After Yang Jiayu and the other main cast members finished introducing themselves to one another, the director gave Yang Jiayu little time. Once his accommodation was sorted out, filming began immediately.
After all, they had already wasted a day or two because of Jiang Yi, and the weather would soon turn cold, so they needed to pick up the pace.
No one mentioned anything online, whether it was the dirt on Shen Xuanrun or the rumors about Yang Jiayu. Everyone attended to their duties as though nothing had happened, preparing to begin filming right away.
The director planned to shoot in chronological order, which would also better accommodate the passage of time in the real world.
The first scene showed the male lead, Lin Jiexuan, rushing back from abroad after hearing of his father's death, then walking from the ship's deck to the Lin Family's Old Residence. Returning to his homeland and seeing that his hometown, invaded by foreign powers, was no longer peaceful or stable, Lin Jiexuan found it hard to believe. This set the tone for his later wholehearted devotion to serving his country.
Here, the male lead needed to convey his grief upon hearing of his father's death, as well as his shock and confusion upon returning home, putting his acting skills to a serious test.
But when Yang Jiayu stood in front of the green screen, his expression changed. He seemed to have truly become Lin Jiexuan, standing on the deck after just losing his father. Lin Jiexuan stepped off the deck. At the harbor, skeletal beggars in clothes that barely covered them sat in street corners begging, but everyone was struggling now, and few gave them any money. The people on the streets were also on edge, afraid that one day the shellfire would reach them.
Lin Jiexuan wandered the streets in confusion. Shops were few and far between; the country was unstable, battered by wind and rain. When he reached the center of the street, there were more people. Though it grew livelier, not a single face looked relaxed.
When he returned to the Lin Family's Old Residence, a light rain was falling. White cloth covered the doorway, and stifled sobs drifted from inside the old residence. Everything felt suffocating.
The listless young servant at the entrance froze for a moment when he saw Lin Jiexuan, then immediately rushed inside and shouted:
"Madam, the young master is back!"
Only then did the entire old residence seem to come alive.
"Cut!" Cheng Hao called loudly. "Yang Jiayu, that was very good. Everyone, take a break. We'll just need to pick up a few shots later."
Everyone on set immediately sprang into motion, some touching up their makeup and others drinking water.
Shen Xuanrun had been sitting quietly in his seat. Although he had no scenes that day, he had been watching Yang Jiayu act closely, learning in silence and secretly picking up his techniques. (Hehe, a teacher who cost nothing, and a premium one at that.)
He had to marvel at how Yang Jiayu's acting made people feel as though they were right there in the scene. It also taught Shen Xuanrun techniques he had never experienced while studying with Teacher Sun, things he could only appreciate on set.
Soon, they began filming the remaining pickup shots.
Lin Jiexuan walked past a waterway along the street, with a few leaves floating on its surface-the shattered land was like catkins scattered by the wind, his drifting life like duckweed battered by rain. He walked into a deserted street overgrown with weeds-the nation lay broken, yet its mountains and rivers remained; spring came to the city, its grass and trees growing thick...
A series of scenic shots followed. It had to be said that Cheng Hao was very good at using the surrounding environment to create a sorrowful atmosphere.
After a busy morning, they finally finished filming the first scene. Everyone was ravenous. Once the crew received their boxed lunches, they all sat on the ground and dug in.
After a short rest at noon, the crew began setting up again, preparing to film the second scene.
Shen Xuanrun took out his phone and glanced at Weibo. The abuse directed at him online was growing louder, and people had even formed a team dedicated to denouncing him, constantly hurling insults on his Weibo and trying to force him out of the entertainment industry.
Shen Xuanrun scrolled casually through it. Finding nothing particularly noteworthy, he turned off his phone and slipped it into his pocket.
Sitting beside Shen Xuanrun, Yang Jiayu noticed what he did. Seeing his unconcerned expression, he asked in puzzlement,
"Aren't you going to do anything about what's happening online?"
"An innocent person remains innocent. The higher he stands now, the harder he'll fall later," Shen Xuanrun said, delivering vicious words with a gentle expression.
Yang Jiayu: It seemed the young man wasn't quite the pitiful little beauty I'd imagined. He was actually a venomous beauty, but that was much better than letting people bully him whenever they pleased.
"At first, I thought you hadn't prepared anything and would just have to swallow it this time," Yang Jiayu teased.
"Kind people get bullied. Even if you've done nothing, you're still the one who gets bullied the worst. Only by hitting back hard yourself, making them hurt and making them afraid, can you show them that even an easy target isn't so easy to push around," Shen Xuanrun said gently.
"Besides, where is there absolute fairness in this world? I've never been one to swallow my own broken teeth. I'm just an ordinary person." His cool, gentle voice was nevertheless firm.
"Is... that so? Then I really do admire you. I feel like I'm just a... coward."
Yang Jiayu stared blankly ahead, his words low, hoarse, and bitter. He seemed to have fallen into a whirlpool of memories, endless sorrow spilling from his eyes, as though mourning those youthful years, while bitterness formed the backdrop of that youth.
"Teacher Yang? Teacher Yang?"
"Huh?! What is it?"
"The director's calling you. Are you feeling unwell, Teacher Yang?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I just spaced out. Sorry, I'll be going now."
Shen Xuanrun watched Yang Jiayu get up and leave. The look in Yang Jiayu's eyes just now had made him inexplicably sad. He felt that Yang Jiayu had a story he had kept hidden for a long time, and that it was a wound difficult to heal, difficult to show anyone.
That afternoon, they would film Lin Jiexuan's reunion with his mother. After seeing Mrs. Lin, Lin Jiexuan asked about her health and comforted her before asking about the truth behind his father's death. Mrs. Lin was unwilling to tell him the truth, not wanting him to get drawn into it as well.
Lin Jiexuan stopped pressing his mother. It was not easy for her to keep the family going alone, and he did not want to strain their relationship immediately after returning home, so he decided to investigate the truth secretly himself.
A veteran actress played Mrs. Lin. Dressed in a Republican-era qipao, she perfectly blended Mrs. Lin's gentleness as a woman from a wealthy family, her vulnerability after losing her spouse, and her strength for the sake of her child, portraying them to the fullest.
Yang Jiayu, too, was no longer sorrowful as he had been earlier, and he portrayed Lin Jiexuan perfectly, bringing that Republican-era young gentleman before everyone's eyes.
Shen Xuanrun watched with great interest as well. The two actors' scenes together were excellent, and he gained a great deal from them.
Tomorrow would be his scene with Yang Jiayu. He also needed to prepare properly and hoped he would not be overshadowed. Boohoo.
After a busy day, they finally finished filming all of that day's scenes. Everyone was packing up, ready to return to their accommodation and rest.
Beneath the night sky, shadowy figures moved.
How many people reveled in an illusory world?
How many people clung to stories long past, wandering in uncertainty, unable to leave?
How many people slept soundly like Shen Xuanrun? (¯﹃¯)
And how many people hid under their covers, reading fanfiction until their faces and ears flushed red...