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Take Cen Qiubai's character, for example. Ever since Yue Sennan had landed the male lead, he had begun studying the role in earnest. He thoroughly understood the script and memorized every line—not just his own, but his scene partners' as well. His character biography had to be close to a hundred thousand words long.

During those months of training at Yanying Studio, Lu Heng had often seen Yue Sennan remain on set after training ended, rehearsing scenes and lines, correcting his expressions and movements bit by bit in the mirror. Yue Sennan probably knew that his acting was inferior to Rong Xiu's and Liu Jiawei's, and that he was not a naturally gifted actor. All he could do was slowly wear away at it through sheer persistence.

In fact, many of the acclaimed roles Yue Sennan had played on television had been polished out bit by bit this way.

His character might have been lousy, but his professionalism as an actor was commendable.

Yue Sennan and Rong Xiu's first scene told of Cen Qiubai catching a chill after getting drunk at a banquet and coughing nonstop. Han Lusheng personally cooked him a stewed fritillary-and-snow-pear soup and urged Cen Qiubai to attend fewer banquets.

In the classically decorated inner chamber, Rong Xiu slightly raised his orchid fingers and delicately held a blue-and-white porcelain lidded bowl. Spoonful by spoonful, he fed the fritillary-and-snow-pear soup to Cen Qiubai, complaining, "What's so worth attending about those gluttonous banquets full of wine and meat? Senior Brother, you drink so greedily. Be careful not to ruin your throat and lose your voice for opera."

The lines were simple, yet Rong Xiu had forcibly brought out Han Lusheng's captivating charm, his dependence on his senior brother, and his devotion to opera through those few simple movements and lines. Every gesture came naturally. Though he was drenched in powder and rouge, there was not a trace of affectation.

Half-reclining on the bed, Yue Sennan reached out and took the lidded bowl, downing the pear soup in one go. With a bitter smile, he said, "I know what you mean. But I have serious business to handle."

"Then drink less, at least. What if you ruin your throat..."

"What if I do ruin my throat?" Cen Qiubai lowered his head, half his face buried in the shadow cast by the sunlight, making his expression impossible to see. He murmured, "The nation lies shattered, and the people are suffering. What use is there in merely singing opera?"

Han Lusheng did not understand what his senior brother meant. Just as he was about to ask again, Cen Qiubai realized he had misspoken. He changed the subject with a smile. "Autumn's here. Tomorrow, I'll take you to Fragrant Hill to see the maple leaves. They've all turned red, covering the mountains. It's beautiful."

Han Lusheng's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.

The subject was thus diverted.

Fang Kaizhi called, "Cut!" Then he turned to glance at the thoughtful Lu Heng standing nearby before continuing with the next scene.

For the next two days, Lu Heng had no scenes to shoot. Yet he still followed the production all over the set, watching everyone else act every day.

Limited by his habitual way of thinking, Lu Heng had always believed his acting style ought to be closer to Rong Xiu's, so their styles would be more unified. But after filming according to his own understanding for two days, he still failed to earn Fang Kaizhi's approval.

Lu Heng could not figure it out no matter how hard he thought. Every day, he clutched his script and character biography, pondering them over and over. Whenever the others had no scenes to film, he would approach them to ask for guidance. Those veteran actors and skilled performers did teach Lu Heng quite a few things, but no one was willing to spell out the crucial part. They all knew what Director Fang intended—to temper Lu Heng's own ability to comprehend.

Every take ended in an NG, yet he could not think his way through it. After a while, even the lighting and props crew grew somewhat impatient—who could stand wasting time on pointless work every day?

The amazement Lu Heng had inspired during his first scene had long since been worn away by all those repeated NGs. Many people did not say anything in front of Lu Heng, but behind his back, they spread word that Director Fang had chosen the wrong person. After all, acting was something outsiders watched for excitement while insiders watched for technique. Many people could not tell whether someone was acting well or not. They only knew that if the director called for an NG, the actor must have performed poorly.

Of course, some people secretly felt that Fang Kaizhi was deliberately making things difficult for him.

No matter what everyone thought, the fact remained that because of Lu Heng, the production's filming schedule had gradually fallen behind.

This nearly drove Lu Heng mad with frustration. Good thing he was not truly a fourteen-year-old boy, or whether he could have endured this level of pressure was anyone's guess.

Still, Lu Heng's gritted perseverance and steadily improving acting skills did not escape the notice of those who were paying attention.

And amid that mounting frustration, Lu Heng gradually began to grasp something.

The young Han Lusheng he played might have been the male second lead's younger self, but he differed from the actual male second lead.

The moment the male second lead played by Rong Xiu appeared, his style had essentially been set. He was Boss Han—bewitchingly charming, peerlessly elegant, doomed by deep love, and devoted beyond return.

But young Han Lusheng was not like that.

Young Han Lusheng had been born into poverty, but his good looks had earned him his parents' affection. After both parents died, his older brother and sister-in-law, unwilling to support a burden, planned to sell him to a male brothel. He was rescued halfway there by the male lead, Cen Qiubai. Cen's father took a liking to young Han Lusheng's figure and voice, bought him into the opera troupe, and trained him to sing qingyi and huadan roles.

There should have been a gradual progression from young Han Lusheng to Boss Han, who made a stunning name for himself on his first appearance on stage.

As a boy, he had been sold to a male brothel by his older brother and sister-in-law because he was good-looking. Even after his senior brother saved him, he could only be bought into an opera troupe to sing. He could never return to the days when his parents had still been alive.

In that era, both prostitution and opera were considered lowly trades. They were looked down upon. Let alone making Han Lusheng, a man, put on makeup and take the stage as a huadan?

Was young Han Lusheng frustrated?

Of course he was!

Just like Lu Heng's frustration on set—he had clearly worked hard at acting, yet he could never get a pass.

Both of them had a fire burning inside, smoldering hot enough to scorch them, with nowhere to vent it.

So young Han Lusheng endured. For his senior brother, to survive, for his master's expectations, for the Yunji Troupe, he slowly forged himself into a star.

And Lu Heng?

Overnight, Lu Heng's performance before the camera seemed as though he had suddenly been enlightened.

Watching young Han Lusheng's stubbornness in every movement from behind the monitor, Fang Kaizhi slapped his thigh. "That's the feeling!"

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Half a month later, Lu Heng finally wrapped up his scenes in Autumn Dew White.