Chapter 17
His agent pushed him into the car. As soon as the door closed, Liang Jin took out a cigarette case from his bag, pulled one out, and handed it to him.
Luo Mingxiu did not answer.
"You quit so quickly?"
"She doesn't like it?"
"Mm." Luo Mingxiu nodded.
"Okay, it's good that you've quit." Liang Jin put the cigarette back, lost his interest in smoking, and didn't even start the car. He just sighed.
He turned around and looked Luo Mingxiu up and down for a long time before saying, "If you like Chen Li, I advise you to give up."
"Why?"
"I will not give up."
Liang Jin: "You're really exaggerating. Who is Shen Li? Who are you? Do you know how big the gap is between you two?"
“I will try my best to catch up with her. If I can’t now, I will one day,” Luo Mingxiu said. “You’re the same way when you’re pursuing Sister Yaxin. There’s a huge difference in your social status.”
Liang Jin snorted, "I'm much better than you. The only difference between us was our family background."
"As you can see, just because of this one difference, it took us so long to get married. You, on the other hand, have a difference in status and age, and you're both celebrities, so you've got all the advantages stacked up, bro."
“Besides, you’re her sworn brother,” Liang Jin sighed. “With that kind of relationship, how could she possibly like you? It’s very difficult.”
Every word was like a sharp sword piercing his heart. This was the truth, and Luo Mingxiu could not refute it. He held his phone down, looking at the secretly taken photo on the screen, which lit up and then went out.
“You just graduated from university, so you can choose not to do kissing scenes, but can you never do them for the rest of your life? If she finds out, she’ll definitely say you’re unprofessional.”
"Once I can consistently play the male lead, I'll work with her and we'll do kissing scenes, as many as we want."
"Have some shame, you ancestor," Liang Jin looked up, almost having a heart attack from anger, "I really didn't realize you were so powerful back then, I've really messed with you, I've really messed with you."
“I’m sorry, Brother Liang,” Luo Mingxiu said firmly, “I promise that until I reach the same level as Shen Li, I will never let her find out about my feelings and cause you any trouble.”
Liang Jin looked at him like this and was speechless for a long time.
The boy has eyes that can express emotions; this is what Meng Yaxin told him when they were filming his first movie.
This is a rare talent; once you learn to harness your emotions, your potential is limitless.
When he first met Luo Mingxiu, he told him that he wanted to win the Best Actor award.
A young man who is still playing minor roles and whose future is uncertain comes up and says he wants to be a movie star.
Having spent many years in the entertainment industry, he has seen many people who were once proud and unyielding, but were later defeated and dejected by reality.
But back then, it was that determined look in his eyes, just like now, coupled with a month of observation on set, that revealed his tenacity.
For some reason, I just felt that this kid might actually be capable.
At the time, I didn't know where his tenacity came from, but now I know it came from Shen Li.
Having a strong goal ahead of him is not necessarily a bad thing for him.
As long as he doesn't covet anything else.
“You’d better remember what you said today,” Liang Jin looked at him. “If you don’t do kissing scenes, you’re giving up the idol drama market and the possibility of becoming a quick hit.”
Then I'll have to change my plans for you. I'll try to get you roles in serious dramas or those with less romance. Luckily, we signed Qingli, and considering Sun Qi's resources, these types of scripts should be easier to get.
Liang Jin: "But if you don't follow the traffic route, you may play supporting roles for a long time. If you want to play the male lead in Shen Li, you'll have to work harder."
Luo Mingxiu: "After joining Qingli, even playing a supporting role in a big production is better than before. I'm not stuck in the same place anymore."
“You’re quite clear-headed,” Liang Jin glanced at him in surprise, “Keep it up.”
The car started and drove towards the location agreed upon by the endorsement agreement.
Luo Mingxiu asked, "After filming, will we go see the producer again?"
Liang Jin: "Of course I have to meet him. Even if Ren Tianye Media says they want to meet you, they might not necessarily consider you as the male lead with lots of kissing scenes. What if you're the second male lead?"
Besides, if he really is the male lead, let's be tactful. Tianye Media is a big company; let's not offend them. In the entertainment industry, knowing a lot of big shots is always a good thing.
Luo Mingxiu: "Okay."
At 6 p.m., after meeting with the producer, Luo Mingxiu felt a great sense of relief.
It's safe to say that signing Qingli really makes a difference. With the halo of Shenli, the industry will look at her people with more respect.
The project Tianye came to discuss is an S+ suspenseful romance film, which is expected to start filming next March. The producer is considering him to play the female lead's younger brother.
The seemingly good guy who ultimately turns out to be the mastermind behind everything, he's the second male lead with a significant role.
He was quite interested, after all, he'd never tried playing a villain before.
Shen Li's debut work, "The Madman," in which she played two roles, one good and one evil. He watched that movie many times and especially liked the evil side.
He hopes that one day he can play a similar role.
"Are you going back to Qingli?" The producer asked them as he turned to get into the car in the parking lot.
“Yes.” Liang Jin nodded.
Producer: "Let's go together, I want to go too."
"Huh?" Liang Jin said, "Do we still need to talk to our boss about this?"
"No," the producer smiled, somewhat embarrassed, "I'm going to pick up Yunhe. She went to apologize to Teacher Shen this afternoon, so you two will run into each other later."
The Yunhe mentioned by the producer is Yao Yunhe, the popular young actress who has already been cast as the female lead in the new drama. She is known as the "Little Princess of Tianye Media," and the entire Tianye Media is her family's business.
"Oh, okay, okay." But Liang Jin didn't ask how she had offended Teacher Shen, and Luo Mingxiu also looked puzzled.
On the first floor of Qingli, Luo Mingxiu got out of the car and glanced at the entrance, where he saw Shen Li's figure. He ran closer and found that there was someone hanging next to her.
Luo Mingxiu's gaze darkened when she saw the man clinging to her like a boneless leech.
"Auntie, you're here!" Yao Yunhe ran towards the producer and let go of Shen Li's arm.
Luo Mingxiu withdrew his gaze, stood next to Shen Li, and asked her, "Who is it?"
"You're the female lead in your new drama? Why are you asking who I am?" Shen Li asked in surprise. "She's a rising star, don't you recognize her?"
Luo Mingxiu: "I know the name, but I don't recognize the person."
Liang Jin, standing nearby, watched as the producer, some distance away, chatted and laughed with his niece.
He breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully they hadn't heard him say that.
"The producer said she came to apologize?" Luo Mingxiu asked again.
"Oh, it's a misunderstanding," Shen Li said. "Do you remember the day I hid in the fire escape?"
"Remember."
That day he was lucky enough to have a brief moment of close contact.
Luo Mingxiu then speculated, "Is he avoiding her?"
Shen Li nodded: "Yes, the team's marketing team used to keep dragging me into things, and she was overly enthusiastic. Plus, there were some negative comments about her from the outside world, so I was also affected and didn't have a good impression of her. I didn't expect her to apologize specifically for the marketing issue."
"Now that things have been explained, I feel that she is not as annoying as I imagined. She is actually quite sincere and cute."
"Cute?" Luo Mingxiu glanced at Yao Yunhe and whispered, "You've never praised me like that before."
Shen Li doubted her ears and turned around: "You want me to praise you like this?"
Luo Mingxiu: "Mm."
"..." Shen Li twitched the corner of her mouth, "Fine, then you're cute, you're the cutest."
Liang Jin, who was standing next to him, breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness the producer and Yao Yunhe didn't hear it."
After the two finished talking, they walked over, and Yao Yunhe extended her hand to Luo Mingxiu: "Hello."
"Hello." Luo Mingxiu shook hands, his expression indifferent.
Yao Yunhe approached, looked him over carefully for a few seconds, and said, "So-so, not as good-looking as my bodyguard."
Her gaze darted back and forth between him and Shen Li, before she said to Luo Mingxiu, "You must be very strong to have gotten into Qingli."
"What nonsense are you talking about, kid?" The producer patted her and said to Chen Li, "Sorry, that's just how she talks. I've never seen her praise a bodyguard's looks before."
Shen Li smiled indifferently. She didn't feel much about it. On the surface, Yao Yunhe wasn't wrong.
In terms of strength, Luo Mingxiu's relationship with her is also a part of that strength.
However, that statement clearly had another meaning. Nowadays, netizens like to joke that newly signed artists are very talented, but not good-looking.
Shen Li guessed that no one had ever said this to Luo Mingxiu before, and she found it both novel and funny, glancing sideways to see how Luo Mingxiu would respond.
Luo Mingxiu remained unfazed: "You're right."
Yao Yunhe was taken aback for a moment, then said, "You're really not being modest."
The producer stopped her, saying, "That's enough. Her acting skills are indeed better than yours. After all, someone Teacher Shen has chosen can't be bad. You can learn more from her when you're filming."
"Auntie—" Yao Yunhe felt she had lost face, so she walked around Luo Mingxiu, opened her arms and gave Shen Li a farewell hug, "I'm leaving, goodbye Sister Shen Li."
Luo Mingxiu stared at her arm around Shen Li, his eyes narrowing.
.
After a two-day break, filming began at the new venue.
Early in the morning, as dawn broke and the sky was misty, Shen Li left the hotel. It was already November, and the temperature was low in the morning, so she put on a trench coat. After having breakfast with Xiao Yu, she went to the makeup artist to prepare for a new look.
Since filming at this scenic spot would take about two weeks before moving on to the next location, the crew booked nearby hotels in the city to save time.
If the filming progresses to the later stages and the location is in a remote village or desert, and you can't book a guesthouse, you'll have to sleep in your car. At that point, the conditions will be harsh, and it will be inconvenient to take a shower or use the toilet.
This show is alright; only two cases require this kind of environment.
Shen Li has filmed realistic period dramas, the entire series of which was filmed on location in the rural Huangtupo area, and the filming lasted for six months.
They had to take a bath in an open-air shed and use dry toilets. Most importantly, there was no good food. To save costs and pursue better effects, the crew hired a local auntie to cook a big pot of food, in order to follow local customs.
The place was very windy and dusty, and I always got covered in dust. After filming that drama, Shen Li lost ten pounds and her skin cracked for a while.
Despite the hard work, that drama earned her her first Best Actress award and is now a well-known classic.
After finishing her makeup, Shen Li carried her plain white dress and rushed to the film set, which was located on a mountain, by a river deep in the dense forest.
When she arrived at the scene, Yuan Haoxuan was already waiting there. Upon seeing her, he immediately got up from the stone stool. He was also dressed in plain white, but there was blood on his waist and battle-damaged makeup on his face.
"Sister Shen Li, about that later..." He looked a little shy, "I don't film many kissing scenes, so we might have to film a few more. I chewed some gum, so don't worry, it won't taste like it."
"I don't want to do it multiple times if it doesn't taste good," Shen Li joked. "I'll thank you if it's done in one go."
"Both of you are here, shall we begin?" Director Liu asked from the other end.
Yuan Haoxuan said, "Let me prepare some more!"
Director Liu frowned: "You've been chewing on your hands for an hour, and you're still not done? Hurry up!"
Shen Li waited on the side, seeing that Yuan Haoxuan remembered her.
When she filmed her first kissing scene, she was facing a senior actor. At that time, she had never been in a relationship, so how could she have any experience with kissing scenes?
Not wanting to embarrass himself on set, he practiced his position in front of the mirror the night before, and even kissed his hand.
The flesh at the base of the thumb is soft, like the lips, making it ideal for practice.
She had practiced with her hands many times before, so when Director Liu told her that Yuan Haoxuan was biting his hands, she wasn't surprised at all.
"Here we go, let's start filming." Yuan Haoxuan practiced for a while with his back to her, then turned around looking like he was going to war, which amused Shen Li.
When they arrived at the river, the staff wet their clothes with water. Then Yuan Haoxuan leaned against a tree, and Shen Li squatted in front of him.
The stage manager claps the clapperboard, and the show officially begins.
After a night of pursuit, Bai Xuchao, played by Yuan Haoxuan, was seriously injured while protecting Xie Huaixi.
The two were driven to jump into the river last night. This morning, one woke up while the other remained unconscious.
Xie Huaixi trembled as she tore open her clothes to bandage the wound and tend to it. Tears streamed down her face as she soaked into the blood.
Xie Huaixi turned her head, gritting her teeth and holding back her tears. She called Bai Xuchao's name again and again. Finally, the person in front of her frowned and opened his eyes.
Before Bai Xuchao could speak, his lips were sealed with a kiss.
The sudden kiss startled him for a moment, before he responded with fervor.
This kiss was a mixture of the lingering fear of their near-death experience and the joy of confirming they were alive; it felt as if they wanted to devour each other whole.
"Cut!" Director Liu shouted, and Yuan Haoxuan immediately jumped up, grinning, "How was it, Director Liu? How was it?"
"Excellent, passed!"
Hearing this, Shen Li breathed a sigh of relief and went to the side to find Xiao Yu, preparing for the next scene.
Picking up the script, she casually glanced around and saw Luo Mingxiu standing not far away, followed by other actors from the same group. They seemed to be preparing to change scenes as he walked over with a sword in his hand.
Shen Li suddenly felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. She wanted to speak but couldn't. In a moment of distraction, her teeth brushed against her tongue, causing her to wince in pain.
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