Chapter 37: How did Shi Yao explain bringing her own investment to the production team? Did she save someone's life...?

As always, Lu Jiang was decisive and efficient. The progress of "Under the New Sun Tree" was rapid. After a three-day script discussion meeting, the official start date for filming was set at lightning speed. As the head screenwriter, Shi Yao naturally had to attend.

The story of "Under the New Sun Tree" is set in the 1980s. Lu Jiang happened to have a familiar filming location, Linhe Ancient City, not far from the capital. It was originally a tourist attraction, but because the local government simply didn't have the money to renovate it, the infrastructure was too outdated, and tourists became increasingly scarce. Later, it was used as a filming location by chance by a film crew. Its original and simple style was quite well received, so it was simply transformed into a film and television base.

On the day filming began, there were many media outlets. Although Linhe Ancient City is far from the main urban area, reporters from all sides still flocked to the city due to Lu Jiang's fame and the star-studded cast.

Lu Jiang didn't go through too much formality. After a simple incense offering and ribbon-cutting ceremony, he announced the end of the ceremony. However, he kept Shi Yao in his heart and deliberately pushed her to the center position in the group photo.

Shi Yao couldn't refuse in time, so when she got home that night, she saw her own name in the Green Petal public group, which was quite rare.

[Main Post: Does anyone remember Shi Yao? Has she become a "resource-backed" actress? She's actually in the center of the group photo for Lu Jiang's newly started drama.]

[1L: Who is this? He looks familiar, but I can't remember what he's acted in.]

[2L: Same here, I can't remember either. Can anyone give me a hint? When posting a silly thread, could you please include a resume along with it? Otherwise, I really wouldn't recognize you.]

[3L: Isn't this Ms. Shi, the famous opportunist? She's been quiet for a while now and is jumping around again?]

[4L: Why aren't Cheng's fans here yet? They want to see the show.]

[5L: I remember now, isn't she the girl who used to chase after Cheng Muzhi everywhere, the one whose acting was absolutely awful?]

[6L: Huh?? It's her? She looks like a completely different person. Did she get cosmetic surgery?]

[7L: It's probably because she wasn't wearing makeup. She looks like she's bare-faced in the main photo, whereas she always wore heavy makeup before.]

[8L: She looks alright without makeup, why did she always have to wear that awful makeup before? (Anti-advertising foot, acting skills, love-obsessed, low EQ)]

[9L: Can anyone focus on the main point of this thread? Why is this person appearing in the Lu Jiang drama crew? I looked back and she used to act in low-budget web dramas and wasn't famous at all. Her resources have increased so dramatically. It's ridiculous.]

[10L: What else could it be? They've found a new sugar daddy.]

[11L replies to 10L: srds, if there's no solid evidence, don't spread rumors, especially about female celebrities.]

[12L replies to 11L: How is this spreading rumors? She's not famous and doesn't have any family connections, so what could have caused her sudden rise to fame? Isn't this just a reasonable speculation?]

[13L: I checked the cast list and her name isn't there. She's not in any of the main or supporting roles. What's going on?]

[14L: Even the main characters don't have a good position; they're all just on the edge. She's standing right next to Director Lu. She's got amazing resources; getting into the cast with your own investment makes all the difference.]

[15L: Even if someone brings their own investment to the cast, they should still get a role, right? I don't even know what they were acting in.]

[16L: Maybe a new character was added at the last minute. Fans of those main actors, be careful, your brothers and sisters' screen time might be reduced!]

[17L: If I were a fan of the lead actor, I'd be making a scene right now. How can they add actors at the last minute after the official announcement? The script is already written, and they just change it like that. How can the film be good?]

[18L: No, what do you guys take Lu Jiang for? Does anyone not know his temper? Is he the kind of person who can just add people whenever he wants? He's made all the casting decisions for all the movies he's made before. I ask you, has any investor ever successfully added someone? How could Shi Yao, an 18th-tier nobody, be so powerful as to parachute into Lu Jiang's production team?]

[19L: So Ms. Shi really does have fans? You guys are really indiscriminate!]

[20L replies to 19L: My reasonable analysis is that she's a Shi Yao fan. Your logic is truly outrageous. If she were my idol, she'd never be famous in her life, okay?]

[21L: Indeed, Lu Jiang is not the type to listen to investors. He has no shortage of investors. For many years, he has been the one to decide the actors in every film. Bringing your own investment to the production team won't work with him.]

[22L: How do you explain Yao back then? Did she save Lu Jiang's life? I don't think Lu Jiang looked unwilling; his mouth was practically stretched to his ears.]

[23L: Uh, could it be... that Shi Yao's new sugar daddy is Lu?] [This reply has been collapsed]

[24L: Why is it this woman again? She's like a persistent ghost. She's only been quiet for a short while, and she's back again.]

[25L: [Ears] Is there a story upstairs?]

[26L: I'm guessing the person on the 24th floor is a Cheng fan]

...

[76L: I'm somewhat of an industry insider. My cousin is in the industry, and she told me before that Shi Yao has retired from acting. So, you don't need to worry about her acting; she's probably just a staff member.]

[77L: What kind of staff member can stand in the center position, even more powerful than the director? Is she the screenwriter?]

[78L: The screenwriter's name isn't hers either, and Lu Jiang's previous screenwriters never appeared in the center or even showed their faces.]

[79L: Who is the screenwriter for this drama? I thought it was Lu Jiang.]

[80L: I haven't seen the name before. I searched it up and it seems to be a newcomer who hasn't produced any scripts before.]

[81L: Lu Jiang is so bold, directly using a new screenwriter.]

[82L: That's pretty normal. He does that all the time. He likes to find stories that no one has ever heard of before and make movies out of all sorts of obscure places. Anyway, he has his own scriptwriting team that can help with the revisions.]

[83L: So I still don't know Shi Yao's identity. Are there any all-powerful Cheng Muzhi fans who can find out? I promise not to criticize Cheng Muzhi for the next month.]

[84L: Cheng's fans probably want to know even more than you do, but I really can't find any information about Shi Yao or the production team anywhere. The official Weibo account for the show hasn't tagged her either. It's strange.]

[85L: It's just a group photo, why are you making such a fuss? Maybe they just went to visit the set. You guys are just speculating about conspiracy theories. If there's really a role, we'll know when it airs.]

[86L: There's no need to wait for the broadcast; we can find out if she has a role just by looking at the leaked cast list.]

[87L: Which visitor could possibly stand in the center of the group photo at the opening ceremony? Do you believe that?]

[88L: Otherwise? Rather than her suddenly appearing as the lead actress, it's more likely she's just visiting the set. She likes Cheng Muzhi so much, it wouldn't be surprising if she followed him there.]

...

This post was shared by Fang Xuran with Shi Yao, and it had over 120 comments, which was considered a very high level of discussion for Shi Yao.

Fortunately, she is not a popular celebrity, so even though this matter puzzled netizens, it did not spark a large-scale discussion.

Looking at the various wildly imaginative speculations circulating in the building, Shi Yao couldn't help but marvel at everyone's imagination and how real the plight of women truly is.

If you stand out even slightly, you'll be habitually questioned about whether you have connections or rely on others; it's never because you're inherently talented.

When Yao first saw the post title, she was a little flustered, afraid that her identity would really be exposed. She didn't want to reveal her identity as a screenwriter unless necessary, so when Lu Jiang asked for her name, she chose a pen name and even registered a new screenwriter Weibo account. She didn't let the crew interact with her main account from beginning to end.

After all, it's all a bit too bizarre. Although she wasn't famous before, some people still knew she was an actress. Now that she's suddenly become a screenwriter, it's bound to raise questions.

I might not use this identity again in the future, so I'll just keep it a secret from the beginning.

However, she overestimated her popularity. As it turned out, not many people were curious about her, and even when something unusual happened, there wasn't much discussion about it.

This saved her the time of denying and disguising herself.

The film crew booked a hotel near the ancient city, which was also the only three-star hotel in the area. There were just enough rooms for everyone in the crew. Lu Jiang assigned Shi Yao the best suite, and no one in the crew had any objections.

However, Shi Yao told him in advance that she would only be on set for part of the time because she had other work, and Lu Jiang readily agreed.

The script has been completed. There are some temporary changes that need to be made, but Lu Jiang's writing team is assisting with those as well. She doesn't need to keep a close eye on things in real time. The reason she stays on set is actually for her two clients. She needs to come over occasionally to check on their filming progress and how well they are handling their roles.

After confirming that it hadn't generated much discussion on Green Petal or Weibo, Shi Yao fell asleep peacefully. The first scene tomorrow was at nine in the morning, and according to Lu Jiang, he had chosen scenes with intense conflicts, so she had to go and keep an eye on her performance.

Before falling asleep, Shi Yao couldn't help but sigh. She was taking on more and more part-time jobs these days. If the system could have a clone function, it would really be a great help to her.

It's impossible to be in a clone. At eight o'clock in the morning, Shi Yao got up on time with the resentment of a working person, had breakfast at the hotel restaurant, and rode her electric scooter to the film crew's base in the ancient city.

Lu Jiang chose very clever scenes for the morning, intentionally letting the main actors get to know each other quickly by selecting scenes that were either arguments or romantic love stories.

Although the four main actors have been in the industry for a long time and have acted in many idol dramas, this is the first time they have faced such intense competition right from the start, and they are all a little hesitant.

Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning were doing well. They received the script earlier and had been in the industry for a long time. Although they were a little embarrassed because they had never played lovers before, they quickly adjusted their mindset.

On the other hand, Cheng Muzhi and Qiao Xi were far inferior. Their roles were very different from their own personalities, and the preparation time before filming started was not long enough. Lu Jiang was also a very picky person, and the two of them could not satisfy him.

Lu Jiang called for a halt again and again, and two hours passed in this way, with the progress being worrying.

Seeing that Lu Jiang's face was getting darker and darker, and the staff on set were getting impatient, Cheng Muzhi's agent came out in time to call for a break. He also contacted his assistant to buy a lot of delicious desserts and milk tea to reward the staff. He also talked to Lu Jiang and persuaded him to adjust his state before starting again.

Shi Yao had given the two clients a briefing on the play beforehand, which is why they were able to progress much faster than Cheng Muzhi and Qiao Xi. However, Cheng and Qiao were also the main characters, and if their progress stalled, the entire group would be affected. So, after thinking it over, Shi Yao decided to play the good Samaritan this time.

She redeemed an acting buff from the system shop and put it on herself. Then she went to the rest area and went through the scene with Cheng Muzhi and Qiao Xi. The acting buff was very powerful. Even though Shi Yao herself knew nothing about acting, she was able to act vividly and captivatingly during the buff's effect.

Under her guidance, Cheng and Qiao quickly got into character, accurately grasped the psychology of their roles, and stopped getting stuck.

Fang Xuran and Bai Wenning watched from the sidelines. At first, they thought Shi Yao was just acting casually. They didn't question her understanding of the character's psychology. After all, Shi Yao was the original author, so it was normal for her to understand her own work.

But they didn't expect Shi Yao to act so well!

Moreover, not only were the female characters well-acted, but the male characters were also vivid and natural.

The two watched with envy, and after Shi Yao finished instructing Cheng Qiao and the other two, they also went up to ask Shi Yao to act with them. After each of them went through it twice, they gained a deeper understanding of the characters and couldn't help but admire Shi Yao even more.

Most of the staff were eating desserts and drinking milk tea nearby and resting, so they didn't notice what was happening in the actors' rest area. Lu Jiang was quite angry with Cheng Muzhi and Qiao Xi, so he went to the side to clear his head. When he returned, he happened to run into Shi Yao and Cheng Muzhi rehearsing their lines.

He stood there watching Shi Yao act with four other people, his eyes growing hotter and hotter with each passing moment. When Shi Yao finally had a chance to rest, he quickly went up to her, his eyes filled with excitement as he looked at her.

"What's wrong?" Shi Yao was still in acting mode and didn't dare to make eye contact with anyone, but her arm was suddenly grabbed by Lu Jiang, who appeared out of nowhere, so she could only look at him.

Lu Jiang said with a serious expression, "Xiao Shi, I think you can be the lead actor."

Everyone present was shocked by what was said, especially Bai Wenning and Qiao Xi. The two had just experienced Shi Yao's superb acting skills and knew how suitable she was for the role. If Lu Jiang wanted Shi Yao to play the role, he might replace them.

But they couldn't refute it, because Shi Yao really did act well, and could only look at the two of them with nervous expressions.

Fortunately, Shi Yao did not accept Lu Jiang's invitation. She sincerely refused Lu Jiang, saying that she had retired from the entertainment industry and did not want to act anymore. Even though Lu Jiang was unwilling to give up and wanted to book her for his next film, she still refused.

"I really will never act again. The reason you think I acted well is because I am the creator and the person who knows these characters best. That's why I was able to grasp the characters' psychology so accurately. If it were another character, I wouldn't be able to perform like this," Shi Yao said, half-jokingly.

Acting skills come from buffs, and buffs cost money. If she were an actress, she would have to keep the buffs up all the time while filming, which would be too expensive. Besides, being an actress doesn't earn her as much money as she does by taking on projects, so she doesn't want to be one.

Seeing that Shi Yao firmly disagreed, Lu Jiang could only regretfully withdraw his hand, but he did not agree with her last words.

He knew countless screenwriters, but he had never seen anyone act as well as Shi Yao, not even himself.

Seeing that Lu Jiang had been sent away, Shi Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief. She decided in her heart that she should try to spend less time on the set in the future, and also try to use this kind of buff less often, so as not to be constantly missed.

The buff wouldn't expire for a while, so Shi Yao decided to go over the scene with the others again until the buff ended before leaving.

She played four roles in one go, which exhausted Shi Yao. But since all the other actors had already mastered their roles, it wasn't a big problem for her to keep an eye on them.

After Shi Yao left, the four main actors became unusually quiet, their hearts filled with turmoil, especially Cheng Muzhi and Qiao Xi.

Cheng Muzhi was more surprised and doubtful. He had acted with Shi Yao on a variety show before and was very clear about her acting skills. Compared with her previous performances, Shi Yao's acting skills this time could not be described as a leap forward.

Was she hiding her true abilities before, or did he not understand her well enough?

Moreover, given Shi Yao's acting skills, the fact that she chose to retire from the entertainment industry suggests that she doesn't care about acting at all and that she enters and leaves the industry entirely based on her mood.

So why did she keep chasing after him?

Does she really like him?

On the other hand, Qiao Xi's thoughts were more complicated than his. Besides being amazed by Shi Yao's acting skills, she was more surprised by his choice.

When Lu Jiang mentioned having Shi Yao join the cast as the lead actress, Qiao Xi almost stopped breathing. She knew perfectly well that if Shi Yao really joined the cast, she would definitely be replaced by her.

After all, their relationship had already broken down.

What chilled Qiao Xi the most was that Shi Yao was more suitable for the role than her in terms of both acting skills and appearance, a fact she could not refute.

And most importantly, this character and Cheng Muzhi's character are the official couple, and given Shi Yao's feelings for Cheng Muzhi, it would be difficult for her to refuse.

But Shi Yao actually refused without hesitation.

She didn't care about the role at all, nor whether she could continue acting, and even less whether she would become famous.

Qiao Xi had always thought that no one would not want to act in Lu Jiang's plays, but now she had actually met one, and that person was Shi Yao.

In fact, Qiao Xi had always felt a slight sense of superiority over Shi Yao. She and Shi Yao were old friends and had always had a good relationship. However, Cheng Muzhi's appearance disrupted this peace. The person her friend liked liked her, which made it hard for her not to feel superior.

Especially after several of them chose to enter the entertainment industry, her career development was far better than Shi Yao's. Even if Qiao Xi didn't consciously think about it, she couldn't help but make comparisons when she saw Shi Yao.

Qiao Xi had actually thought about it. She would help Shi Yao if she asked her for help, since they were friends before and she didn't want Shi Yao to have a hard time.

But the other party really never contacted her, so she couldn't help them even if she wanted to.

She knew why: because of her pride and her desire to keep up with others.

Whether it's career, love, or anything else, Shi Yao treats her as a competitor, and she doesn't want charity from her competitor.

Qiao Xi had never questioned her own views before, but all of that changed after receiving that mass message.

Although Shi Yao only mentioned it casually, it did indeed help her.

She suddenly couldn't see Shi Yao clearly.

Later, she ran into Shi Yao at an audition for a film. She could tell that Shi Yao was not of low status and guessed that this audition might be ruined.

But she was wrong again; she landed the lead role very smoothly.

Now, with the new drama starting filming, Qiao Xi only learned last night that Shi Yao was the original screenwriter of the drama "Under the New Sun Tree". She couldn't describe her feelings and couldn't sleep all night because of it, which affected her filming performance.

She really wanted to get into character quickly and leave a good impression on Lu Jiang, but unfortunately, Cheng Muzhi was also in a bad state, and the two combined made it impossible for her to get into character.

Getting into character was the most urgent thing for Qiao Xi. Even though her mind was in turmoil, she had no intention of paying attention to Shi Yao anymore. But something unexpected happened to her: Shi Yao actually took the initiative to help her.

When Qiao Xi saw Shi Yao rehearsing with Cheng Muzhi, she thought to herself, "Just as I expected." She had said that Shi Yao couldn't possibly let go of Cheng Muzhi so easily, but it turned out that he really was just there to help with the rehearsal. Even as she watched from the side, she couldn't help but be moved by his actions.

Shi Yao's acting was so good that Cheng Muzhi was completely being led by the nose.

This left Qiao Xi completely astonished.

How could that be?

But something even more astonishing followed: after Shi Yao and Cheng Muzhi finished their scene together, Shi Yao took the initiative to rehearse with her, and she was truly drawn into the scene.

Shi Yao really only came to help her, no, to help them.

Qiao Xi tried to discern any other emotions in Shi Yao's eyes, but unfortunately, she couldn't.

Shi Yao was very focused, and after looking into her eyes for a while, Qiao Xi couldn't help but become focused as well.

They rehearsed the scene for a long time without stopping, and after it ended, Shi Yao left decisively and never came back.

She didn't come to declare war, nor did she come to provoke.

Qiao Xi even thought that the reason Shi Yao took the initiative to help her and Cheng Muzhi was simply because she couldn't stand their slow progress, which was delaying the entire crew.

Was she carried away by Shi Yao?

Qiao Xi was in a daze, watching Shi Yao's departing figure, feeling as if she had never known the other person before.

...

Shi Yao was unaware of the profound emotional turmoil her explanation of the play had caused in Cheng Muzhi and Qiao Xi.

The acting buff also has a side effect: after using it intensively for a period of time, a person will be very tired.

After returning to her room, Shi Yao slept soundly until evening, only waking up when it got dark.

It was dinnertime, so she strolled leisurely to the restaurant, randomly selected a few of her favorite dishes, sat down, and started scrolling through her phone to see if she had missed any messages.

At the very top was Lu Jiang's message: after Shi Yao's guidance, the four main actors were in excellent condition, and the crew's efficiency was improving by leaps and bounds. Lu Jiang said that Shi Yao could make any wish, and he would treat her to a meal.

Shi Yao slowly typed her reply when the system's voice suddenly sounded in her mind: "Host, there have been new changes in favorability during your sleep."

After that, a mechanical voice sounded:

[Congratulations! The protagonist Qiao Xi has increased her favorability towards you by 10 points.]

[Congratulations! The protagonist Cheng Muzhi has increased his favorability towards you by 15 points.]

Shi Yao: "..."

Shi Yao: "Oh, I don't care."

These two are so stingy. Everyone else gets a raise of fifty or sixty at a time, but these two just jump up little by little, like a snail crawling. It's a shame she's been so kind to help them for so long.

A notification popped up at the top, and Shi Yao looked closely and saw a familiar name.

[Latest rankings for "Shining Idol": Rising star trainee Yingxu surprisingly tops the list]

Shi Yao: ?

She immediately closed the chat window she hadn't had time to reply to and opened the push notification.

The rankings for "Yi-soon" are out? Hasn't it aired yet?

Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-06-25 20:24:06 and 2024-06-26 20:30:43!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Xiaowu (10 bottles); Xiaosubing (5 bottles); Yanni (1 bottle);

Thank you so much for your support, I will continue to work hard!