Chapter 87 – Making Things Difficult
Xiao Fang walked onto a set with a drawn curtain. The scene was set at night on a deserted long street, with a lone wonton stall. This scene was about the white-collar girl giving him clothes for his birthday. Halfway through, the main character, played by Xiao Qi, would come to eat wontons. This was the entirety of Xiao Fang’s role.
Xiao Fang adjusted his state of mind and got ready at the wonton stall. Ruan Tan officially started filming.
The action director didn’t have much time to explain the details to Xiao Fang. Since Xiao Fang was playing just an insignificant supporting role, he didn’t put much thought into guiding him either.
Fortunately, Xiao Fang had come fully prepared. He hunched his back slightly, a bad habit developed from years of bending over at work. He quickly washed a handful of scallions from a bucket of slightly cool water, did some minor prep, and then deftly chopped them on the cutting board. The temperature was actually below five degrees Celsius, but Xiao Fang was playing a scene set in summer. To avoid giving anything away, he breathed as shallowly as possible through his nose and casually wiped away the pre-applied sweat on his face with a clean towel on the side.
His movements were swift and fluid, which surprised the crew. Xiao Fang, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, couldn’t possibly have done this kind of manual labor. This could only mean that Xiao Fang had come prepared. Even Ruan Tan, who was in full work mode, hadn’t called a halt yet. This was an honor that no actor, including Xiao Qi, had ever enjoyed.
As it neared midnight, there were almost no customers for wontons. Xiao Fang glanced around sneakily and then took out his watch from his pants pocket. It was 11:45 PM. His birthday was about to pass. A fleeting look of loneliness crossed Xiao Fang’s eyes. The feeling vanished quickly but left a pang in people’s hearts.
He immediately covered the boiling wonton broth and turned down the heat. Xiao Fang wearily rubbed his shoulders. Just as he was about to sit down for a rest, the white-collar girl, Lin Yunyun, played by Shi Yiyi, made her entrance. Xiao Fang immediately stood up, trying to look relaxed and forcing himself to appear energetic. This was a quality of a humble person. This action from Xiao Fang resonated with many of the crew members, some of whom were reminded of their parents, siblings, or friends.
Someone who truly cares about you doesn’t want you to worry about them; they want you to always see them doing well.
Shi Yiyi’s face was anxious. She walked quickly to the wonton stall in her five-centimeter heels, a hint of displeasure and anger on her face. This was a far cry from the shy girl she was off-screen.
“It’s your birthday today. Can’t you just take a day off?” Shi Yiyi said with a heavy sob and heartache in her voice.
Xiao Fang smiled honestly. “Did your boss give you a day off for your birthday? You worked overtime again, didn’t you? Sit down, sit down. Big Bro will make you some wontons. No scallions, extra chili oil, right?” Xiao Fang’s smile was full of warmth and doting affection, accepting all the unhappiness of the person before him.
Shi Yiyi was immediately moved. Her eyes welled up, and she turned away to wipe her tears. She grabbed the bag in her hand and handed it over. “You’re always wearing these few clothes. There’s no room left for patches. I bought this with my salary. You’re not allowed to refuse it.”
Xiao Fang’s hands were still a bit greasy. A look of inferiority and shyness crossed his face, as if he was completely mismatched with this high-end bag. His hands fidgeted helplessly.
A nameless anger rose in Shi Yiyi’s heart. She wanted the person in front of her to be better, less constrained. She said with a stern face, “You’re doing this again. Are you looking down on me? What’s a piece of clothing? On my birthday, you paid off my dad’s hundred-thousand-yuan debt for me. You could have opened your own shop by now, instead of being out here feeding mosquitoes.” As Shi Yiyi spoke, her eyes turned red again. It was for no other reason than that seeing Xiao Fang’s clean smile made her heart ache.
Xiao Fang still smiled honestly, as if he was unmoved by the matter. “The two things are different. Big Bro’s hands are a bit dirty right now; I can’t get the bag dirty. You hold on to it for now. I’ll take a good look after I close up.” It was a gift from someone he liked. Xiao Fang cherished it so much he couldn’t bear to get it dirty.
Shi Yiyi’s expression was one of helplessness, but more so of being moved. This person cherished her so much.
She reached out, held one of Xiao Fang’s hands tightly, and said sincerely, “Big Bro’s hands aren’t dirty.”
Xiao Fang’s eyes were suddenly filled with a mix of emotions—sadness, yet also being moved. The weariness on his face seemed to vanish completely at that moment.
“Cut! Good, that’s a wrap.” Ruan Tan stopped the scene right after this moment. A single “that’s a wrap” made everyone turn their heads. It was very moving, and they had thought Ruan Tan would nitpick the details. They didn’t expect it to pass just like that.
Fortunately, Xiao Qi had gone to get his makeup done and wasn’t present. Otherwise, he would have been furious.
Out of the camera’s view, Shi Yiyi reverted to her shy self, but she mustered the courage to catch up with Xiao Fang. Disregarding the gazes of others, she gave Xiao Fang a one-hundred-percent sincere bow. To be honest, Xiao Fang was also taken aback. His hands were genuinely greasy right now, and it wasn’t appropriate to help a young lady up.
He could only accept it with a helpless smile, saying, “What are you doing this for?”
Shi Yiyi straightened up and said, “Teacher Xiao, thank you.”
He was already being called “Teacher”? The crowd watched in amazement, as if watching a play.
“I was actually quite worried about this scene. Worried about myself, and also worried about you.” The young lady was speaking the plain truth, but she quickly added, “But this time, it was a one-take pass all thanks to you. Your skill level is truly something one can learn a lot from. I… I was actually carried by your acting. Thank you!”
Receiving such unadorned praise from a peer was something many actors desired.
“This is all your own effort. I saw you seriously studying everyone’s scenes when I arrived. If I had half your diligence when I graduated, that would be great. Keep it up, believe in yourself more.” Xiao Fang’s words of encouragement weren’t just superficial; they truly reached Shi Yiyi’s heart.
Shi Yiyi wiped her eyes, shyly but happily accepted his words, and then went to the makeup room to touch up her makeup.
The onlookers thought: This must be what a real face-slapping feels like. It’s confirmed that Xiao Fang is not just a pretty face.
“Tsk tsk tsk, Big Star Xiao, don’t go around sowing seeds of affection everywhere. Look at that young lady’s shyness. The more she likes you, the harder the beating you’ll get when you go back.” Ruan Tan appeared silently behind Xiao Fang and spoke the plain truth. The memory of last time’s spanking made Xiao Fang get goosebumps.
He turned around and retorted, “How can that be? This is encouragement, encouragement!”
Ruan Tan spread his little devil wings and let out a long “ehhh.” This was a classic example of being afraid of one’s old husband, wasn’t it?
Xiao Fang was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on—mortified and annoyed, but unable to say much while his fur was standing on end.
Ruan Tan patted Xiao Fang’s shoulder with a “you know what I mean” look. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell him. This scene of yours was simply the easiest one to shoot in a long time. I can’t even believe you were the one who acted in those flashy, over-the-top dramas before.” Ruan Tan said whatever was on his mind, without any fear.
Xiao Fang forced a smile. How could he have been the one to act in those?
While waiting for the next scene, the two of them sat on small stools and chatted again, looking as close as two brothers. But the people who had originally suspected that Xiao Fang got into the cast solely because of his relationship with Ruan Tan were once again slapped in the face by the previous scene and couldn’t say anything.
“What’s your schedule after this scene?”
“Emmmm, I’ve accepted a variety show, I Am a Volunteer.”
Ruan Tan despised variety shows and was about to scoff, but the latter part of the sentence made him hold his tongue. A charity variety show like this was still acceptable. “That’s not bad. I’ve watched all the previous seasons. I just don’t know what kind of non-celebrity partner you’ll be paired with this time.”
“Non-celebrity?” Wasn’t it an all-star cast? Actually, Xiao Fang was just guessing; he hadn’t really looked into the show.
Ruan Tan looked at him with an equally surprised expression. “What all-star cast? You haven’t watched that show?”
Xiao Fang smiled sheepishly. “I don’t really watch variety shows at home. I either watch movies or read books.”
Ruan Tan had an “I see” expression. This kind of activity did fit that person’s persona. No wonder they say birds of a feather flock together; they were a perfect match. Not at all like his own partner’s vulgar taste. Thinking of this, he scoffed, but then he still explained for Xiao Fang’s sake: “I Am a Volunteer has a setup where half are celebrities and half are non-celebrities, forming teams of two to take on tasks and care for the people they are serving. Last season, they went to a nursing home and invited some well-known, well-behaved veteran actors and hosts. Their emotional intelligence and handling of situations were all excellent. But there’s one thing: the ratings weren’t high. The only ones watching were old fans. This is a capital game, after all, so this season… you, I’m not worried about. But the others…”
“You mean this season they’re going to find some popular idols?” Xiao Fang glanced sideways.
“Yeah. Sigh, to be honest, the investor is just looking at your high popularity. I don’t know who else has been confirmed. It’ll probably be some pretty faces who can’t bend over or lift a finger.” Ruan Tan was an old fan of this variety show, and he sounded indignant just talking about it. “Director Liang was a thousand times against it. He was just complaining to me yesterday. But what can you do? It’s already been decided, so it can’t be changed. Brother, this season is probably going to be a bit difficult.”
Was it just a “bit” difficult? He knew the situation in orphanages best. Almost none of the children were “normal.” They were either abandoned infants, or if they were physically healthy, what reason would their parents have to abandon them?
“Sigh!” Xiao Fang sighed along with Ruan Tan. But he really wanted to be a volunteer. What else could he do but bear with it?
Xiao Fang’s ability to accept things was exceptionally good. Since he had already agreed, he would see it through.
After sitting for twenty minutes, the second scene officially began filming. It was also Xiao Fang’s last scene.
Xiao Qi also came out of the makeup room, wearing a camel-colored trench coat and stylish suit pants. His face had been slightly aged, but he still gave off the impression of a stylish young man.
Ruan Tan clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and, without giving any face, yelled, “Are you on a runway show?! Is your stylist’s brain fried?! Get that trench coat off him! Someone, where’s that prop leather jacket from before? Put it on him! So annoying!”
Even though Xiao Fang had been forewarned about Ruan Tan’s work persona, he was still a bit shocked. Was this still the incredibly cute and handsome young man, Ruan Tan? How was this any different from a balding director cursing on the street?
As expected, a crack appeared in Xiao Qi’s freshly fixed expression.
But Xiao Qi knew he couldn’t lose face in front of Xiao Fang, especially after finding out that Xiao Fang had passed his scene in one take.
“Director Ruan, I don’t think the main character needs to be in a constant state of destitution. A reasonable disguise, as long as the acting is good enough, can actually better highlight his psychology.”
“So at the end of this movie, the chef goes on to become a model?” Ruan Tan rolled his eyes without any courtesy.
Xiao Fang let out an ungracious laugh. It wasn’t just him; most of the crew members were also struggling to hold it in. Ma Rui, standing on the side, didn’t laugh out loud, but the expression on his face was about to blossom into a chrysanthemum.
The makeup artist came over in a panic and immediately helped Xiao Qi change into the leather jacket. Although Xiao Qi was a thousand times unwilling, he couldn’t do much to resist unless he didn’t want to act anymore. Just bear with it, just bear with it. This movie would definitely bring him extraordinary achievements!
“Action!”
Shi Yiyi sat on a simple stool at the small stall, waiting to eat her wontons. At this moment, Xiao Qi came out of a hotel, saw the wonton stall, and his eyes lit up as he walked over.
“Boss, a bowl of wontons.”
Xiao Fang was stunned for a moment, then immediately broke into a small vendor’s bright smile. “Coming right up!”
The camera zoomed in for a close-up of Xiao Fang’s stall, showing the pre-made wontons, a bowl of meat paste, and a stack of wonton wrappers.
“Boss, can you make them fresh?” Xiao Qi asked with the same expression, but with an added hint of anticipation.
The others were almost stunned. The assistant director looked nervously at Ruan Tan. This was changing the lines!
Ruan Tan waved his hand. He knew Xiao Fang could handle it. He had known for a long time that this Xiao Qi was always trying to trip Xiao Fang up. He didn’t expect him to dare pull such a stunt under his watch. If it worked out, fine. If not, he would curse Xiao Qi to death. No one could pull stunts on his set!