Huayu, my cheat code is a bit strange.

Chapter 84 The Producer's Counterattack (Please read, recommend, anything!)

Liu Yifei took a deep breath and said, word by word, "Are you serious?"

Seeing her serious expression, Gu Xiao coughed twice guiltily: "Okay, I stole it from a thief."

Liu Yifei blinked. "A thief?"

Gu Xiao explained, "I was borrowing someone's car when I happened to see someone using this to steal a car, so I caught the thief and beat him up. Just then, the car owner arrived, so I slipped him some money and borrowed the car."

Liu Yifei asked curiously, "What about the thief?"

Gu Xiaowei pouted slightly, "How would I know? Most likely, you'll get a beating somewhere."

These days, regulations are lax; if you get caught stealing, you're almost guaranteed to get a beating.

Liu Yifei's lips twitched. She looked around, leaned closer, and whispered, "Be careful when you return it. Don't let anyone find out."

Although beating up a thief is not a big deal, the media's ability to exaggerate is top-notch, and who knows how it will end up being reported?

Furthermore, Producer Zhang would certainly not let go of any opportunity to deal with Gu Xiao. If he were to say anything vague in front of the media, Gu Xiao would be unable to clear her name no matter what.

Gu Xiao was naturally aware of this as well.

He looked up at the sky and reassured them:

"Don't worry, it's actually quite difficult for outsiders to follow me."

Liu Yifei followed his gaze and saw only a few birds flying across the sky; otherwise, there was nothing else. She looked puzzled.
"What do you mean? What are you looking at?"

Gu Xiao looked away and said calmly, "It's nothing."

Liu Yifei gritted her teeth, about to pounce and bite, when she suddenly heard a soft cough behind her.

Her movements suddenly froze, her neck cracking as she turned. She saw Liu Xiaoli standing not far away, arms crossed, staring at them expressionlessly.

"Mom, Mom." Liu Yifei instantly transformed from a fierce little wildcat into a docile little quail.

Liu Xiaoli's gaze swept between the two, finally landing on Gu Xiao, her tone flat:

"Xiao Gu, Director Zhou wants to see you. He says he wants to talk to you about tomorrow's scene."

“Okay, Auntie.” Gu Xiao calmly stood up and silently walked past the two of them.

After he walked away, Liu Xiaoli went to her daughter's side and whispered:

"What kind of behavior is this, in public?"

Liu Yifei pouted, feeling wronged. "He made me angry first!"

Looking at her daughter's appearance, Liu Xiaoli sighed helplessly.

……

……

When Gu Xiao found Zhou Xiaowen, he and Zhao Jian were standing behind the monitor, gesturing and discussing something.

"You're here?" Zhou Xiaowen glanced at him. "How are the preparations going?"

“No problem,” Gu Xiao said.

Zhao Jian chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "I heard you came on a motorcycle? Not bad, kid, that's pretty cool."

Gu Xiao remained unfazed: "It's just a means of transportation."

Zhou Xiaowen snorted coldly: "Stop talking nonsense. Tomorrow we'll be filming your first scene with Hu Jun, the one where Duan Yu is rescued by Qiao Feng. There aren't too many fight scenes; it's mainly for you to get familiar with the action."

Before he could finish speaking, a staff member rushed over: "Director Zhou, Producer Zhang wants you to come over."

Zhou Xiaowen frowned: "What is it?"

The staff member lowered their voice: "It seems the filming schedule has been adjusted."

Zhou Xiaowen's face instantly darkened, and Zhao Jian immediately lowered his head, pretending not to hear.

Zhou Xiaowen took a deep breath, calmed her anger, and said to Gu Xiao, "You go back first, and wait for my notification."

Gu Xiao responded and turned to leave.

When he returned to the rest area, Liu Yifei and Liu Xiaoli were no longer there. He was happy to have some peace and quiet, so he lay back down in the folding chair and continued to rest with his eyes closed.

But before he could even settle in, the executive producer's assistant brought him a call sheet.

Gu Xiao glanced at the contents and calmly looked at her assistant: "Makeup at four o'clock?"

The assistant felt uneasy under his gaze and forced a smile as he explained, "Producer Zhang said the weather forecast predicts rain tomorrow afternoon, so it's best to start filming early."

Gu Xiao folded the notice and stuffed it into her pocket, then lay back down in her chair: "Understood."

The reaction was so calm that it made the assistant somewhat uneasy.

He opened his mouth, but ultimately left silently.

……

……

At four o'clock the next day, it was pitch black.

A car was parked outside the film set. Gu Xiao got out of the car and led Xiao Jiu into the film set.

The scene was quiet. Apart from the art and photography teams checking the equipment, there were only a few makeup artists sitting together chatting.

When Gu Xiao arrived on time, their faces showed a complex mix of surprise and sympathy.

Gu Xiao glanced across the area, secretly shaking her head, thinking that someone's tricks were really low-level and childish.

"Ms. Gu, this way please, let's start with the makeup." An older makeup artist came forward, her tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Gu Xiao didn't say anything and followed her to the makeshift dressing room.

Costume design for period dramas is indeed troublesome.

Especially for a noble young master like Duan Yu, it took more than an hour just to put on and style the wig.

After the makeup artist fixed the headpiece, the next step was to apply makeup to the face, including foundation, eyebrows, and lip color. Every step was done with meticulous care.

When Gu Xiao changed into that moon-white scholar's robe, hung up the jade pendant, and walked out of the dressing room, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

The set remained deserted, with only a few staff members busy at work. Clearly, this abrupt "early morning session" had disrupted the rhythm of many people's lives.

It wasn't until after six in the morning that director Zhou Xiaowen appeared on set with messy hair and a livid face.

He spotted Gu Xiao, who was already prepared and quietly reading the script, and paused, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

He strode over, picked up the notice that Gu Xiao had placed on the chair next to him, glanced at it, and his expression darkened even more.

"Where is Zhang Jizhong?" Zhou Xiaowen looked around, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

The executive director rushed over and whispered, "Producer Zhang said he needs to plan the shooting schedule, so there's no need for him to come and oversee it personally."

Zhou Xiaowen pursed her lips, suppressing the urge to curse.

He looked at Gu Xiao, his tone tinged with apology: "Why don't you go and take a nap in the rest area?"

Gu Xiao looked up and chuckled, "Never mind, the makeup artist worked so hard to create this look, let's not mess it up."

Zhou Xiaowen remained silent for a few seconds, and without pressing the issue, she directly beckoned to the cameraman and lighting director to begin explaining the scene.

With plenty of time to spare, Zhou Xiaowen explained in great detail, and Gu Xiao also offered her own ideas from time to time. The group gathered together and discussed things in greater depth, creating a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.

Time flew by and it was already seven o'clock, and filming officially began.

Lighting, photography, and sound recording—all departments quickly got into position.

The stuntmen playing the henchmen of Western Xia took their positions.

Hu Jun had also put on makeup and was wearing a coarse linen outfit, standing on the sidelines with her arms crossed.

"Scene 24 of 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,' Scene 1, First Scene!"

"Action!"

With a crisp snap, the clapperboard snapped, and filming officially began!
(End of this chapter)