CHAPTER 4

"Scene 2, take 19!"

"You want to know about my past life?" The on-set audio picked up Xiang Xiaoyuan's voice, which was clear and not too loud, yet very penetrating and particularly pleasant to hear. Her tone was cold, and she let out a light chuckle—not quite laughter, just a slight tug at the corners of her mouth. "So, do you know where I used to live?" Her eyes fixed on Zou Yirui.

For some reason, Zou Yirui felt herself shrink back a little under her gaze. "Where... where did you live?"

"I've lived in several welfare homes." Xiaoyuan's gaze paused for a moment, as if countless memories flashed before her eyes. Then, she shifted her eyes, as if she had instantly halted the flow of memories, and scanned the room. "It was completely different from here."

She tugged at her lips again, leaned forward slightly, a mix of provocation and incitement. "Do you really want to know?"

Zou Yirui swallowed nervously, "Y-You tell me."

Xiang Xiaoyuan leaned back, her eyes fixed on her. She picked up the water pitcher next to her, poured water into a cup, the sound of water gurgling. It was a set of white English tea ware, her movements casual, unlike a pampered lady, as she hadn't received much education and lived a rough life.

The cup made a clinking noise as it hit the table, causing the water pitcher to shake.

Everyone on and off the set was captivated by her rhythm, keeping them on edge.

She took a sip, making a slightly tasteless sound, then scoffed coldly and set the cup down, causing the table to shake again.

From surprise to unease, Zou Yirui found the situation across from her too natural, devoid of any trace of acting, as if this was just who she was, with very real-life habits.

This woman... had completely transformed herself into the character of the elder sister from the script...

"What kind of children live in welfare homes? Most of them are unhealthy children—Down syndrome, you see," Xiang Xiaoyuan suddenly rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue, mimicking drooling. "Cerebral palsy, mentally challenged kids, often laugh for no reason..." She looked at Zou Yirui, dryly emitting a few eerie laughs.

"And there are the disabled, these are all unhealthy—boys and girls alike. And then there are those like me, healthy but lost, yet no one claims us!" Her tone was casual, her smile growing wider.

"Every welfare home is pretty much the same, filled with these people. I lived in one with over twenty kids, usually only two aunts watching over us. The doors were locked during the day, and we could only stay inside, never seeing the sun. I was so bored, wanting to go outside, I would shout, 'Auntie, Auntie, I want to go out and play!'"

"But no one is there, when I look outside through the door, it's all dark, only my echo..."

"Those few kids with cerebral palsy are laughing, some are crying, and others are messing themselves, but no one pays attention—it's disgusting!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust, staring at Zou Yirui with a haunting gaze. "I would call out... 'Auntie, Auntie, come quickly...' but no one came. That hallway was always dark..."

Her tone grew increasingly faint, by the end, the last word "dark..." was barely audible.

Zou Yirui involuntarily envisioned a scene: a pitch-black hallway with no end in sight, small hands gripping the security door, shouting louder and louder with no one noticing, the room filled with unsettling laughter and cries, and she could almost smell the foul odor. Living in such an environment...

The overwhelming feeling of helplessness and isolation made Zou Yirui, sitting across from her, freeze in shock, goosebumps prickling across her skin. She stared blankly at Xiaoyuan, her mouth slightly agape, her mind a blank.

From the monitor, it showed a close-up of Xiang Xiaoyuan, her lips curled in a semblance of a smile. Her facial expression was stiff, devoid of any real joy, her eyes lacking focus, scattered rather than concentrated.

Clearly, she was drowning in her memories.

Xiang Xiaoyuan had particularly beautiful eyebrows—thick, smooth, and long, with high brow bones that made her eyes appear exceptionally clear and bright. If she were joyful, it would be a radiant smile, if she were sad, it could evoke instant empathy.

At this moment, she looked half-smiling, half-crying, slowly leaning closer. "Do you want to continue listening? Alright, little sister..."

Zou Yirui felt her hair standing on end, her whole body tingling, unable to sit still, she hastily responded, "Um, um..." and fled in a panic.

Xiaoyuan's gaze followed her direction, the smile at the corner of her mouth gradually fading, disappearing, becoming as indifferent as her gaze, she poured another glass of water and drank slowly.

Thus, the performance completed a perfect arc.

Performances can sometimes be mysterious and subjective, but at times, in contrast, a good performance is clear as day.

"Tch." Cai Juan chuckled, roared, scaring off the female lead!

Wei Jiabao was stunned. It wasn't until Chen Yunxiu shouted "Cut! Very good!" that he reacted, shouting, "Great!" and leading the applause.

The crew finally snapped back to reality, joining the director in applause. Some cheered, while others were nearly moved to tears, relieved to have completed a scene.

It had been quite a struggle, but they finally had a take that went smoothly in one shot.

This performance completely overshadowed the lead actress, leaving her far behind.

Zou Yirui listened to the people around praising and complimenting Xiang Xiaoyuan, her smile looking very forced. She was most aware of how thoroughly she was being overshadowed, her reactions completely off, brought out under the heavy pressure from the other party.

She quickly noticed Xiang Xiaoyuan breaking character, and after the director shouted "cut," she stood up, slightly bowed to the applauding crew around her, said thank you in a bold manner, feeling quite justified in her own eyes?

Zou Yirui saw Wei Jiabao looking at Xiang Xiaoyuan with bright eyes and noticed a rare smile from Chen Yunxiu.

She wasn't stupid, if that last scene became part of the film, the audience would definitely sympathize with the character of the elder sister, making the female lead appear more and more like a "white lotus." [The term refers to a female character who appears innocent, naïve, impossibly perfect, and pure on the surface, but uses this reputation to back stab, blame, or on others. The term was inspired by the lotus plant, which has a beautiful flower floating on top of water, hiding messy roots stuck in mud.]

Now she felt that the supporting character had much more room for performance than the female lead!

After Xiaoyuan finished her water, she stood up, thanked the audience, her filming task for the day completed. She turned and walked away, Cai Juan following her, "Haha! That was fantastic, Yuan'er, you did so well!"

"Mhm."

Xiang Xiaoyuan responded a few times, then quickly walked away from the crowd before breaking into a run.

"Eh?" Cai Juan voiced his confusion, then seeing where she was running off to, it suddenly made sense.

Outside the villa, a temporary public toilet had been set up, separate for men and women. Xiang Xiaoyuan quickly took care of her personal business. The water flowing from the tap at the entrance was clear and refreshing. She washed her hands, leaned down to splash some water on her face, and wiped her face.

She felt much better.

"I was about to burst," she said, shaking her hands to disperse the droplets. Since she was wearing her costume, she couldn't wipe her face. She shook her hands again and waved them lightly, feeling relaxed and happy.

"Here." Cai Juan took out a tissue from his bag.

Xiaoyuan refused, "No need, it'll dry quickly."

Cai Juan retorted, "Wipe your face, pay attention to your image." He promptly took the tissue and wiped her face himself.

Xiaoyuan laughed, "You haven't praised my acting yet!"

"I just did! You were amazing! You were great! You were the best!"

It was already dark, a makeshift fluorescent lamp hanging above, attracting quite a few black moths. The summer heat lingered, the ground still warm, a breeze of a summer night approaching.

Xiang Xiaoyuan laughed again, raising her hand. "Acting is so much fun! Wow! Saying my lines was such a thrill!"

The wind tousled her black hair back, revealing a face as pure as jade. The strands of hair at her temples and cheeks were slightly damp, giving her a youthful look. "The scriptwriter's lines are really well-written, I remembered them quickly and delivered them smoothly..."

Cai Juan pulled out a makeup remover wipe and gently helped her remove the remnants of makeup washed away by water. "You had such a long segment of lines, and you delivered them flawlessly during the live recording—that's amazing!"

"Ah, I really love the feeling of shooting like this!" There were still traces of eyeshadow lingering on her eyelids. When she talked about acting, her eyes sparkled, looking up with fluttering eyelashes, the light in her eyes resembling stars scattered across the sky.

A few years ago, Xiang Zhishi established a studio and invited him to be Xiang Xiaoyuan's manager. To be honest, he had been in this industry for six years and had managed several famous stars at Boyi. Due to personal reasons, he had left the industry and intended to find another job back in his hometown. If it weren't for the favor he owed Xiang Zhishi before, he wouldn't have taken on new talents, especially those with strong personalities like Xiaoyuan.

After watching Xiang Xiaoyuan's movie and seeing her passion for acting, he decided to stay and give it a try.

Once she stayed, he couldn't leave, he was on a "pirate ship" now! [The term suggests that once someone becomes involved in a particular situation or group, especially in a challenging or chaotic environment (like the entertainment industry), they can't easily leave. It implies being caught up in something exciting yet potentially risky or unpredictable, much like being on a pirate ship where the crew is bound to a life of adventure and danger. ]

Though he was supposed to be her manager, he also played the role of a life assistant, business assistant, makeup artist, stylist, and so on. Fortunately, Xiang Xiaoyuan channeled all her temper into her acting. In real life, she was easy to get along with and quite obedient. Over time, they developed a bond that made it hard for him to leave.

Xiang Xiaoyuan had a unique personality—she was academically gifted and proud, but she had no friends during school. After graduating, she didn't have many acting roles or industry friends. In front of outsiders, she appeared cold and aloof, maintaining a distance from others. Only in front of her and Xiang Zhishi would she show her childlike side, chattering away and sharing her happy moments.

Cai Juan's heart softened. "If you like it, let's keep shooting. You did great today."

"Are you hungry? I see the crew setting up food over there, I'll grab a couple of dishes."

"Okay, I've already finished filming. Let's eat in our room."

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll make some soup and grab a bottle of milk for you to drink in the morning."

When they returned to their room, Xiang Xiaoyuan had already changed out of her costume, now wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt and blue denim shorts. Her hair was casually tied up in a bun as she sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, enjoying a cool bowl of mung bean soup with Cai Juan.

"I just heard that they'll be shooting again tonight because today's tasks aren't finished yet." Cai Juan said while breaking apart a pair of disposable chopsticks.

In front of them were several open lunch boxes. He had a box of rice, while Xiang Xiaoyuan had a third of a box with three dishes: Sweet and sour spare ribs, pineapple and red tomato stir-fry, fish-flavored eggplant casserole, and stir-fried winter melon.

Filming during the day and at night really tests the actors' stamina.

"I wonder if the female lead will be okay?" Cai Juan took off his glasses, being severely nearsighted, things got a bit blurry without them, causing the spare ribs to slip from his chopsticks.

"Heh, what do you think? That vase!" Xiaoyuan snorted and picked up a piece of spare rib for him.

"Cough, cough. Let's keep this conversation private, we can't say that on set." Cai Juan warned her uneasily.

"Don't worry, I can't be bothered to talk to such a vase. Acting opposite her is already enough for me!" Xiaoyuan bit down on her chopsticks, then her eyes lit up suddenly. "I can't wait to act with Senior He Chenying!"

The three major awards in the country—the White Peony Award, the Golden Phoenix Award, and the Huading Award, along with Hong Kong's Bauhinia Award and Taiwan's Feiyan Award—are considered the top acting awards in the Chinese film industry. He Chenying has won three out of five awards, making her a standout among young and middle-aged actors.

Such an actor is exactly who Xiang Xiaoyuan longs to collaborate with, and it's also why she has held on until now.

"Alright, eat up! If all goes well, you'll get to act with the senior you admire tomorrow."

"I still can't believe I'll be working with her. Tonghua actually managed to sign her!" Xiaoyuan bit into a piece of winter melon.

"It's probably a combination of money and personal connections. By the way, did you know that Director Chen and He, the actress, used to be a couple?" Cai Juan was always well-informed.

"Oh," Xiang Xiaoyuan said, showing little interest in the gossip. "Didn't they split up ages ago? He was her first husband, it's their private life."

"Yeah," Cai Juan scratched his head with the tip of his chopsticks, "I don't think..."

Before he could finish, both of them were distracted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Cai Juan called out.

A crew member entered, "Sorry to interrupt, the director wants you both to come over."

Xiang Xiaoyuan and Cai Juan exchanged puzzled glances. Wasn't her scene already finished for the day?

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