Liao Hai requested a last-minute leave, delaying his arrival on set by a few days.
Li Qianxing had barely received the updated shooting schedule for the next few days when the crew group chat announced further modifications.
Xiao Zhu placed the nutritional congee for dinner in front of Li Qianxing while relaying the latest messages from the group chat. “The assistant director says the new schedule won’t be ready until tomorrow at the earliest.”
Li Qianxing responded, “I’m fine with shooting any scene first.”
Xiao Zhu retrieved her own dinner from the microwave and returned to find him lounging with a hint of Ji Ming’an’s languid posture. She couldn’t help but remark, “I never expected Director He to be so meticulous about details. Given your and Jiang Lin’s acting skills, it’s surprising how often we reshoot a single scene. No wonder it takes over three months to film a standard urban romance drama.”
Li Qianxing smiled, “Quality takes time. The more ordinary the plot, the more crucial it is to perfect the details. How else can we move the audience?”
Xiao Zhu nodded and added, “I’ve been chatting with the crew, and everyone agrees it’s been ages since they’ve worked on a project with such good rest periods. We’re just wondering if the schedule will be extended or if we’ll start night shifts once the new actor joins.”
Li Qianxing replied, “That’s unlikely. There aren’t many scenes that can be delegated. Most require Director He’s personal supervision, so we need to ensure he gets enough rest.”
Xiao Zhu agreed, “True.”
As she ate and scrolled through her phone, she suddenly exclaimed, “Liao Hai is trending again. A marketing account revealed he’s joining a popular variety show, replacing the original guest. Fans are in an uproar. It must be true, otherwise why the sudden delay in joining our crew?
“Now that he’s famous, everything’s different. He used to step aside for others, but now others make way for him. The entertainment industry is a place of fame and fortune. I wonder if he can maintain this level of popularity.”
Li Qianxing inquired, “Is he that popular now? Will it affect our filming?”
Xiao Zhu thought for a moment and said, “It shouldn’t. He’s signed the contract. Breaking it just because he’s suddenly famous would tarnish his reputation and offend Director He and our company Xingyi. But since he’s just starting to be more famous, he’ll want to capitalize on his momentum and make more public appearances. Let’s hope he doesn’t keep requesting time off once he joins us.”
Li Qianxing frowned, “His scenes should only take about a month to film.”
Xiao Zhu laughed, “Trends in the entertainment industry change very quickly. One can skyrocket to fame or fade into obscurity in the blink of an eye. It’s quite unpredictable. But his rise to fame is the result of his accumulated acting skills finally paying off. All those years as a supporting actor weren’t in vain.”
Li Qianxing asked, “What kind of role made him famous?”
Xiao Zhu explained, “A passionate villain in a period drama. I think it’s partly because the character design is appealing and memorable, and he portrayed it in a way that resonates with the audience. Also, the lead actor’s mediocre performance failed to highlight the protagonist’s character, which made Liao Hai stand out even more.”
Li Qianxing nodded, “Let’s hope he can stay focused and deliver a good performance in this film.”
◇◆
The crew maintained a regular routine each day. Most scenes were indoor shots, with key locations built by the crew themselves. So far, they had been filming in studios, which spared them from the hardships of outdoor elements, which kept the entire crew’s morale high.
On this day, Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin had just finished a scene and were reviewing the playback with He Zhanpeng.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted around them but quickly subsided. Then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
The three looked up to see Liao Hai approaching with his entourage. Behind him, four or five people carried large foam boxes.
Liao Hai walked up to He Zhanpeng and, before the three could stand, bowed with an extended hand, smiling apologetically, “Director He, Teacher Li, Teacher Jiang, I’m really sorry for arriving late. I had an urgent matter I couldn’t postpone, which inconvenienced you all and the crew.”
He Zhanpeng stood up to shake his hand, smiling as he said, “Good to have you here. We’ve scheduled your scene for this afternoon. Are you ready?”
Liao Hai quickly replied, “Of course, of course. I’ll trouble the makeup artists to get me ready shortly.”
He then gestured to his entourage, “It’s hot out, so I bought some cold drinks to help everyone beat the heat.”
He Zhanpeng called over his assistant, “Get Lao Wang to distribute these to everyone.”
The assistant led the group away to find the production manager.
However, one young man stayed behind, holding the smallest foam box. Liao Hai opened it and took out three cups of coffee, handing them to He Zhanpeng, Li Qianxing, and Jiang Lin.
“I remember Director He likes caramel flavor. I wasn’t sure about Teacher Li and Teacher Jiang’s preferences, so I got lattes for them.”
He Zhanpeng accepted the cup, noting the logo of their hotel printed on the glass.
“How thoughtful of you,” He Zhanpeng said politely. “Is everything arranged well at the hotel?”
Liao Hai hesitated briefly, then quickly responded, “Those people were just hired to help carry things. I only brought one assistant.”
He Zhanpeng nodded, “That’s fine. If you have any issues, feel free to come to me or Lao Wang anytime.”
Glancing around, he saw the cold drinks were nearly distributed. He waved his assistant back and told Liao Hai, “We’ll shoot one more scene before lunch. Would you like to rest first, or…”
Liao Hai looked at Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin discussing the script, “I’ll go to makeup now. I can touch up before filming this afternoon, so the makeup artists can have their lunch break.”
He Zhanpeng instructed his assistant, “Take Teacher Liao to the makeup room.”
As he turned back, he noticed Liao Hai seemed hesitant. “Anything else?”
Liao Hai smiled apologetically and lowered his voice, “Well… the crew hasn’t provided a complete shooting schedule. My manager was wondering about your plans for my scenes. Will they be shot consecutively, or… He just wants to have an idea to plan my upcoming work.”
He Zhanpeng looked at him knowingly, “Stay with the crew for a month. Of course, if you have conflicts, let me know two days in advance.”
Liao Hai thanked him profusely before leaving with the director’s assistant.
He Zhanpeng looked for the assistant director, signaling him to prepare the next scene.
The next scene was Li Qianxing’s solo scene.
As he stood up, he casually handed his untouched coffee to Jiang Lin, “You have it.”
Jiang Lin accepted it and glanced at Xiao Zhu nearby, “Xiao Zhu, would you like it?”
Xiao Zhu smiled and waved her hand, “One cup a day is my limit, any more would exceed my sugar intake.”
He Zhanpeng jokingly asked, “Why not offer it to me?”
Li Qianxing paused, and Jiang Lin quickly responded, “Director He, you should consider your age. Too much coffee isn’t good for your heart.”
He Zhanpeng clicked his tongue and pointed at him jokingly.
*
In the two afternoon scenes, Liao Hai had supporting roles that weren’t challenging to act, giving him time to adjust. He also had a solo scene scheduled for the evening.
However, during the second scene, He Zhanpeng and Jiang Lin remained unsatisfied.
In this scene, Cheng Yue and Ji Ming’an were still in an ambiguous phase after their reunion. Liao Hai’s character acted as a catalyst, with Cheng Yue secretly feeling jealous watching Ji Ming’an interact with his employees.
The focus was on Jiang Lin, with a final close-up shot showcasing Cheng Yue’s inner emotions. Jiang Lin tried several acting approaches but felt he couldn’t express it properly.
As dinnertime approached, He Zhanpeng planned to continue shooting this scene in the evening.
Jiang Lin suggested, “Let’s shoot Teacher Liao’s scene first, so Li-ge can rest. Teacher Liao just flew in today, so he can rest early after finishing. We only need my close-up, I can work on it with you later.”
While He Zhanpeng hesitated, Li Qianxing spoke up, “I’ll stay to act with you. Without a scene partner, it’ll be harder for you to get into character.”
As the most senior and having the highest status among the three, not to mention his role as an investor, Li Qianxing’s words left Liao Hai no room to object. He could only agree to continue supporting Jiang Lin’s scene.
After two more takes, even He Zhanpeng felt it was acceptable, but Jiang Lin still frowned watching the playback.
He Zhanpeng suggested, “Let’s leave it for today. Go find some inspiration and we’ll continue tomorrow.”
Unable to think of a breakthrough, Jiang Lin sighed and agreed.
It was now 7:30 p.m., just half an hour before the planned 8 p.m. wrap time.
He Zhanpeng turned to Liao Hai, “Xiao Liao, your scene isn’t too complex. Do you want to postpone it or finish it tonight? We’d probably wrap up around 10 p.m.”
Anxious about time, Liao Hai replied without hesitation, “Let’s finish tonight. Sorry for the trouble, everyone.”
He Zhanpeng nodded, “Alright, go change your clothes.” He then instructed the assistant director to prepare for the next scene.
Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin could return to the hotel, so they went to the makeup room to remove their makeup and change. Now comfortable with each other, they usually didn’t return to their trailers to change at night, saving their assistants an extra trip to deliver clothes.
They shared a makeup room, while Liao Hai had his own. The production only provided trailers for the director and lead actors. Without this perk, and having not rented a car himself, Liao Hai was given a private room.
After getting ready, Li Qianxing left for the restroom. Coincidentally, the nearest one was closed for cleaning, so he went to the farther one, passing by Liao Hai’s lounge on his way back.
This single room wasn’t adjacent to theirs, separated by a large room for staff rest, and was in a slightly secluded location. Perhaps because of this, the people inside spoke without much caution, their voices faintly audible.
The room’s soundproofing wasn’t great, and as Li Qianxing approached, he could hear more clearly.
It was Liao Hai’s assistant speaking, “Hai-ge, your passionate role is incredibly popular now. If you play this character with the same intensity, and we stir up some gossip with Li Qianxing, it could fill the gap of this month when you can’t make public appearances.”
Li Qianxing, who hadn’t been paying attention initially, stopped in his tracks upon hearing his name.
The voice of Liao Hai responded, “No way. Li Qianxing is backed by Xingyi. Using him for publicity would definitely anger them. Let’s not invite trouble.”
The assistant persisted, “Then let’s just promote the passionate supporting role. It’ll align well with the variety show you’re going to be on. We don’t need to reveal specifics, just hint at the character. It doesn’t violate the confidentiality agreement and it’ll generate buzz for the film.”
Liao Hai objected, “But this character is a playboy, not a passionate type. If we deceive people now and it’s exposed later, it’ll be a black mark we can’t erase.”
The assistant argued, “Hai-ge, why can’t you see the bigger picture? It’s just a supporting role without much depth in the script. Whether he’s passionate or not depends on how you play it. What’s wrong with being a playboy? A prodigal son who returns to his parents’ side is more precious than gold. Isn’t this also a classic image that is well-liked by the audience?”
Liao Hai fell silent.
Li Qianxing, who was still listening, curled his lips into a mocking smile.
However, Liao Hai’s actions weren’t his concern. A supporting actor making minor changes to the script wouldn’t significantly affect the film.
As Li Qianxing was about to walk away, he suddenly heard Jiang Lin’s name mentioned.
The assistant continued, “It’s all Jiang Lin’s fault. He’s made you work overtime on your first day. You had promised fans a livestream tonight, and now they’re all complaining. You should have spoken up earlier, not giving Li Qianxing a chance to offer to act with him. If he wants to practice, let him do it alone. Why drag others into it?”
Liao Hai warned, “Watch what you say about Li Qianxing.”
The assistant relented, “I know, I know. He’s backed by Xingyi. Fine, I’ll talk about Jiang Lin then. His acting isn’t much better than yours. He just got lucky and snagged a Best Actor award. Who does he think he is, making everyone reshoot his scenes over and over because he’s not satisfied?”
Liao Hai cut him off, “Enough. Come help me dry the back of my hair.”
Li Qianxing narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing at the light seeping through the door crack, and walked past as the sound of the hair dryer started.
The set was a half-hour drive from the hotel.
Back in his room, Li Qianxing showered, changed into comfortable sleepwear, and left with his phone and room key. He turned a corner and rang the doorbell of the adjacent room.
The door opened quickly. Jiang Lin had also just showered, his hair still dripping, a towel around his neck.
Surprised to see Li Qianxing, he asked, “Li-ge, is something wrong?”
Li Qianxing walked in directly, “I’m here to discuss your scene.”
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