I Was Taken by the Female Lead After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 38

The script reading was held at the filming location. This was different from what Bai Feifei had experienced before, as most script readings were held in the actors’ hotel, since it usually took place before filming had officially started.

Li Ke’s intention was that by being on set and hearing those familiar sounds, the actors could quickly get into character during the first and second readings. Bai Feifei initially thought it made sense, but she didn’t fully grasp it until she actually arrived on set. When she saw the real-life orphanage, the young actors and children working with the crew, and the nearby dilapidated schools waiting to be relocated to new campuses, she finally felt a sense of grounding.

The official start time was 9 a.m., but many people hadn’t arrived yet. Li Ke walked around a large venue and turned on the central air conditioning. Then he grabbed a portable microphone from a crew member, turned the volume all the way up, and announced, “Take a break, everyone. Free time. We’ll start promptly at nine. Remember to be here five minutes early—everyone who heard me, reply in the group chat. Just the main cast, everyone else can do whatever you want—oh, my goodness!”

Everyone heard his voice rise and almost crack at the end. They turned to look and saw Li Ke had fallen onto a wall of tires stacked as high as a person’s lower leg. He was propped up with one hand, his upper body already plunged in.

Everyone burst into laughter. Bai Feifei couldn’t help it and laughed with them for a while.

Fu Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to pull her out, her face glowing as she rummaged through her large backpack. “Baby, let’s go for a walk! Don’t you love these ancient cities? When we graduated, you said you’d travel to L City with me and even go to Tibet, but we never got to… This time, let’s make up for it. When you have free time, we’ll go for a stroll!”

“Okay,” Bai Feifei said, checking the time. It was still early. With almost an hour to spare, they could indeed drive somewhere a little further.

Just as they reached the entrance, they were blocked by a person. Bai Feifei looked up and saw Huo Wu walking towards them, with Guan Ziyao following behind carrying a bunch of bags, and Ji Meng standing next to her.

Bai Feifei hadn’t even greeted them yet when Huo Wu, who had just entered behind her, took off her sunglasses and said, her red lips parting slightly, “Where are you going?”

Fu Xiaoxiao was busy looking at a map and didn’t forget to hand Bai Feifei a bottle of mineral water.

Bai Feifei took it. The slightly cold bottle calmed her down. She said, “Xiaoxiao wants to get familiar with the nearby streets. I also really like Luoshui City and wanted to go see it and get familiar with the surroundings.”

“Oh,” Huo Wu nodded. She hooked her sunglasses onto the pocket on her chest, put her hands behind her back, and turned around. “Then let’s go.”

A small question mark slowly appeared on Bai Feifei’s head. She subconsciously asked, “Where are we going?”

“Aren’t you getting familiar with the surroundings?” Huo Wu turned her head, a slight smile on her face, and her eyes looking a little deep. “I’ll go with you. It just so happens that I need to familiarize myself with them too.”

“…Okay.” Bai Feifei nodded in confusion.

Ji Meng and Guan Ziyao stood shoulder to shoulder, both a little lost. Even after Bai Feifei, Huo Wu, and Fu Xiaoxiao left the entrance, Guan Ziyao still hadn’t fully recovered. She couldn’t help but say, “Didn’t Teacher Huo and Director Li spend a long time building this set together? They referred to many dilapidated newly built districts… Why does she need to get familiar with the outdoor scenes again?”

“Who knows,” Ji Meng shrugged, her smile a little mischievous. “Don’t try to guess Teacher Huo’s thoughts. You’ll never get it right no matter how hard you try.”

Guan Ziyao nodded seriously, looked at the schedule, and said, “Then I’ll go prepare an iced coffee for her—Sister Mengmeng, should I also prepare one for Feifei and them?”

“Feifei doesn’t need one,” Ji Meng frowned. “Her stomach isn’t good. She’s in recovery, so she can’t drink coffee. That girl has been in the hospital quite a few times in the past two months… Prepare one for Xiaoxiao and Yang Chun—Yang Chun is Bai Xue.”

Guan Ziyao was only stunned for a moment before she reacted. She nodded and said, “Okay, then I’ll prepare some warm milk for Feifei.”

This time, Ji Meng didn’t shake her head and let her go. Facing the now-empty entrance, Ji Meng strolled around and couldn’t help but click her tongue in a sigh. She wondered who had said they were coming to inspect the set early this morning. They were now inspecting the tourist attractions.

With the National Day holiday approaching, Luoshui City was decorated with lights and colors. Banners and festive lanterns were hung everywhere. Some streets near scenic spots even had five-star red flags hanging everywhere. Coinciding with the special holiday, the tribute drama that Huo Wu and Li Ke collaborated on was also about to be released. There were a few large cinemas in the city, and Bai Feifei wanted to go see them when the time came.

As they walked down the street, it was only morning, but there were already many stalls set up for the holiday. In no time, Bai Feifei’s hands were full of things. She was carrying a huge pile of food, drinks, and toys. Fu Xiaoxiao was no different. Only Huo Wu hadn’t carried anything the whole time, with her black clothes, black hat, and mask never taken off.

When they reached a McDonald’s, Bai Feifei was a little tired. It took fifteen minutes to drive from the street to the film set, and they still had enough time to rest for a bit and enjoy the free air conditioning.

“Should we go in and rest for a bit?” Bai Feifei asked pitifully, blinking her eyes and panting. “I’m a little tired.”

Huo Wu saw that her face was a little pale. She frowned and took the lead, walking toward the restaurant. McDonald’s wasn’t open 24 hours. There were only a few people who worked nearby coming to buy breakfast. The air conditioning had just been turned on and wasn’t very strong, but it was still cooler than outside.

In a short moment, Huo Wu said, “Let’s go back to the car. The air conditioning in the car hasn’t been turned off. It’s a two-minute walk back, and you can lie down for a while.”

Fu Xiaoxiao seemed to have endless energy. She had taken most of the things from Bai Feifei and said, “Yes, yes, let’s go back! We can rest there and eat what we bought. Then we can go back!”

Bai Feifei thought so too. She dragged her heavy feet, following Fu Xiaoxiao. After only a few steps, she was already pulling on Fu Xiaoxiao’s arm for support. After a few more steps, she sighed, a little surprised by her own physical condition.

They had only been walking for half an hour since they got out of the car, and she had been eating and drinking the whole time to replenish her energy. Out of the three of them, she seemed to be the only one so tired she could barely walk.

“Didn’t sleep well last night?”

When Huo Wu’s voice sounded next to her ear, Bai Feifei still hadn’t fully processed it. But then she felt her hand being taken by another warm hand. The weight that was pulling her down was now shared, and Bai Feifei couldn’t help but sigh with relief.

Huo Wu was wearing a long-sleeved sun-protection shirt, which was well-insulated. But through the thin fabric, she could feel the warmth of Huo Wu’s skin. The weight on her arm was shared, and it seemed like her whole body was being pulled forward.

Bai Feifei’s spirits lifted. She tried to say, “I didn’t sleep well. I went to bed too late and woke up too early…”

“Mhm,” Huo Wu nodded. “Got it.”

Bai Feifei couldn’t help but look up at Huo Wu’s delicate jawline, her gaze lingering on her long, fair neck. She couldn’t help but ask, “Got what?”

“The script reading will only be two and a half hours, and we’ll be dismissed at 11:30,” Huo Wu said. “In the afternoon, we’ll start at five and go until nine at night. After that, you can go back to the hotel and sleep for a while.”

Bai Feifei’s eyes widened. “But didn’t they say it was an all-day event? With only a two-hour break for lunch, and we have to report back at 2 p.m. to work until nine?”

“Working when you’re constantly tired is meaningless,” Huo Wu stopped and pointed to the minivan in front of them with her chin. “Get in. Rest well. You’ll also be able to absorb more information. It’s indeed too rushed to have a script reading the day after all the actors have just arrived. This is…”

Huo Wu changed her tone, saying with an expressionless and serious face, “Li Ke didn’t think it through.”

Bai Feifei couldn’t bring herself to talk badly about Li Ke, so she just nodded in a daze.

They didn’t just walk around for nothing. When they went back, they brought some gifts for the crew members who were participating in the script reading. Many people hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, so they got to enjoy some warm and fresh local snacks, as well as the coffee that Fu Xiaoxiao had ordered early in the morning.

When Bai Feifei came out of the bathroom after washing her face, she happened to hear some of the staff members chatting outside.

“Everyone got a share?”

“Yes. They’re not cheap either. A cup costs more than twenty yuan. There are hundreds of people on our crew, from front of house to behind the scenes, and no one was left out. Even the cleaning lady has a cup of freshly squeezed juice. Is our female lead a bit too generous…”

“She’s not the one who’s generous; her assistant is. Look, I even have a ‘please take care of me’ sticker…”

“Oh, me too. Mine is even handwritten. The writing is so neat. I couldn’t bear to throw it away…”

“She’s so thoughtful. I heard this is Bai Feifei’s first official role, and her first time as a female lead.”

“It’s true. Her rumors were all over the hot searches not long ago. This girl really has it tough… We should take care of her as much as we can. She’s still just a young girl.”

“If I had a best friend like Fu Xiaoxiao, I’d have no regrets in life.”

“Who wouldn’t want one? Is yours also handwritten?”

“Mine is too!”

“Mine as well…”

The crowd outside began to disperse, seemingly asking about the signatures on the paper. Bai Feifei lowered her head to wash her hands. As she washed, she looked up and pursed her lips at her reflection in the mirror. She lightly clenched her hand, a look of determination on her face.

In the last five minutes, everyone was full and relaxed. They took their seats one after another. Bai Feifei’s humble nature kicked in, and she sat in a spot far away from Li Ke and Huo Wu. Just as she sat down and opened her script, she was startled by Li Ke’s sudden call.

“Did I scare you?” Li Ke mumbled. “Am I that scary?”

“You are, Director,” Li Yan from the screenwriting team couldn’t help but laugh. “How many girls did you make cry during the auditions? Feifei is one of the few you didn’t—Little Wu too. Their mental fortitude is quite strong. Come on, you two, sit closer to the front, right next to Director Li.”

Bai Feifei and Wu Qingying, who was also sitting in the back, exchanged glances. They had no choice but to close their scripts and move away from their auspicious spots. The higher the position, the more you had to endure. For example, the dozens of gazes on her from everyone in the room. They had all kinds of feelings, but she couldn’t distinguish them. It just felt like they were piercing her.

Li Ke finally spoke. “Let’s start quickly. I’ll read the narration. The first scene starts with Teacher Huo, and then Feifei takes over—do you have any questions?”

At this point, even if Bai Feifei had questions, she could only say no. She bit the bullet and said, “I’ll try my best.”

Once Li Ke entered work mode, he was like a different person. He stared sharply at Bai Feifei. “I don’t want your best effort. I want you to give it your all every single time, to break through your best. I’ll ask again. Do you have any questions?”

“No questions,” Bai Feifei said, pursing her lips.

Then Li Ke gave everyone half an hour for the first reading of a selected passage. Coincidentally, it was a part that Bai Feifei hadn’t prepared for. She couldn’t read a book starting from the middle, and the same went for a script. She had to read it from beginning to end for the first time. But she had received the script late and hadn’t even had time to read it all the way through; there was still an ending left.

Moreover, no one had the full script. According to Li Ke and Huo Wu’s intentions, it seemed that the second half of the script would be revised as they filmed the first half. Therefore, not only the entire directing team, but also the screenwriting team, post-production, and some core members of the lighting and props teams were all present.

Bai Feifei composed herself and opened the script in front of her. Even though she hadn’t read the entire thing, she already had a preliminary understanding of the character Fusang. In the show, she played Fusang, a young lady from a wealthy family. But Fusang was different from most wealthy families. Her parents seemed to have no intention of sending her to a private aristocratic school to make connections. Instead, she went to a regular middle school.

Fusang was born into a privileged family. Even though she went to a school like this, her experiences from a young age were different. She could thrive anywhere and was always the one people looked up to, everyone’s little sunshine. The era of the script’s background was unknown. Li Ke and Huo Wu never seemed to reveal this. But from the words, architecture, and some of the spending levels in the script, it wasn’t difficult to deduce that this timeline was like a background from over twenty years ago, when the education system was at its most chaotic.

This script talked about some heavy things. The education system was chaotic back then, and it was a period of urbanization. The people in the city were mixed, and the student body was also from a chaotic background. Public schools had children from families like Fusang’s, but also children like Wu Ling, played by Huo Wu. When this situation appeared on campus, some dark aspects would start to emerge, and among the children who still couldn’t pretend, some evil aspects would be highlighted even more.

This was probably why Li Ke and Huo Wu were confident that they could win awards. Not to mention the script itself was brilliant; there were also some supporting characters with excellent personalities, and a few popular celebrities with good acting skills were invited, so the fan base would definitely be stable—otherwise, the show wouldn’t have been torn apart so many times just because of the casting issues.

There was a young boy named Li Ran, who had over thirty million fans and was in the process of transitioning from an idol to an actor. He was just nineteen years old and played a significant supporting role in the show. Coincidentally, the character he played had the same name as him, just a different character: his name was Li Ran, and the character’s name was Li Ran.

Fusang also experienced several major changes in her life. The first was the death of her father and the collapse of the family business.

The orange sea.

The second was when she went from being the little princess held in everyone’s palms to an ant that everyone at school could step on. After that, her life took a silent turn. The third was when she relied on her own willpower and frail arms to support her mother, who was suffering from depression, and at the same time, she got into a top university. The fourth was when she was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

These four points summarized Fusang’s short life, but beyond these four simple points, many story arcs spread out. Bai Feifei didn’t know what the second half of the script would entail, but based on these four points, she had a feeling that Light and Shadow was a tragedy.

The script reading lasted all day. Even though there were many breaks, and Bai Feifei even took a nap, in her dreams, Fusang’s life came pouring in, leaving her in a daze.

By the time they finished work at night, she was so exhausted that Fu Xiaoxiao had to drag her out of the set. She felt a kind of fatigue that she couldn’t shake off. She heard a light sound of footsteps behind her and couldn’t help but look back. All around her were people in similar states, walking in groups of two or three. Those who were close leaned on each other, while those who weren’t walked shoulder to shoulder, occasionally saying something to encourage one another, at least until they could lie down at the hotel.

Among all these people, only Huo Wu seemed to be used to this intensity of work. Her posture was straight, and her eyes were still full of life. Bai Feifei stopped and called out in a pitiful, soft voice, “A-Wu.”

“Mhm.” Huo Wu walked closer to her, examined Bai Feifei’s pale face, and frowned. “Didn’t sleep well?”

“No,” Bai Feifei sighed in frustration. She couldn’t help but try to test Huo Wu’s tone. “Is Light and Shadow a tragedy?”

Huo Wu’s eyes flickered in the light outside, looking a little unreal. Bai Feifei heard Huo Wu say, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Bai Feifei repeated, her face looking even more miserable. “I read all day today. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like Fusang is so much like me…”

“Is she?” Huo Wu suddenly said.

“Mhm, she really is,” Bai Feifei murmured. “Her father passed away, her mother went crazy, and she was diagnosed with a terminal illness…”

It seemed very similar, but if these contents were taken apart into four steps, they seemed a little different from her. It also seemed like a lot of ethical dramas—the female lead must have been switched at birth, her father must have been murdered by an old friend and committed suicide, her mother went crazy from being forced by this old friend and couldn’t accept reality, and the female lead would finally get her revenge, only to find out she was terminally ill and didn’t have much time left.

Bai Feifei paused, and she was sobered up by the thought of this dramatic, commercial soap opera she had made up. She said with a serious face, “I don’t think she is.”

“In what way is she not?”

Bai Feifei said very seriously, “I can definitely make the ending a happy and complete one. I haven’t seen the whole script yet, so I don’t know the path Fusang will take in the later stages, and I don’t know my own understanding and interpretation of the character yet—but one thing I’m sure of is that I will never give up on anything I don’t want to give up.”

Bai Feifei paused at the end and then spoke again with a little hesitation, “And, I think, maybe she shouldn’t get a terminal illness.”

Huo Wu walked out with her. The heat of the night had dissipated, and a slight breeze picked up. Huo Wu closed her eyes and felt the comfort of the wind on her face. She didn’t respond to Bai Feifei’s question about the “terminal illness.” Instead, she said, “Like not giving up on what?”

The weather forecast said it would rain in Luoshui City for a while, but it was a clear, sunny day every day, not at all like it was going to rain. The breeze rustled. Because her mind was more active, Bai Feifei’s voice was also a lot clearer than before, and she sounded more energetic.

Bai Feifei said, “Like you.”