"The music is a language, just like mathematics is also a language. The language of mathematics leads one into the profound world of reason, while the language of music allows you to glimpse all the fantastical inner feelings that cannot be expressed on the surface."

Xiao Yi listened to Lu Zhou stammering for a long time, looking bewildered, just saying, "Oh, okay, got it," without really taking it in.

"This is the second layer," Lu Zhou continued. "The second layer of a character, his inner self. You use music to express this character, understand?!"

Xiao Yi looked puzzled. "Done."

"This is a song you composed yourself?!" Lu Zhou asked.

"The original piece is by Strauss... I just... added a bit more to it," Xiao Yi replied.

"Can we use it as the theme song for Zheng Changrong?" Lu Zhou suggested.

"No, no, that won't work. I'll be criticized. It's not my composition. Actually, I'm not very familiar with Western music. I think I'm better at ethnic music in this regard," Xiao Yi explained.

"You play the piece again, remember?" Lu Zhou asked.

Xiao Yi nodded and played it again. This time, Lu Zhou stood with his back to Xiao Yi, standing by the French windows, closing his eyes, silently listening to the entire piece.

"The second time wasn't as shocking," Lu Zhou commented. "The first time was very shocking, so much so that I almost wet myself."

Xiao Yi chuckled. "I don't know how you guys can express emotions so vividly, repeating a line with so much emotion so many times. If it were me, I'd feel it the first time, but repeating it would weaken it."

Lu Zhou nodded and said, "So, the best stage of any performance is the moment it begins. If you want to perform well, intuition accounts for at least seventy percent. When the feeling is right, it's the best performance. This time, I can remember the lines. As long as there's music... alright!"

"Should I play it again for you? This time I'll put in more emotion?" Xiao Yi suggested.

"Let's do it again," Lu Zhou agreed.

Xiao Yi poured his emotions into Zheng Changrong once again. This time, he played until he was exhausted. Lu Zhou, facing the script, roared angrily amid the music, "I refuse to accept—!"

Xiao Yi thought that if anyone saw this scene, they would definitely think that two lunatics were having a meeting...

*

The next morning, Xiao Yi drove to the set with two dark eye circles, while Lu Zhou looked refreshed and relaxed.

"I think the screenwriter didn't think about all this when writing this character," Xiao Yi remarked. "You talking about the surface and the inner layers, she'd probably think, 'What's this? Are you guys overthinking it?' Right?"

"The screenwriter didn't think about it that way," Lu Zhou replied. "It's normal. She writes by intuition, plus exploits her skills and experience in scriptwriting. No matter how well a character is written, it's still a two-dimensional role. It's the actor who gives the character a soul and expands it fundamentally. Characters have no past beyond what the script describes, but actors do. The actor's life fills in all the blanks of the character."

"Can you remember the lines now?" Xiao Yi asked.

"The lines are nothing," Lu Zhou said. "Watch how the Best Actor does it."

Xiao Yi smiled and stopped the car. He followed after Lu Zhou into the studio.

Today wasn't the day for filming the "I've been working hard for the boss for many years" scene; it was merely a preliminary warm-up.

Everyone had gathered, and Lu Zhou had finished his makeup.

This scene depicted Zheng Changrong's infiltration into the building to steal confidential files. Typically, filming such a scene involved capturing an exterior shot of the entire building and then transitioning to the interior.

The Police Department Building wasn't relevant to Lu Zhou; his responsibilities were limited to scenes involving the elimination of security guards and theft of documents. The surroundings were entirely shielded by light-blocking panels. Within the well-prepared communication room, light streamed in from all directions, with fluorescent lamps flickering overhead.

Inside the communication room, another actor was seated.

Despite the air conditioning being set to the maximum, it felt ineffective. Xiao Yi was perspiring profusely, squatting on the crew's side with his tongue hanging out. Today, Beijing was nearing forty degrees Celsius, and Lu Zhou was still clad in a black windbreaker, police pants, and police boots...

Oh dear, he would surely collapse if he continued acting under these conditions.

Director Huang wore a tank top and shorts, fanning himself with a folding fan.

 Lu Zhou had a scene that required a single bead of sweat to trickle down the side of his face, even in a close-up shot. Before stepping in front of the camera, Lu Zhou downed a large bottle of water. Upon approaching, he stood in the corridor, turned to the side, and faced the camera.

The director observed for a while, then shook his head.

Thus, Lu Zhou endured the stifling heat, perspiring authentically as he performed the scene. Water wouldn't look natural; only real sweat could provide the desired effect on facial expression and skin texture.

Xiao Yi couldn't help but feel that this scene was incredibly challenging. Thankfully, he hadn't accepted the proposal for the adaptation, which included scenes of blood vomiting. He'd rather see Lu Zhou sweat it out here than endure such discomfort.

While observing, Xiao Yi also sneakily browsed Lu Zhou's WeChat account to catch a glimpse of his conversations in the group chat.

Lu Zhou: Brothers! I'll lend my wife to you to write songs! One song for four hundred thousand!

Zheng Xiaocong: Get lost!

Xiao Yi: "..."

*

It took a whole day, shooting half a scene. As night fell, all the shading boards were removed and the lighting was adjusted. Xiao Yi was swatting mosquitoes on the side, while Lu Zhou was starting to feel dizzy. He said to the director, "Let's take a break, Director Huang. It's too hot."

The director was unsatisfied with the sweating effect, so they switched to opening and closing the door. After opening the door and closing it again, just before closing it, Lu Zhou gave a sinister look. He was about to return to the place where he had worked for many years and kill his former boss and colleagues. The look was very complicated, as the director explained the scene.

"Imagine this: Zheng Changrong is a dog," Director Huang said. "That fierce, determined look in a dog's eyes. He's made up his mind and can't turn back. Have you ever seen the expression on a dog's face before it bites someone?"

Xiao Yi was truly defeated by this director. After a moment of thought, Lu Zhou said, "I understand."

"Alright, let's see how it goes," Director Huang concluded.

Now Xiao Yi thought about it and suddenly felt that the director was right. But to play a dog, it was no longer a matter of acting skills; it was like crossing species communication, right?

What shocked Xiao Yi even more was that when Lu Zhou turned his head, he actually portrayed it!

Xiao Yi was baffled. What was all this? Could a person really portray the look of a dog's eyes?!

"Cut," Director Huang said. "Almost there."

"I think it's very good—" Xiao Yi just wanted to grab the clapperboard and smack the director to death. Even this wasn't okay! What more did they want?!

The director began to talk about the scene again, Lu Zhou listened attentively, communicated for a moment, then went up. This time, he passed.

"..."

There was hardly any difference between the two takes. Xiao Yi couldn't understand these people's sky-high thought processes at all. Lu Zhou was acting very seriously, and Xiao Yi was no longer surprised, but the crew was amazed. When they whispered to each other, they all felt that Lu Zhou's acting was excellent. Many people had expressions of admiration on their faces.

Certainly, Xiao Yi thought, while eating ice cream expressionlessly, his heart blossoming with joy. Lu Zhou was great in many ways, not just acting. Too bad you guys won't experience it...

After finishing shooting for the day, Lu Zhou was almost exhausted. When they returned, Xiao Yi immediately gave him some mung bean soup to cool down, but he was afraid of causing diarrhea, so he didn't make it too cold. He also cooked some porridge at home, but Lu Zhou couldn't eat anything. He had a little porridge and some side dishes before lying down.

Filming really made people lose weight. It was too hard.

The next day, Xiao Yi drove Lu Zhou again, busy with his work and taking care of him during breaks. He also bought some cooling patches and applied them to Lu Zhou's body.

This time, they were shooting an interrogation scene. The protagonist was interrogating Lu Zhou in a dimly lit room. Lu Zhou lifted his head, didn't say a long line, mostly relying on eye contact, expressions, movements, and a cold smile, as well as short sentences. No matter how the protagonist questioned, he couldn't get any useful information.

Xiao Yi couldn't help but admire the screenwriter, and he loved her very much because she wrote fewer lines, so Lu Zhou didn't have to stumble over them.

"I really love Lu Zhou." The screenwriter came over and said softly. "He's acting so well."

"Speak!" a supporting actor roared, then slapped Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou suddenly turned his head, and Xiao Yi's heart clenched. He thought it was a real fight!

"Cut," the director said. "Not quite, let's do it again."

Lu Zhou sat on the chair with handcuffs, sweating all over and soaking wet. The makeup artist came over to touch up his makeup. His nose was bruised and swollen, blood was all over him, his shirt stuck to his body, revealing perfect muscle contours.

Xin Hongkai got up to drink water and fan himself with a hat. Xiao Yi brought water over for Lu Zhou to drink a few sips before they started again.

The director meticulously directed each shot. When Lu Zhou acted opposite Xin Hongkai, the difference was clear. Xin Hongkai had once been popular in Taiwan and Hong Kong. With the decline of the Hong Kong film market, Xin Hongkai had also shifted his focus to the mainland market. All the investors had set their sights on the mainland market.

The sinister, restrained, and perverse charm emanating from Lu Zhou was simply irresistible. Fortunately, the supporting actor didn't use too much force; each time it was just about right.

Lu Zhou said to the supporting actor, "Let's make it real this time, let's get it over with in one go."

And they began.

"Speak!" the supporting actor roared.

Lu Zhou was slapped so hard that he turned his head away, blood bubbling from his mouth. His lips were cut, blood spilling out.

"Okay!" the director shouted. "Cut!"

Lu Zhou came down, and Xiao Yi immediately went to check his face. Lu Zhou replied, "It's okay, do you have room-temperature water..."

"Is your stomach hurting?" Xiao Yi asked.

"A little..." Lu Zhou replied.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Xiao Yi asked.

Lu Zhou shook his head, drank some water, and went back up to continue acting. This time, he did even better. Xiao Yi completely ignored Xin Hongkai and watched Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou's expressions were twisted and spasmodic. In that scene where Hu Ying interrogated Zheng Changrong, he portrayed the oppression, anguish, and danger to the extreme. Lu Zhou's face was pale, covered in scars, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, yet his eyes carried a dangerous look.

"I'll tell you something," Lu Zhou's lips moved slightly.

"Speak," Xin Hongkai said cautiously, watching Lu Zhou. The director shouted, "Cut."

"Hu Ying's eyes are wrong," the director said.

Xiao Yi was ecstatic. He saw it. Xin Hongkai couldn't control himself; he was brought into the scene by Lu Zhou! He was afraid of Lu Zhou. At this moment, Hu Ying should have felt sympathy, but instead Xin Hongkai seemed to have a feeling of fear and a desire to take action against Zheng Changrong.

"This is the confrontation."

When they finished work in the evening, Lu Zhou leaned tiredly against the back seat and said, "Every movie you see on the big screen is a confrontation."

"I never felt that before," Xiao Yi admitted. "It's amazing, just like you and Xin Hongkai fighting!"

"Opponent scenes," Lu Zhou mentioned. "Otherwise, why call it an opponent scene? What do you think? What you see, all the opponent scenes, except for the crap films about money laundering, are indeed battles between enemies. You have to catch my signs and return the emotions. Outside of the scene, we're the protagonist and the supporting actor, but in the scene, we're just the two characters written in the script. That's life."

"Understood," Xiao Yi said sincerely, nodding in enlightenment.

This month was the hardest time he had spent with Lu Zhou. It was much harder than shooting TV dramas. Before, he thought Lu Zhou could do anything, but now he was always worried that Lu Zhou might not be able to handle it. However, he gradually discovered that Lu Zhou seemed to be even more at ease in movies.

TV dramas portrayed character personalities through dialogue, while movies relied on visual language. Xiao Yi gradually understood this type of actor. Sometimes he would ask the director why they were shooting like this, and most of the time the director would explain it to him.

"Filming is quite an art," Xiao Yi said to Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou explained, "I still find your composition skills amazing. How do you manage to compose with three chords together?"

"My senior brother can do it. He presses down three notes and can carry out three voices together, but I can't," Xiao Yi said.

Lu Zhou asked, "Is this how symphony composers write too?"

Xiao Yi shook his head. "Most of the time, they write one voice part first, then another voice part."

"You never talk about your profession," Lu Zhou remarked.

"Talking about my profession is boring," Xiao Yi said, watching Lu Zhou handling the gun and stepping back.

According to regulations, all films screened in China couldn’t feature firearms or military content set in contemporary China. Otherwise, they would be banned from screening. However, for war dramas, they could be exceptions.

But for Hong Kong-produced films, as long as they were approved, they could use Chinese settings (NT: this novel was written in 2014, so not sure this rule is still true). However, during the scenes set in mainland China, they couldn't explicitly say it was the mainland. It was assumed to be in Hong Kong or abroad.

So the producers were playing a fine line. Xiao Yi couldn't help but admire the tremendous wisdom of the people and the radio, film, and television departments, allowing him to witness the props borrowed from Bayi Factory (NT: major Chinese film studio) in his lifetime.

He always thought that action scenes involved everyone waving empty guns a few times, and then things were added in post-production with special effects. He didn't expect the crew to use modified real guns, with blank bullets. Mainland actors didn't like to take on gunfight movies, and such movies were rare in China. Except for war dramas and period dramas, most mainland actors were unfamiliar with shooting action scenes.

But Lu Zhou was very familiar with them. He had learned to shoot action scenes when he was doing odd jobs on the set and playing supporting roles. He held the gun realistically, and after the firearms instructor explained for a while, he didn't need anyone to follow him and started practicing on his own.

"Let me play too," Xiao Yi wagged his tail on the side.

"Play your sister! Can you play with this?! Do you know how easy it is to accidentally fire a gun?!" Lu Zhou roared angrily, holding the gun.

Xiao Yi screamed, "If you're afraid of it going off, don't point the gun at the supporting actor! What if it goes off?!"

Lu Zhou immediately apologized, "Sorry, sorry..."

Xiao Yi could only watch from the sidelines as the firearms instructor said, "Assistant, move away a bit, don't get too close."

Watching Lu Zhou trying out the gun, adjusting it, and getting used to it took about a week. Then came martial arts instruction and action director planning.

Xiao Yi reminded again, "Will your shoulder feel uncomfortable?"

Lu Zhou waved his hand, the firearms instructor walked away, and Lu Zhou beckoned Xiao Yi, saying, "Come here."

Xiao Yi hesitated, "..."

Lu Zhou asked him to stand in front of him, facing the target. He whispered, then held Xiao Yi's hand tightly. The two of them hugged closely, and Lu Zhou said, "Try it. You can aim now."

Lu Zhou then looked back at the director, like a child afraid of breaking the rules and being caught. Xiao Yi felt both thrilled and excited. He pulled the trigger, and there was a loud bang.

"Okay."

"Let's play one more time..."

"Later, you'll get me fired. We can't play anymore!"

"Bang!"

"Enough!"

"Fire one more shot..."

"You... stop it!"

"I will shout."

Lu Zhou: "..."

"No more bullets!" Lu Zhou gritted his teeth. "Do you know how much one bullet costs?!"

Xiao Yi was dragged by Lu Zhou to a corner, laughing mischievously.

 

Translator : DarNan