Chapter 00285: Not Emotional Enough
# Not Emotional Enough
Chapter 285
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 285: Not Emotional Enough
Zhong Chuhong was carefully going through the steps.
First, she moistened the rim of the glass with a slice of lemon, then coated it with a thin layer of fine salt.
Next, she added tequila, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice into the cocktail shaker in precise proportions, dropped in some ice cubes, and shook it vigorously to ensure everything mixed thoroughly.
She then strained the mixture into the glass using a filter.
Finally, she garnished it with a lemon slice.
"Wow, it worked this time!"
She had only learned how to make this one cocktail—the Margarita.
The glass now shimmered with a bright orange hue, and the salted rim added a unique touch.
Satisfied with her creation, she took a small sip.
The fresh fruitiness blended perfectly with the distinct flavor of tequila, delivering a sweet and tangy taste that was incredibly refreshing.
"Ah-Hong, you've mastered it?"
"Looks great today!"
Andy Lau and Tony Leung came over, showering her with compliments.
Tony had a girlfriend, but Andy was different—both were free spirits of similar age, and it was hard not to entertain certain thoughts.
"Yeah, I finally got it right. You guys should try it too!"
"Isn't that a bit inappropriate? Wouldn't that be an indirect kiss?"
"Dream on! I'll pour it into separate glasses!"
Zhong Chuhong evenly distributed the cocktail into two glasses.
Normally, cocktails shouldn't be poured out like this—it alters the taste—but the two men didn’t mind and continued showering her with praise.
Thrilled, she grabbed a glass of ice water and gulped it down.
"Who knew filming could teach me new skills? If I ever can't make it in acting, I could always become a bartender. Hmm, maybe even a potter!"
She flashed a wide grin, her white teeth and charming dimples on full display as she laughed heartily.
Andy stared at her, momentarily dazed.
Under the table, he kicked Tony, who rolled his eyes and sauntered away.
"Ah-Hong, are you free tonight?"
"For what?"
"Nothing much. I just thought, since we're the lead actors, we should get to know each other better. Maybe grab a meal or something?"
Andy stammered out the invitation.
Back in school, he had a first love, and they made a five-year promise—only for her to run off with one of his good friends.
Now, he was in a dry spell.
His romantic history was colorful, and historically, he had indeed pursued Zhong Chuhong.
"A meal? Out of nowhere? No, I'm busy!"
"We finish work so early. What are you going back for?"
"Helping my mom sell clothes, is that okay?"
"Alright then, maybe another time..."
Dejected, Andy slunk away.
Zhong Chuhong curled her lip at him.
The guy wasn’t bad-looking, but he was too green and lacked refinement.
She preferred scholars.
There was still a bit of cocktail left in her glass, so she downed it in one go.
Feeling thirsty again, she poured herself another glass of ice water and chugged it, exhaling deeply.
"Ah, refreshing!"
The next second, she nodded awkwardly.
"Uh, Mr. Chan."
Chan Kei had appeared out of nowhere, scrutinizing her with that gaze she found incredibly irritating.
"You’ve learned how to make a Margarita?"
"Yeah!"
"Good. We’ll continue the table read in ten minutes."
With that, he left, but Zhong Chuhong clearly saw him jotting something down in his notebook again.
She couldn’t help but pull a face.
She still had no idea what he was up to.
…………
The table read took place right there.
In the living room of the main characters’ home, on the sofa.
Chan Kei insisted on dimming the lights and playing some music.
Everyone was free to sit however they liked—slouching, lying down, whatever was comfortable.
That’s why everyone enjoyed this part.
Today, there were fewer people: Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Zhong Chuhong, and Josephine Siao—the four leads—plus Chan Kei himself.
"Where did we leave off?"
"The part where Ah-Hong and I are talking through the door."
Josephine replied.
She loved table reads the most—it made her feel like she was creating a work of art, not just casually winging it.
"Alright, let’s start from there. Tony, you handle the narration."
Soft, soothing music began playing as the lights dimmed further, helping everyone get into character.
Zhong Chuhong didn’t resist either.
She even kicked off her shoes and half-reclined on the sofa, script in hand.
This scene depicted the male lead and the psychic medium visiting the female lead again, trying to convince her that the male lead had turned into a ghost.
But the female lead refused to believe it and wouldn’t let them in.
"Don’t you get it? Ah-Jet’s (Andy’s character) death wasn’t an accident! He found out that Ah-Paul (Tony’s character) was helping someone launder money and got silenced!" Josephine said.
"Why are you doing this to me? Why make up these lies? I saw Ah-Jet buried with my own eyes, and you insist he’s still alive. Do you hate me that much...?" Zhong Chuhong retorted.
"Ugh, he’s not alive—he’s a ghost now!"
"Get out, or I’ll call the police!!"
Tony’s voiceover came in, low and gentle: "At this moment, Ah-Jet phased through the wall and entered the room. Seeing his lover in emotional turmoil, his heart ached, but he had to make her believe."
Andy spoke: "Tell her—her blouse got stained by my coffee before. And her earrings were my Christmas gift to her!"
Josephine continued: "Ah-Jet says your blouse got stained by his coffee, and your earrings were his Christmas gift to you... Use your brain! I’m not lying to you!"
Tony’s narration deepened, tender yet somber: "Ah-Jet took out a coin and used his powers to make it float. Hung Dou (Zhong Chuhong’s character) saw the coin and couldn’t hold back her tears. Finally, she opened the door."
Amid the deliberately crafted atmosphere and the accompanying music, everyone gradually got into the emotions of the scene.
But only just a little.
Zhong Chuhong, the one most involved, remained expressionless, utterly unmoved.
"..."
Chan Kei observed in silence the entire time.
In the original *Ghost*, the male and female leads had discovered an antique coin while cleaning the house.
The male lead claimed it brought good luck—a little secret between them.
That’s why he later used the coin to make her believe.
When Chan Kei wrote the script, he kept this detail for the time being.
But upon reflection, it felt too superficial—like skimming the surface.
To put it bluntly, it wasn’t emotional enough.
He had been wanting to revise it, and seeing the actors’ performances today only solidified his resolve.
It *had* to be changed.
At any rate, he had gathered enough material over the past few days.
"Josephine, take charge for now. I need to handle something. If I don’t return, just wrap up on time."
He whispered to Josephine, who nodded in acknowledgment.
With that, Chan Kei left, and the rest continued the table read.
…………
In the blink of an eye, it was already afternoon—time to wrap up again.
Zhong Chuhong stretched lazily, suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt over her paycheck.
She had been slacking off too much!
Just then, Chan Kei returned, holding four printed sheets of paper.
"That scene earlier didn’t feel right to me, so I made some revisions. Take a look when you get back."
"Got it!"
The others acknowledged without much surprise.
Scripts were always subject to changes, after all.
It wasn’t much—just a few pages.
Zhong Chuhong casually stuffed them into her bag and left the set with Andy and Tony, as they were all taking the minibus home.
(End of Chapter)