They admitted that Chu Qing was indeed good-looking, and her performance in that variety show wasn't too bad, but they never thought that Chu Qing would play this role.
They couldn't accept that such a perfect character in their hearts would be ruined.
The third male lead in the script is a national advisor who cares about the world. Although he is only the third male lead in terms of screen time, his popularity is no less than that of the male lead.
The Imperial Advisor, who had the world at heart, lived in the Star-Picking Tower. He was always dressed in white with white hair. In the novel, he was described as being from an immortal race. In the end, when the army attacked, he willingly sacrificed himself for his country, and his blood sacrifice brought forth ghost soldiers to protect his homeland.
Chu Qing understood why this character was so attractive when he was reading the novel. He would also find it hard to resist such a character who was full of shining qualities but ended up in tragedy.
Before taking the costume fitting photos, the director searched for some information about Chu Qing.
If the Wei family hadn't specifically requested Chu Qing to play this role with their investment, the director would have had no idea that such a person existed.
This director, who had little popularity from the beginning and couldn't attract investment, liked to allow others to bring in people in order to earn a little more money.
After all, the director was willing to bow down for money, and he believed that since those people were worth so much money from the investors, their own conditions couldn't be too bad.
It's just adding a few harmless decorative vases to the script. If those vases are pretty enough, then he'll actually make a profit.
Chu Qing didn't bring Xia Xia this time out of caution; Xia Xia was picked up by Wei's mother, who was visiting the area, yesterday afternoon.
When Xiaxia heard that his grandma was going to take him to a place he had only seen in cartoons before, he got on the bus without hesitation, carrying his little backpack. Only after he got on the bus did he realize that he hadn't said goodbye to his dad yet, so he turned around and waved to his dad.
The agent led Chu Qing into the dressing room. The director was very good at handling things; having received so much investment from the Wei family, he arranged Chu Qing's environment on set perfectly.
Originally, only the main characters had their own dressing room, but Chu Qing also had one. In addition, the crew members were specially instructed in advance to ensure that Chu Qing would not be mistreated there.
Most of these staff members are the director's regular team, having worked together for so many years, they know the director's personality very well.
Just by looking at the director, it's as if he practically has his connections written all over his face.
After securing the extra investment, the director didn't hesitate to bring back everything he had previously admired but had been forced to abandon due to lack of funds.
Not only did they upgrade their clothing, but they also put thought into their other accessories.
For example, as the imperial advisor, he always carried a jade pendant with him. It is said that the author of the novel referenced a real jade pendant when creating the story.
That jade pendant is an old item; it fetched hundreds of millions at auction, but the director couldn't borrow it last time.
This time, considering that the Wei family was there to vouch for them, the owner of the jade pendant reluctantly agreed to lend it to them for filming.
After changing her clothes, Chu Qing began her elaborate makeup routine. Sitting in front of the makeup mirror, she opened her phone and glanced at the message Wei Yutang had sent her not long ago.
They said that if nothing unexpected happens, he'll be back soon after filming, but they can't guarantee that's actually the case.
I came to have my costume fitting photos taken today.
Chu Qing had just sent the message when Wei Yutang replied.
When will it be posted on the official Weibo account? I'll repost it to you then.
I'm not entirely sure about the specifics either.
Before starting work today, the director made it clear to the staff that the main purpose was to take good costume photos of the third male lead. If the photos were taken perfectly, he would treat them to dinner tonight.
It has to be said that the director is very good at understanding the audience's feelings; most of the promotional photos taken today are ethereal and fairy-like.
There's also battle-damaged makeup; her white clothes are stained with blood, adding a touch of fragility and vulnerability to her cool and aloof demeanor. Even without post-production retouching, she still has the ability to amaze people at first glance.
"good."
When filming wrapped, the director couldn't help but praise her a couple of times. He said that he liked vases like this the most, who didn't require him to worry about anything.
It's not a role that requires much acting skill; as long as Chu Qing has that aloof and cold vibe, that's enough. Some adjustments can be made later.
This director excels at filming pretty but ultimately unattractive films, especially the kind that are stunning at first glance but then quickly fade away.
To leave the audience with the most perfect impression, and then die at the most beautiful moment, becoming an unforgettable white moonlight.
"Chu Qing, you did a great job today. I hope you can continue to do so when filming officially begins."
"Director, I will continue to work hard."
Chu Qing didn't dare to give a definite answer as to how good his acting was, but he believed that he had thoroughly studied the script.
Whether it's a script for himself or another novel, he has read it repeatedly many times.
Xiaxia went on a trip with Wei's mother. Every night, Wei's mother would send him some photos, afraid that he would worry.
Chu Qing could tell from these photos that Xia Xia was being taken very well.
If he's not too busy with work, I'll video chat with him and tell him where I've been, what fun things I've done, or what happened to me.
Chu Qing could see Xia Xia taking out the gifts she said she was going to give him almost every day. The little backpack that held the gifts became more and more bulging, and eventually, it was too heavy for her to carry, so Wei's mother decided to mail them back.
After the production team finished retouching the photos, they released the official character photos of all the cast members on the same day.
The male and female leads had been rumored online for a long time. It's impossible to satisfy everyone's wishes in this kind of thing, but most fans of the original work are satisfied with the male and female leads and several important characters.
This Imperial Advisor, Chu Qing, who is rumored to have only appeared on a variety show once before, has no works to back him up, and there is no way to judge his acting skills.
Even with a fairly decent-looking face, it still doesn't satisfy fans of the original work.
[The announcement is finally happening today! Honestly, if it really is Chu Qing, I absolutely won't even glance at her!]
I really don't understand why Chu Qing doesn't continue appearing on variety shows and insists on acting.
[Those who know about this kind of person understand; if it really matches the original story, I'll wash my hair upside down!]
Author's Note:
Waaaa, I'm sorry, I couldn't write three chapters. Here's a red envelope to make up for it, qaq. I'll definitely do it tomorrow!
Chapter 62
While busy filming abroad, Wei Yutang made a point of paying attention to this matter.
He immediately reposted the official photos released by the production team's Weibo account, adding the caption "Looking forward to it," even though Chu Qing hadn't followed him on that app at all.
No matter how much the fans protested, Wei Yutang's attitude remained firm from the beginning and would not be swayed by any external factors.
The character of the Imperial Advisor hits the sweet spot for many people, and his character development is perfect. Even now, his character design is still relevant.
There's a significant divide between novel fans and casual readers. The human brain has all sorts of wild imaginations, and the characters we like are the most perfect versions of ourselves in our fantasies.
In film and television dramas, no matter how hard the director tries to do their best, there will still be some difference between the final product and the image they envision.
The director had been criticized for so long, and he was somewhat resentful. He had been secretly keeping an eye on things when the character photos were released.
Because their production team had ample funding, they even bought a trending topic, attracting many casual viewers who had previously paid little attention to the show.
While her acting skills aren't apparent from the promotional photos, Chu Qing's portrayal of fragility and aloofness in white is undeniably captivating.
Especially the last battle-damaged makeup, which many uninformed passersby thought was amazing.
Chu Qing had few works before and was a complete flop in the industry, which is a good thing in some ways.
He has never acted in any films or TV series, and his past is completely blank, yet he can still promote this as his first work.
After the official character photos were released, the resistance from fans of the original work was not as intense as it had been at the beginning. They adopted a wait-and-see attitude and planned to wait until the official broadcast before making any decisions.
Chu Qing looks good in modern clothes, but when he puts on ancient costumes, he seems to have some kind of arrogant attitude. Just by standing there, he gives people the illusion that he is someone from that world.
At first, Xiaxia obediently followed her grandmother around, even temporarily forgetting about her father.
After a while, no matter how interesting the attractions outside were, they still couldn't attract the little guy's attention. He would stay in his grandma's arms all day and whisper that he missed his dad.
"Isn't this place fun? Or do you not like it here? How about we go somewhere else to play?"
Seeing Xiaxia's aggrieved look, Wei's mother felt a little sorry for her. She thought that Chu Qing was still filming on set and probably didn't have the time or energy to take care of Xiaxia, so she decided to try to coax her first.
"It's fun, I like it, but Xiaxia still misses her dad..."
Xiaxia is not the kind of child who is difficult to deal with. She is very well-behaved when she is with her mother and rarely makes a fuss.
Even if she really misses her dad right now, she should talk to her grandma properly. This well-behaved yet pitiful little face made Wei's mother want to give in.
"Okay, then we'll go back tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, the child, who had been hanging his head, immediately raised it, his eyes filled with joy, his beautiful eyes shining like stars.
"Really, Grandma!"
"real."
Mother Wei rubbed his fluffy head, then turned to have her assistant start packing. At the same time, she booked plane tickets and told her husband to settle in there first.
The blood ties that already existed made Wei's mother very fond of the child, and now that they had spent so much time together, their affection had only grown stronger.
Even though Chu Qing is Xia Xia's other father, Wei's mother was still worried that Xia Xia would suffer on the film set.
Chu Qing had just finished filming when she received a call from Wei's mother saying that she would be bringing Xia Xia over.
He wasn't the main character, and his role wasn't very big, so he wasn't particularly busy. In his spare time, he liked to study the script repeatedly.
After joining the production team, the screenwriter would revise the plot as filming progressed. It's unclear whether it was because Chu Qing was indeed outstanding or because of the investment behind him, but the character of the immortal national advisor was made even more perfect.
In the novel, the imperial advisor falls in love with the female protagonist, a love so subtle that he only dares to keep it hidden in his heart.
The author once mentioned in an interview that the reason why the Imperial Advisor chose to use forbidden techniques was because...
He not only wanted to protect his own country, but also the people in the city, and her in the deep palace.
A passionate love for one's country and family, and a deep-seated personal affection for one's children, which is hidden in the heart and never dared to be spoken, are intertwined in a character who is like a banished immortal.
Even Chu Qing had to admit that the original author was really good at it.
Xiaxia had just returned to the city with her grandmother when she started fussing about wanting to see her father. After much persuasion, Wei's mother finally convinced him to go back and take a shower and change into some nice clothes.
The weather was already quite cold. After taking a bath, Xiaxia changed into the down jacket that his grandma had bought for him. The hood had a white fur trim, and it looked nice to the touch.
After becoming a grandmother, Wei's mother couldn't help but be very careful around Xiaxia, and even put a scarf around his neck to shield him from the wind.
In this way, only Xiaxia's eyes were exposed, darting around curiously as she looked in all directions.
The assistant contacted the crew in advance and came directly to where Chu Qing was. Xia Xia called out "Dad!" from afar.
"Um?"
The familiar voice made Chu Qing subconsciously raise her head and look in the direction of the voice. After seeing that it was Xia Xia, she put her things aside and stood up.
Xiaxia ran towards her father, and Chu Qing also came in his direction, just in time for the little darling to jump into her arms, like an octopus clinging to her body.
"Dad, I miss you so much."