1RomanceEB Chapter 5: Getting into character in a second
Chapter 5: Getting into character in a second
Xu Lang walked towards the film set, where the street scene had already been set up!
He attracted a lot of attention; his moon-white ancient costume suited him perfectly and made him look dashing.
Director Lee Hye-joo was also captivated, but while the perfect fit of the image was one thing, the more important thing was the acting skills she displayed.
And, feeling dissatisfied with his failure to properly rehearse the scene and his attempt to catch her in the act, she withdrew her gaze.
Sitting behind the monitor, he picked up the walkie-talkie and told the executive director, Deng Weien, to hurry up and film.
Deng Wei'en was also amazed at how well Xu Lang's period costume suited him, and quickly came to stand in front of Xu Lang:
"You've read the script. This is Yelü Qi and Guo Fu's first encounter, so I won't say much more. Just follow Xiao Tong's lead... Xiao Tong... um..."
Suddenly, he noticed that Mao Xiaotong was staring at Xu Lang, somewhat lost in thought, completely oblivious to what he was saying.
Xiaotong, you've been in the entertainment industry for several years now, what kind of handsome guys haven't you seen? Is it really that big of a deal?
He waved his hand in front of her and called out:
"Xiao Tong—"
"Uh..." Mao Xiaotong finally snapped out of her daze, looking slightly embarrassed and shyly lowering her head, which was incredibly cute.
"Director Deng, what? Excuse me, what did you just say?"
Deng Wei'en said with a hint of helplessness, "You have to portray Guo Fu's willful and capricious nature, and her tendency to enjoy watching trouble, understand?"
"clear!"
Mao Xiaotong should calm herself down as soon as possible.
I never expected Xu Lang to look so handsome in this ancient costume; my heart was pounding.
"Action!"
As the clapperboard fell, the camera focused on the center of the street.
Xu Lang, who plays Yelü Qi, is dressed in a moon-white robe and is surrounded by four or five women in brightly colored dresses, each with a different appearance.
However, this did not affect Xu Lang's performance. He quickly got into character, his movements were restrained, his eyes were helpless, and his lines were delivered at a slightly fast pace, revealing a hint of genuine anxiety, but his voice remained steady, perfectly interpreting the scene of "a gentleman being trapped".
Behind the monitor, Lee Hye-joo's eyes lit up, her gaze fixed on a hint of unintentional surprise.
Executive director Deng Weien was also surprised and excited, glancing out of the corner of his eye at director Li Huizhu:
"Director Li, this kid... gets into character in a second, and his performance is just perfect!"
Li Huizhu, who was initially quite unhappy about Xu Lang's attempt to catch the adulterer, became somewhat agitated at this moment:
"Genius! Lao Yu, you've just picked up a genius! Is this really his first time acting? Calling him a veteran actor wouldn't be an exaggeration!"
Yu Zheng's initial resentment turned to surprise, then to delight, and finally to ecstasy, his smile more pronounced than an AK could suppress:
"A blessing in disguise, hehe, I've found a lucky break."
He adjusted his glasses, turned to his assistant beside him, and said:
"Quick, prepare a new contract for him. I need to sign him after the show!"
His excitement gradually became uncontrollable, and he urged his assistant to hurry up and get it done.
His original plan was to see if Xu Lang had potential, and if so, to sign him after filming "The Return of the Condor Heroes," since he had a good appearance.
But after watching one of Xu Lang's scenes, he realized that he couldn't wait until the filming of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was finished. He couldn't let others beat him to it, so he had to take the initiative.
"Click!"
Deng Weien, holding the walkie-talkie, suddenly shouted "Click!"
"Xiaotong, I've given you your lines so long, and you're still stumbling?"
"Let's calm down and start over!"
Mao Xiaotong, dressed in ancient costume, emerged from the street corner with a bright, mischievous smile on her face, clapping her hands.
"Young Master Yelü is quite popular! Do my sisters meet your... standards?"
"Click!"
The director yelled "Cut!" again: "Xiaotong, your emotions... your emotions aren't right..."
After being yelled "cut" several times in a row, Mao Xiaotong was a little confused, but Xu Lang had no complaints and accompanied her to start over time.
Finally, on the fifth time, Xu Lang gave her a hint when the camera wasn't on her during her performance.
That's how she got through!
"Cut! Okay!" Dunway waved his hand and said:
"Okay, Xiaotong, remember this feeling: Guo Fu's playfulness and coquettishness, and Yelü Qi's composure and steadiness—that's the right sense of conflict."
"Xu Lang, the transition in your eyes just now—from embarrassment to restraint to forbearance—was incredibly precise!"
Many staff members at the scene nodded in agreement.
Xu Lang seems like a veteran actor, while Mao Xiaotong seems more like a newcomer; it's as if their roles have been reversed.
It's not that Mao Xiaotong is bad, but that Xu Lang is too outstanding. Not only is his image a perfect fit, but his acting is also very nuanced.
Chen Xiang, who was not far away, looked even more gloomy.
They had originally hoped that Xu Lang would embarrass himself during filming, and that the incident of catching him cheating would surely get him kicked out of the crew.
Unexpectedly, Xu Lang's performance was so outstanding. Looking at the director and producer Yu Zheng, all three of them were filled with surprise.
His face turned even more ashen, and he almost crushed the hilt of the prop sword in his hand.
The subsequent filming went exceptionally smoothly.
The director and producer were very satisfied, and the staff around him were also amazed by Xu Lang's performance.
Mao Xiaotong seemed to have found her rhythm and mood, and there were no obvious deviations in the subsequent filming.
In fact, only she knew that it was Xu Lang who guided her during the filming process.
"Alright! Yelü Qi's scenes for today are all complete!"
Executive director Deng Wei'en came over and patted Xu Lang on the shoulder with satisfaction, saying:
"Xiao Xu, you were born for this job, you've worked so hard!"
Xu Lang flashed a bright smile, wiped the sweat from his temples, and said:
"Thank you, Director Deng!"
He was about to walk to the rest area when his phone vibrated. He took it out and looked at it.
The text message from Yu Zheng was as concise as ever: "Come to my office now!"
Xu Lang composed himself and, without even changing out of his costume, quickly walked to the office area.
"Xu Lang, wait!"
Mao Xiaotong quickly caught up, her youthful face adorable, tinged with a touch of shyness.
"Um... thank you. If it weren't for you, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly today."
Xu Lang waved his hand gently and said, "We're acting opposite each other, so helping you is helping me too. We have several more scenes to film, so it'll be a pleasure working together!"
Having said that, he was about to leave.
"Xu Lang...let's have dinner together tonight!" Mao Xiaotong hurriedly spoke, her slightly chubby cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head:
"Thank you for your help, and it will also help us work together more smoothly in the future... I didn't mean anything by it, please don't misunderstand!"
Her words sound like she's trying to hide something obvious. What do you mean by misunderstanding?
You clearly meant that, which is why you said those things. Yet you're trying to bury your head in the sand and tell me not to misunderstand.
Sweet girls with a shy demeanor are just adorable!
"What's the misunderstanding?" Xu Lang spread his hands, looking puzzled, but maintaining his sunny smile.
"Teacher Mao, shall we meet tonight?"
After saying that, he quickly left.
Mao Xiaotong gently raised her head, watching his receding figure. She raised her right hand halfway and waved lightly. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
"Xiaotong, you...you don't like him, do you?"
An unpleasant voice rang in her ears, abruptly pulling Mao Xiaotong back to reality from her reverie.
She turned her head and saw Chen Xiang approaching, immediately changing her expression, puffing out her cheeks:
"Chen Xiang, who I like is none of your business!"
"How is this none of my business? We..." Chen Xiang blurted out, as if he wanted to say, "Aren't we two supposed to be dating?"
But then he suddenly realized that the two of them were just one step away from officially becoming a couple, and his anxious tone abruptly stopped.
Take a deep breath and adopt a more ingratiating posture:
"Xiaotong, don't you understand how I feel about you?"
"Haven't we been getting along quite well lately?"
Mao Xiaotong rolled her eyes at him and said:
"What I need is someone to cry with me, to make a fuss with me, to be crazy with me, not someone who controls me in every way."
"Chen Xiang, stop wasting your time on me, find someone else."
Chen Xiang clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and stared at Xu Lang's receding figure with a hint of gloom in his eyes:
"Maybe they just don't like you at all?"