Stella appeared calm and complying, but her heart was filled with debilitating sorrow.
If she could really always get her way, she wouldnât be here with Weston, practically imprisoned by him.
Though Weston did not explicitly agree to let her act in the movie, she could guess from his actions that he would condone it, at least for the time being.
The next morning, Stella got up and sent Weston off to work as usual. She then quickly got to the film set afterward.
Because sheâd delayed the filming progress yesterday, Bradley Lane was a little nasty when he saw her coming âIt was your first day yesterday and youâve already asked for a leave,â he sneered. âThat was pretty bold of you, donât you think?â.
âIâm so sorry,â Stella bowed humbly, feeling very guilty. âI really am! Something came up and I absolutely couldnât make it here yesterday. Iâm terribly sorry! Iâll try my best to catch up with the schedule from now on.â
Bradley could tell that she was being sincere, so he didnât say anything more about it and just waved her away.
âThe acting coach is over there,â he told her. âGo through your lines with him and once youâve memorized most of them, come back to me. Iâll give you some directions.â
âIâve already memorized all of my lines, â Stella quickly said.
Bradley paused.
âSo youâve come prepared,â he commended.
âIâve already caused some delays yesterday,â she said with obvious guilt. âSo I donât want to waste any more of everyoneâs time.â
Bradley said nothing to that, merely adding, âGo on, come back to me once theyâve taught you the moves in your scene.â
Stella nodded.
She then found out that she would be working with the same acting coach as before. Since they were already familiar, the process went smoothly and swiftly. The cameras and the mise-en scene were already all set up too, only waiting for Stella and the actor to arrive.
The other actor who would be acting in the same scene as Stella was a young actor of moderate popularity. He had been cast in numerous dramas and his acting skills were quite outstanding among his peers, but they were nothing to write home about when compared to the seasoned veterans with more experience. He had never been interested in catching trends or getting involved in massively popular projects, so his popularity remained average.
Still, he had the looks, talents, and connections, and with the will to work hard, he managed to build a strong fanbase and a respectable reputation in the entertainment circle for himself. For this reason, although heâd rarely taken on the male lead role or been very popular, directors were still eager to cast him in their films. Often, he would play the role of lovesick heartthrobs, and that was basically what he was known for now.
âHello, there!â Caspian greeted Stella with the same warmth and friendliness when they met on set, though she was an absolute newcomer and a nobody. âIâm your senior!â
Caspianâs role in this period drama was that of Stellaâs senior. Both playing disciples of the same martial arts master, they would share many scenes together. Later in the drama, Caspianâs character would fall in love with the heroine of the story and would completely neglect Stellaâs character no thanks to this infatuation. Towards the end, he even turned against Stellaâs character because they eventually became enemies with the heroine.
In Stellaâs characterâs eyes, Caspianâs character was nothing but a scumbag, but to Caspianâs character, he was only doing everything he could to protect the woman he loved. In the very end, though, Caspianâs character would turn evil because of his obsessive love for the female lead, just as Stellaâs character would turn evil because of him. The only difference was that Stellaâs character was much more skilled than him.
These two were clearly similar people who shouldâve gotten along well, but inevitable circumstances made them turn against each other, bringing about a tragic end. This would be Stellaâs first time filming for real. She was more than a little nervous. So far, she had been practicing her lines alone, and with great effort, managed to overcome that awkwardness of having to act out a dramatic scene.
But now she would be facing a real person. It did not feel as relaxed as it did when she was rehearsing alone. They both went through their lines together once, and then Bradley shouted, âAction!â
Stella took a deep breath, trying to get herself into character. ââ¦I heard that Master just brought back his old disciple who went missing a long time ago! Shall we go take a look?â âWhatever for? Didnât I tell you weâll be practicing sword fighting near the mountains later?â
Caspianâs acting skills were not bad, but they were far from inspiring. Now that he was working with a rookie like Stella, he couldnât help but feel a little overwhelmed.