Chi Yan kept thinking about Yu Jingming’s words—“lively”—but for a moment, she wasn’t sure how to express it. Through the camera, the photographer could see that she seemed a little stiff.
“Relax, we’re just taking a few photos. It’s nothing.”
Chi Yan felt a little embarrassed. She was a grown woman—why was she acting like a rookie who had just entered the industry?
She immediately adjusted her state of mind and immersed herself in the character of a “lively” princess.
Before being sent off for marriage, the princess must have been showered with love, carefree, and living happily on the grasslands like a free skylark.
Imagining the princess’s demeanor, Chi Yan clasped her hands behind her back, lifted the corners of her mouth, and found the right angle to face the camera, smiling toward the vast blue sky.
Through the lens, the photographer could see the longing for freedom in her eyes, but he still felt like something was missing.
“Wait,” Chi Yan suddenly said. “Is there a bouquet of flowers nearby?”
The photographer snapped a few quick shots and replied, “There should be a flower shop nearby. Do you want to buy some?”
“Does the crew have any Gesang flowers or golden currant bouquets?” Chi Yan asked. “If so, we won’t need to spend extra money.”
The photographer thought for a moment and said, “The crew probably has cosmos flowers.”
Chi Yan nodded. “Cosmos flowers will do. A lot of people mistake them for Gesang flowers.”
“You sure know a lot—even about prairie flowers.”
Chi Yan paused slightly and replied, “I once went to the grasslands.”
That was in her past life when she filmed a modern drama where the male lead and her character, the third female lead, both knew equestrian skills. The male and female leads even had their love story unfold on the prairie, so Chi Yan had stayed there for a while.
They filmed in July, when the grasslands were lush, and cosmos flowers were in full bloom.
While working with the crew, she had learned quite a bit about the local flora.
“It’s almost lunchtime. Why don’t we head back and eat first?” the photographer suggested.
Chi Yan agreed. It was a good opportunity to think about her poses while taking a break.
They returned to the set just as the crew was distributing boxed meals.
Yu Jingming was still standing in front of the monitor, watching the footage while eating.
“Director Yu, is there a meal for me today?” Chi Yan teased.
“There’s nothing else, but we’ve got plenty of boxed meals. Go get one from the crew.”
Chi Yan took a meal and walked over to the female lead, who waved her over to eat together.
Qiu Sisi excitedly asked, “When are you officially joining the cast?”
“I’m not sure yet. Director Yu hasn’t told me,” Chi Yan replied. “How much longer will this drama take to finish filming?”
“We’ve only been filming for less than half a month, so there’s still a long way to go. Do you have scheduling conflicts?” Qiu Sisi asked. “If you do, you can discuss it directly with Director Yu. He’s not that strict in private.”
Chi Yan thought for a moment before honestly saying, “I’m scheduled to participate in an actor competition show with Director Yu. I’m worried I won’t be able to balance both.”
“Is it a variety show?” Qiu Sisi was quick to catch on. “What’s it called? I’ll vote for you on Weibo when the time comes!”
Chi Yan had never seen Qiu Sisi this innocent before. In her past life, she had been quite shrewd. Perhaps in this life, she hadn’t yet been hardened by the industry, which made her more approachable.
She wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip by. She knew Qiu Sisi was about to join a hit variety show, which would skyrocket her fanbase. Chi Yan replied, “It’s called The Actor’s Path. I’ll be counting on you then.”
Chi Yan didn’t make any promises to Qiu Sisi. She figured she would express her gratitude once Qiu Sisi actually posted on Weibo.
The male lead, Ou Yang, was sitting nearby and overheard their conversation. He couldn’t help but comment, “She’s already been on the trending list twice—what help does she need?”
Qiu Sisi froze, then looked at Chi Yan a little awkwardly. “Oh… I see…”
“That was just luck,” Chi Yan said casually, glancing at Ou Yang.
“You’re amazing. No wonder Director Yu invited you over directly,” Qiu Sisi said enviously.
Chi Yan replied, “It’s mainly to build rapport in advance. Director Yu is one of the resident directors on the competition show, so if nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be working with him.”
“I see.” Qiu Sisi seemed to understand.
As soon as the photographer finished eating, he came looking for Chi Yan. “We should hurry. Director Yu wants the photos done early.”
“Alright, let’s check the props department for cosmos flowers first,” Chi Yan said.
Before leaving, she turned to Qiu Sisi and said, “See you later.”
“See you later!”
They quickly found some cosmos flowers in the props department, though only a small handful.
“Not bad,” Chi Yan said as she snapped a photo, planning to share it with her mother later.
It was a habit she had developed in her past life.
Back at the grassy field where they had been shooting earlier, Chi Yan gathered the flowers into a bouquet and held the stems in her hands.
She sat on the grass, lowering her head to sniff the scent of the cosmos flowers. Behind her stretched an endless expanse of tall fescue. Though still somewhat short, the grass blended into the vast blue sky at the horizon, forming a breathtaking scene.
The photos were quickly taken, and Chi Yan felt this batch turned out much better than the previous one.
“They look great, but I feel like they could be even better…”
The photographer said, “Honestly, I think they’re good enough. Director Yu definitely won’t have any complaints.”
Chi Yan looked at the flowers in her hand and, without hesitation, took one and tucked it behind her ear. “Let’s try again.”
The photographer took another set of photos, and this time, there was a pleasant surprise—a row of birds soaring across the sky, adding vibrant color to the pictures. The tall fescue grass was also swayed in one direction by a perfectly timed breeze, creating an exceptionally harmonious scene.
The photographer sighed in relief. “Good thing you insisted on retaking the shots, or we wouldn’t have captured such beautiful photos!”
Chi Yan simply smiled. “Let’s head back. This should be good enough to submit.”
Time had flown by during the shoot, and when they returned to the set, most people were already wrapping up. Yu Jingming announced that after a short break, they would start filming the palace scenes.
Seeing them return, Yu Jingming called out, “I saved some fruit for you guys. Go eat.”
Chi Yan nodded and followed the photographer to eat, while Yu Jingming took the camera and reviewed the shots they had taken.
“What are these first few shots?” he muttered in disdain, scrolling through the early ones. He felt he should have directed them himself. But as he flipped further, he was drawn to the later shots. “Now these look like something.”
He walked over to Chi Yan and praised her. “The later shots turned out well. They capture the right feeling. No need for reshoots. I’ll have the post-production team edit them a bit, and they should be ready for release soon.”
Yu Jingming wasn’t stingy with praise. He believed that directors and actors mutually benefited each other, and complimenting actors could help speed up filming.
“Thank you, Director Yu. If you’re satisfied, I feel relieved.” Chi Yan then asked, “By the way, when am I officially joining the cast? And when will I get the script? I want to finish filming as soon as possible so I can focus on the competition.”
“Bringing you in was a last-minute decision. I still need to discuss with the scriptwriting team how to adjust the script for you. But don’t worry, you don’t have many scenes. If you don’t mess up too many takes, we should be able to finish in about a week. It won’t interfere with your competition.”
Chi Yan nodded. “Alright.”
She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Director Yu, during the competition, which side will you be on?”
She knew this film would win awards, but she couldn’t recall which well-known short drama Yu Jingming had directed for that variety show. It was another mystery to her.
Yu Jingming replied, “We record one episode per week, on Friday nights. Choosing the script will take a day, and adjusting for the roles will take another. I’ll probably be there for three days a week. Don’t worry, the other directors have their own filming schedules too. If needed, I can guide you remotely through video calls.”
Chi Yan quickly calculated in her mind. One day for script selection, one day for role adjustments, and one day before the performance for Yu Jingming to check on things—time would be tight, but manageable.
“Got it.”
“Good. If you don’t have anything else today, why not start getting used to life on set? I don’t want you struggling to adjust when filming starts—that would just waste time.”
Chi Yan agreed.
The long street scenes had mostly been filmed, and Yu Jingming instructed the crew to move to the next set. “We’ve booked this palace location for three hours. Let’s move quickly.”
Chi Yan noticed that the crew was very efficient. In no time, they had packed everything up. The actors were also cooperative and followed the director’s instructions without fuss.
She took the initiative to help Qiu Sisi. “Why didn’t you bring an assistant? It’s so inconvenient to be here alone.”
Chi Yan believed some things were worth saying—friendships and relationships were built through shared experiences.
Qiu Sisi was grateful and gave her a bright smile. “Thank you! I’ll keep that in mind next time. This is my first drama, and I haven’t signed with an agency yet, so I don’t know much about these things.”
“Since you’re already acting, agencies will probably reach out to you soon,” Chi Yan said. She must have signed with one shortly after this, which is how she ended up on that popular variety show.
“Then I’ll take your good wishes.”
Yu Jingming was quick and decisive. He had already gone ahead with the cinematography team to the palace set, where Ou Yang and the veteran actor had been waiting.
By the time Chi Yan and the others arrived, they were filming a scene where a loyal minister was advising the emperor.
Qiu Sisi found a quiet corner and brought over two small stools. “Come sit with me and watch. Director Yu probably wants you to learn from the senior actors too.”
Chi Yan thanked her and said, “Yeah, he told me to get used to being on set first.”
“Director Yu is nice—he gives new actors opportunities. But he’s strict when directing. This is my and Ou Yang’s first drama, and we knew nothing at the start. Our first scene was so bad that we got scolded harshly.”
Qiu Sisi sighed. “But even senior actors have been yelled at before. Director Yu does it for our own good, so I don’t really mind.”
Chi Yan was a little surprised. In her previous life, she had seen Yu Jingming scold actors while filming, but she didn’t recall him yelling at everyone in the cast.
“They’re starting the scene. Let’s focus!” Qiu Sisi nudged Chi Yan lightly with her elbow.
“Okay.”
Chi Yan watched the performance between the loyal minister and the emperor, feeling a deep appreciation. The veteran actor’s performance was seamless, and even among young male leads, Ou Yang’s acting stood out.
No wonder this film would go on to win awards. She was completely absorbed in watching the scene unfold.
Next was a scene between the male and female leads. Ou Yang and Qiu Sisi had already built good chemistry, so they performed smoothly. There were a few minor mistakes, but Yu Jingming looked satisfied.
By the end of the afternoon, Chi Yan felt like she had learned a lot. It was as if she had gained a deeper understanding of acting.
