CHAPTER 2

Cai Juan dared not take it lightly. Having been away from the set for too long, he said, "Rest here for a while. I'll go back to see what the situation is. It wouldn't be good if we missed our scenes."

Xiang Xiaoyuan waved him off, "Fine."

Cai Juan, still worried, reminded her, "Don't wander off too far, and don't drink too much water." The restroom was a bit far, and the round trip would take some time, he was afraid they might miss their scene.

Xiang Xiaoyuan sighed and waved him away, "I know, I know."

Cai Juan returned to the set, keeping an eye out, and approached Chen Yunxiu to inquire about the situation. Chen Yunxiu happened to turn around and see him, recognizing him as well, "The next scene will shoot Xiaoyuan and Miss Zou."

Cai Juan was delighted, "Thank you, Director Chen. I'll inform Xiaoyuan right away."

"Take your time, no need to rush." Director Chen gestured with his eyes toward a direction, saying no more.

Cai Juan looked over and saw the female lead, Zou Yirui, and the director standing in the shade. Their heads were almost leaning against each other. He understood and turned away. Zou Yirui was a new artist signed with Tonghua Media, and she was also Wei Jiabao's lover. Having spent several years in the entertainment industry, Cai Juan had his own ways of gathering information. It was said that this Wei Jiabao was Wei Zhuang's younger brother. Even if the female lead's acting was subpar, it wouldn't matter due to her connection with the CEO.

......

In his pocket was a script, with key points marked in different colored highlighters and dense annotations in some areas. Xiaoyuan had flipped through those pages so much that they were now crumpled.

A slightly sour feeling rose in his heart.

Xiaoyuan was nervous as well, she hadn't acted in over a year.

By the time he reached the shade of the banyan tree, Cai Juan had composed himself.

Under the tender blue sky, Xiaoyuan sat against the tree trunk, eyes closed, basking in the sunlight filtered through the lush branches and leaves, casting small clusters of light onto the surface of her black dress.

She shifted slightly, and the speck of light mischievously moved from her closed eyelashes to her nose, sliding down in a straight line to her delicate and slightly raised tip, accentuating the natural, light-colored beauty mark.

Cai Juan felt a bit proud. It wasn't just boasting, Xiaoyuan's looks were far superior to that of Miss Zou.

"Yuan'er, Director Chen just told me that the next scene will be with you and the female lead."

Xiaoyuan opened her eyes, turned her face, and the speck of light brushed across her face, as if it plunged into her focused eyes, spreading a joyful expression that shone like the dawn, trembling one's heart. 

Cai Juan couldn't help but say, "Really, It's the truth! I'm not lying!"

Xiaoyuan stood up, her smile making her eyes sparkle. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!"

Cai Juan also smiled, following behind her, feeling a surge of excitement.

'Yes! Xiaoyuan, show those people your acting skills!'

This scene is an indoor scene, and the set has been moved to the interior of a villa. Zou Yirui has adjusted her state, and the lighting and camera are in position.

Before starting, Wei Jiabao said to Chen Yunxiu, "I just talked with Ruirui. You keep an eye on this shot. If I stand behind the monitor, it might put more pressure on her, affecting her performance."

Chen Yunxiu nodded without changing expression.

He turned and saw Xiaoyuan, who was getting her makeup touched up, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

The scene takes place in a dining room.

The two sisters have vastly different personalities. The younger sister, having been fragile since childhood, was well protected by their mother. She is somewhat naive and delicate. Her feelings toward her recently found sister are complex, especially since their mother privately told her that the sister's kidney match is successful, and they will soon seek to persuade her to donate a kidney.

The younger sister feels guilty, and the mother is also trying to bridge the gap, actively meeting her material needs in terms of food, clothing, and living arrangements.

On this day, the two of them are having a meal in the dining room.

Patients with kidney disease have strict dietary requirements, needing to ensure sufficient protein intake while strictly controlling water and salt. The younger sister's meal consists of half a bowl of rice, a bit of vegetables, an egg, a glass of milk, and a small amount of fish, all very bland.

On the other side, the elder sister is eating a steak specially prepared by the chef, along with a dessert after the meal.

The two actresses sit facing each other, one in white and the other in black, with their contrasting meals creating a vivid comparison.

"Scene 2, Take 1!"

"Action!" The sound of the clapperboard echoed with anticipation.

The initial part involves a non-verbal performance.

Both are quietly eating, the younger sister observing her elder sister discreetly while struggling to come up with a topic.

The elder sister eats indifferently, feeling no particular emotion towards her younger sister. She sees her as a stranger with a blood relation, not just a stranger but also harboring feelings of jealousy and resentment, which will be further revealed in the subsequent scenes. Here, the focus is on conveying a sense of indifference and detachment.

The script only contains one line: 'In the dining room, the two sisters eat quietly, creating an inexplicably strange atmosphere.'

This is a well-known scene among the director, assistant director, and the actors present.

How the characters' psychology in the script can be demonstrated through the actors' actions and expressions during non-verbal performances, in order to convince the audience and make them understand the characters, this greatly tests the actors' imagination and sensitivity to drama, as well as their grasp of rhythm.

Zou Yirui had graduated from a performing arts program, she was not an amateur. Earlier, during her scenes with the male lead, she hadn't been fully focused and had her own plans.

The main creative team of "Sisters" are all recognized as master-level figures in the industry. When she first entered the production crew, she somewhat felt the indifference from the assistant directors, cameramen, and others, as if she was a newcomer without much strength behind the scenes. She initially went along with their thoughts, deliberately performing poorly to consume their attention, knowing that Wei Jiabao is her boyfriend, so no matter how bad her acting is, she won't be replaced.

In this scene, she decided to act seriously, aiming for a surprising "turnaround."

However, when Xiang Xiaoyuan sat across from her, she inexplicably felt a bit of pressure.

In terms of skills, everyone has a professional background, Beiying and Huaxi each have their own strengths, and their fame is comparable. Xiaoyuan graduated two years earlier than her, but she is more popular. As for looks, she wouldn't admit to being less attractive than her.

As for talent...

Zou Yirui's gaze lingered on the plate for a few seconds, her eyes flickered, she raised her eyelashes to glance at the opposite side.

Xiang Xiaoyuan kept her eyes slightly downcast, her hands resting at her sides, her expression flat, focused on her plate.

'What does this mean? Just because there are no lines doesn't mean there shouldn't be any reactions!'

Zou Yirui's heart was pounding, and instinctively she wanted to make a move. She picked up her knife and fork, cut a piece of chicken, glanced at her again, still no response, she put the chicken in her mouth and took a bite.

'I'm eating, so you should too, right?'

She chewed lightly. The younger sister in the script has a delicate constitution and a privileged background, so she would never eat voraciously. Moreover, her condition is worsening now, so she wouldn't have a good appetite, nor enjoy the food.

Zou Yirui felt that her interpretation of the character was spot on, but as she started eating, time seemed to stretch on. Just eating without speaking, wouldn't it be a bit monotonous? But how should she act?

She felt a bit anxious, looked at Xiaoyuan again, who still didn't look at her, just made a movement, raising her hands and placing them on the sides of the plate, her lips barely twitching. This movement should have been caught on camera, but she wouldn't see it herself. If she could see it, that would mean she had been staring at her for too long...

"Cut!" At this moment, Chen Yunxiu spoke up.

Zou Yirui breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders immediately relaxed.

"Miss Zou, you are secretly observing her, so the time you gaze at her cannot be too long. The action of eating is good, but you shouldn't look at Xiaoyuan frequently while eating. Also, your expression doesn't need to be so cautious and alert, it's as if you need her approval to eat this food, or that you're afraid she might disapprove..."

Chen Yunxiu spoke gently, "You are the one who has lived in that house for years. Although the person opposite you is your sister, deep down, there's a bit of pride and instinctive resistance to an outsider entering your familiar circle... Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand, Director Chen." Zou Yirui started to speak, with a piece of chicken still in her mouth that she hadn't swallowed yet. Her face blushed slightly, she quickly chewed and swallowed.

Chen Yunxiu cleared his throat and continued, "Continue, you don't have to eat this time. You've cut a piece, brought it to your mouth, paused for about half a second," he demonstrated the action, his expression changing, speaking slowly, "Show a bit of disgust, maybe even a hint of nausea. This kind of food is likely something you eat every day—same old, same old, and you're tired of it, but you can't avoid it. When you bring the food to your mouth, let your eyes unconsciously glance at Xiaoyuan's plate, revealing a hint of envy. Then look at the vegetables in front of you, sigh, and then glance back at Xiaoyuan..."

Truly a renowned director, he knew exactly what to say as soon as he spoke.

Several onlookers nodded and whispered to each other, "Director Chen's explanation is very detailed, I can understand it."

"Yes, it's very clear. I've heard he's great at helping actors with their performances, and it really shows..."

"Xiaoyuan, pay attention and cooperate. Let's do another take." Chen Yunxiu said to Xiaoyuan, then sat down to continue watching the monitor.

Not far away, Cai Juan smirked to herself. Director Chen really trusts Xiaoyuan!

"Scene 2, Take 2!"

Zou Yirui had already accepted Chen Yunxiu's guidance. She glanced over and saw Xiaoyuan again drop her hands to her sides, just like before. She listened carefully to Director Chen's instructions earlier, not paying attention to this woman, but now it seemed like she had been in character since the first take?

Zou Yirui's competitive spirit arose. Following Director Chen's instructions, she acted out the scene again. When she looked towards the opposite side, she placed her hands on the sides of the plate, slightly lowered her head, and pursed her lips towards Xiaoyuan.

As Zou Yirui watched her, hesitating whether to end this wordless performance and deliver her next line, she noticed Xiaoyuan's previously open hands clench tightly, lifting slightly. Her brows furrowed, and she paused, her eyes moving from left to right, then back again, as if deep in thought.

Zou Yirui suddenly had an epiphany, leaned forward a bit, with a puzzled expression, made a sound, "Hmm?"

Xiang Xiaoyuan paused for a moment, finally lifting her eyes to glance at Zou Yirui. Her hands tightened into fists slightly, and her gaze quickly darted to Zou Yirui's plate—specifically, to her hands. It was quick and fleeting. At that moment, a hint of panic flickered in her eyes, but just as quickly, it disappeared, returning to her usual indifference. She then switched the positions of the knife and fork on her plate, placing the fork on the left and the knife on the right, and began cutting into her steak.

"Cut, very good!" Chen Yunxiu nodded in satisfaction.

At that moment, Zou Yirui finally realized that Xiaoyuan had been secretly learning her technique with the knife and fork.

Indeed, in the script, the elder sister had previously been abducted and had lived a turbulent life with traffickers, moving through different cities and even spending some time in an orphanage. She didn't know how to use a knife and fork properly, but didn't want to show weakness to her sister, which led to this interpretation. The character's personality was fully established, and the atmosphere was conveyed.

Zou Yirui felt a pang of discomfort.

The contrast was becoming apparent.

The rhythm of this scene was entirely controlled by Xiang Xiaoyuan, while she was merely following her lead...

"Maintain that emotion, let's keep this take! Let's do it again!"

"Keep this take" means the director believes the shot is good enough, but to be safe, they will change the camera angle and shoot it again for ease in post-production or editing.

Chen Yunxiu turned to Wei Jiabao and said, "Director Wei, what do you think of this take... it's quite good, right?"

"Yeah... it's good." Wei Jiabao rubbed his nose, his eyes watching Xiaoyuan with interest, "I'll take over the next shot."

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