Chapter 56: A True Acting Talent?
Because he was going to the filming set by himself, Pu Tong had to pay for his own transportation, which made his already empty wallet even worse.
Although there was no private car to pick him up, his purpose for going there was completely different from the other students anyway. They were there to film a variety show, while he was going there to work on music.
When the navigation showed that he was almost there, he suddenly realized an important problem...
He didn’t know the way.
The film base here could accommodate six or seven different crews at the same time. The area was huge, and he had no idea which section he needed to go to.
If he accidentally went to the wrong crew, that would be incredibly awkward. So Pu Tong decided to call his father to confirm.
“Hello, you’ve arrived?” His father’s voice sounded somewhat rushed, probably because he was busy.
“I’m almost there, but I don’t know where to go.”
“I’ll send you the location. Also, just tell them my name when you enter. Outsiders aren’t allowed in, but I already registered you beforehand, so it’s fine...”
After hanging up, Pu Tong felt a little nervous.
Back when he was still an unknown nobody, he had also gone to filming crews before, but he was eliminated during the auditions. In a sense, he really wasn’t suitable for acting.
Nowadays, crossing industries was common.
Boy bands and girl groups could act, singers could act, even internet celebrities could act.
The acting industry seemed like a place where anyone could come and take a shot.
Everyone rushed toward benefits, but very few performances were actually worth watching.
Although some singers’ singing abilities were questionable, at least they hadn’t come to ruin the acting industry. Honestly, that alone was already pretty good.
The taxi stopped near the film base. After paying the driver, Pu Tong looked annoyed.
The one-way fare was already this expensive. If he had to take another taxi back later, wouldn’t that hurt even more?
The driver glanced at Pu Tong with disdain before stepping on the accelerator and driving away.
Someone this handsome is going to a film set and still taking a taxi?
The Huailin Film Base wasn’t open to the public. Only crews with official work permits could enter, but since his father had already registered him, temporary entry was naturally possible.
When Pu Tong walked to the entrance of the film base, he hadn’t even spoken yet before the guards let him through.
“Aren’t you going to register my information?”
“We make a living doing this. Do you think we wouldn’t recognize you?”
“Uh...”
Perhaps from the perspective of ordinary passersby, Pu Tong’s popularity was still limited. But within the entertainment circle, he had already become a familiar face.
Plus, his appearance was very distinctive, making him quite easy to recognize.
Pu Tong sighed helplessly, opened the navigation, and walked into the film base alone.
Meanwhile...
Xu Lei and Producer Xue had decided to film this variety show segment in the form of a drama special.
In other words, they would assign each celebrity student a role and film a special episode connected to Jade Journey.
Jade Journey was adapted from a hugely popular novel series. The entire series consisted of three parts:
Yun Wan, Qiongyu, and Zhixia.
Although the three stories were independent, they shared the same world setting, and the protagonists of each story made guest appearances in the others.
Qiongyu was the second part of the series, and Producer Xue planned to film a special episode connecting the second and third parts.
The actors from their drama crew would appear as characters from the second part, while the celebrity students from When You Are Young would play guest roles from the third part.
As for the other ordinary students, they could only act as background extras.
Passerby A, cannon fodder B, thug C, bandit D...
Although they were only extras, since this was their first time acting, everyone was still excited and eager to try. They quickly changed into the sect uniforms provided by the crew.
Xu Lei had already planned everything.
The first half of the variety show would focus on the students adapting to their characters. He wanted them to constantly make mistakes during filming, creating a sense of anxiety.
Then, in the second half, everyone would work together, overcome themselves, and finally complete the performance.
Although it was an old variety show formula, there would definitely be people who enjoyed watching it.
Several people had already changed clothes and were studying their temporary scripts.
The plot was simple.
They were all newcomers who had just entered the sect.
During the entrance examination, the demon clan curse mark hidden inside the third female lead, Li Xiashuang, was discovered.
Just as the sect was preparing to eliminate her, the female lead from the second story, Shen Ningqiong, stood against everyone’s objections and accepted her as her disciple.
This served as the connection between parts two and three.
The female lead of Jade Journey, Shen Ningqiong, was played by Mu Nan.
The female lead of the third part, Li Xiashuang, was assigned to Yu Wanwan by the production team.
Although it was only a temporary script for a variety show, if the special episode received a huge response after airing, having the original cast act in the third part wouldn’t be impossible.
Failing an exam could be explained away, but poor acting ability as an actor would attract huge criticism.
Therefore, all the celebrity students carefully studied their scripts and didn’t dare waste time.
Yu Wanwan felt a lot of pressure...
The role didn’t have many scenes, but it was extremely important.
This female lead had a dark personality unlike anything she had acted before.
In this scene alone, her emotions had to shift several times:
From the excitement of entering the sect...
To the shock and despair after discovering the curse mark...
All within a very short time.
Her emotional transitions had to be smooth.
What made her even more nervous was that the final scene involved acting opposite Mu Nan...
She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle it.
They didn’t have much time to prepare.
Because the schedule was tight, filming for the first scene began very quickly.
“Action!”
Under the crew member’s signal, a group of “Lingxu Sect disciples” entered the scene, and the main characters began their dialogue.
“We’ll soon become disciples of the Lingxu Sect. Wanwan, you...”
“Cut!”
“Sumimasen, sumimasen! I said it out of habit!”
Yi Zhi Xuenai 0slapped her forehead, wishing she could find a hole to hide in.
The scene had already collapsed right at the beginning.
Although the line belonged to the character in the script, she was too used to calling Yu Wanwan by her real name that she couldn’t change her habit.
“We’ll soon become disciples of the Lingxu Sect. Xiashuang, cheer up!”
This time, Yi Zhi Xuenai started normally, and the plot quickly continued.
Although her acting had some flaws, it was still acceptable as a first attempt.
As Lin Yuxi’s vicious female supporting character used a secret technique to awaken the demon clan curse mark within Li Xiashuang, the story entered its climax.
Amid the crowd’s curses, accusations, and shouts demanding her death, Li Xiashuang’s eyes gradually became dimmer, showing signs of falling into darkness.
The sect elders took action and knocked Li Xiashuang to the ground, preparing to execute this supposed disaster immediately.
Then, with the sound of a sword ringing through the air, Shen Ningqiong, played by Mu Nan, appeared to save her and reached out her hand.
“Why did you save me?”
Li Xiashuang raised her head and looked directly at her.
“Why does everything need a reason?”
Shen Ningqiong stared at her with bright eyes.
“Everything that happens in this world is connected by fate. Perhaps... I simply don’t want you to walk the same path of abandoning all emotions and love that I once walked...”
Mu Nan’s eyes contained kindness, concern for a younger generation, and a trace of sorrowful memories from the past.
As the protagonist of the second story, Shen Ningqiong had already experienced her own journey.
That was why her eyes carried so many emotions.
Yu Wanwan stared at her.
She was stunned by the complexity in Mu Nan’s gaze and couldn’t say a word.
She couldn’t keep up.
She truly couldn’t match that level of acting.
“Thank you...”
She could only stiffly deliver her line and finish the scene.
“Cut! Finished.”
The first filming attempt ended with everyone stumbling through it.
Everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.
Mu Nan helped the still-dazed Yu Wanwan stand up.
With an emotionless expression, she said:
“You really haven’t improved at all.”
“I...”
Yu Wanwan felt her heartbeat skip.
Once again...
She had been completely defeated by this woman.
“You never became the person in the story.”
Mu Nan’s tone remained cold, but there was no trace of blame.
“You’re acting as an actor performing this scene. You’re trying to act like the character instead of actually becoming the character. Do you understand?”
“Acting isn’t a production line template. It’s not about copying something just because it looks similar.”
“Maybe this kind of acting seems acceptable, but in reality, it has no uniqueness.”
“Nowadays, can something that’s merely passable still be called ‘a true acting talent’?”
“Heh.”
Yu Wanwan’s head buzzed.
It felt like Mu Nan had directly struck her weakest point.
A lie doesn’t hurt people.
The truth does.
Because she knew Mu Nan was right.
She knew she had only been acting the same type of roles.
The characters she received were practically tailor-made for her.
And she knew that she had always been praised as a representative of the talented younger generation...
But the truth was...
She was just the tallest person among a group of short people.
She had simply been lying comfortably inside her own safe zone.
So...
Was she really still that far behind?
“Of course, you have the right to take my words as sarcasm or criticism.”
“You can think of me as the villain.”
“But what I want to tell you is this: it’s precisely because I believe in your potential that I hope you can become better.”
Mu Nan’s tone became serious.
“That’s just how I am. If something is bad, then it’s bad. I don’t need to flatter you.”
“Thank you.”
She had lost again.
In every possible sense.
This woman was truly outstanding.
So outstanding that she couldn’t even look away.
Yet she had actually been imagining that she could compete with someone like this.
Maybe...
She wasn’t even qualified to stand as her opponent.
How ridiculous...
“Um... who is the producer?”
A familiar voice suddenly sounded.
Yu Wanwan froze.
“Pu Tong?”
Yi Zhi Xuenai’s surprised cry made everyone stop what they were doing.
Everyone turned and looked at the young man who had suddenly appeared.
Why was he here?
But...
Perhaps the reason no longer mattered.
Because he had arrived.
(End of Chapter)
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