Chapter 48: Actually, You Are Quite Beautiful
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
2023 Ver.
——— "Action!" The script supervisor quickly clapped the slate after the camera started, and it made a loud 'pa' sound, then quickly moved away from the camera. There are several lighting panels at different heights in the studio. The hot lights hit the actors' faces, and even the smallest flaws in the makeup can be seen clearly in the lens. Three camera positions started to change as the scene and actors moved. Director He Xue stood in front of the monitor, looking serious and focused. In front of camera one, Gu Xizhi was wearing a gold off-shoulder top and a well-tailored black suit on top. Her big wavy curls and red lips made her look mature, maybe because of her serious and focused expression while holding a book. She appeared elegant and knowledgeable. The door opened, and a boy wearing a white T-shirt and a buzzcut walked in. In the camera, he looked clean, cool, not inexperienced, but very young. The camera follows his actions after opening the door. In the close-up shot, Jiang Shushu, the heroine played by Gu Xizhi, quickly puts down the book in her hand after seeing him. Her expression is no longer calm than before, but it is full of the joy of a little girl seeing the person she likes. "You finally came." She looked very expectant. In front of the panoramic camera, the new generation actor Cheng Wei, who plays the leading role Zhao Ziyi, stops in front of her. In the close-up, his expression is heavy, without a trace of smile, let alone joy. "Shushu..." There was a hoarse voice in the word, and the eyes were very gray, "My father has just been diagnosed with cancer." In a close-up shot, Gu Xizhi's expression froze, the joy in her eyes just a moment ago seemed to be frozen by ice, stuck in that place. One second. She gave this expression one second, and quickly used the change in her eyes to make the subtle joy disappear. When her eyebrows furrowed again, her face looked completely worried. He Xue, who was standing in front of the monitor with her hands folded across her chest, took in the scene on the monitor and unconsciously raised her head to look at the real Gu Xizhi outside the monitor. She actually got to know this actress more deeply after Zhao Ling recommended her. Compared with some actresses who are currently nominated and winning awards at various film festivals, she is not too old, but she is definitely not too young either. For her age, continuing to develop on the idol path would undoubtedly be a difficult road without much hope. However, wanting to excel in acting is also not an easy task. After graduating from drama school, like most people, she started with idol dramas. The difference is that some people's roles look the same ten years ago and ten years later, but comparing her current works with her first one, one can understand that she has put in a lot of effort. At her age, this movie is far more important to Gu Xizhi than to her as a director. From her previous nominated films, it seems she's highly adaptable, but if she wants to compete with exceptionally talented actresses like Yin Ci and Qu Xizhi, who displayed their talent clearly in their first films, there's still considerable risk. Judging from the current situation, neither Qu Xizhi nor Lan Rui will participate in this year's film festival. This is undoubtedly good news for her, but Yin Ci, who is in the limelight, has a movie being shot this year. As long as she doesn't make a mistake, this suspense will continue. Fortunately, judging from the shooting situation in the past few days, her condition is definitely not worse than Yin Ci's. As long as she can maintain it, she still has a 50% chance of winning the award. "Cut!" After filming a scene, people on the set took a short break and the makeup artist immediately retouched the actor's makeup. After finishing the makeup, Gu Xizhi came to the monitor and seemed to be very worried about the performance just now. She asked He Xue, "Is it okay?" He Xue smiled and said, "Just ask the male lead, and you'll know." Gu Xizhi turned to look at Cheng Wei. Although this new generation actor has become famous on the TV screen before, this is the first time he has appeared on the big screen. Although casting him is a challenge for the crew, in terms of his temperament and the potential of the actor himself, he is the most suitable candidate for this script. Cheng Wei saw Gu Xizhi looking back at him and smiled at her. Even though he had worked on television dramas before, shooting a film was quite different. Initially, when he joined the crew, he felt like he couldn't handle the role at all. However, he soon realized that acting opposite the female lead was easier than any other acting he had done before. After all, she was an actress nominated for Best Actress at the film festival. Her presence, her gaze, including her acting skills, everything could inspire him. He had received praise from He Xue several times, but he knew very well that if the actress he was acting opposite wasn't excellent, he would still be a mess in his first film. To Gu Xizhi, twenty-year-old Cheng Wei is like a little brother. He is gentle and kind. He is actually a little shy with girls, but very considerate. Seeing him smile at her, Gu Xizhi chatted with He Xue for a while before walking over to his side. Cheng Wei was a fan of Weibo and would often be found browsing it during breaks on set. When Gu Xizhi walked over, he seemed to be looking at something. His expression was very focused and completely oblivious to the people around him. Gu Xizhi was aroused by his appearance and glanced at the screen of his mobile phone, "What are you so fascinated by?" Cheng Wei didn't mind and smiled at her, placing his phone screen in front of her. "I'm looking at the Weibo account for the cast of 'Element.' Look, both of the actresses' outfits are really pretty." Gu Xizhi lowered her head to take a look at the screen but only saw a photo of the actress Qu Xizhi, dressed as a lawyer in a suit. Gu Xizhi raised her head and looked at him. "...Two of them? Where's the other one?" Cheng Wei smiled again, saying, "Actually, I think Miss Qu looks a bit better than Miss Lan. Miss Lan has very big eyes, and in recent years, she has developed slight bags under her eyes. Miss Qu's facial features are well-proportioned from an aesthetic perspective, and her face shape is quite standard. That's why her eyes look even more beautiful than the typical almond-shaped ones." Hearing a man analyze a woman's beauty in such detail, Gu Xizhi was a little dumbfounded, "You seem to be very knowledgeable about facial features. "No." Cheng Wei didn't hide anything when he said, "I just think Miss Qu is too beautiful." Most people might find such comments a bit unusual. Gu Xizhi immediately looked at him, and Cheng Wei noticed that his words might have been inappropriate. He quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand, I don't have any other intentions towards Miss Qu. I just find her facial features highly valuable from an aesthetic perspective. I simply really like her face." He appeared genuinely sincere, and Gu Xizhi didn't continue to misinterpret his words as having ulterior motives. She just took his phone and looked at the photos of Qu Xizhi. Perhaps she had considered Qu Xizhi her enemy for too long in the past. She used to scrutinize her, trying to find faults. Even if she couldn't find any faults, she wouldn't admit that she looked good. "Vixen" was the image in her heart. No matter how people praised her beauty, she would always think it was exaggerated. But now, looking at the photo of her in a formal suit, radiating an aura of dignity, she suddenly felt something strange in her heart. After taking off her makeup after filming the last scene in the evening, Gu Xizhi took the car back to the hotel. On the way, Youyou went to buy snacks and Gu Xizhi stopped by the bookstore to purchase several books related to her roles in the film. Just before checking out, she noticed a photobook of Qu Xizhi and decided to buy it as well. Because this movie was so important to her at the moment, Gu Xizhi spent all her free time studying the character. She even turned down several social invitations from other cast members.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
After taking a shower that night, Gu Xizhi sat at her desk and began reading the books she had bought about cosmetic surgery. In this film, she portrayed two roles: one as the wealthy girl Jiang Shushu, and the other as the ordinary girl Chu Jia, who was later forced to undergo surgery to look like Jiang Shushu. Chu Jia's long-term experience with cosmetic surgery had twisted both her psyche and appearance. While the makeup artist could handle some aspects, understanding the character deeply was primarily the actor's responsibility. Gu Xizhi spent a long time pondering the unique facial expressions and emotions that came with the failed surgery. It was almost midnight when she finally closed her books, planning to contact a plastic surgeon the next day for further research. The books she bought were put together and when she was about to pack them away, Gu Xizhi saw the photobook she bought together and opened the photo under the light. Since it was recent, Qu Xizhi's appearance in the photos still featured her with long, straight black hair. As Gu Xizhi turned the first page, she was captivated by the content. The photos focused on Qu Xizhi's upper body, dressed in pure white. Her long, straight black hair hung like fine silk at her waist. In these pictures, there was no heavy makeup; instead, a subtle, light touch that made her appear soft and serene. A gentle smile graced her lips, exuding a sense of calm and grace. Gu Xizhi looked at the book for quite some time, flipping the pages backward. Soon, she noticed that this photo book captured almost every aspect of Qu Xizhi's style. There were photos of her with a gentle and serene demeanor, others where she appeared aloof and elegant, and somewhere her beauty was so striking that it almost dazzled. The book portrayed her as dignified to the point of being untouchable, and yet, there were also images that exuded an elegant sensuality. After flipping through the entire photo book, Gu Xizhi suddenly agreed with Cheng Wei's statement. After thinking about it, she picked up her phone and sent a text message to Qu Xizhi: "Are you still filming?" On the other end of the phone. Qu Xizhi, who had just finished a scene of catching a thief, was wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. She was walking from the camera to the monitor to talk to the director. Ling Xian heard her cell phone ringing and immediately gave it to her. Qu Xizhi found it strange that Ling Xian was giving her the phone and became even more surprised when she saw the message on the screen. After going abroad, she had changed her phone number, and besides her family, the only person who knew it was Gu Xizhi. Even though she had talked to Gu Xizhi on the phone and exchanged messages over the past few days, due to the time difference and the importance of the film to Gu Xizhi, she didn't want to disturb her too much at this time. Most importantly, even if they did stay in touch, it was always her taking the initiative to reach out. Receiving a message initiated by Gu Xizhi was quite surprising to Qu Xizhi. Meanwhile, Gu Xizhi closed the photo after sending the message, thought for a while, and sent another text message: "Actually, you are quite beautiful." On the other end, Qu Xizhi was about to reply to her message when she received another message like this. She looked at the screen for a while and then replied: “What are you doing? Gu Xizhi: "Nothing, just reading the script." "Would you feel this way after reading the script?" "...Anyway, I was just reading the script. Qu Xizhi: "Okay." "How do you like the script?" "It's okay, sometimes it feels good, and sometimes I doubt myself." Qu Xizhi, who was on the other end of the phone, frowned slightly when she saw this message, but she quickly relaxed and replied, "Regarding the movie, feel free to discuss any thoughts with me anytime. Don't put too much pressure on yourself." When Gu Xizhi saw this reply, she immediately said: "Okay, got it. Focus on your acting, and I'll get back to reading the script." "Mm, take care." "Bye-bye."