Crossover Actors - Chapter 11
Qu Yanting did not accept it; his hand sank as Lu Wen directly shoved it to him. Through the plastic lunch box, he felt the warm temperature of the millet porridge.
Lu Wen said, “I had a small meal in the morning, so I’m not hungry now.”
Qu Yanting replied, “I don’t need—”
“Don’t be polite,” Lu Wen interrupted, thinking quickly, “The other day when I took the wrong car, I drank a bottle of Perrier that you had prepared for me, so consider this porridge as a return.”
He didn’t want to fuss over a bowl of millet porridge, and with so many people around, he worried they might misunderstand him as trying to curry favor with Qu Yanting. It was one thing to show courtesy privately, but doing so publicly would tarnish his “stubborn and low-profile” image as an eighteen-line actor.
Lu Wen quickly made his exit, saying, “Teacher Qu, feel free to have it. I’m going to do my makeup.”
In a few moments, he was already five meters away. Qu Yanting held the porridge, and seeing Lu Wen’s figure disappear at the classroom door, he had no choice but to accept it.
The makeup room was a temporary transformation of the classroom. Lu Wen waited for his makeup, remaining restless, and sat on the windowsill with a face mask on.
Sun Xiaojian brought a pack of protein bars, saying, “Well, the porridge is gone, so eat this.”
Lu Wen lifted the face mask a bit and asked curiously, “Even though you’re stingy, you wouldn’t be so frugal over a bowl of porridge, would you?”
Sun Xiaojian replied, “That porridge was 20 off 8 with free delivery. If I had known you would take action, I would have bought a star-rated hotel meal. Too late now.”
Lu Wen didn’t care about the price. Chewing, he asked, “What do you mean by ‘taking action’?”
Sun Xiaojian gave a sly smile and praised, “You took action with Director Qu. I didn’t expect you to react so quickly, seizing the opportunity so naturally. This show of courtesy was done so effortlessly.”
Lu Wen hadn’t thought about it much. Seeing that Qu Yanting would rather go hungry than eat fish, he inexplicably thought of Ye Shan.
Sun Xiaojian said, “With Qu’s wealth… I hope he doesn’t think poorly of my porridge.”
Lu Wen asked casually, “What wealth?”
Sun Xiaojian said, “Do you know how much a famous screenwriter gets paid for an episode of a TV drama or for a movie? Qu Yanting has long since stopped playing by those rules. He takes a percentage of the profits, and he has a stake in all those film investments. The hit drama at the beginning of the year was produced by his studio. This web drama is just a small thing for him.”
Lu Wen responded with a simple, “Oh.”
“Don’t just say ‘oh’,” Sun Xiaojian insisted, “Director Qu is busy and won’t stay with the crew for long. You should show him all your skills while he’s still here and climb this high branch, okay?”
Lu Wen vaguely agreed. He wasn’t concerned about Qu Yanting’s wealth or status but understood that behind all the titles and accolades, Qu Yanting was a significant figure.
He must have been overthinking about Ye Shan.
Lu Wen pulled off the face mask and slapped it on Sun Xiaojian’s forehead, saying, “Stop talking so much. Qu Teacher’s wealth is impressive, and he probably threw away that 20-off-8 porridge after taking a sip.”
Sun Xiaojian worried, “Really?”
Lu Wen jumped down from the windowsill to get his makeup done, saying, “You’re just being a miser.”
In reality, Qu Yanting not only did not throw the porridge away but finished it bowl by bowl. After a few days in Chongqing, each meal had been delicious but spicy, and this warm, light millet porridge eased his stomach’s burden.
He sat alone in the teacher’s office, the slightly ajar door couldn’t block the noise from outside. He didn’t mind the noise and quietly listened after finishing the porridge. The set was most chaotic during preparation, with the director’s rough shouts sometimes drifting in.
— Want to experience what it feels like to be a director?
Qu Yanting mulled over this question, as if pondering a difficult problem. Before he could come up with an answer, the director’s assistant came to inform him that everything was ready, and filming would start in five minutes.
He exhaled softly, putting the question aside, and picked up the script to continue his role as Director Qu.
All the extras had gone downstairs, leaving only the A-group staff in the hallway. At the front door of the classroom, the cinematography team leader was making final adjustments, with the lighting technician flashing nearby.
The director’s monitor was on the inside of the back door. Ren Shu waved and called, “Yan Ting, come here.”
Qu Yanting glanced over. At the door, Lu Wen leaned against the doorframe, looking awkward as if he had entered the wrong set, unlike his relaxed appearance in the morning.
Lu Wen felt embarrassed after finishing his makeup.
Wearing a school uniform made from polyester, he was uncomfortable. The pants were too short, exposing his ankles. The clothes were covered in creases, and worst of all, the front placket and cuffs had realistic stains.
For the first time in his life, he dressed like this.
Seeing Qu Yanting approach, Lu Wen shuffled his feet, wearing thirty-yuan canvas shoes, and slightly turned his face away. His short hair was neatly combed, and his dark circles were exposed. He had also removed a small mole.
Compared to Ye Xiao Wu in the morning, Ye Shan looked less spirited.
Qu Yanting sat next to Ren Shu and stared at the monitor. Ren Shu joked, “It seems a bit odd for such a big guy like Ye Shan to be bullied.”
Lu Wen misunderstood and peeked in, saying, “Actually, I’m just putting on a show.”
Ren Shu said, “Lu Wen, your body data is great. Your neck, arms, legs, and torso all have perfect proportions. You’re suited for the big screen.”
Lu Wen’s worry turned to joy: “Thank you, Director Ren!”
He lowered his eyes, aligned with Qu Yanting’s head, clearly seeing Qu Yanting’s black, soft, dry, and fluffy hair. The stray hairs on his forehead were blown by the breeze, exposing his fair forehead.
“Teacher Qu,” Lu Wen tried to climb higher.
Qu Yanting looked up and said, “Hmm?”
Lu Wen’s approach was very direct: “Director Ren said I can be on the big screen. If you ever need people for your movies, please feel free to contact me. I want to express my deep gratitude here.”
Qu Yanting, expressionless, focused back on the monitor: “Let’s get this scene right first.”
With everything ready, Lu Wen sprayed his cuffs and temples with water, then took his position in front of the camera. The “students” in the classroom also got into character.
The camera rolled, scene 14, take 1, clapperboard.
Ye Shan, who had been helping at the market at noon, returned to school late, running to the classroom as the bell rang.
Lu Wen ran up the stairs, sweat on his temples.
This low-tier high school lacked a learning atmosphere; the teachers hadn’t arrived yet, and the students chatted and played on their phones, almost none of them waiting for class obediently. Ye Shan reached the classroom door, hesitated outside despite being late.
Lu Wen pushed the door open, not looking at anyone, and walked into the classroom with his head down.
Seeing Ye Shan appear, several male students, leading a large group, covered their noses and pretended to gag. Ye Shan went to his seat, finding his backpack thrown under the desk and some dirty footprints on the chair.
Lu Wen kept his lips sealed, his facial muscles tense, and bent to pick up the backpack.
The first scene was not yet finished when Ren Shu called for a stop: “Start again from when you enter.”
Starting again meant it hadn’t passed.
Lu Wen went back to the door to retake, and during his walk to the seat, he was called to stop once more, making him anxious.
Ren Shu asked, “Lu Wen, why are you taking such big steps?”
Lu Wen responded, “They’re laughing at me. I want to get back to my seat quickly.”
“Understood, but it’s not quite right on camera,” Ren Shu said. “With those long legs of yours, I thought the school’s top guy was coming in.”
Lu Wen took the third take, carefully moderating his steps and walking cautiously. However, before he could even reach his seat, Ren Shu’s loud voice called for a stop again.
Ren Shu said, “Don’t just focus on your feet; where’s the expression? You need to show Ye Shan’s embarrassment, give it to the camera.”
Embarrassed, Lu Wen swallowed hard and returned to the door to shoot the fourth take.
In the midst of collective laughter, Ye Shan awkwardly walked to his seat, picked up his backpack, wiped the chair clean, and quietly organized his books. When he turned to a new textbook, he saw it covered with “stinky” written all over the cover, and the pages were covered with footprints.
Lu Wen clenched the book’s spine and bit down on his back teeth.
A male student in the front row gloated, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Wen said in a low tone, “This is my new book.”
The scene ended, and the persistent “stop” echoed from the back door. Ren Shu shouted, “Lu Wen, you’re already a bass voice, and your line reading is so gloomy. Are you going to hit him next? Soften your tone, make it lighter, understand?!”
Lu Wen quickly said, “Got it, Director.”
The previous group’s scene was retaken. Lu Wen softened his tone and delivered his lines, but before the last syllable even ended, Ren Shu’s voice interrupted: “Stop, stop, stop, the emotion is wrong!”
Damn, what now.
Lu Wen was on the verge of breaking down.
Ren Shu asked, “Lu Wen, tell me, if a new book of yours gets damaged, what would Ye Shan feel?”
Lu Wen answered, “Anger?”
Ren Shu asked again, “If your eight-million-yuan sports car was smashed, besides anger, what else would you feel?”
Lu Wen said, “Heartache.”
“This book for Ye Shan is like a sports car for you,” Ren Shu explained. “Ye Shan saved up for a new book, and it’s ruined without being used. You need to show that heartache.”
The sixth take of the first scene, the clapperboard snapped.
Ren Shu, exhausted, leaned his fist against his face and stared silently at the monitor. When Lu Wen finished his lines, he gestured for the camera to continue shooting.
No stop was called, and the second scene began. Lu Wen sighed in relief, thinking he had done well this time.
Ye Shan’s shoulder was grabbed by someone, and a male student from the back row snatched the book away: “Who’s so lacking in decency to ruin someone’s new book like this and write ‘stinky’ on it, just spouting nonsense.”
Laughter erupted around. Lu Wen turned to grab the book, saying, “Give me the book.”
The other person dodged Ye Shan’s hand: “You’re making me nauseous. Look at yourself, your cuffs are wet. Can’t you change clothes after selling rotten fish and shrimp?”
Someone said, “He’s relying on that stench to stay awake and get first place.”
Lu Wen immediately dropped his hands, helplessly repeating, “Give me the book back.”
The back row student threw the book with force: “You’re heartbroken over a lousy book? I smell your fishy odor every day, it makes my lungs uncomfortable. Can’t you quickly apologize?”
“And me, I do exercises next to you and it stinks.”
“Hurry up and apologize!”
“If not, you can at least pay for a meal or something.”
The verbal attacks came like a tide. Amid the questioning, Ye Shan stood up, went to the podium to pick up the book, and was blocked from both sides on his way back to his seat, caught in a dilemma.
Lu Wen hunched his shoulders: “Let me go back.”
The teacher appeared at the door, and everyone quieted down. Ye Shan returned to his seat.
The second scene ended.
Ren Shu finally spoke but didn’t say anything, just heavily sighed.
Everyone held their breath. Lu Wen’s heart tightened as he stood up, waiting for the director’s verdict under the scrutiny of the onlookers.
With a clattering sound, Ren Shu also moved his chair and stood up, asking, “Lu Wen, how do you think you did?”
Lu Wen tentatively said, “Not very well.”
“What’s not good about it?” Ren Shu pressed.
Lu Wen didn’t know, actually feeling quite good.
Ren Shu pulled out a cigarette and lit it: “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. You can’t truly understand Ye Shan. Ye Shan’s embarrassment, patience, and helplessness—you can’t convey them, or it’s obvious you’re just acting.”
“Your approach is like this: Ye Shan is aggrieved, so you play the grievance. How do you act it out? You lower your head, hunch your shoulders, and put on that handsome face of yours. What I feel is that this handsome guy is taking it too seriously. But you’re still a handsome guy, not Ye Shan.”
“Emotions need to be natural, deep, and untraceable. Whatever emotion Ye Shan is feeling, you need to nurture that emotion, not just pretend to have it, understand?”
“To shape a role successfully, you need to get into the character. If you don’t, just dryly shaping it is like marrying right after a blind date. You’d be lucky to achieve a harmonious marriage!”
Ren Shu, an impatient and stringent director, was direct in his criticism. In front of a room full of extras and staff, he hammered Lu Wen with his critique.
Lu Wen stood by the table, his face burning, feeling more at a loss than embarrassed. What should he do next? Retake another scene? How should he perform?
During the quiet break, someone cleared their throat—it was Qu Yanting.
In stark contrast to Ren Shu’s fury, Qu Yanting watched the entire six takes with a calm demeanor, not saying a word.
Lu Wen glanced at him, feeling a bit intimidated and dazed, likely experiencing his first public reprimand like this.
Qu Yanting broke the silence: “Let’s take a break.”
Ren Shu told everyone to take a fifteen-minute break, saying, “This Lu Wen, did so well in the audition, but today he’s a letdown.”
Qu Yanting added, “The last set of shots also needs adjustment.”
Ren Shu lit another cigarette and exhaled smoke rings: “Don’t worry, I’ll handle each one meticulously. And in front of you, if this scene isn’t satisfactory, no one’s leaving today.”
Qu Yanting waved away the second-hand smoke: “It’s not necessary, take your time.”
“I’ll adjust the shots first,” Ren Shu said, grabbing the storyboard and heading to the cinematographer.
The classroom was chaotic. Qu Yanting looked around and saw Lu Wen still standing in place, looking like he was waiting for punishment.
Having watched all six takes without commenting, Qu Yanting understood why Lu Wen couldn’t truly grasp Ye Shan’s character.
Directing was the director’s responsibility, so Qu Yanting put down the script.
He called out, “Lu Wen.”
Lu Wen, like an alert dog, looked up, defensively yet attentively: “…What’s up?”
Qu Yanting said, “Come with me.”
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ma'er
I’m sad seeing Lu Wen struggle like this 🙁