Zheng Lin specialized in filming characters, so her observations of people were particularly meticulous. To shoot this type of subject matter, she, as the director, had naturally done her homework.
While preparing the script, she specifically spent about a month observing in the kitchen of a very traditional restaurant. She not only watched how the kitchen operated but also how the master and apprentices interacted within a relatively traditional lineage.
At this moment, Chi Feiran’s posture, even the way he held the knife and the force in his wrist, had fully captured Zheng Lin’s attention.
Others might think his slow pace was half-hearted, but Zheng Lin knew better. This wasn’t the demeanor of someone untrained!
Her eyes were glued to his slow, deliberate hands. The sound of the knife hitting the cutting board, slow and steady, felt like the beginning of a performance. Despite the fast, rhythmic chopping sounds around him, this slow rhythm was more attention-grabbing.
“Commander Zhang will do anything for money!”
“The problem is we don’t have any…”
“How could we not? Some people just need to loosen their grip!”
“Stop talking…”
But that person wouldn’t stop and instead raised his voice: “If we can’t pass this hurdle, De Wei Lou will be no more!”
His voice trembled. As long as De Wei Lou and the master and senior brothers were there, the apprentices could still have a meal. But without De Wei Lou, in the chaos outside, how would they survive?
Ji Yunsheng heard everything clearly. How could he not know who they were talking about? Most people at De Wei Lou came from poor backgrounds. Before they could serve dishes, they didn’t receive any wages. Only during holidays would the master give some pocket money. It was obvious that only he could produce money.
The master, being old, had messed up at Commander Zhang’s mother’s birthday banquet, causing Zhang to lose face publicly. The eldest senior brother and others who assisted were also imprisoned.
Commander Zhang’s men had made it clear that they would release them only if they were compensated to their satisfaction. If not, De Wei Lou would cease to exist in the city.
But De Wei Lou had no money. In these chaotic times, the officials kept changing, each demanding money and bribes. De Wei Lou supported many people. The savings the master had accumulated were long gone, even the few items brought from the palace had been pawned!
However, Ji Yunsheng also had no cash left. What he had were the deeds to his family’s restaurant and old house. Everyone knew this…
Ji Yunsheng knew saving lives was urgent, especially with so many people at De Wei Lou relying on the master…
But those were his family’s ancestral properties! The deed to the restaurant even had his father’s blood on it!
Ji Yunsheng gripped the knife tightly, the veins bulging on his pale hand from the force. His slow movements sped up with his senior brothers’ increasingly pointed remarks. With each cut, the knife left marks on the wooden cutting board.
The tension increased like a drumbeat quickening, the atmosphere growing taut, ready to snap at any moment.
His senior brother’s words grew sharper: “He’d rather hold onto an empty shell than care about the lives of his master and senior brothers…”
“Bang!”
Ji Yunsheng’s force was so great that the thick wooden cutting board split, the knife embedding deep into it!
Silence fell.
Everyone was stunned. This wasn’t a joke!
The actor closest to Chi Feiran scrambled back, fearing the next strike might be directed at him!
It wasn’t cowardice; this was genuinely terrifying!
The casting directors were equally shocked. They knew the strength of the prop—this wasn’t just for show!
The scene was instantly subdued. The other three actors, holding their knives, took a step back from Chi Feiran.
The actor closest to Chi Feiran felt insecure without a knife but didn’t dare to retrieve one.
Zheng Lin snapped out of her daze, quickly looking at Chi Feiran’s face, realizing she had been completely captivated by his hands!
This was…
Zheng Lin’s eyes shone with a strange light. She now viewed Chi Feiran in a new light. No, not Chi Feiran—this was Ji Yunsheng.
Ji Yunsheng’s eyes were bloodshot, and his fair face was flushed with emotion.
He said, “The Ji family isn’t extinct yet! That’s my family’s ancestral property! My parents died because of this!”
His voice was hoarse and not loud, but every word hit like a hammer on the heart.
The others then realized that the audition wasn’t over yet and hurriedly made excuses: “So, are you just going to watch your master and senior brothers die?”
Ji Yunsheng was stumped. Should he protect the Wei Lou or the ancestral restaurant of his family?
On one side were his parents, who raised and loved him, and his ancestors. On the other side was his master, who taught him his skills and was like a second father, and his senior brothers, with whom he had arguments but were like brothers…
He stood there, his fists clenched tightly, the veins on his forehead bulging with intense emotion. His eyes glistened, but they were filled more with pain, struggle, and confusion.
The living are always more important. When people die, everything is lost.
But what about his Ji family? In this chaotic world, would he ever be able to rebuild the Ji family restaurant in his lifetime?
Ji Yunsheng slowly opened his lips, barely moving, as if he was silently saying something.
The other four auditionees looked towards Director Zheng and the others. The audition scene ended here. According to the original script, news should come from outside that the master couldn’t survive in prison and had died.
In the movie, this scene would be a chaotic crowd scene.
But Zheng Lin didn’t call for an end. Instead, she followed up with a line from the script: “Master is gone!”
She said it casually, without much emotion, but her intention was clear: to continue the scene.
The other auditionees were initially startled but quickly followed the storyline. Some collapsed to the ground, wailing, while others stood in a daze, seemingly lost.
Zheng Lin, however, only watched Ji Yunsheng.
It was a peculiar feeling, like witnessing something slowly shattering before your eyes.
Silently, it shattered.
Devastated? No, that wasn’t enough to describe it.
He lost his second father at the moment he was about to relent. The master who had harshly taught him but secretly gave him honey-soaked cherries was gone.
If only it had been a little earlier, just a bit earlier…
He trembled all over, raised his hand, and covered his face. There were no tears, not even a sound.
Covering the face in acting often means the actor can’t convey the required emotion and uses the hand to cover it up. But conversely, acting without showing the face is the hardest.
How can someone convey their emotions without expressions? Body language, no matter how skillfully used, often can’t compare to a frown, a smile, or even a glance.
But at this moment, Chi Feiran succeeded.
His once straight spine now had a slight hunch, his neatly combed hair was disheveled, and he was trembling, but it was more than just trembling.
Even the rise and fall of his chest with his breath seemed to convey a message: his heart was collapsing, being destroyed. He had lost another loved one.
Zheng Lin pursed her lips, paused slightly, and then said, “Alright, next scene, five minutes to prepare.”
The casting directors looked at her, thinking she was quite formidable. They had been drawn in, but she just called for the next scene!
Everyone hurried to prepare. Both scenes focused on Ji Yunsheng. With his previous performance, they had to step up their game to shine.
Chi Feiran still stood there, not lowering his hand. The lingering remorse and despair were still in his body, and he couldn’t immediately switch to the next scene.
Rong Jin sat there, watching Chi Feiran’s trembling hand covering his face, saying nothing.
If this were on set, he would definitely say something to help Chi Feiran snap out of the character’s emotions. But since this was an audition, his best choice was to quietly be a spectator and wait to witness his boyfriend’s success.
Yes, witness success.
He had absolute confidence in Chi Feiran.
When Chi Feiran lowered his hand, there was a one-minute countdown reminder for them to get ready.
Unlike the previous scene, which mainly relied on performance with few lines, this time Ji Yunsheng had many lines. His spoiled attitude, his likability, and his hidden pride had to be conveyed through language and expressions.
He needed to tease his senior brothers, but not in a derogatory way. Ji Yunsheng was never a negative character. He was likable, good-looking, talented, sweet-talking, and knew how to please elders. So, the master would often turn a blind eye to his little slacks.
The director of the audition said, “Alright, you can start now.”
Chi Feiran, who had been looking down, raised his eyes, slightly lifted his chin, and suddenly revealed a somewhat proud smile.
He was good-looking, with very fair skin. The remnants of his previous emotions left a lingering red on his face, and his eyes were still red, but with the subtle control of his expression, it was clear that this wasn’t a crying little rabbit but a smug little fox.
He drawled, his tone soft like a southerner’s: “Senior brother…”
Author’s note:
Rong Rong: My boyfriend is the best in the world!!! Applause for him!!!
