Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, the Diary of a 95 Flower

"I'm taking advantage of you," Bai Lu laughed.

"Are you sick in the head? You called Jiang Yang a pervert, but you are the one who is."

"Kiss me again."

"Stop playing, we don't have time."

"You only kissed me halfway, how about you give me back half?"

"Ugh, you're disgusting." Liu Haochun let go of Bai Lu's hand, and seeing that Bai Lu had recovered her composure, she pushed Bai Lu away.

They soon got down to business.

Turn the pages.

The script later describes Bai Lu holding onto the half of the jade pendant, wanting to refute it and recount how her brother practiced shooting late at night and how he promised to take her back to their hometown after the war.

But before he could finish speaking, he retorted, "Don't cause trouble here. What can someone like you do besides hold us back?"

He shut Bai Lu down.

The general only glanced at her and said, "The war is of utmost importance; this matter can be discussed later."

He then turned and entered the military tent, leaving her with a resolute back view.

The wind outside the tent whipped up sand and dust, blinding her and extinguishing her last glimmer of hope.

The surrounding soldiers cast sympathetic or impatient glances at him, and some whispered among themselves, "They're really overestimating themselves."

Someone sighed, "It's pitiful as it may be, but they don't even consider the timing."

Bai Lu's character stands still, the sunlight dazzling, yet unable to warm her icy fingertips.

She watched as the curtain of the military tent slowly fell, like an insurmountable barrier.

Suddenly I realized that my brother's injustice might never be cared about by anyone.

She wasn't seeking fame or fortune; she simply wanted her brother's efforts to be recognized, to show everyone that her brother was no nobody, and that she wasn't a useless person who only knew how to cry.

Up to this point, all the scenes were scenes that Bai Lu had acted in before.

This is the background for the scene Bai Lu is about to film.

Today's final scene is about Bai Lu leaving the military camp and arriving in the market, where she finally says her line: "I'm not a waste, I have a bright future!"

It cannot be a passionate or impassioned emotion.

Because in the script, this character knows he is about to die.

In other words, from beginning to end, he was seen as useless and a burden by the characters in the story. He wanted to change things, but in this chaotic world, he was powerless. His family was destroyed, he struggled to survive, and soon died.

Therefore, the emotions should be one of resentment, regret, and despair.

How can we improve Bai Lu's acting skills?

Liu Haochun had no idea, because she herself had never studied acting, but she had been trained in acting skills by Jiang Yang.

We can only try to imitate Jiang Yang's method.

I remember the day I auditioned for a role in "Fighter of the Destiny".

I really want to try my best to imitate Jiang Yang at this moment and enter the state of Jiang Yang when he was training her to act.

But I know.

Can't do it at all.

He doesn't have the kind of acting skills that Jiang Yang possesses, where he can effortlessly get into character anytime, anywhere.

So we had no choice but to follow her method.

"Bai Lu, didn't you tell me about what the judges said to you when you were eliminated from SM Entertainment in Korea?"

"Yes, I'll never forget that day, even when I'm eighty. Those judges were disgusting, they..."

Bai Lu recalled that scene.

He muttered a few words under his breath.

It suddenly stopped.

Because I saw Liu Haochun take off her hair ornament.

He carried a folding chair and sat down in front of her.

Using a foam box as a table, I crossed my legs, took out paper and pen, and quickly wrote a form on it.

It's the evaluation form from when I was eliminated at SM Entertainment.

Her name was written on it.

Technique, performance, facial expression management, sense of rhythm.

All of them received the worst ratings.

"Bai Lu, your movements are stiff, your timing is off, and you lack any appeal. You're wasting practice time."

"The pitch is inconsistent, the breath is unstable, and the emotions are superficial."

"His eyes are vacant, he lacks camera presence, and he doesn't seem like a promising idol."

"Lacking outstanding strengths, timid personality, and unsuitable for training, it is recommended to eliminate him/her."

After Liu Haochun finished speaking.

Draw a big cross in the bottom right corner of the table.

Hear the words.

Bai Lu's body stiffened, and she couldn't smile.

Even though she knew Liu Haochun was helping her get into character, she still forced a smile in physical resistance: "Haochun, don't do this."

I don't want to go back to that day.

I don't want to think about what happened that day.

Liu Haochun leaned back in the folding chair, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and her long, loose hair slid down to her shoulders, covering half of her face.

It was the same hairstyle that judge had back then.

Only a pair of cold eyes were visible as he stared intently at Bai Lu: "Bai Lu, did the judges say the same thing about you back then? That your movements were stiff, that your eyes were empty, that you were unteachable?"

Every word is like a needle, piercing into Bailu's memories.

Bai Lu lowered her head slightly.

She didn't dare to look Liu Haochun in the eye.

Fingertips clenched tightly, nails dug deep into palms.

She remembered that cold testing room, where the glaring incandescent light made it impossible for her to open her eyes.

The five judges sat opposite him, their faces expressionless, their pens scribbling on the paper, making the same sound as Liu Haochun writing.

That female PD, who was also the female judge at the time, looked at her with her arms crossed in front of her chest, her long hair loose, and her eyes cold. She said the words that she would remember for the rest of her life: "Even if you train for another ten years, you will never become a star. You should give up as soon as possible and stop wasting resources. To be honest, you are really bad, like a piece of trash."

She stood there, her whole body ice-cold.

Like now, I clench my fingertips tightly.

I want to argue. I want to say I can do it, I can train hard!
But the words were cut off by the judges' indifferent gazes.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not let them fall.

I'm afraid of being told I can't even control my emotions.

"Didn't you want to shout it out back then? To tell them you weren't useless, that you could do it?" Liu Haochun's voice suddenly rose a little.

There was a deliberate sarcasm in her tone: "But you don't dare. You can only stand there and listen to them deny you, trampling all your efforts underfoot, right?"

Bai Lu's lips trembled, and tears welled up instantly.

I wanted to refute it, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Yes, that's exactly how she was back then.

Despite practicing for so long, she only slept four hours a day.

My knees were covered in bruises, and my voice was hoarse from practicing.

In the end, all I got was, "Unfit for training, like a piece of trash."

That kind of unwillingness.

That kind of regret.

The despair of having your entire effort completely rejected is exactly the same as the mindset of the character you're about to play.

In the script, the special character she was to play wanted to seek justice for her brother and tell everyone that her brother was not an unknown person, but she couldn't do it. She wanted to prove that she was not useless, but in this chaotic world, she was powerless and could only face death.

Back in South Korea, she wanted to prove herself as an outstanding idol and make her parents proud, but she failed and had to return home with a lot of scars.

"Bai Lu, now that you've signed with Jiang Yang's company, with Jiang Yang guiding you, with my help, and with Chao Yuexi and Wei Ruonan, we'll all be there to support your growth. What are you still hesitating for!"

Liu Haochun leaned forward, his hands resting on the styrofoam box, his eyes sharp as knives, and said, word by word, just like the judges had when announcing the results years ago:
"Say what you didn't say back then, say all the resentment, regret, and despair in your heart! Not to me, not to the judges, but to yourself, to the rejected, wronged self. You see the future, tell your past self... you are not useless, you have a bright future!"

Bai Lu looked at the glaring score sheet that Liu Haochun had hastily drawn up.

The fonts are different.

The paper is different too.

It's exactly the same as I remember!
Looking at Liu Haochun's face, which perfectly mirrored the judges' indifference.

The grievances of the past and the despair of the character at this moment intertwined instantly, overwhelming her.

She took out the jade pendant prop from her pocket.

Clutching it in my hand.

He gently pushed open the door to the storage room.

The moment the door was pushed open a crack, the noise from the film set rushed in.

The humming sound of the generator.

The stagehands were shouting for the prop truck to be moved.

The smell of dust mixed with the afternoon sunlight instantly brought Bai Lu back to the filming location.

Further ahead.

About twenty extras, dressed in coarse ancient costumes, stood in twos and threes under the shade of the trees, waiting for their turn.

A young man in a gray short-sleeved shirt was looking down at his phone, typing rapidly. It was his first time in Hengdian, and he had become an extra. He was letting his family know he was safe.

Two older women huddled together, whispering about the audition scene they had just witnessed: "You know, Bai Lu has it tough. The director was so strict. I would have panicked long ago if I were in that situation."

"That's right. We extras are fine, we just stand in the background. The main actors are under a lot more pressure."

There was also a girl wearing glasses, holding a script in her hand, occasionally muttering a few lines. She was probably preparing for a small role later on, a guest actor in the next scene.

Guo Jianyong stood with his hands behind his back next to the monitor, his brows furrowed, chatting with the assistant director beside him.

"We've been waiting for almost half an hour. If Bailu still can't find her rhythm, we'll miss the transition time."

"I just had my assistant urge her twice. They said Liu Haochun is helping her adjust inside. Jiang Yang is good at training actors, but Liu Haochun herself is still a newcomer. Can she handle it?"

Just chatting.

Suddenly, a voice called out "Director!" interrupted Guo Jianyong.

It’s Bai Lu’s voice.

He turned his head to look.

He saw that Bai Lu had come to his side, close to the monitor.

Her fingertips were icy cold, her eyes were red-rimmed, and her voice trembled with suppressed emotion, yet every word was clear, filled with resentment and despair, as she uttered the final line of the scene: "I'm not a waste, I have a bright future..."

This time, she didn't panic.

There was no deliberate performance.

Only after years of suppressed emotions finally found an outlet.

Guo Jianyong paused for two seconds, then a surprised smile appeared on his face: "Bai Lu, you can do it! I knew it!"

I won't say much more.

I'm afraid that the White Dew solar term might emerge from this state at any time.

Guo Jianyong, holding the walkie-talkie, said, "All departments in position, lights in place, camera on, Bailu is in action..."

Everyone seemed so lazy and listless.

Guo Jianyong shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone, get the hell moving!! Action!!!"

Yang Chaoyue was chatting with his makeup assistant about the recent trending topic of the falling out between Guo Degang and Cao Yunjing when he heard a noise and was startled.

Seeing the photographer moving the slide rails, the team leader called to the extras to move into position.

Yang Chaoyue hurriedly pulled his makeup assistant to the side steps to avoid any mishaps during filming.

Looking back, his gaze fell on Bai Lu, who was walking towards the film set, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

She had read Bai Lu's script.

I know what Bai Lu will be performing next.

I noticed that Bai Lu's eyes were still red, but she no longer seemed flustered.

Her eyes were slightly moist.

It exudes a stubborn tenacity.

It's just like the character in the script who clutches his brother's belongings, knowing it's futile but still wants to fight for justice.

It was a look in his eyes that was a mixture of resentment, regret, and a hint of despair.

And hidden deep within is a glimmer of light that refuses to admit defeat.

It was exactly the feeling that Bai Lu had failed to find despite numerous previous attempts.

And now, Bai Lu's state is as if she stepped right out of a script.

Yang Chaoyue didn't disturb Bai Lu. His gaze followed Bai Lu's movements as he murmured softly, saying in a Yancheng accent, "My goodness, Bai Lu's got it all figured out!" (End of Chapter)