novellhall Chapter 116. Does drinking lead to mistakes? [4000]
Chapter 116. Does drinking lead to mistakes? [4000]
Chapter 117 Making Mistakes Every Time He Drinks? [4000]
Chen Xun composed himself and glanced at the system panel.
After several months of filming, Kayla's favorability rating steadily rose to 80.
This growth rate is not considered fast.
Considering that Keira is used to seeing top actors and geniuses, it is already a very rare evaluation for her to give it an 80 out of 100.
The lights were dimmed and warmed to simulate the atmosphere of an apartment at night.
The sofa bed, which serves as the main setting, looks ordinary, but its angle has been carefully adjusted.
Director Martin called Chen Xun and Kayla together, speaking calmly but earnestly: "The key to this scene is the flow of emotions. We're not pursuing anything exaggerated; we want two adults who have just gone through danger together and have let down some of their guard."
Chen Xun and Kayla both nodded.
"Okay, let's practice our positioning and discuss the range of movements!"
Director Martin gestured for the action director to come over.
Chen Xun found it quite novel that even something like this required action direction.
The action director, an experienced woman, carefully explained to the two actors, holding the storyboard: "Chen, you'll first sit on the edge of the bed, Kayla will approach from behind, put her hand on your shoulder, then you'll turn around, hug and kiss her —"
"Then slowly lie down on the bed, the camera will mainly focus on your upper body and facial expressions —"
Chen Xun listened attentively, rehearsing the scene in his mind.
The upgraded emotional state allowed him to enter that post-disaster psychological state more quickly, a state of needing comfort.
However, when it comes to performances involving physical contact, practice is still required.
Kayla listened to the explanation with a very professional expression.
But Chen Xun noticed that her fingers, which were placed at her side, curled up unconsciously, and her breathing seemed to be a little faster than usual.
Logically speaking, given Keira's experience and the number of intimate scenes she's filmed, she should have been used to it by now.
Chen Xun thought of the various famous scenes featuring Keira in "Atonement".
The blocking rehearsal begins.
On their first try, both of them were a little reserved.
The hug was a bit stiff, the kissing was awkward, and you could feel the tension between them when they made physical contact.
"Relax!"
Director Martin said from behind the monitor, "You two are now two people who have confirmed your feelings for each other, not strangers. You can slow down your movements a little and feel each other's presence."
"
The second time was better, but still not natural enough.
Kayla, in particular, seemed to have lost her usual effortless professionalism, appearing instead more reserved than Chen Xun, a novice.
"Cut!"
Director Martin called "cut," walked over, and looked at Kayla: "Kayla, are you alright? You look a little nervous!"
Kayla took a deep breath and forced a smile: "Sorry, Martin, I might not be feeling well today. Give me a minute."
She walked to the side, took a sip of water, and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.
Chen Xun noticed that the base of her ears was a little red.
strange!
Chen Xun thought to himself.
Given Kayla's professionalism, she shouldn't have done that!
He looked at Kayla, who just happened to open her eyes and look at him as well.
Their eyes met, and Kayla immediately looked away, but in that instant, Chen Xun seemed to catch a rare hint of panic and shyness in her eyes.
That doesn't make sense!
Chen Xun carefully checked and confirmed that Kayla's favorability rating was clearly 80 points.
Is this number already considered very high for Kayla?
"Okay, let's try again!"
Kayla walked back, her voice returning to calm, but the lingering emotion in her eyes remained.
"Action!"
This time, Chen Xun decided to take the initiative.
He quickly immersed himself in the role.
Chen Xun sat on the edge of the bed, head down, shoulders slumped slightly, showing his exhaustion and vulnerability after just experiencing a battle and inner struggle.
Kayla slowly approached from behind.
Her fingers lightly touched his shoulder, the movement very gentle, with a hint of probing.
Chen Xun's body trembled slightly; it wasn't acting, but a reaction triggered by the real touch.
He slowly turned around and looked up at her.
His eyes held weariness, lingering fear, but even more so, a growing longing that intensified upon seeing the person before him.
That look made Kayla pause for a moment.
Immediately, Lindsay's emotions also welled up in her eyes.
She leaned down, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him.
The two were so close they could feel each other's breath and exchange temperatures.
Chen Xun wrapped his arm around her waist, his touch gentle yet firm.
They fell down slowly, their movements becoming much smoother.
The camera zooms in, capturing their intertwined gazes, their slightly trembling eyelashes, and their suppressed breaths.
There was no excessive physical entanglement, but the sexual tension overflowed through the screen.
"Cut!"
Director Martin's voice rang out, brimming with excitement: "That take was great! The emotion was right! Let's keep that take, then change the camera angle and shoot another close-up of the kiss and the fall!"
The subsequent filming went remarkably smoothly.
Once the initial awkward barrier created by the involvement of real-life emotions was broken, the two seemed to have found the right switch and were completely immersed in their roles and the situation.
Each touch was accompanied by a gradually igniting intensity.
Chen Xun's emotional nature allows him to precisely control the degree of every flutter of emotion and desire.
Kayla was completely drawn into this genuine emotion.
The fourth take was a shot of the two lying down on the bed, their foreheads touching, silently gazing at each other.
This shot requires a long close-up to capture the unspoken emotions conveyed in the eyes.
The lights shone on their faces, creating an ambiguous interplay of light and shadow.
Chen Xun looked at Kayla, who was so close to him. His image was reflected in her pupils, where Lindsay's deep affection for Chen Xun was mixed with a trace of Kayla's own feelings.
Time passed in silence.
Both of them forgot that they were filming, and forgot about the cameras and staff around them.
The world seemed to shrink to this small space, leaving only each other's eyes and breath.
"Cut!"
No one responded.
"Cut! You two! Chen? Kayla?"
Director Martin's voice, tinged with laughter, came through the loudspeaker.
Chen Xun snapped back to reality, only then realizing that the director had already called "cut."
Kayla seemed to wake from a dream, blinked, and a blush instantly rose on her face. She hurriedly propped herself up and sat up, avoiding Chen Xun's gaze.
"Uh—sorry, Martin."
Chen Xun also sat up and awkwardly smoothed his hair.
"Haha, it's okay!"
Director Martin laughed heartily, in high spirits: "Being deeply immersed in the role is a good thing! That eye contact just now was absolutely brilliant! I dare say it will be one of the most moving scenes in the film!"
After filming wrapped, the staff began packing up the equipment.
Chen Xun and Kayla went to change their clothes separately, without exchanging much of their thoughts.
When Chen Xun came out after changing his clothes, Kayla was already preparing to leave.
She paused at the doorway, turned around, and looked at Chen Xun.
Her cheeks still had a slight blush, but her eyes had regained their usual calmness, only with something more complex and difficult to understand in their depths.
"Thank you for today."
She said softly, then paused, and added, "You acted very well!"
After saying that, she turned and walked away quickly.
Chen Xun stood still.
The number above Kayla's head suddenly changed.
Keira Knightley's favorability +10, current favorability 90
10 points were added at once!
With director Martin's resounding "Cut!", filming, which lasted for more than four months, officially wrapped up.
The set was instantly filled with cheers, whistles, and the sound of champagne bottles being opened.
The prop lights were turned on, dispelling the monotony of the green screen and revealing the original appearance of this huge film studio.
The staff hugged each other, and the actors high-fived in celebration.
The tension and exhaustion of the past few months transformed into pure excitement and a sense of accomplishment at this moment.
Chen Xun was almost suffocated by Gina's strong hug, and then the action director stuffed a glass of champagne into his hand from who-knows-where.
He looked around at the familiar faces.
Director Martin laughed like a child, while Kayla stood a little further away, holding a wine glass, a relaxed smile on her face.
A complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.
it's over!
His first A-list blockbuster in which he played the lead role is finished!
He glanced at the system panel subconsciously.
Several core attributes saw another surge in the last few weeks, but ultimately failed to break through the final threshold:
[Acting Skills Attribute Panel]
Dialogue: Lv3 (580/600)
Limbs: Lv4 (245/800)
Emoticon: Lv3 (590/600)
Eyes: Lv3 (575/600)
Mood: Lv4 (155/800)
Tempo: Lv3 (565/600)
Aura: Lv3 (570/600)
"So close!"
Chen Xun secretly lamented the loss.
If filming had continued for another week or two, or if there had been more intense scenes with the other actors, they might have achieved level 4 in all attributes.
However, he also knew that film shooting had a strict schedule and could not be extended just to allow him to gain experience.
"What are you thinking about, big star?"
Rob leaned in, his face flushed, clearly already having a drink: "Warner Bros. is throwing a formal wrap party at the hotel tonight, everyone's going! You, the lead actor, can't skip it!"
The hotel banquet hall was bustling with activity that evening.
Warner Bros. hosted a high-profile wrap party for "Green Lantern," which included the entire cast and crew, as well as Warner Bros. executives, producers, and even some media and industry partners.
Chen Xun, dressed in a well-fitting dark suit, became the center of attention as soon as he entered.
The reputation he had built up on set over the past few months and his visible transformation made him appear completely at ease even in such a setting.
Director Martin, holding a wine glass and with his arm around Chen Xun's shoulder, addressed the Warner Bros. executives and producers who had gathered around: "Ladies and gentlemen, I must say, choosing Chen against all odds was one of the best decisions I've made in recent years! He's not just an actor; he's a creator, one of the souls of this film!"
Greg Silverman raised his glass with a smile: "Martin, it's too early to talk about this now. Let's celebrate when the movie is released."
He turned to Chen Xun, his eyes filled with undisguised praise: "Chen, we've all seen your performance; it exceeded our expectations!"
COO Richard Smith, unusually, clinked glasses with Chen Xun, his words succinctly and dismissively saying, "Well done, now it's up to the market!"
Chen Xun responded politely.
The favorability ratings of these bigwigs are steadily increasing.
He estimated that if the movie did well at the box office after its release, the goodwill of these bigwigs would rise even further!
Once you're out of the tension on set, in this relaxed social setting, people are more likely to drop attribute balls.
Moreover, these kinds of parties require even more acting than filming a movie!
Chen Xun would certainly not waste this rare opportunity!
He moved through the crowd like a human magnet, politely exchanging pleasantries while happily absorbing various attribute orbs.
Although it cannot immediately upgrade core attributes, these extensive knowledge and skill fragments undoubtedly broaden his horizons and the boundaries of his abilities.
Of course, there were also plenty of interactions with the crew members.
Gina was already a bit tipsy, and she patted Chen Xun's back hard: "Buddy! If you're making a sequel next time, you still have to come to me for the action scenes! Fighting with you is so much fun!"
Kayla, on the other hand, was relatively restrained.
She lightly clinked glasses with Chen Xun, her grey-blue eyes sparkling with laughter: "Looking forward to seeing our work on the big screen!"
Her favorability rating remains stable at 90.
However, when their eyes meet, the tacit understanding that came from filming intimate scenes still exists.
The atmosphere at the reception was lively.
Champagne, whiskey, and all kinds of cocktails flowed around.
Chen Xun initially reminded himself to stay sober, but he couldn't resist the waves of people coming to toast him.
Director, producer, colleagues, Warner Bros. people —
I drank too much without realizing it.
Chen Xun felt his head was getting heavy and his feet were feeling unsteady.
You must have had a decent alcohol tolerance in your past life!
How come after I transmigrated, my alcohol tolerance is getting worse and worse?
Seeing that his face looked pale, Rob quickly came over and helped him to the side: "Bro, are you alright? Your face is all white."
"I'm fine, just a little dizzy!"
Chen Xun waved his hand: "It's about time to leave."
"Okay, I'll have the hotel call a car for you to take you back to the hotel booked by the film crew."
When Luo Bo shoved Chen Xun into the hotel's private car, he was already close to losing consciousness.
Back to the hotel room booked by the film crew.
He didn't even bother to turn on the light. With his last bit of consciousness, he reached the bedside, and without even taking off his clothes, he threw himself onto the soft mattress.
He lost consciousness almost instantly.
I slept soundly for days, without even a single dream.
Until the morning sunlight pierced his eyelids through the gap in the not-quite-closed curtains.
Chen Xun frowned, enduring the headache from his hangover, and sat up.
My head hurts and my throat is dry—typical aftereffects of excessive drinking.
Just as he was trying to turn over to find a more comfortable position, his body brushed against something warm and smooth.
Chen Xun's drowsiness vanished instantly!
His body stiffened, and his eyes snapped open, the dizziness from the hangover making his vision blurry.
Chen Xun turned his head very slowly.
The first thing that catches the eye is a head of messy, short blonde hair, scattered on the snow-white pillow.
Then comes a smooth line of shoulder and neck, dazzlingly white in the morning light.
The blanket only covered her chest, leaving a large expanse of her snow-white back skin exposed.
There seem to be suspicious red marks on it.
She wasn't wearing any clothes!
There was a naked woman next to me!
Thank goodness it wasn't a man!
This thought suddenly popped into Chen Xun's mind!
"Fuck me!"
Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat, and his head started to ache even more!
It wasn't because of a hangover.
It was because he seemed to have made another mistake that all men make!
Come again?
Wasn't the wrap party and the one with Kate enough?
Who is it this time?
Kayla?
Gina?
Or was it one of those female colleagues who got drunk and went to the wrong room?
Or worse!
Was it a surprise arranged by someone with ulterior motives?
Chen Xun internally berated himself for his "things always go wrong when he's drunk" constitution!
He held his breath and carefully moved his body upwards little by little, trying to see the other person's face clearly.
As the angle changes, the woman's profile gradually becomes clearer.
A pert nose, a somewhat stubborn jawline, and brows that are slightly furrowed even when asleep—