Chapter 205 Shooting in Progress

Chapter 205: The Shooting Continues

He was merely envious of his friend.

His friend possessed everything he lacked—popularity, extensive knowledge, and an elegant demeanor. Wherever his friend went, there was nothing but praise.

Even... even though his friend already had it all, he still treated everyone with genuine kindness and sincerity.

It was because of his friend's kindness that Ma Yanwen could have a stable job and the peaceful life he now enjoyed.

But instead of being grateful, he harbored endless darkness.

The emotion of jealousy expanded infinitely in Ma Yanwen’s heart, making him not only hate his friend but also genuinely wish to destroy him.

Thus, in his memories, he portrayed himself as someone like his "friend," while doing everything in his power to defame his friend.

If not for his actions being discovered, he would never have confessed.

For Lu Xu, portraying Ma Yanwen involved two parts. The first part of Ma Yanwen was unremarkable, easily lost in a crowd. As for the second part of Ma Yanwen... the depths of human evil were fully displayed in him.

His friend did not die by his hand, but when his friend sought help from him, he chose to stand idly by. When his friend was confirmed dead, he felt a secret joy within.

As if the shadow blocking his path had finally vanished, his friend’s death made him feel a perverse sense of happiness.

When Mu Lang said this role suited him, Lu Xu was quite puzzled, even doubting whether he had done something wrong to deserve such an image of the director in his mind.

However, Lu Xu was indeed captivated by this character, a type he had never played before.

Reading the first half of the script, Lu Xu found it rather mundane, suspecting that there was some hidden mystery behind Ma Yanwen’s imprisonment, such as him being a big boss like Luo Ying, or that he possessed extraordinary skills and managed to escape through his own efforts.

But what Lu Xu never expected was that Ma Yanwen would display the pinnacle of “bad” that an ordinary person could reach.

The saying goes, "A little kindness begets gratitude; too much kindness begets resentment." The deeper the friendship, the more it fueled his jealousy and hatred.

The latter part of the script almost made Lu Xu's back shiver.

At that moment, he understood why Mu Lang had to direct this script.

As one of the most renowned directors in the industry, Mu Lang certainly didn't lack for scripts to choose from. His selection of this particular script was undoubtedly due to its inherent appeal.

Lu Xu took on this script because of the challenge presented by the character of Ma Yanwen.

He had only starred in two films with relatively simple characters, *Night Sky Observation* and *Code A77*. Taking on a more complex role would serve as a perfect change of pace.

Despite the small scale of the production, Lu Xu hadn't even shot many scenes with other actors, but the crux of the script lay with Ma Yanwen.

The first few scenes he shot didn't feel right. After careful consideration, Lu Xu rewrote Ma Yanwen's character background, expanding the role.

In Lu Xu's view, the script had a twist in Ma Yanwen's characterization. Since he himself was surprised by this twist, his performance must also surprise the audience.

Lu Xu meticulously reviewed the script from beginning to end, taking detailed notes. To be honest, Lu Xu was an experienced actor who could rely on his instincts, but with the script in hand, he felt that any lapse in his performance would alter the audience's perception of the script and Ma Yanwen.

On this point, Lu Xu was resolute.

Director Mu Lang was also candid with Lu Xu—his invitation was partly due to Lu Xu's character.

...

From an ordinary viewer's perspective, the latter part of the script, where Ma Yanwen reveals his true nature, would be harder to portray. But for Lu Xu, the real challenge lay in the earlier part.

The "ordinary" Ma Yanwen's role came to an end, and as the story progressed into the phase where Ma Yanwen was filled with malice, Lu Xu found it almost second nature. He had played so many villains that portraying Ma Yanwen felt like merely transitioning from one bad guy to another, presenting no significant technical challenge.

The earlier part of Ma Yanwen's character, however, was more complex—a wolf in sheep's clothing, concealing his malevolence beneath a facade. Given Ma Yanwen's adeptness at hiding his true nature, which surpassed any other overtly expressive character, Lu Xu found it particularly challenging to gauge the right balance.

During this period of filming, Lu Xu had a few NGs—since winning the Zhengming Award, such occurrences were rare on set.

Ma Yanwen was indeed a difficult character to handle.

But as filming progressed, Lu Xu gradually got a handle on him.

The complexity of the role itself brought a sense of excitement as he faced the challenge.

Especially when Ma Yanwen's lies were riddled with holes, yet he still tried his utmost to cover up his despicable acts, it only made him seem even more detestable, especially when considering the plight of his friend.

His friend and Ma Yanwen were from two different worlds, people who should have had no connection. The former, through a simple act of kindness, helped the latter, pulling him into his own world.

The longer Lu Xu played Ma Yanwen, the more he felt a sense of indignation: "What right does Ma Yanwen have?" This was a private emotion he kept hidden, knowing that letting his personal feelings become too intense would affect his portrayal of the character.

"He helped me, no, I helped him. The students' complaints had him very upset, and he confided in me. Even though I was very busy that semester, I still took the time to help him find the department head..."

Ma Yanwen repeated these lines several times, despite their obvious flaws. The gleam in his eyes revealed that he truly believed what he was saying.

A lie, if repeated enough times, can slowly become the truth.

At least, Ma Yanwen was brainwashing himself, making himself believe.

While delivering this dialogue, Lu Xu's words sounded clumsy, but his expression was one of excitement. Mu Lang watched him closely for a long time before finally telling Lu Xu that the scene had passed.

Ma Yanwen was not only trying to brainwash the audience; he had already brainwashed himself.

Judging from his expression and the vivid descriptions he gave, no one would doubt his words.

"Truly fitting," Mu Lang murmured after a long pause.

Having worked with Lu Xu on *Urban Reversal* for some time, this collaboration still brought him pleasant surprises—although the first few scenes were somewhat bumpy, Mu Lang keenly sensed that Lu Xu had made progress.

Not just among the younger generation, but among all the actors Mu Lang had worked with, Lu Xu's talent stood out. Yet, despite his full potential, Lu Xu continued to diligently hone his craft.

Mu Lang was known for his strict nature, something all the actors who had worked with him understood well.

But this did not stop him from appreciating Lu Xu; in fact, the longer they worked together, the more he admired him.

During the filming of *Urban Reversal*, Lu Xu had already saved Mu Lang a lot of time and effort. This new project was no different. Mu Lang had given Lu Xu ample time, expecting him to meet 100% of his requirements, but Lu Xu exceeded expectations, reaching 120%.

His portrayal of Ma Yanwen surpassed what Mu Lang had imagined.

Mu Lang couldn't help but speculate that during the filming of *Urban Reversal*, Lu Xu wasn't yet at his current level. The change must have come from the subsequent films he shot.

...

After portraying Ma Yanwen's nagging and annoying side, Lu Xu delved into the scenes where he displayed Ma Yanwen's malevolence.

Ma Yanwen wasn't a typical villainous boss, leading a gang or plotting to destroy the Earth. It was precisely because his evil stemmed from an ordinary person that it was more terrifying.

His friends hadn't wronged him; they had even sincerely tried to help him. Morally, his friends were blameless, yet their very goodness provoked overwhelming malice.

Lu Xu wasn't like Ma Yanwen; he couldn't even understand him. But because the existence of someone like Ma Yanwen was so frightening, it was necessary to convey the character's terror, to make the audience aware that such people exist in the world, capable of harboring hatred even when others do nothing to provoke it.

The less he understood, the more meticulously Lu Xu studied and explored the unique aspects of Ma Yanwen. He put considerable effort into the role.

Moreover, since this script is almost entirely carried by one character, if Lu Xu's performance is too bland, the story will be quite boring for the audience.

There are some personal monologue films both domestically and internationally. These films usually have very low budgets and rely solely on the performances of one or two actors to leave a deep impression on the audience.

Since filming "The Noble Son," this is the first time Lu Xu has attempted a role like Ma Yanwen, and it's also the first time he's shouldered an entire film.

Almost all the roles he has played since entering the film industry have been leading parts, but even in a film like "Feathers of Youth," which tells the story of the protagonist Yin Pei's growth, there were multiple storylines.

In this movie, however, there is only the Ma Yanwen facing the sunlight and the Ma Yanwen in the shadows.

"Filming is so tiring," Lu Xu sighed heavily. "It feels like every day is my scene."

During the shooting of his previous film, "Code A77," Lu Xu at least had a Spring Festival break to promote "Nightly Astrology." The crew was filming other actors' scenes then. But during the production of this film, Lu Xu felt that every day after waking up was his scene. As long as the crew didn't take a break, his scenes were always scheduled.

Lu Xu summarized it as, "Doing the most scenes, getting the least pay."

He didn't mean to criticize the crew; the new film was a low-budget production, and even as the lead actor, Lu Xu's salary wasn't much. Besides, Director Muliang was an old acquaintance, and Lu Xu really couldn't bring himself to demand a high price for working on his film.

Additionally, the role itself was challenging, and although Director Muliang wasn't as strict as before, Lu Xu still felt the pressure.

Notably, during their collaboration on the new film, Zhao Yifan, who had worked with them on "Urban Reversal," popped up and subtly dissed Muliang for favoring Lu Xu, always thinking of him for good scripts without considering other actors.

Lu Xu: "..."

Lu Xu had endured it for a long time, but now, he finally couldn't hold back. He said that mental illness must be treated, and if left untreated, it could turn into something like Zhao Yifan's condition.

What kind of thought process did Zhao Yifan have to think that Director Muliang would want to work with him again?

It's completely impossible, right?

Or does he think he didn't suffer enough from "Urban Reversal"?

Zhao Yifan was a headache number one, and Lu Xu's headache number two made a grand appearance during the Spring Festival while filming the new movie— "Family and Country" was officially released.

——————

This script actually drew inspiration from "Malice."