APCF – Chapter 38 Simulated Love

“Heart of the Ocean” was divided into two shooting groups, A and B. Group A was based at the main location, the aquarium, led by Shang Yuliang.

Group B handled scenes at the male lead’s workplace—an oceanic biology laboratory. The crew rented a floor of an office building near Baisha Port and set it up as the lab scene, led by the assistant director.

After the excitement of the morning, everyone settled into work, fully immersed in intense production. While the assistant director led Group B to their location, Group A began filming their first scene.

“Heart of the Ocean”, Scene 1, Act 1, Take 1, Action!”

As the clapperboard snapped, Tao Tao skillfully donned a tight-fitting rubber work suit, grabbed a bucket of fish, and sat by the edge of a temperature-controlled pool.

A beluga whale swam to Tao Tao’s side. She patted its head and tossed it a fish.

This was a daily task for a beluga trainer: feeding the whale, building rapport, playing with it, and conducting training sessions.

“Cut!”

Shang Yuliang picked up the walkie-talkie. “Tao Tao, don’t be afraid of it. Trainer, please call the beluga back. Let’s do another take.”

Before Qi Xingchen joined the group, Tao Tao had spent a week with the beluga to build familiarity. But the time seemed insufficient; she still appeared somewhat hesitant around the animal.

Interacting with large marine creatures is one thing to admire from a distance, but actual close contact can understandably evoke fear.

Shang Yuliang, showing patience, didn’t press further. However, he had deliberately chosen a simple solo scene for the first take. Tao Tao’s less-than-ideal performance left him visibly dissatisfied.

Qi Xingchen, sitting on a small stool, carefully observed Tao Tao’s movements. Setting aside her nervousness, she was quite a capable actress—her angles facing the camera and the range of her actions were impeccably precise, worthy of study.

Behind him, someone suddenly let out a “tsk.” Qi Xingchen wanted to glance back but was stopped by An Ran. “Ignore it—it’s Xu Sheng.”

For convenience during filming, the production team had arranged rest rooms for the director and the two leads. Lesser-known actors like Xu Sheng and Qi Xingchen had no such privilege. If they wanted to rest, they had to return to their personal vehicles.

Xu Sheng must have finished resting and moved closer, dragging a small stool behind him. Sitting just behind Qi Xingchen, he muttered sarcastically, “Can’t act? Just have your sponsor stuff more money into the production. Why pretend to work hard?”

Qi Xingchen: “…”

This guy also brought his own investment into the crew. Where did he get the audacity to mock others?

Not wanting to stir up any rumors of conflict so early in production, which might delay progress, Qi Xingchen pretended not to hear him.

After three NGs (no-goods), Shang Yuliang watched a playback and finally nodded in satisfaction. “Prepare for the next scene.”

Reflector boards were adjusted, the camera team changed positions, and Qi Xingchen removed his coat, moving to the seal training area next to the beluga’s temperature-controlled pool.

The two enclosures were separated by only a waist-high iron fence. Because of this, Lin Xiao, a part-time seal caretaker played by Qi Xingchen, noticed Tao Tao’s character Ji Yan swimming gracefully with the beluga and became captivated.

“Heart of the Ocean”, Scene 3, Act 1, Take 1, Action!”

Dressed in overalls and tall rain boots, Lin Xiao absentmindedly cleaned up after the seals while muttering to himself, “Hey buddy, what kind of guy do you think Sister Ji would like?”

“Slap! Slap!”

“Would she prefer someone mature, or someone young like me?”

“Slap! Slap!”

“Hey, stop slapping your belly!” Lin Xiao grumbled, tossing the broom into a corner and approaching the seal making the slapping noises. “Can’t you say something?”

Seal: “Slap! Slap!”

“Fine,” Lin Xiao said, fishing two small fish from a bucket and feeding the seal. “After you eat, you must—”

Before he could finish, Shang Yuliang shouted, “Cut!”

Qi Xingchen immediately tensed at the word. Shang Yuliang said, “Xiao Qi, your tone is off. In this scene, Lin Xiao already likes Ji Yan. When you speak, it should convey that affection. What does ‘like’ feel like to you?”

“Nervousness, excitement,” Qi Xingchen thought hard, “sweetness, shyness…”

Seeing his struggle, Shang Yuliang asked in confusion, “You’ve never been in a relationship?”

“…No.”

“Have you at least had a crush on someone?”

“…No.”

“Such innocence?” Shang Yuliang sighed. “Xiao Qi, ‘like’ is the most beautiful emotion in the world. Besides what you mentioned, it means your emotions are constantly stirred by her. For Lin Xiao, ‘Ji Yan’ is synonymous with beauty. When you say ‘Sister Ji,’ your tone must carry a smile, okay?”

“I understand now.” Qi Xingchen pondered for a moment and nodded.

The clapperboard snapped again, and Qi Xingchen fished out two small fish to feed the seal—

“Cut! Better, but let’s do another take.”

“Buddy, what kind of guy—”

“Cut! Much improved, but still missing something.”

Four takes later, the scene finally passed. Xu Sheng, thrilled at Qi Xingchen’s repeated NGs, sneered, “Xiao Qi, look at all the fish you’ve wasted. This aquarium isn’t owned by your family, so maybe save some for next time!”

Although his tone seemed playful, the veiled hostility was apparent to everyone present. A brief silence followed.

Qi Xingchen glanced at him, then headed to the makeup artist to touch up for the next scene.

The upcoming scene featured Xu Sheng. Playing the show’s second male lead, his character followed the “domineering CEO” archetype.

This drama combined gentle older men, domineering CEOs, and youthful “wolf dogs,” offering viewers a variety of romantic fantasies to immerse themselves in.

Xu Sheng’s scene was a romantic encounter with Tao Tao’s character Ji Yan. After a long, busy day, Xu Sheng’s character arrives to pick her up.

He watched as Ji Yan neatly packed her things, then approached to hand her a cup of hot coffee and wiped away the water splashed on her face.

To be fair, compared to his personality, his acting was actually decent.

Offering the coffee, he gently touched Ji Yan’s cheek. To capture the expression in his eyes, Camera 2 switched to a close-up of his face…

—Wait, what kind of expression was that?

Even Qi Xingchen, a rookie, could see that his facial muscles were poorly controlled. Director Shang Yuliang called out that dreaded word again, “Cut!”

“Xu Sheng,” Shang Yuliang frowned, “Everything else was fine, but your expression is overdone. Tone it down. Props, bring Xu Sheng a new cup of coffee.”

On the monitor, Xu Sheng’s eyes were filled with affection, but for some reason, both the corners of his mouth and his eyes seemed to lift too much, making it excessively cheesy.

The high-definition camera magnified every small detail to the extreme, leaving no room for errors. Grudgingly, Xu Sheng had to redo the scene multiple times.

The prop assistant, who had to keep refilling his coffee cup, was sweating buckets from running back and forth. As they wiped their forehead, they muttered to someone nearby, “He’s not that great himself, so what’s with him mocking Xingchen?”

“Ugh, you’re so easily bribed! Just because you had Xingchen’s afternoon tea yesterday, now you’re siding with him? Though, I do think Xu Sheng’s face looks a bit off. Shh, keep it down—don’t let his assistant hear us.”

That afternoon, Xu Sheng wrapped up three scenes. Perhaps embarrassed by his own repeated mistakes, he put on his sunglasses and returned to the hotel without a word.

Qi Xingchen, with two scenes left, finished his work. Shang Yuliang waved him off, saying, “Go back and read the script, and while you’re at it, think about what it means to like someone… Actually, liking isn’t enough. You’ll be pursuing Ji Yan passionately soon, so you also need to understand what it means to chase someone.”

“Got it,” Qi Xingchen nodded. “But I’d like to stay here, Director Shang. I want to observe the others’ acting and, um… bond with my ‘brother.'”

By “brother,” he meant the seal. Since about 60% of his scenes involved the seal, he needed to prepare in advance.

“Alright then,” Shang Yuliang agreed, busy with other matters. He reminded, “But make sure you figure out the psychology of liking someone. If you’re unsure, find someone to rehearse with—or run lines with your ‘Sister Tao.’ If only you and Xu Sheng could balance each other out: one can’t express enough, the other overdoes it.”

Shang Yuliang’s point was that Qi Xingchen was too reserved emotionally, while Xu Sheng was too over-the-top. Basically, it was a case of the blind leading the blind.

Hearing himself being compared to Xu Sheng, Qi Xingchen felt slightly aggrieved and resolved to portray Lin Xiao perfectly.

He stayed on set for several hours, observing other performances until it was the extras’ turn. Finding nothing more to learn, he walked backstage to visit his “brother.”

The seal, however, was fast asleep, completely unbothered by the world. Left with no other choice, he called out, “Sister Anran, come here for a second.”

“What is it?” Anran came over and squatted across from him.

“Don’t move. I need your help.”

Qi Xingchen grabbed her sleeve, leaned forward slowly, and said with deep emotion, “Sister, I like you. Will you be with me?”

“Pfft—” Anran blushed slightly before bursting into laughter.

To be fair, Qi Xingchen had been building up to this moment since he walked backstage.

Thinking he had done well, he asked, puzzled, “Sister Anran, what’s wrong with it?”

“Too superficial,” Anran critiqued with precision. “It might fool an inexperienced young girl, but not me.”

“Then what should I do? Tell me how to express it,” Qi Xingchen said, troubled.

“How would I know what it feels like for you boys to like someone?” Anran shrugged. “Men and women are different. Maybe ask a guy.”

With that, she went off to handle other tasks.

Left with no other options, Qi Xingchen opened his messaging app. After some hesitation, he sent a picture of the sleeping seal.

Xingxing: [Yesterday was a fake seal. Here’s a real one for you.]

The person he reached out to was in the middle of hair and makeup but opened the chat.

Bo: [Adorable.]

Bo: [What’s the matter?]

Xingxing: [How did you know I needed something?]

Bo: [Because you didn’t take a selfie with the seal.]

Qi Xingchen wondered what kind of logic that was. Deciding to cut to the chase, he typed:

Xingxing: [The character I’m playing likes the female lead, but the director says I can’t fully express liking or pursuing someone. What does it feel like for a guy to like a girl? Do you know?]

What does liking someone feel like?

That question genuinely stumped Bo Ye.

Since debuting at 16, all his energy had been devoted to his passion for music and dance, with no thought of romance.

Moreover, his packed schedule—sometimes allowing only five hours of sleep over three days—left no room for dating.

He replied honestly: [Sorry, I can’t help.]

Xingxing: [???]

Xingxing: [Wait… Are you saying… you’ve never liked a girl either?]

Bo Ye replied: [Correct.]

After sending the message, his stylist resumed blow-drying his hair. He tilted his head back cooperatively.

Five minutes later, when the drying was done, he glanced at the chat again. There was no response from Qi Xingchen.

He couldn’t help but picture the young fan looking troubled—probably hanging his head, biting his plump lower lip, and saying nothing.

Sighing, Bo Ye typed:

Bo: [How about this: treat me as your practice target for now. When I visit Baisha Port for filming, we can discuss it face-to-face. Sound good?]

Discovering that someone as handsome as Bo Ye had never liked a girl or dated before left Qi Xingchen incredulous. He hung his head, bit his plump lower lip, and stared blankly for five minutes.

Then he shook his head to clear his thoughts and sent an emoji:

Xingxing: [Crying cat.jpg]

Xingxing: [Sure!!!]