My Landlord is an Idol Singer - Chapter 156

The contracts were signed smoothly. Even the most high-profile actor, Yun Yinxue, excitedly signed her name with a bright face. They returned to the same open-air diner, in the same private room. Situ Hongwei even called over some people from his bridal shop.

They opened another room just for them.

With Gu Zhinan as the director and investor, Lai Jingming as assistant director, Situ Hongwei leading the cinematography team, and Yun Yinxue and the others as cast members, A Little Thing Called First Love production crew was officially assembled.

What surprised Gu Zhinan was how easy-going Yun Yinxue turned out to be. Despite her small celebrity status, she had already blended in with the other students from the Beijing Film Academy and chatted like close girlfriends.

The bridal shop employees, excited to see such a young acting crew, were buzzing, none of them expected the film would actually go into production. Since filming was set to start the next day, nobody drank alcohol. They stuck to soft drinks and wrapped things up before 9 p.m.

“Xiaoxue, you and the others can stay here tonight. It’s the closest hotel to the company, and the environment’s decent. Over a hundred a night! Sounds good?” Situ Hongwei had already arranged a few rooms at the hotel closest to Natural Entertainment.

Yun Yinxue nodded. She had no objections, never one to be fussy. Everyone understood the production budget wasn’t huge. “See you tomorrow, Director Gu!”

She smiled sweetly, without a trace of diva behavior. Her upbringing shaped her grounded personality. Even though she started as a child star, she wasn’t under contract with Hengqiu Media Group and had no manager. She only came this time because Uncle Liu Nian convinced her parents and made a firm promise.

Situ Hongwei nodded at Gu Zhinan and led the girls off to check in.

“Director Gu, should we head over too?” Meng Xingye asked. He and Chen Yuze thought they’d be staying at the hotel as well.

But Lai Jingming slung an arm over Meng Xingye’s shoulder with a grin. “You two? We’ve got open bunks on the third floor at the company. Go to bed early, tomorrow you’re helping carry props.”

“???” Meng Xingye was stunned. Chen Yuze also looked confused. “But aren’t we actors? Why are we sleeping at the company?”

“Tsk, that’s the wrong way to look at it.” Gu Zhinan stepped up and patted Meng Xingye on the shoulder. “Actors are part of the crew, we’re all one family. So what if you sleep at the company? Helping carry props is helping your own family, right, Yuze?”

Chen Yuze nodded. It… did kind of make sense?

“Besides, the main and assistant directors also sleep on the third floor. But hey, if you’d rather stay at a hotel, go ahead, just know the company’s not covering it.”

“….”

Meng Xingye felt like he’d just walked into a trap. But seeing Chen Yuze already tagging along behind Gu Zhinan back toward Natural Entertainment, he had no choice but to sigh and follow, especially under Lai Jingming’s looming pressure.

Forget auspicious timing and grand opening ceremonies. That wasn’t Gu Zhinan or Lai Jingming’s style. Limited budget, everything had to be efficient.

When the two newbie actors saw the main and assistant directors really bunking on the third floor, any awkwardness faded. They were all young, this wasn’t exactly hardship. But when they saw Gu Zhinan pulling out earplugs before bed, they started to sense something was off.

“Fatty, I’m going to sleep. If I wake up, you better wake up too. Got it?”

At first, Chen Yuze and the others didn’t think much of it. Then Lai Jingming, wearing nothing but boxer shorts, came back from smoking on the balcony and climbed into bed. The moment he started snoring like thunder, everything clicked into place.

By morning, Gu Zhinan awoke feeling unusually refreshed. It had been a long time since he’d slept through the night even if the earplugs were a bit uncomfortable. He looked over and saw two pairs of bloodshot eyes staring at him from the other bunk.

“Morning,” he greeted.

“Morning…” Chen Yuze and Meng Xingye looked completely drained.

No wonder Gu Zhinan needed earplugs and no wonder he warned them to wake him if they woke up. They’d spent the whole night wide awake, trying to sleep through Lai Jingming’s hellish snores.

“See? I told you, if you lost some weight, you’d stop snoring. Look what you did to our lead actors. You’re carrying extra props today.” Gu Zhinan ordered.

“But I’m the assistant director!”

“And assistant directors aren’t human? You’re getting cocky, Little Lai.”

“???” Lai Jingming wanted to protest, but then he saw everyone loading props onto the truck while Gu Zhinan casually discussed the script with Yun Yinxue.

“Hey! Why aren’t you helping?” He yelled.

“I’m the director.”

“Directors aren’t human?”

“I’m the investor.”

“Investors aren’t human?!”

“I’m your boss. Are you carrying or not?”

“Damn it!”

“Disrespecting your boss? Xingye, give him the camera bag. He needs a workout.”

Lai Jingming swore Gu Zhinan was the most shameless person he’d ever met. Bar none. But he still carried the damn thing. The cast watched the scene unfold with barely restrained laughter. This kind of director–assistant dynamic was something they’d never seen before.

Once the props were loaded, Situ Hongwei led the convoy to the first filming location.

It was a small film studio on the outskirts of Hangzhou, not commonly used for films, more for TV dramas. After all, Hengdian was only an hour away.

The first scene? The moment Xiaoshui meets the senior A’Liang, who jumps down from a tree. Love at first sight.

There was no ribbon-cutting, no traditional ceremony. With prior approval, they arrived and immediately got to work. Lai Jingming directed the setup right away. The actors were in a rented mobile makeup van. These vans were great but expensive. Situ Hongwei only had one small van from his bridal shop, so Gu Zhinan grit his teeth and rented another for the girls.

As for the guys? They could change anywhere.

“Is the female lead ready?” Nearing noon, Lai Jingming urged them on, this kind of sunny weather was perfect.

“All done!” The makeup artist’s voice came from inside the van. Moments later, Yun Yinxue stepped out.

Her look was simple: plain clothes, bangs clipped into a bowl cut, thick glasses, dull yellow makeup. Her sweet, vibrant appearance was totally transformed, she looked like an ordinary, even awkward, girl.

Lai Jingming’s eyes lit up. The makeup artist had nailed the character. But Gu Zhinan frowned slightly. It wasn’t quite there. He’d seen the original, and the contrast had been shocking.

“Not enough.” He stepped forward to examine her look up close.

“Still not ugly enough?” Yun Yinxue pouted. She’d never looked this bad before.

Gu Zhinan smiled, full of confidence. “Darken her face and hands a bit, like she’s got soil smudges.”

The makeup artist nodded. With the director’s word, she took Yun Yinxue back into the van.

“And the male lead?”

“Here!” Chen Yuze ran over. A’Liang didn’t need much styling. He was supposed to be the handsome campus heartthrob. He was already dressed in a flattering plaid shirt. His hair was slightly tousled, but he still looked a bit stiff.

If they went purely by personality, Meng Xingye might’ve been more fitting. But he lacked the carefree, sunshine vibe of the original. Chen Yuze seemed like someone who could relax and shine if he let go.

“Loosen up. A’Liang is lively, sunny, and a bit mischievous. Fatty, coach him a bit. That’s your area.” Lai Jingming nodded and pulled Chen Yuze aside for some coaching.

Ten minutes later, the van door opened again.

Yun Yinxue had fully transformed into the dark-skinned, awkward “ugly duckling” version of Xiaoshui. She even carried a hint of self-consciousness.

That’s it, thought Gu Zhinan, satisfied. The contrast would blow audiences away later. That’s what had stunned him in the original, watching the ugly duckling turn into the goddess of campus. 

“Good to go?” Yun Yinxue was clearly unhappy. She glanced at a mirror. “I look so ugly, I could cry…”

“Perfect,” Gu Zhinan said.

“I’m ready too,” Lai returned with Chen Yuze, who now had a more relaxed smile. “Ten minutes to prep. A Little Called First Love, Scene One, start rolling!”

Everyone shouted in response.

As Situ Hongwei took control of the main camera, a wave of excitement rushed through him. After ten long years, he was finally making a film again.

“Scene One, Action!”

Xiaoshui strolled down the road eating ice cream. Just as she passed under a bridge, the branches of a mango tree above rustled and suddenly, a boy jumped down holding a cat in one arm and a mango in the other.

“Ahhh!” Xiaoshui screamed. Mango leaves fluttered down with her dropped ice cream.

The boy gave her a bright, carefree smile. “Want a mango?”

“Cut!”

Before Gu Zhinan could speak, Lai Jingming stepped in, face serious, completely unlike his usual joking self. “That wasn’t the right look, A’Liang. What was that? You looked like you wanted to eat Xiaoshui, not offer her a mango.”

“More sunshine, a bit of cheeky charm,” Lai Jingming corrected. Chen Yuze scratched his head, embarrassed. “Sorry, Director. I’ll do it again.”

Lai Jingming was impressed, before he could even call it out, the kid realized the issue. “Scene One, Take Two, Action!”

The scene repeated, this time, Xiaoshui nervously took the mango. A’Liang limped to a corner to set the cat down. Xiaoshui’s micro-expressions, the slight joy and secret smile and A’Liang’s exaggerated pain when turning away were on point.

Lai Jingming nodded. Good stuff.

But when A’Liang turned to ask another girl if she wanted a mango, she didn’t show the appropriate look of disappointment from Xiaoshui, ‘Wait, I’m not special?’

“Cut!” Lai Jingming stopped again. Xiaoshui stuck out her tongue, she hadn’t realized, but now she knew the mistake was hers.

She was impressed. Most directors wouldn’t redo a shot for such a small moment, especially for a medium shot like this. One second and they’d just move on. But not here. Gu Zhinan watched quietly. He handed full control to Lai Jingming and only came to observe. Now, he could truly relax, Fatty Lai’s instincts matched his own.

They re-shot the micro-scene and nailed it perfectly.

With momentum building, Lai Jingming decided to jump straight into the next scene: Xiaoshui shopping with her best friend.

The crisp autumn weather made it bearable despite being technically summer in the story. Southern winters always came late. The actors were nervous at first, but they adjusted quickly. Situ Hongwei ran a tight crew and managed the cameras well. His bridal shop team worked seamlessly.

No one struggled with the transition from wedding photos to film production.

Lai Jingming’s professionalism was also clear, he had a sharp eye for angles and timing. Even though Gu Zhinan’s script was detailed, real-world execution was a different beast. The makeup artist worked with enthusiasm, always ready with touch-ups.

Only one person had nothing to do, Gu Zhinan.

He even took out his phone and tried texting the landlady again. Still blocked. How long is she going to keep this up?!

Filming went smoothly throughout the morning. After a few “cut” calls, the cast found their rhythm. Yun Yinxue, as Xiaoshui, made the fewest mistakes, only once, over a subtle facial expression.

Honestly, it was a waste that she didn’t act more. If her parents had let her sign with Hengqiu Media earlier, she’d probably already be a top-tier star. She was only 18.

Lai Jingming, though, was relentless. They started at 11 a.m., and by 2 p.m., he was still grinding the same scene.

Gu Zhinan finally snapped. “CUT!”

Lai blinked. Who the hell—? Then he saw Gu Zhinan walking over. “We’re eating lunch.”

“But—”

“No ‘but.’ Either eat or go study the script. Everyone, take an hour break!”

The entire crew let out a breath of relief. They’d seen Lai Jingming’s perfectionism up close. It reminded the actors of their theater teacher, Yu Lei, who also demanded absolute precision. No wonder he’d recommended them to this obscure production.

They all left for lunch. Meanwhile, Gu Zhinan and Lai Jingming joined Situ Hongwei to review the footage.

“Overall, not bad. Good angles, matches the script. Fatty, tone it down in the afternoon. They’re new. Push too hard, and they’ll start to resist.”

Situ Hongwei explained, “Some actors are really good. That girl Zhuo Jing, she almost cried from how many times you yelled ‘cut.’”

Lai Jingming scratched his head, embarrassed. He just got too into it.

“I’ll take over in the afternoon,” Gu Zhinan said. “You call cut if needed, but let me guide.”

Lai Jingming nodded. He’d been pushing for a tight schedule, he wanted filming wrapped by the end of December. But Gu Zhinan’s calm confidence gave him peace of mind.

Around 4 p.m., they shot the shopping scene again. Zhuo Jing was cut once more and visibly flustered. Then Gu Zhinan stepped in.

“Zhuo Jing, right?” he asked with a warm smile.

“Yes, Director. I’ll do better!”

“No need to ‘do better.’ Relax. You’re just shopping with your best friend. Don’t overthink it.”

He looked around at the other girls, including Yun Yinxue, and chuckled. “Everyone, loosen up. Don’t let that fat guy infect you with stress. What, you think this little scene is your Oscar moment?”

“Pfft—” Yun Yinxue laughed first, then everyone else followed, including Zhuo Jing.

“That’s it! One-take shoot. If we cut again, we’ll blow the whole budget!”

The mood instantly lifted.

A few minutes of chatting was all it took. Lai Jingming could see the difference immediately. “That’s the vibe we need!”

“Action!”

This time, no cuts. Zhuo Jing’s performance was natural and relaxed, her best so far. Even Situ Hongwei was impressed behind the camera.

Did Gu Zhinan hypnotize them or something?

He watched the girls now matching, even exceeding, the original version and finally smiled in relief.

Finally! No more bleeding money!