Unboxing, Director!

Chapter 186 Exciting!

He arrived at the hotel where the film crew was staying at 3 p.m. After settling in, he and Dong Xuan went to the film set to watch the "final scene" as agreed.

Dong Xuan was scheduled to join the crew today, but because the role is very important, she still joined the crew early to start preparing in order to maintain a good condition.

Filming for "The Story of a Noble Family" has been underway for nearly two weeks.

Lu Jiang wasn't there for the first two weeks, so we filmed the scenes between Liu Chunjiang and Xiao Lian first, which were also filmed today. Since their scenes today are also the final scenes in the drama, Dong Xuan jokingly called them the "final scenes".

Lu Jiang didn't refuse, so the two of them called the crew members to go together.

On the way, Dong Xuan talked about her experiences on set over the past few days.

Everything else was normal, except for some minor gossip when talking about director Li Dawei.

"Director Li doesn't seem to have a very high level of prestige on set."

Dong Xuan started gossiping quietly.

As expected, because of his mother Liu Guoquan's involvement, and because "The Story of a Noble Family" demands much more from the director compared to his previous works, Li Dawei has encountered some difficulties filming over the past two weeks.

"After filming a scene, he wasn't sure if it was good or not, so he always had to ask Director Liu. Later, he was probably afraid of being seen as lacking his own opinions, so he asked less a few days ago. But that caused problems. Yesterday, he spent the whole day reworking the scenes from the day before, and the actors had a lot of complaints about him."

As Dong Xuan said this, Lu Jiang shook his head inwardly.

I don't know if it was because his mother's pressure was too strong or if he really didn't have any work to do.

Li Dawei is a really bad director.

The director is the boss on set. The boss must be decisive and establish absolute authority, otherwise how can he lead the team?
However, Lu Jiang didn't care whether Li Dawei could control the crew.

Because Liu Guoquan had actually told him about this last night.

Liu Guoquan didn't care about this, as long as she would control the overall progress and there wouldn't be any major mistakes.

As for the actress's dissatisfaction with Li Dawei, she would naturally be happy if Li Dawei could turn the situation around, but if he couldn't, she would just have to put up with it, unless he didn't want to use this reputation.

Li Dawei can definitely tolerate it; his mother has gone to great lengths to promote him, so he can't possibly throw a tantrum.

Therefore, compared to Li Dawei's matter, Lu Jiang is actually more interested in Dong Xuan now.

At this moment, Dong Xuan has a blue treasure chest hanging above her head: [Dong Xuan wants to use this rare opportunity to spend several months together to gradually understand the host's preferences, find common topics, and enhance their relationship.]

This entry looks somewhat familiar.

Oh right, Liu Qianqian's treasure chest entry also mentioned "common topics".

However, Lu Jiang did not connect her with Liu Qianqian. Right now, he only felt that Dong Xuan was beginning to reveal her true intentions, but there was also a strong sense of cowardice in her actions.

The reason is simple: the treasure chest is blue, not purple, which means that her desires still have room to grow.

As for why it wasn't purple, Lu Jiang thought it was mainly because she didn't dare to.

After all, Fan Binbin was still around, and Dong Xuan kept calling him "Sister Bingbing." Since Fan Binbin hadn't explicitly told her that they could do *that*, Dong Xuan naturally didn't dare to openly climb into Lu Jiang's bed.

Cowardly yet playful?

This is getting interesting.
They arrived at the film set quickly, where Liu Guoquan greeted them.

After a brief chat, I learned that the crew was about to start filming the scene where Liu Chunjiang vomits blood and dies after seeing Xiao Lian shave her head to become a nun.

This is arguably the most memorable part of the entire series.

In fact, in Zhang Henshui's original novel "The Story of a Noble Family", the ending of Liu Chunjiang and Xiao Lian is the best in the entire series.

The two successfully eloped, and Liu Chunjiang took Xiaolian to Japan to study medicine. Later, they returned to the Jin family as husband and wife, and Xiaolian gained the respect of everyone in the Jin family.

However, in order to reinforce the theme of "feudal ethics devouring people", the TV series version was changed to a tragedy.

Liu Guoquan designed two endings for this, one of which was a "double death" ending, which was also the planned official ending.

In the ending where both die, after their failed elopement and subsequent capture, Jin Fengju, the eldest son of the Jin family, tacitly agrees to give Xiaolian away, while the eldest daughter-in-law coldly observes from the sidelines.

Liu's father locked Liu Chunjiang in a mental hospital on the grounds that he was "disgracing the family," and Xiao Lian was sold into a brothel.

After escaping the brothel, Xiao Lian found Liu Chunjiang. The two met in a dilapidated temple, where Liu Chunjiang was already emaciated.

Before his death, Liu Chunjiang held Xiaolian's hand tightly and murmured, "In the next life, I will not be born into a noble family." Xiaolian then swallowed gold and committed suicide out of love.

It's a tragedy.

However, considering that plots like "suicide pact" might encounter censorship issues or cause audience dissatisfaction, Liu Guoquan and Lu Jiang discussed and came up with an alternative plan, which was the "Liu dies but lives" ending that was later shown when the TV series aired.

Liu Chunjiang was tricked into marriage by his father. After discovering the truth, he left home to find Xiaolian, only to find that Xiaolian had shaved her head and become a nun. Liu Chunjiang died of a stroke. Xiaolian was chanting sutras in the Buddhist hall, and her tears fell onto the sutras.

Lu Jiang had no intention of judging which ending was better; he only felt that Liu Guoquan had a truly sharp eye, since the original timeline TV series version hadn't actually aired the "double death" version.

That said, upon arriving on set, the first thing I noticed was Xu Lu's (Xiao Lian's) Martian hairstyle.

Due to the current lack of advanced special effects makeup technology, Xiao Lian's bald head made by the wig looked somewhat strange.

Overall, there aren't any major problems; as long as it produces results in the end, that's fine.

After exchanging greetings, Li Dawei approached, his attitude more ingratiating than it had been a week ago.

Unsurprisingly, a purple treasure chest appeared above his head, and the description changed from "Does not wish for a directing controversy with Lu Jiang" to "Hopes to gain the host's support so that he can establish authority within the production team."

Li Dawei wasn't stupid; he knew that if he could win over himself, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

After a brief chat, Chi Shuai, the actor who plays Liu Chunjiang, arrived.

Dressed in a Republican-era groom's attire, Chi Shuai was drenched in sweat and panting heavily, clearly a preparation made specifically to fit the character's state.

Very dedicated, a good young man.

However, Lu Jiang was more concerned about the blue box on his head: [Chi Shuai wants his acting skills to be recognized by the host.]

The young man really wants to improve.

Can understand.

After a brief greeting, the crew began filming.

Then, the same scene as the TV series version I remembered appeared.

When Chi Shuai ran to the entrance of the main hall and saw the bald Xiao Lian, the last string in his heart snapped completely. Liu Chunjiang coughed up blood and died.

This part features an excellent emotional outburst.

If Lu Jiang were to film this, he would definitely applaud immediately.

But for some reason, after yelling "cut," Li Dawei immediately looked at Liu Guoquan, then quickly realized that Lu Jiang was also there, so he turned to Lu Jiang and whispered, "Director Lu, do you think this effect is okay?"

Li Dawei, Li Dawei, you're being far too cowardly!

However, Lu Jiang didn't intend to embarrass him. Instead, he generously praised him, "Dawei, you did a great job designing this shot! Chi Shuai's performance was also amazing. Anyone else probably couldn't have shot this well!"

Lu Jiang didn't keep his voice down, so when he spoke, the crew members on set were filled with curiosity.

For Lu Jiang to give it such a thumbs up, the shot just now must have been really good.
Li Dawei's eyes lit up, and he looked at Lu Jiang with the feeling that he had found a savior.

He knew all too well how much negative pressure Lu Jiang's words could relieve for him.

However, Lu Jiang was not exaggerating; the camera work was indeed flawless, and Chi Shuai's performance was truly impressive.

Seeing his performance, you'd never guess he's from the Beijing Dance Academy, and a dropout at that, not a professionally trained actor from the acting department.
Chi Shuai shared the same sentiment as Li Dawei.

Lu Jiang is the best director at Cannes, so the benefits of gaining his approval are self-evident.

With just one sentence, Lu Jiang secured two treasure chests.

Comfortable!

Filming continued, and the next scene was Xiaolian crying in front of the Buddha.

There's not much to say about that; it's stress-free for everyone.

After filming wrapped up, it was exactly 5:30, and the crew packed up and headed back to the hotel.

On the way back, Li Dawei, who had regained a lot of confidence, became even closer to Lu Jiang, chatting incessantly with him, making it difficult for Chi Shuai, who was traveling with them, to get a word in edgewise.
After a quick dinner, Dong Xuan, along with directors Liu Guoquan and Li Dawei, went to Lu Jiang's room with the script.

This is in preparation for the filming of the next day.

Starting tomorrow, the crew will begin filming with the main character Jin Yanxi in mind. During this period, Lu Jiang will not be on set all the time. Just like with "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre", he will leave the set occasionally to do other things.

Therefore, we need to coordinate the schedule properly.

They talked about the schedule and filming arrangements until nearly 9 o'clock before Liu Guoquan left with Li Dawei, leaving Lu Jiang and Dong Xuan alone so they could rehearse their lines.

After the two left, Dong Xuan suddenly felt the atmosphere in the room become sticky.

Once again, a man and a woman were alone in a room, a scene so similar to what happened on the set of "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre".

So, what should we do?
Dong Xuan picked up the script, tucked her hair behind her ears, and meticulously reviewed her scenes for tomorrow.

Lu Jiang remained expressionless, appearing to be in a businesslike manner, but he knew that Dong Xuan would definitely make a move tonight.

Not now, but in a few seconds, or a few minutes.

Sure enough, after rehearsing their lines for less than five minutes, Dong Xuan exclaimed, "What should I do if it's a little hard to get into character?"

"Oh? Why is it hard to relate to?"

"I feel that Jin Yanxi and you are very different. Jin Yanxi is a star in social circles. He loves parties and travel and enjoys being adored by everyone. But you are different."

“How is it different? I’m a celebrity too.” “It’s different. Boss, you seem to like being the center of attention, but actually you’re a very quiet guy. I think you often wish no one would bother you. So you see, your personalities are so different, of course it’s hard for me to relate to you.”

"You seem to know me very well?" Lu Jiang playfully offered his bait.

Upon hearing this, Dong Xuan was immediately overjoyed. She had been wondering how to steer the conversation toward this topic, and now, Lu Jiang had delivered himself right to her doorstep!
However, on the surface, she maintained a professional tone: "How could I know you? I don't even know what you like to eat or what you like to do."

As she spoke, Dong Xuan sighed, "If I knew a little about it, maybe I could use the substitution method to increase the sense of immersion."

Is this how the substitution method is used?

If your teacher found out, they'd probably kill you!
However, Lu Jiang didn't care about this.

The important thing now is to have fun.

He then generously said, "That's easy, just ask me and I'll tell you."

"Really?" Dong Xuan's eyes lit up immediately.

"Can this be false?"

"Then shall I ask?"

"bring it on."

"So, boss, besides Dongpo pork, what else do you like to eat?"

"I like to eat... wait."

"what happened?"

Are you asking this on your own behalf or on behalf of someone else?

"Of course it's myself."

"Oh, then you have to wear black stockings before I can tell you."

"Black stockings?"

Dong Xuan was taken aback at first, and then her cheeks flushed instantly.

Lu Jiang, however, burst into laughter.

I was teased again.

This time, Dong Xuan was smarter. Instead of throwing the pillow and running away in embarrassment like last time, she took the initiative and said, "Black stockings it is. I'll have someone buy them tomorrow. Boss, don't try to back out when I wear them."

"Okay."

That night, Lu Jiang's room door was open, and the occasional passing actors could see Lu Jiang and Dong Xuan going over the script, very focused and hardworking.

But only Dong Xuan herself knew how wonderful the atmosphere in the room was!
More than an hour later, after returning to her room, Dong Xuan was still reluctant to leave the ambiguous atmosphere from earlier.

After rolling around on the bed for a bit, she quickly asked her assistant to buy some black stockings.

After explaining everything, Dong Xuan began to wash up and prepare for bed.

But when the clear water from the showerhead hit her forehead, Dong Xuan felt a lingering fear.

I'm playing with fire!
They were supposed to use Liu Qianqian as a shield, but it turned out they didn't get to use her.

The agreement was just to deepen our relationship, but it almost crossed the line completely.

She believed that if the door hadn't been closed, even if Lu Jiang hadn't moved, she herself probably would have pounced on him in a moment of impulsiveness, and Lu Jiang certainly wouldn't have refused.

But if Fan Binbin finds out, I'm really doomed!
At this moment, as the water flowed over her body, Dong Xuan's body temperature cooled down, and she calmed down completely.

For the sake of your future, seducing your boss is something you absolutely must never do!
So I'm not wearing black stockings anymore!
Dong Xuan made up her mind. After showering and drying herself off, she picked up her phone to call her assistant to cancel the task, but just then, Liu Qianqian's text message arrived.

"Sister Huanhuan, have you found out any reliable information?"

Oops!

Forget about this!

Dong Xuan was stunned for a moment.

Fortunately, she quickly found a solution.

Making things up is definitely not acceptable.

It's not impossible to continue gathering intelligence.

It's just wearing black stockings, nothing else.

As long as I can hold back, there shouldn't be any major problems, right?
If the boss takes the initiative, that would be the best, since it's completely different from taking the initiative yourself.

At this moment, after being removed from the cold water, Dong Xuan's mind started to heat up again.

"I'll talk to you in a few days. I've been too busy these past few days. The boss just joined the team this afternoon, so I haven't had time to ask yet."

"Okay, then I'll trouble you, Sister Huanhuan."

That night, Dong Xuan stared at her long legs for a long time, constantly wondering if Lu Jiang was joking or if he really liked long legs in black stockings.
The next day, a new day began, and the busy filming schedule kicked in. Dong Xuan no longer had any other thoughts on her mind.

Their meeting was just as normal as any other day.

Filming began soon. This time, Lu Jiang's eye acting, besides adding a little something to Dong Xuan's performance, had no other effect.

The reason is simple: the filming process of Lu Jiang and Dong Xuan was basically the same as the development process of the TV series.

In the drama, Leng Qingqiu has a cold and aloof personality. At first, she is instinctively wary of Jin Yanxi's "spoiled brat" behavior. At the same time, she is also well aware of the difference in their social classes, so she initially keeps her distance from Jin Yanxi's approach.

In the realm of eye techniques, only emotions favorable to Lu Jiang will be retained, and negative emotions will not be retained.

As a result, Dong Xuan naturally couldn't "get into character" like Gao Yuanyuan and others before her.

Lu Jiang was fully aware of this, so he focused solely on his work.

Dong Xuan does indulge in some imaginative thinking in her spare time.

For example, before filming ended in the morning, she was thinking, "To get into character and maintain a cool demeanor, I deliberately didn't talk to Lu Jiang much today. Will Lu Jiang be angry?"
At lunchtime, Dong Xuan, as usual, offered Lu Jiang tea and fruit. She wondered if Lu Jiang would be overwhelmed by her sudden return to normalcy. Sure enough, Lu Jiang's eyes lit up; his joy was undeniable!

Then, when filming started in the afternoon, Dong Xuan resumed her aloof demeanor and deliberately kept her distance from Lu Jiang. Seeing Lu Jiang's expression of unrequited love, just like Jin Yanxi's, Dong Xuan's heart began to flutter again.

She suddenly felt that this aloof and distant behavior was as if she was playing Lu Jiang in the palm of her hand!

That's Lu Jiang, a Mandopop king, Cannes Best Director, international singer, billionaire, Fan Binbin's man—and now he's being toyed with and his emotions manipulated by me.

This feeling.

That was so exciting!!!

But she didn't know that it was all her fantasy. Lu Jiang had simply left the eye acting to him from beginning to end. There was nothing he could do; his own acting skills were indeed not good enough, so he needed to practice and learn more.
Dong Xuan played this "game" all by herself for three days.

On the fourth day, June 13th.

The biggest news today is that the Chinese national football team has been completely eliminated from the World Cup.

They conceded nine goals in three games, which is truly appalling.

Fortunately, the Chinese national football team is not at the bottom of the standings yet.

Saudi Arabia was ranked last due to a 8-0 defeat to Germany in their first match, based on goal difference.

As expected, the one who understands Tokyo University best is Camel!
Dong Xuan now believes that she is the one who understands Lu Jiang best.

While most of the crew were holed up in their hotel rooms watching the game, Dong Xuan, wearing black stockings, knocked on Lu Jiang's door.

"You actually wore it?"

Lu Jiang looked at those long, black-stockinged legs, the high heels she was wearing, and the knee-length skirt. Overall, although she was still conservative, she was still undeniably sexy.

Dong Xuan smirked and crossed her legs, saying, "Boss, you're not really trying to renege on your promise, are you?"

That pose was quite alluring.

Lu Jiang spread his hands: "Of course I won't renege. Come on, ask me, I'll tell you everything I know."

"Well then, let's stick to the same question: besides Dongpo pork, what else do you like to eat, boss?"

"Besides Dongpo pork, that's all!"

"Gone?"

"Yes, that's all I love, what's the problem?"

That makes sense, so Dong Xuan decided not to delve into it further. She then asked, "So, boss, what kind of sports do you usually like?"

"That's a good question."

Lu Jiang smiled and scanned Dong Xuan up and down. "But if you want me to answer this question, you have to put on a full flight attendant uniform before I can answer you."

"Flight attendant outfit?"

"Well, if you don't like that, nurse's uniform, school uniform, urban lady outfit, maid outfit, etc. are all fine too."

Dong Xuan was stunned for a moment, then her cheeks burned again: "Boss, you...you're cheating!"

Lu Jiang leaned back on the sofa, spread his hands and laughed, "One suit, one question, no cheating, whether you dare to bet or not is up to you."

After he finished speaking, Lu Jiang was greeted by a sofa cushion thrown by Dong Xuan, and the sound of her angrily slamming the door and leaving.

But three days later, Dong Xuan, dressed in a chic urban style with a white shirt and black stockings, knocked on Lu Jiang's door again.
(End of this chapter)