Chapter 206: Chapter 206

Shen Jianian finished practicing a piece, and the next moment, the rehearsal room door was knocked twice. She stood up, put the cello in place, and just as she did, the door was pushed open from the outside.

Yan Hong walked in, followed by a middle-aged man with a small mustache, wearing a black polo shirt and brown casual trousers, giving off an artistic vibe.

"Manager Yan." Shen Jianian greeted with a smile, unsure how to address the man, she nodded at him.

Yan Hong rubbed her hands, not knowing how to start the conversation. She understood Shen Jianian’s nature; in certain aspects, she was very stubborn and couldn’t be easily persuaded with a few words or offers of benefits.

"Jianian, there’s something I need to tell you." Yan Hong looked at the man beside her. "Let me introduce you. This is Director Wu Heng, also my friend."

"I’ll say it myself." Wu Heng took over the conversation.

Shen Jianian was confused, and then she heard Director Wu Heng say they were shooting a movie with a female role as a cello player, in her early twenties. The role wasn’t big but very important. They initially planned to invite a famous actress for a cameo and find a professional cellist as a double.

He tried shooting a few scenes, but the effect wasn’t ideal.

After discussing with the screenwriter, Wu Heng decided to find a real cellist from the orchestra to play the role.

Coincidentally, he had a friend who was an orchestra manager, so he took some time to visit. While waiting for Yan Hong, he heard the sound of cello coming from the rehearsal room. Out of curiosity, he came to take a look and felt Shen Jianian’s temperament matched what he was looking for, and her appearance was very fitting for the role. He decided to invite her for the part.

Shen Jianian understood and pointed at herself to confirm with Director Wu: "Are you saying you want me to act in a movie?"

Director Wu Heng touched his mustache and smiled warmly: "You didn’t misunderstand."

Shen Jianian was surprised, stunned for a few seconds, and spoke frankly: "But I don’t have any acting skills, I don’t know how to act, I only know how to play the cello."

Yan Hong was amused by her earnest manner, lightly patting her back, unable to hide her affection for her. She turned to Wu Heng and said, "This kid is straightforward. It took a lot to persuade her to join the orchestra initially."

Yan Hong is forty-six years old. As a manager, she usually handles performance arrangements, financial management, and publicity promotions. The people in the orchestra often jokingly call her "Mrs. Yan," meaning she worries like a mom.

Since Shen Jianian joined the orchestra, whether it was solo performances or collaborating with other members, Yan Hong always looked out for her.

Therefore, everyone calls her "Mrs. Yan’s dear daughter."

Shen Jianian is someone who appreciates kindness and loyalty. She couldn’t refuse Yan Hong’s request, but she really wasn’t good at acting.

Wu Heng noticed her concerns and patiently explained: "The role doesn’t have many lines; the only important scene is performing the cello on stage with her boyfriend watching from the audience."

Shen Jianian was stunned. There’s romance involved too?

"On set, I’ll guide you on how to act, don’t worry too much about your lack of acting experience." Wu Heng was very satisfied with her, already envisioning her face fitting into the script’s scene in his mind. "A rough gem, sometimes can produce unexpected effects."

Shen Jianian pressed her lips tight, hesitating visibly.

Yan Hong gave Wu Heng a look as if saying, I’ve already told you she’s not easy to convince.

Wu Heng pulled a pained expression, almost as if he would kneel before Shen Jianian: "Is it Shen Jianian? Please help."

Confronting a man nearing fifty, old enough to be her father, Shen Jianian couldn’t refuse too strongly, so she looked towards Yan Hong.

"Wu Heng told me that the scenes involving this role can be shot in a few days. Why don’t you give it a try?" Yan Hong’s voice was gentle, attempting to persuade, "The filming location is in Jiang City, it won’t cause any delay."

Shen Jianian thought about it for a long time, and finally, with steely resolve, agreed to it.

The next morning, Shen Jianian reported to the film crew.

Without an agent or assistant, she went there alone, signed the contract first. Because she was "Yan Hong’s person," the pay offered by the director was substantial.

It’s only for a few days of filming, Shen Jianian saw the pre-tax amount of two hundred thousand written in the contract, clearly showing the director’s sincerity.

For the first time at a film set, Shen Jianian found everything fascinating. Currently, she was at a university, which was on summer break, leaving the campus mostly student-free.

The open space was filled with the crew’s equipment: silver tracks, cameras, monitors, lighting boards, prop boxes, crisscrossed with thick black cables, appearing somewhat messy.

Shen Jianian carried the dress given by the costume designer and went to the restroom in a nearby academic building to change. After she came out, everyone couldn’t help but glance at her.

The dress wasn’t too fancy or exquisite — just a simple white shirt dress, with a thin brown leather belt at the waist, paired with cream Roman sandals.

Under the parasol, a female actor sat on a folding chair, with a stylist doing her makeup. Holding a small pink fan blowing at her neck in one hand and a script in the other. A small assistant stood beside her, holding a cup of iced coffee with a straw.

A shadow passed in front of her, and the actress lifted her eyes, her gaze lingering on the person for a moment: "Is this the Wen Shuling the director found?"

Wen Shuling is the character played by Shen Jianian.

Hearing this, Shen Jianian paused slightly and cast a glance toward the actress. Normally, she didn’t pay much attention to the entertainment circle, just felt the person looked familiar but couldn’t recall the name, so she said, "Hello."

The actress didn’t put on any airs and gave her a friendly smile: "Hello."

After Shen Jianian left, the actress’s assistant bent down and whispered in her ear: "That’s the one playing Wen Shuling. Yesterday afternoon the director gave everyone a day off to personally go to the band to find her."

The actress remarked: "Her aura quite fits the character of a white moonlight."

Wu Heng assigned a stylist to do Shen Jianian’s makeup and hair, taking this time to say to her: "Get familiar with the script first, the first scene is mainly about capturing the feeling, don’t be too nervous. In a moment, carry the cello and walk over the shaded path." Wu Heng pointed to the path beside them, lined with tall, lush camphor trees, "The male lead will block your way, act a bit aloof..."

Saying this, Wu Heng couldn’t help but laugh, seemingly recalling something: "I think just being yourself in this scene will be enough."

This girl is naturally cool when she doesn’t speak, she doesn’t need to act.

Shen Jianian was a bit embarrassed by the comment, feeling her face heat up. Google seaʀᴄh NoveI-Fire.ɴet

"In any case, just follow my guidance, it’s not as hard as you think." Wu Heng repeatedly advised, "Don’t be nervous, as long as you’re not nervous, everything will be fine."

When people get nervous, their facial features and limbs subconsciously tense up, and the filmed scene becomes unwatchable.

After Wu Heng left, Shen Jianian picked up the script and studied it intently, occasionally hearing the stylist’s instructions "Lift your chin a bit" "Look down" "Tilt your face slightly."

The script in her hands wasn’t as thick as the lead actress’s, only a few scenes, which she had read through once. The plot was extremely romantic and beautiful.

Shen Jianian was quite curious, wondering how the male lead’s relationship with "Wen Shuling" was so good and how it would develop with the female lead.

Later she learned from the lead actress that the character she played, Wen Shuling, was the male lead’s deceased white moonlight, existing only in his mind.

She acted out a series of continuous scenes which would be interspersed into the male lead’s memories in post-production.

With preparations complete, Shen Jianian finally met the male lead she would be acting with, who had been in his trailer getting styled.

The man looked around twenty-five or six, with neatly styled short hair, with his fringe looking casual yet meticulously arranged. His makeup was light without a flaw, maximizing the display of his handsome features.

He was wearing a white T-shirt under a white shirt, with all buttons undone, paired with light blue jeans and white sneakers, looking fresh and elegant.

Shen Jianian looked at him, recalling the youthful days of Pei Che.

The man put his left hand in his pants pocket, walked straight to Shen Jianian, snapped his fingers near her ear, bent slightly, and with a faint smile in his voice, said: "Is this my unforgettable white moonlight?"

Shen Jianian stepped back half a step, not accustomed to being so close to a stranger.

"Hey, are you serious about that half-step back?" The man straightened up, took his hand out of his pocket, extended it in front of her, lightly cleared his throat, and with a somewhat more serious tone, introduced himself, "Hello, I’m Gu Chongli, Gu as in ’Three visits to the cottage’, Chong as in ’worship’, Li as in ’courtesy’. Since we need to act together later, we should get to know each other first."

Shen Jianian lightly touched his fingertips and then let go, saying blandly: "Hello."

"Have you already gotten into character?" Gu Chongli’s seriousness only lasted a second before he joked again.

Shen Jianian did not reply.

Gu Chongli asked her, "I still don’t know your name, how should I address you?"

When he had just come out of the trailer, his assistant had pointed at this girl, saying she was the director’s chosen "white moonlight," a professional cellist.

Shen Jianian replied coolly, "Shen Jianian."

"Shen, Jia, Nian?" Gu Chongli repeated her name slowly, the end note slightly rising, squinting as he suddenly hissed, "Is it the Jia from ’award’ and Nian from ’miss’?"

Shen Jianian nodded, still not particularly warm; she wasn’t naturally sociable and couldn’t make casual talk with strangers effortlessly.

Gu Chongli took out his phone from his back pocket and shot a message to a friend on WeChat.

"I remember you mentioned before that your brother’s deceased white moonlight was named Shen Jianian. Isn’t it coincidental that my deceased white moonlight is also named Shen Jianian?"

After filming the big director’s comeback masterpiece, which had been dormant for five years, the friend had won several awards, reaching a level not comparable to peers in his age group.

After a while, the friend replied: "Can’t you speak normally?"

Typing out an explanation was too troublesome, so seeing Shen Jianian walking away, Gu Chongli pressed the voice button, held the phone to his mouth, and said: "There’s a new actress in the crew named Shen Jianian, also a cellist, playing the male lead’s deceased white moonlight in the script. Isn’t that a coincidence?"