Chapter 57: What Ways to Pass the Time Are There on the Film Set?

In the evening, while Li Jingkun was in his room editing footage, he suddenly received a text message from Cai Wenwen. She was apologizing to him for breaking into laughter during their scene earlier that day.

For an actor, breaking character and laughing can be a minor slip or a major issue. It is completely normal for anyone to have a slip-up once or twice. However, if someone frequently bursts into laughter on set, it is often seen as a sign of unprofessionalism, a lack of respect for one's profession, and a failure to fully embrace the identity of an actor.

That was entirely not the case with Cai Wenwen today, so no one made an issue of it, and Li Jingkun hadn't taken it to heart.

"It's fine. I would have forgotten about it if you hadn't brought it up."

"…It seems I worried for nothing all day, thinking you were harboring resentment toward me in your heart, especially since my laughter interrupted your demonstration and you didn't continue acting the scene out."

"Don't overthink it. Just maintain your good state of mind. All of you performed very well."

"…"

Cai Wenwen felt a bit speechless and slightly frustrated, though of course she didn't dare to reply with a string of ellipsis dots.

After a moment, perhaps feeling that his reply had been a bit too cold and devoid of human warmth, Li Jingkun added another message: "I heard that all three of you main leads have been working very hard, diligently memorizing and practicing your lines back in your rooms at night. Especially you—your reputation on the crew is quite good. I am well aware of all this, and I'm very glad I didn't choose the wrong people. Therefore, there's no need to dwell on one or two mistakes. No one can guarantee they'll never make a single error. As long as you adjust your mindset in time when you notice a mistake and correct it promptly, that's all that matters."

Though different from what she had expected, being understood—especially by the director—moved Cai Wenwen quite a bit.

"Thank you ^_^. Actually, I'm just trying my best to do my job properly. Before university, I always thought I was pretty and smart, very well-suited for a career in acting. It wasn't until university that I realized there are many people far more capable than I am, so I can only strive to be a bit more diligent than others. Furthermore, I believe that dialogue delivery is the most fundamental skill for an actor, which is why I've always worked hard to solidify my line delivery!"

She poured her heart out in a long message, eagerly awaiting a few more words of affirmation from Li Jingkun. To her surprise, she waited in vain for a reply.

Just as she was starting to wonder if he had fallen asleep, a new message popped up: "That's right, line delivery is indeed fundamental for an actor. Your direction of effort is correct. Moreover, regardless of beauty or ugliness, with or without innate talent, putting in more effort is never a mistake."

She decided not to reply, preserving the last shred of a young girl's stubbornness—this conversation would end because of her silence.

...

The content and theme of the second episode revolved around the main characters heading to the arts college entrance examinations and the events that unfolded along the way.

The plot was actually quite simple, but its strength lay in its humorous and brilliant dialogue. Once the dialogue became witty and excellent, the characters naturally appeared endearing, making the viewing experience quite substantial.

The first scene of the second episode featured the three protagonists hitching a ride with Lin Xian'er to another city, getting ready to take the university's arts entrance exams.

After stepping out of the car, Lin Xian'er glanced at the three of them, grabbed her suitcase, and walked away first.

Watching this unfold, Sun Hao asked, "Are we... not going to follow her?"

Cai Wenwen looked ahead and said, "Then you go."

Sun Hao said, "It's not safe for a young girl to walk alone."

Cai Wenwen turned her head to look at him: "Then you go!"

"……"

Sun Hao hesitated, unsure whether he should follow her.

After considering for a few seconds, he still prepared to push his suitcase and catch up.

"Did you notice anything, Mr. Yao?"

Cai Wenwen turned around to ask Zhang Tianyu.

"I noticed," Zhang Tianyu nodded.

Sun Hao's attention was naturally drawn. He stopped in his tracks and asked, "What did you notice?"

"Cut!"

Li Jingkun shouted, walking onto the set. He instructed, "Wenwen, when you turn around to ask Tianyu just now, time it a bit better and make it quicker. Ideally, it should synchronize with Sun Hao—the moment he starts to pull his suitcase away, you should give that reaction immediately."

Cai Wenwen nodded. "Got it."

Having acted together for several days now, the cast had basically settled into character and understood the exact effect the director wanted, making recent shoots much more relaxed.

Following this sequence came a scene where a South Korean boy approached them to ask for directions, and Zhang Tianyu answered him in fluent Korean, leaving Sun Hao and Cai Wenwen dumbfounded.

After the South Korean boy left, Sun Hao asked, "You even know Korean?"

Zhang Tianyu replied, "Including Korean, I am fluent in seven languages!"

Cai Wenwen chimed in, "Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin, right?"

"……"

Sun Hao said, "Classmates, speaking of which, we applied for TV Media and News Communication. May I ask, do any of you actually understand communication?"

"Of course!" Cai Wenwen said, "I know how to take selfies and upload them. That is the essence of media and communication!"

"……"

...

That evening, Fatty Luo invited Li Jingkun out for dinner.

Presumably, he had gotten Li Jingkun's contact information from Han Han and wanted to return the favor with a treat of his own.

The crew didn't have many night shoots, and filming was proceeding smoothly, resulting in very few overtime sessions. Thus, he arrived on time that evening.

Upon arriving, there was naturally a large group of people present. Fatty Luo offered polite apologies, explaining that it was originally just a gathering for a few colleagues, but remembering that he hadn't yet returned the treat from their previous meal, he decided to invite him along.

Li Jingkun certainly didn't mind. Furthermore, he might need Fatty Luo's help down the line, so meeting a couple more times to build rapport beforehand was necessary.

"I was actually wondering whether you'd still be in Beijing during the summer vacation."

"I've been shooting a short web drama recently, so I didn't go home for the summer."

"A short drama? You're directing it?"

"Yeah, I'm directing."

"Ah, right, you're from the directing department—not bad at all. That makes you an all-rounder. You write novels, speak English, and direct films too."

"A short drama, just a three-episode short."

"Close enough," Fatty Luo said. "Impressive. You're giving that kid Han Han a run for his money. Though with skills like yours, it's a wonder you aren't more famous."

"It's alright. I'm usually pretty busy and not too keen on pursuing fame for the time being. Besides, I'm not yet on his level of success."

"You're being modest. I don't know the quality of the short drama you filmed, but being able to write novels of such renown at your age, and teaching yourself spoken English, is proof enough of your excellence—you've already left at least ninety percent of your peers in the dust."

Fatty Luo then asked, "Do you use Weibo?"

"I registered an account, but I only upload a few photos occasionally."

"No wonder. If you want to make a name for yourself nowadays, you've got to play the internet game and keep up with the trends! But don't be like me; I can never help myself from getting into online shouting matches with strangers. I just can't keep my mouth shut."

The conversation naturally drifted toward film and television, given Fatty Luo's keen interest in the field. Li Jingkun seized the opportunity to ask if he knew anyone at Cool Cool Video, hoping he could put in a good word and see if they would be interested in purchasing the project.

"I can give a recommendation, but the quality of your stuff has to pass muster first," Old Luo said.

"Of course. I'll let you preview it first. If you think it's good, just introduce me to them, and I'll handle the rest of the negotiations."

Dinner ran quite late, and it was past midnight when Li Jingkun returned to the crew's hotel.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he spotted four familiar figures—the three main leads and the supporting actress (the one who played Lin Xian'er).

Seeing them chatting and laughing as they walked back, it was clear they had just returned from a late-night snack.

They quickly noticed Li Jingkun as well and looked somewhat startled.

"Director."

"Good evening, Director. Just getting back?"

They greeted him one after another and walked over.

"Went out for late-night snacks?"

"Yeah. Actually, we rarely go out; it's just today that we're back so late because we felt the progress was pretty good..." It was the male lead, Sun Hao, who answered.

"Isn't the director just getting back too?" Cai Wenwen added.

The three main leads had exchanged text messages with him previously, and coupled with frequent interactions lately, they were quite familiar with him, even if they didn't hang out much off set outside of filming.

Are we the same? I was out socializing!

Li Jingkun glanced at her, silently criticizing her error with his eyes, and walked through the hotel doors.

The other four followed him inside.

While waiting for the elevator, Li Jingkun said, "Try to wrap up filming a bit earlier, and I'll treat you all to a big feast then."

"Really?"

"Awesome."

"It's a deal, then."

"Isn't there a wrap party anyway?"

"Can we add some extra entertainment programs?"

For a group of actors, going out for late-night snacks was perhaps the most normal and unpretentious form of recreation. It helped that they were still young, lacking fame, and had spent time on very few film sets.

In contrast, on many major film crews, shooting drags on for months. Groups of people spend long periods away from home in unfamiliar places, making loneliness inevitable, coupled with immense pressure (though many earned far higher incomes than ordinary people). Consequently, it often breeds various ways to relieve stress or fosters bad habits.

The most direct issue that arose was: how did they resolve their physical desires?

Thank you all for your recommendation votes and monthly ticket support! There will be another chapter tonight after midnight. I hope to stay on the new book rankings a bit longer and gain more exposure! So please keep those recommendation votes, monthly tickets, and chapter comments coming!

(End of chapter)