The birth of an actor

Chapter 75 Wang Shuo
I looked at him, then at the black plastic bag he handed to the receptionist.

Judging from the outline, she immediately guessed that it contained cigarettes.

"What are you...?"

"..."

Anxin was also somewhat speechless.

However, Xu Jinglei realized that An Xin had just told the receptionist that "the crew will be coming to pick it up in a little while."

Having figured out what was going on, he chose not to press the matter further, but instead asked:

Why are you back now?

"The play is over. I'm here to pack my things and prepare to return to Yanjing."

"Oh~"

Seeing Xu Jinglei's look of sudden realization, Anxin politely asked:

"Sister Leilei, are you leaving too?"

"Yes, how will you get back?"

"The train is in the afternoon."

Hearing this, Xu Jinglei didn't say much. Instead, she suddenly remembered something and smiled:
"I haven't finished reading the book yet. I'll give it to you when I'm done. Give me your phone number."

Will a pager work?

"Ha, okay. I'll give it to you after I've finished reading it."

"No need, no need, I'll just buy another one."

"So you don't want these notes anymore?"

She waved her hand:
"I've read half of it, and I think I'll finish it tomorrow. Give me your phone number; by the way, don't you have a business card?"

"No."

"Remember to make some business cards when you get back, so it'll be easier for people to find you. Write these down..."

As she spoke, she handed over her phone book.

After writing down the pager number, she simply waved her hand.
"bye."

"Okay, goodbye, Sister Leilei."

"Ah."

After parting ways, Anxin went straight back to her room and left a message for Brother Wang:

"Brother Wang, this is Anxin. There's something for you at the hotel reception. Thank you for your care."

Although his car was in the afternoon, to avoid an awkward encounter after leaving a message, he simply picked up his bag and left.

He'd been to Qingdao before, so it wasn't anything special to him.

I have no interest in visiting those tourist attractions.

I went straight to the city center, found a bookstore, picked out two books, and then headed to the train station.

I spent the afternoon reading books and finally got on the bus.

Although it's still the upper bunk, at least there's a place to lie down.

And so, in a daze, he returned to Yanjing on the 13th, amidst a rhythm of reading, sleeping, reading, and sleeping.

I arrived at around 4 a.m. and got back to my accommodation at 6 a.m.

So after quickly washing his face, he parked his motorcycle in front of his house and waited for Fan Bing.

Around 7 o'clock, Fan Bing appeared in front of An Xin looking sleepy.

Upon seeing the wound on his nose, he suddenly paused in surprise:
What happened to your nose?

I got scratched while filming, but it's nothing.

"...Oh dear, you'd better be careful. How could you be so careless..."

The girl got into the car with a hint of resentment, then listened intently and said:
"Grandpa Ye is probably drunk again."

"Yeah, I think so too, otherwise they wouldn't still be standing here at this hour."

"He told me to tell you that you can't neglect your training."

"know."

"Hmm, what scenes have you been filming these past few days? How's it going...?"

As they chatted, the motorcycle sputtered and chugged towards the Beijing Film Studio.

When Anxin respectfully handed the money to the old man who had just started working, Fan Bing was already shocked.

"You actually got to act in Zhao Baogang's film... and Wang Shuo's girlfriend even made you call her 'sister'?"

"uh-huh."

Anxin proudly tilted his head back:

"Look at this guy's face, do you even know what it means to be attractive to both men and women?"

"..."

Fan Bing didn't care about his skin at all, but instead asked:
"And then what? Did Director Zhao praise you? Did he get your contact information? Can you ask him for your next film?"

"Did you praise me? No, I don't know."

"..."

The girl was a beat slow to react before matching his answer with her question.

Then he panicked:

"Hey, why don't you try to get closer to him?!"

"Who? The director? Or Xu Jinglei?"

"Uh... either of them is fine! If you get closer to them, you'll have more opportunities in the future, right? Do you know how powerful Zhao Baogang is? Do you know how amazing Wang Shuo is? When they open their mouths, the Beijing Film Studio trembles! Seriously, I'm not exaggerating at all!"

"First, why should I, an extra, get close to the director? Second, the one who's powerful is Wang Shuo. You think I'm being friendly with his girlfriend? Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Uh……"

Seeing the bewildered girl, Anxin shook her head:

"So it's not as easy as you say. If there's an opportunity in the future, it depends on fate. There are plenty of people who want to be in Director Zhao's films, who am I? As for Wang Shuo... think about it from your own perspective. If you were Wang Shuo, and your girlfriend's relationship with another man progressed rapidly, how would you feel? So... don't think about it, let's focus on making our film well first."

He spoke as he walked into the factory.

Fan Bing stood there stunned for a moment before chasing after him:

"Let me tell you, no matter what, you're in Director Zhao's film now. Next time you audition, you absolutely must put it on your resume. You don't know, a lot of people look down on others..."

"Uh-huh."

They chatted as they walked to the dressing room. A bald head is great in every way, except it's a hassle to maintain.

I have to shave it every day or two.

While the makeup was being done, the rest of the crew arrived one after another.

Soon, around 8 o'clock but not quite 9 o'clock, Anxin changed back into her costume, and the minor scabs on her nose were covered by foundation.

Filming for "My Fair Princess" has resumed.

Anxin stood in front of the camera, watching Zhou Jie and Lin Xinru deliver their cheesy lines, and her mind wandered for the first time.

This is the fourth time.

After two days off, Ruby Lin seemed a bit out of sorts, making one mistake after another...

He didn't have any other emotions, but unconsciously, he was comparing the directing styles of the production team and the director.

I discovered... they're all pretty much the same.

Well, that's not quite the right way to put it; the styles are definitely different. The scale of the production teams is also worlds apart.

What he really felt was the "difficulty" of the work was the difference between the two.

Filming is really not difficult.

At least he didn't find it difficult.

Whether it's Ertai or that bald little brother who only serves as a background character.

Whether it's positioning or the acting skills being displayed.

He really didn't find it difficult.

That's why he couldn't understand why other people... like Ruby Lin, or the actor who played Pan Dawei, would make mistakes.

With just a few lines of dialogue, you can figure out the character's emotions in the current situation and express them through those emotions.

Why do we make mistakes...?

"Cut! Don't worry, where are the lines?"

"...?"

An Xin, who had been lost in thought, was startled, then realized it was her turn and quickly said:
"Sorry, sorry, I got stuck for a bit. I apologize, director."

"Hmm, it's okay, let's try again, Zhou Jie, express yourself more forcefully..."

"Okay, director."

As Zhou Jie responded, An Xin closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed all her distracting thoughts.

I dare not think about such things anymore.

I was wondering why someone else made a mistake when, in the blink of an eye, the boomerang flew right over my head.

I dare not do that again.

……

Yansha, Sanyuanqiao.

Others only regard this area as a commercial district, but few people know that one of the courtyard houses behind the Kunlun Hotel is Wang Shuo's ancestral home.

Even though he grew up in a compound, he never sold his ancestral home.

Wang Shuo lives here.

Firstly, this place is close to "Good Dream Company," which he and some friends founded. Secondly, his friends and buddies also live here, making it convenient for them to visit each other.

However... he doesn't like people coming to his house.

First, he likes to write at night and sleep during the day. He dislikes being disturbed. With such a reversed sleep schedule, he can really get angry if it's not a close friend coming over.

Even friends who aren't that close to him have to tell him three days in advance if they want to invite him to dinner. If they say they don't have time on the day, he definitely won't come.

Secondly, Xu Jinglei also lives here.

In 94, at the age of 36, he divorced his first love because of Xu Jinglei. Although it wasn't a big scandal, almost everyone in the entertainment industry knew that the real reason for Wang Shuo's divorce was not, as some reporters had revealed, that he felt he and his first love "couldn't live together" due to incompatible values.

On the contrary, the couple lived a very happy life before his divorce.

Until... in a bar in Yanjing, he saw Xu Jinglei on stage, smoking a cigarette and singing rock.

I was instantly captivated.

He was so infatuated with her that he couldn't extricate himself, and even though he was considered an "old cow eating young grass" by others, he still divorced his wife and got together with Xu Jinglei, who was 16 years younger than him.

Rumors even circulated that before the couple divorced, Xu Jinglei was already openly entering and leaving Wang Shuo's home as a mistress, and even told his wife, "Give him to me."

Wang Shuo's ex-wife never imagined that the little girl who was not worth her attention would one day become the culprit in the breakdown of her family.

But no matter what, his good friends know that he doesn't like people coming to his house without permission.

So even though he's one of the leading figures in the film and television industry, he and his girlfriend live a peaceful and carefree life in this courtyard house.

At noon.

Xu Jinglei was lying on the old rattan rocking chair in the courtyard, her legs curled up as she read a book intently.

There was a blanket covering him.

There was a thermos on the table, and next to it were a Zippo lighter and a white Marlboro cigarette.

At this time, there was a sound of footsteps.

It was already mid-October, but Wang Shuo, still wearing a pair of shorts, got up sleepily and saw his girlfriend reading in the sun on a recliner. He walked straight over to her.

Without saying a word, he grabbed the cigarette pack from the table, lit one for himself, offered one to his girlfriend, then glanced at the book's title and muttered:
"That mountain, that man, that dog... what a lame name! Where did it come from?"

"I borrowed it from a kid inside, and I must say, the story is quite interesting."

Upon hearing this, Wang Shuo didn't seem inclined to take it to look at it; instead, he quipped:
"How old are you? Why are you taking things from a child?"

"I'm not stealing."

Xu Jinglei, with a cigarette dangling from her lips, waited for her boyfriend to light it for her before hissing as she smoked.
"Hiss~ Pfft. I'm just borrowing it; I have to return it after I finish watching it today."

"That kid who broke the sunglasses I gave you?"

"Correct."

Wang Shuo nodded, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and headed to the restroom.

But after taking only a few steps, he suddenly said:

"How old is that kid again?"

"Fifteen or sixteen, I guess."

"Oh~"

Hearing his age, he felt relieved.

(End of this chapter)