Chapter 89
The next day when he got up from bed, he felt that he had probably died once.
When he fell asleep, it was fine, but whether before falling asleep or after waking up, as soon as he opened his eyes and had a sense of self-awareness, the scene from last night kept replaying in his mind - no matter how hard he tried to distract himself, he couldn't help but think of the man standing by his bedside with one hand in his pocket, slightly bending down to quickly peck him on the lips, a fleeting touch, just a simple lip-to-lip contact, yet he could still feel the other person's impatience mixed with a hint of helplessness...
Such feelings added together can be summed up in one word: indulgence.
Indulge
“………………”
In an instant, all the blood rushed to his head, and the black-haired young man lying on the bed hugged the pillow tightly and rolled over on the bed. At the same time as he was suffering from a hangover headache, he couldn't help but cover his face with the pillow, as if someone could see the silly smile that had spread all the way to his ears at this moment.
"It's no use, it's no use, can't think about it anymore." Jian Ran covered her head with a pillow and lowered her voice, muttering to herself, "Yesterday was just a tiny accident, okay? Jiang Chuan grew up abroad, and abroad they don't have the custom of goodnight hugs, only goodnight kisses. He was just following his habits from abroad, what's there to be excited about, right? Ah, yes, that's it, hurry up and stop thinking about it... hehe."
When he heard his own silly laughter uncontrollably ringing out, the young man with black hair finally calmly accepted the fact that he was completely beyond salvation.
He tossed the pillow and got up, when he stepped on the floating steps like a ghost drifting to the bathroom, passing by the mirror he couldn't help but turn his head to take a look, and then unexpectedly found that the black-haired young man in the mirror was pale-faced, haggard, with deep dark circles under his eyes, as if he would die at any moment.
The most frightening thing is that on such a face with lingering resentment, there is still a smile that comes rolling in like waves.
Jian Ran: "......"
He let out a long sigh, suppressing the ache all over his body. He hastily washed up in the bathroom and after coming out, he struggled to flip through his schedule book. Looking at the page marked with today's date, there was only one scene left to be filmed. For the first time, he felt grateful to the heavens that he was just a small supporting actor - in this state of mind, he still had to act for a whole day; if things didn't go well, he might end up being hospitalized tomorrow.
Thinking of finishing a shot and being able to go back and rest well, he carefully wiped his face, slightly lifted his spirits, and prepared to go downstairs for breakfast - before going downstairs, he didn't forget to send Fang Yu a text message, the content of which was: Have you arrived at the filming location of "The World's Red Beauty"?
This question is quite technical - in fact, he doesn't care where his agent went early in the morning. What he really cares about is that if Fang Yu has arrived at the scene, Jiang Chuan should also be there: this way, it greatly reduces the probability of their awkward encounter at the breakfast restaurant.
Jian Ran was waiting for Fang Yu's reply to his text message while walking towards the cafeteria. When he arrived at the entrance, Fang Yu replied to his message. Jian Ran took out his phone and opened it to see that their agent had sent a message saying: [Didn't go, Jiang Chuan didn't have any scenes today, I know you didn't have any this morning either, but you have one shot this afternoon so I'll come over to take care of you... If you see Jiang Chuan in the cafeteria, be sure to thank him, and do it on your knees, after all he went to a lot of trouble last night to carry a naughty pig back to the hotel.]
Jian Ran: "......"
Just as he was about to step into the dining hall, his foot hovered in mid-air, unsure whether to proceed or retreat. Suddenly, he felt a familiar presence rapidly approaching from behind. As he stood frozen, phone in hand, a face emerged from behind his shoulder. A low, resonant male voice whispered in his ear, "You don't have to kneel to say it."
Jian Ran: "…………………………"
Jiang Chuan: "Although you're indeed a bit down."
When the black-haired young man, who was holding his phone and standing still in a daze, stiffly turned his head around to look back, he saw a calm-faced man withdraw his own head while calmly saying to him: "Good morning."
Jian Ran: "!!!!!!"
He took a step back, his eyes fixed on the man who was standing not far away from him, his eyebrows raised in surprise, looking like he had seen a ghost. The man didn't seem to feel offended, but instead, he pointed his chin towards the restaurant and said expressionlessly: "Treat me to breakfast, return a favor."
The paralyzed face said something "Please have breakfast with me" male god, the lethality is absolutely full - at this time it's not just asking Jiang Chuan to have breakfast, even if it's asking him to have a full Manchu meal, he would still agree without hesitation, hurriedly nodding and following the man's butt into the restaurant. The first floor of the restaurant is where ordinary crew members eat breakfast, and the second floor is an open tea restaurant for all hotel guests. Jiang Chuan followed behind the man's butt, walking with his head down, thinking that today's journey seemed a bit longer than usual, was it because of love? As a result, he raised his head to find that Jiang Chuan had already arrived at the second floor of the restaurant.
Jian Ran: "......"
The male god is also very straightforward.
Compared to the bustling first floor, the second floor of the restaurant was not crowded. Jiang Chuan found a seat and sat down, and immediately a waiter came over to ask what tea they wanted - the man didn't even consult with Zhen Ran and directly ordered Pu'er tea. Zhen Ran...Zhen Ran naturally also calmly accepted his arbitrary decision without any opinion, and at this moment he was so nervous that his tongue was not listening to him, and he couldn't say anything constructive.
Sitting across from Jiang Chuan at a table, there was another eerie silence between them.
Until the waiter brought over the tea set and tea leaves, Jiang Chuan began to work on it. Amidst the pleasant clinking of the tea utensils, he stared intently at the man's slender fingertips as they reached for the switch of the electric kettle. For a moment, he felt like his eyes were glued to the spot, and without thinking, he asked, "How did you think of having early tea?"
"You're hopeless in the morning again."
"How did you know I didn't?"
"...Jiang Chuan's hand paused in washing the teapot, he lifted his head and glanced at Jin Ran before saying indifferently, "What Li Rui said yesterday."
Jin Ran murmured an "oh" and didn't suspect that Jiang Chuan had stopped for a moment, nor did he think about what it meant. He grabbed the menu and started randomly checking off dishes, Jiang Chuan watched him order enough food for ten people without stopping him. Instead, he patiently waited for Jin Ran to finish ordering, then handed him a cup of tea. As he watched the young man with black hair carefully take a sip, he suddenly asked, "Are you still thinking about last night?"
After all, drinking tea should be elegant.
But he successfully "spit" all the tea water in the small teacup onto the table.
He lifted his head, looking at Jiang Chuan with a shocked expression. The latter was leaning on his chin with one hand, looking at him lazily and said: "I wanted to leave after sending you back last night, but you kept talking nonsense, complaining about the whole world, looking like you were wronged... Later, when you finally calmed down, you even asked for a goodnight hug."
"......Alright, I know, don't say it again..."
"I didn't want to bother with you at first, after all, your behavior at KTV last night was really infuriating."
“……”
"It turns out that looking back and finding you lying in bed with your eyes closed and asking for a hug is quite interesting, like a little puppy."
“……”
Where is the crack in the ground?
"I couldn't help but go up and kiss you," the man sitting across from her said, narrowing his bright blue eyes and shifting in his seat. "If you feel that this behavior is causing trouble, don't mind it - of course, if you do mind it, I won't apologize, because I've already told you, I have desires for you, and no matter what, this won't change... probably not for now."
“……”
I need a crack in the ground. Or, better still, give me a window that opens and I'll probably be able to throw myself out with my own collar.
"Do you still want to bother with this issue?"
"...can't get tangled up in it anymore."
"Have breakfast."
"Oh."
And so, in this "wonderful" atmosphere, a pleasant new day began.
……
In the afternoon, when Jianran arrived at the crew, Fang Yu had been waiting for a long time. It was already mid-August, and the filming of "Star Fire" TV series was nearing its end. Except for a few leading actors, Jianran's supporting role was almost finished - the crew of "Chuan Na" was very efficient. The same number of episodes, the neighboring "Qing Shi Hong Yan" had entered the group earlier, but now they have only filmed two-thirds, Ding Pao expressed extreme envy and hatred.
Today's scene is about Saito being accidentally captured by the National Army, and after being subjected to severe torture, he narrowly escapes. No wonder "Star Fire" is a TV series that is vying for various awards - just look at the attention to detail in the scriptwriting of the villainous characters: This scene coincidentally forms an echo with Saito's final act of drinking poison, and his initial appearance as Major Saito at the beginning of the drama, full of pride and arrogance, his strong will to survive in the middle period, and his worship of the Japanese Emperor, form a stark contrast with his eventual defeat and loss of will, making him a very three-dimensional villain.
These days, even the elderly are not so easily fooled. Audiences pay attention to the logic of TV dramas. If it's just a casual watch, nobody will argue with you, but if you're really aiming for an award and want some applause, you still need to put some thought into the plot settings.
This is also why I accepted this play despite my reluctance to play the role of a little devil officer - whether a play is good or not for an actor, it's not necessarily about how well it sells or how popular it is, nor is it about how likable your role is. From a long-term perspective, choosing roles is still about selecting those with potential for molding.
Saito is an antagonist, but this character has plasticity - unlike the brainless antagonists in general TV dramas, where the protagonist wins all the way with cheats and punches, after all, it's still more interesting to have a plot that ebbs and flows, with evenly matched forces.
"---- Brother Fang, you say, while everyone else is happily relying on 'Star Fire' to get all sorts of awards, can't I also conveniently snag a Golden Flower 'Best Supporting Actor' award or something like that..."
Jin Hua Television Arts Festival, held annually at the end of December, selects nominees through industry associations and elects awards such as "Best Actor", "Best Actress", "Most Popular Actor", "Best Drama" and "Best Theme Song" among a total of 37 awards. The Jin Hua Television Arts Festival represents the highest level in the domestic industry, and anyone who has won an award at this festival is basically guaranteed to have a steady stream of film offers for the rest of their life.
Of course, Jin Yan has also won various awards in other TV dramas or movies, including some with high gold content. However, over the years, it is impossible for someone of his caliber to not be remembered as having this highest award in the television art world.
At this moment, he heard a cautious question and Fang Yu thought seriously before answering: "I've never heard that the 'Best Supporting Actor' was awarded to a ghost who was torn apart by bare hands..."
"Damn it, your grandfather..."
He let out a long sigh, and in fact, he also felt that this was unlikely. He lowered his head to look at his script, while following the makeup artist's instructions to take off his jacket and expose his upper body. He allowed them to wrap bandages around him, apply fake blood, and add bruises and wounds - it wasn't very pleasant to have layer after layer of makeup applied in this weather. After everything was done, Jian Ran hadn't started filming yet, so everyone saw a young man with black hair, wearing a small military officer's hat on his head at an angle, with bandages wrapped around his upper body and one eye also covered with bandages, squatting under a sun umbrella, eating an ice pop.
The ice pop was eaten halfway, and suddenly stopped. The young man with black hair slightly narrowed the eye that was still exposed outside the bandage, raised his head - just like a mouse smelling the scent of a cat, Fang Yu followed suit, stunned, turned his head to take a look, and as a result, he saw Jiang Chuan walking slowly towards them from afar.
Jian Ran: "Uh-huh."
"Fang Yu: 'How's it going with you and Jiang Chuan?'"
He carefully spat out the popsicle stick from his mouth and picked it up again: "Happily living together."
Fang Yu: "......"
"Deceive you." Said calmly with a poker face, "Still the same, for the sake of each other's dazzling stardom, declining rumors and keeping a safe distance."
……
The hot August passed quickly, and when the students were rushing to do their summer homework, "Star Fire" was officially completed. Although he had acted in many TV dramas before, this was his first time working with a team from Chuan Na, and throughout the filming process, there was less of the lively atmosphere that came with having young actors around. However, whether it was the division of labor among staff, the shooting rhythm, or everyone's work attitude, everything gave him a brand new experience that was completely different from before.
When the last shot was finished, everyone took a big group photo and reluctantly packed their luggage to prepare for their respective departures. However, in Jian Ran's heart, which had already become extremely familiar with this process, a thread of strange reluctance suddenly emerged - probably because he had encountered too many bizarre things throughout the entire filming process. When saying goodbye to the work staff he had been working with day and night, the young man with black hair suddenly felt as if he had returned to a very long time ago, when he first formally acted in a play with a role, the feeling of killing the play at that time -
That's a strong urge to come back to this place and this crew again.
So when Li Rui patted him on the shoulder and said, "There will be a chance to cooperate again," whether it was just a polite phrase or not, Jinran nodded seriously and said, "Definitely, teacher, I'll wait for you."
"Star Fire" was just finished filming at the end of August, and the broadcast schedule has been arranged. The TV series will premiere on CCTV-8's prime time during the National Day holiday period - upon hearing this news, Jian Ran's first reaction is: Qinan is indeed very awesome, with a wide network of connections, strong abilities, and wealth, as well as being arrogant.
It's unbelievable that he is also going to be on CCTV's prime time slot.
Fang Yu humorously said: Congratulations, you have taken a substantial step forward in becoming an overnight sensation after performing in the Spring Festival Gala's sketch comedy.
As for propaganda - there is no genuine propaganda.
Chen Na's promotion has always been to find an advertising time slot, play a TV drama clip, and casually announce the broadcast time. In this era of developed internet, young people who usually don't watch TV may not even know that the drama exists, even if it has become popular among middle-aged and elderly people.
However, "Star Fire" is a bit different - because of the previous incident of "stabbing in the back" between Jin Yan and director Li Rui, and Xu Wenjie's "true or false bullets" incident, this drama had already gained some notoriety before it even aired. Many people couldn't help but wonder if all these incidents were just a publicity stunt by the production team. However, various media outlets have consistently stated that not all explosive events in the entertainment industry are premeditated publicity stunts.
Who doesn't like seeing themselves in gossip and rumors every day when they have nothing better to do?
Moreover, the "real or fake bullet" incident directly sent Xu Wenjie, a supporting actor in "The Starry Sky", to prison. Such an event that has a fundamentally adverse impact on actors is impossible to be a publicity stunt. So when the broadcast schedule of "The Starry Sky" was just set, online platforms that usually don't react much to anti-war dramas also made some noise. Many people would occasionally forward drama stills or related information, and even those who weren't very clear about it would ask: "Is this the drama where Yuan Jinyan almost got into trouble?" In the end, someone even said: "I'll definitely watch it just to see the scene where Jinyan shoots himself, the TV series that almost became his swan song!!"
The person who said this can't tell whether he's a fan or an anti-fan, but if he really came to contribute to the ratings, then I'd like to say to him: thank you.
After all, it's the first time to perform such a serious anti-war drama, and the audience may be completely new and have never been faced before, so I am very nervous about the ratings of "Star Fire".
The ratings of such anti-war dramas are generally between 0.9% and 1.3%, occasionally reaching 1.8% among the older age group - Bai Wenjie, who is now a household name in China's film and television industry, initially gained fame for his starring role in "Blood-Soaked Battlefield", which achieved a rating of 2.0% overnight, catapulting him to stardom, with his asking price skyrocketing ever since; coupled with the fact that he was already an actor with real talent, within five years, he became a leading figure in the industry.
Many actors dream of experiencing Bai Wenji's path to fame.
He has occasionally fantasized about this, but in most cases, he is still very clear-headed about reality - for example, for the elderly, let alone overnight popularity, he is just a "who is this" small transparent person.
For his unease, Li Rui and Bai Yan Ge seemed to be very calm instead. Teacher Li Rui even patted him on the shoulder before expressing this worry, saying: "Relax, since the crew chose you, it's already a recognition of your strength. In fact, you've been doing great during filming - as for ratings, let old actor Bai Wen Qi take care of that for you. You just focus on being a strong newcomer in the new audience group. Thinking about it this way isn't bad at all."
“……”
"Moreover, "Star Fire" is Bai Wenji's finale work, with this explosive point, the average viewing rate conservatively estimated should be at least 1.5%..."
"...do middle-aged and elderly people also pursue 'explosive points'?"
"Old White is a killer of middle-aged women, even buying vegetables can get an extra pound of free pork just by showing her face, you didn't know that?"
“……”
After being told by Li Rui, Jin Yan suddenly discovered that he had an unknown longing for the mysterious and high-end world of "national actors" - and it must be said that Mr. Li Rui's words perfectly comforted Jin Yan's restless heart.
But although it's true what they say...
Still hoping for a good start in this new field, no matter how small it is.
After the TV series was finished, he waited online like a newcomer, frequently forwarding some information about "Star Fire" in the hope that his fans could buy and eat this Anli - although he knew that for his young fans, the anti-war drama was somewhat dull, but he still hoped that even if it was just a small part of the people who could accept it, so every day he forwarded, forwarded, forwarded, all kinds of forwarding styles.
All that's missing is a big banner on their forehead that says "You guys hurry up and eat your Anli already".
His diligent efforts even made his fans feel a bit off, and finally, when Yuan Jinyan re-posted a set of "Star Fire" drama photos on a certain day, his fans, who had been brushed by "hand-tearing devils" for several days in a row, couldn't help but mock their own idol.
Cucumber is not melon: Great God, you post Weibo every day, I've never seen you so diligent before, what's going on?
He Xiaolin: 2333333333333333333333333 Are you nervous?
"My god: I agree with the person above, after all it's their first time acting in a war drama, I've heard that for actors this is a different concept from those idol dramas, it's natural to be nervous and we completely understand——but you're too nervous, damn it!!!!!!!!!!"
"Alright, seeing how hard you're trying, I've decided that after National Day, every night at 8 o'clock sharp, I'll share a family dinner with my parents. Are you satisfied now?"
Little Yellow Dog Woof: ls1.
【oko：ls2。】
Haha, ls3, looking at the upstairs, I found that you actually have such a magical function to promote family harmony, who else can be popular if not you? Don't worry, the ratings will definitely explode.
“……”
With tears of gratitude in his eyes, he silently said thank you to the lovely fans on the other end of the phone.
