Chapter 30 – Skill
Today’s scenes included a horse-riding sequence. Xiao Fang was dressed in a suit of silver armor that shone brilliantly in the sun. His waterfall-like long hair was tied up high with a white ribbon, revealing a smooth, fair forehead. When he smiled, it was as if his whole being was glowing.
The crew had originally planned to find a stunt double for Xiao Fang. When they informed him, he immediately refused, saying he knew a little about riding.
Xiao Fang’s principle on set was that, apart from the martial arts scenes that were truly impossible for him to perform, he would do everything else himself. He had learned to ride a horse back when he was a stunt double in his previous world.
At that time, a crew was looking for a riding double, and the pay was good. Xiao Fang immediately found a cheap horse farm and practiced hard for a week. The results were excellent, and the director moved him to the position closest to the camera. That was also the first time Xiao Fang, as an extra, appeared on the silver screen after the final cut.
When Xiao Fang emerged from makeup, most people’s eyes lit up. Xiao Fang had the kind of looks that grew on you. At first glance, he was just ordinarily handsome, but after looking for a while, one could see the charm hidden beneath the surface.
The director yelled “Ready!” and Xiao Fang walked onto the set. Que Jiang, standing outside, had his eyebrows knitted so tightly they were almost touching.
“Hey, why the long face? I didn’t even know Brother Xiao had horse-riding skills. Now I can see it for myself,” said the clueless Xiao Ma, who was much more excited than Que Jiang.
Que Jiang took a deep breath, but still felt a tightness in his chest. He was beginning to understand. Xiao Fang only looked docile on the surface; inside, he was incredibly stubborn. He had his own ideas, and no matter what anyone else said, his plans would not deviate one bit.
Before Xiao Fang stood a white steed, its height reaching his chest. With a serious expression, Xiao Fang grabbed the reins, placed his left foot in the stirrup, and with a swift tightening of his arms and a flick of his white robe, he was seated on the horse. The movement was as smooth as flowing water, without a single flaw.
Xiao Fang held the scabbard in one hand and the hilt of his sword in the other. With a flash of cold light, the longsword was pointed diagonally towards the sky. His thin lips, pressed into a straight line, slowly opened to command, “Charge!”
In this part of the story, the princess’s cousin, having seized power by holding the emperor hostage, launched a surprise attack and conquered the borderlands of the prince’s country. He then forcibly brought the princess back to her home country. The prince, upon learning the princess’s true identity, was filled with anger, humiliation, and heartache, and requested to lead an army to retake the border city.
This was a major outdoor scene. Xiao Fang not only had to ride the horse for a few steps but also had to gallop across the plain for several long takes. The subsequent battle scenes also required several major shots of Xiao Fang.
Xiao Fang didn’t dawdle, striving to get it all in one take.
He held the reins in one hand and the longsword in the other. The yellow dust kicked up by the horse’s hooves colored the entire shot. The drone camera followed him steadily, and the wind it generated blew through Xiao Fang’s long hair. Xiao Fang’s brow didn’t even twitch; his eyes were fixed firmly on the path ahead.
I will not return to the capital until the lost territory is reclaimed!
For the following martial arts scenes, Xiao Fang had spent several hours the previous night learning from the action choreographer. Having been an extra himself, he learned quickly. He also knew the routines of fight scenes. Every slash and thrust was executed without hesitation, his expression perfectly controlled.
This kind of scene was a true test of acting ability. While physically exhausting, the mind and facial expressions had to remain online simultaneously.
Xiao Fang flipped over to dodge an enemy’s spear, then immediately sprang back to his feet without a moment’s delay, swinging his sword in a horizontal slash. His expression was seemingly cold, but his eyes were completely red, yet not a single tear fell. Every move was accompanied by a gritted-teeth “Kill, kill, kill!”
Suddenly, an arrow shot from the side unexpectedly. Xiao Fang vaulted off the horse, which was over a meter tall, rolled to the side next to a corpse, picked up a longbow, nocked an iron-tipped arrow, and with his eyes burning, aimed at a single point. His right hand released with two fingers, and a sharp, piercing sound echoed through the air. The wind whipped his high ponytail, and blood splattered across his face, but it still couldn’t hide his terrifying killing intent.
That look in his eyes shocked even Director Hu, who was sitting behind the camera. This level of acting was something he had to admit he was impressed by.
“Oh my god, so this is the real Xiao Fang.”
“So cool!”
“Is it too late to become a fan now?”
“Xiao Fang is one of the few actors I’ve seen in recent years who doesn’t use a stunt double. Amazing, these few scenes.”
“Suddenly, the rumor that he bought his role in Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy seems like complete nonsense.”
“With this kind of acting, even as a minor supporting role, what director would complain? He even saved the cost of a stunt double.”
The idle staff members started gossiping as they watched the monitor. The rumors about Xiao Fang vanished without a trace in the face of this highly technical performance.
This major scene took Xiao Fang a whole morning to finish. Que Jiang’s eyebrows and heart hadn’t relaxed for a single moment. The second Xiao Fang was officially off-camera, he rushed over.
“How are you?” Que Jiang’s face showed a rare anxiety.
Xiao Fang, his face covered in stage makeup and grime, gave him a relaxed smile. “I’m fine. I was covering my stomach when I jumped off the horse. I know my own limits,” he said. Then, Xiao Fang leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “You didn’t snitch to President Fei, did you?”
Que Jiang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “If I had snitched, neither of us would be here right now.”
Xiao Fang gave a sly grin and nudged Que Jiang’s shoulder in a buddy-buddy gesture. “I knew you’d understand.”
Que Jiang shot Xiao Fang a resentful look. “What does it matter if I understand or not? You would have done it anyway.”
Xiao Fang smiled a little sheepishly. He knew he could be quite stubborn sometimes, but he had his reasons for insisting on certain things.
“Don’t be angry. I’ll treat you to barbecue tonight.” After spending so much time together, Xiao Fang had long since figured out Que Jiang’s preferences.
Que Jiang shot him a sideways glance.
Xiao Fang understood instantly. “You eat, I won’t touch it!”
Only then did Que Jiang nod. He was getting more and more skilled at this accomplice business. Thinking of President Fei, who was still working hard to support the family, Que Jiang felt a pang of guilt!
“Xiao Fang! Look at the Hot Search!” Wen An’an ran over from the dressing room, her makeup only half-done, but she couldn’t care less.
Xiao Fang looked over in surprise. “What’s wrong, why the rush?”
Wen An’an’s eyes were filled with excitement as she pointed at her phone. “Oh my god, oh my god, Director Ruan spoke up for you!”
Xiao Fang was also taken aback by this. He took Wen An’an’s phone.
#Director Ruan Defends Xiao Fang#
Xiao Fang nervously clicked on the top-ranking, trending topic. The first thing he saw was a screenshot of Director Ruan’s Weibo post.
Ruan Tan: I chose Xiao Fang. No money was taken, no connections were used. If you’re still not convinced, you can message me directly. Sign a waiver, and I’ll show you my income for the past year. I don’t know what he was like before, but here with me, he’s the real deal!
Ruan Tan’s words had a dual meaning. First, it was to clear Xiao Fang’s name. Second, it was to reiterate his own principles. A genius director with a solid family background had no need for people to pay their way in. His pursuit was always the quality of the film. This was also a subtle reminder to the fans: use your brain when you flame people.
The second image was a GIF of Xiao Fang’s smile from his audition. It wasn’t the fake smile of an idol with filters, but the most realistic footage from the camera. Even the pores on Xiao Fang’s face were visible, a true representation of the character.
This caused another huge wave of discussion online.