After listening to Ye Qiusuo's voice message, Xie Xi slowly got up. He was thinking about how to reply, and by the time he had thought it through, he had already arrived at the film set.
The director, as always, was the earliest to arrive. He waved Xie Xi over: "You start filming today. A tutor will be here later; he'll teach you how to carry yourself with the proper stage movements over the next few days."
An opera performer naturally has to sing opera. In the movie, it's not absolutely necessary to sing for real, but the stage movements and postures must look elegant and beautiful.
However...
"Xiao Xie, can you sing opera?" the director asked him. "I remember you have a Chinese-style album with several songs featuring opera-style singing."
"I know a little."
The director clapped his hands: "Good, good. The tutor will teach you a few lines later, and we'll see if you can sing for real when the time comes."
Xie Xi responded casually, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. Had she not arrived yet?
After half an hour, when most people had gathered, Ye Qiusuo finally walked over.
By then, Xie Xi had already been called over by the tutor. That tutor had sung opera for many years and won numerous major awards. Later, due to a physical injury, he had to retire from the stage and now specialized in coaching actors on physicality and voice for film crews.
"Your waist must be soft, your eyes must be alluring, but not forced." The tutor patted Xie Xi's waist, then demonstrated by walking a few steps himself. Despite wearing a padded jacket, his movements still exuded a captivating, coquettish charm, even though he was a middle-aged man.
Xie Xi twisted his waist. Zhang Dong, standing beside him, couldn't hold back a snorting laugh and earned a glare from Xie Xi.
Everyone around watched them with curiosity, Ye Qiusuo being no exception. She stood at the back of the crowd, watching the tutor guide Xie Xi through his swaying movements.
After twisting around for a bit, Xie Xi turned back and saw Ye Qiusuo standing nearby. He immediately froze, unsure what to do next.
"Keep walking. Don't be overly affected. The softness should emanate from your very bones, but with strength underneath." The tutor said sternly.
Xie Xi: "..." This is embarrassing.
After practicing for about an hour, Xie Xi was taken away for his costume fitting. It was a typical opera performer's outfit, though his face wasn't made up yet, as they weren't filming the stage performance scenes today.
The people around began attending to their own tasks. Ye Qiusuo's styling was simple and didn't take much time. She sat on a stool, next to an electric heater that Zhang Dong had moved over for her.
Ye Qiusuo pulled out her laptop from her bag and opened an interface displaying an architectural floor plan. A red dot was moving across it, occasionally stopping at certain points. She watched as the red dot repeatedly entered and exited a marked black area, her eyes turning slightly cold.
This red dot represented the ID trace of Zhang Chengjue. At Tianqiu, you could lose almost anything, but never your ID card. It was required everywhere, even to use the restroom.
Her earlier agreement to let Zhang Chengjue return to work had merely been a test by Ye Qiusuo. If he behaved, he could stay at the company. But if he tried anything underhanded, Ye Qiusuo had the authority to deal with anyone harming the company's interests. Kicking Zhang Chengjue out would then be perfectly in line with company regulations.
This floor plan had been sent to her internally by the company yesterday. During a system check, they discovered Zhang Chengjue's ID card had accessed areas his current position should not permit.
Ye Qiusuo had suppressed the matter for now.
"We tracked down the fans of Li Yandie from that day, checked their photos, and found the man who dressed as a woman. The police are interrogating him today. The contents of that water bottle have also been tested; it contained dilute sulfuric acid." You Feibai stood beside Ye Qiusuo and reported.
Ye Qiusuo reached out, closed her laptop, and put it back in her bag. She looked up: "Congratulations on catching the suspect."
You Feibai sat down seriously. "Catching him was largely thanks to Professor Ye... I'd like to invite you to dinner tonight."
"No need. It was just a small effort." Ye Qiusuo had no desire to waste time on a meal.
You Feibai's expression faltered. He had assumed she would agree. In the adult world, exchanges of benefit were paramount, unrelated to personal likes or dislikes.
If she wanted to enter the entertainment industry, befriending him wouldn't be a bad strategy.
"Director Yi Qicai has a film that's missing a female lead. If you're interested, Professor Ye, I could recommend you." You Feibai decided to simply offer her a favor.
Ye Qiusuo didn't answer immediately. Her gaze fell on Xie Xi, who had just changed into his opera costume.
He was wearing a set of loose, brightly colored opera robes, holding a round fan with a tassel dangling from its handle. His lips were painted with rouge, an unusually vivid red. It was originally a flamboyant, feminine style of dress, but when Xie Xi walked out, he resembled a frivolous young noble from a prestigious family, exuding an air of refined elegance and brilliance.
Xie Xi looked around, and upon meeting Ye Qiusuo's eyes, he smiled.
Ye Qiusuo withdrew her gaze. "I don't have any plans to act again for the time being. Thank you for your kind offer."
Filming for a lead role could take months at the shortest, or even years.
She didn't have the time.
This kind of cameo role, which happened to fall during the winter break, was the only type that met the conditions for earning some extra money.
Having been rebuffed several times, the light in You Feibai's eyes dimmed. He stopped pressing the issue, stood up, and left.
"Something doesn't feel quite right?" The director looked at Xie Xi in full costume, shaking his head repeatedly. "This isn't the feeling I'm going for."
The tutor standing nearby also frowned. "His walking posture is off, and his eyes aren't right either."
The opera performer in "The Lake" is a man who has played female roles since childhood, inevitably imbued with a certain softness and charm. Coupled with his nature of currying favor with the powerful, he needs an added touch of sly seductiveness.
But Xie Xi, the moment he walked out, was like a graceful orchid or jade tree; even this flamboyant costume couldn't suppress his clear, noble radiance.
"Can the makeup be changed further?" the director asked the makeup artist.
"The eyeliner could be extended a bit more, but it won't make a huge difference." The makeup artist was also troubled. She had done plenty of seductive-style makeup; it really depended mostly on the eyes, and Xie Xi's eyes were just too pure.
After several adjustments, another half hour passed before they were finally satisfied.
"Where's the cat?" The director turned and asked the props team.
Soon, someone from the props team brought over a Ragdoll cat with beautiful, watery blue eyes.
The director handed the cat to Xie Xi and explained the scene: "Later, you'll be half-reclining on the daybed, with this cat curled in your arms. You can pet it while you speak."
This scene depicted the opera performer conversing with a distinguished guest. Fang Zhouyue arrives to find that guest, hoping he will join their organization's efforts, and subsequently clashes with the opera performer. More precisely, the opera performer humiliates the male lead.
"Lean your body more this way, don't be so stiff." The tutor instructed Xie Xi on how to lie on the daybed. Although the script described the opera performer lounging casually and lazily, actually portraying that on camera wasn't simple for the actor.
"Like this?" Xie Xi spent an excessive amount of time lounging on his sofa at home; he could portray laziness easily.
The tutor: "..." What's with this aura?
"No, lift your shoulder a bit more, put some strength in your elbow, relax your forearm, let your fingers hang naturally." The tutor pointed out adjustments from top to bottom. In short, the parts of the body hidden under the clothes needed to be exerting force, while everything visible to the outside world had to appear relaxed.
Finally, after much adjustment to his posture and bearing, he did seem to have a hint of lazy charm at first glance. But when the tutor looked up and saw Xie Xi's eyes, he immediately knew the task was still daunting. "Your eyes shouldn't be so pure. Even a slightly post-coital look would work."
Xie Xi looked at the tutor: "After singing opera?"
"..." Damn it, 'after singing opera'? He knew this actor's eyes were just a bit too impossibly pure.
The tutor coughed. "Do you have someone you like? Maybe try imagining her, that heart-pounding feeling when you see her, with just a touch of shyness."
"Add a little more... the eyes should be seductive, but not in a real-life way. It's more like the allure of a lowly subordinate tempting someone of higher status," the director added from the sidelines.
After hearing this, Xie Xi instinctively glanced toward where Ye Qiusuo had been earlier. She was gone, even her bag was missing.
Xie Xi couldn't help but lower his gaze, hiding that flicker of disappointment.
After both the director and the acting coach had imparted their insights, they finally had Xie Xi prepare to start filming.
The result proved it was completely off; the look in his eyes wasn't right.
"Xiao Xie, do you understand shyness and seduction?" the director shouted through his megaphone. "Seduction! Think about seducing someone!"
The entire set echoed with the word 'seduction.'
Ye Qiusuo arrived after finishing a video conference with her company's project team and found their filming at a standstill.
She originally intended to sit down, but someone had taken her previous spot. So, she shouldered her bag and went to stand near the director, which gave her a good view of the filming.
"Take a breather, Xiao Xie. Try to find the feeling again." The director felt this scene would likely take a long time to get right today.
Xie Xi looked toward the director and was surprised to see Ye Qiusuo standing behind him. His heart gave a heavy thump.
After a few minutes, the cameras reset, and they started filming again.
The opera singer, in resplendent costume, reclined languidly on the daybed. His right hand propped up his head, the wide sleeve slipping down to reveal a forearm of cool white skin. His eyelashes were lowered, and his left hand gently stroked the cat in his lap. His slender, straight fingers moved through the white fur, making it hard to tell which was whiter, the hand or the cat.
The male lead pushed the door open. Not seeing the person he wanted, but only a money-grubbing opera singer, he frowned and began to admonish him.
The opera singer lazily raised his eyes.
In that instant, Xie Xi wasn't looking at the camera, but at Ye Qiusuo behind it. His gaze grew complex, a seduction hidden yet unmistakable in his eyes, laid bare unabashedly before the lens.
An inexplicable allure suddenly bloomed.
At the same moment, the kitten in his lap happened to turn its head and look toward the camera. Its watery blue, innocent eyes, paired with its master's, created a contrast that somehow also felt harmonious.
Professor Ye, standing directly in Xie Xi's line of sight, felt her heart skip a beat and unconsciously averted her gaze.
He acted much better than she had anticipated.
The director drew in a sharp breath, struggling not to yell 'cut,' and watched as Xie Xi continued the scene until his lines were finished before finally raising his hand to call it.
"Good, good! That's the one!" The director never expected Xie Xi to nail this scene in one take. It was even better than the effect he had imagined. And the timing of the cat turning to look at the camera was so perfect. Such a wonderful accident would definitely add points to the film.
"Brother Xi, let me help you up." Zhang Dong immediately came over to help Xie Xi to his feet.
Xie Xi tugged uncomfortably at his sleeve and asked Zhang Dong quietly, "How did you think I did?"
Zhang Dong gave a thumbs up. "Brother Xi, if you ever played a country-toppling seductress, you'd be perfect!"
That one glance he gave... tsk tsk, you'd give him your life, your heart, everything. No exaggeration.
Xie Xi's face darkened. "Shut up."
Xie Xi was still holding the cat, and someone from the props department came to take it away. He tugged at his collar again, then walked nonchalantly toward the director, pretending to watch the playback and listen to the praise from the director and the coach, while his mind had already drifted to Ye Qiusuo standing nearby.
"Professor, what did you think of my performance just now?" Xie Xi shuffled closer to Ye Qiusuo and asked in a low voice.
Ye Qiusuo glanced briefly at Xie Xi. "You acted very well."
"Actually, I was just acting blindly. I didn't even know what I was doing," Xie Xi whispered. "When I was acting, I saw you come over."
It was seeing you that made me perform like that.
Xie Xi added silently in his heart.
