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Yuan Bing was a professionally trained actress and her grasp over her emotions was precise enough to quickly suppress her flushed face.

This scene was simply the smoothest scene she had ever filmed since she started as an actress. For so many years, only Duan Xiubo had given her the feeling that she was not just acting but rather she totally embodied another person.

From his eyes to his body movements, Luo Ding did not resemble a newcomer… No, it could even be said that many veteran actors may not have such sensitivity. Acting with him was a treat.

Now she really understood why Duan Xiubo always praised this young man’s outstanding acting skills. It was not an injustice to acknowledge such strength.

After the scene, Huo Xie’s expression was still gloomy while he slowly adjusted the angle of the lens. At any given time, his fierce appearance seemed to give off an “I’m not happy, I’m not happy” feeling, yet from the softening of his eyes and by him taking the initiative to urge the production assistants to quickly eat breakfast, many who have known him for a long time could see his joy.

The crew’s breakfast was very basic: white porridge with sugar, pickled vegetables with a red bean bun, and a selection of noodles which no one even looked at because it was swollen and clumpy after being left to sit for too long.

The members of staff who had padded their bellies in the dressing room with the preserved eggs and lean meat porridge brought by Wu Fangyuan were not very hungry. They showed off to the others and joked that they were special because they could even find delicious food in this film and television city where not even a blade of grass grew.  

Hearing this group of people describe the delicious meal of preserved egg and lean meat porridge as well as the fragrant black-bone chicken and radish soup that they had also previously eaten many people gnashed their teeth. They were very envious of the staff who worked closely with Luo Ding.

Some of the people who did not usually have an opportunity to come into contact with Luo Ding, and only knew that he had a good relationship with several of the starring actors had been deceived by his cold and noble appearance while he was filming. At this moment, they were surprised: “Is he really that good-tempered?”

“Of course. You know, Mao Xiaofang, the makeup artist from Group A that just rushed over to touch-up Luo Ding’s make-up. She has a bad temper and a foul mouth, yet the first time Luo Ding met her he smiled, nodded and with his lovable and beautiful appearance he said, “Mao jie is beautiful and skilled.” I was nearby so I saw it and my skin tingled. Mao Xiaofang was immediately subdued by him, and for the past few days, she has behaved like a gentlewoman. Even when she stays till late she never curses at anyone…”  

Duan Xiubo was eating a red bean bun and could hear a few words from the conversations around him. He lowered his head and tried to imagine Luo Ding’s lovable and beautiful appearance. He was unable to do it. In front of him Luo Ding was always very calm. Even when Luo Ding first met Gong Liangguang, he appeared like a refined and pure student. He was different from being lovable and beautiful.

Glancing at the group of make-up artists and seeing them take out their mobile phones to exchange pictures of Luo Ding, Duan Xiubo suppressed the subtle discomfort in his heart.

“Ah? You took photos too? You took a good shot from that angle!”

“Your camera lens is sharper than mine … Wow you actually caught this shot! Luo Ding’s hands are also very beautiful!”

“Look at this quickly. Mao Xiaofang is in a good mood these days. I will use this time while Luo Ding is around to ask her to teach me to draw this eyeliner shape. My boyfriend’s eyes look a bit like Luo Ding’s, so when I go home, ……”Hehe, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee…”

“You are so lewd.”

“Should I post this on Weibo?”

“Set photos can’t be revealed …”

“Ah, I’m so annoyed that I have inventory in hand but can’t share it!”

Duan Xiubo raised his eyebrows, leaned over, poked Huo Xie with his elbow and angled his mouth in the direction of that group of people, and then continued to eat his red bean bun, his face was gentle and kind.

Huo Xie turned his attention to the movements over there for a while, suddenly frowned and said, “Come here.”

There were several girls in the group who were exchanging their experiences in capturing the beauty of Luo Ding thus, when Leng Bu Ding heard Huo Xie’s voice, she did not react. However, when she turned around to find the unlucky egg who had drawn the Director’s attention, she found that Huo Xie was looking in her direction.  

The world turned dark and they all looked at one another, their faces pale yet they did not dare to delete the photos. Trembling in fear, they walked over together. Duan Xiubo sat beside Huo Xie, his head lowered as he happily nibbled on his red bean bun. As if he didn’t know what was happening around him, he stared at Luo Ding who was talking to the martial arts instructor.

Several of the girls bumped into each other and one stood out as a leader and spoke in a trembling voice, “Huo … Director Huo.”.

Huo Xie’s large body was squashed into his seat and heaven only knew whether this stout man with narrow eyes was full of anger. He frowned and asked, “Did you take pictures?”

“I … we’ll only share it in private.” Several people obediently pulled out their phones and admitted their wrongdoing: “If you are still worried, we will delete it now.”

“Let me see.” Huo Xie didn’t say anything, instead he took one of their phones and started browsing through the stills.

On the small phone screen, a man in a black and red robe lay sideways on an ornately carved chaise couch, with his long legs crossed and his body full of indolence. His eyes were cold, but his expression was flirtatious and charming. He was full of a contradictory and mysterious beauty.

The surrounding set was very simple. The plain studio, the wires and equipment that were normally not seen on camera and even a figure of a staff member. However, the thin, white and flexible palm that Luo Ding extended had become the well-deserved focus of attention. In the freeze-framed picture, the hand stopped mid-air, and his fingertips touched the black hair of a woman kneeling in front of the couch. The contrast between black and white was so intense and breath-taking.

Huo Xie’s finger paused for a moment on the delete button, and then moved away. He returned the phone to the girl who was a little nervous on the opposite side and looked at her slowly: “Delete everything else. You can keep this one. Don’t do this again. If you get caught I won’t save you anymore.”

“This …” The group of people who had been granted amnesty hid in a corner for a moment, some were still in shock.

“Can you post it?”

“Who’s Weibo? Send it to me, I have many followers!”

“Hello! I took the picture, ok …”

“Okay, I’m just joking …”

Duan Xiubo raised his eyebrows slightly and asked after they left: “Doesn’t it matter?” In fact, secretly taking photos in the film crew was a huge taboo, because there were often paparazzi who pretended to be staff in order to set up spy cameras to catch breaking news.

Thus, in slightly larger film crews, for example, these details were usually strictly prohibited. Of course, privately there were still people who would ask for a group photo after seeing their favorite star or ask to take photos after seeking the consent of the subject. But regardless, secretly taking photos during the filming process like those girls did was enough to violate discipline.

Huo Xie bit a mouthful of a red bean bun: “It’s a good picture, what’s the matter.” Luo Ding is really photogenic. He’s thin, his facial features are clearly defined and contoured, he looks good under the lens of a professional camera and he acts well.

Huo Xie had another sudden impulse to lose weight, but when he thought of the unscientific diet menu he had received when he last had this impulse, he glanced at the pot of steamed buns next to him and quickly suppressed this inhumane thought.

This issue of weight loss will not be resolved overnight. He will think about it next time.

Almost instantly, Duan Xiubo deduced Huo Xie’s intentions from his lighthearted attitude.

The final box office of a movie is ultimately inextricably linked to the popularity of the work. This was also one of the reasons why some well-known bad movies were criticized more fiercely on the Internet. People’s curiosity can drive them to do many incredible things, such as spending a lot of money on movie tickets to see for themselves just how bad a critiqued film is.

Huo Xie was not a typical commercial film director. In addition to his film and high-tech production experience, he was also adept at generating hype. His films were always a hot topic from the script selection, to the start of filming, to the final release and review. He provided small updates on a regular basis to increase the audience’s curiosity and expectations for the movie. The higher the violent waves the more fish one could harvest.

Duan Xiubo was not embarrassed by his action of telling on the girls so when he received a response from Huo Xie he returned to his seat and started to entertain himself.

He opened his Facebook page and looked at updates from his friends. Luo Ding’s account was still blank. Rather, his old friend, Clovis, a Hollywood director, had issued a series of emotional posts relating to his latest film sequel which had won a “best film award” at the Berlin Film Festival. Moved, Duan Xiubo responded with congratulations, and then asked when he was going to start preparing for the third installment of the film.

After getting off Facebook, he clicked directly into Weibo and looked at the various replies from fans on his homepage. Seeing that his latest Weibo update was four days ago, after some consideration, he took a picture of the white porridge and the red bean bun. Underneath the photo he typed a line: “The conscience of the crew, there is breakfast available. Watching the filming as a bystander. Our newcomer has superb acting skills, and Yuan Bing is still terrific. The younger generation will surpass the older.” Clicking on his friends list, his finger hovered on Luo Ding’s name but after thinking about it, he refrained from tagging him and instead tagged Yuan Bing.

He didn’t immediately go to see the replies that skyrocketed immediately after the photo was posted. His attention was instead attracted by a popular Weibo.

The Entertainment Weekly official blog post was at the top of the hot trends. The caption was inflammatory and ambiguous: “Pan Yiming’s new album debut concert is being prepared, the album launch was a big success, on stage she performed a hot dance with the new artist Luo Ding ~ A handsome man and a beautiful woman, Is this a good match?”

There were two pictures at the bottom, one of which was Luo Ding standing on the center stage and finishing his hot dance routine. His head was tilted to the side and the smooth lines of his facial features were exquisite and beautiful.

From the high-definition picture one could still see the fine sweat beads on the tip of his nose. His hair was damp with sweat and stuck to the sides of his face while his eyes looked sharply at the audience on the side with a smile. The tension in the auditorium was palpable.

The other was a picture of him touching his headset and smiling at Pan Yiming while the MV of the title song was playing. Although the two were separated by a certain distance, the meeting of their eyes and the unspoken smile on their lips showed a tacit understanding. The faint light of the big screen gave them a certain hazy beauty and created a pleasing picture.

Duan Xiubo looked at the comments in a complex mood. Except for advertisements, most people scoffed at the article’s insinuation of Pan Yiming and Luo Ding being “together” or “made for each other”.

He pressed the exit button with a flick of his finger. His smile was almost frozen and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Although Yuan Bing had finished filming her part, she was not in a hurry to leave. She took the stuffed steamed buns and porridge from her assistant and ate slowly. She stood quietly watching Luo Ding interact with the martial arts instructor.

“Then your hand needs to be like this – the swinging motion needs to be a bit wider, so your sleeves will have an arc …” The martial arts instructor held Luo Ding’s wrist at an angle and motioned for Luo Ding to demonstrate it for him.

Luo Ding focused, his facial expression turned cold and then he suddenly waved his arm in accordance with the instructions of the other party. Slightly arching his upper body, his wide sleeves suddenly fluttered like that of a water spirit.

Immediately the martial arts instructor froze as if in a daze. Luo Ding restored his original expression and asked: “Is this what you mean?”

“… Yes.” the martial arts instructor nodded in a trance and then collected himself, coughed, and looked down while pretending to take in the scenery.

Yuan Bing laughed. It appeared she was not the only one who couldn’t resist Luo Ding’s charm. She took two steps forward and using chopsticks she passed him a red bean bun: “Eat one to replenish your energy for the next scene later. There are still more than ten minutes and such dry food will not be indigestible.”

Luo Ding keenly felt that Yuan Bing’s attitude towards him was milder than in the morning. He said thank you calmly and ate slowly.

While eating, he kept his mouth closed, didn’t talk, and chewed frequently and rapidly, as if handling the food in his hands with a devout attitude.

Yuan Bing only felt that the sky and earth were spinning round, and her legs were weak because to her even his hamster-like appearance was really cute

Duan Xiubo watched this scene through the camera lens. His arms were folded across his chest, and while his mouth held a smile his eyes were as distant as the abyss.

“How do you feel? Can you get used to it?” The staff put on Luo Ding’s safety harness, tightened it around his thigh tightly and then lowered his long robe to the ground., “take two steps to verify.” As this was Luo Ding’s first time filming a martial arts movie everyone cared about him subconsciously. After all, not everyone one could handle this harness. In order to support the weight of the entire body, the tightness could not even be slightly wrong. Plus, hanging in mid- air for a long time could lead to poor blood flow and numbness in the legs and feet. It was not uncommon for fainting to occur.

The area where the straps encircled was a bit delicate. Luo Ding’s eggs[1] hurt a little but he knew this was normal.

Filming was very difficult, especially in those scenes where special effects were needed. While hanging in mid-air you needed to connect several different actions seamlessly which increased the level of difficulty.

The staff member stared at him, clearly having trouble finding the words to explain the issue of the unavoidable discomfort so when he asked again, Luo Ding gave a small smile and said: “It’s fine, if there is something wrong, we can fix it later.”

A chuckle came from the side.

Luo Ding turned his head and saw that Duan Xiubo had spread out his hands to expose his waist in order for the staff members to secure the safety harness on him. Seeing that Luo Ding was watching him, Duan Xiubo met his gaze straightforwardly: “You don’t have to be nervous, it’s normal to be a little uncomfortable. For a while don’t focus on avoiding NG’s, and don’t put too much psychological stress on yourself, in this sort of filming process NG is normal.”

Luo Ding knew that Duan Xiubo was encouraging him in the belief that this was his first time using suspended wires in a martial arts drama. Luo Ding was not unappreciative, so he offered him a smile in gratitude.  

Duan Xiubo seemed to be struck by something and he stared at Luo Ding’s smile with a solemn expression.

Huo Xie waited until the actors and the crew were all ready and then he left the director’s seat and walked onto the set for the first time.

He approached Luo Ding and patted his shoulder very seriously: “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.” There were many uncertain factors in this kind of scene and the possibility of injury was very high. The last actor was too radical in shooting this scene before he got hurt.

Although it was because of this accident that Huo Xie had encountered Luo Ding who was more suitable for this role, he had placed too much expectation on Luo Ding, and inevitably he was worried that Luo Ding will would force himself into a dead-end because of too much psychological pressure.

For the first time since Pangu[2] created the world, King Yama[3] was able to offer encouragement to someone. In a sense Huo Xie was no different from a perverted scientist who would cruelly dissect animals and even humans in the pursuit of higher evolution. He employed various methods to induce or even intimidate actors to get into character. As for whether an actor would suffer any negative effects from his actions, he never seemed to worry about that.

On the side, Duan Xiubo lowered his eyes and quietly raised his lips in a smile. The reason why Huo Xie would be so forgiving was that he had found that the value he could extract from Luo Ding far exceeded his expectations. In all walks of life, the status quo was the same and really capable people were valued everywhere.

The clapper board was slowly opened and Duan Xiubo calmed down and slowly hardened his soft expression. His cold eyes fell on Luo Ding and clearly found that the other party was also quickly adjusting his state.

Along with Huo Xie’s call of “Action”, the pressure on his waist and legs suddenly increased, and his feet left the ground instantly. Duan Xiubo clenched the sword in his hand and maintained his balance to make a light movement.

The next second, he felt his face lightly brushed by something. Before he could see what it was Luo Ding approached him with lightning speed.

Luo Ding’s face, which was wreathed in a disdainful smile, was so close and Duan Xiubo could almost see the traces of makeup on his face. The light makeup made the youth look completely different from his usual freshness and become a man full of demons. The line between the two temperaments was the difference between merely touching a person’s heart and inspiring a person’s heart.

Duan Xiubo took in a deep breath and stroked the slender hand that had touched Yuan Bing’s face and hair and then frowned again.

Luo Ding’s approach was to only be for an instant as the machine will pull them apart, and they will be separated and distanced.  There were too many uncertain factors at high altitude and in addition the two actors were still required to rely on their tacit understanding of each other to act.

Huo Xie stared in amazement at the young man on the monitor who seemed to be at ease.

To be honest, he was already prepared for the shooting of this scene to take the entire afternoon. Even many veterans may not be able to master a martial arts drama and it is especially difficult to force a newcomer who had only begun to make contact with movies to play this role.

In fact, the other party may not even know where all the cameras were located and in addition working in midair was much more difficult than on the ground. Although he was harsh, he was not unreasonable. It was because he understood the difficulty of this scene very well that he took the initiative to encourage Luo Ding to not be too nervous.

In his opinion, Luo Ding was already good enough and he did not need to bear any unnecessary psychological pressure.

But up until now he had not realized that Luo Ding could surprise him much more than he already done.

The aides and assistant directors looked at each other. Obviously, Luo Ding’s stable performance also made them feel extremely shocked. During filming no one dared to speak casually but the eyes with which they stared at the set was full of admiration.  

In their opinion, Luo Ding’s ability to achieve such good results in his first mid-air scene must have been due to incessant practice. The suffering inflicted by wire work was not something that an ordinary person could bear. On camera, they may seem to be treading on air, but in reality, the actors were hiding their pain. Thus, actors like Luo Ding who were both talented and willing to work to improve their experience were respected everywhere they go.

Duan Xiubo felt as if he had returned to Ji Jiahe’s dance floor on the day of the banquet. Then, the lights were dim, and on the empty center stage only a bunch of lights were gathered. He was forced to focus all his attention on the man who stood beneath the lights. Their auras collided with one another, without restraint, fierce and fiery, like a battle of prairie lions confronting each other with daggers.

When serious, Luo Ding had a powerful momentum that was hard to ignore and Duan Xiubo, who never loses ground was subconsciously trying to overwhelm the other party with a stronger momentum.

Touch and go, the movements of both actors were neat. The black and red sleeves of Guangling Wang flew in mid-air and brushed over Mu Gui‘s ragged blue costume, as if a fairy had descended to the earth and was using his white and soft tender hands to treat Mu Gui‘s life as a mere game.

Mu Gui frowned, seemingly indifferent to the other’s seductive temperament, and worried about the safety of Yu Shengyan. He yelled loudly: “Demon! Quickly hand over Yan gūniáng[4]!”

Guangling Wang heard how the other party addressed him and his eyes narrowed suddenly and became fierce: “What did you call me?”

Mu Gui was uncultured and unable to spar verbally. Instead of scolding people he would much rather spend his time to stew ginseng chicken soup, so when he saw that Guangling Wang was actually irritated by this sentence, he actually repeated it honestly: “Demon! What? Are you not a monster?!”

Guangling Wang narrowed his good-looking eyes and stared at Mu Gui, his slender fingers clenched his sword which was inlaid with gorgeous gems. Then he suddenly raised the corner of his lips to reveal a charming smile: “Is this the attitude you use to ask for help. Do you still want to find Yu Shengyan? “

Mu Gui was stabbed in his Achilles heel, and immediately responded eagerly, “What have you done to her?!”

Guangling Wang sneered and did not answer. He drew his sword out of its sheath and stabbed straight towards Mu Gui.

Worried about Yu Shengyan’s safety, Mu Gui did not dare to aggravate him anymore and could only evade and attempt to stop the other party: “I was wrong, I shouldn’t have called you a demon, can you tell me what has happened to Yan gūniáng!”

Guangling Wang‘s gaze grew colder and slightly curled the corner of his eyes and a cruel smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. His offensive became even more fierce: “Guess.”

Mu Gui was anxious and confused by this unreasonable man, and finally began to fight back but he did not dare to hurt the other party, so instead he tried to subdue the other.

The martial arts prowess of the two men were equal, and as such they were evenly matched. After several rounds there was no victory or defeat for either party. Mu Gui finally saw an opportunity to disarm Guangling Wang by parrying the latter’s weapon with his sword. He then quickly caught Guangling Wang by the wrist, twisted his arm till his back was turned and subdued him in his arms.[5]

Guangling Wang laughed angrily and tried to struggle but couldn’t do anything, He was taken to the ground from the air by the other party and was pressed under his hard body.[6]

“Let go of me! You bastard!”

“”What happened to Yan gūniáng!?”

Guangling Wang’s phoenix eyes were red, and his expression was ferocious and filled with humiliation: “Killed! Killed!”

The muscles in Mu Gui‘s eyes twitched and his eyes widened suddenly: “You demon!”

“What did you call me !?” Guangling Wang turned his head suddenly and stared fiercely at Mu Gui from the corner of his eyes. His gaze was murderous. His beautiful facial features were not inferior to that of a woman and Mu Gui who faced him from a short distance was stunned.

That brief moment of distraction gave Guangling Wang a chance. He raised his head and headbutted Mu Gui who attempted to evade it. Guangling Wang took advantage of his evasion to turn over and slam his opponent’s abdomen with the tip of his elbow while simultaneously standing up and determinedly leaving. Mu Gui was frightened, clutched his ribs and quickly grabbed his sword from the side, chasing after him to catch up.  

*********

“Cut!” There was so much action in this scene, such that Huo Xie was reluctant give the order to stop. The tension in the atmosphere right now blended very well with the demands of the plot for this scene. It was too smooth and too explosive, and he couldn’t help but want to take advantage of this state to keep shooting.

The pulley machine stopped suddenly, and Luo Ding, who had been lifted in the air, slowly dropped back to the ground. He immediately sat on the ground as his legs were weak.  

The people around him were all in a daze. Then they quickly turned towards the actors and surrounded them. When they found out that there were so many people rushing in to aid Luo Ding besides themselves, they were stunned again. This kind of treatment where all the staff supported an actor was only given to big people such as Duan Xiubo and Yuan Bing.

Seeing that even Huo Xie had left the director’s chair and walked towards the set with concern on his face, Duan Xiubo quickly untied his safety wires and tried to squeeze through the crowd. Some clever people suddenly realized the key issue and looked back at Luo Ding with more seriousness.

This young man’s position in the cast was no longer as simple as that of an ordinary supporting role.

The wires were very painful on the skin and Duan Xiubo frowned, but it was not from physical pain.

When Luo Ding landed on the ground his entire body slumped a bit. It must be that there was a problem with his leg or some other part of his body. He had been hanging in midair for a long time. After getting into character he didn’t know if he had been heavy handed while acting. If Luo Ding was injured, Oh no…

and……

He remembered the marks he had felt with his fingertips when he grabbed Luo Ding’s wrist, which were markedly different from his ordinary skin …

In such a delicate position, why were there such obvious scars? And they were so long and thin that he couldn’t help thinking about them.

“What’s wrong?” Pushing the doubt in his mind away for a moment, he turned to the crowd and walked to the middle where he saw Luo Ding sitting in an open space on the ground, gritting his teeth and holding on to his legs in pain. Suddenly shocked, he knelt down subconsciously and approached Luo Ding with a worried look. He stretched out his hands to touch the other’s back but shrank away and did not dare to approach for fear of accidentally hitting the other’s wound. After him, Huo Xie also squatted solemnly.

“…” Luo Ding covered his legs and looked at the people around him in confusion, “What’s the matter?”

“What’s wrong with you!” The gentle look on Duan Xiubo’s face disappeared and he glared at him, “Did you hurt your leg? Or did you scrape your skin?  Did you break a bone?? Should we call an ambulance? “

“No … it’s not so serious …” Duan Xiubo’s posture of inspiring leaders and mobilizing the masses made Luo Ding’s aura weaken: “I just have a numb leg.” After hanging for so long, his legs were numb, and it was a kind of unbearable torture that pricked his nerves like a needle. It had not been easy for him to endure till Huo Xie called for a stop.

Duan Xiubo silently retracted the arm that had been close to touching Luo Ding’s back: “…”

Huo Xie: “…”

Yuan Bing: “…”

Everyone: “…”

Ha ha.

[1] Please don’t damage Duan Xiubo’s future goods … lolol  (FYI eggs are a gentle word for testicles)

[2] Pan Gu is the creator of the universe in Chinese mythology

[3] （阎罗） Yama; King of Hell:

[4] Appellation. a younger lady.

[5] Why does this seem like Mu Gui was flirting with Guangling Wang and not fighting lolol

[6] Haha .. definitely flirting (◜◡￣)っ

T/N Note: Duan Xiubo is a shameless snitch. Poor girlies didn’t know their star had sold them out because he was miffed at them slobbering over Luo Ding. haha

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