This was his first official attempt at a sex scene, and unexpectedly, the effect was incredible. Hearing Vanessa's praise, Peter felt a surge of happiness.
"Thank you for the validation," he said. "I think our cooperation went quite well."
Vanessa nodded, equally satisfied with his performance. Although it was their first time collaborating, Peter's professionalism and acting skill had put her completely at ease. Despite the initial fear the scene had instilled in her, she knew that he had been the one to pull her completely into the moment. She hadn't been performing much at all; her reactions had been a cascade of true, instinctive feelings. Previous stuntmen had tried to improvise, but none had ever achieved this effect.
After meeting for the first time and immediately facing each other so nakedly, a lingering embarrassment hung between them. But Peter wasn't stingy with his praise. "I think your acting skills are amazing," he said earnestly.
Vanessa's cheeks flushed. What acting skills? she thought. That was all instinct.
On the other side of the set, Director Evans's face was alight with pure joy as he watched the finished footage. Peter, the substitute, had given him a massive surprise. He turned to the two actors, his eyes bright with excitement.
"You're in good shape now. A few more shots, and we can call the first sex scene a pass!"
When the crew heard the word "pass" come out of Evans's mouth, they erupted in a wave of excited relief. They had been waiting to hear that word for nearly a month. The staff immediately got busy again. Evans walked over to the two actors. Although they had performed brilliantly, he still had notes.
"Peter," he began, "you performed well just now. Your movements were far more natural than I expected, but there are still some shortcomings." He looked at Peter intently. "Even though we don't see your face, you have to convey emotion. There's not enough anger and ferocity in your eyes, which means there's less emotional expression in your body language. You have to remember that Emerson is a seasoned agent who has seen life and death. His eyes should be cold and fierce. Your emotions aren't quite there yet. You can be bolder with your hands."
Peter nodded. "Okay, I'll follow your request." He was secretly surprised. I was already going all out. Isn't that bold enough? Does he want me to be even more direct?
Evans continued, addressing both of them. "Your method of not rehearsing was very good; it created a natural performance. But there's also a sense of strangeness in your eyes. Before we film the remaining two scenes, you must communicate more. Get familiar with each other, otherwise it will remain somewhat awkward."
There were no specific scripts for these three scenes. Evans had only explained the general emotional arc and the desired result. Everything else had to be improvised by the actors, because what Evans wanted above all else was truth. This was precisely why so many stuntmen before them had failed.
A moment later, Peter and Vanessa were back on the bed, reshooting a few scattered shots from the previous scene. Though it took five or six takes, each one went smoothly. Evans was extremely satisfied.
After the reshoots were over, Peter asked anxiously, "Director Evans, when will we film the next scene?"
"Hmm…" Evans hesitated. The original plan had been to spend half a month on these scenes. He hadn't expected them to perform so well that they could get it done in one take. Capitalizing on their momentum seemed like the right move. "You guys are in excellent form today, so let's keep going while you're hot. We'll shoot the second scene this afternoon."
"Okay!" Peter nodded eagerly.
Vanessa, however, frowned. She had never even rehearsed the next scene. The previous stand-ins had all failed on the first one, so she'd never had the chance to officially film the other two. And while the first scene had gone smoothly, she knew the next two were by far the most difficult.
At that moment, it was almost lunchtime. Evans glanced at the time and called out, "That's a wrap for now! Everyone take a break!"
During lunch, Peter grabbed a quick bite nearby and then returned to the empty set. It wasn't that he was overly dedicated; it was just a hot day, and he had nowhere else to go. Finding a quiet corner to rest, he pulled up the system interface. His points, originally at zero, now showed 100. He clicked for details.
[Complete a sex scene with the unknown actress Vanessa, +100 points.]
It was just as he'd guessed. Completing the scene earned him points. But, he wondered, if it was a real 'sex scene,' would there be extra points? The system's description also implied that filming with a more famous actress would yield a bigger reward.
As if hearing his thoughts, a single word popped up on the screen: [Yes].
A smile immediately spread across Peter's face. He continued to explore the system. The mall had now been unlocked. He took a look and found all sorts of things inside: scripts, acting skills, songs, physical attributes, money… it had everything. However, a quick glance at the prices told him they were astronomical. There seemed to be nothing he could buy with a mere 100 points.
But then, he made a new discovery. At the bottom of the mall, there was a lottery disc. A single spin cost 100 points. His fingers started to itch. Without thinking too much, he clicked the button.