allendalepharm Chapter 124 Director's Plea for Help: Mr. Lin, you look like a scumbag.
Chapter 124 Director's Plea for Help: Mr. Lin, you look like a scumbag.
The curtains of the dressing room were drawn, obscuring everything inside.
Outside, the air on the film set remained tense.
Director Zhang took a deep drag on his cigarette, his weathered face clouded with worry through the swirling smoke.
He walked over to Su Qingge and lowered his voice, his tone full of exasperation and frustration:
"Qingge, I'm not trying to be mean, but your taste... it's just so... ugh!"
Su Qingge, who was feeding Nuonuo water, paused upon hearing this, looked up with some displeasure in her eyes: "Director Zhang, just say what you want to say."
"I'm not saying he's a bad person!"
Director Zhang quickly waved his hand, afraid of offending this shrew who had come to the rescue. "I mean...that's great!"
"Huh?" Su Qingge was stunned.
"Look."
Director Zhang pointed in the direction Lin Zhou disappeared, his tone full of disappointment and frustration:
"He's handsome, has a great physique, and his stamina is insane. Plus, watching your variety shows these past few days, he's been cooking and writing songs—he's practically an all-rounder."
"But tell me, with such great conditions, what couldn't he do? Why does he have to stay at home as a stay-at-home husband? Isn't that a waste of his talent?"
"If they had debuted a few years earlier, there wouldn't be any chance for Lu Ming and his ilk of pretty boys now."
Director Zhang became increasingly excited as he spoke, spittle flying everywhere:
"Actually, I only asked him to audition because I had nothing to lose. To be honest, he had too much of a down-to-earth, family-oriented vibe, which was quite different from the role I was looking for."
"but…"
Director Zhang abruptly changed the subject, stroking his stubble and giving Su Qingge a strange look as he sized her up and down:
"But your man does have a certain... well, how should I put it?"
He seemed to be carefully choosing his words, but in the end he couldn't help himself and slapped his thigh:
He has the potential to be a "scumbag"!
Su Qingge: "..."
I almost dropped the water bottle in my hand.
"Don't get me wrong!"
Director Zhang quickly explained, "The 'bad boy' I'm referring to is a compliment! It's the kind of 'bad boy' that women love!"
"Look at his usual smirk, that irresistible smile, those squinty eyes of his—which girl could resist? And the roguish charm he exudes when he's arguing—he's practically born to be a villain!"
"This kind of 'refined scoundrel' temperament can't be acted out; it has to be innate."
The more Director Zhang talked, the more he felt he had a keen eye for talent, and he even started planning Lin Zhou's acting roles:
"Maybe... he really can do it!"
Su Qingge was both amused and exasperated.
Potential for being a scumbag?
A refined scoundrel?
What kind of inhuman and lewd words are these?
Although she had to admit that Lin Zhou could be so irritating at times, but also…
"Director, he's usually quite honest."
Su Qingge, as if possessed, offered a defense of Lin Zhou, without even realizing that her tone carried a subtle hint of protection and... pride.
"honest?"
Director Zhang chuckled, about to say, "If a man is honest, pigs will fly."
Just then.
"Splash—"
Suddenly, the curtain to the dressing room not far away was violently yanked open from the inside.
A tall, imposing figure emerged from the dimly lit tent, backlit by the light.
That instant.
The entire noisy film set seemed to have been muted.
Everyone froze at that moment.
The stagehand who was moving props dropped the box he was carrying on the ground with a thud.
The actor, who was rehearsing his lines, had his mouth open but forgot the next line.
Even the extras who were just complaining about how bad the boxed lunches were now staring wide-eyed in that direction, as if they had been frozen in place.
Lin Zhou.
It's still the same face, still the same person.
But his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic change.
He wore a perfectly tailored dark green woolen military uniform, the collar buttoned up meticulously, with gold tassels hanging from the epaulets, swaying slightly with his steps. A wide military leather belt cinched his waist, highlighting his lean and muscular physique.
On her feet were a pair of gleaming black riding boots, the trouser legs neatly tucked into the boot shafts, making her long legs appear even straighter and longer.
He was also wearing a heavy black military coat with a fur collar, the hem of which drew a cold, hard arc in the air as he walked.
He wasn't wearing glasses.
Her hair was meticulously combed into a slicked-back style with hairspray, revealing her full forehead and deep, captivating eyes.
But at this moment, those eyes no longer held their usual playfulness and laziness.
There was only a bottomless indifference and a cold indifference that looked down on all living beings.
It's as if the nice guy who was wearing a "Super Dad" T-shirt and changing a tire at the kindergarten gate was just a clumsy illusion.
The one standing there now is the real one—
A warlord in a chaotic era.
Decisive and ruthless, cold-blooded and merciless.
He fiddled with a pair of white leather gloves in his hand as he stepped out of the light and shadow.
Each step was taken with extreme steadiness and unhurried pace, yet it carried a suffocating sense of oppression.
He didn't look at anyone.
He merely raised his chin slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd to the Western-style building in the distance that served as a backdrop, his eyes revealing an arrogance and ambition that seemed to say, "The world is in my hands."
Quiet.
A deathly silence.
Su Qingge stood there blankly, the water bottle in her hand slipping from her grasp without her noticing.
She looked at the completely unfamiliar man in front of her, and her heart began to pound uncontrollably.
This…
Is this still the same Lin Zhou who only jokes around with her and acts cute with her?
This aura...
That look in his eyes…
He's far more terrifying than any of the Best Actor actors she's ever worked with!
"Clatter".
A soft sound.
The cigarette butt that Director Zhang was holding in his mouth, almost burning his lips, fell to the ground, kicking up a small cloud of ash.
He was completely unaware.
The director, known in the industry as a "tyrant," stared at Lin Zhou with his mouth agape, his cloudy old eyes flashing with an astonishing light, as if Columbus had discovered a new continent.
"Holy crap..."
Director Zhang blurted out a curse word without thinking, his voice trembling.
He abruptly turned his head and grabbed the arm of the assistant director next to him, with such force that he almost crushed the man's bones:
Pinch me! Quick! Tell me this isn't a dream!
The assistant director winced in pain: "Director...Director, it's real!"
"real…"
Director Zhang muttered to himself, then suddenly rushed forward.
He circled Lin Zhou twice, his gaze not like that of someone looking at an actor, but rather like that of someone looking at a priceless treasure that had been lost and found again.
"Yes! That's the taste!"
"That's the feeling!"
Director Zhang was so excited that his face turned red, and he spat all over Lin Zhou:
"Sinister! Ruthless! And that deep-seated arrogance that makes him look down on everyone!"
"This is exactly the warlord I wanted! He's like a living, breathing version of the King of Hell, straight out of the script!"
He grabbed Lin Zhou's hand, and his attitude was completely different from his previous indifferent demeanor—it was a complete 180-degree turn.
"Kobayashi! No, Mr. Hayashi!"
Director Zhang's voice even changed tone, carrying a hint of flattery and ingratiation that he himself was unaware of:
"You...you used to be involved in the underworld, didn't you?"
"Or perhaps... your family had a general among your ancestors?"
Lin Zhou slowly withdrew his gaze, glancing down at the nearly insane old man, a cruel, cold smile perfectly befitting his character:
"Director Zhang."
His voice wasn't loud, but it had a cold, metallic quality to it:
"Can we start filming now?"
"My time...is very precious."