CH 52

"... Is this scene in the script?" Wen Li felt a little flustered and made an excuse to refuse, "Don't add scenes for yourself and delay their rehearsal."

Before Song Yan could say anything, the actors aside immediately chirped.

"It won't delay us!"

"We also want to learn how to perform emotional scenes!"

"Come on, Teacher Wen Li, we really want to see the two of you act together."

They all said they wanted to learn, but their eyes were filled with curiosity and gossip.

Wen Li wasn't surprised at all that they wanted to learn.

But when Song Yan wanted to learn, it seemed suspicious.

Moreover, Wen Li didn't think that emotional scenes were Song Yan's weak point.

At least ten years ago, when Wen Li, who had no experience in acting, saw Song Yan's debut work, she thought he did a great job with her unprofessional eyes.

She wasn't someone who enjoyed watching movies, but there was a time when Bai Sen invited her to watch a movie. She lazily asked what movie it was, and Bai Sen said that the movie itself didn't matter, what mattered was that Song Yan was the male lead.

Wen Li still remembered how shocked she was at that time, even thinking it was April Fool's Day prank.

Later, when she went to the cinema and saw that familiar face on the big screen, she had no choice but to believe it.

In her memory, Song Yan was the senior who focused on preparing for the university entrance exam, who rarely spoke and was somewhat aloof. But in the movie, he was the silent guardian of the female lead, a passionate and devoted character.

Wen Li searched his name online and found that he already had a Tieba created in his name and numerous news articles.

The senior who used to accompany Bai Sen to write papers after school and tutored her younger brother every weekend suddenly became the person she longed to become.

So when an overseas talent agency extended an olive branch to her, Wen Li accepted it without hesitation and went abroad alone to become a trainee.

Being alone in a foreign country with a language barrier, Wen Li occasionally violated the rules of the agency and secretly used her phone to go online.

She contacted her friends and searched for news about Song Yan.

[Paper Airplane] was later released overseas and there were many reviews about him on foreign websites. She read through them one by one, envying him while encouraging herself to persevere and strive for her debut overseas.

Later, she was forcefully brought back to China by her uncle. Wen Li felt lost for a while. Her idol career in China hadn't taken off yet, there were no exclusive idol variety shows, and no professional stages for performances. She didn't know where to start and she was close to giving up her dream.

At that time, Zhang Churui's Jiarui Entertainment had just been established not long ago. She approached Wen Li, asking if she wanted to become an actress.

Wen Li had never studied acting and didn't have any aspirations to become an actress.

But she inexplicably remembered the appearance of Senior Song Yan on the screen.

Deep down, Wen Li was unwilling. If he could debut as an actor and shine brightly, gaining the love of so many people, why couldn't she?

If she became an actress, she wouldn't be any worse than him.

Over the years, she had watched his debut work countless times. She had acted in various idol dramas, from the initial naiveness to the point where she knew them by heart. Now, she could easily teach other new actors how to perform emotional scenes, how to express their eyes and body movements, and how to immerse themselves in the role.

But she still felt that her acting skills were not as good as Song Yan's youthful and incredibly innocent eyes back then.

This has nothing to do with acting. He clearly immersed himself in the role and transformed into the male protagonist, Chen Jiamu.

In [Paper Airplane], Song Yan's acting skills may not be great, but his ability to convey emotions through his eyes was top-notch. The judges at major film festivals were not blind. If he couldn't act, why would they vote for him and award him as the best newcomer?

After that, Song Yan rarely took on scripts with love as the main theme. His work with Tang Jiaran can be considered his shining moment in romantic scenes.

He said he couldn't act in emotional scenes, but what about the one he did with Tang Jiaran?

Was it because he genuinely fell for her?

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated Wen Li felt. She even started to believe that his claim of not being able to act in emotional scenes was just an excuse to conceal the fact that he had once harbored genuine feelings for Tang Jiaran.

If it were with her, would it also be his weak point?

If so, did it mean he never had any intentions towards her?

It was actually quite funny. All her talent seemed to be focused on emotional scenes. Every time she finished filming for a drama, she would always get caught up in rumors for a while. Either the media was spreading baseless rumors or it was a deliberate publicity stunt for both parties. Since her debut, she had been so busy that she hadn't even had time for dating. But in the eyes of many strangers who don't know her well, Wen Li was an actress with extremely rich romantic experiences.

That's why she wanted to break out of the comfortable zone of idol dramas and seek a path of transformation.

On the other hand, there were still people lamenting the past between Song Yan and Tang Jiaran.

She sneered inwardly.

"Come on," Wen Li convinced herself and said to Song Yan, "Let's make it clear in advance. I won't be able to teach you, but if you think I'm not doing well, please be honest. Don't hold back. I promise to accept it with an open mind."

Song Yan also said, "If I'm not doing well, please don't hesitate to let me know, Teacher Wen."

Surprisingly, the two of them were being polite face to face.

But in the eyes of others, it was just modesty.

Song Yan took the script and began familiarizing himself with the lines. He had acted in many period films before, so he had a foundation and quickly remembered the elegant lines.

Because it was a rehearsal and not on set, the rookie actors were dressed in practice clothes. Wen Li and Song Yan were also wearing their own casual clothes. The surrounding equipment was messy, and the crew members were walking around. To be honest, performing well in such an environment really tested their professionalism.

No one called for a clapboard, so Wen Li manually clapped one herself.

The rookie actors knew they shouldn't speak at this time, so they took a few steps back, giving them enough space, and watched the two teachers quietly.

Being held in Song Yan's arms in front of so many people, Wen Li inexplicably felt a bit embarrassed.

She desperately gave herself a mental pep talk.

You're a professional actress! Stay calm! Stay composed!

"Little Fox Spirit, can't you see what I feel for you?"

Song Yan's acting skills were obviously several levels above Ning Junxuan's. Ning Junxuan had a pleasant voice, but when he was reciting lines, it was just reciting lines, in standard Mandarin, with clear pronunciation. Song Yan, on the other hand, didn't sound like he was reciting lines; it felt more like he was whispering in her ear, with slow and seductive breathing.

"I have never indulged a woman to such an extent, missed her to such an extent, and worried about her to such an extent. When you're happy, I'm happy; when you're sad, I feel sad too. I always speak of benevolence, righteousness, and morality, but helping you each time is just a small effort. But I know deep down that I am extremely selfish when it comes to you. If it were someone else, I might not live up to the four words of benevolence, righteousness, morality."

Wen Li didn't know if she had truly immersed herself in the scene.

If she said she did, she was well aware that the person in front of her was Song Yan, not the character he was playing. If she said she didn't, she was even more deeply immersed in this "Yaochi Confession" scene than before. Her cheeks were burning, even more so than the reaction of the Little Fox Spirit in the script.

In the end, he sighed and gently asked, "After saying so much, can't you understand my feelings for you, you silly little fox?"

Wen Li pushed Song Yan away and turned to deliver her lines.

"I... I don't want to hear these nauseating words! It's so cheesy!"

Damn it, she didn't deserve to be an actress! She was stuttering!

Song Yan took a few steps forward, took her by the shoulder, and looked down at her. His gaze was intense and sighing as he said, "Although it's cheesy, every word comes from my heart."

Wen Li lifted her head and looked at him with an "angry" expression.

It was a look that showed she had been stirred to the point where she didn't know how to manage her facial expressions, just like when someone you like confesses to you. She wanted to refuse, but she couldn't bear to; she didn't want to refuse, but she felt embarrassed.

Because of her beautiful features, even with such a conflicted expression, she still looked beautiful, lively, and agile.

Song Yan saw her expression like this for the first time.

Clearly, they were just acting, but he inexplicably felt a bit afraid of being rejected by her. But now that they had come to this point in their conversation, if he were to back down, it wouldn't be very manly.

"..."

"..."

His mind was a mess. He instinctively responded with the other party's lines.

After delivering their lines, Wen Li let out a relieved breath and avoided his gaze, weakly calling out, "Cut."

If she didn't call "cut" soon, she would combust.

Applause immediately filled the surroundings.

Even in such an environment, with a group of people surrounding them, not changing into period costumes but still dressed in modern clothes, they managed to immerse everyone in the scene.

Indeed, husband and wife chemistry is different.

The emotional tension, the different thoughts between them, one probing while the other was flustered, the pushing and pulling—it was all part of the act.

A boy expressed his regret, saying, "The atmosphere has built up to this point, it's a pity they didn't even arrange a kissing scene!"

Wang Miao, who was knowledgeable about the script, raised her hand and said, "Actually, the original script did have a kissing scene, but we were short on rehearsal time, and we were afraid the chemistry wouldn't be good, so we removed it."

"Wahhh!!"

"What a pity!"

"We strongly demand that the kissing scene be added!"

Wen Li didn't know how well she performed. If it weren't for the flowery lines, she would have almost forgotten that she was acting.

"I got a little distracted just now and didn't perform well," Wen Li honestly admitted, "Did it not affect you?"

Song Yan didn't mind, "It's fine. I was a bit distracted too."

"...You were distracted too?"

"I immersed myself in the scene, so I got a bit distracted."

Wen Li was stunned, thought for a moment, and furrowed her eyebrows, "Then, who did you mistake me for just now?"

Tang Jiaran?

Or any other actress you've worked with?

Song Yan replied, "Wen Li."

Wen Li didn't react in time, "What are you doing?"

Song Yan smiled, "You."

Wen Li pondered for a long time and stuttered, "Are you trying to fool me?"

"I'm not fooling you," Song Yan lowered his head and looked at her, "I almost didn't catch your cues just now. Teacher Wen's acting with her eyes is really good."

Wen Li raised her head, about to proudly say, "That's what you said."

But then, Song Yan's next words messed up the heartbeat she had just managed to calm down.

"I almost thought you liked me."

It felt like a thunderbolt striking her directly, leaving her scorched.

"Teacher Song! Requesting guidance!" Several rookie actors who were reenacting his works suddenly shouted at them.

"I'm coming," Song Yan looked at her, who was dumbfounded. He lowered his voice and said, "You made me feel all flustered just now."

Then he walked away.

What kind of nonsense was this? A grown man feeling all flustered? Who does he think he is, some innocent teenage boy experiencing first love?

Wen Li, who was left behind in the same spot, thought angrily.

——

It was not an easy task to teach new actors about acting.

If an actor had an elevated understanding, then it would be easier, but with so many people entering this industry every year, it was impossible for everyone to have an elevated understanding. It was not enough to rely solely on individual practice to master the craft.

They rehearsed until late at night. Then the renowned directors Qiu Ping and Yu Weiguang, who were invited for the finale of [The S-Class Acting Awards], arrived at the set.

Wen Li naturally wanted to go and greet them, but she didn't want to appear too eager, so she looked at Song Yan with hopeful eyes.

Song Yan took her to greet Qiu Ping and Yu Weiguang.

Yu Weiguang's attitude towards her was good, but Qiu Ping's gaze didn't linger on her for long. He nodded casually, without mentioning [Ice City] or the audition.

Lu Dan was still on a business trip in Shenzhen and wasn't by her side. If it were her agent, they would have exchanged pleasantries by now. But deep down, Wen Li had the temperament of a young lady, and she felt that instead of trying to please Qiu Ping now, it would be better to perform well later and strive to conquer him with her talent.

Qiu Ping's perception of Wen Li was not good, but it wasn't bad either. Although Song Yan hadn't fought for the role of Ye Yan for his wife, everyone could see who he was biased towards at the dinner table that day. Then there was also the screenwriter of the movie, Old Zhou. A genius screenwriter who was fully devoted to the script and paid no attention to the intricacies of the entertainment industry, he believed that Wen Li looked just like his character Ye Yan, so he firmly believed that Wen Li was Ye Yan.

Influenced by these two people, Qiu Ping couldn't deny it.

But he always held a skeptical attitude towards Wen Li's on-screen abilities.

Her acting was decent, she was beautiful, young, and had no problem playing in idol dramas. She had acted in several successful teenage comic adaptations, with good box office numbers. However, it was difficult to determine her actual level. Her idol dramas on the screen were just average, not bad but not particularly impressive.

Several supporting actors who were also competing for the role of Ye Yan with her had solid acting skills and extensive screen experience. They were willing to break the mold and mold their characters. Qiu Ping didn't need Wen Li's popularity to support the box office, so her popularity was not considered an advantage in his eyes.

Song Yan brought his wife over to greet them. Qiu Ping was wondering how she would speak and if she would be as smooth and persuasive as her agent.

"Director Qiu, I will perform well."

Wen Li simply said this.

Qiu Ping paused for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, do your best."

——

In the past, before the official performance, the program's performance order drawing and rehearsal process didn't require the audience to be present. As long as the guests were ready, the recording could begin.

The next morning, the program officially started recording. Two accompanying cameramen from [In This World With You] were allowed to stay on the scene as the audience, but the cameras had to be turned off.

[The S-Class Acting Awards] and [For You To Debut] were different. They were broadcasted on two different satellite TV channels. The two satellite TV channels had been long-time rivals in terms of viewership. The program's investors were also competitors in the media industry. Although the two shows were connected, they were not willing to boost each other's popularity. Therefore, during the official recording process, the materials from the two shows cannot be exchanged and were exclusive.

The two cameramen didn't expect to capture any footage worthy of being claimed as exclusive material, so they sat in the audience seats.

It was like watching a show for free.

When it was time for Wen Li to draw her script, the host asked her first, "Teacher Wen Li, which script do you secretly want to draw?"

Wen Li glanced at Song Yan and smiled, "Something that won't embarrass Teacher Song."

The host said, "Huh? Unexpected display of affection? Are we really recording 'Acting Awards'?"

"Yes," Wen Li pointed to the two cameramen below the stage, "The cameramen assigned to me and Teacher Song from the other variety show didn't even turn on the cameras."

The two cameramen were unexpectedly cued and they reluctantly smiled at the host and guests on stage.

Living together as a plastic couple in their own variety show, they started capitalizing on their popularity after the couple show stopped filming them. Director Yan was really pitiful.

Wen Li put her hand into the drawing box.

The script she drew, in the end, was from a movie.

Wenli instinctively thought: Oh no.

Not only was it a movie script, but it was also directed by Yu Weiguang. A power struggle plot. The romantic storyline was the most difficult to handle, filled with forbidden tension.

Before she could manage her expression, she made a bitter face at Song Yan.

Seeing her expression, Song Yan knew she had drawn a difficult script, but he couldn't help her. He looked at Wen Li and gave her a look that said, "Since we're here, let's embrace it."

When it was Song Yan's turn to draw, he was naturally not good at romantic scenes. In his own works, he lacked chemistry with women, and as a result, he drew a police and gangster genre piece from another male guest.

After all eight guests finished drawing, according to the program flow, they had to find partners among the rookie actors to complete their performances together.

Song Yan had a confrontation scene between two male characters, and when he looked at the boys among the rookie actors who raised their hands high, he directly named one, "My school's handsome junior brother."

The others immediately envied Ning Junxuan.

"A showdown between two 'campus heartthrobs' from the drama school!"

"I've even thought about the trending topics after our episode airs."

A few boys congratulated Ning Junxuan and said how lucky he was to act alongside Song Yan. While Ning Junxuan was happy, he vaguely felt that Senior Song Yan seemed to be targeting him.

Later, it was Wen Li's turn to choose a scene partner. The group of boys who had raised their hands earlier now raised them high again.

"Teacher Wen Li, look at me!"

"I'm your fan! I'm Li Zhi, Wen Li's fan!"

"Choose me, choose me! I have great acting skills!"

Wenli looked at the row of boys with their hands raised high among the rookie actors. Suddenly, she felt like she was choosing a consort for the emperor. However, when choosing a consort, one would pick the beautiful ones with good figures and excellent temperament. Every rookie actor who raised their hand here had been selected from thousands of candidates in professional institutes and were among the best in the national art examination. In terms of looks, figures, and temperament, there was nothing to criticize.

She originally wanted to choose Ning Junxuan, but Ning Junxuan had already been chosen by Song Yan.

The sentimental Wen Li didn't want to hurt any of the handsome juniors. She was contemplating while touching her chin. Suddenly, Song Yan next to her said, "Why not choose me?"

When he said that, the guests and host on stage, as well as the group of rookie actors with their hands raised high, were all stunned.

Wen Li was also stunned.

Yu Weiguang, sitting in the judges' seat, chuckled and said, "Song Yan, can your brain handle acting in two different scripts?"

"Mainly because I quite liked your movie, Director Yu. I regret not being able to take it due to scheduling conflicts."

Yu Weiguang blinked and thought to himself that he did approach Song Yan with the script for this movie. It was Song Yan himself who said he couldn't handle the romantic scenes and was afraid of not being able to perform well, so he turned it down. What does it have to do with scheduling?

In front of the camera, Yu Weiguang couldn't easily talk about these relatively private matters within the industry. It wouldn't be polite to the male actor who was later cast in the movie either. So he held back his doubts and didn't say anything.

However, Qiu Ping wasn't surprised at all. He believed that with the relationship between Yu Weiguang and Song Yan, Song Yan didn't need to flatter his teacher so much on the show.

As for why he did it...

In a scene, the performance of an actor was not only closely related to the actor themselves but was also inseparable from their scene partner. If the scene partner was mediocre, then the scene most likely was not going to be impressive.

Wen Li wanted to secure the role of Ye Yan through this scene; Qiu Ping knew it very well.

This Song Yan, on the surface, seemed noble and righteous, but his heart had long been completely devoted to his wife.

"Director, is it okay? Can we bring in the supporting guest actors as scene partners?"

The host asked the director. With his words, he turned the decision to the director. After thinking for a few seconds, the director made an "OK" gesture.

The host nodded and asked again, "And what about Teacher Wen Li? Do you agree?"

Wen Li quickly nodded, "Agree, agree."

Compared to a group of consorts, Empress Song was still more favored.

The boys who weren't chosen felt a bit disappointed but didn't say anything.

The girls who had been watching the show from beginning to end exchanged knowing glances. They would finally get to see Wen Li and Song Yan act together. This time, it wouldn't be a hasty performance, but a proper filming with costumes on set. Although the set was temporary and definitely not as exquisite as a movie set, it was still better than nothing.

The young male actor who drew Wen Li's fantasy work was a specialized actor in serious dramas. He had won the Best Actor award twice. Although he was not highly recognized among young audiences, Wen Li was definitely going to be more accommodating towards serious actors.

Since he drew this script, he has been wearing a serious expression all the time, not even smiling in front of the camera. In order to lighten the atmosphere, the host specifically prompted him, "Teacher Duan Hong, are you nervous about drawing Wen Li's fantasy drama? As far as I know, Teacher Duan Hong has never taken on this type of work before, right?"

Duan Hong smiled lightly and said, "Yes, usually this kind of script doesn't pass the test with my agent. It's quite a challenge."

When he said this, those who didn't understand only caught the last words and thought he was praising Wen Li.

But many people in the room weren't fools and understood that Duan Hong's emphasis was on the whole sentence.

The host opened his mouth and said with a smile, "Well, today is a good opportunity to challenge yourself then."

"I have confidence in my female co-star," Duan Hong said, "She's my junior sister. We both come from serious acting backgrounds. It shouldn't be difficult to communicate when it comes to acting."

"..."

The rookie actress who was named immediately looked at Wen Li with fear and trepidation.

Wen Li maintained her composure as if she hadn't heard Duan Hong's words at all.

Among the eight supporting guest actors, only Wen Li didn't come from a professional background, nor was she a newcomer, yet she firmly stood at the top level, even surpassing several TV actors in terms of viewership. The combined ratings of their best-performing TV dramas couldn't even match the satellite TV ratings of Wen Li's idol drama, which aired on three channels simultaneously.

In the eyes of some serious drama actors, they looked down on Wen Li's talent but envied her achievements.

They envied how she could effortlessly and beautifully act from the first episode to the last without facing any hardships, earning a full and overflowing pot of money.

Only Duan Hong had a strong personality and couldn't stand her, so he spoke up.

Wen Li knew her strengths and weaknesses. She didn't argue or engage in verbal sparring with others.

She would rehearse for half a day without sleep if it meant performing well.

After the rehearsal for the show, the supporting guest actors returned to their respective rehearsal rooms.

Wen Li called out to Song Yan, "Teacher Song, if you're not in a hurry, can you accompany me to go through a few lines?"

She lowered her head, knowing that her request was a bit excessive. Moreover, Song Yan also had his own rehearsal to attend. Because she wasn't in the right, she maintained a good attitude, without her usual arrogance. Her tone was obedient.

Song Yan didn't have the mind to think about anything else. Even if she spoke arrogantly to him in a high and mighty manner, he would agree. Not to mention now, when she was so well-behaved.

"Let's go, to your rehearsal room."

Wen Li suddenly became happy and smiled with pursed lips.

Song Yan ruffled her hair.

During their line practice, Wen Li unexpectedly became serious. When it came to emotional scenes, she almost burst into tears.

Clearly, she vented her anger into the script.

After going through the lines, Wen Li humbly asked, "Were my emotions too intense just now?"

"No, it was just right," Song Yan said, "Just treat me as Duan Hong, that fierce."

Wen Li was stunned for a moment, turned off the microphone, and whispered to remind him, "Don't say that. It's enough if I get angry alone. You're the Film Emperor, and he's the TV Emperor. When the show airs, if I have a feud with him, it won't be good for you."

It's really the end of the world.

The self-centered princess unexpectedly started being considerate of him.

Song Yan also turned off his microphone and said, "How could I not be angry?"

Wen Li made a sound of realization and deliberately asked, "Then why didn't you help me vent just now?"

"I thought that by helping you perform this scene well and leaving him speechless, it would be helping you vent," Song Yan tilted his head and looked at her, sighing, "If you had given me a hint with your eyes just now, I would have gone up and punched him directly."

Wen Li was dumbfounded, "Besides acting, you can actually fight?"

"Of course," Song Yan nodded.

When he was young, he didn't know how to defend her, so he could only rely on brute force.

Now that he's grown up and matured, he knows what kind of support she needs the most, so he doesn't need brute force anymore.

Wen Li was comforted by him, so her mood wasn't so bad anymore. She pouted and said, "Both of us are actors. Teacher Song, why are you so good?"

Song Yan smiled and asked softly, "If I'm so good, can you like me?"

Wen Li thought to herself: Uh-oh, it was Song Yan who was infatuated with me before, like a rejuvenated teenager, but now it's me who's infatuated, like a rejuvenated teenage girl.

The two of them sat in a corner of the rehearsal room, holding their microphones and whispering to each other. The staff in front of the monitor were extremely speechless.

The chief director of [The S-Class Acting Awards] sighed deeply.

"Before recording the show, Yan Zhengkui sent me a WeChat message saying that Song Yan and Wen Li were the least cooperative guests in his program. They always whispered to each other secretly. I even laughed at him, saying that the two of them sometimes want to be lovey-dovey, but do they need to intentionally show it in front of the camera?" He paused, his tone suddenly becoming agitated, "I'm not Yan Zhengkui, and this is not 'In This World With You'! Do they really need to mute the microphone for practicing lines? It's not some explicit dialogue! Is it necessary? Ah?!"

"..."