Chapter 85: Waiting Area
As soon as Lin Zhihan left, the makeup artist also formally finished the work at hand. Unlike the disregard when dealing with Lin Zhihan, the makeup artist’s attitude toward Jiang Feng was completely different; she smiled and greeted him before leaving.
Xuan Xia stood up and also formally greeted Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng’s line of sight quietly fixed on Xuan Xia, and after a moment, he said in near admiration: “You really match the feeling of Xiang Ye in the script so well.”
Even better than the feeling in the makeup photos.
Jiang Feng didn’t say it, but because he arrived late last night, he hadn’t seen Xuan Xia try on the makeup, so he wheedled and cajoled the director for a while and finally got to see the finished makeup photos first.
At that time, he was stunned by the photos.
It really matched his vision perfectly!
“When I read the script and studied the role, I felt that Xiang Ye should be like this.” As he said this, he smiled so much that both his eyes overflowed with starlight.
“Uh…, thanks?”
This praise was strangely embarrassing.
But Jiang Feng didn’t feel embarrassed at all and was already excitedly saying: “If this afternoon’s scenes go smoothly, we can have our first scene together. I’m really looking forward to it!”
“…”
Xuan Xia originally didn’t feel much, but now with him saying this, she suddenly felt the pressure.
Are you sure you want to look forward to a scene with someone who has no acting experience?
Anyway, she couldn’t get excited about it.
To prevent her pressure from continuing to rise, Xuan Xia decided to change the topic.
“Teacher Jiang, actually the director didn’t look for Teacher Lin, right?”
Jiang Feng had been immersed in thoughts about the role, but upon hearing this, he was first stunned, then came back to his senses. When he looked at Xuan Xia again, his eyes carried some scrutiny.
As if confirming whether she was dissatisfied with his deliberate lie to send Lin Zhihan away.
After Xuan Xia interpreted this meaning, she was a bit speechless. He had already done it; after doing it, he was suspecting whether he had done wrong—wasn’t it too late for that?
But Jiang Feng was different. When he really couldn’t confirm Xuan Xia’s meaning, the earlier excitement suddenly deflated completely. When he looked at Xuan Xia again, if not disappointed, his gaze was very complicated.
To the point that the scattered starlight in his eyes also dimmed.
Jiang Feng knew very well in his heart that everyone has their own ideas and choices, and he shouldn’t interfere.
Just now, when he saw Lin Zhihan chatting up Xuan Xia, he momentarily only thought that Lin Zhihan habitually did this kind of thing in film crews and only wanted to stop it, forgetting that the one being chatted up might also have her own little thoughts.
After all, Lin Zhihan had good connections in the industry and could indeed provide some resources that female artists wanted.
The more he thought, the more Jiang Feng felt both annoyed and an indescribable emotion.
“Teacher Jiang, are you okay?” Xuan Xia saw his expression change suddenly and didn’t know what he was struggling with in his mind.
“…Nothing.” Jiang Feng lowered his eyes. “Sorry.”
Xuan Xia: Hmm?
But there was no time for Xuan Xia to ask more; Ji Ziyao burst in energetically, spotted her with his line of sight, and called her to hurry up, saying he was taking her to meet the director.
Upon hearing they were going to meet the director, Xuan Xia couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Feng again.
In the end, the one who really met the director was her.
Ji Ziyao was urging her urgently, so Xuan Xia only had time to say to Jiang Feng, “Thanks to Teacher Jiang for helping me out just now,” before hurrying off.
She didn’t see that after she said that, Jiang Feng was stunned for a moment, and then the nearly extinguished starlight rose again.
…
After leaving the makeup room, Ji Ziyao asked Xuan Xia: “What did you say to Jiang Feng?”
Xuan Xia recounted what had just happened.
When Ji Ziyao heard that Lin Zhihan was chatting up Xuan Xia, his face immediately darkened, and he had already cursed Lin Zhihan several times in his mind. Then hearing that it was Jiang Feng who helped her out, his expression became somewhat surprised.
After a while, he said dryly: “I didn’t expect him to have the heart to meddle in others’ business.”
Xuan Xia didn’t say that this person seemed to suddenly regret a bit after meddling.
But she did remember that she hadn’t yet told Yang Wanxiu to inquire about Jiang Feng.
Remembering this now, she quickly called Yang Wanxiu over and whispered the task to her.
Yang Wanxiu nodded after hearing it and told Xuan Xia to relax; she had accompanied her into crews a few times before and already had some experience with film crew socializing. Inquiring about a person was not difficult.
***
The director of this drama was surnamed Pan. In the industry where male directors were the majority, it was rare for her to carve out a place as a female director.
Director Pan was now in her fifties, with long hair pinned up at the back of her head and natural traces of aging on her face, but the first impression she gave was not like a director who oversaw the big picture; she was more like an intellectual writer.
It was now a break interval on the film set, and Director Pan was sitting alone behind the monitor reviewing the effect of the previous scene.
“Director Pan.” As they approached, Ji Ziyao had already put on a smiling face.
On the way from the makeup room, Ji Ziyao had briefly mentioned to Xuan Xia that this Director Pan preferred to use familiar people when casting. In this drama, many supporting actors were familiar faces she had collaborated with several times.
The reason Ji Ziyao wanted Xuan Xia to meet the director was also because of this.
If Xuan Xia caught Director Pan’s eye, even if she couldn’t get a role in every drama, as long as she was remembered a few times, it would be beneficial.
Director Pan heard the voice and shifted her line of sight from the monitor, looking at Ji Ziyao, and the next glance caught Xuan Xia.
Her face immediately showed a bit of smile. “This is the newcomer you brought? The costume really looks good.”
Thanks to Jiang Feng, Director Pan had looked at the makeup photos first thing last night and also thought they were very good.
So she still remembered them now.
Xuan Xia immediately greeted Director Pan and introduced herself.
Ji Ziyao followed up: “We really thank Director Pan for giving this opportunity, so I brought her over to thank you.”
With words this polite, Director Pan naturally responded with a few courteous remarks, then instructed Xuan Xia to treat the role seriously and not slack off just because there were only a few scenes, but also reassured her not to be nervous, as the scenes weren’t difficult.
Anyway, it was the typical carrot-and-stick education mode.
After meeting Director Pan, Xuan Xia stayed behind to wait in the waiting area.
It was called waiting in the waiting area, but actually it was to let the inexperienced her first familiarize herself with the basic filming process and learn from other actors’ performances.
Yang Wanxiu thoughtfully brought a chair for Xuan Xia.
Ji Ziyao told her to watch and learn carefully, then left the film set first because of other matters.
The afternoon’s scenes were all indoor scenes, first a few supporting actors with few scenes, then reportedly a few actors with heavy scenes.
In this weather, the afternoon outdoor temperature was already quite hot, making the indoor feel even hotter.
Not long after, Xuan Xia, dressed in the costume, felt increasingly stuffy and hot.
The film crew’s costumes were all very intricate, with layer upon layer, making it even easier to feel stuffy and hot.
She endured it for a bit but couldn’t hold back and asked the two people beside her: “Do you feel hot?”
Yang Wanxiu and Li Xinze, upon hearing this, each took out a handheld fan from their own bags.
“You both thought of it.” Xuan Xia looked at the two fans in front of her, especially the one in Li Xinze’s hand, which was particularly girly and clearly prepared specially.
As she was thinking about which one to use, the two exchanged a glance, each turned on the fan switch, and held them one on the left and one on the right beside Xuan Xia. The double cool breeze blew on her, sweeping away the stuffy heat in an instant.
Xuan Xia was about to let out a comfortable sigh when a sharp voice spoke first: “Newcomers nowadays are really something; they haven’t even acted in a scene yet, but they already know how to order people around for their enjoyment.”
