The woman playing Madam Cai was crowned the best actress in a leading role during the film festival in Shen City: Sun Qiluo. They met each other once last time.
Both of them were nominated as best actress in a leading role when Yun Xiangxiang took part in the film festival with her film: “Caring Love.” But Sun Qiluo got the award in the end however.
Both of them miraculously bumped into each other again in the same team two years later. This could be fate.
“Sister Qiluo,” Yun Xiangxiang greeted her first.
“You’re prettier than you were two years ago,” Sun Qiluo praised. “I was already thinking that you could play as Madam Xi when we were shooting.
Sun Qiluo had a scene together with the previous actresses. It landed her a scolding from Xiong Ao thanks to them. She was already thinking of getting someone who knew how to play as Madam Xi to save her.
It wasn’t because the previous actresses didn’t know how to act. They just didn’t manage to display the quality that Wu Zhao and Xiong Ao wanted. The two famous nitpickers in the industry wouldn’t argue at all if they were collaborating.
However, the actors under them would have to take in double the scolding.
She almost gave up if it weren’t for her sturdy mentality.
“My savior. I have the feeling that I finally managed to make it,” said Sun Qiluo sorrowfully.
“Don’t scare me, Sister Qiluo,” Yun Xiangxiang didn’t know how Wu Zhao and Xiong Ao tortured Sun Qiluo into this miserable state.
“Sigh, you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. I hope you won’t understand forever,” If Yun Xiangxiang did not understand what Sister Qiluo, it meant she wouldn’t get harshly reprimanded.
“What are you two mumbling about?” Wu Zhao waved at the two actresses who were whispering to each other.
Wu Zhao played a clip of the test scene just now for both of them when they got near. He pointed out some irrelevant details.
Yun Xiangxiang and Sun Qiluo nodded while they listened intently.
“This pause here is very good, Xiangxiang. That’s some great feeling in that gaze,” Wu Zhao praised. “You looked spirited.”
The script wouldn’t detail every movement the actors would have to do. It would only note the scene. The mood and form of the character would have to be figured out by the actors themselves.
Actors didn’t just stiffly follow the script; acting was also an art of itself. They were the ones who gave color to the character in their showcase. A good actor would immerse themselves into the character swiftly, and they would portray the liveliness of the character unconsciously.
This was the first visit to the Cai Nation for Madam Xi. Anyone who came to a foreign place for the first time would look at it roughly.
It wasn’t being on guard or getting shocked by the fortress. It was just a human’s basic instinct.
The script never explicitly mentioned that, only noting that Madam Xi disembarked from the carriage and walked towards Madam Cai nobly.
Only those who could truly become Madam Xi would have such a level of detail.
One detail might not be much, nor would it influence the ultimate performance by a lot. But it could sway the audience’s emotions over the course of a whole film.
“Thank you for the compliment, Director Wu. I will work harder,” Yun Xiangxiang replied humbly.
“I’ll let you rest for a day since you just entered the team today. We’ll have dinner together and get to know each other,” Wu Zhao was obviously in a good mood. That was why he was exceptionally reasonable.
“I stand corrected. You’re not just a savior. You’re also a lucky star,” Sun Qiluo said to Yun Xiangxiang when they were on their way back to the makeup room.
“Please don’t praise me so much, Sister Qiluo. I’m getting embarrassed,” Yun Xiangxiang couldn’t defend against the praise.
“I wouldn’t be so enthusiastic if you were the first actress. I might even hate or envy you,” Sun Qiluo was direct. “I almost got tortured into insanity. I don’t care who’s the actress now. As long as she doesn’t drag me along when she gets scolded, I’ll worship her!”
“You’ll never hear the end of it if Director Wu and Teacher Xiong heard that,” Someone roared with laughter the moment they stepped into the makeup room.
“Aiyo. From which beauty’s palace did you come from, husband?” Sun Qiluo replied sardonically
“Beauty Cao’s. Does the madam wish to teach him about the rules?”
“The beauty is powerful. Your concubine doesn’t have the courage to do that,” Sun Qiluo immediately admitted defeat.
This Beauty Cao was probably Cao Chi, the producer.
Yun Xiangxiang gazed at the man in front of her who looked like he was in his thirties, even though he was already in his forties. He had an air of righteousness and bold, stylish features.
She knew that he was the actor playing as the marquis of Cai, Hou Cang, when he heard what Sun Qiluo was saying. “Hello, Teacher Hou,” she greeted immediately.
“I don’t really know what to call such a pretty little lady,” Hou Cang was in a dilemma. “Calling you teacher makes you sound old.”
Actors would call each other teacher as a sign of respect. Of course there would be juniors calling the seniors brothers or sisters.
“Just Xiangxiang is fine,” Yun Xiangxiang had the least experience out of everyone present.
“Then I’ll call you Xiangxiang too,” Sun Qiluo followed the flow. “Where’s our marquis of Xi?”
“He got locked down by Beauty Cao,” Hou Cang replied. “Everyone will be present once your husband arrives later,” He then said to Yun Xiangxiang.
“Isn’t her husband, aka me, sitting here?” Lu Jing who was sitting at the side spoke.
“You’re from the second marriage,” Sun Qiluo shot straight.
“Yes, yes, yes. You’re from the second marriage. I’m her original husband,” A clean, clear voice entered the conversation at this moment.
Yun Xiangxiang turned around and was met with a particularly clean face. He had a face as gorgeous as jade. His lips were crimson, while his teeth were pearl white. He had a natural, flawless beauty of a jade. His eyes were like the dots made by obsidian paint. It was clear and quiet, much like the night sky that is the backdrop of stars.
He wasn’t sturdy nor gaunt. He was slender and stood around a 180 cm.
“My greetings, madam,” He Xingzhou stepped forward and greeted Yun Xiangxiang politely.
“This little child pays her respect to the king,” Yun Xiangxiang greeted back in cooperation.
“Good. What a good little child,” Xiong Ao originally came over to notify them about some news. He didn’t expect to hear something like this.
“What does ‘little child’ mean?” Sun Qiluo whispered. She had a rough guess, but she couldn’t be sure about it.
Everyone looked at Yun Xiangxiang expectantly. She explained graciously, “Little child: a remark for oneself used by the eldest wife of the nobles during the Warring States era. “Analects of Confucius: Surname Ji” [1] states: ‘The ruler’s sworn wife shall be called madam by the ruler; the madam shall address herself as little child.’”
Sun Qiluo thought about how she referred to herself as ‘concubine’ when she talked with Hou Cang and lamented, “Quoting Ruo Feiqun during the award ceremony back then, I have the fear of dying on the beach soon.”
“How much research did the madam do for this film?” He Xingzhou asked feebly.
“I roughly went through the part of ‘Book of Rites,”Spring and Autumn Annals,”The Zuo Tradition,’ and ‘The Analects of Confucius’ that recorded something about our film. I then flipped some pages of ‘Classic of Poetry[2],’ Yun Xiangxiang answered honestly.
“Look at her, look at her,” Xiong Ao immediately pointed at everyone else. “Learn a bit from her.”
“This concubine cannot do it, Big Bro Screenwriter [3],” Sun Qiluo sobbed.
“Ancient poems work better as lullabies than actual lullabies for me. It’s already a miracle that I can memorize the lines of the film,” He Xingzhou protested too.
Hou Cang was even cuter, “Old Man Xiong. I want to do it, but I just can’t. If you want me who only graduated from junior high to read through the essence of Chinese culture, I think that I might have to go through ten dictionaries before I can recognize all the words in them.”