"The male and female leads should stand a little closer to create contrast," the cameraman instructed from the side.
Ji Nian felt somewhat awkward, unsure of how to act and appearing flustered.
Noticing her state, Yu Luobai reached out and pulled her close by the waist. Ji Nian turned her head to look at him in surprise.
"Good!" The photographer snapped a shot, capturing the unguarded moment.
"Ji Nian, your character is the leader of a gang. You need to project a strong aura, like a queen looking down upon the world," the director, Mr. Xiao, guided from the side.
"Nian Nian, you need to be more aloof. You're someone who walks in the darkness," Yu Luobai whispered in her ear.
Ji Nian nodded, trying to adjust her state of mind, then applying the acting skills she had learned during this period.
After an afternoon spent not only taking portraits but also rehearsing some scenes, thanks to Yu Luobai's assistance, she managed to get through it smoothly.
Upon returning to the hotel, Ji Nian felt mentally and physically exhausted. She had rushed to catch a flight in the morning, and in the afternoon, she had to rehearse, get makeup done, and take portrait shots.
"Tomorrow we start filming. I think you should spend tonight studying the script and immersing yourself in understanding your character," He Yi advised.
"Okay." Ji Nian had intended to rest, but those words made her too anxious to sleep.
"Where are you going?" He Yi asked, puzzled, as he saw her getting up.
"To rehearse with Teacher Yu." Ji Nian grabbed the script and headed out, only to realize after closing the door that she didn't know which room Yu Luobai was staying in.
She took out her phone and asked the man.
Ji Nian: Teacher Yu, which room are you in?
Yu Luobai was momentarily surprised when he received the message but replied.
Yu Luobai: 1608
Ji Nian: !!!
Yu Luobai didn't understand the meaning of the three exclamation marks until he heard a knock at the door. He walked over and opened it.
"What a coincidence! I'm right across from you," Ji Nian said, surprised.
Yu Luobai's lips curved into a smile when he saw her, motioning for her to come in. "It is quite a coincidence." Though, in fact, he had arranged it.
"I came to rehearse with you. I'm a bit unsure about this character," Ji Nian said, approaching with a studious attitude.
Yu Luobai glanced outside. The sun had set, and with the recent cooler weather, night fell quickly.
"Have you had dinner?" Yu Luobai asked with a smile.
Ji Nian shook her head. "Not yet."
"I ordered some food. It should be here soon. Shall we eat together?" Yu Luobai offered.
"Okay..." Ji Nian blinked her eyes and nodded.
"Give me the script," Yu Luobai extended his hand.
Ji Nian handed him the script, watching as he took it and gave it a cursory glance.
"I've familiarized myself with the script. The female lead is an antagonist, but also a pitiable character. She had a difficult upbringing and has been involved in gambling dens, nightclubs, and bars since she was sixteen. Later, she found a gang leader to be her 'big brother.'"
As Yu Luobai spoke, he stole glances at the woman listening intently, his lips curving slightly upward. "After that, she followed her 'big brother' into increasingly serious criminal activities, starting with gambling, drugs, and human trafficking. Eventually, they even began smuggling arms from abroad. She's a heartless person who only cares about her own enjoyment because from a young age, no one taught her right from wrong."
"A female demon," Ji Nian remarked.
"This female demon was the biggest headache for the police because her influence extended far and wide. She was in cahoots with the government, and her mysterious 'big brother' backed her up. To take down the entire group, the police sent in an undercover officer to infiltrate her circle and gain her trust."
"And then the female demon fell in love with this undercover officer," Ji Nian said.
"Yes, the female demon was extremely starved of love. Having walked in darkness for so long, her heart was lonely. For the first time, she fell in love, but it was shrouded in suspicion. Even after she discovered the man was an undercover officer sent by the police, she still loved him wholeheartedly," Yu Luobai explained earnestly.
"And in the end, this man used his own gun to kill her," Ji Nian realized.
Yu Luobai nodded. "The plot is quite conflicted. One side represents justice, the other evil. The undercover officer understood the woman's past and pitied her, even loving her. But his beliefs told him this was wrong. During an arrest operation, seeing the woman about to escape, he resolutely fired the fatal shot."
"Ah..." Ji Nian was moved by the story. The female demon deserved her fate, but the man shooting her with his own hand was also a highlight of the plot – a difficult choice made for justice.
"The ending is quite touching," Yu Luobai had found the plot compelling from the start, but he had regretfully turned it down because he disliked filming kissing scenes.
"In the final lines, the undercover officer says he couldn't bear to see her die by another's gun, so he chose to eliminate the source of evil himself, even if it meant a lifetime of pain," Ji Nian recited the closing lines.
"The female lead will be relatively easy to portray in the beginning, but her inner conflicts and intense emotional scenes later on will be challenging to grasp," Yu Luobai said.
"Teacher Yu, I'm so glad you're the male lead. Wuwuwu..." He could help her make up for her lack of acting experience.
Yu Luobai was taken aback, an unusual feeling flashing through his heart. She was glad he was the male lead? Did that mean she liked him?
Ji Nian was oblivious to the man's thoughts, only wanting to overcome the challenges of this role. To be honest, she quite liked the story's theme and hoped to put in her best effort to portray the character well.
"Let's rehearse," Ji Nian said eagerly, plopping down cross-legged on the sofa in her slippers.
Yu Luobai's eyes sparkled with amusement as he nodded. "Okay."
Time passed quickly, and they had been rehearsing for nearly half an hour when the room service arrived with their food.
"Let's eat first," Yu Luobai set down the script.
Ji Nian's stomach had started to rumble as well, so she nodded. But then she suddenly remembered the most important thing.
"Teacher Yu, I just remembered, there's a kissing scene!" Ji Nian exclaimed in shock. How could she have forgotten? She had completely overlooked it!
Yu Luobai choked on the food he had just put in his mouth, coughing violently.
Ji Nian looked on in bewilderment. A kissing scene... with him...
Her face turned red instantly as images flashed through her mind. Her heart began to race. Wait, was she actually looking forward to it? No, no, no, she needed to stay calm...
Yu Luobai also forced himself to calm down. He never expected her to only just discover the kissing scene in the script, and to state it so bluntly.
"Teacher Yu... you've been acting for so many years. Surely you've filmed kissing scenes before..." Ji Nian ventured cautiously.
Yu Luobai paused, then shook his head. "I've never filmed a kissing scene before."
Ji Nian stared at him, blinking in disbelief. The pinnacle of the entertainment industry, countless awards and films, yet he had never filmed a kissing scene?
"Then this time... will it be a body double for the kissing scene?" Ji Nian pondered. Since Yu Luobai never took on kissing scenes, and this script had one, it must be a body double...
Yu Luobai's ears turned slightly red as he feigned composure. "It should be a body double."
"Phew..." Ji Nian let out a sigh of relief, but her heart flickered with an inexplicable sense of disappointment. What was going on?!
