Because of the leaked casting news, Zheng Kunyu made a special point of calling Qi Bailu after work that evening. He didn't say much directly, only concluding with: "Pan Xiaoyun will definitely be your role." Qi Bailu knew he didn't have the advantage in public opinion; Cai Tongyue had debuted two years before him and had become a household name early on through a popular xianxia drama, and the company backing him was formidable as well. Sometimes, casting decisions were influenced by factors far more complex than just the actor's suitability for the role.
A perfect role was always a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but Qi Bailu showed no emotion as he spoke into the phone. "Mhm. I'm hanging up now."
Despite his words, he pulled the phone slightly away from his ear without immediately ending the call, because Zheng Kunyu added from the other end, "Don't worry."
Qi Bailu wasn't worried; if anything, it was his manager and the rest of the team who were anxious. Before Qi Bailu headed out for the location shoot the next day, Cheng Wenhui repeatedly urged him to get along well with Cai Tongyue, to avoid any news of discord, and to ensure he didn't give anyone a reason to find fault with him. He also mentioned he would be rushing back from Guangzhou in a few days.
Qi Bailu's makeup artist, Lydia, overheard this. As she applied powder to Qi Bailu’s face, she curled her lip at the mirror. Once Qi Bailu hung up, Lydia remarked, "He makes it sound so terrifying. But Bailu, you know Cai Tongyue’s temper. You really should steer clear of him. There was an incident before..."
During the filming of the earlier scenes, Cai Tongyue and Qi Bailu had maintained only a veneer of professional courtesy. Their characters were at odds in the script—both political rivals and romantic competitors. In recent years, competition for resources among male actors had become fierce. Facing Qi Bailu, who was younger and possessed a more superior appearance, Cai Tongyue naturally felt a significant sense of crisis.
Lydia turned back to look for the setting spray. Once she found it, she continued, "I don't know if anyone told you, but when they were taking the costume test photos for *West Wind, How Much Regret*, Cai Tongyue wanted Mr. Zheng to replace you."
Qi Bailu looked up at Lydia in the mirror. She said, "I guess you didn't know. Mr. Zheng refused him, of course. Anyone with eyes can see it; Mr. Zheng has always been very fond of you."
What kind of fondness? Was it a fondness like a corrosive chemical reagent? Qi Bailu thought absentmindedly. During chemistry class in high school, the teacher had taught them in the lab: one reagent poured into another, a *poof*, and a change occurred. Under the equilibrium constant *k*, the reaction was reversible; it could turn back to blue, white, red—whatever color it had originally been.
But the changes that occurred in fate were forever irreversible. A human body could not break and recombine like chemical bonds. Qi Bailu asked, "Do you think he is a good boss?"
Lydia adjusted his collar and joked half-seriously, "If he can give me a raise, then he's the best. As for anything else, fuck off!"
Whether in the height of summer or the dead of winter, filming on location was always an exceptionally painful ordeal. Today’s scene was set in a forest, involving an action chase between the two male leads. The weather was abnormally cold, with a bone-chilling wind. Although the southern trees still clung to their greenery, the sky was a dull, dismal white. Perhaps because of the bleak weather, an oppressive atmosphere hung over the entire crew. They plunged into the woods, filming for the entire morning. The crew members were all bundled up in warm down jackets, some even draped in thick military overcoats, but the actors were forced to wear thin woolen clothes once the cameras started rolling.
Cai Tongyue arrived a bit earlier than usual today. After changing into his costume, he threw on a down jacket and sat on a blue folding chair, smoking while reading the script. Because the wind was strong, the smoke was carried far away. His assistant stood downwind, holding his cigarette case and a thermos, not daring to complain.
Lydia, walking ahead with her makeup kit, frowned at the smell of smoke and moved far away. The stagehands were setting up the lighting. Qi Bailu walked behind the monitor and nodded to the cinematographer who was adjusting the equipment. An assistant brought him a folding chair, but he was in no hurry to sit. Instead, he pulled a pair of white gloves from his pocket and slowly put them on. Cai Tongyue’s manager was sitting on a stool eating breakfast; seeing him arrive, he smiled and said, "Morning, Bailu."
"Morning."
"You look very handsome today."
Qi Bailu only offered a small smile. He was habitually quiet in public, and without Cheng Wenhui there to handle the social pleasantries for him, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. However, Cai Tongyue’s manager didn't seem to mind and turned to look at Cai Tongyue with a smile.
Cai Tongyue acted as if he had only just noticed Qi Bailu’s arrival. He expressionlessly flicked his ash, crushed the cigarette out on the armrest of his folding chair, and gave a nod so slight it was barely perceptible. This served as his greeting.
In all fairness, Cai Tongyue was indeed very handsome, but because the corners of his mouth turned down slightly, he looked somewhat fierce when not smiling—a handsomeness tinged with a touch of hostility. Judging purely by appearance, he might have been more suited to play the role of Pan Xiaoyun than the cool and detached Qi Bailu. Even Qi Bailu’s manager, Cheng Wenhui, had said that Qi Bailu was too beautiful for a man; unless he sabotaged his own image, it would be difficult for him to pass auditions for domestic genre films.
Since the first shot only required Qi Bailu to walk, the director came over to explain the scene. After a quick rehearsal of the blocking, filming began.
Cai Tongyue gripped his script and watched Qi Bailu. After a while, he turned to whisper something to his manager. Qi Bailu’s shot was cleared after two takes, and the director beckoned Cai Tongyue over. The manager seemed to be having some sort of disagreement with Cai Tongyue; Cai said a few more words from his chair before finally standing up.
Filming on a set was tedious and boring. Because it was a location shoot, there were many uncontrollable factors that added to the difficulty. After watching for three or four hours, Lydia, sitting on her makeup case, began to yawn. In winter, makeup didn't smudge easily, so she didn't have to run up to touch up Qi Bailu’s powder as often as she did in summer, but Qi Bailu still sweated from the intensity of the shoot.
After the forest chase, the next scene was a physical struggle between the two. "Yan Peiyun," played by Qi Bailu, suspected the protagonist, played by Cai Tongyue, of being a Communist spy. Unable to get answers through interrogation, he finally lost his temper and initiated a fight.
All scenes were essentially discussed in detail before filming. If the angle of a head turn was wrong, the director would quickly call a halt. Wide shots weren't as troublesome, but they still had to ensure no major errors occurred. Lydia rested her chin on her hand as she watched Qi Bailu deliver his lines, failing to notice a slight commotion behind her as a black Mercedes-Benz drove into the filming site.
Two stagehands went over to speak with the driver. After the man stepped out, he showed a set-visit pass hanging from his neck to the stagehands, who then welcomed him in.
A moment later, Lydia noticed a strange man walking toward the monitor. She straightened up in surprise. It wasn't unusual for people to visit the set, but what was strange was that this man was dressed expensively. Under a dark overcoat, he wore a black suit with a white pocket square tucked casually into his breast pocket—this was an outfit clearly meant for a formal occasion. The director seemed to know him; when he saw the man approach, he moved to stand up and speak. The man took two steps forward, placing a hand on the director’s shoulder while leaning down to whisper something with a smile. The director then returned his focus to the monitor.
Judging by his lip movements, he had likely said, "Don't mind me." Lydia watched the man with curiosity. He moved to an inconspicuous corner and stood there watching the filming, his gaze fixed on the two actors performing the scene. He looked to be about thirty years old and was very striking. Lydia searched her memory but couldn't recall such an actor in the industry.
As a makeup artist, Lydia was always sensitive to facial contours. Since the man was good-looking, she couldn't help but steal a few more glances. The man seemed to sense her gaze and looked over. He gave Lydia a small smile before quickly turning back. Lydia clicked her tongue inwardly, her face flushing slightly from embarrassment. She turned back to watch the two actors; it was exactly the moment Qi Bailu began his lines.
"The person who just tried to kill me was you, wasn't it?"
Cold light shot from "Yan Peiyun’s" eyes beneath the brim of his cap. He held a gun in one hand, the muzzle pointed at Cai Tongyue.
The wind rustled through the treetops. The boom pole suspended above their heads lowered slightly following the director’s gesture, like a fishing rod over a lake, crouching low to quietly eavesdrop.
"What do you mean?"
"Yan Peiyun" pressed the muzzle a bit closer and sneered. "I know it was you. You can fool others, but you can't fool my eyes."
Cai Tongyue kept his hands behind his back and remained silent.
"Yan Peiyun" stared at his face and said abruptly, "You're one of the Communists. I know that too."
Cai Tongyue gave a gentle smile. "Yan Peiyun, I know you've always harbored resentment toward me, but you shouldn't speak recklessly. You have no evidence."
"Yan Peiyun’s" lips thinned. Though his face remained expressionless, his entire body tensed up. His mouth twitched as he said, "Evidence?" As soon as the word left his lips, "Yan Peiyun" suddenly swung the butt of the gun toward Cai Tongyue’s head.
According to the script, the next move should have been Cai Tongyue grabbing "Yan Peiyun’s" wrist. The two would struggle, "Yan Peiyun" would be overpowered, and he would be thrown to the ground. Finally, the director would film a close-up of the pistol flying out of his hand.
The fighting movements were mostly correct, and the force was right. Lydia was watching with great interest when Cai Tongyue threw a punch at "Yan Peiyun." The gun flew out of "Yan Peiyun’s" hand toward the monitor. He fell face-first, stumbling heavily into the tall grass.
Lydia suddenly felt something was off, though she couldn't put her finger on what. She only heard the assistant director behind the monitor mutter, "That was wrong."
The assistant director whispered something to the director. Both were frowning, but they didn't stop the filming. Only one movement had been missed; it could be fixed in post-production through editing.
At this point, Qi Bailu should have already bitten down on the blood pack and stood up to continue the confrontation. However, the "Yan Peiyun" in the grass took a long time to sluggishly stand up. His military cap had fallen to the ground. "Yan Peiyun" had blood at the corner of his mouth as he stared fiercely at Cai Tongyue. Two seconds later, two streaks of blood suddenly flowed from his temple, running down past his brow bone.
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Countless Blossoms: The Actor's Gamble | Chapter 9 | Accident on Set | Novela.app | Novela.app
