Chapter 113: Wait a second, are you trying to get me to hit on Lin Xiuyuan?

Year 2025, villa living room.

Lin Yun'er and Lin Xiaolu sat at opposite ends of the sofa, smiles on their faces, yet the atmosphere was as delicate as a powder keg ready to ignite at any moment.

Lin Xiuyuan, caught in the middle, took a quiet sip of water, his eyes darting left and right as he desperately searched for a reason to retreat.

Clearing his throat, he tentatively whispered, "Um, since you two have a lesson, I'll just step out for a bit. I'll go check the inventory at the tavern and you can call me when you're finished."

Just as he prepared to stand, Lin Yun'er pressed a hand onto his shoulder, pinning him back down without ceremony.

"Don't go. This acting training session requires your participation; you are her scene partner for today."

Lin Xiaolu, seeing this, stopped throwing a tantrum and asked with a hint of seriousness, "So, how do we do this?"

Lin Yun'er, who had pinned Lin Xiuyuan back to the sofa, slowly stood up, picked up a tablet, and skillfully cast the first episode of *The Heirs* onto the television in front of them.

She then looked at Lin Xiaolu and spoke softly, with a touch of emotion.

"With only two months of preparation time, and with your tours and work schedule sandwiched in between, you don't have the luxury of slow, step-by-step practice. So, I've come up with a plan for these two days: we'll use the 'Analysis Method.' We'll break down the scenes directly and use technical training to walk you through the process."

Lin Xiaolu looked at the screen and pouted. "If that's the case, I could just watch the drama myself."

"Can you analyze the rhythmic changes just by watching? Can you distinguish which expressions are transitions and which are emotional climaxes? Do you know how the camera cut points should echo your internal rhythm?"

Faced with Lin Xiaolu's retort, Lin Yun'er kept a smile on her face, but her tone was sharp.

"A script isn't meant to be read aloud; it's meant to be dismantled. Whether a female lead can carry an emotional arc depends entirely on your 'performance awareness.' When you encounter a director who changes lines on the spot, let's see how you handle it."

With that, she fully entered teaching mode, her posture confident and calm, no longer bickering with Lin Xiaolu.

"Let's start with the first scene—where Cha Eun-sang is working part-time in the United States and gets humiliated."

As the television screen played slowly, Lin Yun'er stood before it, truly looking like a teacher as she parsed the scene piece by piece.

"This is the character's first impression, and it's crucial. Her state is 'inward-focused'; externally she must pretend to be strong, but internally she is in extreme turmoil. Notice this shot: her eyes dart to the bottom right. This is a 'self-defensive gaze,' indicating she feels threatened but chooses to suppress her reaction."

Lin Xiaolu, watching Lin Yun'er break down the scene frame by frame, looked genuinely confused.

"Why does it look like she's just stunned? Like she's scared witless?"

Just as she finished the sentence, Lin Yun'er replied from the front, "It's precisely because you interpret it as 'scared witless' that the characters you've played before have had no highlights."

"You're the same, thanks."

Lin Xiaolu, having been scolded, froze and replied instinctively.

……

……

Half an hour later.

Lin Yun'er let out a sharp shout: "Stop! What kind of emotion is that? Your eyes look like you're waiting for a food delivery. What, are you hungry?"

She walked over to Lin Xiaolu and demonstrated that split-second look herself, speaking as she acted.

"Your eyes are too flat; you need some internal tension. Sigh, come on, let's break down the rhythm.

The first second is 'emotional defense,' the third second is 'self-repression,' and at the fifth second, there's a 'trembling' point. You need to make the corners of your mouth and eyes create a 'slight confrontation' at that moment."

"What confrontation? How can the corners of the mouth and eyes confront each other?"

Lin Xiaolu's eyes were clear.

……

……

One hour later.

"Let's try some 'technical training' instead."

Lin Yun'er turned to look at Lin Xiuyuan on the sofa. "Xiuyuan, have you seen my work? Something like *Love Rain*—give me a critique."

Lin Xiuyuan, not expecting to be suddenly called upon, sat up straight, his eyes shifting between the two—one looking at him with disappointment, the other pouting in frustration.

He replied in a low voice, "Uh, I've seen a bit. When I first arrived in Seoul last year, it happened to be playing on TV, so I watched a few episodes."

"And what did you think?"

"Hmm..."

Lin Xiuyuan hesitated for a moment, then added dryly, "I thought the two veteran actors playing the parents gave quite brilliant performances."

Lin Xiaolu immediately rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh. "Enough, I know my acting is bad. Just tell me how to practice, and I'll do it."

Seeing that the blow had landed, Lin Yun'er nodded in satisfaction and turned back to the TV. "First scene again. Let's run through a 'three-stage emotional control' exercise, coordinating breathing and eye contact. Xiuyuan, you handle the positioning."

Lin Xiuyuan could only stand up helplessly, thinking to himself: *I'm just the guy who opens the door, how did I become a scene partner? *

……

……

After who knows how much longer, seeing that Lin Xiaolu still couldn't get into character and her emotions remained on the surface, Lin Yun'er began to lose her composure.

"Sigh, the emotions aren't sinking in. Let's try an eye-covering exercise."

She grabbed a long scarf and gently covered Lin Xiaolu's eyes, leaving only the area below the brow bone exposed. "Sometimes the audience can't see your eyes, but you must let them see the trajectory of your emotions through your breathing, lips, and jaw muscles."

After finishing, Lin Yun'er pointed at Lin Xiuyuan. "Xiuyuan, stand in front of her, one and a half meters away. Let's run the scene."

Lin Xiuyuan paused. "How do we run the scene?"

"You be a mirror."

Lin Yun'er's tone was clearly heated, like a cat about to bristle. "She'll look at your expressions to find her state; you stare at her, and if you feel something is off, call stop immediately."

……

……

This state continued from shortly after nine in the morning until three in the afternoon.

Although they had a rushed lunch in between, the training barely stopped; they talked while eating, their mouths and hands never idle.

Yet even so, after half a day, Lin Xiuyuan noticed that Lin Yun'er hadn't even finished analyzing a single episode for Lin Xiaolu.

So, taking advantage of a short break, he finally raised a hand. "Um, Yun'er, I'm not saying you're teaching poorly, I just want to offer a suggestion."

"Hmm, what suggestion?"

Lin Yun'er, who was sitting to the side 'doubting life,' let her gaze drift, her tone filled with exhaustion and self-denial.

Throughout this half-day, she had scoured every acting technique, from breathing and eye contact to rhythm and expression, picking at every detail, hoping to reignite the 'lifeless' eyes of Lin Xiaolu.

But after trying for so long, there was still no improvement.

She even began to wonder if she wasn't suited for teaching, or if she truly lacked this talent.

Either way, she felt a bit discouraged for the moment.

Lin Xiaolu, beside her, was much the same; she didn't fail to understand what Lin Yun'er was saying, and she understood how those so-called 'techniques' should be performed.

But she just couldn't execute them.

At the end of the day, she didn't know how to 'act' at all.

Last time, it was because of the help of the 'hypothetical scenario' that she 'truly acted' it out.

But this time, when it came to pure 'acting,' she really couldn't do it.

So when Lin Xiaolu heard Lin Xiuyuan was going to offer a suggestion, she immediately looked at him, wanting to hear what he had to say.

"I think, Xiaolu isn't incapable of acting..."

Lin Xiuyuan thought for a moment and said slowly, "It's just that every time you tell her to do 'this or that,' she gets restricted by your words. Like last time, when you didn't say too much, she actually acted quite well by relying on 'imagination'."

After Lin Xiuyuan finished speaking, Lin Yun'er still didn't understand. "So, Xiuyuan, what is the suggestion you want to make?"

Lin Xiaolu also sat up straight, her eyes fixed tightly on him.

"My meaning is, since she was able to act it out last time by relying on 'immersive experience,' could we try this time to have her enter a familiar emotion first, and then carry that into the character?"

Speaking to this point, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but recall a phrase: *No technique, all emotion. *

Lin Xiaolu, after hearing this, also began to think seriously, but soon realized there was a major prerequisite involved.

Before she could speak, Lin Yun'er had already said it for her. "Xiuyuan, I'm not saying 'method acting' doesn't work; it's certainly effective. But the problem is, it requires a certain amount of emotional sediment and life experience."

Before, when Lin Xiaolu thought about Jessica leaving the group, the prerequisite for 'immersion' had already been completed through years of accumulated emotion, which is why she could have enough emotional outburst.

"But in this drama, she doesn't know any of the characters. How do you expect her to 'immerse herself'?"

Lin Xiaolu, beside them, listened quietly to all of this, and when Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, she nodded gently.

Clearly, she also felt that Lin Yun'er was right.

Lin Xiuyuan, hearing them both say this, was suddenly a bit confused. "Shouldn't you be able to immerse yourself into the character's world as soon as you finish reading the script?"

"What you're talking about is talent." Lin Yun'er, thinking of something, laughed directly.

Then Lin Xiaolu also rolled her eyes speechlessly. "If I had that talent, would I still be sitting here taking lessons?"

"Ah, I thought 'method actors' were all the type who could get into it in a second."

"Stop talking, I've really had enough of being discouraged."

Lin Xiaolu, who had just rolled her eyes, glared at him again.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan waved his hands and laughed. "Ah, sorry, sorry. But according to what you're saying, what if we change the approach? Like, taking the emotions you have for other people in real life and bringing them into the character? Like transplanting emotions."

Such a strange perspective left Lin Yun'er and Lin Xiaolu stunned; the two looked at each other and then fell into silence.

After a long while, Lin Yun'er spoke slowly. "It seems possible, but according to the description in the script, it must be a mix of love and hate. So many years have passed, I don't remember if there's any boy around Lin Xiaolu who deserves that from her."

"None." Lin Xiaolu replied in a second, her tone crisp and clear.

Lin Xiuyuan, hearing this, gave a sheepish laugh. "Well, nothing to be done then. Let's continue the lesson. Pretend I didn't say anything just now. I'm going to the restroom."

After saying this, he walked away quickly, preparing to find a corner to catch his breath.

As his back disappeared, Lin Yun'er suddenly tilted her head to look at Lin Xiaolu and asked softly, "Do you think my lessons are useful?"

"When you said it like that in the video, I thought it was quite useful, and I pondered it myself. But after switching to techniques, I can't seem to do it. It must be that my foundation is too poor."

Lin Xiaolu, when asked, no longer had the confrontational attitude she had when she first arrived, but was discussing the issue with Lin Yun'er very calmly.

Impartial and very frank, she gave her own thoughts.

Lin Yun'er nodded gently after hearing this. "When Xiuyuan asked me to help film that video, I didn't take it too seriously. I just spoke some feelings off the cuff, so there was no technique to speak of. The fact that you were able to pass that 'crying scene' later was actually more due to that 'hypothetical scenario'."

Lin Xiaolu had figured this out later as well, so she nodded.

"However, the 'emotional immersion' Xiuyuan mentioned isn't entirely wrong."

Suddenly changing the subject, Lin Yun'er smiled slightly. "If you can really transplant real-life emotions into it, this drama will be no problem."

"Who did you think of?"

As 'herself,' Lin Xiaolu immediately knew the other person had an answer, though she wouldn't repeat those words.

Sure enough, Lin Yun'er smiled after hearing this. "What do you think of Xiuyuan?"

Lin Xiaolu's eyes were slightly stunned, her whole body as if frozen.

Lin Yun'er's whispers continued to reach her ears. "Look, a few days ago when you couldn't find him, that urgent reaction was quite like a certain state of the female lead in this drama, remember?"

"I remember."

Thinking of her own reaction that day, which was a bit like losing her mind, how could Lin Xiaolu not have an impression?

It was mainly because she was too anxious at the time; the opportunity of a female lead for writer Kim Eun-sook made her a bit overwhelmed, which is why she was so anxious to find Lin Xiuyuan.

And because it was so memorable, she felt she could do it if she were to recreate it.

Lin Yun'er continued, "Also, that night when the two of us met, the shock, astonishment, and surprise you showed were also very perfect."

Lin Xiaolu laughed at this. "Nonsense, that was a true outpouring of emotion."

"And think about it, since we learned about the Time Gate, our little team definitely can't be separated. Since that's the case, having a short and 'immersive' quick romance with Xiuyuan is also quite good."

Beside her, Lin Xiaolu frowned, her beautiful brows furrowed; she found this statement very tangled.

It was so strange, so awkward, but it also seemed very reasonable.

A moment later, a flash of inspiration rushed past, blowing away the fog in her mind, and her eyes sharpened. "Wait a second, hey, are you trying to get me to hit on Lin Xiuyuan?"

"Hitting on him is unnecessary."

Lin Yun'er shook her head with a smile. "I know us too well; it's impossible to easily take a fancy to someone."

Then she smiled slyly. "I mean, just treat him as a tool. Use that familiar emotional outburst, and once you're done acting, that's it. Even if you break up later, it won't hurt your bones; after all, with the Time Gate, the relationship can't be broken."

As Lin Yun'er said this, Lin Xiaolu was instantly dumbfounded, staring at her fixedly.

"Wow, daebak, Lin Xiuyuan said before that you took good care of him, and in the blink of an eye, you're calculating against him here, using him as an emotional stepping stone?"

"How is it calculating? He's not losing out by being this 'tool'."

Lin Yun'er spoke with justification. "If you can really act out the emotions and throw yourself into his arms, he's getting a woman for free. Even if you two really break up, at worst I'll sleep with him for a night to compensate him emotionally. Men and women, friends and friends, how could he lose out?"

Finally, she said, "Anyway, the choice is yours. Either try 'immersive experience,' and you might get the hang of it all at once. Or continue taking technique classes, but I don't know if you can pass the assessment in two months. You decide."

A statement that was clearly spoken but heard in a muddled way drifted into Lin Xiaolu's head.

This caused her brain to crash directly. "Wait, what you said, my brain can't turn around all of a sudden..."

She even raised her small hand. "Let me sort it out, let me sort it out. No wonder Zhiyan said you old women are open-minded."

"Hmm? Old women?"

Lin Yun'er, whose expression had been quite calm, changed her tone instantly upon hearing the words "old woman," her voice revealing a hint of danger. "Zhiyan said that?"

Realizing she had let it slip, Lin Xiaolu panicked immediately, waving her hands repeatedly. "No, she didn't say you, she was talking about... someone else."

"Oh, I remember, that photo album."

Lin Yun'er realized, then laughed out loud. "Aigoo, little Zhiyan really has guts, daring to say it and daring to do it. If big Zhiyan knew she evaluated herself like that behind her back, tsk, I can't even imagine what the scene would be like if the two of them fought."

As she spoke, she seemed to remember something else, her gaze sweeping over Lin Xiaolu leisurely, with a bit more playfulness in her eyes.

"Just like someone said my face was swollen, my eye bags were heavy, and I was gaining weight. Lin Xiaolu, how do you think I should retaliate against that person?"

"Who said that? Online comments? Those are unbelievable, just look at them and let it go."

Gossiping behind someone's back and then being caught face-to-face by the person involved—Lin Xiaolu being able to come up with such a line in a moment of panic could be considered a genius.

Lin Yun'er raised her eyebrows slightly, the corners of her mouth lifting, just about to tease her again, when who should walk back but Lin Xiuyuan, who had gone to the restroom.

He walked out wiping his hands, and seeing the delicate atmosphere between the two, his eyelids twitched, and he turned to slip away again. "Um, I'm going to get a bottle of water."

"Don't run, Xiuyuan, come here, we have something we want to ask for your help with."

As a result, just as he turned, he was called out by Lin Yun'er, who said with a brilliant smile.

Lin Xiaolu, seeing this, hurriedly pulled her hand. "Don't, I haven't decided yet."

Who knew Lin Yun'er would smile so brilliantly. "This isn't just your business. Didn't you just say I was calculating against him? Then I'll discuss it with him directly, so it won't be calculating anymore."

"?"

Are you digging a pit for me?

Lin Xiaolu stared at her fixedly, but Lin Yun'er laughed even more happily, stood up to pull Lin Xiuyuan, who was standing not far away, over, and told him what she had just discussed with Lin Xiaolu.

Finally, she summarized, "What do you think? Is my proposal okay?"

Lin Xiuyuan, after hearing this, didn't respond to her first, but silently turned his gaze to Lin Xiaolu.

Beside him, Lin Xiaolu turned her eyes away in embarrassment, pretending to be interested in the air.

Lin Xiuyuan, seeing this, curled his lips and shook his head directly. "Refused, I'm not getting involved in your game. But I think Zheng Xiuyan is quite suitable; it's not impossible for the lilies to bloom, right? Think about it."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

The next second, the phone rang—a call from Jessica!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 114 =====