"Tiana, it’s okay, you can do it." Elliana Lyle patted Tiana Harris on the shoulder and handed her an open bottle of mineral water.
Taking the water from her, Tiana thanked her but didn’t drink it, instead sitting dejectedly on the small stool.
Her hair, intentionally styled to look ssy, only mirrored Tiana’s current mood.
The scene had been tested seven tis, yet Tiana just couldn’t get into character. Director Gary Young, helpless, had no choice but to arrange to shoot other parts first.
This led Tiana to beco utterly disheartened. Coupled with the snide remarks and laughter from so people on the set, Tiana seed to have lost all her fighting spirit.
Seeing this, Elliana suggested, "Let’s practice the scene together. I believe you can do it."
"I can’t... I’m nothing..." Tiana looked up at the studio ceiling, her eyes brimming with tears.
She didn’t want to look at Elliana’s face, believing that Elliana must be laughing at her inside.
For so reason, she always felt nervous in front of the cara, whereas Elliana could enter the scene so effortlessly, forming a stark contrast.
The thought pushed her tears to the brink, and they fell, streaming down her cheeks.
Elliana: "..."
"No, you can do it. You have to believe in yourself." Tiana’s tendency to bla everything else left Elliana montarily speechless.
To her, this was only a minor setback. Even while shooting South Wind Song, she had experienced tis when she couldn’t get into character.
The right way to face this situation, she thought, was to calm down, slowly adjust her emotions, then reflect on the problem and how to improve.
As Elliana was at a loss with Tiana, Yates Zander approached them, wearing an astronaut suit, his gentle face carrying a faint smile:
"Elliana."
"Yates?" She was sowhat surprised that Yates had co over so quickly from the other set, suggesting that his shoot had gone smoothly.
Tiana imdiately lowered her head, hastily wiping her tears before turning her face to the other side.
Noticing the off atmosphere, Yates quickly glanced at Tiana with his peripheral vision before turning his attention to Elliana.
Seeing her sowhat helpless expression, he gently asked, "Elliana, need so help?"
"No, you go ahead." She waved Yates off, thinking that in Tiana’s current emotional state, additional help wasn’t necessary.
Perhaps solitude would be better for her, but Elliana couldn’t just leave Tiana alone.
It seed like Yates understood her intention. "Alright, Director Gary said they’ll resu in ten minutes. Elliana, you and Miss...—" he paused, seemingly forgetting Tiana’s na for a mont.
He corrected himself, "Elliana, you and Miss Harris should prepare."
"Okay, thank you."
After Yates left, Elliana again approached the silent, downcast Tiana, gently coaxing her, "Tiana, don’t be like this. I know you aren’t incapable, just a little nervous. We have ten minutes; how about we run through the scene?"
Tiana wiped the tears from her chin with her hand, choking up, "I... I embarrassed you, Elliana."
Earlier, many people had pointed at them, their words full of mockery.
What struck her the hardest was, "Is this the level of talent from Elliana’s studio? All looks, no substance."
The comnt was a hard blow to her.
"No, it’s unavoidable as a newcor; I’ve been in similar situations, too. You just need to slowly adapt." With Elliana’s persistent encouragent, Tiana’s spirits gradually lifted.
The two began to practice their lines.
Tiana gradually got into character, albeit with minor flaws, but it was a noticeable improvent from before.
...
――― 6 PM.
"Tiana, congratulations on wrapping up."
Although the director was satisfied in the end, Tiana couldn’t feel happy. In a ninety-minute film, she appeared for less than a minute.
And that less than a minute of screen ti had taken an exhaustingly long ti to shoot.
"Tiana?" Noticing Tiana was silent, lost in thought at sothing, Elliana waved a hand in front of her eyes.
Coming back to her senses, Tiana seed flustered, instinctively adjusting the hair near her ear, her expression evasive, "Elliana, I’ll head back first then."
Elliana: "..." They had only driven over in one car, which she drove herself, bringing along Victor King and Tiana.
She didn’t like bringing along assistants, thinking it unnecessary.
So, she suggested, "Tiana, do you want to wait for ? We can head back together at 10 PM."
"I... I want to head back first."
Tiana hesitantly refused her offer, and Elliana didn’t press the issue.
She replied, "Alright then, here’s the car key. Just park it at the company later."
After all, the location was in the most remote outskirts of Horizon, and there weren’t many cars around.
...
Since Tiana drove the car away, Elliana decided to stay at a hotel arranged by the crew, making it easier as she didn’t have to travel back and forth, considering North City was quite far.
――― 8 PM, North City.
July dia dormitory.
"Hmm? Tiana, you’re back?" Bella, who was taking out the trash, bumped into the just-returned Tiana.
Tiana forced a smile, nodding, "I wrapped up, so I ca back."
"Ah? So soon?" Bella seed a little surprised.
The remark struck Tiana hard. She smiled bitterly, "Yeah, so soon."
Noticing the mood, Bella paused for a few seconds before comforting her, "Movies are only an hour or two long; it’s normal to finish quickly."
"Hmm." Bella’s explanation eased her feelings a bit. Suddenly rembering sothing, she casually asked, "Didn’t Elliana arrange a TV drama for you? You’ll have your hands full with it."
Bella chuckled, shrugging lightly, "It’s not too bad; I’ll only appear in about twenty episodes, out of seventy-plus total." Bella grinned.
When Bella ntioned appearing in "twenty" episodes, her smile froze instantly.
Bella, without any experience, was initially expected to only have one or two episodes. But Elliana had arranged so many scenes for Bella.
Her first supporting actress role was over before it began due to Elliana leaving, resulting in the disbandnt of the whole crew, with no chance to start again.
Suddenly, she felt more resentnt towards Elliana, her heart growing unbalanced.
"Tiana?"
"Ah?"
Bella frowned watching Tiana’s flustered deanor, concerned, "What just happened? You seed distracted."
"I..." Feeling guilty, she instinctively touched her earlobe, starting to regret her earlier resentnt and jealousy.
Thinking quickly, she offered an excuse, "Maybe I’m a bit tired. So... I’m going to rest now."
"Then get so rest."
...
――― 10 PM.
Horizon, on the set of Interstellar Immigrants.
"That’s a wrap, everyone. You all worked hard. I’ll treat everyone to dinner at Huinan Hotel later," Director Gary Young jovially announced to the crew.
Gary Young was known as one of the most generous directors, and his crew was reputed to dine better than any other in the film industry.
Amidst the cheers and applause, Elliana suddenly rushed outside.
"Hey, what’s going on?"
Elliana’s abrupt action left everyone at the scene stunned, Director Gary Young included.
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