Chapter 33 Meng Qingyan moved closer to him...

"Click." In the quiet and depressing corridor, Zhou Lian's call to stop suddenly rang out.

Bai You closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly loosened his fingers that were holding Meng Qingyan's collar.

However, before his tense nerves could relax, Zhou Lian's voice came again.

"What's going on?" he shouted, "Are you two in love prematurely?"

Bai You: “…”

A very low chuckle came from above his head. Meng Qingyan raised his hand to cover his collar and leaned forward slightly: "Teacher Bai, are you feeling distressed?"

"I feel sorry for Zhong Ling, but I also feel sorry for him." Bai You said stubbornly, unwilling to admit that his emotions suddenly jumped out of the "play" when he saw the layers of scars that looked so lifelike.

At that moment, he was thinking of Meng Qingyan.

"Meng Qingyan." Zhou Lian could no longer bear it. "Did I ask you to work on your relationship? Come here and take a look. Are you a natural romantic? Why are your eyes so full of affection?"

Now it was Bai You's turn to laugh.

He pursed his lips and raised his eyes, as if he was thinking deeply, and walked straight past Meng Qingyan and went to Zhou Lian.

"Look, look." Bai came first, so he was scolded first. Zhou Lian pointed at the screen in front of him, "Is it appropriate to feel sorry for him so early?"

As he was speaking, Meng Qingyan had already come to his side, and in a very shameless way, he pushed Bai You to the back so that he could occupy Zhou Lian's sight.

"And you," Zhou Lian was dragged into a rage, "Why haven't I seen you have such a sentimental side before?"

Meng Qingyan listened attentively, her slightly drooped eyelashes hiding the smile in her eyes, and followed Zhou Lian to watch the picture on the screen.

This scene was shot in three shots. The first two shots went smoothly, but there was a problem with the last shot.

Seeing the dense scars on Zhong Ling’s chest, Shen Nian’s emotions should have been extremely complicated.

Shocked, unbelievable, sympathetic, soft-hearted, but resistant...

Contradictions began to arise and tangle in his heart. His heart began to become unbalanced and confused.

So many emotions need to be expressed in a very short period of time, in a layered manner, dispersed, concentrated, and then dispersed again...

Everything was going smoothly at first, but in the last half second, Bai You's expression suddenly revealed a barely perceptible trace of heartache.

Others may not be able to see this emotion, but Zhou Lian sees it clearly.

When Shen Nian saw the scars on Zhong Ling's body, she could be shocked, sympathetic, and even soft-hearted and give in to him for a moment...

But the relationship has developed to this point, it is definitely not the time to feel distressed.

As the two of them were talking back and forth, Bai You's expression changed and Meng Qingyan's eyes sank slightly.

Peach blossom eyes are inherently amorous, not to mention the deliberate interpretation by the person concerned. In an instant, the style on the screen changes drastically.

"For the last part of the film, be careful not to let the emotions go astray. Got it?" Zhou Lian emphasized again, "This scene is a turning point in the film's emotional direction. We must make it perfect so that the subsequent plot can flow more naturally."

"Understood." Seeing Bai You and Meng Qingyan cooperating, Zhou Lian raised his hand, "Let's do it a few more times."

Do it a few more times, and that makes five times in one take.

When the curtains were opened again, only a few thin clouds with a hint of red remained in the western sky, and dusk began to creep in from all directions.

After the night show ended, when returning to the hotel, Zhou Lian invited several leading actors to his suite and they held a small meeting.

On the computer screen, Zhou Lian specially marked the temperature change chart for the next half month in red.

As we enter early summer, the temperature finally begins to rise sharply.

By mid-May, all the swimming pool scenes, which had been repeatedly postponed due to low temperatures, were completed.

The rest is the group drama of the Shen family as the relationship between the two protagonists slowly changes and pushes and pulls.

In this stage, the roles of the two leading actors are far less important than in the first stage.

Bai You and Meng Qingyan can also take a short break to prepare for the more intensive and intense scenes later on.

The filming is proceeding step by step.

Bai You is also slowly improving certain aspects of his work that were previously weak due to lack of experience in every shot and every frame.

As for the book "The Art of Editing", he has read it over and over again.

Although when facing the camera, I have not yet formed a very complete performance system.

But with so many excellent colleagues around him and such dedicated, professional and patient directors, Bai You himself can feel that his performance is becoming more fulfilled and fuller little by little.

Building No. 8 brought him not only a chance to turn things around from a desperate situation, but also a chance to grow again.

Therefore, even though his life was busy, he felt more at ease and fulfilled than ever before during this period of time.

If it weren't for the news about him that suddenly appeared.

That day was no different from any other day, and the shooting went on intensely.

Shen Nian came out of the swimming pool and met the current mistress of the Shen family, his stepmother, the charming Lu Wanmei, on the shore.

Lu Wanmei gently handed over the bath towel. In addition to the kindness that a "mother" should have, there was a charming smile between her eyebrows, which added a bit of indescribable charm.

But Shen Nian didn't answer.

He ruthlessly pushed away the beautiful white hand stained with bright red nail polish and walked away along the cobblestone path.

From beginning to end, he didn't even look at Lu Wanmei.

Water droplets slid down his hair and eyelashes, leaving wet footprints on the path.

Behind him, the camera looked up from the set of footprints and captured Lu Wanmei's charming face.

She lowered her eyes slightly, and where Shen Nian couldn't see, she slowly pressed her lips, which were as bright as her nails.

It was printed on the bath towel that was still stained with the scent of Shen Nian.

"OK." Zhou Lian raised his hand.

After following for a while, Tao Yin became much smarter.

Almost immediately, she rushed over with a bath towel and put it on Bai You's shoulders.

Bai You thanked him and was about to go over to take a look at the replay when Tao Yin suddenly and quietly tugged at his sleeve.

"Youyou," she lowered her voice, unlocked her phone screen, and handed it to Baiyou, "I'm so angry about the news that just came out on the Internet."

Bai You lowered his eyes and first saw the headline in bold black letters: Humiliating seniors, a certain actor acted like a big shot on the set.

Then comes a series of illustrations.

In the following small photos, Bai You was pushing Zhou Xiuyuan.

Bai You could tell at a glance that this was the scene when the two of them rehearsed the scene outside after lunch today.

In the script, in this scene, Bai You has to push Zhou Xiuyuan away.

However, when male and female actors are acting together, where to push and with what strength all require careful consideration and deliberation.

Especially since Shen Nian had just come out of the swimming pool, this scene already had some kind of implicit emotional pull.

Seduction or disgust...

But Shen Nian is a young man from an aristocratic family and has been well educated by his mother since he was young.

If you push it too much, you will appear to lack grace, but if you are too reserved, you will seem to be half-hearted.

Therefore, the two rehearsed their scenes in advance and tried various angles, strengths and performance methods.

One of them was that Bai You pushed Zhou Xiuyuan's shoulder lightly, and Zhou Xiuyuan fell to the ground. Then she used the paper towel in her hand instead of a bath towel and printed it on her lips.

The photo is far away and blurry, and the details are impossible to see. With the marketing accounts adding fuel to the fire, it became like Bai You was acting like a big shot and bullying his seniors in the circle on the spot.

And Zhou Xiuyuan's action of lowering her head to leave a kiss was maliciously distorted into wiping tears with a tissue.

Every word and sentence is written with details and is extremely realistic.

Since the start of filming, Building No. 8 has always kept a low profile. Apart from the occasional official announcement of some new looks, there has been almost no leaked material.

I didn’t expect it to be so exciting the first time.

Almost instantly, Bai You was scolded and became a hot topic.

[I would say that I worked with director Liu Ben on my first film. There must be a reason why he started from such a high point but remained in decline for many years. If you have bad character, you will not be successful in anything. 】

[Oh my God, he pushed Zhou Xiuyuan, how dare he? 】

[There is no one in the group whose works are not more famous than his, but he is so impetuous now that he has just arrived. I can't imagine how lawless he will be if he becomes really famous. 】

[You don't really think that just by taking over Building No. 8, you've successfully advanced to the next level, right? The movie hasn't even been finished yet, brother. A person of low birth is always of low birth. No matter how good-looking or how unique his temperament is, it can't cover up the characteristics of a nouveau riche in his behavior and style. Tsk tsk tsk tsk...]

[It is strongly recommended to change the role of Building No. 8, so as not to let one bad apple spoil the whole barrel. 】

[Hehe..., there were a few brands that liked it before, and they are probably still waiting and watching. I hope it doesn't damage its reputation. 】

[I originally thought she was just a vase with no substance, but I didn't expect that she was so arrogant in private? Does he have some backing? Otherwise, how could he dare to bully Zhou Xiuyuan? Please ban! No bully should have room to survive. 】

【……】

"You've been the one being bullied all these years." Tao Yin was angry. "These people are acting so righteous."

Someone was approaching from behind, and the tall figure blocked a corner of the light.

Bai You raised his eyes and met Meng Qingyan's dark eyes.

"Don't worry," he said calmly. His steady and calm voice made Bai You relax unconsciously. "The DVR in my car should have captured the whole process. I've asked someone to check the video now. We'll finish work later and ask the team to issue a statement."

"Can't it be sent now?" Tao Yin was a little anxious.

Meng Qingyan glanced at her, his smile expressionless.

Tao Yin didn't understand, but Bai You did.

If we allow things to ferment to a certain extent before clearing the "charges", it will easily cause public opinion to rebound.

Netizens will hate those who used them as tools, and at the same time they will feel regret for attacking innocent people because they did not know the truth, and then they will naturally stand on his side.

Even if something similar happens again in the future, they will choose to believe him first, rather than being easily swayed or instigated.

This is also the reason why some artists buy negative trends to discredit themselves, just for the sake of bouncing back from the bottom.

Abuse fans and then retain them.

Since official public relations also takes time, it is natural for Meng Qingyan to turn the current passive situation into an active one.

This approach is not only smart, but also ensures that Baiyou's interests are maximized.

Having lived under years of public pressure, Bai You was not as angry and anxious as Tao Yin.

Now that he understood what Meng Qingyan meant, he felt more at ease.

However, this incident reminded him once again.

The peace and stability he had previously believed in was nothing more than a superficial appearance.

With top resources like "Building No. 8", the eyes staring at him from behind have never relaxed.

Not to mention anything else, just the brands that were mentioned in the netizens' comments section that were interested in him, one or two of them only really considered him after he took over Building No. 8 and officially joined the team.

His sudden appearance has actually touched the cake of a large number of people.

Naturally, it will also arouse jealousy and dissatisfaction.

He had never been photographed before, probably because he was always staying in the group and didn't give anyone the opportunity.

Besides, Meng Qingyan is very experienced in this area.

Almost every time he was given a ride, he would give up the luxury car in the garage and choose that humble Volkswagen instead.

There are hundreds of people in the group and countless cars.

If an ordinary Volkswagen occasionally comes in or out, it will only be mistaken for a staff member coming in and out.

The only time was when Meng Qingyan sent him back to the Jin family and the two of them were fooling around in the stretched Bentley on the way.

But fortunately, very luckily, when they came out of the crew that night, they were still driving that Volkswagen.

So no one knew that they had left the group, and naturally no one was waiting at Meng Qingyan's residence.

Thinking of this, Bai You subconsciously raised his hand and covered his eyes.

Compared to the surging public opinion on the Internet at this moment, the fear caused by the two people's antics that night was even stronger for him.

"Tell Sister Jiang," he told Tao Yin, "Tell her not to move yet and wait for the crew's announcement later."

Knowing that the video could be retrieved, Tao Yin felt more at ease. Upon hearing this, he immediately walked away a few steps and called Jiang Minyao.

Zhou Xiuyuan over there also got the news and was walking over quickly.

"What's going on?" she wondered. "Hasn't our security team always been good?"

Then he said angrily: "Am I that weak?"

"Judging from the angle of view, someone must have climbed up from the gap in the courtyard wall over there and used a telephoto lens to take the photo." Meng Qingyan said, "We'll have someone repair that part later."

Things got underway quickly, except for Zhou Lian, where things remained calm.

He rarely looked at his phone during filming, and this moment was no exception.

"Prepare for the next game." Zhou Lian held the loudspeaker and gave instructions concisely.

After six hours of fermentation starting at around two o'clock in the afternoon, Bai You's reputation on the Internet has been ruined several times.

It was not until eight o'clock in the evening that the crew released a video that was several times clearer than the photo. Zhou Xiuyuan, one of the parties involved, quickly forwarded it and started to slap people in the face.

This video is more than ten minutes long.

Among them, although the voices of Bai You and Zhou Xiuyuan were blurry, after being processed by some professional netizens, the content of the conversation could be barely heard.

It was obvious that the two were acting against each other.

Everyone exchanged their views with each other and then started to practice.

There were several times when Zhou Xiuyuan fell at a dangerous angle, and Bai You immediately stepped forward to support her.

After trying the "falling to the ground" action, the two felt it was a bit inappropriate.

"It's impossible for someone like Lu Wanmei to have so much sincerity," Zhou Xiuyuan said, "but she kissed the towel after being pushed down, which is a bit infatuated."

Bai You agreed.

After that, the two tried several other options until Zhou Xiuyuan's assistant came over and asked her to put on makeup, and then they left together.

While resolving the misunderstanding, the crew solemnly stated that in order to maintain the mystery of the film, they hope everyone can respect the crew and actors, refuse to take secret photos, and even more so refuse this kind of smearing and diversion based on pictures.

Just as expected.

At this moment, the condemnation of Bai You on the Internet is at its climax. Naturally, the backlash brought by the truth is also particularly strong.

Netizens immediately responded by cursing the unscrupulous media. At the same time, many people realized for the first time their own prejudice against Bai You and began to speak from Bai You's perspective.

Bai You's originally loose fan group quickly united under this wave of operations and stood firmly behind him.

The matter was quickly settled. Although it was quite a big fuss, fortunately, it was managed without any major incidents.

That night, Bai You's Weibo followers soared by nearly one million because of her outstanding beauty that could charm people without any effort in the video, as well as her respect and care for her co-actors.

Zhou Lian was even more furious, and immediately arranged for people to raise and reinforce the wall, and put up barbed wire in all places where people could easily access.

Building No. 8 returned to peace, but this peace did not last for a few days.

Because soon, another big thing happened in the circle.

On his wedding day, actor Gao Wenye was exposed for his work style issues, and he released numerous videos to prove his mistake.

In addition to entertainers from the entertainment industry, the video also features dozens of people in special professional services.

Among them, Cui Xuan, the actor from Building No. 8, was also involved.

Cui Xuan even clashed with Gao Wenye's other half, Ye Zhixia, in person as a third party, even though he knew that Gao Wenye had a marriage partner.

Naturally, among these revelations, there is quite a bit of negative information about Ye Zhixia.

This news came out strangely, but its impact was the worst in many years.

For a while, the Internet was in an uproar and Weibo was almost paralyzed.

After more than a decade of painstaking efforts, the reputation and image of the company I just established seem to have a strong enough status and position.

But it only takes such a tiny moment to destroy.

This incident sounded a wake-up call for everyone in the circle. No matter how glorious or favored one is, as long as there is a wave, there is a high possibility that not even a bone will be left.

If you want to stay in this circle for a long time and safely, you must never make mistakes.

Otherwise, you will have to worry about whether every step you take in the future will fail.

Two things happened in succession, from luck to inevitability, Bai You’s understanding was deeper than most people.

He acted decisively and reduced the frequency of spending the night with Meng Qingyan.

Meng Qingyan is busy with work and doesn't stay in a hotel every day.

Now, they sleep in each other's arms once a week instead of twice a week.

A week suddenly seemed so long that it seemed like it would never end.

Therefore, when they lay on the same bed again, the two of them were affectionate for a long time. Until Bai You was drowsy, Meng Qingyan quietly got up, took the documents from the bedside table and started working.

Seeing Bai You's long eyelashes raised and then fell heavily, Meng Qingyan silently raised his hand and covered his eyes with his palm.

"Have you encountered any difficult situations?" Bai You asked, his voice a little unclear.

"Not really," Meng Qingyan said, feeling the slight tingling sensation of her long eyelashes brushing against her palms, "I recently came into contact with an investor named Zhou Xing."

At first, Bai You only felt that the name sounded familiar, but after a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and became alert again.

"Is it the one that Teacher Fang knew back then?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah." Meng Qingyan held the pen and twirled it between his fingers. "There is a project. Maybe we can cooperate later."

Bai You rarely gossips and is not very interested in other people's affairs.

But at this moment, somehow, he really wanted to know about those old things.

"What happened between them back then?" he asked, "Do you know?"

One went to a foreign country, the other retired from the entertainment industry for fifteen years...

It's indeed a bit too tragic.

"I actually know a little about this," Meng Qingyan tilted his head to look at him, "My mother was a fan of Teacher Fang back then, and she also had a certain social status, so she knows a little more than the outside world."

Bai You said nothing and looked at him intently.

"It's actually quite simple, but also quite cliché," Meng Qingyan said, with a cold smile on his lips. "Teacher Fang came from a poor family, and was not accepted by the two elders of the Zhou family. The two thought that as long as they forced Teacher Fang to leave, Zhou Xing would naturally wake up, so they privately told Teacher Fang that they didn't object to them being together, but if they really wanted to be together, then Zhou Xing wouldn't have a penny from the Zhou family's assets anymore."

"You call this no objection?" Bai You frowned.

The two elders of the Zhou family were clearly stabbing Fang Zhi in the heart, but they still acted tolerant, which really made people feel uncomfortable.

"Zhou Xing is young, and Teacher Fang is worried that he will regret his choice as he grows older and matures. Rather than harboring resentment towards each other, it is better to withdraw early while everything is still possible. He believes that he is a few years older and is more mature and prudent in doing things, and his choices are more comprehensive. But who would have thought that Zhou Xing would be so determined," Meng Qingyan's eyes were deep, and he said this with almost no emotion, making it impossible to tell his opinion on the matter. "Later, Zhou Xing broke off relations with his parents, left the Zhou family without a penny, and went through a lot of ups and downs abroad, and suffered a lot. Now he has become a local tycoon."

The story was simple, but Bai You was speechless for a long time.

"If I were Zhou Xing," Meng Qingyan suddenly spoke again in silence, "I would make the same choice."

Hearing this, Bai You's heart skipped a beat, but he wasn't surprised.

At the age of sixteen, still a minor, because his father opposed his entry into the entertainment industry, this man was able to leave home alone and has been living there ever since.

At the age of twenty-one, he is already fully grown, isn't he just like a wild horse that has broken free from its reins?

"What about you?" The topic was extended and the target was shifted. Bai You didn't expect Meng Qingyan to suddenly throw the question to him.

"What about you, Mr. Bai?" Meng Qingyan continued to ask, "If you were Zhou Xing, what would you choose?"

Bai You had never thought about this question, but he knew that he would not abandon his mother and the Jin family.

That was the most deep-rooted concern in his life, formed since childhood.

"Or," Meng Qingyan moved closer to him, his eyes dark as an endless abyss, "Or, if you were Teacher Fang, would you let go of the other person's hand?"