The old lady said, “That boy is really something, he’s even making movies now. Little Yvonne, you have to keep a hold on him! Men, once they’ve seen more of the world, their ambitions grow. And when that happens, they start to look down on the people who were always by their side!”

When she said this, Yvonne Wright actually took it seriously and mumbled, “Andrew Clark哥 isn’t that kind of person.”

“I don’t think that boy is like that either, he seems reliable!” Old Bennett chimed in from the side.

“What do you know! Let me tell you, Little Yvonne, let’s not even talk about men and women, just two good friends. At first, both are doing fine in the same place. But later, one goes out into the world and makes something of themselves, while the other stays in their hometown, farming, raising pigs, having kids. Tell me, can those two still stay together? No! Why? Because there’s a gap now. Once there’s a gap between people, it’s hard to communicate, you can’t even have a proper conversation!”

The old lady rambled on, took a bite of food and chewed, then continued, “Don’t look at that boy, he’s only made one half-baked movie so far, but who knows, maybe he’ll hit it big and become a star. Don’t blame your aunt for being naggy, but if that day comes, you two won’t work out!”

Yvonne Bennett interjected, “Oh, Mom! We’re just here for a meal, why are you nagging about all this? Aren’t you being annoying?”

“This time your mom actually makes sense.” Old Bennett supported her, saying, “Little Yvonne, this kind of thing is really common. Two people are fine at first, but as their educational levels grow further apart, they have nothing in common to talk about, and end up breaking up. So you really need to think about it. Besides, you’re still so young, you can’t spend your whole life making clothes in a factory, right?”

“But I don’t know how to do anything else!”

Yvonne Wright blushed and paled as they spoke, and said quietly.

“Can’t you learn? You’re not stupid, if you want to learn something, you totally can! But you have to figure out what you want to do first, that’s the most important thing…” said Old Bennett.

“Oh, enough already! Are you inviting them for dinner or for a lecture? Stop talking, let’s eat!”

Yvonne Bennett really couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted her parents’ ongoing life lessons.

Yvonne Wright suddenly felt very down, and even the delicious crab in her mouth lost its flavor.

……

Acting is a very mysterious thing.

One person’s acting is acting, but sometimes two people’s acting is life, and a group’s acting can even be an entire lifetime.

Since filming began, Andrew Clark had been doing quite well, often praised by Old Reed. But just as he was feeling proud of his little acting skills, Emily Foster gave him a rude awakening.

That’s how things are in this world—every conflict and every bit of progress comes from comparison.

Although Emily Foster was still a student in the acting department at the teachers’ university, her talent for acting was much greater than Andrew Clark’s.

Acting opposite her, Andrew Clark went from feeling fresh, to surprised, to now uneasy.

She wandered with Little William at the dark stairwell, her eyes glancing at Little William with a playful, cynical look as she spoke, her tongue curling in her mouth.

When she went to fetch water at the door of her place and found there was none, Emily Foster suddenly sucked at the faucet a couple of times, and water actually came out—this move wasn’t in the script.

Then, she stood by the faucet waiting for the kettle to fill, gazing at the sky, gently swaying her body…

That sense of melancholy left Andrew Clark, who was watching by the camera, utterly stunned, his hair standing on end, his skin tingling all over.

This was completely natural, not acting at all. Her relaxed state completely crushed Andrew Clark. Later, he was even a bit afraid to act opposite Emily Foster, and only calmed down after Samuel Reed talked him through it.

Maybe it was this pressure that inspired him, but Andrew Clark’s acting actually improved a level, and he could keep up with Emily Foster’s rhythm, sometimes even surpassing her.

Samuel Reed’s feelings toward Emily Foster were complicated—on one hand, he was amazed by her talent, but on the other, he was still uneasy because of previous unpleasantness, and probably would never cast her again.

It was the same in real life. Emily Foster, a very promising actress, lost her reputation during this shoot, and later could only take brainless roles in brainless dramas to get by.

“Sit down!”

Emily Foster, wrapped in a quilt, sat crosswise on the bed against the wall.

Andrew Clark gave a slight, shy smile and sat on the bed too.

His legs were long and the bed was short, so Andrew Clark felt uncomfortable and tried to scoot up, but his hand slipped and he toppled over.

Emily Foster naturally let out an “Ouch,” reached out to steady him, and then continued with her lines:

“Do you like hearing me sing?”

“I do!”

“Actually, I really like singing too, you know? A lot of people say I look like a celebrity, but honestly, I know myself best—I’ll never be a star in this life…”

“Sing a song for me!”

“What do you want to hear?”

“What do you like?”

“Wang Jingwen’s songs.”

“Sure!”

“Then I’ll sing, but you’re not allowed to laugh at me!”