Chapter Seventy-Three: The Little Scatterbrain Is About to Debut

“So, the company has decided to let me debut early,” Little Scatterbrain announced her news. “The teacher said there’s not much potential to be mined in my singing, so that’s it. Instead of debuting as a singer, I’ll start out as an actress—since I happen to have the opportunity.”

“That’s actually pretty good. Compared to singers, actors have more advantages,” Lin Qihua nodded, agreeing with the trainer’s opinion. “Becoming an actress directly isn't a bad idea.”

Just then, the waiter arrived and served their food.

“But,” Little Scatterbrain pulled her plate closer and forked at her meal, feeling dejected, “Kisaragi and I will have to part ways. She won’t debut as soon as I do. Plus, she wants to be a singer, while I’ll be an actress.”

“That’s something you can’t help,” Lin Qihua said as he sliced his steak. “If you insist on debuting as a singer, it’s really not a good fit, and you might even hold Kisaragi back. Besides, even if you two don’t debut at the same time or follow the same path, your bond as sisters won’t change, right? Each having her own career and supporting each other might even be better.”

“Kisaragi said the same thing.” Little Scatterbrain lifted her fork and popped a piece of foie gras into her mouth. “Why is it that both you and Kisaragi can look at things so calmly, but I can’t see things clearly?”

“That’s because you really are a little scatterbrain!” Lin Qihua laughed. “Kisaragi is a thoughtful girl—listening to her won’t steer you wrong. And you don’t need to change yourself; Director Liao picked you precisely for your personality. If you deliberately change, you won’t get the leading role.”

Little Scatterbrain shrank her neck. “I was thinking I should act a bit more ladylike, but maybe I shouldn’t. This is such a great opportunity—a famous director wants me as the lead. So many people would kill for this chance. If I let it slip, the teachers would surely kill me.”

“Haha!” Thinking of the trainers at the camp, Lin Qihua knew Little Scatterbrain wasn’t wrong.

“So, to go further on this path, I’ve already applied to the Film Academy,” she reported. “My grades are decent, I’ve always paid attention in class. Now that I’ve decided to be an actress, I should go to university and study properly. Anyway, as long as I complete my credits, I can act in films while at school—no need to choose one or the other. By the time I graduate, I’ll be a superstar.”

Lin Qihua gave her a thumbs up; it was the right choice. Although the company’s training camp teaches a lot—including acting—compared to a professional film school, there’s a huge gap. Theoretical courses, expert instructors, and the campus culture are all different. If Little Scatterbrain can graduate, her temperament and acting skills will improve tremendously.

And getting into the Film Academy wasn’t a worry; she’d always kept up with her academic classes at the camp, with training only in the afternoons, evenings, and weekends. Unlike Lin Qihua, who dropped out as a freshman to join the company, her grades were above average, and with her already impressive acting skills and outstanding looks and figure, admission to the Film Academy was almost certain.

“But after you finish filming this movie, it’s best to settle down and study for two years. Get your theoretical foundation solid, and then go back to acting—it’ll be better for you.”

“Mm, Sister Lulu said the same thing,” Little Scatterbrain agreed. “This opportunity is too good to waste, so I’ll focus on my studies afterward. When I’m in my third year, I’ll start acting again. I’m still young, after all.”

Lin Qihua gave her another thumbs up; she was showing remarkable progress today.

“Brother, you seem to be in a good mood,” she noticed Lin Qihua’s relaxed expression. “Looks like your comeback is going well.”

“You noticed that?”

“Of course, I just know you’re happy.” Little Scatterbrain stuck to her inexplicable intuition. “The online media says you’ve run out of inspiration and can’t come up with a high-quality comeback song. They expect you’ll have to wait until next year, and at most, you’ll make it back to the third tier when the New Year’s charts update.”

“Don’t believe online comments—never, no matter what. As long as you don’t do anything you’ll regret, it doesn’t matter what others say. Don’t pay attention, don’t argue; otherwise, you’ll lose your composure. Just ignore them and be yourself. Stick to your path—that’s the right way.”

“I get it, but this is about you, brother. Why are you lecturing me again?” She waved her knife and fork, causing concern. “Is it really okay not to respond at all?”

“Don’t worry. No matter how you respond, someone will doubt you. Besides, they’re waiting for you to speak so they can latch onto you. Best to ignore them—let your actions speak for themselves. Soon enough, they’ll see the truth.”

Lin Qihua spoke with confidence.

“I feel like you’re up to something, brother,” Little Scatterbrain gently pressed her finger to her forehead, adorably deducing, “It’s like you’re preparing something in secret.”

He was surprised by her keen intuition and knew it wasn’t the right time to discuss this. “You’ll find out soon enough. Just trust me.”

“Alright.” She gave up guessing, helplessly. “Anyway, I know you’ll be fine.”

“Yes, yes.” Lin Qihua breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that he couldn’t tell her, but it involved the show’s confidentiality, and he had to abide by it. “Next time, I’ll treat you to dinner, and I’ll need your help to look at houses.”

“You’re buying a house?” Little Scatterbrain exclaimed, then became excited. “I love places filled with sunlight, with gardens—villas are best!”

“I’m buying, not you. What does your preference matter?” Lin Qihua laughed. “Now that I’m making a comeback, it’s not suitable to stay in an apartment anymore. It’s not private, and it’s too cramped—no space for clothes. Besides, it’ll be hard to go home later, so I need a place where my parents can stay with me. Otherwise, not being around them all the time isn’t right.”

“What’s yours is mine!” She declared boldly, then her mood dropped. “I wonder when I’ll be able to bring Mom over?”

Lin Qihua knew she came from a single-parent family—her father passed away early, leaving her and her mother dependent on each other. He hurried to comfort her. “That’s why you have to work hard and earn money. Maybe after this film, you’ll be able to buy a place. Then Auntie can come live with you.”

“That’s true,” she cheered up quickly. “I must work hard! Keep it up!”

“Good, keep it up!” Lin Qihua smiled. “When the time comes, we’ll eat together and look at houses.”

“Alright. Will Auntie be fierce?”

“Of course not. When she sees how adorable you are, she’ll be overjoyed. Just treat her like your own mother.”

“Hehe, then I’ll have two moms?”

“That depends on how you behave. If you’re good enough, she might even adopt you as her goddaughter. My mom’s always wanted a daughter.”

“Then I’ll have to prepare myself.”