Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, starting with the strategy of 95 flowers to counterattack

Chapter 118 Zhou Ye VS Zhang Jingyi, from "Better Days"
Mountain City, Railway Middle School

Located near Huangjueping Youdian Road, this is the school where "Chen Nian" studied in the film, and it is an important filming location for many interactions between the male and female protagonists.

The main reason for choosing this location is that the low red brick walls on both sides of Youdian Road, the Himalaya Bookstore converted from an abandoned cold storage, and the dense shade of banyan trees naturally create the visual effect of intertwining repression and youth needed for the film.

Of course, the school wasn't the only one chosen.

The playground of Nankai Rongqiao Middle School in Chongqing was also chosen as a filming location.

Filming hadn't started yet, and the crew was busy setting up the set, while three girls were chatting in the shadows in a corner of the playground.

"Teacher Zhou, Teacher Zhang, aren't you really sisters?"

The girl who spoke was very tall and slender; she was Zhang Yifan, who played Hu Xiaodie in the drama.

This girl is 1.76 meters tall. If she wears high heels, not many male actors can act opposite her.

The second princess of TF Entertainment.

As for why she's called the "Second Princess," it's not because of any amazing background; it's just that when she signed with TF Entertainment, there were only two artists, and she was the second.

She was admitted to the Beijing Dance Academy this year with the highest score in her major. She studies ballet and is extremely confident when she dances.

However, this was her first time acting, and she was very nervous.

Zhou Ye rolled her eyes at her and lightly patted her arm with the script. "No, no, Xiao Fan, are you teasing us again?"

"Hehe~!" Zhang Yifan chuckled, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Teacher Zhou, just how handsome is Director Gu in real life? When I was watching 'Go Go Squid!', I stayed up for three nights straight for Han Shangyan, I was completely smitten with him!"

“Gu Yang isn’t very photogenic!” Zhou Ye said calmly.

??? ??? ???
"No way, Director Gu is even more handsome in real life?"

"Yes!" A hint of pride appeared on Zhou Ye's face.

“Really, Yifan, you’ll see when you meet Director Gu. She’s even more handsome than she appears on TV!” Zhang Jingyi suddenly chimed in.

Zhang Yifan's eyes widened: "He's even more handsome than on TV? That's too unfair! Sister Zhou, you're so lucky, you're even playing lovers in our second collaboration!"

“What happiness!” Zhou Ye sighed dramatically, his hair brushing against his reddened ear tips. “He insisted that no one but me could portray Chen Nian’s spirit. He blocked the company entrance, had someone deliver a handwritten script, and cried so much that snot bubbles came out of his nose.”

"I only agreed because I had no other choice!"

"..."

A gust of wind swept up a few withered leaves on the playground, causing Zhang Jingyi's eyelashes to tremble, while Zhang Yifan laughed so hard he couldn't straighten up.

This statement was too Versailles-esque, and both girls were dumbfounded.

"Sister Zhou, you and Director Gu were classmates, tell me about him back in school?"

Zhang Jingyi casually inquired, pretending not to care.

Just as Zhou Ye was about to speak, he suddenly narrowed his eyes warily.

No, there's a problem!

Why are you so curious about her boyfriend?

She originally didn't want to talk about it, but as a gossip enthusiast, her desire to share the gossip had been stirring for a long time and she couldn't suppress it.

She looked around and lowered her voice:

"Then let me tell you...?"

There's so much gossip about him...

"Do you know his nickname? Beijing Film Academy's 'Number One Simp'! Back then, the whole school knew about his pursuit of the most beautiful girl in the department. He would play guitar outside the girls' dormitory every day..."

Her little mouth is always agape, she just can't stop talking!

When Gu Yang arrived, the three girls all turned around.

Zhang Yifan's shoulders trembled as he tried to suppress his laughter, Zhang Jingyi frantically flipped through the script, while only Zhou Ye maintained an innocent expression as he watched him nonchalantly.

Gu Yang knew at a glance that his friend was talking badly about him again.

However, we didn't hold it against her on set, and at night we made her cry and beg for forgiveness.

Men who have been modified by the system are just that confident in this regard.

He strolled around and saw that the staff were busy but not yet ready.

So he wandered back to the girls.

"Come on, let me tell you about the play!"

"Tch!" Zhou Ye rolled her eyes at him, but still quickly sat down next to him.

"Thank you, Director Gu!"

"Yes, thank you for your help, Teacher Gu!"

Zhang Jingyi and Zhang Yifan were overjoyed, their bright eyes fixed on Gu Yang, not wanting to blink.

Gu Yang put his hands in his pockets, the hem of his black down jacket swaying slightly with his movements, and his gaze swept over the three faces one by one: "Let's start with Yifan, the one you played, Hu Xiaodie." "The core of this character is 'silent pain.' She is not simply a victim, but the last glimmer of light before being crushed by despair."

He bent down and picked up a withered leaf, twirling it between his fingers. "Just like this leaf, it's not completely withered yet, but it's been repeatedly battered by the wind and rain."

He suddenly leaned closer to Zhang Yifan and lowered his voice: "When Wei Lai splashes ink on your chair, don't just show fear. Let the audience see that in your eyes there is incomprehension at the malice, disappointment at being ignored by everyone, and even a glimmer of resistance that is about to be extinguished."

He pulled out Zhang Yifan's script and circled key passages: "When you stand on the edge of the rooftop, your body should lean slightly forward, not with fearful trembling, but with a longing for liberation. Remember, Hu Xiaodie wasn't pushed off; she chose to fall..."

Zhang Yifan subconsciously straightened his back and nodded, his throat tightening.

Although I didn't understand it, I felt that Gu Yang was super impressive.

When Gu Yang turned to Zhang Jingyi, his expression instantly turned cold, and his aura became oppressive: "Wei Lai, her evil is not a stereotypical form of wickedness."

He ripped the withered leaves apart, the fragments drifting towards Zhang Jingyi in the wind. "She's a devil disguised as a top student, using smiles and family background to mask her malice. Remember, every time you bully someone, your eyes should hold a condescending pleasure, but you should smile as if you're sharing candy."

Zhang Jingyi's pupils contracted slightly, and her fingers unconsciously tightened their grip on the script.

Gu Yang suddenly reached out, his fingertips almost touching the corner of her eye: "For example, right now, I am Hu Xiaodie, how do you expect me to feel a chill down my spine with a smile?"

"Ah? This..."

As a newcomer, Zhang Jingyi tried several times but failed to capture the feeling.

"Zhou Ye, you demonstrate!" Gu Yang suddenly turned around.

"Me?!" Zhou Yexing's eyes widened, her pink scarf swaying in the breeze. "Playing Wei Lai? I'm not suited for that..."

She stomped her foot, but deflated when she met Gu Yang's encouraging gaze, and muttered as she stood in front of Zhang Jingyi.

"Have you ever looked into the eyes of wild animals? They have no expression before they are captured and killed!"

"Zhou Ye, try to feel it!"

A cold wind swirled up withered leaves that brushed past his ankles, and Zhou Ye suddenly fell silent.

She lowered her eyes to adjust the collar of her school uniform, and when she looked up again, her eyelashes half-covered her eyes, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved into a perfect arc.

The smile was as sweet as honey, but the eyes held an icy edge, like a wolf in the polar wilderness slowly licking its fangs before tearing apart its prey.

Zhang Jingyi took a half step back, her back hitting the cold red brick wall.

At this moment, Zhou Ye was wearing the same blue and white school uniform, but he seemed like a completely different person!

She reached out and gently stroked Zhang Jingyi's cheek, her voice as soft as if coaxing a child: "Little butterfly, you fly more beautifully when your wings are broken."

The last syllable of her voice still carried a girlish coquettishness, which made everyone present shiver.

"Clap!" Gu Yang suddenly clapped his hands, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes. "That's the feeling! A smile that hides a knife isn't a forced smile; it's about letting the audience see the cannibalistic desire hidden behind that smile!"

He turned to look at Zhang Jingyi, who was still in a daze, and softened his tone, "Try to think of yourself as the one controlling the puppets. Those bullied classmates are just toys in your palm."

"Jingyi, you need to have your own understanding of this role!" Gu Yang gently patted Zhang Jingyi's shoulder, staring intently at her.

Suddenly, he felt a murderous aura coming from behind him. He quickly lowered his hand and pretended not to care.

“A good actor must have their own reactions when filming!” Gu Yang raised his voice slightly, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty, “because the script will never write your reactions.”

"For example, in this scene, the police question you, and your mother says you're naive. How should your expression reflect that?" Gu Yang leaned down slightly, staring into Zhang Jingyi's eyes.

"I..." Zhang Jingyi opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"You should have a calm expression, and then show a smile when the camera switches." Gu Yang said, slightly raising the corners of his mouth, his eyes revealing indifference and disdain, as he demonstrated.

"At that moment, when your mother said you were naive, and this policeman looked at you, you actually smiled like that!" Gu Yang emphasized, his eyes sharp. "Let the audience interpret the meaning for themselves! Like, 'What can you do to me? What can you do to me?'"

"This smile foreshadows the character of Wei Lai!" Gu Yang straightened up and crossed his arms. "After Wei Lai dies, the audience will feel that she deserved it."

"That's what an actor is all about. With just one performance, one expression, they can make the audience believe that such a person's existence is both justifiable and despicable!"

Gu Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, "A person like that probably won't have a good ending either. You deserve what you deserve..."

The moment Gu Yang finished speaking, the wind on the set seemed to stop.

Zhou Ye tilted her head back, her eyes filled with an unyielding infatuation as she looked at her boyfriend. The corners of her lips turned up uncontrollably, and even the tips of her ears were flushed with happiness.

She quietly moved half a step closer to Gu Yang, her hair brushing against his arm as if she could absorb more of his warmth.

Zhang Jingyi stared down at the crescent-shaped marks on the script made by her fingernails, her throat tightening so much that she could barely speak.

The way Gu Yang raised the corners of his mouth and the sharp smile in his eyes when he demonstrated felt like a needle piercing her heart.

She nodded, trying to appear calm, but when she looked up, she hurriedly avoided those deep eyes. The back of her ears burned, and she even had to breathe carefully, afraid of revealing the emotions surging in her heart.

"Director Gu, you're so handsome...!"

Only Zhang Yifan, at this moment, looked at Gu Yang with a carefree and adoring expression.

The light shining in her eyes was as fervent as a fangirl finally meeting her idol.

(End of this chapter)