Zu Cheng
The night passed faster than I expected. Yu and I reached the location around 8:42 a.m.; Liam was already standing outside the building, hands in his pockets.
I waved at him and greeted, "Good morning, Brother."
"It is indeed a pleasant morning that almighty Zu Cheng has come to meet such a peasant as me." He joked.
"Brother…" I snorted.
"Alright, alright. I won't tease you further. And he? Yu Ming?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yea. This is Yu Ming. And Yu, this is Liam." I introduced them.
"Brother Liam, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for helping Zu out in need." He bowed.
"Yes, absolutely. It's nice meeting his friends too."
He turned to me. "Let's go in now."
The apartment was small, but the light was excellent. Filming here won't be a problem… also, the natural house setup… It won't require many adjustments.
I asked Liam, "Is there any flower shop nearby?"
"No. But if it's not any specific flower, we can talk to the apartment owner; she lives on the ground floor and loves gardening." He tilted his head.
"Yea, we would just need some flower…"
Yu stayed in the apartment in case someone comes. Liam and I headed downstairs and talked to the owner. She was really a charming lady. She gave us pink and red roses from her garden.
When we were heading back, I saw a guy with a camera standing in front and staring at the building; I had a feeling it could be Aryn. I approached him and inquired, "Are you Mr. Aryn?"
He turned back, "Yes. Zu Cheng?"
"That's right. Kindly follow me." I suggested. Then, headed upstairs.
While we were going up, I heard Yu talking. Yep, I guessed right; Xian Fei was inside talking to him.
After introducing ourselves again, I started adjusting a few things in the apartment while Aryn fixed his camera. Yu helped Liam with the lights. Xian Fei also pitched in with decorating. Thanks to their help, we had everything ready in about half an hour.
Before we start filming, I call Liam, "Brother, you can leave for now. We'll be fine."
"Oh-ho? Now, you're gonna kick me out of my own apartment, Mr. Director?" He squinched his eyes.
"That's not what I meant, y'know that. You must be busy." I looked away.
"I know, I know. No, we are closed today. Don't worry about me." He laughed.
We finally started… first, we would be filming them together and then her alone. Most of it should be done by today, and then we can do outdoor shooting.
While I was discussing the camera angles and filming scenes with Aryn, Fei interrupted to talk about the script. It basically had no dialogue at all.
"Hey, how are we gonna act if we don't really have to?" She argued.
Before I could respond, Aryn answered, "If you can't act a scene without dialogue and express emotion, then unfortunately you are not made for acting."
I didn't expect him to speak like this. He was in a fully calm, professional mood, but now he shouted at her.
"Well… Fei, as much as I remember, I told you about it before…" I continued, "And Mr. Aryn, please calm down."
"I apologize, but I despise people who don't maintain their tone and use excuses for things they don't achieve."
It's true. I understand she is forward, but it doesn't excuse her being harsh. I told her this before. She could discuss rather than act hostile.
As a director, I hold pride in my plans too, as she does as an actor. We must respect each other's choices and choose the better option we have. Filming isn't something where you can choose what you like and what you don't, but what works best and what the audience prefers.
Anyway, if I lose my cool now it's gonna be more of a hassle…
"Let's not talk about that now. And Ms. Xian Fei, I hope you can do this. If you feel confused, feel free to ask. I'll explain." I commanded with a serious demeanor.
I was worried that this could affect our work, but I was wrong. When the camera started rolling, she aced the role, and Aryn was too focused. I was worrying for nothing.
The filming was going so well until we started filming scenes that had no dialogue. The scene was supposed to be warm—the female lead was supposed to hold a pot and smile at the male lead while he was filming. It was genuine warmth between the married couple. But she messed up again and again.
But I have a plan. I commented, "Let's try something else. Imagine you are talking to a kid and they asked for candies, and the pot is full of them."
I wasn't sure if it could work… but somehow it worked out.
By 7pm we finished all the indoor scenes without any further trouble. I have to say, Xian Fei can have an assertive side, but she is really talented. I was trying to remember from yesterday where I heard her name but still couldn't recall it.
After we wrapped up, I asked Aryn if he could come tomorrow or not.
He kept it straight to the point: "I was only supposed to help for today. I had a good time except I lost my temper. However, I have work tomorrow. So, I wouldn't be able to help even if I want to."
"It was wonderful to work with you. I hope we can work together in the future occasionally. Thank you for today. Good night." I bowed.
"No, no. I should apologize for losing my temper. And I hope the same. Good luck with the rest." He bowed too.
As soon as we got home, I collapsed onto the couch, and Yu dropped into the armchair. I stared at him.
He looked away. "Don't look at me, I'm tired too—I'm not cooking."
"Then who will?" I acted as if I were on the verge of death.
"Let's order from outside. What do you wanna eat?" He scrolled through his phone.
"Fried chicken!!" I sat up.
"Alright." He continued, "Aren't you frustrated?"
"Of course, I am. Who wouldn't be angry? How are you supposed to fit seventy-two shots into a two-minute film if all of them have dialogue?" I snorted.
"I was about to say something, but when Aryn spoke, I felt I shouldn't." He laughed.
"Yeah… I hope we can finish all the filming by tomorrow."
"Uh-huh." He stood up. "Delivery's here. The notification came. Wait here."
"Yay!" I swung around.
"How long has it been since you last ate fried chicken? Hm?" he laughed, placing the package on the table he'd been holding.
He went into the kitchen and brought out plates and a few cans of beer.
After we finished eating, we somehow ended up in a contest to see who could drink longer. Then his alcohol-fueled wisdom began: "Zu… seriously… fuck that diet. Nothing beats the local fried chicken and beer combo."
I laughed, shaking my head as he finished another can. "Hey, stop drinking now…"
"Why? Tomorrow's Sunday anyway."
"Tomorrow is Sunday, Yu, but we have to film. If we don't sleep now, we're cooked."
"Hm... throw me in too."
"Go yourself."
"You really don't care about me, your only brother-like roommate. I'm so upset."
I had to give in, or he wouldn't let me sleep either. I wondered, what if he remembers all this madness tomorrow? I should have filmed it all. Drunk Yu never fails to cling…it's funny and dangerous at the same time. Huh… at least I'm out of danger now.