"Hmm, Miāomiāo and I are discussing the script. If you're interested, you can listen in," the director said.
"Thank you, Director Chen."
Chen Tianming nodded and continued to discuss the script with Fang Miāomiāo. "I've asked Guo Yuán. She said your suggestion is worth considering, but..."
"But what?"
"She said she'll be watching your performance later. If you do well, she's willing to try your proposed ending. If not, she won't change the script."
These were Guo Yuán's exact words.
"Screenwriter Guo is coming?"
"Yes, so you'll have to give it your all in the afternoon's scenes. It's still so hot, you know. The sooner we finish, the sooner we're done."
"Okay, Director Chen, I'll do my best to act well."
"Mm."
The sun blazed fiercely.
Yú Zhǐ, accompanied by Da Chén and a few others, carried several large bags of ice cream.
"Everyone, thank you for your hard work. Sister Miāomiāo asked me to treat you all to ice cream."
"There's enough for everyone."
"Thank you, Teacher Fāng, thank you, Xiǎo Zhǐ."
"Please, have some."
Yú Zhǐ urged the staff to enjoy the ice cream, and then walked over to Fāng Miāomiāo and the others, holding ice cream. "Director Chen, Sister Miāomiāo said that since everyone still has work to do and it's so hot, she sent me to buy ice cream."
"Thank you, Xiǎo Zhǐ."
"You're welcome." Yú Zhǐ's cheeks flushed.
"Go on and rest. Look how sunburnt your face is."
"Hehe, I'm fine, Sister Miāomiāo."
The ice cream, once eaten, brought a refreshing coolness.
"Refreshing," Chen Tianming sighed contentedly. "Your Xiǎo Zhǐ is good, and so is your agent."
"Director Chen, you have something to say."
"Hmph, who has something to say? You're so carefree, day after day. You're over twenty, why are you so naive?"
Fang Miāomiāo paused her ice cream consumption, but quickly recovered. "Is it possible that I just don't want to deal with such things?"
"You're not straightforward, you're too proud."
"Director Chen is teasing now," Fang Miāomiāo smiled. "I just find dealing with such matters troublesome."
"Oh, eating ice cream?" Guo Yuán watched the staff's actions and chuckled. "Who's treating?"
Yú Zhǐ immediately trotted over and handed an ice cream to Guo Yuán. "Sister Guo Yuán, it's so hot today."
"Thank you."
Yú Zhǐ shook her head obediently.
After a short rest,
Everyone began to get into character.
Guo Yuán followed behind Chen Tianming, her eyes deep as she watched the monitor, saying nothing.
"How is it? Didn't I tell you Fang Miāomiāo's acting is good?"
"Fang Miāomiāo's acting is indeed good, but what about Fèi Qīngqīng?"
Chen Tianming heard this and looked over, frowning, he called for a cut.
Fèi Qīngqīng had assumed the issue was with Fang Miāomiāo, but was surprised when Chen Tianming's gaze landed directly on her.
"Director Chen?"
"Fèi Qīngqīng, what was that just now? You were stealing the scene, do you know that?"
More importantly, it wasn't even done well, and it made people uncomfortable.
"I..."
"Alright, let's do it again from the beginning of that scene."
Fèi Qīngqīng bit her lower lip. She had intended to outshine Fang Miāomiāo with her acting, but instead, she had ended up stealing the scene.
No, she absolutely could not be defeated by Fang Miāomiāo.
She had been jealous of her good acting and had caused the crew to terminate their contract with her. Since she was afraid of her, she would use what Fang Miāomiāo feared most to defeat her.
"I apologize for that, Director Chen. It was my fault. Let's try again, I'm ready this time."
Chen Tianming also attributed Fèi Qīngqīng's misstep to the intense heat. "Alright, let's do another take."
The camera turned to Fèi Qīngqīng.
"You villain, your sins are heinous, you shouldn't exist in this world. Ruòlán spared your life due to your ignorance, and yet you dare to return? Today, I will make you kowtow at my sister's grave."
Chén Yáo, opposite her, smirked. "You want me to kowtow? Why don't you go to hell and find your sister?"
With that, Chén Yáo spun her scythe and charged.
The overwhelming killing intent left Fèi Qīngqīng stunned in place, momentarily forgetting to make her move.
"You."
"Cut, cut! Fèi Qīngqīng, what were you doing just now?"
Fang Miāomiāo had such a good scene, he thought it could be a single take, but an accident had occurred with Fèi Qīngqīng again. "What is going on with you today?"
Even though they had investors and weren't short on money, they couldn't be this wasteful.
Moreover, Fèi Qīngqīng hadn't been this incompetent before. All her previous shots had been done in one take.
Why was she like a wooden block today?
"Sorry, Director, I've adjusted."
"Continue, starting from Fang Miāomiāo's last line."
Fang Miāomiāo gave an okay gesture.
"Scene five, take three, action."
Chén Yáo's lips curved, but her eyes held no trace of a smile, a bloodthirsty resentment surging forth. "You want me to kowtow? Why don't you go to hell and find your sister?"
The staff present couldn't help but gasp. It was as if they saw a vengeful spirit filled with resentment crawling out of hell, intending to drag all those who had wronged her into the abyss.
"Fang Miāomiāo's acting has improved so much?"
"Holy crap, this is what a villain looks like! Mom, I feel like my morals are skewed, I've fallen for the villain, Chén Yáo."
Fèi Qīngqīng looked at the person charging at her, almost suppressing her inner fear, and gritted her teeth as she charged forward.
"Fèi Qīngqīng's acting is completely outmatched," Guo Yuán's expression was grim. She had initially thought highly of Fèi Qīngqīng. When she learned Fèi Qīngqīng had given up the role of Ruòlán to Fāng Yánhuān, she had felt a moment of pity for her.
Now, it seemed Fāng Yánhuān's acting was vastly inferior to Fèi Qīngqīng's.
At least, Fāng Yánhuān could hold her own against Fang Miāomiāo.
"Director Chen, I'll take the script back and revise it, especially Chén Yáo's storyline."
"Guo Yuán?" Chen Tianming was somewhat taken aback. He had expected to have to persuade her for a long time.
"Actually, at the beginning, I also wondered if it was too insignificant for Chén Yáo to die at Ruòlán's hands."
When she was creating this script, she felt that the character of Chén Yáo was too perfect—highly intelligent, incredibly powerful, a king-level existence in the apocalypse.
In contrast, the character of Ruòlán was much dimmer.
When she wrote that Chén Yáo would ultimately die at Ruòlán's hands, she wondered if this was truly the ending she wanted. However, having Chén Yáo kill Ruòlán was also unrealistic, as Ruòlán was the protagonist.
"Then, should I pause filming for a few days?"
Guo Yuán shook her head. "Is the set for the other scene being built?"
"It's almost finished."
"Then it's fine. I'll send you the new script in a few days, and please ask Fang Miāomiāo to memorize it carefully."
"Okay."