Undercurrent
"Hello everyone, I'm Tang Ning. I'll be playing the role of the third princess next. Please give me your guidance, teachers." The new supporting actress joined the crew. As usual, after greeting each other, everyone went about their own business.
Miss Yang, the on-site manager, walked side by side with Xia Zhitang and gossiped with her about Tang Ning's identity: "She graduated from the Beijing Film Academy. I heard her family is well-off, so she was able to get in and show up."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Tang Ning walking towards him: "Hello, Producer Xia."
After greeting Xia Zhitang, she handed her and Miss Yang a gift each: "This is a small gift. I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the future."
The gift Tang Ning gave to Xia Zhitang was obviously carefully selected, while the one given to Miss Yang was distributed by the crew.
"Hello, Teacher Tang. My last name is Yang, and I'm the grounds manager here. If you need anything in the future, please let me know." Miss Yang enthusiastically accepted the gift. "Teacher Xia, I'll be busy first. You two can chat."
"Producer Xia, can you sign an autograph for me?" Tang Ning smiled and handed the notebook to Xia Zhitang.
"I'm just a behind-the-scenes worker." Xia Zhitang smiled and waved his hand to retreat.
"I heard Director Lin mention your deeds during the live broadcast!" Tang Ning insisted, holding up the notebook in her hand. "I think you are full of strength."
Xia Zhitang felt a little embarrassed, but the little girl insisted, so she took the notebook, thought for a while, and wrote down the words: "Be your brave self."
"I won't sign my name, I'll just write a blessing for you."
"Thank you, Teacher Xia!" Tang Ning still smiled brightly.
Lin Jingming, holding a cigarette, watched Xia Zhitang standing with the newcomer from afar. He didn't pick up the walkie-talkie to arrange the work until the newcomer jumped away.
Recently, the crew all knew that Producer Xia had accepted a new student. During the breaks in filming, she was always surrounded by a lot of people. They were either the old student, the male lead Gu Zian, or the new student Yi Song, and now there was another female student, Tang Ning.
Although Director Lin was very sympathetic to the fact that his old partner often took away two male actors, things were still very lively around Producer Xia.
"Why are you always here?" When Gu Zian bumped into Tang Ning for the third time at Xia Zhitang's place, he finally couldn't help but explode.
"Teacher Gu, I think you also like to look for Sister Xia." Tang Ning put down the character biography she was writing.
"She was the one who took me in before. What's wrong with me being familiar with her?" Gu Zian squeezed next to Xia Zhitang with confidence.
"Please be mindful of the impact. Last time, Sister Xia was attacked by your girlfriend's fans, Teacher Gu." Tang Ning retorted bluntly.
"Okay, I need to find the director to sign the contract." Xia Zhitang picked up the documents and stood up, looking at Gu Zian and admonishing him, "Get along well."
"Got it!" Tang Ning replied crisply, "Sister Xia, you're busy. My assistant made some healthy flower tea. I'll fill it in your thermos later."
"Thanks."
After Xia Zhitang left, Gu Zian also stood up to leave.
When passing by Tang Ning, I suddenly noticed a Q-version doll drawn on Tang Ning's notebook, which looked very similar to Xia Zhitang.
"Did you draw this?" He couldn't help but point at the Q-version doll and asked.
"Hmm." Tang Ning nodded proudly, "Resemble it, right?"
"Please draw a digital version for me as a reward."
"There are plenty of electronic versions." Tang Ning's eyes rolled. "The reward is to tell more about Sister Xia's past, especially the part about dealing with the Su family!"
"Are you so interested in her?" Gu Zian looked at Tang Ning steadily.
Tang Ning looked away from her notebook. "I originally wanted to watch the live broadcast to get to know the crew, but then I became captivated by Sister Xia's story."
"Are you a fan of her?" Gu Zian found a reasonable explanation for Tang Ning's strange behavior.
Tang Ning lowered her eyes, looked at the notebook, and nodded slowly: "Don't tell anyone, I'm a little embarrassed."
"No problem." Gu Zian patted Tang Ning's shoulder happily, "Send me the electronic version!"
The excited Gu Zian didn't notice that Tang Ning, who was lowering her head, was smiling happily.
"Are you often with Tang Ning?" Xia Zhitang glanced at Tang Ning's WeChat avatar from Gu Zian's phone.
"Yes, sister, she's actually your fan!" Gu Zian framed and sent Xia Zhitang a bunch of emojis. "Look, she drew them for you!"
"Don't tell anyone." Xia Zhitang's jumping doll felt a little embarrassed.
Gu Zian chuckled and sent her a Q version of Xia Zhitang making a serious OK expression.
Xia Zhitang took a glance and looked away embarrassedly, but inexplicably felt a sense of incongruity.
She looked at the picture carefully again. It really matched her temperament and charm. However, there was an inexplicable feeling of familiarity...
"Sister Xia, Director Lin is looking for you." Xia Zhitang's assistant Xiao Min shouted at the door.
"Be careful when you take pictures of the horse riding later." Xia Zhitang picked up the file bag and walked while reminding.
"I see. I've been training with Coach Wu these past few days." Gu Zian pulled Xia Zhitang over and helped her wrap the scarf around her. "It's a bit cold today."
"Let's go." Xia Zhitang squeezed his hand gently and left in a hurry.
"The team is almost done with it now." Xia Zhitang pushed the storyboard back to Lin Jingming, "I think these can be handed over to more professional personnel."
Lin Jingming was stunned for a moment, then laughed sarcastically: "Xia Zhitang, are you willing to give up your creation for Gu Zian?"
"It's not for him." Xia Zhitang was a little puzzled. "I'm a producer now."
"Didn't you switch to producing because your execution was limited and you wanted more control over the work?" Lin Jingming angrily grabbed the storyboard and threw it on the table. "Other producers just meddle with the production, but you came from the executive level. I brought you up personally, so you have the talent!"
Xia Zhitang stood there speechless, and inexplicably recalled that many years ago, when she went to Lin Jingming's office to submit her resignation application, he had said to her during their conversation: "If everyone is only doing it for the money, no good work will be produced."
Seeing that Xia Zhitang refused to answer, Lin Jingming suddenly took off his coat and threw it to the ground: "Are you fucking trying to avoid me?"
Xia Zhitang lowered his eyes and shook his head.
Lin Jingming looked at Xia Zhitang, who was curled up in a ball and refused to respond, and his whole body was like an angry calf: "I'm not that dirty."
He glared at Xia Zhitang and circled around him, "Are you still holding a grudge against me for kicking you out of the Blue Luan Tribulation crew?"
"No." Xia Zhitang shook his head without hesitation.
"Then give me a reason." Lin Jingming supported himself against the wall with his hands and trapped Xia Zhitang in front of it. "The reason why you gave up studying."
Although Lin Jingming's body did not touch Xia Zhitang at all, the overwhelming pressure was like a huge wave that slammed Xia Zhitang against the wall.
She stared at the white sweater on Lin Jingming's chest and swallowed: "That's not what I meant."
Lin Jingming laughed angrily and reached out to pry Xia Zhitang's chin: "So what do you mean?"
Xia Zhitang lowered her eyes and felt Lin Jingming's aggressive gaze as if it was penetrating through her body to explore her soul.
The strong desire to survive has already made a judgment before thinking: "Don't be angry."
She grabbed the hem of his clothes with one hand, and her tone became soft and weak.
When she realized what she had done, a huge sense of shame rushed from her toes to her forehead, and her face turned red in an instant.
Lin Jingming was once again angered and laughed: "Don't act like a spoiled child."
Although he said harsh words, his tone was weaker: "I'm so angry."
"I'm sorry..." Xia Zhitang added softly, subconsciously tugging at Lin Jingming's shirt. Then, embarrassed by her own actions, she closed her eyes, as if trying to escape such humiliation.
Lin Jingming looked at her strangely for a while, then suddenly said in a hoarse voice, "Xia Zhitang, I'm a man too."
Xia Zhitang seemed to be burned by these words, and his closed eyelashes trembled slightly.
Lin Jingming sighed and slowly let her go: "Don't tempt me."
This one sentence completely defeated Xia Zhitang. She didn't even bother to put away the documents and rushed out of the director's lounge.
The sound of the door closing was heard. Lin Jingming leaned against the wall with his eyes closed and kissed the palm of Xia Zhitang's hand that had just held her chin. His mind was full of the way she had just let him take advantage of her.
Xia Zhitang rushed out of the lounge with a red face, only to find that she had forgotten to take the document. She smiled bitterly and took out her cell phone to inform her assistant to go to Lin Jingming to get it later.
A corner of the azure sky appeared over the studio. There was no wind today, and the air was cold and dry.
A chubby calico cat curled up in a cat ball under a tree to bask in the sun, its topaz-like eyes revealing a sense of laziness and comfort.
Xia Zhitang recognized that this was the cat that grew up eating at various restaurants near the set. She squatted next to the cat and tentatively reached out her hand.
Sanhua ignored her, and she slowly began to touch the cat. Her fingertips were warm and smooth like silk. Xia Zhitang was playing with the cat, but her thoughts were flying.
She hadn't recovered from what had just happened yet, so she just acted on her own will and squatted on the side of the road to be lazy with Sanhua before the filming started.
She put her face on her knees, but her mind couldn't stop replaying the scene of her subconsciously pulling the corner of Lin Jingming's clothes.
It's so embarrassing.
Xia Zhitang despised herself in her heart. How come it was that after so many years, she was no longer Lin Jingming's subordinate, but when she saw him angry with her because of work, she would still be subconsciously afraid.
Lin Jingming was in a daze for less than 5 minutes when he was brought back to reality by a phone call urging him to go to work.
He looked at his phone with self-mockery and sighed, "You see, when a director is busy, all the beautiful things are just clouds. He has no time for the sad autumn moon."
He staggered out and saw Xia Zhitang squatting under a tree playing with a cat. He couldn't help but feel angry and amused.
"The one walking the cat under the tree."
Xia Zhitang looked up in confusion, only to see Lin Jingming standing in the sun looking at her, holding the wholesale coffee cup she had given him in one hand and the script in the other.
"Why are you walking the cat? Get up and get to work!" His tone returned to his usual lazy tone, as if the person who had just been yelling furiously was another person.
Xia Zhitang cursed Lin Baopi in his heart, but he also understood that every minute on the set was burning gold. If he wanted to produce a good work, all emotions and grudges had to give way.
"Alright, are you still angry?" Lin Jingming looked at Xia Zhitang who was walking silently and quickly in front of him, and couldn't help but say, "After you get through this, you will find that you have made a lot of progress."
"Why are you so talkative lately?" Xia Zhitang couldn't help but glance at him.
"What else can I do? Become depressed by life?" Lin Jingming shrugged indifferently.
Although they had just had a quarrel, Lin Jingming's mood suddenly became relaxed.
The two walked towards the busy set one after the other, only to see the crew running towards them with sweat all over their foreheads.
"Director Lin! Teacher Gu fell off his horse!"
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