Volume 2 - CH extra 2

In which, uh… acting is done? This is a short extra LOL.

Volume 2, Extra 2

The final scene was NG’d dozens of times.

Gu Yan stood alone in the center of the stage, his beautiful profile illuminated by the lighting on the side, the metallic glasses reflecting an ice-cold radiance. Although his expression was cold, a careful examination would reveal that fine beads of sweat were already dotting his forehead. Every one of the staff members were beginning to show their weariness, and the assistant Xiao-Chen was running around handing over water and then towels, even more busy beyond belief.

Only Young Master Lin remained completely calm. Waving his right hand, he said, “Let’s rest for a bit then. We’ll redo the shoot again later.”

Ah~

Upon hearing that they could rest, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

When Gu Yan walked over to fix his makeup, he could see from afar several people huddled together whispering.

“We’re starting over again? Aren’t Director Lin’s requests a bit too high?”

“That’s right. Isn’t it just the scene where the male lead closes his eyes and smiles? What does he want out of it? I feel like… it’s already pretty good…”

Lin Jiarui clearly could also hear these comments, but he didn’t say anything, simply walking over to pat Gu Yan’s shoulder and asking, “Do you also think I’m too strict?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll act however the director asks of me.”

“Your attitude is pretty good, but you still need to think over the script some more.”

“Is it my smile that’s off?”

“You smile very nicely. But unfortunately it’s much too nice, which is why it can’t pass.”

Gu Yan doubtfully furrowed his brows.

“You aren’t acting out how to smile; you’re acting out someone closing their eyes in the midst of darkness, believing that he has obtained the long sought after light, even if he also clearly knows that that light is just an illusion. You’re already this old, so it couldn’t be that you’ve never experienced such a thing before, right?”

Gu Yan’s heart throbbed, and he said, “I…”

Lin Jiarui interrupted his words, reaching out a hand and saying, “Let me borrow your cellphone for a moment.”

“For what?”

“My cellphone’s out of power. I need to make a call.”

Gu Yan didn’t think much of it and directly handed over his cellphone, even forgetting to get it back after his makeup was fixed. He rested for only a short while before he once again returned to the set.

Following that were also consecutive NGs.

Closed eyes, lighting, smile.

Gu Yan smiled until his lips were stiff, but Lin Jiarui continued to shake his head. Right as sweat once again began pouring down his forehead, he suddenly heard some footsteps echo by his ears — and a certain familiar silhouette appeared backstage, watching him from afar amidst the crowd of people.

Gu Yan’s heart tightened at once.

The Lin Jiarui off to the side still maintained that expressionless face, but he purposefully waved that cellphone, and only then did Gu Yan understand why that person would appear on set.

How was it written in the script? The male lead closed his eyes in the darkness of reality, and because he had become immersed in the light of fantasy, he revealed a small smile.

But Gu Yan didn’t follow that script in his acting. He calmly gazed at Qin Zhiyuan for a while before then raising a hand to take off his glasses and using the other to cover up his own eyes.

Lin Jiarui immediately shot out a finger. “Lights.”

A ray of light pierced through the dark, illuminating Gu Yan’s beautiful and delicate face. His thin lips slightly curved up, creating an enchanting smile, just like someone who had struggled for a long time in the darkness and finally reached the light that he had bitterly pursued, but at the same time, tears slowly slid down through the cracks in his fingers.

In case you’re wondering, the next two extras after this are a bit longer (especially the next one). And, uh, don’t really have anything to do with Gu Yan and Qin Zhiyuan.