Li Zhilin's face was as dark as water. He snorted coldly.
"Fine, let's do it again!"
The director raised his hand once more. "Ready, action!"
Li Zhilin: 12, 123456!
Lin Chudong: 6, fuck your mother!
Li Zhilin: 123, 1234, 1234!
Lin Chudong: 4, fuck your mother, 4!
Li Zhilin: ...
The director called a halt again.
"Zhilin, this scene is about meeting your elders. You need to be humble, not gritting your teeth."
Li Zhilin snapped, "Director, did you hear what he just said? How am I supposed to act?"
Lin Chudong sneered. "You act your part, I'll act mine. If you can't act, go home and be a pretty boy instead of wasting my time."
"If you were a professional, you'd be able to handle it even if I were cussing you out. If you're completely useless, go home already!"
Lin Chudong had thrown Li Zhilin's earlier insult to Lin Qiqi right back at him, word for word.
Everyone present stared wide-eyed, holding their breath. No one dared make a sound.
The director was even less willing to say anything. Lin Chudong was Lin Qiqi's person, and he was obviously standing up for her.
Besides, he had a point. The number of characters he recited was right, and Li Zhilin had said all those things himself. How could he possibly slap himself in the face over them?
Li Zhilin took a deep breath. "Fine. I'll show you what a professional looks like!"
Li Zhilin adjusted his breathing and got into character before starting over!
Li Zhilin: 12, 23456!
Lin Chudong: 6, fuck your mother!
Li Zhilin: 123, 1234, 1234!
Lin Chudong: 4, fuck your mother, 4!
Li Zhilin: 12, 1234.
Lin Chudong: You're wider than a vat but shorter than one, and aside from your butt, you're all waist.
Li Zhilin: 12345678, 123.
Lin Chudong: You grew up with a calcium deficiency and an affection deficiency. Your grandma doesn't love you, your uncle doesn't care for you. Your left cheek begs to be slapped, your right cheek begs to be kicked. Donkeys kick you on sight, and pigs trample you.
By now, some people on set could no longer hold back their laughter. Brother Da Fei was just too funny. Who delivered lines like that?
He couldn't remember his long lines, yet he had an endless supply of insults, and he timed every one of them perfectly. His facial expressions were spot-on, too. If you covered your ears, you really wouldn't break character.
But the moment you heard him speak, you couldn't help yourself.
And Lin Chudong had so many lines. Aside from reciting a few numbers, Li Zhilin spent most of the time listening, looking utterly enlightened.
Lin Chudong: If you've got nothing to do, grab your Pantech and stand in the wind and rain. Switch it from your left hand to your right, and still the right hand can't get through.
Lin Chudong: You've got a creative look. Living is your courage; being ugly wasn't your intention. God just lost his temper. He said, "If a piece of crap like you didn't keep living, who would make the world look beautiful?"
Lin Chudong: Without makeup, you're uglier than a ghost. Put on makeup and even ghosts collapse. If you went to pee in a cemetery at midnight, you'd scare the ghosts into tears.
Lin Chudong: A head of messy hair, two short legs, triangular eyes, a square mouth, mismatched features, six senses in disarray, seven orifices blocked, eighty percent ghost, ninety percent lecher, and completely impotent!
Lin Chudong: You've got elf ears, swollen eyelids, a triangular nose with a drinker's flush. Your crippled arms are like legs, and you've got a mouth for eating shit. With those huge trousers and a basket on your back, from afar you look like old fool Zhang. Toss you into a tiger cage, and even the tiger wouldn't eat you. It'd be afraid you'd chip its teeth...
Li Zhilin: ...
For four or five minutes, Lin Chudong didn't use a single swear word, and he didn't repeat a single line.
Every line was timed perfectly, and his expression remained calm throughout.
Yet he'd cursed Li Zhilin to hell and back!
Not far away, Lin Qiqi was laughing so hard she could barely stand. Everyone else was afraid to laugh out loud and could only snicker quietly. Only this young lady dared to laugh without restraint. Da Fei was hilarious! How was he so good at insulting people?
Da Fei was great at writing lyrics. Was he just as good at cursing, with one line after another?
Even the director was pinching his own thigh, thinking of every sad thing that had ever happened to him, trying desperately not to laugh!
This was the hardest he'd ever had to hold back laughter!
Li Zhilin's face, meanwhile, had grown unbearably grim.
To avoid another NG, he could only lower his head, letting his hair cover his face as he clenched his teeth.
Then he raised his head, his expression once again respectful.
Someone nearby had secretly recorded the whole thing on their phone. No one in the entertainment industry dared berate Li Zhilin like that.
People around them began whispering.
"Da Fei's really impulsive. He even dares to curse out Li Zhilin. Do singers these days just not care about their image?"
"Haven't you seen the Trending Search? Da Fei and Lin Qiqi are a couple. Li Zhilin dared to curse at Lin Qiqi, so of course Da Fei had to stand up for her!"
"Put that way, Da Fei is pretty handsome."
"Of course he is. Look at him when he's cursing—he radiates confidence. No wonder Lin Qiqi likes him."
"Look at you, all lovestruck. You like him too?"
"I do! If Da Fei took a liking to me, I wouldn't have to be an extra anymore."
"Stop daydreaming."
"..."
The director stood up. "Cut!"
It was finally over!
Everyone on set breathed a sigh of relief.
Da Fei had completely upended their understanding of the world. People could curse like that?
And the director felt this wasn't even Da Fei's limit. Give him enough time and lines, and he could probably keep cursing for half an hour without a problem.
Li Zhilin said coldly, "So you're Da Fei. You've got guts. I'll remember you."
"Director, you've got someone talented right here. Forget the ending theme. I'll give it to someone else."
The director's face changed instantly, and he hurried forward.
"Zhilin, we had a deal. Your company's song Most Liked was supposed to be the ending theme. You can't just change your mind!"
Li Zhilin sneered. "I don't care. If it's not in the contract, I'm not obligated to do it. I'm in a terrible mood right now."
"Unless you make him apologize to me!"
The director hurriedly looked at Lin Chudong. He didn't care about the cursing just now; he couldn't afford to offend anyone.
But he couldn't let the ending theme fall through. He'd been planning it for ages, and Li Zhilin's company team had helped produce it. If they pulled out now, where could he find another song that fit so well?
They were about to wrap up filming. Once it passed review, they'd release it right away. These days, the sooner it aired, the better. That way, they could avoid the show being shelved because an actor's scandal made it impossible to broadcast.
There couldn't be any problems with the ending theme.
"Da Fei, what do you think...?"
Lin Qiqi suddenly stepped forward, blocking Lin Chudong.
"I'm not apologizing!"
The director didn't dare give her a hard time when she spoke up, which left him in a panic.
"Qiqi..."
Lin Chudong said, "The ending theme? What kind do you want? Give me five minutes and I'll write you a song."
The director froze for a moment, then gave a wry smile.
"Da Fei, don't joke around. How could you write a song in five minutes that's better than the one Zhilin's team made?"
Lin Chudong said calmly, "Don't forget what I do. Surely you can spare five minutes?"
The director frowned slightly. He looked at Li Zhilin, then at Lin Qiqi, torn over what to do.
Suddenly, Li Zhilin said in a mocking tone, "Go on, let him write it. He's a musical genius, isn't he? I'd love to see what kind of amazing song he can write in five minutes!"
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