Chapter 108: Rolling

5:30 in the morning.

The set hand, Xiao Li, was arranging the incense altar when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

"Director Xiang? You're here far too early!" Xiao Li said in surprise, looking at Xiang Fei, who was dressed in a sharp suit.

Xiang Fei glanced at his watch: "The auspicious time is 6:08. Is everything ready?"

"Almost, it's just..." Xiao Li hesitated.

"Just what?"

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

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

"These clothes are too new." He tugged at his collar. "The male lead is a destitute thief; how could he possibly wear such crisp clothing?"

The costume designer was sweating profusely in anxiety: "Teacher Chen, this was made according to the design sketches..."

"The design sketches are flawed," Chen Daoming stated decisively.

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

Chen Daoming turned around: "Director Xiang, you've arrived just in time. These clothes need to be distressed."

Xiang Fei stepped closer to inspect them, then suddenly grabbed a handful of mud from the ground and smeared it onto the hem of the outfit.

"Like this?" he asked.

Chen Daoming's eyes lit up: "Not enough." Saying this, he picked up a pair of scissors and cut several slits into the cuffs.

The costume designer gasped in horror: "But this is an Italian handmade custom piece..."

"Now it looks proper," Chen Daoming said, nodding with satisfaction.

The first scene began filming in a dilapidated rental apartment.

"Action!" Xiang Fei shouted.

Zhou Xun, playing the eldest daughter, lay lazily on the sofa, then suddenly added a line not in the script: "Dad, let's have instant noodles today; I can't be bothered to cook."

Chen Daoming, acting opposite her, paused for a moment, then naturally replied: "Instant noodles again? Didn't you say last time that you were tired of eating them?"

"Cut!" Xiang Fei called a halt. "That addition was good; keep it up."

Zhou Xun winked triumphantly at Chen Daoming: "How was that, Teacher Chen?"

Chen Daoming snorted: "You little rascal; talk to me about keeping up with my acting first."

During a break in filming, Xiang Fei saw Li Mingqi tutoring two children.

"Baihe, your expression needs to be more innocent," Li Mingqi instructed patiently. "Imagine your favorite doll being snatched away..."

The little girl nodded, half-understanding.

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

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

"Why does Xiang Tai have to steal things? He isn't a bad kid!" the boy asked, frowning.

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

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

Li Mingqi and Xiang Fei exchanged a smile.

"That's a good understanding," Xiang Fei said, patting the boy's shoulder. "Act it that way."

During the lunch break, the set hand hurriedly found Xiang Fei.

"Director Xiang, Sister Mei refuses to eat..."

Xiang Fei rushed to Mei Mei Yanfang's dressing room and saw her practicing expressions in front of the mirror.

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

Without turning her head, Mei Mei Yanfang said: "Ah Fei, the female lead character should look more haggard." She touched her own face. "I look too plump."

Xiang Fei helplessly replied: "But you can't just stop eating."

"Give me three days," Mei Mei Yanfang said firmly. "I can lose five jin."

In the afternoon, while filming the police station scenes, Li Li Youbin suddenly called for a stop.

"This is wrong!" he said, pointing at the props. "A real interrogation room isn't like this."

The head of the props department wiped sweat from his brow: "Teacher Li, we followed the..."

"I served in the criminal investigation team," Li Li Youbin said seriously. "The interrogation chair should be placed against the wall, and there must be an ashtray on the table."

Xiang Fei walked over: "Change it according to what Teacher Li said."

An hour later, the rearranged scene earned thumbs-up gestures from everyone.

As evening fell during the filming of the final scene, heavy rain suddenly began to pour.

"Damn it!" the assistant director looked up at the sky. "We can't film the outdoor scenes."

But Xiang Fei's eyes lit up: "No, this is a godsend opportunity!"

He immediately adjusted the script, adding a scene in the rain: the whole family running home through the downpour.

The child actors jumped excitedly in the rain; Zhou Xun's hair was soaked and plastered to her face, while Chen Daoming shielded the two children... The image captured on camera was even more moving than what the script had described.

"Perfect!" Xiang Fei said, looking at the monitor. "That's a wrap for today!"

At 9:00 PM, Xiang Fei held a summary meeting in the temporary conference room.

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

The costume designer immediately stood up: "Tomorrow I will go and distress all the main actors' costumes!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Zhou Xun raised her hand: "Director, can we add a scene tomorrow featuring an interaction between me and 'Little Sister'?"

The little girl looked at Xiang Fei with anticipation.

"Agreed." Xiang Fei nodded. "However..." he deliberately drew out the tone, "you must first wipe the instant noodle sauce off your face."

Only then did everyone notice the sauce from the noon filming still stuck to Zhou Xun's face, sparking another round of loud laughter.

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

He smiled and replied: "Better than imagined."

Outside the window, the lights of the film and television base shone exceptionally bright in the night.