Producer Luo finally stopped in front of a room with a paper sign 'meeting room' pasted on it. Before he could knock on the door, it was suddenly pulled inside and opened, revealing a long table with chairs on either side and already occupied by the crew members and actors who will read the script today.
The moment the person who opened the door saw that there was someone outside, he exclaimed in surprise, "Producer Luo! Come in, come in!"
"Did you already start the script reading session?"
The man raised his eyebrows and awkwardly scratched his nose. "I was just about to go out and find you so I can inform you that one of the main actors couldn't come."
Producer Luo showed a pinched and unhappy expression. "Didn't we already receive the notice that Wen Lai couldn't come? What's this now?"
He said this while fully entering the room. He paused for half a second before motioning Ran Xueyi to go in.
Ran Xueyi nodded and followed Producer Luo inside without a word.
The man who had spoken previously also followed them and said while closing the door, "We just received a call from Gu Jiao's agent. They said that Gu Jiao hasn't had her rest for a few days now and couldn't come because she was feeling dizzy and uncomfortable. They will come to the set as soon as she's feeling okay."
Producer Luo grimaced and searched for the person who he allowed to manage the filming set. His eyes scanned the area before landing on the person sitting at the head of the long table.
"Director Zheng, what do you think is happening? One of the actors already made an excuse to delay the shooting, another one emerged... Do you think everyone still has time to fool around here?"
Director Zheng frowned at the other person, but because Producer Luo had a higher position than him and had more say in the filming, he couldn't retort to that. He was also dissatisfied with the actors that took things too easily and didn't put importance to the drama filming. But what could he do when Wen Lai had a valid reason to delay his shooting schedule and on the other hand, Gu Jiao was not feeling well and because he needed the actors to be in their best condition, he had to let her go.
Director Zheng: "Producer Luo, there's no need to hurry. We can start with the script reading with the actors present now."
Producer Luo was clearly dissatisfied, but he wasn't the type to waste time. Thus, the script reading had to continue even if the main male lead and the second female lead was not there.
Ran Xueyi stiffened and stared suspiciously at Director Zheng. The last time they met, the latter appeared to be upright and strict. But after almost a month, that kind of strictness and righteousness air coming off of him completely disappeared. She wondered what exactly happened within that time.
She glanced at Director Zheng silently, but the other didn't notice her gaze and was looking down at the script before him.
"Producer Luo, this lady... is she..." one crew member asked while staring at Ran Xueyi.
The directors and producers didn't tell the identity of the artists they will be working with to ensure that there wasn't a leak of the filming information to the outside.
Hence, other than Gu Jiao, who accidentally leaked her involvement to the drama, this was the first time they will meet the actors and actresses of the drama.
They heard that the female lead of the drama was someone who was very popular in the past. However, she had to take a break from the entertainment circle for a few years. They were extremely curious about the identity of the actress who will play as the female lead… it turns out that it was Ran Xueyi!
Producer Luo, however, wasn't as enthusiastic as the crew members. He remembered the matter of the staff members shirking from their responsibility and huffing. "This is Ran Xueyi... she's the actress you all picked to become the main lead and yet, nobody arranged someone to assist her! Are you all tired of living?!"
The crew member who had just spoken flinched at his outburst and looked around him, a bit uncertain and afraid. "Didn't we arrange someone?" he whispered to the other crew members.
The others all shook their heads simultaneously.
"Did we?"
"I didn't get an order to do it. Someone should have gotten it."
"I didn't hear about this either."
Besides, if they did… Surely, most of them would raise their hands and volunteer to get a chance to get closer to Ran Xueyi?
Upon hearing this, Director Zheng, who was looking down, also raised his head up and when he did this, his eyes enlarged when he met Ran Xueyi's eyes. Then, he guiltily looked away a second later.
This time, Ran Xueyi realized what was happening. She didn't need the other to verbally say it. Director Zheng's slip and conscience already told her that he was the one who arranged what happened today.
It wasn't that Ran Xueyi didn't notice it when she arrived at the airport and no one came to get her. It was just that she felt that Director Zheng, being Song Yu Han's acquaintance, would have to be an honest and principled man who wouldn't cower and bend over some other people's money and do something like bullying an actor he was going to work with for a few months.
Producer Luo saw that the situation was like this and was about to open his mouth again to scold everyone, but Ran Xueyi stopped him.
"It's okay, Producer Luo. Everyone must be very busy and forgot to arrange someone to assist me today. I'm already here anyway so there's no need to linger on this topic."
"Why don't we start reading the script first?"
Under her persuasion, Producer Luo hesitated before nodding and said, "Alright, let's start now."
Even if he wanted to criticize and scold these people for making such an amateur mistake, they really didn't have the time to do this now.
The script reading consists of the actors reading the initial script of the drama. They will just have to get a feel of their character with their co-stars. This was an efficient way to get along better with your co-stars' characters before the real shooting begins.
However, since two of the actors weren't there, the feelings that Producer Luo was chasing to perfect the roles and play didn't appear. All day long, he was in a bad mood and didn't want to speak to any of the staff members.
On the other hand, Ran Xueyi finally got someone from the staff to help her get to the hotel that the crew team arranged for the artists and got into her room at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Since she didn't have anything to do after the script reading was done, she decided to continue reading her script to immerse herself deeper into her character.
By the time she was almost done taking notes and highlighting the dialogues and emotions she needed to portray in some scenes, the sky outside was already dark and the city lights twinkled like stars.
As she was getting ready to take a shower and rest for the day, the door to her hotel room was knocked.
Knock, knock.
Ran Xueyi went to the door and opened a gap, letting her see who was on the other side of the door with the door chain lock keeping the other from forcefully getting inside her room.
Surprisingly, the other person was Director Zheng.
The moment the door opened, Director Zheng called out, "Miss Ran..."
"Director Zheng, why are you here?"
Director Zheng stepped forward and answered, "I came here to tell you something. Can you let me inside?"
Let him inside?
Ran Xueyi cast a suspicious look at Director Zheng's direction. Though she knew that Song Yu Han was acquainted with the other, it was a bit too abrupt for Director Zheng to come to her room at night and request her to open the door for him.
If she didn't see the guilt and strangeness in his eyes earlier, she wouldn't have found out that Director Zheng had changed and would let him in while still thinking that the other had the identity of a friend of her husband.
Moreover, Ran Xueyi has been in the entertainment circle, what other tricks has she not experienced yet?
"I'm sorry but I just got out of the shower and can't open the door for you. Why don't you wait for me in the lounge area to talk?" Ran Xueyi lied, but she wasn't obligated to tell the truth to Director Zheng.
Director Zheng's eyes fell on Ran Xueyi's beautiful face, the wickedness in them intensified.
The woman behind the door with only her face peeking out of the slight gap looked very alluring and attractive. Her eyes were a bit hazy, but the brightness in them didn't go away. As for her lips... it was red and glistened a little bit under the light.
Director Zheng's eyes continued to focus on Ran Xueyi's face. His words suddenly became a bit weirder and disrespectful. "No wonder President Song was interested in you. You might have used your pretty face and body to seduce him into liking you."
Ran Xueyi's eyes darkened and narrowed at his words. "What do you mean?"
"What do you think I mean?" Director Zheng returned the question and laughed in a mocking tone. "Don't act so pure and innocent in front of me now. The country has been sympathizing and pitying you after your sister's and your fiance's scandal broke. You became the victim, but what everyone didn't know is that you're already going off and messing around with some other men."
"Last time, you hooked President Song to like you and made him invest into the drama. When he asked me to give him a copy of the script. I didn't know why... but now I understand why... He gave you the script so you can take the role."
"So, now I'm asking you... Isn't it my turn now to use you since I accepted you into the cast?" Director Zheng snickered. "Or do you want me to be harsh on you during the shooting?"
Ran Xueyi's eyes flashed dangerously and the respect she had for Director Zheng disappeared instantly.
This man was malicious and nasty... Who was he trying to act so self-important to?
Hey, this is only her first day at work... Why is someone already itching to be beaten up early?
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