After finishing the meal, Chu Rong repeatedly warned Quan Jiu to be careful before leaving.
Filming continued. The first scene was a confrontation between Quan Jiu and the male lead. Guo Wen, holding the script, briefed Quan Jiu and the male lead, Pei Feng.
"...Pei Feng, you admire the second female lead, but it's not romantic love. So your gaze should be clean and clear, without any distracting thoughts, otherwise, the audience will misunderstand your feelings for her.
And Quan Jiu, Luo He's love for the male lead is suppressed and unspoken. Her love is very subtle, so much so that she herself hasn't realized it, but the audience must understand it. Therefore, your emotions shouldn't be completely devoid of feeling; you need to convey a hint of affection, but not overtly. Do you understand?"
Quan Jiu nodded slightly, indicating comprehension.
Pei Feng glanced at Quan Jiu unconsciously and also nodded, saying he understood. Then, they both moved to the side to rehearse their lines while Guo Wen made final adjustments to the camera positions and other preparations.
"You're really amazing. Have you really never acted before?" Pei Feng made small talk to strike up a conversation with Quan Jiu.
Quan Jiu smiled and nodded, "Yes, I'm actually a screenwriter. Perhaps screenwriters naturally have a bit of acting talent. After all, when I write scripts, I'm acting out the scenes in my head."
Pei Feng nodded in understanding, unsure of what else to say, and simply added, "Amazing."
"Shall we run through the lines again? I feel your emotions need to be a bit more subdued," Quan Jiu said gently.
Pei Feng nodded repeatedly, and they continued to rehearse their lines.
While the staff and actors were busy with their respective tasks, one person was also waiting for an opportunity. That person was Liu Zhi Xi's assistant, Xiao Dong.
She hid behind a pillar, seemingly occupied with her own affairs, but her eyes were fixed on Quan Jiu's bodyguards.
From her observations, she noted that only during filming did the four bodyguards stay a little distance from Quan Jiu. At other times, they were almost inseparable. Even when she went to the restroom, they would clear the area first before allowing Quan Jiu to use it, demonstrating an airtight security detail.
At that moment, all four bodyguards were focused on Quan Jiu's surroundings, observing any changes. However, it was precisely because of this that Xiao Dong saw her chance.
She minimized her presence, pretending to look for something, and wandered around the set. Then, while observing, she moved behind a row of iron racks and, when no one was looking, placed a brick underneath the rack. Having done this, she quietly departed.
Meanwhile, Guo Wen was ready and instructed the actors to take their positions to begin filming.
Everything proceeded smoothly until Pei Feng made his entrance and had a dialogue with Quan Jiu. Then, Guo Wen called for a cut.
He had tolerated it for the first two takes, but on the third, even Pei Feng, a big star, couldn't escape Guo Wen's outburst.
"Your emotions need to be controlled. You're giving too much. Your voice now sounds like you're excitedly greeting your girlfriend. Don't you know how you talk to your friends? If you don't know, call your best friend right now and get into character. Cut, let's take a five-minute break. Calm yourself down. Honestly, you're wasting my time."
Pei Feng apologized profusely, looking embarrassed. However, he was also cultured and responsible. He candidly told Quan Jiu, "I'm sorry. You're too beautiful, and my self-control is too weak. I get excited when I see you."
His frankness earned Quan Jiu's favor. Sometimes, such sincere words could indeed bridge the distance between people.
Quan Jiu thought for a moment and then playfully joked, "I'm naturally beautiful, it's hard for anyone not to be moved. If you were truly indifferent to me, I'd have to doubt my own looks."
Pei Feng was amused, and his embarrassment dissipated.
"Let's go for a walk over there. It's too crowded here, not suitable for relaxing," Quan Jiu indicated a spot a little further away.
Pei Feng also wanted to leave the set for a while, so he followed Quan Jiu.
"I watched your 'Heart's Field,' and you acted very well. I heard you majored in computer science, but you were clearly destined to be an actor," Quan Jiu chatted casually.
Pei Feng laughed heartily, "Compared to you, what I did is nothing."
"Actually, when I was in university, I studied surgical medicine. Guess what? I'm afraid of blood and needles."
"Ah?" Pei Feng exclaimed in surprise, "Then how did you..."
"So, I later switched to the drama and literature department..."
As they chatted aimlessly, they quickly became familiar with each other. Quan Jiu, seeing that enough time had passed, suggested they head back.
They were walking along a small path. On the outer side of the flowerbed, several meters high iron racks were placed. Just as Quan Jiu passed the racks, there was a sudden clanging sound, and numerous iron bars fell as the racks tilted.
The loud noise immediately drew the attention of people nearby.
"Oh no, someone's over there!" someone shouted in alarm. Following that, staff members rushed over in a panic, some to move things, some to pull people, and some to call an ambulance, creating chaos.
Guo Wen was stunned for a moment. His crew had never had an accident before. What was happening today?
He pushed through the crowd and saw Quan Jiu trapped under the iron racks, with Pei Feng shielding her. He shouted urgently, "Quick, lift the iron racks!"
A group of people exerted their strength, and the racks were moved. Pei Feng was helped to his feet. He was clearly shaken and remained silent for a long time. After a stunned moment, he shook his head and reassured others, "I'm fine."
Quan Jiu's four bodyguards helped her up and carefully checked her for injuries. Only after confirming visually that she was unharmed did they feel slightly relieved. Without further questioning, they told Guo Wen, "We need to take Miss Quan to the hospital for a comprehensive check-up to ensure there are no internal injuries."
Guo Wen nodded repeatedly, "Yes, hurry. Pei Feng, you go too."
They were escorted away from the scene. As Quan Jiu left, she glanced back at the mess on the ground and at Liu Zhi Xi and Xiao Dong, who were standing behind, feigning concern.
She gave a cold smile and turned to Pei Feng, gratefully saying, "Thank you just now."
Pei Feng waved it off dismissively, "It's nothing. Fortunately, the frame was large, and although it made a lot of noise, it didn't actually hit us hard."
After Quan Jiu and Pei Feng left, the filming schedule had to be adjusted. Guo Wen had the site cleaned up and then resumed filming other scenes featuring the female lead.
Filming continued until six in the afternoon.
Dinner was again in bento boxes, but it was much more meager than lunch. Xia Wei, having learned that neither actor was injured, felt relaxed. Seeing Guo Wen frowning, he joked, "After today's lunch, I really feel like I'm mistreating everyone."
Guo Wen chuckled, "I bought everyone milk tea. It'll be here soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, the milk tea delivery person called out, "Director, your fruit teas have arrived."
Guo Wen immediately stood up, walked over quickly, and brought three cups of fruit tea to Liu Zhi Xi, handing her one while discussing the scene. He then gave one to Xiao Dong and kept one for himself.
Xiao Dong was flattered and repeatedly thanked him, holding the fruit tea, and happily sat aside to drink it.
Guo Wen chatted with Liu Zhi Xi for a few minutes before returning to his seat. After everyone had finished their drinks, he asked the cleaning staff to collect the fruit tea cups one by one, giving them specific instructions.
The cleaning staff were happy to collect the fruit tea cups, as they could sell them for money. Although they didn't understand the director's intentions, they followed his instructions. After all the empty cups were collected, she discreetly brought two cups to Guo Wen, saying, "Director, these are the two cups you specifically asked me to place separately."