[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-hong-shixian-a-chinese-entertainme":3,"chapter-starting-from-hong-shixian-a-chinese-entertainme-starting-from-hong-shixian-a-chinese-entertainme-chapter-20":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from Hong Shixian: A Chinese Entertainment Rise",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2351299,4599,"Chapter 20: One Doesn't Look Like Acting, One Acts Like They Aren't","starting-from-hong-shixian-a-chinese-entertainme-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>On the set, the four actors including Qi Hui turned their heads in a daze, looking toward the director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The executive director was just as confused as the four actors; what happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the many puzzled looks, Director Jiang Wei pondered for a moment, scratched his head, pushed up the black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's nothing, let's keep filming.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wei felt this scene was a bit off, but he couldn't put his finger on why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was baffled by his reaction, but they didn't dwell on it and immediately continued filming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zu Feng, Wu Gang, and Feng Enhe, who were watching the scene, were equally puzzled; that shout just now had been quite intense, and they had thought something had gone wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn't expected it to fizzle out like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zu Feng pursed his lips, feeling somewhat disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, continue,\" the executive director shouted. \"The four actors, let's do that take again, we need to pick up some shots.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scene is a single sequence; the dialogue and actions just now all counted as one scene, but close-ups needed to be added, so they had to do it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During filming, this is a very common occurrence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four actors including Qi Hui were in good form, made no mistakes, and quickly finished the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the second scene began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scene 178, first take, action!\" the executive director shouted through his megaphone, and the clapperboard loader snapped the slate in front of the lens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene was changed to an eating scene, with the four actors including Qi Hui eating the dumplings they had just wrapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camera circled the dining table to film a wide shot, then gave each of the four actors a close-up to record their different expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ruolin, played by Qi Hui, wore a smile, looking confident and in control, with a hint of imperceptible smugness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now knew everything about Yu Zecheng, while Yu Zecheng knew nothing about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Zecheng, played by Sun Honglei, had no change in expression, focusing on eating his dumplings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Cui Ping, played by Yao Chen, and Mu Wanqiu, played by Zhu Jie, wore expressions of impatience and disgust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yao Chen is acting well,\" Director Jiang Wei said with a chuckle, \"but Zhu Jie is a bit lacking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The character of Cui Ping couldn't stand Xie Ruolin, and she performed that hidden look of disgust very well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jie, on the other hand, was acting a bit unnaturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, her shots were mainly from the back and side, so it didn't affect things, and Jiang Wei didn't call a cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yao Chen was never bad to begin with,\" Zu Feng laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Gang glanced over twice but didn't speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehehe...\" Feng Enhe smiled; one didn't look like they were acting, the other acted like they weren't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the necessary shots were finished, and Qi Hui took a bite of a dumpling and began his lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tilted his head slightly, looking at Yu Zecheng with a measuring gaze, and smiled: \"We've been neighbors for so many days, yet I still don't know where Mr. Yu is employed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Zecheng, played by Sun Honglei, paused slightly, holding a dumpling without speaking, his small eyes looking slightly downward at Mu Wanqiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Wanqiu lowered her eyes and shook her head imperceptibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut!\" At this moment, the director called for a stop again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jie's body trembled slightly; it seemed she hadn't performed well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt a bit helpless and prepared herself to be criticized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The director shouted: \"Xie Ruolin and Yu Zecheng, you two... um...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered how best to handle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhu Jie widened her eyes—it wasn't her problem?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did I mess up?\" Sun Honglei also widened his small, squinty eyes and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a moment, Jiang Wei said: \"You all come over and take a look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the four actors including Qi Hui gathered around the monitor to review the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, they discovered the problem: in the footage, Yu Zecheng was cautious and somewhat timid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Xie Ruolin, played by Qi Hui, had a bit more sharpness in his casual conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't look like a businessman, but rather like a young, promising, overbearing CEO.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was found: Qi Hui's acting was overshadowing the protagonist, Yu Zecheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this scene, Xie Ruolin's aura was too strong, making Yu Zecheng look like a mere foil, completely reduced to a subordinate of Xie Ruolin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wouldn't do; a supporting character overshadowing the lead has a huge impact on the entire production.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wei had noticed this issue in the previous scene, but since Xie Ruolin and Yu Zecheng didn't have any scenes together, he hadn't been sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the two were acting opposite each other, the problem was fully exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far away, Zu Feng sneered: \"This kid isn't bad at stirring up trouble, but his professional skills are a bit lacking...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish, he suddenly noticed something unusual beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning his head, he discovered it was Wu Gang who had leaned in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Wu?\" Zu Feng instinctively took a step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehe, you kid...\" Wu Gang pointed at him and said to Zu Feng with a smile: \"If that little Qi had come a few days earlier, maybe I could have played my part even better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zu Feng was puzzled: \"Why does Mr. Wu say that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Gang laughed: \"Do you remember what the scene was a few days ago?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The one with Yuan Peilin, right?\" Zu Feng said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Peilin was a traitor in the story, whom his character Li Ya was responsible for protecting, but the protagonist Yu Zecheng found him through various clues, and in the end, the anti-traitor squad chopped off the traitor's head with a knife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, before being eliminated, the Yuan Peilin in the story betrayed his comrades several times, causing significant losses to the organization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made Lu Qiaoshan, played by Wu Gang, so envious he rolled on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It even featured Lu Qiaoshan's famous scene: [Am I that cheap?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Gang chuckled: \"If that kid had come a few days earlier, I would have known how to better portray Lu Qiaoshan's jealousy toward Li Ya.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zu Feng's expression stiffened; he immediately understood what Wu Gang meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it that obvious?\" Zu Feng instinctively touched his own face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Enhe smiled faintly: \"Not obvious, it's just practically written on your face.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zu Feng: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the dining table, Jiang Wei and the few actors including Qi Hui sat together, with several assistant directors standing behind them, thinking about how to solve this problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Make him look uglier,\" Yao Chen said nonchalantly while peeling garlic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jie pursed her lips, her slender brows slightly furrowed; had Yao Chen failed to pull back her performance, bringing her character's disgust for Xie Ruolin into reality?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wei, standing to the side, thought about it—that made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get a Zhongshan suit and let's try it,\" Jiang Wei ordered. To make him look uglier while staying within the historical context and character setting, changing his clothes was the only way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ruolin's attire was an exquisite off-white suit; perhaps changing to a coarse hemp Zhongshan suit would be better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, an assistant director brought over a blue Zhongshan suit, and upon seeing it, Qi Hui put it on directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then... then Jiang Wei discovered that this didn't work either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hui didn't look rustic in the Zhongshan suit; instead, he inexplicably gained an air of authority, his presence imposing, like a big boss riding in a Coaster bus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wei found that when facing Qi Hui, he couldn't say anything except to salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Sun Honglei couldn't help but frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the lead, and with Qi Hui stealing his thunder like this, he naturally wasn't very happy about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about changing his hairstyle and putting some glasses on him?\" he suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how he looked when he first joined the crew; back then, he had a short buzz cut and wore a short-sleeved shirt, looking exactly like Liu Huaqiang, the kind who would stab someone with a watermelon knife at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't look like Yu Zecheng at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only later, after changing his hairstyle and putting on glasses, that he managed to change his look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the director called over the hairstylist and gave Qi Hui a traitor-style center-part, and also made him wear a pair of tacky black-rimmed glasses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as this image appeared, Jiang Wei and the others frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still no good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just looked like a refined and cultured student from the Republic of China era—elegant, scholarly, and handsome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing a suit, he was a student who had studied abroad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing a Zhongshan suit, he was a progressive student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this face, no matter how he dressed, he couldn't look ugly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wei was a bit distressed; Qi Hui's current situation was similar to Stephen Chow's—no one could act alongside him, everyone else just ended up playing supporting roles to him, as if he were the only protagonist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Jie looked at Qi Hui with a beaming smile and didn't say anything; she thought he looked quite good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about... I try stuttering?\" Qi Hui thought for a moment and said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, he asked the hairstylist for some hair gel and slicked his center-part back: \"We've been... neighbors for so many days, yet I still... still don't know where Mr. Yu... Yu is employed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expression was the same, and the lines were the same, but his aura was significantly weaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Wei's eyes lit up: \"Not bad, that's the feeling!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you still think he's not good enough now?\" Wu Gang asked with a wry smile, looking at Zu Feng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zu Feng gave a sheepish laugh, speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>",1649,"2026-06-21T03:10:06.472Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","f6567756472d216149679fd85128cf91a6852555ea702593501350f81f422077","starting-from-hong-shixian-a-chinese-entertainme-chapter-21","starting-from-hong-shixian-a-chinese-entertainme-chapter-19",202,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-hong-shixian-a-chinese-entertainme-cover.jpg"]