Filming in July was hot for the crew and especially for the cast, who had to wear several layers of ancient costumes and long hairpieces.
Fortunately, Han Mo's constitution made him less prone to sweating. Even during the indoor scenes, when there was no air conditioning, he found it was bearable with just a fan and an air blower.
However, today, before he could change into the three layers of robes or put on a long hairpiece wig, he felt a wave of stuffiness in his chest, and his face began to feel a subtle heat.
The kind of heat you would feel on your face when you had wronged someone.
And right now... he felt a bit warm.
It was because he had wronged someone twice.
Han Mo cleared his throat slightly, his right hand clenched into a fist to hide his embarrassed smile, before he strode towards the make-up room for the main cast.
The make-up room for the leading actors was separate from the one for the supporting actors.
As soon as Han Mo sat down, he was greeted by the female lead, who stood up to greet him.
"Teacher Han, why is your face a little red? Did you get sunburned?"
Han Mo: "..."
"I happen to have sunscreen that I'm endorsing. Teacher Han, you can take one. It's SPF50 and suitable for people with redness and sensitive skin."
A second jab.
Han Mo's eye twitched. "No, thank you."
He closed his eyes to rest.
A moment later, his mobile vibrated.
[Big Brother Han, have you seen Bao Ruanruan? Be extremely careful; don't let her get close! My brother is determined not to have anything to do with her, but she's still obsessed with him. You must be extra careful. You'll be in trouble if you get involved with her!]
Han Mo's heart skipped a beat.
Indeed.
This cannot be ignored.
When he appeared on a variety show with a female celebrity in the past, marketing accounts targeted them to create a buzz around their CP1. It took a year for them to finally break free after her real-life romantic relationship was exposed.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Now, he was scared.
Besides, Bao Ruanruan had a track record. She had turned the engagement ceremony of Lu Wenyao and Tang Yuxin into a joke in the entertainment industry. Although Lu Wenhao believed in his elder brother's character, many people in the industry think that Lu Wenyao was not as innocent as he seemed. The mistress, Bao Ruanruan, failed attempt to gain the upper position and Lu Wenyao's act of straddling two boats2 contributed to this perception.
Han Mo had no desire to play detective and delve into the truth. He was even less interested in his fellow artists behaving so poorly and becoming the subject of everyone's gossip.
Han Mo immediately became cautious.
"Teacher Han, everything is ready!"
Han Mo walked out of the dressing room with extra caution today, keeping a certain distance from anyone of the opposite sex. His face, however, remained as soft as a spring breeze without a hint of peculiarity.
Until the camera started rolling...
This was a group scene.
They were about to interrogate the evil concubine about her ten crimes and banish her to the cold palace.
The lighting and decoration of the set used dull, inky yellows and deep reds, suggesting the villain's imminent downfall and desperate situation.
Against this gloomy backdrop, a group of actresses portraying palace concubines took their positions. They were dressed in luxurious and exquisite attire, with golden hairpins and jade ornaments, but they seemed to be covered in a layer of grey.
However, one graceful and slender figure stood in the dark corner, dressed in a floor-length palace gown of sea blue. Her profile resembled jade, her fair and radiant beauty accentuated by delicate iridescent tones.
She turned her gaze slightly, and her watery phoenix eyes, shimmering like pure gemstones, gazed at the others with a pitiful and charming expression.
Those eyes spoke volumes, conveying a myriad of grievances.
It seemed as if she were the one who had been wronged by the world rather than the one who had done evil against it.
?
Han Mo was stunned the moment he saw her.
An indescribable wave of goosebumps crawled up his spine!
Was this the evil concubine?
She seemed like an innocent, good person framed by the evil concubine!
This was the first time he had seen the real Bao Ruanruan in person.
He had seen her photos before and knew she was beautiful.
But he never expected a girl who always relied on unspoken rules to have such delicate, vulnerable, and deer-like eyes!
He had seen videos of her previous performances, where she cried like she was laughing, and her eyes were vacant when she was supposed to be emotional, as if she had gone blind. She had no talent or skill for acting and was even worse than an average newcomer.
So... was this pitiful expression her true nature?
Was the girl who made Lu Wenhao curse and avoided her at all costs actually so harmless?
It was hard for a man to be harsh when faced with those innocent eyes.
"Teacher Han, let's rehearse the scene once before we start."
Han Mo suddenly returned to his senses, his mind filled with alarm bells!
He had been careless!
A girl who could seduce Lu Wenyao must have more than just her looks; her scheming must be extraordinary!
'Be extremely careful, don't let her get close... You'll be in trouble if you get involved with her!'
Lu Wenhao's text message reminder echoed in Han Mo's mind.
Han Mo looked at Bao Ruanruan with a wary gaze.
He was about to look away when Bao Ruanruan's watery eyes unexpectedly met his.
But her pitiful expression instantly changed, as if she had seen a ferocious beast, and she hastily looked away in panic as if trying to avoid a poisonous snake.
She held up the train of her satin dress embroidered with a hundred butterflies and retreated three paces like a startled bird.
She stood behind the broad-shouldered Assistant Director.
She even picked up the script and covered her own face in a second.
Han Mo: "???"
What happened to getting closer?
It didn't even happen.
Was she hiding... from him?
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
*
"He's definitely staring at me."
Baoruanruan muttered to herself.
The moment this Han Mo appeared, he kept staring at her.
And it was the kind of 'malicious' stare that made her scalp tingle.
There were always people who wanted to harm her.
She was just an ordinary worker who honestly wanted to earn some money, slowly clean up her reputation, and retire from the entertainment industry safely and healthily. Why was it so difficult?
Bao Ruanruan really wanted to write four bolded words - Don't harm me - on herself so that no harm would come to her.
"Where is Bao Ruanruan? Come here, let me explain this scene to you."
The Assistant Director waved his hand, wanting to give her instructions.
But after waving his hand around the entire set for a while, there was no response. Only when he turned his head did he realise she had been standing behind him all along.
And she had a pure and obedient expression as if she had been listening to him.
The Assistant Director was dumbfounded.
Even Han Mo, who was approaching him, looked at her, who was already in her position, with a complicated expression as if he were in deep thought.
Bao Ruanruan felt uncomfortable under his gaze and shifted her body slightly. She lifted the hem of her embroidered skirt a little and moved closer to the Assistant Director, seeking protection.
However, her act of leaning in to listen, combined with how she cherished the costume by holding the corner of her skirt, her beautiful face and her delicate features, made the Assistant Director's desire to lead her to explode instantly. Even Han Mo, who always had a strict work ethic, had a change of heart.
How can her acting be so bad when she is willing to listen to instructions and learn?
Is it because no one has taught her before?
"The key point of this scene is the way you cry. Your crimes have been exposed, your ambition for many years has gone down the drain, and you can no longer be favoured. At this moment, you are filled with resentment, despair, and fear of punishment. After all, when the Emperor is angry, millions of corpses will fall..."
Millions of corpses fell to the ground, with their blood splattering three chi3 around them.
Hiss.
This was the scene she had imagined.
Bao Ruanruan's spine went cold.
She remembered meeting a strong man in the game who seemed to be mentally ill. They had just passed by each other when he pulled out a knife and stabbed her without saying a word.
Her body, hands, and eyes were all covered in blood.
A shiver ran down her spine.
She must take control of the situation before the other person attacked!
Assistant Director: "Do you understand?"
"Yes," Bao Ruanruan nodded solemnly as she took a deep breath.
Her serious demeanour pleased the Assistant Director.
He gestured with his hand, "Okay, then go over the scene with Teacher Han. When we start shooting, you'll rush over and kneel before him––"
Before he could finish speaking, a slender figure flew past him, moving so fast that it was almost impossible to see.
Turning his head, he saw Han Mo with a blank expression, unable to catch her in time...
Assistant Director: "!"
I have never seen anyone so obedient!
She was too fast.
While Han Mo was still listening to the instructions for the scene, a gust of wind carried a sweet scent of cranberries mixed with orchids, rushing into his nostrils.
In an instant, the sash of his robe adorned with a nine-clawed golden dragon and the jade-inlaid belt were grasped tightly by a pair of pale hands.
The soft fingers, almost through the fabric, gave a sense of pressure.
Han Mo: "!"
His expression changed drastically.
She had just evaded him, but it turned out to be a deliberate ploy!
She was waiting for him here!
Han Mo struggled, but he couldn't break free from her grip.
He shouted angrily, "Let go!"
But when he looked down, he saw a pair of panicked, desperate, and remorseful eyes.
Bao Ruanruan's pink lips parted, her voice filled with fear and desperation, "Your Majesty, Chenqie4 doesn't deserve to die...!"
She didn't want to die.
This powerful subtext was conveyed through her expressive eyes.
It seemed that death was her greatest fear, and she was willing to trade everything just to stay alive.
Her desire to survive materialised and surged towards Han Mo, overwhelming and intense!
Han Mo was momentarily dazed.
The Assistant Director nodded repeatedly beside them. "Well done, very powerful. Cry, cry now!"
The mention of crying jolted Han Mo back to reality.
But just as he was thinking that if she couldn't cry, he would firmly oppose her using eye drops...
The heartless man then saw a pitifully pale face become a pear blossom drenched in the rain5.
There were even a few glistening beads of sweat on her delicate forehead, slightly wetting her dark fringe.
Tears streamed from her anxious eyes as if pearls had broken loose from their strings and trickled down her pale skin.
Her eyes reddened realistically, with a hint of desperation in the corners, as if she had reached the end of the road.
Her whole body was heaving as she cried, as if she couldn't catch her breath and was about to faint.
"Spare me, please!"
Her deafening scream seemed to pierce the soul.
She had now become one with the terrified imperial concubine!
She became the character.
The character became her.
At that moment, she was flawless!
The very-demanding-and-always-ready-to-be-angry-at-any-time Han Mo: "............!"
Author's Note:
Ruanruan: I'm a professional at being afraid of death.
Footnotes Full List
- an imaginary romantic relationship between two characters in fiction (or in real life) that one wishes for or fantasises about (abbr. of "coupling")
- a well-known Chinese phrase meaning having an affair
- a traditional unit of length, equivalent to 0.333 metres or 1.094 feet
- (literary) I, your servant (self-appellation of a lower-rank female); (archaic) male and female slaves; subjects (of a ruler)
- Chinese idiom: the tear-stained face of a beauty
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