“Cut! Moving on!”
Cheng Songran lowered his walkie-talkie and gave a thumbs-up to the stage.
The heavy atmosphere on set instantly lightened, and the extras let out collective sighs of relief.
Just then, a young man holding a small video camera approached, aiming the lens at Jiang Yue, who had just stepped out of character.
This was the promo guy specifically in charge of shooting behind-the-scenes footage for the crew.
“Teacher Jiang, you just finished such a massive scene. How do you feel? What's the secret to switching between two personalities?”
Jiang Yue took the lunch box Jiang Kaiwen handed him and peeked under the lid.
Sure enough, two golden-brown chicken drumsticks lay inside.
Only then did he look up, speaking to the camera with a deadpan expression. “The secret is that Director Cheng promised me if we got this in one take, he'd add chicken drumsticks to my lunch.”
As he spoke, he picked up a large drumstick with his chopsticks and waved it in front of the lens.
“A man cannot live without conviction.”
The promo guy and the surrounding crew members burst into laughter.
The towering presence of the calculating Lu Zhichen from moments ago and this food-obsessed guy working hard for a chicken drumstick were actually the same person.
Jiang Kaiwen suddenly covered the lens, laughing. “Stop filming, stop filming! You're dampening Brother Yue's enthusiasm for his meal. If he doesn't perform well tomorrow, you'll be the one held responsible!”
The promo guy complied and turned the camera toward Cheng Songran, who was still savoring the playback in front of the monitor.
“Director Cheng, are you satisfied with the performance just now?”
Cheng Songran kept his eyes glued to the playback, his fingers scrolling across the screen.
“The rhythm and emotions were both spot-on. Saved us half a day of grinding. Not bad.”
Hearing “not bad” from his mouth was already high praise.
After all, Cheng Songran always put on a mature front whenever a camera was on him.
The promo guy immediately pressed further. “Then which part of the face-off between Teacher Jiang and Teacher Ding did you find the most brilliant?”
Cheng Songran finally looked up and shot him a glance.
“The entire scene was brilliant. Now, don't bother me. Let me watch it two more times.”
He waved his hand to dismiss him, but his sheer obsession with the work was more genuine than any verbal praise.
Jiang Kaiwen watched the lively scene, leaned in and whispered to Jiang Yue, “If these behind-the-scenes clips get released, won't the fans say our actors have split personalities? Wits and courage on screen, but pure comedians off screen.”
Taking advantage of the promo guy interviewing Cheng Songran, Jiang Yue had already shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice.
He swallowed the food in his mouth.
“It's fine. It saves on promotion costs.”
Jiang Kaiwen chuckled and scrolled through his phone, his expression turning excited again.
“Third Brother, the sword dance video from 《The Grand Game》 is still trending on the hot search.”
“Tons of people are leaving comments under our no-budget, no-hype crew's official account, asking what kind of masterpiece you're shooting in Shancheng. Some are even talking about organizing a group to visit the set.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yue looked toward Cheng Songran, who was still ironing out details with the assistant director, and jerked his chin in his direction.
“Director Cheng.”
He called out.
Cheng Songran turned around. “What is it?”
“The fans say they want to visit the set.”
Jiang Kaiwen handed his phone to Jiang Yue. Jiang Yue glanced at it and passed it along.
“Can your security handle it?”
Cheng Songran glanced at the screen, raised an eyebrow, and picked up his walkie-talkie.
“Pack it up first! Security vehicles, stay close!”
He scanned the set.
“Nobody is allowed to disturb my shoot!”
As it turned out, Cheng Songran's words were somewhat of a jinx.
The following afternoon, the crew moved to an old street near the river.
Just as the van came to a halt and before Jiang Kaiwen could even pull Jiang Yue's thermos out of his bag, he noticed a few people gathered at the end of the street.
Not many, just five or six.
Mostly girls, they carried cups of milk tea, ice jelly, and bottles of Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid. One young girl was hugging a box of mineral water, standing by the roadside as obediently as if she were attending military training.
They didn't try to rush inside or shout. Instead, they stood together holding up an A4 sheet of paper.
On it, several large words were written:
【We won't disturb the filming. We just want to feed the crew.】
Jiang Kaiwen's expression instantly turned complex.
Were fan visits so civilized these days?
This didn't look like a set visit; it felt more like poverty alleviation.
The production assistant went over to talk with them and quickly ran back to report, “Director Cheng, they said they'll just drop off the things and leave. They won't interfere with the shoot.”
Standing under the sun canopy, Cheng Songran fell silent for two seconds.
“We can't accept the items.”
Jiang Kaiwen nodded. “Right, it's a matter of principle.”
Cheng Songran continued, “But we can ask them where they bought that Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid. Just ask for the store, don't take the items. The crew will buy it in bulk later.”
Jiang Kaiwen: “...”
Well, classic Director Cheng.
Standing nearby in his baseball cap, Jiang Yue chuckled at their exchange.
He looked toward the fans at the end of the street and waved, greeting them.
The girls instantly got excited, jumping up and down on the spot, but only for a couple of bounces.
The girl holding the mineral water immediately reached out to stop her friends, clearly telling them not to disrupt the shoot.
Jiang Kaiwen clicked his tongue in amazement. “Third Brother, your fans are incredibly disciplined!”
Cheng Songran nodded in satisfaction. “Good manners.”
Just as he spoke, a man wearing sunglasses suddenly slipped out from the other side of the street corner.
He wore a floral shirt and held a phone, pretending to be passing by, but his steps were resolutely moving toward the set.
He clearly wasn't a fan.
While the actual fans were outside behaving as orderly as kindergarteners in a line, this guy had activated wall-hugging stealth mode.
However, after taking only two steps, a security guard in a plain short-sleeved shirt stepped in front of him.
Sunglasses Guy: “I'm just passing by.”
Security: “The road ahead is closed.”
Sunglasses Guy: “I live here.”
Security: “Please show your pass, or I can ask the production assistant to verify your residency.”
Sunglasses Guy: “I forgot to bring it.”
Security: “Then please go back and get it.”
Sunglasses Guy: “...”
This smooth combo of shut-downs thoroughly amused Jiang Kaiwen.
“Director Cheng, your security is top-notch. That was a zero-frame startup.”
Cheng Songran crossed his arms, putting on a profound look. “Elite level. They're paid by the day.”
Jiang Kaiwen muttered under his breath, “Whenever you mention money, your face shows more genuine emotion than at any other time.”
Jiang Yue pressed down the brim of his cap, holding back his laughter as he walked onto the set.
Just then, a travel blogger who happened to be filming the Shancheng streetscape captured this scene from a distance.
In the video, Jiang Yue wore his baseball cap with a light jacket thrown over his shirt, his figure slender and upright.
Standing beside him, the excessively young Cheng Songran crossed his arms and directed security, looking for all the world like a newly graduated demon king dominating the set.
Jiang Kaiwen, wearing a mask, was tall and long-legged, carrying a thermos and a mini fan while muttering next to Jiang Yue.
With the three of them standing together, the scene possessed an inexplicable aesthetic vibe.
But in the next second, that vibe shattered.
Because right after Jiang Kaiwen handed the mini fan to Jiang Yue, Cheng Songran naturally reached out to grab it.
Jiang Kaiwen reacted instantly, pulling the fan back and looking at him warily.
“Director Cheng, this is my brother's exclusive equipment.”
Cheng Songran glanced at him. “It's a public resource of the crew.”
Jiang Kaiwen was shocked. “You even want to share a mini fan? Are you even human?”
Cheng Songran replied righteously, “Who paid for the late-night snacks yesterday?”
Jiang Kaiwen fell silent for a second before nudging the mini fan half an inch closer to him.
“You get thirty seconds.”
Cheng Songran: “One minute.”
Jiang Kaiwen: “Forty seconds.”
Cheng Songran: “Deal.”
Standing in the middle, Jiang Yue watched the two of them haggle over a tiny fan. He tried to hold it in, but ultimately couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The fans at the end of the street also saw them shoving each other. They struggled to hold back their laughter, their shoulders shaking, but they didn't dare make a sound.
The girl holding the mineral water raised her phone, typing a few words to show the production assistant.
【We really won't go in. We just wanted to ask, is the crew short on fans?】
The production assistant looked at it, his expression pained.
He looked back at Cheng Songran, who was earnestly enjoying the breeze, and then at the utterly speechless Jiang Kaiwen. Finally, he said tactfully, “It's not that we're short on them. It's just that our director is... quite thrifty.”
The fans nodded in unison, their expressions filled with deep understanding and sympathy.
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