Yunjun Ye looked at Angie, who was dressed in vibrant crimson wedding attire, and then turned her gaze to Irene, who was making faces and winking. Frowning slightly, she ignored Irene’s teasing.
“Haven’t you adjusted yet?” Sensing that Yunjun Ye was in low spirits and seemed somewhat out of the zone, Angie asked softly, her voice low and filled with warmth.
Yunjun Ye stared at Angie without answering.
Following the direction of Yunjun Ye’s gaze, Angie curved the corners of her lips and broke into an encouraging smile.
Was the woman before her truly so observant that she could effortlessly detect her subtle changes? Was it simply a matter of natural disposition, or was it the result of superior acting skills after fully immersing herself in the role?
Seeing Yunjun Ye in a daze, Angie guessed she was probably inside her own imaginative space, constructing elements related to the performance for this particular plot. During their interactions over the past few days, she had often witnessed this before filming started, so she decided not to press further. Lowering her gaze slightly, she gave a gentle nod and walked toward the director.
“What’s wrong?” Yin Yongquan asked, noticing Angie walking over alone.
“Could we shoot other scenes first? We haven’t quite ironed this out yet, and we shouldn’t waste everyone’s time and energy like this.”
Yin Yongquan glanced at Yunjun Ye not far away, then looked down at the storyboard drafts in his hand and said, “Alright. There are still a few supporting character scenes for the same setting; let’s shoot those first.”
“Thank you, Director Yin.” Having secured permission, Angie nodded at the director with a grateful smile.
“Come, come, come! Next scene, background actors get ready,” Yin Yongquan called out loudly as he walked toward the camera.
“Let’s go, let’s take a break in the dressing room.” Angie walked back and gently tugged on Yunjun Ye’s arm.
Clearly having heard the director’s call as well, Yunjun Ye gave Angie a grateful look and obediently headed toward the dressing room with her.
“Yezi, you haven’t answered me yet! How does it feel to take a wife?” Seeing that her own scenes were temporarily postponed and noticing Angie and Yunjun Ye turning toward the dressing room, Irene immediately tagged along.
Hearing the question once more, Yunjun Ye paused in her steps. She cast a sideways glance at Angie; though she couldn’t read her expression, the hand holding her arm tightened just a fraction.
“Tell me, come on, tell me,” Irene persisted, acting as though she wouldn’t stop until she got an answer.
“You’re so annoying,” Yunjun Ye replied with a trace of impatience. “If you want to know the answer, go take a wife yourself and find out.”
“It’s not like I have the chance. Besides, this isn’t a game of house—with such a formal occasion, it looks almost real. I’m just curious!” Realizing she wouldn’t get an answer, Irene mumbled to herself as they walked.
Since no touch-ups were needed, the dressing room was quiet, with only Angie and Yunjun Ye inside, neither of them speaking.
Yunjun Ye sat in her chair, head lowered in deep thought.
Meanwhile, Angie poured two cups of hot water and brought them over. “Drink some warm water first and take a break.”
“Thank you!” Yunjun Ye accepted the cup, thanked Angie, and obediently took a small sip.
“Aren’t you afraid of burning yourself? Drinking so eagerly,” Angie teased, seeing that Yunjun Ye seemed a bit more herself.
“Since Teacher Angie is so careful, how could you pour water that’s too hot for me?” Yunjun Ye replied docilely.
“You still need to be careful. What if you slipped up?” Angie genuinely wanted to distract Yunjun Ye from her thoughts.
“Teacher Angie.”
“Hmm?” Hearing the sudden seriousness in Yunjun Ye’s voice, Angie looked at her with a faint smile, quietly waiting for what would come next.
“I think I might have lost my conviction as an actor.”
“How do you mean?” Angie furrowed her brows, genuinely failing to understand the remark.
“Can you answer a question for me first?” Feeling that her previous phrasing might have sounded too heavy, Yunjun Ye changed tactics just as the words reached her lips.
“What question?” Angie was growing even more puzzled.
“Do you believe in the character you play?”
“Of course I do,” Angie answered honestly. “Not only do I believe in the character, but I also shoulder the responsibility of shaping her.”
“Then do you believe in the scene partner acting opposite you?”
“That depends on the situation, but when the cameras roll, I certainly believe in my partner.” Angie suddenly understood the source of Yunjun Ye’s confusion and couldn’t help but ask in turn, “Don’t you believe in your partners?”
“I do, but only within the context of the scene,” Yunjun Ye answered truthfully.
“Then where does your doubt lie?” Angie prompted first.
“It’s all within myself.” Deciding to drop the beating around the bush, Yunjun Ye went straight to the point. “It’s my own distracting thoughts. Pure performance-wise, I’m fine; the problem lies in the confusion I’m feeling regarding my current identity cognition.”
Angie didn’t interrupt, happily playing the role of a quiet listener.
“My performances are basically driven by throwing my whole body into the character. In my past roles, characters of this type were cross-dressing women; at the end of the day, those characters were still female at their core, so I could handle them with ease. I could easily ignite my performance passion and throw myself into it entirely, resulting in a very strong sense of realism.”
Yunjun Ye paused after saying this, looking at Angie as if seeking validation.
Angie smiled and nodded. “I’ve watched your previous film and television works. The emotional delivery is very full, and the micro-expressions and detail handling are beyond imagination. They’re very grounded in life and feel extremely authentic.”
Hearing Angie’s praise, a satisfied curve touched the corners of Yunjun Ye’s lips. She knew Angie had studied her past works, just as she had researched Angie’s background after taking on the script.
“Then do you think there’s any problem with our acting together during this period?” Yunjun Ye tossed out another question.
Recalling the past days, Angie shook her head slightly and smiled. “Is it a bit affected?”
“My performance was quite hollow, right?” Happiness blossomed in Yunjun Ye’s chest. Communicating with Angie was truly effortless; no wonder their on-screen chemistry kept growing, even if her own execution had fallen somewhat short of ideal.
“It wasn’t exactly hollow at least outsiders couldn’t tell. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have noticed right away, because your performance was on par with my past collaborators, and perhaps even superior to some.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment in disguise? Or a backhanded insult to your former co-stars?” Once her mood lifted, Yunjun Ye’s playful, teasing nature returned.
“They say actors possess countless identities; from you, I truly believe it. You bounce around way too much,” Angie said solemnly, too lazy to banter when they were discussing serious matters.
Yunjun Ye pouted.
“You’ve done so much self-analysis, are you okay now?” Seeing that Yunjun Ye had relaxed and shed her earlier frustration and helplessness, Angie knew she had pretty much adjusted her mindset.
“I’m okay now, but you…” Yunjun Ye trailed off, unsure of how to phrase her next question.
“Are you trying to ask whether I’ve gotten into character?” Angie finished the question for her. After chatting for so long, she understood Yunjun Ye’s drift: it boiled down to the idea that, given her own female identity, she was struggling to enter the role. If Angie had already entered character, she wanted Angie to pull her in quickly; if not, the two of them needed to adjust together.
“Mm, mm, mm!” Yunjun Ye’s eyes sparkled as she nodded her head vigorously like a pecking chick.
“Guess?” Leaving behind only her retreating figure, Angie sauntered leisurely out of the dressing room.