novelnext Chapter 1394 Soon
Chapter 1394 Soon
Chapter 1394 Soon
When Ji Kyung-won and Kim Ji-won got together, they actually started analyzing the characters together.
"First of all, regarding the character Choi Hong-joo, I think if I were to make a summary..."
"She is a tragically lucid individual and a tenacious avenger."
Faced with Kim Ji-won's focused and curious gaze, Ji Kyung-won didn't hold back, and spoke candidly about her understanding of Kim Ji-won's portrayal of Choi Hong-joo:
"She was a direct victim of the headhunter case, the headhunter Han Xujun. She witnessed her younger brother being killed and, out of fear, was forced to become an accomplice in Han Xujun's murder, thus becoming a perpetrator."
"After growing up, I faced my parents whom I hadn't seen for many years. Seeing them suffering from the torment of longing, I felt an intense longing in my heart, yet I couldn't recognize them."
"My beloved boyfriend is suspected of being a psychopathic killer. I want to believe him, but I can't help but doubt him. I'm investigating... I'm in a state of extreme contradiction."
Ji Jingyuan took a sip of coffee and summarized: "I think this character is really wonderful. He is rational, but full of repressed emotions. If he interprets it well, he will leave a very deep impression on the audience."
“I also think that Jingyuan, your understanding of this character is very similar to mine, but I feel that she also has a bit of…”
Kim Ji-won listened attentively and shared her own thoughts, without completely agreeing with Ji Kyung-won's ideas.
After the two exchanged a few more words, she frowned again: "But when it comes to acting, I always feel like I can't quite grasp that feeling..."
"It's not that I can't grasp the feeling, it's just that my own imagined performance and my performance during filming never quite have that flavor."
"Especially compared to you, then..."
Kim Ji-won frowned and shook her head, seemingly somewhat confused. Clearly, the excellent script, the compelling character design, the anticipation for the drama, and Ji Kyung-won's performance had put considerable pressure on her.
After she finished speaking, seeing Ji Kyung-won slightly raise his eyebrows, Kim Ji-won immediately knew what he wanted to say. She rolled her eyes and glared at him, saying, "I know you're a TV King, but please don't use 'TV King' as your answer, TV King Ji."
"..."
Chi Jingyuan's original words were cut off. After a moment of tension, he didn't care, put down his coffee, and seriously looked at Kim Ji-won.
Kim Ji-won also let him see her openly and generously.
As their eyes met, Chi Jingyuan suddenly spoke: "Your eyes are very beautiful."
"Hmm?" Such a straightforward compliment startled Kim Ji-won for a moment, but she wasn't embarrassed; she just looked a little dazed. She then winked, looking rather smug.
"Ji-won, what are your strengths as an actress?"
Although he praised her, Chi Jingyuan didn't mean anything ambiguous. He said in a serious and rational tone, "In my opinion, you have a very obvious advantage: your eyes."
"Your eyes are clear and full of stories; many people are drawn to them the moment they see them."
"If I were you, I wouldn't focus too much on exaggerated expressions and emotional outbursts. Instead, I would try to use my eyes to build the soul of the character."
Chi Jingyuan seemed to be getting into the conversation. He put down his coffee and unconsciously tried to use some gestures to express his ideas and at the same time to strengthen the persuasiveness of his words: "You can try to design multi-layered eye expressions for Choi Hong-joo in different storylines."
"For example, when facing work, be cold, distant, and scrutinizing, with eyes like a precision scanner, capturing information quickly without any extra emotion to show your elite side."
"When alone, recalling past traumas, the pupils collapse and become empty in an instant, all defenses are removed, and the eyes lose focus."
“When facing Zheng Balin, there are many changes and contradictions.”
"When facing his enemy Han Xujun, he displayed an extreme calmness forged from hatred..."
Acting is something Chi Jingyuan claims to be very good at, and he really is. When talking about topics he is interested in and confident about, he is very focused, his voice is neither low nor high, and his waving hands and clenched fist gestures make it seem as if he is giving a speech.
Kim Ji-won listened attentively, nodding occasionally and taking notes on what he said. She could easily sense that these methods and suggestions were of great help to her, and some of the ideas even ignited her inspiration, as if she suddenly had a new idea for interpreting the role of Choi Hong-joo.
Feeling a surge of excitement, she had just jotted down some thoughts in her notebook. Excitedly, she looked up, about to change the subject, when her eyes met those of Chi Jingyuan.
Their eyes met, and they looked at each other's faces—the confident expression, the composed demeanor, and the sparkling light in their eyes.
She paused for a moment, the words she was about to say stuck in her throat.
He's kind of...handsome.
It's also very infectious.
"These are all my own methods and understandings, and they may not all be suitable for you. As for eye acting, it is very difficult... having eyes that are too big is actually a bit of a problem."
Lost in his enthusiasm, Ji Kyung-won didn't notice the little incident. He picked up his coffee, took another sip, and enjoyed the comforting warmth as it flowed down his throat. "And I think the reason why Ji-won-ssi felt your performance these past two days was rather bland and lacked flavor..."
When Kim Ji-won came to her senses and looked at her questioningly, Ji Kyung-won shrugged: "I think the main problem is that your scenes at the beginning didn't have any exciting moments."
"Your scenes and plot haven't even unfolded yet these past two days. Right now, you're just existing as a somewhat annoying reporter. Even if you wanted to show your skills, there's no opportunity to do so."
"I see..." Kim Ji-won took a sip of coffee at the right moment, seemingly suppressing something.
"I think that at the current stage of the story, you don't need to think about too many complicated things for the time being. Instead, you should focus on another aspect."
It seemed that he had bitten the straw too hard, because Chi Jingyuan couldn't get any coffee up after trying for a long time. He let go of the straw, frowned, pinched it with his hand, and said something at the same time.
"What is it?"
Kim Ji-won watched his actions and felt a strange sense of contrast, so she asked him curiously.
"It's about showcasing your superior appearance. You can talk to the director about adding some costumes or designing some plot... Choi Hong-joo has a very important role to play: she's good-looking. She can't really showcase her acting skills right now, so she uses her looks to attract attention."
He pinched the straw a couple of times to make it rounder, as if he had accomplished some difficult task. Chi Jingyuan smiled slightly with a hint of pride, bit the straw, and took another sip: "This is also one of your advantages."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Kim Ji-won's gaze shifted from Ji Kyung-won's straw, or rather, his mouth, and she looked at him with a reserved yet expectant smile: "Does that mean that TV King Ji thinks I'm good-looking?"
"Pretty girls know they're pretty from a young age..."
Chi Jingyuan didn't dodge the question, shrugged, and casually said, "There's no need to ask me to confirm something that's already out there, right?"
Although there was no direct answer, this indirect praise was all the more pleasing.
"That……"
Kim Ji-won smiled, her eyes crinkling, whether from the warmth or from being pleased to be praised, it was hard to tell.
She blinked, but suddenly asked a question that had nothing to do with the previous topic: "So, in your opinion, who is prettier, me or your girlfriend?"
After saying that, she looked at Chi Jingyuan, who was clearly stunned for a moment, and waved her hand magnanimously with a smile: "Of course. If it's difficult, you don't have to answer. I know..."
But before she could finish her elegant and magnanimous words, Chi Jingyuan interrupted her.
"My girlfriend."
Chi Jingyuan spoke casually and naturally, and even took another sip of coffee after he finished speaking.
But it seemed he had finished his coffee, because a series of gurgling sounds came from his straw, which sounded rather jarring at this moment.
It gives the impression that this is a simple question that is 'right there and doesn't need to be confirmed'.
"you……"
Kim Ji-won felt a little embarrassed and ashamed by this unwavering attitude, and felt slightly defeated.
But at the same time, looking at Chi Jingyuan's casual yet decisive demeanor, one also has a peculiar feeling.
So... she quickly lowered her head and drank her coffee to hide her embarrassment.
“Kyungwon-ssi, Jiwon-ah…” At this moment, Lee Sung-kyung walked over and sat down next to him without any awkwardness: “What are you talking about?”
"Let's talk about some issues related to the characters."
Ji Kyung-won greeted him with a smile: "Want some coffee? Ji-won just praised the coffee at SM."
"Really? Our YG coffee is pretty good too, the company's coffee beans are very famous."
"YG isn't famous for its coffee, is it?"
Ji Kyung-won and Lee Sung-kyung started chatting as usual, and Kim Ji-won moved her chair a little to the side to make room for Lee Sung-kyung.
As the two chatted and laughed, her gaze couldn't help but drift towards Chi Jingyuan, to the straw on the coffee cup in front of him.
Looking at the pitted and flat bite marks on the straw tip, Kim Ji-won suddenly started having random thoughts:
"Is biting a straw fun?"
She glanced down at the straw in front of her and couldn't help but grind her teeth.
Having been on set for so many days, besides getting to know Kim Ji-won better, I've also become quite familiar with another lead actress, Lee Sung-kyung.
Although this was their first collaboration, or even their first contact, the film crew environment meant they were practically living together every day, filming scenes together, rehearsing lines together, and working together.
They're both good-looking, and with a bit of enthusiasm and initiative, it's really hard for them not to get to know each other... In fact, although not many, they even have a kissing scene.
Chi Jingyuan didn't mind. He wasn't some kind of tough guy, and of course he wouldn't refuse to chat with a beautiful woman.
Besides, they didn't have any bad intentions.
Moreover, playing such a psychopath as Jung Ba-reum put a lot of pressure and burden on Ji Kyung-won psychologically and emotionally. After each shoot, he would talk to Kim Ji-won, Lee Sung-kyung, and others, which he felt helped to relieve his emotions.
However, they were interrupted by a stagehand after only a short while.
"Jingyuan, your fans are coming again, and their numbers are growing."
A male stagehand walked over and said to Chi Jingyuan with a somewhat helpless expression.
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but chuckle after seeing the stage manager's expression. He put down his coffee and stood up.
"I'll go take a look."
The crew of "The Spy" has been keeping a low profile since filming began in Gangwon Province. After all, it's a drama that will be broadcast after filming is completed, and it hasn't reached the pre-release stage yet. They also don't want to be disturbed and slow down the filming progress.
For the first few days, things were fine as Ji Kyung-won was away attending various award ceremonies. However, as soon as Ji Kyung-won returned to the set, the very thing that had been expected happened the next day.
Although the production team tried to keep a low profile, resourceful fans quickly found out where they were filming... After all, with such a large production team, their activities couldn't be kept secret.
At first, there were very few people, but soon people uploaded photos online, including some that showed Ji Kyung-won from a distance.
Then more and more people came, many of whom had seen the news and traveled from Seoul or other cities, or even from far away. They would wait outside and near the "Spying" film set, just to catch a glimpse of Ji Kyung-won.
Ji Jingyuan was not offended when he found out. He would occasionally go out to meet with fans, chat for a few minutes, and give them autographs.
He even specifically told the film crew not to drive them away if there weren't many people.
If the large number of people is affecting the filming, then come and tell him.
Chi Jingyuan followed the production assistant toward the entrance of the film set. Before he had even passed the temporary prop shed, he heard a faint sound coming from outside.
It wasn't noisy at all; it wasn't even as loud as the staff shouting at each other on set, which made it seem quite restrained.
As he reached the corner at the entrance, he subconsciously slowed down. Outside the blue fence, there were more than twenty fans scattered around, most of them wearing thick coats. Some were holding EXO banners with the word "Yuan" on them, while others were holding stills of him from the drama "Goblin".
Of course, some people didn't take anything, but just kept rubbing their hands together and breathing on them to warm them up.
Upon seeing Ji Kyung-won, the crowd fell silent for half a second, and then someone excitedly shouted "Oppa!"
But it seems someone had given prior notice, even though they were still quite restrained. Clearly, everyone knew the crew was filming discreetly and didn't want to disturb their work.
Chi Jingyuan exchanged a glance with everyone, walked over naturally, and smiled at the fans: "Sorry to have made everyone come all this way."
The gentle and familiar voice instantly put the initially tense fans at ease.
"Oppa, we won't disturb the filming! We just want to see you!"
A girl in a beige down jacket in the front row quickly waved her hand, the banner in her hand swaying gently in the wind: "We know the crew is filming a new movie, we definitely won't disturb them!"
Chi Jingyuan took two steps forward, his gaze sweeping over the fans' slightly reddened cheeks from the cold, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
He said somewhat reproachfully, "What can't I see? Didn't you participate in MMA just a few days ago?"
Although the reprimand was directed at the fans, it wasn't because of their arrival: "It's so cold here, what if you catch a cold?"
As he spoke, he looked at his assistant behind him, "Brother, check the number of people and get some hot drinks over..."
The assistant nodded hurriedly, and after giving his instructions, Chi Jingyuan looked at the dozen or so girls in front of him who were almost crying, and kindly and somewhat indulgently gave them his advice:
"You saw me, didn't you? Goal achieved, right?"
"Have a hot drink and head home quickly. Be careful on the way and don't worry your family."
As he spoke, he leaned closer, covering his mouth with his hand as if to whisper something and make a deal: "But you guys have to keep this a secret, okay? If people come every day, the crew really doesn't have enough coffee..."
Several girls nearby instantly teared up; some nodded vigorously, their hands trembling with emotion; others couldn't hold back and tears streamed down their faces.
They looked at Chi Jingyuan in front of them. He was wearing a bulky, oversized black down jacket, and his hair was a soft bob with his bangs hanging down. He looked less sharp on stage and more approachable and憨憨的 (simple and honest) than he did on camera.
But his face was still just as handsome, especially the way he was smiling and talking to them at that moment. He looked like a warm ray of light in the cold wind, a hundred times more captivating than he was on TV or stage.
…………
Time flew by.
Ji Kyung-won, who arrived at the "Spying" set on the 3rd, has been filming for almost ten days.
On the morning of December 12th, he bid farewell to the director and crew and boarded the van back to Seoul.