MQSP - Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Fang Yi accompanied Gu Baiye to the dressing room to change, standing guard at the door to prevent anyone from getting near her. She was clearly taking her responsibility for the little one very seriously.
Xue Yuexian couldn't find any opportunity to approach Gu Baiye. She was annoyed and helpless, but as a big shot, she had a thick skin and shamelessly tagged along after Fang Yi.
As a result, wherever Gu Baiye went, she was followed by two powerful figures… an incredibly impressive sight.
A short while later, Gu Baiye emerged.
"Are you changed?"
"Yes. This leather is a bit stiff, it's a little hard to move in," Gu Baiye said, raising her arms and moving around a bit.
Fang Yi was still a little worried. She reached out and pressed a hand against Gu Baiye's back, feeling the hard material.
Seeing this, Xue Yuexian decisively raised her hand to feel Xiao Ye's back as well, only to have it slapped away by Fang Yi.
"If you want to touch someone, go touch your own artist. Keep your paws to yourself," she said, shooting her a displeased glare.
"Stingy."
Xue Yuexian put on a pitiful expression, a stark contrast to her glamorous attire and straightforward personality, which made Gu Baiye unable to resist laughing.
"Aww, my little baby is so cute when she smiles~ You even have a little canine tooth~"
"…" Gu Baiye immediately wiped the smile off her face.
When Gu Baiye returned to the training ground, she saw Su Yu explaining the scene to Auntie Lin. This part was quite intense, so she had to perform it well and not keep causing NGs for Auntie Lin!
After a brief explanation, Su Yu gave the order to begin, picking up from where they had left off. An Xi was pointing her finger at Commander Huo's nose and cursing her out.
"You remember this: in this military camp, you have no right to speak!"
Commander Huo was panicked and furious. An Xi shot her a disdainful glance when a voice suddenly came from behind.
"And what of Us? In this military camp, do We still have the right to speak?"
An Xi's body stiffened, the mocking expression freezing on her face. She spun around and dropped to her knees with a thud.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" she said, hastily paying her respects.
"We ask you, in this camp, do We have the right to speak?" The King of Yi walked up to An Xi, her face grim, her words filled with immense authority.
"Your… Your Majesty, what are you saying? We are all your subjects. Naturally, whatever you say, goes." An Xi swallowed hard, starting to panic, and bowed her head even lower.
"Your Majesty!" Commander Huo had finally found her savior. She scrambled and crawled over, kneeling at the King of Yi's feet and wailing her grievances.
An Xi glanced up at her, listening as she reported the events with gross exaggeration. A cold drop of sweat trickled down from her forehead.
The King of Yi's expression grew uglier. Her gaze was so tangible it seemed to want to pierce through the person kneeling before her, and An Xi felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.
"Your Majesty, what has happened here?"
A voice suddenly came from behind. Hearing it, An Xi inadvertently looked up and secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Her savior had arrived!
An Luocheng and the other young generals rushed over. An Xi looked back at her, and a great weight was immediately lifted from her heart.
"Hmph. We were not aware that this is how you usually discipline your subordinates, dear minister," the King of Yi said coldly, a smile that didn't reach her eyes on her face. She glanced at An Luocheng, her expression not softening in the slightest.
An Xi looked at An Luocheng with a wronged expression, but before she could speak, Commander Huo once again recounted the recent events with added embellishments.
An Luocheng's face grew darker. She glanced at An Xi and secretly gritted her teeth.
"Is what Commander Huo says the truth?" An Luocheng looked around at the surrounding soldiers, but no one dared to speak.
"Mother, we were only trying to stop Commander Huo from slaughtering the innocent. We had no intention of offending her, nor was it deliberate as she claims. Xiao Xi only acted out of desperation," An Liang quickly knelt at An Luocheng's feet to plead for her.
An Luocheng fell silent. The atmosphere on the field was incredibly tense; everyone was waiting for her to speak.
After a moment, An Luocheng took a deep breath, clasped her fists, and bowed to the King of Yi.
"Your Majesty is correct. It is this subject who has been lax in discipline," she said, her tone icy and devoid of any emotion.
Hearing this, An Xi looked up at her, a hint of disbelief in her eyes.
"Hmph." The King of Yi flicked her sleeve, clearly not buying it.
An Luocheng paused for a moment, not even raising her eyelids. With a cold expression, she turned, walked over to An Duo, took the iron whip from her hand, and then came to a stop behind An Xi.
An Xi's eyes widened as she looked back at her. An Luocheng wrapped the iron whip around her hand twice without looking at An Xi. Seeing this, An Xi's face filled with indignation. She turned back around and knelt perfectly straight, the words "I am not convinced" practically written on her face!
But no matter how tough she appeared, when she heard the metallic clang of the iron whip hitting the ground behind her, a trace of fear still flickered across An Xi's face. Her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her armor.
"Xiao Xi, you have been by my side since you were a child and have spent more than ten years in this camp. Have you learned nothing of military discipline and law in all these years!" An Luocheng's tone was sharp, her voice rising suddenly at the end. As she spoke, with a swish, the iron whip whistled through the air, hurtling toward An Xi's straight back!
With a clang of metal on metal, Gu Baiye froze for a second. Why didn't she feel anything on her back… This leather armor's defense was too strong! Wait, that's not right. She didn't even feel the impact of being hit. So where did that whip go?
"Hey, Lin Yuqing, who are you whipping?" Su Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How could the person doing the whipping end up lashing herself!
Gu Baiye turned to look and saw that the whip, due to inertia, had wrapped around Auntie Lin's body twice. She was a bit stunned.
"Ahem…" Lin Yuqing coughed lightly to hide her embarrassment. She wasn't very good at controlling the force of such a long whip. Afraid of actually hitting Xiao Ye, she had intentionally held back as she swung, but she held back too much. The whip didn't have enough length, so not only did it miss Xiao Ye, but it also swung back and wrapped around herself. It was utterly mortifying.
Gu Baiye couldn't help but snicker secretly. Watching Auntie Lin frantically trying to untangle the whip, she found it funnier and funnier!
"Ahem, my apologies. Let's go again."
"Just let loose and swing. She's wearing thick leather; it won't hurt her," Su Yu reminded her, and filming resumed.
An Luocheng lifted the whip. As she finished her line, she swung it out. Swish-crack!
This time, it landed squarely on Gu Baiye's armor.
"Cut! You're a general, why is your whip swing so limp? Put some force into it. Can't bear to strike her?"
When Su Yu got stern, she didn't give anyone face. Lin Yuqing listened obediently. She knew she wasn't in the right state of mind. Even though she was aware that Xiao Ye was wearing protective leather, she still couldn't bring herself to do it.
She swung the whip in the air a couple of times to get a feel for it.
"Teacher Lin, just go for it. It's fine."
Lin Yuqing nodded, signaling that she was okay.
Filming continued.
This lash landed solidly on the little one's body. Lin Yuqing's heart clenched, but when she saw that the girl only straightened her back with no major reaction, she felt relieved.
"The pain isn't intense enough. Imagine the feeling of an iron whip striking your body. It's okay to exaggerate a little, make it realistic." Su Yu was not satisfied. Again!
Another lash came down. Gu Baiye's body jerked upright, her face contorted in pain as she bit her lower lip.
"Still not enough. A bit more exaggeration."
After this was repeated four or five times, Lin Yuqing was covered in sweat.
"The leather's too thick, so it doesn't hurt, is that it?" Su Yu said, exasperated.
Gu Baiye rubbed her forehead. Seeing everyone NG again because of her, she felt terrible. What frustrated her most was that she just couldn't act out the sense of pain the director wanted. She was getting anxious.
"Everyone, take a break. Baiye, come over here, I'll talk you through it."
Gu Baiye walked over, her mind heavy. Before Su Yu could speak, she said, "Director, I want to…"
Ten minutes later, Gu Baiye emerged from the dressing room. Su Yu glanced at her, and she nodded back. Su Yu, however, looked worried.
She called everyone over. "Listen up. This time, no matter how it turns out, no one is to stop. This is the only chance we get, so we have to get it in one take. No one is to mess up, do you hear me!" Su Yu's tone was serious, her expression solemn.
Everyone assumed the director was fed up with the NGs and had issued an ultimatum. They all looked serious and said it was no problem.
"Can you do it?" Su Yu looked at Gu Baiye again.
"Yes, I can," Gu Baiye nodded, her face resolute.
"Alright, let's go. Action!"
An Luocheng took a deep breath, holding the long whip and wrapping it around her hand twice.
"Xiao Xi, you have been by my side since you were a child and have spent more than ten years in this camp. Have you learned nothing of military discipline and law in all these years!" An Luocheng's voice was deep and stern, the reprimand held low in her throat.
As she spoke, a swish came from behind her. The iron whip, carrying the sound of the wind, whistled straight for An Xi's back.
"Hngh…" Even though she was prepared, An Xi couldn't stop a cry of pain from escaping. Her body gave out, and she collapsed halfway to the ground.
Her hands were clenched into tight fists, so tight her knuckles turned white. A cold sweat broke out on her body, which trembled slightly. The pain on her back felt like it was being torn apart. The sheer agony was unimaginable…
Seeing Gu Baiye's reaction, Lin Yuqing was visibly stunned.
"Mo… Mother, I beg you, have mercy!" An Liang shuffled forward on her knees to plead with An Luocheng. The other young actors also fell to their knees, which finally managed to pull Lin Yuqing back into the scene.
Gu Baiye took a deep breath. She lay on the ground for a long while before slowly, very slowly, pushing herself back into a kneeling position.
"You… don't need… to plead for me," she said, sucking in several sharp breaths with every word.
The others didn't react much, just thinking that Gu Baiye had finally gotten the hang of it and was acting well. Su Yu, however, was so nervous she was biting her fingers.
An Xi took several deep breaths, seeming to have recovered. She looked back at An Luocheng, who was also looking at her. They held each other's gaze for a long time, only for An Luocheng to lift the whip in her hand again.
An Xi forced a smile, turned back around, and with great difficulty, straightened her back and knelt properly.
"Arrogant words, disrespect to Her Majesty, no sense of discipline!" An Luocheng reprimanded, followed immediately by another lash.
"Ngh…" Gu Baiye's vision blurred. A cry of pain was forcefully suppressed in her throat. Her scalp tingled, and her mind went blank for a moment. Gritting her teeth, she desperately tried to recall her lines.
"I, An Xi… have always… acted according to my heart, unafraid of rules and regulations… Today, even if Mother is to punish me by military law, I… will have no regrets. I only regret that my words carry little weight, and I could not save… these innocent people!"
"This lash is for your cleverness, for your self-righteousness!"
"Ah—!"
Gu Baiye fell to the ground uncontrollably, one hand clutching her back, convulsing in pain.
That shrill scream made everyone present shudder, as if it could only have come from someone in extreme agony.
Lin Yuqing's hand, holding the whip, froze. She dropped the whip to the ground and stared at Gu Baiye, who was on the floor gasping for air. Her heart was pounding violently. The child's reaction didn't look like acting at all. But hadn't she taken protective measures?
Su Yu was watching nervously when an anxious voice suddenly sounded in her ear. "What's going on!"
Su Yu jumped. Seeing it was Fang Yi, she unconsciously averted her gaze.
This unusual behavior confirmed Fang Yi's suspicions. She looked like she wanted to swallow Su Yu whole. Pointing to the set, she demanded, "Tell them to stop!"
"I can't. The atmosphere is perfect right now. We can't interrupt them. Do you want her to have taken those lashes for nothing?!"
"Your Majesty, I hope you will reconsider the matter of slaughtering the city's inhabitants," An Luocheng said, walking up to the King of Yi and bowing.
"Do you also wish to defy Our decree, dear minister?"
"Your Majesty, these people are innocent victims. They…"
"Enough. We do not wish to hear any more of this nonsense. We ask you only this: will you also defy Our decree?" the King of Yi's tone was grim as she closed in on An Luocheng step by step.
An Luocheng met her gaze, then directly lifted the hem of her robes and knelt on the ground.
"This subject implores Your Majesty to retract the order."
"You…" The monarch was stunned, then furious.
"We implore Your Majesty to retract the order." Vice General Mo Jiu also took two steps forward and knelt behind An Luocheng.
Seeing this, the other young generals also knelt.
The surrounding soldiers no longer hesitated, kneeling one after another to beg the King of Yi to retract her order.
The entire field of soldiers shouted in unison, their voices thunderous. The King of Yi stood alone in the center, looking in disbelief at the kneeling soldiers. An invisible pressure began to spread.
"You! All of you!" The King of Yi raised her hand, unsure of who to point at, and stomped her foot in anger, nearly losing her balance.
An Luocheng quickly rose to support her.
The King of Yi straightened up and pushed An Luocheng away.
"And if We insist on slaughtering the city, what will you do then, dear minister?" The King of Yi closed in on An Luocheng again, her face almost touching hers.
An Luocheng kept her eyes lowered, remaining silent in wordless defiance.
The King of Yi sneered, then turned and drew the sword from Commander Huo's waist! Holding the sword, she walked step by step toward the nearest child, who was so frightened it hid in the arms of a nearby adult.
"Your Majesty!" An Luocheng's tone was stern as she blocked the child's path.
"Move." The King of Yi's face was ashen.
An Luocheng didn't budge an inch.
"Move!" the King of Yi's voice rose, the sword in her hand now resting on An Luocheng's neck.
An Luocheng still did not move!
The two of them remained locked in a stalemate!
"Fine! Fine!" After a long moment, the King of Yi spat out through gritted teeth. She threw the sword to the ground in frustration and turned to walk out of the city.
Only then did An Luocheng's tightly clenched fists slowly relax. Watching the King of Yi's retreating figure, she let out a secret sigh of relief.
This scene was finally over. Before Su Yu could even call "cut," Fang Yi pushed through the crowd and knelt beside Gu Baiye. She reached out to help her up, but the little one was shivering from the pain, and she had no idea where to even touch her.
"This is absurd!" she snapped, her almond-shaped eyes wide in a rare display of anger.
Su Yu also hurried over. She looked at Gu Baiye, her heart aching. The little one was still biting her lower lip, her body trembling slightly. The wisps of hair at her temples were soaked with sweat and stuck to her face. She was deathly pale and looked to be in very bad shape.
"Did we get it?" she asked Su Yu, her face full of hope.
Su Yu took a deep breath. Seeing Gu Baiye completely disregard her own pain, she was deeply moved. "We got it. It was excellent."
Hearing this, Gu Baiye visibly relaxed. If they hadn't gotten it after all that, she… might as well have let Auntie Lin whip her to death!
Seeing the two of them so tense and looking at Gu Baiye's condition, the onlookers gradually began to realize what had happened. Lin Yuqing had felt something was wrong from the start. During this take, the little one's performance had been incredibly realistic, not at all like acting. Now, seeing Su Yu and Fang Yi's reactions, her heart sank. Clinging to a sliver of hope, she took two steps forward, knelt beside Gu Baiye, and reached a hand inside her armor. All she felt was Gu Baiye's warm, soft body, soaked with sweat. There was no protective leather at all!
"Teacher… Teacher Lin, it's okay. Don't worry." Gu Baiye smiled at her, but to Lin Yuqing, that smile was exceptionally jarring, stabbing her heart with a sharp pain.
Fang Yi and Su Yu helped Gu Baiye to her feet and supported her back to the dressing room. Xia Xiaozi was so worried she couldn't stand it and slipped into the dressing room as well, helping Fang Yi remove Gu Baiye's costume.
The two of them didn't dare make any large movements. Gently, slowly, and carefully, they helped her remove the armor. As they took off the undergarment, Gu Baiye couldn't help but let out a series of soft cries. The sweat on her body made the pain sting unbearably.
After finally removing the inner layer, Xia Xiaozi lifted the soaked white shirt and couldn't help but gasp. On Xiao Ye's smooth, fair back were three conspicuous red welts, each as thick as a finger. The edges of the welts were tinged with a faint purple. Two of the whip marks intersected, and the overlapping area was distinctly purple. It looked agonizing.
Noticing that Gu Baiye's bra was pressing against the uppermost welt, Xia Xiaozi helped her shift it up a little. Gu Baiye thought she was going to take it off and was startled. "Auntie… Auntie Xiao Zi." The word "Auntie" almost slipped out.
"Hold her down. I'll disinfect it first." Fang Yi found iodine and cotton swabs in the first-aid kit Su Yu had given her and had Xia Xiaozi hold Gu Baiye still.
"Hiss…"
The little one let out a series of sharp hisses. Seeing this, Xia Xiaozi felt so awful she was on the verge of tears.
Fortunately, Fang Yi's movements were swift and deft, and she quickly finished disinfecting the wounds.
"I should take her to the hospital," Fang Yi said, a little worried. The wounds looked vicious, and they could get infected if not treated properly.
"I'll go with you," Xia Xiaozi said quickly.
Fang Yi gave her a long look before nodding. "Okay."
Meanwhile, in the makeup room outside the dressing room, Xue Yuexian was pointing a finger at Su Yu's nose and scolding her furiously.
"So what if she can't act out the feeling? Who can act out every single feeling? If you were filming a suicide scene, would you actually make her slit her own throat?!"
"You're one cruel woman, aren't you? Just watching her get hit with an iron whip and not saying a word. Do you directors abandon all humanity just to get a good shot?!"
Lin Yuqing stood in front of the makeup mirror, her eyes closed, her hands clenched into tight fists, gripping the edge of the table.
She had already noticed something was wrong with Xiao Ye after the first lash. Why didn't she think more about it? Why! If she had just paid a little more attention, been a little more careful, she would have had a chance to stop this. Why hadn't she paid more attention to her?!
The more Lin Yuqing thought about it, the angrier and more guilty she became. She slammed her fist heavily on the table, venting her self-loathing.
Just as Gu Baiye came out of the dressing room, she saw Lin Yuqing's self-harming act. She hurried over and grabbed Lin Yuqing's wrist. "Teacher Lin, please don't do this. I was the one who insisted on it. It has nothing to do with you or Director Su." She gently rubbed the back of Lin Yuqing's hand, her heart aching for her.
After rubbing it for a moment, Gu Baiye let go of her hand and turned to Xue Yuexian, giving her a small smile. "Auntie Xue, thank you for your concern. But this matter has nothing to do with Director Su. I was the one who insisted. I didn't want to hold everyone back because of myself, and I certainly didn't want to ruin this scene with my clumsy acting."
"My acting skills weren't good enough, so I could only think of a foolish shortcut. Director Su tried to stop me, but I insisted. I hope you won't blame her anymore."
With that, Gu Baiye gave a slight bow to everyone, wanting to thank them for their concern, but the movement accidentally pulled at the wounds on her back.
"Hiss…"
"Stop moving around!" Xue Yuexian immediately rushed over to support her, her face filled with worry.
"Is it serious?" Su Yu asked, looking at Fang Yi.
Fang Yi didn't reply. She didn't want to talk to her, clearly still angry.
"Auntie Fang."
Unable to resist Gu Baiye's persuasion, Fang Yi's expression softened slightly. "I'm taking her to the hospital now."
"I'm going too," Xue Yuexian immediately said.
"Qing Jie, I'll go along and check on her," Xia Xiaozi said to Lin Yuqing.
"Okay," Lin Yuqing replied. She kept her head down the entire time, staring at her slightly reddened right hand, which Xiao Ye had just been rubbing.
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