Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

Chapter 89: Working Day and Night, the Crew Wraps Up Filming (4K)

The cold wind swirled the withered leaves on the ground, and a few pieces of red paper pasted on the mottled brick wall stood out conspicuously.

The offering table was placed in the center of the courtyard, with a pig's head, a whole chicken, and seasonal fruits neatly arranged on it. The tall incense sticks in the incense burner were already inserted, and wisps of smoke rose up.

Zhang Ze took off his down jacket, revealing a dark gray Zhongshan suit underneath, with the collar buttoned up tightly.

He stood before the offering table, his expression solemn, holding three incense sticks in his hand, and stepping in the Heavenly Gang Yu Step.

Wash your hands, offer incense, recite mantras, and pay homage.

This is a complete set of Taoist rituals.

The staff around them, who had been whispering, all fell silent as the ritual proceeded. The only sounds were the wind and Zhang Ze's deep chanting.

Liu Hua, wrapped in a military overcoat, stood at the front of the crowd with his neck hunched.

He turned his head and nudged Chen Zhixi next to him with his elbow.

"Producer Chen, this—our director has actually had training?"

Liu Hua lowered his voice, his tone full of disbelief, "I've acted in quite a few films before, and attended dozens of opening ceremonies, but I've never seen anything this professional. This setup is even more authentic than the masters at the Taoist temple in my hometown."

Chen Zhixi stared blankly at Zhang Ze's tall and straight back.

She shook her head, her gaze fixed on him.

"I don't know either. I only know that people online seem to call him a master. I originally thought it was just a persona, but I didn't expect it to be real."

Hao Lei, standing on the other side, had his hands in his pockets, a playful look on his bare face.

She initially had reservations about this young director in his early twenties. If it weren't for the fact that the script was really good and the shooting period was short, she wouldn't have agreed to come to this small production crew.

But given the current situation, this production team might actually bring me a little surprise.

interesting.

Only Li Xiao remained standing at the back of the crowd, holding a thermos in her hands, watching Zhang Ze's back with a smile on her face that only she could understand.

After the ceremony, Zhang Ze turned around and distributed the incense sticks in his hand to the main creators.

"The auspicious time has arrived, turn on the machine."

There was no nonsense, no impassioned speech.

Zhang Ze walked straight to the monitor, his previously otherworldly Taoist demeanor instantly vanishing.

"Attention all departments, scene one, shot one, live shooting in ten minutes."

The photographer carried his equipment and test-run it on the track, while the lighting technician adjusted the angle of the reflector.

Zhang Ze sat behind the monitor, never putting down the walkie-talkie in his hand.

"Teacher Liu Hua, you should tone down that reckless attitude of yours."

Zhang Ze stared at the monitor screen, his voice booming through the loudspeakers, "What I want isn't 'Crazy Stone'."

Dao Ge in the story is a shrewd and somewhat sleazy grocery store owner whose edges have been worn down by life, but who has a genuine affection for children.

Liu Hua paused for a moment, then nodded.

He adjusted his posture, his originally straight back hunched over, and the fierce look in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a kind of ingratiating and cunning look typical of ordinary people.

"Okay, that's it. Power on!"

Filming is progressing faster than expected.

Zhang Ze's mind already contains complete information, so he doesn't need to do much trial and error.

He knew exactly how to position the camera, how to set up the lighting, and to what extent the actors' emotions should be conveyed.

This extremely high efficiency silenced the seasoned crew members who had initially had some doubts about Zhang Ze, the new director.

Whether the film is good or not, they don't know, but just by looking at Zhang Ze's professionalism in directing the crew with ease, they know that he has real skills.

As dusk fell, the first day of filming came to a successful end.

To save on budget and for the convenience of filming, the crew rented an old residential building near Tongzhou as a temporary residence.

It's only a ten-minute walk from the film set. Although the conditions are basic, it's cheap.

Chen Zhixi booked the entire third floor.

When rooms were assigned, Zhang Ze didn't make any exceptions and stayed in room 302 at the end of the corridor. Li Xiao stayed in room 301, and Hao Lei stayed in room 303.

The sound insulation in old residential areas is practically non-existent.

In the stillness of the night, the motion-sensor lights in the corridor flickered on and off.

After taking a shower, Hao Lei sat cross-legged on the bed in loose pajamas, with the script spread out on his knees.

Tomorrow's scenes are very demanding; she needs to capture the sense of agonizing loss that comes with losing a child.

She took a highlighter and drew a line under the lines, muttering to herself.

Suddenly, a strange sound entered my ears.

The sound was very soft, like a suppressed sob, or like a drowning person's cry for help.

In the quiet of the night, the sound came clearly through the thin walls.

Hao Lei stopped writing.

She glanced at the wall instinctively.

That's the direction of 302, Zhang Ze's room.

They were both adults, and having been in this industry for so many years, she naturally knew what that sound meant.

During the day on set, she sensed something was off between Zhang Ze and Li Xiaoran.

It turns out they were already together.

Hao Lei shook his head, a helpless smile appearing on his lips.

They're young after all, full of energy. They filmed all day and still had energy at night.

She picked up the script and tried to refocus and study it.

But ten minutes passed.

The noise from next door didn't stop; in fact, it got a little louder.

Accompanied by a series of thumping sounds.

It was very rhythmic, like some kind of ancient war drum.

Hao Lei listened for a while, then frowned and glanced at the time on his phone.

After half an hour.

She put down the script in her hand and scratched her hair in frustration.

The soundproofing of these walls is so bad, it's like a live broadcast right next to her bed.

"Is it not over yet?"

She muttered something, got out of bed, and poured herself a glass of water.

When I returned after drinking the water, the noise from next door showed no signs of abating; in fact, it became more frequent and louder.

An hour later.

Hao Lei completely gave up on memorizing the script.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her expression shifting from initial helplessness to shock.

This unscientific.

She's had several boyfriends in the industry; she's seen it all.

In her mind, twenty minutes is already excellent, and thirty minutes is an exceptional performance.

As for an hour?

Do you think this is a movie shoot?

More than an hour later, the noise from next door finally subsided.

Hao Lei let out a sigh of relief, pulled the covers up, and prepared to go to sleep.

She's not in the mood to read the script anymore; she just wants to rest.

However, less than twenty minutes later...

That familiar voice rang out again.

This time, it was even more intense and unrestrained than before, as if it wanted to unleash all the fervor within its heart.

Hao Lei suddenly threw off the blanket, sat up straight, and stared wide-eyed at the wall.

Are you crazy?

Hao Lei couldn't sleep that night.

She was kept awake by the noise from next door.

It wasn't until 3 a.m. that things finally quieted down.

The next morning.

At the dining table, the main cast and crew gathered together for breakfast.

Soy milk and fried dough sticks, steaming hot.

Zhang Ze was wearing a clean white shirt, looking radiant with a healthy glow on his skin, showing no signs of having stayed up all night.

He drank soy milk while discussing today's filming schedule with Chen Zhixi.

"Where's Li Xiaoran?" Hao Lei asked casually as he sat down with his tray.

Zhang Ze took a bite of the fried dough stick without changing his expression.

"She's not feeling well, so she doesn't have any scenes to film this morning. Let her get some more sleep."

Hao Lei paused for a moment while peeling the egg.

She looked up and her gaze swept over Zhang Ze's face.

His young and handsome face was open and honest, showing no sign of guilt.

But this is only the beginning.

The next three days were a nightmare for Hao Lei.

Every night, right after 11 p.m., the show next door starts on time.

Moreover, the tricks are constantly being updated, and the commotion is getting bigger and bigger every day.

Li Xiaoran, who usually appears gentle and poised, transforms into a completely different person at night.

On the morning of the third day.

Li Xiao completely disappeared from the dining table.

"Director, has Xiaoran taken leave?" The production assistant ran over with the call sheet and asked.

Zhang Ze nodded and put down the empty bowl in his hand.

"Yes, she's been too tired lately. Her legs are a bit swollen, and she has trouble walking. We'll be filming Liu Hua and the child's scenes for the next couple of days, so she can rest in her room."

Hao Lei, who was drinking porridge, almost choked.

She coughed a few times, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and her gaze towards Zhang Ze completely changed.

She had only ever seen oxen die from exhaustion; this was the first time she had ever seen an ox that could damage the fields.

It was filled with exploration, curiosity, and even a hint of—eagerness to try.

The fact that Zhang Ze could exhaust an actress to the point of being bedridden while acting as if nothing had happened shows his incredible strength in certain areas.

We finished work early that evening.

Zhang Ze returned to his room, having just finished showering and drying his wet hair, when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in, the door's unlocked."

The door was pushed open, and Hao Lei walked in.

She was wearing a deep red silk nightgown, the belt loosely tied, the neckline slightly open, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin.

He was holding a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses.

"Did I disturb you, Director Zhang?"

Hao Lei closed the door behind her, a charming smile typical of mature women on her face.

Zhang Ze stopped drying his hair, his gaze falling on the red wine in her hand, and then looking into her eyes.

"Is something wrong, Sister Lei?"

"Xiaoran is resting. I have a scene I'm not sure about, and I'd like to go over it with you." Hao Lei walked to the table, put down his wine glass, and poured two glasses of wine.

The purplish-red liquid swirls in the glass, releasing a rich aroma.

She picked up a glass and handed it to Zhang Ze, leaning forward slightly, instantly closing the distance between them.

Zhang Ze could even smell the scent on her body, a mixture of shower gel and red wine.

Which scene?

Zhang Ze took the wine glass, but didn't drink it; he just held it in his hand and played with it.

"That scene where she was neglected by her husband, felt empty inside, and longed to be filled."

Hao Lei looked directly into Zhang Ze's eyes, his tone blunt and undisguised.

She is a typical experience-based person and a woman who dares to love and hate.

The eavesdropping she'd been doing these past few days had already ignited a fire in her heart.

Since Li Xiaoran has withdrawn from the competition, she doesn't mind personally testing the waters.

Zhang Ze looked at the woman in front of him, who was as beautiful as a ripe peach.

It would be a great disrespect not to eat meat that is offered to you.

He put down his glass with a soft thud.

"That definitely needs to be checked carefully."

Hao Lei smiled and leaned against Zhang Ze, who then wrapped his arm around Hao Lei's waist.

The feel is completely different from Li Xiaoran's; it's much fuller.

Hao Lei leaned against the chest, holding the script in his hand, his eyes darting around.

"I've heard that Director Zhang is very good at teaching actors."

"I really need to study this carefully."

"Let's begin then."

Zhang Ze put his arm around her and picked her up in his arms.

Hao Lei exclaimed in surprise and laughed, "I didn't expect you to be so strong, you look so refined!"

"You don't like it?" Zhang Ze asked.

Hao Lei lightly licked his red lips. "I like strong ones."

Zhang Ze smiled and said, "Then I'll go harder."

He couldn't pass up the opportunity to get some exercise, as it was a chance to do so.

More than an hour later, Hao Lei's consciousness slowly returned from a blank state.

Hao Lei breathed a sigh of relief and said with emotion, "Now I realize that I wasted the first half of my life."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ze turned his head and asked, "What's wrong?"

"How come I only met you now!"

Hao Lei gave him a resentful look, then sighed.

"Forget it, it's already a blessing from God that we met each other."

Then she looked at Zhang Ze with a smile and said, "I won't let you work for nothing, I'll give you a reward too."

After saying that, she slid down and slipped into the quilt. "Hiss!" Zhang Ze opened his eyes wide.

That night, the fighting continued until the early hours of the morning.

It has to be said, the old A8 truly lives up to its name.

There are so many varieties!

Hao Lei finally understood why Li Xiaoran would take leave every few days.

I really can't handle it without taking leave!

This isn't just acting; it's an extreme challenge.

Zhang Ze was like a tireless perpetual motion machine; the overwhelming force of his attacks made even someone as experienced as her feel a long-lost sense of astral projection.

The production crew's schedule was adjusted again the following day.

Hao Lei also did not appear at the crew's dinner table.

Chen Zhixi looked at the two empty seats, then at Zhang Ze, who was energetically arranging the seating, and seemed to understand something.

She rubbed her forehead, deciding to ignore it.

As long as it doesn't delay the filming schedule, the producer has no say in the director's private life.

Under Zhang Ze's intense work day and night, the atmosphere on set became both strange and harmonious.

Although the two actresses occasionally take leave, they are in surprisingly good condition in front of the camera.

The allure of being refreshed, the subtle charm in her eyes—it perfectly captures the suppressed yet yearning atmosphere of the film.

Time flies by in the midst of busyness.

The willows in Tongzhou have sprouted tender buds, and the once withered and yellow grass has turned green.

In late March, just after the Spring Equinox.

The final scene was filmed in the model apartment of Oceanwide International.

Li Xiaoran, wearing that expensive cashmere coat, stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out.

Her eyes were vacant, yet they conveyed a sense of relief, as if she had finally let go.

"Card!"

Zhang Ze sat behind the monitor, took off his headphones, and revealed a long-lost relaxed smile.

"Cut! Filming wrapped!"

At his command, the entire crew instantly erupted in cheers.

The staff cheered and tossed pages of their scripts into the air as the champagne, which had been prepared beforehand, was opened, spraying bubbles into the air.

Li Xiaoran turned around and looked at Zhang Ze, who was surrounded by the crowd, a complex light flashing in her eyes.