That is precisely the effect I was aiming for.

"Let's go again!"
"Action!"
"Good! That's a wrap for this scene."
Preparing for the next sequence, Director Zhang Yibai nodded in satisfaction at the footage.
"All right, next we'll shoot the scene where Fang Hui likes Chen Xun."
A crew member wiped the blackboard clean and picked up a piece of chalk, clumsily scrawling the words: *Fang Hui likes Chen Xun* in large letters.
Meanwhile, Lin Yi and the background actors quickly changed their costumes.
"Lin Yi, you and Ni Ni start from the hallway according to the script's dialogue."
"Got it."
"All departments, stand by. Action!"
Lin Yi looked at Ni Ni, and the two walked into the classroom chatting and laughing.
Suddenly, Ni Ni saw the words on the blackboard. Her expression shifted, and she froze in place.
Noticing her reaction, Lin Yi marched angrily toward the blackboard. Glancing at the students below, his gaze briefly and subtly sweeping past Eddie Peng (playing Chen Xun), he slammed his hand on the desk and barked furiously, "Did the students on duty not erase the blackboard? Do I have to remind you every single time?"
Watching Lin Yi through the camera, Director Zhang Yibai suddenly frowned. Lin Yi's performance wasn't strictly wrong.
Yet, something felt a bit off.
"Lin Yi, run that back once more." Zhang Yibai stroked his chin in thought.
"Okay."
"Wait, Lin Yi, you overdid it." Zhang Yibai had a sudden realization and explained, "Your delivery was a bit too forceful."
"Too forceful?" Lin Yi looked puzzled, staring blankly at Director Zhang.
"Lin Yi, you pushed too hard with the anger. Think about it: Qiao Ran is secretly in love with Fang Hui. When he sees those words on the blackboard, of course he's going to be furious. But that anger stems from his concern for Fang Hui—it comes from deep within."
"The woman I like is upset, while the pranksters in the audience are sitting there giggling. When you witness that scene, the anger comes out naturally," Ni Ni patiently explained.
"There's such a thing as trying too hard with anger when the girl you have a secret crush on becomes the target of a prank?" Lin Yi pondered Qiao Ran's mindset at that exact moment.
If he were Qiao Ran, what would he do?
He would channel the pent-up frustration and fury through shouting and aggressively wiping the blackboard.
Director Zhang left him in peace, allowing Lin Yi a moment to quietly absorb the realization.

(1/3)

"Director, let's go again!" Lin Yi let out a breath, looked at Zhang Yibai, and said.
"Alright! Let's take it from the top, right from entering the classroom."
"All departments, stand by. Action!"
Lin Yi noticed the smile instantly vanish from Ni Ni's face as her expression turned gloomy. Following the direction of her gaze, the words on the blackboard came into view. Roused to boiling anger, he strode up to the platform, faced the crowd, slammed the podium, and shouted, "Did the students on duty not erase the blackboard? Do I have to remind you every single time?"
As he muttered and ranted, he turned around and forcefully wiped the writing off the blackboard.
"Perfect! That's precisely the effect I wanted!" As soon as Lin Yi finished the scene, Director Zhang leaped up excitedly and shouted.
"Lin Yi, you really do have acting talent. You catch on instantly."
"Not at all, I'm just an outsider," Lin Yi replied honestly. He portrayed the character primarily by immersing himself in the role and drawing from his own past experiences.
"Ah, you're much better than a fresh newcomer."
With that scene finished, the next up was the dining scene featuring Qiao Ran, Zhao Ye, and Lin Jiamo, though the narrative focus remained primarily on Eddie Peng's Chen Xun and Ni Ni's Fang Hui.
Lin Jiamo glanced at Fang Hui eating alone and invited her over, "Fang Hui, come sit and eat with us."
"No, it's fine."
"Oh, come on!"
Prompted by Lin Jiamo's warm invitation, Fang Hui agreed to join them.
Seeing Fang Hui approach, a happy smile blossomed on Chen Xun's face.
The group quickly shifted their seats. Fang Hui sat directly in front of Chen Xun, Lin Jiamo sat in front of Qiao Ran, and Zhao Ye wedged himself beside both Lin Jiamo and Qiao Ran.
Zhao Ye pulled out two cartons of milk and placed them in front of Lin Jiamo, saying casually, "I'll trade you these milks for your potatoes."
"What on earth do I want with those?"
Zhao Ye glanced down at her chest and grinned mischievously, "Whichever area is lacking gets supplemented."
"Pervert!"
The movements were smooth and natural, and no lines were forgotten. This shot was completed in a single take.
Before they knew it, noon had arrived.
"All right, that's a wrap for the morning," Zhang Yibai announced to the cast and crew.
"Lin Yi, could you give me an autograph?" A student among the background extras rushed up to Lin Yi, asking with nervous trepidation.
These extras were unpaid volunteer labor, recruited entirely from the local school's student body.

(2/3)

So the young woman standing before him was indeed a student of this very school.
"Sure," Lin Yi replied readily, taking the notebook and writing his name down.
Lunch for the film crew was provided right here on campus.
The group chatted and laughed as they headed toward the cafeteria.
"Lin Yi, your acting is improving at a terrifying speed," Eddie Peng remarked with a hint of admiration.
Lin Yi was essentially self-taught, having undergone no professional training and with no mentor to guide him through the door. For someone to grasp it this fast—calling him a genius wouldn't be an exaggeration.
In the acting profession, one truly relies on the ancestral gift of talent.
Without genuine skill, the market would inevitably weed you out sooner or later.
That was precisely why he was currently striving hard to transition from an idol actor into a powerhouse performer.
"You can say that again; he picks things up immediately," Ni Ni smiled and added.
Understanding a character's required emotions in theory is one thing, but actually portraying those emotions on screen is entirely another.
Ultimately, everything still depends on personal refinement, observation, and lived experience.
"Lin Yi has indeed improved immensely. While he had some flubbed lines and nervousness at the very beginning, he really found his groove as it went on," Zhang Yibai praised with a smile.
Hearing everyone shower praise on Lin Yi, Chen He let out a sigh. He looked at Director Zhang and said with an expectant expression, "Director, why don't you praise me too? Let me experience what it feels like to be validated."
"Chen He, your acting hasn't shown any noticeable progress over the past few years," Zhang Yibai said earnestly.
"It's not like I wanted it this way," Chen He replied, looking at Director Zhang with a bitter expression. "Whenever people watch me act, the very first image that pops into their heads is Zeng Xiaoxian. What can I do? I want to break through too!"
"That just goes to show you truly brought Zeng Xiaoxian to life."
Zhang Yibai patted Chen He on the shoulder and continued, "Yet, you've also been shackled by him."
For an actor, a phenomenon like this carries both positive and negative consequences.
The positive aspect is that the character they played becomes deeply etched in people's memories, unforgettable.
The downside is that when taking on other roles, it easily pulls the audience right out of the story.
There's simply no helping it; the moment they see him on screen, that specific persona comes to mind, and people just want to laugh.

(3/3)