Chapter 281

Xu Can patiently explained to Gao Yuanyuan some of the characters' mindsets, as well as the tone and key points of each line.

Not long after, Anne Hathaway came downstairs and happened to see this scene—two Eastern beauties gathered around Xu Can.

She couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy, and walked straight over to sit down beside Xu Can.

"Morning, guys. You guys are up really early. Is breakfast good today? I'm about to make some too."

Having become famous overnight with The Princess Diaries, Anne Hathaway currently commands a fee of fifteen million US dollars, already ranking among Hollywood's top-tier actresses.

Gao Yuanyuan and Liu Liu Tianxian felt somewhat inferior for the moment, and grew rather awkward seeing her arrive.

Especially Gao Yuanyuan, who had originally been unceasingly asking Xu Can for guidance, could only smile awkwardly now.

Her English was so-so, and Anne spoke too fast for her to understand at all.

Liu Liu Tianxian, having lived in North America for many years, could converse smoothly though.

"The grilled sausages and toast here are both pretty good, you should give them a try."

"Great, thanks for the recommendation. What are you guys talking about?"

As Anne spoke, she unconsciously pressed close to Xu Can, nearly leaning half her body against him—already in the territory of a couple.

Gao Yuanyuan's expression shifted slightly, but Liu Liu Tianxian didn't mind at all.

"Talking about character lines. Yuanyuan really admires Director Xu, wants Director Xu to give her more pointers, right, Director Xu?"

Liu Liu Tianxian looked at Xu Can with a half-smile.

She knew the relationship between Anne and Xu Can, and deliberately hinted that Xu Can and Gao Yuanyuan seemed off.

If she could stir up a love battlefield, she could eat melon online,

best to drag Taytay and Stone Sister into it too.

"Really? Xu, you don't even discuss the scenes with me."

Anne Hathaway looked at Xu Can with grievance, naturally wrapping both arms around his arm.

Even though Gao Yuanyuan couldn't understand, she could roughly grasp the situation, her face full of awkwardness.

Three pairs of eyes looked at Xu Can at the same time, making Xu Can think again of the 2023 interactive film-game, "Oh No! I'm Surrounded by Beauties."

In reality he really was surrounded by beauties—three women of different styles and personalities, Chinese and foreign.

Besides Stone Sister and Taytay, it seemed there were several more routes he could pursue.

Anne's progress bar was basically maxed out—as long as he was willing, he could have her in a minute.

Gao Yuanyuan was also at half progress; every time it was she who actively clung to him, finding excuses to be alone with him.

As for Liu Liu Tianxian, Xu Can couldn't quite gauge her for now—this girl was actually quite interesting.

An ordinary person under the gaze of three beauties would probably be dumbfounded,

but for Xu Can, this small scene was already commonplace.

"Since I'm free right now, I'll go over the character with her. As for you, your understanding of the character is already in place—my coaching would only limit your performance."

The best approach right now was strictly business; as director, all of this was perfectly normal for Xu Can.

"And you."

Xu Can suddenly pointed the spearhead at Liu Liu Tianxian.

"Huh?"

Liu Liu Tianxian pointed at her own nose in a daze.

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Your performance yesterday was still a bit lacking. Today I need to find a chance to give you some private tutoring, so it doesn't hold up the shooting schedule."

Xu Can deliberately kept a straight face and said solemnly.

Only Liu Liu Tianxian could see from his eyes that he wasn't really tutoring at all—he was clearly just teasing her.

But what could she do? He was the biggest on set; there was nothing to do but obey.

"Okay, I want to learn a lot more from Director Xu."

Liu Liu Tianxian replied helplessly and obediently.

……

The filming of Interstellar went relatively smoothly; the Los Santos studio portions were basically wrapped.

Next the crew had to head to the great northwest of China to shoot on location in the desolate Gobi desert.

To ensure the cornfields in the plot looked real, when Xu Can finalized the Interstellar shooting plan he had already arranged for several mu of cornfields to be planted.

"Filming-obsessed maniac" Christopher Nolan gave this a big thumbs-up.

"Practical effects are great, Director Xu really knows the business."

If technology could make it happen, he'd love to fly right next to a real black hole to film.

What he didn't know was that Xu Can simply knew in advance that this corn could fetch a good price.

Besides, he had been craving roasted corn at the time.

Bringing the crew to the great northwest, the sets here had already been built in advance.

Compared to the original's American-style small villas, the sets Xu Can built had more of a Chinese style.

Even he himself hadn't expected,

that the few unremarkable small villas built in Liangzhou's Jujing would one day become a pilgrimage site for film fans,

and incidentally boost Jujing City's economy.

When Xu Can brought the crew to stay at the only five-star hotel here,

it even alarmed the local officials of Jujing, who warmly welcomed the Interstellar crew here, eager to grab Xu Can for photos and publicity.

After reports on News Broadcast and Focus Interview, Xu Can's name rang loud in the ears of the old gentlemen.

So much so that everything for the filming here got a green light—from the hotel to the set, they almost wanted a police car to lead the way.

It was only after Xu Can's strenuous persuasion that some unnecessary ceremony was avoided.

He only wanted to keep the shoot as low-key as possible, to avoid attracting a swarm of media reporters and disrupting the crew's normal schedule.

Filming in the great northwest, the men naturally didn't mind, and Liu Tianxian and Gao Yuanyuan could more or less get used to it as well.

Only Anne Hathaway was having a bit of trouble adjusting to the climate here.

Originally, white women's skin tends to be somewhat rough, with slightly larger pores, requiring more skincare products to maintain.

Anne Hathaway had come completely unprepared and felt as though her face was about to crack from dryness.

Even Xu Can couldn't stand by and watch.

"Didn't you bring a face mask? Don't women always prepare a pile of things when traveling far?"

"No, I don't have a habit of using face masks. It's usually fine, I don't know why it's like this once I got here…"

"Forget it, forget it. Come to my room, I'll put one on for you."

Xu Can took Anne Hathaway back to his presidential suite, found the face masks he had prepared, and gave one to her.

A moment later, after removing the mask, Anne Hathaway indeed felt her skin had become much more supple and dewy.

Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at herself this way and that, satisfied.

"It really works! The effect is amazing."

Since she had just showered in the evening, she had come to Xu Can's room in a silk robe, and as she swayed from side to side, some exposure was inevitable.

Xu Can hadn't seen Stone Sister or Mei Mei for many days,

and at this point he could barely hold it in.

Anne Hathaway was still looking in the mirror, but caught Xu Can's slow approach in the reflection.

Her body visibly trembled for a moment, yet she didn't take the chance to leave; instead she waited in place, waiting for Xu Can to embrace her from behind.

The last time they had been intimate was last year, on the set of Love and Other Drugs.

This time there was no filming task, so they could let themselves go completely freely.

Anne Hathaway couldn't help feeling a little flushed.

"Do you remember? When we filmed the action scenes before."

"Mm." Anne's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, and she nodded with a blushing face.

"It's been so long since we filmed that I've forgotten. Let's relive it again."

"Mm."

Before, she had long, straight black hair, but now, because of Interstellar, Anne had cut off her proud long hair, looking quite dashing and capable.

It gave Xu Can an entirely different feeling.

"Director Xu, are you asleep? About tomorrow's scene, I'd like to talk to you for a bit… Director Xu?"

Gao Yuanyuan stood at Xu Can's door, originally intending to ring the bell to find him.