The script reading session proceeded smoothly. They rehearsed several key dialogue sequences and, through collective discussion, modified certain segments to make the plot more logical.
Ge Xianxu and Yuan Yuan didn't have as strong a linguistic sense as the others, but they were quick learners. After receiving guidance from Zhang Jin’an and the director, their second reading of the lines showed an immediate and marked improvement.
Zhang Jin’an, naturally, was the standout performer. The intonation and pauses in every sentence were perfectly measured and entirely in character. Every time it was his turn to speak, Jiang Siyang would secretly applaud in his heart.
Jiang Siyang had always maintained the habit of taking notes. Whenever he heard a key point, he would jot it down in red ink next to the dialogue. By the time they reached the mid-session break, his script was covered in notes. This drew the others over to take a look, and even Director Tang offered a few words of praise after seeing it.
Yuan Yuan sat next to Jiang Siyang, carefully holding the script as she and Ge Xianxu looked through it together. She shook her head in admiration as she flipped the pages. "You’ve written so much detail. You even made notes on everyone else's lines."
Jiang Siyang wasn't embarrassed; he spoke plainly. "I figured that even when memorizing my own lines, I need to understand the surrounding context, so I wrote notes for everyone else too."
"Oh... I wrote some too, but nowhere near as detailed as yours. And your handwriting is much better than mine," Yuan Yuan said with a smile as she handed the script back to Jiang Siyang. "Big Brother, Senior Zhang, could I take a look at your script too?"
"Sure," Zhang Jin’an said generously, handing his script over.
Jiang Siyang was also curious about what Zhang Jin’an’s notes looked like and leaned in to see.
Zhang Jin’an’s handwriting went without saying; it was the "Slender Gold" style that netizens had frequently praised. Even when written quickly, the strokes remained clear and were even quite pleasing to the eye.
Zhang Jin’an hadn't written as much as Jiang Siyang. His notes were mostly concise summaries, at most two sentences long, such as: *“Calm / Feeling very conflicted at this moment, calm on the surface”* or *“Angry / Emphasis is on the latter half, stress the repetition.”*
"Incredible, it really is Slender Gold style... it's so beautiful," Yuan Yuan marveled. "I won't be able to write like you guys in a lifetime."
Zhang Jin’an chuckled. "Are you looking at the annotations or conducting an art appreciation session?"
"Both, both," Yuan Yuan laughed, handing the script back.
After the break ended, Director Tang brought some news: a new investor was interested in joining the project. This meant the budget would be more substantial than before, and everyone’s compensation would increase accordingly. This was undoubtedly good news; everyone was thrilled, and their spirits grew even higher.
The atmosphere inside was excellent, but the weather outside was poor. A torrential downpour had begun, and Jiang Siyang could only hope the rain would stop by the time they finished.
The discussion didn't conclude until five in the afternoon. It had lasted a full five hours, and the rain showed no sign of stopping.
"Alright, thank you everyone for sharing your views and speaking your minds so actively. It's getting late, so let's call it a day," Director Tang Shang said as he stood up. Everyone packed their things and rose as well. "Go home early to eat and rest. Remember, we’re shooting the look tests tomorrow. See you then. Be careful on your way back—did everyone bring an umbrella?"
"Yes, we have them... Take care, Director Tang..."
"Goodbye, Director Tang. Goodbye, Screenwriter..."
"See you next time—"
The others said their goodbyes and left one after another. Jiang Siyang was chatting with Zhang Jin’an when Liu Wenping tapped him on the shoulder.
Liu Wenping said apologetically, "I managed to borrow one umbrella, but there are three of us... This..."
"Oh, it's fine..." Jiang Siyang was about to say it was okay because Zhang Jin’an had promised to lend him one, but Zhang Jin’an cut in.
"Sister Liu, how about this? Siyang can take our car and we'll drop him home. We have an extra umbrella here for you and Xie Jie to use, and Siyang and I will share one."
Liu Wenping and Jiang Siyang turned toward Zhang Jin’an in unison.
Liu Wenping: "?!"
Jiang Siyang: "?!" Had he heard that right? Taking him home?
Yet, aside from the two of them, no one else seemed to react. It was as if this were a perfectly normal occurrence. Xiao Zhou even asked Zhang Jin’an, "One? I remember I brought two extra umbrellas?"
"I had Brother Qiang lend the other one to Screenwriter Chen," Zhang Jin’an explained.
Xiao Zhou nodded in realization. "Oh, I see."
After Jiang Siyang and Liu Wenping exchanged looks for a few seconds, Jiang Siyang waved his hands in refusal. "No, no—hitching a ride on an umbrella is enough. I’d feel bad being such a bother. Really, it's not necessary..."
"Exactly, it's not necessary. We wouldn't want to take up your time," Liu Wenping echoed.
"It's no trouble at all. Didn't you tell me where Siyang lives last time? I checked; it's on the way," Li Qiang said with a smile.
Jiang Siyang still wanted to decline. "But..."
Zhang Jin’an didn't give Jiang Siyang a chance to speak. "It's fine. We're used to picking people up on the way. Su Zhiyang hitches a ride all the time, and you're even more 'on the way' than he is."
Since Zhang Jin’an had put it that way, how could he refuse? Jiang Siyang had no choice but to compromise. "Then... alright. I'll treat everyone to dinner later."
Zhang Jin’an smiled. "Sure, we can talk about that later. Let's head out."
"Okay," Jiang Siyang followed Zhang Jin’an out the door.
When they reached the ground floor, the rain was still pitter-pattering down, dripping off the leaves. Jiang Siyang originally wanted to hold the umbrella, but Zhang Jin’an refused.
Zhang Jin’an smiled, tilting the umbrella slightly toward Jiang Siyang. "Why are you being so polite with me?" Since they weren't the ones driving, walking slowly wouldn't hold anything up.
Jiang Siyang looked at Zhang Jin’an. "After all, you're the one helping me, Brother. It feels a bit wrong for me to just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor."
"What kind of 'fruits of labor' is this? It's just holding an umbrella, it's not like..." *I'm giving you money.* Zhang Jin’an didn't say those last few words. He suddenly remembered the online rumors about him "sponsoring" people and couldn't help but smile, muttering to himself, "But I don't have any money right now anyway. We'll talk about the sponsorship thing later."
Jiang Siyang didn't hear him clearly and leaned in. "Huh? What?"
Zhang Jin’an shook his head.
"Nothing," Zhang Jin’an changed the subject. "How do you think you performed today?"
As soon as the topic turned to work, Jiang Siyang’s expression became more serious as he thought it over. "To be honest, I was quite nervous at first. The character Cui Chi is quite different from my own personality. I was afraid I wouldn't even be able to deliver the lines well today, or that I wouldn't grasp his emotions correctly."
Zhang Jin’an knew *Hidden Shadows* like the back of his hand, just as Jiang Siyang knew Zhang's dramas. He was very familiar with the characters' personalities; he knew exactly what Jiang meant as soon as he spoke.
Indeed, Cui Chi was someone who didn't care about anything and loved to provoke people. He was like a heartless enigma; it was impossible to guess what he was thinking. He was indeed very different from Jiang Siyang.
However, Jiang Siyang’s performance today had been commendable. There were flaws, but it was already quite good. That was why Zhang Jin’an had written the fewest notes on Cui Chi’s lines. When Tang Shang had spoken to him privately, he had also praised Jiang Siyang as being capable of handling the role.
"But you did well today. I couldn't tell you were nervous," Zhang Jin’an said.
Jiang Siyang said with a beaming smile, "Yeah, because I later realized that everyone seemed to be in the same boat—their characters are all very different from their real selves. That made me relax a bit."
"True. The casting this time is quite interesting; everyone was chosen for a role that contrasts with their own personality." Zhang Jin’an counted on his fingers. "Ge Xianxu has to play the female police officer Su Rong, who is swift and decisive. Yuan Yuan is playing the second male lead’s 'white moonlight,' Ding Lijing, who is gentle and elegant."
"Chen Yijun is different from you too, Brother. He's timid, a bit of a coward, and indecisive," Jiang Siyang added.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Zhang Jin’an said with a laugh, and Jiang Siyang joined in.
The sound of the rain was truly crisp and quite pleasant, Zhang Jin’an thought.
***
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Unable to be Arrogant [Entertainment Circle] | Chapter 57 | Under the Same Umbrella | Novela.app | Novela.app
