This Star Only Wants More Money - Chapter 44
Xu Feng carefully read the single page of script and character description in his hand, then walked over to the wardrobe room to change into his costume.
After changing, the male lead came over with a few clips, explaining what exactly the director was dissatisfied with and how the scene could be improved.
True skills couldn’t be taught, nor could they be easily learned, but these basics were enough to help a complete novice get started quickly.
Director Song seemed to have lost hope for this scene. As long as it didn’t feel too out of place, he would probably pass it.
The actor chuckled and said, “Teacher Xu Feng, don’t get scared now. The more relaxed and involved you are when playing this kind of role, the more natural it will look.”
“We’re looking forward to seeing your performance, Teacher Xu Feng!”
“What’s there to be afraid of? When I first acted, I got laughed at so much I wished I could bury my face in the ground.”
“Just imagine the high and mighty Teacher Xu Feng getting a taste of humility; why does that sound so satisfying?”
“…”
The voices outside were a mix of encouragement and banter, but regardless of the tone, everyone seemed to agree—Xu Feng probably wouldn’t be able to perform this scene to the director’s satisfaction.
Song Shi glanced at Xu Feng’s outfit, nodded slightly, and turned to call over the makeup artist. “Shen Chan, come over here and give Xu Feng a simple makeup look.”
He didn’t give much instruction on how to do the makeup, clearly trusting the artist’s skills.
A woman, yawning, walked out of a makeshift dressing room nearby. Her eyes lit up when she saw Xu Feng.
The makeup artist, with heavy makeup and standard golden waves, looked anything but gaudy. Despite the noticeable perfume, it wasn’t overpowering. Overall, she gave a very professional impression.
She cheerfully waved Xu Feng over. “Is it you, handsome, who needs makeup? Come here, come here!”
Song Shi’s eyelid twitched, and he warned, “He’s just playing a coffee shop clerk. Keep it toned down, don’t overdo it.”
The makeup artist sighed regretfully, “Aw! Such a waste of such a good look.”
To avoid standing out, she might even have to give Xu Feng a reverse makeup job—someone working as a barista shouldn’t look too glamorous; he might even need to appear slightly disheveled.
Characters who look flawless after a ten-day escape are simply nauseating. This sort of focus solely on the character’s appearance without regard for the storyline itself would be strictly forbidden in Song Shi’s crew.
Moreover, with Xu Feng’s looks and demeanor, if not slightly toned down, he could easily steal the spotlight from both the male and female leads.
However, since he was playing a service worker, his face and clothes still needed to look relatively neat.
She led Xu Feng into a small room, unabashedly admiring his face. “It’s always a pleasure to do makeup on a face like yours. You wouldn’t believe what some so-called ‘big beauties’ look like in real life! Your face doesn’t need much work to look perfect… tsk tsk!”
As she spoke, she began delicately working on Xu Feng’s face with her makeup tools.
Xu Feng listened expressionlessly to the chatty makeup artist’s chatter and reminded her, “Director Song is waiting for the shoot.”
“With such a naturally good canvas, I just need to add a little touch-up; it won’t take much time,” the makeup artist sighed with satisfaction. “Honestly, you look even better in person than on camera.”
Xu Feng, fighting off a sudden, inexplicable wave of drowsiness, replied absentmindedly, “Mmm-hmm…”
Throughout the makeup process, the makeup artist’s mouth never stopped moving.
It wasn’t until she finished up that she reluctantly put down her tools.
Seeing that Xu Feng seemed eager to get to the set and deliver what was sure to be a performance that would be mocked, the makeup artist felt both regretful and a bit reluctant. She said one more thing, “By the way, I have some modeling connections. I think you’d be a great fit. Interested in checking it out after we’re done here? If you make a name for yourself, the benefits…”
Xu Feng stopped in his tracks, looking at her seriously. “Sure, if you have a need, feel free to bring me a quote later. The final result will definitely be worth the price you pay.”
But right now, he had another job to complete; he needed to finish it quickly to be fair to the employer.
Without waiting for a response, Xu Feng turned and left the makeup room, leaving the woman standing there, bewildered. She hadn’t expected such a response at all.
After a long pause, her voice rose in disbelief, and she couldn’t help but laugh, “I should have recorded that conversation so others could hear what it sounds like to ‘not speak human language!’ You think I’m going to pay you to use the resources I provide?!”
“Look at what you just said, ‘The final result will definitely be worth the price’… Dude, this is for modeling! What, if I offer less, are you going to deliberately make yourself look ugly?”
What a joke!
She took a few deep breaths and massaged her temples, trying to lower her blood pressure a bit.
“I suddenly think this guy might actually pull off playing an annoying clerk…”
…
When Xu Feng walked out of the makeup room, Song Shi glanced at him and nodded approvingly. “Got your lines memorized? Don’t forget them when you’re on stage.”
Xu Feng checked the temporary abilities he had received and smiled, “Don’t worry, Director. I’ve got them memorized backward and forward.”
Not far ahead, the set, which had been transformed into a coffee shop, was already prepared. All the other actors were in place, just waiting for Xu Feng.
Because of this small detour, the crew’s atmosphere had returned to normal—even if nobody was particularly optimistic about Xu Feng’s acting skills.
Director Song nodded again, “Alright, stay relaxed. Don’t overdo it; the more you try too hard, the more it’ll look out of place.”
The male lead, Liu Haoyuan, nodded at Xu Feng with a sly smile, “Hehe, the famous Teacher Xu Feng playing the antagonist, how exciting! I won’t hold back later, okay? Don’t blame me, Teacher Xu Feng.”
Although he wasn’t as handsome as Xu Feng, nor as famous, nor as talented… at least he could take a little pride in his acting.
Besides, seeing a less-than-perfect Xu Feng makes him seem more down-to-earth.
Word that Xu Feng would be taking the stage had spread, and a crowd of curious student extras had gathered around the set.
Standing at a distance, Song Shi saw that all the actors were in position. He picked up a megaphone and shouted, “Quiet on set! Scene 113, Take 7, Shot 16, and… action!”
As soon as the words faded, Liu Haoyuan, Yan Wei, and a supporting actor each entered the café with different expressions.
Each expression corresponded to the characters they were playing.
Yan Wei, who had a cold demeanor, completely lacked the cute and arrogant look she had offstage. She said coldly, “We can’t let them get away with bullying our junior brother like this.”
“Can we even beat them… They’ve been the national champions for three years.”
“Stop flattering the enemy!” Liu Haoyuan’s expression was calm and steady as a mountain. “Let’s get three Americanos first, then we can figure out our next move. Be prepared for anything.”
With that, Liu Haoyuan walked up to the counter, pointing to the three cups displayed to show the sizes, and said to the clerk, who was Xu Feng, “Three iced Americanos, medium size.”
After delivering his line, Liu Haoyuan suppressed his curiosity and watched Xu Feng closely, eager to see how well Xu Feng could act.