CH 23

Seeing Chang Shi Gui staring at the scene unblinkingly, the producer thought that he was curious about how the set worked, so he began to explain how the cameras were controlled, how the suspension wires are regulated and how the scene was shot to retain the beauty of it, etc. After talking for a long time, however, he didn’t see any reaction. In fact, he didn’t remember any time Chang Shi Gui reacted to what he said.

He was deservedly the epitome of a successful man. His emotions and expressions were unfathomable.

Spending time with the crew for so long, the producer’s mind had become like the screenwriter’s. A host of ‘cool president’ scenes flashed across in his mind and a melodramatic plot-line began to appear.

“Is there a possibility of an accident in this scene?” Chang Shi Gui stood not far from the director, looking at the actors playing out their roles. Several cameras were pointed at them from different angles, and these cameras were surrounded by the crew. The whole scene looked busy and messy.

“It could more or less happen,” the producer said. “Of course, the leader of the crew is very experienced and no serious accidents will happen.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the actor hanging from the cables lose her balance and hit her back against the camera with a loud bang.

The producer jaw dropped. He felt that his face had been trampled on from all directions.

When Ning Xi hit something in front, she only thought she was her brain was shocked for a second and wasn’t responding yet. She had already hit herself, on top of that, she fell down on the ground.

She seemed to hear Xiao Yang’s screams and sounds of the crew running around. That was not important. The important thing was that her heart seemed to have stopped for a few moments and she hadn’t breathed yet.

“Don’t move her first, don’t move her.” The doctor stopped Xiao Yang who wanted to step forward to Ning Xi. He then quickly walked to her checked her pupils to see if she was in shock. “Are you okay?”

Ning Xi sat up with the help of one hand and felt an intense pain in her back. She sucked in her breath at the pain.

Xiao Yang was very scared and her eyes were red. Seeing that nothing serious had happened to her, only then the crew came up to her and helped her up. Teacher Wei Ya quickly came to her and untied the rope at her waist and apologised to her.

“It’s okay, I’m fine. It was just an accident.” Ning Xi smiled at Teacher Wei Ya and turned around to sit on her chair.

“Little Xi, are you okay?” Qian Cong Hai approached her with worry on his face. “You can’t joke around with your body.”

Ning Xi repeatedly assured everyone that nothing was wrong, but still, Qian Cong Hai said, “Then you rest for a while. We’ll wait before we shoot your scene again.”

As soon as he finished the sentence, he heard the producer coming from behind him with a frown on his face.

As a director, he had experienced minor conflicts with the producer of the film. Now that he saw that person coming, he was worried that he would think that Ning Xi would delay the shooting.

But, he had guessed the beginning this time, but not the end. The producer really had come to ask about Ning Xi but not to find trouble for her.

“Ning Xi, this is our major investor, Mr Chang.”

“Mr Chang?” Ning Xi put down her cup and got ready to stand but was stopped by him.

“Have a good rest,” Chang Shi Gui said. He wanted to go up to her and ask her if she was injured. He wanted to ask her why she was going through all this hard work. He wanted to tell her to go back home for a few days to rest. But in the end, he controlled his mood and greeted her calmly. “Does it hurt very badly?”

“Thank you for your concern. I am not that hurt at all. I won’t delay the shoot.” Ning Xi quickly explained.

He felt a burst of pain in his heart as he watched her smile politely. He squeezed out a few words through his throat, “Your personal safety always comes first.”

“Mr Chang is a really good boss. Ning Xi, why aren’t quickly thanking Mr Chang?” The producer couldn’t wait to flatter Chang Shi Gui. At that moment, let alone Ning Xi expressing her thanks to Chang Shi Gui, even he, the producer, was to express his thanks to Ning Xi, it wouldn’t be a problem. Everything was well and good only if Boss Chang was happy.

The staff in the sets were excited when the heard the identity and status of the man who just came in. He was the president of Chang’s Group!

“I’ve known Ning Xi for a long time, so there’s no need to be polite,” Chang Shi Gui brushed off the obvious attempt at flattery by the producer and turned towards Qian Cong Hai. “Director Qian?”

“Hello, Mr Chang,” Qian Cong Hai too the initiative to shake hands with Chang Shi Gui. He glanced around once and smiled, saying, “I didn’t expect Mr Chang to come in these few days. So, I was unable to receive you properly. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Director Qian shouldn’t be polite. I have invested in movies for the first time. Although I don’t know about the other matters, I have heard that the cast and crew work very hard.” Chang Shi Gui sat down on an empty chair next to Ning Xi. He said to Qian Cong Hai, “I really didn’t expect that Ning Xi would be in your cast.”

Qian Cong Hai smiled and nodded. “Ning Xi’s performance in the crew is very good. The cast and the crew all like her very much.”

If the many big shots got to know that she had some friendship with Chang Shi Gui, most likely they would like her more.

Ning Xi gave Chang Shi Gui a complicated look. She was very clear that Chang Shi Gui had deliberately emphasised their friendship to let them all know that she was not a newcomer without a background. Instead, he had her back.

Whether it was Chang Shi Gui casually saying something or helping her out on purpose, either way, she was grateful that he was helping her.

The more people grew up, the more they would find that there were lesser and lesser people who would take the initiative to help you. Sometimes, just a warm act or word was enough to make people burst into tears.

At that moment, Chang Shi Gui turned his head and met Ning Xi’s gaze. His eyes were as deep as the quiet sea. Ning Xi found that the man had a rather attractive pair of eyes.

Instead of looking away, she just smiled at him.

The morning sun was only warm and not hot, but Chang Shi Gui somehow felt that his face was getting burnt by the sun.

Qian Cong Hai was a talented director but he was not talented in the matter of interpersonal relations. Him accompanying Chang Shi Gui for so long was giving him face. So, seeing that Ning Xi was better, he asked the crew to prepare to continue shooting from the scene they had just finished.

The producer couldn’t wait to grip Qian Cong Hai’s neck and shake him. Couldn’t the scene you were going to shoot be delayed a little? Now that the big boss was present, can you make his injured friend hurry to act again? Where has your EQ gone?

Chang Shi Gui never thought that Director Qian would be so straightforward. He stared blankly for a second and then turned to Ning Xi. As long as Ning Xi showed a trace of reluctance on her face, he would use his identity as a producer and let Director Qian stop the shoot immediately.

Unfortunately, Ning Xi was not reluctant. The moment Director Qian called out to the crew, she took the initiative to remove her coat and walked to the sets and had Teacher Wei Ya put on the harness again.

The producer laughed embarrassedly. “The director and the cast are very hardworking,” Other than this sentence, he had nothing else to say. In other productions, if the producer were to be present, which cast and crew didn’t bow and scrape before them? Their cast and crew, on the other hand…

Thinking of all the expenses he had to incur towards the production because of Qian Cong Hai’s wrangling, he silently touched his face. This work of a producer was truly vexing.

“It’s okay,” Chang Shi Gui sat down behind the director to see the monitor. In the monitor display, the makeup artist was touching up Ning Xi’s face. Ning Xi was saying something to an actor. On her body, not a single trace of injury could be seen.

But if a living person hit a steel from with such force, how could it not hurt even a little?

Qian Cong Hai had no intention to get into Chang Shi Gui’s good graces. Seeing that the two actors were ready, he made sure all the preparations were done. “Ready, go!”

The fight scene looked very ridiculous in the monitor because there were no lighting effects which were going to be added later. But the expressions on the faces of the two actors were so vivid that the viewers became completely immersed in the story.

Chang Shi Gui couldn’t understand if the acting of either actor was good or bad. But in his opinion, when the shooting began, Ning Xi’s entire temperament transformed. She became a fairy who had no contact with the secular world. A fairy people couldn’t easily approach.

“Ning Xi has entered her role quickly,” Deputy Director Liu, who had been watching the monitor for a while, said. He then praised her, “When this movie is released, she will certainly gain her own fame.”

“Although she has quite the aura and cleverness, she lacks experience,” Qian Cong Hai stared at the monitor without looking away. “After entering the crew, she grew up a lot. As long as she is willing to work hard in the future, there is plenty of room for growth. Although she has some shortcomings, in this new generation of actors, her acting can be regarded as the best.”

However, Qian Cong Hai didn’t say this out loud. He leaned against his chair and commanded the cameraman to take a close-up of the two actors.

As soon as the close-ups were shown, the difference between Ning Xi and the second villain could be seen. Ning Xi’s eyes were very playful while the second female villain in this regard lost a lot to Ning Xi.

When the movie would be broadcast in the theatres, the audience’s attention would certainly be snatched by Ning Xi because Ning Xi made it easier for them to be absorbed in the movie.

“So the number one beauty of the immortals is just this,” The witch was hit by Fairy Qingya so she staggered back a few steps. Forced back so much, she gritted her teeth and stood firm. She hated Fairy Qingyan but she spoke to her contemptuously.

Qingyan looked coldly at her appearance which was a sorry figure. She then mercilessly turned her wrists and flew towards the witch’s neck. She grabbed her neck and held on till the witch took her last breath. Then she let go.

Fairy Qingyan’s feature was that she was cold. She didn’t understand mercy neither did she understand evil. She was correctly called the Ice Beauty.

If the actor didn’t delve deep into such a role, it would become dull and uninteresting. From the point of view of the audience, it was equal to a dead fish on the screen. But Ning Xi had seized the most attractive point of this character so that she wouldn’t appear bland. She made her into a character who was both merciless and retained her purity.

Qian Cong Hai was most satisfied Ning Xi on this point.

As for Chang Shi Gui who was listening to the two people speak, his face was expressionless as he turned to Ning Xi.

Not far from the location, two men were gasping and climbing the mountains. One of them asked, “A Jun, where did you get this news about Chang Shi Gui? He is not the kind of person to go bird watching! What’s he up to, has he come here for the scenery?”