Yuan Bing is a person with professional integrity, and her control over her emotions is precise enough. She quickly suppressed the blush on her face.
This scene was simply the smoothest one she had filmed since the start of shooting. Over the years, only Duan Xiubo had given her the feeling of being fully immersed in another person's life rather than just acting. From her eyes to her body movements, Luo Ding's seasoned performance didn't seem like that of a newcomer... No, it should be said that many seasoned actors might not have his keen sensitivity. Acting opposite him was simply enjoyable.
Now she truly understood why Duan Xiubo always praised this young man for his outstanding acting skills. Such talent deserved recognition even without any labels.
Director Huo Xie's stern expression behind the camera softened considerably from several angles. Despite his fierce appearance, giving off a constant "I'm fierce" vibe, many who had worked with him for a long time could sense his satisfaction from his softened gaze and his proactive move to ask the assistant director about breakfast.
The crew's breakfast was simple: plain congee with white sugar, pickled vegetables, and steamed buns with sweet bean paste filling. There were only a few choices of noodles, most of which had been left untouched for too long and had turned into a lump.
The staff who had been brought by Wu Fangyuan to have the base of their meal with preserved egg and lean meat congee in the dressing room weren't very hungry. They joked with each other about their unusual tastes, boasting about finding delicious food even in the rough and ready film studio. Hearing these people describe preserved egg and lean meat congee, and even more indulgent dishes like thick and fragrant black-boned chicken soup with radish, made many envious and itching to be colleagues with Luo Ding.
Some who didn't usually have a chance to interact with Luo Ding but knew that he had a good relationship with a few main actors, and had been deceived by his cold and noble appearance during filming, found it unbelievable. "Is he really so easygoing?"
"Of course, that makeup artist from Group A, Mao Xiaofang, the one who just came over to touch up Luo Ding's makeup, she's got a sharp tongue and a bad temper. But you know what? The first time Luo Ding saw her, he smiled and nodded at her, saying 'Hello, Sister Mao.' She's so lively and obedient. I felt a bit itchy watching them. Mao Xiaofang was immediately won over by him. She's been so gentle these past few days. She doesn't scold anyone even when we work late."
Duan Xiubo, eating his sweet bean paste bun on the side, overheard a few people discussing and imagined what Luo Ding, so obedient and lively, what he must look like. He felt somewhat incompetent. Luo Ding had always appeared poised in front of him, even when they first met, he had a scholarly and fresh demeanor in front of Gong Liangguang. It was different from being obedient and lively, right?
Glancing at the group huddled together, Duan Xiubo suppressed the subtle discomfort in his heart, then noticed them taking out their phones to share their captures.
"Hey? Are you taking pictures too? Your angle is great!"
"Your lens is clearer than mine... Wow, you actually captured this! Luo Ding's hands are so beautiful!"
"Look at this expression. Mao Xiaofang has been in a good mood these days. I'll ask her to teach me how to draw this eyeliner while Luo Ding is around. My boyfriend's eyes look a bit like Luo Ding's. After I go back... hehehehe..."
"You're so disgusting."
"Should we post this on Weibo?"
"We can't reveal set photos, can we?"
"Ugh, it's so annoying having photos but not being able to share them!"
Duan Xiubo raised an eyebrow and, after they left, asked, "Is it okay?" In fact, the crew frowned upon clandestine photography because paparazzi often disguised themselves as crew members to install hidden cameras to capture sensational news. Larger productions like "Crouching Dragon" were particularly strict about such details. Of course, there were instances where people asked for photos with stars they liked or took pictures with their consent, but secretly taking photos during filming was a violation of discipline.
Huo Xie, stuffing a sweet bean paste bun into his mouth, replied, "The photos are good. What's the harm?" Luo Ding was indeed photogenic, and being slender was advantageous. His distinctive facial features were easily recognizable, and he could perform well even under less than professional camera lenses. Huo Xie felt a sudden urge to lose weight himself but quickly suppressed it when he remembered the scientific diet plan he had requested last time when he had such an impulse. Glancing at the tray of buns placed beside him by the assistant director, he swiftly dismissed the thought as inhuman.
Losing weight is not something that can be achieved overnight, let's talk about it next time.
Duan Xiubo almost instantly discerned his intentions from his dismissive attitude.
The success of a movie's box office and whether the work becomes widely known are hardly related. This is why some famous bad movies thrive at the box office amidst online criticism. Curiosity drives people to do many incredible things, such as spending a lot of money on movie tickets just to study how disgustingly bad a movie that's been heavily criticized really is.
Huo Xie is a typical commercial film director who, besides his high output of work and superb technical skills, also has his own unique insights into publicity. His films have always maintained a high level of popularity from the selection of topics to shooting and final screening. Stirring up waves of small peaks regularly, he raises the audience's curiosity and expectations for the movie higher and higher. Finally, with a strong final blow, he can harvest as many fish and shrimp as possible.
He didn't feel embarrassed at all about tattling on himself just now. After reaching a conclusion, he leaned back in his chair and amused himself.
He opened Facebook and checked his friends' updates. As expected, Luo Ding's account was once again empty, but his old friend, Hollywood director Clovis, posted a series of sentiments about his latest series film "Blade Warrior II" winning the Best Picture Award at the Berlin Film Festival. Duan Xiubo casually replied with a congratulations and then asked him if he was starting to prepare for the shooting of the third installment.
After logging out of Facebook, he directly clicked into Weibo and checked the various fan replies under his own homepage. Seeing that his most recent Weibo update was four days ago, he thought for a moment and then took a photo of himself holding a red bean bun and white rice porridge. Below it, he wrote, "The crew has a conscience, providing breakfast. Watching the shoot, the newcomer's acting skills are superb, not falling behind Yuan Bing in their scenes. I have to say, the younger generation is impressive." He clicked on his list of friends, hesitated for a moment on Luo Ding's name, but since he wasn't there, he replaced it with Yuan Bing.
He didn't immediately check the comments that surged after posting; his attention was drawn to a popular Weibo post instead.
The official account of Entertainment Weekly, marked with a blue V, was hanging at the top of the trending list, with a hot and ambiguous title: "Pan Yiming's new album debut concert is in preparation, the album release conference was a great success, performing a hot dance with the rising star Luo Ding on stage~ Aren't they a perfect match?" Below were two pictures, one of Luo Ding dancing energetically at the front of the stage. He tilted his head, his smooth facial features looking handsome, and the high-definition image even showed the sweat beads on his straight nose, his hair dampened by sweat sticking to the sides, and his eyes looking sharply at the audience on the side with a smile, exuding a tension that was palpable yet restrained.
The other was a photo of him smiling at Pan Yiming while watching the MV of the lead song. Although they were separated by a certain distance, their eyes met and their smiles carried an unspoken understanding, the faint light from the big screen giving them a hazy beauty, truly a delightful sight.
Duan Xiubo opened the comments with mixed feelings. Apart from advertisements, most people were jokingly using laughing emojis to tease the two "being together" or "a perfect match."
His finger twitched as he pressed the exit button, his smile almost slipping, his lips twitching slightly.
Although Yuan Bing had already finished filming her scenes, she didn't rush to leave. She took the buns and porridge handed to her by her assistant and ate slowly, standing quietly on the side watching Luo Ding and the martial arts instructor interact.
"Then your hand should be like this—make the movements bigger, and the sleeves should have a curve..." The martial arts instructor held Luo Ding's wrist and demonstrated an angle, gesturing for Luo Ding to do it once to show him.
Luo Ding concentrated for a moment, his face suddenly turning cold, then he followed the other's guidance and suddenly swung his arm with a slight bend of his upper body, causing the wide sleeves to flutter with a fairy-like grace.
The martial arts instructor was taken aback for a moment, then he saw Luo Ding return to his usual expression: "Is this what you mean?"
"...Yes." He nodded absentmindedly, then snapped out of it, coughed, and looked around as if admiring the scenery.
Yuan Bing smiled suddenly, realizing she wasn't the only one unable to resist Luo Ding's charm. She took a few steps forward, poked a red bean bun with her chopsticks, and handed it to him, "Have one, you'll need to replenish your energy for the action scenes later. There's still more than ten minutes left, this bit of dry food won't cause indigestion."
Luo Ding keenly felt that her attitude towards him had softened compared to earlier in the morning. He thanked her quietly and ate slowly, chewing with his mouth closed and focusing intently, as if facing the food in his hand with devout reverence.
Yuan Bing felt her head spinning for a moment, even finding the way he ate, with his mouth closed and focused chewing, incredibly adorable, making her legs go weak.
Duan Xiubo leaned against the camera stand, staring at this scene, arms crossed, a smile playing on his lips, but his eyes were as distant as an abyss.
"How does it feel? Can you get used to it?" The crew member helped Luo Ding put on his costume, adjusted it around his thighs, then let down the long hem of his robe, "Take a few steps to see." It was Luo Ding's first time shooting a wire action scene, so everyone was subconsciously concerned about him. After all, wire work is not something everyone can endure. Supporting the weight of a person's entire body, if the tension is slightly off, it can lead to poor blood circulation and numbness in the legs, or even fainting.
The subtle places where the safety rope was tied were a bit uncomfortable, making Luo Ding feel a bit awkward, but he knew it was normal.
Filming was very hard, especially in places where special effects were needed. Hanging in mid-air without a foothold and having to perform various coordinated movements was much more difficult than being on solid ground.
The crew member watched him closely, apparently prepared to explain this unavoidable hidden difficulty when he asked. Luo Ding smiled faintly, "It's fine, if anything's wrong later, we can adjust it again when I come down."
A light laugh came from the side.
He turned his head and saw Duan Xiubo unfolding his arms to reveal his waist, allowing the people around him to put on his safety rope. Seeing Luo Ding noticing him, Duan Xiubo looked back openly, "Don't be nervous, feeling a bit uncomfortable is normal. Don't pursue perfection too much later, and don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's normal for this kind of shoot to have NG takes."
Knowing that Duan Xiubo was comforting him about his first time shooting a wire action scene, Luo Ding also knew enough to show him a grateful smile.
Duan Xiubo seemed inspired by something, staring at his smile with his eyes downcast, his mouth twitching slightly, but his gaze suddenly became solemn.
When they were all ready, and everyone in the crew was on high alert, he left the director's seat for the first time and walked into the shooting scene.
Approaching Luo Ding, he patted his shoulder earnestly, "Don't feel too much pressure." There were many uncertainties in this kind of scene, and the likelihood of injury was quite high. The previous artist got into trouble because they were too aggressive during this scene. Although it was because of this incident that he encountered Luo Ding, who was more suitable for this role than the previous person, he couldn't help but worry that the pressure might cause problems for Luo Ding.
It was surprising that Huo Xie would comfort someone; it was the first time he had done so since the beginning of creation. In another sense, Huo Xie was no different from those twisted scientists who dissected animals or even humans in pursuit of higher evolution since the beginning of time. He used various methods to induce or even intimidate actors to experience the emotions of their roles, whether actors would have any negative effects was never something he seemed to worry about.
On the side, Duan Xiubo lowered his eyes, quietly curling his lips. Huo Xie's tolerance might be because he had realized that the value he could extract from Luo Ding far exceeded his expectations. The situation was the same in every field; truly capable people were always pampered wherever they went.
The clapperboard was slowly opened, and he concentrated, calming himself down and putting away his gentle demeanor, his gaze falling coldly on Luo Ding, clearly noticing that the other was also quickly adjusting his own state.
With Huo Xie's "Action," the pressure on his waist and legs suddenly increased, his feet leaving the ground in an instant, and Duan Xiubo gripped the sword in his hand, maintaining his balance and performing a light skill movement.
The next moment, he felt something lightly brush against his face, before he could even see what it was, Luo Ding was approaching him at lightning speed.
He came so close with a smile and a disdainful face, Duan Xiubo could almost see the faint traces of makeup on his face. The not-so-thick makeup made the young man completely deviate from his usual fresh-faced appearance and transformed into a man full of charm and allure, just a hair's breadth away, the difference between enticing and stirring.
Duan Xiubo's breath caught, his mind instantly recalling the long, slender hand that had caressed Yuan Bing's hair and face, his brows furrowing deeply once again.
Luo Ding's approach was just for a moment, the machinery continuously pulling them apart and then away. With too many uncertainties in the high altitude, many times it relied on the two of them to improvise based on their tacit understanding.
Huo Xie stared in astonishment at the young man in the monitor who seemed to be handling it with ease.
To be honest, he had prepared for this scene to take an entire afternoon. Not for anything else, but many veterans couldn't even handle a wire action scene, let alone someone who had just started filming. How to make a newcomer who had just started filming movies handle this kind of scene was really beyond imagination. He was strict, but he was not unreasonable. It was precisely because he understood the difficulty of this scene so well that he had broken his habit to comfort Luo Ding and tell him not to be too nervous. In his opinion, Luo Ding was already outstanding enough, and unnecessary psychological pressure should not burden him.
But only now did he realize that the surprises Luo Ding could bring him were probably much more than he had expected.
The assistants and assistant directors next to him looked at each other, obviously feeling incredibly amazed by Luo Ding's stable performance. During the filming process, everyone dared not speak casually, just staring at the scene with full admiration.
In their eyes, Luo Ding's excellent performance in this first high-altitude scene was undoubtedly due to the extensive practice he had done offstage. Wire work was not something ordinary people could endure. It looked ethereal on screen, but actors in reality could avoid it if they could. An artist like Luo Ding, who had both talent and was willing to work hard to improve his experience, would be respected wherever he went.
Duan Xiubo felt as if he had returned to the day of the banquet with Ji Jia, the dance floor lit dimly, with only a beam of light gathering in the center. All his attention was forced to focus on the only two men who could stand under the light. The collision of their auras, unrestrained and intense, was like a fierce battle between primeval lions, without any restraint, fierce and passionate, like the difference between stirring hearts and playing hearts.
Luo Ding, when he was serious, exuded an undeniable aura of strength all over his body, while Duan Xiubo, who never fell behind, subconsciously tried to overwhelm the other with an even stronger aura.
A touch and a retreat, both of their movements were clean and sharp. The black and red sleeves of Guangling Wang fluttered in the air, brushing past the tattered blue armor of Mu Gui, as if a charming beauty playing with a willow branch.
Mu Gui frowned, seemingly disliking the slightly feminine temperament of the other, and also worried about the safety of Yu Shengyan. He shouted loudly, "Demon! Release Miss Yan!"
When Guangling Wang heard the other's address for him, his eyes twitched at the corners, and his gaze suddenly became fierce, "What did you call me?!"
Mu Gui was not good at arguing, and he was uneducated. When he cursed someone, all he could think of was ginseng chicken soup. Seeing that Guangling Wang was actually provoked by this sentence, he even bluntly repeated it, "Demon! If you're not a demon, what are you?!"
Guangling Wang squinted his beautiful eyes at the other, tightly grasping the sword in his hand adorned with gorgeous gemstones, then suddenly curved his lips into a charming smile, "This is the attitude when begging someone. Are you still looking for Miss Yu Shengyan?"
Mu Gui, hit in a sore spot, immediately spoke urgently, "What have you done to her?!"
Guangling Wang sneered, not answering, and the sword came out of its sheath with a swish, heading straight for Mu Gui.
Sure, continuing from where we left off:
Mu Gui, sensing the danger, immediately raised his sword to block. The two swords clashed fiercely in mid-air, emitting sparks. The camera recorded every movement with precision, capturing the intense exchange between the two characters.
Amidst the action, Luo Ding's mind was focused solely on the scene and his character's emotions. He allowed himself to become fully immersed in the role, letting go of any distractions or personal concerns. His movements were fluid and controlled, a testament to his dedication and talent as an actor.
Duan Xiubo watched intently from the sidelines, his eyes fixed on Luo Ding's performance. Despite his initial skepticism, he couldn't help but be impressed by the younger actor's skill and commitment. There was a raw intensity in Luo Ding's portrayal that resonated deeply with him, reminding him of his own early days as an actor.
As the scene reached its climax, with the two characters locked in a fierce battle, Duan Xiubo felt a surge of excitement. This was what he loved about filmmaking—the thrill of bringing characters to life, of capturing moments of raw emotion and intensity on screen.
And in that moment, watching Luo Ding pour his heart and soul into his performance, Duan Xiubo felt a newfound sense of purpose. He realized that, despite the challenges and uncertainties of the industry, he was exactly where he was meant to be.
As the director called for a break in filming, Duan Xiubo approached Luo Ding with a smile. "You did great out there," he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "I'm impressed."
Luo Ding smiled back, a sense of satisfaction evident in his eyes. "Thank you," he replied, his voice tinged with exhaustion but also with pride. "It means a lot coming from you."
And in that moment, as they stood together on the set of their latest film, Duan Xiubo couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with the young actor. Despite their differences in age and experience, they were united by a shared passion for their craft—a passion that burned bright in both of their hearts.
And as they prepared to resume filming, Duan Xiubo felt a sense of excitement building within him. For in that moment, he knew that they were not just making a movie—they were creating magic.
