Chapter 50 "How are you going to coax her?"
At five o'clock the next morning, Yu Kaiqing knocked on Wen Jia's door precisely on time.
The film and television city is located in Yungang City, where the cold is even more intense than in Linzhou.
When Wen Jia left the hotel, the sky was still overcast.
She wore a long, black hooded down jacket that reached her ankles. She held a hand warmer in her hand, but it provided no warmth at all; it went cold after a few minutes in the biting wind.
Makeup had to start at 6:00 AM sharp, so the driver parked the car in front of the hotel early, and the group headed straight for the film studio.
Before the freeze is a drama shrouded in sadness. For Wen Jia, it is not just a work, but also a challenge. It is the first time she has encountered such a broken and tragic character.
The protagonist, Feng Yingxue, dedicated her life to art. She endured long and bleak years, finally experiencing a turning point at the age of twenty-eight. However, a shadow also began to fall. A cruel illness struck, robbing her of her ability to paint and pushing her to the brink of despair. She was pessimistic and fragile, yet not a simple tragic figure. The arrival of the male protagonist, Chen Xu, brought a glimmer of hope to her life; they relied on each other and healed one another.
Beneath the thin and one-dimensional persona lies a resilient edge and a hidden, warm glimmer.
To create this character, all that was needed was a pale complexion, not heavy colors. Wen Jia's skin was smooth with very few blemishes, so the makeup artist only applied a thin layer of foundation, which was almost enough to complete the look. She didn't even need lipstick or blush.
After getting her makeup and styling done, she walked to the film set.
Song Yanlin, the lead actor, hadn't arrived yet, but Shen Zhiyun and the other staff members had arrived first. She and Shen Zhiyun didn't exchange any pleasantries; they simply greeted each other and sat down to quietly read the script.
Half an hour later, Song Yanlin stepped onto the set, wearing a white shirt and jacket, and black-rimmed glasses, just like in the promotional photos.
Whether it's his incredible versatility or the makeup artist's exceptional skill, this serious-looking man is completely different from the carefree guy from last night.
"Let's go through it once, get into the right mindset." Wen Jia looked up from the script, glanced at him, her mind solely focused on her work.
Assistant directors usually only direct, not instruct. However, since Shen Zhiyun had studied acting, Yu Jianshan was unwilling to let go of her talent and assigned her to keep watch over the two main actors.
After going over the lines three times, Yu Jianshan finally arrived late, leisurely sat down in front of the monitor, put on his headphones, and observed the two people's state.
"Can you feel it? You two, just reciting lines isn't enough, you need to build up your emotions a little."
Yu Jianshan was worried that the two former lovers wouldn't be able to let go, so he took off his headphones and walked over to them, saying, "Let me see your movements."
This is an intimate scene between the male and female leads. In the art studio, Feng Yingxue accidentally gets paint on her face, and Chen Xu helps her wipe it off. The action is deliberately designed; his fingers are to casually brush against her cheek and the side of her neck, creating a warm and subtle atmosphere reminiscent of a memory.
Song Yanlin gave a demonstration, but Yu Jianshan was clearly not satisfied. "Don't be so reserved, be more outgoing."
“Make your movements a little bigger, don’t be timid, you big man,” Yu Jianshan demonstrated for him personally. “Do you understand now?”
It's unclear whether Song Yanlin listened or not, but he nodded heavily.
Seeing that he had improved, Yu Jianshan sat back down in front of the monitor, then waved his hand dismissively.
"Actors, take your positions!"
Wen Jia and Song Yanlin stood in their respective positions. The makeup artist came in last to touch up their makeup, and then Shen Zhiyun's voice came from behind them:
"Script supervisor, lighting, cameraman, sound recorder, all in position!"
"Before the Freeze, Scene 1, one shot, one take, begin!"
The set fell silent instantly as the clapperboard was slammed shut.
Yu Jianshan stared intently at the monitor. On the screen, everything was proceeding according to the script; even the splashed paint looked perfect.
He seized the opportunity, picked up the telescope, and said, "Chen Xu, go in."
Chen Xu, who was off-screen, entered the frame. Looking at Feng Yingxue's painted face, he smiled and shook his head. He took her arm and carefully wiped away the paint with a cloth. As Yu Jianshan had requested, Chen Xu's eyes and movements were extremely gentle.
"Chen Xu, get started." Yu Jianshan's command came from outside the arena again.
The next scene is the last close-up shot, a scene of intimate contact, where Chen Xu tries to wipe the paint off Feng Yingxue's face.
A man and a woman stood very close. Song Yanlin slowly raised his other hand, just as his fingertips were about to touch Wen Jia's face.
Wen Jia abruptly turned her face away.
The already quiet film set became even quieter.
It's a big no-no for actors to interrupt filming, and no one expected this to happen to Wen Jia. The staff on set seemed even more at a loss than she was.
Everyone knows what kind of big-name director they are dealing with. Even if they haven't been on his set before, they have all heard about his reputation for being strict to the point of being obsessive and meticulous about every single frame.
Shen Zhiyun glanced at Yu Jianshan out of the corner of her eye.
The photographer, holding his camera, turned to look at him, but without any instructions, he couldn't decide whether to continue shooting or stop.
Wen Jia herself was stunned. Everything went smoothly during the rehearsal. But when they actually acted together, the moment they faced each other, Song Yanlin's uncomfortable words suddenly jumped into her mind, becoming an invisible barrier between them, making her resist his touch.
But is this the only factor?
Wen Jia shook her head inwardly. She knew perfectly well that her face was the reason she couldn't get into character with others.
She spoke first to apologize, bowing sincerely to the audience, "I'm sorry, teachers, I wasn't in good form just now, let's do another take."
Yu Jianshan looked up from the monitor, his frown lines becoming more pronounced. He picked up the microphone as if to say something, but ultimately put it down without uttering a word.
"The makeup artist should go and do her face first," Shen Zhiyun instructed from the side.
"Sorry, I'm still a little sleepy." Wen Jia didn't look at Song Yanlin, and made up a plausible excuse.
Song Yanlin remained in his pose, unsure whether to let go. He watched as the person opposite him instantly snapped out of character, their expression shifting from gentle to indifferent in perhaps just a second.
"Hmm," he replied emotionlessly.
The second test went fairly well, but Yu Jianshan was still not entirely satisfied. However, he didn't pressure her and instead gave her some time to get into the swing of things.
For a moment, only the sounds of her and Song Yanlin rehearsing their lines could be heard on set.
However, what's really lively is the small group chat on the phone of the staff:
"OMG, what's going on?! So many takes for the first scene already, did Sister Wen's soul leave her body?"
"It's normal. I feel uncomfortable even working at the same company as my ex, let alone acting in intimate scenes."
Before filming started, I thought Song Cai would be the one who couldn't handle it.
"Something's not right. This is happening just from physical contact. What will happen to the kissing scenes later? I hope it won't delay the schedule."
"Song Yanlin's eyes don't look like he's acting; even after Yu Jianshan's scenes were cut, he was still in character."
"Sister Wen is probably still in the honeymoon phase, which might have some impact. Let's be more understanding."
The short scene wasn't officially wrapped up until the afternoon of the third day.
"Click—That's all for now."
At Yu Jianshan's command, Yu Kaiqing jogged into the set and draped a thick down jacket over Wen Jia's shoulders.
Filming in the dead of winter is truly unbearable. Wen Jia was only wearing a thin base layer and a knitted cardigan. She endured it for a few days, but then her voice started to nasalize, showing signs of catching a cold.
Yu Jianshan sat behind the monitor, his face serious. He was reviewing the last take, his eyes fixed on the screen, his eyeballs almost bulging out, watching frame by frame.
"This one is alright."
Everyone on set secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He called Wen Jia to his side.
Wen Jia huddled in her down jacket, her lips pale. It was unclear whether the makeup artist had applied concealer or if she was simply freezing. While she fit the character perfectly on screen, she looked rather pitiful off-screen.
Yu Jianshan gestured with his chin at her, "Take a look and see if you're satisfied."
"It's much better than the ones from the other day." She said calmly and confidently after reading it.
But if she were asked to protect one more, she would have no complaints.
“If I remember correctly, your professional skills are quite good,” Yu Jianshan said, sitting with his arms crossed, exuding an air of authority without anger, looking up at her. “Although we haven’t worked together before, my colleagues have a very good opinion of you.”
Yu Jianshan wanted to flatter her, but she couldn't very well lower her head and deliberately let the hat fall off, so she just obediently wore it and nodded.
"To tell you the truth, we're aiming for awards with this film." His voice was steady, but his gaze was fixed on something unseen, as if he could already see a moment yet to come.
"I know."
Such themes, which simultaneously address life, illness, humanity, and love, have been dormant in the mainland market for many years. However, they are precisely the kind of works most favored by international film festivals. They are calm and restrained, yet they speak directly to people's hearts. Going abroad is not a big problem for them. This is one of the fundamental reasons why Yu Jianshan insisted on changing the theme even when no one was optimistic about it.
“Silver Sail, Locarno, even Karlovy Vary, we can give it a try,” Yu Jianshan continued. “Overseas film selectors love this. Human empathy, life-and-death themes, and a little attention to cinematic language—they’ll see it.”
"The worst outcome is winning Best Picture or a Jury Prize at the Silver Sail Awards, but even that would be enough. At least it would let everyone see that there are still people making this kind of film, and that someone is capable of making it."
He paused for a moment, his tone full of the ambition of a great director, "The best outcome would be for us, the director, screenwriter, lead and supporting actors, and even the cinematographer and art director, to go all the way from the nomination to the awards stage. Every aspect of this film was done to award-winning standards."
He said this to Wen Jia, but it wasn't just directed at Wen Jia.
This corner of the film set fell silent for a moment.
“From the moment the script was finished, its fate was sealed,” Yu Jianshan said softly. “We just had to see it through to the end.”
Wen Jia nodded, "I understand, Director Yu."
"So I don't want to make any major changes to any parts of the script. To be honest, Su Jianyun and I have collaborated on another script besides this one, which is supposed to be seamlessly connected. We've discussed it privately, whether we should still use you."
In a production team with such a golden duo as Yu Jianshan and Su Jianyun, even a supporting role can lead to a meteoric rise, let alone two leading roles. Wen Jia was simply flattered. "I understand. Director Yu, the problem lies with me, I will solve it. There's another one you mentioned, I'd like to try for that too."
Yu Jianshan's temper finally subsided a bit. He pointed at the screen and said, "This take was relatively good, but it still didn't convey the intimacy between Feng Yingxue and Chen Xu. You were clearly resistant. Don't you think so? This resistance makes the audience feel that the romance between the male and female leads is disjointed."
She could sense it better than anyone else; whenever Song Yanlin tried to get closer, she would always recall what he had said at the dinner party that day.
Of all times, there's this talk of rekindling old flames and not minding being a mistress.
In the past two days, Song Yanlin's words have echoed in her ears more often than she has heard Xu Shaoting's voice.
But this is not what a professional actor should do. She should abandon everything, forget everything about Song Yanlin off-screen, even forget their past relationship, and treat him as a complete stranger.
But she found that she couldn't do it.
“Tell me the reason.” Yu Jianshan scrutinized his leading lady meticulously. “Are you still feeling burdened?”
Shen Zhiyun, who was standing to the side, turned her gaze over, as if she was also waiting for her answer.
"I suppose so," Wen Jia said, lowering her eyes.
-
There was a knock on the door of Yunxi Technology's board of directors' office.
"Come in."
The solid wood door slowly opened, revealing a bright and youthful face. She was wearing a fur coat from the latest Miu Miu runway show, and her heeled boots made a loud clattering sound as she kicked them across the office floor.
“Brother.” Xu Yitang’s voice was just as flamboyant as Helen’s.
Xu Shaoting didn't even glance at the door; he just stared at the computer screen, pressed the landline button, and without saying a word:
"Lin Youzhe, come and take him away."
"Why?" Xu Yitang retorted, quickly slamming the door shut and deliberately stomping heavily on the floor. "Are you so unwelcoming to me?"
She deliberately bypassed the company secretary's office and sneaked around, going to great lengths to get to her brother.
"Don't move your feet, it's too noisy," Xu Shaoting said, pointing to her boots without looking at her.
He usually doted on her enough, but at this moment he was clearly absorbed in his official duties and had no time to pay attention to her.
Xu Yitang stopped in her tracks, feeling annoyed. If she couldn't move her feet, couldn't she at least move her upper body?
She triumphantly tossed her hair, only to be criticized by Xu Shaoting:
"Don't move your hands. If even a single hair falls on the ground, you'll never be able to get back in."
"Ouch, brother—"
Lin Youzhe sprang into action the instant he received the order, arriving just a second before Xu Shaoting dragged him out by the collar.
He looked closely, and then everything went black.
This second young lady really gave him a headache. It's better now that she's grown up, but it was even worse when she was little. She would often cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide in the office, insisting on clinging to her older brother. Xu Shaoting couldn't do anything about her and was forced to cancel his work time and play with her in the office many times.
Even after she grew up, she was still too spoiled, but Xu Shaoting's patience with her was limited to before she turned eighteen, so the task of playing with her was handed over to Lin Youzhe.
But he didn't just play with her; he also had to help her get whatever she wanted. Xu Shaoting spoiled her rotten, but she was no pushover either. She liked anything expensive and anything limited edition, which made Lin Youzhe suffer.
"Miss Xu, Chairman Xu has something to attend to right now. Please come out with me first."
“I don’t have time to keep you company right now. Be a good girl and go out with Secretary Lin first. I’ll take you out to dinner later,” Xu Shaoting waved his hand. “Tell him anything you want or like, and he’ll get it for you.”
In previous years, such tried-and-true material temptations no longer worked. Xu Yitang ignored everyone, calmly sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and said, "I'm here to give you a heads-up."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shaoting finally looked up from the computer and gazed at his younger sister for the first time.
Just one simple word: "Speak."
"Daddy seems to know who your girlfriend is."
Xu Shaoting remained calm and withdrew his gaze. "Take him out."
Xu Yitang was also a little embarrassed because he knew he had revealed information that his whole family already knew.
"There's one more!" she pleaded.
Still, just one word: "Speak."
"The male lead your girlfriend is currently dating is her ex-boyfriend, who is my rival."
This complex web of relationships took Lin Youzhe, who is usually quick-witted, quite a while to sort out.
“Wait,” Xu Shaoting raised his hand to interrupt her, his brows slightly furrowed, “…What does ‘self-responsibility’ mean?”
"It's my favorite celebrity."
"It's her favorite celebrity."
Xu Yitang and Lin Youzhe said in unison.
Xu Shaoting glanced at Lin Youzhe with a subtle expression.
"How did you know who my girlfriend is?" He looked back at Xu Yitang, a half-smile on his face, and deliberately asked, "And how did you know who her ex-boyfriend is?"
"Oh dear, Daddy is an old-fashioned person, but I'm not. I can use the internet."
"You mean Xu Yishu and Xu Yancheng both know?"
Xu Yitang nodded hurriedly.
"Speaking of which, aren't you worried about letting your girlfriend act with her ex-boyfriend?" Xu Yitang seemed even more worried than her brother.
What am I worried about?
"It's easy to develop feelings for someone while filming," Xu Yitang stomped her foot again, making him even more upset.
"She won't."
"Besides, they're two people who have dated before. As far as I know, there are three couples in the industry who have rekindled their old flames." Xu Yitang held up three fingers and waved them in front of Xu Shaoting.
Lin Youzhe couldn't help but chuckle, "Miss Xu knows so much about this?"
She gave a haughty snort, "Of course."
It's said that wealthy families breed romantics, and this young lady has had a crush on a celebrity for five or six years, but she doesn't like chasing stars. Usually, she uses her background and money to bypass fan clubs and deal with the celebrity in person. Going to the film set is commonplace for her. Directors aren't afraid of her, but they are afraid of the Xu family behind her, and they have to treat them to good food and drink.
Spending every day with celebrities gives her the best access to firsthand information. She's knowledgeable and speaks eloquently about them.
"And... this is a romance movie, bro, aren't you going to be jealous?"
"What do you want to say?" Xu Shaoting finally looked at her seriously.
You'd better keep a close eye on your wife.
"Don't shout anything yet." Xu Shaoting glanced at her.
Xu Yitang changed the subject, chuckled smugly, and clicked on the movie's official Weibo account.
Filming had only been going on for a short time, but the production team's publicity group was already going all out, releasing a lot of behind-the-scenes footage. She randomly opened one of the videos, watched it for two seconds, and then handed it to the other side.
Xu Shaoting glanced at the screen; it was a shot of the entire set. Perhaps to create an off-screen atmosphere, the camera was casual and shaky, and the sound was noisy, but mostly filled with laughter and cheerful voices.
There are only two main characters in the center of the picture.
They were all holding scripts and sitting on the sofa in the studio, seemingly rehearsing a scene. After Wen Jia finished speaking a line, the set erupted in laughter, but only Song Yanlin smiled gently. His attention seemed to be on her, not on what Wen Jia was saying.
The blanket slipped a little off her body as she moved, but he quickly picked it up and gently covered her up again.
In the noisy surroundings, their actions appeared casual and unintentional, so natural that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were from a real couple.
Furthermore, they were once a real couple.
She finally provided some useful information, and Xu Shaoting raised his chin, dismissing Lin Youzhe.
Xu Yitang provided a voice-over, her tone both considerate and malicious, "Although many production crews nowadays even film behind-the-scenes footage, but..." she pinched two fingers together mischievously, "there's always a little bit of genuine emotion that comes through..."
After watching the entire behind-the-scenes clip, Xu Shaoting pushed his phone back exactly as it was, his expression slightly complicated, but only a little, and he recovered quickly.
"Moreover, your girlfriend has gained a huge number of fans online by forming a CP with other people. There are countless new fans who have come back from the dead."
She seems to enjoy watching the drama unfold; she's already being more than generous by not shipping her sister-in-law with someone else.
Xu Shaoting didn't speak, he just stared at her silently.
"If you don't believe me, just look at the comments section."
She read them to him one by one. Having spent a lot of time on set, she had picked up some of the true essence of the lines and could recite them quite well.
She read several lines aloud, drawing out the syllables while glancing at Xu Shaoting out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that he didn't react, she cleared her throat and chose a more provocative one:
"I have to say, old flames are still the best to ship. Their level of understanding is something that real couples don't know how to handle."
Still no reaction?! The young lady wasn't so easily discouraged; she continued digging, and finally saw something even more exciting. Her eyes lit up.
"Will Sister Wen's current boyfriend be so jealous in front of the screen that he'll smash the wall?"
"I hesitated for a second about my current boyfriend, and then decided to join the party."
Xu Yitang leaned on the desk and approached him, but couldn't see a trace of emotion in his eyes.
"Bro, who do you think this current boyfriend they're talking about is?"
The one-man show has finally received a response.
Xu Shaoting tossed the folder back onto the table, raised his eyes,
"go out."
Of the entire Xu family, Xu Yitang is both most afraid of and least afraid of her eldest brother. She is known for repeatedly testing his limits.
She continued chattering, "I heard there are quite a few kissing scenes in this movie."
"A real kiss, the kind where lips touch lips and tongues touch." Xu Yitang pressed his two index fingers together tightly, reluctant to part.
"Although I've only met Director Yu and never been to his film set, he's known for his strict and demanding standards. You know what 'strict' means, right? Director Yu probably wouldn't agree to his actors using body doubles, would he?"
"You know what it means to have high standards, right? It means that a kissing scene might be filmed many, many, many, many times. Until he's satisfied."
Xu Shaoting sneered, looking at his younger sister, but his mind was completely occupied with what Wen Jia had told him yesterday—
One scene took two days to film and is still not finished.
He cleared his throat, as if finally showing interest, and said, "Continue."
Although Xu Yitang is not a serious fan of celebrities, he is quite adept at using the internet. "Their videos are going viral now, and their CP (couple pairing) is being heavily promoted. They have already topped the super topic list."
Xu Shaoting asked seriously, "What is a super topic?"
Xu Yitang was utterly exasperated with her brother, who paid absolutely no attention to the entertainment industry. "It's about topics, super topics, tags, tags, you get it?"
"continue."
She clicked on the hashtag for "Neighbor Couple," and even through the screen, a romantic atmosphere washed over her. The hashtag's homepage was already filled with countless ambiguous mashup videos. From the filters to the music, everything exuded a sweet, heart-fluttering feeling and a tense, tug-of-war tension.
She pushed her phone in front of Xu Shaoting, saying, "This super topic is very popular right now, and there are a lot of rules."
The formalization of fan culture rules is a phenomenon that everyone condemns, including but not limited to the 996 work rules for female data workers, the standardized conventions for controlling comments, and the charter of the anti-black patrol team, etc.
The super topic moderator, who has only been back in the business for a few days, may not have even earned a high title or rank yet, but he has already listed a whole bunch of rules.
Do you know what the first rule is for posting in this super topic?
"Speak," Xu Shaoting said, not caring much and too lazy to guess.
"The first rule is," Xu Yitang snorted twice, then raised her index finger in a pretentious manner and waved it left and right in front of him.
"Your name must never be mentioned."
Before Xu Shaoting's suddenly cold expression came a soft laugh.
His expression was so unfamiliar that even his usually pampered younger sister dared not smile anymore. She quickly composed herself and was a little afraid to look at him.
"I'm just a messenger! I don't ship them! I'd rather die than ship them!" Xu Yitang raised two fingers, making it three, pointing them to the sky, making a solemn vow.
After saying so many sensitive things, she didn't know which sentence had touched a nerve with him, or if it was every single one of them.
Fortunately, Lin Youzhe was perceptive enough not to actually leave, but waited at the door until he noticed that there was a sudden silence in the office and the atmosphere was off, at which point he pushed the door open and went in.
"Miss Xu, please come out first."
This time, Xu Yitang obediently followed him out, tiptoeing so that her heels wouldn't make a sound.
Inside the office, the man remained silent, unable to articulate the feelings he was experiencing.
He didn't care at all about the topics, hype, and comments Xu Yitang mentioned. He had always been indifferent to popular entertainment talk. However, the footage in that behind-the-scenes video was real.
He stood up, paced a few steps, and finally leaned against the table, his fingertips touching the edge of the table as he tapped.
Suddenly, the message she sent me that night came to mind.
What does it mean to make yourself say again that you're willing to be a mistress?
Has she and Song Yanlin progressed to the point where she wants me to be the other woman? Is she trying to prepare me for this?
He frowned, pondered for a long time, and decided to test her attitude.
When Wen Jia was filming, she habitually kept her phone on silent and vibrate. When Xu Shaoting called, she had just finished a clip.
The director didn't call for a break; everyone remained on standby. Yu Kaiqing had her phone in her hand. She was sitting on a chair outside the set, negotiating business with Wen Jia. When her phone vibrated, she assumed some major investor had called so quickly to make arrangements.
Looking down at the screen, I realized it really was a major sponsor.
And it was a video call.
Yu Kaiqing didn't dare answer the phone herself, so she called out to Wen Jia from outside the venue, "Sister, the phone!"
Turning around at the sound was not only Wen Jia, but also Shen Zhiyun, who was standing in front of the monitor.
Having been in the industry for a long time, Yu Kaiqing is quite perceptive. She has recently noticed that Shen Zhiyun often looks in Wen Jia's direction, but only from a distance and does not come over to speak.
Yu Kaiqing witnessed the chaotic scene firsthand. Although Wen Jia refused to say, she vaguely guessed what had happened, so she was somewhat wary of Shen Zhiyun.
"Whose call is that? It's my mom, I'll call her back in a bit. You can answer the others for now." The set was a bit noisy, so Wen Jia had to shout.
Xu Shaoting's name was a bit sensitive, so Yu Kaiqing didn't say it directly, but instead mouthed it.
Wen Jia understood.
Since she joined the crew, Xu Shaoting has never called her while she was filming, and he rarely sends her messages. Both of them are busy, and they only chat on the phone before going to bed.
Wen Jia hesitated for a few seconds,
"You answer first, and tell him I'm busy, I'll call him back later."
Yu Kaiqing pressed the answer button with trepidation.
"Chairman Xu...Hello, Chairman Xu."
She deliberately flipped the camera over, and Xu Shaoting couldn't see a single person on the other side.
Is she busy?
"We just finished one take, and Director Yu hasn't given the order yet; we're still on set."
Xu Shaoting was silent for two seconds.
"Let me see her."
In principle, nothing on set should be leaked, but Xu Shaoting invested 100 million yuan, so he's practically a rule-maker. There's no reason not to let the big spender visit the set. Yu Kaiqing obediently held up her phone, pointing it at the set.
The scene we just filmed was a rehearsal during the script reading, a segment where Chen Xu and Feng Yingxue were painting together.
The take that had just ended was clearly not within Yu Jianshan's satisfaction range, so he personally went into the set to give his lead actor some acting instructions.
Wen Jia performed excellently in this scene, but Song Yanlin was not at ease and made the exact opposite mistake he made during the reading. When the two made physical contact, he was hesitant before, but at this moment, he had an eagerness that was too hasty.
"What's wrong with you? How come she's doing better, but you've regressed?" Yu Jianshan asked, frustrated and impatient. "Let's do it again."
The set was too noisy, and Xu Shaoting couldn't hear what Yu Jianshan was saying. He just quietly looked at the screen on his phone.
Wen Jia sat upright in front of the easel, her long, smooth black hair flowing freely. She was wearing a turtleneck sweater. Yu Kaiqing took the photo from the side, so Xu Shaoting could see her beautiful and graceful figure.
She is indeed very versatile and can play any role convincingly. If she weren't on a film set, you could really believe she was a female painter. Everything about her seemed so ordinary, if you ignored the fact that she was in a wheelchair.
"start."
Following Yu Jianshan's command, Song Yanlin walked from a distance behind Wen Jia and stared at her slightly trembling hands.
"Okay, handshake."
This time, Song Yanlin regained his composure, slowly covering Wen Jia's cold hands with his palm, without any haste.
With his other hand, he gently stroked her hair, guiding her as she painted.
Wen Jia sensed this, raised her pale face, glanced at Song Yanlin, and smiled faintly.
The two were wearing the same sweater, one sitting and the other standing, very close to each other, and they did look quite well-matched.
The set fell silent instantly. Everyone held their breath, no one daring to break the atmosphere. Yu Jianshan didn't call "cut," and neither of the two leads dared to end the filming on their own initiative.
Another minute passed before Yu Jianshan finally spoke, "Stop."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere on set immediately relaxed and returned to its usual noisy state. The publicity officer jumped for joy, finally managing to shoot a perfect behind-the-scenes clip.
Since filming with Song Yanlin, Wen Jia has developed the ability to break character in an instant. She quickly turned away from Song Yanlin's gentle gaze.
Yu Jianshan's powerful voice brought Yu Kaiqing back to her senses.
By the time she realized what was happening, the video call had already lasted a full ten minutes.
She felt a chill run down her spine, turned off the camera completely, and called out 'Chairman Xu' in a trembling voice.
"Is this behind-the-scenes footage?" he asked.
“This isn’t behind-the-scenes footage…” She didn’t understand what Xu Shaoting was asking, and stammered, “No, this is behind-the-scenes footage. There were publicity staff members filming it on set.”
The more I explain, the more something seems off. "Publicity officer, this is from a behind-the-scenes video of them acting out scenes."
How long did it take to film this scene?
Yu Kaiqing was very honest, "We filmed for most of the day, and we didn't get it right no matter how many takes we did. But she gets into character very quickly and gets out of character very quickly. It's just that the script says it this way, so she can only act it this way."
She couldn't wait to explain that Xu Shaoting hadn't said anything, and she didn't know what she was feeling guilty about; perhaps she was feeling guilty on Wen Jia's behalf.
Xu Shaoting smiled expressionlessly, "I know."
Yu Kaiqing called out to him, "Chairman Xu, is there something you want to say? I'll pass it on for you later."
I hesitated for two seconds.
"No, tell her to call me back tonight."
Yu Kaiqing dared not delay and readily agreed.
Yu Kaiqing cut off the video at the most crucial moment, so Xu Shaoting didn't see it. In the instant Wen Jia was about to break character, she tried to free her hand from Song Yanlin's grasp, but he held it tightly instead.
It's not uncommon for actors to struggle to detach themselves from their roles, especially in scenes with ambiguous connotations. Even during rehearsals, the lead actor often needs a while to come out of character, and the surrounding staff are used to it, with no one noticing anything unusual.
"Let me go." She turned her head and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, with a warning tone.
On screen, she gave a truly outstanding performance. Off screen, however, she disliked the feeling of being enveloped by Song Yanlin. His palms were always a little damp and warm, which was not a feeling she was used to, and she felt a kind of physiological resistance.
"What's wrong? Weren't you really into your role just now?" Song Yanlin ignored her and instead pressed his advantage, gripping her tighter and tighter. "Actually, every time I film with you, I think, how great would it be if we didn't have to yell 'cut'? What do you think?"
She ignored his disgusting words and turned to look in the direction of Yu Kaiqing outside the arena.
“Wen Jia,” he called her by her real name, not her character name, his voice husky with a hint of mockery, “why are you so resistant to me? Am I really that hateful to you? We were together, after all, weren’t we?”
That's in the past.
He said in a rather amused tone, "I told you, if you really want to rekindle your old flame, it's not impossible for me."
"Who gave you the confidence to think I want to rekindle our old flame?" Wen Jia twisted his knuckles until they turned white, squeezing out a few words, "Song Yanlin, have some self-respect! You have a girlfriend, so don't do this kind of thing again."
A flicker of surprise flashed across his eyes, then darkened, as if some excited nerve had been ignited. "How did you know?" His voice was even lower, yet it carried a hint of manic amusement. "I hid it quite well, didn't I?"
Wen Jia froze instantly, goosebumps rising all over her body. "We're all in the same circle, and our relationship is special. It would be hard for me not to know. I didn't say anything that day to save you face. Don't push your luck."
Actually, she had no idea; she was just trying to trick him, but unexpectedly, she managed to get the information out of him by accident.
Song Yanlin suddenly laughed. Instead of letting go of her hand, he raised his other hand and, as in the script, gently stroked her hair, but it was more dangerous and closer.
Wen Jia dodged it with lightning speed.
He looked at her head, which she had turned away from, but he wasn't angry. He leaned close to her ear and said, "Then tell me, are you resisting because I have a girlfriend, or because you have a boyfriend?"
The conversation was very quiet and brief. The staff had all retreated to the sidelines to rest, assuming that the dedicated male and female leads were still immersed in the world of the play, and no one bothered them.
She frowned, suddenly stood up, and deliberately slid her wheelchair out of control, making a commotion. Her immediate priority was to escape; the more she talked, the more emboldened Song Yanlin would become. The best approach was to ignore him.
"It has nothing to do with you."
After she finished speaking, she gave him a less-than-friendly look. Just then, Yu Kaiqing noticed something was wrong and immediately ran to the film set.
The wheelchair slid two meters away, making a screeching sound, and finally tipped over. Someone finally looked in their direction.
Song Yanlin caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, his expression suddenly turning into a smile, and he nonchalantly raised an eyebrow, "Fine, forget I said anything."
She walked out of the film set with goosebumps all over her body. Yu Kaiqing draped a down jacket over her shoulders and asked, "What happened just now?"
"It's nothing," Wen Jia said, trying to cover it up.
Yu Kaiqing handed her the phone. "You should call Chairman Xu back right away. I accidentally saw something he saw..." She didn't know how to describe it, "...you and Song Yanlin."
"Footage? How did you see that? Wasn't he making a phone call?"
"…video call."
Wen Jia rubbed her forehead. "What was his reaction? Was it very indifferent?"
Yu Kaiqing nodded emphatically.
"Isn't that very calm?"
Yu Kaiqing nodded emphatically.
"Did they not say anything else?"
"Don't say anything, I'm scared..." Yu Kaiqing said, feeling apprehensive.
"It's alright!" Wen Jia breathed a sigh of relief, though it was unclear who she was comforting. "He's not that irrational."
Wen Jia made another video call to Xu Shaoting.
It was received very quickly.
"Filming finished?" he asked first, gazing at the woman in the frame.
"Yes, Kaiqing said you just called me..."
"Nothing, just missed you and wanted to see you." He smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you to call me back tonight? Why did you call so soon?"
After saying that, he took a deep drag on his cigarette, tapped the butt with his long, slender fingers, and the ash fell into the ashtray.
"I'll coax you."
Xu Shaoting chuckled.
She was trying to coax her, which was completely upside down and disorderly.
"Trying to coax me?"
"You saw me with Song Yanlin..."
Xu Shaoting interrupted her, "Work is normal, I understand."
Although he knew it was her job, he couldn't deny feeling a little jealous the moment he saw the footage. However, if he thought it through before feeling jealous, it would seem unlike him.
“Those are all acting. I don’t project myself onto the character; I only act as the character I’m portraying.”
“I know,” he took another drag of his cigarette, “the behind-the-scenes footage, is that also acted out?”
She was very certain and firm: "Any intimate moments were completely acted out; there wasn't a single real element."
He was satisfied. "So, how are you going to coax her?"
Wen Jia said meaningfully, "You'll know next time we meet."
Xu Shaoting nodded, exhaled the last puff of smoke, and extinguished the cigarette.
I was about to ask a question, but then I changed it to a more tactful way: "Have you been unhappy about anything these past few days?"
Wen Jia paused, then quickly covered up her thoughts, "No, not really... I just miss you, I miss you so much..."
She always misses him more when she feels helpless.
He blurted out, "I miss you too."
Before the two could finish their conversation, Yu Jianshan picked up a megaphone and shouted from inside the film set.
"I have to go now, I'll call you tonight."
She pursed her lips and turned her face away, so he didn't see that her expression was somewhat indescribable.
Having just suffered a nasty experience with Song Yanlin, she felt somewhat conflicted, as there were too many things to consider, and she couldn't immediately complain. She was truly torn.
Amidst this intense discomfort, her longing for him surged forth from the deepest recesses of her heart like a life-saving remedy, urgent and as if only he could instantly cleanse her of all the discomfort and filth she felt.
She missed him madly, a thousand times more.
But I was also a little afraid to look at him, afraid that if I looked at him, I would become so vulnerable that my eyes would well up with tears.
Xu Shaoting hummed in agreement, then called her back. "Call me."
He also seemed to need some kind of reassurance.
Wen Jia bit her lip, "Xu Shaoting."
"Say it again."
She smiled, her tone ambiguous and sweet, before uttering the two words he wanted to hear.
The voice was soft, but it was sincere.
Yu Jianshan was urging her on, so she cuddled with him for a while before saying, "I'm going to film now, we'll talk again tonight, wait for me."
Just as she was about to hang up again, Xu Shaoting called her back once more, "Wen Jia,"
But he didn't speak immediately.
He recalled the scene he had just witnessed. Although he knew she was acting with Song Yanlin, he, who was usually good at seeing through people, couldn't quite tell whether Song Yanlin was actually acting with her.
He had seen it clearly; the way Song Yanlin stared at her wasn't exactly innocent, it even carried a hint of lingering affection.
It made him inexplicably panicked.
"I'm listening."
“Whether it’s Shen Zhiyun or Song Yanlin, if they make you feel uncomfortable in any way, you must tell me,” he said.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Mr. Xu: My sister, just like my wife, knows exactly how to provoke me...
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