Free Web NovelChapter 146: Chapter 138: Surprise Attack
Seeing this part, Yang Xiao was a bit confused. Everything before had been fine, although some parts didn’t quite make sense, but the female teacher’s character could still stand up to scrutiny. How did the last sentence suddenly change in tone, transforming from gradually serving justice to a heavy punch? Was it because the budget ran out and someone else finished the writing?
"Have you all finished reading?" Director Ding walked over, collecting the booklets one by one, "You need to return the booklets after reading. This is Ms. Shengnan’s rule. Our script has the potential to be a hit, it absolutely cannot be leaked."
Director Ding then looked around the set and started to arrange the shooting. "We need two male leads, one to play a perverted male teacher, and the other to play the principal. I haven’t quite decided on the specific casting. We’ll film a few scenes and you guys search for the feeling."
His words were naturally directed towards Yang Xiao and Song Yan, and one of them would end up playing the male teacher.
"Now, we have two main female roles left, one is the righteous female teacher, and the other is the girl student who is deceived. I saw your performances yesterday and they were too weak, so I invited two lead actresses over. Come, let me introduce you."
As soon as Director Ding finished speaking, two women emerged from behind the crowd, removing their face masks and duckbill caps, looking roughly 25 years old.
One of them was tall and slim, with exaggerated eyeliner, thin lips, and sharp eyes—the kind of face that exudes aggression. "I’m Xia Xiuyan, Ms. Shengnan asked me to come here." The woman mentioned Ms. Shengnan right off the bat, clearly signaling a warning.
"I... my name is Nie Hexiang, I came with... with her." In contrast to Xia Xiuyan, Nie Hexiang was much more timid.
"According to the crew’s arrangement, Xia Xiuyan will play the lead female, the teacher; her aura is suitable. Nie Hexiang, you will play the second female, that injured student. Come, try to interact with the script. Song Yan, you and Nie Hexiang get together."
Following Director Ding’s direction, Song Yan and Nie Hexiang began a simple rehearsal which involved an exercise class where Song Yan, taking advantage of explaining problems at close range, gradually approached the female students and tested Nie Hexiang’s response through physical contact.
Because the filming equipment had been splashed with an unidentified liquid, the crew had to temporarily use an old handheld DV camera instead, and this task was given to Lu Ji.
After filming started, Song Yan stood on the stage as usual, lecturing. He was refined in his manners, always wearing a smile on his face. After writing a problem on the board, Song Yan dropped the chalk and picked up the workbook, starting to supervise the classroom. The female students, including Nie Hexiang, all lowered their heads, scribbling in their notebooks, working on the problems on the blackboard.
Song Yan first came to Xiang Xiaolin’s side, watched for a while, then nodded and turned to Tang Cui. He bent down slightly, staring at the notebook she was writing in. After a moment, his brows furrowed slightly, "Try a different method. Were you paying attention when I explained earlier?"
"Teacher, I was listening," Tang Cui argued, almost coquettishly.
Song Yan bent down even lower, reaching out his hand to grab Tang Cui’s pen-holding hand, and began to write in the notebook. Their bodies came closer and closer, ever closer...
"Cut!" freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Director Ding stormed over, berating her fiercely, "Tang Cui, what on earth are you doing? You’re playing an innocent schoolgirl, not a bar hostess. Why are you being so forward?"
Yang Xiao found it amusing from the sidelines. If Director Ding hadn’t called cut, Tang Cui’s head would have been buried in Song Yan’s chest.
Upon hearing this, Tang Cui was not pleased, "Director Ding, you were the one who said to let go a bit. Besides, that beastly male teacher has already made his move on many female students. After all that has happened, how could there still be a feeling of unfamiliarity and distance? Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. These female students should have a very special emotion towards the male teacher, like dependence, or a twisted form of trust."
Being confronted this way, Director Ding’s face immediately turned sour, "Who is the director, you or me? Just shoot the scene as I told you, and cut the crap. I want a schoolgirl’s portrayal, not one of a woman who is..."
He stopped right there, as the words that followed were too harsh. With the comfort of several actresses, the shooting continued.
This time, Song Yan bypassed Tang Cui and went straight for Nie Hexiang, pretending to discuss the subject at hand as he moved closer. The first attempt to grasp Nie Hexiang’s hand was met with subtle resistance as she dodged away. Then he tried to lean his head closer, brushing against Nie Hexiang’s hair. As Song Yan’s body leaned in, Nie Hexiang kept dodging, showing fear, discomfort, and subconscious rejection in a very authentic manner, exactly matching the picture in Yang Xiao’s mind.
After that segment was shot, Director Ding began his critique, "Nie Hexiang, you did very well with that shy feeling. Song Yan, your performance wasn’t bad either, but it was too upright. You are too righteous. Under similar circumstances, your facial expressions should show some variation. There should be a change after achieving or failing your motive. And your movements... Your character is complicated, he should have certain small actions, like seeking brief moments of physical contact, or adjusting a lock of hair, pulling at the school uniform. Your actions are a bit stiff, not fitting the complexity expected of a pervert, but it was still quite good."
Having been in the film industry for many years, Director Ding knew that such complex characterizations were always black holes in cinema, beyond the capabilities of the average young actor.
Next up was Yang Xiao. He chose Xiang Xiaolin first. With one hand holding a book, he pointed out items in Xiang Xiaolin’s workbook, occasionally brushing the back of his hand against her uniform. If one looked closely, they could see that Yang Xiao’s gaze wasn’t entirely focused on the workbook but was roaming across Xiang Xiaolin’s skin, betraying a trace of desire.
As he moved from one female student’s seat to another, Yang Xiao did so with ease. The tattoo on Tang Cui’s neck was accidentally exposed, and Yang Xiao, seizing the opportunity, reached out proactively to adjust her collar, covering the tattoo.
Yang Xiao’s smile was different from that of Song Yan—an eerie quality emerged from his gentleness—as if he was a man dancing on the edge of a knife, each step part of his calculated plan. And now, having turned around, he had adjusted himself into optimal condition, heading towards his final prey—Nie Hexiang.
Just as Yang Xiao was about to act according to his plan, suddenly, a loud bang exploded near his ear. A stone shattered the window and flew inside.
In an instant, shattered glass sprayed out in all directions, causing chaos in the classroom. Once they recovered, Yang Xiao and Song Yan dashed to the window to look outside but there was no one there; the view obscured by trees, and if there had been someone, they would have long since run away.
In the corner, they found the rock that had broken the glass—a brownish goose egg stone with strange marks from being polished.
