Chapter 6: Coach, I Still Want to Be an Actress

Chapter 6: Coach, I Still Want to Be an Actress

The large-scale period romance fantasy drama Tang Fei had participated in, "Princess of Zhu Xiansheng," besides the initial turmoil it caused when filming began, remained calm throughout. She spent a peaceful month on set before wrapping up her role.

The character Si Cui, a young palace maid, brought her many unique emotions, as if she had nurtured a daughter.

The conclusion of her role symbolized this daughter growing up and leaving her parents.

Si Cui's story began with aiding the second male lead, Duan Feng, in his escape from the royal palace. She fell in love with this masked hero who had attempted to assassinate the emperor. Both shared a common goal, being victims of imperial power. She had infiltrated the palace to find an opportunity to strike but realized her own incapability. The arrival of Duan Feng alleviated her loneliness, giving her hope.

The princess held great trust in Si Cui; her kind nature led her to believe that everyone was inherently good. One day, she secretly left the palace and stumbled upon an injured man in black. She tended to his wounds without hesitation. Upon waking, the man was about to offer her a generous reward, but she, being a princess, candidly declined, saying she didn't need his payment. To her surprise, the man in black suddenly flew into a rage and attempted to kill her.

At that moment, a slender and vibrant bamboo outside the derelict temple emitted a spiritual glow, transforming into a refined gentleman. The bamboo, having attained enlightenment through its cultivation, had sensed the princess's benevolent intentions. Witnessing Duan Feng repay kindness with enmity, it couldn't bear to stand idly by and intervened to rescue her, subsequently escorting the princess back to the palace.

The princess confided her troubles to Si Cui, who, leveraging the knowledge gained, secretly informed the emperor, revealing the princess's affection for a monster once a bamboo stem.

Si Cui saw Duan Feng again when he became a palace guard. The princess forgave the murderer who wanted to kill her father and arranged for him to enter the palace. Si Cui thought this was a gift from heaven. She thought Duan Feng would continue to avenge his family by assassinating the emperor. She used the information she obtained from the princess to inform Duan Feng of the emperor's secret whereabouts several times, but found that the emperor was safe every time. She questioned Duan Feng why he had forgotten his family's hatred, was it because he had fallen in love with the princess?

Duan Feng consented, but Si Cui found it unbearable. Could love make one forget the deep-seated enmity between their parents' families? She had conspired with a snake demon to poison the emperor, only to be foiled by Duan Feng, who was aware of her plan. Enraged, she lashed out at him. He not only refused to carry out the act but also stopped her. Had he forgotten all their past grievances and now genuinely protected the emperor as a loyal guard?

Why did Duan Feng become the royal family's puppet? It was the princess who transformed Duan Feng!

Si Cui eventually poisoned the snake demon's venom into the trusting princess. The princess fell into a coma, and even the bamboo demon's magic couldn't revive her. The demon searched her soul for the antidote's location, leaving her psyche damaged and deranged. Unconsciously approaching the princess one day, Duan Feng, mistaking her intentions, pierced her heart with a sword.

The searing pain briefly restored her clarity. She looked at Duan Feng with disbelief, then down at the wound in her chest. How could someone so aligned in purpose change so abruptly? How could enmity be forgotten so swiftly? Slowly, she closed her eyes and slid to the ground.

In her mind, she recalled Duan Feng's answer when she had questioned him: "Because of your kindness."

A bittersweet smile graced her lips as she found the world absurd. Even the royal family's kindness was stained with blood.

With Si Cui's story concluded, Tang Fei returned to her company dormitory. After the hustle and bustle of filming and the immersion in character, she felt a void.

Following the original owner's routine, she exercised by punching and running, but still couldn't shake off the emptiness.

Ultimately, she opened Si Cui's script and reviewed her performance on set. She performed the role without the "Fresh Lotus" makeup card, relying solely on her interpretation. Then, she put on the makeup card and acted again, recording both versions for comparison.

Using the critical eye of a viewer from her previous life, she began a self-critical assessment.

Her control over her facial muscles was inadequate, making it difficult to convey emotions naturally or express them with subtlety.

Improvement method: Train the small muscles! Practice delicate expressions!

Her diction was unclear, lacking emphasis where needed, and devoid of emotion. She lacked breath control, often gasping for air, and her voice was too soft and weak.

Improvement method: Train! Keep shouting at a consistent volume while running until it becomes effortless!

Without the aid of makeup, her demeanor, posture, and gestures lacked grace.

Improvement method: Train! Carry two crucifixes on your back, hold your head high, place a hundred-dollar bill between your knees, balance a book on your head, and shout out evenly measured tones.

She struggled to synchronize her expressions with her dialogue, often forgetting to act while delivering lines, or losing her lines when engrossed in acting.

Improvement method: Train! Familiarity breeds skill; practice until even your dreams and sleep talking match the corresponding emotions!

She ran to build her stamina, practiced vocal exercises, and constantly refined her pronunciation through recordings. She used sound level meters to control her volume and practiced emotional expression with lines from classic TV shows and films.

Tang Fei studied and trained alone, and time flew by swiftly.

Four months later, after He Zhou had helped Tang Fei settle the tedious process of terminating her contract with the company, he arrived at her dormitory to find a Tang Fei who had been diligently exercising at home for four months.

She was reciting a famous line from a classic movie, and He Zhou could sense that his cousin had made tremendous progress!

Her delivery was emotionally resonant, her enunciation clear, and her breath control stable. Although it was still far from the original, it was like comparing a kindergartener to an elementary school student – a vast improvement.

One was clearly just playing around, while the other was genuinely learning. With this level of acting, she could easily handle dubbing for a typical character.

" Cousin, if you had this level five years ago, you would've been famous already."

"My cousin was already famous five years ago! I was sabotaged and forced into obscurity, do you understand?" Tang Fei paused her performance to review her recorded videos. She couldn't see her progress day by day, but when comparing her performance from the last month to the first, her rapid growth was evident.

"Since the contract is terminated, the company gave us a month to vacate the dorm. Are you staying in the capital, Cousin? What are your plans? If you are, I've found a few apartments; we can take a look when you're free." As He Zhou hung his coat on the rack by the door, he turned to ask Tang Fei.

"I really enjoy acting, so being released from the contract is great. I can now choose my own roles without their control."

Ever since Tang Fei filmed "Princess of Zhu Xiansheng," He Zhou had noticed his cousin's newfound dedication to her craft and career.

"But Yao Hui hinted that no one will be allowed to use you. You won't receive any invitations for roles, and even if you audition, they won't pick you."

"How can you be sure others won't choose me without even trying?" Tang Fei huffed. "If Yao Hui can handle high-end resources, why would he bother with those low-budget web series that can't afford actors and go unnoticed? No matter what, I still have some buzz around me. Would they really not consider me, even for a smaller role? I'd even take on a background part."

"Big Sis, don't think about being an extra all day. I'll definitely find you a good script," He Zhou comforted Tang Fei, wincing as the blister on his lip throbbed from the strain.

Tang Fei nodded and continued watching her previous acting performance.

With a ping, a notification appeared on her phone, alerting her of a deduction. She opened it to see five consecutive deductions – one for each month since she had acted in the production. A total of half a million yuan had been taken out over the past five months!

From her last paycheck, the agreed-upon three hundred thousand yuan, she had only received fifty thousand, while the company took the remaining twenty-five. On top of that, they compensated her with another two hundred thousand. With these gains and losses, she hadn't earned a single penny; instead, she was out twenty-five thousand.

Her savings were nearly depleted.

After arriving in this world, she had spent a month filming, then devoted the following four months to honing her acting skills. She had long forgotten about the game. Now, the game was reminding her of its existence by making a significant withdrawal from her bank account.

In a rush of recollection, two gleaming golden buttons materialized in the air, accompanied by five shimmering cards lying before them.

They appeared to be of high level. Tang Fei's fingers danced through the air, plucking at the virtual strings, causing the cards to chime melodiously as they unfolded before her one by one.