Chapter 27
Another two weeks passed, and Gu Mengzhu had given up all hope for her self-respect. Her money was dwindling, but she couldn't get any work. The anxiety of losing her savings was harder to bear than losing her self-respect. She involuntarily considered giving up, but seeing Qi Yaoguang's excited face made her feel guilty again.
Running home like that, all crestfallen, is really embarrassing, isn't it?
Gu Mengzhu touched the small wallet in her hand and muttered to herself.
She didn't dare mention going back to him, afraid he'd follow her without a second thought. The light in his eyes, the light of his dreams, the persistence she'd never seen in him before, made it impossible for her to utter the word "give up." Because those so-called "dreams," she had never possessed; even now, she was just living a mundane life. She was just an ordinary person, not expecting anything to change in her life. Peace and good health were the greatest happiness she could hope for.
But--
He was still practicing in front of the mirror. After adjusting his expression, he started practicing his breathing. Then he ran over to let her listen to see if there were any changes.
“A veteran actor taught me this, saying I have a talent for learning quickly.”
Like a child.
Gu Mengzhu rested her chin on her hand and looked at him, nodding casually in agreement.
She seems to have made some friends and her life is quite fulfilling. Only she, like those withered trees outside, can't see any hope even when you dig down to the roots, not even at the thickest part.
She longed to go back, back to that warm and comfortable old town, back to that familiar place filled with human warmth. This wasn't the life she wanted, and aimless wandering wasn't suitable for her. After all, she didn't have such grand ambitions, nor did she crave overnight fame. If she could, one day she would quietly, consciously, and alone leave.
As for that money, whether it can be repaid is up to fate. Those who want to repay will naturally do so, and those who don't want to repay won't be deterred by kneeling. It's already good enough that he's stopped gambling, and she never hoped the money would be repaid.
No one could have imagined that she would inexplicably become a teacher who would guide people back to the right path, whereas she had initially refused to become a teacher.
"Fate is truly a strange thing."
Gu Mengzhu tilted her head back and murmured to herself, gazing intently at the sun. The sun was just peeking out from the treetops, a timid, red circle, not yet having a chance to shine.
Qi Yaoguang left for work soon after, leaving her alone in the rented room. In the film crew, the men were always the ones who got the most work, while the women had to fight tooth and nail for a chance to get one. Sometimes, even when they arrived on set just before filming was about to start, they would still be replaced in front of others. She couldn't count how many days she had spent sitting on the sidelines like this since she came here, so bored that her thoughts became increasingly sluggish.
How have you been lately? Are you doing well?
Chen Luo called to ask how she was doing and complained that she didn't contact her proactively and always had to be contacted by others.
"Same as before."
She touched the window, watching the blurry, messy fingerprints left on the glass panes before breathing on them and wiping them away. The face on the phone was both angry and helpless, wanting to persuade her to come back but knowing she was stubborn and wouldn't listen, so the words stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.
"Are you working? What's it like being an extra? Is it fun? I'd like to try it next time."
"You want to come? Did Brother Sheng agree?"
"Tch, what's it to him? I'm a free man!"
"Whatever you want, I'm afraid you'll turn back as soon as you hear about the rent on your very first day here."
"Hey, am I really that shrewd?" (stingy)
She stuck her tongue out at the camera and made a funny face.
"Actually, this job isn't fun at all. It's just walking around behind them all day. There's nothing new or exciting about it. Even if your back aches from standing, you won't move until the director yells 'cut.'"
What time will work start?
"Where is the fixed location? Sometimes we meet at six in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, and we usually have to film until three or four in the morning. I haven't seen five days a month when I can work."
"Hey, at most I'll work in a shady factory for a few days to experience life there. Are you going to sell yourself in a brick-and-mortar shop? From 6 am to 4 pm?"
"That's perfectly normal."
"Normal? Are you dreaming? You can't even earn a penny, and you're still being brainwashed by them. Isn't it like every night they sing that song in the movie, 'What was it again? Ah, I remember, 'Working like a chicken, getting scolded but still having to smile.' (From the movie *Flirting Scholar*)"
"Yes, yes, it's brainwashing. All we can do is drink water to fill our stomachs, and we're so hungry."
Gu Mengzhu sighed softly, and Chen Luo, seeing her dejected appearance, started grumbling again:
"What a fool you are! You insist on following that plague god, well, you're suffering now, are you satisfied? I really don't understand, why do you insist on suffering with him? Do you want to be a northerner?"
"I don't know, all I know is that's how feelings are. When you stand next to him, your heart can't help but want to get closer to him, you go completely crazy."
"Are you crazy? Trying to act like a moth drawn to a flame like a female lead in a TV drama? Nobody watches those heartbreaking unrequited love stories anymore, it'll hurt the ratings. You and him, it won't work out."
She couldn't help but burst out laughing, covering her face and shaking her shoulders:
"You're just like those rich wives in TV dramas, always breaking up couples."
Chen Luo pouted:
"You and he have no feelings for each other, why should I break it up?"
The moment she finished speaking, her expression changed:
"Hey, what's wrong with your hand? Are you going to butcher a pig?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Mengzhu looked down at her palms and recalled the day before yesterday when she went with Qi Yaoguang to film a Qing Dynasty drama. When they returned, he grabbed her hand and applied medicine, asking if she felt no pain, as she hadn't even noticed that her palms were bleeding. The smell of her smelly shoes seemed to still linger near her nose, and she couldn't help but pinch her hand again, only letting go when it hurt.
Chen Luo watched the constantly changing expressions on the person's face on her phone screen. She knew her habits inside and out, and without thinking, she spoke:
"Why do you always pinch yourself? Learn from this, little sister. You'd be better off using that energy to eat more meat in your lunchbox. Look at you, you've only been gone a few days and your face has already gotten so thin."
"Too much oil, it doesn't taste good."
"Come back! I think they're just trying to torture you. How can you get so skinny? Come back right now!"
She remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. The two remained deadlocked until Chen Luo finally gave in.
Around 8 PM, Qi Yaoguang returned to his rented room in the rain. The snow melted quickly in the rain, and he entered with his black hair sticking up, wet and icy. Gu Mengzhu was surprised and ran into the bathroom to get him a towel.
"Why are you back so early today?"
"It ended quickly because things went smoothly, and the weather was also bad, so we finished early."
He shook off the remaining water droplets from his clothes, his lips pale, and pursed his lips, tasting a metallic flavor. She frowned and looked, discovering that his lips were cracked from the cold and were slowly bleeding.
I should buy some lipsticks.
"It's so cold outside, don't go out unless you have to."
"Do you have any soup to drink? Ginger water is fine too."
She had been looking down at her to-do list for tomorrow, but looked up when he spoke. His eyes sparkled with laughter, and she snapped out of her reverie and told him to wash his hands and eat. He sat on the sofa, happily sipping his bone broth, and after taking a bite of yam, glanced at the person next to him who was intently watching TV.
"There's work tomorrow, are you going?"
She took a sip of the hot water in her cup, and instead of replying, asked directly:
"It's been almost two months, and you're still just a background character with no lines and no screen time. Aren't you going to give up yet?"
"It's not time to give up yet."
Don't you find it boring?
He put down his bowl, tilted his head back, and thought for a moment, as if he had thought of something pleasant. He smiled unconsciously.
"I don't know, but I feel very content every day. Do you want to go back?"
Gu Mengzhu looked into his eyes, but couldn't bring herself to say "go back." She felt that she was being pretentious and delicate, always backing down, and had absolutely no perseverance when it came to enduring hardship.
"Let me stay with you a little longer. I don't think I'm ready to get tired of you yet."
"Okay. So, are we leaving tomorrow?"
"Let's go, why not go if there's money to be made? It's a rare opportunity to work."
The next day, they set off early, boarding a bus heading deep into the mountains. The journey was long and arduous, and by the time the crew arrived at their destination, two hours had passed. The sun was blocked by the mountains, casting shadows that made the trees appear dark blue. The dew still glistened on the grass, and a chill permeated the air, occasionally seeping into people's necks.
Parking, getting out of the car, setting up the set, setting up equipment, adjusting lights, laying tracks... it was another flurry of activity. With a shout from the director, the crew finally started filming. They were currently filming a scene between the main characters, and someone was clearly holding them back. The bamboo forest echoed with the repeated "cut" and "action."
With the main characters stuck in this stalemate, there was naturally no opportunity for the extras to appear. In the lull of waiting, they started smoking. The pervasive smell of smoke was incredibly irritating, making their clothes rotten. A scene needed to be filmed from morning till night, so they sat on the ground where the cameras couldn't reach them, finding even passing the time tedious. The original fragrance of the bamboo forest was long gone; it was as if the green bamboo leaves had been tainted with the stench of nicotine, and would soon wither and turn yellow overnight.
Even the wind cannot penetrate this misty bamboo forest.
Gu Mengzhu wearily pressed her temples and buried her head in her knees. The secondhand smoke was already making her dizzy; any further inhalation would make her cough. With each intensifying smell of smoke, her aversion to life on the film set grew stronger.
“Young male extras, come up here. Old ones, stay where you are.”
Qi Yaoguang darted off with a "whoosh" and rushed to the assembly point, while she sat slumped on the spot. To avoid getting their clothes dirty, they both placed a pile of freshly picked bamboo leaves underneath them.
"Oh my, these young men's faces are made up like girls'! I don't know who they're trying to compete with in terms of beauty!"
Hearing the familiar local accent, Gu Mengzhu looked up in confusion and glanced around. Four or five men sat not far to her left, their faces dark and they appeared to be in their sixties. They chuckled a few times when they saw her looking over; wrinkles spread like waves at the corners of their eyes, revealing the signs of age, yet they were remarkably energetic, their eyes gleaming.
"They are delicate flowers, do you think they are like us weeds?"
"Yeah, yeah. These days you have to look good to get ahead, what are they complaining about, oh, a cold operating table!"
She listened to their idle chatter while turning her head to chuckle to herself. The group became increasingly animated in their conversation, attracting the attention of their leader.
"What are you old fogies chatting about here? Get over here and take your positions."
They dusted themselves off and got up. One of the bearded men picked his nose and complained:
"He said he didn't want to grow old, but now he's screaming like he's going to die. Will sitting for two more seconds kill him?"
The waiting area was now almost entirely occupied by female extras. They had been waiting for a long time without anyone in charge showing up, which suggested that something had gone wrong with the lead actor again. Gu Mengzhu waited until her eyes were unfocused, and she mumbled something, not even knowing what she had been babbling about.
"I have no freedom, I have lost my freedom, I am heartbroken and in tears. I took the wrong step, I stumbled, this meal has broken my heart..." (from the movie "Fight Back to School")
She hummed those few lines over and over, then scratched her head and face, doing all sorts of pointless things. As she looked around, she could vaguely see a few raised graves through the gaps in the bamboo grove.
Are these props that were just set up?
She shrank back, but couldn't resist peeking out. Finally, overcome with fear, she turned her back to the grave and moved closer to where there were more people. As soon as Qi Yaoguang returned, she ran to him and grabbed his arm tightly, hiding behind him and stammering out what she had seen. He looked towards the cemetery, and after a moment, his brow furrowed seriously. He told her not to wander off and to come back to him as soon as the extras finished filming their scenes.
Qi Yaoguang naturally didn't believe in these supernatural phenomena, but the mountains were overgrown with vegetation, and unseen dangers always lurked in the shadows. If he accidentally got separated from his companions, the lack of light in the mountains meant he didn't know when he would be able to find them again.
"What are you doing? Just stay in the back and walk quietly. What are you trying to do to steal the spotlight?"
"Behave yourself and don't waste our time! Even the lead actor isn't as capable as you! You're just a background character, yet you act all dramatic!"
The director's voice, though loud, was barely concealed; his harsh words suggested he was indirectly insulting someone. A girl, caught in the crossfire, was reprimanded until her face was flushed. She wiped her eyes and ran back with her head down. Gu Mengzhu followed behind a servant, quietly blending into the wedding procession, even deliberately slowing her breathing, afraid of making any mistake.
Fortunately, the scene went smoothly and was completed in two takes. When Gu Mengzhu returned, Qi Yaoguang was talking to a group of people, but because they were speaking in dialect, no one could get a word in edgewise. Seeing her return, he got up and stuffed a handful of wild fruit into her hand.
“There’s this on the mountain. They said it was edible, so I picked it. It’s quite sweet. Just eat it to satisfy your craving. Don’t eat too much, or you’ll blame me if you can’t poop.”
"You recognize this too?"
She peeled the skin, spat out the astringent white core, and her hands were stained black and purple with juice. Seeing her eating so messily, Qi Yaoguang laughed at her for a while, and then rummaged through his bag for her to wipe her hands with tissues.
After filming their scenes with the leading actors, they finally had time to eat. The main actors ate the meals specially ordered by the crew in the RV, while the others stood outside queuing in the cold air to receive their boxed lunches. The food had long since gone cold from being kept in the insulated box, with solidified grease floating on the meat, looking greasy. Gu Mengzhu couldn't eat. After a few mouthfuls of white rice, she picked up an egg, tapped it against a nearby stone, and carefully peeled off the outer shell. Seeing her enjoying her meal, Qi Yaoguang reached into his pocket and handed her a warmed egg. She shook her head, saying she had enough, and then picked up some pickled vegetables, put them on the yolk, and took another bite.
Night fell, and a chill began to rise from the bamboo forest. The leaves rustled softly, a suppressed howl of the wind. They rubbed goosebumps on their arms, glancing uneasily into the depths of the bamboo forest—towards the cluster of graves. But filming wasn't finished yet; the crew had waited specifically to film some scary scenes.
"Lights, lights, turn off all the lights that need to be turned off, just leave a little light on. Lighting technician, shine the lights higher. Props team, did you put in the dry ice? Why can't I see any smoke? Hurry up, don't dawdle, it's getting late!"
"It's so cold."
Gu Mengzhu squatted on the ground, shivering from the cold. Although she was wrapped in a down jacket, it was unbearably cold in the mountains, and with even the lights off, she shook her head from side to side, looking like she was frozen to the bone. Qi Yaoguang led her to squeeze into a more crowded area, and the two huddled together, breathing on each other to keep warm.
She covered her face as she watched them film the night scene, finding it rather confusing. It was nothing more than people running around in one place, a cameraman wildly swinging the lens, and someone sitting on a track dancing along with the camera. The lead actress, however, portrayed fear remarkably well; her shrill screams made her quickly press her chest to catch her breath. A moment later, someone else screamed:
"Come on, see those grave mounds? Go squat over there and give the person squatting there an extra seventy yuan red envelope. When the camera pans over, slowly stand up. We need girls with long hair! Let your hair down in a bit, it has to be long enough to cover your shoulders."
The director, wearing a fisherman's hat, glanced at it and added:
"Give out a few talismans, one for each person. Do you have any more props?"
Yes, yes.
"Then hurry up."
Gu Mengzhu was eager to try, but just as she was about to stand up, the person next to her grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"Don't go, we don't need that little bit of money."
She was still a little unwilling and tugged hard, but Qi Yaoguang didn't let go. He held her tightly before explaining:
“You haven’t experienced this. There’s always something supernatural going on when filming these kinds of scenes. There are plenty of ghost stories, you might just run into one. Besides, the terrain here is uneven, there are lots of weeds and rocks, and visibility is limited at night. If you’re not careful, you might fall somewhere. It’s very dangerous, you’re not allowed to go.”
His voice was deep, and he gripped her hand tightly. She vaguely sensed the unyielding attitude in his words, and she immediately shrank back, obediently staying beside him.
But filming went smoothly. The group leader confirmed the number of people three times, and soon called everyone to board the bus. While queuing to board, she pouted and muttered behind her back:
"It's nothing serious, but I'm just heartbroken to lose seventy dollars for no reason."
The sound wasn't loud, just enough to make him laugh.
"I'm sorry, but thankfully nothing happened."
She stuck out her tongue, taking advantage of his blindness, and said nothing more. The two rode the bus back, not even bothering to shower. They lay down as soon as they touched the covers, and soon lost consciousness.
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