Huayu: When the director changed his major

"Yifei, sharpen your eyes a bit more."

"It's not fierceness, nor is it anger, but rather like an eagle eyeing its prey."

“You are an experienced criminal investigator who has arrested countless criminals. You see everyone as a criminal and have a sharp eye.”

Cheng Xi ate some iced watermelon while instructing Liu Yifei on acting.

There was no way around it; New York in September was just too hot.

Liu Xiaoli, who was standing next to the monitor, was also very worried about her daughter.

I've done cameo roles before, but I didn't expect the director to be so strict about cameo appearances.

Listening to Cheng Xi constantly bossing her daughter around, and not daring to object, she was really getting anxious.

He wished he could step forward and finish the performance for his daughter.

Fan Binbin and Li Binbin have both finished their cameo appearances and returned to China.

Before returning to China, the two continued to banter with each other as usual.

After criticizing Li Binbin, Fan Binbin then launched a fierce attack on Cheng Xi.

Fortunately, Cheng Xi has a strong back, otherwise she really wouldn't have been able to withstand the constant nagging from these female celebrities.

At this moment, Liu Xiaoli brought over a fan and fanned Cheng Xi.

"Director Cheng, why don't you let Xixi rest for a bit? She looks incredibly hot."

The filming took place outdoors, and the scene involved the protagonist chasing a petty thief with Zhu Zhu.

This is a close-up of Liu Yifei.

Cheng Xi knew it was hot, but since your daughter wasn't getting into the mood, how could you blame me for not being chivalrous?

Cheng Xi didn't make things difficult for this senior sister at all.

Instead, try to make things as convenient as possible.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have given such a large number of close-up shots to a cameo character.

It also adds a bit of character arc.

It wouldn't be something Cheng Xi wanted—a mere cameo appearance without any memorable moments.

"Auntie, you're too kind. I'll fan myself."

Cheng Xi put down the watermelon in his hand and snatched the fan from Liu Xiaoli's hand.

There were actually electric fans and liquid coolers nearby, but Liu Xiaoli insisted on using this polite expression, and Cheng Xi had no choice but to comply.

This woman is not easy to deal with.

"Okay, everyone, take a 15-minute break. Yifei, you've worked hard, come here for a bit."

Liu Xiaoli: "Thank you, director!"

When Liu Yifei arrived, covered in sweat, her assistant was still wiping her sweat and fanning her.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Xi picked up a slice of chilled watermelon from the side and said:
"Senior Sister Yifei, take a rest and have some watermelon."

"Okay, director."

"Come sit next to me, and I'll show you the close-up shot we just filmed."

So Cheng Xi smelled Liu Yifei's faint sweat, mixed with a hint of perfume.

To be honest, it's a bit tempting.

It feels very vibrant.

After all, in the past, Liu Yifei was considered a fairy-like beauty.

She didn't look like someone from the mortal world, but she was sweating a lot, and the beads of sweat on her neck were clearly visible.

This also gave her a more energetic and down-to-earth feel.

Cheng Xi doesn't like a woman who is aloof and superior, because that would diminish the beauty of womanhood.

However, Cheng Xi, a mature and sophisticated woman, likes it, but that's not the same as being aloof and superior.

Keep strangers away; it's easy to make people lose interest.

Cheng Xi didn't think much of it and focused on work, giving Liu Yifei proper acting instructions.

"Although it's a cameo role, she also has her own life background and aspirations."

"You really immersed yourself in the character. The way you turned around and fired that shot was really cool, with a powerful beauty, but your eyes were a little lacking." "We need to work on it more, to create a truly good character. For example, you could do this..."

Liu Yifei wasn't really keen on making this cameo appearance.

Because her mother, Liu Xiaoli, kept urging her, which made her very impatient, she agreed.

She sensed from the bottom of her heart that this junior brother was different from the men she had encountered before.

He doesn't seem to see himself through a woman's eyes.

I always felt like I was hitting a wall with him; to put it bluntly, I didn't receive the special treatment I would have as a "fairy sister".

This made her a little resentful.

The idea that "if you don't treat me well, I won't bother with you" prevailed.

But there was nothing we could do; Mom's analysis was correct.

His film and television resources have now been severely impacted.

Several circles have opinions about me and ostracize me.

Moreover, several of his highly anticipated films failed to achieve the expected box office results, making his film career increasingly difficult.

Cheng Xi's invitation to make a cameo appearance is a kind of help.

"Relationships between people require a lot of interaction. Cheng Xi is surrounded by so many beautiful women; if you don't take the initiative, how will the relationship progress?"

“Look at Fan Binbin and Zhu Zhu, they went from not knowing each other to being acquainted.”

“You saw it in Times Square last week, even Taylor Swift was completely cooperating with Cheng Xi, so why should we put on airs?”

Liu Yifei was both angry and anxious upon hearing this:
"Mom, if you say that again, I won't act anymore! I'm not a child anymore! I have my own ideas."

Liu Yifei thought about how her conversation with her mother, Liu Xiaoli, had ended badly the night before, and now her mother was even fanning Cheng Xi for her sake. The thought made her heart ache.

Mothers are only doing it for their own good.

After struggling for a moment, he picked up a glass of ice water next to him, unscrewed the cap, and said:
"Thank you for your guidance, Director Cheng. You should have a glass of ice water too."

As soon as I finished speaking, my face instantly felt hot.

Fortunately, it was filming in the middle of summer, and my face was already red.

Upon hearing her daughter's words, Liu Xiaoli, who was standing nearby, unscrewed the bottle cap and handed the water to Cheng Xi.

On one hand, I feel that my daughter has grown up, but on the other hand, I feel a little uneasy.

She also wants to protect her daughter, but the current situation is indeed quite difficult.

It's time to let go of the old airs we had.

As for Cheng Xi, he also sensed the unnaturalness in Liu Yifei's tone just now.

Cheng Xi was fully aware of her current situation.

So he naturally accepted it and said "thank you" to avoid embarrassing Liu Yifei.

"You're welcome, senior sister. Your acting itself was fine, but I wanted a more three-dimensional feel."

"It's not easy to do in such a short time, but I still think my senior sister can do it."

After encouraging Liu Yifei, Cheng Xi resumed her filming work for the next day.

After more than twenty takes, everyone was exhausted, and some were even starting to feel dissatisfied with Liu Yifei's performance.

Cheng Xi decisively shouted "Cut!"

"Great, this take was perfect. Everyone worked hard. That concludes today's filming."

"Let's call it a day!"

Actually, some of the takes in the middle were already quite good, but Liu Yifei got more and more emotional later on.

Instead, it deviated from the requirements.

But that's exactly the effect Cheng Xi wanted.

As the director, I have the privilege of explaining everything.

Cheng Xi wasn't just being silly by teasing the "fairy sister."

Rather, they wanted to test Liu Yifei's flexibility to see if she could handle the subsequent collaborations.

Based on today's performance, Cheng Xi can only be described as barely passing. (End of Chapter)