Chapter 102: Cat-Petting, White, White, White

The director and screenwriter of the *Cat Demon* crew looked at each other, their expressions filled with a hint of astonishment.

"Change 'Guest Appearance' to 'Special Appearance'?" the director said. "That's interesting."

The screenwriter beside him, who had collaborated with him on several films, hurriedly nudged him with an elbow and said, "Didn't we agree to quit that!"

You get all spirited the moment you hear about a bet?

The director laughed and said, "It's not real gambling, it's different, it's different. I am a man of my word; I said I'd quit gambling, so I quit. Don't you know me yet?"

The screenwriter: "I've heard that eight hundred times already."

Regarding changing Luo Mo's "Guest Appearance" to "Special Appearance," both the director and the screenwriter could understand Xu Chujing's intention.

Letting Luo Mo join the *Cat Demon* crew was, in itself, a stepping stone for him to enter the film and television circle, giving him an opportunity for his screen debut.

At the same time, it helped build a bridge for him to establish initial friendships with the director, screenwriter, producers, and others.

And changing a guest appearance to a special appearance is actually a form of indirect status raising; there is still a bit of a difference between the two.

The prestige is completely different!

This is giving Luo Mo a chance to bolster his prestige.

If the first step is taken well, the road ahead will be smoother.

The director glanced at the screenwriter beside him and said, "Tell me, if we win, what should we bet on?"

The screenwriter was a fan of Xu Chujing and said, "Let's bet on concert tickets, five each."

The director was stunned and said, "Wow, wouldn't that be taking advantage of you, a fan?"

The screenwriter rolled his eyes at him and said, "You love chasing girls so much; if you take tickets gifted by the Heavenly Queen to take a young girl to a concert, who do you think is taking more advantage?"

After the three of them verbally agreed on the bet, Luo Mo, having finished putting on his equipment, walked over.

He was holding a wooden sword in his hand; once he held the sword, his heroic spirit and chivalry became even more pronounced.

Truth be told, most of the roles Luo Mo played on Earth were modern dramas; he had rarely acted in period dramas and had never been exposed to fight scenes.

Especially these kinds of fight scenes; performing them on set actually looks very awkward. It only looks cool enough after adding special effects in post-production.

You make some spell-casting gestures at the air, like flying with a sword or something, and it looks silly.

But overall, Luo Mo was still eager to try.

As for the upcoming performance, he personally wasn't worried.

He had practiced Opera for 19 years and Classical Dance for 6 years.

In his daily life, he would also follow Old Master Tong to practice Tai Chi.

On the Opera stage, there are actually fight scene segments. Luo Mo could actually perform a few moves with spears, staffs, swords, and blades.

At the same time, because of his foundation in Opera and dance, he would actually learn fight scenes faster than most Actors.

His body was more coordinated and his flexibility was strong; things like backflips and doing large aerial movements were of no difficulty to him.

As mentioned before, Classical Dance is actually very pleasing to the eye, especially when performing large movements.

You will find that many Classical Dance dancers have great power when flipping in the air, but the moment they land, it is very light, carrying a special aesthetic.

These foundations would make him carry an air of immortality and elegance when playing a chivalrous hero.

The extras who were about to "get beaten up" were already in position.

The Martial Arts Instructor was a spirited-looking little old man who was very famous in the industry; he stepped forward to discuss the scene with Luo Mo for a while.

The little old man was quite satisfied with Luo Mo's overall look. This young man didn't have that greasy, powdered-face feeling; his sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes met the Requirements their older generation had for a chivalrous hero when casting.

Like many young Actors nowadays, their posture is very poor; they can't even stand straight, lacking that heroic, upright feeling.

Luo Mo listened very carefully; whether on Earth or in this space-time, he was always constantly absorbing nutrients, always thinking about learning more.

Many young Actors don't take these learning opportunities seriously at all. But some of the more motivated ones, when those veteran Actors are performing, even if they don't have their own parts, will watch from the sidelines the whole time, treating it as attending a class.

Since it doesn't cost money, learn as hard as you can!

The Martial Arts Instructor looked at the wooden sword in Luo Mo's hand and said, "Try those big movements I just mentioned."

Luo Mo nodded, his foot stepping forward with both a sense of power and a feeling of lightness.

The wooden sword in his hand moved accordingly, thrusting forward, then his wrist flipped in the air, and the wooden sword swept to the left.

Immediately after, he threw the wooden sword behind him, and without even looking back, he caught the wooden sword by feel and slashed behind him.

The whole set of movements was smooth and flowing.

"Not bad, you have a foundation?" The Martial Arts Instructor's eyes lit up.

Luo Mo nodded and said, "I suppose so."

For people like them who study Opera, throwing Props is a common occurrence; throwing spears or staffs so they spin in the air and then catching them steadily is just a piece of cake.

One minute on stage, ten years of work off stage.

Luo Mo even had to practice horse stance since he was a child!

The director and screenwriter on the side looked at each other; only then did they remember that they seemed to have seen a Hot Search on Weibo before—this guy's master was a titan of the Opera world!

"Bet, bet, bet, have you ever won?" The screenwriter looked at the director with disdain.

The director gave a sheepish laugh, knowing he was bound to lose.

But regardless, filming was the real business; since this Luo Mo could produce results, that was naturally for the best.

At this time, the preparations were basically finished, and the girl responsible for playing the half-demon girl had also finished her makeup and arrived on set.

She didn't look like Xu Chujing, but her eyes were both very beautiful.

However, she was responsible for playing the Cat Demon in her youth, so her aura was relatively weak, revealing a hint of timidity, with the vibe of a little kitten.

Unlike Xu Chujing, who had grown directly into a leading lady.

Luo Mo looked at her and was slightly stunned.

"Ding Xiaoyu?" Luo Mo recognized her.

Didn't he and Ning Dan still have a variety show Promise? The program they were originally going to was *Our Life*. This was a slow-paced variety show that required going to a small village.

However, later on, Penguin put forward a requirement, wanting the complete version of "Gentle," and Luo Mo would have to go to another program called "Walking and Singing."

This Ding Xiaoyu is a regular guest on "Walking and Singing," and can be considered the nation's little sister.

She doesn't really count as a Singer; the reason she became a regular guest is mainly because she knows many Yueqi, and she has even won international awards for piano.

Furthermore, don't look at her young age—she's only fifteen or sixteen—but in reality, she is an "old pro actor," having debuted as a child star.

It's just that some Actors claim to have debuted as child stars, but after debuting, they haven't really filmed any new Drama in the years they were growing up.

Ding Xiaoyu is different; she has been filming the whole time, filming continuously.

And most people who debut as child stars actually have relatively extroverted personalities; to use a popular term nowadays, they have "social Ox-like syndrome."

They are all articulate and quick to get familiar with others, giving people the feeling from a young age that this child is precocious.

Ding Xiaoyu, however, is very quiet, looks very introverted, and doesn't like to talk much.

Her presence on the program "Walking and Singing" is actually average, because she isn't rowdy, and her variety show sense is weak.

But for some reason, her audience appeal is ridiculously good; everyone just feels very comfortable watching her.

Luo Mo nodded at Ding Xiaoyu, which counted as a greeting. The young girl also responded hurriedly, looking very polite.

The feeling she gives people is as if there were no rebellious phase in her adolescence.

Many people just like this well-behaved and sensible feeling of hers; Luo Mo doesn't know why, but he just happens to feel she is a bit pitiful.

She started working at 8 years old, never complaining, never making a fuss, never saying she's tired, and she also has to learn various Yueqi, while her academic studies must also be constantly supplemented, otherwise, if her middle school or high school entrance exam scores were exposed, it would be very embarrassing if she scored too poorly.

This child has no childhood.

After everyone was in position, filming officially began.

The opening shot is of Ding Xiaoyu fleeing for her life, with a group of extra villains chasing after her.

It wasn't Luo Mo's turn to appear yet, so he watched from the side.

He discovered that Ding Xiaoyu is actually quite uninhibited when acting, or rather, perhaps she can only release something when she is playing someone else's life in front of the camera?

As for her acting skills, they truly beat the vast majority of young Actors.

There is drama in her eyes, and it is the introverted, non-deliberate kind.

In reality, many extroverted scenes are actually easier to act; like some explosive ones, as long as the explosive power is strong enough, it doesn't make people feel awkward, and the effect is relatively easy to achieve.

But some introverted scenes with more complex emotions are actually very difficult to handle.

Of course, this is just the general situation; it mainly depends on the Drama requirements.

At this moment, it was finally Luo Mo's turn for his part.

The camera cut to a close-up of his upper body; this swordsman in white clothes stepped on fallen leaves, walking through the woods with a calm and relaxed expression, then flicked his finger, sending a bamboo leaf that had fallen from the sky flying away.

Post-production will add special effects here, and the bamboo leaf will pierce directly through the extra villain who was chasing closest, just like a flying knife.

Immediately following that was a wave of masterful sword techniques.

After killing this group of demons, he walked toward Ding Xiaoyu.

Ding Xiaoyu bared her teeth at him, like a small, bristling Cat, her eyes filled with vigilance and despair.

Luo Mo was seen raising his right hand, reaching toward Ding Xiaoyu's left eye.

The moment he raised his hand, Ding Xiaoyu's eyes revealed infinite shock and struggle, her body went rigid, and she was instantly restrained, unable to move.

Her pupils dilated slightly, her eyes trembling, but in the end, this slender finger only lightly tapped the corner of her left eye.

A black dot was thus created, like a tear mole under the corner of her eye. Post-production will apply many special effects; this tear mole is the demon power of the half-demon being sealed.

Her Cat ears will also dissipate at this moment, becoming the same as an ordinary young girl's.

Only... a bit more beautiful.

Luo Mo raised his hand, and under her bewildered gaze, he let his palm fall onto the top of her head, gently rubbing her hair, and said, "Little Cat, you must hide well from now on."

In the next frame, his entire person would disappear.

Leaving only the half-demon girl alone in the bamboo forest, looking up at the sky, seeing only falling bamboo leaves.

"Cut!" the director shouted.

"I think this take is OK; it can be used directly," the director said to Xu Chujing.

No flaws could be picked out; it could pass in one take!

Luo Mo and Ding Xiaoyu's performance was excellent, reaching the director's expectations.

He even wanted to cut some of these frames into the trailer!

After finishing the filming of this segment, Luo Mo saw Ding Xiaoyu obediently bowing her head slightly to him and the extras on the side, saying very politely, "Everyone has worked hard."

While unfastening some of the wire-work equipment, Luo Mo glanced at her and found her looking down at the equipment, not knowing what she was thinking.

"Does she seem to love wire-work?" Luo Mo thought to himself.

Wire-work is actually quite painful and very uncomfortable.

Next, the part Luo Mo needs to film is actually in the same position in the bamboo forest, reaching out to touch Xu Chujing's head.

And according to the scenes arranged by the director and screenwriter, when touching Ding Xiaoyu, Ding Xiaoyu's Cat ears were hidden.

As for Xu Chujing, she has unlocked the seal on her demon power and can freely control the demon power within her body, and this head-touching scene is imagined by the half-demon herself, so it includes rubbing the Cat ears as well.

Regarding this, Luo Mo was eager to try and very expectant.

"Rub the little Cat's head, and you'll have no worries," Luo Mo said in his heart.

Being able to rub the head of a Superstar queen, he felt it was quite interesting.

Xu Chujing's aura is so strong; touching her head is very stimulating.

While doing the preparation work, the director continued to explain the scene to Luo Mo, saying, "Luo Mo, do you know how to pet a cat? This scene doesn't need to be like the one just now; just do it like you are normally petting a cat."

"I know a little bit," Luo Mo replied.

After everything was ready, Xu Chujing and Luo Mo stood facing each other.

Fortunately, Luo Mo is tall enough; based on the height difference between the two, his raising his hand to touch her head wouldn't have any sense of incongruity.

If the height difference between the two was not enough, Queen Xu would even have to crouch down slightly.

The director did not call for the start of filming immediately, but instead looked at the frame of the two of them together through the lens.

"It feels very comfortable," he said in his heart.

There was not the slightest sense of incongruity; the image was actually quite harmonious.

He was a director who was quite particular about details; if he felt the image was not harmonious enough, he would have the makeup artist think of a way to change the characters' styling or makeup.

As for Luo Mo, who was standing face-to-face with Xu Chujing, he could hardly wait.

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

For some reason, Xu Chujing, who was about to have her head patted, also felt a bit…….

Just a moment ago, she had watched Luo Mo raise his hand to pat Yu's head, and for some reason, she had been stunned for a moment.

After the command to start filming was given, Luo Mo made his move, extending his devilish claws.

His right hand landed on the top of Xu Chujing's head, and he used that Luoshi Lucao Shoufa that Baibaibai loved the most.

This technique was something ordinary cats simply could not handle.

In an instant, Xu Chujing's beautiful eyes widened; she seemed to have forgotten that they were currently filming, and she lifted her head slightly to look into Luo Mo's eyes.

Their eyes met.

(PS: Second update, 4,000 words, requesting monthly tickets!)

(End of this chapter)