Page 34

How could one person's acting possibly be this good?

Even the most gifted actors in the industry showed traces of inexperience when they first started filming. Yet none of those expected flaws showed on Ye Mingzhao. It was as though he had been born an actor—once he stood before the camera, he could effortlessly portray a thousand different faces.

What was even more frightening was that Ye Mingzhao's acting did not remain static. As filming progressed, he gradually became familiar with the atmosphere on set and all manner of filming techniques, and his expressiveness grew exponentially. Not only did actors his own age struggle to keep up when acting opposite him, but even the seasoned veterans playing his elders found it increasingly difficult. Several times, they had nearly failed to catch his cues.

As Ye Mingzhao's performance on set became more and more astonishing, whenever he filmed, actors and crew members without scenes would come over to watch. Later on, even actors and directors from neighboring productions came by after hearing the news.

"Brother Ye, you're incredible!" During a break in filming, Jiang Shangyun sidled up to Ye Mingzhao with his sketchbook in hand. "You did this well on your first time acting."

Ye Mingzhao smiled and casually handed Jiang Shangyun a bottle of chilled drink from the mini-fridge. "How are your design drafts coming along?"

Jiang Shangyun chuckled and stuffed the sketchbook into Ye Mingzhao's arms. "The first draft is already finalized. Now I just need to win the championship in the finals, and my design can appear in the show under the female lead's name."

Jiang Shangyun blinked, his face full of anticipation.

Ye Mingzhao slowly flipped through Jiang Shangyun's sketchbook.

Squatting beside Ye Mingzhao, Jiang Shangyun scratched his head. As if searching for something to say, he suddenly remarked, "Watching you all film these past few days, I feel like the screenwriter is way too harsh on the second male lead!"

Ye Mingzhao looked up at Jiang Shangyun. "How so?"

Jiang Shangyun said, "He wrote the second male lead's parents and family to be so awful. I just think that if the second male lead grew up in a family like that, then even if he turned bad, it would be understandable, right?"

"Is that so?" Ye Mingzhao curled his lips and slowly closed Jiang Shangyun's sketchbook. "I think the exact opposite."

"Huh?" Jiang Shangyun blinked his grape-black eyes and looked at Ye Mingzhao with pure confusion.

Ye Mingzhao looked calmly at Jiang Shangyun. His eyes were dark and unfathomable, like two bottomless pools of cold water. "Precisely because the second male lead's biological father was a drunken gambler who treated him badly, because his biological mother was weak and cowardly and unable to protect him, because even his younger siblings could sell out their own brother for profit, the audience could understand why he so desperately wanted to leave that home. Even if they did not approve of his methods and actions, they would agree with his desire to break free from the mire. They might even applaud when he dealt with his biological father."

Jiang Shangyun scratched his cheek, somewhat baffled. "What's wrong with that?"

"Of course there is nothing wrong with it." Ye Mingzhao's expression softened as he spoke slowly. "But the audience's sympathy for the second male lead is built upon his tragic circumstances. In other words, if he did not have such a miserable background, such terrible biological parents, such a tragic past, would the audience still applaud his methods of revenge?"

Jiang Shangyun was struck speechless.

Ye Mingzhao suddenly smiled. "So you see, true cruelty is not giving a villain a terrible family and a childhood that can never be healed. Quite the opposite. It is precisely because of this plotline that the audience can sympathize with the villain's suffering. That is the screenwriter's kindness and compassion toward the character. At the very least, it lets people know that the second male lead's malice and ambitions have a reason."

"Is that how it is?" Jiang Shangyun became even more confused and asked instinctively, "Then according to you, what kind of plot would be cruel?"

Ye Mingzhao looked deeply at Jiang Shangyun, his tone flat. "A truly cruel arrangement would make the villain's biological parents ordinary good people. They could be beautiful, ordinary, kind, loving, handsome, wealthy, devoted to their family, and possess every fine virtue in the world. Naturally, they would also love their biological child. But at the same time, they could harm another child without any burden."

Jiang Shangyun grew more confused the more he listened. "Huh?"

Ye Mingzhao's smile was gentle, his voice warm. "You see, there is no greater irony in this world. Parents can be good people. They can love their own child, and naturally, they can give everything for that child—as long as that child meets their interests and expectations."

As for a child who had lost all value and failed to meet expectations, they could be like a piece of rotten, stinking meat, mercilessly thrown into the trash.

And even if the abandoned one managed to survive, carefully cut away every bit of rotten flesh, conceal every festering scar and wound, and painstakingly dress himself up to be displayed brightly on a pedestal, he would ultimately still be labeled defective and thrown back into the trash.

Naturally, he could never have a satisfying revenge like the villain in the drama.

Simply because, in the eyes of the world, his biological parents had not committed any unforgivable crimes.

They simply did not love him.

And the moment his ugly past was exposed, they would ostentatiously tell everyone that the reason they did not love him was because he was unworthy of love.

Chapter 26

The blazing sun scorched the earth until it seemed to sweat oil. Waves of heat rolled through the air, warping even the view before one's eyes.

Yuan Jing dragged her assistant along and snuck over to visit the set of Beggar Prince during the lunch break.

The vast filming set was empty. Crew members and extras who had received their boxed lunches casually found shady corners to eat and rest, while the better-treated main cast sat in a temporary rest tent, eating and enjoying the air conditioning. Lü Peng, who played the third male lead, completely disregarded his image and shoved his head into the air-conditioning vent. Only after a long while did he pull it out, looking dazed as he exclaimed, "So good."

Director Li Zhengzheng sat with several main cast members who had scenes in the afternoon, discussing the upcoming filming details while they ate.

Yuan Jing stood outside the rest tent, carefully craning her neck to peer inside.

Her assistant followed behind her. Looking at her boss's sneaky back, she could not help but sigh in exasperation. "Sis!"

"Don't make noise!" Yuan Jing brushed away the hand poking at her lower back and lowered her voice. "Let me take a look—"

Before she could finish, a clear voice tinged with confusion sounded behind her. "What does Producer Yuan want to observe?"

Yuan Jing abruptly turned around to see her assistant covering her face in mortification. Behind her assistant stood Ye Mingzhao, carrying two bulging bags of fruit tea, his voice filled with amused teasing.

The afternoon sunlight spilled down from behind him. The handsome young man stood within the light, tall and straight, verdant as a row of pines.

"Hahaha..." Yuan Jing laughed awkwardly and waved at Ye Mingzhao. "What a coincidence."

Her gaze fell on the two bags of cold drinks in Ye Mingzhao's hands, and she took the initiative to change the subject. "You went to pick up the delivery yourself?"

Ye Mingzhao smiled. "Unrelated people are not allowed to enter and leave the set freely. And it is lunchtime, so I did not want to trouble anyone else."

When Yuan Jing heard the words "unrelated people," her face grew slightly warm. She could not help feeling that Ye Mingzhao was taking a jab at her.

But how could that be possible?

Yuan Jing glanced at Ye Mingzhao, who looked as bright and open as the moon and gentle breeze, his smile warm. She shook her head hard. She had to be overthinking it.

Their interaction quickly drew the attention of the others. Director Li Zhengzheng sprang out of the rest tent in a single stride, his sharp gaze landing on Yuan Jing as he laughed heartily. "How long has Producer Yuan been here? Why didn't you let us know in advance? We have been terribly remiss in hosting you."

Yu Mingze followed close behind and added, "Come in and sit. It's hot outside, but there's air conditioning in here."

As he spoke, he took two unobtrusive steps forward and positioned himself directly between Ye Mingzhao and Yuan Jing.

Yuan Jing's assistant watched helplessly as the two men guarded against her boss as though she were a thief, growing even more embarrassed as she took another step back.