Chapter 450: Chapter 449 Bath Scrubbing (4)
Unless something unexpected happens, a team will be dispatched tomorrow to scout the location, and then Xia Siyu and Bo Yan will follow.
The official start of the filming was supposed to be in over a month, but it was Xia Siyu and Bo Yan who strongly requested to scout the location beforehand. Bo Yan, apart from acting, also wanted to be involved in the film’s production. His discussions with Yu Fenfei yesterday and with Sun Wujiu today were for this purpose; he wanted to learn directing, to one day shoot, direct, star in, and script his own completely original work.
As for Xia Siyu, she came along to learn more. She was even more eager than Bo Yan to enter the village, to communicate more with the locals, to observe and to learn. Even if the film turned out fruitless, it would still mark a beginning. She believed that her efforts and observations would be noticeable to the audience.
Of course, before entering the village, they would enjoy what they could. The production team was so poor that they could only start filming by relying on Bo Yan’s investment and Xia Siyu cutting her fee just enough to scrape together the funds. The other members of the crew couldn’t afford to stay in a five-star hotel and had to settle for the four-star one next door. Only the few key creators could stay here, and even then, it was only because Xia Siyu and Bo Yan paid extra to upgrade to executive suites.
During dinner, Sun Wujiu was quite surprised. Swayed by the alcohol, he laughed and said, “I never expected you, Siyu, to turn down so many jobs outside and come here to eat dirt with us.”
Qin Baizhou’s rebuke last time was exactly questioning his abilities, blaming him for luring their Siyu here for several months for nothing, without the promise of a substantial payment.
Moreover, given Xia Siyu’s previous messy rumors, Sun Wujiu always felt she was delicate and prone to throwing tantrums.
Xia Siyu, however, was calm: “There’s nothing unexpected about it. I want to win awards, you want to make films, our goals are aligned, all for the sake of the film.”
The phrase “for the sake of the film” indeed struck a chord with Sun Wujiu. The pressure on him had always been immense. But what was rare was having the support of a movie emperor like Bo Yan and the effort of Xia Siyu. As long as she wasn’t utterly indifferent, even if she were rotten wood, he’d strive to carve something out of her!
Filmmakers still have the desire to make good films, and he nodded, raising his glass: “Right, for the sake of the film.”
After the clink of glasses, he turned to Bo Yan: “The person you recommended is really not bad.”
Xia Siyu was startled; she had thought she had secured the role on her own merits, not realizing that Bo Yan had indeed spoken up for her. Bo Yan looked down, not glancing at her, but simply curved his lips into a faint smile.
After dinner and some rest, Bo Yan was called away by Sun Wujiu. Xia Siyu had already had Wei Jingjing clean the bathtub, intending to indulge in a good bath to relax.
In the Northwest, especially in the villages, taking a bath was indeed a luxury, especially in such a large whirlpool bathtub. She wouldn’t stay in the provincial city for long; as soon as the location scouting was over, she would join the crew and live and eat with the locals, without the current comforts.
Wei Jingjing had prepared the water, along with a bath towel, essential bath salts, and the like, then stepped out. Just as she left Xia Siyu’s room, a WeChat message from Qin Baizhou came in: “Remember, don’t let Bo Yan get too close to Siyu.”
Wei Jingjing bit her handkerchief, feeling a bit conflicted.
The agency indeed didn’t want the artists to be in relationships, or if they were, they had to be discreet. But how could she stop Bo Yan’s advances?
As she pondered, Bo Yan indeed finished his meeting and came over: “Is she inside?”