The car drove straight to the set. Through the window, Song Shi'an saw Director Sen standing at the entrance with a whole row of crew members beside him, a reception grand enough to leave him feeling a little uneasy.
He pushed the door open and had barely put one foot out when Director Sen strode over, grabbed his hand, and began pumping it up and down.
"Xiao An, you're finally here! Everything was ready-we were only missing you, our east wind!"
Song Shi'an's whole body swayed with the handshake. He thought this director's enthusiasm rivaled a property sales office on launch day.
He hurriedly said, "You're too kind, Director. Are we filming today?"
Director Sen released his hand and patted his shoulder. "Yes! We're shooting the scene where the male lead begs for medicine. We specifically moved it to today. We hadn't settled on anyone for this role and went through three actors before Old Zheng recommended you."
"Thank you for being willing to give me this opportunity, Director Sen," Song Shi'an said.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Director Sen had someone take him away for hair and makeup.
He turned and walked over to Zhou Xuye. The leading man was leaning back in a chair, scrolling through his phone, with "nothing left to live for" written all over his face.
"Xuye, we're doing the medicine scene in a bit. Give it a little more explosive intensity."
Zhou Xuye grunted an acknowledgment. He was already annoyed. For this stupid scene alone, they'd changed the actor playing Tushan Yan three times. He'd performed the same scene over and over, until memorizing those lines nearly made him sick.
Every time he finally got his emotions ready, there would be a new face opposite him. They had to find their rhythm again, rehearse again, and flub takes again.
If it still didn't work this time, he would really jump right there for the director to see.
In the dressing room, Song Shi'an was planted in a chair and fussed over for nearly two hours.
The stylist praised him the entire time, from his brow bone to his jawline, from the bridge of his nose to the shape of his lips. Finally, while putting on his wig, the stylist sighed in admiration again. "Even your hair is so well-behaved. It lies smoothly no matter how I comb it."
His long hair reached his waist, and a golden divine mark sat between his brows. Golden contacts covered his irises. Layer upon layer of white robes hung down to his feet, and a snow-white mink-fur stole lay across his shoulders.
Song Shi'an stood and looked in the mirror. For a moment, it really did give him the illusion that a divine lord had descended.
Lin Fan silently pulled out his phone, snapped several pictures in a row, and swallowed.
Now he knew what it meant to be admired from afar, not profaned by familiarity. With a god like this standing before him, he really didn't dare take another look.
Song Shi'an wasn't quite used to the contacts. He blinked for a good while before his eyes adjusted.
He leaned closer to the mirror for a look. This styling really did look the part.
In the original novel, Tushan Yan was an iceberg who cared about nothing except the safety of the Qingqiu clan. His character profile also gave him the title "Number One Beauty of the Three Realms."
At first, he'd assumed the title referred to some female character. Only after reading further had he confirmed that it meant Tushan Yan himself.
The makeup artist stepped back twice and pressed both hands together. "Perfect! This is the Tushan Yan I imagined!"
"Thank you for your hard work," Song Shi'an said.
"Not at all, not at all. Yours is about the easiest face to do makeup on." The makeup artist waved a hand, then added in a lowered voice, "The previous people who tried out for this role were the difficult ones. No matter how we did their makeup, it never felt right. We were even getting ready to find an actress to dress as a man and play Tushan Yan."
Song Shi'an didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was this role really that difficult?
The dressing-room door swung open, and Director Sen bustled inside. "Xiao An, you-"
His words caught halfway up his throat. Holy crap!! Were his eyes playing tricks on him? This was Song Shi'an?
Old Zheng really hadn't lied to him. Before seeing him in person, he'd honestly thought all those photos online had been retouched. Only after meeting him did he understand what a god-tier face was.
There was a faint, natural aloofness to that face. Paired with the golden eyes and white robes, he carried a measure of divinity without even acting.
Song Shi'an looked at him in confusion. "What is it, Director Sen?"
Director Sen came back to himself and coughed twice. "Well, this looks good on you... very good. We'll run through the scene first in a bit. Even better if we can get it in one take."
Song Shi'an nodded and walked out of the dressing room with Lin Fan.
The costume was surprisingly heavy, with several layers inside and out, plus the mink-fur stole. It was still very hot in early October.
The moment he left the air-conditioned room, he wilted a little.
Lin Fan pulled a small fan from his bag, moved beside him, and began fanning him.
Song Shi'an blinked. "Where did you get that?"
Lin Fan looked a little embarrassed. "I prepared everything beforehand and carry it with me. Cooling patches, cooling spray, Huoxiang Zhengqi oral liquid-it's all in the bag."
Song Shi'an gave him a thumbs-up, then asked curiously, "Lin Fan, how much do you guys get paid a month, working this hard?"
Hearing that voice right beside his ear, with that profile so close, Lin Fan flushed bright red. He stammered before saying, "It's... it's all right. I used to get six thousand a month. After I started working for you, it went up by four thousand. It's ten thousand now."
Song Shi'an nodded. Ten thousand was only just enough for rent and food in the Capital. It seemed no line of work was easy.
Up ahead, Director Sen raised his megaphone and called out, "Get ready! Actors, take your places! We'll start filming in a moment!"
Zhou Xuye brushed off his clothes and stood. When he looked up, he saw Song Shi'an standing behind Director Sen.
He froze for a moment. Was this... that Tushan Yan?
Seeing Zhou Xuye's expression, Director Sen instantly felt much better. Serves you right for pulling a long face every day, brat. Now you know I wasn't lying, don't you?
He cleared his throat. "Xuye, this is our new actor for Tushan Yan. What do you think?"
Only then did Zhou Xuye come back to himself, the corner of his mouth twitching. It seemed he wouldn't have to jump off a building this time.
Song Shi'an came over and held out a hand. "Hello, I'm Song Shi'an. I look forward to working with you."
Zhou Xuye raised his head at the sound of that voice. Instinctively, he wiped his hand twice on his clothes before offering it. Their handshake lasted only two seconds before Song Shi'an let go.
Director Sen suddenly let out a wail. "Hey! You brat! We just did the makeup on your hands, and now we have to touch it up again!"
This scene followed the male lead as he crossed mountains and rivers to beg for medicine in Qingqiu to save his mother. After eating in the wind and sleeping under the open sky along the way, he looked like a beggar, his hands covered in makeup dirt and bloody marks.
Those two instinctive wipes from Zhou Xuye had rubbed away a large patch of the grime effect the makeup artist had painstakingly created.
The makeup artist ran over carrying a kit, with "I want to hit someone" written all over their face.
Zhou Xuye silently held out his hand for the makeup artist to touch up, pretending not to see Director Sen's look.
Once everything was ready, Song Shi'an had to climb a tree again. The crew supported him as he stepped onto a branch. He leaned against the trunk with one leg bent, his white robes trailing down from the branch, and closed his eyes in a resting pose.
The clapperboard snapped shut.
Chu Zhaoci, the male lead played by Zhou Xuye, staggered into the forbidden grounds. His coarse clothes were in tatters, his face smeared with mud and bloody marks. He looked for all the world as if someone had just dug him out of a mass grave.
He looked up and saw the white figure reclining in the sacred tree, and his whole body seemed nailed to the spot.
So immortals really did exist in this world.
Chu Zhaoci came to his senses and dropped to his knees with a thud. He bowed three times, kowtowing, and cried in a hoarse voice, "Divine Lord!"
Tushan Yan slowly opened his eyes. There was no emotion in those golden irises as he looked down from above at the mortal kneeling beneath the tree.
With a cold expression, he spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to drift from somewhere far away. "What is it?"
At that cool, clear voice, Chu Zhaoci immediately kowtowed three more times, his forehead striking the earth with dull thuds. "I have presumptuously come to disturb you, Divine Lord, only to beg for medicine to save my mother's life!"