Translator: Vian
Slightly edited: Vian (Please tell me if you find any mistakes, but it should be readable.)
On the first day of "Black Clouds", the filming went smoothly.
This film was essentially Ling Xiao's personal biography. From his rise to fame to his death, it tells of the life of this person who appeared to be very ordinary but was in fact extremely dazzling.
Ling Xiao has never had any scandal of him, although he did once went through a low period, it was mostly of his shining legend. He lived honestly and cleanly, and had donated hundreds to primary schools in the mountain regions. It's said that after paying the expensive medical bill, his life savings only had six digits left. Most of the income from the past two decades had been donated to charity.
It's not that there aren't any good people in the world. There are good people in the world, but good people never have a good ending.
In order to perfectly play this role, under Director Liang's lead, Rong Xu talked with some of Ling Xiao's good friends from when he was alive. The more he learned, the more he was moved by such a simple and kind person. Rong Xu believes that he is not a kind person himself, but if truly such a person appeared by his side, he can guess that he would not have any malicious thoughts towards that person in anyway no matter what.
Therefore, when Rong Xu was playing the role of Ling Xiao, he would always smile whenever he can everyday in the crew.
After putting on his costume, he would lift his lips up into a smile, and keep smiling till he takes off the costume.
According to what a good friend of Ling Xiao's said: "He likes to smile a lot. Actually, except for that time when he was at his lowest point, he is always cheerful and loved to smile. But even though he was depressed during that time, he was still very optimistic. Just why… why did the Heavens let such a good person leave so early?"
The "lowest point" the other mentioned was referring to the bottleneck Ling Xiao encountered in his career three years after his debut.
At that time, Ling Xiao was the brightest star in the Chinese music scene. While his looks weren't outstanding, his singing was enough to give him such a status. But ultimately, the abilities of humans was still limited. Eventually, Ling Xiao hit an important barrier in his creative career.
He couldn't write a good song.
No matter how the song was, he didn't think it was enough. Although his manager and music producers all thought that the song he wrote was great, Ling Xiao was not satisfied with it. So during that time, Ling Xiao didn't make any new songs for a year until he met Gu Mingxiu.
***
The last scene of the first day of filming was a scene between Rong Xu and Qin Cheng.
Before the filming, Luo Zhentao was acting even more nervous than Rong Xu. He helped prepare a small water bag to warm the hands for Rong Xu, and helped him receite his lines over and over again. Later, even Luo Xiaoqing, the third female lead, ran over and nervously asked: "Rong Xu, you… are you ready?"
Looking at their nervous expressions, the youth couldn't help but laugh.
Rong Xu turned his head, first looking at his own manager, then at the round-eyed young actress. He thought for awhile, and recalled for awhile before finally calmly asking: "I remember… for this next scene, it seems I'm the one who will be acting, not you?"
Luo Zhentao and Luo Xiaoqing answered in unison: "Of course it's you ah."
Rong Xu slowly spread out his hands.
So, since it's him who's going to be acting, why are you guys more nervous than him?
No matter how nervous Luo Zhentao and Luo Xiaoqing are, what needs to be filmed still needs to be filmed. Soon, a field service staff came to inform Rong Xu that the lighting, props, and cameras are all ready. Rong Xu lightly nodded, he let the makeup artist touch-up the makeup, then walked up to the set.
He had just walked to Director Liang's side and raised his head when he suddenly saw a pair of deep, dark eyes. His heart involuntarily stopped for a second, but Rong Xu raised the corner of his lips, showing Qin Cheng a small smile, and said: "Please advise."
Qin Cheng silently stretched out his hand.
Rong Xu paused.
The man's magnetic voice sounded: "Please advise."
Even though he was confused inside, Rong Xu still reached out and held the other's hand. Why does Qin Cheng, this person, always like to shake hands with people? He remembered back when they first met, this man liked to shake hands with him here and there. Was this his way of expressing friendship? But on the surface, Rong Xu smiled and remained polite.
Soon, Rong Xu and Qin Cheng stood in place where the light was positioned, with all six cameras ready.
Director Liang said to the Assistant Director beside him: "Qin Cheng's not bad, he's taking good care of Rong Xu."
The Assistant Director asked in surprise: "He is? But he didn't practice with Rong Xu before ah."
Director Liang laughed: "What do you know, he probably wants to first understand the level of Rong Xu's acting skills then take care of him from there? This scene was originally supposed to be filmed the day after tomorrow, but yesterday Qin Cheng asked me to move up the filming for this scene, all in order for him to take care of Rong Xu. You understand?"
The Assistant Director silently nodded, appearing to understand but not really understanding.
Director Liang turned his head to look over the set. After confirming that everything was ready with the cameramen, he nodded.
The scene officially started!
___
When he heard the sound of the clapper board, Rong Xu stepped pass the door of the recording room and walking through the clean and tidy glass corridor. The lights brightly illuminated the corridor, the huge glass floor to ceiling windows revealed the city landscape to everyone in the building. The outside world shone brightly, bustling and vibrant, yet inside here was desolated and silent.
There was only the sound of Rong Xu's footsteps.
Wearing a thin beige coat, there was a layer of shadows on the youth's beautiful and exquisite face due to the makeup, giving him a bad complexion. With a small, tired smile, he walked through the corridor until he reached the corner, where he suddenly saw a person.
His clear eyes flashed a look of surprise, but quickly after, he turned around.
However, it was at this time a low, husky laughter sounded, breaking the silence: "Ling Xiao?"
Ling Xiao's footsteps stopped, his back facing the other.
That person gently sighed, exhaling a puff of smoke. After a moment, he asked again: "Are you Ling Xiao?"
In the script, this was the first meeting between Ling Xiao and Gu Mingxiu. It is said to be the first time, but Ling Xiao has actually heard of the name Gu Mingxiu before. Naturally, Gu Mingxiu has also heard of this superstar who had become famous in the Chinese music circle these recent years.
At this time, neither of them would have thought that one day, they would become the most intimate, inseparable of partners; the one who write songs, and the one who write lyrics. Not to mention, when they first met, Ling Xiao's impression of Gu Mingxiu was rather bad.
Tattered and worn-out clothes, long hair that was messily tied behind on the side of his head; he looked like an unbridled, unruly, degenerate artist. In reality, Gu Mingxiu died eight years ago in a car accident. He naturally wasn't as handsome as Qin Cheng and was even seven years older than Ling Xiao, but he had an elusive artistic aura, the gloomy handsome type.
In short, when Ling Xiao saw such an unkemptly dressed person sitting on the window still smoking, as expected, it was hard to have any good feelings. The other person appearance was like that of a slovenly ruffian, and appears to be in a completely different world from Ling Xiao.
However, since the other has already opened their mouth, the good-tempered Ling Xiao also couldn't treat it as if he didn't hear him.
Therefore he turned around and spoke his first sentence to him.
"Yes, I am Ling Xiao."
The beautiful and bright moonlight entered through the floor to ceiling windows and shone on Rong Xu's face, reflecting a pair of clear, dazzling eyes. He smiled gently, his soft hair falling upon his forehead. The elegant moonlight that shone on the corner of his mouth, revealing a small dimple. In the corridor full of smoke, he quietly, and gently smiled.
Looking at the scene through the monitor screen, Director Liang relaxed his body and nodded in approval. He couldn't help but think: If Ling Xiao also had such a handsome appearance, would he… be even more famous than he was now?
But he quickly rid of that thought. After all, this thought made no sense. Even though Ling Xiao wasn't handsome, he was still the unparalleled Music God in the Chinese music scene for the past thirty years.
Director Liang shook his head and continued to look at the scene on the monitor screen. And so, he naturally did not know that since this youth's 'glance back and smile' can already cause such an effect for him, then for a certain person… what kind of feeling would that cause?
For a moment, Qin Cheng's nose got hot, and only with his top acting skills was he able to suppress his abnormality.
But in the next second…. Rong Xu actually walked over!!!
Rong Xu approached step by step. Although it was not written in the script, according to Ling Xiao's character, it was unlikely he would talk to people standing so far away. It would have been rude to the other party. This bit was something Rong Xu added to the scene himself, Director Liang was a bit surprised upon seeing this, but quickly nodded his head, approving it.
As Rong Xu drew nearer, Qin Cheng's dark eyes turned deeper. Waiting till Rong Xu came in front of him, Qin Cheng lifted his gaze, calmly watching him. Between his fingers was a cigarette, his eyes were still, the person not saying a word.
Rong Xu also merely smiled towards him, not saying nothing.
This confrontation seems to last an eternity. At the same time, the six cameras changed their positions, capturing this scene from all angles.
Rong Xu maintained his gentle smile, but there was an inexplicable feeling in his heart. This was the first time he looked at Qin Cheng at such a close distance. He also discovered for the first time that Qin Cheng's eyes was a very deep blue. He could not help but think of something he heard of before: Qin Cheng's grandmother was Danish.
Such a close distance, and it was quiet all around. And this man in front of him… was suppressing his(RX) acting.
Perhaps no one else noticed it, but for Rong Xu who was on the scene, he can feel it. This man was ever so faintly guiding the whole scene. From his seemingly lazy voice to his low laughter, aside from Rong Xu's sudden approach which Qin Cheng completely did not expect, all other details of this scene seemed to be under his control.
For when he should call out "Ling Xiao", when he should ask the line "Are you Ling Xiao", Qin Cheng has grasped it very well.
So well to where Rong Xu even wonder… if this person could read his mind? He(QC) knew at what time he(RX) wants to hear these two lines, then also just happens to act out precisely which movements he(RX) wanted.
Unconsciously, the smile on Rong Xu's lips became even more brilliant. He looked up, and voiced his lines: "This gentleman, you are…" The voice was gentle and low, bringing along a softness unique to Ling Xiao, but an intangible aura seeped out from the youth, firmly grasping onto the atmosphere of the whole scene.
The dark eyes reflected a hint of surprise. Qin Cheng seemed to have found something interesting. After a long time, he leaned back against the glass and raised an eyebrow, asking: "How about working with me?" In the next moment, without waiting for Rong Xu's reply, he suddenly leaned forward extremely close!
Rong Xu's eyes widen, unable to hide his surprise.
Such an abrupt action was not in the script!
With only a distance of five centimeters apart, Qin Cheng's gaze was tightly locked onto the youth's body. Rong Xu unconsciously moved back, Qin Cheng suddenly grabbed his hand, pointedly staring at him, pronouncing word by word: "I write the lyrics, you write the song… Ling Xiao, you need me. You absolutely, need me."
...
"Cut!"
Director Liang's sudden "cut" immediately snapped Rong Xu out of these emotions from the scene.
He reflectively turned his head towards Qin Cheng. Before he even had time to say "you changed the script," he heard Director Liang said: "Although I didn't expect both of you would change the script, the added changes were very nice. Right, Xinrou?"
Rong Xu was surprised when he heard the name "Xinrou", and saw the woman standing beside Director Liang.
He didn't know when this beautiful and dignified Film Empress arrived at the set. She took off her sunglasses and looked at Rong Xu with a complicated gaze. When she looked over at Qin Cheng, she nodded to him, appearing to be thanking the other for participating in the film. Qin Cheng also returned her nod.
After, He Xinrou's gaze once again returned to Rong Xu.
Her eyes flickered with a hard to describe feeling. After a long time, she nodded, and said: "Yes, it was changed very well. The changes were much better than what I thought…"
This sentence immediately relaxed the entire atmosphere on set. It was a good thing for actors to perform well. One has to know, He Xinrou was Ling Xiao's best friend. Ever since Gu Mingxiu's death, He Xinrou was Ling Xiao's best friend. She was also the only one who had a scandal with Ling Xiao when he was alive.
He Xinrou was someone who knew Ling Xiao the best. Since even she approved of it, how can it be wrong?
Rong Xu subconsciously felt that He Xinrou's mood was a bit off. However, without letting him think further about it, all of today's filming had already finished. He Xinrou generously invited everyone to a restaurant next to Film City for a late night dinner. Her odd expression was already long gone.
***
And at the same moment, "Vie for Supremacy" was also airing its twenty-second episode.
Countless viewers were all waiting in front of the TV waiting to see Wanqi Yao use the Empty City Strategy to lure the tiger out of the mountain and reclaim Chu State's lost lands.
Online, in the #VieforSupremacy super thread, numerous netizens were excitedly shouting——
[Ehehehe~ I wonder what Dongli Lan's expression would be when he discovers that he's been tricked by his family's shidi again, would he be mad enough to vomit blood 23333 Looking forward to tonight's episode, tonight's episode is definitely going to be special!]
——What would Dongli Lan's expression be? The audience naturally couldn't guess.
But there's one part they did not guess wrong. Tonight's episode was going to be very, very, very, special.
So special that after the two episodes ended, the #VieforSupremacy super thread was pushed all the way to the top of the trending's list, the heat surrounding it was doubled that of the top number two topic. All netizens was enraged and hated that they couldn't immediately go to the screenwriter's house with a huge forty-meter long knife and have a good chat about life!
[Di… ed? Died?!!! I dare you to say that again, Wanqi Yao died? How can Wanqi Yao die?!!! Where's the screenwriter?!!! AH AH AH AH AH AH!!! You better not run after this, I promise I won't beat you to death!!!]
Translator's Corner:
For a moment, Qin Cheng's nose got hot, and only with his top acting skills was he able to suppress his abnormality.
Vian: You were about to have a nosebleed weren't you? (¬‿¬)