Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 383 Royal Extra
Tang Wei's expression was strange. The two of you talking had such a great atmosphere; anyone who didn't know better would think...

Red candles, silken curtains, men and women, soldiers approaching, city walls standing, chaos and turmoil...

She shook her head, trying to banish the unpleasant image. These two had probably done it countless times; they were definitely well-endowed and experienced. How could they possibly be a couple who were new to each other?

Tang Wei, oh Tang Wei! This is filming, this is art, not a live broadcast. You can't be so vulgar.

“Okay! It’s best not to shoot so many takes. If you fail every time, you’ll suffer, and I’ll suffer too,” Liu Jing replied. He had no ulterior motives; it was just normal communication.

"Director, what are you suffering for? You should be enjoying yourself." The photographer was an older woman, clearly married, and spoke without much restraint.

"Director, if you're shy, you can audition me first." Another one was even bolder, throwing in a flirtatious wink.

"Da Wan, I'm worried you won't be able to hold it in..."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Alright, enough talk, get ready..." Tang Wei shouted, his expression extremely serious. These sluts, have they never seen a man before?

Tang Wei was even more nervous than Zeng Li. She recalled that when she filmed a similar scene years ago, it took her several days to complete, and she was on the verge of a breakdown.

It wasn't a pleasant memory, because she gained fame but also lost her reputation because of that play.

The entire entertainment industry has essentially blacklisted her; no production team dares to hire her, not even for menial tasks. Even the few that extend offers are only interested in her body, wanting to experience what it's like to be on screen.

She came to audition for "The Message" with a try-it-out attitude. Her goal wasn't to play Li Ningyu, but a small role, just to show her face in the film.

As long as a production team dares to use her, it's like sending a signal that the market has opened a window for her, and then other production teams will follow suit.

She submitted many resumes and tried out for many roles, but without exception, she failed every time.

So that day she sent a message, not to Liu Jing alone, but to several directors: "Directors, I am Tang Wei. Can you give me a chance? Any role is fine. I want a place to belong."

She thought this text message would disappear without a trace, like other text messages, or that she would receive a reply with ulterior motives.

To her surprise, Liu Jing called her personally, and the first thing he said was, "You're from the directing department of the Central Academy of Drama, right? 'The Message' is short of a female assistant director. I wonder if you'd be interested?"

On the first day after moving to Qiu Village, at the winter solstice banquet, she asked a question fueled by alcohol, "You gave me a place to stay, out of pity, or because you want to sleep with me?"

She was prepared when she asked that question. If the other person expressed interest, she wouldn't mind a casual fling. Having a body is an asset, after all. Besides, the other person was so outstanding; she'd be overjoyed.

“I have no interest in you, not at all. I don’t pity you either, after all, you took the role yourself, no one forced you. Xixi felt it wasn’t fair to you, I can’t give you fairness, but I don’t want to disappoint Xixi. Because that film had approached Xixi before, she paid more attention to ‘Lust, Caution’.” Liu Jing responded, adding the reason, “Chunqiu needs a female director, and you just happen to need a place to stay, that’s all, don’t overthink it.”

Tang Wei overthought things, feeling both relieved and disappointed.

Fortunately, Liu Jing wasn't interested in her. She could tell the difference between truth and falsehood; his eyes and demeanor showed absolutely no interest. The way he looked at her was completely different from how he looked at Zeng Li, but the same as how he looked at Shen Ao.

Disappointingly, Liu Jing had no interest in her, which was a sad situation.

There's a saying circulating recently: you may not believe in Liu Jing's character, but you must believe in his aesthetic sense.

There were no problems with the initial filming; Zeng Li performed well in terms of micro-expressions, small gestures, and the tremor in her voice when delivering lines.

Having graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, her basic acting skills are very solid.

As Liu Jing pulled out the toolbox, Zeng Li broke out in a sweat, her carefully cultivated composure instantly shattered.

"Wait, let me have some tea, I...I'm thirsty."

Before the director could yell "cut," Zeng Li couldn't hold back anymore.

"Cut, filming paused."

"Sister, this is an avoidance mentality. From an assistant director's perspective, this scene takes all afternoon to film, we can work overtime and continue filming tonight. You have plenty of time to drink water. From an actor's perspective, I suggest you don't drink water. You'll regret it later if you drink too much," Tang Wei advised.

"I'll get ready. Give me ten more minutes, no, five minutes," Zeng Li requested.

"You only have three minutes." Tang Wei checked the time. The more preparation time given, the worse the preparation would be for filming a scene like this.

As soon as she finished speaking, Zeng Li, wearing a cheongsam as a theatrical costume, began walking around the room with theatrical steps, sometimes stopping to breathe rhythmically. At other times, she stretched out her arms and legs to do some exercises.

Tang Wei was surprised, "Is this how you prepare?"
Liu Jing was also preparing. He sat there silently, cultivating Takeda's momentum. The next Takeda became so abnormal that even Liu Jing felt uncomfortable.

Seeing Zeng Li's strange behavior, his expression also turned strange. She was doing her morning exercises.

When faced with stress, everyone has their own way of coping. Some people rely on breathing to adjust, some rely on their mindset, some rely on their environment, and some rely on external forces.

Zeng Li has been practicing morning exercises for twenty years without fail, even after she stopped performing opera.

Two minutes later, Zeng Li's nervousness subsided, and she regained her composure. "Director, I'm ready."

"Sister Zeng Li, you should feel a little nervous at the beginning because you don't know what you're about to face. Besides nervousness, there's also fear of Takeda," Tang Wei explained.

The director entrusted this scene entirely to her, which was both a sign of his trust in her and a test for her.

After receiving the assignment, she repeatedly analyzed the scene of measuring the body and also privately shared her experience with Zeng Li many times.

"I understand." Zeng Li's expression was solemn; this scene was also a test for her. She didn't care at all about the Central Academy of Drama's two-hundred-year-old reputation. But to say that her acting skills were subpar was intolerable.

“Action…”

The actors took their positions, and Tang Wei called out "Action!"

There were three cameras in the room. At this moment, no one spoke; everyone held their breath and remained completely silent.

Dang clang...

Takeda placed the toolbox on the table, making a crisp sound.

Li Ningyu was startled. The box looked so familiar; it resembled the medicine box the director had mentioned last night.

Takeda opened his toolbox and began organizing his tools, which were all medical instruments. One camera was positioned directly opposite the medicine box, providing a clear view.

The tools were all new, gleaming with a cold light: scalpels, forceps, clamps, syringes, medicine bottles, probes, rulers, bandages, sterilization trays, stethoscopes…

These tools can be used for medical purposes, or they can be converted into instruments of torture at any time.

For example, scalpels come in various models, and they can also be dissecting scalpels.

Not to mention Zeng Li, several staff members next to her got goosebumps at this moment, feeling as if these tools could be used on them at any time.

Takeda picked up the scalpel. "If you can prove you're not Old Ghost..."

"Cut..." Tang Wei called for a halt.

"Excuse me, speaking Chinese like a Japanese person is a bit difficult," Liu Jing explained, realizing his mistake as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Director, you don't need to stop. We'll definitely need to do dubbing in post-production." Tang Wei smiled wryly. The reason she called for a stop wasn't because of her broken Chinese, but because Liu Jing stopped talking.

During my free time, I used a scalpel as a craft knife to trim my nails.

"You're really a pervert," Zeng Li said with a wry smile. She had just seen Liu Jing trimming her nails with a scalpel, and her heart had pounded. There was no need to pretend to be scared; she was genuinely terrified. "Beijing Film Academy is better than the Central Academy of Drama, right?" Liu Jing chuckled.

Zeng Li was both amused and exasperated. What kind of time is this to be making jokes like this and taking it so seriously?

"Director, there are two from the Central Academy of Drama and one from the Beijing Film Academy here. You decide what to do," Tang Wei joked.

Filming continued, and after a few jokes, Zeng Li adjusted her mood.

"If you can prove that you are not Lao Gui, it will indirectly prove Liu Linzong's innocence."

As he spoke, Takeda placed the tweezers, speckled pliers, and vernier calipers into the dish.

Li Ningyu's expression gradually changed, becoming anxious, fearful, and panicked; her pupils contracted. She was immersing herself in the role; that night, all that was missing was the tool.

“I believe the biographical information you provided to the unit… is fake.” Takeda closed his toolbox, fastened his mask, and put on medical gloves. “Today, when Director Wang interrogated you, your arrogant attitude only shows that you have a guilty conscience.”

Li Ningyu's expression changed from panic to stubbornness.

"I heard you're a cryptography genius, but did you know that every part of our body contains codes?" Takeda said, carrying a plate as he walked towards Li Ningyu.

He was wearing a mask, so no one noticed that he was lost in thought.

Liu Jing recalled six years ago when he was filming "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," playing the young Zhang Wuji. That was the first drama he filmed after returning to acting, having achieved his academic goals to the satisfaction of his teacher, Mr. An, and he also served as the action choreographer.

He still remembers some of the numbers Gao Yuanyuan blurted out.

When he was reciting those lines, he was still thinking about how Da Meiyuan's body code had changed, and he would have to measure it sometime.

It's a pity she refused to play Li Ningyu, otherwise we would have found out immediately.

But it's alright, there will be plenty of opportunities once he returns to Yandu. Because on Christmas Eve, Gao Yuanyuan texted him, saying she'd bought a measuring tape, calipers, and speculum forceps—what if they were short one doctor?
Yesterday, on New Year's Eve, Gao Yuanyuan sent another text message: "I heard you've grown a beard, it looks very sexy. I bought a razor, I want to become a hairdresser, will you support my career?"

Thinking of Gao Yuanyuan, Liu Jing also thought of Qianqian. Yesterday, Qianqian called to ask him what he needed, and she would bring it over in a while.

Liu Jing responded, "I lack nothing, except you."

A single sentence almost made Sisi buy a plane ticket on the spot. Only after Liu Jing reminded her did she remember that she was still preparing for the Spring Festival Gala.

That's right, Sisi also had a role in "The Message," playing a nurse who delivers information. Now she has become Liu Jing's go-to extra.

Sisi actively sought out this role. With the box office pressure on "The Message" being high, she naturally had to contribute some effort to the male lead.

"Card……"

Tang Wei shouted.

"Sorry, I...I was daydreaming." Zeng Li said, feeling embarrassed.

Takeda reached out to unbutton her clothes, and Li Ningyu should have instinctively dodged.

This was Li Ningyu's conditioned reflex, not Zeng Li's; she had simply forgotten. By the time she realized it, she was already two beats too late.

"Director, you're being too gentlemanly." The camerawoman laughed. Liu Jing didn't touch Zeng Li's hand, maintaining a polite distance, so polite that Zeng Li wanted to kick him.

This isn't the same night you groped me, your actions were rough, and your words were insulting.

I forgave you last night, but I'll keep track of the score. Once you're in my hands, we'll settle the score and see how I torment you.

"The play is the play, and real life is real life." Liu Jing smiled calmly. Although he was understanding, his heart was as still as water at this moment.

"It's rare to see an actor like this in a film crew. I was filming in a movie where the male actor was so angry he wanted to tear the female actor to pieces. Even after we yelled 'cut' a few times, he seemed not to hear us and didn't care how many people were around."

"That's nothing. Once, on a film set, during a scene between a male and female lead, the male actor actually took it too far, and the female lead cried afterwards. Nobody cared, not even a single person offered to comfort her."

"Alright, stop gossiping, let's continue filming." Tang Wei said expressionlessly. This was a film set, not a gossip session. Too many women around, it really doesn't mean anything good.

"How about we use a stand-in?" Liu Jing scratched his head. He wasn't just being polite; he had suddenly hesitated when he was taking off his clothes.

The women nearby looked like a group of people watching.

Several cameras were set up, as if they were surrounding a group of spectators.

He, who is usually calm and composed while filming, finds it difficult to remain calm.

In all my years in the industry, I've never filmed a scene like this before. Last time, when filming "Painted Skin," Fan Bingbing was wearing clothes, and even then, he still had to reshoot several times.

"At a time like this, why use a body double?" Zeng Li said irritably, closing her eyes. "Come on, hurry up and take it off, the sooner you take it off, the sooner you're done."

"I mean, I used a body double..."

Zeng Li suddenly opened her eyes, incredulous, "How dare you?"

"Of course I'm sorry, that's why I used a body double." Liu Jing's explanation was weak, and he added dryly, "How about we both use body doubles?"

Zeng Li looked at Liu Jing strangely. Was he pretending to be innocent, or did he think I was stupid?
"Please return to your positions, both actors. Filming continues." Tang Wei snorted lightly. "At this point, I'm the director. You two should stop wasting your breath."

Haha, you think you can fool these few women? You think you can fool me? If you two aren't having an affair, I'll eat the camera.

Filming continued, and Liu Jing unbuttoned three buttons effortlessly.

Zeng Li suddenly shouted, "Crack...crack..."

"Sister..."

Tang Wei stopped asking questions. Her senior sister ran to the table, unscrewed a bottle of baijiu, and chugged down more than half of it.

"Cough cough cough..." Zeng Li had never drunk alcohol like this before. Her alcohol tolerance was only half a jin, and she choked so much that tears streamed down her face.

"Are you crazy?" Liu Jing grabbed him, who was still trying to finish the rest of the drink.

"Director, hurry up!" Zeng Li urged, afraid that if it was any later, she might act out while drunk.

Alcohol emboldens the timid; she is now both emotionally and physically agitated, and extremely sensitive.

Tang Wei was also getting anxious. It takes time for the alcohol to take effect, and if they didn't start filming soon, she might get drunk.

“Action…”

“...Every part of our body contains a code. As long as you can get through this, you and Liu Linzong will be safe.”

One button, two buttons, three buttons—Liu Jing's hands were steady and skillful as he unbuttoned the buttons.

"Human organs, the proportions of limbs, all convey information, revealing our true identity..."

Hearing Liu Jing's words, the scene from that night came back to her mind, and Zeng Li's emotions were on point, and she broke down without warning.

(End of this chapter)