69novels Chapter 36: Jealousy
Chapter 36: Jealousy
Filming is almost a week behind schedule.
There are two main reasons.
First, it's difficult to film plays performed by deaf and mute people.
Liu Yu didn't want to use professional actors to play these roles; what he wanted was a sense of authenticity that came from the very core of the character.
The deaf and mute people in Weihai are indeed real; they are unfamiliar with the camera and the camera movements.
The sign language interpreter moved back and forth on set, translating Liu Yu's instructions to the extras and then translating the extras' reactions back to Liu Yu. Time passed quickly in this back-and-forth.
The second reason is Liu Yifei.
It's not that she's bad, it's that she tries too hard to do well.
After experiencing life there, her condition improved dramatically, and she set higher standards for herself.
After each scene was filmed, she would go to the monitor to watch the playback, then look up at Liu Yu and say, "Director Liu, could you give me another chance?"
It wasn't that Liu Yu was dissatisfied, it was that she was dissatisfied.
Sometimes Liu Yu feels that she has done enough, but she still wants to do one more take.
Wang Jinsong once whispered to someone nearby, "This kid's really going after you."
Liu Yu smiled but didn't say anything. It's good that she's competitive; it shows she cares.
The scenes at sea were the most difficult part to film in the entire movie.
In one scene, she goes out to sea with her father and sings on the boat.
In June, the waves on the sea in Weihai are much bigger than those on the shore.
The film crew rented two fishing boats, one for filming and the other for carrying equipment and staff.
Liu Yu felt dizzy from the first time he boarded the ship, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, determined not to falter in the first major performance.
Liu Yifei adapted faster than him. She had learned sailing in the United States when she was a child and was no stranger to the rocking of the sea.
The light at sea changes quickly; before a scene was even finished filming, the sun had already moved from the east to the west.
Liu Yu had to frequently adjust the camera position and exposure, and the filming progress was twice as slow as expected.
One day, we filmed for eight hours but only managed to complete three scenes.
When filming wrapped up, Wang Chaowen came over to report on the progress, "Brother, at this rate, the beach scenes might have to be delayed by a week."
Looking at the last rays of the setting sun on the sea, Liu Yu said, "Delay it if you want, we won't leave until we've finished filming."
When not filming, Liu Yu's favorite pastime is playing with the village dogs.
Several dogs, all of them yellowish-brown Chinese rural dogs, roamed freely in the small fishing village where the film crew was stationed.
When Liu Yu first saw them, they were squatting next to a garbage dump at the entrance of the village, rummaging through things to eat.
He brought over some leftovers, and the dogs initially backed away warily, only coming over to eat after he had walked away.
The next day he brought food over again, and the dogs were still wary, but they stayed a little closer. On the third, fourth, and fifth day, the lead yellow dog dared to circle around his feet.
Liu Yu squatted down and stretched out his hand.
The big yellow dog hesitated for a moment, then came closer to sniff his hand, and then stuck out its tongue to lick it.
Liu Yu laughed, a laugh that looked like a fool's.
Liu Yifei also loves cats and dogs. When she first saw Dasheng, her eyes lit up, and then she squatted down, stretched out her hand, and imitated Liu Yu by letting the dog sniff it.
The Great Sage smelled her hand, didn't lick it, and turned away.
Liu Yifei stood up and looked at Liu Yu, her expression a little aggrieved. "Why is it ignoring me?"
"You don't have any food."
She suddenly realized what was happening, ran back to the cafeteria and grabbed a few pieces of braised pork. The Great Sage's attitude immediately changed completely, and his tail wagged like a helicopter propeller.
Liu Yifei squatted on the ground, feeding the dog while laughing, her eyes curving into crescents.
Liu Yu watched from the side, having seen her various grand displays in his previous life; he thought to himself: So this is what she's like in private.
Liu Yifei's private life is indeed quite different from her on-screen image.
On screen, she's an ethereal fairy, untouched by worldly concerns; in reality, she's a carefree and easygoing girl.
They speak directly, without beating around the bush, saying whatever comes to mind.
Once, when Liu Yu was acting with her, she got stuck halfway through her lines. Before Liu Yu could say anything, she cursed herself for her "bastard brain" and then laughed and started over.
After work, she ate with the staff, without seeking special treatment or putting on airs. She smiled at everyone who spoke to her.
......
Liu Xiaoli stayed with her daughter on set.
She is Liu Yifei's mother and was a dancer when she was young.
In his previous life, Liu Yu had read a lot of gossip about her online. Some people said she was too controlling, while others said she was overprotective of her daughter.
After getting to know them, Liu Yu felt that those statements were not quite right.
Liu Xiaoli is a very quiet person. She doesn't take the initiative to talk to people, but she will always respond politely when others talk to her.
She sits on the side of the film set every day, knitting, reading, and occasionally glancing up at her daughter filming, without saying a word or interfering.
To Liu Yu's surprise, Liu Xiaoli could cook.
She brought pots and pans that filled the small kitchen in the hotel room, and every morning she had her assistant go to the market to buy groceries so that she could add extra dishes for everyone at noon.
Li Xuejian likes her braised pork ribs, Song Dandan likes her soup, and Luo Jin says her sauerkraut fish is even better than the ones in restaurants.
Liu Yu ate Liu Xiaoli's cooking for the first time on the thirteenth day after filming began.
Later, Liu Xiaoli would cook for Liu Yu every few days.
It's not made specifically for him; we make an extra portion each time and have the assistant deliver it.
Feeling bad about eating for free, Liu Yu asked Wang Chaowen to buy two boxes of fruit and deliver them to him.
Liu Xiaoli accepted the fruit and made an extra serving of sweet and sour pork ribs the next day.
Feeling guilty, Liu Yu once said to Liu Yifei during a meal, "Your mom cooks for me every day, and I feel embarrassed."
"If she's willing to cook, then you can eat it. She cooks every day at home, and the two of us can't finish it all."
.....
Time flew by and it was already late June.
The beach scenes have been filmed for almost a month and a half and are nearing completion.
The final scene at the beach features Liu Lu singing on the shore, with her parents watching her from a short distance away.
This scene is one of the emotional climaxes of the entire film. Liu Yu had been preparing for it since filming began, and he drew more than a dozen versions of the storyboard alone.
He planned to spend a whole day filming this scene, not rushing, but striving for quality.
Yan Danchen arrived that afternoon.
Liu Yu was watching the playback on the monitor when Wang Chaowen walked over and whispered in his ear, "Brother, your wife is here."
Liu Yu was stunned for a moment, then looked up and saw Yan Danchen standing on the side of the set, wearing a baseball cap, a white T-shirt and jeans.
She wasn't wearing makeup, but she looked great; she must have just flown in from Beijing.
Liu Yu stood up and walked over. "What brings you here? Didn't you say you were going to film GG?"
"We're done filming, let's call it a day." Yan Danchen held up the bag. "I brought you some food, pastries from Daoxiangcun, you said you wanted some last time."
Liu Yu took the insulated bag, opened it, and saw that it contained ox-tongue pastries and jujube blossom pastries.
He picked up a piece of ox-tongue pastry, took a bite, and the flaky crust crumbled all over him.
"tasty."
Yan Danchen reached out and brushed the crispy crust off his clothes, her movements so natural, as if she had done it countless times before.
The staff members nearby exchanged knowing glances, but no one dared to utter a sound.
Rumors about Liu Yu and Liu Yifei circulated online for a while, with someone taking photos of them talking on set and adding ambiguous captions.
Liu Yu did not respond, nor did Liu Yifei's team.
These kinds of rumors are so common in this industry. If you respond, it's considered an admission; if you don't respond, it's considered an admission. Either way, you're in the wrong.
The best approach is to ignore it and wait for the next trending topic to emerge, at which point it will naturally be overshadowed.
Yan Danchen clearly cared.
She stayed on set for an hour, ostensibly watching the filming, but her eyes were actually constantly scanning back and forth between Liu Yu and Liu Yifei.
After Liu Yifei finished filming a scene, she came over to watch the playback. Liu Yu explained a few lines to her, and the two of them leaned very close together.
Liu Yifei listened attentively, nodding occasionally and asking one or two questions now and then.
After Liu Yu finished explaining the play, Liu Yifei looked up and saw Yan Danchen.
She smiled and called out, "Sister Danchen."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries, neither warm nor cold, like two people who weren't very familiar with each other meeting in an inappropriate setting.
Liu Yu didn't think much of it and turned back to watch the monitor.
Yan Danchen stood next to him for a while, then suddenly said, "She acted quite well."
"Yes, that's good. You've made great progress since returning from your life experience."
Yan Danchen didn't answer, but after a while she spoke again, "What do you usually do after work?"
Liu Yu thought for a moment, "Eat, look at materials, and chat sometimes."
...
After finishing work in the evening, Liu Yu took Yan Danchen to a small restaurant in the village for dinner.
Halfway through the meal, Yan Danchen suddenly put down her chopsticks and looked at Liu Yu. "Liu Yu, I have a question for you."
"you say."
"You and Liu Yifei...you two aren't anything, are you?"
Liu Yu was drinking soup when he almost choked.
He put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and looked at Yan Danchen.
Her expression was serious, not the kind of unreasonable questioning, but the kind of seriousness that comes from needing an answer.
"What do you think?"
"I don't know, that's why I'm asking you."
Liu Yu was silent for a moment. "She's my actress, and I'm her director. That's all."
Yan Danchen stared into his eyes for a few seconds, then lowered her head and used her chopsticks to stir the rice grains in her bowl.
Do you know why I asked that?
"you say."
"Back when they were casting for 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils,' I auditioned for the role of Wang Yuyan."
Liu Yu paused for a moment. He remembered that drama, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" produced by Zhang Jizhong, in which Liu Yifei played Wang Yuyan and was hyped by the media as "Fairy Sister". He didn't know that Yan Danchen had also tried.
"And the result?"
"In the end, they chose Liu Yifei." Yan Danchen's tone was very calm.
Liu Yu did not speak.
"Seeing her on set today suddenly reminded me of that incident." Yan Danchen put down her chopsticks. "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that seeing you two together made me feel a little uncomfortable."
Liu Yu reached out and took her hand, which was resting on the table.