I Became Famous in the Entertainment Industry with High Martial Arts Skills - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Character Charisma

“Alright, alright, TV dramas are all fake. Don’t cry, baby,” Xiao Yang said, holding his girlfriend Miaomiao and comforting her incessantly.

Miaomiao leaned into her boyfriend’s arms, her eyes red after finishing Episodes 7 and 8 of Han River Crossing. Her phone screen lit up; the wallpaper had already been changed to a screenshot of Wan Yuya’s first appearance in the drama.

She opened the group chat on her phone. Unsurprisingly, her fellow fans were all wailing, cursing the male lead and the Sixth Prince for being inhuman. Xiao Yang took a peek and felt a sliver of sympathy for Wan Yuya as well.

This kind of “White Moonlight” character, which transcended the boundaries of gender, had immense lethality. Even though a minority of viewers had complained about Wan Yuya’s personality being too weak, they still couldn’t help but notice him. They pitied his pure kindness and hated his frailty.

By the time tonight’s two episodes finished, combined with the preview for Episode 10, the viewership ratings for Han River Crossing hit a new high, nearing 2.0. The boss of Lemon Video, looking at the numbers on the financial report, immediately ordered that the exclusive recommendation slot for Han River Crossing on the app’s homepage be made even more prominent.

As the absolute center of discussion for these two episodes, Xie Ci’s food-themed Weibo post reached nearly two million likes. The comment section was filled with viewers’ heartache for Wan Yuya.

Xie Ci had just finished reading his letters. Before he could recover from the continuous “I likes” in the pink envelope, the comment section gave him another shock.

The scriptwriter, Song Ling, wrote the second male lead’s role with great flair. The storyline rose and fell drastically, testing the audience’s emotional resilience. In Episode 8, he was still a pitiful soul bullied by everyone; by Episode 10, Wan Yuya would already be a ruthless villain who killed without blinking.

Currently, most viewers in the comments held deep sympathy and pity for Wan Yuya. After all, the plot in Episode 8 was truly heart-wrenching—his friends and family were all dead, leaving him utterly alone. Xie Ci closed his phone. Thinking about Episodes 9 and 10 to be aired next Saturday, he silently decided it would be better not to check Weibo for the next month.

“Sister Ming, let me fill it up for you.” Song Ling held a bottle of red wine and poured a full glass for Ming Yang.

A sweet berry aroma wafted out as the bottle tilted, and the dark red liquid splashed into fine bubbles. Shen Fang smiled with a relaxed face. Over a month ago, she and Ming Yang were still frazzled by the issues surrounding the second male and female leads of Han River Crossing. Who could have imagined the broadcast would be this successful?

Ming Yang practically lived on set, monitoring the filming every day, while Song Ling, as the writer, had been tirelessly polishing the script without a day off. Today was a rare break for them.

The two latest episodes had just finished. In the Han River Crossing discussion forum, new posts were constantly refreshing. The thread started on the premiere day had long surpassed 10,000 replies, and the moderator had opened several new concentrated discussion threads.

1L: I can’t do this. I’ve been crying ever since I finished Episode 8… 5L: Me too… I didn’t even dare watch the part where the second male lead was locked in the insect pit. 9L: Anyone want to analyze the future plot for him? I feel like it’s going to be very exciting. 24L: I really hope the crew releases more episodes. This drama is officially my favorite of the year. 31L: My Tuyin (TikTok) homepage is full of edits. Besides the second male lead, the most viral is the second female lead. Qiao Mingyue is finally not playing a ‘silly sweet’ character.

47L: This drama is quite unconventional. The supporting characters have more tension than the leads. One is a ‘darkened’ male version of a White Moonlight, the other is a two-faced crazy Princess. I’ve already seen fans of the female lead complaining that Su Wu doesn’t have enough screen time. 52L: These ‘film-while-airing’ dramas rely on character charisma. The female lead’s character is actually okay, but she can’t hold up against the male lead’s ‘level-up’ plot line, making her feel like a background character.

69L: So what? Su Wu’s acting is mediocre, and her status isn’t on the same level as Qiao Mingyue. Xie Ci’s acting is much better than hers, and his early appearance was too stunning. It’s normal she can’t compete. Even the male lead’s heat isn’t as high as his. 75L: By the way, does Xie Ci have a movie with Ji Xiuheng? Can it be released next year? 77L: Deep Abyss, right? Probably aimed for next summer. Film Emperor Ji hasn’t acted in years; it’s a major production.

As the posts strayed further, the moderator stepped in and temporarily locked the thread.

Viewers were shouting for more episodes on the official Weibo. After one day of rest, the Han River Crossing crew dived back into intense filming.

By the time Episode 11 finished filming, the main characters were all in the capital, and the city was slowly becoming unsettled, with a storm brewing. Xie Ci’s filming load became increasingly heavy.

He had to film scenes of being outwardly compliant but inwardly plotting with the male lead while investigating the “Dengwen Drum Case,” as well as scenes with the female lead in the manor, and occasionally a scene with the royal siblings (the second female and third male leads). He was the person with the heaviest workload in the crew.

When filming Deep Abyss, Xie Ci was a minor supporting character with only three or four scenes. Sometimes he stayed on set all day for at most an hour or two of filming. Now, in Han River Crossing, his daily filming time often stretched to over ten hours. Large amounts of horseback riding, martial arts, and close-up shots kept him busy beyond belief.

Taking advantage of the makeup time, Xiao Ya handed a thermos to Xie Ci. Inside was a warm, sweet puree of cassava and peach gum. Xie Ci took a sip, his eyes fixed on the script whose edges were already curled from use.

The crew was currently filming Episode 13. The male lead, Gu Huaizhou, was highly regarded by the old Emperor and was rising steadily in court. He had been exceptionally transferred to the “Red Crow Guard,” an office in charge of investigation and interrogation, holding a fifth-rank official position. However, an old woman in the capital endured torture to beat the Dengwen Drum, accusing someone in the capital of kidnapping women from respectable families. This enraged the Emperor, who ordered the male lead to investigate.

Under the lens, Li Zhaobai’s Gu Huaizhou looked cold and stern as they filmed a group scene of the investigation. Xie Ci finished the last sip of the puree, returned the cup to Xiao Ya with a smile and a “Thank you,” and was then called out of the dressing room to wait for his scene.

After Gu Huaizhou met Wan Yuya in the capital, he asked several times how Wan Yuya escaped the exile convoy, but every time he brought it up, Wan Yuya brushed it off in a few words. What surprised Gu Huaizhou was that the young master, who previously didn’t even dare ride a horse, not only rode with clean and sharp movements but also possessed martial arts skills that were not inferior to his own.

Gu Huaizhou himself had excellent natural talent and had practiced martial arts with his adoptive father since childhood; only through his skills did he win the Emperor’s favor and get transferred from the ceremonial guard to the powerful Red Crow Guard. Yet in just over half a year, the young master who used to be afraid of even a centipede could now kill four skilled grown men without blinking. His execution was so practiced that he was a completely different person from the old Wan Yuya.

Yet whenever they spoke, Wan Yuya’s tone and mannerisms were the same as before, as if the raid on the Wan family and his exile were just a dream. Song Ling had told Li Zhaobai during the script reading that the male lead still had a youthful mindset. His hatred for his father’s killer was strong, but for Wan Yuya the son of the enemy who “saved” him it wasn’t simple hatred. This tested Li Zhaobai’s acting: he had to show hatred and guilt, unable to be cruel yet unable to let it go.

Before every scene with Xie Ci, Li Zhaobai would rehearse several times.

“Episode 13, Scene 31, Take 1, Action!”

At the assistant director’s command, the two entered their states instantly. One had a gaze of surprise mixed with suspicion; the other had clear eyes and a gentle smile, yet when the camera zoomed in, one could see a trace of undetectable ruthlessness.

“Ah Zhou, I finally have the chance to investigate a case with you.” Wan Yuya, wearing a bright red brocade robe, curled his lips and spoke familiarly to Gu Huaizhou.

A colleague walked over. “It is our honor to work with Master Wan.” The flattering smile in those words pricked Gu Huaizhou’s mind like a needle. He put on a smile, placed his hand on Wan Yuya’s shoulder, and said a few welcoming words. The small boat jade pendant around his neck swayed slightly with his movements, making Wan Yuya’s eyes darken and grow colder.

From this episode onward, Gu Huaizhou and Wan Yuya began investigating the Dengwen Drum Case together. They quickly traced it to the young son of a sixth-rank capital official. However, the further they investigated, the more people were involved, eventually reaching high-ranking court officials, making it spiral out of control.

The afternoon filming lasted until 8:00 PM. Just as Xie Ci sat down in the dressing room, he was called by a staff member to film a set of stills to be released next Wednesday. After finishing, Xie Ci checked his phone and realized tomorrow was Saturday Episodes 9 and 10 were about to air.

Mo Li drove while Xiao Ya checked news about Xie Ci on various platforms, reminding him, “Xiao Ci, don’t look at the comments for a while.”

Xie Ci nodded. He had intended to do so. In the upcoming plot, Wan Yuya did a lot of dirty work for the Sixth Prince. He used the male lead’s guilt to gain benefits for himself while secretly destroying evidence related to the Dengwen Drum Case. He had reached a point of obsession and ruthlessness. Xiao Ya knew that once the episodes aired, there would inevitably be irrational fans coming to hurl insults, which was why she told him to avoid the comment section.

The more brilliant a drama is, the harder it is for viewers to separate the actor from the role. When a performance is too infectious, the actor is often labeled with the character’s traits. Wan Yuya’s “White Moonlight” feel in the early stages was so strong that the contrast of him killing people and struggling for power after his darkening would be even more impactful, making people love and hate him at the same time. While a few viewers might love this “dark” version, the “pure White Moonlight” filter of most viewers was bound to shatter, and it would take time for them to adapt.

As a new fan, Xiao Fang’s favorite character in Han River Crossing was the second male lead. Wan Yuya truly fulfilled her girlish heart he was like a gentle and kind “senior next door”! Xie Ci played Wan Yuya with a softness that wasn’t feminine, looking fresh and clean. This made Xiao Fang cry like a baby while watching Episode 8.

She was on a video call with her best friend, sobbing, “Wuwu, it’s… it’s all that Sixth Prince’s fault for being so cruel.” Her friend comforted her, “Alright, it’s just a character. Besides, doesn’t he come back later?”

“You don’t understand! When I saw Little Crow huddled in the corner of the insect pit shouting for help, I wanted to rush in, save him, and beat up the male lead and the Sixth Prince!” She didn’t feel satisfied just talking on video, so she pestered her friend to come over and watch together. “I’ll treat you to snacks and milk tea, good girl, just come keep me company.”

Her friend Xiao Yuan had no choice but to ride her electric scooter to Xiao Fang’s house.

“Hurry, hurry! It’s almost 7:30!” Xiao Fang held milk tea in one hand and the remote in the other, pushing her friend onto the sofa.

The night was thick as ink. Desolate trees lined the path outside the city gates, and a cold moon hung low.

Da-da, da-da the hurried sound of horse hooves crushed the silence of the capital’s outskirts. The galloping Western stallion was pitch black, yet its hooves were stained with dried dark red. The rider wore a cloak with embroidered cloud patterns, the hem fluttering in the wind.

As the rider approached the city gate, the guards grew tense, clutching their weapons. However, as the horse entered, before the guard could gather his courage to shout, the rider silently pulled a blood-stained transit token from his waist.

“O-open the gate.” The guard’s voice trembled as he instinctively stepped back.

As the sound of hooves faded, the guard held a lantern to the ground. A few drops of dark red blood mixed with the mud, appearing pitch black.

The manor gates swung open. The rider dismounted, took a bundle from the horse, and walked straight to the front courtyard study. He knelt and spoke: “Your Highness, the traitor has been executed.”

With that, he untied the bundle, revealing a blood-stained head within.

The camera slowly panned up. Following “His Highness’s” gaze, a breathtakingly beautiful face as refined as jade slowly appeared on the screen.

“AHHHHH!” “AHHHHH!”

Xiao Fang and Xiao Yuan clung to each other. Before they could recover from the sight of the bloody head, they were struck by the beauty on the screen a beauty like a blade unsheathed.

“Is this a new character?” Xiao Yuan, who almost never watched dramas, was dumbfounded. Her gaze was locked on Wan Yuya, unable to look away.

A ruthless beauty with high-level martial arts! Who filmed her “X-point” (personal preference/kink) so perfectly?!!

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