novellhall Chapter 117 You Cheated! [4000]
Chapter 117 You Cheated! [4000]
Chapter 118 You Cheated! [4000]
That silhouette looks so familiar!
Chen Xun was stunned for a moment.
He then silently breathed a sigh of relief.
The tense muscles relaxed instantly, replaced by a helpless feeling that was both amusing and exasperating.
It's Christine!
How did she end up here?
Just then, Christine's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Those grey-green eyes were initially a little hazy, but they quickly focused on Chen Xun's face, who was standing right in front of them.
Then a triumphant smile appeared in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty!"
Her voice was hoarse from just waking up, full of teasing: "You had a great time drinking last night, Mr. Chen. I couldn't wake you up no matter what I did, you were like a dead pig."
Christine's face clearly said, "I scared you, haha!"
Chen Xun's initial shock instantly turned into anger.
He narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerous: "Are you trying to surprise me?"
"Surprised?"
Christine blinked, deliberately pulling the blanket down further to reveal more of her body, her tone innocent yet provocative: "I think it was shock, right? The way someone looked just now, tsk tsk, like they'd seen a ghost. Did they think some enthusiastic female fan had sneaked in?"
Chen Xun felt a flush of embarrassment at being exposed, but he refused to back down.
He looked at her face, so close to his, with a smug smile, and at the alluring curves faintly visible under the covers, and a certain morning instinct honestly kicked in.
"It's fun, isn't it?"
Chen Xun lowered his voice: "Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, why pull this kind of prank—"
He reached out and wrapped his arm around Christine's smooth waist, pulling her into his embrace.
"what!"
Christine gasped, surprised by Chen Xun's quick action, but then laughed, poking his chest with her finger: "What? Trying to get revenge? Ugh—"
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Xun cut him off!
Christine initially responded with a playful attitude, but she was quickly overwhelmed by Chen Xun's enthusiastic advances.
After not seeing each other for several months, the longing that had been building up was completely ignited this morning.
The blanket was kicked aside, and the morning light shone on the two of them without obstruction.
Chen Xun could clearly feel the delicate texture of Christine's skin. She seemed to have lost a little weight since the last time he saw her, but her figure was firmer.
Christine, on the other hand, felt the changes in Chen Xun's body more and more clearly during their intimate contact.
His muscles were more solid and powerful, but not the exaggerated size that comes from deliberately building up muscles in the gym; rather, they were lean and powerful with explosive energy.
The strength of his arms encircling her, the stability and control of his core, and the seemingly inexhaustible energy—
She was secretly alarmed.
"Wait! Chen Xun—you—did you secretly undergo special forces training behind my back?"
Christine asked haltingly, her voice filled with disbelief.
She remembered that Chen Xun had always been training, but the feeling now was completely different!
Chen Xun did not answer, but responded with even more enthusiastic actions.
The upgraded physical and emotional attributes combine perfectly at this moment.
His control over his body and his emotional investment have reached new heights.
Chen Xun could clearly perceive every subtle reaction from Christine and adjust his rhythm accordingly.
Christine went from being at ease at the beginning to gradually losing her way, and finally being completely defeated.
"Still up to the pranks, Miss Stewart?"
Chen Xun slowed his pace slightly, breathing heavily as he looked at her flushed face and dazed eyes, a satisfied, wicked smile appearing on his lips.
Christine didn't even have the strength to glare at him anymore. She could only snort through her nose, bury her burning face in his sweaty neck, and mutter, "You cheated!"
The two lingered for a while before calming down.
Chen Xun held Christine close, his fingers unconsciously twirling her short hair.
"Why did you come all of a sudden without saying a word?"
Christine leaned lazily against him: "The magazine shoot ended half a day early, thinking I'd surprise you, but who knew someone would get so drunk that I couldn't wake him up no matter how much I shook him."
She paused, then lowered her voice, "I missed you. We haven't seen each other much these past few months while you've been filming!"
Chen Xun's heart softened, and he kissed the top of her head.
Although filming for "Green Lantern" has ended, Chen Xun has not really had a break.
Post-production on the film is underway in full swing.
He needs to go into the recording studio to do post-production dubbing work, to re-record some lines where the live sound recording was not ideal or where the emotions needed to be adjusted.
We also need to shoot a few more close-up shots that require angle adjustments.
These tasks are scattered and don't take up much of a block of time, but they always pop up unexpectedly and take up a day or two.
Most of the time, Chen Xun stayed in Los Angeles.
Occasionally, I would visit Warner Bros.' editing room to watch the rough cuts and exchange ideas with director Martin Scorsese on certain scenes.
But those attributes on the panel that were just one step away from being upgraded kept scratching at him like a cat's claws.
It was so close!
Emoticon: Lv3 (590/600)
Especially the facial expressions, they're only 10 experience points away from being perfect!
Looking at the panel, Chen Xun felt as frustrated as if he were stuck at 99% experience points in a game.
Relying solely on daily observation and self-practice is far too inefficient!
He needs an environment, he needs rivals, and he needs the stimulation of a high-quality professional atmosphere.
After a short vacation, Christine flew to Europe to shoot a new magazine.
Chen Xun was just sitting alone anyway.
He started wondering if there were any film crews shooting nearby that he could go and collect attribute balls from.
Just then, Rob called, his tone mysterious: "Bro, getting moldy at home? There's a party, wanna go? It's an art film called 'Live in the Moment.' I know someone on set, and I heard the filming atmosphere is quite unique, all emotionally intense scenes."
"Haven't you been saying you wanted to observe and learn from this? Perfect timing, let's go take a look!"
Living in the moment?
Chen Xun remembered seeing it in his previous life!
Distant memories begin to surface:
A 2012 British-French-American co-production, directed by Al Parker, adapted from the novel "Before I Die".
It tells the story of Tessa, a 17-year-old girl with leukemia, who makes and completes her bucket list in the last moments of her life. It's a rather heavy subject!
This kind of independent film set, which requires extreme emotional investment, is exactly what he needs right now!
The probability of getting a special attribute ball is high, and the quality is also good!
Chen Xun discovered that ordinary film crews could no longer satisfy him!
The attribute ball fell because he lacked the knowledge and ability in that area.
Now, as his own strength grows stronger, the attribute orbs dropped by ordinary production crews are becoming less and less frequent!
Moreover, the level of the attribute orbs that drop is getting higher and higher!
On the set of "Green Lantern," he almost never saw the gray and green attribute balls falling.
And he remembered that Dakota was the female lead in the movie!
"go!"
Chen Xun didn't hesitate much.
"Alright!"
Robert is extremely efficient.
A few days later, Chen Xun quietly flew to England.
According to information provided by Rob, the crew of "Live Now" is currently filming in a quiet seaside town in southern England.
There's none of the hustle and bustle of a Hollywood film set here; the atmosphere is quiet, even a bit oppressive, which perfectly matches the film's tone.
Chen Xun arrived at the perimeter of the filming location at the agreed time.
A production assistant came up: "Miss Fanning is filming today's main scene, a fierce conflict between Tessa and her father, about her illness and that bucket list. It's very emotionally draining."
"Please wait a moment, I'll take you there after this scene is finished."
Chen Xun nodded and stood quietly at the outer edge of the monitoring area.
He saw the makeshift film set not far away, where Dakota was wearing an oversized sweater, making her look even thinner, and her face was deliberately made pale and fragile by the makeup artist.
The actor opposite her, Paddy Constable, looked like an exhausted father.
"Action!"
Dakota instantly got into the zone.
Her voice trembled as she questioned him, tears streaming silently down her face.
He was filled with a complex mix of despair, anger, and reluctance to let go of life, which was incredibly powerful.
Even Chen Xun, who was standing at a distance, could feel that energy.
A golden attribute orb fell from Dakota, who was engrossed in the game:
[Extreme emotional immersion and explosive power +12]
This single attribute ball caused his [Emotion] attribute experience bar to visibly increase slightly.
This trip was definitely worthwhile!
I just arrived and such a high-quality attribute ball is dropping here!
Absorb directly!
A profound realization came to mind about how to transform immense grief into a layered performance.
This is purer than any emotion-type attribute orb he has absorbed before!
"Cut! Excellent! Dakota, take a break and calm down."
"The director shouted."
Dakota had her head down, her shoulders still trembling slightly. Her assistant quickly stepped forward to put a coat on her and handed her hot water.
She needs to detach herself from Tessa's state.
Just then!
The production assistant led Chen Xun over.
"Dakota, look who's here!"
Dakota looked up at the sound, her pale face still streaked with tears, her eyes red.
When she saw that it was Chen Xun, she was clearly stunned for a moment, and her blue eyes, which were still immersed in sadness, widened instantly.
The heavy aura that belonged to Tessa slowly dissipated, replaced by a slightly shy and surprised expression.
"Chen—Chen Xun?"
Her voice was a little hoarse, filled with disbelief: "What are you doing here?"
"I came to England on some business, and I heard you were filming here, so I thought I'd drop by."
Chen Xun smiled and handed him a pack of tissues: "I just watched your performance, it was so powerful!"
Dakota took the tissue and wiped her face.
"Thank you—Oh my god, I look terrible, I didn't expect you to come!"
She frantically tidied her hair, and a faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks.
[Dakota Fanning's favorability +5, current favorability 80]
"You've gone quite a distance on your 'by way'!"
Dakota finally regained his composure, his tone becoming more relaxed: "Christine didn't come along?"
"She went off to do other things, and I was all free, so I thought I'd come and see how real acting masters work."
Chen Xun said half-jokingly.
"Come on!"
Dakota chuckled: "You're the new Green Lantern now, an A-list production lead actor. You've come to my low-budget arthouse film set to experience life, haven't you?"
As the two were talking, director Al Parker walked over.
Chen Xun politely introduced himself and apologized for disturbing him.
Director Orr was quite easygoing: "Welcome, Mr. Chen. Dakota often mentions you, saying you are one of the most talented actors she knows."
He joked, "But we don't have aliens or energy rings here, just a bunch of crying and wailing."
Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere on set became much more relaxed.
Chen Xun then naturally stayed to observe the upcoming filming.
What follows is a relatively quiet scene.
Tessa is with her friend Zoe, who reveals that she is unexpectedly pregnant and has decided to keep the baby.
This scene requires extremely subtle micro-expressions and eye contact to portray the complex emotions of two young girls facing life.
The protagonist, Tessa, is about to die!
And her best friend Zoe is about to welcome the birth of a new life!
Dakota and Kaya, who plays Zoe, deliver nuanced and exquisite performances.
A single glance, a slight twitch of the lips, could convey unspoken words.
[Depth of narrative through eye contact +8]
[Synchronized breathing rhythm during intimate scenes +5]
The attribute orbs have started falling.
Before Chen Xun could absorb it, he noticed that a purple attribute orb had also fallen from the director next to him:
[Concentration +7]
Chen Xun absorbed it directly!
After just half a day of observation, his [expression] and [eye gaze] attribute experience both broke through the 600 mark!
[Emoji attribute upgraded! Current level: Lv4 (5/800)]
[Eye Attribute Upgraded! Current Level: Lv4 (2/800)]
The continuous upgrade notifications greatly encouraged him.
During a break in filming, Dakota slipped over and handed Chen Xun a cup of coffee.
"How about it, great hero? Watching us die and limbo here, aren't you finding it rather boring?"
"Quite the opposite!"
Chen Xun took the coffee and said sincerely, "I think it's much harder than filming explosion scenes. It gave me goosebumps!"
The coffee was warm to the touch, clearly freshly made.
Dakota looked at his serious expression, and something stirred within her.
The filming schedule for "Living in the Moment" was scheduled to end before 5 p.m.
The final scene is a solo performance by Tessa, who sits alone on the seawall watching the sunset.
There are no lines; the complex emotions of both cherishing life and gradually letting go are conveyed entirely through the eyes and subtle expressions.
Dakota gave an extremely immersive performance.
Even several minutes after the director yelled "Cut," she remained sitting there, gazing at the sea in a daze, as if a part of her soul still lingered in Tessa's body.
Chen Xun didn't disturb him, but stood by the monitor not far away, watching the pale yet story-filled face in the playback footage.
He silently absorbed the attribute orbs that floated from Dakota's body, which had not yet completely dissipated:
[Immersion in a solitary atmosphere +9]
This ball is special.
It doesn't enhance any specific skill.
It is highly beneficial to both the "aura" and "emotion" attributes.
[Aura] attribute +5, [Emotion] attribute +4.
This was the first time Chen Xun had ever seen an attribute orb that could be applied to two attributes at the same time.
He gradually realized the truth.
The higher the level of the actors, the more often it involves a combination of various attributes working together to create a powerful impact.
He had a premonition that he would absorb more and more attribute orbs that could be added to different attributes at the same time!
"knock off!"
Director Al Parker announced.
The set was bustling with activity as lights and camera equipment began to be packed away.
Dakota then slowly stood up, wrapped the thick coat her assistant handed her tightly around herself, and walked towards Chen Xun.
Her face was still somewhat pale, but her eyes had regained their usual clarity, though a lingering trace of weariness remained.
"Every time I finish playing Tessa, I feel completely drained!"
Dakota walked up to Chen Xun and rubbed his temples.
"I can tell!"
Chen Xun handed her a bottle of water with the cap on: "You acted so realistically."
T
"Thanks."
Dakota took a sip of water, glanced at the film set that was being tidied up, and then looked at Chen Xun: "Are you busy next? If not, there's a small town nearby that's quite quiet and has some nice things."
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