After Secretly Marrying the Top Celebrity, I Fell in Love - Chapter 37

By the end of the day, all the fitting photos for the three leads and several important supporting roles had been taken.

Everyone’s hard work paid off; the directors were very satisfied with the results of the fitting photos. Whether it was the leads or the supporting actors, everyone’s fitting photos were very much in line with the character itself, meeting Zhang Mingxiu’s expectations.

Among all the actors’ fittings, the one that most amazed and surprised Zhang Mingxiu was Bai Yiyan.

He knew Bai Yiyan had high aesthetic value, but who in the drama didn’t have high aesthetic value? Fu Yu was also very beautiful, and Zhou Wenkai was likewise handsome and dignified. The two of them had strong on-screen chemistry, and just standing together and communicating with their eyes instantly created a strong CP feeling.

However, Bai Yiyan’s surprise lay in her perfect interpretation of the fusion of “god” and “demon,” with a likeness that made her seem like a two-dimensional character stepping right out of the original novel.

The original footage was finally handed over to post-production. Zhang Mingxiu only gave post-production two days; he needed to see the finished product by the night after tomorrow at the latest. The day after tomorrow was also the first day of the official shoot, which would be a good omen for the launch.

Later, when the four-month filming period was over, the concept posters would be released during the drama’s promotion.

From the fitting photo shoot to the launch ceremony, Bai Yiyan had a busy and fulfilling two days. After wrapping up work every day, Bai Yiyan would chat with Ye Manqing for a while.

Although the two were married, their chats were not as clingy as a typical couple’s; words like “I miss you” were never exchanged.

Yet, it was these ordinary conversations that gradually made Bai Yiyan reliant. The first thing she looked forward to after wrapping up work every day was Ye Manqing’s WeChat message.

Bai Yiyan rarely took the initiative to message Ye Manqing because she was worried Ye Manqing might be busy or inconvenienced. So she got used to waiting, which was also related to her personality.

Tomorrow was the first day of the official shoot. Tomorrow had scenes for the male and female leads, but not for Bai Yiyan; her scenes were scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

Shooting a TV series is different from shooting a movie. A TV series episode is 40 minutes long and requires about eighty scenes, with typically twenty scenes shot per day. That is to say, one episode can be finished in about four days. This doesn’t refer to a complete episode in terms of content but in terms of duration. Since scenes are shot according to the set arrangements for the day, as planned by the coordinator, the scenes are shot out of order and then edited together in post-production.

The preliminary plan for Nine Heavens was thirty episodes, and it would take at least about four months to complete.

…

Although Bai Yiyan did not have scenes today, she appeared on set around seven o’clock, only five minutes later than the two leads.

The coordinator was coming out of the resting room with the printed “Today’s Work Schedule” when she bumped into the female supporting lead, who was dressed in casual wear.

Bai Yiyan was wearing a loose white T-shirt, paired with light-blue jeans, and white sneakers. Her dark hair was tied into a high ponytail, and she wore no makeup.

The coordinator glanced down at the work schedule in her hand, confirming that the female supporting lead did not have any scenes today.

“Teacher Bai, good morning!” The coordinator quickly greeted her and kindly reminded her, “You don’t have scenes today.”

“Did you mistake the day?”

“No, I know,” Bai Yiyan explained with a smile, “I came to watch the two teachers shoot.”

“Oh, I see. Then I’ll get back to work.” The coordinator scratched her head and walked away.

All the scenes this morning were outdoors, and the crew had been setting up the stage since six in the morning, with a flurry of activity on set.

Bai Yiyan’s arrival immediately drew the attention of the crew. Several passing staff members greeted Bai Yiyan, and she responded to all of them with a smile.

Not far away, Zhang Mingxiu came out of the resting room with a shaomai (a type of dumpling) in his mouth, and he immediately spotted the most dazzling presence in the crowd.

Despite her simple and low-key outfit, which was indistinguishable from the crew at first glance, the woman’s face and demeanor were completely different from everyone else’s, instantly drawing attention to her.

“…” Zhang Mingxiu took the shaomai out of his mouth and walked straight toward Bai Yiyan.

“Hey, Xiao Bai, what are you doing here?” Zhang Mingxiu came up to Bai Yiyan and stated directly, “You don’t have scenes today.”

“Director Zhang, good morning.” Bai Yiyan first bowed slightly to Zhang Mingxiu and then stated the reason for her presence on set.

“I wanted to watch Teacher Fu and Teacher Zhou shoot.”

“Sure, sure!” Zhang Mingxiu very much approved of Bai Yiyan’s action. Suddenly remembering something, he pointed to one of the gaffers who was moving props. “Go find a gaffer to get you a small stool, and you can sit next to me later.”

“We’ll be shooting all day. We need to shoot at least twenty scenes.”

Bai Yiyan: “Thank you, Director Zhang.”

Zhang Mingxiu: “Go ahead.”

At eight in the morning, Fu Yu and Zhou Wenkai emerged from their respective dressing rooms in costume. Both immediately noticed Bai Yiyan in the crowd.

Fu Yu quickly suppressed her curious expression, flashed her signature smile at Bai Yiyan, and greeted her.

Zhou Wenkai also focused his gaze on Bai Yiyan. At the same time, Bai Yiyan noticed Zhou Wenkai’s gaze and politely returned a slight smile.

Zhou Wenkai, holding a jade flute, cupped his hand in greeting toward Bai Yiyan, displaying the demeanor of a “pure and elegant gentleman in the wind,” instantly captivating a group of girls in the crew, who were so excited they nearly screamed.

Two minutes later, the two leads and the supporting actors stood in their respective positions, surrounded by extras.

The twenty scenes to be shot today were twenty scenes from Episode 4. They included not only scenes between the male and female leads but also scenes involving the leads and supporting actors, making it a group scene.

Fu Yu’s outfit today was the “male attire” she wore during her fitting photo shoot.

Similarly, Zhou Wenkai’s costume was the one he wore for the fitting photo shoot two days ago. A white, crossed-collar undergarment was paired with a snowy, wide-sleeved outer robe, cinched with a smoky-grey belt, from which a warm, jade pendant of Hotan jade with a grey-white gradient tassel hung.

A portion of his dark, flowing long hair was tied up, fixed with a smoky-grey silk ribbon, with the two ends of the ribbon naturally hanging down.

Zhou Wenkai’s character, “Sui Yu,” was the senior disciple of Qingyun Mountain Villa, the number one martial arts sect, skilled in the weapon: the jade flute.

“Nine Heavens Scene 60, Take 1, Attempt 1!” The clapper loader clapped the board and shouted.

“Action!”

The midsummer sun was blazing, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.

The annual Heroic Assembly was held as scheduled in Fengtian, and in this battle for supremacy, various famous sects flocked to attend. In addition to the major orthodox sects, the most discussed was the enigmatic Shadow Moon Sect.

The redwood-colored arena was covered with a scarlet carpet, and a striking black-and-gold plaque hung above the stage, with four bold characters inscribed in vigorous strokes: Heroic Assembly.

Some people in the crowd whispered.

“Hey, did you hear? They say the Shadow Moon Sect is sending people to this year’s Heroic Assembly. I wonder if the news is true.”

“I heard! But it definitely won’t be Sect Master Jiang; they say he’s been ill for months and is bedridden, perhaps not long for this world.”

“Doesn’t Sect Master Jiang have a sole son? Could it be him attending?”

“No way, I heard that young Master Jiang’s martial arts are subpar, he can’t even defeat the four great guardians by his side.”

“One of the Shadow Moon Sect’s guardians has made it to the finals, winning first place in the West Arena.”

“What’s so great about first place in the West Arena! Can they beat the people from Qingyun Mountain Villa? No need to guess, the first place in this year’s Heroic Assembly will definitely be someone from Qingyun Mountain Villa again.”

Suddenly, a wave of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd; the highly anticipated Qingyun Mountain Villa had won another round.

On the scarlet arena, Zhou Wenkai, in his flowing, snowy, wide-sleeved robe, stood in the center of the ring, holding his jade flute and bowing with cupped hands to his opponent.

“You let me win.”

The chief disciple of the Emei Sect shakily climbed up from the ground, clutching his injured chest, and returned the bow to Sui Yu with cupped hands.

Zhang Mingxiu poked his head out from behind the monitor and shouted at the two actors on the arena: “Cut!”

Bai Yiyan: “…”

Bai Yiyan was fully focused on the scene on the monitor and didn’t feel anything was wrong, wondering why the director called “cut.” She didn’t speak, only looked over with a slightly puzzled gaze at the two actors on the arena.

Zhou Wenkai’s acting was fine; his expression and gaze were on point. So, the problem could only be with the supporting actor; his gesture of cupping his hands in a bow seemed incorrect?

“The supporting actor’s hand-cupping gesture isn’t standard enough!” Zhang Mingxiu pointed out the problem mercilessly, then turned to the martial arts instructor.

“Instructor Jiang, go up and re-teach him.”

The martial arts instructor leaped onto the arena and personally showed the supporting actor how to cup his hands to return the bow.

“Nine Heavens Scene 60, Take 1, Attempt 2!” The clapper loader clapped the board again. “Action!”

The camera zoomed in, giving Zhou Wenkai a close-up of his face. Under the lens, Zhou Wenkai, in his white clothing, seemed to be enveloped in a layer of white light under the sun, a faint smile, like a chrysanthemum, on his lips.

The camera suddenly switched, and a tall, slender figure appeared in the frame. Dark hair cascaded down his entire back, with a portion casually tied up in a bun and secured with a white jade hairpin.

The “man” was seen walking leisurely towards the arena, holding up his hem with one hand and a silver whip in the other. Under the astonished gaze of the host and the crowd, the “man” slightly tilted his head and looked at the host.

“Jiang Yinmian, Sect Master of the Shadow Moon Sect.”

At this statement, there was an uproar throughout the audience.

“He, he… he is Jiang Yinmian?!”

“Isn’t the Sect Master of the Shadow Moon Sect his father? When did he take over as the new Sect Master?”

“Brother, your news is outdated. Sect Master Jiang passed away from illness two months ago, so naturally, his sole son took over as the Sect Master.”

“This Jiang Yinmian looks a bit frail and sickly.”

“That’s why everyone says he can’t even defeat his own four great guardians, let alone Young Master Sui Yu. He’s simply ‘an ant trying to stop a carriage, overestimating his own ability.'”

The camera lens gradually pushed in. In the shot, Fu Yu’s eyes were like a frozen lake, icy and indifferent, uncaring about everyone and everything.

She only cared about who would be the first place winner of the Heroic Assembly.

Fu Yu cupped her hands and bowed to Zhou Wenkai, her eyes holding a trace of arrogance, and her voice was cold.

“I am Jiang Yinmian; I hope you will enlighten me, sir.”

“Qingyun Mountain Villa, Sui Yu.” Zhou Wenkai returned the bow with cupped hands, a graceful smile on his lips.

Standing like an elegant jade tree, smiling as if embracing the moon.

“…” Fu Yu’s heart, sealed by ice, involuntarily fluttered for a moment, and the blush common to girls crept up her ears.

In just a second, the look in her eyes was once again covered by ice.

“Cut! Excellent.” Zhang Mingxiu nodded excitedly, his eyes shining as he looked at the two leads. They truly deserved to be the male and female leads he personally selected.

“Let’s switch to another camera angle and get one more backup shot.”

Bai Yiyan watched the monitor with unwavering focus, impressed by the acting of Fu Yu and Zhou Wenkai.

Most importantly, their chemistry was extremely high. It was as if they weren’t acting but had completely merged with the characters themselves; Fu Yu had truly become “Jiang Yinmian,” seeing the world through her eyes.

Watching the filming all morning, Bai Yiyan benefited greatly.

When an excellent person integrates into an excellent and ambitious group, he/she will become even more excellent and ambitious and benefit immensely. Clearly, the Nine Heavens crew was such an excellent collective.

In recent years, the film and television industry has been sluggish, and there are only a handful of reputable directors in China. Among them, Zhang Mingxiu ranks steadily in second place. Many big stars vie for a role in his dramas, but he never cares about the actor’s status; he only looks at the suitability of the role and the actor. Another point is that he is bold enough to use newcomers.

It was this very point that gave Bai Yiyan her opportunity.

…

Hengdian in August is the hottest time of the year. Today was no exception, with temperatures soaring to 38 degrees Celsius. For actors, filming in the scorching heat or freezing cold is a completely normal occurrence.

The morning sun was not too harsh yet, so Zhang Mingxiu seized the time to finish the outdoor scenes for the day. The afternoon scenes were moved indoors, with a plan to shoot twelve scenes.

The morning shoot went very smoothly. The male and female leads filmed a total of six scenes together, and the supporting actors filmed two, totaling eight scenes in the morning.

The lunch break, including the mealtime, was only an hour and a half. Everyone had to hurry to eat lunch, rest, and replenish their energy.

At 1:30 PM, preparations for the start of work began, with actors retouching their makeup and changing costumes. At 2:00 PM, the afternoon scenes started. With twelve scenes, it was estimated that the earliest wrap-up would be around 8:00 PM.

Bai Yiyan did not leave; she planned to continue watching the filming in the afternoon. So, Bai Yiyan ate the boxed lunch with everyone at noon, then went to her dressing room to rest for a bit.

Although there was no bed in the dressing room, there was a 1.5-meter-long double sofa.

Bai Yiyan tucked her long legs and lay sideways on the sofa. She only slept for half an hour before waking up and checking the time on her phone; it was exactly one o’clock.

The air conditioning in the dressing room was set a little low, so Bai Yiyan reached for the blanket on her body and covered her chest. She opened WeChat and habitually clicked on Moments. Quite rare, Ye Manqing had actually posted a Moment.

Ye Manqing: [Cloud (White Cloud emoji)]

The accompanying photo was a picture of the blue sky and white clouds. The sky was azure, and the clusters of white clouds seemed close enough to touch. Judging from the shooting angle, it must have been taken on an airplane.

Checking the time the Moment was posted, it was half an hour ago.

Seeing that it was still early, with almost an hour before the afternoon shoot started, and feeling a little restless, Bai Yiyan tentatively sent a WeChat message to Ye Manqing.

Bai Yiyan: [Teacher Ye, have you had lunch yet?]

As soon as the message was sent, Bai Yiyan heard footsteps outside the door, which then stopped.

A “ding” sound, a WeChat notification, rang outside the door.

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