Reborn in the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the 1980s

Her prototype was a famous socialite in old Shanghai. The character Xie Weihua, whether in terms of appearance, personality, or life experience, bears more or less the shadow of this socialite.

Upon receiving this valuable information, Hu Xiaoxiao immediately went to search for historical materials about this socialite. She spent two days visiting all the bookstores and audio-visual stores in Baogang, reading and studying all the written records and audio-visual materials about this socialite.

After reading it, Hu Xiaoxiao thought about it carefully for a long time, then picked up her pen and wrote a reflection, in which she wrote down her understanding of the character Xie Weihua, as well as the choices Xie Weihua faced in this era, the entanglement between the country and the family, and between relatives and lovers.

After finishing writing, worried that her writing wasn't good enough, she specifically asked Yao Wenlong to check it for her.

Yao Wenlong was surprised that Hu Xiaoxiao studied the script so seriously. He had never seen an actor put so much effort into understanding a character, and even wrote a nearly ten-page reflection on the role.

"Don't just look at it, help me polish it up," Hu Xiaoxiao urged Yao Wenlong when she saw him staring blankly at the paper in his hand.

"Polish?" Yao Wenlong looked up, adjusted his glasses, and asked, puzzled. "Why do you need to polish it? Are you going to publish it in the newspaper?"

“These are characters from ‘The Bund,’ who would I publish them in the newspaper for? Even if a newspaper wanted them, the production team wouldn’t agree; that would be a spoiler.”

Yao Wenlong said he didn't understand. If it's not for others to see, why do we need to embellish it?

Hu Xiaoxiao quietly told him, "I wrote this for screenwriter Lin Yi to read."

Furthermore, Hu Xiaoxiao did not hide her ambition to win the role, saying, "If I want to win the role of Xie Weihua, I have to show screenwriter Lin Yi that I have the sincerity to bring Xie Weihua to life."

Yao Wenlong understood, nodded, and said to Hu Xiaoxiao, "Don't worry, with such a long reflection you wrote, Senior Lin Yi will understand your sincerity."

Anyway, Yao Wenlong felt that if any actor was willing to study the characters he created with such care, even if they had ulterior motives, he would be very happy.

"I'll polish it up for you, and you can pick it up tomorrow," Yao Wenlong agreed.

Hu Xiaoxiao smiled, her eyes crinkling slightly. "Thank you, Aron. I'll treat you to dinner once I get the role."

Yao Wenlong nodded and said, "The chicken we had last time was good. You can pack one for me next time."

"No problem, it's a joke."

After sharing her insights with Yao Wenlong, Hu Xiaoxiao didn't rest. She went to several large video stores to look for videotapes of TV dramas starring Xia Lu.

Xia Lu starred in many TV dramas when she was at the height of her popularity, and the videotapes filled a whole bag.

Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you win every battle.

Hu Xiaoxiao knew You Na to some extent; she had watched all the TV dramas You Na had acted in, and had also had considerable contact with her because they were from the same company. Only Xia Lu was someone she knew absolutely nothing about.

Hu Xiaoxiao believes it's essential to understand Xia Lu, the roles she excels at portraying, and her character traits.

Hu Xiaoxiao returned to her residence and immediately began watching the play performed by Xia Lu.

I specifically chose a period drama set in the Republican era to start watching. Xia Lu plays a singer whose life is full of twists and turns.

Xia Lu in the drama is not only beautiful but also very charming. Wearing a cheongsam, she exudes the flavor of that era. Her appearance is more innocent and pure, and in a plain-colored cheongsam, she is like a blooming lily, delicate and moving.

Hu Xiaoxiao read and pondered, scribbling and drawing in her notebook.

By noon the next day, Hu Xiaoxiao received a call from Yao Wenlong, informing her that her reflections had been polished.

Hu Xiaoxiao immediately took it and examined it carefully. As expected of a talented scholar, he had helped polish the entire piece. He didn't make many minor touches, but they were all just right, making the piece even more profound than the original.

Expressing the most profound meaning with minimal revisions, without affecting her original intent, requires a great deal of thought and effort. It's far more mentally taxing than lengthy revisions.

After reading it carefully twice, Hu Xiaoxiao suddenly had another idea.

She would do whatever came to mind immediately.

Hu Xiaoxiao searched her memory for an actor whose figure resembled that of Song Yan'an, the top star. She had previously worked with this actor on "Mu Guiying." Hu Xiaoxiao immediately called him to invite him to dinner and asked him to do her a small favor.

The male actor, who had no acting roles available, readily agreed.

With all preparations complete and the time for the director to decide on the key actors fast approaching, Hu Xiaoxiao immediately packed the prepared materials and gifts and went to visit screenwriter Mr. Lin Yi.

Lin Yi was surprised by Hu Xiaoxiao's arrival, but since he couldn't refuse someone who was smiling, he invited Hu Xiaoxiao into the house.

The gifts Hu Xiaoxiao brought weren't expensive; they were all seasonal fruits. Lin Yi glanced at them and didn't refuse, pouring Hu Xiaoxiao a cup of tea.

"Mr. Lin, I apologize for bothering you today. However, I had to come; there are some things I need to ask you about." Hu Xiaoxiao didn't keep him in suspense and directly took out her notes and handed them to Lin Yi. "These are my understanding and insights into the character after reading the script. Please take a look and see if my understanding is correct. If there are any mistakes, please point them out, otherwise the character I portray will differ from the script you wrote, Mr. Lin."

Lin Yi was taken aback; it was clearly the first time in his life someone had written reflections on his character in a script. He quickly took it, glanced through it, and found it was ten pages long.

He started reading from the first page, and after a while, he praised, "Your writing is very good."

Hu Xiaoxiao chuckled twice and, without hiding anything, said directly, "Don't laugh at me, but I was afraid that if I wrote it too bluntly and not elegant enough, I specially asked A-Long, that is, Yao Wenlong from your scriptwriting department, to help polish it."

Hu Xiaoxiao didn't hide the fact that she had asked Yao Wenlong to polish her writing, nor did she ask anyone to keep it a secret. Lin Yi found out with a little inquiry, so there was no need to conceal it. Furthermore, Hu Xiaoxiao honestly pointed out the parts that Yao Wenlong had polished to Lin Yi, partly to ease the awkwardness between them, and partly to let Lin Yi see her sincere efforts.

Seeing Hu Xiaoxiao's sincerity, Lin Yi's guard was down considerably. From the part about the writing fee that Hu Xiaoxiao pointed out, as a scholar, he could immediately see Yao Wenlong's dedication and Hu Xiaoxiao's sincerity in writing her reflections. He couldn't help but say, "I know this young man, Yao Wenlong. He's an honest man and doesn't talk much. I didn't expect you two to be so close."

Hu Xiaoxiao then took the opportunity to tell Yao Wenlong how they collaborated and became friends.

Lin Yi was even more surprised to hear that the two had become friends because of the script, and this kind of friendship was very much in line with the romantic sentiments that writers yearn for. He began to appreciate Hu Xiaoxiao.