Huayu Entertainment: The Birth of a Succubus Top Star

Another busy day of filming came to an end, and the director specially arranged a small team-building dinner. There was no extravagance; it was held in a quiet private restaurant in Hengdian, where the lead actors and several core staff members went together.

After removing their period costumes, the group, dressed in simple casual clothes, took their seats in a private room. The fatigue from filming in the high temperatures of the past few days eased slightly, and the atmosphere became relaxed and lively.

During the meeting, the director talked about the character Xie Zheng and couldn't help but sigh: "The sense of restraint in Xie Zheng is very difficult to grasp. Many actors tend to portray him with a cold face throughout, but you were able to bring out the layers of surging emotions inside."

Yan Yikuan chimed in, "Gu's acting skills are truly superb. We've worked together many times, and honestly, I'm impressed!"

Liu Lin nodded in deep agreement: "That's right. I rarely admire other people's acting skills, but I admire Xiao Gu's acting skills."

Gu Zhiyan humbly replied, "You seniors are too kind. The script is well-founded, and the overall atmosphere of the crew is also good. I just tried my best to immerse myself in the life of this fallen marquis."

Kong Xueer sat diagonally opposite, resting her chin on her hand as she listened to their conversation. She then chimed in, "I watched the whole thing on the monitor today and noticed a lot of subtle movements in the shots that I never notice when I'm filming myself."

"If you want to see it later, you can come over anytime during the on-set debriefing," Gu Zhiyan said.

The director quickly nodded. In this film crew, Gu Zhiyan was the most powerful person; his words were law.

During the meal, they talked about many funny anecdotes from filming: the heavy headdress made their necks ache, they almost stumbled when they stepped on the hem of their long ancient costume dress, and the artificial snowflakes that fell into their collars and made them shiver. They told jokes about these little things, and the room was filled with laughter.

Gu Zhiyan chatted with the director and others, while Tian Xiwei whispered to Kong Xueer.

"Sister Xue'er, why haven't you made a move yet?"

"I...I just haven't found an opportunity yet," Kong Xueer replied, quite embarrassed.

"Opportunities come every day," Tian Xiwei rolled her eyes. "You need to be bold and proactive!"

"Uh, okay." Kong Xueer nodded.

Tian Xiwei shook her head speechlessly: "Sigh, I really can't do anything with you. Today is a great opportunity. After dinner, go to Xiaoyan's room and I'll give you the room key."

"Ah, this...this..." Kong Xueer stammered.

"What are you talking about! Stop talking nonsense, take it," Tian Xiwei pulled out the room card and slapped it into Kong Xueer's hand. "If you don't take the initiative this time, I won't help you anymore."

"Well... okay then."

Kong Xueer took the room key and began to plan her actions for the night.

Tian Xiwei glanced at Kong Xueer, who seemed lost in thought, and secretly rejoiced. Success!

Finally, I've found someone to share the burden!

After the dinner, everyone took their own cars back to their hotels to rest.

Kong Xueer clutched the script, which was folded with many markings, hesitated for a moment in front of the door, and then gently knocked on the door.

Although she had the room card given to her by Tian Xiwei, she still felt too embarrassed to swipe it and go in directly.

The door opened, and Gu Zhiyan, who had just finished showering, was wearing a loose, dark-colored loungewear shirt, her hair still slightly damp. Upon seeing the person who came in, she stepped aside to let Kong Xueer into the room.

"Why is Xue'er here?"

"Brother Xiaoyan, there's a scene I've been struggling to figure out. I'd like to ask you for advice. Am I disturbing your rest?" Kong Xueer walked into the room with the script in her hand, her voice soft.

"It's alright," Gu Zhiyan said, gesturing to the living room sofa. "Sit down. Which part are you unsure about?"

He had promised Kong Xueer to coach her acting, but he never expected her to come to his door in the middle of the night.

Kong Xueer turned to the page with the folded corner, which was a scene of the character being alone late at night, lost in thought.

"I've always struggled with this scene where I'm gazing at the moon at night. I'm filled with grievances, but I can't just let the tears fall directly. I have to suppress them. I don't know where to channel my emotions."

She really couldn't grasp the emotions in this scene.

Gu Zhiyan moved half an inch closer to Kong Xueer's side, his fingertip pointing to the corresponding line on the script. The two were very close, and the light fell on them, making the air feel inexplicably soft.

"Don't force yourself to act sad," Gu Zhiyan said in a low voice. "Think about it first. The character has an unspeakable secret in their heart. When they look up at the moon, the first thing that comes to mind is not tears, but a moment of blankness. Let your eyes go blank for half a second, slow down your breathing, and then slowly bring your emotions back. The tears can be held back in your eyes and don't have to fall."

Kong Xueer listened attentively and subconsciously moved closer, her nose almost able to smell the faint scent of Xiao Yan's toiletries.

She tried to rehearse it quietly, but her expression still looked a little stiff.

"Let's try again." Gu Zhiyan's gaze fell on her eyes, his tone calm. "Try to lower your center of gravity, relax your shoulders, don't tense up."

He reached out, his fingertips lightly touching Kong Xueer's shoulder, merely reminding her to relax her tense muscles, without touching her much.

But as soon as the touch landed, Kong Xueer's body stiffened slightly, her ear tips quickly flushed red, and she hurriedly lowered her eyes, her heart skipping a beat.

Gu Zhiyan quickly withdrew his hand, seemingly unaware of the other person's sudden panic, and continued to analyze the details of the performance: "Emotions are hidden in pauses, not on the face. Often, leaving things unsaid is more captivating than direct expression."

Kong Xueer responded softly, readjusted herself, and performed the scene as Gu Zhiyan had instructed.

This time, her absent-mindedness, restraint, and the pent-up grievances in her eyes came out layer by layer, and her whole state was much clearer.

"Much better." Gu Zhiyan smiled slightly, her eyes showing a hint of approval.

The room was warmly lit, and the two people sat very close together. During a brief silence between discussions of their lines, no one spoke, only the quiet atmosphere flowed by, and a faint hint of ambiguity quietly spread.

Kong Xueer dared not look directly into Gu Zhiyan's eyes for long, her gaze drifting away from time to time, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the corner of the script.

After a long silence, as if she had made up her mind, Kong Xueer suddenly leaned into Gu Zhiyan's arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and boldly looked him straight in the eye: "Brother Yan, can you teach me something else?"

What should we teach?

I understand everything I understand.

What followed was naturally a thoroughly enjoyable teaching session.