After the makeup was done, it was time for a series of photoshoots; the photographer's hands never stopped.
It was almost 2 a. m. when we finished work.
The director now found Song Shi'an pleasing to the eye in every way, and waved his hand with satisfaction. "Alright, it's getting late, go back and rest. Be on set before nine o'clock tomorrow morning for the reading and filming."
Song Shi'an obediently agreed, but as soon as the director left, her face fell. She was so sleepy, so tired, so hungry...
Lin Fan took him to a nearby hotel, ordered takeout, and then went to take a shower.
His freshly dyed hair couldn't get wet yet, so he just casually snapped a photo with his phone and posted it on Weibo with the caption, "Work done for today!"
Night owls who stay up late are in for a treat.
Wow, it's been so long since we've been open! Did you finally remember your login password?!
"Dude, we thought you'd disappeared."
"It's the peace sign again! I've seen so many people posting group photos with the peace sign, hahaha!"
"Is this a new hair color?! So handsome! Is this the new character?! Tell me quickly, is he the main character?!"
"Upstairs, An'an filming a new drama? How come I haven't heard anything about it? Did my internet go down?"
"Judging from his hair color and outfit, he looks a bit like a thug. Is he going to play a school bully?"
"School bully? No way!!! I haven't even left Xia Yu yet!!! No school dramas allowed!!!"
"Shut up! You've brought back painful memories..."
Song Shi'an ate a late-night snack while scrolling through the comments section; the fans' comments were quite interesting.
Lin Fan, watching the latest Weibo updates from next door, quickly posted a hundred-word comment along with 360-degree praise.
Song Shi'an has seen this ID many times; it's very active.
I've been supporting him since his debut, and it warms my heart. I gave this ID a like without thinking.
Suddenly, a scream came from next door. Song Shi'an looked at the wall in confusion.
What is Lin Fan doing so late at night? Doesn't he care about being complained about?
After eating, Lin Fan slept soundly until dawn. Lin Fan knocked on the door precisely at eight o'clock. Song Shi'an opened the door, yawning, "It feels like I haven't slept at all, and it's already time."
"I got back late last night, and I even had a late-night snack, so I've only slept for three hours now." Lin Fan put breakfast on the table. "We don't have many scenes to film today, so let's get some rest!"
Song Shi'an squinted as he brushed his teeth and nodded.
He wore clothes provided by the film crew's investors, all of which were everyday outfits that fit Jiang Chi's character.
When we arrived at the entrance of the film studio, it was packed with people.
He wondered if it was just the male and female leads' fans being so overzealous, trying to slip away quickly while wearing masks and hats.
As soon as he got out of the car, a scream erupted, startling him.
People kept taking pictures of him with their phones, and shouts of " Shi'an!" were heard from the crowd.
He then realized that they were all there to drop him off at work.
He quickly greeted everyone, collecting envelopes as he walked, and ate with them all while smiling.
It took about twenty minutes to walk along the road before I finally arrived at the film set just in time.
Upon arriving, he immediately saw a familiar face. He Zeyu was sitting at the dressing table doing his makeup and hair. When he saw Song Shi'an come in, he glanced at him and then ignored him.
Song Shi'an, thick-skinned as ever, greeted him with a smile, "Old acquaintance, who are you playing this time? Is it the second male lead again?"
He Zeyu snapped his eyes open, "Did you even read the script properly?! I'm the male lead this time! The male lead!"
Song Shi'an scratched his head awkwardly. Who could have guessed that the perennial second or third place would suddenly be playing the male lead? Besides, he didn't have many scenes with the male lead.
"Brother, calm down. Here, have some coffee to calm you down." He coughed twice and handed over the coffee.
He Zeyu took it directly, stubbornly replying, "Who said I'm your brother!"
Song Shi'an was completely baffled. It seemed like ever since they last partnered up, this guy had been ignoring him, acting really strange...
He turned around and went back to his seat. The stylist worked on both sides and finished in no time, so he appeared on camera with virtually no makeup.
After changing into his police uniform, Song Shi'an put his hands in his pockets, getting used to his role in advance, and went out in a nonchalant manner.
When Lin Fan returned from fetching the things, he saw his brother dressed in a suit and immediately ran over. "Brother, you're so cool! I remember when I was little, my teacher asked me what my dream was, and I said it was to be a policeman!"
Song Shi'an felt like he had heard these words before when he was a child, but he couldn't remember exactly what they were saying.
"How about we try on some different outfits later?" Song Shi'an patted Lin Fan on the shoulder. "I must say, these clothes are actually quite well made."
"Forget it, forget it," Lin Fan quickly shook his head. "Brother, your legs are all legs from the waist down, they'd probably drag on the ground if I wore them."
"Don't worry, I lent you their number, it'll definitely be yours!" Song Shi'an raised an eyebrow and smiled.
Lin Fan looked sadly at his leg; words could only bring tears to his eyes.
Upon checking the time, Song Shi'an stopped joking and rushed to the scene. He introduced himself to the actors he would be rehearsing with and briefly went over the lines.
The police station's major crimes unit, built on a real set, looked very serious and solemn. However, the workstation he was working at was full of documents, giving it a somewhat messy and disorganized feel.
The director pointed to his seat, his tone neither too loud nor too soft. "You must get Jiang Chi's character right. If you overdo it, he'll just become an annoying character. This is a serious drama, and the censorship will be very strict. Don't portray a good guy like a villain."
Song Shi'an stopped smiling and nodded seriously.
Wu Hai, who plays Director Chen, calmly remarked, "This kind of drama is quite easy to act in, but if you do it too many times, the feeling gets a bit too strong."
An actor next to him chimed in, "Aren't people always saying online that you have a very official air about you, and that you speak like a high-ranking cadre?"
Wu Hai chuckled, "Don't talk about me, you're playing the police officer yourself now."
After saying that, he picked up his cup and slowly sipped his goji berry tea.
Song Shi'an found their conversation quite interesting. He glanced at his thermos, wondering if it also contained goji berry tea.
The director clapped his hands. "We'll start filming soon. We need to finish shooting all the scenes in the police station today. Time is tight and the task is heavy!"
Song Shi'an quickly put down his thermos and returned to his seat.
He hid himself behind a pile of documents and pretended to be asleep.
At the director's call of "Action," the entire Major Crimes Unit instantly sprang into action.
Zhou Lan, the head of the Major Crimes Unit, stood in front of the whiteboard, analyzing the recent series of burglaries.
She pointed her laser pointer at the projection screen. "Based on the existing surveillance footage and evidence at the scene, there are at least two suspects. The time of the crime is basically between 1 a. m. and 3 a. m. They are very familiar with the surrounding roads and can always accurately avoid the main road cameras. This is not a novice; they must have a prior record."