Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 86 The Egret Knocking at the Door in the Middle of the Night (Seeking monthly votes at the beginning of the month, starting tomorrow with 8000!)
It was nearly midnight when the banquet ended, and Jiang Ye took the elevator to the top floor of the hotel.

He swiped his card and entered the presidential suite.

The spacious entryway is decorated with bronze ornaments in the Dai ethnic style, while the 180-degree floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room offer a panoramic view of the night scene in Xishuangbanna.

The king-size bed in the master bedroom is covered with silk sheets, and scented candles are lit next to the marble bathtub in the bathroom, filling the entire space with a faint sandalwood fragrance.

It's more expensive, that's why it's different!
He took off his suit jacket, tossed it onto the Italian leather sofa, and went into the bathroom for a hot bath.

The warm water washes away the day's fatigue, and the rising steam condenses into fog on the mirror surface.

After changing into a bathrobe, Jiang Ye poured himself a glass of red wine and leaned against the French windows.

The phone screen lit up; it was a message from Chen Duling: "Little brother, how was the first day?"

He was about to reply when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.

"At this hour?" Jiang Ye frowned. "Could it be some actress? So eager to improve?"

He walked over, looked through the peephole, and froze instantly.

Standing outside the door was a white egret, who had clearly just taken a bath. Her hair was half-wet and hanging over her shoulders, with water still dripping from the ends. She was wearing a pale yellow bear pajama set with two fluffy ears pinned to the collar.

Jiang Ye opened the door, his tone questioning, "Why are you here?"

“Boss,” Bai Lu grinned, looking up at her, “can I have a look around your room? I’ve never seen a presidential suite before.”

Before she finished speaking, she squeezed through the door.

A fresh, clean scent of a young girl after a bath wafted towards Jiang Ye…

"Hey..." Jiang Ye's face darkened, and he reached out to press her head down and push her away. "Go back."

"Why?" the egret struggled to get inside.

"Men and women shouldn't touch each other," Jiang Ye said in a low voice. "It's the middle of the night, what would it look like if someone saw us like this?"

"Besides, I'm a married man, unlike you, a single dog!"

He was somewhat speechless; this girl really didn't treat him like an outsider...

"Just one look!" Bailu twisted her body playfully, and taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention, she suddenly ducked under his arm, stepped barefoot on the carpet, and turned back to make a face at him triumphantly.

"Wow! The bathtub is huge!" She ran around the room barefoot like a curious squirrel. "Look, boss! The drinks in the mini-bar are all free!"

Jiang Ye stood at the door with a dark face, watching her jump around in the room.

If this were captured by paparazzi, tomorrow's headline would be "Shocking! New Director Harasses Actress."

"Have you finished your tour?"

Jiang Ye reached out and grabbed Bai Lu's pajamas by the back of the collar, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the warm skin on the back of her neck.

As the fabric is lifted, the loose neckline opens slightly, revealing a small patch of delicate collarbone, with a soft and full curve that is faintly visible, like hills bathed in moonlight, hidden under a fluffy bear pattern, exuding a touch of unconscious softness.

I really underestimated her...

His Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly, but his grip on his hand didn't loosen: "Hurry back and memorize your lines. Your scene is the first one tomorrow."

Bai Lu, clutching a pile of snacks she'd gathered from the suite's snack bar, looked like a helpless little rabbit being carried around by him. She could only look up at him with pitiful blinking eyes: "Boss, can I video chat with Hehe? It'll be quick, just a few minutes!"

Jiang Ye sighed helplessly, "Hurry up, get out of here after you're done..."

"Okay, boss, can you go to the restroom for a bit?"

"???" Jiang Ye frowned and glared at her. "You make a video call, and I'm going to wait in the bathroom?"

"Bai Mengyan, do you want to rebel?"

"Boss, you're the best..."

Jiang Ye felt somewhat helpless and could only find a secluded sofa to sit on, too lazy to pay attention to her.

"Hehe! Look, look!"

Bai Lu walked around the room with her phone in hand, the camera panning across the night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows before zooming in on a pile of snacks. "This is the room my boss booked for me!"

A clear female voice came from the other end of the phone: "Wow! It's so big? What kind of room is this? It's even more spacious than our classroom!"

"The presidential suite!" Bai Lu proudly raised her chin. "Impressive, right? My boss treats me so well!"

"Really? Your boss spoils you way too much!"

“That’s right,” Bai Lu said, sitting down on the sofa and swinging her legs across her back. “Once I get paid for this movie, come to Yanjing and work for me! I’ll take care of you!”

"Great! Great!" Hehe jumped up excitedly on the other end. "But... will it cause you any trouble?"

"What's the trouble?" the egret said, somewhat smugly. "I have a boss to take care of me, what are you afraid of?"

Jiang Ye, who had been eavesdropping quite happily, couldn't quite hold back his excitement after this sentence.

No, we have to give her more work this year. It would be best to put her on the variety show "Running Man" so she'll be so tired that she'll fall asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow, instead of clinging to him and bothering him all day.

only……

It's a bit of a shame that I can't drink the coffee she makes anymore!
I don't know how this girl makes it, but the coffee just tastes better than everyone else's, it's sweeter and more fragrant...

"Why don't you get out yet?"

"Let's go right now! Hehe!"

"Bai Xiaopao, put down the snacks for me!"

The egret didn't reply, carrying a pile of food, and disappeared like a woman in the wind...

……

In the early morning, the primeval forest of Xishuangbanna is still shrouded in damp mist. Vines stretch out their green tendrils in the morning light, and the smell of decaying leaves mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees fills the air.

The crew's lighting rigs pierced through the layers of tree canopy, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground. The production assistant was crouching down, adjusting the reflectors to ensure that the light retained the darkness of the rainforest while still clearly illuminating the actors' faces.

"Teacher Jingtian, please touch up her makeup!" The makeup artist jogged over with a powder puff in hand. Si Teng's outfit consisted of a dark green cheongsam with subtle patterns, and a silver vine brooch was pinned to the collar. The hem of the cheongsam was carefully tucked into the grass by the staff to prevent it from getting dirty.

Jing Tian stood under an ancient tree that required two people to hug, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the brooch, her eyes trying to cultivate a cold and aloof expression, which was her core emotion today.

Not far away, Bai Lu was wearing an indigo Dai ethnic tube skirt and a matching headscarf. Shen Yindeng's disguise was that of a gentle village woman. She was holding an embroidered handkerchief in her hand, and a fresh frangipani flower was being inserted into her hair by the stylist.

"Remember, you're still Shen Yindeng. Tighten up that ruthlessness in your eyes," the assistant director whispered in her ear.

Bai Lu nodded, took a deep breath, and tried to control her nervousness.

This is her first real acting experience!
Jiang Ye sat behind the monitor, tapping the script with his fingertips.

This scene marks the first direct confrontation between Si Teng and Shen Yindeng, the Red Umbrella Demon. Shen Yindeng feigns weakness but is actually testing Si Teng's true strength.

There will be more battles between them later!

Actually, it would have been better to film the indoor scenes in the Suzhou gardens first, allowing the team to gradually adjust their rhythm.

Jing Tian's schedule is too tight; she has to join the cast of "The Great Wall" in mid-April, leaving only a month and a half for "Si Teng". So they are currently focusing their efforts on filming the outdoor scenes in Yunnan to make room for Jing Tian's scenes, especially the important scenes involving her in the Xishuangbanna rainforest and Dali Ancient City.

If we really can't finish filming, we can only wait until she has some free time from "The Great Wall" and then coordinate a time to come back and reshoot a few close-ups and transitions.

"All departments, prepare! Action!"

Jing Tian turned around, revealing a section of her fair calves through the slit of her cheongsam, yet she stood firmly on the moss as if it were flat ground.

"Miss Shen has come to see me several times, surely not just to bring this basket of wild fruit?"

Her voice was as cold as mountain stream water, but her eyes lacked the dullness of someone who sees through everything; instead, they carried a deliberate sharpness.

Bai Lu immediately lowered her head, her fingers tightening around the embroidered handkerchief: "Miss Si Teng is too kind. I was just worried that you might be lonely living alone in the mountains..."

Before she could finish speaking, she secretly glanced at Jing Tian. Her gaze was so intense, like a hunter staring at its prey, completely devoid of the timidity that Shen Yindeng should have shown.

"Cut!" Jiang Ye took off his headphones, his brows furrowing.

how to say……

If I had to describe the acting of these two girls in four words, it would be: a complete amateur pecking at each other!

On the monitor, Jing Tian's aura was superficial; his shoulders were too straight, as if he was deliberately putting on airs.

The egret, on the other hand, wore the red umbrella's scheming on its sleeve, forgetting that it was still wearing the shell of Shen Yindeng.

"come over."

Jiang Ye waved to the two of them, his tone calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Jing Tian and Bai Lu exchanged a glance, both noticing each other's nervousness, and quickly went to the monitor.

“Teacher Jing Tian,” Jiang Ye pulled up the replay and pointed at Jing Tian on the screen, “Si Teng has lived for nearly a hundred years. In her eyes, Chi San is just a cub who hasn’t been weaned. Your current state is like that of a new recruit who has just gone to the battlefield, trying your best to win. That’s not right.”

He picked up the mineral water bottle on the table and took a big gulp. "Look at this water. It's most stable when it's full. When it's half full, it rattles a lot. Si Teng's aura is steady, not aggressive."

He told Jing Tian to relax his shoulders and try to think about it from a disdainful rather than confrontational perspective: "When you say 'wild fruit' in your lines, you can lightly press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, with a touch of nonchalant mockery. Don't stare at her; look at the tree behind her or the leaves above her head, as if you were looking at a bothersome insect."

Jing Tian tried repeating his lines, his shoulders slowly slumping, his gaze falling on the vines behind the egret, and his tone of coldness now carrying a layer of lazy contempt.

“Bai Lu,” Jiang Ye turned to her, “Shen Yindeng’s act isn’t that of a good person, it’s that of someone who is afraid.”

He picked up a fallen leaf and gently placed it on the back of the egret's hand. "Your eyes right now look like you're going to eat me, but she should look like a frightened rabbit. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, but before it bites, it has to make people think it's easy to bully."

Jiang Ye explained it to them in great detail!
He had experienced this kind of scene many times.

In my past life, when filming short dramas, there were very few actors with acting skills, yet they had to unleash intense emotional conflicts within just a few minutes.

He had already figured out a method for dealing with newcomers.

Break down those complex emotions that are hard to explain into specific, actionable steps.

For example, the angle at which you tilt your head when you speak, the point of force applied by your knuckles when you clench your fist, and even the speed of your breathing.

Just like untangling a mess of knots into individual threads, actors follow these threads, and their emotions naturally settle into a solid state.

Making movies is definitely not feasible, but it's sufficient for making web series.

Of course, it would be even better if the actors could have their own interpretation!

"One more."

Jiang Ye sat back down on the monitor and put his headphones back on.

This time it was much better than last time, but it's still not enough!

There's no other way but to keep working on it, over and over again!

……

Mango TV
Planning meeting of the directing team of "Divas Hit the Road 2"

The whiteboard in the conference room was covered with world maps and photos of guests, and coffee cups were scattered around the long table.

Director Liao Ke, with a pen cap between his teeth, stared at the data reports on the projector, while executive directors Wu Mengzhi and Xiao Leizi were having a heated discussion.

"The budgets for the three countries—the UK, Türkiye, and the UAE—must be kept under 600 million per period."

Liao Ke tapped the table. "The key is to create conflict, understand? Budget travel is just the outer shell; what the audience wants to see is the celebrities' real reactions in extreme environments."

Wu Mengzhi flipped through the guest list: "Eldest sister Mao Amin is in charge, second sister Xu Qing is responsible for generating buzz with her princess syndrome, third sister Ning Jing is a natural powder keg, fourth sister Chen Yihan is the energy booster, and fifth sister Zheng Shuang..."

She paused for a moment, then added, "She's been a bit emotionally unstable lately, but she's been a hot topic."

Xiao Leizi added: "Jing Boran and Yang Yang are two boys, one a warm guy and the other a straight guy, so there's a clash in their personalities."

Liao Ke nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly remembered something: "Has the report from Jiangying Media arrived yet?"

The director in charge of the liaison, Xiao Lin, stiffened and hesitantly opened the folder: "The report has been submitted. It's about Meng Ziyi."

The conference room suddenly became quiet.

Wu Mengzhi raised an eyebrow: "Is it the one who had a public feud with Zheng Shuang on Weibo? The one who stole Zheng Shuang's lead role?"

Kobayashi nodded: "Yes, their fans are still hurling insults at each other."

Xiao Leizi frowned: "Will we get into a fight while filming this variety show together?"

"A fight?" Liao Ke suddenly slammed his hand on the table, his eyes lighting up. "That would be even better!"

He stood up excitedly, "I was just looking for a juicy story! Zheng Shuang's fiery temper, coupled with a budget trip abroad where he knows no one..."

"I just wonder how good Meng Ziyi's sense of humor is on variety shows. Is she too smooth?"

"If this girl is timid and pretentious, then there's nothing to see..."

Wu Mengzhi said helplessly, "Director Liao, we're filming a travel variety show, not 'Man vs. Wild'."

"What do you know?" Liao Ke laughed happily. "The audience loves this! Arrange it, arrange it right away! Put their beds together, keep the budget tight, make the task difficult, and it would be best to add a room selection segment!"

"Meng Ziyi gets plenty of screen time!"

He made an explosion gesture, "Boom! Trending topic guaranteed!"

Xiaolin timidly raised his hand: "Shouldn't the safety plan be strengthened?"

"Prepare double!" Liao Ke waved his hand. "Bring the first-aid kit and the accompanying psychologist, but remember..."

He lowered his voice, a sly glint in his eyes, "When a real fight breaks out, the camera must be pointed at you immediately, don't miss any micro-expressions!"

After the meeting, Xiao Leizi watched Liao Ke leave happily, sighed, and said to Wu Mengzhi, "I'm starting to feel sorry for this season's PD."

Outside the window, the setting sun dyed the program's logo blood red, as if foreshadowing the impending bloodshed.

(PS: To show my sincerity, I've added an extra 1000 words today. Hehe! 7000 words in total!)
(End of this chapter)