In the square courtyard, two servants helped Ye Qingdu inside. The camera slowly panned from Jin Yanliu’s back, capturing the dark yard below. The servants’ lanterns flickered in the night as they walked. Fang Dawei patted Jin Yanliu’s back. “Ready?”
Jin Yanliu bit his lip and nodded.
“3, 2, 1, go!” Fang Dawei pushed, and Jin Yanliu was hoisted into the air by the wires.
[Mu Huaying descended with his sword, aiming for Ye Qingdu. But just before the sword could strike, one of the servants deflected it with a lantern. Mu Huaying spun, raised his sword, and struck again, this time slashing the servant’s throat, the blade tinged with crimson. The sword nearly pierced Ye Qingdu’s eye as the latter staggered back, flinging out his sleeve to unleash a burst of spiritual energy that sent Mu Huaying flying.]
Jin Yanliu was flipped backward by the wire. His slender figure and long legs made the move especially sharp and impressive. The wire carried him two meters back, his feet scraping the ground before he finally landed.
He had completed a series of difficult moves in one go.
Before he could celebrate, Liu Qichang said, “The move wasn’t as smooth as in training. Let’s do it again.”
Jin Yanliu sighed and was hoisted back onto the rooftop.
Liu Qichang’s standards for visual beauty were high. In a fantasy drama, aesthetics were crucial, and beautifully shot fight scenes were especially important. Jin Yanliu went through three more takes before they finally nailed it.
But that was just the beginning.
As the night wore on, fewer people remained on set. By 3 a.m., only a small crew was left. Jin Yanliu’s costume was soaked through, and his legs were trembling from exhaustion. Liu Qichang asked, “Can you keep going?”
“Let’s finish this shot.” Jin Yanliu replied.
“Don’t push yourself,” a voice suddenly said from the corner.
Jin Yanliu turned to see Zhou Beiyang still on set, sitting on a small stool behind the monitors.
Liu Qichang looked at Jin Yanliu, who said, “I’m fine. Let’s get more done today so we can start later tomorrow. It’s all the same.”
In the dim lighting, Jin Yanliu couldn’t make out Zhou Beiyang’s expression, but suddenly, he felt a surge of energy and finished the last shot.
By 3:30 a.m., most of the crew had dozed off. Xiao Pangzi yawned as he handed Jin Yanliu a bottle of water. After removing his makeup and changing out of his costume, Jin Yanliu greeted Liu Qichang and left the set.
He walked a few steps, then turned back to see Zhou Beiyang following him.
Quickening his pace, Jin Yanliu climbed into the car. As soon as Xiao Pangzi joined him, he slammed the door shut.
The door closed with a loud “bang,” leaving Zhou Beiyang standing outside. Xiao Pangzi stared in confusion, noticing Zhou Beiyang had paused outside the car.
Jin Yanliu said, “Drive.”
“But Yang-ge is still—”
“Drive.”
Xiao Pangzi reluctantly started the car. Jin Yanliu glanced out the window and saw Zhou Beiyang standing there, not saying a word.
Just as the car began to move, Jin Yanliu flung the door open.
Zhou Beiyang quickly climbed inside.
Jin Yanliu asked, “Why are you still hanging around when everyone’s gone to sleep?”
“You were filming an action scene. If I didn’t oversee it, I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I went back.” Zhou Beiyang replied.
Jin Yanliu regretted letting him into the car and leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes.
He was too exhausted to argue. His body ached all over, and both his waist and thighs stung.
When they got back to the hotel, Jin Yanliu stripped off his clothes and realized that despite all the safety precautions, his delicate skin had still chafed during the wire scenes. After showering, the pain worsened. He couldn’t even wear pajamas.
He thought about using some band-aids but remembered he didn’t have any in his room.
But Zhou Beiyang definitely did.
Forget it. He’d just make do.
Just as he was about to sleep, there was a knock at the door. At this hour, there was only one person who would knock. Jin Yanliu called out, “If you knock again, I swear I’ll go sleep with Yan Huihua tomorrow.”
Outside, it went quiet.
Then, after a light cough, a voice said, “Yanliu, it’s me.”
Jin Yanliu was startled. He walked over to open the door and found Yan Huihua standing there, his face slightly flushed.
Jin Yanliu awkwardly said, “I thought it was… someone else. What brings you here?”
Yan Huihua avoided eye contact and handed him a bag. “There are some ointments and patches in here for bruises and muscle pain. I thought you might need them after your action scenes tonight. You should rest early. I’ll head back to my room now.”
After speaking, Yan Huihua turned to leave, but then glanced back at him with a smile.
Jin Yanliu felt incredibly embarrassed.
The supplies Yan Huihua brought were comprehensive. Jin Yanliu applied band-aids to his scrapes and ointment to his waist. Just as he finished, there was another knock at the door.
This time, he played it safe and checked the peephole. Sure enough, it was Zhou Beiyang.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“I brought you something,” Zhou Beiyang replied.
“No need. Yan Huihua already brought me what I needed.” Jin Yanliu said, suddenly opening the door and lifting his shirt. “See? I’ve got everything I need.”
Zhou Beiyang saw his pale skin covered in bruises, with ointments and band-aids plastered all over.
Jin Yanliu raised an eyebrow and was about to close the door, but Zhou Beiyang blocked it with his hand.
Jin Yanliu let go of the door, pursing his lips, looking both arrogant and cold as he stared at Zhou Beiyang.
Zhou Beiyang hesitated, then withdrew his hand.
Jin Yanliu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. As if there was anyone in this world he couldn’t handle? What a joke.
He promptly shut the door. After standing there for a moment, he glanced through the peephole and saw Zhou Beiyang still outside, expressionless, not saying a word.
Jin Yanliu felt like his strategy was working. The first battle was a success. Tomorrow, he would continue. He needed Zhou Beiyang to understand the consequences of threatening him, of forcibly kissing him, and of wanting to mess with his older brother!
The next day, he doubled down and spent the entire day with Yan Huihua. Yan Huihua was clearly getting warmer toward him. They had a lot of scenes together, and in the afternoon, they shot a night scene where the injured Mu Huaying hid in Ye Hengyang’s room, and the two brothers officially met. Jin Yanliu’s makeup for the scene was particularly striking and tragic. On the monitor, his face, half-hidden behind the curtains, was stunningly beautiful.
[Ye Hengyang stared in shock at the person before him. Outside, there was chaos as people searched the entire manor. Mu Huaying, sword in hand, leaned against the wall in a defensive posture. Though blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his eyes were sharp, fixed intently on him. He seemed about to draw his sword, but just as he moved, more blood dripped from his mouth.
Outside, there was a loud knock on the door. Ye Hengyang quickly drew the curtains and asked, “What is it?!”
“Young Master, a demon infiltrated Sifangzhou to assassinate someone. Are you alright?”
Ye Hengyang opened the door, dressed in white inner robes, his black hair loose. The red lantern in the hands of the visitor illuminated his face, making him look even more gentle and handsome. “There’s no one here. Go check somewhere else.”
The visitor didn’t doubt him for a second. “Understood.”
The group moved on to search the next room. Ye Hengyang closed the door. When the noise outside finally quieted, he lifted the curtains. “It’s safe now.”
Mu Huaying’s chest heaved, but his eyes were already starting to lose focus. After staring at him for a moment, he collapsed.
Ye Hengyang hurried to catch him, and Mu Huaying fell into his arms, his blood staining Ye Hengyang’s snow-white robes.]
“OK, cut!”
Jin Yanliu stood up with a smile, and Xiao Pangzi immediately handed him a bottle of water to rinse his mouth. Jin Yanliu took it and first asked Liu Qichang, “Director, was it good?”
“It was! Come over and take a look. It was shot beautifully.”
Only then did Jin Yanliu open the bottle and rinse his mouth. Yan Huihua reached out to smooth the hair behind Jin Yanliu’s ear. Jin Yanliu smiled and said, “The blood on your white robe looks surprisingly good.”
“This fake blood smells kind of sweet,” Yan Huihua replied.
“Want to taste it?” Jin Yanliu teased, wiping the corner of his mouth and extending his hand to him.
Yan Huihua blushed and laughed.
The two of them went over to the monitor to watch the playback. On screen, it was another world entirely. Under the interplay of light and shadow, Yan Huihua in white looked like a perfect gentleman, while the bloodied Jin Yanliu was hauntingly beautiful. Watching the scene, even Jin Yanliu felt a flutter in his heart. He patted Yan Huihua’s shoulder and leaned against him.
Cheng Fei, watching from the side, felt his heart leap into his throat.
That was because he noticed Zhou Beiyang’s gaze on them, filled with an intensity that could devour someone, along with a palpable sense of anxiety.
“What are you doing?” Cheng Fei asked Jin Yanliu during a break. “Are you deliberately getting close to Yan Huihua?”
“He threatened me, saying if I kept getting close to Yan Huihua, he’d do this or that,” Jin Yanliu replied. “Do I look like someone who’s afraid of threats? If I actually backed down, he’d think he was invincible.”
His tone was arrogant and indignant.
Even though what Jin Yanliu said made sense, Cheng Fei was still a bit worried. Why did it feel like Jin Yanliu was pushing things too far?
If Zhou Beiyang really lost it, would Jin Yanliu actually cut ties with him and burn the bridge?
He wasn’t so sure about that.
Deliberate antagonism was a form of attention. If Jin Yanliu truly didn’t care, he would treat Zhou Beiyang like air, not go out of his way to provoke him like this.
But Cheng Fei could understand. After all, with so many years of brotherhood between them, how could anyone sever ties just like that?
He just hoped Zhou Beiyang could hold on. Secretly, he was rooting for him.
Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps outside. The door of the trailer was pulled open, and Xiao Pangzi rushed in, panting. “Yanliu, something’s wrong.”
“What happened?”
“Yang-ge lost control while doing wirework and got injured!”
“What?!” Jin Yanliu immediately jumped out of the trailer and sprinted toward the set. He moved so fast, he knocked over the small table inside, sending everything on it scattering to the ground.
Cheng Fei thought to himself, Wasn’t he just acting all tough? But the moment Zhou Beiyang gets hurt, he’s running faster than anyone else.
Sometimes, Cheng Fei had to admit, Zhou Beiyang really was clever.
After all these years of secretly harboring feelings, he had played the long game. Whether it was familial love or something more, Zhou Beiyang had Jin Yanliu firmly in his grasp. No matter how much Jin Yanliu wanted to fly away, Cheng Fei thought it would be nearly impossible.
