Chapter 108: Boot Up

5:30 in the morning.

Crew member Xiao Li was setting up the incense altar when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

"Director? You're way too early!" Xiao Li said, looking surprised at the sharply suited Xiang Fei.

Xiang Fei glanced at his watch: "Six-oh-eight is the auspicious hour. Everything ready?"

"Pretty much, it's just..." Xiao Li started, then hesitated.

"Just what?"

"Teacher Chen Daoming just called, said there's a problem with his costume..."

In the makeup room, Chen Daoming frowned at his reflection in the mirror.

"This outfit's too new." He tugged at the collar. "The male lead is a broke, down-on-his-luck thief—how could he possibly wear something this stiff and proper?"

The costume designer was so anxious he was sweating buckets: "Teacher Chen, this was made according to the design..."

"The design has a problem." Chen Daoming said it with finality.

Xiang Fei pushed the door open and came in: "What's going on?"

Chen Daoming turned around: "Director, perfect timing. This outfit needs to be distressed."

Xiang Fei walked over, took a look, then suddenly scooped up some mud from the floor and smeared it on the hem of the costume.

"Like this?" he asked.

Chen Daoming's eyes lit up: "Not enough yet." He picked up a pair of scissors and snipped a few slits in the cuff as he spoke.

The costume designer sucked in a cold breath: "But this is Italian hand-tailored..."

"Now it looks right." Chen Daoming nodded, satisfied.

The first scene was filmed in a shabby rental apartment.

"Action!" Xiang Fei called out.

Zhou Xun, playing the eldest daughter, was sprawled lazily on the sofa and suddenly added a line that wasn't in the script: "Dad, let's have instant noodles today, I'm too lazy to cook."

Chen Daoming, her scene partner, was startled for a beat, then picked up naturally: "Instant noodles again? Didn't you say last time you were sick of them?"

"Cut!" Xiang Fei called stop. "That addition was great, keep it up."

Zhou Xun gave Chen Daoming a smug little wink: "How about it, Teacher Chen?"

Chen Daoming snorted: "Little brat—earn the right to keep up with me first."

During a break in filming, Xiang Fei saw Li Mingqi coaching the two kids.

"Baihe, your expression needs to be a little more innocent." Li Mingqi guided patiently. "Think about your favorite doll being snatched away..."

The little girl nodded, only half-understanding.

The little boy suddenly raised his hand: "Director bro! I have a question!"

Xiang Fei walked over and crouched down: "What question?"

"Why does Xiangtai steal things? He's not a bad kid!" The boy frowned.

Xiang Fei thought for a moment: "What do you think?"

The boy bit his lip: "Because he wants to buy his little sister a birthday present?"

Li Mingqi and Xiang Fei exchanged a smile.

"That's a great read." Xiang Fei patted his shoulder. "Play it just like that."

During the lunch break, a crew member hurried over to find Xiang Fei.

"Director, Sister Mei won't eat..."

Xiang Fei rushed to Anita Mui's rest room and found her practicing expressions in front of the mirror.

"Sister Mei, why aren't you eating?"

Anita Mui didn't even turn her head: "Ah Fei, the female lead should look more haggard." She touched her own face. "I'm too round."

Xiang Fei was helpless: "Still, you can't just skip meals."

"Give me three days." Anita Mui said firmly. "I can lose five jin."

In the afternoon, while filming the police station scene, Li Youbin suddenly called stop.

"No!" He pointed at the prop. "A real interrogation room isn't like this."

The props team leader wiped his sweat: "Teacher Li, we followed the..."

"I served in the criminal police." Li Youbin said seriously. "The interrogation chair should be against the wall, and there should be an ashtray on the desk."

Xiang Fei walked over: "Change it the way Teacher Li says."

An hour later, the rearranged set earned a thumbs-up from everyone.

When filming the last scene at dusk, a sudden downpour started.

"Damn it!" The assistant director looked at the sky. "No way we can shoot the exterior."

But Xiang Fei's eyes lit up: "No, this is a gift from heaven!"

He immediately adjusted the script and added a rain scene: the whole family running home through the storm.

The child actors bounced excitedly through the rain, Zhou Xun's hair soaked and plastered to her face, Chen Daoming shielding the two kids... the image through the lens was more moving than anything written in the script.

"Perfect!" Xiang Fei watched the monitor. "That's a wrap for today!"

At nine in the evening, Xiang Fei held a wrap-up meeting in the temporary conference room.

"Today went smoothly, except for..." He looked toward the costume designer.

The costume designer jumped right up: "I'll go distress all the leads' costumes tomorrow!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Zhou Xun raised her hand: "Director, can we add a scene between me and 'little sister' tomorrow?"

The little girl looked at Xiang Fei expectantly.

"Sure." Xiang Fei nodded, "But..." he deliberately dragged out his tone, "you must first wipe the instant noodle sauce off your face."

Only then did everyone notice Zhou Xun still had sauce from the afternoon filming stuck to her face, and another round of laughter erupted.

Xiang Fei's phone suddenly rang; it was a message from Zhou Huimin: "How was the first day?"

He smiled and replied: "Better than I imagined."

Outside the window, the lights of the film base shone especially bright in the night.