Mama Fang suffered from acute appendicitis. As a matter of fact, she had been in pain for quite some time, but she didn't think that it was too serious and didn't tell Fang Jianyuan nor go to the hospital. When she was asleep that night, she could no longer bear the pain, and called out for her son in the next room.
Fang Jianyuan hurried over and knelt at her bedside, and saw that his mother's hair was completely soaked with sweat. Knowing that she was in severe pain, he promptly said, "I'll take you to the hospital!"
The small local hospital was not that far away. It was only a little more than a ten minutes walk, but there weren't any taxis around and he feared that it was also unlikely for there to be any pedicabs at this time.
Fang Jianyuan helped his mother sit up, turned and crouched by the bed, and said, "Climb up mom, I'll carry you to the hospital."
At this time, Yu Haiyang knocked on the open door and said, "I'll do it."
In the script, that night, Yu Haiyang ran to the hospital with Mama Fang on his back, helped Fang Jianyuan register an emergency phone number, and then sent Mama Fang from the examination room to the operating room.
While waiting outside the operating room, Fang Jianyuan took the initiative to hold Yu Haiyang's hand. He wanted to convey his unspeakable gratitude and simultaneously pour out his dependence on Yu Haiyang.
This part of the movie would not be filmed for the time being. He Zheng had found an old hospital in a remote town and planned to shoot on-site. When the time comes, there would be some other location scenes that would also be filmed in that small town.
This hospital scene was closely followed by the movie's second intimate scene between Fang Jianyuan and Yu Haiyang, and this scene would take place in one of the hospital's washrooms.
The washroom set was built in a shed, and the dirty old wooden door panels were all handmade by the production set design and prop division.
Up till now, Xia Xingcheng was still bearing immense mental pressure when filming an intimate scene with Yang Youming, but the nature of the existing pressure has transformed.
When they were talking over the scene, He Zheng asked Xia Xingcheng, "What kind of mentality do you think Fang Jianyuan has now?"
Xia Xingcheng stared at the script in his hand. In fact, he had already gone over the short lines countless times, but he didn't want to raise his head and look anybody in the eye as he answered, "He probably has a kind of sacrificial mentality."
When he finished speaking, Yang Youming, who was also looking at the script, couldn't help looking up at him.
Xia Xingcheng wasn't aware of this at that time.
He Zheng asked him, "Why is it sacrificial? Don't tell me you think Fang Jianyuan isn't actually willing and is only doing it out of gratitude? "
"No, no," hearing He Zheng's words, Xia Xingcheng immediately raised his head, and found that the two men were staring at him. He was a little uneasy, but he continued, "Just like a believer offering a sacrifice to the gods, although his heart is full of panic and fear, his faith and love would keep him going, as long as that was what the other person wanted."
Yang Youming suddenly asked him a question, "As an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy facing the person he likes, shouldn't Fang Jianyuan have the same desire?"
Xia Xingcheng shot a quick glance at him and quickly lowered his eyes again, saying, "I'm only stating my own understanding of Fang Jianyuan. He hasn't even finished school, and he's an introvert, but the other person is an adult, and a man nevertheless. The pressure he must be feeling must be really big. Moreover, this affair wasn't even supposed to happen in the first place, it's more than that of a boy and a girl of the same age stealing the forbidden fruit. That's why I think…"
He didn't finish his words, still wanting to hear He Zheng's opinion. After all, He Zheng was the director, and the movie ought to be a product of the director and the actors' unanimous views that would be reflected in the final result.
He Zheng did not offer a word. He simply listened to Xia Xingcheng, pondering silently, then asked Yang Youming, "How do you see it?"
Yang Youming said, "I have no opinion. I respect both your ideas. After all, it's not my role."
He nodded and rolled up the script in his hand. "Then let's do it according to your interpretation first, then I'll see the results and consider whether to reshoot the scene or not."
Xia Xingcheng let out a 'Mm'.
He Zheng then put his hand on Xia Xingcheng's shoulder and said, "I'll still be clearing the set. Only the cameraman and I will be here. I'll request both your assistants to leave first. You don't have to worry about anything. I want you to throw everything you have into this scene for me."
Xia Xingcheng said, "Okay."
Soon after, He Zheng said to Yang Youming, "Since you're a pro, you don't need me to remind you."
Yang Youming briefly nodded to him.
Xia Xingcheng sat in his chair, waiting for the final lighting adjustments to be done before they film the first take.
He grabbed a glass of water, took a big mouthful, and yet his throat still felt dry.
Assistant Xiao Tang's thoughts were not on him, and was gossiping with the new costume department sister at that time.
Xia Xingcheng couldn't help taking a quick look at Yang Youming.
The two of them were not far apart, but ever since what happened the other night, Xia Xingcheng had deliberately begun to maintain a distance from Yang Youming. He didn't want Yang Youming to think that he was too deep into his role and that his feelings in the movie were tangled up with the other party's reality—this would definitely disturb Yang Youming.
Everyday, when they met as part of the cast and crew, there was nothing between the two other than polite and unfamiliar greetings to each other, and any other communication all pertained to the filming process.
Originally, they didn't have a close relationship in private at all, and now the distance seemed even more painfully clear. Xia Xingcheng knew that many of the crew thought that it was because he had slapped Yang Youming's face the other day, causing an awkward rift between the two of them, but in Xia Xingcheng's heart, it was obvious that the true offender wasn't that slap on the face, but rather what he had said to Yang Youming when he was drunk the other day.
The lights were adjusted and ready, and the assistant director cleared out the set with a megaphone.
When Xia Xingcheng sucked in a deep breath and stood up, he noticed Yang Youming had stopped right beside him and suddenly became somewhat nervous as he faced the man.
Yang Youming smiled and gently spoke to him in a low voice, "I'm going to give this scene my all. I hope we can cooperate well."
Xia Xingcheng didn't fully understand what Yang Youming meant, but he still nodded. "Got it."
Perhaps his eyes clearly conveyed that he was at a loss. Smiling, Yang Youming raised his hand and stroked Xia Xingcheng's head, then turned and walked towards the set.