I Want to Become the King of the Silver Screen [Entertainment Industry] Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Barbecue Rice 

Jiang Yin’s final scene was Liu Ying’s death scene.

For him, this scene was of utmost importance. Normally, filming was done according to the pre-arranged schedule, not necessarily in chronological order. However, Director Liang hoped that he could immerse himself in the emotions, so he had Jiang Yin complete all his previous scenes first. He earnestly experienced Liu Ying’s journey and emotions from beginning to end before naturally portraying his death.

Initially, Jiang Yin didn’t think this scene would be difficult to act. For him, playing the role of Liu Ying, apart from some initial discomfort, came almost effortlessly. Especially in the scenes of illness and weakness, he didn’t need to act deliberately; he just had to recall the circumstances of his past life, and the emotions would naturally come forth.

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Jwv yp bl zyu esod, bl blpkvyvle qsa y xsxldv.

“Ebyv’p oasdt?” Pkalnvsa Nkydt ypjle.

Kkydt Zkd pvyale yv vbl nlkzkdt clyx yde pyke, “R’x psaau, tkhl xl y xkdwvl vs nsxrspl xu lxsvksdp.”

Ebyv lmynvzu eke Nkw Zkdt vbkdj obld bl ekle? Pke bl qllz alzklhle sa wdokzzkdt?

He was a prince, even an emperor, but throughout his life, he was constantly manipulated and used. He grew up in pain and hurt, yet he harbored no resentment or hatred towards anyone.

He was also extremely sensitive, feeling anxious over the slightest admonishment from his ministers. When the Prime Minister, Cao Can, was negligent in state affairs, his first reaction was to doubt whether he himself had done well enough, rather than blaming the courtiers for not acknowledging his help in governing the country.

A person who ingrained benevolence and kindness in his very core, never blaming others, what would he think at the moment of his death?

As Jiang Yin acted through scene after scene, he increasingly realized the stark differences between himself and Liu Ying.

At the very least, he couldn’t be as magnanimous as Liu Ying. He held grudges against Empress Dowager and the Regent King, as they had sought his life. Even though they helped him ascend the throne, he couldn’t forgive them. It wasn’t just the Empress Dowager and the Regent King; he harbored grievances against the relatives who turned a blind eye to his pleas for help, including his own siblings. He held grudges against every one of them.

He lacked Liu Ying’s enlightenment and had a narrow heart.

If he were Liu Ying, he would never allow Empress Dowager to seize power, nor would he show excessive sympathy towards Lady Qi and Liu Ruyi.

Only the power in his hands was real.

However, he was currently portraying Liu Ying, and he had to immerse himself in Liu Ying’s emotions.

As for Liu Ying’s thoughts in history, perhaps only he knew for sure. But this was acting, and the screenwriter had his own preferences and settings. Jiang Yin, as an actor, could interpret the role based on his own understanding.

He might not be able to perfectly recreate history, but he could portray the Liu Ying he believed in.

Once he realized this, Jiang Yin let out a sigh of relief. “OK, no problem, we can begin.”

• ****

On the sickbed, the young man breathed weakly. The eunuchs and palace maids who were on night duty were used to this sight and respectfully served him.

Suddenly, the young man opened his eyes, a glimmer of vitality flickered in his eyes. His originally pale face turned strangely red, and he even managed to sit up without any assistance.

“Go and summon the Empress Dowager and the Empress,” he calmly ordered, “And bring the lamp.”

The palace maid was taken aback and advised, “Your Majesty, it is already past the ninth hour. The Empress Dowager and the Empress are probably already asleep.”

A senior eunuch beside them carefully observed the emperor’s expression, and his face changed suddenly. He knelt down and exclaimed in surprise, “Your Majesty–“

Liu Ying shook his head at him. “Don’t panic. Hurry and go. I’m afraid I can’t wait much longer.”

Hearing this, the eunuch and palace maid became flustered and distressed. They quickly rushed outside, causing a commotion.

Liu Ying paid no attention to the chaos. He gestured to the panicking palace attendants, signaling them to be quiet. Then, he leisurely got up, adjusting the wick and adding more oil to the lamps, making the flames brighter.

As if sparked with interest, he proceeded to add oil to every lamp in the hall and ordered the attendants to bring more lamps.

When Empress Dowager Lu and Lady Zhang Yan hurriedly arrived, they were greeted by a room filled with brilliance. Liu Ying, draped in a moon-white robe, stood tall and ethereal among the radiant flames, appearing almost otherworldly.

As the sound of their footsteps reached him, his eyes, illuminated by the lamplight, seemed to be full of stars, capturing their attention.

“Mother Empress, Yan’er,” he smiled and waved at them, as if all the suffering had never happened. His smile was pure and warm. “Take a look at the lamp arrangements I’ve made. Isn’t the lamp stand beautiful?”

Empress Dowager Lu froze, a trace of grief passing through her eyes.

“Uncle!” Lady Zhang Yan paid no attention to etiquette and rushed over, now fifteen years old and no longer as naive as when she entered the palace. She grabbed onto Liu Ying’s sleeve, her face filled with uncontrollable panic. “Uncle, don’t scare Yan’er. Listen to the physician and lie down to rest. You’ll be fine…”

Liu Ying’s gaze swept over his mother’s halted steps, his expression a mix of sorrow and joy. He withdrew his gaze and gently stroked Zhang Yan’s hair, his expression tender, but he uttered extremely cruel words, “I won’t get better, Yan’er.”

Zhang Yan was taken aback, and tears instantly streamed down her cheeks. “No, no, no, how can you not get better? You will get better, and you will live to a hundred years old. You’ve always been fine, right? Where’s the physician? Quickly call for the physician…”

Liu Ying looked at her silently and tenderly.

She couldn’t speak through her sobs, grabbing onto his sleeve and collapsing to the ground, frantic and at a loss. She shook her head, “No, it can’t be. You promised to protect Yan’er and Gong’er. Gong’er is still young; he can’t be without a father…”

Thinking of his legitimate son, Liu Gong, a hint of grief flickered in Liu Ying’s eyes. Due to familial obligations, he had never been close to Zhang Yan. Her mother even instructed her to fake a pregnancy, scheming with palace maids, and ultimately left behind a substitute child. How cruel it was! He didn’t want Liu Gong to follow in his footsteps.

But he couldn’t control the illness. There was no moment when he was more aware than now that he wouldn’t survive.

“I can’t protect them,” he calmly admitted, facing his own helplessness. He withdrew his hand from gently comforting the girl. “I am going to die.”

Zhang Yan’s cries abruptly stopped, and her hand, which had been clutching his sleeve, slid away in despair.

Liu Ying looked at Empress Dowager Lu, and the mother and son locked eyes. Empress Dowager Lu finally realized that this time was different from the past. She walked forward, her steps staggered.

“Mother Empress,” Liu Ying smiled slightly. He knew he held no significant power in his mother’s heart. He didn’t expect her to grieve heartbreakingly for him; this stumble was enough.

He watched his mother approach, and his smile outshone the radiant flames in the room.

Then, when they were three steps apart, he couldn’t hold on any longer. He closed his eyes and collapsed.

There were no words of resentment or grievances, no lingering concerns he couldn’t let go of. He had been weary his whole life, and now death allowed him to depart with ease.

“Uncle…” Zhang Yan caught him, releasing a heart-wrenching cry.

Empress Dowager Lu hurriedly rushed forward, her outstretched hand missing its target. She stared at her hand blankly, and slowly, tears fell from her eyes.

Finally, after three attempts, the scene where Liu Ying collapsed successfully concluded. Zhang Ningli was the first to finish her scene and wiped away her tears with the tissue handed to her by the assistant.

Jiang Yin and Zhao Pengpeng took a little longer, especially Zhao Pengpeng, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

“It’s okay, it’s over now,” Jiang Yin comforted her. “The scene is done.”

“I thought… I thought you really died…” Zhao Pengpeng choked, grabbing onto his sleeve, tears flowing incessantly.

Jiang Yin quickly glanced at Zhang Ningli, seeking help. They had discussed this scene before, and both of them felt confident about their performances. The only concern was Zhao Pengpeng.

Although she had improved after these days of shooting, she was basically just being herself rather than fully acting. Her acting skills had improved from zero to ten, but there was still a long way to go to reach a perfect score of one hundred. Especially in this scene, emotions weighed heavily, and she needed explosive power. So, the two of them decided to forcefully immerse her in the scene.

Many actors can act, and many act well. But the truly remarkable ones are those who not only act well themselves but also elevate the entire performance.

When actors are filming together, they can influence each other. A strong actor can lead a weaker one, creating an atmosphere that pulls them into the scene and presents the desired image for the director. When two talented actors meet, sparks fly. On the other hand, when two actors with poor acting skills come together, the result is obvious.

The most obvious examples are some popular stars. Fans often find that their idols performed well in one show but seem unable to act in another.

Of course, not every skilled actor is willing to elevate others’ performances. Some choose to carry the weight themselves, but Jiang Yin didn’t think this was a good trend, except in cases of personal enmity.

While showcasing oneself is relatively easy, for movies and TV shows, it’s not a one-person show. Even the lead role needs supporting actors to carry the production. A TV series can have dozens or even hundreds of characters, and having one person with excellent acting skills is not enough. Audiences watch for the plot, the story, and the entire presentation. Unless the plot is exceptional, one person’s excellent acting skills alone cannot sustain an entire production.

Often, this results in the creation of one bad show after another. Even if there are bright spots, a bad show is a bad show, which fails to attract viewers and lacks ratings and popularity. As a result, the whole production team cannot profit, and the director has to continue making bad shows, while actors who fail to become popular can only keep accepting bad roles, creating a vicious cycle.

Of course, this is just one of the reasons. Creating a bad movie or series involves a variety of problems, such as the script, direction, and post-production editing.

In the end, Jiang Yin and Zhang Ningli did their best to present the scene perfectly, leading Zhao Pengpeng to immerse herself deeply in the role, causing her to struggle to recover for a while.

As for whether Zhao Pengpeng’s background played a role in this, both Jiang Yin and Zhang Ningli understood without saying a word.

“Let her cry, don’t rush to comfort her,” Zhang Ningli said calmly, “let her remember this feeling, remember the emotions she just experienced, it’s all valuable experience and will benefit her.”

That made sense, and Jiang Yin loosened his grip on Zhao Pengpeng.

In truth, he hadn’t fully recovered himself. When they pulled him into the scene, it affected not only Zhao Pengpeng but also him. It was a surreal feeling. He was fully aware that he was acting, but his emotions were being driven as if he had truly become Liu Ying. The camera, director, and crew all disappeared, and Zhang Ningli was Empress Lu, and Zhao Pengpeng was Princess Zhang Yan.

No wonder when he had searched about acting, he had come across news about actors falling ill or even committing suicide because they became too immersed in their roles. When you truly invest yourself in a performance, it’s easy to become disoriented.

Jiang Yin adjusted his mood, but even after wrapping up filming and returning to the hotel to pack, the melancholy and wistfulness that belonged to Liu Ying still lingered.

“For the next project, I’ll find you a role with a better ending,” Chen Dan said, noticing Jiang Yin’s subdued mood. “How about this? We’ll lift the fasting rule for these three days. You can eat whatever you want, and I’ll pay for it!”

In an instant, Jiang Yin’s sense of melancholy vanished, and he silently took out his phone, quickly browsing through the collection of restaurants in his food delivery app, ordering from each one.

He believed that food delivery apps were the greatest invention of this era. Wherever he went, he didn’t have to leave home to find out what delicious food was available nearby. The taste, presentation, and authenticity were all clearly displayed through the comments and rankings.

Since the day he arrived, he had explored all the nearby restaurants and became familiar with the local delicacies. During this fasting period, he relied on browsing these restaurants and their reviews. After a month, he even had a ranking list ready, just waiting to try them all once filming was over.

Grilled meat rice, egg pancakes, spicy and sour noodles—Jiang Yin had identified the top three local delicacies in terms of both sales and ratings. The images in the comments were also appealing and reliable.

Initially, Jiang Yin wanted to order from all the top ten restaurants, but Chen Dan had already booked his afternoon flight, and ordering too much would be wasteful since they couldn’t finish it all. So he settled for the top three.

However, he knew he would return to this location for future projects, so he could try the rest at that time.

The closest restaurant that offered grilled meat rice delivered quickly. There were several flavors available, and Jiang Yin chose the barbecue flavor. When he opened the box, it looked just as beautiful as in the pictures. One half was filled with grilled, fragrant meat drenched in a rich sauce, while the other half contained vegetarian ingredients, including tender green bamboo shoots and light-yellow shredded potatoes mixed with a few red carrot strips. The color combination was very pleasing and made one’s appetite soar.

Before this, Jiang Yin used to eat rice separately from the dishes, but this was the first time he tried mixed rice. With one spoonful, he was pleasantly surprised by the combination of the different flavors and textures of the meat, rice, and vegetables. It was rich and layered, although there were fewer varieties of vegetables compared to when they were served separately. Nevertheless, it still tasted great.

He finished the box of grilled meat rice with satisfaction.

The egg pancakes and spicy and sour noodles that followed were also delicious, but perhaps due to being the first meal after the fasting period, the impression left on Jiang Yin was deepest by the grilled meat rice. He reluctantly left Shu Dian, yearning for more.

Of course, there were also new connections added on WeChat.

After a month away, returning to Jinrong Neighborhood, Jiang Yin unexpectedly felt a sense of coming home.

However, the busy days passed, and the next month became relatively idle. On one hand, they didn’t have much work at the moment, and on the other hand, it was Jiang Yin’s voluntary decision. What he lacked most now was time—to calm down and thoroughly understand this world and assimilate the habits and behavior of his original self.

Chen Dan had no doubts and actually approved of this approach. He hoped Jiang Yin could remain patient and not rush, fearing that he might cause trouble if he became too hasty.

During this period, Jiang Yin met up with Qi Baijia several times, stabilizing their friendship. Qi Baijia even introduced Jiang Yin to some of his former good friends.

In the blink of an eye, July arrived. Jiang Ai finished dealing with all the matters related to her college entrance examination and then came with her luggage to work as Jiang Yin’s part-time assistant.

Meanwhile, Chen Dan negotiated a role for Jiang Yin in a historical drama as the second male lead.

However, just as Jiang Yin finished reading the original script, he was informed that the role had been recast to another actor.

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