Chapter 56: Absolutely Not, Absolutely Not – Immersed in the Role
Although Yu Shuangwei said she would reduce Dong Ling’s scenes, she was truly ruthless in her reduction, much to Dong Ling’s delight.
She wasn’t an actress anyway, she didn’t care about screen time, she wanted Song Mingzhi to have more scenes.
Amidst the bustling film crew, Dong Ling sat in a corner, memorizing her lines.
Because the story was told from Liang Jin’an’s perspective, she only needed to act in a few key scenes showing changes in You Su Changying.
After being brought back to the Liang palace, You Su Changying quickly gained favor. The Empress Dowager’s methods of showing affection were so varied that Dong Ling felt a little embarrassed reading them.
Because of You Su Changying’s favor, jealousy quickly arose in the harem. The first to target her was Consort Yu Lan.
Since she was the Empress Dowager’s favorite, there was probably a hierarchy among those kept in the harem. The palace staff addressed them all as “Miss” or “Master,” or “Consort.”
You Su Changying’s arrival caused Yu Lan to fall out of favor. Naturally, Yu Lan disliked her. Knowing that the Empress Dowager favored You Su Changying’s face, she soaked a veil in poison, causing You Su Changying to develop a rash after wearing it.
You Su Changying was extremely panicked, because she knew her face was her only asset for revenge, if her face was ruined and she could no longer approach Liang Jin’an, how could she kill her?
So You Su Changying quickly found an imperial physician, and when she saw the Empress Dowager, she covered the rash with a veil, her eyes filled with tears, and under the flickering candlelight, let Liang Jin’an see and then comforted her.
This was the first time You Su Changying put aside her pride, because she knew that if she wanted to achieve great things, she couldn’t always maintain her dignity. Liang Jin’an was arrogant, even more so after taking power, she didn’t like being disobeyed. You Su Changying could act aloof occasionally, but constantly doing so would only annoy her.
You Su Changying’s act of subservience came at the perfect time. Liang Jin’an ordered the imperial physicians to use the best medicine to quickly cure You Su Changying’s rash, and after their lovemaking, she summoned Yu Lan, threw her sword, which was still called Qing Huang at that time, at You Su Changying, and told her to kill Yu Lan herself to vent her anger.
Liang Jin’an was such a debauched and tyrannical person, showering someone with favor one moment, and discarding them like trash the next.
Her ruthlessness shocked You Su Changying, but it was also etched into You Su Changying’s bones, becoming part of her disguise, which led to the historically criticized incident of You Su Changying killing the prime minister’s son.
The story behind this incident wasn’t that simple, because the prime minister at the time advocated returning the imperial power to the emperor, which greatly displeased Empress Dowager Liang.
Dong Ling tried to understand the character’s psychology, continued reading the script, and gasped.
Because the scene of appeasing the Empress Dowager after the incident with the veil only involved turning off the lights, leaving quickly, and saying a few ambiguous lines, Dong Ling didn’t think much of it, but the next scene was quite something.
Long after You Su Changying killed Yu Lan, and her face had recovered, Liang Jin’an, frustrated by political matters, took it out on You Su Changying, using the hilt of her sword to penetrate You Su Changying. Yu Shuangwei wanted to film this scene, although it would be filmed implicitly, she still had to portray the corresponding expression.
Dong Ling was numb.
How was she supposed to know what that expression was?!
Dong Ling: [Dude, help me, help me, help me, help me!]
Could she use her investor status to have Yu Shuangwei delete this scene?
Apparently not.
021 said with difficulty: [Girl, if my access wasn’t restricted, I could show you the 1TB of resources I have stored.]
Dong Ling: [????]
Dong Ling: [You’re so perverted!]
021 said with a confused look: [Ah, those are for educational purposes, for learning and reference, because many domineering CEOs are inexperienced.]
Besides, it, as an AI, wasn’t embarrassed watching these things, it would only be shy if there was a merging of consciousness, watching this was like watching Animal Planet.
021 couldn’t offer any help, and Dong Ling continued memorizing her lines with a heavy heart.
Filming the scene of killing Yu Lan went very smoothly, but after this scene, the next one was the one Dong Ling dreaded the most.
“Practice on your own first, I’ll coach you later.”
Yu Shuangwei also knew that Dong Ling probably couldn’t do it, but she had to film this scene, the character’s personality and expressiveness were revealed in this scene.
After making several constipated-looking expressions in front of the mirror, Dong Ling knocked on Song Mingzhi’s door.
When Song Mingzhi saw the content of the script, she thought Dong Ling might come looking for her, but when Dong Ling actually arrived, her heart still raced unnaturally.
“Mingzhi, help, Director Yu wants me to portray a look of four parts pain, three parts fear, and three parts ruthlessness, I’m not a pie chart, I can’t do it.”
Dong Ling’s expression was pained, her facial features no longer her own.
“It’s okay, let’s rehearse, don’t be nervous.”
Song Mingzhi comforted her and looked around the room, finally finding a lipstick to use as a prop sword.
The slender tube of lipstick was slightly shorter than Song Mingzhi’s fingers. Dong Ling sat on the bed, inexplicably feeling a little nervous.
She came here to rehearse, Dong Ling repeatedly told herself, this was work, what was there to be nervous about?!
Dong Ling imitated the sitting posture in the script, Yu Shuangwei, worried that Dong Ling wouldn’t understand, even included illustrations of the character’s movements in Dong Ling’s copy.
She lay down on the bed somewhat stiffly, her legs bending involuntarily, looking at Song Mingzhi’s face so close to hers, she forgot to breathe from nervousness.
“Your posture is wrong, it should be like this.”
Song Mingzhi, holding Dong Ling’s illustrated guide, adjusted her posture.
Dong Ling was wearing a knee-length skirt today, the light blue hem spreading open with her leg movements, like a blooming flower.
She felt Song Mingzhi’s palm against her knee, a warmth spreading through her back, making Dong Ling turn her head slightly.
“You have to look at me like this.”
Song Mingzhi gently turned her head back, their eyes met, Dong Ling became even more flustered and simply closed her eyes.
Song Mingzhi’s lips curved upwards seeing her like this, but she said: “Ling Ling, you’re too stiff, you can’t immerse yourself in the role like this.”
“Sorry, I… can’t control my reaction.”
Dong Ling felt frustrated, the heat was spreading through her body, even the air conditioning in Song Mingzhi’s room couldn’t dispel it.
Song Mingzhi suggested: “Then let’s start from the beginning of this scene, perhaps it will be easier to get into character?”
The beginning of this scene was Liang Jin’an entering from outside, her heart filled with frustration. You Su Changying knew what had happened and, as always, nestled against her, only to be pushed onto the soft couch by Liang Jin’an, who then unsheathed her sword.
You Su Changying instinctively thought Liang Jin’an was going to kill her and shrunk back, wanting to escape. This action further provoked Liang Jin’an, who grabbed one of her legs, tore off her undergarments with one hand, and thrust the hilt of her sword, Qing Huang, inside her without a word.
She wanted to escape, but Liang Jin’an tightened her grip on her leg, her expression cold and arrogant: “I am the ruler of this world, how dare you disobey me?”
In front of You Su Changying, Liang Jin’an never hid her ambition, she relayed the difficulties she faced implementing new policies in the court, those things that couldn’t be heard by the officials, she told You Su Changying.
This was why Yu Shuangwei insisted on filming this scene, Dong Ling knew this, which was why she wanted to practice and get it right.
“Then let’s start from the beginning. Help me get into character, and then I’ll slowly improve.”
Dong Ling nodded, and after Song Mingzhi moved a little further away, she stood up, her legs feeling a little weak.
Song Mingzhi stood at the entrance. The moment she stepped inside, her aura changed.
Even though she was wearing her own casual clothes, her expression was that of the character. Dong Ling, as instructed in the script, leaned against Song Mingzhi.
She was supposed to address her as “Your Majesty,” because Liang Jin’an liked hearing You Su Changying call her that, but Dong Ling’s mind short-circuited, and she blurted out: “Mingzhi…”
Dong Ling almost bit her tongue. Song Mingzhi didn’t seem to be affected, staying in character, she put her arm around Dong Ling’s waist, and Dong Ling continued acting.
Song Mingzhi not only stayed in character, but hearing Dong Ling call her real name, she seemed even more immersed in the role.
Everything went smoothly until Song Mingzhi grabbed Dong Ling’s ankle.
After all, this was acting without props, Song Mingzhi couldn’t actually tear Dong Ling’s pants, she didn’t even touch Dong Ling’s skirt with her fingers.
Dong Ling was in character, but didn’t know how to act next, she felt frustrated, but Song Mingzhi, seeing her poor performance, didn’t stop.
The lipstick, through two layers of fabric, pressed against the indicated spot in the script. Dong Ling instinctively wanted to close her legs, but one leg was blocked by Song Mingzhi’s knee, and the other was held by Song Mingzhi’s hand, she couldn’t close them at all, her expression a mix of embarrassment and despair.
Dong Ling was so flustered she could only ask Song Mingzhi to stop acting, softly calling her name: “Mingzhi… that’s enough… stop…”
The lipstick was pushed in a little further, creating a small indentation in the fabric of her skirt.
Song Mingzhi was indeed immersed in the role, between reality and fiction, she couldn’t distinguish clearly, she actually wanted to ask, do you like me?
If you do, why do you approach, if you do, why do you run away, why do you pretend to be indifferent?
She mechanically recited the lines in her mind, her memory was too good, memorizing lines wasn’t difficult at all.
Dong Ling became even more anxious, she wanted to push Song Mingzhi away with her hands, but Song Mingzhi held them.
The ankle that was being held was freed, Dong Ling stepped on Song Mingzhi with her toes, trying to create some distance between them, but she accidentally stepped on the wrong place, her expression even more rigid.
Feeling the lipstick seemingly pushing further in, and hearing Song Mingzhi reciting her lines, Dong Ling, in her despair, felt like the suppressed and helpless You Su Changying, but it was just an illusion.
“Mingzhi, don’t do this.”
Dong Ling didn’t know how to deal with this situation, she was genuinely a little scared by Song Mingzhi.
Her face was slightly pale, even her lips had lost some color.
The hand holding hers loosened its grip, Song Mingzhi soothingly rubbed her fingers, and sighed: “Remember this feeling, just add a little more hatred.”
Seeing the clarity in her eyes, Dong Ling breathed a sigh of relief and complained coquettishly: “You scared me to death, I thought you were really into the role.”
Song Mingzhi whispered: “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Dong Ling thought this method was a bit too extreme, and quite frightening.
Song Mingzhi threw the lipstick aside and smoothed Dong Ling’s skirt.
As the slightly indented fabric was pulled smooth, Dong Ling’s expression relaxed for a moment.
Song Mingzhi touched the slight dampness on the skirt, gaining a deeper understanding of Dong Ling’s constitution.
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