Chapter 00238: Call Me Master
# Call Me Master
Chapter 238
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 238: Call Me Master
Yuan Jieying stood in the center of the set, brimming with fighting spirit.
Poor Qiu Shuzhen had no idea what was about to happen.
"How's your throat feeling, Ah Zhen?"
"Much better!"
"Good, let's try again. Action!"
The two began wrestling over the book once more.
Qiu Shuzhen knelt to pick it up when Yuan Jieying suddenly lunged forward, eyes wide.
Her left hand yanked at the ribbon while her right grabbed a fistful of Qiu's hair, pulling hard.
"Ah!"
Qiu Shuzhen yelped in shock, then pain.
Instinct took over—she tried to swat the other girl's hand away, forgetting all about acting.
"What are you doing? Let go!"
"Cut!"
Tsui Hark called for a stop.
Yuan Jieying released her grip with a smirk.
Qiu Shuzhen whirled toward the director.
"She pulled my hair!"
"You weren't getting into character, so we adjusted the scene."
No further explanation was needed—Tsui immediately understood Chen Qi's intention.
"Can you continue or not?"
"..."
Qiu Shuzhen wanted to refuse but didn't dare.
Swallowing her pride, she muttered, "I can do it."
She shot Yuan Jieying a glare, met only by an unrepentant chin tilt.
Chen Qi observed quietly before beckoning his assistant Xiao Mo over for whispered instructions.
The young man nodded and slipped away.
"Again!"
"Ah! That hurts—can't you be gentler?"
"The director told me to pull hard!"
"Once more!"
"Ahh!"
"Again!"
After multiple takes, Qiu Shuzhen's patience wore thin.
What began as professional tolerance curdled into genuine rage with each hair-pulling session.
Her gaze at Yuan Jieying could have melted steel.
Chen Qi finally stepped forward.
"That's enough. Let's film properly now."
"Agreed."
Tsui waved his hand.
"Rolling!"
"Cut!"
The first take still lacked something.
By the second attempt, Qiu Shuzhen's fury peaked.
When Yuan Jieying's "claws" came for her again, she violently slapped the hand away, whipping her head around with a bloodcurdling shriek:
"AAAH—!"
More importantly, her face finally displayed the exact expression Chen Qi and Tsui wanted—a twisted portrait of rage, mania, and barely-contained hysteria.
"Perfect!" Tsui clapped enthusiastically.
"Ah Zhen, that was brilliant!"
"Truly impressive!"
"That head turn scared me!"
Amidst the praise, Qiu Shuzhen felt no joy—only mounting委屈.
The dam burst; she crumpled into loud, messy sobs before fleeing the set entirely.
Tsui Hark, never one for哄children, shrugged at Chen Qi. Your mess.
You fix it.
Chen Qi found her curled in a corner, hiccuping through tears.
"Wuwuwu... You—you all bully me! I quit! I'm going h-home..."
Silently, he offered a handkerchief.
She slapped it away.
"Was it your idea? To have her pull my hair?"
"Yep."
"I thought you were nice! You're the worst... wuwu..."
"Filming isn't child's play. When actors can't find their groove, everyone suffers. Hair-pulling is nothing—some scenes demand far worse."
But Qiu had entered the la-la-la-I-can't-hear-you zone of distress.
Chen Qi rubbed his nose.
Good thing I came prepared.
From behind his back, he produced a takeout bag.
First came exaggerated slurps from a soda cup, followed by a dramatic sigh as he unpacked a steaming container.
"Keep crying and I'll eat this 'Best Steak Rice in Hong Kong' all by myself..."
Steak rice?
Qiu's tear-streaked face warred between outrage and hunger.
"All that wailing must be exhausting. Eat first, cry later."
"Last chance—or it's mine."
As he pretended to open the box, small hands snatched it away.
"D-don't think this means I forgive you! My scalp still hurts!"
Chen Qi chuckled.
"Listen—newcomers often mimic performances, but some scenes need genuine reactions. That sudden facial shift? Pure gold. Explaining wouldn't have worked, so we... encouraged the real deal. If this is too much, maybe acting isn't—"
"I'M NOT QUITTING! NEVER!" she roared.
"That's the spirit! Bring that energy when you bludgeon the nun later."
With her meltdown subsiding, Chen Qi gestured to the food.
"Eating here or taking it home?"
"Um..."
She hugged the container shyly.
"I'll... share it with my family."
"Good girl. Now come—everyone's waiting."
He ruffled her hair (gingerly) and led her back.
———
Night filming ran late.
Ada Choi's scenes were already wrapped up—yes, that quickly.
Yuan Jieying just needed her "falling down stairs" shot before finishing too.
The breakneck Hong Kong production pace left the American crewmembers Ed and Amy stunned—chaotic yet meticulous, rough yet precise.
Driving Qiu Shuzhen home in his modest sedan, Chen Qi admired the neon-lit streets.
Nightclubs pulsed with garish lights, stirring wistful thoughts.
Ah, if only those Party overseers weren't watching...
Hong Kong's adult entertainment scene was legendary.
Certain Dragon-Tiger-Leopard magazine spreads remained etched in his memory.
As they neared her place, Qiu suddenly blurted, "Teacher... Can I ask something?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I call you Shifu instead?"
"Isn't that the same?"
"It's different! May I?"
"Sure."
Chen Qi shrugged, but Qiu beamed as though granted some sacred title.
In Hong Kong's entertainment circle, master-disciple bonds and fictive kinship networks thrived.
Directors apprenticed under veterans; stars accumulated godparents like trading cards.
At her doorstep, Qiu hopped out clutching her steak rice, waving brightly.
"Goodnight, Shifu!"
"Rest well."
As the car pulled away, Xiao Mo hesitated before asking, "Boss Chen... How good is that steak rice?"
"What? Has capitalism corrupted you?"
"N-no! Just curious why she loved it so much."
"Just say you're hungry. It's not like we need Party approval for dinner."
Seizing this chance to erode his minders' ideological purity (starting with gourmet bribes), Chen Qi grinned.
"Turn around—we're getting steak rice!"
(Chapter End)