Chapter 23: I’ll Help You Practice

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: I’ll Help You Practice

Xi Yunxui carefully placed the last book back onto the shelf.

The library was finally clean.

The shelves had been dusted.

The books had been arranged according to size and subject.

The old manuscripts had been separated from the newer books, and the most delicate ones had been placed where they would be less likely to be disturbed.

Xi Yunxui stood in the middle of the room and looked around.

A satisfied smile appeared on her face.

"Much better."

She brushed her hands together.

The library finally looked like a proper library again instead of a forgotten storage room.

She picked up the key and walked toward the door.

Just before she stepped out—

[Ding!]

[Library Organization Mission Progress Updated.]

Xi Yunxui glanced toward the invisible panel.

[Mission requirements have been fulfilled.]

She smiled.

Good.

She closed the door behind her and locked it.

She had barely taken a step when she heard footsteps approaching.

Xi Yunxui looked up.

A young woman was walking toward her.

She was dressed casually, wearing sunglasses and a light coat. Despite the casual outfit, there was something striking about her appearance.

Xi Yunxui recognized her immediately from the memories she had inherited.

Huo Yuning.

Huo Jingchen’s younger sister.

Twenty-seven years old.

An actress.

She was also the youngest daughter of the Huo family.

Huo Yuning stopped when she saw Xi Yunxui.

Her eyebrows lifted.

"Who are you?"

Xi Yunxui stopped.

She immediately bowed slightly.

"My name is Xi Yunxui, Miss."

Huo Yuning’s gaze moved toward the library door.

"Why are you coming out of there?"

She sounded genuinely curious.

"My father doesn’t allow people to enter that library."

Xi Yunxui straightened.

"The Master instructed me to clean it."

"Yourself?"

"Yes."

Huo Yuning looked suspicious.

She turned toward the door.

"Can I see?"

Xi Yunxui nodded.

"Of course."

Huo Yuning opened the door.

Then stopped.

Her eyes widened.

The dusty, neglected atmosphere she had expected was gone.

The shelves were clean.

The books were neatly arranged.

The tables had been wiped.

Even the old manuscripts had been carefully organized.

She stepped farther inside.

"Wow."

She picked up one of the books.

"Everything is actually organized."

Xi Yunxui smiled faintly.

"Yes, Miss."

Huo Yuning looked around again.

Then she turned back.

"You did all this?"

"Yes."

Huo Yuning nodded appreciatively.

"Then you can go."

Xi Yunxui bowed.

"Yes, Miss."

She turned to leave.

Then—

[Ding!]

Xi Yunxui froze.

[New Mission detected!]

She immediately sighed inwardly.

Of course.

[Mission: Assist Huo Yuning in mastering the acting requirements of her upcoming film.]

[Reward: System Progress.]

Xi Yunxui stared at the floor.

What am I supposed to say?

She looked at Huo Yuning.

Excuse me, Miss. I was sent here by a mysterious system to help you act?

Absolutely not.

She remained standing there.

Huo Yuning noticed.

"Is something wrong?"

Xi Yunxui’s mind raced.

She needed an excuse.

She couldn’t simply announce that she knew Huo Yuning needed acting practice.

After a few seconds, she finally said,

"Miss, is there anything you’d like to eat or drink?"

Huo Yuning waved her hand.

"No need. I already ate before coming home."

She paused.

"Actually..."

She rubbed her shoulder.

"What I really need right now is a massage."

Xi Yunxui immediately nodded.

"No problem."

Huo Yuning looked at her.

"You know how?"

"Yes."

"Then come with me."

---

A short while later, Huo Yuning was seated comfortably while Xi Yunxui massaged her shoulders.

Xi Yunxui’s fingers pressed gently along the tense muscles.

Huo Yuning let out a sigh.

"That feels good."

Xi Yunxui smiled.

"You were probably carrying a lot of tension."

"I’ve had a difficult few days."

"Because of filming?"

Huo Yuning sighed again.

"Because of my new role."

Xi Yunxui continued massaging.

"What happened?"

Huo Yuning hesitated.

"There’s a scene I can’t get right."

Xi Yunxui paused slightly.

"What kind of scene?"

"The character loses her parents when she’s young."

Xi Yunxui continued.

Huo Yuning looked frustrated.

"She has younger siblings to take care of after that. The director wants me to show what it feels like to suddenly become responsible for an entire family."

She shook her head.

"I’ve tried imagining it."

She laughed bitterly.

"But I can’t."

Xi Yunxui remained quiet.

Huo Yuning continued.

"I grew up in a completely different environment. I’m the youngest child in my family. My parents are alive. My brothers take care of me. I’ve never worried about food, shelter or money."

She looked down at her hands.

"How am I supposed to understand what a fifteen-year-old girl feels when she suddenly loses everything?"

Xi Yunxui’s fingers stopped for a second.

The words struck somewhere deep.

Fifteen.

Parents gone.

Two younger siblings.

No help from relatives.

That story...

Was too familiar.

Huo Yuning sighed.

"The director already warned me. He said that if I can’t get it right at the next shoot, he’ll reconsider my role."

Xi Yunxui slowly resumed the massage.

Then she said,

"I can help you practice."

Huo Yuning turned her head.

"You?"

Xi Yunxui nodded.

"Yes."

"You know acting?"

"No."

Huo Yuning blinked.

"Then how can you help me?"

Xi Yunxui thought for a moment.

"I don’t know about acting."

She smiled.

"But I know about that character."

Huo Yuning became curious.

She studied Xi Yunxui for a moment before finally nodding.

"Alright."

She sat up straighter.

"I’ll trust you."

---

After the massage, Huo Yuning took out the script.

She explained the scene carefully.

The character was fifteen years old.

Her parents had died unexpectedly.

She and her two younger siblings were left alone.

Their relatives refused to help.

They had nowhere to go.

No money.

No food.

And no one to protect them.

The fifteen-year-old girl had to become the person responsible for her siblings overnight.

Xi Yunxui listened quietly.

Every sentence pulled her further into memories she had tried not to revisit too often.

She remembered being young.

She remembered looking at her younger siblings after their parents’ deaths.

She remembered knowing there was nobody coming to rescue them.

She remembered telling herself:

If I don’t take care of them, who will?

Huo Yuning finished explaining.

"So that’s the scene."

She looked uncertain.

"I don’t know how to make it feel real."

Xi Yunxui slowly stood.

"Let me try."

Huo Yuning nodded.

"Alright."

Xi Yunxui closed her eyes.

Then she opened them.

Everything about her changed.

Her expression became blank at first.

Then confusion.

Then fear.

She looked toward an imaginary door.

"Father?"

No response.

Her voice trembled.

"Mother?"

Still nothing.

She swallowed.

Then her eyes moved toward two imaginary children.

Her younger siblings.

Her expression changed instantly.

Fear disappeared.

Responsibility replaced it.

Xi Yunxui crouched.

"Don’t cry."

Her voice was soft.

Her hands trembled slightly.

"I’m here."

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Big Sister is here."

Huo Yuning’s eyes widened.

Xi Yunxui continued.

"Don’t worry about tomorrow."

Her voice broke.

"I’ll take care of you."

She looked down at her imaginary younger siblings.

"You’ll have food."

A tear slowly slipped down her cheek.

"You’ll go to school."

Another tear followed.

"And nobody will bully you."

Her voice became firmer.

"I promise."

She pulled her imaginary siblings into her arms.

For several seconds, she remained there.

Then slowly—

The scene ended.

Silence.

Huo Yuning stared at her.

Xi Yunxui wiped the tear from her cheek.

"That’s how I would do it."

Huo Yuning didn’t respond.

She looked completely stunned.

Finally, she stood.

"Xi Yunxui."

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you’re not supposed to be an actress?"

Xi Yunxui scratched the side of her nose awkwardly.

"No."

"You’re really good!"

Xi Yunxui laughed softly.

"I’m not interested in acting."

"Then how did you do that?"

Xi Yunxui paused.

She couldn’t exactly say:

Because this isn’t acting for me.

So she simply said,

"It’s something I’m familiar with."

Huo Yuning looked at her curiously.

"What does that mean?"

Xi Yunxui smiled.

"Nothing."

Huo Yuning didn’t push her.

Instead, she handed Xi Yunxui the script.

"Teach me."

Xi Yunxui nodded.

"Alright."

---

They practiced for a while.

Xi Yunxui corrected Huo Yuning’s posture.

She taught her how to change her breathing.

How to let silence carry emotion.

How to look at an imaginary person as though they were really standing in front of her.

Most importantly, she taught her not to force the sadness.

"Don’t try to cry first," Xi Yunxui explained.

"Think about what the character is afraid of losing."

Huo Yuning nodded.

She tried again.

This time, her expression gradually changed.

Fear.

Shock.

Then determination.

When the scene ended, Xi Yunxui smiled.

"That’s much better."

Huo Yuning stared at herself in the mirror.

She seemed surprised by what she had just done.

"I felt it."

She turned toward Xi Yunxui.

"For the first time, I actually felt like I was that girl."

Xi Yunxui nodded.

"Then you’ve found it."

Huo Yuning smiled brightly.

"Thank you."

Then—

[Ding!]

Xi Yunxui froze.

[Mission completed!]

[Acting Assistance Mission successfully completed.]

[System Progress +3%.]

[Current System Progress: 21%.]

Xi Yunxui’s eyes brightened.

Then another notification appeared.

[Positive emotional response detected.]

[Huo Yuning’s Affection Points received: 8.]

[Current Affection Points: 15.]

Xi Yunxui almost smiled.

She had started the morning with seven points.

Now she had fifteen.

At this rate, she would soon be able to buy the cultivation manual.

Her eyes briefly drifted toward the system panel.

The Beginner Cultivation Manual was still ten points.

She already had enough.

Xi Yunxui’s lips curved upward.

Perhaps...

Her decision from the previous night didn’t need to last forever.

She had chosen her job first.

Now maybe she could finally take the next step.

Cultivation.