Chapter 89

Returning to the set of *The Grand Mansion*, at this moment, no one in the entire crew still thought that Ye Ming was chosen for the production out of sheer luck. Almost all the actors looked at Ye Ming with a very friendly gaze.

Looking around the set, it had started to get busy and chaotic. It seemed as if everyone was a bit lost, and the whole place was in a mess.

Ye Ming found it very strange. The scenes to be shot each day were usually decided well in advance, with locations arranged and actors notified early. This kind of chaos was generally impossible unless the director had made last-minute changes.

At this moment, it was clear that He Jun was very busy, calling out to some people, "Props, props, where is Teacher Chen's costume? Get it ready, two sets, no nonsense, hurry up, be quick about it."

It seemed that a big star was about to arrive. Ye Ming stopped a production staff member.

This staff member was so busy that he didn't know which way was north or south. Just as he was about to get angry at being stopped, he saw that it was Ye Ming and immediately broke into a smile, "Teacher Ye, it's you. You don't have any scenes today, are you just here to take a look?"

Ye Ming nodded and said, "Yes, Brother Zhang, who's coming today? It looks like the director has added some scenes again."

Brother Zhang, seeing that Ye Ming didn't act arrogantly despite being chosen by Zhang Yimou, immediately felt more affection for the young man. Unlike some people who would act superior after being chosen by a big director.

Brother Zhang then said, "Today, it's Director Chen Kaige's scene. Director Chen is taking time out of his busy schedule, so you can see how chaotic the set is. Sorry, Teacher Ye, I have to go."

Ye Ming's status on the set was no longer one that anyone could boss around, so Brother Zhang was also very polite when he took his leave.

Liu Peiqi, carrying a pot of tea, walked over with a smile and said, "Ye Ming, how does it feel to be successful? Actually, this industry is very realistic. Once you act in a film directed by Zhang, the next time you join another production, you'll be a big star. No one will dare to boss you around. That's your value. Look, today Chen Kaige is just here for a cameo, but he's an international director, so we have to serve him well. How about you come and learn from him?"

It was clear that Liu Peiqi was very relaxed today.

Ye Ming smiled and said, "Since Teacher Liu has said so, I'll follow you and learn from him."

Soon, Chen Kaige, surrounded by a group of people, walked in. Chen Kaige, a representative of the aristocratic school in the Chinese film industry, known as the Earl, was accompanied by his newlywed wife, Chen Hong. If it weren't for Chen Hong, this position might have belonged to someone else.

However, in matters of love, whether it's Chen Shiming or Li Shiming, it's hard for outsiders to judge. As the saying goes, "Only the drinker knows whether the water is hot or cold."

Chen Kaige's arrival was grand, like a medieval nobleman, with a beautiful woman by his side, exuding an air of superiority as he walked.

Seeing Guo Baochang, Chen Kaige quickened his steps and said with a smile, "Sir Guo, I'm very sorry for being late. Your film has gone through so many ups and downs, but it's finally in production. Congratulations."

Guo Baochang, seeing that Chen Kaige had come, was naturally very pleased and said with a broad smile, "It's rare that you still think of this old man. I should be the one to thank you for coming to make a cameo."

Chen Kaige did not dare to sit in the director's chair, which was Guo Baochang's seat. He sat on a small stool to the side, and Chen Hong stood obediently behind him without any intention of sitting.

There were still some preparations to be made, so Guo Baochang asked Chen Kaige to wait for ten minutes before starting his scene.

Since Chen Kaige had come to give Guo Baochang face, he naturally didn't mind waiting for ten minutes.

Guo Baochang personally went to arrange the shooting.

At this moment, Chen Kaige turned to He Jun and said, "I heard that Yimou has already finished shooting. He played Li Lianying, which must have been very interesting. Since there's nothing else to do, let's watch how his acting has improved. If it hasn't, I'll show him how to be embarrassed when we get back."

Fortunately, the film had not been sent away, and Zhang Yimou's scenes could still be seen on the monitor.

The scenes started to replay, and Chen Kaige laughed, "Isn't that Sir Guo? Sir Guo has really gone all out for *The Grand Mansion*. It's been so many years since he personally acted in a film."

At this moment, He Jun explained the whole story, including how Zhang Yimou had come and guided Ye Ming in his role.

He also mentioned that the original veteran actor couldn't act with Zhang Yimou, so Guo Baochang had to step in.

At this point, Chen Kaige did not comment, his facial muscles twitched slightly, and his mood was hard to read. He slowly said, "Yimou, those are just tricks. He likes to use these little tactics. I've told him so many times, but he just won't listen."

It seemed that Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou were not as close as they appeared. When Chen Kaige spoke, he had an air of superiority, as if he didn't really consider Zhang Yimou, the national master, to be on his level.

The Earl's demeanor didn't seem very gracious.

At this moment, Chen Kaige looked at Ye Ming and said, "You're Ye Ming? Since you're here to act in Sir Guo's film, I'll give you some advice. As an actor, you need to take solid steps and work hard to succeed. Taking shortcuts might work for a while, but it won't last."

Ye Ming didn't know why Chen Kaige had such a grudge against him. This was no longer a lesson for a junior but a direct criticism, accusing Ye Ming of not learning well and following Zhang Yimou's tricks.

However, Ye Ming couldn't say much. Chen Kaige had the status to criticize Zhang Yimou and the right to criticize Ye Ming.

Moreover, in Chen Kaige's view, this was a favor to Ye Ming, a newcomer, and others wouldn't even have the chance to be criticized by him.

Ye Ming put on a calm face and said, "I'm still a newcomer, and I have a lot to learn. I'll take Director Chen's advice to heart."

Chen Kaige waved his hand as if shooing away a fly and said, "Whether you remember it or not is up to you. I don't care. You few, go down now. I need to familiarize myself with the script."

This was a clear dismissal. In front of Guo Baochang, Chen Kaige was a gentleman, but in front of actors like Liu Peiqi and Ye Ming, he was the high and mighty Earl, with the authority to dismiss them.

Stepping aside, Liu Peiqi said with a frown, "Ye Ming, this is too much. He's a director, and he's familiarizing himself with the script for a cameo role with just a few lines."

"By the way, do you know why he's targeting you? He specifically criticized you. You didn't notice, but the crew members are now looking at you differently."

To be honest, Ye Ming was familiar with the entertainment industry and thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, I don't have much interaction with Director Chen. Before this, we barely knew each other. If there must be a reason, it's probably because of Director Zhang Yimou. These two directors don't seem as friendly as they appear."

The two pillars of the Chinese film industry had enough pride and enough reason to look down on each other.

Liu Peiqi sighed and said, "That's about right. When *Yellow Earth* was filmed, Chen Kaige was the director, and Zhang Yimou was just his cinematographer. Chen Kaige comes from a family of actors, so he naturally looks down on Zhang Yimou."

"But later, Chen Kaige's achievements didn't match Zhang Yimou's. Although they are both international directors, in terms of influence, Zhang Yimou is the more influential one."

"So, Zhang Yimou's success really makes Chen Kaige不服 (unhappy)."

Old actors are old actors. Liu Peiqi had been in the industry for a long time and knew a lot of inside information.

At this moment, Ye Ming finally understood why he, who had no interaction with Chen Kaige, was criticized.

Ye Ming said helplessly, "It seems I've been caught in the crossfire. Chen Kaige clearly doesn't want to openly conflict with Zhang Yimou, as it wouldn't benefit him. His marriage is already controversial, and if he were to have a falling out with Zhang Yimou in his career, it would make him look petty and wouldn't benefit him either."

"So, I became the scapegoat, right?"

It was almost like a case of "the city gate on fire, the fish in the pond suffer." Chen Kaige didn't really care about this matter and had forgotten about criticizing Ye Ming as soon as he turned around.

In his view, if it weren't for the opportunity to indirectly criticize Zhang Yimou, he wouldn't have bothered to criticize a newcomer like Ye Ming.