Xia Shuangshuang wanted to say something, but given her position, nothing she said would be appropriate. Many people around her were secretly watching her, making her feel extremely embarrassed. Before she could think of a way to save face, the director told everyone to get into position and start filming the scene that had been previously reshot.
Xia Shuangshuang had already composed herself, but Xu Zifan's attitude just now disrupted her. Even though the system was constantly guiding her mentally during filming, she still made mistakes. Her lack of focus and immersion in the role, merely following the system's instructions to make expressions, resulted in a stiff and unnatural performance!
Xu Zifan was there for the first time and saw how poor the actors' performances were. The director immediately frowned and shouted through a megaphone, "Cut! Xia Shuangshuang, you love the emperor now. You need to make eye contact with him. You should feel guilty towards the empress. You need to be humble in front of her! Let's do it again!"
Xia Shuangshuang's heart tightened, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. The system spoke in her mind: "[Please focus on acting, host. Don't have so many distractions. Professionalism is the first element of becoming a superstar. If you're not professional while filming, how can you expect to become a superstar? If you have to do more than five takes for the same scene, I will punish you.]"
Xia Shuangshuang was immediately stunned. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I've already missed three times, and you're only telling me about this rule now? What's the penalty? Points?"
[Host, the punishment is that after you fall asleep, you will undergo simulated training in your own consciousness, practicing the scenario that was called five times, as well as similar scenarios, one hundred times.]
Xia Shuangshuang breathed a slight sigh of relief. She had thought she would lose a lot of points, but since the training was only in her mind, it would be much easier and there would be no loss.
As they prepared to reshoot, Xu Zifan asked in confusion, "Director, if one person has to do too many takes, isn't that unfair to the others? They have to act so many times; what if they just can't get it right no matter what?"
The director patiently replied, "Generally, there won't be a situation where no matter what you do, you can't act well. If that happens, I'll talk to the actor, shoot other scenes first, and let the actor adjust properly. In the end, we must make sure to shoot well so as not to affect the quality of the film. As for the other actors, there's nothing we can do. In this situation, they can only cooperate. After all, filming is a whole process."
Xu Zifan nodded, leaned back in his chair with a relaxed air, crossed his arms and looked at the screen. "Let's start filming. I hope we can wrap up soon so we can go have a big meal."
This scene was being reshot, but Xia Shuangshuang couldn't concentrate. Xu Zifan hadn't named names, but it was clear he was talking about her. He not only criticized her for having too many takes, but also complained that she was dragging others down, and even suspected she would continue to make mistakes. She, a reborn person with a system's cheat-like abilities, was actually looked down upon by a good-for-nothing rich kid? Why? She'd show him what she was really capable of!
Xia Shuangshuang was angry and wanted to perform well to shut Xu Zifan up. Following the system's instructions on expressions and lines, she performed with extra care. However, the result was that she overdid it and ruined the character's persona!
The director frowned. "Cut! This scene won't work, let's do it again."
Xu Zifan waved his hand, "Director, I don't think this will work. Yuncheng and Xueman are almost suffering from heatstroke. Let them go cool off. Didn't you just say that you would personally give pointers to actors who don't perform well? I think you should give that actor some pointers so she can adjust herself and not delay the other actors."
The director thought he'd figured it out. Could Xu Zifan be deliberately making things difficult for Xia Shuangshuang? Xia Shuangshuang was indeed incredibly shameless, and he was furious, so he wasn't going to hold back. He pulled Xia Shuangshuang aside and, under the pretext of repeated takes, gave her a severe scolding. He'd been thinking about this for a while now. What pre-selected female lead? Pre-selecting such a careless actress was practically ruining the show! He was even begging Xu Zifan, the big spender, to replace the female lead. Why wouldn't Xu Zifan replace her?
Xu Zifan went to where Shi Xueman and Meng Yuncheng were resting, and called Yao Kexin over as well. He said to them, "I've started a live streaming platform and I want to sign some well-known streamers to help me gain popularity. Are you interested? If you sign, all the revenue from the live streaming will be yours, plus an additional signing fee for advertising."
Shi Xueman loves interacting with fans through live streams, and her eyes lit up as soon as she heard the news. "That's great! I want to sign it!" She suddenly remembered that Xu Zifan didn't have a girlfriend yet, and her survival instinct kicked in, so she grabbed Meng Yuncheng's hand and said with a smile, "Yuncheng, you sign it too."
Meng Yuncheng understood what she meant, so he acted a little closer to her and said with a smile, "I've never done a live stream before, so I don't know if anyone will watch. I can give it a try."
Xu Zifan speechlessly shifted his gaze from Shi Xueman. Although Shi Xueman was quite pretty, this was his first time meeting her, and he felt like he was being treated like a wolf. He looked at Yao Kexin, "What about you? Will you sign or not?"
Yao Kexin clutched the script nervously. Signing it would be beneficial for her in every way, except... she was also a little worried about Xu Zifan's intentions. But since the other two had already signed, she hesitated for a moment before nodding, "I'll sign too. Thank you, Young Master Xu, for giving me this opportunity!"
The three soon-to-be stars have reached an agreement. Xu Zifan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll have my assistant talk to your agents later. By the way, you can introduce any acquaintances you know, but only the most famous will receive preferential treatment. Everyone else will have a regular contract, split 50/50. Just contact him if you need anything."
Liang Fei, who was behind Xu Zifan, immediately took out three business cards and introduced himself.
After they finished speaking, the director also finished explaining the scene to Xia Shuangshuang. Xia Shuangshuang had already heard the system's analysis of the scene; the system reminded her of Xia Yi's character and how to act, providing much more detailed explanations than the director. That's why the director sounded like she didn't understand the character.
I talked to her for ages, which really annoyed her.
Sometimes people are like that. If they're happy and focused, they can do things very well. But if they're in a bad mood, and there's someone they dislike watching, they can't concentrate, easily let their emotions get in the way, and end up doing a bad job. Xia Shuangshuang had already NG'd this scene four times. One more time and she'd be punished, which put a lot of pressure on her. Plus, Xu Zifan was standing right opposite her this time, and she couldn't help but glance at his expression out of the corner of her eye. So, naturally, she NG'd again!
[Host, serious warning! Your performance just now was extremely unprofessional. You are an unqualified actor and not on the right track for becoming a superstar. Your first punishment will be severe, doubled! Tonight, after you fall asleep, you will begin acting training, practicing similar scenes two hundred times!]
Xia Shuangshuang was in a gloomy mood, and her face looked grim. The director was even more upset. The investor, who rarely comes to the theater, had said he liked the film and would continue to invest, but Xia Shuangshuang had shown him how poorly they were filming, with one take after another?!
The director said coldly, "We're not shooting this scene today. Xia Shuangshuang, rest. Now, let's shoot the next scene." He desperately needed to salvage his image with his sugar daddy, so he instructed the assistant director to arrange a scene between Shi Xueman and Yao Kexin—a rather intense argument scene. Both of them were excellent actors; their acting would definitely be spectacular. Besides, they were both handpicked by Xu Zifan, so he should be satisfied, right?
As soon as Xu Zifan saw them come on stage, he sat down next to Meng Yuncheng. While watching the two perform, he asked Meng Yuncheng, "Many people online say that you and Shi Xueman are a good match. Is there any possibility that you two could develop a relationship?"
Meng Yuncheng looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to ask this question so suddenly, and why he asked it? Meng Yuncheng considered how to answer, mainly because he was afraid that Xu Zifan was interested in Shi Xueman's love life and that's why he was paying attention to her romantic relationships. Shi Xueman wanted genuine feelings and definitely couldn't have anything going on with Xu Zifan, so should he pretend that he was already with Shi Xueman?
Xu Zifan glanced at him and chuckled, "Your thoughts are written all over your face. Don't worry, Shi Xueman. I invested in this film to make money. I chose you guys purely because you have good acting skills and meet my requirements, not because I'm interested in her. Besides, I'm not the kind of person who forces others, and I won't do anything to anyone over this. You don't need to treat me like a monster in the future."
Meng Yuncheng said awkwardly, "We didn't think that way. It's an honor for us to participate in a film invested in by Young Master Xu." He thought to himself, "Didn't Xu Zifan just make things difficult for Xia Shuangshuang? He doesn't seem like someone who wouldn't hold a grudge over small things." However, he didn't seem to have heard anything about Xu Zifan's behavior towards any actress, girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend before. Xu Zifan liked dating, taking his girlfriends out with his friends, and even accompanying them shopping, eating out, and traveling, but he never forced anyone. He and Xueman were indeed making a fuss over nothing.
The scene between Shi Xueman and Yao Kexin was highly conflict-ridden. When the scene suddenly switched to this one, Shi Xueman skillfully transitioned her emotions, using her rich experience to control the flow of the scene. Yao Kexin, who diligently studied the script and practiced secretly every day, also performed flawlessly, delivering an excellent performance and holding her own against Shi Xueman. Both actresses were deeply emotional, their lines conveying profound feelings, and their tears were beautifully shed. The entire scene was performed without a single mishap, a true visual feast.
As soon as the two stopped, Xu Zifan stood up, clapped, and praised with a smile, "So this is how actors with real talent act! Great job, definitely has a bright future!"
Xia Shuangshuang saw the scene outside from the lounge and was so angry that her face twisted in anger!