Chapter 50: She Really Believes In Her, More Than She Believes Herself
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
2023 Ver.
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Qu Xizhi is wearing a black wind coat, sunglasses, and a hat, coming directly from the airport to the hotel. Probably because this kind of dressing on the autumn day doesn't attract much attention, except for encountering one paparazzi, there were no significant obstacles along the way.
Hours of continuous flying made her look dusty, but when she stood in front of Gu Xizhi's door, she didn't look tired, or low-spirited, and her mental state was very good.
After confirming her room with Youyou before, Qu Xizhi stood in front of the door and adjusted her mood before ringing the doorbell.
The doorbell rang once but no one answered. She pressed again, and finally, there was a reply from inside the room.
Her voice and the door number confirmed that she didn't press the doorbell incorrectly, but when the door opened, Qu Xizhi was genuinely unsure.
The door opened, and the person inside and outside the door locked eyes for a few seconds. Gu Xizhi was initially puzzled, then looked closely, showing surprise and disbelief on her face. However, after the surprise, her behavior was extremely strange. She didn't speak or show any signs of joy. Instead, her face turned pale, and she quickly closed the door.
This series of actions happened so quickly that it was hard to understand what had occurred. Qu Xizhi was left standing outside the closed door. After shutting the door, Gu Xizhi swiftly opened her laptop, deleted a video, and turned it off. Only after confirming everything was correct did she return to the door and, with difficulty, open it once more.
"You..." She looked at her, hesitatingly for a long time before finally confirming once again, "How did you suddenly come back home?" The expected surprise was somewhat diluted by anxiety, and her whole demeanor appeared quite awkward.
Qu Xizhi also seemed bewildered by the situation. After a brief silence, she asked, "Am I not welcome?"
Gu Xizhi shook her head and replied, "No."
Qu Xizhi thought for a moment, "Is someone inside the room?"
Gu Xizhi immediately denied, "Of course not." Afraid of any further misunderstanding, she quickly added, "Come in first." After the two entered the room, Qu Xizhi looked around and saw nothing unusual in the room before asking, "What were you doing just now?"
Gu Xizhi lied bravely, "I'm rehearsing."
"Rehearsing?" Her eyes penetrated people's hearts.
"Yeah..." Gu Xizhi poured her a cup of tea and tried to change the subject, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I thought you were busy."
"I'm generally busy." Qu Xizhi put down her hat and bag, picked up the tea she handed over, and took a sip, "I just wanted to come back and see you." After a pause, she asked, "Did I scare you?"
"No, no, no," Gu Xizhi struggled to explain, only mumbling, "I was really just caught off guard. I was genuinely thinking about the role earlier."
Although that video had almost ruined her reputation, in the end, it was all for the sake of her role, wasn't it?
Qu Xizhi looked at her expression and said, "Mm."
The look in her eyes made Gu Xizhi feel guilty, so she hurriedly looked for a topic, "So, you... came back, especially for me?"
In fact, there was some genuine curiosity in this sentence, but Qu Xizhi did not answer her.
After saying the previous sentence, Qu Xizhi's gaze swept over the bottle of red wine on the desk. However, when she saw the bottle, her brows furrowed, and she completely ignored Gu Xizhi's question.
After Youyou sent her a message yesterday, the two chatted for a long time. It was obvious that what Youyou said was true.
To play the role well, she has been trying to drink for the past two days.
However, with her poor tolerance for alcohol, how could a method acting like this work?
This situation made Qu Xizhi a little worried, but the guilty Gu Xizhi did not dare to look into her eyes at all and did not notice her emotions at all. Seeing that she did not answer, she quickly found a new topic, "You just got off the plane. Have you eaten yet? Why don't I accompany you to eat?" After saying that, she didn't wait for her answer, picked up her coat, put it on herself, and went to open the door.
Qu Xizhi took three steps at a time and stepped forward to pull her.
The rapid movement triggered a nerve in her ankle. Qu Xizhi endured the pain and asked Gu Xizhi, "Did you buy alcohol for rehearsal?"
Gu Xizhi was taken aback, "How did you know?"
Although she had been troubled by the filming these past few days, she hadn't told Qu Xizhi about this matter. After all, they had a time difference, and Qu Xizhi was far away. She didn't want her to worry about her condition during the shooting.
But Qu Xizhi seemed to know.
Qu Xizhi: "I have read the script of "Love At Mount Wu" and Chu Jia is a nightclub regular."
Gu Xizhi suddenly realized, "So you've read the script so thoroughly." Since that was the case, Gu Xizhi didn't hold back either and said, "Well, actually, I've been struggling with something. How can I completely portray Chu Jia's carefree lifestyle?"
She unexpectedly opened up about her troubles, and Qu Xizhi was somewhat surprised, pausing for a moment before asking, "Have you been thinking about this issue for the past few days?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you tell me before?"
Gu Xizhi was stunned, "We…we are so far apart and there's a time difference, so I can't come to you for every problem. Not to mention you also have to film."
"So you've been keeping your distance from me?"
Gu Xizhi: "...No, no, I just felt like I was bothering you too much."
"So you have been keeping your distance from me," Qu Xizhi said with a hint of helplessness. After a pause, not quite sure where to start, she continued, "Xiao Jing, can you understand? There's no need for formalities or reservations between us. I hope you'll share anything on your mind with me right away."
She said this in a very serious tone, and Gu Xizhi seemed to notice that her brows had lightly furrowed at some point, indicating that she might be quite concerned about this matter.
Gu Xizhi was stunned for a long time before saying: "I...understand."
After saying this, she lowered her head, as if she acknowledged her mistake.
With her being so obedient and repentant, it was hard to blame her any further. Qu Xizhi glanced at her several times, ultimately letting out a gentle sigh.
"Bring me the script."
"What?" Qu Xizhi suddenly brought up the script, and Gu Xizhi's reaction was delayed.
Qu Xizhi said, "Since the main character often hangs out in nightclubs, there will be plenty of scenes involving drunkenness. Considering your sensitivity to alcohol and the impracticality of relying on drinking to understand the emotions, given the pressure you're under, let's study the script more thoroughly."
Gu Xizhi thought for a moment and then realized that Qu Xizhi had already shifted into "discussing the role" mode. She nodded and said, "I'll go get it."
After handing the script to Qu Xizhi, Gu Xizhi sat down with her to review it. Qu Xizhi flipped through the script, seemed to contemplate for a while, then turned to Gu Xizhi and said, "Xiao Jing, you mentioned that you were struggling with the tipsy character. Can you show me that scene first?"
"No need to act it out," Gu Xizhi responded and picked up her phone.
Her phone contained footage that Yuoyou had helped her shoot before, which was one of her better performances, but Gu Xizhi still wasn't entirely satisfied.
Qu Xizhi then played the video on her phone and watched Gu Xizhi's performance carefully.
It was almost as expected. Gu Xizhi's performance was not bad, and the overall feeling presented was very stable, but there were some details she didn't express, which made it a little less stunning.
After finishing watching the scene, Qu Xizhi stared at the frozen image, lost in thought. Seeing her silence, Gu Xizhi, feeling somewhat unsure, asked, "What's wrong? Is it really bad?"
Qu Xizhi raised her head to see her lack of confidence, and returned the phone to her, "No, you are already fine. It's just that the state of being tipsy is a natural neurological reaction, and it's not easy to deliberately create that physical state. Most actors drink a bit before such scenes. You don't need to lack confidence."
At this point, she glanced at the script in her hand and said, "Let's practice bit by bit, okay?"
It was rare for Qu Xizhi to be so patient. Gu Xizhi nodded quickly: "Of course."
"Okay." Qu Xizhi stood side by side with her, pointing to the script in her hand.
"Let's talk about this line first." Entering the plot of the script, Qu Xizhi's expression was already very serious, "Most people have two extreme reactions when they're drunk. One is being very quiet, and the other is being overly excited. Here, Chu Jia is clearly the latter, so when she delivers her lines, besides the lazy drunken tone, there should be a slightly higher pitch compared to her normal tone." Pausing for a moment, she pointed to the lines in the script. "Read it aloud for me."
Gu Xizhi glanced at the script, feeling the pressure, and began, "Mr. Zhou, you are different from those rich second generations at first glance. This painting is realistic in style yet romantic. You'll definitely buy it, right?"
Qu Xizhi said, "The ending pitch is high, slightly lower it, and make it softer."
Gu Xizhi tried again, "You will definitely buy it, right?"
After hearing it, Qu Xizhi nodded, "I know this won't be difficult for you. Now, let's talk about body language." She took back the script, examined it, and analyzed, "Chu Jia here is always slightly drunk. When someone is slightly drunk, their brain's nerves are somewhat numb. There are a few key characteristics. First, there's a delayed reaction; physical movements and expressions are slightly slower. Second, because of heightened nervous excitement, their body language is less restrained than usual. Third, their gaze is hazy. Overall, Chu Jia should appear dreamy, light on her feet, and in a relaxed mental state."
At this point, Qu Xizhi set the script aside and said, "You play Zhao Ziyi, and I'll try to convey the feeling of Chu Jia. Take a look and see if it fits, okay?"
Seeing her analyzing the script so seriously, Gu Xizhi was a little confused. After hearing this, she was infected by her emotions and nodded.
Qu Xizhi put the script aside and seemed to be brewing emotions. Gu Xizhi stared at her without blinking.
When Qu Xizhi lifted her head, Gu Xizhi's attention became even more focused.
Qu Xizhi gazed at her, her eyes locked onto Gu Xizhi's. Even though Gu Xizhi's gaze had genuinely never left her, Qu Xizhi's performance made her feel like she was witnessing a transformation.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
She started by slightly curving her lips, a smile not too strong, but notably different from her usual smile. Then, she took a few steps towards Gu Xizhi. Her gait was slightly unsteady due to the loss of body balance, and she appeared less poised than usual. Gu Xizhi noticed her expressions, every change in her expression occurring a half-beat slower than usual. Most importantly, she used her long eyelashes skillfully. Each time her eyelashes drooped slightly, her eyes took on an especially dreamy look, even without the assistance of makeup. She genuinely looked like someone who had been drinking.
"Mr. Zhao, you are different from those rich second generations at first glance. This painting is realistic in style yet romantic." Qu Xizhi halted in front of her, with a slightly tipsy and dreamy look, a relaxed yet excited gaze that seemed as if floating in the clouds. "You'll definitely buy it, right?"
Gu Xizhi watched in a slight daze.
She didn't know how to describe Qu Xizhi; she seemed like a natural-born actress, perfectly grasping the role with almost no deviations. Whether it was expressions, movements, or lines, everything was just right, and it was astonishing.
Watching her performance, besides the feeling of "it turns out, she can really act so well", there was nothing left but self-doubt.
As for the Best Actress award, as long as she participated in the competition for the leading actress, it seemed that there was always a sense of concession to whoever it was awarded to. After watching her performance, Gu Xizhi not only felt that she was exceptionally talented but also suddenly realized that she might never be able to compare to her.
After delivering the lines, Qu Xizhi returned to her normal expression. Seeing Gu Xizhi looking at her without speaking, she couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
Gu Xizhi shook her head, "I, I think I may never be able to do this like you."
Qu Xizhi looked astonished, "How could it be? You just didn't express some details and emotions well. It would be much better if you improved it more."
She spoke lightly, but Gu Xizhi felt great pressure. Upon hearing this, she continued to shake her head and evade, saying, "No, Qu Xizhi, I might not be able to do it, I'm not as good as you at acting."
"No way, your ability to empathize with the character is stronger than mine. Try to reconnect with the role; you can definitely do it better than me."
After saying this, she held her hand and advised: "Give it a try, okay?"
When she said this, her eyes were filled with determination and trust. Gu Xizhi was momentarily surprised.
Such eyes… were genuinely sincere and enthusiastic.
It seemed... she truly considered her a very capable person.
Gu Xizhi's mood was a bit mixed.
The warmth of her fingertips and the unwavering gaze had a powerful effect. At that moment, Gu Xizhi's uncertainty seemed to be overcome. Encouraged by her, she gradually shifted her focus back to the words in the script.
Those words seemed to come to life, and Gu Xizhi absorbed each line of small text into her mind as if she had once again returned to the moment she first saw this script.
At that time, Chu Jia had a certain image in her mind.
Chu Jia is a singer, and her original family was not good, so she lacked love and longed for it.
She is a worldly person, but she is passionate. After getting drunk, she became carefree, as if daring to challenge heaven and earth. She had a pair of eyes that wanted to open wide but was addicted to the pleasure of mental numbness.
Gu Xizhi relaxed, closed her eyes, and in her mind, the Chu Jia she envisioned overlapped with Qu Xizhi's recent portrayal, creating a new spark.
When she opened her eyes again, Gu Xizhi seemed to be facing the real Zhao Ziyi.
"Mr. Zhao, you are different from those rich second generations at first glance. This painting is realistic in style yet romantic."
"You'll definitely buy it, right?"
"Mr. Zhao, you're joking. I'm just a drunkard. Even if there's a dog painted here, it looks romantic in my eyes."
"What?... Hahaha... Mr. Zhao, you must be here for the first time in this bar."
She practiced Chu Jia's character lines repeatedly. Initially, it seemed like she hadn't fully conveyed her inner expectations, but Qu Xizhi appeared to completely understand what she wanted to express. If she wanted to act, Qu Xizhi would fully cooperate with her emotions.
Gu Xizhi tried again and again, and Qu Xizhi kept up with her. At first, both performances tended to be cautious, but as they continued to spar, they delved deeper into their respective characters. Gradually, Qu Xizhi's Zhao Ziyi gained more nuanced details, and Gu Xizhi's performance revealed a touch of elusive brilliance that was hard to come by.
She came close to precision and had her own style. During their final rehearsal, Gu Xizhi felt a sense of excitement in her heart. She believed she had found a guiding light in her mind, one that she wouldn't forget.
But when she finished the last line of her dialogue, she didn't pause for rest, nor did she continue. She simply gazed silently at Qu Xizhi.
Originally, after delivering the final line of dialogue, Gu Xizhi's hand, which was resting on Qu Xizhi's shoulder, should have been withdrawn, and her expression, mixed with a touch of charm and drunkenness, should have instantly cleared. However, after waiting for a while and not seeing her retract her hand, Qu Xizhi turned her head to look and realized that Gu Xizhi was lost in thought.
Qu Xizhi asked, "What's wrong?"
Gu Xizhi came back to her senses, took back her hand, and shook her head, "It's nothing."
She had wanted to say "thank you" to her just a moment ago, but when the words were about to leave her lips, she felt that the word was too light. Now, she couldn't find a way to say those two words at all.
Qu Xizhi had helped her solve a big problem, and it was evident that without her, she might not have made progress in understanding and portraying this character's traits for a long time.
She really believes in her, more than herself.
It seems that no matter how complicated the problem is, she can analyze it in detail and help her calm down.
So, how can a "thank you" be enough when facing her?
"Really?" Qu Xizhi looked at her in disbelief.
Gu Xizhi looked up at her, then looked away, "Of course." After a pause, "Qu Xizhi."
"Um?"
"Do you believe that for a moment, I felt like I had a chance to beat you in acting?"
"Of course, you can defeat me." Qu Xizhi smiled, "You are already very powerful, all you have to do is to surpass yourself. "
Gu Xizhi turned back to look at her.
Her emotions were very natural when she said this, and there was no hint of perfunctory politeness. Gu Xizhi didn't know why Qu Xizhi believed in her so much, but she truly appreciated this kind of affirmation.
Despite her dislike for overly sentimental moments, at this moment, Gu Xizhi couldn't help but say, "Thank you, Qu Xizhi."
She feels that having Qu Xizhi is a lucky thing, and she is really grateful to her.
It was clear that facing this side of Gu Xizhi took Qu Xizhi somewhat by surprise. She had often been the one dismissed and seen as overly sentimental, but now she had the chance to turn the tables. Qu Xizhi cleared her throat, and the mocking words were on the tip of her tongue. However, Gu Xizhi's earnest demeanor caught her off guard. She stared into Gu Xizhi's eyes for a moment, and her heart softened.
She said, "Alright, let's not talk about acting anymore."
After a pause, she looked around the room and continued, "What happened before I came in? You seem really off."
It has to be said that Qu Xizhi seemed to have a knack for getting to the heart of the matter. The warm atmosphere that was present just moments ago vanished in an instant because of her question. Gu Xizhi hesitated for a moment, then suddenly lowered her gaze.
Her emotions are evident as her words switch instantly.
Her gaze briefly passed over towards Qu Xizhi, noticing her own closed laptop on the desktop. Gu Xizhi tilted her head slightly, feeling somewhat uneasy in the current atmosphere, and then said, "Ah... really, it's nothing." She felt a bit awkward and tried to change the subject, "You didn't answer me earlier. Have you had dinner? How about we go eat together?"
However, Qu Xizhi seemed to have not heard the latter part of her sentence and asked, "Really, nothing?"
"Mm?"
"Mm.
"Mm?"
"Mm..." The last word dragged out for a long time, and finally, she said: "Okay, okay." She remained somewhat skeptical, and Gu Xizhi had to concede.
"Actually..." Although it was hard to say, she had no choice but to continue, "I was watching a movie that Liang Youyou sent me."
"Movie?"
"Yes." She spoke with a tone that suggested a farewell to the world. "She knew I've been struggling with Chu Jia's character these days, so she recommended a movie to me."
"Then why are you so panicked?"
Gu Xizhi: "... The name of the movie is "Arnold" I didn't know at first, so I opened it." In fact, when she opened this movie a while ago, she already knew what it was.
She has long heard of "Arnold", which is famous for its passionate scenes. Although she had heard of it before and had never watched it, this movie has been quite popular.
Qu Xizhi finally realized.
At this moment, everything that happened when she entered the room started to make sense to her—the guilty look, the surprise, the blushing—it all fell into place.
"You...," Even at this moment, she still had a blush on her face. Qu Xizhi pondered for a while and found it hard to decide whether to laugh or cry.
"Okay, okay, I understand. I won't ask you anymore. Please don't mind," she said, trying to put an end to the awkwardness.
She then glanced at the time and seemed to remember the latter part of what Gu Xizhi said earlier. She hesitated before saying, "By the way, there's no need for dinner. I'm a bit pressed for time, and I'll grab something on the way. If it's convenient, can I use your bathroom?"
"Bathroom?" Gu Xizhi was a bit puzzled. "Aren't you resting in the country tonight? You could have used the bathroom at home."
"Yes, but I have to catch a flight back a bit later."
Gu Xizhi was even more stunned.
So, why did she come back for this short visit?
Going back and forth like this, was there something urgent?
Gu Xizhi did not ask, because she thought of a possibility that she could not believe, and then felt that she had to be crazy to be so imaginative.
The night was getting darker and time waited for no one. After Qu Xizhi finished speaking, she packed up a few clothes and went to the bathroom. She looked really in a hurry.
Gu Xizhi originally seemed to have many questions to ask, but seeing her in such a hurry didn't disturb her.
Qu Xizhi came out of the bathroom after Gu Xizhi had prepared dinner for her and finished reading tomorrow's script.
Although the autumn weather required an extra coat outdoors, indoors it wasn't too cold. After taking a shower, Qu Xizhi wore Gu Xizhi's dress as there was a bit of steam, and her cheeks flushed. Clearly, Gu Xizhi had kept this dress aside because the style and color were too picky, but seeing her wear this dress, Gu Xizhi felt it was really beautiful.
Just now, after Qu Xizhi entered the bathroom, she suddenly thought that this dress of hers actually suited her very well. So, she found this dress for her to change into on the spot, and it turned out that her judgment was indeed correct.
Actually, at first, Qu Xizhi didn't want to wear her dress when going out. She had prepared a relatively loose pair of jeans for herself. However, Gu Xizhi felt that her dress suited her very well and insisted that she must change into it. Only then did Qu Xizhi agree with her persistence.
Fair skin can handle various types of clothing. Gu Xizhi watched as she walked step by step out of the bathroom and approached her. Suddenly, she felt that she was even more beautiful in person than in magazines. Her waterfall-like black hair fell to her waist, and there was no sign of any dyeing or styling; she seemed to have stepped out of an ancient painting, purer than water.
However, before she could praise her beauty, she noticed the swelling around her ankle.
Her foot injury hadn't completely healed yet, and Gu Xizhi had to admit that she had initially overlooked it.
So, her gaze quickly sought out the shoes she had worn when she arrived, and sure enough, she had on high heels. Gu Xizhi felt a surge of frustration rising from the depths of her heart.
"Qu Xizhi." Gu Xizhi didn't waste any time and, suppressing her emotions, helped Qu Xizhi sit down on the couch. "How could you endure the swelling in your ankle until now without saying anything?"
Qu Xizhi had already realized that Gu Xizhi had noticed her foot injury and replied, "It's just a little extra walking; it's okay, it doesn't hurt."
"How could it not hurt? Your ankle injury hasn't healed at all. Didn't they say it takes a hundred days to recover from such injuries? It's only been a few days, and you're running around all over the place."
"It'll be fine after I've used the medicine," Qu Xizhi replied, still in a nonchalant tone.
Gu Xizhi became even more helpless. "Then don't wear high heels anymore. How can beauty be more important than comfort?"
"How can a woman not wear high heels?"
"You! Will you listen to me?" She said in an annoyed tone.
Qu Xizhi seemed to be finally intimidated by this statement. She smiled and nodded, "Okay." After a pause, she added, "But you have to buy me flat shoes."
Gu Xizhi: "... I'll go buy them for you after helping you with your medicine."
"No, you have to buy me lots of shoes."
"How many?"
"Buy me a pair every day until I return to the country."
"...Qu Xizhi!!"
The two of them argued, and the soft light from the bedroom's glass window reflected, while the curtains gently swayed in the breeze. Up in the tall building, a camera shutter clicked towards the bright window, and a figure flashed by, disappearing quickly into the hazy night.