novelslam Chapter 13 sparked the idea of becoming an actor.
Chapter 13 sparked the idea of becoming an actor.
Xu Yang ate a very full meal that evening.
On the one hand, the food was indeed excellent, and it was definitely considered very lavish for this era.
On the other hand, Liu Xiaoli was sitting right across from him, separated by a foot-wide dining table. He could see her eyelashes trembling slightly as she ate her rice.
She perfectly embodies the phrase "a feast for the eyes."
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Liu Xiaoli suddenly looked up and caught his gaze.
Xu Yang showed no embarrassment at being caught, and said frankly, "Because you're good-looking."
Liu Xiaoli's face instantly turned red. She poked the bowl twice with her chopsticks, muttered "slick-tongued" under her breath, and then buried her face in the bowl, her ear tips turning as red as if they were about to bleed.
Xu Yang knew when to stop teasing her and instead brought up the script.
"I just finished writing most of the play. After dinner, could you take a look and give me some feedback? You've been performing on stage all the time, so your understanding of dramatic structure is definitely deeper than mine."
This is true. Although stage performance and film performance are different mediums, they are similar in their underlying logic of controlling dramatic tension and advancing characters' emotions.
Liu Xiaoli has worked in the opera and dance theater industry for many years. Even if she hasn't written any scripts, she has certainly seen a lot of them, so she definitely has a good eye for talent.
Liu Xiaoli felt flattered by this subtle compliment, but she pretended to be modest and said, "I don't know anything about scripts, but I can help you check for typos."
Xu Yang smiled without saying a word and continued eating.
"Honestly, your 'The Herdsman' is definitely suitable to be made into a movie, and it will surely touch countless people." Liu Xiaoli took the initiative to talk about the script.
Xu Yang immediately looked at Liu Xiaoli and said, "That's not necessarily true. Whether a movie can move people depends on the actors as well."
"If Sister Xiaoli could play Xiuzhi, I think she would definitely become a hit."
Liu Xiaoli bit her chopsticks while waving her other hand repeatedly: "I can't act at all, I can only ruin movies."
In Liu Xiaoli's view, every profession is like a mountain, and she doesn't think she has any acting talent to play the role of Li Xiuzhi well.
Xu Yang immediately retorted, "Sister Xiaoli, you might be underestimating your acting skills and looks. With that face on the screen, you could definitely captivate millions of viewers."
Xu Yang's repeated, straightforward praise made Liu Xiaoli's face burn with embarrassment.
She had never had such an experience before.
After all, people in this era are still relatively reserved and introverted.
Xu Yang's directness and boldness were something she had never encountered before, so she seemed a little uncomfortable.
Or rather, I felt a little flustered and my heart was racing.
"I...I'm full. I'm going to look at the script you wrote." In her panic, she dropped her chopsticks and fled from the table as if escaping.
Seeing Liu Xiaoli's reaction, Xu Yang finally realized what was happening.
He quickly slapped his forehead and muttered, "Look how scared I am. This isn't the future. I need to be more careful with my words in the future, or I'll easily be mistaken for a hooligan."
"Being a hooligan at this time is a serious crime, Xu Yang, you must always remember that!"
After reminding himself, Xu Yang buried himself in his rice.
In the room, Liu Xiaoli picked up the script written by Xu Yang from the desk.
This was the first time she read a script, and she found that it was quite different from the novel.
Xu Yang made some changes to the script of "The Herdsman," adding some scene descriptions.
After all, the original script was from the 1980s, so it's still quite primitive.
He had written short plays himself, so he made some changes based on his experience in writing short plays.
Of course, the plot is completely identical.
In comparison, Xu Yang's revised script is more professional and more suitable for filming.
Even a novice director can film according to the script and recreate the scenes based on it.
Liu Xiaoli was completely absorbed in watching.
She originally thought that movie scripts would be dry and only contain dialogue and simple action prompts, but Xu Yang's script opened her eyes.
Each scene begins with a meticulous scene description, sketching out the picture in just a few lines.
Her mind would involuntarily conjure up images based on these words.
Without realizing it, she put herself in Li Xiuzhi's shoes and began to act out the story in her mind.
In her mind, she became Li Xiuzhi, and Xu Yang became the male protagonist Xu Lingjun.
When Xu Yang finished eating, cleaned up the dishes, and walked into the room, Liu Xiaoli was still engrossed in the script.
She sat at her desk with her back to the door, her braid hanging over her shoulder, the red hair tie at the end of the braid standing out brightly in the dim light of the desk lamp.
Her fingers pressed on a page of the script, her fingertips gently stroking the paper as if caressing something precious.
Xu Yang remained silent, leaning against the doorframe and quietly watching her back.
After a long while, Liu Xiaoli seemed to wake up from a dream and slowly closed the notebook.
Her shoulders heaved slightly, as if she were taking a deep breath, then she picked up the notebook with both hands and turned around.
Her little face was flushed, as if she had been drinking.
"It's very well written, but it's too short; it's not finished yet."
"Don't laugh at me, but after reading your script, I did have some thoughts of praising it."
"Just now, I imagined Li Xiuzhi in my mind."
Xu Yang smiled slightly and immediately said, "That's normal. I also mentally rehearse it when I'm writing."
She stood up and handed the notebook back to Xu Yang, but her fingers were clenched tightly, as if she couldn't bear to let go.
"Before, I thought dancing was the most important thing in my life."
"After reading your script, I felt for the first time how wonderful it would be if I could portray such a character and let more people see her and feel her kindness and resilience."
As she spoke, a small flame ignited in her eyes.
Looking into Liu Xiaoli's burning gaze, Xu Yang said earnestly, "Then let's give it a try. I think you really have the talent and the potential."
"Once I join the arts propaganda team, I'll write some plays. How about I invite you to perform them?"
Stage plays demand more acting skills than movies, since both are performed directly in front of an audience.
Many great actors have experience in stage performance, or even started their careers as stage actors.
"A stage play?" She blinked, her eyes filled with surprise.
She was very curious; was there anything Xu Yang couldn't do?
Moreover, he remembers so many things, how come he forgot where his home is and who his parents are?
Is it that his home and family are painful for him, so he doesn't want to think about them?
She took a deep breath and then extended her hand to Xu Yang: "Then it's settled. Once you've gone to the arts and propaganda team and written the script for the play, I'll come and participate in the performance."