Chapter 751: Jiaojiao 31

"I understand." Tan You understood perfectly. Given Chen Jiao’s slightly stubborn nature, she could only focus on one thing at a time. That being the case, she would have Chen Jiao release an album while preparing for the movie.

"Okay! Thank you, Teacher. Teacher, can you write lyrics too?" Now that her work for the next year was planned out, Chen Jiao’s curiosity was piqued again.

’That’s true, talent is versatile. How could someone who writes screenplays not be able to write lyrics? And on top of that, you sing so well.’ Chen Jiao had already convinced herself. "Teacher, are you amazing at everything you do?"

Tan You laughed at her effusive praise. "Enough with the flattery. I’m about to put you through some hellish training."

The moment she heard "hellish training," Chen Jiao instinctively tensed up. She was already taking acting classes with Tan You. Adding voice lessons on top of that... ’I’m doomed,’ Chen Jiao thought.

And she was right. For the next two weeks, every single minute of Chen Jiao’s time was scheduled. Her entire curriculum—what she was doing and when—was laid out in meticulous detail.

Her mornings started with dance practice, followed by filming on set. During breaks, she had to pore over the script and occasionally learn a few self-defense moves from Zong Qi. Her evenings were even busier, with acting and voice lessons on rotation.

With such a packed schedule day in and day out, Chen Jiao didn’t notice any changes in herself. It wasn’t until a meal one day that Liu Fu suddenly remarked, "Is it just me, or is Chen Jiao getting prettier and prettier?"

Chen Jiao shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth and looked at Liu Fu, bewildered. "Am I?"

She turned to Zong Qi. "I don’t think so, right? I’m still just me."

Zong Qi took the chicken drumstick from a freshly opened meal box and gave it to Chen Jiao. "You’ve always been beautiful."

The film’s female lead smiled. "I noticed it a while ago. Jiaojiao is exceptionally beautiful now, and her skin is amazing. It’s like... when you see her, you can’t see anyone else."

Chen Jiao laughed. "You’re exaggerating, Sister Xin."

The second female lead also stared intently at Chen Jiao. "I think Jiaojiao’s just blossomed. She’s only nineteen. For a girl that age, it can happen in the blink of an eye."

Liu Fu readily accepted this explanation. "But Chen Jiao really is stunning now—beautiful from every angle. I love filming close-ups on her. Her acting has improved, too."

As soon as the director praised her acting, Chen Jiao lit up. "Really? Director, I’ll keep working hard!"

The female lead leaned closer to Chen Jiao. "Jiaojiao, your skin is just perfect now. What kind of cosmetics do you normally use?"

Chen Jiao wracked her brain. ’Do I even use cosmetics?’

Zong Qi offered a small smile, coming to her rescue. "A baby lotion and a facial cleanser. I haven’t seen anything else."

As for the medicinal pills Chen Jiao had him help her make, Zong Qi didn’t breathe a word.

The female lead enviously stroked Chen Jiao’s smooth, supple cheek. "Ah, it’s great to be young. All that collagen... I’m so jealous."

Chen Jiao knew how to return the compliment. "I’m the one who’s jealous of Sister Xin’s incredible acting. That look of despair from just now... how did you manage that, Sister Xin?"

The female lead felt a pleasant warmth spread through her at Chen Jiao’s praise, and that subtle hint of jealousy vanished. "Read more, observe more. You’ll get there too."

’As for the actual secret? Please. As if I’d just tell anyone.’

Chen Jiao didn’t mind. She already had the best teacher. ’What other actor gets to have their skills refined over and over by a director?’ She was lucky enough to have that very opportunity.

Tan You would tell her which of her angles were most beautiful on camera, what emotions to convey and when, and guide her in analyzing the plot and deconstructing her character. These were things no ordinary acting coach could provide.

The second female lead glanced at Chen Jiao’s legs. "It looks like Jiaojiao has gotten taller, too."

A look of sheer delight appeared in Chen Jiao’s eyes. "Really? Did I really get taller?"

Her height was a sore spot for her. She was 161 cm tall, but when she looked at the 185 cm tall Zong Qi, she had drooled with envy in secret more times than she could count. So, hearing the second female lead say she’d grown, Chen Jiao was naturally overjoyed.

The second female lead laughed. "Of course. I remember when you first joined the cast, you were the same height as me. Now you seem to be a few centimeters taller. And did all that height go straight to your legs?"

Chen Jiao looked down at her legs. ’Did they really get longer?’ In this film, she played an office worker, and her daily costume was a white blouse and a pencil skirt.

The skirt used to be knee-length, but now it only reached her mid-thigh.

Chen Jiao shot to her feet, her meal completely forgotten. "Brother Qi, quick, help me measure! How tall am I now?"

Zong Qi put down his meal box and was about to speak, but Liu Fu’s gaze had already fixed on Chen Jiao, his eyes like X-rays. "You must be 169 cm now. Don’t get any taller. Any taller and it’ll be hard to cast male leads opposite you."

"You’re already so beautiful, with such a striking appearance. It’s easy for a male actor to be unable to hold his own in a scene with you. He’d just be completely outshone."

Chen Jiao grinned from ear to ear. "I really got taller? This is great! I’m taller!"

Liu Fu felt mentally exhausted. ’So, she didn’t hear a single word I just said?’ Still, now that Chen Jiao was a few centimeters taller, her proportions were even more balanced.

Seeing her grinning like a happy little fool, Zong Qi couldn’t help but let a smile touch his eyes. "Yes, you’re taller."

Watching Chen Jiao, the second female lead couldn’t help but smile too. "They say girls can keep growing until they’re twenty-five. Jiaojiao’s only nineteen, so it’s not surprising."

Chen Jiao just kept nodding. ’My height has been stuck at 161 cm since I was sixteen,’ she thought. ’Could this growth spurt have something to do with the pills Tan You gave me?’

’It seems to have happened just over these past two weeks. As expected, Teacher is the absolute GOAT!’

Zong Qi watched from the sidelines as Chen Jiao chatted with her colleagues. Today was her last day on set. She had one more scene that afternoon, and then her part in the production would be over.

As he watched, Zong Qi’s gaze slowly settled on Chen Jiao’s face. As the person who spent the most time with her, he had of course noticed the changes. Just as Liu Fu had said, Chen Jiao was indeed becoming more and more beautiful.

’Can such boundless beauty truly exist?’ And her height... to be blunt, Zong Qi had practically watched Chen Jiao grow taller day by day.

’I just can’t believe the crew was so slow on the uptake, only noticing now. Wouldn’t it have been better if they’d never noticed at all? That way, next time they met, they could just make up some excuse. Unlike now, where everything has to be chalked up to her ’blossoming’.’

In any case, Zong Qi was convinced that Chen Jiao’s recent changes were all related to those pills. Of course, he was only half right. Even Chen Jiao herself attributed it all to the efficacy of the pills Tan You had given her.

Chen Jiao didn’t have a large role this time. After her final scene that afternoon, Liu Fu presented her with flowers. "Congratulations on wrapping your scenes. I hope we get a chance to work together again."

"It’s a shame we’re on such a tight schedule. We don’t have time to throw you a proper wrap party."