Peninsula: The Best Actor Starts from an Idol Battleground

Chapter 98 Kissing Scenes Are Not Good

"What?"

Kim Tae-hee blurted it out.

Upon hearing Li Zhixing tell her to cut her hair, she instinctively grabbed her hair and took a step back warily.

"Hey kid, you're kidding me, aren't you?"

She takes great care of her hair.

She hasn't cut her hair short since she had that dowdy student-style short haircut in junior high school.

"Besides, I still have quite a few endorsements, so I can't just change my image too easily, can I?"

Li Zhixing laughed and said, "Even if there are any filming or promotional events later, you can just wear a wig. How much of an impact will that have on your image?"

Seeing Li Zhixing's expression, Kim Tae-hee asked in surprise, "You brat, are you serious?"

Li Zhixing nodded.

"certainly."

"Why not just copy the answer if it's readily available?"

"You mean—"

Kim Tae-hee seemed to have realized what was happening.

Li Zhixing continued, "Think about it, even before the drama aired, wasn't So-yeon noona already generating buzz? Weren't viewers already paying attention to her?"

Why is that?

Kim Tae-hee hesitated before saying, "Image?"

"yes."

Li Zhixing nodded.

"It's just a change in image."

"Before Soyeon noona, wasn't she always portrayed as a long-haired, delicate woman?"

"This time, I've switched to short hair and gone for a cool and handsome look to immediately pique the audience's interest."

"We'll directly copy what Soyeon and Noona did."

"We'll apply the same reason why viewers noticed Soyeon noona to you."

"Soyeon noona cut her hair short, and Taehee noona cut hers too."

"Kim Tae-hee's first short hairstyle since her debut. She cut her long hair for a role. This alone is enough to draw the audience's attention to your image transformation."

"Instead of continuing to focus solely on the controversies surrounding your beauty and acting skills."

"To be honest, anger is beautiful."

"But if you only focus on your beauty and there are no new changes, the audience will get tired of it."

"You need to give them a reason to reconsider your proposal."

Kim Tae-hee lowered her head and thought for a while, clearly somewhat persuaded.

Then, she added with some concern, "But wouldn't it be abrupt to suddenly change the look halfway through the broadcast?"

"Of course not."

Li Zhixing continued, "Isn't our storyline currently progressing to the Hungarian segment?"

"Kim Hyun-joon was being chased, and Choi Seung-hee went to save him. The two finally met, but were separated again due to an explosion."

"Afterwards, Choi Seung-hee mistakenly believed that Kim Hyun-joon was dead, and she fell into a deep depression."

"She didn't just cut her hair to change her look; she wanted to move on from the state of mind that came after accepting the death of her lover."

"Cutting off long hair is saying goodbye to the past."

"It's also telling the audience that the character of Choi Seung-hee is going to change."

"From here on, she is no longer just Kim Hyun-joon's lover, but has returned to the NSS and entered a calmer and more capable agent state."

"How could such a plot twist feel abrupt?"

Kim Tae-hee's eyes lit up.

She was clearly interested.

If the audience's attention can be diverted from the controversy surrounding the acting skills, what does it matter if someone just cuts their hair?

It's not like it won't grow.

However, she quickly became worried again: "But will Representative Zheng and the director agree?"

Li Zhixing sneered.

"How could Representative Zheng disagree?"

"They might even slap their thighs and say it's a good thing."

"Korea's number one beauty sacrificed herself for a drama, cutting off her long hair. This alone is enough for him to release press releases for several days."

Kim Tae-hee also thought of Jung Tae-won's cunning businessman face and couldn't help but laugh.

"Is this enough? Will this stop the audience from criticizing me all at once?"

Li Zhixing shook his head with amusement.

"How could that be, Noona? The haircut was just a way to slightly divert the audience's attention."

"We still need to keep copying Soyeon noona."

"what?"

"Still copying?"

Kim Tae-hee's eyes widened.

"Think about it, besides the change in her image, what aspect of Soyeon's noona is most recognized by the audience?"

Kim Tae-hee thought for a moment.

"Is it an action scene?"

"That's right."

Li Zhixing snapped his fingers.

"The character Kim Sun-hwa originally had a lot of action scenes, especially gun-wielding and fighting scenes."

"Soyeon also underwent high-intensity physical training and special action training for this."

"Short hair and a new look can only attract the audience's attention at first."

"But what truly leaves an impression on the audience is her performance in the drama."

"It's only the fourth episode so far, and Soyeon Noona's most outstanding performance so far is mainly in her action scenes."

"But once her love story with senior actor Byung-hun airs, if viewers find that the storyline is more engaging and dramatic than Noona's previous love storyline, it might trigger a new round of criticism against Noona's acting."

Kim Tae-hee felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about that scene.

Then she gave Li Zhixing a sour look.

"So-yeon's action scenes are praised so much, her teacher, Zhi-xing, must have put in a lot of effort, right?"

"Giving them special training every day."

Li Zhixing said unhappily, "Nuna, how dare you say that?"

"We didn't call you at the time?"

"What are you doing? Weren't you busy filming Paris Baguette's 'GG'?"

"Didn't you seem to be smiling a lot during that time?"

"Why aren't you smiling now?"

"ah!"

Kim Tae-hee was hit where it hurt, and immediately became somewhat embarrassed and angry.

"Li Zhixing, I really hit you."

"I don't have as many action scenes as Su Yeon."

"I thought it wouldn't be necessary—"

As she spoke, her voice lowered.

There was a certain lack of confidence.

Li Zhixing chuckled softly.

Kim Tae-hee glared at him, suppressing her anger, her eyes filled with warning.

Li Zhixing stopped provoking her and turned to look at the bench next to him.

It was a bit chilly by the river at night, so he took off his coat and placed it on the bench, gesturing for people to sit down.

After the two sat down, he continued, "So, Nuna wants to change the play."

"Change some of your later scenes to action scenes."

"What?"

Kim Tae-hee exclaimed in surprise.

"How could Writer Xianjun possibly agree to this at this point?"

Li Zhixing chuckled.

"Just like when I cut my hair short, I was able to get Representative Zheng, who likes to play the media, to agree."

"Now that you've proactively requested an increase in action scenes, writer Hyun-joon will only be happier."

"I actually talked to writer Hyun-joon before. Although Choi Seung-hee is a profiler, her more important identity is actually the leader of the NSS counter-terrorism team."

"How could someone like that have absolutely no combat ability?"

"So it's perfectly reasonable to put scenes involving guns, hand-to-hand combat, and pursuit on her."

"It's just that the writer took your image into consideration, and we also discussed this issue with you during the audition, so he intentionally reduced the proportion of your action scenes."

"Nuna should know this better than I do, right?"

Kim Tae-hee did not refute immediately.

During the initial audition, writer Hyun-joon did ask her if she could handle action scenes.

She lacked confidence in this area at the time, only saying that she would practice as much as possible, without giving any clear guarantees.

Perhaps for this reason, Choi Seung-hee didn't have many action scenes in the early parts of the script.

Li Zhixing chuckled softly as he watched her fall silent.

"Writers certainly don't like actors interfering with the script, but if what you suggest is exactly what they wanted to improve, they might not refuse."

"The rest of the script is still being polished, so it's not too late to bring it up now."

"The question is, will Nuna accept it?"

"Also, if action scenes are added later, will Noona be able to handle it?"

Kim Tae-hee's voice immediately rose: "Of course I can!"

After saying that, she lowered her voice and asked, "Will you help me practice the moves? Will you do the special training with me later?"

Li Zhixing said with a smile, "Ultimately, the decision to design the action sequences still rests with the writer, director, and action choreographer."

"However, I will make time to give Noona special training."

"Oh my, I can't wait to see the fight scene between the two female characters in IRIS."

"I wonder if Noona will really get angry then!"

Kim Tae-hee rolled her eyes at him.

"What real fire? Soyeon and I are very close!"

However, what Li Zhixing said did make sense and was quite practical, so Kim Tae-hee finally felt a little more relaxed and a smile appeared on her face.

"Are these your two methods? If I do what you say, will fewer people criticize me?"

Li Zhixing glanced at her, somewhat puzzled.

"This is just the first method."

"What?"

Kim Tae-hee stared at him blankly.

"The haircuts and increased action scenes you mentioned earlier—aren't they all just replicating the methods that made Soyeon Noona popular with the audience?"

"How can this be considered two methods?"

Could this brat have some other idea?

Kim Tae-hee looked at him with obvious anticipation.

Lee Ji-haeng looked at Kim Tae-hee and asked seriously, "Did Noona really just want to avoid being criticized in this drama?"

Kim Tae-hee paused, taken aback.

Li Zhixing continued, "With such a good start to 'IRIS,' based on the current trend, it's almost certain that the viewership rating will break 30%, and 40% is not out of the question."

"This is already showing signs of becoming a national drama."

"Is Noona really just trying to avoid being criticized?"

"Isn't that a bit too unambitious?"

"Senior Junho didn't even use a stunt double today; he personally filmed the motorcycle chase scene."

Kim Tae-hee remained silent for a long while, then gave a bitter smile.

"Do you expect the audience to suddenly change their attitude and start praising me?"

"Regarding the action scenes you mentioned, I'll try my best, and maybe I can still do them well."

"But what about the dramatic scenes?"

"Especially those scenes with big emotional ups and downs later on, the confirmation of Hyun-joon's death, the reunion, and the eye contact in the interrogation room, I really wasn't that confident."

"Do you have a way to improve my acting skills in a short period of time?"

As she spoke, she looked at Li Zhixing.

Li Zhixing paused for a moment.

He then turned to look at her and chuckled, "I do have a solution, albeit a less-than-ideal one."

Kim Tae-hee was stunned.

There really is one?

She asked excitedly, "What method?"

Li Zhixing said leisurely, "Does Nuna still remember what other methods the crew used besides guidance when teaching child actors to act?"

'

Kim Tae-hee was initially confused, but then seemed to realize something, and her eyes suddenly turned dangerous.

"You don't mean to say—"

"imitate."

Li Zhixing said with a smile, "Child actors can't understand very complex roles, so sometimes we have to let the adults act it out first."

They cried just like the adults.

"Learn facial expressions, movements, and eye contact first."

Kim Tae-hee's expression had completely changed.

Do you treat me like a child?

Li Zhixing thought about it carefully.

"That's not entirely true."

"Sometimes, Nuna really isn't as intelligent as a child."

"ah!"

Kim Tae-hee finally couldn't hold back anymore and punched his arm several times.

Li Zhixing let her vent for a while before continuing, "This is really the only way I can think of to improve your acting skills in the short term."

"It's about having someone rehearse the scene you're going to act out beforehand, and then you imitate it."

"Imitate it over and over again, and memorize the expressions and movements."

"Remember how wide to open your eyes, how to tuck your lips, and how much emotion to show on your face when you pause."

Kim Tae-hee squinted at him.

"The person you're talking about, it can't be you, can it?"

Li Zhixing blinked.

"If Noona doesn't like it, she can ask Byunghun to act it out once."

Kim Tae-hee waved her hand silently.

How could that be?

Putting aside Lee Byung-hun's heavy filming schedule, even if he did have time, I couldn't possibly go to him.

She knew exactly what Lee Byung-hun was thinking.

If we really give him a reason to be alone together, who knows how much trouble that will cause later.

In comparison —

Kim Tae-hee looked up at Lee Ji-haeng.

This brat may be annoying to talk to, but his acting skills are undeniable.

Some people are just born to do this kind of work.

This statement is perfectly suited to describe Li Zhixing.

When filming in Japan, he acted alongside Lee Byung-hun and held his own, holding his own.

Kim Tae-hee thought for a moment, then said with some worry, "Will this really work?"

"Shouldn't we try to understand the character in order to better interpret it?"

Li Zhixing sighed.

"Understanding the character is certainly very important."

"But Nuna, how else do you want to understand this?"

"Your understanding of the character Choi Seung-hee is already sufficient."

"Your problem now is not that you don't understand the character, but that even if you do understand him, you can't capture the essence of the character on camera."

""

"So in the short term, instead of continuing to rack your brains, you should first memorize the expressions, movements and rhythms that can be seen on camera."

After thinking for a long time, Kim Tae-hee finally seemed to have made up her mind.

She turned to look at Li Zhixing, revealing the most relaxed smile she had shown in days.

"Teacher Zhixing, I'll leave the rest to you."

As she spoke, she extended her hand to Li Zhixing.

Li Zhixing raised his hand and grasped it, then added a sentence in a serious tone.

"Let's get this straight, no kissing scenes, our relationship isn't that close yet."

"You're asking for it!"

After making up her mind, Kim Tae-hee revealed her impatient side.

"Quickly, quick, while you're free tonight, let's go back to the hotel now."

Li Zhixing stood up helplessly and was pulled by her towards the hotel.

After taking a few steps, Li Zhixing suddenly spoke up again: "Before that, I have one more request."

Kim Tae-hee paused, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Li Zhixing glanced at the phone she was clutching in her hand, and his tone became somewhat unfriendly.

"Just throw that crappy phone of yours away."

"How can someone who spends all day reading comments possibly focus on learning acting?"

Kim Tae-hee was a little embarrassed.

Li Zhixing continued, "Every day on set, I see you and Soyeon noona scrolling through comments on your phones."

"However, one person felt great after watching it."

"And after you finished reading it, you just sat there sulking."

Kim Tae-hee said shyly, "Well, I couldn't help it. What actor doesn't read the comments?"

"Writers need to adjust the plot based on audience feedback."

Li Zhixing rolled his eyes at her.

"If you really want to see it, have your assistant read you some compliments on your looks every day."

"This will make you feel better and give you more motivation to learn acting."

Unexpectedly, Kim Tae-hee pouted.

"Actually, there have been quite a few comments recently saying that I'm ugly."

Li Zhixing was stunned for a moment.

Kim Tae-hee continued, "Some people say my mouth can't close properly and my teeth are a bit protruding."

As she spoke, she looked at Li Zhixing with some unease.

"That does seem to be the case, right? Are my teeth a little protruding?"

Li Zhixing was both annoyed and amused.

"Noona, most people are praising your beauty, but you don't pay attention to them. Instead, you focus on those few people who nitpick at your minor flaws."

No one is perfect.

"you see me."

Li Zhixing pointed to himself.

I originally wanted to use my own physical imperfections as an example.

And then—it got stuck.

"I—that—"

Kim Tae-hee's expression gradually turned dangerous.

"Hey, you brat."

Lee Ji-haeng frowned and thought for a while before scratching his head under Kim Tae-hee's increasingly dangerous gaze.

"It's like I'm perfect."

"Ugh, with your shamelessness! You call that perfect?"

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