SM Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Why Would I Be Afraid When I Like Him?

Chapter 17: Why Would I Be Afraid When I Like Him?

The buzzing in his head subsided, and Ye Lai finally heard what Sheng Mingqian said. Sheng Mingqian said his acting was good?

He thought he was faking it right now, wasn’t he?

Ye Lai was in pain. The blackness before his eyes became pure, devoid of any starlight or impurities. He lay on the pillow, hoping the pain would subside on its own. Usually, when the pain came, it would quickly pass, but this time it was unusually long, as if something was crawling inside his body, infinitely prolonging the pain.

Ye Lai scratched his neck, and the metallic taste of blood intensified. The pain on his neck slightly relieved the pain inside his body. Ye Lai wanted to scratch more, but his wrist was grabbed.

“Ye Lai, are you trying to hurt yourself right now?”

It was still Sheng Mingqian speaking. Ye Lai wanted to say no, but he couldn’t make a sound. He tried to pull his hand away, but he didn’t have the strength. He didn’t know how long it lasted until he fell back into a warm embrace and drifted off to sleep.

“Your acting is good” wasn’t the first time Sheng Mingqian had said that, but the two times were completely different.

The last time was on the Film Set. Sheng Mingqian said his acting was good. Sheng Mingqian rarely praised people, and Ye Lai still remembered the wind and the thrill at that time.

Years ago, when “Stripped Raw” started filming, Ye Lai got drunk and went to Sheng Mingqian to argue, thinking his role had been replaced. In the end, Sheng Mingqian informed him on the spot that he was joining the crew, and even the actor’s employment contract was signed while he was drunk.

Ye Lai didn’t even look at the paper, afraid that there would be further changes. Sheng Mingqian told him where to sign, and he signed there, obediently handing the contract back to Sheng Mingqian.

Sheng Mingqian looked at him like he was an idiot: “You have a copy yourself, what are you giving them all to me for?”

Ye Lai was drunk and floated lightly behind Sheng Mingqian on the Film Set. Wherever Sheng Mingqian went, he followed.

Sheng Mingqian sat behind the monitor, and Ye Lai stood by his side. Even the Screenwriter and Assistant director on the side were secretly glancing at him, wondering what he was doing standing there.

“Ye Lai, why are you always following me?” Sheng Mingqian finally noticed the person behind him.

Ye Lai scratched his neck: “Director Sheng, I don’t know where to go.”

Sheng Mingqian raised his hand and called someone over: “Stagehand, come here. Arrange something for him. You have a scene tomorrow morning.”

There were too many changes that day, and Ye Lai was still confused: “So soon?”

“You think it’s too soon?”

Ye Lai shook his head: “No, no, I don’t think so. I can film right now.”

“Stagehand, give Ye Lai the shooting schedule for Chi Wen.”

“Director, what about Cui Lin’s?”

Sheng Mingqian got angry: “Isn’t he gone yet?”

The Assistant director standing next to him said quietly: “He’s gone, he’s gone. He left with the investor just now.”

Ye Lai vaguely followed the Stagehand to check into the hotel, holding the shooting schedule. Those few thin sheets of paper felt heavy.

After reading the shooting schedule, Ye Lai excitedly called Zhang Yihao for half the night and boiled two kettles of water to drink, trying to sober up quickly. He couldn’t film while drunk the next day.

–

–

That year, when filming “Stripped Raw”, all the actors on the Film Set stayed far away from Sheng Mingqian, afraid of being scolded or targeted. Ye Lai knew that many people were afraid of him, but only he kept following Sheng Mingqian.

The on-set Screenwriter even joked with him: “Ye Lai, aren’t you afraid of Director Sheng? You’re following him like a little tagalong.”

Ye Lai shook his head: “I’m not afraid.”

He silently added in his heart: I like him, why would I be afraid?

Most actors didn’t come to the Film Set when they didn’t have filming that day. Except for leaving for two days to film a small commercial, Ye Lai stayed with the crew from beginning to end.

Over time, Sheng Mingqian also tacitly acknowledged the inconspicuous figure behind him. Later, even the Director Assistant’s work fell on Ye Lai’s shoulders.

From pouring tea, serving water, handing pens, and revising the script at the beginning, Ye Lai later directly participated in the script discussions and occasionally expressed his understanding of the plot and characters. When Sheng Mingqian and the Screenwriter disagreed, he would also express his own opinions.

After successfully auditioning, Ye Lai not only studied Chi Wen, the character he was going to play, but also studied all the characters in the script. In the end, his suggestions were adopted.

Ye Lai was also indispensable at the crew’s director dinners. Logically, it shouldn’t have been his turn, but he always followed Sheng Mingqian shamelessly. He took over Sheng Mingqian’s Assistant’s job, so naturally he followed him at all times. Wherever Sheng Mingqian was, Ye Lai could definitely be seen.

There were many people in the crew who talked about Ye Lai behind his back. At first, they said he was a flatterer who could coax the director. Later, it slowly turned into a scandal, a scandal between him and Sheng Mingqian. The source of the scandal was that someone in the crew saw him enter Sheng Mingqian’s room in the middle of the night.

However, his scandal with Sheng Mingqian only spread on a small scale during the filming of that half-year, and no one mentioned it again after the filming wrapped up.

Ye Lai didn’t care what those people said or thought of him. Overnight, he flew from the foot of the mountain to the top, no longer separated by a screen, nor by the distance of thousands of mountains and rivers and a vast sea of people. He could see Sheng Mingqian just by looking up. It was a distance he could reach out and touch, close enough to hear his breathing, to see every eyelash of Sheng Mingqian’s. His heart was full and swollen every day.

He even secretly thought in his heart that it would be great if the scandal spread by the crew was true, but unfortunately it wasn’t.

–

–

Film shooting is not done in chronological order, but according to a pre-arranged scene schedule and shooting schedule.

Before receiving the shooting schedule, Ye Lai didn’t expect that his first scene would be the scene of taking a bath in a public bathhouse. In the play, he and the male lead were brothers who had grown up together, and they often took baths together in the public bathhouse.

The camera wouldn’t film their fully naked bodies. In the script, the two of them stood under the shower in their underwear.

The male lead in that play was an experienced actor who was already very familiar with filming such scenes and had already stood in position early on.

However, Ye Lai was urged several times by the Assistant director before he came out of the dressing room, but he was still wearing a Bathrobe, with the Bathrobe belt tied tightly.

Ye Lai had already rehearsed this scene at home, but when he arrived at the filming location, he still felt awkward as he took off his clothes bit by bit. There were so many people on the Film Set, and when he thought that the person behind the monitor was Sheng Mingqian, Ye Lai couldn’t control his eyes and breathing.

The cheap plastic slippers on his feet were two sizes smaller than his feet. In the play, he took a shower and threw the slippers out, splashing water and fighting with the male lead in the bathroom with bare feet. Now, Ye Lai only felt that his feet were cramped, and he couldn’t even walk steadily.

“Ye Lai, do you usually take a shower wearing a Bathrobe? Take off the Bathrobe, what’s with acting like a little girl, are you shy? Isn’t there still underwear? The directors and Cameraman on set are all grown men, what are you afraid of…”

The Assistant director was shouting on the Film Set with a loudspeaker. The old-fashioned public bathhouse was large and empty, and after the director’s voice was amplified through the loudspeaker, it became noisy and sharp, with layers of echoes. Everyone looked at Ye Lai, and some people laughed directly.

The more they talked and laughed, the less Ye Lai could let go. His hands were clutching the Bathrobe belt, unable to untie it. His dodging eyes suddenly glanced at Sheng Mingqian.

He and Sheng Mingqian had fought for this role. This was only the first scene, and Ye Lai was very afraid that he would screw up like this. He was also afraid that Sheng Mingqian would regret giving him the role of Chi Wen.

His brain was spinning rapidly. The events of the audition day and the events of last night after getting drunk and coming to Sheng Mingqian kept jumping back and forth in his mind, but he couldn’t get into the filming state.

Ye Lai braced himself and tore open the Bathrobe belt, but the Bathrobe only came off to his shoulders when he heard a low voice behind him: “Clear the set, everyone except the Cameraman get out.”

Ye Lai’s movement of taking off his clothes stopped. The person speaking behind him was Sheng Mingqian.

“Director Sheng, are you clearing the set even when we’re wearing clothes?” the Assistant director asked.

“Clear the set. Film this scene quickly. There are more scenes to film after this, don’t waste time.” Sheng Mingqian changed his sitting position, sat behind the monitor with his arms crossed, but his eyes were fixed on Ye Lai, who was facing away from him, with the Bathrobe half off, revealing his thin shoulders.

The Assistant director raised the loudspeaker again: “Clear the set, clear the set. All irrelevant people leave.”

Even though the set was cleared in the end, the scene was still not filmed smoothly. Ye Lai took off his Bathrobe and stood under the shower. His eyes were blank when he looked at the camera, and a layer of goosebumps rose on his body. Especially when the male actor next to him got close to him, Ye Lai in the monitor was trembling all over. He didn’t like other people’s closeness and touch, especially after taking off his clothes.

Ye Lai had always known that he had this problem, but no one had gotten so close to him in the past few years. Only now did he realize how serious this problem was. The panic and discomfort in his heart even caused him to have a physiological reaction. His stomach felt like it was churning, and he wanted to vomit.

He hadn’t figured out how to overcome this problem yet. It was too difficult.

After three NGs, the male actor who was acting with him also lost his temper: “Can you even act? Can you be more professional? How much time have you wasted because of you? If there’s another NG, no one will film anymore…”

Ye Lai knew that he was delaying the progress, but he couldn’t find a suitable way to overcome it. He subconsciously looked for the figure behind the monitor.

Sheng Mingqian’s expression was serious, and he looked displeased. After making eye contact with him, he quickly walked to the shower, looking at him with scrutinizing eyes: “Ye Lai, are you afraid?”

Ye Lai raised his hand and turned off the faucet. The male actor next to him took a few steps back, leaning against the tile wall behind him with his arms crossed, kicking the water on the floor impatiently.

Ye Lai’s pursed lips were a little purple, and water was still dripping from his hair. Looking at the increasingly close face, he nodded uncontrollably: “I’m a little, I’m afraid.”

He was afraid that Sheng Mingqian would replace him. Ye Lai stood up straight, trying to calm himself down: “Director, I will try my best to adjust. Can you give me another chance? Three minutes, no, I can adjust in two minutes.”

After he said that, the expression on Sheng Mingqian’s face deepened. Just when Ye Lai thought he was going to lose his role, Sheng Mingqian suddenly spoke, his voice almost able to penetrate the thick walls.

“You can’t adjust. Don’t say give you three minutes, even if I give you three days, it won’t be enough. You performed well at the audition. The bathhouse scene is simple, but it will be filmed in two parts. The first part is the intimate and pure feelings between two boys who grew up together. This part is a key part of the memory. Your expression can’t be too serious. It should be joy from the bottom of your heart… The second part is after ten years, the emotions span a large amount and are even more complicated. In ten years, the two of you are worlds apart. You’ve both changed, there’s no purity, you’re jealous, unwilling, and there’s also hatred…”

After Sheng Mingqian finished speaking, he took a deep breath, and his tone became calm again. He took the script and patiently explained the scene to Ye Lai. In the end, he directly stood in the position where the male actor had just stood and recited the lines with Ye Lai.

Sheng Mingqian’s voice was like magic, pressing the switch on the magic box. Ye Lai’s fearful and panicked heart was slowly soothed by a pair of hands. It seemed that from the beginning, Sheng Mingqian was like an seemingly unsolvable but suddenly effective antidote to him.

When filming again, it went smoothly. Both scenes passed in one take. Ye Lai put on his Bathrobe, dried his hair, and ran to Sheng Mingqian’s side.

“Director Sheng, thank you for giving me the opportunity.”

Sheng Mingqian didn’t look at him, his eyes still fixed on the monitor, watching the playback just now: “Opportunities are all earned by yourself, not given by others.”

“Thank you, Director.”

Sheng Mingqian turned around and raised his head slightly: “Ye Lai, your acting is good.”

It was April at that time, and the evening breeze was slightly cool. Ye Lai’s heartbeat stagnated after hearing Sheng Mingqian’s words. The Assistant director walked over with the script, and Ye Lai was squeezed out of the position he had just been standing in, but his eyes never left Sheng Mingqian.

Sheng Mingqian looked back at him: “Your scenes are over, go back and rest. There are more tomorrow.”

Ye Lai wrapped his Bathrobe tighter: “Director, I haven’t acted in a movie before. I want to see how the seniors act. Can I stay here and learn?”

Sheng Mingqian was still discussing with the Assistant director and casually replied: “Whatever, just don’t cause trouble.”

Ye Lai followed Sheng Mingqian in his Bathrobe for most of the night. It wasn’t until it was almost time to wrap up that Sheng Mingqian noticed him again, his face as black as the night sky above his head: “Are you wearing this because you’re afraid you won’t catch a cold? There are still many scenes to film tomorrow, do you want to delay the progress?”

Sheng Mingqian spoke quickly and fiercely. Ye Lai’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head to look at himself. He had been so engrossed in watching on the Film Set that he hadn’t noticed that he was still wearing a Bathrobe and slippers that were two sizes too small.

Just as he was about to go back to change his clothes, a large shadow fell, and a thick coat covered the top of his head.

“Put it on yourself.” Sheng Mingqian’s voice came through the clothes.

Ye Lai stood there for a long time without moving. It wasn’t until someone bumped his shoulder that he pulled the coat off his head. The faint smell of tobacco mixed with a cold scent on the collar was Sheng Mingqian’s coat.

Ye Lai buried his face in the coat and took a deep breath, smelling the scent of Sheng Mingqian on the clothes, and deep memories surged.

In those years, Ye Lai had had too many fantasies, most of which were scattered with the wind, and only a few came true, but the few that came true were all about Sheng Mingqian.

The feelings that had sprouted while curled up in the gutter seemed to have been watered by rain, growing towards the sky, growing towards the sun.

Sheng Mingqian’s temper always came and went quickly. No one on the Film Set noticed that Sheng Mingqian had thrown his coat to Ye Lai, and no one noticed that insignificant person in that insignificant corner. It seemed that only the wind peeked at Ye Lai’s reddened eyes and nose.