Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 554: Crush

’I have been in this industry for more than ten years...’

Yet Jacqueline could still point out countless flaws in his acting.

’That means... my acting was never as good as I believed.’

However, instead of resentment, what he felt was gratitude.

Jacqueline remained incredibly patient with him. She would repeat the same explanation again and again, staying beside him until he finally grasped the correct emotional tone.

By the end of the fifth day, both of them were utterly exhausted.

Their eyes were red from lack of sleep, and even their movements had slowed.

Since they still had one extra day of break remaining, Jacqueline suggested something different.

"Let’s watch a couple of movies," she proposed.

Without hesitation, she booked tickets for two films.

When Theodore heard about the plan, he agreed immediately.

They first watched a movie that had won an award for its exceptional plot.

Afterward, they watched another film that had won the Best Actress award.

Once both movies ended, Theodore sat quietly for several minutes.

Then realization slowly dawned on him.

"If a movie only has a great plot," he murmured thoughtfully, "people praise the story."

He paused before continuing.

"But when actors bring the plot to life... people praise the acting."

Jacqueline simply gave a small nod.

Theodore looked at her with newfound respect.

’If she hadn’t shown me this difference... I might have continued acting the same way as everyone else.’

From the next day onward, filming resumed.

The moment Theodore stepped in front of the camera again, everyone on set was stunned.

His acting had improved tremendously.

The change was so drastic that even the director rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Originally, he had thought that giving Theodore five or six days of training would not produce much difference.

But now, he realized how wrong he had been.

Those few days of training had pushed Theodore’s acting to an entirely new level.

His emotional delivery felt so powerful that some scenes even carried the intensity of award-winning performances.

The entire crew became excited again, motivated by Theodore’s transformation.

Because of the earlier one-week pause, the filming schedule extended for quite some time.

During filming, Jacqueline occasionally stopped a scene midway.

"Hold on," she would say sharply. "The emotion isn’t right."

Although Theodore had memorized the script extremely well, there were still moments where he struggled to recapture certain emotions.

During those times, Jacqueline would quietly remind him and guide him back into the proper state.

Eventually, the filming was completed.

Afterward, Jacqueline began keeping her distance from Theodore.

It was not because she disliked him. The real reason felt almost embarrassing.

Other girls often spent time flirting sweetly with the person they liked.

But she had spent most of her time criticizing Theodore and pointing out flaws in his acting.

She had hardly behaved like a gentle girl at all.

’He definitely won’t like someone like me,’ she sighed internally, while maintaining her usual cold expression.

Just as she was lost in thought, Theodore suddenly appeared in front of her.

By now, the two of them had grown quite familiar with each other.

In his hands were two cups of milk tea.

He had recently discovered Jacqueline’s preferences.

She loved matcha milk tea.

Meanwhile, Theodore himself preferred lime lemon boba tea.

Their tastes were completely different, almost like two opposite worlds.

Yet Theodore always felt strangely happy when he brought something for her.

In a strange way, those small moments made Theodore feel as though he had grown closer to Jacqueline.

He knew that once the filming ended, they would most likely return to their separate lives. Their contact would gradually fade until it eventually disappeared altogether.

’When that time comes... these memories will be the only thing left,’ he thought quietly.

Because of that realization, he wanted to create as many memories as possible during the short time they were still together.

There was one thing he had clearly understood during these past few days.

He had started to like Jacqueline far more than a fan should ever like their idol.

The realization made his chest feel both warm and uneasy.

’A fan should only admire their idol from afar.’

Because of that belief, he forced himself to hold those feelings deep inside his heart. The only thing he could do was try his best to leave a good impression on her.

Even if nothing happened between them, he at least wanted Jacqueline to remember him.

Jacqueline accepted the milk tea from him with a small smile. The faint scent of matcha rose from the cup as warm steam curled gently into the air.

After taking a sip, she looked at Theodore.

"How is the wrap-up going?" she asked.

Theodore grinned.

"The wrap-up party will be held the day after tomorrow," he replied. "You should prepare a nice dress for the occasion."

Jacqueline remained silent. For a moment, she looked at Theodore quietly before speaking.

"It was a pleasure working with you."

Her tone was calm, but sincere. Theodore stared at her for a brief moment before smiling faintly.

"It was a pleasure working with you as well."

He paused slightly before asking, "Will you come to the wrap-up party?"

Jacqueline shook her head gently. "My schedule is already packed."

The words sounded simple, but behind them was the truth.

Other than Theodore, she had her own work and personal life waiting for her.

She had already pushed aside several responsibilities just so she could stay here longer and guide him.

At first, she had done it with the small selfish hope that she would be able to spend time near the person she secretly admired.

But now she had already stretched her time as far as she possibly could.

’It’s time to return to my life,’ she told herself quietly.

Theodore listened to her answer and looked at her for a moment before speaking again.

"If that’s the case..."

He hesitated slightly before continuing. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

Jacqueline looked at him in surprise.

Her expression became thoughtful as if she were carefully analyzing what kind of dinner he meant. At first, she assumed it was probably a group dinner or some celebrity gathering.

After thinking for a moment, she nodded. "Alright."

Later that evening, when Jacqueline arrived at the restaurant, she realized that her guess had been completely wrong.

Theodore had booked a private room.

Once they sat down, Theodore poured tea for her before speaking.

He looked slightly nervous, though his expression remained serious.

"Until now... I never properly thanked you."

Jacqueline blinked in surprise. Theodore continued sincerely.

"I know that every time you criticized me, it was for my own improvement."

He gave a small laugh.

"Even when I watched the recorded clips later, I was shocked by how much I had improved."

His gaze softened. "So... I am truly grateful to you."

Jacqueline was slightly stunned.

At first, she assumed he was only saying polite words out of courtesy. She lowered her gaze slightly before speaking in a faintly cold tone.

"Didn’t you ever feel that I was being too harsh?"

Theodore blinked in confusion. "Harsh?"

He immediately shook his head. "You were never overwhelming."

Jacqueline paused before asking quietly, "It never made you feel humiliated?"

Theodore scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Humiliated?"

He chuckled softly. "You shouldn’t think like that."

His expression became thoughtful. "To be honest, I did feel ashamed sometimes."

He paused before continuing gently. "But never humiliated."

Jacqueline looked at him carefully.

Theodore met her gaze and spoke slowly. "You could have pointed out my mistakes in front of everyone."

His voice softened. "But instead, you always asked me to go to a private room."

He smiled faintly. "You protected my dignity as an actor."

For him, that single gesture meant more than anything else.

Jacqueline was momentarily speechless.

She had never expected Theodore to interpret her actions in such a way.

But then again, Theodore had always seen things differently from most people.

The thought warmed her heart slightly.

Her mood improved as a soft smile appeared on her face.

"If you ever need help in the future," she said gently, "you can contact me directly."

Theodore grinned. "I wouldn’t want to trouble you too much."

Soon the dishes began arriving, and they started eating together.

While eating, Theodore suddenly remembered something.

In the visions he had once seen, there had been a brief moment when Jacqueline had approached him.

She had pointed out several mistakes in his acting.

But before he could even correct those mistakes, he had already been killed.

Now, sitting across from her in this quiet restaurant, Theodore felt warmth rising to his cheeks.

’In that timeline... we weren’t even close.’

Yet Jacqueline had still helped him. But now things were different. They were far closer than before.

A dangerous thought quietly appeared in his mind.

’Jacqueline is sitting right in front of me...’

What if he tried? What if, in this life, fate had changed? What if he could actually win her heart?