Chapter 82: You Sing and Then I Appear

Lu Jinzhao was surprised for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "Yes, I remember that Xu Zishan's role as 'A-Yu' was originally chosen for Shen Li, but it was later bought by Xu Zishan's father with an investment of five hundred."

Lu Jinzhao had already explained the inside story of this matter to Shen Ci once. At that time, the crew was short of investment, so this move was understandable.

Recalling the conversation with Mr. Xu just now, Lu Jinzhao's smile grew even wider. He looked at Shen Ci and said, "It's quite interesting. The role he spent money to snatch at first, Mr. Xu just proposed to change his daughter's role, saying he couldn't bear to see his daughter play a maid, it was heartbreaking."

"Then I certainly wouldn't agree to change the role. Isn't that a joke? I just promised him that Xu Zishan would have fewer kneeling shots in the subsequent filming. Anyway, it's just a maid's role, it's of no consequence."

As he spoke, Lu Jinzhao shook his head with a speechless smile.

Shen Ci's expression remained unchanged. After taking a sip of fruit juice, she said very casually, "Mr. Lu, you are wrong. There are degrees of importance even among maids. The role of 'A-Yu' can be considered the most important among the maids. Making an exception will only make her look abrupt."

Lu Jinzhao was such a smart person; Shen Ci's words seemed to be expressing an opinion, but in fact, they were targeted. Lu Jinzhao captured it in an instant.

"Then what does Miss Shen think should be done?" Lu Jinzhao asked tentatively.

After all, he could figure out with his toes who was more important: an investor of five hundred or an investor of ten thousand.

Shen Ci looked at Lu Jinzhao. There was no need to beat around the bush when talking to smart people. She said expressionlessly, "Since you can't bear to see her knees, then delete her from all the group shots that require her to kneel later!"

She said this lightly, but it almost deleted nearly half of "A-Yu's" scenes in one go.

Shen Ci had read the original novel. In the novel, "A-Yu" was someone who was inferior on the surface but dark inside. She was timid and seemingly honest in the early stages, but sold her master for glory and betrayed her trust in the later stages.

Therefore, the word "kneeling" was something that ran through the entire play for the character of "A-Yu." She had to kneel in the early stages, and she had to kneel in the later stages. And as a maid, group shots were bound to be more numerous than individual shots.

If group shots were removed, how many scenes would she have left?

Daring to bully her sister?

Ali wouldn't fight back, but as her sister, she would naturally take action!

Lu Jinzhao was clear in his heart. He knew that Shen Ci would not make things difficult for Xu Zishan because of the previous role-snatching incident, because Miss Shen had said that she wouldn't have let Shen Li play "A-Yu" anyway.

So today's actions must be grievances after joining the crew.

Who did this Xu Zishan provoke? She just had to run into the muzzle of a gun!

At this moment, even if Shen Ci said she wanted to replace Xu Zishan, he was afraid he wouldn't dare not to agree. Fortunately, Miss Shen was not such an overbearing person, which could be considered leaving a line for him and the crew.

Lu Jinzhao immediately called his assistant to his side, whispered a few words in his ear, and gave him a look that meant go now.

The assistant nodded in understanding and walked quickly out of the room to the set.

At this time, the second scene on the set was just about to start filming, and the assistant director was leading the actors through the scene.

"Master Hua is furious, all the servants in the venue lower their heads, kneel, and remain silent. Then Madam Hua and Concubine Qiu pick up the lines. The camera will pull a full shot. None of the actors entering the frame are allowed to be distracted, do you hear me!"

The assistant director was talking enthusiastically on that side, while the director received the message from Lu Jinzhao's assistant.

He frowned as he listened, nodded in the end to show he understood, and then called Assistant Li Dao: "Little Li!"

Assistant Li Dao turned his head when he heard the sound, and the serious expression from just a moment ago instantly changed to a smile: "Director Ke, what's wrong?"

Director Ke gestured with his chin towards Xu Zishan and said, "This scene, 'A-Yu' doesn't need to be in the frame. Let her come down."

Xu Zishan, who was silently reciting her lines in her heart, was stunned when she heard this. She looked at Director Ke and then at Assistant Li Dao with a confused expression.

Assistant Li Dao was also confused, but he understood Director Ke's temper—he hated people asking why the most. So he turned his head and said to Xu Zishan, "Then Shanshan, you go down and rest first, wait for the afternoon scene."

Xu Zishan was shocked: "No... why? I have lines in this scene, Li Dao!"

"Ah? Do you have lines?" Assistant Li Dao hurriedly glanced at the manuscript for this scene and found that Xu Zishan really did have lines.

Fearing that Director Ke had made a mistake, Assistant Li Dao said loudly to him: "Director Ke, 'A-Yu' has lines in this scene, she can't come down..."

Director Ke said seriously: "'A-Yu's' lines go to 'A-Bi'. It doesn't matter who says the unimportant lines."

"A-Bi" was another maid of "Hua Xixi." The little girl playing "A-Bi" didn't expect such an unexpected joy and smiled happily.

Xu Zishan was not reconciled and wanted to argue, but saw Li Dao shaking his head at her.

Director Ke had spoken; it was useless for her to be anxious, it would only make him unhappy.

Xu Zishan was inexplicably cut from the scene and left the set angrily, but she also began to doubt herself in her heart: did she accidentally make Director Ke unhappy?

However, you sing and then I appear!

Just after dealing with one Xu Zishan, Shen Ci and Lu Jinzhao hadn't chatted for two sentences before Ren Jia came looking for them.

"Mr. Lu!"

At the first meeting, no matter how popular or willful Ren Jia was, she didn't dare to question Lu Jinzhao directly, so she greeted him with a smile, hiding the anger in her heart completely.

And seeing Ren Jia, Lu Jinzhao instinctively frowned.

Since the press conference incident, he hadn't seen Ren Jia, but according to Miss Shen's wishes, he had also ordered the publicity team to do as she said.

Seeing her suddenly today, and thinking of what she did to Shen Li, a sense of disgust rose in Lu Jinzhao's heart.

He knew that the entertainment industry was highly competitive, especially among female stars, where infighting was the norm, but the level of means showed one's character.

Ren Jia used such underhanded means to suppress a newcomer who hadn't even emerged yet, and Lu Jinzhao was very dissatisfied with this.

And at this moment, Shen Li's own sister, whom she was suppressing, was sitting right next to him!

Shen Ci's appearance was even more threatening than Shen Li's. Ren Jia naturally noticed Shen Ci at a glance, and she was alone in a room with Mr. Lu. Ren Jia's vigilance instinctively sounded again.

There are so many pretty girls, so many that it makes her angry!

She twitched the corners of her mouth without a trace, her smile stiff but she asked casually, "Is Mr. Lu busy? This little sister is really beautiful. Is she a newcomer to our company?"

Lu Jinzhao sighed almost imperceptibly, carefully observing the changes in Shen Ci's expression. Seeing her expression was indifferent, it made Lu Jinzhao feel terrified instead.

What's going on today? Why does everyone like to deliver themselves to the muzzle of a gun?

"I'm busy right now. If you have nothing to do, go back to your own lounge first," Lu Jinzhao said.

After all, she was an artist in his company. Missing half a year of publicity was already fatal for a female star. He didn't want Ren Jia to come to Miss Shen's face to brush her presence at this time.

If Miss Shen took another step to suppress her, would he, the boss, agree or not?

He was too difficult! ===== CHAPTER 83 =====