novellhall Chapter 175 I'm Not a Hero [5000 words]
Chapter 175 I'm Not a Hero [5000 words]
Chapter 175 I'm Not a Hero [5000] (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
After filming the electric shock scene, Chen Xun was completely exhausted.
It's not because I'm tired.
It is the psychological drain of repeatedly pushing oneself into a near-death state.
Jennifer handed him a bottle of energy drink: "Are you okay?"
"good!"
Chen Xun took a big gulp: "It's a bit split-up. One minute I feel like I'm going to die, and the next minute I feel like I'm alive again."
Sometimes getting too immersed in a role isn't a good thing; it can easily lead to a split personality.
"This is what an actor's daily life is like."
Jennifer sat down next to him: "When I was filming 'Winter's Bone,' there was a scene on an icy lake that we filmed six times. After filming, I couldn't tell if I was in the movie or not."
The two sat together watching the sunset outside the film set.
Jennifer suddenly spoke up: "The director talked to me yesterday and said he wants to add a monologue scene for you."
"monologue?"
"The night before the match, Pita spoke to the camera alone about why he volunteered to participate and what he was really afraid of."
Jennifer looked at him: "In the original story, this part is from Katniss's perspective, but the director felt that Peeta's inner monologue deserved to be shown separately."
Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat.
This is very similar to his approach to the character of Han.
Give supporting characters a complete character arc.
"Has the script been revised?"
"The screenwriter is writing it, and they say they'll have you say that key line—"
Jennifer thought for a moment: "I'm not a hero, I just don't want her to face this alone!"
Chen Xun remained silent for a while.
This sentence sounds simple, but it contains Peeta's courage and his love for Katniss.
"I love this adaptation!"
Chen Xun agreed with the director's idea.
I knew you'd like it.
Jennifer stood up: "Let's go, the crew's having dinner tonight, Hawaiian barbecue!"
After finishing his meal, Chen Xun returned to the RV alone.
Jennifer didn't come along.
The environment here is terrible!
This indirectly affects the physical strength of the two people.
Chen Xun is alright.
His upgraded stats, combined with the absorption of skill orbs, significantly boosted his physical attributes.
Jennifer was starting to feel the strain.
Filming during the day was tough, and the battles at night were just as intense.
Even these energetic tiger girls could only obediently return to their RVs to rest.
Chen Xun didn't sleep much that night.
He kept thinking about Peeta.
The baker's son, kind, loves Katniss, and is willing to die for her.
But Chen Xun felt it wasn't enough.
When someone is willing to participate in a competition with a 90% mortality rate for someone else, it's not just about love.
Peeta was afraid and hesitant, but why did he ultimately go?
Chen Xun sat at the small table in the RV for half the night, marking every line of dialogue and every action prompt about Peeta in the script.
Then he shuffled and rearranged these elements.
This will allow him to gain a deeper understanding of Peeta's motivation for doing this.
Finally, he came to a conclusion.
Peeta's choice was not one of heroism, but rather one of probability.
If Katniss and Hawley compete, will Hawley protect Katniss?
Maybe.
But they certainly won't risk everything like Pita did.
If Peeta replaces Hemmy in the competition, Katniss's chances of survival will increase.
Even if it's just a tiny bit more.
So this isn't romance, it's Peeta's calculation!
A baker's son calculates life and death in the simplest way he can understand.
The probability of my loved ones surviving must be maximized!
Even if the price is myself.
After figuring this out, Chen Xun was finally able to sleep.
The atmosphere on set was a little different the next morning.
Normally, people would chat and move around quietly during filming, but today, everyone fell silent from the moment Chen Xun walked into the dressing room.
Even the makeup artist, who usually loves to joke around, worked silently, as if preparing for some kind of ceremony.
"The director said this scene should be filmed separately using specially made IMAX lenses."
The assistant director came over to explain, "There can't be any noise on set, so we even turned off the air conditioning to avoid noise pollution!"
-
Chen Xun glanced at the thermometer inside the shed: 85 degrees Fahrenheit (about 29 degrees Celsius).
Filming with the air conditioning off, is it like taking a sauna?
But he didn't complain.
This play was worthwhile.
After finishing his makeup, Chen Xun put on Peeta's outfit for the night before the game.
A simple gray shirt and trousers, without any unnecessary embellishments.
Director Francis walked over, without a walkie-talkie in his hand or looking at the monitor.
"Chen, I won't give you any specific instructions for this scene. The camera will be focused on your face the whole time, from when you sit down to when you stand up. No matter if you say your lines, pause, or even cry or laugh, I won't yell 'Cut'."
"Just pretend the cameras aren't there, and talk to yourself the night before the game."
Chen Xun nodded: "I'm ready."
"good!"
Francis patted him on the shoulder: "Remember, you're not acting out a hero's confession; you're acting out an ordinary person doing something extraordinary. There's a big difference."
Chen Xun nodded.
He understands.
A hero's confession will be passionate and full of tragic grandeur.
But the confessions of ordinary people only contain their most genuine fears and determination.
The filming area has been set up.
A simple metal chair against a backdrop of a simulated arena entrance wall with some faded graffiti.
An IMAX camera stood silently pointed at the chair, as if waiting.
The entire room fell silent.
Even their breathing was lowered.
Chen Xun walked to the chair but did not sit down immediately.
He first touched the back of the chair.
This was a little trick he designed for Pita.
Pita is the baker's son and has a habit of touching things to check their texture.
From this moment on, he was Pita.
He sat down and placed his hands on his knees.
"Action!"
The director's voice was very soft, almost inaudible.
The camera begins to rotate.
Chen Xun did not look at the camera immediately.
He first lowered his head and looked at his hands.
Those hands, in the script, were good at kneading dough but not good at holding a knife.
Then he started talking.
The voice was not loud.
"I'm going in tomorrow."
He spoke as if to thin air: "Hemis came to see me today to say she wanted to thank me."
Chen Xun's expression suggested he had witnessed something extraordinary.
Haymitch has always looked down on him.
"I said no need to thank me, it's what I should do, but actually I don't know if I should do it or not."
He paused for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"Of course I'm afraid. Who isn't afraid of death?"
Chen Xun looked up, looking at the camera for the first time.
But his gaze wasn't fixed on the camera; it was fixed on an imagined person behind it: "I'm more afraid of other things than death."
The scene was completely silent.
Even the photographer stopped adjusting the focus.
"What will happen to Katniss if I don't go?"
Chen Xun's voice began to tremble slightly, but he controlled it: "Hammys is a good mentor, but he's old. His leg is injured and he can't run fast. If we encounter danger, he might not be able to protect Katniss."
He lowered his head again: "At least I'm young and fast, so I can block her way."
These words are so simple, so simple that they break your heart.
There was no heroic sentiment of "I am willing to sacrifice for her," only the simple logic of "I can stand in front of her."
Chen Xun's breathing became a little rapid.
He began to rub his hands unconsciously.
That was the gesture he used when he was a child, kneading dough at home.
He remained silent for a full ten seconds.
The camera was constantly pointed at him, capturing every subtle change in his facial expression.
He took a deep breath and said the line: "I'm not a hero, I just don't want her to face all this alone!"
He fell silent after speaking.
But this silence was different from the one before.
Now it's about accepting your decision and the possibility of death.
Finally, he stood up and nodded slightly to the imagined Katniss.
Then he turned and left the frame.
"Cut!"
After five minutes of silence, director Francis's voice finally rang out.
But no one moved.
The staff at the scene were still standing there, some with red eyes, and some were secretly wiping away tears.
When Chen Xun walked out of the filming area, the first thing he realized was that Jennifer was ugly.
She appeared out of nowhere, standing behind the monitor, still wearing makeup.
She didn't say anything, but walked over and gave Chen Xun a big hug.
The director finally stood up from behind the monitor, his voice a little hoarse: "This might be the ugliest monologue I've ever filmed in my career."
"Chen, how did you manage to look so ugly? I've worked with many famous actors, but what you just did still scare me! I can almost see Peeta sitting there."
Director Francis walked up to Chen Xun, his ugly eyes filled with disbelief.
Chen Xun, having just recovered from Peeta's emotions, quietly said, "I'm just trying to become Peeta."
The director nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
He turned to everyone and announced, "Let's wrap this up! We're calling it a day early and giving everyone a half-day off. Chen Yi needs to rest, and I need to process what I just saw."
Applause erupted at the performance.
Chen Xun returned to the RV, closed the door, and finally let his emotions out.
He sat on the sofa, his hands still trembling slightly.
During that performance, he truly felt like he was Peeta, and genuinely experienced the ugly emotions he felt at the time.
Chen Xun opened the system panel.
His ugliness [acting level] is so extreme, the ugliness progress bar jumps a huge distance!
It jumped directly from 70% to 73%.
A full 3% increase!
And these well fruits!
Chen Xun was overjoyed.
That means I need to challenge myself to act in more difficult and ugly scenes in the future.
As the Hawaii Ugly shoot entered its third week, everyone began to show signs of fatigue.
The volcanic country's humid and hot climate is like an invisible steamer, slowly draining everyone's energy.
Jennifer's Katniss tight-fitting combat suit was practically a torture device.
To avoid looking bulky under IMAX cameras, the costume team used thickened elastic material, resulting in a completely airtight design.
Sweat pooled between the fabric and my skin, making me itch like ants were crawling on me.
"Cut! Let's move on to this one, then take a 20-minute break!"
As soon as director Francis called "cut," Jennifer couldn't help but interrupt.
She crept to the edge of the film set, where there were several ugly rocks used by the film crew to simulate volcanic rock.
With her back to the rock, she began to rub it up, down, left, and right.
The movement was a bit comical, like an ugly bear rubbing against a tree trunk.
"Are you performing some kind of mysterious, ugly, and begging dance?"
Chen Xun happened to walk over, holding two bottles of stolen water in his hand.
"Stop laughing, it tickles!"
Jennifer rubbed against her and hugged her, saying, "The designer of this suit probably hasn't worn it for more than ten minutes. Now I understand why those actors in superhero movies always say that bodysuits are a nightmare. This thing is anti-human!"
She rubbed against it again with force.
That's when things went wrong!
That rock was originally just placed on the support as a backdrop; it wasn't permanently fixed in place.
Jennifer's slight movement shifted her center of gravity, causing the half-person-high ugly rock to wobble before falling to the side.
The direction it fell was exactly one of the main supporting pillars of the photography studio.
"Be careful!"
Chen Xun reacted almost instantly.
But his warning came too late.
The stone struck the joint of the support column with a dull thud.
Then came the ugly, grating sound of metal twisting.
One corner of the entire photography studio began to tilt.
To make matters worse, two lighting technicians next to the pillar were adjusting their equipment, completely unaware of the danger posed by the ugliness overhead.
A buzzing sound went through Chen Xun's mind.
The instinctive reaction to the ugliness of Rio's favelas was instantly activated.
He didn't even have time to think before his body moved.
【The essence of practical action performance】Bringing ugliness is not only about improving acting skills, but also about instinctively anticipating dangerous ugliness and responding quickly to physical ugliness.
He could see the ugly trajectory of the falling pillar and judge when the two workers would disappear.
There's simply not enough time!
He simply pounced on it!
He pushed aside the lighting technician closest to him with his left hand and pulled another one to the side with his right.
He forcefully pushed the two people out of the danger zone, but due to inertia, he himself was unable to completely avoid it.
"boom!"
The supporting pillars and part of the roof collapsed, kicking up dust.
The broken metal support grazed Chen Xunchou's left arm, cutting a gash from which blood immediately seeped out.
There was a two-second silence before the performance exploded.
"Is anyone injured?!"
"Medical team! Call the medical team quickly!"
"The shed is going to collapse! Everyone back up!"
Jennifer stood there, her face deathly pale.
She looked at the collapsed corner of the shed, at the two terrified staff members who had been pushed away by Chen Xun, and finally at Chen Xun.
Chen Xun was clutching his arm, blood seeping from between his fingers.
"I----"
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Chen Xun spoke first, addressing the medical personnel who rushed over: "I'm fine, just abrasions. Check on them both first."
The two lighting technicians just tripped and fell; they didn't even break the skin.
-
He got up, looked at Chen Xun, and was filled with gratitude.
Director Francis rushed over, his face as black as the bottom of a pot: "What's going on? Where's the safety officer? Who's in charge of checking this set?"
'
The investigation will yield results soon.
Those rocks weren't actually fixed in place. They were just temporarily placed there for easy adjustment because we were filming a scene with moving cameras today.
The safety officer was negligent during the inspection and did not expect that someone would rub against it.
"This is a major safety incident!"
When the two production staff arrived after receiving the news, their voices were trembling: "Thank goodness no one was killed. If those two lighting technicians had been hit—God, I don't even want to think about it."
He looked at Jennifer, then at Chen Xun, and his tone softened slightly: "Jennifer, it's not your fault, it's a problem with the safety procedures, but don't do any high-risk actions next to the set in the future."
Jennifer nodded blankly.
Her ugly agent has received the news and is on his way to her ugly side.
In Hollywood, such accidents can range from minor to major.
If no one is injured, it will pass if we just press it down.
If someone is seriously injured or even killed, the actor involved could have their career ruined.
If Chen Xun hadn't reacted in time, those two lighting technicians would have been hit—
She dared not think any further.
Medical tent.
The doctor cleaned, stitched, and bandaged Chen Xun's wound.
The wound wasn't deep, but it was a bit long, requiring seven stitches.
The doctor instructed: "Avoid getting it wet for two weeks and avoid strenuous exercise."
"Change the dressing daily, and seek medical attention immediately if inflammation or fever occurs."
Chen Xun nodded, his expression as calm as if the injured person wasn't him.
Jennifer stood outside the tent and waited for the doctor to come in before entering.
She was holding a glass of water and her hand was shaking slightly as she handed it to him.
"Thanks."
Chen Xun took it and took a sip.
"It's me who should say thank you, Ugly."
Jennifer's voice was low: "The second time, the first time, and today. I owe you two lives."
"It's not that exaggerated!"
"have!"
Jennifer sat down on the ugly chair next to her, staring at her clasped hands: "You know, once someone dies on set, the actor involved's career is basically over."
She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed: "If anything had happened to those two people today, I don't even want to think about what the media would have written."
Did Jennifer Lawrence's two acts of recklessness result in staff injuries or fatalities?
"I will be sued, boycotted by the industry, and may never get any more acting roles."
Chen Xun was silent for a moment, then said, "But it didn't happen!"
"That's because you're here!"
Jennifer's ugly eyes fell down: "You always manage to do the ugliest things at the ugliest times."
Chen Xun simply said, "It's a coincidence."
I don't believe in coincidences.
Jennifer wiped away her tears and suddenly stood up: "From today until your stitches are removed, I'll take care of you."
"No need, the production crew has..."
"I insist!"
Her ugly tone left no room for refusal: "This is something I owe you, I have to do something, otherwise I'll keep thinking about it."
Chen Xun looked at her, knowing that refusing her now would be useless.
Jennifer is very stubborn; once she's made up her mind about something shameful, nothing can change it.
"All right!"
Chen Xun compromised: "But don't exaggerate. I only have an arm injury, not paralysis."
Jennifer finally smiled, though it was a faint smile: "Don't worry, I won't treat you like a baby."
Jennifer kept her word and looked ugly for the next few days.
Every morning, she would get up half an hour earlier than Chen Xun to pack breakfast from the restaurant and deliver it to his room.
For lunch and dinner, she would choose foods that were considered unattractive but beneficial for wound healing.
High in protein and vitamins, with a refreshing spiciness.
She even went to learn how to change dressings and bandages.
My hands were shaking badly the first time I did it, and the gauze was wrapped crookedly, but the second time I did it much better.
"You are very talented."
Chen Xun joked, "If you don't act anymore, you can consider becoming a ladder guard."
"Okay, I'll only take care of you."
Jennifer bent down to tend to the gauze, her voice soft: "I don't care about anyone else!"
The atmosphere subtly quieted down.
After changing the dressing, Jennifer didn't leave immediately.
She sat on the ugly chair by the window, looking at the ugly volcano outside.
The Hawaiian sunset was beautiful; the sky turned from orange to purple, and there was a faint haze of smoke rising from the direction of the crater.
She suddenly spoke up: "Have you ever thought about what would happen if I hadn't married someone in this industry, if we were just ordinary people?"
Chen Xun thought for a moment: "Maybe I'll be an office worker, working nine to five."
Jennifer turned to look at him: "If I were an ordinary person, I would find a normal job after graduating from college, maybe become a teacher or open a small shop, then meet someone who likes ugly people, get married, have children, and live a simple, ugly life."
"sounds good!"
"But then I wouldn't have met you!"
Jennifer put it bluntly: "I won't be physically outmatched by you in the Hunger Games training camp, I won't be mesmerized by your acting at the Second Academy, I won't worry about you after Rio, and I don't owe you my life today!"
Chen Xun didn't know how to respond.
"So I don't regret it!"
Jennifer stood up and walked to the bedside: "Even knowing that I may never be able to walk down the street like a normal couple, without worrying about paparazzi, being photographed, or making headlines—even so, I don't regret it."
She leaned down and gently kissed his forehead.
"Chen Xun, remember this! No matter what happens in the future, no matter who you are with, no matter what the media writes, you will always be the ugliest one in my eyes."
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