“Cut!”
“We got it!”
Behind the monitor, Casting Assistant Director Zhao Gang rubbed the back of his neck, realizing his clothes were already soaked with sweat.
The lighting technicians nearby exchanged bewildered glances.
It was too oppressive.
This scene between Jiang Yue and Chen Baoshan didn't have a single physical altercation or shove from beginning to end.
All the clashing swords and shadows were entirely in their eyes and their delivery of the lines.
Especially Jiang Yue. Facing Chen Baoshan, his aura had actually managed to suppress the veteran actor's completely.
Is this guy really a newcomer?
Up on the dais, Chen Baoshan, who had just “passed away,” slumped on the dragon throne. He panted heavily as his assistant rushed up to hand him tissues.
He waved them off, messily wiping away the fake blood on his chin, and pushed himself up from the throne.
Looking up, his gaze landed on Jiang Yue, who was walking toward the break area while casually unbuckling the straps of his armor.
His expression was incredibly complex.
“Director Xu!” Chen Baoshan bellowed with full force. “Be honest with me. Where on earth did you dig up this monster of a kid?”
Xu Pingqiu held his thermos, smiling like a well-fed Tibetan fox. “If I said I picked him up off the side of the road, would you believe me?”
On the other side, Jiang Yue quickly shed the heavy prop armor, which weighed several pounds, and plonked himself into a folding chair.
He wasn't out of breath, and his face wasn't even flushed.
He had just picked up his thermos to take a sip of warm water when Xu Pingqiu strolled over, hands clasped behind his back.
The old fox tapped the bottom of his thermos twice against Jiang Yue’s small plastic table, lowering his voice. “Seven o'clock tonight, Jinjiang Hotel.”
...
In the afternoon, filming continued.
The set was a roadside pavilion in the wilderness.
This was Chu Yan’s final scene for the entire character. Once this was shot, Jiang Yue would officially wrap up his role.
According to the script's timeline, the political storm in the imperial court had settled, and the new Emperor, Chu Yan, had ascended the throne.
Lin Zheng, however, had seen through the filth of officialdom. He declined all rewards and prepared to retire from the martial world.
Chu Yan shed his imperial robes and met him privately at a pavilion outside the city to see him off.
Behind the monitor, Xu Pingqiu stared at the screen, his brow furrowed.
This scene had no clashing weapons, but in his eyes, it tested the actors' skills even more than the confrontation in Taiji Hall.
“All departments, in position!”
The clapperboard snapped in front of the lens.
“Action!”
The camera slowly zoomed in.
Lin Zheng held the reins of a lean horse, having changed back into the simple green robes he wore when he first entered the martial world.
He stopped outside the pavilion.
Inside, Chu Yan stood with his back to him, hands clasped behind him as he gazed at the distant, dark-blue mountains.
An elegant tea set was laid out on the stone table.
Hearing the sound of footsteps stepping on fallen leaves behind him, Chu Yan turned around.
Separated by five paces, the two looked at each other in silence.
There were no formal pleasantries between ruler and subject, nor was there the tense, hostile testing of the past.
“Aren't you afraid those old fogeys at the Censorate will submit a memorial to impeach you tomorrow for coming out of the city to see me off today?” Lin Zheng was the first to break the silence.
Chu Yan walked to the table and casually picked up the teapot. “They don't have the courage right now.”
Hot tea poured, steam rising between them. After pouring the tea, he gestured toward the stone stool opposite him.
Lin Zheng walked over and sat down.
Chu Yan raised his cup, gently blowing the foam on the surface of the water. “Are you really not staying? Wang Jian and his faction will be purged sooner or later. The court is currently short of people.”
His tone was as casual as small talk, but his eyes were locked onto Lin Zheng’s face.
It was an offer to stay, but also a test.
Lin Zheng looked at the tea in his cup and squeezed out a smile. “Your Majesty keeps me because you can tolerate me now. But if I really stay, holding heavy military power as a veteran of the previous court... within three years, you won't be able to sleep at night.”
He met Chu Yan’s gaze openly. “I understand Chu Yan, but I do not understand an emperor.”
Chu Yan’s hand holding the cup froze in mid-air for a brief second.
A moment later, he threw his head back and drained it in one gulp, letting out a casual laugh. “You just think too much. It must be exhausting.”
“It is quite exhausting.” Lin Zheng stood up and patted his robes. “That's why I want to find a scenic place to rest.”
Chu Yan didn't try to stop him further. “Where to?”
“The world is vast. I'll go wherever my feet take me.”
After a cup of tea, Lin Zheng stepped out of the pavilion and mounted his horse.
He pulled the reins, taking one last look in Chu Yan’s direction, which was also the direction of the capital.
“The mountains are high and the rivers are long; may we never meet again.”
He whipped the horse, and the crisp sound of hooves gradually faded into the distance.
Chu Yan stood in the pavilion with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the retreating figure until it completely vanished at the end of the official road.
The autumn wind swept through, swirling the fallen leaves outside the pavilion.
A dark figure knelt silently behind him like a ghost—his personal shadow guard.
“Your Majesty,” the shadow guard’s voice was extremely low. “Lin Zheng knows too much. Keeping him alive is a major threat. Should we...”
Chu Yan did not turn around.
Staring at the empty road, the warmth in his eyes plunged to freezing point. “Do you think I am like that old man?”
The shadow guard trembled, bowing his head even lower, not daring to answer.
Chu Yan withdrew his gaze, turned around, and looked down at him.
The oppressive weight of an emperor's supreme authority crashed down without reservation.
“He handed over his military power early and left with nothing but his own skin.” Chu Yan let out a cold laugh. “He is just a man of leisure. If this empire cannot even tolerate him, then why did I go to all this trouble to seize this broken chair?!”
His voice fell.
Not a single sound remained in the pavilion; even the wind seemed to have stopped.
Only the leftover tea in the cup still drifted with the last trace of steam.
“Cut!”
Xu Pingqiu ripped off his headphones.
The instant the cue was given, the imperial pressure in Jiang Yue’s eyes vanished completely.
He let out a long breath, his entire body visibly relaxing.
Zhao Songcheng, who played Lin Zheng, strolled back with the horse, half-jokingly rubbing his chest. “Man, your presence is too intense. Just now, I was genuinely terrified you'd spiked the tea with arsenic to send me on my way.”
Jiang Yue couldn't help but laugh.
After a few scenes together, the two had gotten quite familiar. They had not only added each other on WeChat, but Zhao Songcheng also joked around with him often in private.
Just then, Xu Pingqiu walked over with a red envelope, his face beaming with smiles. “Here, congratulations on wrapping up!”
Jiang Yue accepted the red envelope with both hands. There wasn't a hint of being overwhelmed by the favor on his face; he was incredibly steady. “Thank you for looking after me during this time, Director Xu.”
Xu Pingqiu patted his shoulder heavily twice, leaning in to whisper. “Six-thirty tonight, I'll pick you up downstairs at the hotel.”
Jiang Yue nodded in understanding. “Understood.”
He turned and walked toward the dressing room.
Along the way, the crew members and extras subconsciously made way for him, their eyes filled with clear awe.
The film set was a very realistic place; they didn't care about seniority. Whoever had the skills was the boss.
Back at the hotel, Jiang Yue tossed the wrap-up souvenir from the crew onto the table.
He took a refreshing shower and changed into casual clothes.
At 6:20 PM, he went downstairs right on time with his room card.
At the hotel entrance, a black Toyota Alphard was already parked quietly by the roadside.
The window was rolled down halfway, and Xu Pingqiu was waving at him from the back seat.
Jiang Yue opened the door and sat down.
The car started smoothly, merging into Hengcheng's bustling evening rush hour traffic.
The dome light in the cabin wasn't on, leaving the interior dimly lit.
“Nervous?” Xu Pingqiu leaned against the leather backrest, asking casually.
Looking at the neon lights flashing past the window, Jiang Yue countered, “What do you think, Director Xu?”
Xu Pingqiu chuckled. “Of course you aren't worried, kid. A man with nothing to lose has nothing to fear. But I have to give you a heads-up: the waters at tonight's dinner are incredibly deep.”
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