After Han Shuangshuang finished speaking, she stood up and deliberately displayed her crew ID to prove that she wasn’t just some random bystander.
Curious, she glanced in the direction the person had come from to see who this so-called “Xiaoxiao” was, but only caught a side profile.
The person hadn’t even noticed what was happening here.
However, Han Shuangshuang realized she didn’t recognize that side profile either.
She was usually very busy, not one to chase after celebrities, just watching movies and dramas occasionally.
So, while she might recognize some familiar faces, after stepping into the short video industry, she had seen a lot more in just a few months.
She couldn’t possibly not recognize a celebrity if they were right in front of her, but time was limited, and there were still many stars she didn’t know.
This person was one of them.
Xiao Man saw that Han Shuangshuang didn’t seem like someone who would be bullied, so she just stood silently, watching to see if anything else would happen.
The celebrity assistant finally noticed the ID hanging around Han Shuangshuang’s neck and was momentarily stunned.
Remembering Han Shuangshuang’s words, she recalled that this movie did indeed have a dog as the lead actor.
Although she didn’t know which dog it was, the director’s team had mentioned that the dog was incredibly smart-so smart that the director, despite thinking it was ugly, still wanted it to play the lead role.
Her gaze then fell on the dog at Han Shuangshuang’s feet- a Husky, and one that didn’t look particularly good, with its fur not fully grown.
She nervously swallowed: “Is this dog the lead actor the director chose?”
Han Shuangshuang replied, “Yes.”
The assistant awkwardly smiled: “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice. I thought you were a stalker fan. The director hasn’t arrived yet, but I see Assistant Ji over there. Let me take you to her!”
Han Shuangshuang waved her hand: “No need, I’ll just wait here.”
The assistant still looked embarrassed: “Alright, I apologize again for earlier. I’ll take my leave now.”
After the assistant hurried away, Han Shuangshuang crouched down again, hugging Xiao Bai and whispering in its ear:
“I thought it would be like in those short dramas, where she would arrogantly scold me, and then the director or Ji Min would appear, berating her for not recognizing the lead actor right in front of her!”
Xiao Man: “…”
In reality, there aren’t so many face slapping scenarios.
Most people are sensible, especially in the entertainment industry, where there are plenty of shrewd individuals.
Han Shuangshuang felt a bit disappointed, her eyes sparkling: “What a pity.”
Xiao Man raised her paw and patted Han Shuangshuang’s arm.
Han Shuangshuang: “Haha, Xiao Bai, you feel the same way, don’t you?”
Xiao Man: I just want you to stop being silly!
The two didn’t have to wait long before Director Hua Lanxin arrived.
She immediately spotted Xiao Bai and walked over, carefully examining the dog.
After a while, Hua Lanxin said, “It looks a bit better now.”
Xiao Man rolled her eyes.
Hua Lanxin saw this and laughed:
“Hey, this dog can even roll its eyes. Does it understand the subtext in my words?”
The people around them chuckled.
“It knows Director Hua said it used to look bad.”
Hua Lanxin crouched down in front of Xiao Man and extended her hand:
“Xiao Bai, you’ll have to work hard during the upcoming shoot.”
Xiao Man looked at her and extended her paw, patting the director’s palm.
After all, Han Shuangshuang would be with the crew throughout the shoot, so Xiao Man wasn’t afraid of being mistreated without being able to speak up.
As long as there was no mistreatment, she wasn’t afraid of the hard work.
If it got too tiring, she could just lie down-she was just a dog, after all.
How much more effort could they expect from her?
Hua Lanxin grasped Xiao Man’s paw and shook it firmly, smiling:
“It seems our shoot will go very smoothly. After all, even the animal actor, who should have been the most difficult, is so smart and understands human language.”
The opening ceremony was influenced by Hong Kong traditions, including offerings and incense burning.
High-risk industries are always the most superstitious, and whether a TV drama or movie will be a hit is often uncertain.
Even with a good script, great actors, and excellent filming, success isn’t guaranteed, which is why mysticism is prevalent in this industry.
This was Xiao Man’s first time attending a proper opening ceremony.
She was carried by Han Shuangshuang and stood in the center spot next to Director Hua.
Xiao Man: “…”
The incense smoke is drifting right into my nostrils!
After Xiao Man sneezed several times, the group photo was finally taken, and she was quickly carried away from the incense by Han Shuangshuang.
Several actors then approached Han Shuangshuang and Xiao Man to greet them, as they would have scenes together later and wanted to get familiar with the dog lead.
Xiao Man responded casually.
As a fake dog, she didn’t need to get familiar with anyone.
She would just act as the director instructed, and it didn’t matter who her co-stars were.
Han Shuangshuang returned to the hotel room with some scripts provided by Ji Min.
Filming would officially start the next day, so she needed to review the scenes Xiao Bai would be in and help the dog get familiar with them.
“The smart Husky that understands human language” couldn’t be disgraced!
Han Shuangshuang prepared diligently, and Xiao Man cooperated.
After they were done, Han Shuangshuang organized the footage from the day.
As a self-media blogger, and since this movie project didn’t require strict confidentiality, with Director Hua’s permission, she could shoot some material for short videos.
The next day, the movie titled “The Secret of Little Dog Wangcai” officially began filming.
The movie tells the story of a young man who returns to the countryside to handle his grandfather’s belongings for his ailing father.
He discovers that his grandfather had a dog named Wangcai.
Every day at a specific time, Wangcai would disappear.
One day, out of curiosity, the young man secretly follows Wangcai and discovers the dog’s secret and his grandfather’s secret.
The first scene of the day was the young man’s first encounter with Wangcai.
While organizing things, he was startled by Wangcai, who was sleeping on a high shelf.
Hua Lanxin: “Xiao Bai, can you come down from there?”
Xiao Man looked at the spot Hua Lanxin pointed to a wardrobe slightly taller than a person.
There was a clothes rack next to it and a coffee table below, so she could slowly jump down.
Han Shuangshuang crouched down and said to Xiao Man:
“Xiao Bai, try it first, but don’t push yourself.”
Xiao Man attempted to climb up, her movements quite agile.
Dogs aren’t as flexible as cats, but the props were well-placed, and Xiao Man successfully reached the top of the wardrobe.
She then turned around and made her way back down.
Hua Lanxin clapped: “Great! Xiao Bai, you’re amazing! Alright, everyone, get ready!”
Others adjusted the lighting, rearranged props, rehearsed lines, and finalized their positions, while Han Shuangshuang watched as Xiao Bai climbed onto the wardrobe, lay down, and closed her eyes to sleep.
Everything was ready, and all non essential personnel cleared the set.
The wide shot showed a cluttered, elderly man’s room, and upon closer inspection, one could see the dog sleeping in the wardrobe.
The young man entered the room, looked around as if reminiscing, and began tidying up.
As he worked, he suddenly locked eyes with the dog in the wardrobe.
Startled by the unexpected presence of a living creature, he let out a cry.
The dog then jumped down from the wardrobe, and the young man, frightened, quickly retreated from the room.
Later, he learned from an elderly neighbor that this was Wangcai, the dog his grandfather had raised.
This scene was perfectly shot, and the set became lively again.
Han Shuangshuang walked over and took out some chicken jerky to feed Xiao Bai.
She smiled and whispered:
“In those TV dramas about the entertainment industry, after the big stars finish their scenes, their assistants rush over to drape clothes or offer water. Our Xiao Bai should enjoy the treatment of a big star too.”
Xiao Man chewed on the delicious chicken jerky and rolled her eyes at Han Shuangshuang.
She could tell that, even though she wasn’t the one on camera, Han Shuangshuang was genuinely excited about the acting.
It wasn’t just about the paycheck or the potential increase in followers-Han Shuangshuang was excited about the process itself.
In a good mood, Han Shuangshuang didn’t mind Xiao Man’s attitude.
After the dog finished eating, she took it over to the director.
Director Hua reviewed the footage and was quite satisfied.
Xiao Man thought, even if there were any dissatisfaction, it shouldn’t be directed at her.
As a dog, she had performed exceptionally well!
The day’s filming went smoothly, and even a scene scheduled for the next day was moved up.
By the time they wrapped up, it was just getting dark.
Han Shuangshuang, feeling sorry for Xiao Man’s long day of filming, carried the dog back to the hotel instead of letting it walk.
Xiao Man, of course, was happy to accept!
As filming progressed, Xiao Man’s daily routine became waking up, filming, and returning to the hotel to sleep.
After more than half a month, she felt like she had gained a bit of weight.
Perhaps it was because Han Shuangshuang, feeling sorry for her hard work, was feeding her more dog food than before!
Her popularity on set also grew over time, and many people followed Han Shuangshuang’s account.
When Han Shuangshuang walked through the set with Xiao Man, people would greet them with calls of “Xiao Bai,” and often someone would stop to play with the dog.
During breaks, Xiao Man could hear the crew quietly discussing her.
“Xiao Bai seems a bit too human-like. I know Director Hua chose it for that reason, but Xiao Bai is just too good at acting!”
“Yeah, it’s so smart it’s almost scary! Have you heard that horror story about someone who had a big dog that often acted very human-like? She got scared and later found out there was an A… inside it!”
“Stop! I don’t want to hear it!”
Xiao Man: “…”
But I want to hear it!
Damn it, even on set I can’t escape unfinished horror stories!
Yes, even though she was here on a business trip to film a movie, she couldn’t escape the torment of Xu Yan’s “no-ending,” “tragic,” and “horror” stories.
So, she had evolved.
She could now listen to stories without needing to hear the ending!
One day, there was a scene where Wangcai was chased and jumped into the water to escape.
Since the weather was getting cold, Han Shuangshuang was worried and even secretly asked Xiao Man if they should skip this scene.
Xiao Man didn’t mind.
Since becoming a dog, she hadn’t been as afraid of the cold as she was when she was human.
Han Shuangshuang wasn’t sure if Xiao Man understood, but seeing the dog show no resistance, she reluctantly prepared towels and a hairdryer.
The water scene began filming. Xiao Man nimbly dodged the actor’s chase, leaped into the river, and swam to the opposite bank.
The water was indeed cold, but bearable. She swam desperately to the other side, lay there for a few seconds, then slowly stood up, shook off the water, and walked away, her looking somewhat desolate.
As soon as Director Hua called “Cut,”
Han Shuangshuang immediately wrapped Xiao Bai in a towel.
While Han Shuangshuang was drying Xiao Man, Director Hua was reviewing the footage and marveled:
“How did Xiao Bai manage to make this scene look so pitiful?”
As a movie aimed at being touching and tear-jerking, the more pitiful the dog, the better.
In the footage, Xiao Man seemed to limp as she walked away.
Director Hua frowned and asked Han Shuangshuang:
“Shuangshuang, is Xiao Bai’s leg injured? Let it walk a bit.”
Xiao Man walked over to Director Hua and then ran back to Han Shuangshuang.
Director Hua muttered: “…It’s fine. I got worried for nothing.”
Xiao Man heard this and rolled her eyes.
What do you know?
That was my superb acting!
A wet, dripping, pitiful dog-how could it not limp?
Han Shuangshuang dried Xiao Man halfway and then used the hairdryer to finish the job.
Han Shuangshuang’s movements were gentle, the hairdryer at the perfect distance and temperature.
Xiao Man fell asleep to the hum of the hairdryer.
When she woke up, Xiao Man saw a snow-white ceiling.
Feeling her body, she realized she had returned to her own body.
Wait, she hadn’t hit her head this time.
Why had she returned?
Before Xiao Man could figure it out, she heard a male voice beside her, accompanied by eerie background music.
The voice was telling a horror story
about eyeballs.
Oh, it was Xu Yan.
He was here.