Huayu: Serious director, who's eavesdropping on your thoughts?

"You're too naive; you don't understand the wickedness of people's hearts."

Looking at the pitiful Li Qingrou, Chen Feng felt a surge of pity and reached out to put his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

Li Qingrou, however, instinctively shrank back as if startled:

"Young Master Chen, please don't... I'm not a casual person."

Chen Feng's hand hovered in mid-air; far from being angry, he admired it even more.

He can have any woman he wants with a snap of his fingers; we've got plenty of money!

But he had never met anyone as virtuous as Li Qingrou, and that was precisely why he liked her even more.

"Alright, don't let this trash ruin your mood. Let's read some books by Da Lantian together and cleanse our souls." Chen Feng picked up the manuscript again.

Li Qingrou looked at the coal mine heir who was obsessed with tomb raiding novels and a barely perceptible sneer appeared on her lips.

Ha, you idiot.

But as long as the knife is fast enough, who cares if the person wielding it is an idiot?

Zhao Huaiyuan, huh? Serves you right for being so arrogant and for insulting me!

..

At 2 PM,

Zhao Huaiyuan, Director Zhang, Ning Hao, Cao Yu, Sun Li, and Huang Bo, each with a script in hand, sat together.

"In this scene, Zhang Yong'an is eating instant noodles in the basement; the sense of loneliness needs to be conveyed..."

Zhao Huaiyuan was holding a pen, analyzing the character's psychology for everyone, word by word.

Just then, Ning Hao suddenly paused, his eyes fixed on the view outside the window.

"What's wrong?"

Zhao Huaiyuan followed his gaze.

Outside the semi-transparent glass window, a small head was lurking around furtively.

A voyeur.

Knowing it had been discovered, the little head stopped hiding and simply pressed itself against the glass, making a face at the inside.

Liu Yifei, that little girl.

Zhao Huaiyuan was somewhat helpless. Why was she here?

Now that she'd been discovered, Liu Yifei stopped hiding. With a grin, she pushed open a crack in the door and peeked half her body in.

In her hand, she held a small notebook and a pen, looking quite serious.

"Um...you guys continue, I won't say anything, I'll just look around."

She blinked her big eyes, looking like a model student, and said, "I'll just sit in the corner, I promise I won't bother you, okay?"

Ning Hao and Director Zhang remained silent, waiting for the director to speak.

In principle, script readings are confidential, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter.

But this is Liu Yifei. Everyone can more or less see that this girl has a good relationship with the director.

Zhao Huaiyuan wanted to kick her out with a stern face, but he softened when he got to the point.

"Come in, sit in the corner, don't make a sound, and turn off your phone."

Liu Yifei was delighted and crouched down to slip in. She obediently moved a small stool and sat down in the corner furthest from the conference table.

She laid her notebook out on her lap, looking like she was listening attentively.

Ning Hao and Cao Yu exchanged a glance, and a meaningful smile appeared on their lips.

The director may have a tough exterior, but he's actually soft-hearted.

The reading continues.

Because the female lead has not yet been decided, this reading session mainly focused on Volume A, which is the male lead's role. However, in order to help Huang Bo better understand the relationships between the characters, the reading session also included discussions on the male lead's role.

This inevitably leads to the mention of Xiaoyuhu, the female protagonist in Volume B.

"Huang Bo, you need to understand why Zhang Yong'an helped her. Was it really just because of a hug from her?"

No, think about it: a little girl speaking Chinese is thousands of miles away in a foreign country, surrounded by languages ​​she doesn't understand and people who look completely different.

She wanted to go home, but she didn't know which way was home or how to get back. She searched and searched, but couldn't find her way home.

Zhang Yong'an was a seasoned veteran with a hardened heart. That hug was just the trigger; what truly broke his defenses was the feeling of being a sheep thrown into a pack of wolves.

Imagine this: the streets are full of foreigners, and all you hear is gibberish. Suddenly, a little girl, speaking with a strong local accent, cries and tells you she wants to go home.

At that moment, she was none other than yourself, the person who had just arrived abroad, completely clueless.

Huang Bo listened intently and slowly nodded: "I understand, we are all in the same boat."

corner.

Liu Yifei's pen stopped moving at some point.

She stared blankly at the small notebook on her lap.

Zhao Huaiyuan's words kept echoing in his ears.

The surrounding language was completely incomprehensible...

That feeling of wanting to go home but not being able to find your way...

Her thoughts drifted back to a few years ago.

At that time, she was just over ten years old and had just arrived in the United States.

She walked through the crowd with her schoolbag on her back. All around her were people with high noses and blue eyes, all speaking fluent English and laughing as they passed by.

The feeling of grievance that comes from not understanding a classmate's jokes, having to awkwardly laugh along, and then turning away with tears welling up in your eyes.

That feeling of hiding under the covers, wearing headphones, listening to Chinese songs over and over again, missing my grandmother, missing everything about my motherland...

She understands.

She really understands.

That feeling doesn't need to be acted out at all, because it's a memory etched into your very bones.

In that instant.

Her eyes were somewhat unfocused, lost in memories of the past.

Director Zhang, who was sitting to the side, originally just wanted to turn around and check if the water dispenser had boiled, but his gaze inadvertently swept over Liu Yifei, and he was startled.

this..

this state.

There's something in her eyes!

This girl got so into the role just from listening to one character's interpretation? Or... is she just a born jade pot?

Director Zhang opened his mouth, wanting to remind Zhao Huaiyuan to take a look, but seeing that Zhao Huaiyuan was in the middle of talking enthusiastically, he held back.

But in his mind, Liu Yifei earned a huge positive impression.

It seems she'll have to be the female lead in the end.

..

One day later.

Yanjing World Park, miniature Big Ben landscape area.

It's a bit cold tonight, with the temperature plummeting below zero, but the crew's enthusiasm is high.

"All departments, prepare! First night scene!"

Zhao Huaiyuan sat behind the monitor, holding a walkie-talkie in his hand.

Tonight we're filming some scenes from Volume A.

Zhang Yong'an wanders the streets of the foggy city alone, while Xiao Yuhu gazes at the moon from behind.

Although this back view doesn't need to show the face, the requirements are quite high. It needs to capture a feeling of looking up at the bright moon and looking down at one's hometown.

"A stand-in! A stand-in takes over!" Ning Hao shouted through a megaphone.

A professional stuntman who had been waiting on set immediately took off his down coat and ran to the designated position wearing only a thin costume.

This girl is very dedicated; she was shivering from the cold, but she still managed to strike a pose as if gazing at the moon.

"Ready, power on!"

The image on the monitor flickered.

"Click!"

Just three seconds later, Zhao Huaiyuan frowned and called for a stop.

"No, the screen is too crowded."

Zhao Huaiyuan pointed to the playback on the monitor and said to Ning Hao and art director Sun Li, who had come over:

"Look, this girl is very thin, but this costume is made in the style of the Tang Dynasty, with a high neckline and broad shoulders."

Plus, it's winter now, and with all that warm clothing underneath, the camera's flattening effect makes her look broad-shouldered and stocky, completely lacking that radiant, delicate beauty.

Ning Hao looked at the monitor, somewhat perplexed:

"Director, this is already the smallest-framed girl among the featured extras. She's 1.68 meters tall and only weighs 90 kilograms. If we replace her, the others will look even more bulky."

"It's not a matter of weight, it's about posture and bone structure."

Sun Li pointed out from the side:

"This outfit requires a good figure; the wearer must have sloping shoulders and a long neck, what we call a swan neck in painting."

If you have even a slight trapezius muscle, wearing this neckline makes you look like you have no neck.

But where are we going to find a stand-in with such a perfect skeleton so late at night?

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

This is due to hardware incompatibility.

They could have filmed it directly, but Zhao Huaiyuan is a perfectionist, and the opening shot of this first scene set the tone.

If the back view exudes a sense of robustness, how can the desolate beauty behind it stand up?

"Try one more time, make her shrug her shoulders as much as possible and sink down," Zhao Huaiyuan said unwillingly.

I tried two more, but it still didn't work.

That's the shape that grows from the bones; it can't be changed by inhaling and contracting your abdomen.

Just when the entire crew was at a loss in the face of the cold wind, and even considered whether to recast the next day.

"Director, how about... I give it a try?" a sweet voice rang out.

Everyone looked.

Liu Yifei, who had been silently following behind the crew without saying much, came out.

She changed her clothes, walked straight in front of the camera, turned her back to the camera, and gently tidied her long hair that had been ruffled by the wind.

I tilted my head slightly back and looked at the cold, clear moon in the sky.

"Here are the lights."

Cao Yu waved to indicate.

A cold blue beam of light shone on her.

In the picture.

That figure was slender and upright, yet exuded an indescribable loneliness.

A perfect blend.

I don't need to show my face; just this silhouette tells me I want to go home.

Huang Bo, who was waiting on the sidelines, couldn't help but exclaim, "That back view... is really good. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't be able to hold their own against this scene."

Ning Hao muttered to himself, "What's the point of choosing? Isn't this the perfect Little Jade Pot? I really can't think of anyone else who could pull off this effect besides her."

Director Zhang nodded repeatedly, a knowing smile spreading across her face.

Behind the monitor.

Zhao Huaiyuan's eyes also seemed to daze for a moment.

It must be admitted that Liu Yifei's physique and temperament are truly unique.

This scene alone almost perfectly matched the image he had in mind.

For a fleeting moment.

He even considered shouting out, "Little Jade Pot, I've got my eye on you!"

But he quickly suppressed the thought; a back view is a back view, and a play is a play.

Volume A shows the back view, which doesn't require acting skills, just beauty. But this film requires more than just beauty.

Zhao Huaiyuan picked up the walkie-talkie, "Okay, hold, zoom in, turn on."

To everyone on the crew, this was a tacit agreement.

It seems the director had already made up his mind; the previous rejections were just to test the young girl's character.

Everyone thinks that way.

..

"Cut! That's a wrap. The production crew is changing the scene. Everyone else, take a ten-minute break."

As soon as Zhao Huaiyuan put down the walkie-talkie, the on-site producer ran over and said someone was looking for him.

"Huaiyuan!"

A familiar, loud voice.

Zhao Huaiyuan looked up and saw Peng Xiaohua standing outside the cordon, waving at him from afar.

He had a good impression of Peng Xiaohua. She had a very high level of liking for him from the first time they met, and she had also helped him a lot at the opening ceremony.

Zhao Huaiyuan naturally wouldn't be negligent. He handed the call sheet in his hand to the assistant director and went to greet him.

"Little Flower, you're here? Long time no see, still as energetic as ever!" Zhao Huaiyuan said with a smile, handing her a bottle of mineral water.

"Oh, I'm not thirsty. Wow, you've really become a big director, so many people are listening to you."

Peng Xiaohua didn't take the water; she just looked Zhao Huaiyuan up and down and said with a smile.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Peng Xiaohua, being a smart woman, knew the film crew was busy and didn't dare to linger, getting straight to the point:

"Look, that's the friend I mentioned to your sister. Our factory isn't hiring right now, and she really has nowhere to go by herself."

I don't know the rules of your filmmaking, but if it's convenient for you, just arrange some odd jobs for her, as long as she's fed. I'll come pick her up when our factory is ready to open, okay?

Zhao Huaiyuan looked in the direction she was pointing.

A small figure was seen with his back to them, laboriously gathering up some electrical wires that had accidentally fallen to the ground.

They don't need to be taught; they're quick to learn.

Just as Zhao Huaiyuan was about to call someone over to check his appearance, the photographer's urging voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Alright, Xiaohua, since you brought her, then let her stay."

Zhao Huaiyuan didn't have time to look closely and directly beckoned Ning Hao over:

"Old Ning, this is a distant relative of mine. Take him over to Lao An, the production assistant, and arrange for him to join the logistics team."

He emphasized the words "distant relatives".

In a film crew, it's the norm to belittle the weak and flatter the strong. A newcomer with no connections will only be treated like an animal and suffer mistreatment.

Although he is a director, he cannot change this trend. For the sake of his sister and Xiaohua, this is all he can do.

"Okay, then I'll tell Lao An to take good care of things," Ning Hao replied.

"Alright, Huaiyuan, you go ahead with your work. I'm heading back now. I have to work the day shift tomorrow, so I'll be leaving now!" Peng Xiaohua waved her hand and turned to leave without further ado, seeing that the matter was settled.

The film set was noisy, with people coming and going.

Logistics tent area.

Ning Hao brought the person here and then went back. The production manager, Lao An, who was in charge of meals, took over.

"Since you're a relative of the director, don't do the heavy work. Just sign here, register your name, and help distribute the boxed lunches first," Old An pointed to the table.

The girl picked up a pen and neatly wrote her name in the notebook.

"These are chicken legs, these are potatoes..." The girl worked quickly and efficiently, not minding the dirt, and started sorting the food while carrying the styrofoam boxes.

After a while, a production manager responsible for overseeing the progress on set rushed to the logistics team and said urgently:

"Where's the water? Where's the film crew's water? Lao An, what's wrong with you guys? Can't you see everyone's waiting for a drink? You can't even handle this basic logistical support?"

Old An was busy distributing meals to the extras and couldn't spare a moment. He turned around and saw the girl had just finished distributing her work, so he called out:

"Hey you, there's a case of water over there, could you take it over quickly?"

The girl quickly put down the new styrofoam box she had just picked up and replied crisply:

"Hey, you're here!"

A case of water was heavy, and she was small, so it was a bit strenuous for her to carry it. She could only run a few steps before she was exhausted, and her speed naturally slowed down.

"Hey you, run! What are you dawdling for?" the producer on set shouted, frowning.

But the girl really couldn't run anymore.

The set was a bit noisy, and she wasn't sure if they were calling her.

The on-set producer was furious. He glanced at the register and yelled:

"I'm talking to you, Zhao Liying!"