When Pei Yubai returned to the rest area after filming the two scenes that afternoon, there were already five or six people surrounding his recliner.
The makeup artist squatted on the left, the costume designer squatted on the right, the production assistant was lying on the other end of the folding table, and even the head of the lighting team was standing behind with a thermos cup in his hand.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the tiny figure, no bigger than the palm of their hand, on the recliner.
Qiguan Yuan had just woken up and was drinking juice from a custom-made little glass. His cheeks were puffed out, and his ears twitched slightly with each swallow.
Seeing Pei Yubai looking at them with a less-than-pleasant expression, the young stagehand clasped her hands together, her voice trembling, and said, " Teacher Pei, I'll just watch for one more minute."
"One minute is up." Pei Yubai walked over and lifted Qiguan Yuan from the recliner, holding him in his palm.
Qiguan Yuan was still holding a juice glass when he was suddenly picked up by him, and Qi Guanyuan tilted his ear back. "What are you doing?"
The makeup artist also stood up. "I haven't seen enough yet, Teacher Pei, let me see it one more time..."
Pei Yubai hand back, protecting Qiguan Yuan in front of his chest.
He looked at the faces in front of him, each one screaming "Let me touch you," and remained silent for a moment.
Then he looked down at Qiguan Yuan and said, "Let's go."
Qiguan Yuan looked up at him. "Where are you going?"
"Let's go somewhere deserted. These people are annoying." Pei Yubai said, then turned and left, clutching his Yuanyuan.
Behind me came the costume designer's laughter and the stagehand's plaintive cry, " Teacher Pei is so stingy!"
He didn't turn around.
For the next few days, Pei Yubai practically carried Qiguan Yuan with him.
When Qiguan Yuan arrived at the film set in the morning, he poked half his head out of his coat pocket. His silver hair was messy, and his ears were drooping on the sides of his head, looking like he hadn't woken up yet.
The makeup artist came over with a powder puff to touch up Pei Yubai's makeup. As soon as she took two steps closer, Pei Yubai gently covered Qiguan Yuan with the fabric from his chest.
The makeup artist froze. " Teacher Pei, I'm just touching up your makeup, not trying to steal the figurine from you."
"To make up for it," Pei Yubai said.
"Then open your pocket and let me take a look."
"You don't need to look at your pockets to touch up your makeup."
The makeup artist, biting the handle of a powder puff, whispered to the costume designer beside her, "He wasn't like this before."
The costume designer didn't even look up. "He never brought a tiny fox to work before. Teacher Qiguan used to keep a close eye on it, but now that Teacher Qiguan isn't here, he treats this little robot like his wife."
Pei Yubai accepted a role in a fantasy film.
The director is a middle-aged man in his forties who has directed many big-budget period dramas and is known for his strict requirements on costumes, props, and sets.
When Pei Yubai came out after changing into his costume, the makeup artist and costume designer surrounded him to make final adjustments. Pei Yubai stood next to the monitor, one hand hanging at his side, and the other hand loosely clasped at his chest.
The director peeked out from behind the monitor, about to yell "Action!", when he suddenly stopped.
A small head peeked out from Pei Yubai's collar.
Silver hair, fox ears, and a pair of fox eyes were quietly surveying the surrounding green screen and lighting equipment.
The ears twitched, as if listening to the sounds around them, and then a small hand reached out from the collar, pulling the edge of the costume up a little.
The director's mouth opened and closed for several seconds before he pointed at Pei Yubai's chest and turned to ask the assistant director next to him, "What's that?"
The assistant director followed his finger and was also stunned.
"It seems to be Teacher Pei's little robot; she's been carrying it around these past few days."
Pei Yubai gently pulled Qiguan Yuan closer to him, his tone calm. "I'll let him stay inside; it won't affect filming."
The director's attention was completely off the issue of whether it would affect filming.
He stared at Qiguan Yuan's little head peeking out from his collar, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh. "Wait, wait... can that little thing show itself?"
Pei Yubai stopped. He looked at the director, a hint of wariness in his eyes.
"What's the meaning?"
The director stood up from behind the monitor, strode over to Pei Yubai, pointed at Qiguan Yuan, and said, "The character you're playing, isn't he described in the original novel as a celestial lord who has lived alone for a thousand years? There's not even a single living creature around him, it's too desolate."
"If we add a spirit pet, oh yes, this one, this little fox!"
The director got more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing wildly, "Just imagine, a cold-faced immortal lord carrying a tiny fox the size of a palm in his arms, the visual impact, the contrast, wouldn't the audience go crazy?"
Pei Yubai thought for a moment and said, "This part isn't in the script."
The director waved his hand dismissively. "Add it on set; it won't affect the main storyline."
"He's very young," Pei Yubai said, "The camera might not be able to capture him."
"Then give it a close-up," the director said without hesitation. "It would be a waste not to shoot such a beautiful little thing in close-up."
Pei Yubai remained silent.
His hands were still protecting his chest. Qiguan Yuan peeked out from between his fingers, looked at the director, then looked up at Pei Yubai, his ears perked up, clearly having heard the conversation just now.
"Sure," Qiguan Yuan's voice came from Pei Yubai's chest, small and languid, "Anyway, I have nowhere else to go."
The main reason was that Pei Yubai would always put his hand on his chest, saying he was afraid someone would steal him.
Although Qiguan Yuan felt he was making a mountain out of a molehill, he did not object.
Pei Yubai can keep it if he wants.
With the little "robot's" "approval," the director excitedly made the final decision. "It's settled! Costume team!"
"Sew a hidden pocket into the chest area of his costume, just big enough to fit this little thing. Use the softest material possible, so it doesn't rub against his ears. Quick!"
In less than half an hour, a small hidden pocket appeared on the inside of the collar of Pei Yubai's costume.
The hidden pocket was located on the left chest, with the opening level with the collar. Qiguan Yuan could peek out from inside at any time and retreat to sleep when he got tired.
Pei Yubai looked down at the hidden pocket on his chest and reached out to touch the lining inside.
The fabric is very soft; it was temporarily cut from a silk undergarment by the costume designer.
He then gently placed Qiguan Yuan into the hidden pocket. Qiguan Yuan turned over in the pocket, finding a comfortable position, with strands of his silver hair peeking out from the edge of the pocket.
He was also holding a small pastry that Pei Yubai had specially made for him, about the size of a fingernail, with a crushed walnut kernel embedded on top, and he was eating it in small bites.
Crumbs of pastry fell into the hidden pocket. Qiguan Yuan glanced down at them, but didn't pay any attention and continued eating.
The first scene has begun filming.
Pei Yubai stood in front of the camera, dressed in white with a long sword, his expression aloof, completely immersed in the role.
The director watched the footage from behind the monitor, the camera slowly panning down from Pei Yubai's face to his chest.
Qiguan Yuan poked half his head out from his collar, his ears standing straight up, the light reflecting in his fox-like eyes, and his mouth moving as he chewed on the pastry he had just eaten.
He chewed slowly, his cheeks puffing out slightly, and after swallowing, he pulled out a new piece from his hidden pocket.
"Great!" the director shouted from behind the monitor. "That little detail is fantastic! The contrast between the little fox in the immortal's arms eating pastries is amazing! In post-production, cut that shot in, make it a close-up!"
Qiguan Yuan was startled by the director's shout, his ears twitched back for a moment, then perked up again and continued eating his pastries.
Pei Yubai glanced down at him, while Qiguan Yuan looked up at him and winked, a little pastry crumb still clinging to the corner of his mouth.
The second scene was a fight scene. When Qiguan Yuan was suspended by wires, he peeked out from the hidden bag and looked down. The ground was at least ten meters away from him. His ears were blown back by the wind, and his nine little tails were huddled together in the hidden bag.
Pei Yubai felt something moving in the hidden pocket on his chest. He looked down and saw Qiguan Yuan holding the pocket with both hands, his silver hair disheveled by the wind, and a rare hint of excitement in his eyes.
Pei Yubai and pressed it against his chest, gently closing the opening of the hidden pocket.
The director, who had a clear view from behind the monitor, said into the walkie-talkie, "Keep that chest-pressing action; we'll cut it in later."
"This little fox is a real plus; the Immortal Lord's only bit of tenderness is all in this little creature."
In the following scenes, Qiguan Yuan almost always stayed in the hidden pocket on Pei Yubai's chest.
When Pei Yubai was filming dialogue scenes, he would peek out and listen, his ears twitching as if he were listening to the other actors reciting their lines.
When Pei Yubai was filming action scenes, he would retreat into his hidden pocket, hug the unfinished pastry, and close his eyes to sleep.
After Pei Yubai finished filming, he was taken out of the hidden pocket. He nestled in Pei Yubai's palm, stretched, and his tails unfurled one by one. Then he looked up and asked, "Finished filming?"
One night scene was being filmed until midnight. Qiguan Yuan had already taken a nap in the dark bag. When he woke up, he found himself still on set, the lights were blinding, and Pei Yubai was standing in front of the camera rehearsing with the female lead.
Qiguan Yuan yawned, peeked out from his collar, and looked drowsily at the actress in the pink fairy dress in front of him.
The actress was reciting her lines when she suddenly caught a glimpse of the small head on Pei Yubai's chest out of the corner of her eye, and paused in her lines.
She looked at Qiguan Yuan's fox-like eyes, which were not yet fully open, and the pair of limp ears on his head, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.
I've completely forgotten what the next line is, help! It's so cute!
The director didn't yell "cut".
Because the spirit fox on the immortal lord's chest suddenly peeks out in the scene, and the female immortal opposite him looks at the little spirit fox with a surprised smile, the emotion of this scene becomes even more appropriate.
After finishing work, Pei Yubai changed out of his costume and gently took Qiguan Yuan out of his hidden pocket.
Qiguan Yuan was already asleep, curled up in a small ball, his nine tails wrapped around him, and his ears pressed against the back of his head.
There was also half a piece of pastry that hadn't been finished in the hidden pocket, slightly flattened by Qiguan Yuan's tail.
Pei Yubai took out the pastries and placed them on the small round table, then held Qiguan Yuan in his palm and walked towards his residence.