Actresses

Chapter 45 Acting

This time, it was Shi Jiahe's turn to blush and turn red in the face.

The fact that the screenwriter was staying at her house must not be told to Wei Ning all at once today. Even Wei Ning could imagine how emotionally unacceptable it would be. Besides, Zhao Cai could submit the manuscript in two days at most, and there absolutely couldn't be any changes during that time.

Shi Jiahe will not allow anyone to disturb Zhao Cai for any reason.

"I know people on set," Shi Jiahe said calmly. "Do you think there's any gossip that can be kept secret in this industry? I did my background check before I contacted you two, okay?"

"Oh." Wei Ning's defensive stance eased slightly. "Whatever they say later, leave it to me. I'll clarify the truth between us myself, and I won't waste a single word of your and Ran's energy."

"Even if you want to waste time, I have no intention of doing so," Shi Jiahe said confidently.

She then smoothly entered acting mode.

Anyway, unless there's a real conflict with Wei Ning, 90% of what she says is meant for He Yuran next to her. It's just a matter of how much of it He Yuran will actually listen to.

"You think I wanted to create a rift with them?" Wei Ning gave a bitter laugh. "The word 'producer' sounds nice, but do you know how long every day on set is, how painful it is for me? I'm constantly cleaning up other people's messes. Every time my phone rings, I get terrified. Some nights I sat by the window thinking, 'Just jump off, then I'll finally have some peace and quiet.' But the hotel for the film crew only has a few floors. I lived on the third floor, and looking down, it was only ten meters. If I jumped and survived, my parents would have to take care of me for the rest of my life? Forget it. So every day I faced everyone with the mindset that the worst that could happen was I'd get fired. And I figured it out, I can't show my emotions, I can't show that I'm scared, so during that time I uninstalled Weibo and Douyin, out of sight, out of mind. Even so, people kept sending me links. Guess what they were?"

Shi Jiahe shook her head blankly.

"The fans of both lead actors kept an eye on the production schedule every day, and even tried to buy flyers and compile schedules to compare the scenes. In short, they kept criticizing me from the filming period to the broadcast. I don't know how I got through that year or so."

Shi Jiahe sighed. Actually, she never knew how to comfort others in moments like this. But she always had to say something.

"Don't you think you shouldn't have done the project this way in the first place? Why did you have to make it like this? If you had polished the script before starting filming, none of these problems would have happened."

Oh, she regretted it as soon as she said it.

That's incredibly naive. How could there possibly be a perfectly polished script? A script is something that can never be perfectly polished.

"Anyway... I feel a little sorry for you." Shi Jiahe quickly changed her tune.

"What's this about whether it's worth it or not? Unlike you guys, I'm not making art. I have KPIs to meet, and ensuring the studio's annual production capacity is my top priority. If that film isn't finished by the end of the year, I'll be fired. Everyone under me will have to find new jobs. Even if it's a pile of crap, I have to finish it."

"Don't you think you've been alienated by this? Your strengths in work have little to do with creative work; they're all about dealing with the platform's entire alienating mechanism."

"What else can I do? Now, I accept whatever you or anyone else says about me, whether it's to my face or behind my back. But I've worked so hard to get to where I am now, I can't start all over again. There's an easy saying, 'Don't leave the poker table,' but that poker table is nothing like it was when we first entered the industry. It's not even a table anymore, it's a mountain that you have to climb every day. The ravines and thorns on this mountain are changing shape every day. You tell me not to come down, but if I don't climb with all my might, I'll just fall down. The funniest thing is, I think I'm trying to climb up, but actually everyone below can see my butt and back when they look up. I'm embarrassing myself, don't I know that? But if one day I'm not on this platform, I'll be worthless, and people won't even mention me when they talk about me behind my back."

"I don't think that way about you!" Shi Jiahe firmly denied Wei Ning's words. "I don't want you to say that about yourself either. Of all the people I've met—at least I know you—few can surpass your level of conscientiousness and responsibility."

Although there was still an element of what she was saying intended for He Yuran, Shi Jiahe felt that she was speaking her true feelings at this moment.

"It's no use, Jiahe. You need to be in a position where you can be seen. Otherwise, being conscientious and responsible is a tragedy." Wei Ning paused. "Do you remember when we were young, we were afraid to take on some challenges because we always thought we weren't capable enough, and we were afraid of overstepping our bounds and offending our superiors. For the first two years after I joined the platform, I still thought that way, but after being brutally punished by reality, one day I suddenly understood. Why did people with less ability and attitude than me get the opportunity to work on big projects, even S+ level projects? Because we were all lucky enough to be in that era..." Some people are just reckless, provided they dare to push their way up, the boss is willing to delegate authority. Two years before the platform studios started carving up the market, I fought tooth and nail to get my first A-rated project. Luckily, the main character suddenly became a sensation, and the project was upgraded to S+. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had those later years. You say I was alienated, I don't deny it, but those were opportunities I fought for myself. Even if it were a meat grinder ahead, let alone my career, I'd still charge in without hesitation because I had to prove I was fresh meat, that I had value to be exploited. Otherwise, I'd just rot outside.

"Sigh, don't talk about it in such a bloody way, it makes me feel really uncomfortable." Shi Jiahe said, glancing at the doorway, but there was no movement for the time being.

"Regarding the director's issues, why was I the one responsible for revising the filming? Because the director simply didn't care. Would you believe me if I told you that some shots were even filmed while I was sitting in front of the monitor?"

This was something Shi Jiahe hadn't expected at all. She said, somewhat taken aback, "I really didn't expect this."

"Do you think S+ projects are all about others having to cater to our platform? No, the director has his own temper too. He actually looks down on idol dramas. The reason I have some reservations about people who are passionate about art is because I think everyone should at least have professional ethics. If you take the money, you should complete the project seriously, even if it's only a 6 out of 10, as long as you've tried your best, I can accept it. But even with that requirement, he couldn't meet it. Of course, it's also my responsibility; I made a huge mistake. I focused all my energy on casting in the early stages. As a result, I blindly trusted the director because of the tight schedule. At first, the filming was very slow, and the production schedule was severely delayed. I calculated that if this continued, we would definitely exceed the budget and the schedule, and I couldn't bear the consequences. The actors wouldn't share the burden either. So I had no choice, and that's when the rewrite began. Plus, Zhuang Pan made demands about the role, and the director simply gave up." "I told him he couldn't handle that much. So I assigned two people, one to talk to the director and the other to talk to Zhuang Pan. They gathered feedback and brought it over. If the director had no objections, I was fine, so I focused on Zhuang Pan. Then I held meetings with the screenwriter Fei Ye; that was the most efficient way. But working at that efficiency wasn't creative; it was like patching a hole in an hourglass. How could that be done? I could even say it was the worst production I'd ever made after gaining some experience, which is why I can't let it go. I also felt bad for Zhuang Pan and Shi Tou, but should I talk to the actors directly? It wouldn't make a difference. Everyone cares about the results. So, Jia He, you have no idea how happy I was when I saw the marketing posts about Zhuang Pan and Ran Jie having dinner together, and when I heard you two were going to collaborate. With you there, I even had a preconceived notion that this was my opportunity too."

Shi Jiahe listened quietly the whole time.

This was the first time she had heard these words. The last time they met at the coffee shop, Wei Ning had spoken quite a bit of the truth, but they hadn't talked this deeply.

It turns out there are so many twists and turns behind each of Wei Ning's S+ projects. Shi Jiahe had initially thought today's dinner was a gamble, but now she unexpectedly confirmed her earlier suspicions: Wei Ning hadn't fundamentally changed.

When a person never talks about their pain, others might even assume that she enjoys it.

Shi Jiahe's assumption that Wei Ning has become arrogant is purely malicious speculation. In a sense, it's more like a pufferfish inflating itself, making a show of bravado.

"Then what else is there to say? If you trust me with the production aspect, let's work together. You're good at dealing with the platform's mechanisms, I know what kind of content we want to make, and I can also help you with the task of appeasing the actors," Shi Jiahe said.

"Of course I trust you. Besides, although it sounds impressive to others, and the word 'producer' sounds very prestigious, it's actually just a lot of trivial matters. As long as you don't find the work too tedious, it's fine."

"Don't you know me? How could I possibly complain about my job?" Shi Jiahe laughed. "We all said we wanted to be producers, but you were the only one who resolutely chose this path. I'm just a deserter."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shi Jiahe almost slapped her thigh.

She forgot that Sister Ran was right next to her! How could she say such things in front of the artist? It's as if she didn't want to be a talent agent.

Just as a moment of bewilderment flashed across Shi Jiahe's face, Wei Ning's signal came in handy. Without even shifting her gaze, she quickly replied, "That's because you have affection for artists. I can't do that. I only deal with artists on a business basis; you can't cultivate any feelings for them. Of course, except for Sister Ran!"

He Yuran, who had remained silent the whole time, finally moved and said lazily, "That line was a bit overdone. You two don't need to act anymore, I understand."

Wei Ning quickly smiled, with a hint of flattery, "Sister Ran! I'm not acting, Jiahe and I really haven't had a heart-to-heart talk in a long time. I know your project urgently needs actors right now, and for me, it's already closed. But I still want to express my true feelings to you. And—"

She turned to look at Shi Jiahe.

"I also want to do something less self-serving, just for my friends."