IPCFS: Chapter 9

Qin Yue’s senses returned and he handed over the script and backpack in his hand. “Your arm details in the scene just now were handled very well. I misunderstood before. Sorry.”

The second half of the sentence was referring to him questioning Ji Li about moving the props and the tone was a bit heavier.

Ji Li was stunned for a second before his smile widened. He hadn’t expected an actor like Qin Yue to apologize to a newcomer over such a trivial matter.

“What misunderstanding?” Ji Li took his things and looked over them lightly. “Where is Zhang Ming? Why is my backpack here with you?”

“He was in a hurry to leave temporarily.” Qin Yue briefly explained. Then he asked, “Where are you staying tonight? Is anyone coming to pick you up?”

The young man had two more scenes to shoot tomorrow so it was reasonable to stay the night in Hengcheng. However, he hadn’t seen any company personnel around the young man all day.

“I’m alone. The company has arranged for a place for me to stay.” Ji Li took out his phone and clicked on the reservation message. “I just live some distance away from the crew hotel and it isn’t easy to take the crew’s bus. I guess  I will have to take a taxi.”

He had gone to ask about this after changing clothes just now.

“The location of the Fourth Movie and Television Studio isn’t good. I heard people say it isn’t easy to take a taxi from here.” Qin Yue glanced at his watch. He had come to Hengcheng to film several times and knew the location of each movie and television base.

Ji Li frowned in distress. He was just about to find another way when he heard Qin Yue say, “Come with me. I will have the driver drop you off along the way.”

“…Teacher Qin Yue, is it okay to go with you?” Ji Li was a bit hesitant.

After all, the status of the two people in the entertainment industry was very different. He didn’t know what type of nonsense would be said if the paparazzi filmed them.

“What is the problem with letting the driver drop off a cast member on the way?” Qin Yue guessed this person’s thoughts and a bit of a smile emerged in his heart.

If this was another rookie actor, they would probably want to use this opportunity to get close to him. Meanwhile, Ji Li was different. He started to hesitate before even taking advantage of Qin Yue’s popularity.

“Let’s go. The crew is completely sealed off and outsiders can’t come in.” Qin Yue explained softly before turning around first.

“Yes.” Ji Li wasn’t a stubborn person. The hesitation in his heart was dispelled and he simply followed.

***

Qi An just happened to come back from a walk with Major General when the two of them approached the RV.

The moment the dog saw Qin Yue, he broke away from the rope and ran up to celebrate. He was barking excitedly nonstop and his tail almost turned into a propeller.

Ji Li liked dogs and he found this interesting to look at. “Teacher Qin Yue, is this your dog?”

“I picked him up from the garbage dump and I call him Major General. I have been raising him for four years.” Qin Yue touched the dog’s head to stop him. “Be quiet. Don’t make trouble.”

Major General heard the instructions and immediately settled down.

Then he noticed the unfamiliar smell to the side and started to circle Ji Li vigilantly, sniffing him. Within a few seconds, he started to wag his tail again.

“Major General seems to like you very much.” Qin Yue said.

“Really? He likes me?” Ji Li smiled as he looked at the dog sitting at his feet.

Qi An looked at the two people and dog on the opposite side and spoke to find a sense of existence. “Yes, this dog is enthusiastic about Qin Yue and indifferent to others, not to mention that you are a stranger he is meeting for the first time.”

The fact that he was wagging his tail at Ji Li meant he really liked Ji Li at first sight.

“Speaking of which, why did Ji Li come here with you?” Qi An wondered.

Ji Li briefly explained it. Then he saw Qin Yue getting into the car with the dog and telling him, “Come up.”

“Okay.” Ji Li obediently followed.

Qi An watched the two people getting into the car one after another and delicately raised an eyebrow.

This morning, Qin Yue was thinking about changing people and now he was dropping the person ‘off down the road?’

This man was fickle.

***

The Fourth Movie and Television Studio was a bit far away. It was a 30 minute drive to the hotel where Ji Li stayed.

Qi An sat in the front passenger seat, separated from them by a collapsible wall. Qin Yue picked up his tablet as soon as he got in the car and watched the company’s recent entertainment projects with a furrowed brow.

Ji Li didn’t bother him and chose a position far away by the window. In an unprecedented manner, Major General didn’t go to his owner but instead arched at Ji Li’s foot before laying on his stomach.

The streetlights on both sides moved past rhythmically. Ji Li leaned against the car window and watched it, only to feel that his legs were warmed by the dog’s protection. Soon, he fell asleep.

The 30 minute drive passed in a flash.

Qin Yue noticed that the speed of the car had slowed down and looked up to see that the young man had fallen asleep. He was lying on the table, his head resting on his hands and his sleeping face indescribably cute.

Qin Yue’s lips curved in a very shallow arc, so shallow that he didn’t notice it.

Knock knock.

The driver in the front row said, “Teacher Qin, we have arrived at the hotel where this little actor is staying.”

Ji Li slept very shallowly and got up instantly. He habitually patted his forehead and his voice was filled with the softness of just waking up. “Are we here?”

“Yes, we’re here,” Qin Yue answered while putting down his tablet.

“Thank you. I will go first.” Ji Li completely woke up, picked up his backpack and got out.

Qin Yue watched the young man leave. Before he could withdraw his gaze from the door, the figure entered his vision again.

The bright light outside the car fell on Ji Li’s face. The light source spread a bit and then blurred in the darkness outside the car. The young man stood at the dividing point between light and dark, a mole on the bridge of his nose and a smile in his eyes. It was all seen very clearly.

“Good night, Teacher Qin Yue.”

“…Good night.”

Seconds later, Qin Yue turned his gaze back to his table and suddenly felt that these plants were dull.

***

The next morning.

The crew had set the filming location in a restaurant and planned to film the meal scene after the Song brothers recognized each other.

The moment Ji Li entered the restaurant, he saw Qin Yue standing next to the director.

There was a smile on his lips as he approached and greeted them. “Good morning, Director Zhang, Teacher Qin Yue.”

Qin Yue heard this and turned his head.

Ji Li was no longer dressed in yesterday’s beggar clothes. He changed into a white material and there was a white patterned waistband that outlined his thin waist. He looked more tall and upright.

His face might be covered with a thin layer of black powder but fortunately, there weren’t any deliberate dirty stains so his facial features showed some delicacy and vividness.

The moment Ji Li approached, he found something special. “Are we wearing brotherly clothes?”

Qin Yue wore a black costume and it could be seen from the patterns sewn on his waistband that their clothes were similar. There wasn’t the cold solemnity brought by the war clothing. Today’s styling and clothing obviously had a more intimate human touch.

The production assistant put the fresh dishes that had just arrived on the table. There was even a lamb leg that was roasted and covered with oil. (Changed field affairs to production assistant)

Ji Li smelled it and his eyes lit up.

He got up early and couldn’t eat breakfast. He had been planning to take advantage of the scene to eat some food. Unexpectedly, the crew had a conscience and put up such good food.

Zheng Anxing saw his greedy eyes and smiled. “Are you hungry?”

“A little bit.” Ji Li nodded truthfully.

“Why don’t you sit down? Once we are ready, you can try it.”

The scene was very simple and it needed a relaxed atmosphere.

The day after the Song brothers met, Song Yi took advantage of the noon break to take his brother to the only open, small restaurant in the city and ordered a full table of dishes for him.

The originally tense Song Zhao completely relaxed in front of food. The two brothers ate and talked. They found the feeling of family from when they were together before and even started to think about the future.

This scene was one of the few warm fragments in the script.

Ji Li and Qin Yue tried the scene twice and felt it was okay. Zheng Anxing also didn’t procrastinate. He sat in front of the monitor and shouted, “Action.” The three cameras started at the same time.

***

Song Zhao, played by Ji Li, stared at the dishes on the table and gulped. He hadn’t seen so much food in years and he couldn’t wait to stuff it all in his stomach.

However, his brother hadn’t moved his chopsticks so he didn’t dare to move. What if he ate out of order and became hated by the other person?

Ji Li thought up to here and carefully raised his eyes.

Qin Yue saw his humble and cautious eyes and took a breath. “Zhao’er,  just eat if you are hungry. You can eat as much as you want, just like when you were a child.”

Sweaty palms squeezed his clothes and Ji Li still didn’t dare move his chopsticks. “…Brother, eat first.”

“Okay.” Qin Yue forced down his heartache and squeezed out a small smile on his face. He placed a piece of meat into the other person’s bowl. “I remember that you like meat the most. Try it quickly to see if it is to your liking. You can eat as much as you want. I won’t blame you.”

The meat in the bowl gave off an attractive aroma and Song Zhao finally relaxed.

Ji Li eagerly picked up the chopsticks and placed the meat in his mouth. His hunger instincts overcame his sanity and he swallowed this piece of meat in one go, only chewing it a few times.

It wasn’t easy to taste meat. How could he hold back?

Ji Li gripped his chopsticks tightly. He glanced at Qin Yue opposite him and spoke eagerly with a red face, “Brother, I-I still want…”

Qin Yue immediately understood and used his chopsticks to place food from the dishes on the table into the other person’s bowl in turn. Ji Li was delighted and directly buried his head into the bowl. He randomly picked up the dishes delivered by the other person.

One person grabbed the food and one person ate. The unfamiliarity between brothers disappeared as this repeated.

Song Yi saw his brother’s eating face and suddenly remembered the past.

Song Zhao had been picky as a child and refused to eat regardless of their parents. However, he listened to his old brother. Every meal, Song Yi would hold a small bowl and fed him rice and vegetables.

Later, the war destroyed their home and took away their parents. Song Yi took his younger brother to escape and when the latter fell unconscious, he fed his brother soup bit by bit to survive.

He thought he had no more relatives in this world but now an object of concern had returned.

Qin Yue stared gently at Ji Li who also raised his head at the right time.

The two people stared at each other. Suddenly, Ji Li tore off a piece of lamb and quickly stuffed it in Qin Yue’s mouth.

His stuffed cheeks moved as he spoke vaguely, “Brother, this lamb doesn’t smell. Try it.”

Qin Yue looked slightly stunned.

This was a temporary action added by the other party. It wasn’t in the script or in the first two trials.

In front of the monitor, Zheng Anxing also found this and his eyes brightened. He unexpectedly didn’t shout, ‘Stop.’

For a qualified actor, the on-the-spot reaction was indispensable. Qin Yue saw that the shooting hadn’t stopped so he slowly chewed on the lamb stuffed into his mouth, his gaze never leaving Ji Li opposite him.

The concern in his heart turned into joy that slightly leaked out in his eyes.

Ji Li looked at him eagerly and asked, “Brother, is it delicious?”

Qin Yue showed a positive smile. “It is meat that Zhao’er gave to me so it is naturally delicious. Give me another piece.”

“Okay!” Ji Li tore off another piece of meat and handed it over. “Brother, here you go.”

Qin Yue didn’t move and accepted the food with his mouth.

Zheng Anxing looked at the two people in the camera and shouted ‘wonderful’ in his heart.

The moment this interaction was added, the brothers no longer showed one-sided care and dependence. It was two-way care and concern.

At this moment, Song Yi was no longer a high-ranking general and Song Zhao wasn’t a timid beggar. The war might’ve separated the two people and they grew up in different environments, but it didn’t block their blood that was thicker than water. They met again and it was just like old times.

The script supervisor, Cheng Yin stood in the corner and secretly took a photo of the two people, her heart trembling crazily.

The general’s eyes were so gentle that water was almost dripping out of them! In addition, look at how cutely the younger brother was eating!

Most importantly, the eyes of the two men were full of emotion as they stared at each other!

How were they brothers? They were clearly…

Ohhh, no one understood her happiness at this moment! No one!

The scene between Qin Yue and Ji Li continued.

“Brother, I want to go back to our hometown to see it.”

“Yes. Once the enemy country’s troubles are resolved, I will resign and take you back.”

“If that grapefruit tree is still there…”

“Brother will pick it for you.”

The two people were immersed in the joy of reunion and imagined the future. They didn’t know that they would soon usher in the eternal separation between heaven and man.

***

“Cut! That’s it!” Zheng Anxing exclaimed.

Ji Li broke free from the role and immediately apologized to Qin Yue. “Sorry, I changed my actions without discussing it with you just now. I just temporarily felt that such an action would further highlight the relationship between the two characters.”

“Ji Li, the action you just added was good. It directly filled the tension of the role.” Zheng Anxing preemptively agreed. He approved of this person’s performance in his heart.

Not only was the scene filmed once but the character effects were all full marks. This was simply a treasure actor.

Qin Yue naturally perceived this finishing touch. He adjusted his state and responded in a hoarse voice, “It doesn’t matter. Actors should respect the script but they shouldn’t be limited by the script.”

Many of the wonderful scenes in movies and dramas were often done by actors temporarily adding it.

Before the two people could get up from their positions, there was a cry of surprise from outside the field.

The staff stepped aside and a tall and thin figure appeared at the entrance of the restaurant with a deep smile. “I am here to visit the set.”