After returning from Qianzhou, Meng Zhen began training her line delivery skills.

During the shooting of the short film, Director Qian Xubing taught her a lot and told her that if she wanted to become an excellent actress, mastering her lines was of utmost importance.

Lines are a skill that every actor must master. Without good line delivery, even if an actor’s body language was rich and realistic, it would still feel lacking.

If the overall expressiveness of a movie was considered to be one hundred percent, then the delivery of lines accounts for sixty percent of it. It was even more important than an actor’s appearance or so-called acting skills. After all, audience judgment of acting was very subjective, but whether lines were delivered well or not was quite objective.

Enough to be seen at a glance.

The specific forms of line delivery are dialogue, inner monologue, and narration. Audiences typically encountered dialogue, where emotions were conveyed through stress and emphasis. Many voice actors excelled at mastering these techniques, which was why many popular dramas featured the work of top voice actors.

Meng Zhen already had a background in traditional opera. Her voice is excellent, with clear enunciation and a bright timbre, but she was somewhat lacking in emotional expression. When reciting lines, she sounded like a primary school student reading out text.

After all, in her previous life, silent films were the most popular when she was acting, so she had neglected the aspect of delivering lines.

Because of that, she was often scolded by the director.

That day, Meng Zhen found an award-winning art film from a few years ago.

The leading actress was a famous actress. Meng Zhen transcribed the female lead’s lines directly and watched the film frame by frame, studying the character’s psychology and then mimicking the veteran actress’s way of delivering the lines.

Although this method was clumsy, it was effective. In less than a week, Meng Zhen’s line delivery had improved significantly from when she first started.

During this time, Luo Yang had been busy editing 《Daffodil》. Since short films didn’t need a theatrical release or the dragon logo^[1]film screening permit, they could be uploaded to major video platforms as soon as the production was complete.

Although Luo Yang’s fans did not expect their idol to produce a high-quality film, they were thrilled to hear that 《Daffodil》 featured a theme song performed by him. This news had them all fired up, eagerly anticipating the release.

A fan even went as far as to register a Weibo account named ‘Has Daffodil Been Released Today?’

A large number of Luo Yang’s fans checked in daily and even gathered outside the studio, eagerly clamoring for the short film’s release. They were excited for its premiere, hoping for new content to enjoy.

《Daffodil》 is a supernatural story but doesn’t require extensive special effects. After all, the film focused on portraying the tension between the two leads, prioritizing visual beauty over everything else.

Under the anticipation of numerous fans and passersby, 《Daffodil》 finally completed production and would be exclusively streamed on the Tomato video website. It was available to watch without extra charges, and accessible to members who had subscribed to Tomato’s services.

After this announcement, Luo Yang’s studio made another post, separately tagging Meng Zhen and Yi Beizhao.

【Holy sh*t】

【Meng Zhen is actually the leading actress in 《Daffodil》 and is starring in King Luo’s short film? OMG! Has Luo Yang been bewitched? Meng Zhen is just a starlet, King Luo, wake up!】

【Wuuwuuwuuwuuwuuwuu. There is nothing more to say. Let me perform a dramatic weeping for everyone.】

【What’s wrong with my idol? He’s always been so strict about his work. He used to redo albums hundreds of times until he was satisfied. Did he suddenly stop caring now that it’s a short film? He actually cast a starlet with no acting skills!】

【Luo Yang really favors Meng Zhen. Luo Yang’s fans, your world must have turned upside down.】

Initially, netizens were purely curious and hopeful about this short film, wanting to see what the outcome would be when a musician crossed over into filmmaking. However, now that the lead actress had been announced, their curiosity had turned into schadenfreude.

In their eyes, someone like Meng Zhen was simply unworthy of being called an actress. Even though her innocence in the bullying incident involving Ji Xiaoling had been clarified and the whole world knew she was innocent, after seeing the clips released by the 《Phoenix Arrives in Splendor》 crew, even her staunch supporters must admit that Meng Zhen was just too inexperienced and not suitable for acting.

But fans’ love for their idols was unconditional and required no repayment. Seeing the online criticism, Hazelnuts began to counterattack and suppress unfavorable comments, creating a superficial peaceful atmosphere online.

However, some big fans in the support group were still quite anxious. Their Sister had just been heavily criticized across the internet. She hadn’t fully recovered yet and was now starring in King Luo’s short film. Such a valuable opportunity was bound to provoke jealousy. If she failed to perform satisfactorily, the criticism and attacks would definitely not be few.

Hazelnuts were all on edge. Stationed on Weibo, they waited anxiously. Then finally, Luo Yang’s studio released the first teaser trailer.

The studio hadn’t released any official character photos of the two leads, so before clicking into the video, no one knew what Meng Zhen’s appearance in the film would be like.

Some haters were still incessantly trying to smear her.

【Nowadays, these ‘celebrities’ from talent shows all look fashionable, but they lack any classical charm. Now they’re even filming a short period film. Just wait and see. Meng Zhen’s shortcomings will surely be fully exposed. She hardly has any fans left. After the short film airs, even the remaining ones might abandon her.】

Under the guidance of the fan club, fans refrained from arguing with the haters. Instead, they sat in front of their computers or phones, holding their breath, waiting for their idol to appear.

In the darkness, only the melodious tune of the guqin^[2]plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument gently echoed.

Suddenly, a quaint and elegant ancient courtyard appeared on the screen. It wasn’t grandiose but rather serene and refined. In a corner, a daffodil was growing vigorously.

As the guqin music faded, the clear voice of someone reading aloud resonated. A scholar in a long robe sat before a desk, reciting the works of a famous scholar from a bygone era.

The scholar was handsome, with a youthful charm evident in his features, as if he truly was a diligent student rather than an actor.

After reading for a while, he rose to attend to the daffodil, watering it while murmuring that it was the most beautiful flower in the world.

The scene seemed quite cozy, with the scholar’s solitary performance. However, Meng Zhen had not appeared yet.

Could it be that the female lead was just there in name only?

Before anyone could voice or comment on this thought, the scene in the teaser trailer changed abruptly.

The scholar received a portrait of a beauty, and now all the time he used to spend with the daffodil was dedicated to admiring the portrait instead.

He placed the portrait on the desk, unfolding it for the first time in front of the camera. The ethereal beauty depicted within resembled Meng Zhen exactly—— delicately arched eyebrows, captivating autumn-like eyes, and a beauty that took one’s breath away.

The trailer ended there without Meng Zhen’s portrayal of Daffodil making an official appearance, but it caused a huge sensation among beauty admirers.

【How can someone be so stunning? Ahhhhh!】

【Mom, I’m in love!】

【Wife, look at me! Wife, look at me!】

Having just watched the trailer, excited fans flooded the comment section. Meanwhile, Luo Yang’s account also forwarded it.

Luo Yang was a powerhouse singer, and his popularity wasn’t inferior to that of recently debuted idols.

#Luo Yang’s Short Film quickly trended on hot searches, drawing not only fans flooding the comment section but also many passersby who were stunned by the trailer.

In the eyes of the general public, the term short film typically signifies small-scale production and low budget, with the final result usually not as good as some foreign blockbuster films. However, Luo Yang, being Luo Yang, managed to capture Meng Zhen’s beauty impeccably. Just with a single portrait, he already left people enraptured, and everyone wondered what Meng Zhen’s real appearance would be like in the short film.

After forwarding the trailer, Luo Yang sent Meng Zhen a WeChat message, asking her to also post on Weibo.

Currently, Meng Zhen has a total of 5 million fans, which isn’t considered high in the entertainment industry. After all, Meng Zhen’s past experiences have been quite tragic. She was previously heavily criticized across the internet, leaving her remaining fans devoted but cautious. As long as their idol was doing well, they didn’t particularly care whether she had any noteworthy works to showcase.

However, they never expected Meng Zhen to be so impressive. The short film she was starring in looked promising.

After Meng Zhen edited a caption, she looked at the comments flooding in from fans. Her initially calm and indifferent expression softened gradually. She liked these vibrant and energetic young people, and she was deeply grateful for their support.

As an actress, the only way Meng Zhen could repay her fans was by delivering better performances in her works, using films to reciprocate the love from her fans and not let them down.

【Hehe, fake baifumei is clinging to King’s Luo thigh now. Look at how perfectly you kneel and lick, your shamelessness knows no bounds.】

【Oh no, I can already imagine Meng Zhen using Luo Yang for publicity in the future.】

【Can Meng Zhen just leave my idol alone and let him shine on his own?】

【It’s not just that. Meng Zhen must be using photoshop. My goodness, everyone’s seen her on 《Dream Chaser》. We all know what she looks like on stage. Now she’s made herself into a fairy? Have some shame!】

Many of Luo Yang’s fans and haters flooded the comment section as well with negative comments. Thankfully, Meng Zhen’s devoted fans were strong enough to shield her from these malicious people. They didn’t want their idol to see such hurtful words, so they tirelessly showered her with praise and compliments.

Fans spent half an hour meticulously cleansing the comment section before it finally became tranquil and peaceful.

The president of Meng Zhen’s fan club stood out remarkably.

【You are the brightest star in the deep blue sky.

With one glance, you’re like moonlight shining on the sea.

Deep and azure.

Glittering.】

【Why do we have to wait until 8 PM? I want to watch the short film now. Can I pay to watch it? I want to spend money! Give me a chance to spend money!】

【Zhenzhen, Mama loves you.】

Reading through these heartwarming comments, Meng Zhen couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile, her eyes filled with indescribable tenderness.