Each and everyone on the scene looked at Director Qiu with shock, they couldn’t believe what he had just said. Never and no one had been ‘rewarded’ as such by this veteran and for such a trivial scene. On the other hand, Yu Yaoyao who was performing in front of the camera, donning a thief’s costume looked nothing out of the ordinary. But upon hearing the director’s words, she immediately broke out into a bright smile.

She was still standing in the same place, wearing that dull, earthy gray dress, and shabby makeup. Simply put, nothing on her was remotely attractive. Even so, she suddenly became the brightest and the most eye-catching as if she had become the protagonist of the drama they were filming.

“Director, will you really give me the couch?”

Yu Yaoyao walked over to Zhou Qiu, still in apparent disbelief.

Zhou Qiu snorted grumpily. “I am a man who keeps my word. Take it!”

He said nothing more.

Having made movies and TV shows for most of his life, Zhou Qiu had worked with many actresses including some outstanding female artists who later went on to win the Golden Rooster Award and the Golden Lion Award. He had met all kinds of individuals, and being an astute mind he was, he could discern people in no time.

And yet, it is rare for him… to see an actress who played the role of the thief with such flair.

The whole scene was still vivid in his mind. How she stood there as if she were a normal person portraying a pickpocketer who’d locked on to her target, the determination to strike, and the confidence to make use of the situation to escape. All of the myriad emotions flashed in succession in her beautiful eyes: cunningness, sharpness, and innocence when blending with the crowd, she had played it to perfection.

He also thought that her beauty would become a burden hindering her in bringing out the characteristics of a typical thief. However, she was obviously able to conceal her movements like a nimble thief.

As the saying goes, if you know how to put it, then you also know how to take it again.

This is not the essence that ordinary actors can understand. There is no small role, only small-minded actors! The apparently insignificant supporting role, performed by a phenomenal actor will instantly become flesh and blood, genuine and grounded!

And today, Yu Yaoyao was the embodiment of the same. Zhou Qiu looked at her curiously. She had bent over, ignored the three judges, and took the director’s chair.

Even her fat agent was sweating because of her actions and tried to stop her but she still continued on her way back.

“The director agreed to give it to me! Ni Yi, don’t you dare take it from me!”

Zhou Qiu laughed a little and let the whole crew rest for the time being and prepare for the next scene.

While others were taking their break, the other two judges followed the cameraman of the program. He showed them with great interest the replay of the scene that was just recently filmed.

Chen Jiao’s eyes instantly flashed.

The further you watched the show, the more you would understand that it is much more difficult to perform ordinary roles than those that require strong emotions.

Veteran actor, Shao Qing, was one of the judges today and also the guide for the performing artists in this scene. He came from the performance department to teach the contestants but did not expect Yu Yaoyao to be able to portray such a role perfectly.

“A girl who acted the three teachings and nine streams*. Zhou Qiu, she really deserves your chair!”

[*The three teachings and nine streams are a collective term for the three religions of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, and nine academic schools such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Yinyang.]

Zhou Qiu was also a little curious. So he walked towards Yu Yaoyao with his hands behind his back.

“How did you improvise?” he asked.

He had read the information on each performer in advance since he is one of the judges. He knew that after debuting, Yu Yaoyao hardly got any work.

If the entire five-year hiatus had been used for practice and training, of course, it would be enough to make a hardworking person thoroughly remold himself. All in all, it would always boil down to the saying practice makes perfect.

But training and practice alone, without experience, certainly cannot make her comparable to veteran actresses in the entire entertainment industry.

However, Yu Yaoyao’s performance in the competition had surprised him.

With the role that she’d picked today, it made him think that Yu Yaoyao was not only beautiful but also an extremely talented actress!

“Improvised?”

Yu Yaoyao was slightly panting as she sat on the recliner and got comfortable. Soon, her vacant gaze found the cameraman and the two judges intently looking at something. From this distance, she didn’t understand what they were looking at. She blinked her glistening orbs in confusion.

“Why do you think I improvised?” she asked, turning her attention to the director.

Zhou Qiu was taken aback. “In the script, all I said was ‘take advantage of the chaos and steal the old gentleman’s purse nearby’. But your performance was flawless as if you’re a thief for living. Where did you learn such a skill?”

Although she was comfortable on the recliner, she was moving around trying to find a more comfortable position, maybe even lie down. Looking at her, immersed in her own world, Shen Yichong’s was clearly unhappy. Letting out a heavy sigh, he firmly held her by her shoulders, rendering her immobile. And when she looked up at him puzzled, he was certain he had her full attention.

“What the director wants to know is how you came up with those gestures, movements, and expressions?” He clarified.

Now that the husband had explained, the innocent wife was finally able to grasp the matter in seconds. But before answering, she lay on Shen Yichong’s arm to prevent herself from slipping and alluringly batted her long lashes.

“What of that?”

“Yes?” Veteran actor Shia Qing’s eyes brightened. “Was it method acting on your part?”

Method acting is the process of completely immersing oneself into the role. Instead of simply imitating the personality, if one were to believe that one is the character in real life, then one’s mannerism will be natural, not at all like a role play. It is the so-called natural response that captivates the audience. This is a technique that can only be done absolutely by placing oneself on the scene and being able to fully perform.

Method acting?! Yaoyao blinked her eyes a second time this day in confusion.

Truth was, her performances were all based on what she’d gleaned from decades of watching TV, observing the tourists while in the zoo, the two hundred years she had spent on earth living as a snake or purely her own imagination. In theory, she was completely unaware of this ‘method acting’ they were talking of.

“The thief…well, I compared it to a snake trying to capture prey.”

The veteran actor was stunned. “A snake?”

Of all the places one could draw inspiration from, a snake was certainly unheard of. Each and every pair of eyes, whose ears these words had reached, widened to their limits.

Looking at the befuddled faces around, Shen Yichong furrowed his brows and tried to salvage the situation before imaginations ran rampant. “She likes… cough there are two little snakes at home.”

Only now did they all understand. They heaved a collective sigh of relief.

“You mean, you thought of it like a predator, when a snake patiently lies in wait of its prey, concealing itself amongst its environs before taking a shot?”

Yu Yaoyao merely nodded.