FLME Ch6: Filming

A few weeks into the shoot, Yu Wen was already well-acquainted with the crew.

Jian Heng, who played the male lead, was lively and liked to run around during breaks, taking on the role of the behind-the-scenes photographer.

“Calling Xiao Yu; report your location.”

“Twenty meters into the woods behind the second rest tent on the east side, over.”

After playing the voice message from the other end, Jian Heng spoke to the camera, “Now let me introduce our crew’s visual centerpiece, the actor of Chu Zhiyao. He just graduated this year and is a lively, outgoing young man…”

Following Yu Wen’s coordinates, Jian Heng found himself in front of a portable toilet, falling into contemplation.

He politely knocked on the door, “Yu Bao?”

A cheerful young voice came from inside, “Present!”

Jian Heng: “What are you doing?”

Yu Wen: “Taking a dump!”

Jian Heng: “I’m filming behind-the-scenes.”

Yu Wen elegantly corrected himself: “Using the restroom.”

Jian Heng imitated Gu Li’s tone, “Mr. Yu, may I ask if it’s convenient for an interview now?”

Mr. Yu replied, “Not very convenient, as I’m currently in the middle of convenience.”

“Alright, Mr. Yu.” Jian ‘Gu Li’ Heng regretfully said, “An interview without meeting in person is like a pile of loose sand; it doesn’t even need the wind to scatter; just a few steps and it’s gone…”

He went on to interview someone else.

By the time Yu Wen came out, filming had already started.

His scene was next. This one was a scene between the male and female leads. “Legend of the Immortal Sect” was a light-hearted costume drama. The background was clichéd, but each character was vividly and uniquely portrayed within the clichés.

The male lead was the young demon king, and the female lead was the aloof senior sister. Their romance wasn’t about discovering each other’s hidden softness and opening up… Instead, their relationship was always love-hate.

They admired each other while being wary and tasted each other’s blood during fights.

With the previous generation’s elders passing away and the sect declining, Jiang Qiuyue single-handedly held the fort, keeping the Yunxiao Sword Sect stable for decades. This senior sister, who seemed indifferent to worldly affairs, had sharper insights than anyone else.

From the first time she saw Pu Yangxi, she knew he wasn’t trustworthy.

Yu Wen thought this CP was divine. When he had no scenes, he liked to sit on a small stool in front of the monitor and watch.

“Senior sister, second senior brother sent me to inform you that there are traces of demon clan infiltration at the northwest cliff again.”

The seventh junior brother, who joined the sect this year, was full of youthful energy, running up the mountain path from afar, his high ponytail brimming with youthful spirit.

Leaning against a huge rock at the edge of the cliff, a beautiful woman rested her forehead on her hand and read a book, laughing brightly, “Senior sister, the second senior brother asks you to go down the mountain to see him.”

Without lifting her eyes, Jiang Qiuyue slowly replied, “Tell him to get lost.”

Pu Yangxi: “The second senior brother said that you usually only practice swordsmanship and ignore worldly affairs, but the traces of the demon clan concern the safety of our sect…”

Jiang Qiuyue: “You get lost too.”

“……”

Pu Yangxi scratched his head in frustration. He had received a strict order from the second senior brother and couldn’t return without completing it.

He sat on the stone platform, trying to face Jiang Qiuyue, “Senior sister, our sect is isolated from the world. Have you read the popular storybooks in recent years? I have a few here; just ask you to go down the mountain with me so I can give an explanation to the second senior brother…”

Seeing that Jiang Qiuyue didn’t move, he tentatively reached out to press down on the corner of the storybook, smiling brightly and pleading, “Senior sister, please, please.”

His appearance was deceptive enough, enthusiastic and cheerful, full of energy, and he seemed like a naive young man, making it hard to associate him with the powerful demon king.

A slender finger pressed on his hand.

Pu Yangxi’s face changed suddenly.

The sound of bones being crushed followed one after another, and that finger didn’t seem to use much force, but the suffocating feeling was overwhelming.

With a snap, the middle finger bone broke.

Jiang Qiuyue asked, “What’s your name?”

Pu Yangxi’s face changed from gloomy to sunny, as if he didn’t feel any pain, and he smiled brightly and said, “Yangxi.”

Jiang Qiuyue: “I asked for your real name.”

“Cut——”

The director called cut, and Yu Wen sat in front of the monitor, clapping like a seal, “So exciting, our Xiyue is in trouble!”

The director was a young newcomer in the industry. From the plot and dialogue details, you could see his trendiness. The show had many gags, keeping up with the hot topics, and was so nonsensical it made people belly laugh. The director had no airs outside the show either.

He asked Yu Wen, “You think it’s exciting?”

Yu Wen: “So exciting, thank you.”

“How about the main storyline?”

“Smooth and natural, with everything falling into place, showing great mastery, with profound meaning…”

The director praised him for being cultured.

“Do you think our show will be a hit?” After all, it was his debut, and the director seemed a bit worried.

Yu Wen said solemnly, “According to my judgment, it will be a blockbuster.”

The director blushed, “That’s too… I can’t even imagine it.”

Yu Wen: “Coward! I dare to imagine!”

A rush of adrenaline hit the director’s brain, and he excitedly said, “The Magnolia Award is mine!”

Yu Wen: “It’s yours!”

After hyping each other up, the director held Yu Wen’s hand with tears in his eyes and said, “In the future, if you have no roles, come find me. I’ll pay you, and you can sit next to me with a small stool.”

Yu Wen was also very touched, having found another source of livelihood. His chattiness truly shone everywhere.

–

During lunch break, Yu Wen turned on his phone and saw a message from Xie Jiamao.

Boss: [Working for a friend, got you a new variety show.]

Boss: [Lucky koi attached.jpg]

Attached was a photo of himself sitting in front of a monitor.

Yu Wen was very moved. This boss was worth befriending. He couldn’t even support himself but still went out to work to support him.

He found a strange koi meme made by Chu Laoliu in his album and sent it to Xie Jiamao.

Xie Jiamao replied quickly, probably slacking off.

Boss: [How was today’s shoot? Smooth?]

Yu Wen: [Smooth.]

Yu Wen: [Sending love.jpg]

Xie Jiamao caught all his love and sent back an Ultraman laser love meme.

Boss: [I’ve been a bit busy these days. If you need anything, find Xiao Xie; he’s temporarily your assistant.]

Yu Wen was silent for two seconds, feeling a bit sorry for Teacher Xie.

Xie Jiamao pushed Xie Heyu’s contact card to him, and Yu Wen remembered they hadn’t spoken since exchanging contacts.

Teacher Xie’s avatar was a blurry side silhouette on an empty street, bathed in the orange hue of streetlights, with the corner showing the fleeting shadow of a speeding black car.

The side profile wore a hoodie and mask, making it hard to tell if it was Teacher Xie himself, but the slim figure and sharp outline suggested a handsome guy.

Yu Wen, a straightforward person, asked directly.

He opened the chatbox: [Teacher Xie, Teacher Xie, are you there?]

Before sending the second message, his phone buzzed, and a white message popped up in the chatbox.

[Here.]

Yu Wen copied and deleted the typed words, then quickly typed: [Wow, Teacher Xie, you’re slacking off in class.]

Then pasted the previous words: [Is the avatar you?]

Xie Heyu: [No class now.]

Xie Heyu: [Yes.]

Yu Wen thought, cool guys are cool; even their replies are concise. Making him seem like a chatterbox.

He decided to be concise too: [Why?]

Xie Heyu: [?]

Yu Wen felt disappointed. He rarely wanted to change himself but met someone on a different wavelength.

But Teacher Xie seemed like a serious person; not matching frequencies with a weirdo was expected, Yu Wen consoled himself.

Yu Wen: [People say using one’s own photo as an avatar is reserved. Teacher Xie, you’re not like that, right?]

Xie Heyu: [I’m not.]

Yu Wen: [Please give a reason.]

Xie Heyu was interesting; he spoke little but wasn’t dismissive; he was cold but not aloof.

The typing indicator stayed for a while.

Xie Heyu: [Family group requires everyone to use their own photo for easy identification.]

Yu Wen: [Haha… but Teacher Xie, this one doesn’t look like you either.]

Xie Heyu: [Hmm.]

Xie Heyu: [I did it on purpose.]

“……”

Yu Wen suddenly got the joke.

When Jian Heng came looking for him, he was holding his phone, laughing to the point of tears.

“Ziwei, Ziwei, don’t cry!” Jian Heng switched roles, holding his shoulders in grief, “I will definitely cure your eyes!”

“Imperial Father.” Yu Wen looked at him affectionately.

Jian Heng: “?”

Is this his role?

“Summer Rain Lotus by the Ming Lake, is going to turn into a butterfly and fly away.”

Jian Heng: “?”

The makeup artist called him over for a touch-up since he had an important scene next. Yu Wen sprang lightly from the lounge chair, flapping his sleeves and fluttering towards the makeup artist like a butterfly.