CH 39

There wasn’t a lot of emotions between her eyes. She was very peaceful and even her voice sounded languid, “I’m sorry.”

Geng Hongyu’s brows furrowed. “The director team had placed our trust in you and gave you this responsibility. And that was what you have to show for? I am asking you again, I had you communicate with the actor prior to the filming. Did you do that?”

Gu Nian, “No, I didn’t.”

Geng Hongyu, “If you had, then how come…”

Director Geng stopped in mid-sentence.

Having to stop himself half way through his sentence made mighty Director Geng’s face and neck turned beet red. He recovered after a long while and asked frantically, “Well, why didn’t you?”

Gu Nian, “I didn’t have enough time.”

Geng Hongyu, “Is that an excuse, hmm?”

Gu Nian, “It isn’t. I’m sorry. It is my fault. It won’t happen again.”

Gu Nian apologized four times in a row emotionlessly.

Geng Hongyu, “………”

Looking at the pretty and docile girl standing in front of him with her languid eyes and the shout-at-me-all-you-want-I-am-just-going-to-apologize-to-you-all-the-way look, Geng Hongyu was about to have a heart attack but there was nothing else he could do.

Finally, waving his hand resentfully, he said, “I will give you three days’ time. Communicate with the actor about the role and make sure that we can film this scene next time!”

“Yes, Director Geng.”

With her “special pardon”, Gu Nian turned around and walked away.

The dead silence in the set finally started to melt away and others were looking at Gu Nian either with compassion or enjoying her misfortune.

Jiang Xiaoqing ran over and tugged at Gu Nian feeling unjust. She grumbled softly, “The problem lies with Luo Xiu’s acting; why was Director Geng yelling at you?”

Gu Nian, “No.”

Jiang Xiaoqing, “?”

Gu Nian said solemnly, “It was a mother’s responsibility to prevent her son from making mistakes; therefore, this is all my fault.”

Jiang Xiaoqing, “……”

Gu Nian asked, “What exactly was Luo Xiu’s issue in front of the camera?”

Jiang Xiaoqing thought about it for a little bit. “Too gentle? What we are trying to convey during the transformation scene was how youtanhua had failed to contain the demon inside of him. What we need from the actor was an aggressive fierceness. Unfortunately, Luo Xiu was too gentle…”

The more Gu Nian listened to this, the more tearful she became.

She glanced around the set quickly but didn’t see Luo Xiu anywhere. She, however, spotted Luo Xiu’s little assistant in a corner right away.

The man lying in a lounge chair with his back to her must be her precious son.

Locking onto her target, Gu Nian quickly walked toward that direction.

“Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.” The little assistant quickly looked away.

Luo Xiu looked up at him, “What?”

The little assistant said softly, “Screenwriter Gu Nian is walking over here. She was just yelled at by the director. For sure she is going to yell at you now.”

Luo Xiu nodded nonchalantly. “That makes sense.”

Before the little assistant could say anything else, Gu Nian had already stopped next to him. “Mr. Luo Xiu?” The girl’s voice very light and her hands were placed behind her back.

“……”

Luo Xiu lowered his eyes and stood up.

He still had his wig and makeup on and, when he stood up, his long hair cascaded behind his back. Turning around din his ancient-looking long robe, a stunningly beautiful face could be seen.

For the scene, youtanhua was severely injured during the transformation. The makeup artist couldn't help but gave this face the most delicate fragile beauty look – there were red droplets of blood around the collar of the snowy white robe and the thin lips with the perfect curvature was given a pale color.

Long hair, white robe, fragile beauty, in his defeated shape.

Gu Nian stopped breathing for a few second before she drew a deep breath.

An icy-cold bucket of water poured down and drowned that spark of motherly love that was starting to turn.

Luo Xiu, “I am sorry, Miss Gu.”

Gu Nian, “I am sorry!”

Two seconds of silence.

Luo Xiu, “?”

The little assistant, “?”

Gu Nian was still self-reflecting. “I know that Mr. Luo Xiu you are kind and gentle. I should not have given you a role that was so different from who you are. It must have put you in a very difficult spot. I will for sure help you grasp this character and make up for my mistake.”

“……”

After another dead, long silence.

The little assistant slowly, slowly scooted over to Luo Xiu and whispered to him in the lowest voice that he could muster, “Brother Luo, do you think she is, perhaps, mocking you?”

Luo Xiu, “……”

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Author’s rambling:

Gu Nian: Woowoowoo, my precious son is too gentle and too kind to play the role of an evil dragon!

Evil Dragon Xiu: Mmm.

#The birth of a film emperor#

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Translator’s rambling:

Someone asked whether Luo Xiu is going to be another generic, cold male lead. With the exception of his “coldness” and “germophobic tendency” like many other male lead’s, I found him different than the others because he was not your usual all-knowing and everything is always under his control male lead. Mainly because our MC is so goofy that she manages to even baffles our male lead. Hence his “……” and “?”. Sometimes, our MC’s behavior straight up startles him (keep on reading future chapters ).

For example, in this chapter, our male lead doesn’t get why Gu Nian’s had such strong faith in his acting skill (he assumed she was faking it for some ulterior motive) or why she insisted on him addressing her as “big sister”. I find it cute when the male lead was baffled instead of being the person who can just see through everything.

And, um, I am sure y’all have noticed but I do want to point out the mention of the “turning of her motherly love” and how quickly she drowned it instead of allowing it to intensify. =)