senior brother at Dewey House, known for his knife skills, was also no match for Ying Duyuan in Ji Yunsheng’s eyes.
Unconsciously, Ji Yunsheng looked at Ying Duyuan’s face. So, this is Dewey House’s eldest senior brother…
Feeling a bit bitter and jealous, he thought to himself, what’s so great about it? He had been praised for his talent since childhood by his grandfather and father, he just never took learning seriously. If he did, what was Ying Duyuan compared to him?
Looking down at the chopped ingredients on his cutting board, Ji Yunsheng suddenly felt embarrassed and quickly threw them all away. Pretending nothing happened, he took another radish from the basket to start over.
Unexpectedly, just as he was getting serious about cutting, Ying Duyuan, who had previously ignored him, came over to cause trouble.
Ying Duyuan approached with a tight frown, his tone not very pleasant: “If you don’t want to learn, then don’t. But don’t waste food.”
Ji Yunsheng was stunned, just about to argue, when he followed Ying Duyuan’s gaze to the discarded vegetables in the slop bucket.
His voice caught in his throat, unable to retort. But upon thinking about Ying Duyuan’s words, he felt even more irritated! It wasn’t his idea to be here in the first place!
Young Master Ji’s temper flared: “It’s just a few vegetables! Do you think I can’t afford them?”
He reached into his pocket and threw a handful of bills and silver dollars onto the cutting board in front of Ying Duyuan.
The money scattered everywhere, and a silver dollar even bounced off Ying Duyuan’s face. This clearly startled Ji Yunsheng for a moment, but only briefly.
Reflecting on it, Young Master Ji felt a bit regretful—why didn’t he throw it directly at his face?
Coming to Dewey House, who knew how much gold and silver his father had given them, and they still had the nerve to lecture him over a few vegetables! Clearly, they were picking a fight!
Ji Yunsheng felt suffocated. As the young master of the Ji family, he was suffering in this tiny Dewey House and now even had to take lessons from an outsider. Why should he?
His fair face turned red with anger, searching for some harsh words to say. But as his indignation grew, he felt more and more aggrieved, until finally, with red eyes, he blurted out: “Do you think I want to be here? I’m done with this!”
And he turned and ran out!
Everyone in the kitchen was stunned when he threw the money, and even more so when he ran off. What should they do now?
Ying Duyuan sighed, saying, “You guys continue, I’ll go find him.”
When the director called “Cut,” Chi Feiran and Qi Ming went to watch the playback together.
During the shoot, Chi Feiran was fully immersed in the role, but now watching the playback, he could see much more. This scene revolved around Ji Yunsheng initiating the conflict, so naturally, his character demanded more attention than Qi Ming’s.
However, in reality, despite the focus on his character, viewers couldn’t help but glance at Ying Duyuan to see his reaction to the temperamental young master.
That’s the essence of acting. If the details weren’t handled properly, if the character wasn’t well established, it would be hard to capture such attention.
After watching the scene once, Zheng Lin rewound it and watched it again. This time, Chi Feiran focused on Ji Yunsheng’s performance, checking for any flaws.
Satisfied with what he saw, he found no issues. Although there were new ideas for alternative portrayals, this take was solid.
Chi Feiran exhaled lightly, barely containing his excitement. Though his character had more screen time in this scene, going head-to-head with Qi Ming, who was vying for the Best Actor award, and not being overshadowed, was an achievement in itself.
Zheng Lin’s next words didn’t disappoint him: “Good. Qi Ming, we need a hand close-up.”
Although there was no explicit praise, a single take was approval enough.
Though pleased, Chi Feiran didn’t get carried away. He had prepared well for Ji Yunsheng’s role, but Qi Ming had also put in significant effort. Moreover, Qi Ming was the lead actor, and there would be more scenes where he had to play off him. That would be the true test of his acting skills.
Would he blend into the background at Dewey House, or shine as the standout junior? That depended on his own abilities.
Rong Jin had been standing by for a while, watching his boyfriend engrossed in the script post-scene, not even sparing him a glance.
Rong Jin: “…”
A hardworking boyfriend is cute, but one who ignores him while working…
Producer Rong felt wronged, but kept it to himself.
Chi Feiran was indeed preoccupied with the upcoming scene between Ji Yunsheng and Ying Duyuan. It was a pivotal moment in their relationship.
Given it was the first day of shooting, the entire crew was still adjusting. After this scene, the day’s work would be done.
Next up were scenes shifting the focus from Ji Yunsheng to Ying Duyuan. Chi Feiran was contemplating how to maintain audience interest even as the narrative shifted.
Qi Ming’s reshoot went smoothly. During a break, the makeup artist checked and touched up their looks.
Although it was only April, the set was a real kitchen and quite hot. With cameras capturing every detail, their makeup had to be perfect.
Chi Feiran and Qi Ming, having worked together before, should have chatted, but neither spoke. Qi Ming was fully in character, maintaining his taciturn persona to stay in the zone.
Chi Feiran, not usually talkative, refrained from small talk, respecting Qi Ming’s need to stay in character and also keeping himself in the right mindset. After all, Ji Yunsheng was still upset with Ying Duyuan.
After a few run-throughs, the equipment adjustments were complete. Director Zheng Lin had given detailed instructions for the previous scene, but for this one, she kept it brief, signaling the actors to prepare.
Chi Feiran wondered if this was because the scene focused more on Qi Ming, but accepted the possibility.
Realizing this, he quietly added “having the director speak less” to his future goals.
With everyone in place, the clapperboard marked the scene: “Dewey House, Act Three, Scene One, action!”
Ji Yunsheng returned to his room to pack up and leave, but before he finished, Ying Duyuan walked in.
Ji Yunsheng snapped: “Get out! Who let you in?”
Ying Duyuan, unfazed, saw Ji Yunsheng as a spoiled child. Though he seemed fierce, he was a paper tiger, easily bested.
Ying Duyuan asked, “Leaving already?”
Ji Yunsheng retorted, “None of your business!”
Ying Duyuan, expressionless, replied calmly, “You running off is one thing, but I need to report to our master.”
Ji Yunsheng threw down his belongings: “Who’s running away!”
He was going home! How was that running away?
Ying Duyuan said nothing, just looked at his half-packed suitcase. The implication was clear.
Ji Yunsheng, incensed: “I can go wherever I want!”
Though his tone was tough, he was rattled. Was he really giving up, letting people say Ying Duyuan’s words drove him away? That wouldn’t look good…
Frustrated, he was about to say he wasn’t leaving, but glanced at Ying Duyuan: “Is this your way of goading me?”
Ying Duyuan pulled up a chair and sat down: “Whether you stay or go doesn’t affect me. Dewey House doesn’t lack apprentices.”
His master, a former imperial chef, never lacked eager students.
Ji Yunsheng felt even worse. Did this mean he was dispensable?
Ying Duyuan continued: “I wasn’t singling you out in the kitchen.”
Ji Yunsheng sneered, not believing him.
Ying Duyuan said: “I just can’t stand seeing food wasted. You, a young master who’s never gone hungry, can’t understand how many people can’t even eat.”
Ji Yunsheng, realizing his fault, couldn’t bring himself to apologize, stubbornly saying: “I already paid for it!”
Ying Duyuan replied: “But the wasted food can’t be retrieved.”
Ji Yunsheng retorted: “Then what do you want?”
He had already thrown it away; he couldn’t take it back from the slop bucket!
Ying Duyuan said: “I hope you think carefully.”
Ji Yunsheng was puzzled. Think about what?
Ying Duyuan, serious and earnest, said: “Think about whether you really want to learn. If you’re just going to stay begrudgingly and waste food, you might as well go back to being the young master of the Ji family. Why suffer?”
He looked deeply at Ji Yunsheng: “No one here will think less of you for leaving. Everyone here respects your choice.”
With that, Ying Duyuan got up and left, closing the door behind him.
Silence engulfed Ji Yunsheng. He clenched his fists, unable to calm down, throwing his clothes everywhere in frustration.
He fell onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, Ying Duyuan’s words echoing in his mind.
His father’s serious, encouraging expression, and his grandfather’s loving smile, wishing him to return as a worthy Ji family member.
He was conflicted. What should he do?
After the director yelled “cut,” Chi Feiran and Qi Ming reviewed the playback together. The scene’s emotional impact was crucial, and they both wanted to ensure it was perfect.
Zheng Lin’s praise affirmed Chi Feiran’s confidence. Today’s shoot was successful, and the chemistry with Qi Ming promising. The upcoming scenes would test their dynamic further.
Meanwhile, Rong Jin watched Chi Feiran from a distance, feeling both proud and somewhat ignored, amused by his own jealousy.