Chapter 113 Appearance

At nine o'clock in the morning, Zhao Wei arrived at the entrance of Longxi in his van on time, picked up Xia Mian, and headed straight to the airport. The web series needed costume fittings and character photoshoots, so they had to go to the set.

On the plane, Zhao Wei kept talking: "Did you read the script carefully?"

"I saw it."

"Watch it again. Director Gao will test the actors on how to teach the script. If they can't answer, they'll have to be replaced."

Director Gao's full name is Gao Yifeng. He is a relatively senior director in the industry. In his early years, he directed a TV series that had the highest national viewership rating. Later, as capital shifted towards web series, he also began to get involved in web series.

But whether it's due to unfamiliarity with the model of buying IP for adaptation or a lack of understanding of the tastes of today's young people, his works have consistently received lukewarm responses. It's not that every film he makes flops, but he's never produced a blockbuster either.

Perhaps driven by a strong desire to prove himself, he has become increasingly demanding of his actors in the past two years.

“For example, a popular young idol like you,” Zhao Wei said, “is his focus, so you have to put in more effort than others.”

Xia Mian: "I'm a popular young idol? I thought I was an internet celebrity or a comedian."

Zhao Wei was initially worried that Xia Mian would be nervous, because when people are nervous, they can only perform at three-tenths of their full strength. Seeing that Xia Mian was chatting and laughing with him, Zhao Wei felt much more at ease.

"Stop being sarcastic," he laughed and scolded. "You have little experience, but you have a lot of dirt on you. Director Gao will definitely be stricter with you."

Will you let me perform a scene on the spot?

"No, that won't happen. Young idols, no matter how good their acting is, can't compare to professionally trained actors. We can just turn a blind eye. But not reading the script is a matter of attitude, and that's a serious issue."

Xia Mian didn't really agree with the statement that "young idols are not as good as professionally trained actors," but there was no need to argue with him: "What are they more likely to pass?"

"The test focuses more on dialogue."

Xia Mian breathed a sigh of relief. He had been reading the script over and over again during this period of time, and the booklet was almost worn out.

Moreover, the acting coach scrutinized his lines the most. According to the acting coach, acting skills cannot be improved overnight. If you want to hone your skills at the last minute, adjusting your posture and lines will make things much easier.

"I've memorized it all." Xia Mian waved the script.

"Okay, we'll see. Maybe Director Gao will be in a good mood and let you go after the photoshoot."

Oriental Entertainment also invested in this drama, so Xia Mian essentially "brought his own investment to the production," otherwise he definitely wouldn't have gotten such an important role as the second male lead. It's quite possible that Director Gao will make an exception for the investors.

But Xia Mian didn't take any chances. She opened the script and read it again from beginning to end.

This ancient costume drama is called "Legend of the Dragon". It is a melodramatic drama with fantasy elements but a real romance core. It tells the story of the female lead, the last descendant of the dragon clan, who was switched at birth by bad guys and accidentally fell into the human world. She entered Yufu Mountain to cultivate by accident and fell in love with Yufu Immortal Venerable - who is also the number one cultivator in the current world.

Xia Mian plays the second male lead, who is the main villain and is constantly searching for the whereabouts of the dragon clan in order to enhance his cultivation by refining dragon bones.

The reason, like most villains, is that he harbors a grand ambition to slaughter humanity and destroy the world. Unfortunately, during the process of testing each other with the female lead, he falls in love with her and ultimately dies for her.

The scriptwriter is quite skilled, the characters are well-defined, and the overall pacing is fast, which suits the tastes of modern young people.

It's clear that "Legend of the Dragon" is a work that Gao Yifeng wanted to prove himself in, and the story has been carefully crafted.

For Xia Mian, it's more like a double-edged sword. On the positive side, it makes his growth much faster.

On the downside, under pressure, he might get nervous, resulting in a less-than-ideal performance and being ridiculed by netizens.

But since we're already here, let's give it a try.

Xia Mian was eager to try; he had never acted before, and he was quite excited!

Most of the scenes for "Legend of the Dragon" were filmed in the mountains. After getting off the plane, they transferred to a van provided by the production crew and drove deep into the mountains and forests.

After getting off the bus, Zhao Wei first took Xia Mian to report to Gao Yifeng.

Director Gao is in his late fifties, short and thin, wearing frameless glasses, with three deep frown lines between his eyebrows, and a serious expression.

At this age, most directors have made enough money and choose to retire. "Legend of the Dragon" may be Gao Yifeng's last film.

When Zhao Wei introduced him to her, Xia Mian could feel the gaze that fell on her, a gaze that was unfamiliar and inquisitive.

"Xia Mian, right? Do you know the name of the character you're playing?" Gao Yifeng asked.

The test is here! Xia Mian obediently replied, "I know, Demon Lord Mo Yu."

What is Mo Yu's personality like?

"Ruthless, arrogant, and unpredictable, he has a grudge against Yufu Mountain, so his ultimate goal is to destroy the human world that Yufu Mountain is dedicated to protecting, and to take revenge on Yufu Mountain."

As she spoke, Xia Mian secretly observed Gao Yifeng, wanting to know if he was satisfied with her answer.

But the other person's brows were tightly furrowed, and the frown lines between their eyebrows became even deeper.

Xia Mian's heart skipped a beat. Had he answered incorrectly? That's exactly how it was written in the script!

"What is the main reason for Mo Yu's personality?" Director Gao asked again.

......reason?

Xia Mian was momentarily confused: "Because of the feud with Yufu Mountain, right..."

"What do you mean by 'a feud'?!" Gao Yifeng suddenly stood up from his chair, extremely agitated. "Did you even bother to seriously study the script?! We've given you plenty of time. Filming officially starts next week, and this is the answer sheet you've given the crew?!"

Xia Mian stood there, stunned, not knowing what she had done wrong. She felt really wronged after being scolded so harshly.

Zhao Wei reacted first: "Director Gao, don't be angry. Xia is a little nervous. I'll take him to get his hair and makeup done first. You can decide after you see the styling."

Gao Yifeng clutched his chest and waved his hand.

The first makeup and styling was done by the crew's makeup artist with the help of the stylist. In order to better fit the character, it was revised three times. By the time the male lead, female lead, and second female lead had finished filming, only Xia Mian's group was left working overtime in the entire makeup room.

Fortunately, the effect was good, and even the stylist praised it, saying, "Your Majesty, please accept my bow."

"Is it close to the face? Does it look good?" Xia Mian asked curiously.

“That’s the effect Director Gao wanted.” The stylist had been with Gao Yifeng for a long time and knew his preferences.

"Sigh. I hope so." Xia Mian felt that her chances of survival were slim.

It was even colder in the deep mountains and forests. Xia Mian, wearing a thin, dark-colored, narrow-sleeved python robe, jogged back to the director's office and knocked on the door.

Gao Yifeng was giving acting instructions to the male lead, Tan Jingcheng, and didn't open the door, telling him to wait at the door.

If she had been scolded for no reason before, Xia Mian could now clearly sense that the other party didn't think much of her at all, and a rare hint of hostility appeared in their eyes.

He admitted that he was still a novice in acting and that he hadn't done well enough. He said he would accept any criticism or scolding from the director for these reasons. However, he was not to be disrespected.

Why make the actors wait outside in just a thin layer of clothing in the dead of winter, not during filming?

Xia Mian steeled her heart, ignored Zhao Wei, and kicked the door open: "Director Gao, please take a look, I'm in a hurry to get back to Beijing."

Gao Yifeng turned his head with a displeased expression, but the moment he saw him, his eyes immediately lit up with surprise.

Handsome yet aloof, and with a touch of madness within that aloofness—that's the Mo Yu he wanted!

The issue of having a one-sided understanding of the character can be put aside for now. Perhaps after joining the crew, he can properly guide this young man and he will improve.

"You look good," Gao Yifeng gave the first positive review of the day. "Go back and keep working on the script. Be here on time next week."

Xia Mian knew that Gao Yifeng had accepted her, but he was still feeling uncomfortable, so he gave a cold reply and turned to leave.

Everything that had just happened was witnessed by Tan Jingcheng, especially Gao Yifeng's undisguised admiration. It's worth noting that Gao Yifeng had only nodded when he saw his costume and makeup!

However, it must be said that Mo Yu's look is truly stunning, deserving of the title "a breathtaking sight." Most importantly, the actor playing him is young, unlike him, who is publicly identified as twenty-seven but is actually thirty-three.

He can't keep acting in idol dramas; he urgently needs to change his image. If he doesn't produce a well-received drama, his acting roles will only become narrower.

"The Legend of the Dragon" is his most promising and highest-rated drama. He is counting on this drama to be released, and he absolutely cannot let the second male lead overshadow him, the male lead.

Moreover, for some reason, he always felt that Xia Mian's voice sounded very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, which made him feel particularly uncomfortable.

"Director Gao," he said, feigning praise, "was that Xia Mian just now? She's really beautiful."

Gao Yifeng agreed: "His bone structure is excellent, and he has a natural arrogance. I didn't want this kind of popular young idol, but I didn't expect him to be such a good match for Mo Yu."

"He's a good match, but this person... doesn't have a very good reputation. He had a high-profile wedding a while ago, marrying into a wealthy family, which caused quite a stir in the media. And he also filmed a web series before, which had a terrible ending and was canceled. His acting was terrible..." Tan Jingcheng sighed, "I'm afraid he can't carry the show."

"Web series? Send me the name."

"This is the one. I've sent it to your phone. Once he officially joins the crew, I can mentor him. If that's not possible... let's reduce his screen time."