Rebirth of a Movie Star

Chapter 34 – Beer Commercial

Bai Lang’s alcohol tolerance was very low.

His first time drinking had been a bad experience. It was the time he had been tricked into going to the club accompany people and ended up being teased by Qiu Qian. And now because of his body’s condition, Bai Lang wouldn’t touch alcohol unless he absolutely had to. And alcohol tolerance was something that needed to slowly built up. If he suddenly drank after not touching it for a long time, then it was very easy to get drunk.

When Fang Hua had helped Bai Lang accept this commercial, she hadn’t thought about Bai Lang’s alcohol tolerance. She had only thought that the brand image of his company was quite good and because it was a chain, the exposure would also be good. It completely wouldn’t lose the initial UNI advertisement. So without asking Bai Lang for his opinion, Fang Hua accepted it.

Thus Bai Lang had no choice but to go. Very early on he had informed the crew members that he was not good at drinking. If he NG’ed too many times and got dizzy then he would have no choice but to stop and rest for a while before continuing.

Of course there was another method which was to change the alcohol to a clear colored non alcoholic beverage during filming. In front of the cameras this kind of bait and switch was often used and as long as post production was done carefully, no one would be able to tell the difference.

However when the owner heard this he immediately stamped his feet. He said the color of his brand’s beer was very clear and beautiful. The bubbles were very thick and perfect and couldn’t be replaced with any other kind of liquid to fool the eye. He absolutely would not allow that in the commercial he had spent a lot of money on, to feature something that wasn’t his own beer. Thus Bai Lang was fated to get drunk.

The script for the beer commercial wasn’t complicated.

It was just about a young fellow who had just suffered a heartbreak drinking beer at a bar to forget his troubles. At this time dazzling beauty appeared and walked towards him. Her long wavy hair was paired with a sexy miniskirt. All of the gazes of the men in the bar became fixed on her.

The young fellow immediately blocked the beauty’s way and used various methods to try and get her attention. The beauty’s interest was finally piqued. She raised her eyebrow and asked him what he wanted? The young fellow immediately pointed at the beer the beauty was holding. It was the last one in the fridge that was taken away by the beauty.

The beauty naturally got angry. She poured beer all over the young fellow’s head then shoved the rest of the bottle towards him and left in a queenly manner. The young fellow was left behind contendly holding and drinking the remaining half of the bottle. And the rest of the men in the bar were also staring at him. It turns out from the beginning to the end they were also only interested in this bottle of beer.

The script wasn’t exactly logical. It wasn’t something that would happen in real life and hence there weren’t any spoken lines. The actors had to use their bodies and facial expressions just like in a mime to convey the comedic effect and make the audience laugh.

Of course Bai Lang was playing this young fellow.

And as for the beauty, she was the new film empress that Bai Lang had met not long ago at Rong Ai’s birthday party, Fei Hong.

***

When Fei Hong won the Golden Emperor award for best female actress the previous year, there were many people that thought there was some behind the scenes deals going on.

Many people criticized her features for being too fierce and her figure for being too seductive, with a large chest and a small waist. Every role played by her took on a provocative type feeling, and her acting skill didn’t seem to able to cover up her appearance.

And the role for which she had won the award was someone that was exactly the same as her. Someone with an eye-catching appearance and a soft personality. It was a role that was easily likeable and also easy to play and plus the film really sold very well at the box office. Hence she was able to climb up and just grasp the Golden Emperor award.

But no matter what, if Fei Hong was really a bad actress then no matter how much “tactics” was behind the Golden Emperor award, she still would not have gotten it. So even if Fei Hong perhaps did not quite deserve the name of “film empress”, she was still someone that had real skill.

So asking Fei Hong to play the role of the beauty in the beer commercial should have been an easy ask. She wore a fiery red suit jacket and skirt, and showed off her ample bust and two beautiful long and white legs. It made almost all the young people on the set, a large proportion of whom were young men in the late teens and early twenties, nearly lose their heads.

In the short commercial Bai Lang was portraying a frustrated young man. His styling was also very handsome. He wore a silk shirt with silver lining around the neck as though he was going to a nightclub. Unlike his usual elegant and cultured image, there was an additional sexy and alluring feeling.

Thus, when it was time to film the scene of  the beer “pouring”, when the first glass of beer was poured onto Bai Lang’s head, he slightly tilted his head and as the liquid slid down his face, he lightly licked his lips and and his eyes smiled at Fei Hong in an electric manner. Fei Hong slightly froze.

The director yelled out, “Cut!”

Fei Hong’s expression didn’t pass. They had to restart.

It was like a chain reaction had been set off. One time, two, times, three times and more. All of them NGs of the scene where Fei Hong was pouring beer onto Bai Lang.

It got to the point when the crew members had no choice but use a hairdryer to quickly dry off Bai Lang’s shirt. Today they had prepared five shirts so that he could change if the scene needed to be reshot. However they didn’t expect that it would have to be done so many times and so it still wasn’t enough.

The first six times was Fei Hong’s mistake. But on the seventh time, just as it seemed everything was going smoothly, it was Bai Lang’s turn to mess up. Because the alcohol had gone up his nose and the Bai Lang who had low alcohol tolerance was already feeling not well.

By this time everyone’s faces wasn’t good. It meant they had no choice but to stop and take a rest so that would mean the filming would run overtime. Most of the crew members secretly pointed the finger at Fei Hong. After all the first six times she had either had an incorrect expression or her movement was not timed well and once she actually twisted her ankle. Every time it was something different. It was as though she was deliberately trying to make trouble.

Because every time she NG’d then Bai Lang would have to wash his face and change his makeup and clothes again. It would take around 20 minutes before he was able to refilm the scene with Fei Hong. Not only did Bai Lang suffer but also the makeup and set crew.

During the interval, Fei Hong was very apologetic. She clasped her hands to apologize to the crew members. “I’m really not doing it on purpose. The more I do it the more my hand shakes. Thinking about how I’ve made Mr Bai suffer, I really feel so bad and so I get even more nervous. And so my movements…. I also want to successfully pass the scene. I, I’ll go and apologize to Mr Bai.”

Her soft and gentle words made the crew members angers abate slightly. They saw Fei Hong running to knock on Bai Lang’s dressing room door with a contrite expression and so they shook their heads and dispersed.

At this time Bai Lang was sitting on the couch in his dressing room with his eyes closed, waiting for the alcohol to pass.

When Bai Lang got tipsy actually he wouldn’t get red much, however he would get dizzy and his stomach would hurt. So thus before Bai Lang wanted to rush to pass the scene and so he had already tried to force himself to hold out longer and had inhaled quite a lot of alcohol. Now that he sat down his entire body felt dizzy. He hurried to drink an alcohol suppressing drink but Hong Hong insisted that it would be better for him to eat something to line his stomach and so he had gone out to find Bai Lang something to eat.

At this time Fei Hong knocked on Bai Lang’s door. Bai Lang opened his eyes and let her in.

After she entered the room, Fei Hong closed the door behind her. As the two people looked at each other, the apologetic look in Fei Hong’s eyes faded quite a lot. An expression that was both helpless and also somewhat nonchalant, appeared in her eyes. “Sorry, I also don’t want to do this. The situation forces me. I hope you can understand.”

These words was Fei Hong approximately admitting that her actions before was intentional. Bai Lang used an unkind gaze to look at Fei Hong. The uncomfortable feeling coursing through his body made him too lazy to play games with her. He directly asked, “Qiu Kuo?”

Fei Hong smiled. Coupled with her outstanding features, it was a very alluring. She found a sofa and sat down. Her initial nonchalant expression also cracked a little to show some tiredness. “Who else could it be? Qiu Kuo doesn’t like Qiu Qian and so when he heard that we would be working together, he instructed me to do this. After all at the party everyone saw how Qiu Qian treated you.”

Bai Lang felt bitter and helpless. Was this sending your pawn to fight the other side’s pawn? This type of low-class provocation really made him speechless. However judging by Qiu Kuo’s behaviour at the Rong family party, it was just like him.

But no what what Bai Lang felt somewhat frustrated. Did he really look this easy to bully?

According to what Fei Hong was saying, the entire affair was so Fei Hong could have something to report back to Qiu Kuo. Her torturing him wasn’t of her own free will, thus the person that had to cooperate and suffer was Bai Lang.

Now that he thought about it it wasn’t the first time. Bai Lang couldn’t help saying, “You’re the second.”

There wasn’t any context and so Fei Hong couldn’t understand. “Sorry?”

“You are the second person that after making trouble for me, came running to confess that they were being directed by others.” Bai Lang raised his head and laughed.

The first time, it was Gao FenFen from “In Front of and Behind the Cameras”.

“Isn’t that normal in this circle?” Fei Hong twisted her lips. “On the surface it looks shiny but underneath its very black.”

“Indeed. However it also proves that you lot “troublemakers” never thought to have anything to be concerned about.” Bai Lang faintly smiled. “You never thought about whether or not everything that you’ve done would be remembered by me, Bai Lang.”

Bai Lang suddenly became cold and that made Fei Hong freeze slightly.

“Right now perhaps I’m not worthy of that regard,” Bai Lang looked unblinkingly at Fei Hong. “Thank you for reminding me. I will work hard to be worthy. I won’t allow people to use me as they wish.” And simply wait for Qiu Qian to help him clean up the mess.

Because right now he didn’t want to be someone that hid behind Qiu Qian but someone that stood by his side.

Looking at him now, Fei Hong’s heart suddenly jumped.

Just like the first time she had NG’ed, when she really couldn’t look away from him.

***

When filming resumed, although the effect of alcohol on Bai Lang hadn’t completely receded, everything still passed smoothly.

It was unknown whether it was related to Bai Lang’s words however after the interval, Fei Hong didn’t try to make any more trouble for him.

It was only that the very last scene of “contentedly drinking beer” was still very troublesome for Bai Lang. Luckily he didn’t NG many times and passed it speedily. Otherwise if he got tipsy again the entire crew would have waste their time waiting for him again.

Although he passed it quickly but by the time the entire filming was completed, it was already late at night.

Today the people responsible for picking up Bai Lang from work was not only Hong Hong but also Qiu Qian. It was also the first time Qiu Qian had appeared at Bai Lang’s work location.

When Hong Hong went to bring the car around, Bai Lang was sitting dizzily on the sofa. He raised his eyes and saw Qiu Qian.

“What are you doing here?”

“You drank so how could I not come?” Qiu Qian came in freely to the dressing room. He sat next to Bai Lang and put his long arm around him. “How do you feel?”

Bai Lang leaned against Qiu Qian and closed his eyes. “Dizzy.”

“I knew it.” Qiu Qian laughed lowly. He stroked Bai Lang’s chin lightly. “I know that right now you’ll get excited easily.”

After speaking his lowered his head and pressing Bai Lang into the couch, he kissed him searingly.

Bai Lang’s entire body immediately got hot. It was just like the first time he had met Qiu Qian when he was completely unable to defend himself.

Hearing Bai Lang’s quickened breathing, Qiu Qian pushed further and licked his lips. “Fang Hua’s pay should be docked. She actually made you accept this kind of commercial.”

Bai Lang had the sensation of the alcohol permeating every pore of his body. From the top of his toes to the ends of his hair he felt hot. Very vaguely, Bai Lang remembered the first time he had met Qiu Qian and he had gotten drunk at the club. Just like that time, right now Bai Lang got hard.

Bai Lang hooked his arms around Qiu Qian’s neck. He said in a breathless manner. “Let’s go home. This time I won’t run away.”

Qiu Qian was satisfied but at the same time dissatisfied. He grabbed the person and clutched him in his arms. “In the future, don’t ever drink outside.”

Bai Lang vaguely agreed and then sunk into a feeling of relaxation and sleepiness.