Chapter 31: May I Kiss You, Director?

  Thank you Citroen1992 for the big reward! For this historic first time, a 4700-word chapter is presented. Today's update exceeded 9000+ words. Please vote and collect more, I will work hard to code words, and all three updates will be unified in the future!

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  She in the night, enchanting and holy, the moonlight shines clearly and gently on her face, her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth, making people look at her, suddenly feeling pity, wanting to hold her, kiss her, and pamper her dearly.

  Christina turned around, looking at Zhou Shaoming who was walking slowly towards her, and smiled: "Nothing, just that tomorrow it's my turn to be filmed, a little, a little nervous."

  "There's nothing to be nervous about, I've seen your rehearsal at home, it was great, your acting has improved a lot! As long as you relax and maintain the level of practice at home, I believe you'll do very well!" Zhou Shaoming chuckled and patted Kristina on the shoulder, encouraging her with confidence.

  These days, along with Robert and Rainer, the clever little girl Christina finally lifted her long-dormant seal, her acting skills rising from an initial 55 points to 60 points. Although it was only a small progress of 5 points, Zhou Shaoming had great confidence in cultivating her, slowly tempering her into a future Oscar-winning actress.

  Of course, this is Zhou Shaoming's promise to Christina. He had long made a silent vow in his heart to redeem himself for the crime of kidnapping and to support the girl who was willing to look after him and his future in the film industry with all his might, and he would definitely go all out to fulfill his promise to her.

  "I'm a bit scared, I'm afraid that tomorrow when the camera starts rolling, I'll perform poorly. I'm afraid of messing up this hard-won role and messing up your movie." A sudden gust of chilly night wind blew by, causing Christina's words to tremble slightly, as if she felt cold, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest, holding herself pitifully close, anxiously clutching at her sleeves.

  "Put this on, be careful not to catch a cold, I don't want my heroine to collapse from a cold, that would really ruin my movie!" Zhou Shaoming quickly took off his pajamas and wrapped Kristen tightly in them, afraid she might misunderstand, he stepped back after wrapping her up.

  "Zhou, do you still remember? It was you who tied me up here and tried to rape me with a ferocious expression! Later, you suddenly came to find me and admit your mistake. I really didn't dare to believe that all of this was real, I was so scared that I cried." Kristen's sparkling eyes seemed to be smiling yet not smiling as she gazed at Zhou Shaoming, casually wrapping herself tightly in the pajamas that still held his temperature and scent.

  "Haha, I've said it before, I no longer have any bad intentions, I want to change myself, and you, are my witness to this change!" Zhou Shaoming saw that Kirsten had exposed his old self, and could only scratch his head in embarrassment, saying awkwardly.

  "Hey, you said you were going to make a movie and shout 'I'm the king of the kings' at the Oscars! Do you know what I was thinking?" Christina smiled coquettishly, as if recalling the scene, her pale face radiating stunning beauty in the moonlight.

  "Oh, what are you thinking?" Zhou Shaoming, who was usually quick-witted, found himself at a loss for words. He simply stared at Kristina's face, which was as beautiful as a goddess, his mind a complete blank.

  "Hehe, I thought to myself, you must be crazy, under my day and night crazed curses, God bless you, you've finally gone mad!" Kristina said with a hand covering her mouth, giggling.

  "Haha, haha!" Zhou Shaoming simply stared at her blankly, accompanied by a dry laugh.

  "I never thought, really never thought, that you would actually go and make a movie, and even get top-notch actors like Robert, Belle, and Rainer to join in. I truly never thought." Kristen closed her eyes, recalling the hardships along the way, a smile spreading across her face as she murmured to herself.

  "Hmm, I've said it before, and every word I say to you will come true! I'll definitely make it happen!" Zhou Shaoming really wanted to hug the seemingly fragile lily in the night wind, or the stunningly beautiful rose-like Christina who was blooming with beauty. He stretched out his hand, but quickly withdrew it, as if he had a rabbit in his heart that was jumping up and down.

  "You said that you brought me here because you liked my beauty, and that you've had a crush on me for a long time, right?" A sudden gust of wind blew, making Kristina's voice somewhat faint and fragmented, and Zhou Shaoming couldn't quite make out what she was saying, unsure if it was because her original voice was very soft or if her trembling lips were affecting it.

  "Ah! Yes! I've had a crush on you, I've had a crush on you for a long time!" Zhou Shaoming was stunned for half a day before tentatively saying so. To be on the safe side, Zhou Shaoming shrunk back a bit, preparing to escape Kristina's poisonous beating at any moment.

  "Then, in such a beautiful night, you still don't hold me, kiss me?" Kristina seemed to have used all her strength, with a shy tone, raised her invincible youthful beauty face, and gently gazed at Zhou Shaoming with her light blue eyes.

  Zhou Shaoming felt as if he had downed a whole bottle of whiskey in one gulp, the intense flames that swept through his body made him feel like a beast bursting with energy. He gazed at Kristen's shy face, her slightly upturned lips, her tightly closed and trembling eyes, and was deeply immersed in her beauty, unable to extricate himself.

  Slowly, slowly embracing her slender waist that could be grasped in one hand, he pulled her fiery body into his arms. Zhou Shaoming held Kristen tightly, as if holding his most beloved and intimate person, unwilling to part for a moment.

  Lying on his broad chest, Kristina happily listened to his excited heartbeat, as if the lazy cat of the Tobinbell family had finally found a warm place and hugged it tightly, unwilling to leave.

  She raised her head, and Christina's bright eyes were filled with an unusual emotion. She breathed softly and asked in a low voice: "Director, may I...may I kiss you?"

  Zhou Shaoming was as if struck by lightning, and in that instant, he really felt the world start spinning, non-stop spinning, like the music carousel in a dazzlingly lit amusement park, spinning non-stop.

  Gently, their lips slowly drew near, so close that the two people's breathing was indistinguishable, so close that even the beating of their excited hearts could be heard clearly. Kristen tiptoed up, her hands wrapped around Zhou Shaoming's neck, and lightly kissed him.

  Those tender lips, lightly kissed on his own mouth, awakened the lonely wolf in slumber. Zhou Shaoming suddenly hugged Kristen tightly and kissed her fiercely.

  The night grew darker, the villa, the forest, the moonlight, the poplar trees, all seemed to have fallen into the sweetest and deepest kiss of two people, disappearing without a trace.

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  No matter how well Christina performed in rehearsals, it did not translate to her being able to control everything once the cameras started rolling. Lacking acting experience and technique, she finally encountered a bad situation when the actual performance began.

  "Cut! Christina, give me some feeling! A little death and rebirth, a hint of fear with a dash of post-traumatic stress, hatred with a hint of gratitude! Put some emotion into it, okay? Put some emotion into it!" Zhou Shaoming yelled into the megaphone, this being the thirteenth take already. Having grown accustomed to Tobin-Bell, Robert and Jeremy passing through in just one shot, he was getting impatient.

  This is a scene of Amanda being questioned by the police chief, played by Danny Glover, at the police station. This was Christina's first memorable scene in the movie, and although she had rehearsed it countless times at home, this historic scene left her stumped.

  "Oh, my god, it's so frustrating... Why can't I find that feeling again?" Christina looked at Zhou Shaoming with some trepidation, who was not far away with a somewhat unhappy face and gritted teeth, her heart filled with regret.

  "Come on, Christina, calm down! Don't be nervous!" Although Zhou Shaoming was indeed in a bad mood, he still forced a smile and encouraged Christina.

  "Alright, let me calm down." Kristina gave herself a silent pep talk, her face growing increasingly serious as she took several deep breaths, trying to put herself in Amanda's shoes.

  The staff around looked at Christina, because of her NG, the entire shooting progress slowed down. Some impatient staff had strange expressions on their faces. They were also used to the brilliant performances of the three big-name stars in the previous two days and couldn't understand Christina's poor acting skills.

  "How did the director find such a girl? Her acting skills are really bad. But her appearance and figure are really great, I guess this girl has some unclear relationship with the director!" Some staff members with dirty minds looked at the young and vigorous Zhou Shaoming, with a playful smile on their faces.

  These two people indeed often have some ambiguous actions, maybe they are boyfriend and girlfriend, many people think so.

  "Kristina, don't be nervous, it's okay! I was worse than you the first time I was on camera. Relax!" Robert patted Kristina's shoulder and shrugged, smiling: "No one is laughing at you, everyone wants you to do well!"

  At this time, Robert played Dr. Gordon, who should have been in the room watching Amanda being questioned by the police, saw that Kirsten was nervous and took the initiative to come out and encourage her.

  "Uh, I'll work hard!" Christina nodded, but her mood didn't know why, and she became more and more nervous.

  "Alright, everyone in position! This is the 14th take for this shot!" Zhou Shaoming shouted through the megaphone, furrowing his brow as he stared at the monitor.

  Amanda in the original Saw is played by Shawnee Smith. Her performance throughout the film can only be described as average, but her portrayal of being questioned by the police chief at the station is absolutely brilliant, with subtle and nuanced expressions of conflicting emotions conveyed through the corners of her mouth, eyebrows, and eyes, making it one of the most memorable parts of the entire film.

  Pearls before swine, Chow Siu-ming repeatedly compared Kirsten and Shawnee Smith's performances, naturally somewhat dissatisfied with Kirsten's slightly green acting skills.

  The camera moves, the film rolls slowly, and all that can be seen is Amanda, played by Danny Glover, walking into the room with her head down, as if she has been hurt, and sitting in a chair.

  Amanda wore a black dress, her head hung low, her body slightly trembling, her head moving gently from side to side in a sickly manner, like a fragile girl who had been tortured by a killer.

  "Amanda." The sheriff asked gently: "Take your time, what's the first thing you remember?"

  The scene cuts to Dr. Gordon, who is sitting in a chair in another room, staring intently at the two of them with an air of grave and tense solemnity on his face.

  "Great!" Zhou Shaoming secretly praised in his heart, Christina had finally taken the first step, her head seemed to be out of control, shaking left and right, which perfectly showed Amanda's inner struggle.

  The camera zooms in, Amanda slowly raises her head, the corners of her mouth suddenly and imperceptibly twitching upwards, as if unwilling to recall the nightmare at that time. She shakes her head, lowers it again, then lifts it up once more, closes her eyes, as if unable to bear a gentle sob.

  "Good! Well done Kristina!" Zhou Shaoming was about to shout out in delight, but suddenly heard a "ding" sound in his mind.

  "Branch task, let Christina's performance in the mirror reach 90 points, complete reward points 100 points, incomplete deduction 400 points, task time is two days. Christina's performance score this time was judged by the system as 85 points, unqualified!"

  Nauseating electronic synthesized female voice, nauseating director system, this thing is just trying to make me fail the task! I'm fucked!

  Zhou Shaoming cursed in his heart: "Kristina performed well this time! You can't ask too much of a girl with only 60 points of acting skills! She's just started her first shot, and she used to only shoot TV dramas, not movies! I'm satisfied with her performance now! You can't pressure a 19-year-old girl like this!"

  "System requirements, must be met. If this task cannot be completed, your points are not enough to pay for the deducted points, and your points will be cleared to zero. As a system abandonment, you will never be lifted!" The electronic synthesized female voice said word by word, and the threat was chilling!

  "But she really performed well, I don't know how to make her even better!" Director Zhou Shaoming was at a loss for words, unable to think of a way to improve Christina's performance, constrained by the gigantic object under his crotch that determined his lifelong happiness.

  "Host, the arrangement of the system always has its reason. Christina's acting skills have room for further improvement. I hope you complete your task seriously. Her performance will also directly affect the box office of this film. Don't you want to make this movie a sensation across America?"

  "What should I do then? I'm the host, you have to give me some face, give me a hint!" Zhou Shaoming thought for a moment, and could only ask in distress.

  "It all depends on you, you are the director, and it's your responsibility to make all the actors perfect!" The electronic synthesized female voice disappeared, leaving only Zhou Shaoming, who was so annoyed that he couldn't help but feel suffocated.

  "Cut!" Zhou Shaoming shouted in a fit of rage, his face twisted with anger, while the crew members who had finally witnessed Kristina's perfect performance were still oblivious to Smith Zhou's gritted teeth and thought that the 13th take had finally passed.

  There was also a lighting engineer Jack who was amazed by Christina on the first day, and came early and left late every day just to see Christina a few more times. The guy had been secretly worried about Christina's poor performance in the previous performances, but this time her brilliant performance finally won over even himself, thinking that Zhou Shaoming would shout "pack up", he couldn't help but applaud happily.

  "Bravo! Christina!" Jack, the lighting engineer, exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands vigorously until they were almost red.

  As he clapped, Jack felt something was off. Why wasn't anyone responding? He turned his head in suspicion and saw Director Smith staring at him with an almost feral expression, his eyes bulging with intensity.

  "Who do you think you are, wanting to be a director? Wanting to decide everything? Come on, take my place!" Zhou Shaoming cursed furiously, of course most of his anger was directed at the arrogant and dictatorial director system, while that poor lighting engineer Jack was just an unfortunate scapegoat.

  "Oh, no, director, I just...just thought Christina acted well!" Jack replied timidly, while the originally affable and easy-going Smith suddenly seemed like a tiger whose butt had been touched, tearing off his mask to reveal an extremely ferocious true face.

  "Is that all? Is that enough to pass? Christina, I admit what you did just now was okay, but it's not enough, absolutely not enough! Do it again, you must get a 9... You must score above 90 in my heart to pass!" Zhou Shaoming shouted at Christina, who looked somewhat bewildered.