In May, Nanhe Film and Television City.
The weather has been fine for the past few days. The sky in this small town is as beautiful as an oil painting. It is pure blue during the day, and in the evening it is orange and pink with the afterglow.
In a dilapidated rental building on the edge of a certain side street, Xue Xiao was leaning against a window on the fifth floor, holding a mobile phone in his hand, staring at the beautiful sunset in a daze.
I haven't received a job in almost a month.
During this period, he contacted the guild's manager, Sister Wang, several times via WeChat and by phone. Either there was no reply or the response was perfunctory, which was completely different from his attitude more than a month ago.
The phone buzzed and vibrated, and the voice message sent on WeChat was Brother Liu, the group leader.
"Hey, let me tell you straight. The person who made the statement is the big leader of the Screen Actors Guild. They say they want to ban you. It's useless for you to go to anyone. Brother Liu, I can't help you either!"
"It's strange to say that although Fan Xue has been popular recently, his status is not big enough to make the guild leader obey... I guess there must be a big boss behind him to support him, maybe a financial sponsor or something. "
"Xiao Xue, I think you should apologize to Fan Xue and make amends. Their crew hasn't left yet, so hurry up before it's too late. It's important to save face and have a bright future?"
Picking up these scripts and reading them again, he closed his eyes.
"No," Xue Xiao just finished watching the movie, turned over and got out of bed, and said, "Master, you got off work very early today."
Xue Xiao admits that he is not a person who cares about face, but his dignity is not meant to be trampled on in a place like this.
Xue Xiao picked up her phone, opened the video website app, found a movie starring Shen Tingyan, and clicked to play.
It doesn't matter whether he is a jerk or has only one thing in his mind. Even if he is asked to apologize to Fan Xue for what happened a month ago, he will not even be willing to kill him.
Xue Xiao closed his eyes for a while and then opened them again.
Xue Xiao hung up the phone without hesitation.
However, during the four months of secretly looking forward to it, the only people who contacted him were two companies that created Internet celebrities.
I'm not disappointed, after all, it was just a little dream.
Enriched and hopeful.
A few months ago, many people thought he could become popular just because he got his first supporting role after becoming a special guest actor.
"Look, you finally got admitted as a special guest actor. Are you just going to pack up and go home? What a pity!"
Xue Xiao never thought that he would become famous with that single scene, but he had to admit that he was very happy every day when there were more filming appointments.
So Xue Xiao also secretly thought that maybe he could really go one step further
He doesn't expect to become a big star all of a sudden.
At about eight o'clock, Zhang Chengyu called.
A handsome man with a stern expression appeared on the screen. Miraculously, the waves in Xue Xiao's heart were quickly calmed down.
Xue Xiao walked to the bed, fell down, turned over, and lay on his back.
"Xiao Xue, society is like this. Sometimes it's not your fault, but you have to accept it..."
Xue Xiao has a desire for acting in her heart.
There were four or five books piled on the corner of the table, which he planned to read in the near future. There were also more books he had already read that he stuffed into the closet - he didn't have many clothes anyway, so the empty cabinet was perfect for a bookcase.
The guild manager, Sister Wang, said with a smile that maybe an entertainment company would come to sign him soon. It sounded like a joke, but Sister Wang's attitude towards him at that time was indeed much more enthusiastic than when they first met.
Xue Xiao held the phone and frowned tightly.
An effective shot can bring him more supporting roles. Xue Xiao believes that as long as he performs well in a down-to-earth manner, the next opportunity will be waiting for him.
Both of them are lofty words, vowing to make him the most popular live streamer on the Internet, and calculate how many times the money he can earn from live streaming will be compared to what he does now...
I never expected to meet the crew of "You Have a Dragon" and meet Fan Xue... and Director Yu.
An animated picture spread all over the Internet, and related terms even climbed to the tail of the hot search.
I don't want to think about it anymore. It's impossible for him to please Fan Xue anyway.
I just hope that I can take on more roles, act in more plays, have one more line, and have one more scene...
About twenty square meters, this small room was rented by him and others, and the lease was until the end of the year.
Xue Xiao turned around.
After holding it in for a long time, he forcefully said: "Why should I apologize to him? Because I 'acted better than him'? Or because the director deliberately used me to provoke him behind his back?"
Lying on the bed was a thin stack of scripts. They were the only "results" he had gained after he transformed from an ordinary extra performer into a special actor, and finally got a stable supporting role with lines. He has been reading it over and over recently. Several times.
Xue Xiao put down the phone again.
As for what to do next...let him think about it slowly and carefully.
The street lights outside the window turned on, and the restaurant facing the street ushered in the busiest time.
"Xiaoxiao, I just got off work, have you eaten?"
On the desk, the diary is open, with a retro green pen lying in the middle.
The sun gradually sinks into the horizon and night falls.
"Why are you so stubborn? Why do you care about him? He doesn't like you now and wants to mess with you, but you can't deal with him. What else can you do if you don't apologize?"
Brother Liu, the leader of the group, was obviously choked and his tone became serious.
I really want to act.
"Yes, the crew was very efficient today," Zhang Chengyu laughed twice and said, "I will ride the electric scooter back for about half an hour, and we will have dinner together."
Zhang Chengyu is forty-five years old this year. He has been in Nanhe Film and Television City for more than eight years and is now also a special actor.
He lived upstairs from Xue Xiao, and the two of them saw each other a lot when going up and downstairs, and they fell in love with each other, so they quickly became familiar with each other.
Although Zhang Chengyu is a minor player, he has been working hard in the film and television city all year round and has developed mature acting skills. Xue Xiao recognized him as his master, and the relationship between master and apprentice was very good.
At half past eight, Zhang Chengyu's battery car stopped downstairs on time.
Xue Xiao ran downstairs.
Zhang Chengyu was wearing the same black T-shirt and jeans he had worn in the morning. His short hair was a bit messy because he had worn a hair condom during the day. His makeup had not been removed yet, his skin color was darker than usual, and there was a special-effects scar on his eyebrow.
Xue Xiao glanced at it twice and said with envy: "I really want to act and watch bandits."
Zhang Chengyu laughed loudly: "You, a thin-skinned person with tender flesh, are going to be a bandit. Are you going to rob others, or are they going to rob you?"
Xue Xiao is twenty-four years old and looks as young as a high school student. There should be no sense of discomfort in a green school uniform.
At first glance, his appearance seems a bit ordinary - of course, ordinary among celebrities, not ordinary among passers-by - but people who know him agree that Xue Xiao is the kind of person who looks better and better the more he looks at him. The more beautiful you are, the cuter you look.
The face seems to have a little baby fat, but it is not fat by any means, and it is even very photogenic.
The shape of the eyes tends to be almond-shaped, with delicate and soft lines, yet still heroic. The contradictory temperaments are perfectly integrated in these clear eyes.
A brother once joked that it’s a good thing that Xue Xiao is not a liar, otherwise when he looks at you with these eyes, hey, you have no idea at all, and you can be completely deceived, even leaving a pair of underwear, and still I willingly and firmly believe that this is an angel!
Xue Xiao's nose is also good-looking, straight and slightly tilted at the tip.
His lips are naturally a little red, with creamy white skin, red lips and white teeth. He is not a handsome young man.
With his appearance, everyone who sees him wants to rob him, and this little guy also wants to rob others.
Zhang Chengyu wanted to laugh after hearing this.
Xue Xiao frowned, glanced at the special effects scar on Zhang Chengyu's eyebrow, and whispered: "... Anyway, I want to try it."
Zhang Chengyu said while laughing: "What role don't you want to try? Butcher, murderer, beggar, and even girls' roles. You want to try them all."
Xue Xiao pursed her lips and laughed, not denying it.
Zhang Chengyu parked his electric car and said, "Come on, I just got paid today. Let's see what you want to eat. Master, I'll treat you."
Xue Xiao has hardly started work this month, and his salary... can basically be ignored. "Eat whatever you want, I'm not very hungry."
"okay."
The wind blows at night in May, and the temperature is neither cold nor hot and very comfortable.
The flowers and plants in the green belt are growing in full bloom, and the wind carries the fragrance of flowers and grass.
Xue Xiao took a deep breath, and the depression from the whole day seemed to be washed away with this deep breath.
The chicken pot was diagonally opposite. As the two walked, Zhang Chengyu asked with concern: "How is it? There is still no news from Sister Wang and Brother Liu?"
Xue Xiao nodded silently.
Zhang Chengyu frowned.
Sister Wang and Brother Liu are a guild manager and a group leader.
Although the entire Nanhe Film and Television City Extras Guild has more than one guild agent and more than one group leader, since the two people's connections are blocked, it is useless to look for other agents and group leaders.
Xue Xiao was really banned.
It sounds a bit ridiculous to apply "ban" to a little bit player, but such an outrageous thing happened.
—Because director Yu from the crew of "You Have a Dragon" couldn't train the leading actor Fan Xue, he angrily yelled on the set, "If you don't perform well again, take off your costume and change with Xiao Xue."
I only heard about this matter after Xue Xiao finished filming and left the crew.
Zhang Chengyu vaguely remembers that Xue Xiao was very excited when he first received an appointment from the crew of "You Have a Dragon".
His character this time has a name and a lot of lines, so he should be able to play in three or four episodes.
Director Yu and Xue Xiao also got along well. He gave Xue Xiao a few words on the set, which benefited Xue Xiao a lot. He also asked his assistant to ask for Xue Xiao’s contact information, saying that a character would come to him in the future.
At the end of the day, a sentence meant to inspire the leading actor sent Xue Xiao directly to hell.
Zhang Chengyu doesn't really believe that Director Yu's angry words were an impulse without thinking.
People who have been in the entertainment industry for a long time are all very clever. Not only did Zhang Chengyu not believe that Director Yu was so brainless, he even didn't believe that Director Yu didn't know what would happen to Xue Xiao after he said these words.
After all, that Fan Xue is obviously petty.
It's just that Director Yu did appreciate Xue Xiao, but that's probably it.
For that director, filming the current scene is definitely the most important thing.
As for whether this will ruin the future of a young actor with potential... There is more than one person who has been buried in the entertainment industry.
Thinking of this, Zhang Chengyu sighed and asked, "Then what are you going to do?"
Xue Xiao opened his mouth, but before he had time to answer him, he suddenly stopped and looked straight at the street across the street.
Zhang Chengyu looked up and saw that the light was green. He didn't understand why Xue Xiao suddenly stopped leaving.
Following Xue Xiao's gaze, he was stunned for a moment.
In a restaurant across the street, there were two people sitting by the window. One of them, wearing a peaked cap, looked familiar.
Take a closer look... isn't it the popular young student Fan Xue? !
Zhang Chengyu was stunned.
Why did Fan Xue come here to eat? The hotel booked by their crew is not nearby...
Suddenly thinking of something, Zhang Chengyu's voice deepened: "Did he do it on purpose?"
As soon as the words were spoken, Fan Xue in the store in the distance seemed to feel their gazes and turned his head.
This man has the chiseled face that is most popular among male stars in the entertainment industry nowadays.
He saw Xue Xiao, sneered, cast a meaningful look, and turned back leisurely.
—This guy really came here on purpose!
Maybe he wanted to provoke Xue Xiao, or maybe he wanted to hint to Xue Xiao that if he apologized in the past, their grudges could be wiped out.
But no matter what it was, this guy wanted to step on Xue Xiao's face and crush him hard.
Zhang Chengyu cursed: "I don't dare to get angry at the director, so I will come here to blame you. You are a coward. You are really worthless and you are so idle!"
After he finished scolding, he took a breath and gritted his teeth: "I heard that this guy seems to be going to participate in Guan Tian's "Stars on Studio" program... This program is mainly about 'from scratch' acting training and competition, and is aimed at Amateurs, extras and extras, but in fact some serious young artists have been invited. I guess the most popular among the whole group of students is Fan Xue, and he may be the one praised by the program team."
"Starting from scratch" in this program refers to starting from scratch.
This concept is very subtle.
The identities of amateur actors and actresses must be "zero". Young artists who have officially signed with a talent agency and have played supporting roles in major film and television dramas can naturally say that they hope that the audience will forget their existing identity labels and let them be like pixelated people. Start from scratch.
Of course, for the former, it is good to have such an opportunity, and it is impossible to care about these small tricks.
Three months ago, many extras and supporting actors in Nanhe Film and Television City submitted their electronic resumes, hoping to have the opportunity to work on a larger stage.
Unfortunately, in recent times, many people have received rejection emails from the program team. Zhang Chengyu is no exception, and Xue Xiao is probably the same.
Zhang Chengyu paused and said dejectedly: "Xiaoxiao, if Fan Xue becomes popular again, you might really..."
This is the reality they have to face.
Xue Xiao listened to Zhang Chengyu's words, and various lights reflected on his face.
He suddenly decided something and said succinctly: "Then I can establish a foothold in the head office on another road before he becomes more angry?"
Zhang Chengyu was stunned: "You mean..."
Xue smiled and said: "He can't let the people behind him take care of the leaders of the other two film and television cities because of me, right?"
Xue Xiao suddenly thought about it.
What bothered him in the past month or so was simply that he didn't know what Sister Wang meant.
Today, Brother Liu, the leader of the group, spoke openly and clearly, and Xue Xiao also understood.
As long as Fan Xue doesn't feel comfortable, he won't be able to survive in Nanhe Film and Television City.
Although he couldn't bear to part with the place where his dream started, and with so many brothers here, for now, if he could change to another film and television city, he might be able to continue acting.
"The special actor certificates of Nanhe Film and Television City and the other two domestic film and television cities are interchangeable. When I go to those two places, I can directly accept the film as a special actor. At worst, I will pack up and leave tomorrow, and "Superstar on Studio" will start. The registration process will take another month, so even if Fan Xue wants to become more popular, he still needs time—"
These words may sound naive, but Xue Xiao is not someone who just sits there and laments all day long. Even if the possibility is slim, he still has to try.
Zhang Chengyu was speechless as he watched Xue Xiao sweep away the gloom of more than a month, his eyes lighting up with determination.
Xue Xiao said he would act as soon as he said so, and turned around in the next second, as if he would immediately go back to the rental house to pack his packages. Suddenly, his phone vibrated and the screen lit up.
He looked down and froze.
Zhang Chengyu asked cautiously: "...? What's going on? What's the news?"
Xue Xiao raised his head suddenly.
The milky white cheeks were stained crimson due to excitement, which was particularly eye-catching.
He breathed quickly and said: "...Master, I really have to pack the package!"
"..." Zhang Chengyu wiped his face, "Hey, there's no need to be in such a hurry. Come on, go back and order takeout, and Master will help you -"
Xue Xiao quickly shook his head: "No, not to the other two film and television cities!"
"Master, I passed the screening of the "Superstar on Studio" program team!"
Under Zhang Chengyu's shocked gaze, under the beautiful night and the bright lights, the young man said excitedly:
“They just sent an email and I’m going to compete!”
(End of chapter)