Chapter 35
The atmosphere in the lobby was quiet. The receptionist looked over here several times. Xiao Ziyu was too shy to hold back and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Yuan Heng asked back: "The party isn't over yet, why are you leaving?"
Xiao Ziyu was speechless, like a scholar meeting a soldier with nothing to say. It was Yuan Heng who was having a great time talking to others, but it was himself who felt embarrassed. He couldn't explain where this vague embarrassment came from.
"Let's go," Yuan Heng took the first step, then remembered to hang up the phone. There was no signal in the elevator, but he kept on talking on the phone, as if the person would disappear as soon as he hung up.
"Where are we going?" Xiao Ziyu was a little confused.
"Eat," Yuan Heng said.
It was past lunchtime and students from the nearby middle school were returning to school after their lunch break. Xiao Ziyu looked at the students around him who were wearing blue and white school uniforms. When he was this age, he also practiced and studied with his fellow apprentices in the opera house, dreaming of one day being able to perform on stage as a leading actor. No one could have expected that once they separated, they would never have the chance to meet again.
Xiao Ziyu pointed to the wonton stand next to the school through the car window and said, "Let's eat there."
Yuan Heng frowned, looking at the unremarkable store and the greasy tables and chairs, and asked reluctantly: "Do you like wontons?"
Xiao Ziyu said nothing, but glanced at him indifferently, a little eagerly.
Yuan Heng stopped the car on the side of the road, and the boys passing by turned their heads. Boys of this age all love cars, and they discussed in low voices as they walked.
The two men walked in and sat opposite each other on the stools. It was Yuan Heng's first time eating at such a small stall. He felt a little uncomfortable because of his long arms and legs and couldn't move freely.
The wontons were served quickly, with thin skin and large fillings, which was very affordable. Xiao Ziyu doesn't eat spicy food, but likes sour food. He picked up the vinegar jar and added two spoonfuls of it. The steaming hot air even took on a sour taste.
Yuan Heng raised his hand to stop him: "Eating something too sour will make it difficult to digest."
Xiao Ziyu was chewing wontons and was not in a position to speak. He narrowed his eyes and looked at people, as if to say: Mind your own business.
He was really hungry. He ate one and scooped up another. When he ate the third one, Yuan Heng finally spoke up: "Zhou Nan is a movie queen and has good resources in the industry. I asked you to come over to meet her, why don't you come."
Xiao Ziyu paused chewing and realized that he had misunderstood. He was too prejudiced. In the entertainment industry, which is a place of entertainment, it seems that all the well-matched men and women get together just for companionship.
Before he could finish his explanation, Yuan Heng followed up with his second sentence: "And what does that message mean? Do you think I bring anyone home?"
Xiao Ziyu was embarrassed and felt guilty, so he just said, "I thought you would have that kind of need."
"Even if I need it, I will look for someone I know well and who is safe," Yuan Heng said, "such as a marriage partner who lives under the same roof."
Xiao Ziyu was silent for a moment, feeling his face getting hot. He forced himself to change the subject: "I'll go and apologize to Zhou Nan if I get a chance."
"No need. People say you went viral too quickly and they can't help you." Yuan Heng pointed at his phone, "You're on the trending search."
Xiao Ziyu opened Weibo and saw that his song "Plum Blossom Three" had become a trending topic. The number of new followers increased by tens of thousands, and he could hardly read all the comments and private messages.
Yuantai should have also monitored the movements, and the internet trolls began to skillfully enter the scene, editing and splicing Xiao Ziyu's previous wirework shots and then posting them, adding bgm, making his elegant and graceful temperament appear natural.
Xiao Ziyu discovered that his fans had given him a new name: Male Bodhisattva.
"Wow, this must be the Bodhisattva descending to earth."
"Too magical, too magical. When can he leave the show?"
"A friend in the industry revealed that Xiao Ziyu auditioned for 'Jade Fan' this morning and is likely to play the role of Fang Jingshi."
"Don't believe in rumors or spread them, okay? Wen Ci has also auditioned for this role. Is there anyone more suitable for the second male lead in ancient costume dramas than him?"
"Although xzy has never acted in a serious drama, right? Is it true that he won't fail in the role of the second male lead?"
"I heard that the male lead is Mr. Zhou Qilin. I'm worried that Xiao Ziyu won't be able to handle the role and ruin my Fang Jingshi."
"So, does Wen Ci have acting skills? (whispering)
"I don't know about her acting skills, but her fans are pretty strong. After all, she has a lot of traffic."
When Xiao Ziyu thought back to Wen Ci, he felt that he was a gentle and good-tempered person, and his acting skills were not distracting, so he was considered a qualified actor.
Just after finishing the meal, Luo Li called and said, "Brother Xiao, did you see the trending searches?"
Xiao Ziyu hummed.
"Brother Xiao, you are really versatile. You can even play the guqin. I played it outside the dormitory and shocked the brothers." Luo Li praised him. "Our company is already guiding them. It's a great opportunity to show off our reputation. Don't miss the opportunity."
Xiao Ziyu didn’t quite understand the operation: “…Okay.”
"By the way, Brother Xiao, Wen Ci just followed you, remember to follow him back," Luo Li said, "I still have to monitor the data, so I'll hang up now. I'll contact you if there's anything."
The tone on the other end of the phone turned busy. Xiao Ziyu searched Wen Ci's Weibo and discovered that the other party had become his fan.
"Who is this?" Yuan Heng looked over across the table.
"I met this actor at the audition this morning." Xiao Ziyu said.
Yuan Heng thought of the voice that invited him to dinner, and didn't want to interfere too much, so he just reminded: "An acquaintance may not be real."
Xiao Ziyu nodded: "I understand."
Yuan Heng was jealous: "But I think you are good at using your imagination, so you won't suffer any loss."
This was another reference to what he had just said. Xiao Ziyu used gentleness to overcome hardness, "I guess Mr. Yuan is not someone who would care about trivial matters."
"Who said I wasn't?" Yuan Heng pushed the table and stood up. "You spent eight dollars and fifty cents on this bowl of wontons, and the soup base upgrade is ten dollars in total. Remember to pass it on to me."
In June, the loquats in the green belt downstairs turned yellow, and Xiao Ziyu finally received news about "Qing Yu'an".
He has been living in Blue Sea for more than half a month, studying modern knowledge and honing his acting skills at home every day. Although the expenses are not high, it is after all outflowing and not earning. He was secretly happy when he heard the news of being hired.
Luo Li has been busy with graduation matters recently. He expects to get his diploma by the end of the month and become a formal employee of Yuantai. He is extremely busy preparing for his thesis defense.
Zheng Hong temporarily found another agent to be responsible for Xiao Ziyu's resource management, including connecting with the "Xunsu" program crew and negotiating recording contracts.
"Brother Xiao, I'll be back soon," Luo Li reminded him on the phone, "Don't forget about me, your good brother, just because you have a new agent."
Xiao Ziyu answered him earnestly: "Okay."
“‘Maple Grove Evening’ is about to wrap up, and you and Teacher Yuan both have scenes to reshoot. The company will send assistants to go with you, so just let them know if you need anything.” Luo Li was still worried.
"Got it, Brother Luo Li," Xiao Ziyu imitated his tone, "It won't be a problem."
The crew of "Maple Grove Evening" has returned to Yunjing together, and the reshoots of special effects shots need to be shot indoors using a green screen.
The last scene that was filmed was the siege of Lin Buwei by several major sects, and both Xiao Ziyu and Yuan Heng had roles to play. Because of the need to add special effects in later stage, Yuan Heng has more performances without props, while Xiao Ziyu's big scene is a cliff jumping shot, and such dangerous scenes are usually shot with a stand-in.
When I returned to the crew and saw Lu Yan again, he was thinner and more tanned. His round eyes were brighter and the image of a singing and dancing idol had faded a lot on him.
He came up and gave Xiao Ziyu a hug first: "Xiao Xiao, I finally see you again!"
"I have been practicing the moves you taught me. I can even perform some fighting scenes directly without a stunt double!"
Xiao Ziyu didn't have many friends, so it was nice to be remembered by others. He put his arm around the other person's shoulders and said, "Long time no see."
"You really stood out a while ago. I also watched Three Variations on Plum Blossoms. You can even play the guqin," Lu Yan seemed to have endless beans to talk about. "And I just found out recently that my fangirl went to the studio to take a photo with you and even took a photo of you retouching the wirework. They wouldn't retouch it so carefully for me!"
Xiao Ziyu was a little overwhelmed by the big dog's enthusiasm and took a half step back unconsciously. "I still don't understand some parts of the game you recommended to me. Can you teach me later?"
Sure enough, as soon as the game was mentioned, Lu Yan's attention was immediately diverted: "Okay, okay, they recently released a new skin, the drop rate is super low, it's very difficult to beat!"
Before they had even chatted for a few minutes, Director Tang came and asked them to do their makeup. This movie studio is relatively small with limited rooms, so the actors all use the same dressing room. As the male lead, Lu Yan has no objection.
The heroine An Xitong and Meng Leyu were already in the dressing room. Yuan Heng's makeup team had been waiting for a long time. When they met again, everyone would exchange a few words of greeting. In the still harmonious atmosphere, Meng Leyu stood up, ignored everyone and walked out directly.
"Ignore him," Lu Yan whispered, "He's been acting a little weird lately."
The news that Meng Leyu stole the video of a body double had basically spread in the circle. This kind of thing was not uncommon in the industry, but this was the first time it was exposed so thoroughly. Not to mention the ruined reputation on the internet, everyone is filming on the same crew and seeing each other every day, so it will be affected to some extent.
Xiao Ziyu previously worked as a stuntman, so he actually had more time to film. Many of the actions were worked out by him, Director Tang, and the staff, so everyone is more familiar with Xiao Ziyu.
Meng Leyu has been in an arrogant state recently. He left after filming the original scenes and did not participate in the script reading. If he had not had to pay the penalty for breach of contract, he would have quit long ago.
Everyone finished their makeup and started filming the scene where the male protagonist's sect fights against Lin Buwei. After more than a month, Xiao Ziyu served as a stand-in and also experienced the frontal camera. Watching Yuan Heng's acting skills from a bystander's perspective again, he was still shocked.
Compared to himself, Yuan Heng's wire was more stable. After launching into the air, his core did not shake at all, so no matter what posture he made, he was upright and stable. When Deng Feng and the heroine stabbed him with swords at the same time, Yuan Heng did a backflip on the spot and floated more than ten meters away with the help of the wire. In an instant, he had widened the gap between them. When he landed, his steel knife pointed straight to the sky and blood plasma splashed along the blade.
The nearest extra covered his abdominal wound and fell down staggeringly.
When Deng Feng saw his fellow disciple being injured, he roared in pain and rushed towards Lin Buwei with his sword in hand, but he didn't know that this was a trap that the other party had designed long ago. Yuan Heng's lips curved into an evil and crazy smile, waiting for the moment when this proud child of destiny would be enraged. He bent his claws into hooks, infused them with spiritual power, and aimed at Deng Feng's spiritual core.
At this moment, the little medical fairy Wei Qiao suddenly rushed out and flew to block Deng Feng. Xiao Ziyu tapped his toes lightly and pounced forward with all his strength, as nimble as a bird in the forest, landing in front of Lu Yan.
Immediately afterwards, he was hit by Lin Buwei's spiritual power and was directly bounced away. This kind of sudden turn and stop shot is usually shot in two steps, but in order to achieve the final effect, he discussed with Director Tang to try it in one go.
The moment Xiao Ziyu landed, the wire pulled him sideways. In order to capture the profile of him falling off the cliff, the wire was thrown exceptionally high, and there would be a free fall of one to two meters when falling.
After being thrown to the top, Xiao Ziyu relaxed his limbs and prepared to fall, trying his best to create the effect that Wei Qiao was knocked unconscious by the blow. The two-meter free fall is actually very fast. Four or five wire instructors tightened the steel ropes and severely restrained Xiao Ziyu's falling momentum.
Xiao Ziyu only felt a strong force hitting his waist and knew that the shot was finished. Just as he was about to use the force to regain his balance, he heard a sharp sound from the steel rope above his head.
The next second, the pulley broke, and the force pulling him loosened, and Xiao Ziyu fell to the ground without any preparation.
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