The mute woman rushed forward again, and Shang Yechu had no time to react. She could only instinctively go up and stop her!
"Ahhhhhh!"
The mute woman yelled and kicked Shang Yechu. Shang Yechu was overwhelmed and could only instinctively dodge and pull away, completely forgetting about acting, acting skills, and methods of expression.
Yongfu's actors were also terrified by the mute woman's calls. They should have been fiercely burning down her treasures, but now they could only grit their teeth and continue burning. They lacked any real presence and looked ready to run away at any moment.
Flames erupted, and the mute woman let out a long, piercing scream before hysterically lunging forward. Shang Yechu, sweating profusely, completely forgot about acting like a grandchild and could only instinctively try to stop her with brute force.
The firelight grew brighter, and the mute woman's screams gradually turned into sobs. Shang Yechu felt something cold fall on her wrist. Looking up, she saw the mute woman wailing loudly!
This scene wasn't in the script; it was entirely Qi Ming's improvisation. But this put Shang Yechu in a difficult position—Yongfu, Pinghua, and the others weren't in the same shot as the mute woman, so their expressions didn't need to change much. But what about Xiao Yue? Seeing her mentally ill grandmother cry, how should Xiao Yue react?
For the first time since her rebirth, Shang Yechu felt completely lost while filming. How should she handle the situation? Confusion? Shock? Sadness? Helplessness?
There was no time to think; the camera would capture every flaw. Almost instinctively, Shang Yechu made an impatient expression and frowned deeply.
As the fire died down, the mute woman's cries gradually faded away. In the end, all that could be seen was her mouth moving as if she were opening it, but no sound could be heard from her anymore.
This was the most tiring scene for Shang Yechu to film. The camera faithfully recorded every change in the mute woman's expression, as well as Shang Yechu's every micro-expression. Shang Yechu couldn't maintain a blank expression, nor could she stay impatient forever. Almost every few seconds, Shang Yechu had to change her expression.
During a fire scene, Shang Yechu felt extremely uncomfortable, as if her hands and feet no longer belonged to her.
The long take finally ended. The moment Gu Wenhua yelled "cut," Shang Yechu felt a sense of relief for the first time.
It's too difficult.
Although Shang Yechu was acting in the scene herself, she felt like a puppet, completely following Qi Ming's lead. Her mind was blank; she had no time to think about the details of the character. All the experience she had accumulated as an actress seemed to have vanished under Qi Ming's acting skills.
For a moment, Shang Yechu even wondered blankly: Is this how Li Yi felt when acting opposite me? Did I just act as stupid as Li Yi?
Director Gu Wenhua understood this even more clearly. In the scene, everyone's performance was completely suppressed by Qi Ming. Shang Yechu's performance was actually relatively good; at least she was cooperating with Teacher Qi Ming and not breaking character. On the other hand, Yongfu, Pinghua, and the villagers had completely lost control of their expressions and looked like they were about to cry from fright.
After filming ended, Qi Ming's sinister and terrifying aura as a madwoman vanished instantly, and she reverted to the kind and gentle old lady she had just been.
She even patted Shang Yechu on the shoulder and asked with concern, "Little Ye, did I kick you just now?"
Shang Yechu forced a smile and shook her head, then politely helped the old lady to the side.
After filming this scene, it was lunchtime. Shang Yechu sat alone in a corner of the set, holding a large boxed lunch, eating without tasting anything.
This was the first time Shang Yechu had suffered such a setback since her rebirth.
The feeling of being completely dominated and controlled is akin to a young person losing their virginity. Many directors make this assessment upon first seeing a work that profoundly impacts their career. Shang Yechu only now understands the accuracy of this metaphor.
For the first time, Shang Yechu realized that her hands, feet, and facial features could be so unresponsive, and that her once-proud, agile mind could suddenly go on strike. The weight of the title "veteran actor" was, for the first time, clearly and unmistakably, placed upon Shang Yechu.
This differs from the criticisms of Li Yi and Ji Juntao. Li Yi is utterly incompetent in acting, which Shang Yechu could easily dismiss; Ji Juntao is an amateur in acting, and although his criticisms are insightful, they remain purely theoretical.
These are different from being suppressed face-to-face.
How many veteran actors will Zheng Bohan's spy drama feature? Will his own acting skills be considered a bad apple in a bad bunch?
Frustration and unease seeped into his bones. Shang Yechu ate the braised chicken pieces from the film crew, finding them tasteless and unappetizing.
A shadow fell over Shang Yechu's face. Shang Yechu was stunned for a moment, and when she looked up, she saw that the person who came was Sheng Wenzhi!
"What's wrong with you? You seem distracted while eating?" Sheng Wenzhi frowned, glanced critically at Shang Yechu's nutritious boxed lunch, and pulled up a stool to sit next to Shang Yechu.
"How did you end up here?" Shang Yechu asked in return.
Sheng Wenzhi rubbed her neck. "I attended an authors' meeting, and when I got home I heard you were filming 'The Mute Woman' here, so I came to check it out."
"I heard? Who told you?" Shang Yechu asked warily.
Sheng Wenzhi said, "I ran into your boss at my doorstep. She told me about it."
Shang Yechu currently has no place to stay; she's using Sheng Wenzhi's address. Ji Juntao probably just stopped by to scout the place.
“I told her I was a writer and very interested in the script. Then I said I was her friend and showed her my house key.” Sheng Wenzhi shrugged. “And she told me.”
Shang Yechu nodded and continued eating. Sheng Wenzhi glanced at the filming environment and frowned, asking, "How are you finding filming here?"
Shang Yechu initially intended to give a perfunctory reply, but recalling how she had been utterly outmatched by Teacher Qi Ming that morning, she suddenly felt a strong urge to confide in him.
The relationship between Sheng Wenzhi and Shang Yechu was strange. They were not quite close friends, yet they had known each other for many years and even lived in each other's homes.
Even if they are unwilling to admit it, Sheng Wenzhi and Shang Yechu may be the only peers in the world who have known each other since their student days.
Shang Yechu leaned on her chopsticks and hesitated, "The teacher I'm acting with is so good, I'm completely overshadowed by her, what should I do?"
Sheng Wenzhi originally asked about the living environment, but unexpectedly Shang Yechu started talking about filming, which made her feel a little awkward.
"Why were you overpowered by her?" This was the only question Sheng Wenzhi could ask.
Shang Yechu shook her head hesitantly: "I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's probably because when she's acting, I don't know what I should do."
Shang Yechu thought for a moment and said, "She's too fast. Whether she gets into character or out of character, it catches you off guard. And she can maintain that high level of emotion for a long time. Acting with her is exhausting."
Sheng Wenzhi listened attentively to Shang Yechu's words, and after a long while, she said, "So you mean that she knows what she should do, but you don't know what you should do?"
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