Chapter 178: It’s Hard to Get into the Act, Harder to Get Out

Chapter 178: It's Hard to Get into the Act, Harder to Get Out

Luo Chun searched all the way to the school vicinity. She recognized that familiar voice – Luo Qi's cry, the chaotic noise she made before she learned how to speak.

Only when Luo Qi was overwhelmed with emotions did she make such sounds.

Hearing this, Luo Chun hurriedly rushed towards the source of the commotion. In her haste, her sweaty palms caused her to lose grip on her cane, and she tumbled to the ground.

She fell right in front of Luo Qi and her classmates, landing in an undignified manner, which provoked laughter from Luo Qi's peers.

At that moment, Luo Qi was biting someone's arm. Her face was flushed red as she clung tightly with her teeth, pulling at the person's hair. The external cochlear implant, resembling a cute hair clip, dangled in another student's hand, waved around as a show-off.

"Look, Luo Qi really is deaf! She can't hear anything without this!"

"Her crippled mom is here, ha ha! And look, she even fell."

"Let go of her, are you a dog? You're still biting people at your age."

"She can't hear you, your insults are useless."

"Stinking deafie," the classmate holding the cochlear implant flung it away with force.

Luo Chun struggled to her feet, her body drenched in sweat mixed with dirt, a filthy sight.

With her crutch supporting her, Luo Chun glared fiercely at the group of students who had been bullying and watching the spectacle. She focused on the girl who had thrown the device, standing on one leg and lifting her cane, she asked, "Did you bully Luo Qi?"

The girl shut her eyes tight. "I didn't bully her, I was just joking around."

Then, she and the others scattered in a panic.

Luo Qi didn't let go, instead, she clung tightly onto the girl, emitting a feral sound.

The girl, terrified and in pain, cried out, while the others ran away, shouting insults about deaf and crippled mothers. Only Luo Qi was unable to escape.

In Luo Qi's eyes shone a wild and untamed spirit. Her hair was disheveled, and it seemed as if her teeth were about to pierce through her classmate's skin.

In Luo Chun's eyes, there was a deep-seated ache, a heartache for the discrimination Luo Qi faced, and for the loss of her rationality in that moment. Besides the overwhelming sorrow, there was also a hint of shock.

She prayed for Luo Qi to live a normal life, to have an environment different from hers. In her eyes, Luo Qi was the best and most ordinary person, no different from any other typical individual. She had always believed that Luo Qi was fine - her daughter was outgoing, lovely, academically excellent, and both sensible and filial.

Luo Qi would surely be well-liked, adored by everyone.

Yet reality was starkly different.

She recalled the time in kindergarten when Luo Qi was bullied by a little boy who said she had something strange on her head, that she herself was a strange creature. When she confronted the school, the boy's parents and teachers all claimed that children were innocent, knowing nothing about cochlear implants and having no malicious intent.

They even whispered, "Why doesn't she go to a special school? Coming here and disrupting other kids' lives."

"I have a child who got bitten by your daughter. Do you even know how to teach her? If she's not normal, she shouldn't be in a regular kindergarten."

Back then, she had no choice but to transfer Luo Qi to another school, weeping in secret before facing the next day's sunrise.

On their first day at the new school, she told Luo Qi, "If any other children bully you in the future, tell Mommy, and I'll help you. Don't bite them anymore."

Luo Qi earnestly corrected her, "They were the ones who bullied you, Mommy, saying you don't have legs, that you're a monster too. I can help you."

After that incident, Luo Qi seemingly never came home crying to complain again.

But after kindergarten, had Luo Qi truly never been bullied again?

Luo Chun felt that perhaps she had been too idealistic and naive in her thoughts.

At this moment, Luo Chun slowly approached and embraced Luo Qi, gently patting her back with a tender touch. Her rough yet warm hands caressed Luo Qi's forehead, gradually drawing her focus onto Luo Chun.

In Luo Chun's gentle eyes, there was nothing but tolerance, encouragement, compassion, and love.

Luo Qi's expression shifted gradually, her tightly clenched jaw relaxing. The classmate she had bitten seized the chance to escape, scrambling away on hands and knees.

"Mother."

Luo Qi sank to the ground, collapsing into Luo Chun's embrace, wailing uncontrollably.

Her sobs were now drowned out to her own ears; since the outdoor unit fell silent, she was oblivious to all sound.

Now, it was merely an outpouring of her pent-up grievances and indulgence. In Luo Qi's eyes, she was closer to a normal person than her mother. It should be her protecting her mother, shielding her from the unfriendly gazes of the world.

Yet, in truth, she remained a little girl who yearned for protection. The facade of strength she had constructed could crumble with a gentle touch, revealing a heart that was anything but resilient. She was fragile, and the cheerful, lively act she put on for Luo Chun was an exhausting charade. When Luo Chun glimpsed her true plight, she released the floodgates of her anguish, weeping into his embrace and calling out for her mother, just as she did when she was very young, returning home to complain about her day.

With tears held back, Luo Chun stroked her back repeatedly, embracing her and soothing her, just as she had done when he was first struggling to adapt to this world.

Gentle and patient touches alongside comforting embraces soothed Luo Qi's resentment and anger.

In this scene, both Luo Chun and Luo Qi were on the verge of an emotional outburst. However, Luo Chun's eruption was contained, an inward explosion, while Luo Qi needed to express her emotions fully, letting them run wild in front of those closest to her, especially when she couldn't be heard.

Luo Chun ached but had to suppress her emotions. Instead of breaking down in front of Luo Qi, she acted as an emotional pillar for her sister, using her patience and warmth to console Luo Qi and alleviate her grievances.

Upon completing the scene, both Tang Fei and Jiang Xiaoying had perfectly conveyed their emotions, infusing the atmosphere with a profound intensity. Applause erupted in waves, as numerous audience members were moved to tears by their performance. Many could be seen dabbing at their eyes with tissues, while the on-site staff also kindly offered tissues to both Tang Fei and Jiang Xiaoying. With her tears wiped away, Tang Fei gradually detached herself from the character, stepping out of the scene's emotional realm.

Jiang Xiaoying, on the other hand, was deeply immersed in her emotions, weeping to the point of gasping for breath, unable to compose herself.

Through her sobs, she spoke between wipes of her tears. "I want to stop too, but my eyes just won't stop crying."

Tang Fei embraced her and patted her back gently. Jiang Xiaoying leaned against Tang Fei's shoulder, still sobbing loudly. An assistant came over with water for Jiang Xiaoying.

"Master, when I saw your eyes, I just felt it all come rushing in. As soon as I thought about the character and Luo Qi and Luo Chun, I couldn't hold back anymore."

After several minutes, Jiang Xiaoying finally calmed down, sobbing softly.

Tang Fei stroked her hair gently. "In this scene, Luo Qi has been pretending to be strong and optimistic, hiding from Luo Chun the discrimination she's faced outside. She's been bottling up her emotions for a long time, so it's only natural that she lets them out in full force now. It's an emotionally charged moment that's hard to break away from."

Jiang Xiaoying tidied up her disheveled hair. "The way you looked at me with such concern and restraint, like you were embracing everything, I almost believed you were my mother. At that moment, I couldn't help but think of my own experiences. We're only a year apart, yet how did you manage to create such a vast difference in our ages?"

Tang Fei pondered the experiential method of the system, whether through makeup cards or invoking the character's spirit. It all boiled down to one word: "It's like hypnosis. You hypnotize yourself into being the character, and your mind follows their logic and actions automatically."

"Hypnosis, that's a good way to put it. It's difficult to get into character, and just as challenging to break out of it. Being an actor is truly tough," Jiang Xiaoying said, before bursting into tears again.

...

The director was highly satisfied with their performance. He repeatedly watched the scene on the monitor, appreciating the emotional impact, intensity, and attention to detail.

The actors had high standards for themselves, constantly discussing and rehearsing even off-set.

Unlike some young actors who insisted on looking clean and pretty, they didn't shy away from a more realistic approach to makeup.

Moreover, they had to maintain their expressions, ensuring that no frame could be used to make unflattering memes.

Recalling the last project that involved a popular actor, Mi Hai vowed never to experience that again in this lifetime.

If you can't even pull off intense expressions, why not be a model where all you need is beauty?

You're truly wasting your talent as an actor.

Playing a villain, they demand a redemption arc and plot twists. They can't be genuinely wicked for fear of tarnishing their image.

Thus, with Tang Fei, Mi Hai had observed her carefully. He believed she wasn't like those popular young stars who treated acting with disrespect, lacking passion. They merely used dramas as stepping stones for self-promotion, treating characters as mere tools to amass fans through manipulative personas.

"Alright, let's prep for the next scene. It's a pivotal turning point, everyone pay attention!" Mi Hai waved, and the other departments of the production team sprang into action. Tang Fei and Jiang Xiaoying began rehearsing their lines.

In the upcoming scene, they were at home – the turning point in the story when they return from Chang'an to Wangzhuang Village. There were no dialogues, no emotional outbursts; all emotions were conveyed subtly.

Without elaborate settings to aid them, the actors' nuanced performances would carry the scene.

A weak performance would collapse the entire sequence.

For both Tang Fei and Jiang Xiaoying, this was a significant challenge, their big moment to shine.

Many viewers might relish performances that burst with emotion, those that offer intense engagement and visual impact, instantly showcasing the actor's skills.

Yet, it is often the quieter, more introspective scenes that truly challenge actors. They rely on subtle expressions, the glance in their eyes, and minimal bodily gestures to convey a rich inner world. Any slight imperfection can misinterpret the message to the audience.