"Cut!"

The director watched this scene, feeling particularly satisfied: "Both of you performed well, especially Fei’er, your final drop of cold sweat was excellent. And the shiver you had in the middle was very well executed. Siyu... was also good." Clearly, even the director himself perhaps didn’t realize how outstanding Xia Siyu’s performance had become upon first viewing this clip.

After the director finished speaking, Shang Feifei quietly let out a breath and then nodded: "Good."

She turned to glance at Xia Siyu, who calmly picked up a water bottle and drank, as if the sharp, piercing look she had just given wasn’t something she had even displayed.

On the surface, Xia Siyu’s performance indeed seemed more reserved. But in fact, it perfectly matched her current situation. Besides the inherent coldness and seeing others as irrelevant, she hadn’t fully exposed herself yet; it was just that the protagonist sensed her anomaly. Yet, her gaze just now set the tone for their ensuing confrontation, unlike the typically flat villains seen in usual plays. Even in malevolence, Xia Siyu had to be distinct, layered, and unique.

Moreover, there was another point she hadn’t even realized herself.

Her original acting style was expressive. Paired with her striking appearance, it made her captivating onscreen, drawing the viewer’s gaze so they couldn’t look away easily.

Having been in the industry for ten years, Xia Siyu spent the first seven years with no one to teach her, relying entirely on her instincts to act. Later, after working with Bo Yan, she gradually came into her own, often delivering standout performances in films. She then spent a lot of time learning, laying a solid foundation, constantly pondering to refine her acting skills until they became polished.

Now, she had learned to "conceal her brilliance," not to outshine for her own sake but to strategically hand over the spotlight to her acting partner when needed.

If it wasn’t for that terrifyingly subtle glance of hers, Feifei could never have produced the ensuing flow of cold sweat reaction.

She completely immersed herself in the film, vanishing when she needed to vanish, becoming transparent when she needed to, without intentionally making the villain symbolic or pretending to be cool. Every move was layered, yet she expressed everything that needed expressing, and even elevated her opponent’s acting skills.

Before, with the radiant Xia Siyu, Fei’er could still muster effort to vie for attention. But now, when Xia Siyu no longer competed for attention and instead tossed opportunities to her, Fei’er had to concede that Siyu’s acting had surpassed her own. Now, she indeed felt a sense of "defeat."

Even though this competition was based on their earlier works when Xia Siyu’s acting hadn’t reached this level of proficiency, now, she had to catch up with her, not both standing on the same starting line.

Had this person grown to such a formidable degree already?

**

After filming several more scenes, the deeper Fei’er felt Xia Siyu’s influence. In every scene they shared, every glance was entirely different from before, with subtle nuances to be found upon closer inspection.

Her performance evolved with the advancement of the storyline and the changes in character relationships. Although her primary tone was "calm and indifferent," under this facade, there would still be emotional fluctuations, though these emotions were incredibly well controlled, only perceptible to Fei’er if she focused intensely on her.

However, after today’s scenes, the two would need to take leave for the next few days. The New Year was approaching, and with the little New Year’s Eve coming up, both had a lot of "business" to attend to.

Xia Siyu was currently very popular, and although everyone knew her singing was disastrous, her popularity couldn’t be denied, so she would still be invited to perform on the little New Year’s Eve or attend as a guest.

Shang Feifei was no different.