Chapter 67

"Taeyeon, do you like him?" Jin's father fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking.

"What? Dad, what are you talking about?" Hearing her father's question, Jin Taeyeon was momentarily stunned, then her face turned red with embarrassment, her heart racing as she hurriedly defended herself.

"Ha ha." Jin's father smiled ambiguously and said, "I thought you liked him because you were so protective of him."

"Really, Dad, I don't." Jin Taeyeon's heart was pounding, and the thought of her father seeing through her almost made her faint. She quickly denied it, "The director is really great, you know. I've only been a trainee for a short time, and I can already participate in a movie shoot, all thanks to him."

"Moreover, the director has very high standards for filming. If there's even a slight flaw in a shot, he'll have it redone, refusing to let it pass easily."

"Many of the actors in our crew have been scolded by the director, and I've been scolded for poor acting too. Don't be fooled by his usually gentle demeanor; he's very serious during filming, and even the older actors respect him."

"Also, this movie is something he prepared to help us become famous. He's been busy for months, barely sleeping, and has lost a lot of weight. Of course, we are grateful to the director."

"..."

To cover up her guilt and why she was defending Xiahou Zhongying, Jin Taeyeon kept praising him and recounting how much he had helped her, hoping to dispel her father's suspicions. However, she didn't realize that she looked like a child who had stolen something, desperately trying to provide alibis to prove her innocence.

"So he's that great, no wonder you admire him so much." Jin's father didn't expose his daughter's thoughts but smiled and nodded in approval.

"Exactly." Jin Taeyeon breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile, "Dad, now you understand, right?"

"Sure, I understand. Ha ha." Jin's father nodded and laughed.

"Taeyeon, you have a scene coming up, go get ready." Xiahou Zhongying walked over to Jin Taeyeon and said, then turned to Jin's father with a smile, "Uncle, I'm sorry, we still have filming to do. I'll take Taeyeon for a bit. Why don't you rest over there?"

Jin's father looked seriously at the young man who had made his daughter so protective that she even argued with him. After hearing many stories about him from his daughter, he was curious. He smiled and said, "It's fine, I don't want to disturb you. If it's inconvenient, I'll leave."

"It's no problem, Uncle. You rarely come to Seoul to see Taeyeon, so please stay. This scene won't take long, and it's the only one for Taeyeon today. We'll be done soon." Xiahou Zhongying smiled.

"Can I watch from here?" Jin's father asked.

Xiahou Zhongying was a bit hesitant. Normally, outsiders, especially family members, were not allowed on set to avoid affecting the actors' performances. After a moment's hesitation, he thought this scene didn't require complex acting or emotions, so he nodded in agreement.

However, Jin Taeyeon seemed affected by her father's presence and couldn't get into character. Her first two attempts were terrible, which frustrated Xiahou Zhongying. With Jin's father watching from a distance, he couldn't lose his temper at Jin Taeyeon.

"CUT." Xiahou Zhongying had to call another stop and said helplessly to Jin Taeyeon, "Taeyeon, why don't you take a break? This isn't working. Let's adjust your emotions and then shoot the next scene."

After her father's question, Jin Taeyeon was distracted. Facing Xiahou Zhongying made her even more nervous, fearing he would see through her like her father did. Her mind was in turmoil, making it hard for her to concentrate.

Seeing Xiahou Zhongying's disappointment, she felt very sad, tears welling up in her eyes.

Lee Hyori also noticed Jin Taeyeon's unusual mood, thinking her father's presence was affecting her. She patted Xiahou Zhongying's head and said with a smile, "Why the next scene? Just wait a bit. Taeyeon, don't think too much, take a break. Come here."

"Big sister, don't hit my head, I'm the director," Xiahou Zhongying said dejectedly.

"Being the director is no big deal. Are you going to deny me as your big sister now?" Lee Hyori glared at Xiahou Zhongying. She had originally planned to treat him, but he ended up paying the bill, which made her feel embarrassed, so she had been in a bad mood with him lately, often causing trouble.

The other adults in the crew chuckled at their bickering.

"Tsk, look what you did, making Taeyeon almost cry." Lee Hyori scolded Xiahou Zhongying.

"Big sister, it's not the director's fault. I know I didn't do well," Jin Taeyeon said softly, lowering her head.

"Don't think too much. Everyone has bad days. I've failed many times too." Lee Hyori smiled and said, "Come, take a deep breath and calm down."

"Okay." Jin Taeyeon followed Lee Hyori's advice, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths, forcing the chaotic thoughts out of her mind. She nodded at Lee Hyori, "Big sister, I'm better now."

"Good, go and do your best." Lee Hyori said, "Makeup artist, help Taeyeon touch up. Camera, ready, let's do it again."

Lee Hyori took over the director's role, pushing Xiahou Zhongying to the side.

Xiahou Zhongying didn't mind, helping out on the side. This kind of thing often happened when Lee Hyori was upset with him, and he was used to it. Besides, Lee Hyori was also a director, so it wasn't unreasonable for her to take over.

After adjusting her emotions and not having to face Xiahou Zhongying directly, Jin Taeyeon felt much better. She focused and performed her role seriously, and the scene passed on the first try, much to her relief.

"How was that? I'm better, right?" Lee Hyori smiled at Xiahou Zhongying.

"Luck." Xiahou Zhongying muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" Lee Hyori didn't hear clearly and glared at him.

"I said, big sister, you're great," Xiahou Zhongying said with a look of admiration.

"Good to know." Lee Hyori turned to Jin Taeyeon with a smile, "Taeyeon, you're done for today. Your dad came all the way from Jeonju, so spend some time with him. You can go now."

"Okay." Jin Taeyeon nodded and glanced at Xiahou Zhongying, but he didn't notice her. Disappointed, she walked over to her father.

"Done already?" Jin's father smiled at Jin Taeyeon.

"Yep, Dad, I'm done for today." Jin Taeyeon picked up the bag her father had brought and said, "The director said I can go now."

"Okay. How about we treat your director and Miss Lee Hyori to lunch? To thank them for their care. Do you think they're free?" Jin's father suddenly said.

"Ah, I'm not sure." Jin Taeyeon was taken aback and replied, "Xiahou Zhongying and Big Sister Lee are very busy. During lunch breaks, they often discuss the script and sometimes forget to eat."

"Is that so? Then let's skip it for now. We can do it another time." Jin's father seemed a bit disappointed.

"Dad, let me ask them first." Jin Taeyeon said softly.

"Sure, if it's not convenient, that's fine." Jin's father smiled and nodded.

"Okay." Jin Taeyeon put down the bag and walked over to Xiahou Zhongying and Lee Hyori.

"Big sister?" After hearing Jin Taeyeon's request, Xiahou Zhongying looked at Lee Hyori.

Lee Hyori thought for a moment. The day's shooting wasn't too heavy, and Jin's father was an elder. It would be impolite to refuse an elder's invitation. She nodded and smiled at Jin Taeyeon, "Sure, but let's keep it simple and nearby. We don't have much time, and we have more shooting in the afternoon."

"Okay, no problem." Jin Taeyeon was initially unsure about inviting them to lunch, but seeing them agree, she was very happy. Knowing the movie was in its final stages, she was grateful they could spare the time and didn't want to ask for more. She happily went back to tell her father the good news.

"Big sister, is it convenient?" Xiahou Zhongying felt awkward around Jin's father and initially wanted to decline. However, since Jin's father was inviting both of them, he didn't want to make the decision for Lee Hyori. He thought the shooting was in its final stages, and they were already working on follow-up tasks, so Lee Hyori would likely decline. To his surprise, she agreed, which frustrated him.

"Having a simple lunch is fine. It's impolite to refuse an elder's invitation. Taeyeon is a good friend, and her father is inviting us, so we can't refuse. Really, that's impolite." Lee Hyori scolded.

Xiahou Zhongying inwardly sighed. I'm just feeling awkward because he asked how I met Jin Taeyeon this morning, which reminded me of pushing her into the Han River.