Zhang Zixiang talked Shi Wei through the scene and had the martial arts instructor teach him how to use a whip.
Shi Wei picked up the prop whip and flicked it twice. It felt light and easy to handle.
"Nice moves." The martial arts instructor glanced over. "Have you used one before?"
"In my past life," Shi Wei said honestly.
The martial arts instructor laughed. "You really love joking around. How could anyone remember their past life?"
Shi Wei neither agreed nor disagreed.
Sigh, why did nobody believe the truth these days?
Zhang Zixiang called out, "Ready, action!"
"You're already tied up, General, with death just around the corner, yet you still dare put on a brave front before me."
Liang Fang twirled the whip. The tough, supple length moved like a living snake in his hand, flicking its venomous tongue as it roamed over He Ming's body.
He Ming's prison uniform was casually tugged open, revealing glimpses of his firm, powerful muscles.
"Since you won't watch your tongue, General, I'll make your body remember the consequences of offending me!" Liang Fang raised his chin slightly, his lips curling viciously as excitement flared in his eyes.
Crack!
The whip lashed viciously across He Ming's body, splitting his skin and tearing his flesh.
But He Ming did not make a sound, his dark, unwavering gaze fixed on the powerful courtier Liang Fang.
"Still won't beg for mercy?"
Liang Fang lashed him several more times, but still got no response.
"A real man indeed." Liang Fang sneered, grinding the handle of the whip hard into He Ming's wounds.
He Ming trembled all over under the immense pain, but he still bit his lip and remained silent.
He would never show weakness before Liang Fang!
Liang Fang raised an eyebrow and seized He Ming's face, suddenly leaning so close that their breaths mingled.
"Aren't you good at enduring things, General? Let's see if you can endure me, a powerful courtier who serves the sovereign with his looks."
"What are you trying to do?!"
Liang Fang's pale hand kept moving downward, and a crack appeared in He Ming's steely expression...
"My lord, His Majesty summons you back to the palace."
Interrupted, Liang Fang smiled at He Ming with some regret. "We'll meet again, General."
Humiliated like this, He Ming radiated a terrifying murderous aura as he spat through gritted teeth, "Liang Fang, the day we meet again, I'll kill you with my own hands!"
"Do you think I'm afraid, General?" Liang Fang tossed the whip aside, turned, and left.
But Liang Fang and He Ming would never have another chance to meet.
Liang Fang had committed too many wrongs, and Emperor Zhao Qian had no choice but to personally sentence him to death.
"Cut!"
Shi Wei dropped out of character in a second and ran back to untie Ji Hanchuan. "Are you okay, Teacher Ji?"
Ji Hanchuan rotated his wrists. "I'm fine."
Before anyone else came over, Shi Wei grumbled at him while undoing the ropes. "Now you know how it felt when you tied me up all night, right?"
"..."
Ji Hanchuan looked down at his complaining expression, amusement in his eyes.
The two walked over to Zhang Zixiang, only to find both Director Zhang and the assistant director beside him looking conflicted.
"How are your wounds, Hanchuan?" Zhang Zixiang looked up.
The bloody wounds were fake, but every lash from Shi Wei had been real.
"I'm fine. He doesn't have much strength," Ji Hanchuan said casually.
Shi Wei: ...
Fine. Give me another chance, and I'll absolutely go for the kill!
"Is something wrong, Director? Was our acting bad just now?" Finding their expressions strange, Shi Wei lifted his pale eyelids to look at Ji Hanchuan. "Teacher Ji's expression must have been too scary."
Zhang Zixiang looked at a loss for words. "You both did very well. There was a lot of tension in the scene. Just a little too much tension..."
He pointed at the monitor, which happened to show Shi Wei's hand touching Ji Hanchuan.
The slender, pale hand rested gently on Ji Hanchuan's chest, stroking downward...
Ji Hanchuan understood at a glance, his handsome face taking on a subtle expression.
Shi Wei still looked like the old man squinting at his phone on the subway. "What's going on? Why aren't you saying anything?"
The assistant director asked, "You can't tell?"
"I have no idea."
Ji Hanchuan lowered his head and whispered something in Shi Wei's ear.
Holy shit!
Shi Wei covered his ears. "Teacher Ji, your filthy language made my ears miscarry!"
Ji Hanchuan said, "...If you can't speak properly, shut up!"
Shi Wei narrowed his eyes at Zhang Zixiang and the assistant director, then swept his gaze over Ji Hanchuan. "You shameless old geezers..."
The two older men burst out laughing.
"What's everyone laughing about?" Chen Yutong walked over, her gaze falling on Shi Wei's slightly flushed face. "Even Shi Wei's embarrassed. You haven't been bullying him, have you?"
Since Chen Yutong was a woman, none of them felt comfortable explaining and casually brushed it off.
Zhang Zixiang nodded. "That scene's done. You two go touch up your makeup, then we'll get a couple more shots and wrap for today."
"So early?" Chen Yutong said. "Then let me treat you all to dinner tonight. There's something I wanted to discuss with you, too."
Shi Wei was curious. "Is it something good, Sister Yutong?"
Chen Yutong kept him in suspense. "Don't try to fish it out of me. We'll talk over dinner."
Chen Yutong had stepped in at the last minute to replace Wang Jun'er as He Ming's wife. She had relatively few scenes and would wrap in a couple of days.
She worked in film, television, and variety shows, and had recently signed on as an MC for a travel variety show called Traveling with You. The response had been quite good, but it lacked highlights and hadn't made much of a splash, so the director had asked her to help think of a solution.
"You two are so popular lately. Now that I've caught you, you have to agree." At dinner, Chen Yutong dispensed with all politeness and pointed at Ji Hanchuan and Shi Wei. "If you don't come, we're not friends."
Had it been anyone else, people would surely have thought Chen Yutong was being opportunistic, but her frank, straightforward manner made her seem warm instead.
Zhang Zixiang didn't particularly mind. "As long as you don't mention the film on the show, that's fine."
"That works out perfectly, Teacher Zhang." Chen Yutong smiled. "You can come on again when it's time to promote it."
Zhang Zixiang shook his head with a smile.
Chen Yutong pressed Ji Hanchuan and Shi Wei for an answer. "Hanchuan, I came to save the day at the last minute. You have to save the day for me, too."
Mo Xingyu's CP radar immediately went off. "Wouldn't that mean a Moonlight CP reunion?!"
"Sister Yutong, you're playing favorites." Xu Xirui, who had remained silent, came over as well. "I've been waiting for you to invite me."
"Sure, you can come too." Chen Yutong pinched Xu Xirui's cheek, then looked up. "What about you two? Are you coming or not?"
Shi Wei gave it serious thought.
Ji Hanchuan and Xu Xirui on the same variety show...
With something that exciting, how could I not be on the front lines eating melon?!
"As long as you don't mind having me, Sister Yutong, of course I'll go."
Chen Yutong looked at Ji Hanchuan again, and everyone followed suit.
Ji Hanchuan: ...
His gaze finally settled on Shi Wei.
Shi Wei looked utterly bewildered and innocent.
-"Pfft, hahaha! That time he hid in the closet nearly killed me with laughter. If they go traveling on a budget, the melon will definitely be even juicier! Hurry up and agree, you bastard. I promise I won't bash your dog head anymore."
"..." Ji Hanchuan looked away and pressed his lips together. "Sorry, I probably won't have time to go on a variety show."