Huayu: Reborn in 97, transferring to the Central Academy of Drama's star-studded class

"Director! This script is wrong!" Jiang Lai shouted excitedly.

The crew fell silent.

Everyone kept glancing back and forth between Director Zhang and Jiang Lai. Were they about to fight?

...

The exterior scenes in the classroom have been mostly filmed. As for the exterior scenes on the hill, Director Zhang plans to film them when the autumn colors are more intense.

So he decided to shoot indoor scenes. Although Grandma Li Bin was in great spirits, Director Zhang was still hesitant to let her stay in this high-altitude area for too long because she was nearly seventy years old.

The old lady played Zhao Di's mother, a blind old woman. All her scenes were filmed indoors, which allowed the old lady to go home after filming was finished.

With this plan in mind, they naturally prepared to film a scene where Luo Changyu goes to Zhao Di's house for a meal.

On the earthen kang (heated brick bed) inside the house.

Jiang Lai sat cross-legged in front of a small table, holding a bowl of rice in his hands. On the table were a bowl of scrambled eggs with chives, a bowl of mushrooms and greens, and a plate of pickled vegetables.

They were all made by Zhang Ziyi just now.

Director Zhang checked the footage and sound one last time, then shouted, "Action!"

Jiang Lai immediately started shoveling rice into his mouth; he was truly starving.

Zhang Ziyi was busy at the stove in front of them, and the two of them, through the large hole in the wall, locked eyes again.

"It's been so many years since a man has eaten in this house. Listen to him, he's eating so well, chewing so vigorously," the old lady said, sitting next to Jiang Lai.

What are normal people like when they are having a conversation? Besides listening, they also definitely use their eyes.

But the old lady was playing a blind person. She squinted and tilted her face slightly towards Jiang Lai. Because she couldn't see, she could only put her ears forward, but it was only slightly tilted, so it didn't feel deliberate.

This small design detail brought the blind character to life; he even had a ball of yarn in his hand while reciting his lines, which looked incredibly natural.

Jiang Lai couldn't help but exclaim on behalf of Zhang Yimou: Look! This is what a veteran actor is like!

"Sir, you've been in our Sanhe Village for about a month now, haven't you?" the old lady continued reciting her lines.

Jiang Lai swallowed a mouthful of rice and replied, "Yes, it's been over a month."

"Are you getting used to it?"

"I'm used to it."

"If you get used to it, then it's fine."

Jiang Lai took advantage of the old lady's blindness and stared intently at the young woman.

"Does your family live in the county?"

"Dongguan in the county."

"So how did you get to Sanhetun?"

"After graduating from school, I had nothing to do at home, so I wandered around the county. I saw people banging drums and gongs and calling for people to sign up. I didn't know what it was for, so I signed up without asking me anything. And here I am."

Knowing that her daughter might like this gentleman, the old lady kept inquiring about Jiang Lai's family background.

"You won't regret it?"

No regrets.

Why?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lai glanced at the beautiful figure through the hole again and spoke firmly to the old lady.

"I like."

The old lady smiled, as if pondering the meaning of those words, and then asked, "Sir, you're not married yet?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhang Ziyi, who was standing in front of the stove, stopped what he was doing, seemed to tense up, and listened carefully.

"Not yet."

"Not engaged yet?"

"No."

Hearing the answer, even though it was just a silhouette and his expression couldn't be seen, you could still feel Zhang Ziyi's happiness; his two braids seemed to leap with joy.

After finishing the meal, Zhang Ziyi walked into the house with a smile to clear the dishes. Jiang Lai quickly sat up to help, but the old lady heard the noise and tentatively reached out to grab Jiang Lai's arm.

"Don't worry about it, just let Zhao Di take care of it. You sit down and rest for a while."

Jiang Lai had no choice but to sit down again.

Zhang Ziyi picked up the large celadon bowl and deliberately swung it past Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai followed the script without making any reaction.

Zhang Ziyi was somewhat disappointed. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back, holding the bowl, and said, "Do you recognize my bowl? It's this blue and white one."

She wanted to know if her sweetheart had ever eaten a meal she had cooked herself when they were eating at public meals before.

Jiang Lai should have replied with his line, "I don't recognize him."

But looking at Zhang Ziyi's expectant eyes, he suddenly couldn't bring himself to say it.

He instantly understood why he had previously found the character of Luo Changyu strange.

Because in the paragraphs preceding this scene, although the script devotes more space to saying that Zhao Di has taken a liking to Mr. Luo, it also absolutely implies that Mr. Luo has taken a liking to Zhao Di as well!

So when he was working on the construction site, waiting for the women to bring him meals, he would definitely look for Zhao Di! Then he would definitely notice this large celadon bowl, how could he not recognize it!

Anyone who knows that someone they like is coming will definitely go looking for them, even if that person is mixed in with the crowd.

Having figured all this out, Jiang Lai suddenly felt enlightened.

"Click!"

Director Zhang noticed Jiang Lai was still lost in thought and not responding to his lines, so he called for a stop and asked, "What's wrong, Xiao Jiang? Are you feeling unwell?"

Jiang Lai got out of bed, and everyone looked at him. He waved his hands as if he had suddenly gone hysterical.

"Director, I've figured it out! This script is wrong!" he shouted excitedly.

This is the opening scene.

Director Zhang, true to his reputation as a great director, remained unaffected by the stares of the crowd and asked gently, "Tell me, what's wrong with the script?"

Jiang Lai explained what he had figured out, and then added:

"Director, I don't know if you're trying to say that Zhao Di is actually in a one-sided love, or that Luo Changyu didn't notice because he was focused on the classroom, but that's definitely not logical!"

The two had been eyeing each other for a long time. If that weren't the case, then the reason why Luo Changyu was labeled a supporter but secretly ran back for Zhao Di wouldn't hold water! They should... should..."

Jiang Lai pondered for a while, and suddenly a word came to mind.

"They must be going in the same direction!"

This word instantly impressed Director Zhang.

Jiang Lai is right. Director Zhang did want to highlight Zhao Di's devotion and love for Luo Changyu. The two interruptions by carpenter Xia in the script were for this purpose, which would better portray Zhao Di's love and loss.

He suddenly looked up and asked, "So, in the scene where Carpenter Xia stopped you from fetching water, you thought Luo Changyu actually wanted to be alone with Zhaodi, which is why he acted that way?"

Jiang Lai didn't know why the other party suddenly brought up the scenes that had already been filmed, so he could only nod blankly in agreement.

Director Zhang suddenly realized why he felt that Jiang Lai's performance was different from what he had imagined, yet also very accurate. It turned out that his own interpretation of the character differed from Jiang Lai's.

Director Zhang pondered for a moment. Although he had agreed with Jiang Lai's opinion, he still needed to discuss the script revision with the production company and screenwriter. After thinking for a while, he said, "Then we won't film your scenes for now. I'll check it out and then I'll let you know."

"Okay," Jiang Lai nodded in response.

Everyone on set looked at Jiang Lai in surprise. Who would have thought that a fledgling actor would dare to tell Zhang Yimou that his script was wrong and needed to be changed? And it seemed that Zhang Yimou agreed with him.

How dare this person do that?

It's like being stabbed in the butt with a knife; it's an eye-opener.

Zhang Ziyi knew Jiang Lai's family background and assumed that Jiang Lai had also invested in the film, which is why she spoke to the director in that manner. Clearly, she misunderstood.

She felt conflicted, and suddenly thought about a question, a question she was afraid to face.

Director Zhang then adjusted the shooting schedule on set, deciding to shoot the scenes between Zhang Ziyi and Li Bin's grandmother first. He only needed to change the arrangement of the items in the room, and they could start shooting immediately.

Jiang Lai, on the other hand, stayed among the crew watching Zhang Ziyi's performance, and acted as a mood-maker when the director yelled "cut".

night.

Zhang Ziyi tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. The old lady next to her had already gone to sleep. Being a young woman, she was quite thoughtful and was arranged to share a room with the old lady so that she could take care of her.

After a long while, she made up her mind, got up quietly, and ran to Director Zhang's room.

"Knock knock knock." She knocked on the door.

Hou Yong opened the door.

"Xiao Zhang? What brings you here?"

"I...I need to ask the director something."

Zhang Ziyi felt embarrassed to speak up, since it was the middle of the night and he didn't want to disturb the other person's sleep.

Hou Yong stepped aside. Zhang Yi was still awake, smoking and reading a script at the table. Hearing the voice, he rubbed his temples and looked at Zhang Ziyi at the door.

"What's wrong, Xiao Zhang? What do you want?"

Zhang Ziyi bit her lip and said shyly, "Excuse me, Director, could you please come out for a moment?"

Zhang Yi and Hou Yong exchanged a glance, extinguished their cigarettes, and stood up.

"Okay, let's go outside and talk."

The two walked to a balcony, where they could only vaguely see the moon and starlight.

"Go ahead and ask me what you want to ask me," Zhang Yi said.

Zhang Ziyi lowered her head, took a deep breath, and mustered her courage to ask, "Director, did you choose me as the female lead because of Jiang Lai?"

"Of course."

Just three words, and Zhang Ziyi was instantly dejected.

She initially thought it was due to her acting skills, or at the very least, that her appearance met the director's requirements. Little did she know it was really because of Jiang Lai.

She even said she'd be with him after becoming the best actress, but can she really become the best actress? She's really terrible.

Her eyes grew increasingly dark.

"I watched your and Jiang Lai's exam at school, and your performance was quite excellent. Your image also fits the female lead role in this drama, so I approached you."

"Hmm?" Zhang Ziyi's eyes brightened again. "You mean, you think I can play the role well?"

"Of course, you acted very well, what else could it be for?" Zhang Yi replied matter-of-factly.

Zhang Ziyi suddenly became excited and began to bow repeatedly.

"Thank you! Thank you, Director! You should get some rest!"

After saying that, he ran away.

Zhang Yi was baffled and stood there, wondering what had gotten into the girl.

He was unaware that this was just a little misunderstanding caused by a young girl's pride.

Zhang Yimou was also suddenly moved and leaned against the railing, gazing at the dark night.

Is it a two-way journey?

He sighed deeply. I wonder who this great director was thinking of at that moment?