Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 91: Bai Lu's Parents Visit the Set, and the Second Generation of Flowers Can't Continue Filming

When the crew of "Si Teng" moved to Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, it was late spring.

The bluestone pavement of Pingjiang Road was wet from the night rain, gleaming with a warm light. The willows on both sides drooped their green tendrils, which swept across the white walls and black tiles of the eaves when the wind blew.

This time, we're filming the scene where Shen Yindeng sets up a trap in the garden. The filming location we've chosen is an old house next to the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou.

The upturned eaves are hidden behind layers of banana leaves, and dappled sunlight filters through the carved window lattices. Koi swim by in the pond, flicking their tails, and the air is filled with the faint fragrance of osmanthus and the smell of damp earth.

The production crew was busy setting up the lighting in the corridor, while Jiang Ye squatted in front of the monitor watching the test shots, his brows slightly furrowed.

In the scene, Bai Lu, who plays Shen Yindeng, is standing behind the moon gate, holding a jade hairpin in her hand, trying to portray the complex feeling of being gentle on the surface but scheming in her eyes.

But as soon as she opened her mouth to speak her lines, her voice became a little unsteady, and her eyes unconsciously glanced at the camera, lacking some of the ruthlessness that the character should have.

The acting skills are still not good enough!

"stop!"

Jiang Ye pressed the pause button, and his voice came through the walkie-talkie, carrying an undeniable seriousness, "Bai Lu, where are you looking? Shen Yindeng's mind is full of schemes right now, her eyes have to be as cold as ice, not like you're playing the shy girl next door!"

The egret stood beside the moon gate, almost dropping the jade hairpin in her hand.

It was a bit hot in the afternoon in Jiangnan, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, sticking to her stray hairs.

"I'm sorry, Director Jiang, I'll try again."

"try?"

Jiang Ye stood up, walked over to her, and gently tapped her arm with the script in his hand. "You practiced the blocking three times and the lines five times, but you messed up during the actual shooting? Did you treat Shen Yindeng like a naive and innocent character? She's a villain, she's here with a purpose. Your eyes need to be hooking, so that the audience can tell that something's wrong with this woman, understand?"

The staff around held their breath, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves was exceptionally clear.

Bai Lu lowered her head, her fingers fiddling with the edges of the script, and said in a muffled voice, "I understand."

With Teacher Zhang's guidance recently, I've been scolding much less.

At first she would secretly cry, but now she has gradually gotten used to it and even become somewhat immune to it.

Anyway, this is my skill level...

"One more take!" Jiang Ye turned back to the monitor, leaving behind the words, "If you don't act well this time, you're not getting dinner tonight. You'll be practicing your eyes in front of the artificial mountain."

The egret took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from its brow, and stood up straight again.

Just as she calmed down, Xiao Chen, the production assistant, rushed over and whispered in her ear, "Sister Bailu, someone outside is looking for you. They say your parents and friends are visiting the set."

Bai Lu was taken aback, her eyes lighting up instantly before dimming again. She glanced instinctively in Jiang Ye's direction and nervously tugged at Xiao Chen's arm: "Does Director Jiang know? Will it affect filming?"

Her parents had been saying they wanted to visit the set, since the filming was taking place right in their neighborhood.

But she didn't dare to agree, afraid that she wouldn't perform well, afraid that she would feel awkward when her parents came, and even more afraid that Jiang Ye would think she was distracted.

There's also the fact that I'm somewhat insecure.

After all, his parents are ordinary people; his father is a high-speed rail worker and his mother is an ordinary office worker.

She never felt that her parents were inferior to others, and she always had a good attitude.

But for some reason, she felt particularly insecure in front of Jiang Ye and would often overthink things.

Will they look down on her? Will they look down on her parents? It's all so strange…

"Director Jiang just found out and wants you to go pick them up first. He's shooting some establishing shots here." Xiao Chen smiled and pointed to the doorway. "Your parents are waiting at the other end of the corridor."

Outside the film set, Bai's father rubbed his calloused hands, anxiously watching the staff coming and going.

He was wearing a simple coat, and his wife was clutching a thermos tightly beside him.

My best friend, however, wasn't nervous at all. She was looking around with curiosity, exclaiming, "Wow! Is that Jing Tian? She's even more beautiful than on TV!"

"Uncle and Aunt are fine, Boss Yan is very good to them!"

"Dad! Mom!" Bai Lu ran over, lifting the hem of her costume, the beads on her headdress jingling.

Mother Bai quickly handed over the thermos: "Daughter, Mom made some pork rib soup..."

Suddenly noticing the exquisite embroidery on her daughter's costume, she withdrew her hand. "This costume must be expensive, right? Don't get it dirty."

"It's alright!" Bailu hugged her mother tightly, but then heard footsteps behind her.

Jiang Ye had appeared there at some point.

"Director!" Bai Lu stammered, "These are my parents, these are my friends, hehe."

She was extremely nervous at that moment!

Mr. and Mrs. Bai immediately stood up straight. Mr. Bai was a little dazed. He wanted to reach out and shake hands but felt it was inappropriate, so he awkwardly put his hand down and said, "Hello, leader. Thank you for taking care of my daughter Yan Yan... She is a bit immature. If she does something wrong, please criticize her."

Jiang Ye smiled and extended his hand to shake hers, saying warmly, "Hello, Uncle and Auntie! Hehe, hello! We met at school back then!"

"Mengyan is amazing on set, don't listen to her modesty."

He turned to Bai Lu's parents and said sincerely, "Uncle and Aunt, Bai Mengyan is an exceptionally hardworking actress. Although she can be a little absent-minded at times, she is quick to learn and improves very fast."

"The role of Shen Yindeng is quite challenging this time. She has put in a lot of effort and is now getting better and better at playing the role."

Bai Lu's parents were stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting the director to say that. The tension on their faces eased a little, and a hint of pride and satisfaction slowly appeared in their eyes.

Jiang Ye smiled and said, "Uncle and Auntie, it's rare for you to come all this way, don't stand here. There's a really authentic Suzhou-style restaurant nearby, I'll treat you to lunch."

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the uncle and aunt for raising such a wonderful daughter and adding such a good actress to our production team."

The egret, who was listening nearby, was stunned, and her nose even felt a little sore.

She was used to her eldest son's criticisms, so being praised by him in front of her parents made her cheeks flush, but her heart felt warm.

He's the best boss in the world!

The restaurant for lunch was located near the garden, with round tables set in antique-style private rooms.

Jiang Ye specially ordered local specialties: squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, braised eel in sizzling oil, and stir-fried shrimp, filling the table to the brim.

During the meal, he didn't talk about work, but chatted with Bai's father about everyday things, asking about Bai's father's work on the high-speed train, listening very attentively.

Halfway through the meal, Jiang Ye looked at Hehe and suddenly said, "Hehe, I want to discuss something with you. Bai Mengyan's work will become increasingly busy, and her current assistant is finding it difficult to manage on her own."

"I think you're quite meticulous, and you're familiar with Mengyan. If you'd like, you could try being her assistant. The salary and benefits will be according to company standards. What do you think?"

Hehe's eyes widened, and she forgot to swallow the food in her mouth: "Me? Can I?" Bailu also looked at Jiangye in surprise.

“Of course you can,” Jiang Ye said with a smile. “You know Mengyan’s habits. She’s more relaxed when she’s with you, and she’s more efficient at work. But you two can discuss this yourselves. I won’t force you.”

Hehe nodded excitedly, "I'm willing! Of course I'm willing!"

She glanced at the egret; the two girls secretly shook hands under the table, their palms slightly sweaty.

Seeing this, the egret's parents' worries completely disappeared.

Although they didn't understand the entertainment industry, they could tell that Jiang Ye genuinely cared about Bai Lu and wasn't the kind of harsh and indifferent boss.

After finishing their meal, Mr. and Mrs. Bai were about to head home.

Bai's mother held Bai Lu's hand and whispered, "Yan Yan, your boss is really nice. He's so approachable and even praised you so much. Your parents are relieved now. Work hard here and don't let him down."

Bai's father patted her on the shoulder: "Focus on filming, don't miss home, your parents are doing well. Director Jiang is a good person, you should respect him and learn his skills well."

Bai Lu nodded, her eyes a little red: "I understand. Please be careful on your journey."

Watching her parents and Hehe leave, Bailu took a deep breath, her heart feeling as if it were filled with something.

She turned to look at Jiang Ye, who was discussing the script with the screenwriter not far away. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on him, making his earlier harshness seem much softer.

She suddenly felt that all the grievances of being scolded and the hardships of filming had become worthwhile at this moment.

The感动 (feeling of being moved) didn't last long. During the afternoon shoot, Jiang Ye started scolding her mercilessly again.

It seems that because the boss felt he had given them enough face, he scolded them even more harshly this time, with a truly powerful voice.

The egret was so angry that it spat three times into his coffee!

"I hope you drink yourself to death, you venomous-mouthed devil! I wish you a lifetime of loneliness, and that no woman will ever give you a second glance!"

……

As evening falls, the Suzhou gardens gradually quiet down, and the setting sun casts long shadows on the corridors.

After Jiang Yegang and the photography team confirmed the lighting plan for tomorrow, they saw Zhang Xin, the administrative director, standing at the entrance of the Moon Cave with her suitcase, looking somewhat anxious.

"President Jiang," Zhang Xin stepped forward quickly, her tone urgent, "You know about the conflict between Meng Ziyi and Zheng Shuang in London, right?"

Jiang Ye nodded, twirling the director's walkie-talkie in his hand, and said calmly, "My assistant already reported to me this afternoon."

Zhang Xin breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help frowning: "This matter has blown up a bit. Zheng Shuang is not letting it go, saying that Sister Meng started it. Now some marketing accounts are spreading rumors about it."

She paused, then cautiously probed, "Director Jiang, do you think... Sister Meng was too impulsive this time? If this really blows up, it won't be good for the image of our company's artists."

The evening breeze drifted through the corridor, carrying a faint fragrance of flowers.

Jiang Ye stopped and looked at Zhang Xin. His eyes were calm but reassuring: "It's alright, don't worry."

“But…” Zhang Xin wanted to say more, but Jiang Ye raised his hand to interrupt her.

"I know what I'm doing! Go book the plane tickets first!"

Seeing Jiang Ye's confident demeanor, Zhang Xin's anxiety dissipated considerably. She nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go settle things in first. Please feel free to call me if you need anything."

Jiang Ye hummed in agreement, turned around and looked at the crew members packing up their equipment in the distance, tapping his fingertips lightly on the walkie-talkie.

He had somewhat anticipated this turmoil and had naturally prepared a way to deal with it.

……

Late at night in London, the hotel conference room where the production crew was stationed was brightly lit.

The production team sat around a long table, their coffee cups mostly empty, the air thick with the smell of smoke and a sense of unease. The clock on the wall pointed to one in the morning, but no one felt sleepy.

"Laugh? Who can laugh now?"

Director Liao Ke slammed his tablet on the table; the screen was still showing footage from the daytime shoot.

The executive director rubbed his face, his voice weary: "Who would have thought Zheng Shuang would react so strongly? She was just slapped a few times, and she couldn't beat them, so she insisted on making a scene and saying she was personally attacked."

"Didn't she strike first?"

"The key issue is that her team is being relentless." The producer scrolled through the messages on his phone, his brows furrowed. "Just now, her agent sent another message saying that Zheng Shuang has locked herself in her room for a whole day, refusing to eat or speak. She demands that Meng Ziyi either issue a public apology or that she withdraw from the show. She also wants to hold the production team accountable, saying that we failed to fulfill our management obligations."

The conference room fell silent.

Everyone knows that the show "Divas Hit the Road" relies on the interaction and genuine reactions of the guests. The previous conflict between Zheng Shuang and Ning Jing, as well as the recent controversy surrounding Yang Yang's disappearance, although controversial, will definitely generate buzz.

When the conflict between Meng Ziyi and Zheng Shuang first occurred, the production team privately discussed that "this scene could be included in the final cut, and it would definitely generate a lot of buzz." Now it seems they were laughing too soon.

The main problem was that the fight was a bit too brutal. I don't know where Meng Ziyi got such good skills; she beat up Shuangzi in one round.

If you two push each other a few times and then get separated, wouldn't that be great?

This isn't playing by the rules...

How's Meng Ziyi doing?

"She was also in a bad mood, feeling that she hadn't done anything wrong, that Zheng Shuang had struck first, and that she was only defending herself."

The assistant director sighed, "Her company just called and said that Meng Ziyi is also a victim and it's impossible for her to apologize."

"Now things are really messed up, both sides are locked in a stalemate."

The executive director banged on the table, “We were supposed to shoot on location in Cambridge tomorrow, and all the equipment was already there. But with everyone causing this commotion, we can’t film at all. The production schedule is completely messed up, and the sponsors are also asking about the situation.”

The producer rubbed his temples and suggested a solution: "How about... finding a middleman to persuade them? Let Ning Jing or Mao Amin talk to Zheng Shuang? After all, they're all artists, so let's suppress this matter?"

“It’s no use.” The director shook his head. “Zheng Shuang is determined to get an explanation this time. He probably feels he lost face in front of the camera.”

"She said if it's not handled properly, she will issue a statement directly, and then not only will the show be affected, but it might also become a trending topic."

A light rain began to fall in London outside the window, the raindrops pattering against the glass.

The directors looked at each other, completely at a loss.

I used to think the guests' genuine personalities were the highlight of the show, but now I realize that uncontrolled reality is harder to handle than a script.

“Let both agents calm down first. I’ll go talk to Zheng Shuang.” The director stood up, picked up his coat, and said, “If all else fails, we’ll shoot individual shots of the other people tomorrow to separate the two sides in the conflict. As for the explanation… we have to come up with a way that both sides can save face, otherwise the show really can’t be filmed.”

(End of this chapter)