Rebirth in Hengdian Ch. 3

Chapter 3: Catching Bugs

It took about an hour or so before the scene was finished.

While waiting, Li Zixi knew that although there was only one sence, it was uncertain how long it would take. Sometimes the actors perform well and the director is in a good mood, then they will finish shooting quickly. If the actor frequently makes mistakes and encounters the director in a bad mood, then sorry, this scene may have to be filmed all morning.

Because it was just an insignificant little girl, the makeup artist simple drew a few lines on her face and left. 

Before acting, Li Zixi exhaled deeply and came to film in front of everyone’s strange eyes. 

The director saw her, frowned, and just wanted to swear a few words. Then he thought about how she had been scolded in the morning, he closed his mouth but his brows became even tighter. He had already thought it through and if she didn’t work well, no matter what company she was in, she had to be replaced.

With an “action,” everyone was in place and Li Zixi’s eyes that had just been closed also opened instantly. She was no longer Li Zixi, but Rong’er next to Naras. 

Ronger ran embarrassedly towards Naras, kneeled and said, “Ma’a, you can’t do this. I have done so many things for you. How can you do this to me?”

Naras looked at her. With her fingers, she casually said, “When did I tell you to kill Nian Guigei, it was you who made this claim.”

Hearing this, Rong’er raised her head and showed incredulous eyes. 

Naras glanced at her gently and said, “Drag her away.”

Rong’er’s eyes widened immediately, and there was a fierce gaze inside, “I curse you for not being able to die, I will never let you go as a ghost.”

After saying this, there was silence on the set. There should be two little eunuchs behind her who stuffed cloth in her mouth, took her to her room, and strangled her with a string. Then she was hung on the beam of the house to make it look like she committed suicide in fear of her crime. 

However, at this time, no one was in motion. Everyone seemed to be dead.

Li Zixi closed her eyes and came out of the scene. She felt that something was not right, but she couldn’t say anything. 

Could it be that her acting skill had changed so much that everyone was stunned?

She looked at Naras in front of her. She was looking at her with a non-smiling look, and a grimacing expression appeared in the eyes of the young girl Chen Yan standing next to her. 

These things are short-lived, no more than half a minute.

With the roar of the director, the silence of the studio was shattered.

“What’s in your head, have you even read the new script? Screenwriter? Has the revised script been given to her?” 

The screenwriter quickly came out and explained, “I gave it, just put it on her desk.”

Li Zixi frowned, looking at Chen Pingping next to her, and Chen Pingping also looked at her with a dumb face. Suddenly, she felt that the matter was overwhelming. 

Chen Yan also whispered to the director at this time, “I saw the screenwriting give it, but… I saw yesterday…” At this point, she glanced at Li Zixi and carefully at the director, then closed her mouth.

The director shouted loudly, “Hurry up!”

Chen Yan said, holding back her excited tone, “I saw Li Zixi throwing the script into the trash, not only I saw, others also saw it.”

She then glanced at Guan Jiaqi, who played Naras next to her, and after seeing her gaze, Guan Jiaqi pursed her lips and turned to nod to the director.

The director had suffocated his fire once and just now he watched that Li Zixi had acted the wrong script, her acting skills were remarkable, and he felt a little pity. Now, this pitiful heart had already flown out. In the entertainment industry, there are so many actors with acting skills. 

“Hurry up and leave, there will be some issues in the morning and still not prepared in the afternoon. You think you are the heroine, even Xia Ke is honest and acts in a humble manner.”

After finishing these words, Shen Guoxing glanced around with fierce eyes, pointing to Chen Yan who had just spoken and said, “You come to act, Screenwriter, show her the script. Take a 10 minute break.”

Chen Yan heard the director’s arrangement. After that, he said excitedly, “Director Shen, no need to read it. I have already read the script and can act now.”

Director Shen frowned slightly after hearing this sentence, and then nodded.

Guan Jiaqi took a deep look at the girl named Chen Yan next to her. She always felt something was wrong. She looked at Li Zixi who was pensive. However, she did see that Li Zixi threw the script in the trash can yesterday. Forget it, anyway, these things have nothing to do with her.

Li Zixi knew when Chen Yan spoke up that she was framed. Combined with her series of reactions, Li Zixi was even more certain about this. Does she have to endure this?

Of course not! For what! When she had just quarreled, she didn’t understand the situation and didn’t want to provoke an argument in public. However, when it comes to acting, she will never give in, especially if she is obviously the victim.

She gave Chen Yan a blank expression. The latter felt her gaze and tilted her chin towards her proudly.

Just when Chen Yan was coming to change roles with her, she said indifferently, “Director, believe it or not, I did not see the new script. I know it is useless to say more now., but please give me another chance.”

After she finished speaking, she looked straight at Shen Guoxing. 

She Guoxing frowned and looked at the newcomer in front of him. He thought she would faint like in the morning or cry. He didn’t expect her to be so calm.

Seeing the director’s gaze, Li Zixi went on to say, “Five minutes, Director, I only need five minutes. If you feel dissatisfied, I will immediately leave and never say anything.”

Director Shen lowered his head and thought it through. After a while, he turned to the screenwriter and said, “Give her the script.”

The screenwriter glanced at the director, frowned, and then handed the script to Li Zixi. Li Zixi took the script with both hands and thanked him. She could feel that the screenwriter should have given her the script, but somehow the script disappeared.

Shen Guoxing did this because this newcomer was recommended by Muzi Pictures, which was now the largest film and television company in China. If the newcomer was scolded by him, there would inevitably be gossip.

However, if the newcomer is not good at acting and gives up themselves, it can reduce the impact. Besides, it is only five-minutes, which is very cost-effective.

Of course, the most important point is that he saw Li Zixi’s acting skills and Chen Yan’s careful words. After directing dramas for so many years, if he didn’t understand the drama of crews, he would not be deserving of the reputation of a famous director.

It’s just that, more often than not, he is too lazy to manage these things. As long as it didn’t affect filming, everything is easy to discuss.

After Chen Yan heard the director’s words, she knew she had no chance this time. She stared at the culprit and gritted her teeth.

Li Zixi got the script from the cold-faced screenwriter and looked at the part she would play. It was really quite different from what she had before.

After reading it three times, she closed her eyes. After a minute, she opened her eyes and said, “Director, I’m ready.”

As the director’s call began, everyone was back in place.

Rong’er ran in embarrassment towards Naras, kneeled and said, “Ma’am, you can’t do this. I have done so many things for you. How can you do this to me?”

Naras looked at her and said casually, “When did I tell you to kill Nian Guifei, it is you who made this claim.” The previous content had not been changed but the content behind did. 

Originally, according to the original script, Rong’er wanted to curse Naras fiercely to set off her viciousness. However, the screenwriter and director later changed  some details in the script. Originally, Naras was not the worst person in the novel. Later, she also had a heart of repentance, but she was just some crazy devil who loved Yongzheng. 

In the novel, it was a little sudden that Naras became better. The screenwriter and director decided to change her in some small details, making this character have a subtle change. The following paragraph is just a small detail.

When she heard Naras’s words, Rong’er raised her head, first revealing her disbelieve eyes, then panicked again and begged with tears, “Madam, then my family…”

Li Zixi’s eyes seemed to speak. Guan Jiaqi looked at these eyes and felt that she was the girl who was afraid of death and worried about her family. She was stunned for a second, quickly regained her stand of mind and re-entered the scene. 

Naras looked at the maid in front of her, her smile slowly converged, then closed her eyes and nodded slightly. Coldly said, “Drag her down.”

Rong’er’s eyes immediately began to shine, kneeling on the ground and knocking her head deeply, she knew she would die. In order for Naras to be kind to her family, she raised her tears and said, “My lady, everyone was done by this slave now, and it has nothing to do with you. It was this slave who saw that the matter was exposed and knew that the crime had been exposed, so she hung herself.” 

After she finished speaking, she stood up trembling. 

“Cut!”

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Pic note: I can totally see Zhou Xun as Naras, she actually plays Ulanara in Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace which is about Qianlong Emperor (who is usurped by Director Shen’s version lol). So, the picture is the time frame after this drama takes place.

For once, we actually get a pretty good acting scene. Every time the author writes about Li Zixi’s eyes opening and closing for dramatic effect, I’m like… girl… do u need some eye drops. HAHHAHAHA.