Chapter 196 The Gentleman from Xyleria
Chapter 196 The Gentleman from Xyleria
"Who are you pushing? Fighting on set? Do you have any manners?"
"I'm pushing you!"
The two assistants suddenly started shoving each other. The director's team, being the closest, quickly came over to check on the situation.
The director inquired, "What's going on? Why are you fighting?"
Zoey, furious, turned to the director and said, "Donna's acting is terrible, and she even instigated her assistant to insult us here. Not only did they insult, but they also hit people!"
Donna's assistant, looking self-righteous, said, "They started it! I didn't hit anyone! She fabricated falsehoods about me!"
Zoey, incredulous, said, "You and your star have the same character, always making up stories and causing trouble. Now you're accusing others of lying! Did you think no one saw you push me?"
The director frowned and glanced at Donna and then at Jessica, whose face didn't look pleased either. "You tell me, what happened?"
Seeing that the director intended to intervene, Jessica said, "It's exactly as you saw. Donna's assistant did push my assistant and even instigated trouble with her words. She's very arrogant."
Donna immediately retorted loudly, "Who heard my assistant instigate trouble? Who saw her push anyone? Who?"
The nearby crew members all kept their heads down, busy with their tasks. Even those with nothing to do stared at their toes as if it had nothing to do with them. No one stood up to speak.
The director had actually seen it earlier but didn't say anything. He just turned to the arrogant Donna and said, "Donna, stop talking. Focus on your script and do a good job in the next scene. I believe you can get into character."
Then the director turned and walked away as if Jessica were invisible.
Zoey looked incredulously at the director's indifferent back.
Jessica paused slightly, suddenly realizing that the production's financier was Donna's godfather, Carl. All the crew members, including the director, were Carl's people. The entire crew, including the director, was biased.
Zoey, furious, wanted to confront the surrounding crew members who refused to testify. Jessica held her back and saw Donna and her assistant looking at them smugly.
Donna's assistant lowered her voice and said, "Go ahead, keep complaining. See if anyone will listen to you."
The assistant's voice wasn't very low, and the director, who hadn't gone far, could actually hear it but pretended not to, showing no reaction and completely ignoring the commotion.
Jessica smiled and suddenly changed her previously cold demeanor, speaking softly, "So powerful, indeed, not to be offended."
Zoey, not expecting Jessica's sudden change in attitude, looked at her in disbelief. Jessica, however, calmly held back the about-to-explode Zoey, guiding her back to the trailer and pushing her inside to cool down and not come out.
It wasn't until after 3 PM that they finally finished shooting the first scene smoothly. However, no one in the crew felt any relief because the next scene was a romantic one between Donna and the male lead, Kevin.
Jessica was already freezing. After calming down in the trailer, Zoey got out with a coat, rushed over to drape it over Jessica, and helped her back to the trailer.
The originally agreed-upon RV had been taken by Donna. The trailerwas too cramped, with no place to lie down.
Jessica sat in the car, wrapped in a coat, feeling as if her entire body was frozen. It took several cups of hot water for her to warm up a bit, and the car wasn't very warm either.
Mackenzie asked Zoey to get a heater from the crew.
Zoey came back after about ten minutes, gritting her teeth. "I asked for one, but they said they didn't have any. I clearly saw them give the heater to Donna, and it's still with her assistant!"
Jessica calmly took a couple of sips of water and said, "Forget it, I'm already warming up. No need to ask again."
Meanwhile, the director was still concerned by the scenes between Donna and Kevin. The first scene had already worn him out, and thinking about the three-month shooting schedule ahead made him dizzy.
After several consecutive bloopers, Kevin tried to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, advising Donna to adjust her state. When he walked to the side to rest, his expression clearly showed his frustration.
Jessica rested in the car for over two hours before the second scene was finally completed. After touching up her makeup and changing into another outfit in the car, she went over to prepare for the shoot. The director informed her that Donna was feeling unwell and had returned to the hotel early, so the evening scenes were changed to those between Jessica and Kevin.
The two professional actors smoothly completed four or five scenes before 9 PM, with plenty of lines and scenes. The director's anger from the day caused by Donna had finally subsided a bit.
Finally, they could return to the hotel to rest. Jessica, Donna, Kevin, and the director were all staying in business suites on the eighth floor of the Urban Oasis Hotel. Kevin happened to enter the elevator at the same time as Jessica. Seeing that she was alone, he politely greeted her and asked, "Why are you alone? Where's your assistant?"
"My assistant has been running around with me all day. It's late, so I let her go rest first." Jessica nodded politely, her tone slightly relaxed because their evening scenes had gone smoothly, and they had worked well together.
Kevin smiled. "It is quite late. The temperature in Sunshine Bay City is even lower than in Xyleria. Are you a local of Xyleria, Ms. Jenner?"
Jessica didn't expect him to chat with her. She glanced at him, nodded, and as the elevator doors opened, she nodded again and walked out, not intending to continue the conversation.
Back in her room, she planned to take a nice hot bath. However, she hadn't even started the tub when the shower water suddenly turned cold. No matter how much she adjusted it, the temperature remained erratic.
She quickly wrapped her hair in a towel and called the hotel front desk, explaining that the water temperature had been unstable since yesterday and requesting a room change.
This hotel was the largest star-rated hotel in Sunshine Bay City. Even if one room had issues, she didn't believe all rooms would have problems. She just wanted a room change to take a proper bath and get some sleep.
The front desk apologized, "I'm sorry. Ms. Jenner, but all the rooms on the eighth floor are business suites of over 1000 square feet, and they are fully booked. We don't have any available rooms to switch."
"Didn't you say that the room opposite mine was empty yesterday? Now it's full?"
"Yes, the room opposite yours had been booked today by a gentleman from Xyleria."
