Chapter 54: Leng Qingqiu Secretly Tastes the Forbidden Fruit

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Chen Siyuan claimed to have an in-depth understanding of The Golden Powder Family, and that was no lie. During his time in the United States, he had put considerable effort into securing the television adaptation rights for the series. His exchanges with Zhang Wu were very pleasant, and he learned many little-known tidbits about Zhang Henshui’s creation of The Golden Powder Family, which outsiders wouldn’t know.

Even if experts specializing in The Golden Powder Family came to debate with Chen Siyuan, he wouldn’t be intimidated, let alone Dong Bailian. Dong Bailian had only just begun preparing; her grasp of Leng Qingqiu was still superficial. The Leng Qingqiu depicted in Mr. Zhang Henshui’s writing was far more complex than she appeared on the surface.

So when Dong Jie raised her doubts, Chen Siyuan responded with ease and confidence. Dong Jie’s eyes brightened with each word. Coming to Brother Chen today was definitely the right choice. If she had tried to figure all this out on her own, who knew when she would have come to understand it.

“Brother Chen, thank you so much. I never realized Leng Qingqiu should be portrayed this way,” Dong Jie said, her eyes shining as she looked at Chen Siyuan.

Chen Siyuan glanced at the time. Goodness, was it already this late? They had become so engrossed! He had spent so much time with Dong Bailian without charging a fee. For a lawyer, that was unacceptable—lawyers charged by the hour.

“Understanding alone isn’t enough. You have to put it into practice,” Chen Siyuan said with a straightforward expression.

As Dong Jie was about to take her leave, Chen Siyuan’s words made her hesitate. “Then I’ll trouble Brother Chen. Which scene shall we rehearse?”

Dong Jie did not notice Chen Siyuan’s intentions. “Let’s do the scene where Leng Qingqiu and Jin Wanxi go to Xiangshan to enjoy the blossoms.”

“Xiangshan to enjoy the blossoms?” Dong Jie recalled vaguely, somewhat puzzled.

Chen Siyuan opened the script, found the passage, and handed it to Dong Jie. As she read, her face grew increasingly flushed. While Li Dawei’s version of The Golden Powder Family pursued aesthetic beauty, some clues remained. This scene was precisely where Leng Qingqiu and Jin Wanxi tasted the forbidden fruit—though it would never be shown on television.

“Brother Chen, how should I perform this scene?” Dong Jie’s voice was barely audible, like a mosquito’s buzz.

“This scene is truly a challenge for you!” Chen Siyuan immediately began explaining why it was difficult. The difference in a woman’s demeanor before and after tasting the forbidden fruit was worlds apart. Since Dong Bailian didn’t even have a boyfriend at the moment, how could she portray such a transformation?

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Is this really a challenge? After hearing Chen Siyuan’s words, Dong Jie became somewhat troubled. What was she to do? Surely Brother Chen had a solution? She pinned her hopes on him—he was her benefactor after all!

“Talking alone won’t help you understand. Let’s rehearse the scene together! Practice makes perfect,” Chen Siyuan said without hesitation, pulling Dong Jie into a line-by-line rehearsal.

As predicted, Dong Jie, who had been planted with a spell of awkwardness, delivered her lines flatly, failing to convey the transformation at all. Even she sensed it herself, a flicker of anxiety appearing on her face.

“Brother Chen, what should I do?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take it step by step. The TV adaptation, directed by Li Dawei, has beautified many elements and omitted some processes, but to truly grasp Leng Qingqiu’s complex state of mind at this moment, you must restore the original novel’s essence.”

“Restore the original novel?” Dong Jie echoed.

“Yes, the original novel. Let me guide you to understand this character,” Chen Siyuan said as he began his hands-on coaching, helping Dong Jie delve deeply into Leng Qingqiu’s character.

At this point, Dong Jie was a bit bewildered. She instinctively felt something was off. Yet Chen Siyuan was genuinely earnest in helping her comprehend the role. Unconsciously, her mind began to wander.

When she came back to herself, the scene had reached its climax. Was Leng Qingqiu’s state of mind really like this when she and Jin Wanxi rented a room beneath Xiangshan? Dong Jie felt her thoughts and body had become detached.

Chen Siyuan, like a master magician, had taken control of her body. “Uh... Brother Chen, please don’t...” she stammered.

“Leave it to me!” Chen Siyuan suddenly grew assertive.

Little Karami Dong Bailian could not resist such a domineering presence.

After enjoying the blossoms at Xiangshan, Leng Qingqiu tasted the forbidden fruit. On the very first day of filming The Golden Powder Family, Dong Jie had surrendered herself to Chen Siyuan. Like a blank canvas, Dong Bailian was painted by the masterful artist Chen Siyuan into the most beautiful masterpiece in the world.

Pear blossoms dripping with tears vie for brilliance, peonies wrapped in mist flaunt their charm.

Dong Jie finally understood how to perform the scenes after Leng Qingqiu and Jin Wanxi’s tryst. Only, while Leng Qingqiu could marry Jin Wanxi, she could not marry her Brother Chen.

Did she regret it? Probably not. She just felt a tinge of reluctance.

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The next day, before dawn, Dong Jie quietly left and returned to the hotel housing the cast of The Golden Powder Family next door. Of course, it couldn’t compare to the hotel where Chen Siyuan stayed, but it was decent enough.

As the lead actress, Dong Jie had a single room and didn’t need to explain her absence the previous night. As long as it didn’t affect filming, the crew wouldn’t interfere.

Standing alone before the bathroom mirror, she pitied herself, still bearing traces left by Chen Siyuan. In Dong Jie’s eyes, Brother Chen was gentle but sometimes rough. Thinking of last night’s events made her cheeks flush.

It had been somewhat sudden, yet somehow inevitable.

———

On the set of The Golden Powder Family, Director Li Dawei’s Group A was filming in full swing. The performances of the three leads—Chen Kun, Dong Jie, and Liu Yifei—had made the overall progress very promising.

Liu Guoquan had come by several times to check on the schedule with Li Dawei. To her surprise, the progress and quality exceeded her expectations. The quality was very high! Her son had truly grown up. Liu Guoquan finally felt at ease.

Satisfied, she went on to supervise Group B’s filming. This side was fully entrusted to Li Dawei. With his mother’s approval, Li Dawei seemed invigorated, more motivated than ever.

The veterans on set, out of respect for Liu Guoquan, cooperated fully with Li Dawei. Although sometimes his pursuit of aestheticism was somewhat baffling, everyone complied.

Li Dawei was thus able to enjoy the feeling of having his every word carry great weight.

On the actors’ side, Chen Kun had been under considerable pressure lately. The source of his stress came from his co-actors Dong Jie and Liu Yifei. These two newcomers improved daily.

Initially, Chen Kun could easily lead them along. Gradually, he had to concentrate fully just to keep up with them. Now, he needed to be completely focused to avoid any slip-ups.

Chen Kun was truly suffering! The newcomers nowadays were simply extraordinary!