I Want to Become the King of the Silver Screen [Entertainment Industry] Chapter 6

 Chapter 6: Melon Seeds and Peanuts

Jiang Yin initially thought that Young Master Zhao’s involvement had come to an end, but unexpectedly, there was a “sequel.”

However, apart from being momentarily surprised, he didn’t really pay much attention to it. He wasn’t the original person, so he wouldn’t engage in seeking sponsorship anymore. If Young Master Zhao appeared in the future, he would simply keep his distance.

As the following week unfolded, just as Director Liang had mentioned, they, a group of young actors who could be considered important supporting roles, spent their time squatting on the set, watching the senior actors perform. After a week of squatting, some camaraderie gradually developed among them.

The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

Oprlnkyzzu Ck Jykfky, bl nswze pvakjl wr y nsdhlapyvksd okvb yzxspv ydusdl. Gp zsdt yp bl oyp yaswde, vbl yvxsprblal sq vblka cldnb vlyx oswze yzoyup cl byaxsdkswp yde zkhlzu.

Kkydt Zkd qswde kv hlau kdvlalpvkdt vs scplahl. Rv oyp yd lmrlakldnl bl bye dlhla bye clqsal, yde bl bye dlhla ldnswdvlale psxlsdl yp nbllaqwz yde srvkxkpvkn yp Ck Jykfky.

Xq nswapl, vblal olal yzps vbspl obs eked’v iwkvl qkv kd okvb vblx, zkjl Hsw Zyd. Tl oyp hlau yxckvkswp, lkvbla pvknjkdt nzspl vs vbl pnalldoakvla okvb vbl pnakrv kd byde sa ekpnwppkdt okvb y qlo uswdt ynvsap, pbsokdt y plakswp elxlydsa.

“Tl’p fwpv y xkdsa pwrrsavkdt aszl vbyv eslpd’v lhld byhl yp xwnb pnalld vkxl yp y pkdtzl lrkpsel. Ebyv nyd bl ekpnwpp?” Dkys Hbldt, obs rzyule vbl aszl sq Nkü Tsw’p dlrblo kd vbl cldnb vlyx, nswzed’v blzr cwv akeknwzl. “Tkp dspl kp kd vbl yka, vbkdjkdt bl’p ps talyv yv ynvkdt. R vbkdj R’x xwnb clvvla vbyd bkx.”

“Lao Bai” was Qi Baijia’s nickname. Qi Baijia was also known as “Bai Jia Qi,” and familiar people would address him as Lao Bai.

Qi Baijia cracked open melon seeds and smiled without responding.

Another actor, Xiao Sun, shrugged. “What can you do if you can’t stand it? After all, he’s Zhao Bian’s relative. Be careful, or if he hears something that upsets him, he might come after you.”

Xiao Zheng kept quiet, but his expression still held some resentment.

As a well-known “parachuted” actor in the entire crew, Jiang Yin silently drank water without saying a word. His scenes were about to be filmed, and Chen Dan had completely restricted his diet, especially after discovering his discreet culinary friendship with Qi Baijia.

“Don’t look at me,” Qi Baijia finished eating melon seeds and peeled a peanut—everything he had were high-calorie snacks. “Chen-ge specifically told me that I absolutely can’t give you an extra meal. Look, I won’t give you one.” He then proudly shook his leg. “I was born unable to gain weight, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Jiang Yin angrily unscrewed the bottle cap and took two sips of mineral water.

Modern times are so wonderful, yet I’m so irritable. Not good, not good.

Although the taste of the nutritious meal was good, he had recently developed a liking for eating melon seeds. Initially, when Qi Baijia invited him to eat together, he didn’t think melon seeds were particularly delicious, and they were too troublesome to eat. In the past, these types of shell-covered foods were all peeled by the Imperial Kitchen or palace attendants.

After devouring a handful…

It’s so delicious!

Sweet, salty, five-spice, creamy… he tried all kinds of flavors, including peanuts. In the end, he concluded that he preferred melon seeds in their original flavor. The more he ate, the more fragrant they became. As for peanuts, he liked them salty.

He also tried ready-to-eat shelled melon seeds and peanuts, but after trying them,he felt that it was better to shell the melon seeds himself. However, he could eat peanuts directly.

But just as he found enjoyment in eating, it was taken away.

Shouldn’t the protagonist be entitled to the privilege of not gaining weight?

Jiang Yin silently complained in his heart while making a resolution. After this film is finished, he must treat himself to a good meal, no, more than just one meal!

The week flew by, and finally, the day of the official shoot arrived.

Just as Jiang Yin finished grooming himself and came out, he saw Chen Dan enter the room with a stern expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Chen Dan’s face was filled with anger. “The script has changed. Zou Yan’s next film has started shooting ahead of schedule, so the director wants to finish shooting his scenes first. We’ll directly film the scene with the poisoned wine later. What’s the rush? I think he did it on purpose…”

Jiang Yin quickly understood Zou Yan’s intention.

Originally, his first scene was a solo one, portraying Liu Ying secretly drowning his sorrows under Liü Hou’s oppression. It was a scene that foreshadowed his early demise. The director probably wanted to reduce his pressure by giving him a smaller scene. But now that it had changed to a group scene, things were different.

The scene with the poisoned wine depicted Liu Ying treating Liu Fei as his elder brother and inviting him to the palace for a drink, showing him familial courtesy. When Empress Liü learned of it, she became furious and planned to kill Liu Fei. She ordered poisoned wine to be placed before him and asked him to toast to her. Unaware of the conspiracy, Liu Fei stood up to make a toast, and Liu Ying followed suit with another cup. In fear that her son would be poisoned, Empress Liü quickly knocked the cup out of Liu Ying’s hand. This made Liu Fei suspicious, and he pretended to be drunk and left.

This scene was a major scene for both Liu Fei and Liu Ying.

The camera would focus on the three of them.

It goes without saying that Zhang Ningli, who played Liü Hou, would be there. But being in the same frame as Zou Yan, there would surely be comparisons since the role of Liu Ying originally belonged to Zou Yan.

The solo scene had turned into a group scene, and it was still his first scene. If the comparison was too strong, the good impression he had managed to build over the past week would probably go down the drain.

Moreover, there were people on the set who mocked him behind his back. The film set was a place where people gossip, but Jiang Yin pretended not to know.

“If they want to change, let them change. After all, this scene will be filmed sooner or later. We can’t just not shoot because of him.”

Chen Dan raised an eyebrow. “Hey, are you confident that you can handle it with that tone of yours?”

Jiang Yin shrugged. “Whether I can or not, I have to.”

He hadn’t paid much attention to Zou Yan’s open and veiled contempt and sarcasm over the past few days, knowing that he was at a disadvantage as a newcomer. But now that he was being openly challenged, he wouldn’t back down.

When they arrived on set, Jiang Yin indeed received sympathetic and gossipy looks from the crowd, and there were quite a few who took pleasure in his misfortune.

Zou Yan was in the makeup room. When he saw Jiang Yin enter, he took the initiative to greet him. “Sorry, it’s my fault for not adjusting properly and causing trouble for all of you.”

Jiang Yin pretended not to see the malice in his eyes and smiled without any hint of reluctance. “No trouble at all. I can start with any scene, and I’ve memorized all the lines. It’s just that Ms. Zhang had to work without a break, even though she could have rested for two days.”

“Lady Liu” carried the title of a character biography after all. Even in a large ensemble, the screen time for the female protagonist, Empress Liü, wouldn’t be reduced. It was said that Zhang Ningli had been working continuously since joining the crew until now. In reality, the filming process wasn’t confined to a single scene; they would simultaneously film different scenes. While one scene was being shot here, another less important scene would be filmed elsewhere.

Originally, the next two days were supposed to be the young actors’ scenes, and Zhang Ningli would have had a break. Now, because of Zou Yan, they had to start working again. Even if Zou Yan had valid reasons, Jiang Yin didn’t believe there were no complaints in his heart.

After observing for a week, Jiang Yin had already grasped the personalities of several veteran actors. Zhang Ningli had excellent acting skills but was slightly irritable and a bit arrogant. However, this kind of arrogance was common among veteran actors; they had the right to be proud. It was just a matter of degree, and Zhang Ningli fell on the heavier side.

She had clashed with the director a few times, but it was all for the sake of delivering a good performance. People didn’t say much about it; at most, they felt that she had a quick temper. If this were a popular star, it could even be spun into a dedicated professionalism narrative.

Sure enough, Zou Yan’s face slightly changed, and then he smiled insincerely. “Then let’s finish quickly so that Ms. Zhang can rest early.”

Jiang Yin acted as if he didn’t hear the sarcasm, and he smiled warmly. “Oh, if that’s the case, let’s save some time. I won’t wait for another makeup artist. I’ll do it with Zou Ge [Brother Zou] so that Ms. Zhang doesn’t have to wait anxiously.”

Perhaps because there were too many veteran actors on set, the production team didn’t have separate makeup rooms. They only divided them by gender, and everyone was together, at most with a curtain separating them.

In the makeup room, there was only one makeup artist present, and the rest were assistants. And it was evident that this makeup artist was clearly on Zou Yan’s side. Jiang Yin didn’t believe that Zou Yan hadn’t done anything.

They both thought: 

Zou Yan: “Damn it, he really was parachuted in. He’s shameless.”

Jiang Yin: “We all got here through connections. The pot calling the kettle black.”

The result of having a thick skin was that Jiang Yin smoothly finished his makeup and hair. When he changed into his costume and came out, there was a momentary silence in the makeup room.

Generally speaking, not all celebrities are suitable for historical dramas, especially the current popular young idols who mostly come from singing and dancing backgrounds. They are more suited for modern, Korean-style delicate makeup and hairstyles. Historical dramas not only require full-face exposure but also have high demands on facial contouring. Some male stars who look very handsome in modern dramas often become disasters when put in historical costumes.

Therefore, most of the celebrities who rise to fame in historical dramas have a background in theater and have been recognized by drama school teachers with a discerning eye.

The original owner of the body hadn’t acted in a historical drama before, and the historical dramas he was offered were all strange ones with mediocre costume and plot. It would have been better for him to play a son or a younger brother in a family drama, at least he could wear his own clothes and showcase his handsomeness.

However, there was one time when he did a historical costume look for a video game promotion, but that could only be considered as cosplaying.

As it turned out, Jiang Yin’s face was very suitable for historical dramas, especially this kind that didn’t require extra bangs and had a perfectly fitting hairpiece that accentuated his handsome facial features. His features didn’t have any major flaws, especially his nose, which had a beautiful contour when seen from the side, making it close to perfection.

He was a young man with rosy lips and white teeth.

Especially when he walked out and raised his gaze, it was breathtaking.

A few assistants who were originally just watching couldn’t help but let out a low gasp.

Zou Yan, who was already unstable in his mindset, was almost exploding with jealousy. He had been acting for so many years, but he had never gained popularity. He had always played minor supporting roles, while these good-looking ones could easily become popular with a few movements.

Why?!

Why were those of them who were seriously acting not gaining popularity, while those who only had one good-looking face were becoming increasingly famous?

Unfair! It was truly unfair!

Zou Yan clenched his teeth, mustering his strength, planning to suppress Jiang Yin’s performance later. He wanted to show him what it meant to be a skilled actor. Having a good face was useless here. This wasn’t a brainless drama where their fresh meat idols roamed. What mattered here was talent, not looks!

Jiang Yin, however, didn’t pay attention to his emotions. He looked at himself in the mirror with a slight daze. Although the regular attire of the Emperor of Da Zhou had already changed to yellow, suddenly putting on historical costumes still gave him a sense of time and space overlap.

But as soon as he turned his head and saw the makeup artist dressed in modern attire, he immediately snapped back to reality.

When they arrived on set, they once again garnered attention and admiration. Even Director Liang showed some surprise as he looked Jiang Yin up and down, nodding at him.

Chen Dan couldn’t close his mouth due to his excitement in the crowd. He knew that his Little Yin had the most striking appearance!

Zou Yan gritted his teeth, wishing they could start shooting immediately.

Because it was a family banquet scene, it was set indoors, and the scene had already been arranged, only waiting for the cast to take their positions.

First, it was their turn to appear, shooting the previous scene where Empress Lv got angry.

Jiang Yin and Zou Yan briefly rehearsed their movements and then officially started shooting.

And with the sound of “action,” Jiang Yin’s temperament instantly changed.

***

atOptions = {
‘key’ : ‘819083b5141e2ddc81cd1b66b82e3d92’,
‘format’ : ‘iframe’,
‘height’ : 250,
‘width’ : 300,
‘params’ : {}
};
document.write(”);