The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 215: "Mean Girl" Goes Full Drama, Variety Show Goes Off Script
After reshooting some of the daily scenes for the supporting characters in the script, time quietly slipped into late April.
Zhang Mouyi completely shifted the filming focus to the two female antagonists in the script's plot.
Mo Ying and Xuan Shuang.
Jiang Ci had no scenes today. Holding a water cup, he sat in a corner like a mushroom, observing and learning on the sidelines.
Not far away, Tang Xin, now changed into a black form-fitting martial attire, was practicing against thin air.
Her face still wore the sweet, harmless smile most common in idol groups, yet she was casually twirling a prop dagger that gleamed with a cold light.
The Martial Arts Director was beside her, explaining the key points of the movements.
Tang Xin listened, nodding repeatedly, then raised her hand and asked with an air of innocence.
"Teacher, I'm a little confused."
"How can I make sure blood splatters when I stab in, but doesn't get on my face?"
"I want to keep smiling at him the whole time."
The Martial Arts Director, a veteran who had trained countless tough-guy actors, froze mid-motion.
He subconsciously took half a step back.
The grips holding their tools among the nearby crew members who were eavesdropping slowed down for a beat.
Jiang Ci took a sip of water to steady his nerves.
Good grief.
This one truly embodied the "innocent evil girl" persona down to her very bones.
His gaze then shifted to another corner of the film set.
A person was sitting there.
The stage drama queen, Ji Lan.
She was playing the other antagonist, Xuan Shuang, who possessed a replication ability.
But at this moment, she wasn't in costume. Wearing the most ordinary crew T-shirt and a pair of non-prescription glasses, she was quiet like an outsider.
She wasn't looking at the script, nor was she communicating with anyone.
She was just quietly watching Tang Xin not far away.
Jiang Ci noticed her fingers moving unconsciously on her own knee.
Replicating every subtle angle of Tang Xin's wrist as she twirled the dagger.
"All departments, get ready!"
Zhang Mouyi's instruction came through.
First scene, rolling.
Mo Ying and Xuan Shuang are ordered to capture the fleeing A Li.
Playing A Li was an experienced stand-in actor.
"Action!"
Tang Xin moved.
The smile on her face didn't change one bit. Her chasing steps even carried a hint of the eagerness and lightness of a young girl chasing a butterfly.
She used the sweetest, softest voice to speak the most vicious lines from the script.
"Stop running, sister."
"Your legs aren't as fast as my knife."
That extreme sense of contrast drew a satisfied expression from Zhang Mouyi behind the monitor.
As for Xuan Shuang, played by Ji Lan, she was the complete opposite extreme.
She had not a single line of dialogue.
Yet she always appeared at the most critical moment, in the most lethal position.
Her movements were precise, without a single ounce of waste.
Every time she appeared, she perfectly blocked all of A Li's escape routes.
One was an unpredictable, emotional kind of evil.
The other was a precisely calculated, rational kind of evil.
This intense sense of collision was exactly what Zhang Mouyi wanted.
Midway through filming, for a turning block move, Tang Xin just couldn't get the feel right. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
She either used too much force, appearing clumsy.
Or her force was insufficient, appearing weak and floaty.
After two NGs, she herself was getting a bit anxious.
Before Zhang Mouyi could even start scolding, Ji Lan, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly stood up.
She walked over.
The attention of the entire set focused on this stage drama queen.
Ji Lan didn't demonstrate anything.
She simply walked up to Tang Xin and calmly said one sentence.
"Don't think of her as a person."
Tang Xin was stunned.
Ji Lan continued.
"Think of her as an onion you hate."
"Peel it layer by layer. It'll make your eyes sting, but it's fun."
These words were spoken softly.
Yet they exploded in Tang Xin's mind.
She stood there, first confused, then having a sudden moment of enlightenment.
Finally, a strange, radiant look appeared on her face, as if she had found a kindred spirit.
"I understand!"
Zhang Mouyi nodded, signaling to continue.
"Action!"
This time, Tang Xin's performance completely changed.
Her movements were still ruthless, her smile still sweet.
But beneath that smile, something new was added.
A layered sense of toying with her prey.
She was no longer simply trying to kill A Li; she was enjoying this process of "peeling the onion."
The character's level of danger skyrocketed.
Watching from the side, Jiang Ci felt a chill in his heart.
He suddenly realized that Ji Lan's method of guidance was less about acting instruction and more like a precise form of "Mental Implantation."
She didn't teach Tang Xin "how to act"; she directly gave her a "reason to kill"—peeling an onion.
This method was more direct, and more terrifying, than his own performance approach, which relied on the script and self-immersion to slowly brew emotions.
This stage drama queen was no simple person either.
However... Jiang Ci's smile soon stiffened again.
He thought of a potential risk.
This extreme villain characterization would undoubtedly make Ye Chen's tragedy more shocking and maximize the tragic ending atmosphere.
But what if... what if the audience didn't feel heartbroken for Ye Chen, but instead became fans of these two charismatic evil women?
If the Heartbreak Value went astray then, who would he go cry to?
Once the scene was finished, it was time for a mid-shoot break.
Zhang Mouyi was staring at the monitor replay when his assistant jogged over and handed him a bottle of water.
"Director Zhang, take a break."
The assistant lowered his voice, leaning close to Zhang Mouyi's ear.
"By the way, Director Zhang, we got a message from the variety show 'The Yearning for Mundane Fireworks Daily Life' that's coordinating with our film's publicity."
Zhang Mouyi let out a questioning "Hmm?" without turning his head.
The assistant continued his report.
"They said that for the sake of the program's effect, they've set up a 'mystery mission' for the three guests... that is, Teacher Jiang, Teacher Su, and Teacher Luo."
"The specific content wasn't revealed, but from what they implied..."
"It might be related to our film."
The assistant's voice wasn't loud.
Jiang Ci had just stood up, intending to go check if his water cup had been refilled.
He had only taken two steps when he heard the names "Teacher Jiang, Teacher Su, and Teacher Luo" strung together.
His footsteps subconsciously halted.
He stood inconspicuously to the side and slightly behind the director's chair, pretending to stretch his wrists.
Variety show... mystery mission?
And related to the film?
The assistant was still talking.
"Director, what do you think about this? Should we give Teacher Jiang and the others a heads-up in advance?"
Zhang Mouyi picked up the loudspeaker and blew on the mic, a hint of mischief in his tone.
"What heads-up?" he said, his peripheral glance sweeping over Jiang Ci, who was pretending to stretch his wrists not far away.
"Actors need to be thrown into life to be tempered, to forge something real. Let them figure it out themselves!"
Then he picked up the loudspeaker again and shouted towards the set with full vigor.
"Ji Lan! Tang Xin! Done resting? Get ready for the next scene!"
