Chapter 5

This was Han Yan's line in the script. Words that would normally sound absurd, coming from Chen Mo's mouth, carried thirty percent charm, thirty percent teasing, thirty percent pride, and ten percent sincerity, making them sound perfectly natural.

As for the little assistant Han Yan had flirted with, she had already been reduced to doing nothing but squealing, "Ahhh, ahhh!" like a crazed fan chasing an idol, showing none of the professional composure expected of a makeup artist on a production crew.

Mei watched coldly from the side, secretly clicking her tongue in amazement. She took back what she had said earlier. If Chen Mo could maintain this level of acting and that face of his, then even if his temper were ten or a hundred times worse than it was now, he would definitely become famous!

She would stake her integrity on it!

Because of the absolute ability Chen Mo had displayed, Mei's attitude immediately took a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn. Not only did she carefully do Chen Mo's makeup, but while doing so, she also thoughtfully pointed out how he should perform during the audition later to better highlight his looks.

Chen Mo listened quietly and thanked her. Though he was spoiled and willful by nature, he was not someone who failed to appreciate kindness. At the very least, when someone genuinely treated him well, he could tell.

When Chen Mo strode toward everyone in a white deep robe, a bronze sword at his side, July's scorching sun was mercilessly roasting the earth. Golden sunlight fell over Chen Mo, casting shimmering halos across his white robes. As if he came with his own spotlight, Chen Mo suddenly appeared before them and instantly stunned everyone.

Lin Xia, who was acting opposite Sun Yun on set, could not help but go momentarily dazed, a flash of amazement crossing her eyes.

She truly had not expected Chen Mo in costume to be so... seductive. It was as if Han Yan, the historical favorite so beloved by the emperor, had really stepped right in front of her.

Huang Lixin, who was hiding beneath a sunshade in sunglasses and reciting his lines as the Young Emperor, could not help whistling. He laughed and teased, "Oh? Looks like I'm in for some good fortune with beauties!"

Because Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor was an ancient palace idol drama aimed at viewers between twelve and twenty-five, its cast was not only full of handsome men and beautiful women, but also deeply versed in the art of slash pandering. In particular, the male lead Liu Che had mutual romantic tension with every character who appeared in the series except his father, Emperor Jing of Han. For example, there was his childhood-friends-and-first-love dynamic with Han Yan, his emperor-and-subject romance with Wei Qing, his agonizing love affair with Sima Qian, and his mutual understanding with Huo Qubing...

Huang Lixin, who played the number-one male lead, the Young Emperor Liu Che, had even joked to reporters at the launch press conference, "When other people play emperors, they play men with imperial harems. When I play an emperor, I play one with a harem full of men."

That single sentence immediately became the next day's front-page headline.

But though Huang Lixin spoke lightly of it, when it came time to act opposite another man, it was not easy to naturally portray the aura of a couple without making it look forced.

In any case, Huang Lixin always felt somewhat awkward when acting opposite the other male actors. Only when he first saw Chen Mo playing Han Yan did it feel different... as though, in that instant, he had truly become Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che—

Huang Lixin looked at Chen Mo eagerly.

How badly did he want to act opposite him?

On set, after Lin Xia, who played Wei Zifu, got another unsurprising NG, Sun Yun, who played Chen A'jiao and was already irritated, fanned herself as she jokingly said, "I never expected our production assistant to be this handsome. Real beauties really do come from among ordinary people. Oh, handsome, what was your name again?"

Previously, Chen Mo had merely been a production assistant delivering boxed meals, so naturally nobody had bothered to remember his name. Now that they had seen his potential, however, they were not stingy with their praise and greetings.

Chen Mo had spent so many days on the production that he was already used to such changes in attitude. Hearing Sun Yun ask his name, he smiled and said, "My name is Chen Mo. Sun, you're so beautiful, and your acting is so good. Sign an autograph for me later, okay?"

One good turn deserved another. Since Chen Mo was willing to flatter her, Sun Yun was happy to go along with it. The two chatted back and forth, while Lin Xia, watching from the side, curled her lips in displeasure.

Zhang Qingzhong had directed for many years and launched quite a few up-and-coming male and female actors. When he had first noticed Chen Mo, he already knew the young man had the potential to become famous. But he had never expected Chen Mo's appearance in ancient costume to be so captivating. He immediately slapped his thigh in delight and did not even bother making Chen Mo audition, because the scene they were filming was one where Liu Che took Wei Zifu to Shanglin Park to ride horses, only for Chen A'jiao to find out and chase after them to demand an explanation.

To save trouble, Director Zhang simply asked, "Can you ride a horse?"

Chen Mo had trained for a long time in the Immersion Space and Training Space. Forget riding horses and shooting arrows—he had even learned most of the Xiongnu language. Hearing Director Zhang's question, he naturally nodded and said he could ride.

Zhang Qingzhong had not expected Chen Mo to possess not only a pretty face, but so many other talents as well. At once, he slapped his thigh again and did not summon the stunt double. Instead, he instructed the props and camera crews, "Let's shoot the horseback scene with Liu Che, Wei Qing, and Han Yan first. Push Chen A'jiao and Wei Zifu's scenes back for now."

After all, Lin Xia kept getting NGs. It would be better to move her scenes later.

The props and camera crews immediately began preparing after hearing Director Zhang's instructions. Director Zhang beckoned Chen Mo over to explain the scene, while even the martial arts instructor came over to point out the things Chen Mo needed to watch for.

Seeing this, Lin Xia, who played Wei Zifu, could not help muttering, "Horseback riding for his first scene? Can he really manage it?"

Sun Yun silently glanced at Wei Zifu and gave a cold smile without saying anything.

Before long, the lighting, props, and camera teams were ready. The prop master led over three tall horses. Huang Lixin, who played Liu Che, and Fei Yuchen, who played Wei Zifu, were both professionally trained actors with experience filming costume dramas, and they had specifically studied horseback riding for three months.

As the two walked over to the white horses and stroked them, they smiled at Chen Mo. "Such a difficult scene for your first time filming. Can you handle it?"

Chen Mo merely smiled without speaking. He walked up to the remaining white horse, patted its neck, and rubbed its mane. The horse promptly buried its large head in Chen Mo's arms and nuzzled against him. Chen Mo smiled faintly, then mounted in one smooth motion. His white robe arced through the air, and Han Yan, played by Chen Mo, was already in the saddle with clean, decisive movements. He casually flicked the reins, and the proud white horse that had constantly refused to cooperate during filming, often standing still and ignoring everyone, actually began slowly circling the set.

On the monitor, Han Yan, dressed in white and riding a white horse, moved forward at an unhurried pace. Blue skies, white clouds, emerald grass, verdant mountains, and pavilions scattered amid the landscape—

As the breeze passed, the young man was like jade: uninhibited, flamboyant, high-spirited, and dressed in finery atop a spirited horse. The young nobleman of The Family, the emperor's new favorite, came vividly to life before their eyes.

Not only were the people on the production crew captivated, even the several investors who had come under the pretense of visiting the set to pass the time felt their hearts pound.

Chapter 5

Han Yan's horseback-riding scene was a long shot. Chen Mo rode several laps within the designated area marked out by the martial arts instructor, while the cameras filmed him from different angles. Then they took several close-ups of Chen Mo's face and hands before Director Zhang reluctantly called cut.

Huang Lixin, the actor playing Emperor Wu of Han, immediately came over with a smile. "Your riding posture is really good. You trained specifically for it, didn't you?"

Thinking of all the manners and bearing he had polished bit by bit in the Immersion Space, Chen Mo smiled and nodded.

The next scene was Liu Che, Han Yan, and Wei Qing shooting arrows and hunting in Shanglin Park. The director called the three of them over to discuss the scene, and a prop master handed them bows and arrows.

According to standard filming practice, actors only needed to make a show of it under the martial arts instructor's guidance. Everything else would be handled in post-production.

But Chen Mo first pulled the bowstring to test its feel, then nocked an arrow and fired three arrows at the target fifty paces away—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The first arrow struck the bullseye. The second and third arrows successively pierced the shafts of the arrows before them. In the end, the three feathered arrows overlapped on the target, the first two split in half, while only the last arrow's shaft remained intact.

For a moment, not only Huang Lixin and Fei Yuchen, who had been warming up and getting a feel for things, but even Director Zhang behind the monitor were stunned.

Then everyone sucked in a breath at the same time. Huang Lixin reached out and patted Chen Mo on the shoulder, saying in utter surprise, "You can do that too?"

Chen Mo casually waved the arm holding the bow and said, "It's a little light."

Of course it was. These bows and arrows were merely props prepared by the production for filming. They looked ornate and elaborate, but their draw weight was so light that even seven- or eight-year-old children could pull them open. The bows Chen Mo had practiced with in the Immersion Space and Training Space, however, were based on data the system had generated from descriptions in the book, using the historical Han Yan as the standard. The two could not be compared at all.

Zhang Qingzhong truly had not expected that he would discover such a treasure simply because he had impulsively wanted to give a newcomer a chance.

He slapped his thigh excitedly again. Though he regretted that Chen Mo's performance just now had not been recorded by the professional cameras, the cameras used by the production to shoot behind-the-scenes footage had been running and faithfully captured the moment. Once the drama aired, releasing that behind-the-scenes clip would be more than enough to draw attention.

At the same time, Chen Mo's performance gave Director Zhang an idea. He immediately abandoned the original scene in the script, called Chen Mo, Huang Lixin, and Fei Yuchen over, gestured as he explained a new scene, and then asked Chen Mo, "Any problems?"

Of course there were no problems!

Chen Mo nodded firmly, then turned and entered the set, mounting his horse in one fluid motion.

The original scene was that Liu Che learned the Xiongnu were harassing the Han Empire's borderlands. Feeling troubled, he took Wei Qing and Han Yan to Shanglin Park to ride horses and shoot arrows, ultimately vowing that in his lifetime, he would crush the Xiongnu. But inspired by Chen Mo, Director Zhang changed the scene into an archery contest among the three. Liu Che hit the bullseye. Wei Qing clearly had the ability, yet acted cautious and only dared to shoot beneath Liu Che's arrow to avoid overshadowing him. Han Yan, however, acted without restraint and directly shot through Liu Che's arrow. This was meant to illustrate the arrogant flamboyance of Han Yan as the emperor's new favorite.

The production assistant shouted, "Action!" Chen Mo urged his horse forward. As he passed the target, Director Zhang picked up the loudspeaker and called out, "Camera team, follow in for close-ups of his face and hands—"

The next second, Han Yan drew his bow and fired as he rode past the target. In that instant, his gaze as he aimed at his prey was exceptionally sharp, yet it also carried the high spirits of a young rising star. His fingers released the feathered arrow, and it tore through the air.

Han Yan did not even look at the target. He turned his head and stared brightly at Liu Che, raising his brows smugly. Then his gaze shifted, his clear black-and-white eyes sweeping over the silent, dull Wei Qing at the side, revealing a look of disdain.

Those last two movements vividly highlighted Han Yan as a young nobleman who had achieved success early and regarded no one but the emperor as worthy of his attention. Most crucially, in the close-up of his eyes when Han Yan turned back, there was ambition, confidence, wild arrogance, and a trace of a young man's shy anticipation when facing the emperor. The emotion was so full that Director Zhang practically wanted to slam the table in praise.

"Cut!" Director Zhang was so excited he nearly bruised his thigh from slapping it. He shouted into the loudspeaker, "Excellent! Very good! One more take!"

They did three more takes of the scene. All three—Liu Che, Han Yan, and Wei Qing—performed exceptionally well, passing every take without a single NG. Their condition was especially good. Director Zhang happily slapped his thigh several more times, first having the makeup artist touch up the three of them, then shooting several more takes before finally calling for a break.

The several investors who had been watching behind the monitor could no longer restrain themselves. One after another, they came forward to inquire about Chen Mo's identity and background, signaling for Director Zhang to introduce him.

Zhang Qingzhong had always disliked investors getting overly involved with actors on his sets. But investors were the ones with the money, and although Zhang Qingzhong was a senior figure in the industry and was not short on cash himself, he would not openly offend investors over such a small matter. He could only have someone call Chen Mo over and introduce him to them one by one.