Starting from Taohuawu, kilometers away

Chapter 661 'Some people are itching'

The winter nights in Hengdian are covered with a thin layer of frost, and the sweet aroma of sugar-roasted chestnuts wafts along Wutong Road outside the film and television city.

Li Cheng zipped up his down jacket to his chin, and the white mist he exhaled turned into clouds under the street lights.

The private restaurant behind the blue brick wall was lit with orange lanterns. When the wooden door was pushed open, the copper bell rang softly, bringing with it a warm scent of ginger tea.

"Teacher Meng has spent a lot of money this time."

He smiled and shook off the coldness from his shoulders, looking at the figure brewing tea by the window.

Meng Ziyi was wearing an off-white turtleneck sweater and a pearl hairpin in her hair. When she looked up, she smiled and said, "We should treat future Spring Festival Gala stars to a meal. This is a bit of a show."

The dried tangerine peel aged white tea in the purple clay teapot gurgled. She paused in pouring the tea and gently rubbed her fingertips along the rim of the cup. “When I saw the official list of names that day, I almost dropped the script on the set.”

Amber tea was poured into the celadon cup, and the steaming heat blurred his expression. "It's not jealousy, it's just that I suddenly felt that we are really walking towards the top of the mountain."

When Li Cheng took the teacup, he felt the residual warmth on the wall of the cup.

At the opening ceremony of "Joy of Life" last year, they also sat facing each other by the bay window in the lounge.

At that time, Meng Ziyi had just finished filming a modern drama and was not yet used to wearing the ancient costume headgear. There was skin-colored tape on her hairline, but she was still very interested in discussing the psychological motives of the Prince of Yan with him.

"I remember the day of the audition when you walked into the meeting room wearing black arrow sleeves and carrying a sword, shocking the casting director."

Meng Ziyi picked up a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus candied lotus root with chopsticks. The crystal sugar shimmered like gold under the warm light. "The assistant director whispered to me at the time that this must be the eldest prince of Qing Kingdom walking out of the book."

The glass window suddenly reflected a sky full of flames; a film and television base in the distance was shooting an explosion scene.

In the flickering light and shadow, Li Cheng recalled the day he received the invitation to the Spring Festival Gala.

At the time, he was filming a scene of chasing a criminal on a rainy night, and the artificial rainfall soaked his costume so much that water could be wrung out of it.

During the half-time break, the agent rushed over with a vibrating cell phone in his hand. He wrapped in a military coat and squatted behind the monitor to listen to the call. Only then did he realize that his fingers were so frozen that he couldn't press the hang-up button.

"The production team wanted a collective performance from actors in martial arts dramas. Director Zhang said he was impressed by my beautiful sword-flower arrangement in "Longing."

He turned the teacup, watching the tangerine peel sinking to the bottom of the cup rise and fall. "In fact, the director originally designed a wire-hanging somersault, but I insisted on using traditional swordsmanship routines - guess why?"

Meng Ziyi propped up her chin, her hair curling slightly in the heat: "Because the sword of the eldest prince of Qing is three feet and seven inches long, and the scabbard is engraved with 'Gentleman hides his weapon'?"

Seeing the other party's surprised expression, she smiled like a cat that stole lamp oil, "I heard you get angry at the props team last time, saying something like 'weapons are the second life of a general, and a slight difference in size can lead to a huge difference in temperament.'"

When the two men clinked their glasses, the porcelain wall made a slight sound, waking up the tabby cat that was napping on the windowsill.

Li Cheng looked at the overlapping neon reflections on the glass and suddenly lowered his voice: "On the day of the official rehearsal, I met Teacher Chen Daoming backstage. He was helping the skit actors with their lines, and when he saw me holding the sword case and feeling helpless, he took the initiative to come over and show me how to tie the sword tassel."

He took out his cell phone and flipped through the photos, his fingertips pausing on the screen.

In the video, the senior actor's fingers deftly shuttled between the red tassels, and his deep voice mixed with the noisy background sound: "Young people, remember, being on this stage is more important than technology. Awe."

There was a sudden knock on the door of the box and a waiter came in carrying a casserole.

As the aroma of Tianma pigeon soup spread, Meng Ziyi had already opened the script, with her beautiful notes crawling all over the edge of the page: "Tomorrow we will shoot the farewell scene at the execution ground. I always feel that the emotional progression here is a little off."

She pointed to a note somewhere and said, "Is Princess Changle really only in grief at this moment? Seeing the token of her father's vindication appear with her own eyes, shouldn't she have felt a moment of ecstasy first?"

When Li Cheng leaned in to take a closer look, the ends of his hair brushed against the paper.

The memories in front of the monitor suddenly came to life - when filming the confrontation scene in the study that day, Meng Ziyi suddenly asked for a retake after she called cut.

She said that if the pace when turning was 0.3 seconds faster, it would weaken the character's inner struggle.

At that time, the executive director frowned while watching the playback, only to find that the adjusted rhythm was indeed more in line with the character's mood.

"You can add a little action here." He took out a pen and started drawing a storyboard in the blank space. "For example, when the jade pendant appears, your fingers will grab the hem of the skirt like a spasm, and then let go with trembling hands after you can see the pattern clearly."

The tip of the pen rustled across the paper. "The clash between pain and hope is often hidden in the moment when the knuckles turn white."

As the night progressed, the back of the menu was filled with improvised biographies.

Meng Ziyi suddenly tapped the soup bowl with chopsticks: "I heard that the Spring Festival Gala dressing room is more crowded than our studio?"

She deliberately put on a stern face and imitated the tone of her agent, "'Does Teacher Li Cheng need a separate lounge?' 'No, it's warmer for me to squeeze in with my suona-playing brother' - Teacher Li is very impressive now, so don't pretend not to know us little actors when the time comes."

The laughter startled the sparrows outside the window and they flew up. Li Cheng pretended to snatch the emoticons from her phone, but was stunned when he saw the screen saver photo.

It was a photo of the two of them wrapped in military coats squatting in front of a heater rehearsing their lines after a night show ended one day.

There was artificial snow foam on Meng Ziyi's hair, and the script he was holding was covered with fluorescent marks.

"On the day the Spring Festival Gala is broadcast, I will hold a screening in the crew lounge."

He stroked the rim of the cup and whispered, "Let Xiao Wang, who plays my guard, see if the sword flower his boss makes on stage is more beautiful than in the play."

The glass windows were covered with fog, and the searchlights of the film and television city in the distance looked like falling stars.

When the waiter came to refill the water for the third time, the two were arguing about whether there should be a shot of Princess Changle looking back and gazing in the finale.

Meng Ziyi used chopsticks dipped in tea to draw the camera route on the table. Li Cheng suddenly hummed the background music of the sword show to be performed on the Spring Festival Gala, which startled her so much that her hand trembled and she drew a crooked arc.

It was midnight when we left, and there was still some unmelted snow on Wutong Road.

Meng Ziyi hid her face in her cashmere scarf, and the white air she exhaled floated into the indigo night sky: "Actually, I secretly signed up for a traditional dance crash course."

She jumped and turned on the checkered bricks, her Martin boots splashing fine snow particles, "Next time I'm filming a fight scene and get scolded by the martial arts instructor, you can wait and see how I turn over."

The neon signs behind them gradually went out, and only the never-ending lights of the film and television base stretched the shadows of the two young actors very long.

Faint sounds of dialogue came from the wind. I wonder which crew was busy filming a late-night scene.

Li Cheng looked up at the red lights of the night flight passing by, and suddenly felt his palms getting hot - there were still marks from Meng Ziyi's fingers that had been left there to express despair during the filming in the afternoon.
-
a few days later.

On the set of filming Jiuchongzi, Li Cheng and Sister Meng were having a passionate conversation.

Li Cheng was dressed in a brocade robe, looking dignified yet tender, while Sister Meng was dressed in delicate silk and satin, looking graceful and moving.

Their eyes met, and there were thousands of words flowing in their eyes, as if they could make people intoxicated.

The director stood next to the camera, watching the performance of the two leading actors attentively. He nodded from time to time, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

The camera lens moves slowly following their movements, capturing every subtle change of emotion.

Li Cheng gently held Sister Meng's hand. His fingers were soft but powerful, which made Sister Meng's eyes reveal a hint of warmth.

Sister Meng's eyes were like autumn water, clear and deep. She lowered her head slightly, and a blush appeared on her cheeks.

The director clapped his hands gently, signaling a pause. He walked up to the two leading actors and praised their performance with a smile: "Very good, your emotional expression is very good!" His voice was full of encouragement and praise.

Li Cheng and Sister Meng responded with a smile, their faces filled with the confidence and pride of professional actors.

They knew that their efforts were not in vain and their acting skills were recognized by the director.

The filming continued, and Li Cheng and Sister Meng immersed themselves in their roles again.

Their performances were more natural and smoother, as if they were real people of that era.

The director looked at the images on the monitor, his heart filled with joy and satisfaction. He knew that this ancient puppet drama would be a wonderful work.

Kong Xueer, who had been watching from the side, said that she had learned a lot. She was familiar with Sister Meng before, and considering that she and Zhao Xiaotang were in the same company, she is now also quite familiar with Li Cheng.

Xia Zhiguang and Li Cheng have played opposite each other before, and he was under a lot of pressure. He always thought that his brother was a very talented and hardworking actor, but after meeting Li Cheng, he felt that his elder brother was still slightly inferior, because Li Cheng had completed nearly one-third of the scenes in the past few days. People who didn't know would think that Li Cheng was filming a short drama instead of a TV series.

"Crack!"

Director Zeng's voice reappeared, and he said to Li Cheng and Meng Ziyi, "Cheng Cheng and Sister Meng, you two should take a break. Go back and pack up quickly, because you won't be able to catch your flight soon."

"Okay, Director Zeng!"

"Thank you Director Zeng!"

Li Cheng and Meng Jie took leave together this time, and both of them are going to Northeast China! Li Cheng has three schedules this time, one is the rehearsal of the Shenyang branch of the Spring Festival Gala, one is the variety show flight, and the other is the recording of Taohuawu!
There is no need to mention Sister Meng, that was really a recording of Taohuawu plus a commercial activity!
Kong Xueer looked at Meng Ziyi reluctantly and said, "Sister Meng, you two will be gone for several days!"

"Yeah, we've missed out on a lot of learning without you two around!"

Xia Zhiguang learned a lot from this crew. It can be said that Li Cheng and Meng Ziyi's acting skills are really good. Among the post-95s, they can be said to be the little losers at the top of the pyramid. They are much better than those idols turned actors.

Li Cheng took the down jacket that Xiao Wang handed over, put it on and said, "Don't try to pick on us! Isn't Sister Meng here too? If you don't know, just ask Sister Meng!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Zhiguang quickly shook his head. He was really a little afraid of Zhang Meng, because he always heard Zhang Meng say that there was a drama she wanted to recommend him, but the budget was a bit tight. To put it bluntly, she wanted to get it for free!
Kong Xueer also shrank her neck. She was a little afraid of Zhang Meng, mainly because she didn't want to pay. She didn't dare to offend her, so she could only hide.

Meng Ziyi patted Li Cheng's arm and said, "Don't scare them." Then he turned to the two of them and said, "Teacher Mu Liyan is here, I won't ask Teacher Mu."

Li Cheng nodded and said confidently: "Yes, if you don't understand, ask Teacher Mu. We are still a little behind Teacher Mu."

"Ok."

"Know it."

Xiao Wang glanced at his watch and said, "Brother, we are running out of time."

"Then we'll leave first. You guys do your best." After saying that, Li Cheng showed a regretful expression and said, "I won't be able to see your kissing scene!"

"Go away, you're so annoying!"

When Kong Xueer heard this, she was about to kick Li Cheng.

Li Cheng ran away when he saw this. He was a naughty person to begin with, and Kong Xueer was also very pretty, so he loved to tease her whenever he had nothing to do.

Meng Ziyi was also speechless. Li Cheng was really good at teasing.

Xia Zhiguang chuckled at the side. He was also a little nervous. He was also grumbling in his heart about filming the kissing scene with Kong Xueer, but he was also looking forward to it.
-
On winter nights in Qingdao, the cold wind is as biting as a sharp blade.

Under the night sky, the city is hazy and the lights are sparse, as if the whole world is covered with frost and is deserted.

Li Cheng set foot on this snow-covered land to participate in a variety show, but he did not expect the generosity of the program crew - they actually booked an abandoned airport and used it as the main filming location for the show.

The empty tarmac looked even more desolate under the light, and the footprints blown by the wind left lonely traces on the snow.

Li Cheng wrapped himself tightly in his heavy coat and put his hands in his pockets, trying to resist the biting cold.

His breath condensed into white mist in the air, and every exhale seemed to take away a bit of warmth from his body.

The scene around made people feel uncomfortable. The huge aircraft fuselage lay there quietly, like a sleeping monster.

Li Cheng approached an old plane, his fingertips gently touching the cold metal surface, feeling its former glory and current desolation.

From time to time, intermittent signals were heard over the airport broadcast, and the sound echoed in the empty space, adding a touch of weird atmosphere.

A work team not far away was busy setting up the scene. Their figures were elongated under the lights, like silhouettes painted on the snow.

Although the staff were wearing heavy work clothes, their movements still seemed a bit clumsy and they seemed unable to adapt to the cold.

Li Cheng took a deep breath, endured the cold wind, and walked towards the shooting location.

He knew that the challenge of this variety show had just begun, and he had to find his own foothold in this cold and empty land.

"Hello, Mr. Li Cheng. Please wait a moment. Mr. Bao Beier will be here soon."

When the staff saw Li Cheng arrive, they immediately took him to the lounge to rest.

Li Cheng nodded and said with a smile: "The production team made it quite big. They even booked an airport. I remember that the airport was Liuting Airport!"

"Yes, Teacher Cheng Cheng"

Before the staff member finished speaking, Li Cheng interrupted and said, "Don't call me Teacher Cheng Cheng, just call me Cheng Cheng."

"Okay, Cheng Cheng."

The PD in charge of Li Cheng nodded. He felt that this person was much easier to serve than someone in the show.

Li Cheng got to the point and asked, "How is my sister doing here?"

"Who is your sister?"

"Li Xueqin!"

"Oh, Sister Xueqin is here. How should I put it?"

PD was a little stuttering and didn't dare to speak.

Li Cheng's eyes suddenly became sharp, and he asked with a half-smile, "Could it be that someone is targeting my sister?"

"Hmm."

The staff member nodded and looked at Li Cheng cautiously.