Managing the Korean entertainment industry: I have superpowers, but I won't say.

Chapter 83: Cai Xiubin's acting skills explode

In the eighth week of filming for "Goblin," the most important scene of the entire series took place—the female lead drew her sword.

This scene, which takes up four pages in the script, is the climax of the emotional conflict between the goblin and the bride. The bride holds the sword in the goblin's chest; if she pulls it out, the goblin will die; if she doesn't, he will be trapped in nine hundred years of loneliness forever.

When Cai Xiubin received the script for this scene, she began preparing a week in advance. She practiced countless times in front of the mirror at home, crying every time she did so. One evening, Su Yu came home and saw her sitting on the sofa, holding the script, her eyes red and swollen.

"Practicing again?" He changed his shoes and walked over.

"Hmm. I can't seem to get the emotional flow right in the third part." Cai Xiubin looked up, sniffed, and asked, "Could you take a look?"

Su Yu sat down next to her. Cai Xiubin looked into his eyes and read the lines aloud. Her voice went from calm to trembling, from trembling to breaking down, and the last line, "I don't want you to die," was almost squeezed out of her throat. After she finished, she looked at Su Yu, waiting for his evaluation.

Su Yu remained silent for two seconds.

"What were you thinking when you watched me read it?"

"I was thinking about the character," Cai Xiubin said, "but it's you right in front of me."

"That's right," Su Yu said. "You don't need to distinguish between the character and reality. It's all you."

Cai Xiubin paused for a moment, then nodded.

The set was very quiet on the day of filming.

The scene was filmed indoors in a dimly lit setting, with only a single overhead light shining on the two actors. Yoon Shi-yoon stood in front of Chae Soo-bin, his chest area covered in special effects makeup, revealing the hilt of a sword. Chae Soo-bin reached out and grasped the hilt.

The director yelled "Action!"

Chae Soo-bin's hands were trembling. It wasn't acting; they were genuinely shaking. She looked into Yoon Shi-yoon's eyes, and Yoon Shi-yoon looked back at her. Neither of them spoke, and several seconds passed in silence. This silence wasn't in the script, but the director didn't call "cut."

"If I pull it out, you will die." Cai Xiubin's voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.

"Hmm." Yoon Shi-yoon's voice was even lower.

"Then I won't pull it out."

"If you don't pull it out, I'll live like this forever."

Cai Xiubin's tears fell. Not from wailing, but from the tears falling on their own, one by one, streaming down her cheeks. "Then I don't want you to die either." Her voice broke, fragmented into several syllables, the last word almost inaudible.

Yoon Shi-yoon's eyes reddened, but his character couldn't cry. The goblin had lived for nine hundred years; he had long since run out of tears. He simply looked at Chae Soo-bin, his eyes filled with heartache, reluctance, and relief.

"Pull it out," he said.

Cai Xiubin shook her head, loosening her grip on the sword hilt. She took a step back, then turned and ran. The camera followed her, filming her back. After a few steps, she crouched down, burying her face in her knees, her shoulders shaking.

The set was quiet, except for her suppressed sobs.

The director didn't call "cut." The camera cut back to Yoon Shi-yoon, who stood there, looking in the direction where Chae Soo-bin had disappeared, the hilt of the sword still protruding from his chest. His expression didn't change much, but a tear finally fell—just one tear.

"CUT!" The director's voice was a little hoarse. "Great! That's a wrap!"

Applause erupted on set. Chae Soo-bin remained squatting on the ground, not getting up. Yoon Shi-yoon walked over, squatted down, and patted her on the shoulder. "Soo-bin, you acted well." Chae Soo-bin looked up, her face streaked with tears, and smiled. "Oppa, you acted well too."

Kim Go-eun stood behind the monitor, her eyes also red. Yoo In-na handed her a tissue and whispered, "This child is such a good actress." Su Yu stood in the corner, not going over. He watched as Cai Xiubin was surrounded by people, who offered her towels, water, and tissues. She wiped her tears while smiling and saying, "It's okay, it's okay," but her hands were still trembling.

Kim Dong-wook walked over to Su Yu. "Aren't you going to say a few words of praise?"

Su Yu didn't say anything, turned around and walked out.

He lit a cigarette in the corridor outside the film set. After taking a couple of puffs, Cai Xiubin came out. She was wrapped in a blanket, walked over to him, and leaned on his shoulder.

"Why did you come out?"

"It's stuffy inside."

Cai Xiubin looked at him. "You cried?"

Su Yu glanced at her. "No."

Your eyes are red.

"Smoked."

Cai Xiubin smiled, not calling him out. She buried her face in his shoulder. "When I was acting just now, all I could think about was you."

Su Yu put his arm around her waist. "I know."

"You said there's no need to distinguish between roles and reality. I tried, but I can't separate them." Cai Xiubin's voice was muffled. "Su Yu, don't say things like that again. If you say it once, I'll remember it for a long time."

Su Yu didn't say anything, put out his cigarette, and hugged her tighter.

The corridor was quiet, with the sounds of staff moving props drifting from afar. Cai Xiubin straightened up and looked at Su Yu.

"Was my acting good?"

"it is good."

"Where is Biancaoen?"

"They're different. Angoun's is about growth, this is about choices."

Cai Xiubin thought for a moment and nodded. "You're right. Ahn Go-eun was pushed around, but the Goblin's bride chose herself."

Su Yu reached out and tucked the hair from her forehead behind her ear. "You chose this yourself."

Cai Xiubin paused for a moment, then laughed. "Why are you talking so much today?"

"Influenced by you."

Cai Xiubin stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the corner of the mouth. "Then I'll talk more in the future."

The afternoon filming continued. Chae Soo-bin changed into dry clothes, touched up her makeup, and sat down by the monitor to watch the playback. The director pointed at the screen and told her, "This take was too emotionally charged; tone it down a bit next time." She nodded, stood up, and went back to reshoot. Kim Go-eun sat in her previous spot, watching the screen.

"Go Eun unnie, what do you think of her performance?" Yoo In-na walked over.

"She's great," Kim Go-eun said. "So great that I want to act opposite her."

Yoo In-na laughed. "Aren't you a ghost? You don't have any scenes with the bride."

"I know. That's why I'm envious."

After work, Su Yu drove Cai Xiubin home. She was so tired that she leaned back in her seat, her eyes closed, still clutching the script in her hand.

"Are we filming again tomorrow?" Su Yu asked.

"Film it. Episode 9, the scene where the ghost disappears." She opened her eyes and looked at Su Yu. "Are you coming again tomorrow?"

"Come."

Cai Xiubin smiled and leaned back in his seat.

The night view of the Han River outside the car window was quietly lit. Su Yu was driving, one hand on the steering wheel, the other held in Cai Xiubin's hand. Her fingers were cool, but her grip was tight.

"Su Yu".

"Um."

"Was what you said outside just now true?"

Which sentence?

"That sentence I told you not to say."

Su Yu paused for a moment. "Really."

Cai Xiubin didn't ask any more questions and turned her face to the window. The streetlights flickered, illuminating her face; the corners of her mouth curved upwards, and her eyes shimmered with light.