Chapter 139: Winning Hearts and Minds

Chapter 139: Winning Hearts and Minds

Among the main cast of *Reversal City*, Lu Xu was the first to join the crew. Director Mu Lang and screenwriter Luo Kun were somewhat surprised to see him: "Weren't you attending the Golden Flame Awards?"

That morning, they had seen large photos of Lu Xu in formal attire, yet just a few hours later, he appeared on set.

"It wrapped up early," Lu Xu replied. After the awards ceremony, the winners had parties and group photos, while the nominees could choose to stay or leave. Lu Xu belonged to the latter group, and since Xu Wen called him, he left early.

After Lu Xu joined the crew, the other actors gradually arrived as well.

The male lead actor was named Zhao Yifan, a few years older than Lu Xu. Though not a household name, he was a well-known young actor in the film industry.

Lu Xu greeted him, but Zhao Yifan took a moment to respond. After a pause, he gave a slight nod, avoiding eye contact.

Before this collaboration, Lu Xu had never met Zhao Yifan and wasn't familiar with his personality. However, after just one encounter, Lu Xu sensed Zhao Yifan wasn't the friendliest type.

At best, Zhao Yifan wasn't one to offer warmth.

Lu Xu had worked in other crews before, and his interactions with co-actors were generally harmonious. But with Zhao Yifan, even a simple greeting made Lu Xu feel a strong sense of alienation, as if Zhao Yifan was deliberately creating a barrier between them.

Lu Xu asked around about Zhao Yifan and learned that he was known for being cold, stubborn, and not exactly diplomatic.

"He’s very particular about acting, so his attitude is naturally more rigid. Otherwise, there shouldn’t be any issues," a mutual acquaintance explained.

Shortly after the *Reversal City* crew started filming, Lu Xu got a firsthand taste of Zhao Yifan’s rigidity.

Zhao Yifan showed up early. He barely acknowledged Lu Xu when greeted, and even when they crossed paths, Zhao Yifan pretended not to notice him.

Lu Xu figured Zhao Yifan treated everyone the same, but then he saw Zhao Yifan warmly greeting Guan Sha.

Lu Xu: "?"

"So, he’s singling you out?" Zheng Xiao and Shao Yao analyzed the situation in a group chat. "Tsk tsk, are you really that unlikeable?"

Lu Xu: "...Say something nice."

"It’s on him, not you," Shao Yao firmly sided with Lu Xu on this matter.

Shao Yao had a reputation for being hard to get along with—quirky and stubborn—yet Lu Xu managed to get along with him just fine.

So, the problem’s definitely Zhao Yifan.

"Maybe he just can’t stand you?" Zheng Xiao suggested. "Plenty of people can’t stand you these days, huh?"

Lu Xu had to admit that was true.

"He’s jealous of everything—your looks, your fans, your nominations, your box office success, your bike-riding skills, even your link to John Logie Baird."

Lu Xu: "...John Logie Baird has been dead for many years."

"Jealous you know how to use a middle dot."

With each point Zheng Xiao made, Shao Yao added a thumbs-up emoji, making Lu Xu suspect that Shao Yao was just there to play along.

"Got a better explanation?"

"Why bother analyzing his mindset?" Zheng Xiao countered. "If he has a bias against you, it won't change overnight. Why force it?"

"Just win him over with force."

...

Zhao Yifan had just stepped out when his manager quietly advised him, "Even if you don't like him, don't make it too obvious. Everyone else in the crew can see it, and Lu Xu isn't someone to mess with."

Zhao Yifan stopped in his tracks: "I haven't provoked him, I just don't want to interact with him."

He particularly disliked how Lu Xu seemed to thrive so effortlessly within the crew.

He admitted that Lu Xu was popular and good-looking, but that didn't stop him from disliking him—even if it was rumored that Lu Xu's acting was outstanding, even earning a Golden Flame Award nomination, Zhao Yifan simply didn't like how much attention Lu Xu attracted.

He himself rarely updated his Weibo.

Lu Xu was always online, criticizing one thing or another, which, in Zhao Yifan's view, was far from what an actor's primary focus should be.

Actors should be more low-key and focus on performing their roles well. Popularity and fame are superficial; doing a good job in acting should be the priority.

He only half-heard his manager's advice: "At worst, let Lu Xu come after me. He only dares to criticize those less popular than him, doesn't he?"

This was another thing Zhao Yifan disliked about Lu Xu.

Always picking on those less popular or influential—what kind of talent is that? Yet his fans thought he was honest and genuine. To Zhao Yifan, it was just picking on the weak.

Manager: "...Didn't he also go after Zhang Zhizhen?"

He felt Zhao Yifan's perspective was skewed. It wasn't that Lu Xu targeted those less popular, but rather, in the entire entertainment industry, there were very few actors as popular as Lu Xu.

Those more popular than him hadn't offended him, and he wasn't insane, so why would he constantly target others?

But the manager knew that Zhao Yifan might not take this seriously.

The reason Zhao Yifan was upset with Lu Xu wasn't without cause. After he took on the male lead role in "Reversal City," the industry was more excited about Lu Xu's role as the villain.

The male lead he played didn't seem to stand out as much.

Moreover, according to some, Lu Xu was a better actor, more capable of showcasing his character's charm.

Especially since several seasoned actors had auditioned for the villain role, but it was Lu Xu who ultimately landed it.

Even... Zhao Yifan vaguely heard that according to the "Reversal City" script, the villain should be more mature and older than the male lead, and casting should follow the character's setting.

But the result was that he, the male lead, was older than Lu Xu.

It was because—Lu Xu was indeed the most suitable choice for the villain in the eyes of Mu Lang and Luo Kun, but there was no suitable male lead actor in the industry to match him; the younger actors' skills weren't up to par.

Thus, the male lead role fell to Zhao Yifan.

As an actor, and a very self-respecting one at that, who could tolerate this?

Although Mu Lang and Luo Kun chose him for the male lead because of his skills, Zhao Yifan couldn't stand being in an inferior position compared to Lu Xu.

Zhao Yifan wasn't some sinister villain; he just disliked Lu Xu, and his way of dealing with someone he disliked was to ignore them.

Besides, since the crew seemed to favor Lu Xu more, he was determined to surpass Lu Xu in what he prided himself on—his acting.

Zhao Yifan had always been competitive; the stronger the opponent, the more it fueled his drive.

...

Lu Xu's scenes were slightly later. In terms of screen time, he naturally couldn't compare to Zhao Yifan, the male lead. ...

In addition to Zhao Yifan and Guan Sha, "Reversal City" also invited several seasoned actors to join the cast, and all the actors delivered strong performances. Lu Xu was actually the youngest on set.

Zhao Yifan's scenes were filmed first.

Although they met daily on set, without shared scenes, they rarely crossed paths. Today, Zhao Yifan was shooting first, while Lu Xu studied his script while observing from the sidelines.

"Reversal City" was filmed on location, with several shooting sites.

In today's scene, Zhao Yifan's character, Ji Chongyang, accidentally gets caught in a gang fight and ends up joining one of the gangs.

Lu Xu wasn’t sure why Zhao Yifan had it out for him, but he always paid close attention to the performances of his fellow actors, both to learn from them and to assess their overall skill level.

Just as he looked towards the set, he saw Zhao Yifan, who was about to start filming, glaring at him.

The glare was anything but subtle, and most of the crew likely noticed.

Zhao Yifan's manager naturally saw this too, thinking this was trouble, and then saw Lu Xu looking back at Zhao Yifan, returning the glare with equal intensity.

The manager thought to himself, "..."

The manager felt somewhat relieved, thinking that a mutual standoff was better than his actor starting trouble alone.

Zhao Yifan didn't expect Lu Xu to glare back, so he naturally glared even harder.

Even Mu Lang had enough this time and simply said, "That’s enough."

With the director’s command, Zhao Yifan and Lu Xu naturally didn't dare to continue. Zhao Yifan started his filming, and Lu Xu went back to studying his script, while still keeping an eye on the action.

Lu Xu stopped to watch for a long time during Zhao Yifan's first scene.

Admittedly, Zhao Yifan had some serious talent. Despite acting with seasoned actors who played gang leaders with great presence, Zhao Yifan held his own.

In fact, Ji Chongyang wasn’t meant to have a commanding presence, and Zhao Yifan's grasp of the role was exactly what the character needed.

"Wow," Lu Xu thought to himself.

Although—after Zhao Yifan finished this scene, he shot Lu Xu another glare.

Lu Xu wondered, "Do I really look like a pushover?"

Zhao Yifan was aggressive, but Lu Xu didn't want to be underestimated either.

Unfortunately, it wasn't his turn to perform yet.

Lu Xu had to quietly urge the director, but as everyone knows, big directors have their own temperaments and won't easily change plans based on an actor's will. Mu Lang was already one of the more amiable among big directors, but during the filming of "Reversal City," he still turned into a tyrant, controlling every aspect of the crew meticulously, and when it was time to get angry, he made the entire crew dare not make a sound.

Lu Xu didn't say anything, just kept hovering around the director until the director got annoyed.

Mu Lang had no choice but to wave his hand and say, "I'll arrange your scene right away."

Luo Kun silently gave Lu Xu a thumbs up.

There weren't many actors who dared to urge Mu Lang, and Lu Xu was undoubtedly one of the best.

Lu Xu's first scene was with Zhao Yifan.

In "Reversal City," there was a scene where the villain he played befriends Ji Chongyang. It's worth mentioning that in the script, the villain had no name throughout, only a pseudonym Luo Ying when befriending Ji Chongyang.

This naturally had a satirical meaning—for ordinary people, the names of those in power are a kind of taboo.

Zhao Yifan obviously hadn't expected it. He originally thought his scenes with Lu Xu would be delayed for a while, but he didn't expect it to be so soon.

But since he had to act, he wasn't afraid: "Isn't it said that Lu Xu's acting is good? I want to see exactly how good it is!"

He was just very unconvinced by Lu Xu and wanted to be convinced; Lu Xu would have to make him truly admire his skills!