Dark Fire chapter 4

Shooting Begins

The next day, the script reading continued. Lu Chixie only came in the morning, then took leave from the crew in the afternoon, reportedly to shoot an advertisement elsewhere.

Ling Zhuo breathed a temporary sigh of relief.

After returning home last night, he followed the Weibo accounts of the producer, director, and all the actors in the crew, and followed Lu Chixie back. Although things with Lu Chixie were a bit awkward, he still hoped to smoothly finish shooting this drama.

The script reading lasted for three and a half days, and the opening ceremony was scheduled for the fourth afternoon since the actors joined the crew.

After lunch, the main actors began to do hair and makeup. In the afternoon’s opening ceremony, they would wear full costumes and makeup for the press photos.

As Ling Zhuo was almost finished with his makeup, Yang Ming came in with a few cups of drinks. He handed one to Ling Zhuo and the makeup artist behind him. “Mr. Lu just returned to the crew and bought drinks for everyone.”

Ling Zhuo took it casually. It was iced coffee from a café outside the studio. He wasn’t keen on drinking it and put it aside.

Yang Ming reminded him, “Zhuo Ge, why not take a few sips? It’s hot today, and wearing costumes under the sun might be uncomfortable. Drinking some coffee might help you stay awake.”

Ling Zhuo hadn’t slept well last night, so he wasn’t feeling very energetic this morning. Moreover, with the hot weather, he felt even more drained.

So he reluctantly took a few sips.

Yang Ming sat down and said casually, “Mr. Lu’s temper isn’t as bad as rumored, huh? He even bought drinks for everyone.”

The makeup artist behind Ling Zhuo smiled and said, “Mr. Lu is actually quite nice. He’s not as exaggerated as the rumors say. I’ve worked with him on several projects. He’s not the kind of person to deliberately throw his weight around. As long as others don’t offend him, he won’t embarrass anyone.”

Ling Zhuo remained silent.

He couldn’t quite gauge Lu Chixie’s temperament and wasn’t sure if he had offended Lu Chixie that night. He wanted to continue in this industry and hoped that the “prince” was indeed a decent person and wouldn’t make things difficult for him because of this.

At three eighteen in the afternoon, the opening ceremony officially began.

An outdoor set was covered with red velvet, with a table set up for offerings to the deity Guan Er, with incense burners on either side and roasted suckling pig and fruits as offerings. The main crew members each took turns to offer incense to the deity.

The surroundings were filled with media reporters and fans from various factions, especially Ling Zhuo’s fans.

The weather was hot, and Ling Zhuo, wearing heavy costumes and a tight headgear, felt very uncomfortable.

When it was his turn to offer incense, the choking smoke made him cough several times. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and he felt a bit dizzy. Yang Ming quickly handed him water and held a small electric fan to cool him down.

“Not feeling well?”

Hearing the voice, Ling Zhuo subconsciously turned his head and saw Lu Chixie smiling at him.

Ling Zhuo coughed again and nodded slightly, not really wanting to talk to him.

“You’ll get heatstroke like this,” Lu Chixie clicked his tongue.

He took some cooling oil from his own assistant, dipped his finger in it, and then applied it directly to Ling Zhuo’s temple.

Ling Zhuo was startled and instinctively moved away. Lu Chixie put his other hand on his waist, leaned closer, and said, “Don’t move.”

Lu Chixie’s fingertip touched Ling Zhuo’s temple, gently massaging it. The cool sensation spread across his skin, making Ling Zhuo shiver. His foggy mind instantly cleared up, “Thank you, Teacher Lu, I can do it myself…”

Lu Chixie stepped back, handed over the cooling oil, still smiling as he looked at him.

Ling Zhuo reached out to take it, and their fingertips touched. He quickly took the item back.

The smile in Lu Chixie’s eyes deepened, but Ling Zhuo didn’t look at him again. He applied the cooling oil to both sides of his temples and handed it back.

“I’m giving it to you,” Lu Chixie said.

It was just a small jar of cooling oil, and Ling Zhuo didn’t refuse. He thanked him again, handed the item to Yang Ming, and turned his gaze away.

Lu Chixie was called away by He Jingping and the others, and Ling Zhuo’s tense mind finally relaxed.

Yang Ming reminded him in a low voice, “Zhuo ge, a lot of fans just filmed your interaction with Teacher Lu.”

Ling Zhuo frowned but didn’t say anything.

Then came the photoshoot, and the main cast faced the media interviews together.

Perhaps the cooling oil had indeed worked. Ling Zhuo felt slightly better, and when asked about his first filming experience, he gave some rehearsed answers, nothing extraordinary but also without any mistakes.

Finally, without any mishaps, the opening ceremony ended with the director and the lead actors unveiling the camera and starting the first scene, which was a scene between the male and female leads.

Ling Zhuo’s scenes would have to wait until tomorrow. He could have removed his makeup and left, but after some hesitation, he decided to stay and watch this scene.

The first scene depicted the confrontation between Xuan Jiang and Zhuge You after the truth was revealed. Zhuge You was captured by Xuan Jiang and woke up in his bed, leading to a tense confrontation.

While the props were being prepared, He Jingping and Yu Fei, along with Lu Chixie, discussed the scene, hoping to get into character quickly. Ling Zhuo sat on the sidelines, drinking water and occasionally looking at his phone. Zhong Yiran was probably practicing dance at this time. Ling Zhuo didn’t disturb him and opened Weibo absent-mindedly.

The keyword of “Burning Love” was already trending, but when he clicked on it, the hot post was a candid shot of Lu Chixie applying cooling oil to him. Besides the control comments from their respective fans, there were also random comments from passersby: “Why am I inexplicably feeling the CP vibes?”

This comment had many likes, and there were supportive replies.

“Ling Zhuo and Lu Chixie? What a strange combination, but they really look good together!”

“Has the young master ever helped anyone else apply cooling oil before? Didn’t he also like Ling Zhuo’s makeup photo before?”

“Wow, the young master  is really going to play the big demon lord this time, playing his true self, emmmm.”

“Ling Zhuo is not bad. Although he’s an idol, his costume appearance is not inferior to that of a professional actor. For those who have read the original work, do the male lead and male second have any CP moments?”

“What CP moments? They’re arch-enemies who fight to the death! So, who still remembers that this is a drama with a female protagonist?”

Ling Zhuo was speechless, feeling puzzled by the chaos.

He turned off his phone screen, losing interest, but when he looked up, he met Lu Chixie’s gaze.

While He Jingping was explaining the scene, Lu Chixie casually suggested, “Director He, this scene and the one where Lin Lanyu bursts in and interrupts Xuan Jiang forcibly kissing Zhuge You are connected, and the emotions are continuous. Shooting them separately might not have a good effect. Since Ling is here, why don’t we shoot them together?”

Yu Fei said, “I think that’s a good idea.”

Tomorrow was the official filming day. Today’s opening ceremony only had this one scene, but since both lead actors didn’t mind shooting an extra scene, He Jingping naturally didn’t mind either.

Only Ling Zhuo, who had been called in temporarily, was a little dazed. However, this scene was originally scheduled for the next two days, and he had already memorized his lines. So, since He Jingping decided to shoot it, they might as well.

They started with the scene of the male and female leads. Ling Zhuo sat on the sidelines, applying special effects makeup, his gaze following the camera.

Xuan Jiang, dressed in black, sat on the bed, his deep dark eyes filled with intense possessiveness as he slowly caressed the cheek of the still unconscious Zhuge You.

Zhuge You slowly opened her eyes, meeting Xuan Jiang’s gaze. She was momentarily stunned, then raised her hand to strike, but Xuan Jiang lightly flicked his finger, locking her limbs with his spiritual power, rendering her unable to move. Angered, she shouted, “What exactly do you want to do?”

Lu Chixie and Yu Fei acted passionately. Both of them were young actors with good acting skills, and as soon as the director called action, they got into character. Ling Zhuo watched attentively from the sidelines, focusing initially on Yu Fei, but then unconsciously shifting his attention to Lu Chixie. Compared to Yu Fei’s performance, he seemed a bit more restrained. Lu Chixie’s emotions were fuller, and his delivery was more natural.

Ling Zhuo lightly pursed his lips. He wasn’t a trained actor. It had only been half a year since Zhang Jing started arranging acting classes for him. His teacher said he had good talent, but compared to professional actors, he still felt somewhat inferior.

At the end of this scene, Xuan Jiang attempted to forcibly kiss Zhuge You. Zhuge You struggled with all her strength to break free from Xuan Jiang’s spiritual constraints, giving him a palm strike to the chest. Both of them spat out blood simultaneously. Xuan Jiang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips, then raised his eyes sharply, his icy gaze full of killing intent directed towards the direction of the palace door.

Next came the next scene, where Lin Lanyu rushed in, blood-stained and ready to fight.

The scene between Lu Chixie and Yu Fei only needed one retake because Yu Fei stumbled over a line. The second take went smoothly, then it was Ling Zhuo’s turn to take the stage.

He had already applied makeup to look as if he were covered in blood and wounds. The first shot was of him charging into the demon temple with his sword raised.

Just half a minute into shooting, they were interrupted by He Jingping. He furrowed his brow and reminded Ling Zhuo, “No, before Lin Lanyu enters, he has already fought fiercely with the four leaders of the demon realm, heavily injured and unsteady on his feet, gasping heavily. You just showed the anxious concern, but didn’t convey the disheveled state. Let’s try it again.”

Ling Zhuo nodded apologetically and said sorry.

The second time, He Jingping still said it wasn’t right.

The third time, too.

He Jingping said, “Still not right, you need to pant, pant.”

Actually, TV drama shoots didn’t require such perfectionism, but today was just the start, and everyone wanted to start off on the right foot.

Ling Zhuo apologized again, feeling somewhat frustrated after being interrupted three times in just the first scene.

“Ling.”

He heard Lu Chixie’s voice behind him.

Ling Zhuo turned around, and Lu Chixie, leaning against the wall, was also drinking water. He stared at Ling Zhuo with a smile in his eyes and said slowly, “Ling, do you want me to teach you how to pant convincingly?”

Ling Zhuo was taken aback, then turned away without responding.