Chapter 20: The Veteran Actors

After eating and drinking, Xixi shamelessly dragged Zhang Yuan to the supermarket to buy an entire tray of AD Calcium milk.

In the taxi, she inserted five straws into the bottles one by one and began sipping them sequentially, much like someone playing the harmonica.

"Ha..." After gulping down five bottles in one breath, she finally revealed a satisfied smile.

The driver stared blankly through the rearview mirror.

This little girl looks like a celestial fairy, so why is her behavior exactly like my dim-witted son?

Upon returning to the hotel rented by the film crew, Xixi winked at Zhang Yuan before heading to her room, signaling him not to forget their agreement.

"Xixi, I heard Zhang Yuan took you to see a doctor. How was the check-up?"

Shortly after returning to her room, Shu Chang, Xixi's best friend, knocked and entered.

"It went great, *hiccup*." Xixi covered her mouth after a hiccup. She was currently wearing a form-fitting white one-piece dress.

Having finished an entire bucket of fried chicken by herself, her abdomen was slightly distended.

She was stuffed!

"It's just that my stomach is a bit big..." Xixi muttered, looking down. If her mother found out, she would definitely get scolded.

*Went out with Zhang Yuan and now her stomach is big...* The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart. Shu Chang's eyes widened, unable to believe what she had just heard.

Are people returning from the Land of Liberty really this liberal?

"Hey, what are you drinking?" Seeing the thermos in Shu Chang's hand, Xixi asked curiously.

"Papaya soaked in milk, to stay refreshed. I have to do extra tutoring tonight."

Speaking of which, Shu Chang was not only highly talented in acting but also a bona fide top student. Although she was on a film set, she had hired tutors to provide nightly high school lessons. Despite only being a sophomore, she planned to skip a grade and take the college entrance exam next year.

"You're not allowed to drink that!" Xixi snatched it away, glanced at the other girl's chest, and thought: *You're eating papaya, then what about me!*

The two began frolicking in the room like ordinary girls...

The next morning, Liu Xixi had scenes to film. Director Li and Liu Xiaoli watched the girl perform with apprehensive hearts.

Time flew by to noon, and Director Li and Liu Xiaoli found Zhang Yuan together.

"Holy crap, where did you meet this miracle doctor? The results are instant!"

【Received thanks from Li Dawei: Director Skill +2, Cinematography Skill +4!】

His lines were smoother, his acting was divine, and even his complexion had improved significantly.

Of course it had; with fried chicken in her belly, her intelligence had once again reclaimed the high ground.

She didn't actually have anorexia; she was just like many children who hated eating the unappetizing food their parents prepared.

Her "illness" could be cured with a single meal from KFC.

If that didn't work, she'd just add a meal from McDonald's.

"Zhang Yuan, Xixi said she needs to see a doctor once a week from now on. I'll have to trouble you with this."

Since their last meal together, Liu Xiaoli's attitude toward him had grown quite cold, but now she had become warm and friendly again.

After all, her daughter was her lifeblood.

【Received thanks from Liu Xiaoli: Appearance +2, Dance Foundation +5 (Folk Dance)!】

*Oho, you mother and daughter duo can both help me increase my looks.*

Having settled things with Liu Xixi, Zhang Yuan began to focus on his own performance in the crew.

Although his acting had gained the director's recognition—at least this level of television drama wasn't too difficult for him—Zhang Yuan discovered a problem during the acting process.

It was his lines!

The dialogue in *Conquest* was very crude, even containing a lot of profanity. Of course, since it was a crime drama focusing on criminals, coarse language was normal.

But *The Story of a Noble Family* was different!

It was an adaptation of a novel, and the character Zhang Yuan played was the eldest son of a wealthy family with long passages of dialogue. At this point, unlike Chen Kun and the others who had professional training, his obvious flaw appeared.

"Cut!" Director Li Dawei called out firmly. "Zhang Yuan, you got the lines wrong."

Li Dawei had a good temper and was exceptionally tolerant of Zhang Yuan. Besides, what young actor doesn't make mistakes? So, he didn't say much more.

But constantly getting NG'd because of wrong lines wasn't sustainable.

During the lunch break, Zhang Yuan ate hurriedly and then sat clutching his script, reciting it repeatedly.

Beside him, Chen Kun, Dong Jie, Qiao Zhenyu, and the others looked at his distressed expression and actually felt a sense of relief.

Although they had become friends through these past few days of interaction, the pressure Zhang Yuan placed on them was simply too great.

His acting and professionalism were no inferior to those of them who came from professional academies, he had a private relationship with the director, and most importantly, he was younger than them.

It had forced them all to stay on their toes, fearing they would be utterly crushed by Zhang Yuan.

Now that they discovered he had flaws too, they felt more at ease.

"So, kid, you're not perfect in everything after all!"

Previously, these guys had treated him like a "genius" or a "little deity." Now that he had been "brought back to earth" and they saw he also worried about acting, it actually closed the distance between them.

Just as Chen Kun and the others were wondering whether to step forward and help Zhang Yuan, Wu Jing, who played the Old Madam of the Jin family in the drama, proactively sat down beside him.

"Zhang Yuan, it looks like you're having some trouble." Wu Jing was in her fifties; Zhang Yuan usually called her Auntie.

"Yes, I can't seem to remember the lines, especially the long passages. And sometimes, as I speak, it starts sounding like I'm reading a newspaper, losing the character's emotion."

Zhang Yuan laid out his weaknesses and problems completely.

Wu Jing was a professional from the Shanghai Film Studio, a National First-Class Actor, and she came from a family of performers; her parents had both served in the New Fourth Army Art Troupe, so her foundation was profound.

When facing such a "veteran master," one had to speak honestly, as if explaining a medical condition to a doctor.

"Zhang Yuan, you haven't received formal training from a professional academy, so you don't know that there are techniques to handling lines. Since there's time now, I'll teach you a few tricks."

"Really!" Zhang Yuan could hardly believe it.

A film crew is like a small society; it is quite rare to find people who proactively help and teach others in the real world.

"In terms of memorization methods, there are several: recitation, outlining, mechanical, mnemonic, repetition, and comprehension methods. You must first find the one that suits you."

Just hearing these titles made Zhang Yuan feel dizzy.

"Furthermore, lines aren't just voiced with your throat; you must use your dantian and combine it with your breathing frequency. Only then can you be both steady and accurate."

Wu Jing had a background in a song and dance troupe; when it came to matters of vocalization, she was an expert.

"Then, you must combine it with the character's emotions and clarify the character's logic."

"Let's do this, one step at a time." Wu Jing began to "hand-feed" Zhang Yuan with knowledge. Nearby, Chen Kun and the others all quietly shuffled closer to them.

*Are they trying to steal her secrets too?* Zhang Yuan glanced at them, and the group immediately turned their heads away—some looking at the ceiling, some picking at their fingernails—and left sheepishly.

Wu Jing spent more than half an hour explaining just the theoretical system to Zhang Yuan, then spent another ten minutes chatting about small tips from her own life experience.

This less than an hour of content was worth more than gold to Zhang Yuan!

You couldn't even buy this anywhere else.

He found a notebook to record everything, intending to continue studying it in his room tonight.

"Auntie, listening to your words is better than studying for ten years. Thank you so much." Usually, he was the one helping others; now that someone was helping him, he felt a profound sense of happiness.

"Don't thank me. I should be the one thanking you," Wu Jing replied with a smile.

【Received thanks from Wu Jing: Acting +1, Line Foundation +5, Recitation Foundation +2!】

*Huh?*

Zhang Yuan was very confused. Clearly, she was the one helping him, so why was she thanking him?

In truth, Wu Jing had proactively helped him because, in a way, he had helped her first.

Originally, there were several candidates for the role of the First Madam of the Jin family, all of whom were skilled actors of similar caliber.

But one day, Li Dawei called her to say the role was hers, for a very peculiar reason.

"Because you bear a certain resemblance to the actress who played Grandmother Jia in the 1987 version."

She only found out later that when Zhang Yuan was helping Li Dawei analyze the script, he had mentioned that *The Story of a Noble Family* was very similar to *Dream of the Red Chamber*, and that Madam Jin corresponded to the character of Grandmother Jia. That was what had helped the director make his decision.

In fact, the two did look somewhat alike—both had full, graceful, and dignified features that were indeed suitable for the role.

But Auntie Wu Jing had kept this in mind and had been looking for an opportunity to return the favor to Zhang Yuan.

This is what they call: "Treat others with an inch, and they will treat you with a foot."

Although he didn't understand the reason, it opened up a new way of thinking for Zhang Yuan.

*That's right! These veteran actors are walking treasures. Why didn't I think of 'shearing wool' from them!*

(End of Chapter)