Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

"Okay! That's a good take!" Zhang Yu finally smiled. "Shu Chang, remember how you felt just now. Li Xiaoran, your reaction was also very good; the transition from indifference to gentleness was very natural."

Li Xiaoran smiled slightly: "It's because Shu Chang acted so well that she drew me in."

Shu Chang blushed: "It's all thanks to Sister Xiao Ran for taking good care of me."

Applause erupted on set. A successful first scene was a good omen.

At nine o'clock in the morning, preparations began for the second scene. This was Zeng Li's solo performance—Zhou Manli chanting sutras in the Buddhist hall, recalling her past with her deceased husband.

Zeng Li had already put on her makeup, wearing a deep purple cheongsam embroidered with gold thread, her hair neatly styled in a bun, and pearl earrings. She looked dignified to the point of being rigid. But her eyes were empty, like a stagnant pool.

"Director Zhang, I'm ready." Zeng Li walked up to Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu looked at her and suddenly said, "Take off your pearl earrings."

Zeng Li hesitated for a moment, but still did as she was told.

"Make your hair a little messy," Zhang Yu said again. "Not too messy, just a few strands should fall out."

The makeup artist quickly stepped forward to adjust her hair. A few stray strands of hair fell beside Zeng Li's cheeks, adding a touch of vulnerability to her dignified image.

“That’s right now.” Zhang Yu nodded. “Zhou Manli isn’t a statue; she’s a woman of flesh and blood. She’s been a widow for ten years, practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures, but she also gets tired and relaxes when no one’s around. This scene needs to portray her exhaustion and repression, not just her constant dignified demeanor.”

Zeng Li closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her entire aura had changed. She walked into the prepared Buddhist hall scene, knelt on the prayer cushion, put her hands together, and began to chant scriptures.

The camera slowly zoomed in, fixing on her face. Her lips moved silently, her eyes staring blankly at the Buddha statue, but a tear slid down her cheek without warning. She didn't wipe it away, letting the tear flow down her chin and drip onto her prayer beads.

Then, she did something not in the script—she slowly bent down, her forehead touching the cold ground, her shoulders beginning to tremble slightly. It wasn't a loud cry, but a suppressed, silent sob.

The entire set was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was stunned by Zeng Li's performance.

"Stop!" Zhang Yu called out, but didn't immediately offer any comment. He walked up to Zeng Li, knelt down, and handed her a tissue.

Zeng Li raised her head, her face still streaked with tears, her eyes somewhat dazed, clearly not yet fully detached from the role.

"You acted very well," Zhang Yu said softly. "So well that it broke my heart."

Zeng Li took the tissue, wiped away her tears, and said with a wry smile, "Director Zhang, I think I... got a little too into the role."

“Come to my office after you finish work today,” Zhang Yu said. “I’ll help you get out of character.”

The morning's filming went smoothly. During the lunch break, Zhang Yu was reviewing the morning's footage on the monitor. The assistant director came over with a boxed lunch: "Director Zhang, lunch is ready."

"Just leave it there," Zhang Yu said without looking up.

Just then, his phone rang. It was Wang Jinghua calling.

“Zhang Yu, something’s happened.” Wang Jinghua’s voice was urgent. “Wang Zhongjun is up to his old tricks again. He found out that Shu Chang’s parents run a small supermarket in their hometown, and he’s hired people to cause trouble, saying they’re selling counterfeit goods. Now the people from the Industry and Commerce Bureau have come to their door.”

Zhang Yu's eyes turned cold: "Does Shu Chang know?"

"I don't know yet. I asked Song Qian to take her phone away and told her she couldn't use her phone during filming. But I can't hide it for long; her parents will definitely call her."

"I understand." Zhang Yu hung up the phone and lit a cigarette.

The smoke rose slowly, his face appearing and disappearing in the haze. Wang Zhongjun's move was vicious; he didn't directly attack the artist, but instead targeted their family, leaving them with no way to express their suffering.

"Director Zhang, what's wrong?" Shu Chang walked over with a boxed lunch and asked cautiously.

Zhang Yu looked at her young face, her eyes still holding the innocence she had shown while acting that morning. He couldn't bear to tell her the truth, but he couldn't keep it from her either.

"Shu Chang, sit down." He pointed to the chair next to him.

Shu Chang sat down, somewhat uneasy: "Director Zhang, was it because I didn't perform well this morning...?"

“No, you acted very well.” Zhang Yu stubbed out his cigarette. “There’s something else going on. There’s been a problem with your parents…”

He briefly recounted the events, trying to downplay them. But Shu Chang's face still turned pale instantly.

"How could this be... My parents never sell counterfeit goods..." Her voice trembled. "Director Zhang, I... Can I ask for leave to go back home?"

"What's the point of you going back now?" Zhang Yu pressed down on her shoulders. "Can you solve the problem with the Industry and Commerce Bureau? Or can you deal with Wang Zhongjun?"

Shu Chang's tears fell: "But I can't let my parents suffer..."

“Your parents won’t be wronged.” Zhang Yu’s voice was firm. “I’ve already asked the company’s legal department to handle it, and it should be resolved by tomorrow at the latest. What you need to do now is to put on a good show and prove Wang Zhongjun wrong with your actions.”

He looked into Shu Chang's eyes: "Do you remember what I told you? This industry is a dog-eat-dog world. If you're weak, others will bully you and your family. If you're strong, others won't dare to touch you. So, you have to become strong, strong enough that everyone will be afraid of you."

Shu Chang wiped away her tears, her eyes slowly hardening: "Director Zhang, I understand. I will act well, I will become stronger."

"That's right." Zhang Yu ruffled her hair. "Go eat, you have a scene to film this afternoon. Remember, the film is the most important thing."

Shu Chang nodded vigorously, picked up her lunchbox, and left. Watching her retreating figure, Zhang Yu's gaze deepened. This girl was stronger than he had imagined.

An unexpected incident occurred during the afternoon's filming. The third scene was a rain scene, requiring artificial rain. However, the water truck suddenly broke down, and repairs would take two hours.

"Shoot an interior scene instead." Zhang Yu made a quick decision. "Scene 47, Shen Qingqiu and Zhou Manli's nighttime conversation. All departments, get ready. Filming will begin in one hour."

This decision disrupted the original plan, but no one dared to question it. The crew immediately moved the scene indoors—to the set of Shen Qingqiu's bedroom.

During a break in preparation, Zhang Yu called Li Xiaoran and Zeng Li together to discuss the play.

“This scene is a key turning point.” Zhang Yu opened the script. “Shen Qingqiu discovers that her husband is having an affair and cries bitterly in the middle of the night. Zhou Manli hears the noise and comes to comfort her. On the surface, it’s a heart-to-heart talk between the sisters-in-law, but in reality, it’s two lonely souls finding warmth in each other.”

He looked at Li Xiaoran: "Shen Qingqiu is emotionally broken at this moment, but her upbringing makes her restrain herself even when she is broken. So you can't wail loudly, you have to cry silently, the kind of crying that makes you feel like you're suffocating."

Then she looked at Zeng Li: "Zhou Manli comforted her not only because she is her sister-in-law, but also because she saw her younger self in her. You have to portray that complex emotion—pity, envy, and an indescribable... intimacy."

The two actresses listened attentively. Suddenly, Li Xiaoran asked, "Director Zhang, to what extent should there be physical contact in this scene?"

Zhang Yu thought for a moment: "A hug is a must. But it's not just a hug. When Zhou Manli wipes away Shen Qingqiu's tears, her fingers tremble slightly and there's a brief pause. When Shen Qingqiu leans on Zhou Manli's shoulder, he unconsciously grabs the hem of her clothes. I want to capture these details in close-up."