novellhall Chapter 147 Saying no with your mouth, but your body says otherwise! [3000]
Chapter 147 Saying no with your mouth, but your body says otherwise! [3000]
Chapter 147 Saying no with your mouth, but your body says otherwise! [3000]
Exhaustion from the past few days.
Chen Xun completely quit his job and now relaxes comfortably at home.
My main areas of activity each day are my own sofa, swimming pool, and kitchen.
Before he could fully recover, Robert's phone rang relentlessly.
"Bro! The holiday is over!"
Rob's voice on the other end of the phone was always full of energy: "Lionsgate has sent word that the first draft of the post-production cut for 'The Hunger Games' is out. The director and producers have seen it and feel that the emotional storyline between Katniss and Peeta can be further strengthened, especially in some of the hints and interactions in the early and middle stages."
"We need to shoot a few more shots, mainly close-ups and reaction shots, as well as some new couple photos for future promotional purposes."
Chen Xun sat up from the sofa, rubbing his eyes: "Where are we filming? We're not going back to that forest, are we?"
He still has a psychological aversion to mosquitoes and cramped wooden beds.
"No, not at all. This time in Los Angeles, their studio, it only took a few days. It mainly consisted of your scenes with Jennifer, and some interactions in front of a green screen."
"The date is set for the day after tomorrow; Jennifer has already made arrangements."
Robert paused, his tone becoming a little gossipy: "So, after several months of living in the forest, was it awkward to meet again?"
"It's just work, what's there to be embarrassed about?"
Chen Xun said that.
But in her heart, she thought of Jennifer's fierce spirit.
This time when we meet again —
Absence makes the heart grow fonder!
He's probably going to have to put in a lot of hard work again!
"Okay, I'll send you the detailed shooting list and locations to your email."
Robert gave a few instructions and then hung up the phone in a hurry.
Two days later.
A studio that Lionsgate temporarily rented in Los Angeles.
Chen Xun followed the address and arrived. As soon as he entered, he felt a completely different atmosphere from the forest film set.
The towering photography studio, the neatly laid-out cables, and the various tracks and lighting equipment.
It's like an eternity.
Inside the tent, a replica of part of a champion's parade float has already been set up.
Staff members moved back and forth, adjusting the lights and cameras.
Chen Xun spotted Jennifer immediately.
She was standing next to director Gary, pointing at the set and saying something.
She was completely different from the Katniss in the forest, who wore dirty training clothes, had her hair in braids, and always had dirt on her face.
Today, Jennifer wore a simple white T-shirt and light blue jeans, with a light gray knitted cardigan over it. Her hair was softly draped over her shoulders, and she wore delicate light makeup. Her skin glowed white under the strong lights of the photo studio.
As if sensing Chen Xun's gaze, Jennifer turned her head and saw Chen Xun standing at the entrance.
Her eyes lit up, then a bright smile spread across her face. She raised her hand and waved vigorously, calling out in her distinctively loud voice, "Hey! Over here! I thought you were lost in one of the pools in Beverly Hills!"
That shout instantly transported Chen Xun back to the forest dormitory where they had filmed earlier.
She's still the same Jennifer, unchanged.
Chen Xun walked over and greeted Director Gary.
Director Gary patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "How was your rest? Have you gotten back into shape? Today's scenes are all about romance."
"No problem, director!"
Chen Xun smiled and turned to Jennifer: "Long time no see. It seems the environment in Los Angeles is more fertile than the forest."
"Absolutely, at least there won't be mosquitoes having a midnight party."
Jennifer looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow: "You haven't gotten much darker, you've recovered pretty quickly. Looks like you're having a good time at home?"
"I've had a good few nights of sleep!"
Chen Xun asked casually, then inquired, "What exactly are we filming today?"
Director Gary pulled out the shooting list: "Mainly a few new flashbacks or suggestive shots."
Chen Xun and Jennifer sat on the side listening to director Gary explain each shot in detail.
These scenes all sound like they involve subtle expressions and eye contact, which happens to coincide with Chen Xun's newly upgraded gaze and emotional attributes.
Makeup and costume change.
Chen Xun put on that clean light-colored shirt and dark pants again, and his face was made up to look even softer by the makeup artist.
Each shot was filmed quickly.
After a few days of rest, his and Jennifer's performance did not become rusty at all; on the contrary, it became more nuanced.
"Cut! Perfect!"
Gary exclaimed excitedly, "That's it! Chen, that look in your eyes just now could be cut directly into the trailer as a hook!"
Just as the director yelled "cut," a purple attribute orb fell from Chen Xun's body:
[Eye contact +8]
He absorbed it immediately.
I feel that my understanding of eye contact narrative has deepened.
Jennifer walked over to watch the playback, stroking her chin: "Wow~ your gaze is so affectionate!"
She suddenly leaned close to Chen Xun and whispered, "When we're filming the eye contact scene later, don't let me outshine you."
Her perfume smelled sweet, completely different from the smell of sweat and earth in the forest.
Next up is a scene between the two.
The two need to make eye contact quickly, without getting close, while maintaining a distance, and then look away.
After the script supervisor clapped the clapperboard, Chen Xun and Jennifer walked in from opposite ends of the set and brushed past each other in the middle aisle.
Just as they passed each other, Chen Xun seemed to casually turn his head, and Jennifer happened to look over as well.
Their eyes met briefly in mid-air.
Chen Xun immediately used his Level 5 Eye Attribute to condense Peeta's restrained yet irresistible attention and the subtle panic of being caught in the act into that brief glance.
Jennifer's return glance was equally brilliant.
Katniss's wariness was mixed with a hint of concern, and she quickly looked away as if she had been burned by the other person's gaze.
The contact lasted less than a second, yet it felt as if a thousand words were exchanged.
"Cut! Great job! You did a fantastic job!"
Director Gary rubbed his hands together excitedly: "You two are just like a real-life couple!"
Chen Xun and Jennifer exchanged a glance, both seeing the unspoken understanding in each other's eyes.
Jennifer winked at him quickly.
Taking the official photos was much easier.
The main thing is to pose and create a sense of being a couple.
The photographer asked them to make various gestures such as gazing deeply into each other's eyes, leaning on each other, and lightly touching each other's fingers.
Both are professional actors, and they work together seamlessly, even improvising small gestures within the frame requested by the photographer.
For example, Jennifer pretends to nudge Chen Xun with her elbow, and Chen Xun pretends to shake his head with a helpless smile.
The effect is surprisingly natural and vivid when captured by a photographer.
"Excellent! The two of you standing together really create a vivid image!"
The photographer snapped away quickly: "Chen, shift your gaze slightly more towards Jennifer, yes, that protective look—"
"Jennifer, you can look a little more stubborn, but lean your body slightly towards Chen—"
"Perfect!"
The entire reshoot process was efficient and smooth.
Chen Xun could sense that after several months of intense collaboration in the forest, the working rapport between him and Jennifer had reached a new level.
A single glance or a small gesture is enough to understand what the other person wants and to immediately provide the most appropriate response.
By the time we finished work, it was almost dusk.
The two changed back into their own clothes and walked out of the photography studio together.
Jennifer moved here from her hometown in Kentucky this morning and is temporarily staying at her agent's house.
"My manager's place, I guess!"
As Jennifer opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, she continued the previous topic with a hint of helplessness in her voice: "The location is convenient, but their cat, my God, is more difficult to deal with than my opponent in 'The Hunger Games.' It does parkour in the middle of the night, jumping right into people's faces."
Chen Xun started the car and casually asked, "Didn't you rent a place in Los Angeles?"
"I looked at a few places, but they were either too expensive, too remote, or the neighbors looked like they would throw parties all night until dawn."
Jennifer buckled her seatbelt, slumped in her seat, and looked like she'd been through the wringer of the Los Angeles rental market: "I just packed up and shipped all my stuff from my hometown in Kentucky. A bunch of boxes are still piled up in my agent's garage. I was thinking of making do for a few days, but it's proving too tough!"
Chen Xun tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
An idea popped into my head.
He looked straight ahead, trying to sound casual: "I have several empty rooms in my place."
Jennifer paused for a moment, then turned to look at him: "Yours? The one in Beverly Hills?"
When Chen Xun bought Jackie Chan's house, the media conducted an exclusive interview with him.
Jennifer obviously knew that too.
"Anyway, it's just sitting empty. I usually live alone, and sometimes nobody lives there at all!"
"Moreover, from the time 'The Hunger Games' was filmed until its release, for the next six months or so, we were basically doing joint marketing, doing promotions, roadshows, and interviews. We had to see each other every day, so living close by would save us trouble should there be any last-minute arrangements."
Dakota can stay there, and Christine is a frequent visitor, so adding Jennifer doesn't seem to make much difference.
In Hollywood, everyone's a friend!
Although Kristen is his official girlfriend, he recently discovered that Kristen seems to be more captivated by beautiful women than he is by them!
After not seeing each other for almost half a year, Christine is becoming increasingly unnatural!
Jennifer doesn't object.
Chen Xun simply drove her back to Beverly Hills.
Kristen and Dakota have been filming on set recently, leaving more empty rooms.
It's always good to have someone to talk to when you're not busy.
The car drove into the quiet streets of Beverly Hills and finally stopped in front of that modern house.
The automatic sensor lights in the yard turned on, the swimming pool glowed blue, and everything was as orderly as usual.
"Not bad~"
Jennifer got out of the car, carrying her small backpack, and looked around the house and yard.
At this time, Jennifer was not yet a big star, her financial situation was average, and she couldn't afford a mansion in Los Angeles.
"Thank you for the compliment!"
Chen Xun opened the door and gestured for her to come in.
Jennifer walked into the living room and looked around curiously.
The living room is spacious and bright, decorated in a modern minimalist style, and the furniture looks expensive but not ostentatious.
"You usually live here, but it doesn't feel very human here?"
She walked to the fireplace, picked up a photo frame on it, which contained a group photo of Chen Xun, Christine, and Dakota.
Chen Xun stood in the middle, and all three of them were smiling happily.
This photo was taken at Christine's request when we went out to eat together a few days ago.
It's said to be to commemorate the day Dakota betrayed her!
"What a blessing to have two wives!"
Jennifer put the photo frame back, her tone natural, revealing no particular emotion.
"I had just moved in not long ago, and then I immediately went to film 'The Hunger Games'. I didn't have time to do anything else."
Chen Xun led her upstairs: "The guest rooms are over here. You can choose one yourself. They all have private bathrooms, and the sheets and blankets are clean. A housekeeper comes to change them every week."
Jennifer followed him to see two guest rooms and finally chose one with a window facing the backyard and overlooking the pool.
"Let's go with this one. The view is nice, and if I have insomnia, I can count the stars, if you can see the stars in Los Angeles."
Chen Xun brought her a clean towel and bathrobe.
Jennifer opened her backpack and started taking things out.
An old-looking plush rabbit doll, several crumpled scripts, a portable speaker, and a few bags of snacks.
"Alright, I hereby declare that this room now smells like Jennifer!"
She looked at her belongings with satisfaction, then clapped her hands: "Landlord, is there anything to eat? I'm hungry!"
"Of course there's food!"
Chen Xun chuckled mischievously, turned around, and closed the door. "Shouldn't you be thinking about how you're going to pay your rent now?"
"Landlord, please don't let your wife find out—"
Jennifer immediately got into character, putting on a pitiful look.
Jennifer Lawrence's favorability +1, current favorability 97
They say no, but their actions say otherwise!
Chen Xun pounced on him!