CH 19

This novel is only hosted on Foxaholic, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized.

Zhou Jianchen exhausted all his ardor kissing Liang Yin, hating that he couldn’t mold her to the marrow of his bones. Everyone on the set held their breath as they watched the instant outburst of his acting skills, and the actresses watching on the side even covered their mouths with moistened eyes.

“Cut!” Chen Hua’en, who was behind the camera, finally called out stop when the last frame of the scene ended.

Everyone’s state of mind was jerk back as soon as his voice resounded and Du Yafu on the side rubbed his goosebumps, “Oh my god, Jianchen’s acting skill is just too good. I was still worried that he couldn’t get into the role just now after two years of no acting, but … a Film Emperor, is indeed a superstar!”

The third-tier actress on the side mourned softly too, “If I could let Zhou Jianchen kiss me like this, I would also be willing to die ah!”

Brother Chen just propped Film Empress Liang against the wall before lowering his head and crushed her mouth which could be seen with much intensity and deep feeling that seeing them almost made her giddy with happiness.

As it wasn’t allowed, or else she would have recorded it with her cellphone so that she could watch it over 800 times a day.

Other staff members kept applauding too. Zhou Jianchen’s acting skills are indeed too good. Only because he didn’t show it, but once he made the move, it was simply amazing.

Listening to the discussion around him, Chen Hua’en’s expression remained indifferent, but a smile flashed in his eyes when he lowered his head to make notes.

By the wall, Zhou Jianchen had already let Liang Yin go but he didn’t step away. With hands propped against the wall and head kept low, he obviously had not gotten out of his emotions yet.

Since he didn’t move, Liang Yin did not move either and just waited there quietly.

Zhou Jianchen finally raised his head after a long while but the expression in his glance made the heart tremble.

That was a heavy bleakness, as if it contained thousands and thousands of words that could not be spoken out.

– I love you, do you know that?

Except it was so quick that all the emotions diminished gradually.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Jianchen straightened up and everything resumed to normalcy again.

As if he was indeed caught up in the scene just now and had finally gotten out of it now.

Seemingly seeing something, he reached his hand out again.

His fingers then brushed over and gently wiped away the lipstick smudge around Liang Yin’s lips.

The expression in his eyes was unusually gentle.

Unable to react, Liang Yin was stunned for a moment.

“Go and put on your jacket. It’s too cold.” Zhou Jianchen said as he drew his hand back again.

Xiao Tian had already come forward with the jacket. When Liang Yin turned around after putting on the jacket, Zhou Jianchen had already gone back to his seat.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Looking at him, Liang Yin’s gaze wavered but was soon dropped again.

“Jianchen, I thought you couldn’t act anymore and didn’t expect to witness such an intense one to begin with.” Zhou Jianchen had returned to his seat when Du Yafu turned around to joke with him again.

Zhou Jianchen’s seat was right next to the director’s and Du Yafu was just standing behind Chen Hua’en watching the footage that was just shot on the camera with him.

After asking the makeup artist to touch up his makeup, Zhou Jianchen drank a mouthful of water before walking over too.

On the camera, Zhou Zhaozong was kissing Xu Mengbai. Having her pinned against the wall, he was entwining her unto death. Her eyes flashed with astonishment, resistance, understanding and finally a momentary wavering … Watching her various reactions, there was a smile in Zhou Jianchen’s eyes.

Dressed in the qipao, she nestled closely to his body with her chin slightly raised. From rejection to uncontrollable impulses, every frame was as beautiful as picturesque.

Liang Yin had also gone back to her seat at this moment. When Du Yafu saw her, he waved at her as well, “Yinyin, you come over and take a look too.”

Seeing them all gathered behind the camera, Liang Yin thought perhaps something happened hence she walked over there.

There was only so little space behind the camera and it appeared somewhat crowded once she came over that Zhou Jianchen inadvertently stepped aside to let her stand in front of him.

Sensing his closeness, there were some ripples in Liang Yin’s heart.

The corners of Zhou Jianchen’s mouth curled up as he glanced at her before he lowered his head again.

Being half a head shorter than him, her ear and the side of her face were in full view. Thinking of her slender and soft waist when he embraced her just now, some alluring thoughts came back again.

Du Yafu was still gasping in admiration, “Look at this tension, at this level, how you acted it out ah Jianchen, which was a completely awesome acting of Zhou Zhaozong. This kind of thousands twist of sorrow while the joy of losing and regaining, and also the pain and forbearance of wanting to say but unable to talk about it … damn, I’m convinced, I’m truly convinced. It has been a long time since I have seen such a splendid performance. Tell me exactly what you were thinking at that time and how did you manage to act so well?”

Du Yafu’s eyes were full of disbelief. Hearing that, Zhou Jianchen just smiled drily, “That’s because Yinyin collaborated well.”

Yinyin …

Liang Yin was startled.

Unconsciously, Du Yafu just clapped his hands again and said, “Don’t say, I think some people are indeed innately fit to act. Speaking of your splendid acting, Yinyin isn’t the least bit suppressed by you. Look here and here, she completely crushed your point. And here too, Xu Mengbai was momentarily wavered by your kiss. You can see how meticulous she was when she tremblingly closed her eyes. You were holding back your unrestrainedness while she was in control of the whole performance. As such and still able to control the scene, Yinyin ah, it’s really a pity if you don’t act anymore ah.” Du Yafu said and looked at Liang Yin again.

Liang Yin smiled without saying anything.

At this moment, Chen Hua’en, who was watching the camera silently, finally opened his mouth, “You were a bit slow getting into the role here just now.”

The three people on the spot recouped their focuses hearing those words.

“Here.” Chen Hua’en looked at Liang Yin then pointed at the camera screen again and said.

On the screen, Zhou Jianchen moved forward to kiss her. She was stunned at first before she simply resisted and then stopped moving when she saw the Japanese man walk in at the door.

“En.” Watching it, Liang Yin understood what had occurred.

She should have been stunned then resisted when Zhou Jianchen came forward to kiss her but she froze for a little too long.

Although it was merely two seconds, the discerning eyes of Director Chen were like torches.

“You’re simply picking bones out of eggs!” Du Yafu couldn’t help saying after knowing the reason. According to him, Liang Yin’s performance here was already top-notch.

[T/N: 鸡蛋里挑骨头 (Jīdàn li tiāo gú tóu) – metaphor for nitpick / finding fault]

Liang Yin didn’t speak. According to Xu Mengbai’s persona, she indeed should have reacted quicker. But at that time, the look in Zhou Jianchen’s eyes when he lowered his head to kiss her made her lose focus for a moment …

“Do you need another take?” She asked.

Pondering for a long while, Chen Hua’en didn’t ask for a retake but merely said, “Just leave it and shoot the next scene first.”

It meant that this take still passed.

“Hey, you’re already satisfied, what’s with the nitpick ah!” Du Yafu couldn’t help but speak.

Everyone knows Chen Hua’en’s character. If he is not satisfied, not to mention one or twice, he will shoot even ten or dozens of takes without fail. So once he said to leave it, he obviously was satisfied with it.

Without explaining, Chen Hua’en just put away the notebook in his hand and said to Liang Yin, “You go touch up your makeup. The next scene will be ten minutes later.”

“Okay.” Hearing him say so, Liang Yin dared not delay anymore but turned around to leave.

Just as she was about to walk to the side, Zhou Jianchen had already stepped slightly aside again, giving her enough room to leave.

Noticing that, Liang Yin paused then just finally walked past with her head down.

Du Yafu had also kept in pace with her. He now loves Liang Yin’s face so much. Her face is simply too beautiful on camera that he can’t let anyone do it for him.

Watching her leave, Zhou Jianchen then pulled a chair over to the side and sat down.

Chen Hua’en who was by the side suddenly spoke, “You can get into the character now?”

Zhou Jianchen had already taken the script to look at it. Hearing his words, his gaze paused when he quickly responded with a smile, “En.”

At first he couldn’t get into the character, but now he has let it go completely.

Lowering his legs, his entire body was tense at the beginning but now he was thoroughly relaxed.

Not questioning anymore, Chen Hua’en was still looking at the camera with full concentration, as if the question just now was merely a casual statement.

On the other side, Du Yafu had meticulously touched up Liang Yin’s makeup while clicking his tongue in wonder at the same time. Liang Yin’s features are so good though they don’t seem to be particularly remarkable but if viewed separately, the combination is simply boundlessly beautiful. She was just youthful back then, yet now she holds many charms.

Liang Yin merely smiled hearing that, but her gaze couldn’t help resting on Zhou Jianchen who was not far away.

Zhou Jianchen was looking at the script, yet a trace of peculiarity emerged in her heart again.

Was Zhou Jianchen really acting just now?

The glance before he dropped the kiss caused her to lapse and reacted two seconds slower, because that gaze was too bleak and too profound making her momentarily lose her focus.

She has never seen him possess such a profound gaze. It was as if he was in the character at that moment, yet seemingly not in the role at all.

Later, when he embraced her so tightly, others could not feel it but she knew it well enough.

That did not seem like merely acting at all.

Once he returned to normal later, she could clearly see when he just raised his head that the rims of his eyes were red.

If it was really acting, how strong must the emotion be to get into the character like this?

Zhou Zhaozong should not have been like this to Xu Mengbai at that time.

Liang Yin had watched all the movies he acted in, which was enough to separate his character-acting from himself, but just now, she couldn’t tell whether he was Zhou Zhaozong or just himself.

That gaze and that emotion were just too profound and too deep-seated.

Too real.

There was another ripple in her heart which very soon was suppressed a little bit again.

Du Yafu had already touched up her lips lightly, precisely how Xu Mengbai should look after being kissed by Zhou Zhaozong.

**********

Looking at the script in hand, Zhou Jianchen suddenly raised his head.

Liang Yin was standing there holding a hand warmer while having her makeup touched up. He looked at her almost bare calves when a flash in his eyes as he fished out the cellphone from his pocket.

Switching to WeChat, he browsed through it and finally found Rong Xin’s name.

– “How do you women get through filming during heavy winter?”

Rong Xin, the twice awarded Film Empress, who is a veteran in the entertainment industry is also known to be his close friends in the circle.

Who, however, is also the secret lover of his elder brother for nine years.

Rong Xin’s text message soon responded:

– Hand warmers, heating pads, heaters, down-jacket, snow boots …

Immediately she asked:

– Do you intend to prepare for Liang Yin?

Zhou Jianchen did not answer her question. He just glanced at it and put his cellphone away again.