Chapter 81: Could It Be That Your True Love Is Nearby?
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
“What do you mean, ‘it should be’?” Shen Qingbie looked at Yan Mu and said, “You can’t even be certain about this?”
Yan Mu: “…”
He started to feel an inexplicable sense of despair. Sister Qingqing, why are you looking at me with that kind of sympathetic expression?
What made him feel even more hopeless was that he actually started to feel a subtle sympathy for himself.
Over on the other side, Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo were still continuing their scene. The two of them cooperate exceptionally well in this scene as if they had temporarily left the film set and were completely immersed in the world of Sui Ting.
Ruan Yesheng lazily stroked the thrush, her expression indifferent. Without looking at Xi Mo, she simply said, “I am tired, and for the moment, I do not feel like crushing her to death.”
As she spoke, she cupped the tiny thrush in her hands and held it up in front of her to examine. Her movements seemed gentle, yet carried a hint of concealed displeasure. She glanced down at the thrush and said, “Not dying now does not mean you will not be crushed to death later. We will put it off for now.”
At this moment, Ding'e’s character had no lines. Ding'e would simply watch Deng Sui as she spoke to the thrush, knowing that Deng Sui was actually warning her.
So, Xi Mo also silently watched Ruan Yesheng. She paid attention to the expression in her eyes and the look on her face at this moment. Although she maintained her composure, there was a subtle fluctuation in her eyes that was just right. As Ding'e, she was portraying the character perfectly. Lin Qitang watched the monitor screen, nodding continuously in satisfaction and never calling cut.
But soon, Xi Mo noticed something was off with Ruan Yesheng.
This strangeness was very subtle, so much so that it was impossible to notice without careful observation. Xi Mo stood closest to Ruan Yesheng, and she felt that especially when Ruan Yesheng spoke her lines, her breathing was very steady. However, when she was not speaking, her breathing became slightly heavier. The strands of hair beside her ears were damp with sweat, which should not have been caused by the sun.
Ruan Yesheng seemed to be enduring something.
The emotions and atmosphere that an actor has carefully prepared are crucial. Every time the director calls cut, it destroys the emotions that were so hard to build up. When trying to bring out those emotions again, it might not reach the same state as before. Therefore, for dedicated actors, choosing to endure during filming is a common occurrence.
Xi Mo observed for a moment, then suddenly took a few more steps toward the swing where Ruan Yesheng was and reached out to grab the swing rope.
“Cut!” Lin Qitang immediately shouted.
Everything before had been performed so well that it made Lin Qitang forget to call cut. But now, an unexpected incident has occurred. It was as if someone had suddenly sprinkled a handful of his most hated pepper into his breakfast while he was happily savoring it. He was about to explode with anger.
Lin Qitang said in distress, “Ruan Yesheng, what are you doing walking over there?! You are not in the correct position. We are not using the swing now, so why did you suddenly grab the swing rope?”
Xi Mo quickly said, “I’m sorry, Director Lin. I was a bit distracted just now.”
“Forget it, let’s start over.” Lin Qitang’s heart was bleeding. Although he was heartbroken, he cherished talent. Besides, in his eyes, Miss "Ruan Yesheng" had rarely made such mistakes during filming before, so he did not say anything harsh, and it was still acceptable.
Xi Mo said, “I was distracted because I felt a bit dizzy. I might be having low blood sugar and would like to take a break.”
Lin Qitang: “...”
Ruan Yesheng sat on the swing, staring at Xi Mo without speaking.
Lin Qitang's heart bled even more, but since he cherished talent and it was indeed unwise to continue filming with a health issue, he said, “Since you have low blood sugar, you cannot continue filming. Take a break for twenty minutes.”
Xi Mo appeared to be somewhat tired and said, “I would like to rest for an hour.”
Lin Qitang: “...”
It was actually not uncommon for actors to directly ask the director for a break, but in Lin Qitang's directing career, he had only seen those big-name stars or popular young male and female idols say such things. Those without enough status usually would not directly make this kind of request to the director. Even if they had to bring it up, they would try their best to find a reason and say it more tactfully.
Even the movie queen, "Xi Mo," had never asked for a break during filming, yet Miss "Ruan Yesheng," who had become so outdated that she was almost being treated as a newcomer, not only made the request but even haggled over break time in front of the director. Lin Qitang had really never seen anything like this before.
...But who could blame Lin Qitang for cherishing talent?
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"Then let's take a one-hour break," Lin Qitang said, looking over at Ruan Yesheng. His voice softened considerably, and his face held a smile. "Xi Mo, all your scenes today are with Ruan Yesheng. You can't shoot without her, so go and take a good rest."
Ruan Yesheng nodded, "Alright."
Lin Qitang told the staff to go over and tidy up, then called Yan Mu over to prepare for shooting Yan Mu's scenes.
Only then did Xi Mo say to Ruan Yesheng, "Let's go."
Ruan Yesheng looked at her for a moment before following her out of the filming area and toward the rest area. The main set was crowded and noisy, and the dressing room was also bustling with people coming and going. Xi Mo led Ruan Yesheng to the side of a nearby palace. The palace was very close, just a few steps away, and there were no filming tasks there today, so there were very few people. With the dense shade from the trees, it was the best place in terms of distance, fresh air, and tranquility.
The two walked along the corridor, with carved columns standing at intervals on both sides. Xi Mo let Ruan Yesheng sit down and said, "Would you like something to drink? I can go get it for you."
Ruan Yesheng laughed and said, "You're not my assistant. Why should you be the one to go get it?"
Xi Mo was silent for a moment before saying, "I can be your assistant for this hour."
Ruan Yesheng was taken aback.
Xi Mo softly asked her, "Where do you feel unwell?"
Actually, when Xi Mo said she was dizzy and needed to rest for an hour, Ruan Yesheng had already more or less guessed what was going on.
She knew Xi Mo very well. Xi Mo's dedication was well-known in the industry. If Xi Mo herself were feeling unwell, with her professional acting standards, she would persist until a scene was finished. Because capturing the feeling of a scene is so important and rare, any actor who takes acting to heart understands this truth. Yet, many stars in the industry, especially young ones with large followings, take pleasure in having NG* takes. Their fans would even cheer, saying how cute they are, but is it really cute?
*no good
Reshooting a scene is tiring and troublesome. Lower-level directors might smile and say it's cute, but inside, they've already complained about those NG stars to no end.
Top movie directors would probably just directly lash out with sharp words.
As dedicated as Xi Mo was, she understood these truths better than anyone, yet she still found a reason to have Lin Qitang call cut, which actually didn't match her usual style. However, Ruan Yesheng understood that it was because Xi Mo had already noticed her discomfort and was worried she would stubbornly continue acting. That's why Xi Mo deliberately made a mistake to make Lin Qitang pause the filming.
"My heart is beating a bit too fast," Ruan Yesheng said.
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng smiled and said, "Not that kind of fast heartbeat. I mean, my heart is really beating very fast."
Xi Mo understood and frowned. "Your heart feels unwell?"
Ruan Yesheng nodded. "It feels like my heartbeat is very fast, and there's a bit of pain in my chest, though it's only faint." She paused and said, "This is your body. I can't take it lightly. Once we finish filming this morning's scene, I'll go to the hospital immediately to get you checked out."
Xi Mo said, "My heart has always been healthy. I've never had this kind of issue before. Did you sleep well last night? Could it be that you're too tired?"
"I slept well last night." Ruan Yesheng's eyes were full of smiles. "It seems like it's not a matter of rest."
"Ah, I get it now." She said this, then changed the subject, "Could it be because my true love has appeared, and I sensed her presence, so my heart is racing?"
Xi Mo: "..."
…You're still able to joke so shamelessly, it seems the illness isn't too serious and can be treated.
"Nonsense," Xi Mo said with a cold smile. "That heart is my heart. According to what you're saying, is it my true love who's appeared?"
"What is your true love like?" Ruan Yesheng asked her.
Xi Mo looked away. "I don't have a true love. I've never thought about that."
Ruan Yesheng's expression dimmed slightly, but she quickly smiled again, her smile like petals covering a barely perceptible wound.
However, she soon curled up, her brows furrowed. It felt like her heart had a sharp pang, which was particularly painful, but after the pain, it eased.
"What's wrong?" Xi Mo hurried over, her eyes filled with concern.
"My chest hurts," Ruan Yesheng said. "How about you help me rub it? I heard that rubbing can make it feel a bit better."
Xi Mo: "..."
"What are you afraid of?" Ruan Yesheng forced herself to take a deep breath and said, "Anyway, it's your own heart you're rubbing."
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng was about to continue speaking but quickly stopped, her smile freezing on her face when she noticed that Xi Mo's expression had started to change.
Xi Mo's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she began to painfully clutch her chest.
"Xi Mo?" Ruan Yesheng said anxiously.
Xi Mo looked at her and said, "My heartbeat is also accelerating, and my chest hurts. This is your heart. Could it be that your true love is nearby?"
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
This was one of the rare jokes Xi Mo made with her, but Ruan Yesheng couldn’t smile anymore because she felt that Xi Mo's chest pain was not a joke.
Like herself, Xi Mo had suddenly started to experience chest pain, which made it hard to believe it was just a coincidence.
