Chapter Thirty-Four: Shall I Give It a Try? (With heartfelt gratitude to "A Breeze Sweeps the Hills, the Bright Moon Shines on the River" for their generous support)

"Director, all teams are ready!"

"Good. Three, two, one, action!"

With a deep command from Director Wu, seated in front of the monitor, the cameraman began filming.

The shot zoomed in, capturing the four large characters of "Four Seasons Delicacies." The camera then panned slowly, revealing Yang Qing opening the shop door. The small shop was spotless and tidy, with warm, pale green walls, and Tan Jiner’s gentle smile like soft water—all these were swept past by the lens, finally coming to rest in the kitchen.

"Cut!"

The cameraman immediately stopped filming.

Director Wu approached and said, "Good, first shot done. Next, we’ll shoot the second scene. Xiao Yang, don’t be nervous later—just follow your steps as usual. All right?"

"Yes! I can do it!" Yang Qing took a deep breath. To be honest, he was indeed a bit nervous, but there was also excitement in his tension.

Though he had experienced this scene before in the simulated dreams of the system, back then, he was placed among the staff, more an observer with a god’s-eye view.

But now, he was the main character!

Like a maiden on her way to her wedding, how could he not feel nervous?

Exhaling lightly to steady his mood, he nodded to Director Wu, who had returned to his seat.

"Good, second scene. Three, two, one, action!"

The camera flickered, and Yang Qing’s figure appeared. In his strong hands was a small, sharp knife. With a flick of his wrist, the blade flashed, and the skin of a ham was peeled off in one perfect piece.

Swish, swish, swish…

As the first ham skin was removed, Yang Qing slipped into the zone. His gaze became serious and focused, his movements quicker and quicker. The little knife blurred into motion, and the peeled hams were lined up neatly on the cutting board.

The cameraman was stunned. Yang Qing’s dazzling peeling technique left him gaping, forgetting for a moment even to move the camera.

Such speed… How much essence must be wasted with hands like that!

"Cut!"

Even Director Wu was momentarily dazed by Yang Qing’s display. He then looked helplessly at the cameraman, saying, "Focus! Keep up with the shot and get close-ups—especially of Xiao Yang’s expressions!"

"Understood!" The cameraman took a deep breath, still shaken by what he’d just witnessed. But now, forewarned, he was sure he’d be ready for the next take!

Then…

"Cut!"

"Close-up! Get the close-up! Why are you only filming Xiao Yang’s face? This is a culinary show, not a beauty contest! Besides, Xiao Yang is only just handsome, after all!"

Yang Qing: …

Cut again. The cameraman had prepared for Yang Qing’s knife technique, but he hadn’t prepared for two cleavers at once!

Time passed. It was now seven o'clock. Seated at the monitor, Director Wu had lost his smile, watching the cameraman with silent reproach.

The cameraman looked helpless. Who could’ve anticipated this? Slicing ingredients, and this man could make a spectacle out of it!

The cleaver danced in his hands, the diced ham was all perfectly uniform in size, but the incredible thing was that you couldn’t tell what he’d done until, with a little flick, the ham cubes scattered like blossoms into the waiting bowl.

Looking around, he felt wronged. Who here wasn’t dumbstruck? Even Fang Du from the planning team had his mouth open wide enough to fit a watermelon.

"Big brother…"

As everyone was frozen, Director Wu speechless, and Yang Qing scratching his head in embarrassment, a crisp voice called out.

Little Chun and Little Xia, with their schoolbags on, looked curiously at the people in the shop. They walked up to Yang Qing and asked in a whisper, "Big brother, what are Sister Qin and the uncles and aunties doing?"

"They’re working, filming a show," Yang Qing replied with a smile, then brought out a plate of breakfast pancakes. "Go eat breakfast with Mama Bai. When you’re done, Uncle Bai will take you to school. By the way, where’s Little Bai?"

"Washing her face. Qiu’er and Xi’er are still sleeping. Little Bai is being naughty," Little Xia grinned, then she and Little Chun waved to Yang Qing and Qin Xue before heading out the door.

"All right, let’s keep filming—everyone, perk up!" The arrival of the children broke the strange atmosphere, and Director Wu waved his hand to restart things.

"Uh, Director Wu… I… I might not be feeling well today. Maybe… maybe the station should send someone else?" The cameraman raised his hand weakly, mostly out of fear he’d make more mistakes, wasting both time and money.

But as a good employee, he insisted he wasn’t just giving up—he was thinking of the station and the budget!

"You… I…" Director Wu, usually even-tempered, was about to lose his patience.

Whoosh!

Just then, a little figure darted downstairs from the second floor like the wind, shot a cold snort at Yang Qing, and then dashed out the door.

Yang Qing: …

"Uh, Director Wu…" After being snorted at by Little Bai, Yang Qing felt he had to step in.

The kids had gone to school; if this dragged on, when would filming ever finish? Was his shop going to open today or not?

He turned to Director Wu and asked earnestly, "If the station sends a new cameraman now, how long will it take?"

Director Wu frowned and checked his watch. "It’s 7:10 now. No one’s at work yet, and calling the station means coordination. At the earliest… not until eight."

"Eight o’clock!" Yang Qing’s eyes widened. After taking a deep breath, he said firmly, "No need to call a new cameraman."

"No need? Then…" Director Wu looked to the cameraman, who shook his head repeatedly. "Director Wu, I really don’t feel well today!"

Damn!

The cameraman was so unnerved he was ready to quit on the spot, leaving Director Wu at his wit’s end.

"…Xiao Yang, what do you suggest?"

"If there’s no other way… let me try," Yang Qing offered.

Everyone thought they’d misheard and stared at Yang Qing in unison.

Director Wu, half amused and half exasperated, said, "Xiao Yang, don’t joke around. I’ll call the station and—"

"Director Wu," he was interrupted by a cool, clear voice—it was Qin Xue.

"Director Wu, let Yang Qing try," Qin Xue said, giving Yang Qing a deep look before turning to the still confused director. "We’re on a tight schedule, and so is Yang Qing. Since he offered, I trust he won’t make empty promises. Let him try, and if it doesn’t work, we can call someone from the station."

Then she turned to Yang Qing. "What do you think?"

Yang Qing nodded. "I’ll try. If it doesn’t work, you can call someone, and I’ll just open the shop later."

"All right. Director Wu?"

Director Wu looked helplessly at Qin Xue. "Fine. Since both you and Xiao Yang say so, let’s give it a shot. But there’s one problem."

He turned to Yang Qing. "If you’re filming, who’s going to play the main character? Her?" He looked at Tan Jiner, who quickly shook her head, flustered.

Yang Qing smiled. "No, still me!"

"Still you?!" Director Wu was stunned. After a moment’s thought, he hesitated, "You mean, set up the shots, then film in segments?"

"Exactly."

"And you’re… confident? Shot-by-shot filming is demanding!"

"I can do it," Yang Qing nodded. "As long as every shot is set up correctly and timed precisely, it’ll work. I’m familiar with the show—I helped plan it, so don’t worry."

"You… All right! Let’s begin!"

"Good!"