Chapter 64 Resuming Filming

According to Baidu Encyclopedia's entry, Liu Shishi gained wider recognition through the Xianxia drama Chinese Paladin 3. In 2011, she won immense popularity for portraying Maertai Ruoxi in the palace drama Scarlet Heart...

In fact, everyone knows that her status as one of the representative actresses of the post-85 generation stems entirely from Scarlet Heart...

For Shen Yan to prevent her from taking on this role... honestly felt a bit merciless!

Besides, Scarlet Heart was scheduled to start filming late next year. Judging by Karen Tsai's usual approach, she would likely still try to cast Shishi in the role!

Shen Yan needed to think of a project in advance to tie up her schedule...

Otherwise, Shishi would have no reason to turn down Karen Tsai...

After all, she was a signed artist under Chinese Entertainment Tianjin (Tangren)!

The most fitting role for Shishi would naturally be a blind character. That Winter, the Wind Blows and The Witness both featured blind female protagonists...

Ahem...

That was underestimating her a bit...

That Winter, the Wind Blows wasn't suitable; it starred Song Hye-kyo and was adapted from the Japanese drama Summer of No Love, where the Japanese heroine was played by Ryoko Hirosue...

Ryoko Hirosue was practically at the quasi-GOAT tier among Japanese actresses active between 1980 and 1985, on par with Yuko Takeuchi, though her film achievements were somewhat greater.

After all, she was the real-life celebrity who looked most like Rei Ayanami!

Song Hye-kyo was even more legendary—a star on record for leaving her post and being rushed to the hospital...

Shishi... better forget it!

She was much better suited for costume dramas.

Her performances in To Dear Myself and The Golden Years were truly awful...

Let me think of something else!

Back in his room, just as he was about to take a shower, Shishi sneaked in stealthily. Glancing left and right, she darted through the door in a flash...

"Hey, what’s with all the stealthy sneaking around?"

Shishi looked embarrassed, "...Old K called me..."

"What did she say?"

"She said if I wasn't going to use my room, she'd cancel the reservation to save the crew a bit of money!"

Shen Yan couldn't help but chuckle, "Haha..."

Only then did Shishi notice that Shen Yan was shirtless, his skin covered in black and blue bruises. A wave of heartache washed over her, "...Why do you have so many injuries all over your body?"

"It's normal. I do all sorts of action scenes every day. In action work, bumps and bruises are just part of the job..."

"Then should I put some blood-circulation and bruise-healing ointment on you later?"

"Sure..."

……

Not long after, Shen Yan finished his shower and stepped out...

"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Shen Yan answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "...Waiting for the water to dry..."

Shishi looked astonished, "Waiting for the water to dry?"

"...You don't expect me to put on clothes while soaking wet, do you? Wouldn't that soak all my clothes?"

"Can't you just dry yourself with a towel?"

"...Too lazy to bother, it'll dry in no time anyway!"

As they spoke, Shen Yan noticed the plasters clenched in Shishi's hand and asked curiously, "Are those the bruise-healing medicated plasters?"

"Yeah, these are the ones I always use... An old martial arts senior recommended them to me..."

"Then help me put them on..."

With that, Shen Yan put on his underwear and lay face down on the bed...

"Hmm," Shishi peeled open a plaster and carefully applied it to Shen Yan's back, asking, "What did Old K say to you?"

"Nothing much, just reminding the two of us to be careful..."

"Careful about what?"

"Don't go and make a baby..."

Shishi's face instantly turned beet red, though she still put up a stubborn front, "As if that would happen..."

"...What? Want to give it a try?"

"...I certainly do not..." Shishi delivered a swift slap downward...

Right onto one of his bruises.

"Hiss~" Shen Yan was just about to continue teasing when the stinging slap caused him to gasp in pain...

"Are you okay?"

"...I'm fine," Shen Yan waved his hand, suddenly remembering something, "What are your plans for next year?"

"Didn't we say we're shooting a movie?"

"Aside from the movie?"

Shishi replied casually, "I'll leave it to Old K to arrange..."

"Has Karen Tsai talked to you about specifics?"

"Not really... But I heard they're making Sword of Legends..."

"Sword of Legends?"

News that Tangren was going to adapt Sword of Legends had already leaked out as early as 2006!

Back then, following the massive success of Chinese Paladin, Tangren intended to follow the same formula to produce Sword of Legends: GuJian Qitan...

They had already lined up the director, screenwriter, and even the main cast!

Screenwriter Wang Yu, director Xu Yiming, and the starring lineup featured Huang Haibing, Cao Jun, Tang Ning, and Hu Ke, with Hu Ge making a cameo appearance as Li Shimin...

Later on, it fell through...

Word had it that it was because Huang Haibing turned down the offer...

Shishi asked him, "Have you ever played Sword of Legends?"

"...Not really played it much, why?"

"Don't you want to try and get a role in it?"

"Forget it, that's a Tangren production..."

……

Tangren completely transplanted the production methods of Hong Kong television dramas, featuring an executive producer—namely, Li Guoli—who held the title of general director.

Li Guoli served as the executive producer and general director for almost all of Tangren's productions, overseeing the creative direction, script development, and filming.

Specific shooting duties were delegated to Wu Jinyuan, Liang Shengquan, and You Dazhi.

This shooting method guaranteed production efficiency.

They could basically wrap up principal photography within three months!

However, the actors really had it tough...

Often working overtime to shoot night scenes...

While ensuring the production ran smoothly, Shen Yan also had to maintain regular updates for Lord of the Mysteries...

Leaving him with zero energy to think about anything else.

On set, they were currently filming the scene where Ying Wuqiu is severely beaten by Yan Song for failing to handle a task properly...

"You useless piece of trash!"

Yan Song delivered a fierce kick to Ying Wuqiu's waist, watching him tumble backward to the ground, before stepping forward to plant a boot heavily on Ying Wuqiu's chest, grinding his heel down ruthlessly.

"Trash! You couldn't even capture a hundred children! What use are you?!"

Ying Wuqiu let out a cry of agony, his hands reaching out to grab Yan Song's boot as if trying to lessen the crushing weight on his chest, yet not daring to exert any real force.

"P-Please, Your Excellency, calm your anger..."

Yan Shifan sat nearby, watching with cold indifference as he casually picked up a cup of tea to take a sip.

Yan Song finally lifted his foot, having delivered enough vicious kicks to send Ying Wuqiu rolling repeatedly across the floor.

"Useless trash! What is even the point of keeping you around?!"

Ying Wuqiu struggled painfully back up into a kneeling position, pressing his forehead against the floor, "Please, My—My Lord, allow this subordinate..."

Seeing stars and gripped by a searing pain in his waist, he could barely speak, yet he forced himself to suppress his ragged breathing just to finish the sentence, "...Allow this subordinate to redeem himself through meritorious service."

Furious, Yan Song raised his leg, intending to kick him again, but Yan Shifan suddenly spoke up.

"Alright, alright, Father, you already know he's useless. When he crosses paths with Li Gexiao, how could he possibly win?"

He stood up, walked over to Yan Song, and mused, "It looks like Li Gexiao intends to meddle in this affair."

Yan Song remarked, "Does that mean we have one more obstacle in our way?"

Yan Shifan laughed, "No, his meddling only makes things more interesting." He lowered his gaze to look at Ying Wuqiu on the floor, asking with a smile, "Ying Wuqiu, wouldn't you say so?"

Shen Yan kept his head down, not daring to answer...

Yan Shifan waved a hand, "Enough, it's getting late, we'll talk about this tomorrow." He turned to Yan Song, "The hour is late, Father, you should go get some rest too."

Frowning in displeasure, Yan Song swept his sleeves and stalked off.

Playing Yan Song was Deng Limin, a regular house actor for Tangren... You could spot him in almost every Tangren production. He was Elder Shi in Chinese Paladin and Pan Renmei in The Young Warriors of the Yang Family...

Acting alongside him gave Shen Yan great peace of mind...

Knowing that the veteran actor had impeccable control, meaning that no matter how fierce or ferocious his facial expressions appeared, the kicks landing on his body didn't actually hurt much...

"Cut... Excellent, let's take a break!"

Hearing the cue, Shen Yan immediately scrambled to his feet and gave Deng Limin a thumbs-up, "Teacher Deng, your acting is truly brilliant!"