Superstar's Development Diary
Chapter 77: No Further Advance

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: No Further Advance

The He Jinxia inside, dressed in modern clothing, straightened her back and sat down on the chair in an ancient manner, slightly tilted her head, and turned to her side with a touch of curiosity, asking,

"Sister, the Ciming Family of the Capital City is a top-notch clan, are you going to be betrothed to a young master of the Ciming Family?"

She paused for a while, as if waiting for the person next to her to finish speaking, then frowned and said, "But the public opinion of Young Master Ciming is very good, everyone says he is witty and humorous..."

After a short while, she lowered her eyes, a trace of sadness flickering within them, and she whispered softly, "Sister, as the eldest daughter, Father naturally has his eyes set on you, it’s impossible for me to be promised to the Ciming Family’s young master..."

The scene suddenly stopped, and the video ended just like that.

Sheng Yan’s eyes dimmed, his dark pupils like the tranquil night sky, serene and profound.

Indeed, just as he had guessed, He Jinxia was a genius in acting in ancient dramas!

The second video started playing automatically, and Sheng Yan watched silently, so engrossed that he didn’t even hear Zhang Ming knocking on the door.

After knocking several times, Zhang Ming thought Sheng Yan had fallen asleep, and carefully pushed open the door of the office. As soon as he did, a clear voice with a hint of softness and moisture reached him,

"Greetings, Young Master Ciming, I am Su Qingwan of the Muyang Su Family, the second legitimate daughter. Today, I have come along with my elder sister to shop at the market..."

Zhang Ming walked up to Sheng Yan, waved at him, a bit surprised, wondering what TV drama could be so captivating. This was the first time he had seen Sheng Yan so engrossed.

Sheng Yan came back to his senses and locked the screen of his phone with utmost calm. He looked at Zhang Ming indifferently and asked, "Is there something you need?"

Zhang Ming said, "Yes, Director Li has just sent you a film invitation, aiming for the highest honor in Hua Country cinema, the Golden Bear Award, and asked if you have the time."

Sheng Yan pondered for a moment, "When will it start?"

Zhang Ming said, "It starts filming in March next year, and the crew hopes you can reserve four months for shooting."

Sheng Yan’s brows furrowed slightly, "Can my schedule accommodate it?"

Zhang Ming looked at him silently, his words containing a touch of hidden complaint, "You have no plans to shoot any movies next year. As long as you’d like, you can cancel a few company meetings, make fewer appearances for luxury brands, and that would do it."

Sheng Yan had become famous through acting, and as an actor, his most valuable asset was his film and television works.

Since he made it onto the Falls Celebrities List this year and shot up into the top one hundred, his acting career seemed to have hit a bottleneck; all the movies that sought him out were big-budget films, yet he couldn’t find one that satisfied him.

Every time he sees a movie invitation, the team has to consider whether taking on this movie could break records, win Best Actor, push his popularity even further...

Because if they choose the wrong movie and it turns out poorly, it could severely impact Sheng Yan’s value.

There is no retreat, only advancement. For ordinary actors, it’s a path of struggle, but for top superstars, it’s a sad reality.

A sadness brought on by intense pressures from the outside world.

Why do so many stars choose to retire after achieving success and fame?

That’s because those stars have reached a point where they can advance no further. They bow out at the height of their careers, maintaining their value. If they went on to make a lousy movie afterwards, any damage to their value would outweigh the benefits.

Right now, Sheng Yan was certainly at the point where he could advance no further.

Sometimes Zhang Ming thought that if Sheng Yan one day told him he was leaving the entertainment circle, he wouldn’t be surprised at all.

"Bring the script over for me to take a look," Sheng Yan’s voice came faintly from beside him.

Zhang Ming’s eyes swept across a hint of uncertainty, and he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing, wondering if he had experienced an auditory hallucination.

"This is a costume drama film," he asked cautiously.

Sheng Yan gave him a look, "I know."

Zhang Ming said softly, "So you... are willing to make films now?"

Sheng Yan shook his head.

Zhang Ming’s heart suddenly felt suspended. Had he really just experienced an auditory hallucination?

"Taking a role cannot be done rashly, let me see the script first, or is it that you don’t want me to film—"

"No no no, you’re overthinking it. You want to see the script, right? I’ll print it out for you right now. Just wait for me!" Zhang Ming hastily interrupted, turning to leave.

No auditory hallucinations, no auditory hallucinations, no auditory hallucinations!

Zhang Ming left feeling buoyant. Sheng Yan agreeing to look at the script was a good thing, especially since he hadn’t looked at one for nearly half a year!

But sometimes people really do forget the pain once the wound is healed. Couldn’t Zhang Ming just walk out and print the script honestly? Yet, just as he reached the door, he damnably turned his head and curiously asked:

"Why suddenly think of acting in films?"

Fortunately, Sheng Yan was in a good mood at the moment and didn’t think of retracting his offer or docking Zhang Ming’s salary. He just glanced at him and said, "You’re very free?"

Zhang Ming grinned sheepishly, "I’m just curious!"

Sheng Yan lowered his gaze and lit up his phone screen, casually saying, "The plot is exciting, the co-star is outstanding, that’s why I wanted to act."

Zhang Ming replied, "Then be assured, for the sake of awards, Director Li will definitely choose seasoned actors. Of course, for the box office, he’ll invite some popular young stars too. But you know Director Li’s standards—if a star doesn’t have the talent, he won’t want them."

Seeing Sheng Yan looking down at his phone with no intention of continuing the conversation, Zhang Ming shrugged and pushed the door open to leave.

After Zhang Ming left, he didn’t see Sheng Yan looking at the video of He Jinxia on his phone, murmuring to himself, "A co-star... can you become my match?"

Waking up the next morning, He Jinxia finally saw the message Sheng Yan had sent her.

He had sent the message past ten the night before when she had already fallen asleep.

While tidying up and eating breakfast, He Jinxia listened to Sheng Yan’s voice message.

Sheng Yan was the kind of person who, if able to talk, would never type. He Jinxia inadvertently felt a wave of tingling warmth through her as she listened to his voice through the phone, deep and rich like a cello.

She felt a rush of warmth to her cheeks and, with a smack to her face, chided herself for being weak and then focused her mind to listen to Mr. Sheng’s advice.

"Your acting is not a problem. The problem is that you’re avoiding the camera; don’t unconsciously dodge away when you see it. You have this issue even with your phone camera."

He Jinxia’s gaze focused slightly, and just as she was about to ask how to correct this, Sheng Yan’s next voice message provided the answer:

"Forgetting the camera is simple, get used to its presence, treat it as a common object, like a plush toy. See it enough, and you will forget about it, allowing you to dive into a more focused performance.

"For the sake of better acting effects, film crews now use many small cameras in addition to the main camera, capturing expressions seamlessly. The editing team selects the most appropriate shots from various takes to include in the film.

"If you avoid the camera, it will look like you are hesitant, the editing team won’t choose those shots, and you might end up with mostly side angles, which doesn’t showcase your acting."

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