novellhall Chapter 12 Taking the Initiative
Chapter 12 Taking the Initiative
After exchanging greetings, it was time for the main cast and crew to get their makeup done.
When the makeup artist saw Lin Zixuan, her eyes lit up. He was so handsome that he didn't need makeup at all. What should she do? She felt completely useless.
But soon, assistant director Wu Qiong came over. "Xiao Mei, Lin Zixuan is too handsome. Can you think of a way to make him look more ordinary, so he doesn't look so handsome? Can you do that?"
Xiaomei cursed inwardly, wondering what was wrong with the director. Did he not like handsome men? But in the end, she didn't dare disobey orders. "No problem. What level of detail do you want me to go through?"
"It's fine as long as it's not as good as Sha Yi's image."
"Okay, no problem."
So when the crew finished their makeup and regrouped after filming started, everyone was surprised to find that Pu Cunxin and Sha Yi had once again become the number one handsome guy, while Lin Zixuan had become just an ordinary handsome guy.
Xu Qing was a little confused, and also felt a bit uncomfortable, though she didn't understand why. She went to Gao Xixi's side and asked, "Director, why did you deliberately make Lin Zixuan so ordinary? Wouldn't a handsome guy be more attractive to the audience?"
Facing this princess of the Beijing entertainment circle, who is also the biggest guarantee of TV ratings, Gao Xixi could only patiently explain, "There's no other way. The character Lin Zixuan plays isn't very positive, and he has few scenes. We can't let him steal the spotlight from the main character, so we have to use makeup to hide his handsomeness a bit."
. . . . . .
At 10 o'clock, the opening ceremony officially began.
I don't know when it started, but mainland film crews have also learned the Hong Kong and Taiwan ways, and they all burn incense and pray to the gods when filming begins.
Director Gao Xixi held a red cloth and covered the camera.
Along with Xu Qing, Pu Cunxin, Yu Hewei, Sha Yi, and other key members of the production team, they offered incense and prayed for a smooth filming process.
Then came the director's speech, the producer's speech, and finally the media interviews.
Just as Lin Zixuan had expected, most of the reporters surrounded Xu Qing, followed by Sha Yi and Pu Cunxin. The others were basically ignored by the reporters, and few were interested.
As for Lin Zixuan, he stood at the very edge of the stage, completely ignored.
At this opening ceremony, he was treated like an ordinary staff member, ignored by everyone and standing there like a lackey.
The opening ceremony lasted until noon, and no filming was scheduled for that day.
After lunch and seeing the reporters off, everyone was free to do as they pleased.
Unfortunately, Lin Zixuan hasn't been able to find an opportunity to be alone with Xu Qing, but he's not in a hurry; there's still more than a month to go.
In the afternoon, he didn't go out either, staying in his hotel room to continue writing (copying) scripts and practicing his skills.
However, my cultivation tonight was a bit unsettled. I couldn't get into a meditative state for a long time, and the image of Xu Qing kept popping into my mind. (Popularity: 27538163)
Knowing that there is an unparalleled cultivation treasure nearby that can greatly accelerate one's cultivation progress, it is indeed quite difficult for him to persist in the tedious and ineffective cultivation.
The crew officially began filming the next day.
He wasn't supposed to have any scenes today, but he still arrived at the set early.
Firstly, to observe how the film crew operates; secondly, to secretly learn how Gao Xixi directs; and thirdly, naturally, to see if there's a chance to deepen her relationship with Sister Xu Qing.
Most of the scenes in "Men's Bottom Line" are filmed indoors, in the studios of the film city, with only a small number of outdoor scenes.
Director Gao Xixi was very experienced and divided the production team into two shooting groups.
I led one crew to shoot indoor scenes, while assistant director Wu Qiong led another crew to shoot outdoor scenes.
Lin Zixuan's scenes were all indoors, so she naturally stayed in the film studio.
When he had nothing to do, he would quietly stand not far behind director Gao Xixi, secretly learning and observing.
Originally, he was thinking of seeing if the crew needed any help and if he could lend a hand.
However, the crew was running smoothly, and he couldn't help even if he wanted to. Moreover, if he showed any sign of wanting to help, the others would look wary, as if they were worried that he would steal their jobs. So he eventually gave up on the idea.
Taking advantage of Xu Qing's break after filming, Lin Zixuan approached her with a photo of Xu Qing as Ren Yingying in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" (which he had prepared in advance). "Senior, do you have a moment? Could you sign this for me?"
When Xu Qing saw Lin Zixuan coming over, her eyes lit up, and she said happily, "Little brother Zixuan, of course you can!"
He took the pen and photo from Lin Zixuan, quickly signed his name, and wrote a blessing on the back, wishing his younger brother Lin Zixuan a bright future.
Lin Zixuan took the autographed photo from Xu Qing and said happily, "Thank you, senior. To express my gratitude, can I treat you to dinner tonight?"
Xu Qing's heart skipped a beat. Are all younger brothers these days so aggressive? He's only been on set for two days and he's already asking her out alone.
But for some reason, she felt a vague sense of excitement. After hesitating for a moment, she agreed almost involuntarily, "Okay, I'll call you after I finish filming this afternoon."
Taking the opportunity, Lin Zixuan took out her phone. "Okay, senior, let's exchange phone numbers."
"Okay, my phone number is ******".
After they finished speaking, they exchanged phone numbers, and Lin Zixuan even sat down and chatted with Xu Qing, laughing and talking.
Seeing this, Pu Cunxin, Yu Hewei, and Sha Yi on the other side turned pale.
Speaking of which, who wouldn't have some thoughts about a beauty like Xu Qing, and who wouldn't fantasize about having a romantic relationship with such a beauty on set?
After only a few days of getting to know each other, no one had found an opportunity yet. Unexpectedly, Lin Zixuan was so unethical and showed no respect for his seniors.
Lin Zixuan ignored everyone else's thoughts. He was preoccupied with winning over Xu Qing as soon as possible to help him cultivate, and he was telling Xu Qing jokes.
"Senior, in my opinion, apart from your amazing portrayal of Ren Yingying, the other characters in 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer' were really poorly portrayed, especially Linghu Chong, whose character was a complete disaster."
"Don't say that, Li Erpeng's acting skills are quite good."
"It's not just that Li Erpeng's acting skills are too bad; the key issue is that the character Linghu Chong, created by Jin Yong, is problematic in itself."
"Oh, what do you mean? How come I didn't notice?"
"Let me give you a few examples. He, the head disciple of the Huashan Sect, became friends with the infamous womanizer Tian Boguang and the Peach Valley Six Immortals who indiscriminately killed innocent people. Later, he even joined forces with the two cannibalistic heroes of the Northern Desert, drinking heavily together..."
"The Four Friends of Plum Manor regarded him as a close friend and treated him with utmost kindness and loyalty. Unfortunately, they were deceived by him, who not only summoned Ren Woxing but also watched as the First Master was forced to his death, the Second Master had his inner strength drained and became a cripple, and the Third and Fourth Masters were forced by Ren Woxing to take the Three Corpse Brain God Pill and serve him..."
"What's most unacceptable is that his master's wife, who saved him, raised him, taught him, and cared for him for over a decade, hid in the bushes when faced with humiliation from Ren Yingying's men, not daring to breathe, her only thought being, 'For the sake of Leader Ren and Yingying, I cannot fight against the members of the Demonic Sect...'"
"In my opinion, Linghu Chong is a completely disloyal, unrighteous, and unfilial character, and it is impossible for anyone to like him."
"Hmm, that makes some sense. Does that mean there aren't any good people in 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'?"
"Yes, it's Ren Yingying, played by my senior."
Xu Qing chuckled, "Don't be silly, I know Ren Yingying isn't exactly a traditional good person."
"Actually, if we're talking about truly good people, there is one: Lin Pingzhi."
"Who, Lin Pingzhi?"
"Yes, you see, when his family suffers a great calamity, he knows how to adapt, yet he adheres to the code of chivalry. He can stand up against evil forces and is willing to harm himself to avenge his family. Isn't this the traditional chivalrous hero? It's a pity that Jin Yong wrote him so badly."
Xu Qing's gaze softened as she looked at him. "Wow, what a unique perspective! It seems to make a lot of sense. No wonder I felt something was off when I was filming this movie. So that's why."
Your perspective is truly unique. I'm going to film now; you can discuss it with me properly tonight.