Three days.
For three whole days, Shang Yechu was immersed in the endless cawing of crows, experiencing Xiao Yue's living environment and mental state.
After the first day, the initial restlessness and agitation subsided considerably, transforming into a near-self-destructive repression. The more the crows' cawing caused him splitting headaches and kept him awake at night, the more amiable and polite he became to the rest of the crew. It was as if he could experience some kind of exhilarating growth within this twisted forbearance and torment.
Shang Yechu's eyes were covered in dark circles, which she could only conceal with makeup. Now, even if 103 didn't play music in her head, Shang Yechu would occasionally experience auditory hallucinations, feeling as if those ominous birds were still chirping in her mind.
On the evening of the third day, Shang Yechu was lying in bed listening to the cawing of crows while reading the script of "The Mute Woman" when the door to her room was suddenly pushed open with a "bang"!
Shang Yechu looked over in astonishment. It was very windy outside today. Ji Juntao, wearing a mask and sunglasses, rushed into the house, covered in howling sand.
"Pfft!" Ji Juntao casually took off his mask and threw it aside, then ripped off his scarf and stomped his foot. "This wind is too strong. Jinsha City should just be renamed Huangsha City."
"Why are you here?" Shang Yechu jumped out of bed. "Have you finished your business?"
"It's all done. The lead actors have all been confirmed." Ji Juntao kicked the door shut. "The director has been found; he's a student from the Beijing Theatre Academy."
"What about the mute woman? Who plays her?" Shang Yechu was more concerned about this.
Ji Juntao picked up the half-empty bottle of mineral water left on Shang Yechu's bedside table, drank it all in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "You know him too, the old artist—Qi Ming, right?"
Shang Yechu certainly knew this name. Teacher Qi Ming often acted in melodramas, rural dramas, and period dramas set in the Republican era, playing matriarchs and the like. Due to his stern appearance, he even earned the nickname "professional wicked mother-in-law."
Shang Yechu hesitated and said, "Isn't Teacher Qi Ming a TV drama actress? Besides, she's good at playing shrewd old ladies, can she play a mute woman well?"
“Time was tight and the task was heavy, so there wasn’t much room for choice.” Ji Juntao tossed his water bottle aside. “When I went to the Beijing Theatre Academy to recruit people, Teacher Qi happened to be giving a lecture to the acting students. So I showed her the script. She’s a nice person, and she thought it was interesting, so she took it.”
Although veteran artists enjoy good reputations and high status within the industry, their income is actually lower than that of today's younger generation of entertainers. Earning extra money through gigs and teaching gigs is a common practice for them.
Ji Juntao is indeed quick and efficient, acting swiftly and decisively. Given the tight schedule, there seems to be no more suitable candidate than Professor Qi Ming.
Ji Juntao kicked off his shoes, flopped onto Shang Yechu's bed, and closed his eyes: "We'll talk about the rest later, I'm going to take a nap first."
Shang Yechu smelled a very alluring scent and frowned, saying, "How many days has it been since you washed your feet? Shall I get you a basin of water to soak them?"
"Forget washing feet, I haven't even slept much..." Ji Juntao muttered, "You think it's so easy to assemble a whole team in three days? Huff... huff..."
Shang Yechu went to the bathroom to fill a basin with water, tested the water temperature to make sure that Ji Juntao wouldn't be scalded, and then carried the basin out of the bathroom.
Shang Yechu placed the basin of water under Ji Juntao's feet, grabbed Ji Juntao's legs and pulled hard, then forcefully pressed Ji Juntao's feet into the basin.
"Ah!" Ji Juntao screamed, leaping into the air. "Are you trying to die?!"
"Let's soak our feet in hot water to relax," Shang Yechu said. "I've tried it, the water isn't too hot."
Aside from that initial jolt, there was really nothing else that felt uncomfortable. The warm water enveloped Ji Juntao's feet, which had been weary from three days of travel, and a gentle sense of comfort spread through him.
Ji Juntao muttered something, sat up, and tossed his bag to Shang Yechu: "The stuff is inside, take a look yourself."
Shang Yechu caught the bag, and Ji Juntao bent down, pulled off his soaking wet socks, and threw them into the trash can: "Find me a new pair of socks. I really can't hold on any longer—I'm going to sleep for a while, wake me up in half an hour."
As he spoke, Ji Juntao lay back down on the bed, his feet still soaking in the warm water, and he was already fast asleep.
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