Chapter 67: It Must Be Soul-Stirring
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
After just a brief rest, Lin Qitang immediately sent for them to prepare.
This was a scene of the nighttime assassination. Besides Xi Mo, who was clad in black and masked, there were several other masked young men and women. Apart from two minor characters with previous lines, the rest were extras.
At this point in the plot, Ding'e had already been dispatched from the palace by Deng Sui to carry out a mission. Originally allied with a faction opposed to Deng Sui, Ding'e had been placed in the Deng family since childhood by that faction's arrangement. Hence, when assassins infiltrated the Deng residence, Ding'e was the one who, amidst the chaos, personally killed Deng Sui's father, Deng Xun.
Throughout these years, Ding'e had served alongside Deng Sui, while secretly passing information to the hidden faction. She was a tragic figure caught in the conflict between loyalty and betrayal, and her inner turmoil was deeply buried. Naturally, the demands on the actress portraying Ding'e were high. Lin Qitang had been quite satisfied with Xi Mo's interpretation of Ding'e during these days of filming.
Ding'e was highly skilled in martial arts and served as Deng Sui's closest protector. With Ding'e being sent out of the palace at this time, upon receiving the news, the opposing faction seized the opportunity to dispatch multiple assassins. These assassins were all prepared to die, with their sole objective being to kill Deng Sui. Despite the tight palace security, even if they were to succeed by some chance, there was no possibility of them returning alive. Each one of them carried a resolve to die.
Ding'e was also required to infiltrate alongside them. Having followed Deng Sui for many years, she knew the palace's guard patrols, defenses, and various routes like the back of her hand. Without Ding'e guiding them, the group of assassins would not have been able to reach Deng Sui.
After Lin Qitang finished briefing the scene, the script supervisor clapped the slate in front of the camera, signaling the start of the shoot.
Silently taking out the guards outside the door and hiding the "bodies," Xi Mo and several masked extras slowly approached the bed where Ruan Yesheng lay.
At this moment, the wind machine made its appearance again, diligently blowing the gauzy curtains around the bed.
Many directors, especially those who value visual aesthetics, are particularly fond of using this magical device. The wind it generates can make long hair flutter and skirts billow. If someone is wearing ancient-style gauzy clothing, the effect is even more dramatic—like stepping on clouds, light and ethereal as if ascending to the heavens. The directors watching the monitor might maintain a calm exterior, but inside, they're thrilled—this beautiful effect is exactly what they want!
It's unclear who originally set this trend.
The fan this time blew perhaps a bit too vigorously, or maybe they were just too close. The curtains fluttered wildly, like waves in a stormy sea, brushing against Ruan Yesheng's face several times.
Ruan Yesheng had been lying flat, still covered by the blanket, appearing deeply asleep. However, the swirling curtains kept disturbing her. While the fabric brushing against her face wasn't painful, it was quite itchy and uncomfortable.
Normally, if the director didn't call for a cut, Ruan Yesheng wouldn't interrupt her performance. But based on her experience, she knew this scene was bound to be unusable. With the curtains in such disarray, could the shot even be salvageable? Continuing would only be a waste of time. So, she opened her eyes, reached out, and grabbed hold of one of the flapping curtains, then sat up on the bed.
Looking at Xi Mo and the group of "assassins" before her, Ruan Yesheng softly remarked, "The wind makes me cold."
Xi Mo: "…"
Ruan Yesheng was now dressed in revealing clothing, half sitting on the bed. Her face was still partly covered by the gathered curtains, adding a mysterious and lazy allure to her demeanor. At this moment, nobody paid attention to the fan or the fact that the scene was likely to be unusable; all eyes were fixed on her.
"Cut!" Almost simultaneously, Lin Qitang shouted to stop, exclaiming, "What's wrong with that fan? Is it blowing a tornado or a sandstorm? Who placed it there? Hurry up and adjust it!"
The crew members rushed to make adjustments.
Lin Qitang emphasized, "I want that kind of dreamy beauty where the curtains dance with the wind! This is a tense moment of assassination, and we need this contrast between danger and ethereal beauty. The more dangerous it gets, the more elegant and beautiful this scene should be!"
Everyone in the crew: "..."
I don't understand Director Lin much, but as long as it looks beautiful, it's fine.
After several adjustments by the crew regarding the position and intensity of the fan, they finally met Lin Qitang's requirements, and the shooting continued.
The "assassins" launched their attack, and Ruan Yesheng retreated to the corner with her blanket. At the same time, a large number of "guards" extras rushed in from outside the door and engaged in a fight with the "assassins". As the melee began, the fight choreographer stepped in to guide the action, mainly demonstrating to Xi Mo since the camera mainly followed her.
According to the script, Deng Sui received a secret report stating that someone would attempt an assassination at night, so she secretly arranged a large number of guards to catch the turtles in a jar*.
*trap with no chance to escape/sure win
During the chaos of the melee, Ding'e observed the situation and would kill any guards or assassins who attempted to approach Deng Sui. Soon, guards and assassins fell one after another by her hand.
The makeup artist touched up Xi Mo's makeup, applying fake blood to her exposed skin and hands. With a sword in hand, she moved to her position, exuding a murderous aura.
Another extra rushed towards Ruan Yesheng, who had shifted position and was now pressed against the wall of the chamber, clutching a dagger tightly. This dagger was a weapon Ding'e had given to Deng Sui for self-defense, which she always carried with her. As the extra passed by, Xi Mo followed closely behind, thrusting her sword into the extra's back, while Ruan Yesheng simultaneously charged forward, aiming the dagger at the extra's chest.
The body of the extra slumped down, and Ruan Yesheng's dagger plunged right into Xi Mo's chest.
There are several methods for filming a character being stabbed. One method involves using the visual error of human perception for a displaced shot, combined with post-production editing. Alternatively, as in the current scenario, a retractable prop dagger is used. When it's thrust, only the handle remains.
Xi Mo, with her face covered, looked towards Ruan Yesheng.
Ruan Yesheng still held the handle in her hand, also gazing blankly into Xi Mo's eyes. At this moment, Deng Sui became suspicious, feeling that those eyes were too familiar.
Lin Qitang yelled again, "Where's the wind machine? It's not blowing when it should, and blowing randomly when it shouldn't! Hurry up and bring the wind machine!"
Luckily, it wasn't during live sound recording; otherwise, Lin Qitang's shout would have meant starting over.
Lin Qitang expressed his heartfelt feelings, "Romance and hatred! Now is the time to showcase elegance and beauty! How many times did I mention it when discussing the scene just now? At such moments, the visuals must be soul-stirring! I want the audience to feel excited and enthusiastic when they see this scene!"
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
Xi Mo: "..."
Lin Qitang, are you out of your mind?! Do you even know what you're saying?!
Lin Qitang seemed to have noticed his gaffe, so he sat back down, looking serious as he continued to stare at the monitor.
For the sake of Lin Qitang's vision of beauty, the wind machine started blowing vigorously again.
Eventually, all the extras playing assassins fell to the ground, and most of the extras playing guards also went down, leaving only a few surrounding Xi Mo.
Ruan Yesheng parted the crowd, giving Xi Mo a disdainful glance and casually saying, "Let her go."
….
Finally, it was over. Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo walked to the side to rest. Ruan Yesheng was still wearing the revealing costume, so Xi Mo picked up a thin coat from the folding chair and draped it over her.
Feeling touched, Ruan Yesheng smiled at her and said, "You don't need to wear the mask now that it's over. It's too stuffy."
Xi Mo nodded and removed the black mask, placing it on a nearby table. She said, "I'll go wash my face first. Wait for me here."
Xi Mo had been filming fight scenes, and the set was still quite hot. After one scene, she must have sweated a lot. Ruan Yesheng nodded, allowing her to go quickly.
The others also descended from the set. Two of the women playing assassins were considered minor supporting roles. They seemed familiar with the crew and were waved over by the coordinator halfway through, who was excitedly calling them over, saying, "Come here, come here!"
Seeing a crowd of crew members gathered around with such enthusiasm, the two hurried over, curious about the commotion.
The coordinator, meticulous in her work but with a very amiable personality in private, and always wearing a smile, handed each of them a snack and said, "Eat."
Surrounded by the group, it was hard to see what was happening inside. One person asked the coordinator, "Is Director Lin so generous as to treat us to supper?"
With a beaming smile, the coordinator replied, "It's from Sister Qingqing."
The two supporting actresses were both surprised and delighted. "Sister Qingqing is here?"
The coordinator gestured towards the crowd.
Before long, Shen Qingbie and Yu An emerged from the crowd. Shen Qingbie, originally intending to leave, stopped in her tracks when she saw the two supporting actresses, dressed in black costumes with masks around their necks. She paused for a moment, then changed direction and walked towards them.
Shen Qingbie's smile was delicate and composed as she said, "Hello, everyone. I came to check on Yan Mu and brought some snacks for everyone."
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
These two supporting actresses were originally her fans. It was rare to see her in person, and they were so touched by her warmth. She exuded a quiet and elegant aura, and coming over to greet them made them so excited that they didn't know what to say for a moment.
Shen Qingbie carefully looked over their black costumes and glanced at their masks. Suddenly, she asked, "Are there many people wearing masks on set today?"
The two actresses thought she was concerned about the filming of the crew, so they quickly replied, "Yes, there's an assassination scene today, and many people are wearing masks."
"Do any of the masked actors wear contact lenses?"
Yu An: "..."
The two supporting actresses were a bit confused, not sure why Shen Qingbie was asking this, but they still said, "Um... we're not really sure about that."
Shen Qingbie smiled again, "Your eyes are so beautiful, you must not wear contact lenses."
Upon hearing this, the two actresses were both surprised and shy. They were surprised at how unexpectedly Sister Qingqing brought this up and got shy because she was so good with words. Feeling delighted, they replied, "Yes, neither of us wears glasses."
Shen Qingbie understood and nodded, "I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave. There's plenty of food over there, help yourselves. You've worked hard filming."
The two actresses quickly said, "Sister Qingqing, you've been busy bringing us snacks. You must be tired from coming all the way here. Have you eaten? If not, would you like to have something before you go?"
Although their intentions were sincere, Shen Qingbie immediately shook her head, "No, I shouldn't. I'll gain weight if I eat."
Yu An: "..."
The coordinator, biting off half of the small cake: "..."
The coordinator actually always pays attention to her figure, but now the cake in her mouth is a bit stuck, neither going up nor down, just stuck there.
Yu An secretly pinched Shen Qingbie's waist.
This time, Shen Qingbie was almost caught off guard again, and quickly smiled, "I recently took on a new role, and the director is very strict about my diet. I must strictly control my diet recently. After this new role, I can eat freely."
As she said this, she seemed to sigh with regret, expressing her lament for not being able to enjoy delicious food freely.
The coordinator and the two supporting actresses were touched by what she said, and couldn't help but sympathize with her.
Shen Qingbie left with Yu An, walking in another direction. Along the way, Yu An warned her in a low voice, "Try to speak less in front of others. Many times, it's not easy to clean up afterward. If it weren't for me helping you clean up those messes before, you wouldn't know how many times you've fallen."
Shen Qingbie felt a bit wronged when she heard that she couldn't talk, but she also knew that what Yu An said this time was true, so she had to temporarily hold back her words.
Ruan Yesheng was originally sitting on a folding chair waiting for Xi Mo. When she heard someone approaching, she turned her head and saw that it was actually Shen Qingbie and Yu An.
She remembered Xi Mo's previous instructions not to have any contact with Shen Qingbie. If she could avoid Shen Qingbie, she should do so as much as possible to avoid the media speculation and ending up in the headlines. She glanced at the black mask that Xi Mo had casually taken off and placed on the small table. Without hesitation, she picked it up and covered her face.
Then she lay back on the folding chair to rest. By covering her face and pretending to sleep, anyone passing by wouldn't be able to see her face and would hopefully not disturb her, knowing she was asleep.
Shen Qingbie passed by the folding chair and casually glanced at the figure lying there, covered with a black mask and a coat, eyes closed.
Unaware of the situation, Shen Qingbie tapped the table and said, "Wake up."
Ruan Yesheng, with her face covered, pretended to be deeply asleep. She hugged her coat, turned to the side, and glanced away.
Author's Note:
It takes me a very, very long time to write each chapter, and my speed is very slow. I get so absorbed in writing that I completely lose track of time. When I finish writing and finally look at the clock, I realize it's late again. _(:3」∠)_
