Qi Lin was almost forced by his father to sign the contract while sitting in the chair. After signing, Qi Lin was immediately taken by the staff for makeup, looking bewildered and not understanding what was happening.
The person doing Qi Lin's makeup was quite effeminate. It seemed the more professional they were, the more effeminate they acted.
"Handsome boy, with such a great foundation, it's a waste if you don't become a star. Don't worry, I'll make you look stunning."
Qi Lin found the effeminate voice disgusting, almost wanting to plant his size 43 shoe on the guy's size 46 face.
Dude, you're so disgusting!
But now that he had signed the 'indenture contract,' Qi Lin could only let the makeup artist squat in front of him and do his work. At this moment, Qi Lin felt a bit regretful.
He should have asked the director to see the script first. He had agreed so blindly. What if he ended up playing an effeminate character?
But thinking of the 200,000 yuan, Qi Lin's mindset immediately calmed down. That was 200,000 yuan!
200,000 yuan!
His family's fast-food restaurant worked hard for a year and barely earned this amount, and now he could earn 200,000 in just ten days. What could be better than this?
The makeup artist kept chirping in his ear, reminding Qi Lin of hairdressers who kept chatting while cutting hair.
"Handsome guy, want a membership card?"
"Oh my, with such a good foundation, you should get your hair permed. I'm telling you, the trending style now is the internet celebrity look..."
"It's not just me saying this, but you really should take care of your hair. We have a special offer now..."
Maybe because Qi Lin didn't respond, the makeup artist gradually quieted down. After about twenty minutes, Qi Lin was almost asleep when the makeup artist finally spoke again.
"Alright, get up and take a look."
Qi Lin woke up with a start and was shocked when he looked in the mirror!
"Wow! Who is this handsome guy?"
Qi Lin almost blurted out. Normally, he was quite sloppy and never took care of himself. The director had noticed him purely because of his amazing natural looks!
Now, after the makeup artist worked on him, adjusted his hairstyle slightly, and trimmed his eyebrows.
With some makeup to smooth out his facial skin, Qi Lin looked like a completely different person.
If the previous Qi Lin looked like a sunny boy-next-door, the current Qi Lin looked like an elegant noble vampire straight out of a movie!
Qi Lin was stunned, and the makeup artist seemed very pleased with Qi Lin's surprised expression.
The makeup artist stretched lazily and said, "You should use good makeup products and facial cleansers regularly. Look at how you've neglected your skin. With such a delicate face, getting a pimple is a crime, you know?"
After finishing, the makeup artist curiously asked, "What brand of facial cleanser do you usually use?"
Qi Lin finally reacted, looking up and quietly saying, "I usually just wash with water..."
Makeup artist: "..."
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the assistant director walked in.
"Xiao Zhou, is the makeup done? It's almost time for the reshoot. You..."
The assistant director's words got stuck in his throat as he looked at the transformed Qi Lin.
The makeup artist, feeling proud, said, "See? That effeminate guy wouldn't let me do his makeup, claiming his makeup artist graduated from Korea. Does his makeup look better than mine? Hmph."
Qi Lin was speechless hearing an effeminate guy call another effeminate guy effeminate.
The assistant director, thrilled, said, "Perfect! Qi Lin, come on, it's your turn soon."
Qi Lin was confused. What do you mean it's my turn?
Shouldn't you let me see the script and memorize my lines before filming? What kind of crew is this, so casual?
But he had taken the money, so he had to follow orders.
As Qi Lin walked, he voiced his concerns.
The assistant director laughed, "No need. Your role has very few lines. You just need to sit there and play the piano for this scene."
Qi Lin quickly said, "But I don't know how to play the piano!"
The assistant director shrugged, "You don't need to. Just pretend. We'll have a hand double for the close-ups."
Still confused, Qi Lin followed the assistant director to the set.
"Props, check everything. We need to hurry!"
"Stagehands, you too. Let's move. We need to speed up the schedule after that mess! Is the double ready?"
Before entering the set, Qi Lin heard Director Xu's booming voice.
The stagehand hurriedly said, "Ready. The makeup artist is finishing up, they'll be here soon."
The assistant director asked, "Using a double? Why not have Han Xue do it?"
Xu Zheng waved, "We need to hurry. Our location rental is almost up. Huang Yi's scenes are unusable now, so we'll split into two teams."
"You handle the double and Qi Lin's scenes that Huang Yi filmed before. I'll handle Han Xue and the male lead's scenes."
The assistant director nodded slightly. This was the downside of firing an actor—all their scenes were scrapped!
Seeing him deep in thought, Xu Zheng patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry. There's enough time. Besides, William's role doesn't have many scenes. Just stay focused and push through."
The director was about to say more when he noticed the crew seemed frozen, all eyes fixed behind him.
The director followed their gaze and was stunned.
Qi Lin stood there in a black suit. The old-fashioned suit looked tailored on his muscular frame.
Eyes like stars, brows like swords!
Standing there without saying a word, he exuded a noble aura.
The director's eyes lit up. This was exactly the male second lead he had envisioned while sketching the storyboard!
"Qi Lin, come here!"
The director personally led Qi Lin to the piano, explaining the scene.
"This scene is simple. Just play the piano. Pretend. We'll fix it in post. Don't worry."
Qi Lin listened intently as the director 'directed' him.
"Just furrow your brow lightly and keep playing. The female lead will enter and watch you. Act like you don't see her."
Qi Lin nodded like a pecking chick. The director, satisfied, returned to his chair and called out, "Everyone, get ready to shoot!"
The clapperboard operator stood by the camera, ready to slate. Once everyone signaled they were ready, he called out.
"Scene 17 of 'Falling City,' take one, action!"
NEXTNEXT