Director Zhou greeted Song Shi'an warmly as soon as he saw him, his face beaming with joy. " Shi'an, you've finally arrived!"
Song Shi'an greeted him politely, "Hello, Director Zhou."
Director Zhou looked him up and down, then smiled even more broadly.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they quickly had someone take him to get his makeup and hair done.
The makeup artist was satisfied with the person in every way. "Ms. Song, let's begin."
Song Shi'an nodded obediently. After two hours of makeover, the moment he changed into his clothes, a spirited young man stood vividly before everyone.
He wore a bright red, cross-collared, wide-sleeved robe, embroidered with shimmering golden phoenix feather patterns, with a black trim around the collar, and a plain white undergarment underneath.
Her dark hair was tied high at the back of her head, adorned with an exquisite gold hair crown, with a few strands falling casually down.
A wide, solid black brocade belt cinched her waist, adorned with gilded buckles and tassel beaded chains that cascaded down her sides.
Beneath the robe were black, fitted trousers, and on her feet were exquisitely patterned, jet-black boots, with black and gold wrist guards peeking out from the cuffs.
With flowing sleeves and a magnificent red robe adorned with gold patterns, he exuded both the elegance of a noble young master and the unrestrained spirit of a wandering swordsman, radiating a free and unbridled air.
Song Shi'an looked in the mirror. "Looks pretty good, but there's a circus performance today, right? Don't we need to go practice beforehand?"
While frantically taking photos, Lin Fan said, "There's definitely no time to practice because of the tight schedule, so it must be a stunt double."
"Okay." Song Shi'an practiced his expression in front of the mirror again.
Wei Jinghong is so different from the characters she played before. She has to get that arrogance that comes from the bone. Too little and she looks wooden, too much and she looks slick.
The horse trainer rushed in, panting, and asked, "Who's playing Wei Jinghong?"
Song Shi'an composed himself, turned around, and instinctively raised his hand. "Me!"
The zookeeper took one look and exclaimed, "Wow, this is incredible!" Now he understood why the director cared so much and repeatedly instructed him to find the most docile horse for the filming.
He realized what was happening and said, "The director wants you to try out the horse first, come with me."
Song Shi'an strode quickly with the zookeeper to the street outside.
The first scene shows the male lead Xie Yanzhou, walking from the countryside to Luo'an, the Jingzhao Kingdom. The prosperous scene before him is completely different from other places.
Only then did he realize that the money he had earned meant nothing to the royal family and nobility; he was nothing more than a lowly merchant.
Just then, Wei Jinghong spurred his horse and charged into the market, letting Xie Yanzhou know that it would be easy for the powerful to take his life.
Song Shi'an looked at the horses in front of him, feeling incredibly excited. He had never ridden a horse before; it was so cool.
I spotted a black horse at first glance, with a glossy coat and well-defined muscles; it was clearly a top-quality horse.
The zookeeper said, "This horse has the fiercest temperament, but it looks good in photos. Let's look at this one over there; it's more docile."
Song Shi'an's eyes were glued to the black horse. "Can I touch it? This horse is so cool!"
The zookeeper nodded. "Okay, just don't touch its bottom, that's a matter of broken bones."
Song Shi'an reached out his hand, which he had been itching to do for a long time, and stroked the horse's head.
Ink Firmament gently rubbed his hand against hers.
The zookeeper's eyes widened. "Dude, you weren't like this before. Was it his modeling that bothered you? You used to charge at him whenever you saw him, biting him twice and kicking him three times. What's gotten into you today?"
Song Shi'an stroked the horse thoroughly and said with a smile, "This horse is quite nice, let's take it."
The zookeeper hesitated for a moment. This horse was indeed the best available and would produce the best results. So far, Ink Firmament's attitude towards it seemed quite good. He decided to give it a try first, and if it didn't work out, he would change it.
The zookeeper was completely bewildered in no time.
So, all that good temper is being given a thumbs up, huh?
Ink Firmament was as obedient as a big dog under Song Shi'an's care, going wherever he was told to go and stopping whenever he was told to stop, and even burying his head in Song Shi'an's arms.
Song Shi'an rode Ink Firmament around twice, his smile carefree and exuberant, his red robe with gold patterns fluttering in the wind.
The extras and staff watching the boy exclaimed how awesome he was.
Gu Huai stood on the sidelines, carrying his bundle, watching the red figure ride towards him on horseback. He sighed, "Director, once he appears, will anyone still care about me, the lead actor?"
The director patted Gu Huai on the shoulder and said earnestly, " Xiao Song's screen time is the same as yours. As a senior, take it easy. Think about it, with him around, our viewership is guaranteed!"
Gu Huai looked up at the sky. What was the use of having more screen time? He, the male lead, had to struggle to make a living, while Wei Jinghong, dressed in a red robe and riding a black horse, could steal the audience's attention in just three seconds.
For the first time, he hoped the production team could add a filter to his image.
Song Shi'an rode over, dismounted, and gave Gu Huai a bright smile, "Teacher Gu, please give me your guidance later."
Gu Huai looked at his face, which even the sunlight seemed to favor, and sighed again. "Take it easy, take it easy."
He silently told himself that the male lead has his own path to walk, and he should act like a senior!
The director raised a megaphone. "Everyone, get ready! Get ready to film!"
The extras took their positions and got ready. At the sound of "action," the quiet street instantly came alive.
Wei Jinghong, dressed in red, was about to go hunting in the wild with a few young masters from the martial arts training ground. He swiftly mounted his horse and said, "I'll show you all what's what today! Giddy up!" With that, he spurred his horse, cracked the whip, and rode off.
The red robe stretched into a burning arc in the wind, and the gold tassels jingled with the rise and fall of the horse's back.
He was half-lying on the horse's back, and the black horse galloped from one end of the market to the other like a bolt of lightning, the banners of the vendors on both sides flapping loudly in the wind stirred up by the horse's hooves.
Several people followed closely behind.
Upon arriving at the market, everyone was so frightened by the sight of the prince's horse approaching that they retreated in fear.
Xie Yanzhou was still marveling at Luo'an's prosperity when a young man in red rode up on horseback. Before he could react, he closed his eyes and shouted, "Don't you know the traffic rules?!"
The next second, with a "whoosh," Ink Firmament's front leg was raised high, and the horse's hoof hovered in the air for a moment.
Wei Jinghong reined in his horse, his red robes fluttering, and looked down at the hothead blocking his path. "You dare block my way! Don't you want to die!"
Xie Yanzhou opened his eyes. The blinding sunlight shone from behind the boy, making him appear as if he were being gilded.
Dressed in red and riding a black horse, with a golden crown and tassels, his brows and eyes revealed undisguised arrogance and flamboyance, like a ball of fire that grew out of a pile of wealth, so hot that it was hard to open one's eyes.
Xie Yanzhou narrowed his eyes, with only one thought in his mind: this person was more dazzling than the sun in Luo'an.