The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

Filming for "You Are the Apple of My Eye" has entered its second half, and most of the hazy, beautiful scenes set on campus have been completed.

The story reached a crucial turning point—the fight involving Ko Ching-teng.

Considering the review environment and the reality of mainland campuses, the slightly exaggerated "free fighting competition" in the original version was modified by Li Xu into a "post-match conflict between inter-school basketball games" that is closer to life in mainland China in the 90s.

The story is set after yet another basketball game.

Ko Ching-teng's team suffered a narrow defeat. As the opposing team left the field, a player whistled at the dejected Ko Ching-teng and his teammates, making a flippant remark:

"Ke Jingteng, your team's skills are lacking, but you have quite the temper. Oh well, your class only relies on your looks to play basketball anyway, so it's not surprising."

This line was devised by Li Xu and Zhang Ruoyun. It not only points out the reason why Ke Jingteng and others are popular among girls ("because of their looks"), but also carries the kind of sarcastic tone that is common on the sports field and hurts the self-esteem of teenagers.

The filming location was the same court where the basketball game was played previously.

As the sun set, it bathed the venue in a dim golden-red hue, perfectly capturing the dejection and resentment after defeat.

In this scene, Li Xu needs to perform the following:

Upon hearing the mockery, Ko Ching-teng was first stunned, then suddenly looked up, his initial disappointment instantly turning into rage.

He stared intently at the opposing player who had spoken rudely. The player who had provoked him felt a little uneasy under Ke Jingteng's gaze, forced a sneer, and turned to leave.

In that instant, Ko Ching-teng charged forward like an enraged leopard cub, throwing a punch.

The fight scenes were designed to be realistic and chaotic.

There are no fancy moves, just the most primal tearing, pushing, and punching of teenagers.

Ko Ching-teng, Tsao Kuo-sheng, A-ho, and others rushed forward and started fighting with the opposing players.

The extras playing the roles of students and team members from both sides also shouted, tried to dissuade, and cursed at the right time, and the scene instantly got out of control.

Shen Jiayi witnessed all of this from outside the chaotic crowd, feeling both sorry for Ke Jingteng and disappointed.

The scene was filmed very quickly. Apart from a few minor delays due to the extras, Li Xu's portrayal of Ke Jingteng was a breeze.

However, just after the group fight scene was successfully filmed, the shot of Jing Tian's reaction suddenly went wrong.

What Li Xu wanted was for Shen Jiayi to go from "shock at seeing the conflict" to "astonishment after recognizing Ke Jingteng" to "anger at witnessing him throw a punch," and finally to "a deep disappointment mixed with sadness and disbelief."

Jing Tian did a good job on the first two levels.

She noticed the shock when she saw the fight, and the pupil contraction when she realized it was Ko Ching-teng.

But when it comes to the most crucial emotion, "disappointment," something is always missing in her eyes; instead, there's more of a superficial anxiety and annoyance.

"Cut! Something's not right!"

"Cut! Jing Tian, ​​what I want isn't 'Why did you cause trouble again?', it's 'How could you do this?'"

"Cut! Again!"

However, after six consecutive attempts, the atmosphere at the scene became somewhat somber.

Jing Tian became increasingly anxious, and the more anxious she became, the less she could find her footing, making her performance seem forced.

Shen Ao, observing Jing Tian's performance on the monitor, walked over to Li Xu and spoke up, a rare occurrence for him:

"Director Li, I estimate this scene will be stuck for a long time. You need to talk to Miss Jing Tian first."

"In this scene, it's not that her acting was inadequate, but rather that she couldn't bring herself to hate you."

At this point, Shen Ao simply laid it all out: "Director Li, I don't know how much you understand about Miss Jing Tian's feelings for you."

"But at least you can assume she's really into the role."

"The way she looked at you, that light, that intensity, it was all genuine."

"After you got into a fight, according to Shen Jiayi's mindset in the original work, she should have felt resentment towards Ke Jingteng, and felt disappointed and alienated, thinking, 'How can you be so childish and immature?'"

"Miss Ke Jing is currently filled with... cough, all the good feelings that Shen Jiayi's character should have for Ke Jingteng. She can't get over it, and she can't bring herself to hate him."

Li Xu was shocked upon hearing this.

On this point, it's clear to outsiders that the Australian bid is being conducted.

He noticed that Jing Tian's mentality was a bit off, but he didn't realize that the reason Jing Tian couldn't act out the dislike was because of this.

Shen Ao's words enlightened him. The reason why the filming of the movie these days, especially his scenes with Jing Tian, ​​has been so smooth is precisely because Jing Tian really sees herself as Shen Jiayi and she really likes Ke Jingteng.

So when she needs to express negative emotions, she naturally can't change her mindset.

Li Xu casually unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle Shen Ao handed him, took a sip, and glanced at Jing Tian, ​​who was rehearsing her lines with her assistant not far away. He sighed inwardly.

"Don't worry, I'll have a good talk with her. Shen'ao, leave this to me."

Due to the filming difficulties, the entire crew is taking a break.

Li Xu walked up to Jing Tian, ​​waved his hand, and instead of asking her to apologize, asked a seemingly unrelated question:

"Jing Tian, ​​when you were in middle school, did you ever have a crush on or admire a boy? Did you think he was great in every way, just different from other boys?"

Jing Tian was stunned for a moment.

She was a little confused as to why Li Xu suddenly asked this question, but she thought about it carefully and then nodded and said, "Yes, there was a boy in my third year of junior high school who was good at basketball and had good grades. He was always very gentle and kind to people. I thought he was very classy and different from those loud and boisterous boys."

"And then?" Li Xu nodded.

"later……"

Jing Tian's expression became somewhat subtle. "Once, I accidentally discovered him hiding in a toilet stall smoking, and he was caught red-handed by the head teacher."

"The key issue wasn't smoking, but that when he read his self-criticism during the flag-raising ceremony, he still acted nonchalant and indifferent, and even secretly winked at the people below... Suddenly, I felt that all his previous gentleness and grace had vanished."

"At that moment, I suddenly felt that he was incredibly stupid and childish, and all the goodwill I had towards him vanished in an instant."

"Okay, then remember this feeling."

Li Xu seized upon the emotion in Jing Tian's words and decisively offered a suggestion:

"Next, just put the image of that naive and silly ninth grader on me."

"That's how Shen Jiayi feels about Ke Jingteng."

"She may not object to men using their fists to solve problems, but she objected to Ko Ching-teng using such a 'childish' way to deal with a pointless taunt, which made her feel that she had misjudged him."

"Or rather, she felt that—the special person in my heart could also do such vulgar and childish things, and do them so badly."

Jing Tian seemed to be deep in thought, but still couldn't quite connect with the character.

Li Xu frowned, and couldn't help but raise the weight of his tone: "If you still can't put yourself in that situation, then imagine if tomorrow news broke online saying that I, Li Xu, acted like a diva on set, bullied the staff, and bossed the actors around. How would you, Jing Tian, ​​feel?"

"impossible!"

Jing Tian blurted out, her eyes wide, "How could you do something like that? You're not that kind of person!"

"But that's what I am now."

Li Xu finished speaking softly and turned to leave.

"I think I understand."

As Jing Tian watched Li Xu's departing figure, she finally began to understand this feeling.

After adjusting the status.

Although it still took her five takes and most of the day, she finally managed to successfully portray Shen Jiayi's disappointment with Ke Jingteng.

Behind the monitor, Shen Ao couldn't help but nod. 'As expected, this matter still needs Li Xu to handle; only he can keep Miss Jing in check.'

-

After filming this scene.

While Jing Tian was still able to grasp the emotions, Li Xu and Shen Ao worked through the night to finish filming.

On an old street in Xiamen where the scenery had already been set up yesterday, the art team of "You Are the Apple of My Eye" used water trucks to create a continuous rain curtain in advance.

The dim streetlights cast dappled patterns of light in the rain, and the wet ground reflected a jumble of light.

The entire scene was permeated with a cold, melancholic, and restless atmosphere.

The plot picks up where the fight left off.

The next day after school, it was raining heavily.

Ke Jingteng walked out of the school gate with his head down, only to see Shen Jiayi standing across the street with a transparent umbrella, clearly waiting for him.

He hesitated for a moment, but still went over.

The two shared an umbrella, initially in silence, with only the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella's surface.

Shen Jiayi spoke first, her voice soft but trembling with barely suppressed disappointment: "Ke Jingteng, can't you be a little more mature? Don't always resort to fighting to solve problems?"

Upon hearing this, Ko Ching-teng immediately reacted like a lit firecracker, abruptly raising his head with a face full of stubbornness and dissatisfaction, raindrops sliding down his raised chin.

"Mature? I'm never mature! Shen Jiayi, when have you ever thought I was mature?"

"Ko Ching-teng! Don't you think this is childish?" Shen Chia-yi said, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"Yeah! I'm childish! If I weren't childish, how could I have liked you for so long, and chased after you for so long!"

Ko Ching-teng's chest heaved violently, as if he were shouting with all his might.

These words were like a knife, piercing through the rain curtain and also breaking through the thin veil between Ke Jingteng and Shen Jiayi.

But in this context, it sounds less like a confession and more like an accusation of self-abandonment.

Shen Jiayi was so shocked by his shout that she took half a step back, her umbrella tilted to the side, and rainwater soaked her shoulders.

Looking at the boy in front of her, who was like a trapped beast, all the worries, disappointments, grievances, and the inexplicable budding feelings of love welled up inside her and turned into a sharper kind of anger.

"Then you shouldn't like it!"

"Ko Ching-teng, did I force you to like me?"

She cried out, her voice trembling with sobs, her eyes red-rimmed, her face contorted with hurt and despair.

Ko Ching-teng stared intently at her, his eyes red, wet with rain, and perhaps something else.

A few seconds later, as if he had given up completely, he suddenly turned around and rushed into the torrential rain without looking back.

Shen Jiayi stood there, holding the crooked umbrella, watching Ke Jingteng's figure gradually disappear.

Rainwater mixed with tears slid down her face.

She opened her mouth, seemingly regretting it, and wanting to call Ke Jingteng back, but in the end, only a angry cry filled with complex emotions escaped her lips:

"You idiot! Ko Ching-teng, you big idiot—!"

Ko Ching-teng could hear those words clearly in the rain, and he knew that if he turned back and admitted his mistake, he should be able to appease Shen Chia-yi.

But out of stubbornness and pride, he listened without looking back and ran away very fast.

"Click!"

Shen Ao's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

But this time, he didn't immediately say "pass," and the camera was still pointed at Jing Tian.

After she shouted that, she seemed to have all her strength drained away and slowly squatted down.

The umbrella fell to the side.

She hugged her knees, buried her face in her arms, and her shoulders trembled violently.

The raindrops pelted her mercilessly, quickly soaking her hair and school uniform.

That trembling, that curled-up posture, was more heartbreaking than any loud wailing.

Li Xu had already left the camera and was standing behind the monitor, but he and Shen Ao exchanged a glance and neither of them called for a stop. Instead, they gave the cameraman a look.

The photographer understood immediately, and slowly zoomed in, giving Jing Tian a long close-up.

The sounds of rain, crying, and Shen Jiayi's suppressed sobs blended together, creating a powerful visual impact.

After waiting for ten seconds, Li Xu said softly, "Pass."

The artificial rain was still pouring down.

The entire room fell silent. Several female staff members were deeply moved and heartbroken by Jing Tian's explosive acting skills.

Song Yi, standing to the side, couldn't help but secretly wipe away her tears, sighing softly, "Sister Tian really went all out this time..."

The filming is finished.

Li Xu rushed over quickly, but the artificial rain curtain had already stopped by then.

He ran to Jing Tian's side, carrying a large towel and a thermos that the crew had prepared beforehand. He wrapped the towel around her shivering body, placed a cup of warm ginger tea in her hand, and said gently:

"Jing Tian, ​​you filmed this scene very well. I feel like you might even win an award. Get up quickly, the ground is cold."

Jing Tian slowly raised her head, her entire face wet, it was hard to tell whether it was rain or tears.

Her eyes and nose were red, and her hair was plastered messily to her cheeks.

She looked at Li Xu, and her first words weren't complaints, but rather a slightly uncertain question with a heavy nasal tone: "Li Xu, did I look really ugly just now? I cried...and looked awful? When it's on the big screen, won't people laugh at me and make up unflattering photos of me?"

Li Xu shook his head and gently wiped the water off Jing Tian's face with the corner of a towel.

"Not ugly, very beautiful. When have you ever been ugly? This scene will be one of Shen Jiayi's most beautiful moments in the movie."

Listening to Li Xu's words of comfort, "When have you ever been ugly?", "This will be one of the most beautiful moments of Shen Jiayi on the screen."

Jing Tian finally couldn't help but laugh.

She wasn't fragile, but she always found herself losing her composure in front of Li Xu.

-

The day after filming the argument scene, Jing Tian was still a bit listless, immersed in the exhaustion of emotional overexertion.

Just then, Liu Yifei arrived, accompanied by a capable-looking middle-aged man.

She came to visit the set.

Since that incident, she has never visited the set of "You Are the Apple of My Eye".

When Liu Yifei visited the set, she noticed that Jing Tian seemed a bit off, looking listless and far from her usual lively and cheerful self.

Seeing Jing Tian's still slightly swollen eyes, Liu Yifei couldn't help but frown slightly and asked in a low voice, "Li Xu, is Tian Tian alright? She doesn't seem to be feeling well."

"She got a little too into character, and yesterday she had a scene in the rain where she had an emotional outburst, which was very difficult for her to film, so she's probably a bit tired right now."

"Remember that kissing scene in the rain? You were through so much with me back then, and she was pretty much the same. She's just emotionally exhausted right now, but she'll be fine after some rest."

Li Xu explained.

Liu Yifei withdrew her gaze from Jing Tian and landed on Li Xu's face. Her clear, cold eyes held a hint of understanding: "Li Xu, you really are a devil when you're filming. You not only torture yourself, but also the actors. Anyone who works with you has to go through a lot."

However, Liu Yifei chuckled and added softly, "Of course, you're much better than that Wong Kar-wai. He's the real pain in the neck, he has no self-awareness at all. If I were to work with him, I'd be driven crazy."

Li Xu smiled but didn't say anything more.

Although he is strict with his acting, he knows exactly how to film it.

Wong Kar-wai... well, all I can say is that it's incredibly demanding. It relies entirely on the actors' own explosive performances, accumulating enough material, and then being pieced together by a good editor.