Chapter 46 I'll Do It My Way (Bonus Chapter)

When collecting their lunchboxes, Ling Wei put a chicken leg from her bowl into Xiang Wanxing's bowl: "Here, come on, have some energy. See, if you follow me, you'll have plenty of chicken legs from now on..."

Xiang Wanxing looked at the chicken leg, swallowed hard, but still firmly pushed it back: "Thank you, sister, I have one myself."

But at least she didn't run away again. Ling Wei opened her phone and showed her work ID: "I really am a legitimate director."

"I know." Xiang Wanxing lowered her head and poked at the rice in the lunchbox with her chopsticks. "No need to look, I believe you. Making up a lie that's so easy to expose won't do you any good."

She looked up at Ling Wei: "But, sister, I don't want to film a variety show."

Seeing that Ling Wei was about to say something, she quickened her pace and cut her off, "I don't want to take on short dramas either. I've heard that once you film a short drama, no matter how popular it is, it's like you've been labeled, and it'll be difficult to go back to acting in serious dramas later."

When the conversation turned to industry-related matters, Ling Wei's playful expression instantly vanished, and her eyes became clear and focused.

“I understand your concerns; industry bias does exist.” She calmly cut to the chase. “But the key is what level of short drama we’re making. If it’s the kind that just plays dumb and acts silly, of course it will leave a mark. But what we’re making are high-quality productions with strong plots and believable characters.”

She leaned forward slightly and continued her analysis: "Its core value is that it allows you to have a dynamic resume that proves you can 'carry a role' in the shortest amount of time. A TV series with dozens of episodes takes too long, while a high-quality short drama can quickly let casting directors see your acting skills and audience appeal."

"With this work, we directly smashed open the doors of those production teams that questioned our 'youthfulness and inexperience.' When others recognize our abilities through this work, what we hold in our hands is not an opportunity we begged for, but the power of choice."

Ling Wei looked at the girl opposite her who was listening intently without realizing it, and smiled with a confident air of complete control: "So, this is not just about shooting a short drama. I'm inviting you to make our first project a top-notch springboard to a major production."

Do you dare board my ship?

A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, almost touching Xiang Wanxing's face.

Xiang Wanxing's eyes flickered, but before she could say anything, a voice called out from afar: "Where is that palace maid who played Xiuyue?!"

Our teacher, Mr. Zhao, has something to do this afternoon. Could we film this scene with him first?

Xiang Wanxing quickly put down the boxed lunch he had barely touched and replied, "Okay, Director."

Then, turning to Ling Wei, he said, "Sister, I'm going now."

Xiang Wanxing jogged to the filming area to rehearse with Teacher Zhao.

In this scene, the Empress, played by Zhao Yuan, is in a bad mood and wants to use the young palace maid, played by Zhao Yuan, to establish her authority, which includes a slapping scene.

Problems arose immediately after filming began.

"Smack!" The first blow landed squarely.

"Director, I'm sorry, I didn't get the emotions right. Let's do another take," Zhao Yuan said, rubbing her wrist.

"Smack!" The second blow was even harder.

"Oops, did you twist your arm?"

"Slap!" With the third slap, Xiang Wanxing's cheeks were already visibly red.

"You seem to have spoken too quickly..."

This isn't filming at all; it's using a play to deceive people.

Ling Wei's eyes turned completely cold as she stood on the sidelines.

When Teacher Zhao raised her hand for the fourth time, even with a hint of smug sneer on her face, a clear female voice pierced the noise of the set, and everyone was stunned.

Ling Wei strode into the set and stood directly in front of Xiang Wanxing, calmly looking at the director: "Director, can't we keep filming like this? The actors' faces can't hold up, how will they continue filming the later scenes?"

The director frowned, and before he could speak, Teacher Zhao exploded: "Who do you think you are? A bit player like you dares to boss us around? The director hasn't even called 'cut' yet!"

Ling Wei ignored her and went straight to the director, saying, "The focus of this scene is intimidation and humiliation; it doesn't necessarily have to be a real fight. We can use camera tricks, combined with sound effects and the actors' reactions, for a better and more professional effect."

"A camera trick?" Zhao Yuan scoffed. "Where does the realism come from?"

"So obsessed with realism? Then next time you're filming a scene where you hide a grenade in your crotch, I suggest the director replace it with a real one."

"You...!" Zhao Yuan's face turned pale with anger.

Ling Wei leaned close to her ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Teacher Zhao, although non-key actors don't have formal contracts, if someone gets injured on set due to repeated takes, do you think the production team will still treat a troublesome, investor-connected person with preferential treatment if the actor insists on claiming compensation?"

Zhao Yuan's pupils dilated in shock, and she was horrified. How did she know she was a relative?!

A few days ago, I felt that Xiang Wanxing, a mere palace maid, stole my thunder with her bright eyes during a scene, so I wanted to use the play to teach her a lesson...

The director had actually seen through Zhao Yuan's little trick long ago, but he kept quiet out of consideration for the investors.

Seeing Ling Wei step forward, he immediately seized the opportunity, pretending to be annoyed as he pointed at her: "Fine, fine! You're so eloquent, how about you become the director? Come on, come on, sit here!"

His original intention was to use scolding Ling Wei to warn Zhao Yuan, give her a way out, and hope that she would know when to stop.

Before he could finish speaking, Ling Wei's eyes lit up. Without any hesitation, she nimbly squeezed through the gap between the director and the monitor, muttering, "Thank you for the opportunity, director. I won't be polite then!"

Director: "..." That's not what I meant at all!

She also took his walkie-talkie.

She raised the walkie-talkie, her gaze sweeping across the entire room, her voice clear and bright: "Dear teachers, the director has given me this opportunity to learn, and I can't let him down! Let's try to get it in one take so as not to delay everyone's wrap-up! Please cooperate fully with me!"

Let the nice words come out first.

The director was stunned by her quick thinking and before he could react, he saw Ling Wei take a deep breath.

Initially, her instructions were clear but slightly cautious, as if she were testing the waters, or perhaps awakening her instincts:

"Camera A... Yes, give us a close-up of the hand, slow it down a bit."

"The B-camera focuses on facial expressions, particularly changes in the eyes."

She stared intently at the monitor, watching the image adjust in response to her commands. Her eyes brightened, and her speech quickened, becoming fluent and confident.

"Lights, make the side-backlighting brighter! Yes, that's the feeling of those tears glistening in the corners of her eyes!"

“Teacher Zhao, your hand swung in from outside the frame, stopping at about… a fist’s distance! That’s the kind of powerful, gusty wind you’re aiming for!”

"Xiang Wanxing, be careful not to tough it out. Turn your head to the side with the force, close your eyes and then slowly open them. I want you to have fear in your eyes, but deep down you also need to have a bit of unyielding wildness!"

In the end, she almost entered a state of flow, and the commands came out spontaneously, leaving no room for doubt:

"Silence! Action!"