Everyone watched with bated breath, their movements utterly like a real fight. This was a film shoot, and these two were reportedly a couple. To act realistically without harming each other required immense concentration and coordination. Everyone watched in silence.
Only the cameras were busy filming.
The lighting crew couldn't keep up with them and eventually gave up.
Director Chen, barely able to tear himself away, thought about the high-speed cameras he had acquired at great expense, considering his decision incredibly astute.
They were originally intended for the fight scenes between the protagonist and the antagonist.
After they fought for over ten minutes, both their stamina visibly decreased. Zhuo Ran possessed spiritual energy; she could fight like this for a week without issue. She noticed Chong Yan's excessive exhaustion and cooperated to finish the fight scene.
Sweat beaded on the woman's fair face, trickling down from her forehead, a crystal drop gliding along her delicate yet defined jawline, landing on her collarbone, and further down, to her fair, heaving bosom... the scene was incredibly evocative.
The thug seized an opportunity and landed a punch on her stomach. Chong Yan restrained his strength, and Zhuo Ran, at the right moment, stumbled back several steps, her footing shaky.
She glanced to the side and saw the dagger on the ground. The person opposite her also saw it. Their eyes met, and after a moment, the female assassin rolled on the ground, reaching for the fallen dagger. The thug's long leg swept towards her, forcing her to flatten herself against the ground, rolling several times.
The thug's foot stomped down ferociously, as if she would be instantly knocked unconscious if she were even a fraction of a second slower. Those nearby held their breath. Finally, she gripped the dagger, adjusted her stance, sprang up from the ground, and lunged directly at the thug with the weapon.
This sudden move left the thug with no room to evade. He could only block with his arm, minimizing the damage. As the dagger sliced through his arm, he forcefully pushed back. The woman tightly gripped his arm and thrust it towards him. They locked like this for over ten seconds, the woman's arm trembling violently, until the dagger was knocked away again.
The moment she let go of the dagger, she balled her hands into fists and aimed for the thug's head.
She slammed the thug to the ground, pinning him with her body while her fists rained down on his face. The thug, dazed and disoriented, couldn't react for a moment. After a while, his vision cleared slightly, and he used his waist to forcefully try and throw the woman off. He also grabbed her fists, and their positions instantly reversed.
The cinematographer kept shooting from various angles, afraid of disturbing them, to the point of almost steaming with anxiety.
According to the script, the female assassin was ultimately supposed to be pushed onto a sharp wooden stake and killed by the thug. However, this wasn't a pre-choreographed sequence; it was their improvisation.
It was unlikely to be arranged according to the plot.
They continued fighting for a while longer. The thug's gaze fell on the dagger again. While the female assassin was still dazed, he retrieved the dagger. As she lunged at him, he pointed the dagger at her.
"Cut! Stop, stop!"
Director Chen was covered in sweat, clearly terrified.
He was worried they would get too deep into character and the fight would turn real. If anything were to happen to them during a fight scene, Yao Chong would definitely not let him off the hook.
"You're fighting like your lives depend on it!"
The dagger was real, and Chong Yan's arm had indeed sustained a small cut.
The on-site doctor was bandaging him, while others gathered around the monitors watching the playback.
The assistant director remarked, "It's perfect, except for the sudden stop at the end, which felt abrupt. I think the action sequences don't need reshooting; we just need a few more close-ups. We'll do this part again, get the fake blood ready."
The director looked at Chong Yan, "Is your injury okay?"
The doctor replied, "It's just a scratch, no damage to blood vessels or bones."
The director turned to Zhuo Ran, "I told you the knife was real, why did you still stab? What if you had injured him?"
"I know what I'm doing. Would I injure my own person?"
Director Chen: "..."
Chong Yan also said he was fine.
It was just a small cut; if his clothes hadn't been so white, it might not have even been visible.
The atmosphere was excellent, and both actors said they were fine, so the director naturally didn't insist on reshooting the next day. Preparations were made, and they began fighting again.
This time, they only needed to continue from where they left off: as the female assassin lunged, he would plunge the dagger into her heart, killing her.
Perhaps due to the sudden interruption, this scene was shot seven or eight times, not only capturing the action but also their expressions.
Zhuo Ran's understanding of the character was limited to the script she received. She couldn't quite portray the complex emotions of regret and relief a character feels when dying for the one they love.
However, the role of Ming Yue Lou Zhu she played before, her state of mind before death, should be quite similar to this female assassin.
On the ninth take, the director finally called cut.
"I feel your gaze isn't quite right, but I can't pinpoint why at the moment. Let's leave it for now; we'll review it tomorrow."
This scene took at least an hour to film. It was already dark. Zhuo Ran had been a tremendous help to Director Chen, so after finishing, she took him away. Su Dan Novel Network.
Zhuo Ran left wearing the film crew's costume.
She also had Chong Yan wear his costume.
During the fight, there was unavoidable physical contact. Apart from moments of complete intimacy, Chong Yan rarely saw Zhuo Ran wear such clothing. When she appeared, he was filled with astonishment.
At the same time, he felt a pang of jealousy.
His subtle emotions were evident in every action, and Zhuo Ran understood them perfectly. Without changing clothes, she took him back to the hotel.
As soon as they entered, before Chong Yan could say a word, she pushed him against the wall.
After a passionate kiss, Zhuo Ran, her breath uneven, asked, "Was it good?"
Chong Yan's voice was deep and hoarse, "It was good."
She guided his hand to her back, her voice seductive, "You can take it off yourself."
— (Fade to black is a great technique!)
Although the supplementary shots were completed indoors the next day, since these shots mainly focused on their faces and didn't require specific eye expressions, they were shot quite easily.
Zhuo Ran's scenes were wrapped up in less than a day.
Chong Yan was also nearing his departure. Zhuo Ran had intended to stay, but Zhou Lu called unexpectedly, saying there was an issue at the company.
Zhuo Ran had to rush back.
Then, she saw a familiar person sitting in her office.
"Why are you here again?"
Qin Yuerong turned around. Looking at her face, although it was completely different, he was absolutely certain it was her.
"I heard you started a company, so I came to see. You seem to have a lot of hostility towards me. Have I done something wrong?"
Zhuo Ran found him inexplicable. "No, have I done something to give you the illusion that I have hostility towards you?"