MQSP - Chapter 44
Chapter 44
Although everyone had been working overtime to catch up, they had already exceeded the original one-month shooting schedule. The students had all started school, so to finish filming, Baiye had to request a half-month leave of absence. This meant that in less than two weeks, she would have to return to school and endure the painful days of being in a "long-distance relationship" with Auntie Lin again.
During this time, she had grown accustomed to seeing Auntie Lin every day. The thought of going back to school and maybe only seeing her once a week, or even less, made her heart feel as if it were overgrown with weeds. She truly couldn't eat or sleep in peace.
Right now, Su Yu was directing the crew as they set up the scene. The next scene was a group scene, a grand spectacle, and the climax of the entire drama: the final battle between An Luocheng and the King of Yi!
Baiye particularly loved this part of the story because it was the most direct demonstration of how much An Luocheng cherished An Xi.
An Xi had previously absorbed a Gu parasite for her, and the person who planted the Gu was the Grand Witch, who opposed An Luocheng at every turn in the court. Now, the Grand Witch was using An Xi's life as a threat. An Luocheng resolutely promised her wealth and glory, even military power and the throne. As long as she could save An Xi, she agreed to any condition, even allowing the Grand Witch to step on her shoulder and humiliate her in public.
When Baiye first read this scene, she was filled with envy. She envied the way An Luocheng doted on and sacrificed for An Xi, a devotion that surpassed her feelings for anyone else. She also envied An Xi for having such a goddess to protect her, ensuring her safety and happiness.
Moreover, what Baiye admired most about An Xi was that, just like herself, she would rather die than see the person she loved grovel before others for her sake! So in the end, she severed the Grand Witch's neck with a single slash. Although it cut off her own path to survival, she collapsed into An Luocheng's arms with immense satisfaction.
"Daydreaming again." Fang Yi was doing Xiao Ye's makeup and saw her close her eyes and break into a silly smile. She tapped her. What happened to emotional control!
"Hey… I'm not… I'm just getting into character, building up my emotions!"
Fang Yi pursed her lips and smiled. Fine, I'll accept that as a valid reason for now!
"Alright, you're going back to school in a little over a week anyway. You should cherish this last bit of time."
"Oh, you're so annoying! Why do you have to bring up the one thing I don't want to talk about!"
Fang Yi was delighted to have teased her.
Her phone rang. She glanced at it. "I'm going to step out and take this call."
"Okay." Baiye picked up an eyebrow pencil and drew a couple of strokes while looking in the mirror. She hadn't expected Auntie Fang to know how to do makeup, and she was pretty good at it. She should learn from her!
Suddenly, a very discordant sneer sounded. Baiye saw Wu Mengmeng walk in through the mirror, glancing at her with a mocking expression. She immediately sensed ill intent and grew more vigilant.
"You're really something, aren't you? Getting a gold-medal manager to treat you like a treasure right from your debut. Hey, how do you have everyone so utterly captivated? What did you do?" Wu Mengmeng's eyes scanned Baiye up and down, a lewd expression appearing on her face. It was clear she was lumping Baiye in with people like Ye Jingwen, who relied on their looks to get ahead with powerful figures.
Baiye felt very uncomfortable under her gaze and ignored her.
"Hey, don't be so stingy. Tell me."
"If you have so much free time, you'd be better off studying how to act in the next scene," Baiye glanced at her and turned to leave.
"Tsk, I just can't stand that innocent act of yours. What a perfect white lotus," Wu Mengmeng grabbed Baiye's wrist, blocking her path, her words dripping with sarcasm.
"You! Let go!"
Wu Mengmeng gritted her teeth, gripping her fiercely before finally flinging her hand away and giving her a shove. "Just you wait. I'll definitely expose your true colors!"
When Fang Yi returned, she saw Xiao Ye tidying up the scattered cosmetics on the table.
"What's wrong?"
"Hm? Nothing. I was just… uh… taking them out to get to know them…" Baiye smiled. "Auntie Fang, can you teach me how to do makeup?"
"Of course."
Just as the two were engrossed in their study, Su Yu came to call them. It was time to start filming.
On the training ground, dozens of extras had already changed into their armor and were standing in formation. The assistant director was coaching them through the fight choreography for the upcoming scene.
Xia Xiaozi was helping Lin Yuqing adjust her armor, draping the ink-black cape over her shoulders. The silver-stamped character for "An" on the back of the cape was particularly eye-catching.
Lin Yuqing had a horseback riding part in this scene. She had filmed many period dramas and was no stranger to riding; she had even taken lessons for a while.
The props master brought the horse over, holding the reins. Lin Yuqing placed a hand on the saddle, stepped into the stirrup, and pushed off, mounting the horse with remarkable ease. She flicked her cape, adjusted her posture, took the reins, and gently squeezed the horse's belly, circling the field to get a feel for it.
"Wow… so cool!" A group of young actors stared, their eyes wide, each one looking at Lin Yuqing with an infatuated expression. Baiye was naturally among them, but with the others as a backdrop, her lovestruck face was less obvious.
From a distance, Lin Yuqing saw the group of little ones staring at her eagerly. In the past, she wouldn't have even bothered to lift an eyelid. But as it happened, a certain little pervert was mixed in with them. Lin Yuqing was still a bit bothered by the way that girl was always looking at her with lecherous eyes.
She urged the horse toward them. The closer she got, the more excited the young ones became. Lin Yuqing saw it all, suppressing a laugh. She walked up to Baiye and pulled the reins, bringing the horse to a steady halt.
Lin Yuqing looked down at them from her high perch, a rare, gentle smile gracing her lips. She looked at Baiye. "Want to ride?"
"Yes, yes, yes!!!" Baiye nodded her head frantically.
She thought that in the next second, her Auntie Lin would gently extend her hands, lift her onto the horse, wrap an arm around her waist, and let her lean against her chest. The two of them would ride together, enjoying a pleasant and leisurely stroll.
However, what she saw was her Auntie Lin giving a mischievous smile. "Keep dreaming." Head held high, she kicked the horse and trotted away leisurely… gone… just like that…
This is not my Auntie Lin!!! (╥╯^╰╥)
After riding some distance away, Lin Yuqing secretly glanced back, seemingly nonchalantly, at the little one. Yep, she was definitely pouting. She deserved to be taught a lesson!
After filming two large-scale fight scenes, Baiye took a deep breath. The next scene was mainly hers, and she was a little nervous. After all, Teacher Yan had performed so well in the previous two scenes, and she was afraid she would seem timid in comparison.
Lin Yuqing sat on a nearby chair to rest for a moment. Shouting during those two scenes had made her throat sore. Also, there was a move where she had to leap from the horse and land on the ground. Although she was in a wire harness, she hadn't landed steadily and seemed to have twisted her ankle a bit. Fortunately, the soldiers behind her had quickly shielded her with their shields after she landed, so the camera didn't capture that flicker of an unintended expression.
She gently massaged her leg and moved it around a bit. Suddenly, she remembered that the next scene was Xiao Ye's, and in it, she had to portray the intense pain of a Gu parasite gnawing at her stomach. Lin Yuqing's heart tightened. She quickly looked around for Xiao Ye, afraid she might do something foolish again!
Fortunately, the little one seemed to have learned her lesson. She was obediently reading the script and memorizing her lines off to the side, not doing anything out of line. Lin Yuqing relaxed, and even felt a little anticipation for her upcoming performance.
After a short break, everyone quickly returned to work mode.
The extras, however, got to sneak in a break by lying on the ground and pretending to be corpses.
Filming resumed. Everyone was clearing the battlefield. An Xi looked left and right, then grabbed a random guard. "Where is the Grand Witch?"
"The Grand Witch? I haven't seen her."
"You guys, has anyone seen the Grand Witch?"
"Xiao Xi, are you looking for her?" A voice suddenly came from behind. It was An Liang. Then, a woman with a face covered in greasepaint, wearing a black robe and with disheveled hair, was pushed forward. She fell to the ground, trembling.
"She was trying to sneak out of the imperial city through the rear hall and ran right into me."
"Hey, Grand Witch, long time no see."
The Grand Witch trembled, glanced at her, and shrank back. Her shifty eyes darted around before she suddenly pointed at An Luocheng, who was not far away. "An Luocheng, you… you… you can't touch me. If you dare touch me, then… then let's perish together!"
Hearing this, the crowd burst into laughter, completely unaware of what was happening. An Xi, however, her expression changed several times.
"Heh… haha! You ignorant youngsters, she!" The Grand Witch pointed a finger at An Luocheng. "She's already at death's door! And you still don't know? Hahahaha—"
The Grand Witch laughed wildly, almost to the point of tears.
An Duo found it displeasing and went up to give her a kick. This time, the Grand Witch stopped laughing and lay on the ground, wailing…
"You… ah… An Luocheng… you… you're at death's door…"
An Luocheng looked slightly bewildered, but for some reason, she glanced at An Xi.
An Xi scratched her head, feigning confusion and even shrugging innocently. In her heart, however, she already understood. The Sleep Gu in An Luocheng was most likely the handiwork of this Grand Witch.
But her original intention in planting the Gu must have been to take An Luocheng's life. She just hadn't expected that now, this Sleep Gu would become her lifeline—provided, of course, that the Sleep Gu was still inside An Luocheng.
The Grand Witch laughed twice, then scrambled to her feet and began to perform incantations with her fingers in a practiced manner.
The soldiers gathered around, watching her as if she were a fool, laughing and joking.
However, An Xi's expression changed drastically. As the Grand Witch chanted the spell, a sharp, twisting pain erupted in her abdomen! And the pain was growing stronger!
Baiye bit her lower lip, her hands clutching her stomach fiercely. To be honest, she wasn't very good at acting out pain. But when she recalled the times she had stomachaches, the kind of pain that made her wish for death, she was able to portray it as if by instinct.
An Xi clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, trying to endure. The veins on her forehead bulged unintentionally. She didn't dare to take a deep breath, nor did she dare to bend over, trying her best not to let anyone see the slightest thing was wrong.
The Grand Witch paused and looked at An Luocheng's expression. An Luocheng, however, was observing her with great interest.
The Grand Witch looked stunned. "This… this is impossible!" With that, she resumed chanting the spell.
"Impossible… This is impossible! You clearly drank that poisoned wine, you were afflicted by my Sleep Gu, how… how can you be fine?"
The Grand Witch's face turned ashen as she spoke, chanting frantically.
An Xi suddenly took two steps back, hiding behind An Liang. She clutched her stomach desperately, punching it several times. But the parasite inside was thrashing wildly, drilling through her like an electric drill. The pain was unbearable. Cold sweat poured down her forehead, and she couldn't help but slowly crouch down, biting hard on her sleeve.
"Xiao Xi, what's wrong with you?" An Liang turned to look at her.
"Hm? Noth…" An Xi forced a smile, but her face contorted in an instant. The look of agony was truly heart-wrenching.
"Is what she said true?" An Liang's expression turned grim as she grabbed An Xi's shoulders.
"I…" An Xi smiled. "How would I know… Ugh, ah…" The parasite in her stomach suddenly surged. An Xi gripped An Liang's hand tightly, fell to her knees, and curled into a ball, trembling like a leaf in the wind!
An Liang supported her and looked at the Grand Witch. Seemingly understanding, she was about to stand up.
"Liang Jie… kill… kill her!"
"No."
"Hahahaha! So it was you, it was you!!" The Grand Witch suddenly burst into crazed laughter, pointing at An Xi on the ground, extremely agitated, as if she had just seen her savior!
"Heaven has not forsaken me, heaven has not forsaken me!"
"Kill her… Kill her!!" An Xi roared at the people beside her.
"What are you standing there for! Kill her!!!" she commanded the surrounding soldiers, her voice hoarse and desperate.
The soldiers looked at each other, raised their swords, then lowered them again. Everyone on the field was bewildered.
"What's going on?" An Luocheng walked over, her face cold.
"I'm not sure of the specifics, but right now, it's basically certain that the Sleep Gu the Grand Witch mentioned is real. But the one who was poisoned… is Xiao Xi."
"No! I'm not poisoned with any Sleep Gu, I just ate something bad!" An Xi stubbornly insisted, but the uncontrollable grimace on her face had likely already betrayed her.
"Ah, heaven truly has not forsaken me. I never thought it would be you who was afflicted with my Sleep Gu. Well, well, your life is quite precious too, hahahaha." The Grand Witch laughed with unusual glee.
"A-Niang, don't believe her. She's crazy. To save her own skin, she'll say any nonsense… Mmm… Ugh, ah!"
An Xi turned her back to endure it, but…
"Ah—" She slammed her fists into her own abdomen again and again, trying to alleviate the heart-piercing, bone-deep agony. An Luocheng watched, her arms trembling slightly.
"Shut up, you shut up!" An Liang rushed over and covered the Grand Witch's mouth. As she did, she watched An Xi's reaction. Seeing that An Xi seemed to have calmed down, she became even more certain of the Grand Witch's words.
"What in the world is going on!" An Luocheng roared, her face terrifyingly ferocious.
The Grand Witch pushed An Liang away, sighed, and straightened her clothes.
"Sigh, I never expected that she would be willing to use her own body as a medium, forcefully transferring the Gu parasite to a new host, using her own life to save yours. Heh…"
The Grand Witch sneered and strode over to An Xi.
"Since that's the case, I don't think Commander An would have the heart to watch your good daughter be devoured from the inside out by a Gu parasite and die in agony, would she?" The Grand Witch raised an eyebrow, looking extremely pleased with herself.
An Luocheng stared blankly at An Xi, then dropped down, half-kneeling beside her. She helped her lean against her chest, her eyes filled with nothing but compassion and heartache.
"A-Niang… kill… kill her…" An Xi pleaded, clutching An Luocheng's sleeve.
"Kill me? Hahahaha." The Grand Witch laughed twice.
"How could she bear to let you die?"
"What do you want?" An Luocheng spoke.
"A-Niang… don't…" An Xi's eyes reddened. She gripped An Luocheng's hand tightly, and An Luocheng squeezed back in response.
"Wealth and glory," the Grand Witch said smugly, her hands behind her back.
"Done."
"Gold and treasures."
"Done."
The Grand Witch smirked. "I want military power!"
"Done."
An Luocheng didn't hesitate for a second, as if the things she was promising had nothing to do with her.
From beginning to end, she kept her eyes on An Xi, her gaze gentle, as if to say, 'Don't be afraid, I'm here.'
"I want…" The Grand Witch leaned down to look at An Luocheng. "The Yi Kingdom," she uttered the two words softly.
"Done." An Luocheng looked up, meeting her gaze directly. The Grand Witch was slightly taken aback, then burst into another fit of crazed laughter.
"Hahahaha—"
Suddenly, the Grand Witch lifted the hem of her robe, raised her leg, and stepped on An Luocheng's shoulder. She pointed at her. "I want to trample you, An Luocheng, under my foot, so that you can never rise again for all eternity!" Each word was deliberate, her tone vicious, her face contorted.
An Luocheng said nothing, letting her step on her, quietly watching her madness.
"A-Niang…" An Xi—no, Baiye's tears streamed down her face. Seeing Auntie Lin's resolute and determined expression, at that moment, she had truly put herself in the character's shoes. She abruptly pushed the Grand Witch's foot away, wrapped her arms around Lin Yuqing's neck, and buried her face in her neck, sobbing silently. "No, no, you can't let yourself be threatened because of me, you can't… you can't…"
Lin Yuqing was startled. Feeling the little one in her arms sobbing violently, she quickly patted her back gently to soothe her. "It's okay, it's okay." Lin Yuqing had intended to tell her they were filming and that this was all fake, but when the words reached her lips and she saw how deeply moved Xiao Ye was, she couldn't bring herself to say it. She could only hold her tightly and comfort her silently.
Everyone else was also bewildered by the two suddenly embracing. For a moment, they couldn't tell if the two were acting or had broken character.
Su Yu scratched her head, exchanged a look with the assistant director, and had no choice but to call out, "Cut."
"What's going on?" She walked over to take a look. Baiye was still buried in Lin Yuqing's arms, sobbing.
"She got too into character," Lin Yuqing said, gently patting Baiye's back. "Alright, Xiao Ye, it's okay now." She helped her stand up.
The little one gradually came back to her senses. She wiped her tears, smudging her makeup and turning her face into a little mess.
Lin Yuqing gave Su Yu a heads-up and took her back to the dressing room. She helped wipe the tear stains from her face. "Alright, no more crying," she coaxed her softly.
Baiye realized she had lost her composure just now. To think she would get so into character and cry like that in front of so many people. It was so embarrassing.
She covered her eyes with a tissue, sniffled, and tried to compose herself.
It was all Auntie Lin's fault for acting so realistically just now. The way she looked at her was filled with infinite tenderness, making it impossible not to get lost in it. Of course she couldn't bear to see her being threatened, and she especially couldn't stand seeing that Grand Witch insultingly step on her shoulder. Her heart was filled with both anger and sorrow.
"Feeling better?" Lin Yuqing asked.
"Mhm," Baiye nodded, still covering her eyes, too embarrassed to look at Lin Yuqing. Because of her, everyone had to film a scene for nothing. She felt terribly guilty.
"What were you thinking about just now?" Lin Yuqing looked at her seriously. The moment she had thrown herself into her arms, Lin Yuqing had been deeply moved, including by the words she had said. She couldn't quite tell if she was speaking as An Xi or if those were her own true feelings. She didn't want her to be threatened and insulted because of her, and she would even cry over it. If those were her true feelings, it showed just how much she cared about her.
"N-nothing, I just… got into character…" Baiye took a deep breath, suppressing the sob that was rising in her throat.
Hearing this, a flicker of disappointment inadvertently crossed Lin Yuqing's brow. So she still saw herself as An Xi. Then the one she cared about was… An Luocheng?
Lin Yuqing was a little displeased. She sat silently to the side, watching the makeup artist touch up Xiao Ye's makeup.
The little one was still in a bit of a daze, seemingly not yet out of her emotional state. This wouldn't do. And besides, how could she develop real feelings for a fictional character!
Lin Yuqing frowned in thought. Seeing that Xiao Ye's makeup was done and she was trying to compose herself, she waved the makeup artist away and led the little one into the changing room.
"Take off your clothes and let me see."
"Huh?? What??" Baiye thought she had misheard. Could her Auntie Lin be so brazenly perverted now?
"You're clearly not good at acting out pain, but you were exceptionally convincing just now. I'm worried. Take off your clothes and let me see."
"No, no, no… I won't!" Baiye raised her hands to cover her chest and took two steps back, utterly mortified.
Lin Yuqing glanced at her with a look of disdain. "I have no interest in looking at two little buns. Hurry up and take them off so I can check if you have any injuries."
"…! Pfft!!" What little buns! Baiye's pretty face instantly flushed so red it looked like it would bleed.
"Auntie Lin, I promise I didn't hurt myself! I was just recalling how my stomach used to hurt. I really didn't hurt myself, and I don't have any injuries at all!"
Lin Yuqing frowned. Stomachache… so that's how much it hurts when her stomach aches…
Baiye didn't realize Lin Yuqing was feeling sorry for her; she just thought she was insisting on looking. "Auntie Lin, if you want to look, can we do it at home? This is the film set!" She was on the verge of tears.
Lin Yuqing's doubts were resolved, and she hadn't really intended to force her anymore. She trusted that Xiao Ye would have learned her lesson. But, look at home? That seemed like an unexpected bonus.
"Mmm, alright." You're the one who told me to look. It's not that I wanted to.
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