Actresses

Chapter 70 Filming

"Little sister, you're going to make me deaf," He Yuran said helplessly, covering one ear.

"Just imagining it is enough to make my nose bleed!" Song Lin said excitedly. "Sister Ran! You're so perceptive! The contrast between your outfit and the rest of the look is amazing!"

"Because I'm about the same height as Luo'an, I was thinking that she should have a more assertive look, but I didn't want to stand with my legs apart! So I relied on different outfits to create some differences, which would make the photos look better," He Yuran said.

This was also what she truly felt. She really didn't want to film a video that only showcased herself today; she was hoping that the final product would impress Li Luo'an and change his perception of her.

"What era are we living in? Still standing with your legs spread?" Li Luoan took the suit jacket and then expertly rummaged through the closet for a white shirt. "Okay, I'll wear these then."

"What era are we living in? These kinds of things still happen all the time. Hey, wait a minute!" He Yuran said, suddenly pressing down on the corner of a shirt sticking out of the closet and gently pulling it out. "This... isn't this the one you wore when we were on set, during the fireworks scene? Song Lin, do you remember?"

It was a long-staple cotton plaid shirt, a dark color, and looked like it had been washed a lot and was a bit old, but it was very clean and gave off a reassuring aura.

Now it was Song Lin's turn to be stunned, because she couldn't answer the question. "I... I don't remember."

"Didn't you look at it many times? You can't remember a single piece of clothing?" He Yuran said casually.

Song Lin blushed slightly and honestly said, "I really don't remember the shirt. Sis, wait for me to go back and check the video."

"No need, it's that one," Li Luoan said softly. "I didn't expect you to remember this one. It's my own clothes. Before filming started that day, the crew said they should prepare a few personal outfits that might come in handy. This was one of the clothes I brought."

"Strange, why didn't I receive such instructions?" He Yuran muttered to himself.

"Your clothes are all designer brands provided by the team, of course. I'm different," Li Luoan said casually.

"Then why don't you wear this?" He Yuran said.

"This shirt is too casual and doesn't really go with a suit."

"No, no, no, you can wear it as pajamas. We'll shoot the first take after we've finished the costume change scene. How about that?"

"Then all the footage we just shot is wasted, right? Besides, we've already done our makeup, why bother with all that work?"

"Don't you think this shirt can connect us to the past? Since we're going to create a sense of cyclicality, let's add an Easter egg. Just in case someone notices it," He Yuran said, getting more and more excited.

"I hope no one notices. Look, even Song Lin doesn't remember."

"Song Lin doesn't represent all netizens!" He Yuran made a unilateral decision: "Let's do it this way. After we finish shooting the second scene and have enough footage, we'll remove our makeup, and Luo An can wear his old shirt to reshoot the first scene. Then we'll call it a day."

This time, Li Luoan didn't object, nor did she feel awkward. When the two changed their clothes and put on makeup, everyone in the living room was pleasantly surprised when they walked out of the bedroom.

"Oh my god, so captivating! Both of you are absolutely gorgeous!"

He Yuran couldn't help but feel smug. She was only wearing a tank top underneath a trench coat, making it look like she wasn't wearing anything underneath. And it was quite form-fitting, giving her a cool and sexy vibe.

This is the first time in recent years that she has dressed herself so freely in front of the camera.

Previously on set, she always had to dress more femininely or deliberately appear more down-to-earth at the director's request. During photoshoots, she often wore collaborative outfits with brand exposure requirements, some so outlandishly fashionable that they were incomprehensible to most. In short, she rarely had complete autonomy in choosing a subtle and indescribable style of dress that balanced feminine charm and on-screen appeal, completely disregarding fashion and simply wearing clothes that made her happy for the shoot. But today, she actually did it.

Looking back at Li Luoan, He Yuran couldn't hide the admiration in her eyes.

Her casually tied ponytail, after some minor adjustments by the stylist, with a few wisps of hair framing her ears, added a touch of femininity. However, the oversized suit and white shirt also gave her an air of restrained elegance. In short, Li Luo'an's blend of gentleness and free spirit was harmoniously intertwined at this moment, utterly captivating.

The stylist suddenly said, "If you two go to a pub today, I reckon everyone will be asking for your phone number."

"Let's go, let's go now," He Yuran said excitedly.

Li Luoan shook his head and whispered, "Straight women are truly fearless."

"What did you say?" He Yuran turned around.

"It's okay, go ahead and take the picture."

He Yuran placed far more importance on the second take than the first. Since the first one was a bare-faced shot, the expression just needed to be right. But the second take had to be absolutely stunning, so the two of them went to check the preview after each take. Li Luoan didn't say anything, but judging from her diligent cooperation in every take, she must have cared a lot about it too.

Meanwhile, He Yuran was trying to figure out the psychology of being the older sister's bottom—these were all new words she had learned that night. Song Lin had introduced her to the subject, but the rest was up to her to cultivate. How to portray them vividly was something she had to figure out herself.

With each preview, He Yuran saw that Li Luoan, who walked out from behind, looked at the camera with increasingly aggressive and ambitious eyes. It was as if he was gradually opening up and revealing the restrained part of himself. This made He Yuran even more excited.

Good actors rise to the challenge, especially when both are unwilling to give in, which can bring out the best in each other's acting skills.

Although it was just a short video, everyone present took it seriously and filmed it as if it were a real movie-level shot, even though the equipment was indeed a bit rudimentary.

This particular clip went through twenty takes. In Song Lin's words, each clip had its own brilliance, but only one could be chosen for release and editing. Finally, everyone gathered around and selected the three clips that were universally considered the best. Only then did Song Lin transfer them from his phone to He Yuran.

He Yuran laughed and said, "Let's remove our makeup. We can even take our hair off so we can be more casual."

The two entered the bedroom one after the other, back to back, and began to take off their clothes with a slightly awkward expression.

Li Luoan suddenly said, "Have you also been idle for a long time without any acting roles, so you're trying to find a sense of presence in short videos?"

"How come you've learned all those tricks from those people online? I'm not that bad, okay? I'm just very serious about everything I do. Is being serious wrong?"

"Okay. Take it seriously." Li Luoan's tone softened. "I really appreciate your attitude towards meticulous camera work and performance."

"Let me emphasize again, I'm not doing this to get your approval, it's because I feel that I should take things seriously, and I will take them seriously."

"Oh, so that movie back then wasn't worth taking seriously for you, right?"

He Yuran sighed, thinking to himself, "Why is this person still arguing about this? It's been so long."

"Before we do something, we should have a basic understanding of what kind of results it can achieve. At least when I took on that New Year's film compilation, I knew it was just completing a filming task assigned by the company. We didn't feel any pressure about the box office or the Douban score. Besides, what room was there for creativity? It was just some subtle shots and subtle performances. I really didn't think there was much to explore in the character of Zhi Xia, so naturally I didn't value it too much. I admit I was extremely busy at the time, and it's impossible for every job to be like what I brag about to the media, saying I'll be dedicated and serious. There are bound to be some films..." "The pay was very easy to get. You sit there, rehearse a few times, shoot a few more takes, and that's it. How could I possibly work on the details? Even the best actors and most ambitious people have their off days, and I'm no exception. I know what I'm saying now sounds like I'm making excuses, but I'm a normal person, and I probably did get a bit carried away those years, so I've learned my lesson now. Speaking of which, I also want to apologize to you. It might seem like I'm being dismissive of you, and it's disrespectful. But it wasn't really directed at you; it was just a period in my life when I wasn't in the right frame of mind, and it had nothing to do with your professional skills or fame."

"What do I have to be angry about? It's just an objective fact that my fame has always been far less than yours. I'm just thinking that no matter whether we say we're dedicated or we think we're not, we always end up with things that don't match our expectations and efforts at all. Like Xiao Song's affection and interpretation of Zhi Xia and Zhi Qiu, it really shocked me, especially tonight."

"Isn't this one of the perks of our job?" He Yuran said, helping Li Luoan take off his suit jacket. "Should it be hung here?"

"Yes." Li Luoan didn't try to stop or help her; he just looked at her.

He Yuran hung up his suit jacket and then began to unbutton his trench coat. "So, being an actor is actually a kind of incredible luck. It allows us to freeze a period of our time and our efforts in time, and then it keeps being seen by people—even if not many people see it, but if it sparks some thoughts among even a small number of people, I think the meaning of this job continues."

"Wow, Teacher He, those words were quite insightful. It wasn't in vain that we worked together. I guess I misunderstood you before and underestimated you."

"I'm not afraid of being looked down upon. Actually, I've been ridiculed a lot over the years. But while I get angry, I also enjoy it because it's called being in the spotlight. As artists, we enjoy filming, but isn't being in the spotlight the most important thing? It would be a disaster if no one talked about us."

"So, you can do this job, but I can't." Li Luoan finally started unbuttoning the first button of his shirt. "I really dislike being talked about in ways I don't want to be discussed."

He Yuran wanted to ask another question, but she seemed to have sensed something, so she chose to remain silent.

Li Luoan continued, "Xiao Song is right. You are a person who always takes action, while I may feel that I have changed a lot because I have read some books, but I have not moved forward in terms of action."

He Yuran watched as Li Luoan unbuttoned the second and third buttons, revealing her chest completely. She turned her head away without saying anything, but slowly took off her own trench coat, revealing her smooth skin.

They both fell silent, then hung their clothes back in the closet.

He thought to himself, "I don't think I've ever been this close to an actress on set." But he said aloud, "I don't think we've ever talked this much before."

"Actually, I'm quite afraid of getting close to people, becoming very intimate, especially with colleagues. I feel that there's only endless mutual ridicule and jealousy among actresses. I hate that feeling. The other person smiles at me, but I know in my heart that she probably actually hates me," Li Luoan said.

"I still suggest you come back. Actually, the people in the industry have changed a lot in the past few years; they're not the same as before."

Just then, Song Lin's voice rang out from outside. "Ladies, are you ready? It's time to remove your makeup and reshoot the first scene."

"They're here!" He Yuran shouted.

She put on her own clothes, looked back at Li Luoan, who had also changed back into her loungewear. She walked over and took Li Luoan's hand. This time, Li Luoan didn't struggle and let her lead her outside.