Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Li Ran had already finished her makeup and changed into a ragged beggar's outfit.

His hair was disheveled, his face was smeared with ash, and his clothes were tattered. He looked utterly wretched, just like the prince of Beiliang who had been traveling for three years and suffered all kinds of hardships.

Standing next to him is Mr. Yang Haoyu, who plays Lao Huang.

The veteran actor, dressed in tattered clothes with a few strands of straw deliberately tucked into his white hair, looked exactly like Jian Jiuhuang straight out of the book.

The two were rehearsing their lines when a burst of suppressed laughter came from the side.

Li Ran turned his head and saw Lu Yuxiao standing not far away.

She had changed out of her costume and was wearing casual clothes. She covered her mouth with her hands, her shoulders were shrugging, and her eyes were curved into two crescent moons.

Li Ran glared at her: "Little mud doll, what are you laughing at?"

Lu Yuxiao quickly lowered her hand, trying hard to keep a straight face, but the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide: "I wasn't smiling!"

Li Ran looked at her, opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

But anyone with eyes can see that the mouth shape clearly says two words... idiot...

Lu Yuxiao froze for a moment, then her eyes widened instantly, her face filled with disbelief: "Li Ran, you insulted me!"

Li Ran gave a fake smile and shook his head.

"You insulted me!"

Lu Yuxiao frowned, her eyes filled with accusation: "I saw it all!"

Li Ran waved his hand: "I'm too lazy to tease you anymore, I have to start filming soon."

After saying that, he patted his behind and turned to walk towards the filming area.

Lu Yuxiao stood there, watching his retreating figure, muttering to herself, "Just when my feelings for you were starting to improve, you..."

The scene has been set up.

A dilapidated tavern with a few crooked wooden tables.

This is Xu Fengnian's first scene after returning from his three-year travels.

The actors are in position.

The script supervisor, holding the clapperboard, stood in front of the camera.

"The Sword and the Brocade, Season 1, Scene 1, Shot 1, Action!"

The clapperboard snapped shut.

……

Li Ran lay sprawled on the table, his body seemingly boneless.

His eyes were closed, his brows were slightly furrowed, his lips were chapped, and he exuded a weariness that seemed to seep from his very bones.

Then he moved.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his voice hoarse as if squeezed out of a broken bellows: "Waiter...bring the wine."

Director Zhang Li stared intently at the monitor, his eyes unblinking.

A few seconds later, he shouted, "Cut!"

Li Ran looked up, pulling himself out of character. He walked to the monitor, bent down, and asked, "Director Zhang, is this take okay?"

Zhang Li watched the playback, a satisfied smile spreading across his face: "Very good. Li Ran, your acting was quite good!"

He leaned back, a hint of mockery in his voice: "Much better than that ramen guy. That guy just frowns and glares; even I, a grown man, find him greasy."

Li Ran chuckled and said, "My acting skills are just average; I only owe it to my peers for making me look good."

Zhang Li laughed heartily: "Alright, you're getting all worked up after just a couple of compliments."

He waved his hand: "A few more close-up shots, and then we'll be done for today."

Li Ran smiled and nodded, then returned to his original position.

He certainly knew who Zhang Li was talking about: VV, one of the original four top traffic stars.

In 2018, Zhang Li collaborated with him on "Martial Universe," a major IP that ultimately flopped spectacularly.

Yang Yang portrayed Lin Dong as a complete idiot, frowning and glaring throughout the entire performance, making viewers cringe.

As for the "ramen noodle" reference, it comes from another of his movies, "Once Upon a Time".

That noodle-making skill is so amazing, it's practically overflowing with oil; he could totally apply for a job at Haidilao.

After that, Yang Yang didn't have many movie resources.

In 2020, I collaborated with Hendrik Willem Van Loon on a film called "Vanguard," which didn't do well at the box office, even worse than "Once Upon a Time."

In the end, he could only return to his comfort zone and act in idol dramas. Although the results were good, his acting skills were still terrible, and the title of "King of Oil" was well-deserved.

Interestingly, Meng Ziyi, who plays the sweet potato, is from the same company as him.

Wang Churan's collaboration with him in her previous life on "My Human Fireworks" also earned her the nickname "White Porridge Sister".

Li Ran snapped out of his thoughts and continued filming the reshoots.

After finishing filming, Li Ran returned to the hotel, took a shower, and went straight to bed to rest...

The crew will begin full-scale filming tomorrow.

For a drama like "The Sword and the Brocade," which features a large cast, the production team used a parallel shooting method with two teams (A and B) working together.

Group A shoots the main storyline, overseen by the director; Group B shoots subplots or secondary scenes, overseen by the assistant director.

This greatly shortens the shooting cycle, but it also places higher demands on the actors, who need to switch back and forth between different crews and quickly enter different emotional states.

It's perfect for production crews with actors who have tight schedules.

March 13th, Xiangshan Film and Television City.

The morning sunlight shines through the eaves of the antique-style building, casting dappled light and shadow on the bluestone pavement.

Despite three days of continuous shooting, the film set remained as busy as ever.

Li Ran had just finished a night shoot for Group A and hadn't even had a few hours of sleep in the RV when he was pulled to the filming location for Group B.

Yesterday he filmed a total of 28 scenes, from dawn to dusk and then from dusk to dawn again. Now he's hanging on by a thread.

After finishing filming for Group B, Li Ran found a secluded corner and closed her eyes to pretend to sleep.

Wang Churan had slipped over at some point and stood beside him, complaining softly, "These past two days have been exhausting."

Li Ran opened his eyes and said with a wry smile, "You're already exhausted after just a few more scenes? I filmed 28 scenes yesterday, did I say anything?"

He rubbed his temples: "We filmed a night scene last night, and now I have to get up early to film with you."

Wang Churan curled her lip: "Whose fault is it? Don't think I don't know, this is what you asked for. What was supposed to be more than three months of filming has been compressed into two months."

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly, "Well, Zhang Ruonan and I have a movie to film together!"

"Moreover, Coconut also has to participate in a variety show, and she has a lot of scenes to film, so we have to rush the schedule."

Wang Churan glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention, then moved closer to him and whispered sweetly, "Can I play the second female lead in your movie?"

Li Ran looked at her, smiled, and didn't say anything.

Wang Churan pouted: "Little Fox and Zhou Ye went to participate in that variety show together, as well as the supporting role in 'The World'. After Tian Xiwei finished filming, she also got a lead role in a web drama."

"I'm the only one who doesn't have the resources yet!"

Li Ran said helplessly, "Isn't there a supporting role in a drama?"

Wang Churan pouted at him, tugging at his arm and pouting, "You're just a charm. You're nowhere near as appealing as your movie!"

She was about to say something when a voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Wang Churan, what are you doing? Have you forgotten what your auntie said!"

They both turned their heads at the same time.

Tian Xiwei walked over at some point and stood not far away, her gaze falling on Wang Churan's hand that was linked with Li Ran's arm.

That look in his eyes was faint, but it carried a hint of something indescribable.

Wang Churan rolled her eyes and let go of her hand: "There's no one here."

Tian Xiwei scoffed, "How do you know no one is taking pictures?"

"We just chatted, nothing more," Wang Churan retorted.

Tian Xiwei didn't say anything, she just looked at her.

Feeling a little guilty under her gaze, Wang Churan waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, the Empress has spoken, I wouldn't dare to seduce the King."

After saying that, she patted her bottom and stood up, winking at Li Ran before leaving.

After watching her walk away, Tian Xiwei turned to Li Ran and asked, "She wasn't paying attention, and neither were you?"

Li Ran smiled and said, "We were just chatting. The hype has died down these past couple of days, so don't worry, it's all fine now."

"What? Everything's alright now?"

Tian Xiwei glared at him. "The hype has died down, and the trending topics have been removed, but there are still quite a few people paying attention."

She paused for a moment, then said, "I need to be more careful in public places from now on."

Li Ran chuckled awkwardly, "Why are you being so long-winded, just like my aunt?"

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Tonight, new juicy gossip will break, and my affairs won't be as much of a focus then."

Tian Xiwei was taken aback: "What juicy gossip? You know inside information?"

Li Ran smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out tonight."

After saying that, he patted his behind, stood up, and walked towards the A group's filming area.

Tian Xiwei stood there, watching his retreating figure, and muttered to herself, "So mysterious, what's going on?"

……

Li Ran strolled back to Group A's rest area to prepare for the next shoot.

He had barely sat down when Lu Yuxiao came running over.

"Where did you go to rest?"

She stood in front of him, slightly out of breath, "I've been looking for you for ages but couldn't find you."

Li Ran looked up at her, a half-smile on his face: "Little Mud Girl, why are you looking for me?"

Lu Yuxiao replied matter-of-factly, "Of course it's to cultivate feelings, Your Highness."

Meng Ziyi, who was drinking water next to him, almost choked when she heard this.

She stared wide-eyed at Lu Yuxiao in disbelief: "Xiaoxiao, you don't mean to create a CP (couple pairing) with Li Ran, do you?"

Meng Ziyi's voice is both high-pitched and loud, with a built-in amplification effect.

As soon as he finished speaking, several staff members who were resting nearby all turned to look at him.

Lu Yuxiao was stunned for a moment, then felt those gazes and her face flushed red.

She opened her mouth slightly, her eyes wide open, and stood there stunned, like a dumbfounded goose.

Then, she instinctively hid behind Li Ran, reached out and tugged at his wide sleeve, and whispered, "Li Ran, please explain..."

Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of pleading.

Li Ran looked down at the hand clutching his sleeve, then at Lu Yuxiao, who was hiding behind him with only half her head showing, and smiled helplessly: "Shouldn't you explain it yourself?"

Lu Yuxiao raised her head and met his gaze; her eyes were filled with "Save me, save me."

Li Ran chuckled and turned to Meng Ziyi: "Sister Meng, the director asked her to develop feelings for me. After all, we're the male and female leads."

Meng Ziyi suddenly realized, "Oh, is that so? I thought you two were planning to create a CP (couple) image!"

Li Ran raised an eyebrow: "What, Sister Meng, do you also want to create a CP (couple pairing) with me?"

Meng Ziyi immediately retorted, her voice rising several decibels: "Li Ran, what nonsense are you spouting? How could I possibly be involved in a CP (couple pairing) with you?"

She paused, then narrowed her eyes warily: "You're not trying to create a romantic pairing with me, are you?"

Li Ran smiled and said, "Sister Meng, I advise you to be kind. I'm a top star now, have you forgotten about what happened with the 'The Untamed' crew?"

Meng Ziyi's face fell immediately.

She also starred in "The Untamed", but didn't gain any popularity.

Instead, he was relentlessly attacked by Bo Jun Yi Xiao's CP fans for a long time because he said cheesy pickup lines to Xiao Zhan on set.

This incident remains a dark chapter in her life.

"Li Ran, you're so annoying!"

Meng Ziyi, hands on her hips, angrily said, "Do you believe I'll cry for you?!"

Li Ran looked at her without saying anything.

The next second, his eyes filled with tears, his eyes red and glistening, as if he was about to cry.

His voice choked with emotion: "I'm sorry, Sister Meng, I shouldn't have brought up your painful memories... I never imagined it would hurt you so much..."

Meng Ziyi was stunned.

She stared, mouth agape, at Li Ran's tearful face, completely dumbfounded.

No, isn't this what I'm supposed to say?

Why are you crying?

Lu Yuxiao peeked out from behind Li Ran and looked at him with a surprised expression.

Brother, why are you crying so suddenly?

Meng Ziyi quickly waved her hands: "Ah! Don't cry! I'm not angry!"

Li Ran looked at her and suddenly smiled.

The moment that smile appeared, the tears in her eyes instantly disappeared, as if they had never happened.

Meng Ziyi paused for half a second, then reacted and slapped his arm: "Okay, Li Ran! You'll play me, right!"

She grabbed Li Ran's clothes and leaned in to look into his eyes.

Those eyes were still slightly red, as if they had just been crying.

As Meng Ziyi looked at you, she suddenly said, "You look quite pretty when you cry."

Lu Yuxiao nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it has a really broken feel to it. I noticed that before."

Li Ran glanced down at the clothes Meng Ziyi was holding and reminded her, "Sister Meng, be careful. Why are you grabbing my clothes?"

Meng Ziyi then realized what was happening and quickly let go.

She pursed her lips and explained, "My relationship with Brother Xiao is pretty good. Those are just rumors spread by marketing accounts."

Li Ran smiled and said, "I know. Xiao Zhan mentioned you to me, saying you have a great personality."

Meng Ziyi's eyes lit up: "Really? He really said that?"

At this moment, Zhou Ye walked over.

She looked at the three of them, her gaze shifting between Meng Ziyi and Li Ran: "Li Ran, are you bullying Sister Meng?"

Before Li Ran could speak, Lu Yuxiao preemptively answered, "It's Sister Meng who wants to create a CP (couple pairing) with Li Ran."

Zhou Ye glanced at Lu Yuxiao, then looked at Meng Ziyi with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Meng Ziyi looked at Lu Yuxiao with a blank expression: "Didn't you want to create a CP (couple pairing) with Li Ran?"

Lu Yuxiao blinked but didn't say anything.

Li Ran couldn't help but laugh when he saw Lu Yuxiao's innocent expression.

This girl is so funny.