Shrine - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sky was as dark as if a pot lid had been clamped over it. The sound of cicadas could be heard from the shadows of the trees, and the early morning wind was at its coolest. Ruan Ruan and Wu Mei dragged a black production case and a set chair as they hurried to the makeup room.

Four or five people were already sitting there, yawning. The nighttime lights were offensively bright, making their eyes sore.

Behind them were wigs from other film crews. Once, Wu Mei had been so drowsy that she caught a glimpse of them in the mirror and broke out in a cold sweat from the fright.

On this production, even the makeup for minor supporting roles was done with exquisite detail and transparency. Ruan Ruan's elegant face gradually took shape in the mirror. She had an innocent and clean face, with a small mole just below her right eye. It wasn't obvious, and the crew's makeup artists usually covered it with concealer. But during promotional photoshoots, the makeup artists would occasionally let it show, giving her an understated allure.

When she blinked, the small mole would tremble vulnerably, as if it had been bullied. Yet, in the next second, she would smile again, full of life.

Many people's appeal lies in the moment of expression, but Ruan Ruan's was in its retraction, in the subtlety, like viewing flowers in a mist.

After five, with makeup and styling complete, Ruan Ruan and Wu Mei rushed to the set. It was a common studio lot with temporary structures. The production information was written on a sign outside. Ruan Ruan and her companion entered with their call sheets. Several extras and background actors sat on the steps, chatting while waiting for work to begin. A large canopy tent was set up in the courtyard, with a few lounge chairs underneath. An assistant had already come to claim a spot. Wu Mei placed Ruan Ruan's chair behind it, with her production case beside it.

After all, the crew, aside from the main cast, shared a single break room. If it got too crowded, they wouldn't squeeze in with them.

Since the first day's shoot was a night scene, the two of them would have to wait almost the entire day. So they sat relaxed, eating and going over their lines from the script.

By nine or ten o'clock, the air had grown steamy. Wu Mei took out a small fan to cool them both down and to drive away mosquitoes with the airflow.

They didn't use mosquito repellent or anything of the sort, because a previous actor had complained that the scent on a minor supporting actor was too strong, making it impossible to do the scene, and had them replaced.

At ten-thirty, the faint sound of walkie-talkies came from the set. Two GL8s drove in, and several umbrellas shielded the main actors as they entered. The extras sitting on the steps stood up to make way. From that moment on, the hurried patter of footsteps never ceased.

A featured extra next to them, chewing on bread, watched the person under the umbrella and asked in a low voice, "Is that Shi Ran?"

Another person said, "No, Shi Ran has an RV."

At the film studio, each production had a set quota of parking spots for RVs, and usually only the male and female leads could bring them in.

At eleven forty-five, a black RV slowly drove in, followed by a commercial van. It parked near the edge. Ruan Ruan placed her script on her lap and propped her head up to watch. Several people got out of the van—likely Shi Ran's executive agent, makeup artist, hairstylist, and stylist. This was standard for an A-list star; Shi Ran hadn't even brought personal security.

Unexpectedly, however, her offline event manager and publicist had also come along. It was probably because it was the first day on set, and they needed to communicate with the crew about behind-the-scenes footage and promotional direction.

The group entered the set while replying to messages, and only then did the RV door open. Two assistants waited by the vehicle, one holding a script and other materials, the other carrying a water bottle and holding a large black umbrella open.

It was hard to see how Shi Ran got out. The first thing visible was a pair of long legs in loose-fitting black casual pants. Her top was an ultra-short black drawstring hoodie with long sleeves. Though called a hoodie, it was really more like a pair of sleeves, worn over a tight-fitting tank top. Where the jacket and tank top met, a small patch of snow-white chest was revealed, perfectly proportioned with its curves and shadows.

The drawstrings of the jacket dangled on her chest, swaying with her movements.

The umbrella was held very low, so all that could be seen was her holding a cup of coffee, her fingers fair and delicate, looking as if they'd never touched a drop of spring water.

They made quite a commotion, yet no one spoke much, and they swept inside like the wind.

A while later, the walkie-talkies on set crackled again. The assistant director came out and told the set coordinator to chase away the proxy photographers at the entrance and to tell the fans not to crowd around, so as not to affect the filming schedule.

A day of shooting is a day of burning money. The crew only truly tensed up after Shi Ran arrived on set.

Wu Mei scratched her head and said to Ruan Ruan, "That's so intimidating."

She had rarely been this close to a top-tier celebrity before. She instinctively squatted down, grimacing with a "hiss."

Just a few days ago, her idea of "fame" was merely a few dozen people picking someone up at the airport.

Sometimes, Wu Mei felt that "reality shows" were the most deceptive things. The camera meticulously tells you that these celebrities are ordinary people. They too have sleepy eyes, look disheveled, yawn while eating breakfast, and grin from ear to ear, easily creating the illusion that "we are all the same."

Only by seeing it in person did she realize they were different. Looks were different, temperaments were different, the value of their time was different, and the level of protection they received was different.

Every gaze seemed to say she was covered in gold leaf. No, what was gold leaf? Considering her works and commercial endorsements, she carried hundreds of millions, or even billions, in vested interests on her back. How could she possibly be the same as an ordinary person?

Wu Mei squatted by the production case with her hands tucked in her sleeves, suddenly feeling dejected.

She really wanted to be famous.

She heard that Shi Ran's RV even had an ice maker.

In the morning, they played cards for a while. At noon, the crew set up a tent for meals. The extras lined up to get their box lunches. Wu Mei also went to get two for Ruan Ruan; theirs were slightly different from the extras'. But the main cast's meals were even more different.

Shi Ran finished her work and went to her RV to eat. A little later, her assistant, Xiao Lin, came down carrying the trash. At that time, Ruan Ruan was still sitting in her lounge chair, picking at her box lunch.

"The trash can is over there," Ruan Ruan pointed the way.

"Thanks," Xiao Lin smiled at her.

"You guys finished eating?" Ruan Ruan asked.

"Teacher Shi is done, I'll eat in a bit." Shi Ran was having a light meal, and Xiao Lin didn't want to eat the same thing. She wanted to order takeout but didn't know what to get. She glanced at Ruan Ruan's meal. "Are those meatballs?"

"Beef meatballs," Ruan Ruan let her see. "But they're a bit cold. You should go get yours quickly if you want some."

Seeing that Xiao Lin looked quite tired, she offered her a small stool. "Have a seat for a bit."

Xiao Lin found the RV stuffy anyway, so she sat down and started searching for takeout.

While waiting for her food, they chatted. Xiao Lin felt quite sympathetic that Ruan Ruan had to wait until evening. She told her the break room was cool and empty, and that it was too sunny outside in the afternoon, so it would be better to go there.

Ruan Ruan smiled and thanked her, giving her a bottle of sour plum soup she had brought from home. She had brewed it herself, and it was especially refreshing in the heat.

In the afternoon, Shi Ran started work on time, having already changed into another outfit according to the script. The sun's halo had moved over them, so Ruan Ruan and Wu Mei moved to the break room. They continued to read their scripts, play on their phones, and chat idly.

After sitting until her bones felt stiff, Ruan Ruan stood up to stretch and discovered that there was also a small shrine in the corner of the break room.

She tilted her head to look at it and saw that an incense stick was about to fall over. She instinctively reached out to straighten it.

Brushing the incense ash from her hands, she left the break room for a stroll. The prop area, which was closer to the set, was bustling with people. Ruan Ruan sat on a sofa, looking up at A-crew, which was currently filming. All she could see were the camera operator, the focus puller, and the dark machinery.

When the atmosphere on set wasn't so tense, they could occasionally sneak over to the monitor for a peek, provided they were on good terms with the camera operator.

Few dared to get close to Director Luo and Shi Ran's set, but there were still supporting actors like Ruan Ruan who loitered around the periphery.

Suddenly, she heard a faint commotion from that direction. Ruan Ruan, hugging a cushion on the sofa, saw the assistant director run over in a hurry, quickly scanning the area.

"What's wrong?" the props master asked him.

"Where's my phone?" The assistant director was spinning in circles with anxiety, patting himself all over.

"You just made a call here, right? Look for it," the props master advised him not to panic, then asked, "What happened?"

"Recasting, recasting," the assistant director scratched his chin, his eyes burning with impatience. "The woman doing the scene with Shi Ran, she said she wore perfume. Shi Ran is allergic to something in it. The producer said we can't have any delays, so we have to replace her immediately. I need to find my phone to make a call."

"Oh, for crying out loud." His face scrunched up like a steamed bun, and he couldn't help but complain, "Why on earth would she wear perfume? And she sprayed on so much, oh my god."

Unable to find his phone, he was frantic and about to rush to the break room to call for someone. It was just a background role, a walk-on part that wouldn't even get a clear shot of the face. He'd just grab whoever was available.

Suddenly, a clear, cool voice spoke up.

"Director, I don't have a scene right now. My makeup is done, I'm not wearing any perfume, and I haven't even used mosquito repellent."

The assistant director saw the timid Ruan Ruan on the sofa.

Previous Table of Contents Next