Huayu: This director specializes in promoting young actresses.

Chapter 12 Oda's Nightmare

"Just asking," she persisted, drawing circles on the paper with her pen. "Tell me, am I more obedient?"

"You two are different. She's more quiet, and you're more lively. Both are good."

"So who do you like more?" Tian Xi looked up at him, her eyes filled with a little expectation, like a kitten waiting to be fed.

He paused, finally realizing her true intentions. He put down his pen and looked at her: "My requirements for you are the same; I can't say I like one more than the other."

"It's different!" Tian Xiwei immediately retorted, "You take special care of her, buying her milk tea and even making her dipping sauce for tofu pudding. I don't even get that kind of treatment!"

"Her parents aren't here; she's all alone in another city. It's only right that I take extra care of her; I promised her mother."

"That won't do either," Tian Xi muttered softly. "I'm a girl too."

Lin Feng chuckled, "You little rascal, you're so resilient. You fall down and don't even cry. Why do I need to keep an eye on you every day?"

He picked up his pen and tapped her workbook. "Besides, we grew up together. Haven't I been good enough to you?"

Tian Xiwei felt a little embarrassed by his words and lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up. Her mind was racing with calculations: So, he still considers me family, and is only being polite to Liu Haochun? Then I'm definitely more important! Hmph, no matter how capable Liu Haochun is, he can't steal Brother Feng away.

She cleared her throat and asked casually, "So... in your heart, who is more important, me or her?"

"Both are important," Lin Feng answered decisively. Seeing that she was about to glare at him, he added, "But they're not the same. You're like a younger sister I watched grow up, like family; she's someone who needs outside help and needs to be taken care of. Can they be the same?"

These words instantly warmed Tian Xiwei's heart. She nodded vigorously, unable to hide her smile: "Oh... I understand. Then please continue explaining the problem; I still don't understand this one."

The explanations that followed went much more smoothly. Tian Xiwei listened very attentively, nodding occasionally and asking questions occasionally, without saying anything else.

After explaining the last question, he glanced at his watch and said, "Alright, it's almost ten o'clock. Go back to sleep; we have to film tomorrow."

"Hmm!" Tian Xiwei closed the workbook, tucked it into her bosom, then remembered something, took out a candy from her pocket, and stuffed it into his hand, "Here you go, orange flavor, I just bought it."

"Thanks."

She skipped and hopped to the door, put her hand on the doorknob, and suddenly turned back to make a face at him: "Goodnight, Feng-ge!"

"Good night."

The door closed softly, and Tian Xi leaned against the corridor wall, covering her mouth and secretly laughing for a long time. Hmph, as expected, Brother Feng still likes me the most!

Liu Haochun wanted to steal it? No way! She hid the exercise book inside her clothes and tiptoed back to her room.

As soon as she entered, she saw Liu Haochun stretching his legs in front of the mirror, wearing a workout uniform, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. Hearing the noise, she turned around: "You're back? Where did you go?"

"Brother Feng called me over and talked to me about something." Tian Xiwei deliberately raised her chin. "He also gave me something delicious, orange candy, it was so sweet."

Liu Haochun responded casually, "Oh." She pulled her leg back, rubbed her knee, and said, "I'm done practicing and I'm going to take a shower."

"Go ahead, go ahead." Tian Xiwei walked to the bedside and sat down, watching Liu Haochun's retreating figure as he grabbed his pajamas. A little smugness welled up inside her again. Just like that, he still wants to compete with me for Brother Feng? He'll have to train for another two years!

After washing up, the two lay down, turned off the lights, and only the moonlight streaming in from the window remained in the room. Tian Xi turned over slightly, staring at the ceiling, her mind still replaying Lin Feng's words, a slight smile playing on her lips. Liu Haochun, beside her, was breathing evenly, seemingly already asleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Tian Xiwei drifted off to sleep. She had a dream in which Lin Feng smiled and handed Liu Haochun a large cake, patted her head, and said, "Haochun is my sister."

She ran over and tried to take Lin Feng's hand, but he shook her off, saying, "You're too noisy. I don't want you as my sister anymore."

"No! Brother Feng, you can't abandon me!" she shouted, waking up suddenly from her dream, covered in cold sweat.

The room was quiet, save for Liu Haochun's steady breathing. Tian Xi sat up slightly and looked at the bed next to her by the moonlight; Liu Haochun was fast asleep.

The dream she just had was so real; the fear of being abandoned still gripped her heart. Looking at Liu Haochun's sleeping face, she suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.

No, she absolutely couldn't let what happened in her dream happen! Feng Ge was her brother, he had been since they were little, and no one could take him away from her!

Tian Xi clenched her fists, her eyes shining with unwavering determination in the moonlight.

She lay back down on the bed, pulled the blanket up, stared at the ceiling, and couldn't fall asleep anymore.

As dawn broke, she drowsily closed her eyes, her mind filled with only one thought: she must work even harder on the filming today, so that Brother Feng could see that she was the best, the sister he should cherish the most.

The next morning, Liu Haochun woke up first, sat up and rubbed her eyes. Turning her head, she saw Tian Xi's face turned slightly to her, with a faint dark circle under her eyes.

"Weiwei, wake up." She nudged Tian Xiwei's arm. "What did you do last night? Why do you have dark circles under your eyes?"

Tian Xi opened her eyes groggily, still haunted by the nightmare from last night. Lin Feng held Liu Haochun's hand and said to her, "You can go now."

She shivered, sat up, scratched her messy hair, and said casually, "Nothing, just had a nightmare."

"Nightmare?" Liu Haochun perked up instantly and leaned closer. "What kind of nightmare? Was it a giant python chasing you? Or did you fall into a dark hole?" She had started dancing late when she was little and would occasionally have similar dreams.

Tian Xi glanced at her, recalling the way Lin Feng smiled at Liu Haochun in her dream, and that bit of displeasure in her heart resurfaced. She pouted and said, "It's not a giant python, nor is it a black hole."

"What is that?" Liu Haochun asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Anyway...it's scarier than a giant python," Tian Xi said vaguely, not wanting to elaborate. She couldn't very well say she dreamt that you stole her Feng-ge, could she? That would be too embarrassing. She threw back the covers and got out of bed. "Don't ask anymore, hurry up and wash up, or we'll be late."

Liu Haochun watched her retreating figure, scratched the back of his head, and didn't ask any further questions. He just thought to himself, "More terrifying than a giant python? That must be incredibly frightening."

When he arrived at the film set, he had just finished explaining things to the production assistant when he turned around and saw Tian Xiwei walking over. The dark circles under her eyes were quite noticeable in the morning light.

"Hey, whose vegetables did you steal last night?" he joked with a laugh. "Your eyes are as dark as a panda's."

"No, not at all!" Tian Xi blushed slightly and subconsciously raised her hand to cover her eyes. "I just had a nightmare and didn't sleep well."

"What nightmare did you have? You're so scared." He walked over and handed her a bottle of milk. "Drink this to wake yourself up; you have to film later."

"It was...it was a bad dream," Tian Xi mumbled, taking a sip of milk. He couldn't very well tell everyone in front of so many people that he dreamt he'd been robbed, could he?

She glanced furtively at Liu Haochun, who was reading a script not far away, and snorted inwardly: It's all her fault.

Liu Haochun seemed to sense her gaze, looked up, smiled at her, and waved. Tian Xi was slightly taken aback, then raised her hand and waved back, though her lips were a little stiff.

Zhou Ming shouted from the side, "All departments, get ready! Filming starts in half an hour!"

He patted Tian Xiwei on the shoulder: "Get yourself in the right state of mind. You're in the first scene today, so don't let us down."

"Okay." Tian Xi took a deep breath and gripped the milk bottle tightly in her hand. It was just a nightmare, wasn't it? Feng Ge was her Feng Ge; no one could take him away.