Wen Qingyan and Jing Zejun were filming in a spacious abandoned factory.
The entire filming crew was very quiet. The cameraman adjusted the angle at appropriate times, while the director intently watched Wen Qingyan and Jing Zejun's movements and expressions on the screen.
The two were filming the first layer of the story in the drama.
The male and female leads were in an abandoned basement. The props team had adjusted the lighting to create an atmosphere where light was almost completely blocked out, with only weak twilight rays filtering through broken windows, casting shadows on the ground.
Wen Qingyan's coat was already covered in dust, and sweat had soaked through his clothes. His eyes scanned the surroundings with determination as he tightly gripped a flickering flashlight, carefully advancing along the chaotic corridor.
Footsteps echoed in the empty basement. Jing Zejun followed closely behind Wen Qingyan, her figure small and delicate. She looked around, tightening her clenched fists, seemingly prepared for any potential danger.
Wen Qingyan glanced back at Jing Zejun and forcefully pushed open the heavy door in front of them.
The two entered a dim room, greeted by an eerie and terrifying sight. Dust-covered furniture was scattered chaotically, and cracks in the walls revealed the decay of time.
"Cut!"
The director frowned slightly, his expression serious. He gestured for Jing Zejun to come over, pointing to the part of the scene she had just acted on the screen. "Your expression is off. This part has no dialogue. If you can't immerse yourself, when the audience sees it..."
Jing Zejun listened attentively to the director's words, her expression serious.
After finishing here, the director had them shoot another take, but he still seemed unsatisfied.
"Again!" His brow furrowed even deeper.
It wasn't until after the third take that the director saw the shot he wanted, nodding with slight satisfaction.
"Cut, this take is good."
The costume designer came forward to adjust the outfits for Wen Qingyan and Jing Zejun, while the makeup artist rushed to touch up the actors' makeup.
Wen Qingyan looked at Jing Zejun and asked with concern, "How are you doing? Can you adapt to Director Lu's style?" Jing Zejun carefully glanced over, seeing the director still frowning as he watched the monitor.
She looked a bit worried, a flash of disappointment crossing her eyes. "Brother Qingyan, am I performing really badly?" Although she had mentally prepared herself, this director had previously worked with actors of Wen Qingyan's caliber.
Jing Zejun was self-aware about her acting skills. They had only been filming for a few days, and they had to reshoot multiple times because of her.
Wen Qingyan looked at Jing Zejun gently, "It's not that you're bad. It's just that Director Lu is indeed very demanding of every shot. You can learn a lot from him."
Finding a good script and a good director was a very rare thing, which was why Wen Qingyan didn't want Jing Zejun to give up on this script.
He believed that Jing Zejun would achieve her goals here.
Jing Zejun looked at Wen Qingyan's encouraging gaze, smiled and nodded, feeling some of the pressure lift from her heart.
Soon, Wen Qingyan and Jing Zejun were immersed in a new round of filming.
"You're only resting now?"
Jing Yi, lying on her bed, was on the phone with Jing Zejun. She glanced at the time - it was almost midnight.
On the other end, Jing Zejun was removing her makeup in the hotel, with the phone placed nearby. "Yeah, because I kept messing up, and I even made Brother Qingyan film with me until now."
Jing Yi frowned slightly, "Acting really isn't an easy job."
Jing Zejun turned on the faucet, washing the cleansing oil off her face. After wiping her face, she continued, "I think it's because my acting isn't up to par that it seems more difficult."
If she were as skilled as Wen Qingyan, would they need to film so many takes?
Although Jing Zejun and Wen Qingyan had scenes together in "Your Highness", most of her scenes were one-sided expressions, so she didn't have a direct sense of Wen Qingyan's acting skills.
During this time, she truly experienced firsthand how terrifyingly good Wen Qingyan's acting was.
Jing Yi turned to lie on her stomach, curious, "Is the Film Emperor Wen that amazing?" Although she knew Wen Qingyan was a skilled actor, she still couldn't quite grasp what Jing Zejun meant.
On the other end, Jing Zejun had finally lain down on her bed, "Yes, sometimes I'm even scared by his acting." There were several times when she felt like the person standing in front of her might not be Wen Qingyan, but the character from the drama.
Now Jing Yi was even more curious, "Junjun, can people visit your set?" Jing Zejun laughed, "You want to join in on the excitement, don't you?"
Jing Yi chuckled a few times. After hearing Jing Zejun describe how amazing it was, she felt like seeing it in person would be even more impressive.
Jing Zejun thought for a moment, "It's probably not allowed right now. Director Lu is intentionally keeping things confidential. Maybe after some time."
"I see."
Jing Yi wasn't too disappointed. There would always be a chance to witness it eventually. But now there was another matter that needed to be resolved.
"So, will you be able to come to my car racing competition?"
Given what Jing Zejun said, the director seemed quite strict, and she wasn't sure if they would let her leave.
"Don't worry, I should be able to get a day off." Besides, in the coming days, her scenes would be relatively less demanding.
Jing Yi was satisfied, "Alright then, you should get some rest now." It was late, and Jing Zejun had to get up early for filming tomorrow. Jing Yi didn't want to take up too much of her rest time.
After hanging up the phone, Jing Yi yawned, wrapped herself in her blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.
...
"Second brother? Aren't you going to work today?"
Jing Yi entered the living room to see Jing Zeqian sitting there, her face full of surprise.
Jing Zeqian looked up, "You're one to talk. I was planning to accompany you to practice driving today. Where did you go?"
He hadn't seen her all morning and thought Jing Yi was still sleeping, but Uncle Li said she had left very early.
Jing Yi looked at him strangely, "I went to practice driving. I have something to do in the afternoon, so I went earlier. Why didn't you tell me in advance that you wanted to accompany me?"
Who knew she would get up so early to practice driving?
Jing Zeqian wanted to say something more, but Jing Yi had already hurried upstairs, "Second brother, we'll talk later. I need to change clothes first!"
Jing Zeqian watched her disappear, confused. Why was she in such a rush?
When Jing Yi came back downstairs, she had changed into an evening gown.
A white, pleated strapless top hugged her beautiful figure tightly, with a playful bow tied at the waist below a rose. The black fishtail skirt was relaxed and casual.
Her slightly curled hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a short black rose necklace around her neck.
Jing Zeqian raised an eyebrow, "You just got back and you're leaving again?"
"Yes, didn't I say I had something to do this afternoon?"
Since when had Jing Yi become so busy? Jing Zeqian suddenly felt a bit dejected. He had finally made time to accompany her to practice driving, but she was so busy she didn't even need him to accompany her.
Jing Yi was hurriedly preparing to leave when she suddenly remembered something and turned back to look at Jing Zeqian.
