“You don’t have to be so respectful to me. I’m new, too.” Yan Huan lowered her head and shyly played with her hands. She knew it was better to act her physical age; if she was too mature and jaded people might start thinking she was some kind of immortal witch.
Sun Shasha cupped a hand over her mouth in surprise. Her thoughts were in a jumble: A new actress? I don’t believe it! There’s no way she’s never done this before!
Sun Shasha found it difficult to believe that a new actress was capable of such flawless, nuanced acting. She burned with shame: she was the equivalent of an insignificant bug in the face of Yan Huan’s incredible acting skills. She inwardly kicked herself, and then immediately felt sorry for herself.
The production crew hurried to set up the next scene. It was the first scene with Jiang Chao, the male lead played by Qi Haolin.
Yan Huan had read the script, and knew that Hong Yao and Jiang Chao had a number of scenes together. She was also aware that Qi Haolin was a veteran actor with impeccable acting skills. This scene was the first one with both Hong Yao and Jiang Chao together.
The character of Hong Yao served as the linchpin for several plotlines in Love and Tribulations. The relationship between Hong Yao and Jiang Chao was one of those plotlines: they were two people who, under other circumstances, would have ended up together. But fate had gotten in the way.
“Action!” shouted the director as soon as the lights, camera, and props were ready.
This was the first scene with both Yan Huan and Qi Haolin.
Inside Rouge Pavilion, amidst the ongoing debauchery, Hong Yao continued to sit alone in her chair. She watched the men and women flirt with each other with a dispassionate eye, as though she were merely a disinterested observer. She watched the men grab the women around their slender waists, before stealthily moving their hands either upwards or downwards. The men boasted of their love for their family and country, but deep down, they were disgusting pigs.
She had seen her fair share of such men.
Suddenly, a group of soldiers from the militia barged in. There was something intimidating about their military boots and gleaming rifles.
A hush fell upon Rouge Pavilion. In the silence, a tall military officer strode into the building; he was wearing the officer’s uniform of the National Revolutionary Army. There was a gun in the holster around his waist. His black military boots thumped ominously across the floor, breaking up the sound of his spectators’ nervous breathing.
Hong Yao’s red lips curved upwards, ever so slightly. She had nothing but contempt for these so-called soldiers: they spent their days lazing about doing nothing, wasting the hard-earned money of their fellow countrymen. All they ever did was bully helpless women.
Her eyes flickered towards the military officer. Suddenly, her pupils constricted as her fingers reflexively flew to her forehead. She brushed her bangs aside, her fingers tracing the uneven bump on her skin as she did so. It was a scar, the only scar on her body—and it was the reason why she always covered her forehead with her bangs.
Her eyes grew unfocused. She appeared to be lost in thought; her red lips parted as she silently mouthed a few words.
“Cut!” Director Jin shouted. Everyone else finally snapped out of their trance.
Yan Huan’s magnetic performance had pulled everyone on set into the world of Love and Tribulations.
Everyone agreed that Yan Huan was an incredible— perhaps even awe-inspiring— actress. Her expressions and body language had been on point; every look, every gesture had been exactly right. She had expertly positioned herself for the camera in every shot. All of the above could be taught through professional training, but they could only be mastered after years of hands-on experience. Yan Huan’s masterful acting was beyond even Wen Dongni, who already had a number of acting credits under her belt. During the audition, Wen Dongni had captured who Hong Yao was on the surface—a prostitute—but she had failed to express who Hong Yao really was inside.