Chapter 00069: What It Means to Be a Love Story Heroine
# What It Means to Be a Love Story Heroine
Chapter 69
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 69: What It Means to Be a Love Story Heroine
The hot water at the Beijing Film Studio's bathhouse wasn't available every day.
You had to pick the right day to take a bath.
Today was one of those days.
That night, Gong Xue returned from her bath, shivering as she wrapped herself in a military coat and hurried into her room.
She hugged the heater for a while to warm up.
Even after living in Beijing for several years, she still couldn't get used to the dry, biting cold of winter.
Once her body had warmed up, she combed her hair and stood in front of the mirror, staring intently at her reflection with a faint smile on her lips.
After a while, her eyes began to sting, and soon, tears started to flow uncontrollably.
Yet, her smile remained.
In her mind, Chen Qi's voice echoed:
"If you keep your eyes open without blinking for a long time, tears will naturally flow. That's called external technique. At the same time, you need to stir up your emotions internally, recalling the feelings from that night, and let yourself cry slowly. That's called internal technique. As an actor, you must have your own unique traits. You can start with crying scenes and become the actress who cries the most beautifully in all of China. Not the kind of crying where your nose runs and your face is a mess, but the kind where each tear falls like a pearl, clear and distinct. But your expression shouldn't be sad—smile, smile through your tears... You have two more days to practice."
If Gong Xue had ever watched a Qiong Yao drama, she would have known that this kind of crying was the standard for every female lead.
In Qiong Yao's dramas, the heroine's morals could be questionable, her acting could be over-the-top, but she absolutely had to cry beautifully!
Chen Qi had been teaching her the "star acting" method, not the "actor acting" method.
The star method was fine—it was pretty, quick to learn, loved by audiences, and could even win awards...
"Ugh!"
Gong Xue practiced for a long time, her facial muscles twitching from the effort.
She rubbed her face and took a short break before continuing.
She was incredibly driven, and she couldn't shake the feeling that Chen Qi looked down on her acting skills.
It made her a bit defiant.
...
By late December, Love on Lushan Mountain was finally nearing its completion.
A light snow fell over Beijing, covering the city in a delicate white blanket.
Chen Qi arrived at the studio early in the morning, greeting everyone and eventually sidling up to Gong Xue.
He whispered, "Are you ready?"
"Not really, but I want to try."
Gong Xue bit her lip, a hint of worry in her voice.
"Will Director Wang scold me?"
"At most, she'll think you didn't perform well. She doesn't know about our little plan. If you don't pull it off, just act as usual. It's fine. You can try again later."
"Okay!"
She nodded firmly.
"Let me say a few words first! We have one big scene and two small scenes left. Let's try to finish them all today without dragging things out. Everyone, stay focused. If I catch anyone slacking off, don't blame me for being harsh!"
Leaders and managers in those days, no matter the industry, all had a knack for giving motivational speeches.
Director Wang Haowei gave her usual pep talk and waved her hand, signaling the start of the day.
They shot the two small scenes first, which went smoothly.
Then it was time for the scene Chen Qi had mentioned.
Tang Guoqiang, Zhang Jinling, and the veteran actors playing their parents were all present.
"Ready, let's do a test run!"
"3, 2, 1, action!"
Tang Guoqiang and the others stood to the side.
Zhang Jinling's face showed displeasure because, according to the script, her character hadn't yet accepted the female lead.
That would only happen after the big scene about love for the country and the land.
Gong Xue, wearing a delicate white blazer, stood with her back turned, too nervous to face them.
The veteran actor playing her father stood behind her, comforting her.
"I've heard from Geng Hua that you're a good girl. Your father, though living overseas, has never forgotten his homeland!"
"Forgive me, child. Some things are easy for you young people to handle, but for us old folks who've fought for half our lives, it's not as simple as reading the newspaper or singing a song. We have to think about it, struggle with it in our hearts. Write a letter to your father. Tell him that the country's Four Modernizations need national unity, ethnic harmony, and stability. I welcome him to come back and see the new era of our motherland!"
"Uncle Geng..."
Gong Xue slowly turned around.
The veteran actor smiled and said, "You shouldn't call me 'uncle' anymore."
"Then what should I call you?"
"You should call me 'Dad.'"
"..."
Gong Xue froze, trying to recall the muscle memory she'd practiced over the past two days.
She first showed surprise, then joy, but the tears didn't fall.
She inwardly cursed.
"Cut!"
Director Wang Haowei called for a stop, looking puzzled.
"Xiao Gong, what's with your expression? Are you trying to cry or smile?"
"I'm sorry, Director. I didn't get it right!"
"It's fine. Let's do it again!"
"Cut!"
"Cut!"
"Cut!"
"Xiao Gong, come here!"
Director Wang wasn't angry, just baffled.
"What's going on with you today? Did something happen?"
"No."
"I feel like you're distracted. Your expressions are all off. If something's wrong, you have to tell me."
"Director, I just didn't get the emotions right. Can you give me a little more time?"
"Alright, let's take a break!"
Since they were nearing the end of filming, Director Wang wasn't in a rush.
Gong Xue wrapped herself tightly in her military coat, feeling a bit wronged as she sat on a stool.
She glanced at Chen Qi, who gave her a helpless shrug.
"This is really hard!"
She lowered her head, covering her ears, shutting herself off for a moment as she tried to recall the feelings from that night.
What had happened that night?
It felt like so long ago...
Oh, right.
It was during the National Day celebration.
She had gone out for a walk and ran into him.
They talked about acting and then walked together.
The path was quiet, and she remembered the sunset on the horizon...
For some reason, she had told him a lot about herself.
About Shanghai, her parents, how she had gone to the countryside as a teenager to work the land, how hard it had been.
Later, she became a cultural soldier, marching dozens of miles a day, her feet blistered and sore, but she never complained, afraid people would think poorly of her.
But back then, it had really hurt...
"Ugh!"
Emotions surged like a tidal wave, crashing through her mind and stimulating her senses.
Suddenly, she felt it—the feeling Chen Qi had described.
She couldn't quite put it into words, but she knew it was there.
"Director, I'm ready!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"Alright, let's do it again!"
The veteran actor fed her the lines again.
"You shouldn't call me 'uncle' anymore."
"Then what should I call you?"
"You should call me 'Dad.'"
"..."
Gong Xue looked up, her eyes wide and uncertain, like a startled rabbit.
Then, a faint smile appeared on her lips, but at the same time, tears like pearls began to fall from her eyes.
"Wow!"
Director Wang instinctively leaned back, wanting to get a better look.
From her perspective, Gong Xue's face seemed to transform into something precious, glowing with an extraordinary beauty.
She was certain no audience member could resist this image.
She even regretted not filming it for real this time.
"Dad!"
With that final emotional outburst, the scene reached its peak.
"Cut!"
Director Wang shouted with full force, clapping her hands enthusiastically.
The crew was stunned, murmuring among themselves.
Before this, they hadn't been sure what a love story heroine should look like, but now they all agreed—this was it.
So beautiful, so tender, even her tears were exquisite.
"..."
Gong Xue's cheeks were flushed, her emotions still lingering.
For the first time, she felt the thrill of acting so powerfully.
She glanced at someone.
That someone, for the first time, gave her a genuine look of approval and a thumbs-up.
(End of chapter.)