Chapter 265: Getting into and out of character. Getting into character is difficult, but getting out of character is even more so…

Despite their bickering, Li Sishi and Rong Juezhang were quite in sync when it came to serious matters. When neither of them could convince the other, Li Sishi would have Rong Juezhang clench his fists behind his back and hide the two bracelets inside. Then, she would close her eyes and choose a "sacrifice."

"I'm all better now, are you all better yet?" Li Sishi called out with her eyes closed.

"Here, will you choose your left hand or your right hand?" Rong Juezhang raised his fists and placed them in front of Li Sishi.

Li Sishi groped and grasped his left hand. Just as Rong Juezhang was about to announce the result with a smile, she suddenly said, "Open your other hand."

"Are you kidding me? The way you're driving is a bit outrageous, isn't it?" Muttering to himself, Rong Juezhang reluctantly opened his right fist.

Opening her eyes, Li Sishi saw her pink crystal bracelet in his right palm. She chuckled, reached out, picked up the bracelet, and placed it in the black velvet box beside her…

Before anyone could react, a red crystal bracelet squeezed in: "This box is quite big, isn't it? Wouldn't breaking two of them be more effective in getting angry than breaking one?"

Seeing the determination in his eyes that said "if it's going to rot, we'll all rot together," Li Sishi looked at him with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. In the end, she accepted his persistent kindness and put both bracelets back into the box.

“It’s okay. Even if it breaks by accident, I still have a lot of crystals in stock…” Rong Juezhang whispered to her as if afraid she would have any reservations.

Unable to bear watching this crystal-giving expert, Li Sishi straightened up slightly on the high platform, adjusted her posture, and prepared to continue filming the scene with her partner, which was about to involve a turning point in their relationship.

This part can be considered the main stage for the female lead Kitty, or for Li Sishi, the actress who plays the female lead. In a few calm breaths, the playful smiles that were previously displayed due to the fighting all disappeared, and after the eyes flowed and the gaze became focused, a different kind of melancholy and resentment arose.

The sweet words and intimate moments that were once a regular occurrence suddenly disappeared one day. Kitty, the female protagonist who had become accustomed to spending her days on the high platform and receiving endless love and care from her husband, was undoubtedly confused when she lost the treatment she was used to without warning.

But soon, the next evening, her husband, who claimed to be a bit busy with work lately, returned with gifts again, which reassured her and made her accept the explanation, revealing a sweet smile.

However, this was not an unexpected event, but rather the prelude to one after another.

This time, the interval between her husband's departures was three days. When he returned, he gave the same explanation as before: he had been busy with work recently, so he sometimes couldn't take care of the family.

Despite her doubts, Kitty accepted the explanation again after being charmed by her husband's sweet words and beautiful flowers.

Then, completely subconsciously, she flashed the sweet smile her husband used to love most, praying only that this time it wouldn't happen again.

Because if there were a next time—it seems she could only continue to react as before, choosing to wait patiently, and then waiting to welcome her husband's return at some unknown time.

Each costume change initially represented the passing of a day, but gradually the intervals between "time changes" began to lengthen, complementing the hairstyle, makeup, and seasonal flowers in the vase in the living room.

The once warm and bright lighting has begun to become lonely and cold. The extended meaning of light and shadow and color in this montage is given to the changes of time and mood. Over time, the heroine who waits on the high platform for the person she wants to wait for can no longer see her makeup. It gradually changes from the initial girlish pink tones to the heavy and deep look of a mournful bride, just like her restless heart that is gradually sinking.

This montage was the most difficult scene for Li Sishi to film. She changed her costume and makeup no less than twenty times. At first, she could climb down the ladder to the dressing room to change herself, but in the last few times, she simply put on her undershirt, drew the curtain, and sat on the high platform, letting her assistant, stylist, and several female staff members help her change her costume.

After all, in order to implement the theme of the female lead "marrying into a wealthy family", her costumes on the high platform are basically not light and easy-to-wear everyday home styles. Instead, most of them are quite gorgeous and heavy dresses, as if she is a large life-size dress-up doll, showing her amazing beauty at all times. Therefore, she seems to have little of the normal human touch.

Li Sishi was exhausted from filming this scene, while Rong Juezhang was quite interested in watching from the side, and even jokingly said again, "Your daddy didn't give me the small Matroska back then, but now he's given me the more precious big one to look after... Ouch!"

"I'm already in such a miserable state, and you can still laugh!" Li Sishi pretended to be angry, as if she was about to reach out and slap him.

"I'm a total loser right now, the more miserable you are, the happier I'll laugh!" Rong Juezhang couldn't hold back any longer and seized the opportunity...

He chuckled twice, then quickly helped Li Sishi, who was about to fall off the platform due to her exaggerated movements, and said, "Be careful. Although this platform isn't high, accidents can happen."

"I don't want to be pushing you all the way to Kangcheng... Okay, okay, I won't say anymore. I still need this face to make a living. Let's try something else." Rong Juezhang said with a laugh.

Li Sishi was so angry that she wanted to reach out and ruffle his hair, but then she thought about how she would have to act opposite him later, so she reluctantly withdrew her hand that was about to mess with his head. Then she leaned close to his ear and said, "Remember, you owe me one!"

"Alright, alright, as long as it doesn't violate the code of the martial world or my conscience, and if I can do it, I'll agree to whatever you say..." Rong Juezhang's eyes darted around, and he immediately responded with a smile.

This familiar answer made Li Sishi, who quickly realized it, both laugh and cry: "When did you go from playing Yang Si, the male lead in the second part of the Love and Hero Trilogy, 'The Love and Hero in the Human World,' to the male lead in the third part, 'The Love and Hero in the Country'?"

“Just saying it casually, I don’t have to take responsibility…” Rong Juezhang shrugged.

"You're really not as good at this kind of show as I am!"

Li Sishi rolled her eyes at him, then sat up straight and continued to prepare herself emotionally.

The next scene becomes a brief period of acceptance for the female lead, from anger to self-adjustment. When the maid, who is tidying up the living room, says that her husband hasn't come back to see her for a while, the female lead immediately takes the initiative to explain: "He's very busy with work—yes, very busy, he's been very busy lately... so, so he hasn't had time to come back to see me for the time being."

As for the maid's thoughtful gaze, she remained calm and composed, sitting gracefully on the high platform as if none of her previous anger and unease had ever occurred.

Of course, this is only a way to forcefully maintain self-esteem in the presence of outsiders.

She had finally waited for her husband to return, but before she knew how to react to him, he had already instructed the maid to move the desk that was facing the high platform 90 degrees, so that it was facing her sideways...

"It's just a slight change in angle; the light is softer from this angle right now," the husband explained, then took out another small black velvet gift box, opened it, and showed her two crystal bracelets, one red and one pink. "Don't be angry anymore. Do you like this gift?"

Kitty, the female lead, didn't reply, but instead knocked over the gift that was handed to her—after filming another movie...

After discussing the plot, Li Sishi and Rong Juezhang both felt that it would be better to simply overturn and smash the two crystal bracelets, and then film a scene resembling "large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate".

So, these two ill-fated crystal bracelets truly became victims of the "if they're going to rot, they'll all rot together" trope in this drama...

The crisp sound of pearls falling to the ground accompanied the complex expressions in their eyes. The male protagonist, who had once been a good husband for twenty-four years, glanced at the ground and then slowly revealed a smile—the same curve, but just because of the change in his eyes, it instantly became much colder than his previous warm and alluring smiles.

The place where he stood was illuminated by warm light, yet his smile was extremely cold. This stark contrast made the whole scene eerie and terrifying.

Then, the male protagonist turned and left without any politeness, leaving the female protagonist standing there, unsure of how to react, looking down at the crystal beads scattered all over the ground.

In a daze, the red and pink crystal beads scattered all over the ground looked like drops of tears, or like a heart broken into small pieces.

Kitty, the female protagonist, suddenly had an urge to climb down from the platform—but she looked quite confused, as if she didn't know what to do after climbing down.

Should we go after the departed male lead?

Or... should we just leave this luxurious villa that has gradually become strange over time?

However, just as she was about to climb down, the display platform, which had previously appeared to be less than two meters high, suddenly seemed like a bottomless cliff in her eyes. It was so high that just one glance made her tremble with fear and feel her soul leave her body.

The next second, as if fleeing, she hurriedly scrambled back to the high platform she had wanted to escape from.

This high platform, which once brought her countless honors and praises, and which served as her sanctuary for a time, has now revealed its hideous fangs, becoming a cage that imprisons her body and soul.

In fact, this cage didn't even need chains or fences; it was enough to keep her from escaping, and she even saw it as her only lifeline.

Watching Li Sishi's solo performance in this scene quietly, Guan Chenfan, a director with a particularly delicate mind, was able to sense the complex emotions she was feeling at that moment from the fear in her eyes.

It was as if she had truly experienced being gradually eroded of all the positive qualities a normal modern person should possess, such as confidence, rationality, and independence, ultimately becoming a pet kept by someone in a position of power...

After yelling "Cut!" to signal for a change of camera position before continuing filming, Guan Chenfan turned to Rong Juezhang, who was also watching the scene closely, and asked, "Lester, after we finish filming this scene, should we take a break?"

“Regardless of whether Ah May has experienced or felt this kind of emotion before because of her parents…” Guan Chenfan paused to calm down, and then reminded Rong Juezhang, “In short, although her performance is quite perfect for this scene, this kind of acting is too physically demanding. As her older brother, you still have to guide her properly.”

Getting into character is difficult, but getting out of character is even more difficult. Throughout history, many brilliant stars have failed to get out of character at a certain stage, ultimately becoming regrettable figures of the century.

"I understand, thank you, Director." Rong Juezhang nodded and replied in a calm voice.

"It's alright. You two are the male and female leads in this movie. As the director, I not only want the movie to be good, but I also want you both to be well." Guan Chenfan waved his hand with a smile.

"I hope so." Rong Juezhang smiled, glancing at Li Sishi, who seemed still unable to break character, and sighed inwardly.