My girlfriend was reborn.

Chapter 123 Mysterious Lord Seven Years Ago
“I have the script, Director Lu.”

Zhou Heming took out his copy, which he had received that morning. He had taken advantage of the noon break to carefully read through all the scenes he and Lu Bai appeared in and made some notes.

"This one is from the scene."

Lu Ban stuffed it into his hand.

Zhou Heming flipped through it and found that this was not the kind of script he had received, which was arranged in the order of the episodes, but rather a script divided into scenes.

For example, this one is an exterior scene of a hospital garden, with more than a dozen large scenes, divided into day and night.

A large scene is divided according to the actors' appearances. Scenes with the same actors are grouped together, but the shots they film may span a wide range.

For example, in this garden, there will be scenes of the female lead, Pear, appearing in both the first and last episodes, and during filming, the two scenes may be shot consecutively.

"Hello, teachers. I am Wu Yi. I would appreciate your guidance."

Wearing a white coat, Wu Yi, with her delicate and pretty face, nodded and bowed to Zhou Heming and Lu Bai.

She is twenty-three years old this year, but she looks like a high school student. Because idols need to dance and sing at the same time, they are not as thin as sticks as some other girls.

Judging solely from her appearance, since Zhou Heming had never seen her without makeup, he objectively and rationally assessed that she was slightly inferior to Lu Bai without makeup.

Somewhat surprisingly, this young idol was quite polite.

Zhou Heming had read entertainment novels about the film and television industry before, which usually featured arrogant and domineering celebrities who were quite repulsive.

Even more outrageous are those who have poor acting skills but are promoted by their looks and capital, and then turn around and instruct the screenwriters and directors.

Having heard that the lead actor was originally an idol and was essentially the one chosen by the investors, Zhou Heming felt a little uneasy.

"I'm not a teacher, I'm a complete novice too."

Zhou Heming nodded and bowed in response.

"This is Zhou Heming, he plays Chu Ze, the young man at the funeral home in episode seven. This is Lu Bai, he plays Su Wendie in that episode."

Lu Ban gave an introduction.

After a brief greeting, Lu Ban asked the three of them to read the script to Lu Bai first.

"This is a way to get into character quickly, especially if you're acting in an ancient drama. Going over the lines a few times beforehand will make it sound more natural."

Lu Bai is the youngest of the three, but she has been in the industry the longest, so she can be considered a senior.

"Sister Wu Yi, this is the scene you're going to be performing later, right? I'll play the teacher and go over the lines with you first."

Lu Bai opened the script in his hand, and it was clear that the photocopied script was covered with dense annotations.

Even though she only had one episode to herself, Lu Bai still read the entire script carefully. She had even discussed the theme of the drama with Zhou Heming beforehand. Clearly, she takes acting very seriously.

"it is good."

Wu Yi nodded in agreement and opened the script.

Zhou Heming glanced at it and saw that there were quite a few notes as well.

“Teacher, I study medicine to save people, not to watch them die.”

Wu Yi began to recite her lines.

"Xiao Wu, do you remember what I said in my first class about what's most important in studying medicine?"

Lu Bai recited the lines, his voice deep and weathered, truly like a doctor who had weathered countless storms and witnessed countless life and death events.

"It is about facing death."

Wu Yi seemed startled by Lu Bai's delivery of his lines, and her grip on the script faltered slightly. She paused for a moment before continuing to read.

Zhou Heming watched the two from the side. He didn't actually have a mission. He guessed that Lu Ban just wanted Lu Bai to mentor this little idol.

Without realizing it, his gaze fell on Lu Bai.

Even without any accompanying actions, even when he was just reading lines from the script, Lu Bai was very focused and engaged, which made him very charming.

Zhou Heming was momentarily lost in thought.

This scene is from the first episode, a conversation between the female lead, Riko, and her teacher. Riko, who originally studied medicine, wanted to heal the sick and save lives, but unexpectedly, she was assigned to the hospice ward to take care of patients who had lost their will to live and were quietly waiting for death.

This sets off the initial conflict of the series.

The plot of the first episode is that Riko comes into contact with a patient and discovers that he is not incurable; as long as the most advanced medical technology is used, he may be able to recover.

Therefore, Pear wanted to encourage him to actively seek treatment and save his life.

Later, Pear learned that the patient was actually a medical student. He knew very well that his condition could be cured, but that would require a lot of money and connections far beyond what he could possibly have.

For this patient, he would rather leave his savings and his final moments with his family than "possibilities".

This is the first setback that the naive and inexperienced Pear encountered in the workplace.

It wasn't until that patient passed away that Pear truly realized why the most important thing in studying medicine is "facing death."

Because death is inevitable and is the end for everyone, no matter how advanced the medical skills or how advanced the technology, mortals will eventually die.

Therefore, if doctors cannot face death, they will eventually succumb to the pressure and suffer a mental and physical breakdown.

"In real life, it would probably be like facing parting."

Zhou Heming thought to himself that for many people, parting is just one more time than reunion.

"Okay, this scene should be fine."

In the blink of an eye, the two had finished rehearsing their lines.

"Thank you for your guidance, teacher."

The young idol closed the script and bowed to Lu Bai in gratitude.

"I'm not really a teacher, I just help you practice your lines. If you have any performance opportunities in the future, just remember me, hahaha."

Lu Bai chuckled and casually pulled out his phone.

"Let's add each other on WeChat. I see you've set it so I can't add you through group chats."

They added each other on WeChat immediately.

Wow, you're really skilled in your work.

"Not at all, Mr. Lu Bai's delivery of lines was really good. I almost thought it was really Mr. Zhao."

The young idol seems quite ambitious.

Teacher Zhao is the actress who plays the female lead's teacher. Due to makeup, costumes, and equipment adjustments, filming will not begin for some time.

She then looked at Zhou Heming.

"Professor Zhou Heming, please give me some guidance then."

"I am a complete newbie, a genuine newbie, and an indisputable newbie."

Zhou Heming guessed that the other party might have thought he was being modest, but he was indeed telling the truth.

"We're about to start filming."

The stagehand came over and informed them.

"Goodbye, teachers. I'll be going now."

The young idol politely said goodbye and followed the production assistant to the filming location.

Lu Bai waved at her.

"Come on~"

It felt like a teacher encouraging kindergarten children.

Zhou Heming had to admire Lu Bai's social skills.

"The film set is a society based on personal connections. Unless there is a powerful financial backer, many roles are not really indispensable. Opportunities depend on connections."

Lu Bai snorted and looked over with a smile.

Were you stunned just now?

".yes."

Zhou Heming spoke the truth.

His biggest flaw in life is that he can't lie.

"They're about to start, let's go check it out."

Lu Bai took Zhou Heming's hand and led him to the filming location.

Lu Ban sat on a camping chair, holding a script in his hand. Several pieces of equipment were set up beside him. Under the summer sun of Sichuan, two actors wearing white coats were walking in the shade of the trees in the garden.

The scene is the one where Lu Bai helped with the acting earlier.

However, after Lu Ban called a halt and the two finished their performance, Zhou Heming was a little puzzled.

"how?"

Seeing Zhou Heming's confused look, Lu Bai took advantage of the moment when the others were checking on the monitor to pull him aside and asked in a low voice.

"It felt like the two of you didn't perform as well as you and her when you were rehearsing your lines. How come this take passed?"

Wu Yi and Teacher Zhao only needed two takes to get it right, but Zhou Heming felt that their performance wasn't quite at its best yet, and there was still a slight sense of awkwardness.

"This is normal. We're not making a theatrical blockbuster, it's just a web series."

Lu Bai smiled.

"Even if Director Lu scrutinizes the details and acting skills, the two of them, well, mainly Wu Yi, can't improve too much in a short period of time. This isn't the most important scene, so this is enough."

"It does make sense."

Zhou Heming nodded slightly.

"That's how filming is, it's an art of compromise. If you had enough time and money, everyone would want to make a flawless film, but cost and time are urging everyone to hurry up."

Lu Bai shrugged, looking at the actors who had already started filming the next scene. "Filming is a process of compromise step by step. Some directors can indeed only make one film over several years, but most of us are just working people trying to make a living. Even if the actors feel it's not good and want to reshoot, they have to ask the director, production assistant, cameraman, lighting technicians, and other staff if they are willing to work overtime together."

"The term 'working class' is really apt."

Zhou Heming realized that filmmaking was not a purely artistic creation, but a commercial activity.

"Therefore, the limited budget should be invested in the places where funds are most needed. The same applies to acting. Don't be fooled by Director Lu's lenient attitude now. When it comes to scenes that require emotional outbursts, he can be very strict."

Lu Bai smiled slyly.

Is it strict?

Zhou Heming couldn't help but feel a little worried.

At least in his episode, the wedding scene was quite important, and Zhou Heming wasn't confident that he could reach a sufficient level of acting skill in a short period of time.

Despite his current criticism of Wu Yi and the others' performances, Zhou Heming himself feels that he is completely inferior to this young idol.

"Don't worry, most of your scenes will be with me. I'll help you get into character. You just need to memorize your lines. Well, if you really can't, just say one, two, three, four, five and I can still keep up with the scene."

Lu Bai noticed Zhou Heming's worry and immediately squeezed his hand to comfort him.

"One, two, three, four, five?"

Zhou Heming was puzzled.

"That's right. Nowadays, some actors can't remember their lines, or their lines are flawed, so they directly replace the lines with numbers like one, two, three, four, five. When they're acting, they'll count one, two, three, four, five on one side and recite their lines normally on the other."

Lu Bai explained it with great seriousness, as if he had mentioned some gossip.

"Is this still possible?"

Zhou Heming felt that he had underestimated the film and television industry.

"If an actor can't remember his lines, what's the point of having him act? Is he handsome?"

"bingo!"

Lu Bai snapped his fingers, then spread his hands, as if speaking helplessly.

"Although looks are a basic requirement in this industry, there are definitely differences in appearance. If you are good-looking, you can really make a living in the film and television industry."

"Okay, it seems I'm not really suited to be an actor."

"No way, you're quite suitable. Although objectively speaking, you're not the most handsome type, but when you dress up, you have a lot of charisma, like a melancholic and profound intellectual."

Lu Bai gently brushed away the tiny petals that had fallen from Zhou Heming's hair.

"And he's my favorite person."

"Is that so?"

Zhou Heming cleared his throat and looked away.

Perhaps it was because of the hot weather, but both of their faces turned slightly red, and they fell silent for a moment.

*
Filming in Chengdu is proceeding smoothly.

The actors gradually got into character, and the idol, who was the lead actress, became more and more composed starting from the second day. This contrasted sharply with her awkwardness on the first day, much like the transformation of a newcomer to a seasoned doctor.

Was this also part of your calculations, Director Lu?
Zhou Heming had to admit that his criticism of the acting on the first day was premature.

There weren't many night scenes, and the crew went to rest after 10 p.m.

However, Zhou Heming would still bother Cui Ming a bit to ask about the script.

Like today.

"It would be best if the film could participate in the College Student Film Festival. Such a film is suitable for selection, but it would be inappropriate to actually release it in theaters."

In the hotel room, Cui Ming touched the unlit pipe and said.

Under his guidance, Zhou Heming revised the script to a movie version. After all, in terms of cost, a 100-minute movie is cheaper than a 20-episode TV series in the urban slice-of-life genre.

If the actors also come in person, and that part of the cost is deducted, and equipment is rented, using existing campus sets, a well-made film can be made for less than 400,000 yuan.

Moreover, TV series and movies have completely different distribution channels. For newcomers who want to make a name for themselves, making short films and participating in film festivals is the most suitable option.

Zhou Heming also learned for the first time that there are many intricacies to filming equipment. For example, theatrical films generally use cinema cameras with high-specification sensors or film stock preferred by certain directors. The resolution, dynamic range, and color performance of these cameras are far superior to those of ordinary cameras.

This is why there is a noticeable difference in the visual quality between movies and TV series; movies tend to have a softer, more muted look, while TV series tend to have a brighter, more vibrant look.

The costs of the two are naturally vastly different.

Therefore, photography is not only an art, but also an art of saving money.

"Speaking of which, if you want to participate in a film festival and are looking for investment or publicity, I do have an opportunity."

Cui Ming picked up the pipe, took a puff, and put it down.

"what chance?"

Zhou Heming was curious.

"There's a reality show for college students who go to the northwest to teach and do farm work. The requirements are that they be freshmen, can be on camera, and have something unique. Filming will start around September after the start of the semester. The producer of this show is an old friend of mine. He said that they are still short of ordinary people to participate."

Cui Ming replied.

"What do you mean? Are you suggesting I participate in a variety show?"

Zhou Heming thought that this variety show probably didn't need him to write the script.

"Yes, Director Lu also mentioned to me that if you can participate, it will be a way to promote our drama. The time when the variety show is broadcast coincides with the time when our drama is released, which can help us generate some buzz."

Cui Ming tapped the table with his finger.

"If you participate and perform well, it will be much easier to help you attract investment later. People these days just like hype."

"Is this going to be some kind of college student dating reality show or something?"

Zhou Heming feels that he has some stereotypes about variety shows.

"Hahaha, not at all. It's a positive educational variety show. Of course, if a romance develops during the show, the production team would probably be happy to see it."

Cui Ming smiled.

"What if Lu Bai and I both participate?"

Zhou Heming thought of it.

"Like, well, at the beginning we seemed to be just ordinary classmates, but after the web series was released, it was discovered that we played a couple in the show, and then it was revealed on a variety show that we were actually a couple. Wouldn't that generate even more buzz?"

Upon hearing Zhou Heming's words, Cui Ming remained silent for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.

"You can even use yourself; you're really suited for this circle."

He picked up his pipe.

"However, I need to discuss this with the producer, and you should also talk to Lu Bai. After all, not everyone wants their private life exposed to the public eye."

"Ah, indeed."

Although Lu Bai had said many times before that she didn't care about making their relationship public, using it on a TV show to generate buzz was another matter entirely.

Zhou Heming immediately picked up his phone and sent a message to Lu Bai upstairs about the matter.

My phone vibrated almost immediately.

[Lu Bai]: Great!!!

[Lu Bai]: Of course, no problem!!!
[Lu Bai]: Zhou Heming, you're a true genius!!!

[Lu Bai]: I love you [heart][heart]
It seems Ms. Lu Bai is already impatient.

"She really is something else. I thought she would never act again because of that incident, but I didn't expect her to be so proactive now, and to perform so well."

Upon hearing the news from Zhou Heming, Cui Ming remarked with considerable emotion.

"that matter?"

Zhou Heming pricked up his ears.

"Hmm, didn't she tell you?"

Cui Ming was taken aback and touched his chin.

"No. Is it something that involves privacy or that's inconvenient to disclose?"

Zhou Heming had some guesses: what Cui Ming said might be related to the "people Lu Bai killed".

"Not really. You should be able to find it by searching online. But you should ask Lu Bai for more details. I'll just mention one thing: didn't Director Lu ask you before if you knew the legend of Crane Cry Mountain?"

Cui Ming looked at Zhou Heming.

"There is a selection ceremony for the Mysterious Lord that has been passed down since ancient times at Heming Mountain. One person is selected to parade through the streets in full regalia to celebrate. It's a local indigenous belief system, and it takes place in Heming Township at the foot of Heming Mountain."

"Yes, I saw this online before."

Zhou Heming answered truthfully.

"It seems to happen once every seven years, and this year happens to be the time for it to be held again."

"Yes, the sacrificial ceremony for each generation of Xuanjun selection is just a formality, or a tourism and cultural project, but the one seven years ago, there did seem to be some kind of [abnormality]."

Cui Ming's expression was solemn and serious.

"【abnormal】?"

Zhou Heming felt a jolt in his heart.

"Only Director Lu and Lu Bai, who were there in person, probably know the specifics. In short, something terrible happened back then, which led to someone's death. I can only tell you this much."

After a pause, Cui Ming spoke softly.

"The Xuanjun chosen seven years ago was Lu Bai."

*
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(End of this chapter)