The part Jiang Li was going to film today was about her being destitute after her husband left. In the dilapidated tenement building amidst the war-torn chaos, she held the embroidered handkerchief she had just finished and fled for her life.
During the brief moments of stability, she never forgot to take out the handkerchief to sell in order to get something to eat.
The filming of the previous scenes went smoothly. Jiang Li fully portrayed the panic and sense of crisis of a displaced person. Her eyes were filled with turmoil and unease, showing no sense of belonging.
Several close - up shots were simply amazing, and Ying Chengqi couldn't help clapping his hands until they were sore.
There was still one more shot later. Zhou Ruoying, who had been hungry for several days, finally got to hold a bowl of noodles to satisfy her hunger. Her movements were a bit hasty but still elegant, retaining her unique charm and temperament.
To make the performance more realistic, Jiang Li had to eat real noodles instead of using props.
Director Ying was not satisfied with this shot. After shooting it back and forth so many times, Jiang Li had eaten the noodles just as many times.
So when the director finally shouted "Cut!", she put down the bowl in her hand with a sigh of relief and then, supported by Xiaoye, went to the bathroom.
She usually ate very little, and having eaten so many noodles just now, her stomach was already overloaded. She had already felt the urge to vomit during the filming, but she managed to hold it back until the end.
As soon as she got into the bathroom, she couldn't control herself anymore and vomited out all the food she had just eaten.
Along with the nausea and dizziness, she leaned against the wall weakly, feeling a bit faint.
She felt extremely nauseous, and the mist in her eyes blurred her vision. She blinked several times before her vision cleared up.
Xiaoye hugged her lovingly and then helped her out of the bathroom. She then handed her the prepared hot water and said, "Sister Jiang Li, you're pushing yourself too hard."
Jiang Li shook her head. "There's no such thing as pushing myself too hard. This is my job, and I have the responsibility to strive for the best performance for the audience."
This was also her principle all along.
The break time for the crew was almost over. Jiang Li had recovered a bit and, supported by Xiaoye, walked back to get ready for the next part of the filming.
As soon as she got back to the crew, she saw Xiao Yanzhi again.
He seemed to be very enthusiastic about visiting the set recently.
She didn't know what he was talking to the director about. He looked elegant and his expression was extremely gentle and gentlemanly. He nodded from time to time, looking very patient.
Jiang Li felt as if he was acting.
His grace, elegance, and composure couldn't hide his inherent meanness and arbitrariness.
This was the Xiao Yanzhi that only she knew.
She wanted to avoid them, but unfortunately, Ying Chengqi had already seen her and immediately waved at her, asking her to come over.
With so many eyes around, she couldn't avoid or retreat. She had no choice but to bite the bullet and go over.
"Hello, Mr. Xiao." She lowered her eyes and spoke in a nonchalant tone.
Xiao Yanzhi just responded in a deep voice and said nothing more.
Neither of them seemed to want to start a conversation.
Ying Chengqi felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward, so he changed the topic to Jiang Li. "How are you? Feeling better?"
Jiang Li replied, "Much better. Thank you, Director Ying."
"Are you sick?" Xiao Yanzhi's expression was cold, and his tone was hard to read. "If you're not feeling well, stop working. Filming while sick is just self - indulgence."
Jiang Li slightly raised her eyes. Her face was extremely calm as she opened her mouth to explain. "I just ate a few more mouthfuls of noodles for the shot. I ate too fast and felt a bit nauseous."
Xiao Yanzhi's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes swept across her face.
She was still wearing the stage makeup. Her pale face, designed to look haggard, now looked even more sickly because of the vomiting. There was still a mist in her eyes that hadn't dissipated from the vomiting.
She looked like a defeated little beggar, looking pitiful but still very stubborn, with an unyielding air, looking very heroic.
"Director Ying, let's continue." Jiang Li took a deep breath and tried to ignore that gaze. Her tone was normal. "I've adjusted my state. I'm ready to continue filming."
"Then, Mr. Xiao, we'll go filming first." Ying Chengqi clasped his hands together as if to apologize. "If you don't mind, we can have a drink later."
Xiao Yanzhi raised his hand, indicating that they could go. "It's okay."
This time, he just came to the set to show his face. He didn't stay long and left in a hurry.
After Jiang Li finished filming, she heard some other actors whispering. "Mr. Xiao is really concerned about this movie. He's come to visit the set several times."
"You're so naive. Mr. Xiao isn't here for the movie. He's clearly here for the beauty."
"That's right. I heard that Sister Jiang Li is going to terminate her contract with the company after this movie. Then they'll go their separate ways. When will they have a chance to meet again?"
Jiang Li listened silently.
So everyone knew.
Good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spreads far and wide.
Just a few days ago, she had asked Sister Chen to submit an application for not renewing the contract when it expired. In the blink of an eye, even people outside the company knew about it.
She faintly felt that her drifting life was soon going to reach a climax.
The eventful days of her life were about to come to an end, and she was soon going to enter a state of eternal peace and calm, like a stagnant pool.
...
The filming was scheduled for two months, but it didn't mean that they couldn't leave the set during these two months. There would be one or two days of vacation in the middle for relaxation.
Qiao Jinrun sent her a message, saying that it was time for her psychotherapy and asking her to make an appointment at a suitable time.
"Thank you for remembering me." Jiang Li smiled and checked the following filming schedule. "Is the day after tomorrow okay? I have two days off and can go back to Beicheng."
"Anytime." Qiao Jinrun also replied with a smile. "How's the little bird? I heard you're filming by the river. Wood carvings can't get wet. You should be careful."
"Look at what you're saying. Do you think I would take Shi..." Jiang Li paused and couldn't remember the name for a moment.
"Shi Huai Bird." Qiao Jinrun helped her fill in the name.
"Oh, right, Shi Huai Bird." Jiang Li quickly continued. "Look at what you're saying. Do you think I would take the Shi Huai Bird swimming in the river? Even if it could swim, I can't swim at all."
Her tone was very relaxed, as if she was chatting with an old friend.
Qiao Jinrun said, "When summer comes, I can teach you how to swim if you're available."
Jiang Li replied with a smile. "I'll be available. When summer comes and I terminate my contract with the company, I can do whatever I want."
Hearing her say that she was terminating the contract, Qiao Jinrun was stunned for a moment. "You're not going to be an actress anymore?"
Jiang Li said, "Sort of. I've been doing this for too long. I'm a bit exhausted and want to give up."
After saying this, both ends of the phone were a bit quiet.
Jiang Li held the phone and listened for a long time. Not hearing him say anything else, she thought the call had been hung up. "Hello? Dr. Qiao, did you hang up?"
She walked around while holding the phone, thinking it was because of a poor signal.
Until suddenly, from the other end of the phone came a voice—
"Jiang Li, have you encountered something recently?"