Chapter 110 – Talent
Meanwhile, Lu Xi sat on a nearby chair and began to observe carefully.
Lin Ganzhi didn’t change his clothes at all, simply sitting in the main seat in his original camel-colored coat. But as he looked at the familiar filming equipment and scenery around him, he surprisingly got into character very quickly. He flexed his fingers, relaxed his body, and lazily leaned against the table, his posture completely informal. He casually picked up a grape and played with it, only glancing at Qi Yushuo, who was standing in front of him, with the corner of his eye. He portrayed the laziness and slovenliness of the puppet emperor to perfection.
“Wow, this…” Lu Xi was stunned. Just one posture, and it had so much feeling?
“Shh, watch carefully,” Wenren Yi said. Although she didn’t understand much, Lin Ganzhi’s current state and feeling were indeed several times better than Lu Xi’s from before.
Even Qi Yushuo, standing in front, was a little surprised. However, his solid stage experience allowed him to recover fairly quickly. He recited the lines he had memorized earlier, word for word: “Your Majesty, the border is in peril. This subject believes we must prioritize the nation and can no longer continue like this.”
When he said he was reciting the lines, Qi Yushuo really did just recite the whole passage word for word, without any emotion. If it were an ordinary person acting opposite him, their state would definitely be affected to some extent.
But with Lin Ganzhi, it was a completely different state. The smile that the director had scolded him for countless times before was now achieved by Lin Ganzhi with just a slight twitch of his lips. The puppet emperor seemed to come to life through him. It was just a movement of his lips, but his eyes were empty, even devoid of emotion, like a kept person who had been raised for a long time and had lost their vitality.
Standing not far away, Director Liu’s eyes suddenly lit up. This was the most satisfying smile in his mind.
“Director, our crew shouldn’t be open to unrelated actors, right?” Duan Shaohui reminded him.
Director Liu was in a good mood from watching the scene. Hearing this, his face turned cold, and he shot Duan Shaohui a sideways glance. “If you have something to say, say it directly. I hate people who are passive-aggressive the most!”
Being directly rebuked, Duan Shaohui was instantly speechless. He gave a dry laugh and fell silent.
The three people present were also surprised by Lin Ganzhi’s smile. It had so much flavor. Especially in Lu Xi’s mind, it was like a textbook performance. Lin Ganzhi’s status in his heart instantly rose several levels. He felt it was even more compelling than what the male and female leads were doing.
Then Lin Ganzhi recited Lu Xi’s line from before. Normally, Lin Ganzhi’s voice always had a soft, sticky quality, but when he switched to the lines in the script, his voice changed to another level. His somewhat hoarse voice carried an endless bitterness. “This nation… is not my nation!”
When Lin Ganzhi said this, his gaze merely flickered over Qi Yushuo for a moment before he picked up the prop wine on the table and drank it all in one go.
Only when the bronze cup landed heavily on the table did the people present come back to their senses.
“Ganzhi, you’re actually so good at acting!” Lu Xi and Wenren Yi were both stunned.
Qi Yushuo also said, “That was very well acted.” But when he said this, there was an extra bit of emotion in his words. Lin Ganzhi, who was still in character, didn’t notice.
Lin Ganzhi snapped out of his initial state and smiled. In truth, this wasn’t a very challenging role. “So, after watching that, do you have a bit of a feel for it now?” Lin Ganzhi looked at Lu Xi.
Lu Xi pursed his lips and said honestly, “There are some places where my emotional expression isn’t quite right. Ganzhi, can you give me some tips?”
Lu Xi was usually a bit spoiled, but when he got serious, he was willing to learn. Lin Ganzhi was, of course, willing. He didn’t want his friend to always be scolded on set, and there were always some people who would use that as an excuse to bully him. They couldn’t always be there to help Lu Xi; he would always have to face it alone.
Lin Ganzhi first taught Lu Xi how to overcome his mental block. “First, you have to overcome your fear of the director. Change your mindset. He’s not targeting you as a person, just your acting. If you act well, the director naturally won’t give you a hard time. Every director has a different temperament. I’ve heard a little about Director Liu’s temper. Although he’s a bit harsh, it’s out of a sense of responsibility for the crew. You’ve probably seen the works he’s directed. Although it’s unavoidable that people get cast through connections, any connections hire who has been in his crew has never been scolded because of that film. So, thinking about it from another perspective, although you’re being scolded here, you’re also learning. Maybe this could even be a turning point in your career. Life is like that too. If everyone just says nice things to you, you’ll probably never realize your own shortcomings. Didn’t we also get to be such good friends only after going through some things?” Lin Ganzhi said thoughtfully.
Lu Xi’s eyes turned red again as he listened, but after hearing this, he nodded obediently, because he felt that what Ganzhi said was indeed reasonable.
Qi Yushuo stood to the side, his gaze towards Lin Ganzhi softening even more because of his words. Wenren Yi keenly noticed this and pretended to be carefree as she bumped Qi Yushuo’s shoulder. “What? Were you also moved by Ganzhi’s chicken soup for the soul?”
Qi Yushuo turned to look at Wenren Yi’s handsome face and, for the first time, didn’t avoid it, grunting in agreement. “Chicken soup is a good thing sometimes. People always need to hear something uplifting, don’t they?”
Wenren Yi withdrew her gaze, dismissing what she had just seen as an illusion. “You have a point too,” she replied.
Standing not far away and hearing everything, Director Liu snorted. Duan Shaohui, standing beside him, was overjoyed, but then Director Liu continued, “With this level, you want to start filming early? Don’t call me if there’s nothing important. We’ll start on time later.”
Duan Shaohui could only rage impotently at the director’s retreating back.
In the remaining twenty minutes, Lin Ganzhi taught Lu Xi some basic techniques and helped him understand the character. After Lu Xi tried it himself once, although it was far from Lin Ganzhi’s version, it was much better than his initial attempt.
When filming officially started, Lu Xi adjusted his mindset and performed the scene again from start to finish.
“Cut!” Director Liu called out after Lu Xi finished his lines. He paused for another ten seconds or so before saying, “That’s good! Next scene. Lu Xi, if you had this state, what were you doing the past few days!”
In front of the camera, Lu Xi smiled in pleasant surprise. He stood up and thanked the director several times. Some of the veteran actors also came over to praise him. The crew’s schedule was tight, and Lu Xi’s scenes for the day were finished. He planned to go out with Lin Ganzhi and the others to relax.
“I’m going to the restroom first. Wait for me, don’t leave without me. I’ll treat you all to dinner when I get out!” Lu Xi said very happily, smiling like a child. Only after getting their repeated assurances did Lu Xi happily run off.
“Lin Ganzhi? Can I talk to you for a moment?” Director Liu suddenly called out from behind.
Lin Ganzhi turned around in surprise, not expecting this director to actually know him.
“Ganzhi, maybe he’s calling you to act. You go ahead. Qi Yushuo and I will sit in the pavilion up ahead,” Wenren Yi said considerately.
Lin Ganzhi hesitated for a moment but still nodded and turned to walk towards Director Liu.
The crew’s next scene required a change of location, so Director Liu didn’t have time to find a coffee shop to chat with Lin Ganzhi. He directly chose to sit in the pavilion where they had just been filming. Director Liu was over fifty, and although he had white hair, his spirit was still good. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so full of energy when he was scolding people.
“Ganzhi, let me call you that. I saw you teaching Lu Xi how to act just now. I didn’t expect your acting to have improved so much in just a few short months. Time is short, so I’ll be direct. I’m also preparing for my next film. I admire you very much. If your schedule is still open then, would you be able to join our crew? Although the role hasn’t been decided yet, I can guarantee that the role I give you will definitely not be a small one.”
Lin Ganzhi was shocked. This situation of being invited to join a cast before the role was even confirmed had never happened before. He had just been casually acting earlier, and he had actually been noticed by this director.
Thinking about it, it was actually a bit laughable. He had worked so hard in the past and had never gotten such an opportunity. Now that he didn’t want to act anymore, such opportunities were falling into his lap like pies from the sky.
“I… may need to consider it,” Lin Ganzhi said, trying to be as tactful as possible.
Director Liu pondered for a moment, perhaps not expecting to receive such an answer to his invitation. But he quickly said, “It’s good for young people to be cautious. This is my business card. Anyway, it will be a long time before the next film is truly confirmed. Contact me after you’ve made up your mind.” Director Liu took a business card from his pocket.
Lin Ganzhi politely took it. Just as he was about to leave, Director Liu suddenly called out to him.
“I’ve also heard a little about your situation. If what you’re considering has to do with that, you can rest assured with me. I don’t care about those rumors and slanderous material. What I value is your talent.” Perhaps Director Liu hadn’t said such considerate words in a long time, as his face was a little embarrassed when he said it.
Lin Ganzhi paused for a moment, then gave Director Liu a sincere smile. “Okay, thank you, Director Liu.”
When he returned to where Wenren Yi was resting, she came over impatiently and asked, “How was it? Was it about acting?”
Lin Ganzhi gave her a rough summary of his conversation with Director Liu.
Wenren Yi’s expression suddenly became a little uncomprehending. “Isn’t that a good thing? Why are you still considering it? Or is it… hey, that’s right, you have such a powerful husband to support you, you certainly have the capital to consider it.”
Besides being shy, Lin Ganzhi was also a little speechless. “I think I just heard a landlord envying how good a peasant’s life is.”
Uh.
Wenren Yi coughed.
“By the way, I also chatted with Director Liu for a while. Where’s Lu Xi? Why don’t I see him?”
Now that she mentioned it, it was true.
“Let’s go look for him first,” Lin Ganzhi said, a bad feeling creeping up on him.
The other two also had the same feeling as Lin Ganzhi and immediately got up and walked towards the only restroom in this area.