mijobooks Chapter 43 Getting beaten up is also a skill
Chapter 43 Getting beaten up is also a skill
Tuesday, 7:00 AM.
When Su Yu pushed open the company door, Cai Xiubin was already sitting cross-legged by the window like a meditating old monk.
Today she wasn't wearing her signature gray sweatshirt; instead, she wore a black, tight-fitting tracksuit, her hair neatly tied into a bun, revealing a section of her fair nape that made you want to... pinch it.
Of course, Su Yu was just thinking about it. He was carrying two breakfasts, and he slammed one of them onto the table in front of her with a loud "bang".
Cai Xiubin was startled and turned her head, her bun bobbing slightly. She had two dark circles under her eyes, but her eyes were frighteningly bright, like two fully charged flashlights.
"Are you here to scare people or to visit the set?" She clutched her chest, looking visibly shaken.
"I'm here to see you off... oh no, to bring you breakfast." Su Yu pulled out a chair and sat down, slowly unpacking the soy milk. "I specially bought you your 'last meal' because we were filming a scene where you get beaten up today."
Cai Xiubin rolled her eyes, took the soy milk, inserted the straw, and took a big gulp. "Can't you wish me well for once? The director said today that it has to be a real fight, no camera tricks."
Su Yu chewed on a fried dough stick and asked indistinctly, "Aren't you scared?"
"I'm not afraid," she answered resolutely, her voice steady, but her hand holding the soy milk trembled slightly, causing ripples to spread across the surface of the liquid.
Su Yu glanced at her hands, a mischievous smile playing on his lips: "Pretty stubborn, huh? Your hands are shaking like you're playing the piano, Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 5'?"
Cai Xiubin looked down and quickly pressed his hands under his knees, his face flushed red: "This is...this is muscle memory! I was building up my emotions!"
"Alright, alright, get into the mood." Su Yu pulled a strawberry-flavored lollipop from his pocket, unwrapped it, and offered it to her lips like feeding a pet. "Here, suck on it. Get some sugar so you'll have the energy to yell when you get beaten up."
Cai Xiubin opened her mouth and took it in, her cheeks puffing out, and mumbled indistinctly, "Su Yu, do you have some misunderstanding about me? I'm going to act, not to be tortured."
"For me, acting and being tortured are no different. Both require immense willpower and endurance, and..." Su Yu leaned closer to her and lowered his voice, "and after you're done being beaten, someone gives you a massage."
Cai Xiubin's face instantly turned bright red, even her ears turned pink. She took out the lollipop, glared at him, and said, "Who wants you to knead it! I have my own ice pack!"
"The ice pack is cold, I'm warm. Which one do you think is better?"
"You...you scoundrel!"
"I'm a screenwriter. A screenwriter's job is to provide warmth when actors are injured; that's called humanistic care."
Nine o'clock sharp, on set.
This was an abandoned alleyway, flanked by towering red brick walls, with only a sliver of gray sky overhead. The air was thick with the damp, musty smell and the stench of dust. Cai Xiubin stood in the corner, facing a burly extra, about 1.9 meters tall, with a menacing face covered in exaggerated fake scars, and holding a rubber baton.
The director, holding a megaphone, was instructing the two actors on the scene: "The emotion in this scene is oppressive. Ahn Go-eun is cornered by her enemies, who are demanding to know Kim Do-ki's whereabouts. She can't answer, so she can only take the beating. Remember, the beating must be realistic, but it can't actually hurt anyone."
The director turned to the extra and said, "Old Zhang, go easy on her. She's a girl, she's sensitive."
Old Zhang nodded, looking honest and simple: "Don't worry, director, I wouldn't even dare to hit my wife's face, let alone a beautiful woman."
Cai Xiubin suddenly raised her hand: "Director, no need to be quiet."
The entire room fell silent for a second.
The director was stunned: "What?"
Cai Xiubin took a deep breath, her eyes hardening. "Director, I want a realistic effect. If the hits are too light, the audience will immediately tell it's fake. That would undermine Ahn Go-eun's stubbornness. So, let's make it real. I can take it."
The director hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Su Yu behind the monitor.
Su Yu, wearing a baseball cap, stood with his arms crossed, looking over expressionlessly. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow and said calmly into the walkie-talkie, "Listen to her. She's an actress; she calls the shots."
Old Zhang glanced at Cai Xiubin, then at Su Yu, grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Well done, little girl, you've got some backbone. So, I'm really going to hit you then? Don't cry if it hurts."
"Let's fight." Cai Xiubin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "Let's begin."
"Action!"
Article 1.
Although Old Zhang spoke harshly, he held back a bit of his strength in the first slap. The slap brought a gust of wind. Cai Xiubin turned her head to the side, making a muffled "smack" sound.
"Cut!" The director frowned, looking at the monitor. "Not enough force! Old Zhang, are you just tickling her? Let's do it again!"
Old Zhang scratched his head awkwardly: "Director, I'm afraid I'll hurt her."
"Again! This time, harder!" the director roared.
Article .
Old Zhang gritted his teeth and used seven-tenths of his strength this time. The slap landed squarely on Cai Xiubin's left cheek.
"Bang!"
This sound was much crisper than before. Cai Xiubin's body swayed violently to the side, her hair falling down and obscuring half her face. She staggered a step and barely managed to steady herself by grabbing the wall for support.
The set was deathly silent.
The director stared at the monitor without saying a word.
Behind the monitor, Su Yu gripped the armrest of the chair tightly with her fingers. In the footage, Cai Xiubin's left cheek quickly swelled up, and a trace of blood even seeped from the corner of her mouth—from biting her lip earlier.
"Su Yu, is it a pass?" the director asked.
Su Yu stared at the screen, his Adam's apple bobbing. He wanted to yell "Cut!", but he knew that although this take was painful, the emotion was right. That look of humiliation, suppression, yet stubborn defiance in his eyes was too real.
"That's enough." Su Yu's voice was a little hoarse.
Cai Xiubin raised her head, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and paused for a moment when she saw the bright red bloodstain. Then she suddenly laughed. She brushed aside her disheveled hair, looked in Su Yu's direction, and her eyes shone with an astonishing light.
"Su Yu! Did I act well?" she shouted, her voice trembling, but mostly filled with excitement.
Su Yu stood up and walked up to her. Looking at her swollen cheeks, he felt a pang in his heart.
"It's alright," he said, feigning indifference. "It's just that the way she bit her lip was too deliberate. An Gao'en doesn't bite her lip; she can hold it in. When she holds it in, the corners of her mouth don't move."
Cai Xiubin's eyes widened: "I'm bleeding and you're still nitpicking? Su Yu, you heartless bastard!"
"I did it for art." Su Yu took out a pack of tissues from his pocket, pulled one out and handed it to her, "Wipe your blood off. Don't let your makeup get ruined and have to be redone by the makeup artist, which would waste time."
Cai Xiubin took the tissue, wiped her face haphazardly, and muttered aggrievedly, "Can't you even praise me once? I've already been hit."
"Getting hit is an actor's duty, not mine." Su Yu paused, then lowered her voice. "I'll give you an ice pack when we get home tonight."
Cai Xiubin was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter through her tears: "You said it yourself! If I use your ice pack to reduce the swelling, will it count as a work injury?"
"Yes, consider it a work injury."
Noon, in the lounge.
Cai Xiubin sat on a folding chair, holding an ice pack to her face, looking like a wronged kitten. Su Yu sat next to her, unpacking a seaweed rice roll.
"Here you go." He handed over a piece of seaweed rice roll.
Cai Xiubin didn't take it, but poked the rice roll with the hand that wasn't holding the ice pack, and then took a bite.
"Is it good?" Su Yu asked.
"It's delicious." She chewed her rice, her cheeks bulging. "It's even better than yesterday's."
"Where's a good place to eat?"
"Everything you make is delicious." She said this without looking at him, staring at the ice pack in her hand, her ears turning red again.
Su Yu couldn't help but laugh at her expression. "Cai Xiubin, is that the only line you know? You said it yesterday, and it was the day before yesterday too. Don't you have any other words?"
"Yes, I have."
"for example?"
"For example... Su Yu, you're really handsome."
Su Yu almost choked on his own saliva. "Alright, alright, stop flattering me. Eat your food and get some rest; you have filming this afternoon."
"What show is on this afternoon?"
"Using a VPN."
Cai Xiubin nearly dropped the ice pack in her hand. "Climb over the wall? I have to too?"
"Yes. It's in the script that An Go-eun climbed over a two-meter-high wall to escape."
"Su Yu, are you even human? You just got beaten up this morning, and now you want to climb over the wall this afternoon? Are you trying to kill me with exhaustion?"
"It's necessary for the plot," Su Yu said seriously. "Besides, Yoon Shi-yoon also flipped through it this afternoon. Look, the male lead didn't say anything."
Just then, Yoon Shi-yoon pushed the door open and came in.
He was carrying two iced Americanos, looking utterly dejected. "Who said I didn't say anything? I've already turned over five times downstairs, my legs are weak."
He handed the coffee to Su Yu and Cai Xiubin, then plopped down on the floor, rubbing his thigh. "Su Yu, isn't the wall in your script a bit too high? Two meters! I'm not Spider-Man."
"That's to show the character's despair." Su Yu took a sip of coffee. "How can you convey that 'fight to the death' feeling if you don't overcome it?"
Yoon Shi-yoon rolled her eyes and looked at Chae Soo-bin: "What happened to your face? Did you really get hit?"
Cai Xiubin pointed to her left cheek: "Does it look good? Su Yu said it's called 'broken look'."
Yoon Shi-yoon leaned closer to take a look and clicked his tongue twice: "It is indeed quite fragmented. Su Yu, you're a ruthless screenwriter, aren't you? You can even do this to your own people."
"This is art," Su Yu repeated again.
"Art my ass." Yoon Shi-yoon pulled a tube of ointment from his pocket and handed it to Chae Soo-bin. "Here, this is my personal liniment for sprains and bruises. Apply it and the swelling will go down by tomorrow."
Cai Xiubin accepted it, her eyes welling up with tears: "Thank you, Brother Yin! You're such a good person!"
"Don't thank me, thank Su Yu." Yin Shiyun pointed at Su Yu. "He asked me to buy this medicine, saying that he was afraid that if he hurt you, no one would play the female lead for him."
Cai Xiubin paused for a moment, then turned to look at Su Yu.
Su Yu was looking down at the script, seemingly not having heard anything, though her ears were slightly red.
"Su Yu," Cai Xiubin called his name softly.
"what?"
"Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? Thanking me for letting you get beaten up?"
"Thank you..." Cai Xiubin thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Thank you for letting me play Ahn Go-eun."
Su Yu paused, looking up at Cai Xiubin's swollen yet still radiant face. A corner of his heart suddenly softened completely.
"Stop talking nonsense." He turned his face away, hiding his discomfort. "Hurry up and take your medicine. We have to practice our lines tonight."
That evening, Su Yu returned to the semi-basement.
I pushed open the door and saw water still dripping from the ceiling. Drip, drip. The sound was amplified infinitely in the silent night, like a countdown.
He took off his shoes, his bare feet touching the cold cement floor, walked to the bed, and lay down. The black rubber band under the pillow was still there; it was the one Cai Xiubin had left behind. He picked it up, wrapped it around his finger, and then loosened it.
My phone lit up. Cai Xiubin had sent me a message.
[Su Yu, are you home yet?]
Su Yu replied: 【We've arrived. Does your face still hurt?】
[It hurts. But after applying the medicine Brother Yin gave me, it feels cool and makes me feel much better.]
That's good. Go to bed early.
[Su Yu.]
【Um? 】
After that incident today, you looked at me and smiled. Were you laughing at me?
Su Yu looked at the screen and thought for a moment.
No. I was thinking, this clumsy bird has finally learned to fly.
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a "cracked" emoji was sent.
You're the idiot! Your whole family are idiots!
Okay, okay, I'm a clumsy bird. You're a swan.
[Hmph! I'm having kimbap tomorrow morning! Double portions!]
Okay. As long as you're not afraid of getting so fat you can't roll over that wall.
[Su Yu! I'm blocking you!]
Su Yu looked at the screen and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He placed his phone beside his pillow and closed his eyes. Someone was playing music outside the window; he couldn't make out the lyrics, just a slow, drawn-out tune. The ticking sound continued.
But he knew that at seven o'clock tomorrow morning, she would be waiting for him at the company with that red, swollen, yet still stubborn face. She would be complaining about how high the wall was while eating the seaweed rice rolls he had made with gusto.
Those who are willing to be beaten are not afraid of pain.
Those who are willing to fight hard will not be forgotten.
Those who are willing to fly, even with injured wings, can ride the wind and soar to the clouds.
Su Yu turned over and pulled the blanket over her head.
Goodnight, Angoun.
Goodnight, Cai Xiubin.