By: Kia Lam

Characters:
~Fang Tian Liang
~ Lieu Mei Ming
~ Zhang Wen Ge
~**Author's preface**~:Set in modern Beijing, this is a story about an actor and an actress who meet during filming their lastest series: Love Lost. They fall for each other, but filming and an opposing competitor for Tian Liang's love makes things interesting. I did not assign actors to these characters, but there is one (maybe two) obviously recognizable characters that will appear and develop as the story itself develops. Enjoy! !

"Ack! Oww…" mumbled Tian Liang as he accidentally bumped his head against an impending pole. He had just arrived at the Beijing Movie Studio to film his latest telemovie series, "Ai Qing Shi Chu" (Love Lost) and was staring in awe at the prodigious studio and wasn’t looking where he was going when he ran into the pole.
His first time here in Beijing, Fang Tian Liang is here to film his first telemovie series in China (his others were all filmed in Taiwan). He is to play a character that had never experienced true love until he met this girl who showed him how to love. Unfortunately, when the two of them had started to really hit it off, she died from a car accident. The rest of the story goes to as how his character reacts and how he finds love again. The script is unfinished for the producers have no idea how to end it. They’re stuck with a guy who has lost his supposed "one and only love", and to end like that would kill the series.
Although the series is lacking an ending, Tian Liang accepted this role because when he read what was part of the script, he knew at once that this series was new and different, and had something that appealed to him. He didn’t know what it was, but he seemed drawn to it somehow.
On a personal level, Tian Liang is the younger of the two sons his parents had. He currently lives in Taiwan with his other brother; Tian Kang for their parents had died five years ago. He is now twenty-six years old, an honorary graduate from the Taipei Drama Institute. Although Tian Liang has never had an acting break, he is happy with his fame-free life. He enjoys acting and doesn’t care to be like the hot stars that are every girl’s idol in China. As long as it satisfies him and his work partners, he is happy.
As he was rubbing his head tenderly, he caught a stifled giggle issuing from his left. Turning and seeing who was in front of him, his eyes widened. Facing him was a girl with the most enormous and round eyes he has ever seen. They almost took up a third of her face; save her strong pointed nose and well defined lips. The whites in her eyes were vast but glittering, and the soft, round, dark brown pupil seemed to be dancing at him.
Smiling broadly she extended her hand. "Sorry, I just found your comical action entertaining. I’m Lieu Mei Ming." She said with an apologetic tone.
Snapping out of his newfound awe, he accepted her hand. "Hi, how do you do? I’m Fang Tian Liang."
"Nice to meet you, Mister Fang."
"Please, call me Tian Liang."
"Alright, then please call me A Mei. Nobody calls me A Mei except for my parents, but then you seem so earnest and nice, so I would really like it if you called me A Mei." She replied with a wide smile.
Grinning, Tian Liang replied, "Okay."
They shook.
"I take it you’re here to film LL (acronym for Love Lost)?" asked Mei Ming.
"Yes, I’m going to play Lin Han. What about you?" replied Tian Liang.
"Waa!!!!! The lead! How neat for you! Hehe, I play one of the costars, " here she mockingly grimanced, "Zhu Yang, Li Ge’s schoolmate." She answered.
Laughing softly Tian Liang shook his head.
Staring at him queerly, Mei Ming asked, "What? Did some ghost tickle you or something? Or do you find me to be out of my head?"
"No no, I just like your playful attitude, and I KNOW you’re out of your head, nothing much." He replied playfully.
"HEY!" insisted Mei Ming, striking up a fake state of being deeply insulted. The other just stood there, grinning. Finally, both broke into peals of laughter.
"But in truth Tian Liang, I’m really not crazy. This is just the way I am, carefree and wreck-less that’s all." She said seriously.
"I know la, A Mei. I was just teasing you. In fact, you’re more sane than most people I know!" came Tian Liang’s reassuring answer.
There was a pause and then both laughed wildly again.
At the sound of high heels clicking on the hardwood floor, the two slowly stopped and turned around to see who it was.
Dressed in a navy mini-skirt, a white tank, and of course high heels, was Zhang Wen Ge. She stared at them, and giving Mei Ming an indignant look inquired, "Aiyo, what are you up to again, Mei Ming? Trying to get this handsome guy here to help you contrive a blueprint for one of those bird-brained ideas again? Shame on you. You know one of these days; your deleterious attitude will be the death of you."
Turning to Tian Liang, she extended her hand, (expecting him to take it and kiss it) "Why hello. I’m Zhang Wen Ge, I’m here to play the lead female role, Li Ge. Pllleeeaasssseee tell me you’re here to play the lead male role." She said.
Tian Liang took her hand, and shook it before speaking. "Hello, I’m Fang Tian Liang. Yes, I’m here to play the lead male role, Lin Han. Nice to meet you, Miss Zhang." Replied Tian Liang, trying to be polite.
"Oh please, do call me Wen Ge." Came the sly response.
"Fine, nice to meet you, Wen Ge."
"My absolute pleasure meeting you. I’m looking forward to working with you, you know!" said Wen Ge airily. Then turning to Mei Ming, she gave her a queer look, and smiled mockingly.
"My God, I can’t believe you even got picked to do this series, Mei Ming. Haha, that’s a first. Well then, let’s hope you don’t let us down." Wen Ge told Mei Ming. After giving Tian Liang a long sidelong glance, she slithered away.
Looking Mei Ming full in the face, Tian Liang inquired, "Who was that huffy piece of work? Is she a colleague of yours, A Mei?"
"That’s Zhang Wen Ge, Beijing’s University of Drama’s most popular student. That’s not to say she’s the university’s best student, though. She comes from a rich family. It’s said that her father had to bribe the Dean of the university to accept her in…but that’s just a rumor. She’s been spoiled since she was born, so it’s natural she looks down on her colleagues. But let’s not talk about her." Answered A Mei matter-of-factly.
"Okay, then what shall we talk about?" Tian Liang said, smiling.
"Hmmmm…let’s talk about you! Where do you come from?" asked Mei Ming, interested.
"Me? Well I live in Taipei with my older brother, Tian Kang. He’s a computer image specialist. My parents died five years ago, when I was twenty-one. From then on, Tian Kang and I had to try and make a living. The Taipei Drama Institute gave me a full scholarship there, so I didn’t have to worry about college. I accepted to participate in this series because I feel that this series has a future and a strong meaning. How about you? Where do you come from?"
"Let’s see…hum…well, I’m like you, I received a full scholarship from the Beijing University of Drama. Haha, I’m twenty-four and I still live with my parents in Beijing, isn’t that a riot? But I love them too much na! I’m an only child, so you can say they have spoiled me." Replied Mei Ming cheekily.
"Really…then what’s this about your "bird-brained" ideas that Wen Ge just talked about?" asked Tian Liang, interested.
"Oh that…"
"Yes that."
"That’s…that’s…"
"What?"
"It’s just a peculiar hobby I have. I like to build inventions." Said Mei Ming, her cheeks turning deep red.
Tian Liang looked at her and smiled. "Nothing to be embarrassed about, A Mei. I think that’s a great hobby to have. What kind of inventions do you build? I’m really interested in what you do."
At this, Mei Ming’s eyes widened considerably. She was dumbfounded. No one is ever interested in my inventions or me building them! Not even my parents!! She thought to herself.
"Well I uhh….I build various things..mostly things that help out with daily life. Like one time I built this thing that would help you put toothpaste on your toothbrush…hehe." She told him at first reluctantly and then getting more and more excited.
Grinning, Tian Liang asked, "Really? Could I see it?"
"Well, its back home with my parents…and it’s not exactly perfected yet."
"Well then we’ll just have to find time during this shoot to visit your house then."
"…. Are you really that interested in it?" she asked him.
"…. Yes…but I’m also more interested you. I’ve never met someone so special as you before." Answered Tian Liang smiling, a little embarrassed.
Looking into his dark brown eyes, Mei Ming could feel something inside of Tian Liang that she never knew had existed before. She didn’t quiet know what it was exactly, but she was drawn to it all the same.
Suddenly, a short, bulky man approached them. In his mid fifties and slightly balding, he seemed to have an aura of friendliness surrounding him. Smiling, he extended his had to Tian Liang.
"Hi, I’m director Chen. You must be Tian Liang. Happy to meet you, honorary scholar of the Taipei Drama Institute." He said warmly.
"Hello Director Chen, I’m very flattered to have been offered the role of Lin Han."
"Well I was happy to give it. I see you already know Mei Ming. She’s lively one isn’t she?" said Chen, enjoying his jousting. "Well anyway, your trailer is 4A, and yours, Mei Ming, is 4B. You two are situated right next to each other, so you can use that as a site mark if you should get lost. I look forward to working with both of you! See you in two hours for our first scene take!" with that, he waved and walked away.
"Shall we unpack?" asked Mei Ming walking over to her luggage, near the doorway leading out to the trailers. Unzipping one of them, she reached in and took out a packet with the front typed in bold Chinese characters, Filming Schedule and started scanning it. Finally, she looked up and grinned.
"Our first scene take today is Scene 14: Lin Han confides to Zhu Yang. Isn’t that great? We get to film our first take together!" she cried excitedly.
Grabbing his bags and some of Mei Ming’s, Tian Liang laughed and told her, "Come on then! Let’s get unpacked and we can go over the scene together over at my trailer." With that he headed out.
"Hey, hey! Wait for me!" yelped Mei Ming. Grabbing the rest of her luggage, she raced after him.

*****

~ Scene 14: Lin Han confides to Zhu Yang, Act 1, TAKE#1
Han: Zhu Yang, can I talk to you?
Yang: Sure, what’s wrong?
Han: Well you see… I’ve totally fallen for this girl; she’s everything I want and love, and so much more. The thing isshe has no clue that I love her. I know I’ve only known her for one day, but I can’t deny what I feel.
Yang: How does she feel about you?
Han: (sighs) I was hoping you would know.
Yang: Hmm.. Okay(pause)What do you THINK she feels about you?
Han: I think she only thinks of us as friends.
Yang: Smart boy! She told me the other day she met this guy…which you and I know is you; anyway, she told me that you’re "very nice and polite, a little bit quiet at times, but still fun to be with."
Han: I guess that’s a good start…
Yang: Looks like you guys are on the "friendship stage". You’ve got work ahead of you.
(smirks)
Han: Can you give me any tips?
Yang: WELL THEN! Let me see here… ways to win a girl: 1) Be with her constantly 2) Be open 3) Be yourself.
Han: That’s it?!
Yang: Um, yeah. Did you think it was some sort of military operation or something?
Han: I thought it was more…complicated.
Yang: (shakes her head)
"Alright, excellent guys! That’s a wrap for today! Good job you two, I can’t believe we only took one take…that’s a first for me!" said Chen, smiling broadly.
Smiling, Tian Liang and Mei Ming thanked the director and headed out.
"Wow, I didn’t know you could act so well, A Mei." Tian Liang told Mei Ming, astounded.
"You too! Well… not to brag or anything, but what I did today seemed so natural. It’s weird, this isn’t my first series, but yet I seem to be doing this as if it’s me, not as if I actually had to force myself to act it out." She told him earnestly.
"Yeah, it seemed to me incredibly easy to remember those lines and express the attitude. That’s my first time experiencing that, despite all the past series I’ve filmed." He replied.
"Do you think it had something to do with the banana that was lying on the table where we sat?" Mei Ming asked Tian Liang seriously.
Staring at her, Tian Liang tried to keep a straight face and replied back in what he thought was a solemn voice, "Hm. Could very possibly well be."
Nodding, Mei Ming replied, "I had a feeling the banana was doing something odd today."
Giving her an incredulous look, Tian Liang shook his head in bewilderment. Fortunately for Tian Liang, they were at Mei Ming’s trailer and she was busy fumbling with her keys and paying no attention to him.
Once inside, Tian Liang nearly tripped over a pile of stacked folders that were lying right in front of the entrance.
"Opps! Watch yourself!" Mei Ming told him.
Not answering, Tian Liang was staring with utter amazement at Mei Ming’s trailer. Heaps, tens of thousands of heaps of paper were everywhere. Tacked up on the walls, sprawling on the floor, on top of drawers, on the bed, they were everywhere. Staring hard at one tacked up on the wall, Tian Liang guessed the papers were various blueprints and rough sketches of Mei Ming’s inventions. He looked over at Mei Ming and was going to ask her something regarding her papers when he could see she was frantically searching for something.
"What are you looking for?"
"The filming schedule…where did I put it?!"
Seeing that it was under a pile of other paper on her bed, he moved them aside and handed her the packet.
Sighing relief, she thanked him and opened it up.
"What’s tomorrows shoot?" Tian Liang asked her.
"Scene1: Lin Han meets Li Ge." She told him.

~Be sure to read the Waning Moon Series also by Kia Lam!~

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