The first person Shang Yechu called was Qi Ming. Of all the actors Shang Yechu knew, Qi Ming was the best actor. His acting was almost entirely natural, devoid of any "acting" element. Moreover, he had the most acting experience, having played almost every type of role.
Qi Ming is currently on set. She looks very busy. When Shang Yechu asked, she learned that she had already joined another production, playing an old nanny in a palace drama.
Shang Yechu had no choice but to abandon her plan to visit the other party another day. She exchanged a few perfunctory greetings and then hung up the phone.
The second person is Qin Tianye.
After "Yun Qing Ji" aired, Qin Tianye's value increased significantly, and he immediately took over filming a new drama, which has just wrapped up.
Shang Yechu didn't dare to go into too much detail, and could only vaguely ask the other party, "How to play the role of an undercover agent well?"
Qin Tianye's answer was quite detailed:
"The psychology involved in the performance is very important. For example, when I was playing the emperor in 'The Legend of Yun Qing,' I didn't see you as human beings... Of course, I'm not insulting you, it's just that the role required me to do so."
"I've also played an undercover agent before, and my only takeaway is that you shouldn't constantly think about being an undercover agent, but rather see yourself as one of the people around you, and blend in with your surroundings..."
"Of course, there must be a bottom line in your mindset. Remember, you can be bad, but not low-class. You can be immersed in something, but you can't..."
Qin Tianye said a lot, but Shang Yechu listened and felt that the other party's ideas seemed to be not much different from her own conclusions. Apart from adding some details, it didn't help much.
Even so, Shang Yechu still thanked him sincerely.
Qin Tianye said cheerfully, "What's the big deal? By the way, Xiao Ye... how's Su Ge doing lately?"
After asking Qin Tianye, among the actors Shang Yechu knew, there was no one else qualified to give her acting advice.
Shang Yechu scrolled through the contact list.
"River waves rise and rise..." The old lady writes martial arts novels, which are two different genres from spy novels.
Li Yi. This person is very sensitive to people's emotions, but spy dramas don't rely heavily on emotional acting, so it's useless.
Sheng Wenzhi. The name Sheng Wenzhi hadn't been changed in her contacts yet, which sent a shiver of unease and disgust through Shang Yechu. By the time she came to her senses, her finger was already on the delete friend button.
Zheng Bohan.
Zheng Bohan is the one who needs to avoid suspicion the most right now. Shang Yechu doesn't need to get involved and become disliked.
The contact list was empty. Shang Yechu felt a little irritated and unconsciously scrolled through the screen.
The message list has returned to the top. The group chat "Loving and Happy Street" has accumulated over 99 messages. The neighbors are enthusiastic and very talkative.
Shang Ye first clicked to join the group chat and scrolled to the top of the messages.
[Freshly roasted duck on special today!]
Photo: A row of plump, juicy roast ducks.
A new batch of stationery has arrived! Take a look! [clasped hands][clasped hands]
Image: Various fancy stationery items.
[Huge clearance sale on off-season clothing!]
[Top up your hair salon card with 100 yuan and get 50 yuan free; top up 200 yuan and get 100 yuan free.]
[...]
[...]
After scrolling through a long string of ads, the group owner, Boss Lu, finally lost his temper and posted a group announcement:
[Posting ads again will result in a warning the first time, a three-day ban the second time, and a permanent ban the third time!]
The warning worked; the rest of the chat consisted mainly of everyday life. Occasionally, a few complained about the recent slow business, and others grumbled about how e-commerce platforms were squeezing out brick-and-mortar stores. Several longtime neighbors enthusiastically forwarded some popular online business guides, urging the struggling businesses to learn from these strategies and transform their operations.
Shang Yechu was initially troubled, but after reading these messages, she gradually calmed down.
Everyone is trying to make a living, so her little setback is nothing.
Ji Juntao's snoring echoed through the bedroom door, resounding loudly into Shang Yechu's ears. Boss Ji had been working too hard lately; his snoring was louder than a cow's. It was so noisy that Shang Yechu wanted to throw her off the building.
Shang Yechu got up and went downstairs, summoned Aunt Cai, and asked her to drive him to Xingfu Commercial Street.
She needs a quiet place, not for physical peace, but for the tranquility of her soul.
--------
Guyue Bookstore remained unchanged, except its signboard seemed even more worn. Old Mrs. Hu was sweeping the bookshelves with a feather duster when she saw Shang Yechu and was taken aback: "Yechu, are you done with your act?"
Like a student who failed an exam, Shang Yechu ripped off her mask and threw it aside, then plopped down on the floor, saying dejectedly, "We haven't started filming yet."
Seeing this, Old Mrs. Hu took a feather duster and walked over to Shang Yechu, looking her over.
"You seem to be in good spirits," Teacher Hu commented. "Who upset you this time?"
Shang Yechu grabbed her sunglasses, intending to toss them aside, but under Teacher Hu's watchful gaze, she obediently put them away.
"Nobody made me suffer," Shang Yechu said defiantly. "It's my own fault for being useless."
Grandma Hu sat back in her chair: "A typical poor student's speech. A poor student who's given up on himself."
"..." Shang Yechu rested her chin on her hand. "I really didn't give up. I tried, but—"
"But you didn't get the result you wanted?"
"Hmm." Shang Yechu's elbow slid to the side, and her head drooped lower and lower.
Grandma Hu looked Shang Yechu over thoughtfully and said, "What difficulties have you encountered? Tell me about them."
Everyone has their own expertise. Grandma Hu is a teacher, not an actress; how could she possibly know anything about this? Saying anything would only cause more trouble. Shang Yechu raised her arm again, remaining silent.
Seeing this, Grandma Hu didn't urge her. She picked up her canned food jar, unscrewed the lid, and leisurely took a sip of tea.
Shang Yechu caught a whiff of a refreshing fragrance and looked over curiously: "What kind of tea is this? It smells wonderful."
Grandma Hu took a sip of tea, its fragrance filling her mouth, and said meaningfully, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you, so why ask?"
Shang Yechu: "..."
Shang Yechu felt a bit embarrassed after being subtly criticized, and couldn't help but scratch her face with one finger, her face feeling slightly hot.
The only sound in the bookstore for a moment was the rustling of Old Mrs. Hu sipping her tea. Shang Yechu remained silent for a moment before finally speaking:
"That's right, Grandma."
"There is such a character. When I first started playing her, I thought knowledge was the most important thing. So I read countless materials and tried to build up a character from the materials."
"Later, I heard that this role required mastery of a skill... a language. So I went to learn the language. But even after learning the language, I still couldn't portray the character well."
"After that, I felt that experience might be the most important thing. To that end, I watched a lot of video materials and imitated similar characters. But in the end, it was just a poor imitation."
"Then, someone told me that networking was the most important thing. If I networked properly, I could get the role. Of course, I disagreed with her, but at the same time, I did consider that approach in my mind..."
"I then consulted a senior actor. He told me that psychology is very important. I almost believed him, but at the last moment, he suddenly asked me a question. At that moment, I realized that this person hadn't even seen his own heart clearly. Could his theory of 'psychology' really be credible?"
"I've asked so many people. I've asked others and I've asked myself. But I still haven't gotten the right answer."
Shang Ye looked at Teacher Hu with a mixture of confusion and longing in her eyes, like a student eager for knowledge.
"Grandma, can you tell me, what is the most important thing?"
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