Free Web NovelChapter 1884: Chapter 1871: Family (Part 4)
But they didn’t dare to look away, not because of gossip, but out of fear that the two might really start arguing, causing a scene and needing immediate mediation. If they wreck the restaurant, how would the next scene be filmed?
Under everyone’s gaze, Shang Feifei sat naturally across from Xia Siyu. Xia Siyu wasn’t surprised, and she didn’t greet her either. She kept her head down, eating shrimp dumplings in small bites and sipping her porridge. When the waiter came over to take her order, Shang Feifei glanced in her direction: "The same as her."
Soon, the dishes were served, and the two ate their breakfast quietly. Until they finished eating and the plates were cleared, the two didn’t argue or leave.
The waiter cleaned the table, and the two continued sitting across from each other. Xia Siyu ordered a cup of tea, while Shang Feifei ordered a coffee. They drank slowly. Finally, they began to speak, but it was disappointing. Xia Siyu asked, "How do you plan to shoot the next scene?" fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Shang Feifei put down her coffee cup and actually started analyzing with her, "Let’s run through it according to the script first."
"I have some ideas about the blocking, but it’s hard to say now. When we get to the set, we can run through it once."
After all, it’s the last scene, one where all three of them perform together. There’s nothing much to say about their acting, but the blocking needs some discussion among them first.
Shang Feifei asked with a smile, "What about Bo Yan? Shouldn’t we consider him?"
Xia Siyu said, "Isn’t he tied up? His scene comes after his rescue; we’ll discuss it then."
"Why discuss later? Can’t I hear about it now?" Bo Yan came over, just as they were discussing his part. He pulled a chair from the next table and sat next to Xia Siyu, "Actually, I think I can make a slight change here. No, not adding to my part, but just doing something other than waiting for the leading lady to rescue me. It seems a bit silly, and it doesn’t look good on screen. I think we can alter it slightly..." freewebnøvel.com
Initially, Xia Siyu was annoyed by Bo Yan’s presence, but as he discussed the storyline with animated enthusiasm, she became engrossed in his narrative, paying less attention to his increasingly close proximity. By the time she noticed, their discussion had ended, and Bo Yan was holding her hand.
She annoyedly shook off his hand, but Bo Yan wasn’t angry. He reached out again, not to hold her hand, but to adjust her hair.
Witnessing this interaction, everyone in the restaurant, including Shang Feifei opposite them, couldn’t help but smile. She deliberately asked, "Today is the Lantern Festival. Do you plan to go out to celebrate after shooting?"
Xia Siyu turned around with a confused look: "Lantern Festival, is there a need to celebrate?"
Is it to go out and eat a few glutinous rice balls?
She was annoyed with Bo Yan earlier because it was her last day on set, and she hoped to maintain the character’s state, intentionally avoiding eating much. But if they finish filming tonight, it would be a wrap. There is no need to maintain her figure any longer, so going out for some sweets wouldn’t hurt.
In the past month or two, for the sake of filming, she hadn’t touched anything greasy or even a bite of dessert.
Upon hearing Shang Feifei mention the Lantern Festival, she nearly started drooling.
Bo Yan noticed her subtle swallowing motion and knew what she was thinking. He figured she wasn’t interested in family gatherings associated with the festival, or climbing heights to admire the moon. But she seemed to have forgotten that the Lantern Festival, also known as the ’Shangyuan Festival,’ was traditionally a good day for couples to enjoy lanterns and dates, akin to the Qixi Festival. The saying goes, ’After dusk under the moon by the willows, lovers meet.’
It didn’t matter if she didn’t remember; as long as they were together, any place was a celebration.
Without a single spark ignited, the potential conflict dissipated into nothingness. By the time they left the restaurant, Xia Siyu and Bo Yan were standing side by side, heading to the studio. Before makeup, they discussed the upcoming blocking and performance requirements with the director and cinematographer. While they applied makeup, the director first had the stand-ins run through the scene, using their blocking and performance to determine camera angles and lighting, making appropriate adjustments.
In film and TV, blocking and movements are usually designed by the director and then matched to the actors’ performances. But here, each of the actors was a big name. The term ’big name’ wasn’t derogatory here; it meant professional. Even if the director coached them personally, it might not be as good as their own serious discussions.
Once they finished makeup, the stand-in actors had also finished a run-through. The director informed them of the modifications and camera movements and lighting details. After they made slight adjustments according to their understanding, communication was complete, and filming officially began.
This scene also represented the finale and most concentrated expression of the entire drama. Xia Siyu’s character, the killer, finally tore off the mask hiding her face, revealing her identity and directly confronting the leading lady and man. The leading couple had their conflicts before, but at this moment, facing the threat, their shock, tension, fear, the urge to escape, and their care and love for each other all surfaced.
The three of them, one chasing, one running, one playing cat-and-mouse, had a strange tension and a subtle balance between them. Moreover, Xia Siyu’s portrayal of the killer carried an aura of "artistic" flair. She didn’t plan to mercilessly eliminate the main couple without aesthetics right from the start; even when the leading lady caught up at her door, she maintained control and arranged the scene like a "work of art." Although, in terms of Combat Power, it seemed like two against one, mentally, she needed a definite sense of control.
Sure enough, she succeeded.
For this role, Xia Siyu decided to slim down a bit deliberately, but her thinness wasn’t like a frail willow; it was icy, sinister, yet taut and athletic. Her image had always been of a boxer, having acted in action movies and played fighter roles, leaving a public impression far from being a delicate, timid girl. Although slim, she was imposing, her skills apparent. Such a person seemed capable of taking on a big man, and handling a fully armed Shang Feifei, too.
While her character in the drama was more of a mastermind, not requiring her to leap around to show off Combat Power, in a few occasional scenes before, she did showcase her strength. Otherwise, it would have been hard for the audience to believe a frail woman could handle such strongmen.
The same applied here. Compared to Shang Feifei, Xia Siyu didn’t pretend to be mysterious and a show-off, just a few exchanges were enough to reveal she was determined, swift, using minimal moves but with high efficiency.
