Top Chinese celebrity: Debuted from Running Man

Chapter 317 Character Changes (5.5k)
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Gu Qing arrived at the film set.

The production team at Zhengwu Sunshine was generally pragmatic and did not hold a particularly grand welcoming ceremony for him.

However, the director, producer, screenwriter, and other core members were all present and personally drove to the airport to greet them, as a sign of respect.

Once in the car, after a few simple pleasantries, the conversation quickly turned to the upcoming filming of "Nirvana in Fire".

"Teacher Gu,"

Producer Hou Hongliang, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and said in a consultative tone, "Around 6 p.m. tonight, the crew will hold its first full reading session. All the main actors will need to speak and familiarize themselves with the script and the relationships between the characters."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "After you arrive, we will arrange for your makeup to be done first."

The costumes that were custom-made to your size are ready, and the crew's professional makeup artists will take care of them for you.

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the makeup or styling, please let us know at any time, and we will make changes immediately.

He looked at Hai Yan, the female screenwriter sitting next to Gu Qing, and asked, "Also, have you been studying the script during this time?"
Regarding your understanding of the character or their design, if you feel there are any areas that need adjustment, Ms. Hai is here to help. You can communicate directly with her, and the script can be revised if necessary.

Hou Hongliang spoke at length, his eyes constantly watching Gu Qing's reaction.

Gu Qing listened quietly and nodded slightly.

Entering the film crew's environment, his heart seemed to calm down, and he naturally immersed himself in the emotions he had cultivated during the week of studying the character.

After Hou Hongliang finished speaking, Gu Qing slowly shook her head, her voice calm and clear: "Teacher Hai's original work is very well written, with clear character development. I have no complaints about the character of Mei Changsu, and I will try my best to understand and present him."

Upon hearing this, Haiyan, who had been looking serious and slightly tense, finally showed a relaxed smile: "Teacher Gu, you flatter me too much."

This is a work from almost ten years ago, so it must have many shortcomings now.

"Don't hesitate to share any ideas you have. I'll definitely cooperate and make changes." Her tone was sincere and humble.

Hou Hongliang and Li Xue, the director in charge of Gu Qing's storyline, both breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhengwu Sunshine Film Studio is known for its strict standards in filmmaking—they select directors and actors carefully, and they also respect the original authors, sparing no expense to invite them to join the production as screenwriters, giving them ample trust and creative freedom.

This is also the key to their ability to consistently produce high-quality dramas.

Haiyan's unwell complexion was due to Zhengwu Sunshine "violating" some casting details agreed upon with her—Gu Qing's status was simply too high!
So big that even Zhengwu Sunshine felt somewhat "overwhelmed".

A top star of this caliber would be a highly sought-after darling of any great director, just like how Feng Xiaogang recognized Chris Wu as his "godson" at the Golden Horse Awards and brought him into the inner circle.

The astonishing benefits brought by top-tier status are enough to make people flock to it in the industry.

Hou Hongliang and the others were actually quite nervous, worried that if they used the strict rules of the film crew to demand things of Gu Qing, they might offend him.
Should we admit defeat, or should we admit defeat?

Fortunately, the calm and composed demeanor Gu Qing displayed after getting into the car was exactly the same as his gentle and refined image on screen.

He showed no arrogance whatsoever, nor did he interfere with the script; on the contrary, he demonstrated full respect for the original work and the screenwriter.

This put their minds at ease, and they were filled with anticipation for the upcoming cooperation.

The car arrived at the film crew's residence. Gu Qing was taken directly to a private dressing room to prepare for her makeup.

“Teacher Gu,” Hou Hongliang said, still with a touch of cautious politeness, “would it be convenient for me to call you 'Chang Su' on set, so we can get into character? What do you think…”

“Of course, Producer Hou.” Gu Qing interrupted him gently, with an understanding smile on her face. “You really don’t need to be so reserved. Just treat me as an ordinary actor in the crew.”

"Good, good!" Hou Hongliang's smile deepened. He walked to the clothes rack, took down a set of elegant long robes, and carefully handed them to Gu Qing. "Chang Su, knowing you were coming, we changed the clothes we had prepared overnight. The material is even better than before."

Gu Qing reached out and gently stroked the fabric, finding it smooth and delicate: "Is it silk?"

"Yes, the finest Cloud and Water Satin!"

Hou Hongliang said with a hint of pride, "This outfit alone cost 30,000 yuan. Because we are filming a period drama, we pay attention to the quality of the materials. The makeup cannot be heavy; we must strive for elegance and naturalness, and sometimes we even have to appear on screen with no makeup at all."

Therefore, we put a lot of effort into the texture and details of the clothing.

He paused, looking at Gu Qing in the mirror—her features were beautifully drawn, her skin was clean, and she didn't even have a acne scar—after removing her makeup, and sincerely added, "Of course, I'm absolutely not saying you need clothes to make you look good! Your face is truly the most handsome and photogenic I've ever seen in all my years in the industry!"

He spoke from the bottom of his heart.

Having been in the entertainment industry for many years, they have seen countless handsome men and beautiful women. Producers of their caliber don't need to take the initiative; plenty of people will throw themselves at them.

Even so, every time Hou Hongliang saw Gu Qing, he would still feel a pure sense of amazement, as if his aesthetic threshold had been forcibly raised a notch.

Just like when you're used to a passing grade of 60, and suddenly you see a top student who scores 90 or higher, the impact is indescribable.

“Producer Hou,” Gu Qing, already immune to such praise, asked with a smile, “when exactly is the production team scheduled to start filming?”

"It will take at least a week."

Hou Hongliang looked slightly embarrassed. "We have specially invited a professional etiquette and manners teacher to give all the actors a unified training session before filming begins."

Chang Su, I remember you have a background in opera? You should be familiar with these things. But the other actors…”

He shrugged. "I need to practice more."

“Producer Hou, don’t listen to those rumors online. I’m just a half-baked professional, not a professional at all.”

Gu Qing shook her head, "I'm usually too busy with work, and I haven't had time to practice my posture. This is a good opportunity to work with the teacher to hone my skills and get my posture in place."

He then added, his tone carrying a sense of promise: "Don't worry, I've already made arrangements with the company. For the next three months, aside from possibly taking one day to submit a song to CCTV..."

Or, if I absolutely can't refuse, I'll have to ask for leave to rehearse for the Spring Festival Gala. The rest of the time, I'll definitely stay on set and focus on acting.

"Forced to do it? The Spring Festival Gala?"

Hou Hongliang's eyes widened instantly, as if he had been struck by the information conveyed by the combination of these two words, and his expression became somewhat blank.

Isn't this a bit too niche a statement?
Making it sound like going to the market is something they're really reluctant to do.

Just then, a cheerful female voice and a knock came from outside the dressing room: "Little brother! Little brother, are you in there? May I come in?"

"Is that Sister Liu Tao?"

Gu Qing was slightly taken aback. Her assistant, Zhao Ya, who was very perceptive, quickly went over and opened the door.

"Little brother! I just heard from the production assistant that you arrived, and you're already running to the dressing room for makeup? You're working so hard, it's putting a lot of pressure on me!"

Liu Tao walked in with a dashing air and his usual cheerful smile. Seeing Hou Hongliang there, he jokingly said, "Producer Hou, you really care about my brother, personally overseeing the makeup?"

"Teacher Liu, there's nothing we can do about that."

Hou Hongliang smiled and stepped aside to make room for him. "Your younger brother is the biggest guarantee of our show's ratings. As the producer, shouldn't I pay extra attention to him?"

"Oh dear, little brother,"

Liu Tao leaned back in the dressing chair behind Gu Qing, scrutinizing her flawless face in the mirror. He couldn't resist reaching out and, with a hint of envy, gently poking Gu Qing's supple cheek.

"It hasn't been that long since we last met, but you look even more beautiful now! Especially your skin..."

She clicked her tongue twice, half-jokingly and half-seriously saying, "How many injections do we 'old folks' have to get to make up for it?"

"Sister Tao..."

Gu Qing was both amused and exasperated by her overly blunt words, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond.

Can we really talk about getting injections so naturally and openly?
“Teacher Liu,” Hou Hongliang reminded him with a smile, “it’s time to change how you address him. From now on, you should call him ‘Mr. Su’.”

The "Mr. Su" he mentioned is another alias of Mei Changsu (Lin Shu), and it's also the title he used when he first met Princess Nihuang in the drama.

"Mr. Su..."

Liu Tao repeated the form of address, then suddenly frowned slightly, a hint of distress on her face. She looked at Gu Qingqing's handsome young face in the mirror, then at Hou Hongliang, her tone tinged with embarrassment:

"Producer, can I ask you something? Can you change these lines?"

"Change what?" Hou Hongliang asked, puzzled.

"It's that... 'Brother Lin Shu'."

As Liu Tao spoke, he couldn't help but reach out and ruffle Gu Qing's hair again, his expression a mix of embarrassment and amusement. "You want me, at my age, to call such a youthful face 'brother'?"
How could I possibly say that? If the audience saw that, they'd probably be pulled out of the story immediately.

"elder brother?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qing couldn't help but burst into laughter.

As a result, the hand on his head tightened immediately, and he coughed quickly, suppressing his smile for the sake of his skull.

"Teacher Liu, you really don't need to worry about this."

Hou Hongliang waved his hand dismissively, "You calling him 'brother' is only for episodes later. By then, the audience will be completely absorbed in the story, and no one will care about your age."

Besides, if the audience still isn't invested in the story after dozens of episodes, then whether or not they call him "brother" doesn't really matter.

He made a little joke.

“Yes, Nihuang,” Gu Qing suppressed a laugh and replied seriously, “You need to have some confidence in yourself and not be afraid of other people’s criticism.” “Thump—” As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Qing received a very light tap on the head from Liu Tao.

"Getting into character so quickly? Starting to take advantage of your older sister, huh?"

Liu Tao was amused and reached out to pinch Gu Qing's cheek, feigning anger, "No wonder you can play with that girl Jiang Xin so well, you're both so mischievous!"

She said, half-jokingly and half-teasingly, "Before the official start of filming, call me 'sister' a few more times! I'm going to collect some interest! You hear me?"

"I heard it, I heard it."

Gu Qing raised his hands in surrender, but the pressure on his cheeks didn't lessen. Helplessly, he added, "Sister Tao, I really heard you."

Watching the two interact intimately and naturally, Hou Hongliang's smile faded slightly, his brows furrowed unconsciously, and he fell into deep thought.

It seems we really should be worried.

Liu Tao's words... seem to have pointed out an overlooked problem?
The two stood together, one mature and beautiful, the other a handsome young man; the contrast in their temperaments was indeed striking.

Imagine Liu Tao, who exudes a powerful aura on screen, facing this face and calling him "brother" with the demeanor of a little girl... The scene would be a bit unbelievably incongruous.

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made, so he immediately apologized to the two of them: "You two talk first, I have some ideas, I'm going to go and discuss them with Teacher Hai!"

After saying that, she hurriedly left the dressing room and went straight to the screenwriter Haiyan's room.

"Teacher Liu's image... Teacher Gu's image..."

After hearing Hou Hongliang's concerns, Haiyan also hesitated, her fingers unconsciously tapping the table. "Hmm...it really needs careful consideration. Producer Hou, give me some time to think about how to make it more natural."

"Okay, okay! Professor Hai, please take your time thinking. We won't disturb your creative process any longer!"

Hou Hongliang tactfully left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

In the quiet room, Haiyan took out paper and pen from the drawer and started writing and drawing on the paper, her brows furrowed.

It's been ten years since she wrote "Nirvana in Fire." To be honest, she can't remember many of the details herself, only a few key characters and the main storyline.

For this adaptation, she also reread her original work and found many regrets from back then, which is why she made bold changes to the much-criticized "sending off the daughter" plot in the original work.

"When I first created Nirvana,"

Haiyan's thoughts drifted back to the past, "The inspiration came from Qin Liangyu, the female war goddess of the late Ming Dynasty, and the character is a heroic and valiant female general."

But when facing Lin Shu/Mei Changsu, I wanted to give her a contrasting sense of dependence and shyness, creating the effect of a contrasting, adorable wife.

As the plot unfolds, Lin Shu falls off a cliff and is reborn, returning as the sickly strategist Mei Changsu.

The once dazzling young general has become a frail scholar who needs protection, but after their reunion, it is Princess Nihuang who protects him time and time again.

This sense of destiny, this role reversal—"you once protected me, now I protect you"—is, in her view, full of romantic tension.

As a female writer who deeply understands the psychology of female readers, she is well aware of the appeal of this kind of setting to female readers—

Whether it's the handsome and dashing young general Lin Shu, or the aloof and incomparably wise strategist Mei Changsu, both are extremely charismatic male figures.

She perfectly blended these two qualities into one character, which was considered cutting-edge at the time.

However, she was a little stuck at this moment.

In search of inspiration, Haiyan subconsciously picked up her phone, opened a female-oriented website, and wanted to see what kind of male protagonist settings were popular now.

"Why is it still the same old 'domineering CEO and his sweet little wife' trope? Has it been written for ten years and it's still not outdated?"

After flipping through a few pages, Haiyan felt a bit helpless. Opening the comments section, she indeed saw many readers complaining:
"Why does the female lead always need a man's pampering to succeed? She's always acting cute and charming. Can't we have some truly strong female protagonist stories?"

"Can't you write a story about a female CEO keeping a young, pampered man? Please!"

"Authors, broaden your horizons! Learn from Wu Zetian! Isn't it more appealing for a female protagonist to be an empress and keep male concubines?"

"We want a strong female lead! A real strong female lead!"

A chorus of agreement erupted from below.

"A female lead? Isn't my Princess Nihuang one?" Haiyan raised her eyebrows slightly, a little smug. "Guarding the borders, protecting the country, and going out of her way to protect Mei Changsu who returned under an alias... I did all of that ten years ago, why are you only starting to call it that now?"

She muttered to herself as she continued scrolling down the comments.

Suddenly, her fingers paused, and her eyes lit up!

"Wait...that's right!"

Hai Yan suddenly slapped his forehead, and inspiration suddenly flowed like a spring! The image of Liu Tao, who was both heroic and gentle, and Gu Qing, who was handsome, sickly, and pitiful, appeared clearly in his mind.

Why don't I focus on emphasizing these details?

Nihuang: A woman of great spirit and military power, she is a true strong woman who can stand on her own!
She can be gentle and dignified when she takes off her armor; but when she decides who she wants to protect, her strength and sense of responsibility are beyond question!
Mei Changsu: Exceptionally talented and resourceful, yet his frail health makes him exceptionally vulnerable. He fights alone in the treacherous court, desperately needing a sturdy shield!

"From now on, with me here, I will never let you suffer any injustice!"

"Princess Nihuang has arrived too late to save the day! Mr. Su, are you alright?!"

"She was a woman disguised as a man, standing guard in front of my tent..."

"On guard duty?!"

"From now on, I, Nihuang, will be in charge of Mr. Su's bodyguards!"

The lines from the original novel that showcased Nihuang's power and protectiveness now resurfaced in Haiyan's mind like pearls that had been polished anew.

It perfectly matches the images of Liu Tao and Gu Qing!

Her eyes were somewhat dazed, and a "kind" smile unconsciously appeared on her lips as she became deeply immersed in her own imagined world.

This is so vivid! It's like it was made just for you!
Anyway, once filming begins, there won't be many scenes about Lin Shu's childhood, so the audience's attention will eventually be focused on Mei Changsu.

As for Mei Changsu's overly young and handsome face?
It can be completely explained by the unique medical skills of Lin Chen, the young master of Langya Pavilion and the number one doctor in the world!
Who says silver needles aren't needles?

If you apply the correct acupressure points, it's not impossible to achieve beauty enhancement, skin care, and delay aging!
The main storyline of political intrigue remains completely unchanged!
All you need to do is completely change Nihuang's overly "feminine" mentality and behavior after she recognizes Lin Shu!

Embrace the life of a strong female protagonist!

Years of battlefield experience and commanding three armies have honed her into a thoroughly iron-willed general.

She has enough strength and absolute determination to protect the most important person she has regained!

Haiyan became more and more excited as she thought about it, her fingers flying across the phone screen, tapping and recording at a speed that was almost like sparks flying.

As dusk approached, there was a knock on the door, and the stage manager's voice came: "Teacher Hai, the reading session is about to begin."

"I'm coming!"

Haiyan put down her phone, still feeling quite excited, and decided that after the reading session, she must find Hou Hongliang to have a good chat about her incredibly inspired revised plan.

……

The reading session was held in a spacious conference room.

Gu Qing arrived at a time that was neither too early nor too late.

As soon as he entered, both the male and female actors greeted him warmly.

Gu Qing smiled and looked around, her gaze sweeping over familiar and unfamiliar faces, when she unexpectedly spotted an "acquaintance".

Wang Kai, who had a brief collaboration with the cast in "Legend of Nine Tails Fox," was also present.

However, their collaboration that time involved very few scenes, and the two didn't even have any scenes together in the drama.

Most of the other actors looked familiar.

For example, Liu Mintao, the eldest sister in "The Disguiser".

What impressed Gu Qing the most was her eye roll and disdainful expression when she sang "Red High Heels," which was full of stories and hard to say was not intentional.

There's also the "King of Pretentiousness," Jin Dong.

This actor likes to show off his knowledge on social media and post tweets in traditional Chinese characters, but he is caught by netizens for making numerous typos.

"Brother Gu Qing! Hello!"

At this moment, a spirited, childlike boy ran up to Gu Qing, his eyes sparkling with undisguised admiration. "I am Fei Liu! Your personal bodyguard!"

"Can I get your autograph? My mom really, really likes you!" The boy looked up, his smile radiant.

Gu Qing was slightly taken aback, looking at the boy who only reached her chest, then smiled and replied gently, "Of course. Brother Sanshi."

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(End of this chapter)