Chapter 1215: Chapter 1206 Crisis (2)
Actually, Xia Siyu didn’t care at all about who she was acting with.
Even if it was with this Jiang guy, she wasn’t flustered at all. Such a blockhead, perhaps he had studied acting for a few days at the film academy, but what could he possibly act out. She usually observed other people’s shoots after finishing her own scenes, mainly because Bo Yan was now learning to be a director.
The results were obvious. This Jiang Jiahe, maybe a bit less aggressive than his sister, but an idol is still just an idol. Without experiencing the harsh realities of society or systematic learning, it’s hard to become a real actor. Someone like Xia Siyu, who was discovered by a star scout on the street without systematic acting education, managed to produce decent work after some casual training and skyrocketed to fame — such cases in the entertainment industry over the decades can be counted on one hand. No wonder she had reason to be proud.
The only annoyance was that acting with this guy would probably slow down her progress. She’s not accustomed to doing endless retakes with him; she’d rather rest or sleep if she had to waste time.
The filming started soon, and Xia Siyu adjusted her makeup and hair, then put on her costume and took the stage.
In this scene, she played the female lead who goes undercover using a fake identity to investigate a drug case at the country’s border. During the investigation, she encounters the male lead, who is traveling incognito. After acquiring some information, the second male lead comes to find her, preparing to take her back to the country.
So, it was a simple scene, just an appearance, a glance, and a line — a plot that simple.
For Jiang Jiahe, as long as he kept it restrained, showed off appropriately, and exuded rogue charisma, he’d be good.
As for Xia Siyu, she had to transition from the gentle, sunny girl with the male lead to a ruthless and decisive drug lord in an instant, testing her acting skills.
Whether the character could stand firm, and whether she could convincingly portray the duality, depended on this moment’s performance.
Director Ji was originally worried that she couldn’t grasp this transformation, suggesting a change in attire. For example, the three-piece set for dramatizing a dark turn: smokey eyes, dark lipstick, and slightly revealing clothing.
But after communicating with Director Ji, Xia Siyu felt that if acting in a film still required makeup to distinguish between good and evil, it would be an insult to her seven years of professional career.
She believed that with her acting skills, she could transform instantly. Just like in horror films, it’s not about playing the most terrifying music, with white dresses and long black hair covered in blood, that makes it scary. It’s when the most mundane setting and unnoticed details start to get bizarre that it sends chills down the spine.
The character transformation hinges on this.
Xia Siyu’s theory, of course, convinced Director Ji, and his only concern was: "Can you pull it off?"
Xia Siyu patted her chest and said, "Don’t worry, I can do it! At worst, we’ll just do a few more retakes! Even if I have to act till midnight, I’ll get this scene right!"
She thought it through carefully. Since Jiang Jiahe would also need retakes, they might as well do them together. If he needed retakes, so would she. But she was elevating the difficulty of the acting, considering it as practice to refine her expressions.
After Director Ji agreed, the makeup artist redesigned her appearance, still sticking to the previous simple white shirt, khaki military pants, and small boots, looking seemingly unremarkable. The makeup was also styled toward a plain look, only considering the female lead as a drug lord from a neighboring country, they darkened her skin tone slightly compared to her natural color.