Chapter 353 - 286: As Expected of You

Nicknames, as a way of expressing affection, have probably existed since the dawn of human language.

For example, a couple madly in love might call each other "silly."

For example, readers of *33 Degrees* liked to call the author "Double Three."

For example, Ni Bingyan’s "mommy fans" liked to call her Little Ice Candy, even though she’d be 28 next year.

A nickname so cute and saccharine-sweet was fine online, but hearing someone say it in real life made Ni Bingyan instantly cringe.

Poor Ni Bingyan. She had grown up in an orphanage, and in that communal environment, no one was around to call her "sweetheart" or "treasure" all day.

If she were going for a "cute" image, that would be one thing. An old cucumber painting itself green—pretending to be young—was a professional necessity, nothing to be ashamed of.

But whether in the past, present, or even the future, given her looks, it was impossible for her to pull off a cute image.

The original owner of this body had cultivated a "Little Fairy" image. As for her now, her style was probably more simple and elegant. A nickname this over-the-top sweet was something she really couldn’t stomach!

"I just saw that you were too tense and wanted to help you relax a bit."

The etiquette coach wiped the sweat from his brow, a perfectly innocent smile on his face.

He’d been demonstrating the moves nonstop, and it had completely worn him out!

"No, no, really, don’t! Please don’t ever call me that to my face! It gives me a toothache!"

The etiquette coach had been in the business for twelve years and had trained countless people. Seeing that her agitation had broken her slightly stiff posture, he immediately raised an eyebrow and said with a grin:

"What’s wrong? Your mommy fans would have something to say about that."

"I’ll be heading into my thirties in a few years! This is too mortifying!"

Ni Bingyan hadn’t yet noticed the change in herself, as her entire sense of composure had shattered.

"Hahaha~ You may not be the cutesy type in terms of looks, but you have a really cute personality. I often see your fans on their public feeds discussing your cute moments, saying they were totally charmed! If you don’t believe me, search for the keywords when you get back later!"

He was dedicated to his profession, and since he was excellent at it, he was particularly sensitive to industry trends.

When he had free time, he liked to keep up with the more famous artists at his company.

When the time was right, he could use this knowledge to make his own job easier.

This trick had never failed him, and this time was no exception.

"Let’s not, let’s not. Kids these days have strange ideas about what’s cute. Let’s not talk about this anymore."

Ni Bingyan didn’t even bother to rest. She screwed the cap on her water bottle, stood up, and started doing exaggerated arm waves.

"See? I’m not tense at all. See how relaxed I am? How relaxed?"

The etiquette coach’s eyes crinkled, his smile growing even more benevolent. "Alright, Little Ice Candy."

Ni Bingyan picked up the round fan from the chair—a prop decorated with magpies on a branch—and took a couple of convincing steps.

"I was just thinking about how to break through my own limits to meet the requirements. It’s not that I really can’t do it! Look, look, haven’t I improved? I think I’ve improved a lot, don’t you?"

Duanmu Li, who was sitting on a corner armchair watching their bags, burst out laughing and clutched her stomach when she saw Ni Bingyan jump up at the mention of "Little Ice Candy" as if someone had jabbed her in the rear.

"Hey, Sister Li, don’t interrupt! I was just starting to get the feel of it!"

Now even the etiquette coach couldn’t help but laugh out loud!

"If I’d known you were so easily provoked, I would’ve done this sooner!"

"No, no, no! I’ve figured it out. The reason I can’t produce the feeling you want is that I can’t let go! Yes, I can’t let go!"

Ultimately, the profession Princess Jiuli took up after her kingdom fell has been looked down upon since ancient times.

As a woman, it was only normal for her to feel a little bit of resistance in her heart to portraying a character on screen who constantly exuded sex appeal.

When the etiquette coach asked her to sway her body, she was thinking, ’After the movie is released, will people judge me for playing this role?’

She had her reservations. Even though she knew such worries were melodramatic now that she’d accepted the role, she still couldn’t control them.

This was also why the company had arranged for etiquette training.

When an actor was about to play a particularly unique role, a well-established company would already have a well-developed set of strategies to help them meet the director’s strict demands.

The etiquette coach had inadvertently found an unconventional solution.

In this situation, all he needed to do was make her sense of shame overcome that tiny bit of resistance, and the awkwardness in her movements would slowly fade away.

’Once I’ve thought it through, it’s really not that big of a deal.’

’Even if I don’t play an Oiran, people with dirty minds will still think dirty things about me. There’s no fucking point in getting hung up on it.’

"Hey? This time is really a bit better! Come on, let’s hold on to this feeling and walk through it a few more times!"

As a professional actress, if you want to bring a character to life, you can’t just focus on appearance and lines.

In the preparation phase, you have to write a character biography, know how she grew up, and understand her behavior patterns, her way of thinking, and so on.

In practice, every person’s catchphrases, gestures while speaking, gait, and even facial micro-expressions are different.

Ni Bingyan was very good at this. Once she overcame that bit of reservation in her heart, her progress was swift.

The etiquette coach was so happy he almost cried tears of joy!

"Excellent, just like that! Heavens, if I didn’t know my own limits, I’d be trying to poach you from Little Sang."

Ni Bingyan had been walking with concentration, but his words made her lose her rhythm. With a little yelp, she plopped down.

"Coach, we’re trying to be serious here. You can’t make me break character!"

"My apologies. Shall we continue?"

Understanding Ni Bingyan’s displeasure, the etiquette coach felt a little sheepish.

He had indeed gotten a bit carried away. The two had only just met today, their relationship was casual at best, and they definitely hadn’t reached the point where they could joke about romantic relationships.

’Just as old-fashioned as the rumors say...’

The etiquette coach muttered to himself and was about to continue with the training when there was a knock on the practice room door.

Duanmu Li went over and opened the door. Seeing it was Wei Shuojie, she immediately lowered her voice.

"Bingbing is in the middle of her etiquette training. Is there something you need, Sister Wei?"

This was her way of asking if it was urgent. If not, she shouldn’t disturb Ni Bingyan while she was focused on her work.

"It’s nothing, I was just thinking that since she’s here today, we could go pick out some gowns this afternoon."

This year, one movie and two TV series starring Ni Bingyan had been released, and the audience response was excellent.

*Inheritor*, which had just finished filming a while ago, was also scheduled for a New Year’s release. Add to that various endorsements and events, and Ni Bingyan’s momentum this year was fierce. She was invited to all sorts of functions, so naturally, choosing gowns was of the utmost importance.

Sister Wei had been working on this for a long time.

Having learned her lesson from the Granny Sun incident, she rarely made unilateral decisions now. For the gowns, she would select many options for Ni Bingyan to choose from.

This way, she could both manage Ni Bingyan’s image and accommodate her personal preferences.

Ni Bingyan knew how much effort Sister Wei put in for her and was always very grateful. Seeing her arrive, she said a word to the etiquette coach and came over, wiping her sweat.

Don’t be fooled; just walking back and forth, sitting down, holding a plate, or carrying a fan may seem simple, but doing it over and over was still exhausting.

"Are we going to pick out gowns today?"

’Who doesn’t love beautiful clothes!’

The moment Ni Bingyan heard the reason for Wei Shuojie’s visit, her eyes lit up!