Because the second female lead's scenes were shortened to half a month, the crew started earlier than usual. Before six o'clock, various staff members were already setting up the scene.
Six o'clock in the morning in winter was like the dead of night, cold and dark. Breathing out created misty clouds, inevitably causing irritation.
"Damn it, working this early in the winter. Just finished work past midnight last night, and now starting at five in the morning. Never seen people treated so poorly."
"It's all because of that second female lead. She said her time was tight, so the director agreed to finish all her scenes in half a month. They say she's just a newcomer, yet they even made a big star like Liu Zhixi cooperate with her."
"Liu Zhixi is truly good-tempered. If it were any other actor, they would have thrown a fit by now. For someone of her caliber to cooperate with a novice is practically an insult."
"That's why it's no wonder others are so popular. Stars with such upbringing and acting skills are the most loved by the public."
"But to be honest, the second female lead is genuinely beautiful. Others look like wooden stakes when suspended by wires, but she's ethereal, with no trace of wirework visible."
"Masters, thank you for your hard work. Have some hot soy milk and eat some steamed buns." Suddenly, a delicate voice chimed into the conversation of the group of men.
Several staff members turned around and recognized the young assistant to Liu Zhixi, immediately greeting her with smiles.
Xiao Dong handed a bag of breakfast to one of them and said enthusiastically, "Sister Xi knows you all have to get up early, so she specifically asked me to bring you breakfast. She said you all work hard for her."
"Oh, that's too kind. Thank you. Miss Liu is very light, so it's no effort for us," one of them replied.
Xiao Dong exhaled, rubbing her hands. "It's so cold. Do you all have to get up this early every day?"
"Just for this period, probably for another half a month. You know about the second female lead's situation," the speaker said with dissatisfaction.
Xiao Dong gave an awkward smile. "I'm sorry. Miss Quan is indeed busy and is well-liked by the director. I hope you'll be understanding. It's been tough for you all during this time."
"You don't need to apologize for this; it has nothing to do with you. We feel bad for Miss Liu. She has too good a temper, even speaking up for others. I think some people just pick on the weak and bully those with good tempers."
Xiao Dong gently persuaded, "Our Sister Xi doesn't mind at all; she just feels sorry for you. She knows you are the ones working the hardest, getting up early and sleeping late... Never mind these things. Try to look at it positively. Hurry and eat your breakfast. I specifically ordered these from Chen Ji Steamed Buns yesterday. They taste best when eaten hot."
The staff thanked her repeatedly and took their breakfast to a sheltered spot.
After everyone else had left, Xiao Dong grinned sinisterly, pulled out a small knife from her sleeve, and, unseen by anyone, cut a slit in the wire harness.
...
At half-past six, the makeup artists and hairstylists entered the makeup room. However, at the entrance, they saw four expressionless men in black, tall and sturdy, exuding a rather intimidating aura.
Both were startled. To their surprise, the leading man in black was quite polite, inviting them in, "Miss Quan is already waiting inside."
The makeup and styling artists cautiously entered the makeup room.
"Miss Quan, are the people outside your bodyguards?" the makeup artist asked curiously.
Quan Jiu had already changed into her costume. She smiled apologetically, "My family insisted on accompanying me. I apologize if it makes you uncomfortable."
In fact, when Chu Rong asked her to bring four bodyguards that morning, she didn't hesitate at all. After all, being in the same crew as Liu Zhixi, there might be unforeseen issues, so it was better to be cautious.
The makeup artist quickly waved her hands and smiled, "It's fine, it's fine. They just look a bit fierce."
After makeup and styling were done, Quan Jiu went to the filming location. Seeing that the director was still giving instructions, she went to the side to memorize her lines.
The first scene of the day was a confrontation with the third female lead. In the script, she was Luo He's sister, and they were in an antagonistic relationship, so this scene was also a fight sequence.
After Guowen finished his arrangements, he called Quan Jiu and Jiang Li, who played the third female lead, to his side and instructed, "This is a martial arts scene. You will learn some moves from the martial arts instructor. The rest will be handled by martial arts doubles."
Jiang Li immediately responded with a smile, "Director, I have no problem. I have a foundation." Then, she glanced at Quan Jiu subtly, with a hint of provocation.
You're a novice. Forget about the moves; your acting might be questionable.
Quan Jiu pretended not to see and followed the martial arts instructor.
The martial arts instructor briefly taught some hand movements. Quan Jiu watched quietly from the side, while Jiang Li learned diligently, mimicking the movements. Her posture was quite standard, to say the least.
Jiang Li demonstrated a few moves and, seeing Quan Jiu not moving, chuckled, "Sister Luo He truly lives up to her title as the number one person in the celestial realm. She's already learned just by watching. I'm still struggling to learn, I envy you."
The sarcasm was palpable.
Quan Jiu smiled lightly and didn't reply.
Ignored, Jiang Li felt annoyed and thought to herself that if there were any retakes later, she would expose this pretentious woman to the director.
The martial arts instructor, seeing Quan Jiu not moving, was also a bit displeased. "Show me a couple of moves."
"Master, who is Jiang Li's martial arts double?" Quan Jiu asked instead.
The martial arts instructor's expression soured. "My disciple. Your martial arts double is me."
Quan Jiu nodded slightly. "Alright, I'll ask for your guidance later." With that, she turned to recite her lines.
The martial arts teacher, after all, was only responsible for teaching. Seeing that she had no intention of learning, he simply stopped bothering. After all, if there were retakes, the director would scold her. Guowen was not a good-tempered director; no matter how big a star you were, if you weren't right, you'd be thoroughly berated.
Jiang Li, on the other hand, felt smug. It was better that she didn't learn; she was afraid she would learn seriously.
Ten minutes later, Guowen called the actors to their positions.
Quan Jiu put down her script and went to the filming location. The wirework crew stepped forward to rig her with wires. After all, her character was an immortal, so the fight naturally had to take place in the air.
However, just as the crew finished securing Quan Jiu with the wires and confirming everything was in order, the bodyguards Quan Jiu brought stepped forward. "Wait a moment. I need to check if the equipment is safe."
As soon as he spoke, it immediately caused a stir among the surrounding people.
"Who is this person? Why is he checking the wires? He's not part of our crew, is he?"
"He's one of Quan Jiu's bodyguards. So pretentious. Liu Zhixi isn't even as demanding as her. It's disgusting."
"It's also a testament to Liu Zhixi's good upbringing. If it were me, I would have quit on the spot when encountering someone like this."
"Where does she get the confidence to need bodyguards even for filming? How precious can she be? It's truly laughable."
The crowd was in an uproar, and even Guowen was a bit bewildered. He looked at the bodyguard who had suddenly intruded and asked with a dark expression, "Whose damn bodyguard is this? This is a film set, not a battlefield. Are you afraid for your life while filming?"
Liu Zhixi inwardly rejoiced, but outwardly feigned an apologetic expression. "Director, I'm sorry. It seems to be my bodyguard. I apologize, I'll have them..."
"We are Miss Quan's 24-hour private bodyguards. It is our responsibility to ensure Miss Quan's safety at all times."