“Bang—”
In that instant, Jiang Nian felt as if something inside his heart had snapped.
It was the string called reason!
This Zhang Yuxin…
He had basically wasted his breath talking to her.
“Are you trying to challenge my weak spot?”
Jiang Nian took a sharp breath.
“No, not at all. I just want to lose some weight, but I need someone to help me through this process.”
“Daddy, can you help me? Or maybe…”
“Do you want to help but can’t? The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak?”
Zhang Yuxin’s fingers lightly traced across Jiang Nian’s chest, her tone incredibly teasing.
“Whoa!”
Hearing this, Jiang Nian couldn’t help but curse.
This woman actually dared to provoke him.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing his shout, Zhang Yuxin let out a giggle: “Come on, all talk and no action. You’re not all bark and no bite, are you? You’re not really a eunuch, are you?”
As soon as she said this, Jiang Nian felt a rush of impulsiveness.
He couldn’t care less anymore. He directly picked up Zhang Yuxin and went inside the house.
The next day, 9 AM.
Opening his groggy sleepy eyes, he rubbed his slightly messy hair.
Jiang Nian got out of bed.
The faintly aching scratch marks on his back and the messy state of the bed all silently testified to just how brutal last night’s battle had been.
Luckily, Jiang Nian was a seasoned veteran with plenty of experience.
Even though Zhang Yuxin’s attacks were extremely fierce, he could easily defuse them and handle everything with ease.
“Mmm—”
He wasn’t sure if it was because his movements were too big.
No sooner had Jiang Nian gotten out of bed than Zhang Yuxin let out a muffled sound, vaguely waking up from her dream.
The pain in her body made her involuntarily hiss.
Then, looking at Jiang Nian’s back, she asked in a slightly dry, hoarse voice: “What are you doing?”
“Going to work.”
Jiang Nian said as he put on his clothes, then poured a glass of water and handed it to Zhang Yuxin.
She took a sip, looked at Jiang Nian, and asked puzzledly: “Aren’t you tired?”
Only those who experienced it knew just how intense the situation last night was.
The most crucial thing was the exhaustion.
A deep, soul-level exhaustion!
She was the one who just passively took the beating, and now she was so tired she could barely lift a finger.
But Jiang Nian, the one who launched the attacks, not only woke up at nine but was still going to work?
“You’re an animal, aren’t you?”
Zhang Yuxin asked, a question straight from the soul.
His stamina and physical fitness were just ridiculously unbelievable!
Even if you’re a martial artist, you can’t be this fierce.
Hearing this, Jiang Nian glanced at her.
“Whether I’m an animal or not, put that aside for a second. Just tell me, after going through all that, didn’t we hit your exercise target for losing weight?”
Zhang Yuxin: “???” Are you sure what you just said was human language?”
Jiang Nian looked at her strangely: “Wasn’t this what you asked for? What’s the matter, giving up on the weight loss?”
“You…” She was choked by his retort, then impatiently waved her hand: “Go, go, go. Didn’t you say you have to work? Get out, don’t bother me!”
Jiang Nian pointed a finger: “See, you can’t take a joke.”
Zhang Yuxin couldn’t take it anymore and shouted angrily: “Jiang Nian!”
But Jiang Nian had already anticipated this. Before she could explode, he directly left the place.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuxin felt both angry and anxious.
She couldn’t understand how someone so infuriating could exist in this world.
Luckily, Jiang Nian still had some conscience. He was just teasing her. Seeing that it was about enough, he turned back and asked, “Does it still hurt?”
“Hurt where?”
“What do you think? The way you hissed when you got up, were you acting like Bai Suzhen?”
“Hmph, it definitely doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m so mad at you, I’m practically healed!”
“Alright, if it doesn’t hurt, then you can go back to sleep. You need to rest well. If you wake up early in the afternoon, send me a message. If I get off work early, I’ll bring back whatever you want to eat. If it’s late, just order some takeout to tide you over. Also, I ordered some anti-inflammatory and painkillers online. When they arrive, I’ll bring them to you. The water is right next to you. If you’re thirsty or want to take the medicine, just grab it and drink. Very convenient.”
Jiang Nian explained everything meticulously.
He didn’t say a single word about caring, but every word, every sentence, revealed his concern.
It was like a couple who had been together for years, long past the passionate stage. Although plain, the love was still there.
Zhang Yuxin was stunned.
She stared blankly at Jiang Nian. When she finally snapped out of it, her face had unknowingly turned red.
Looking down, her previous anger instantly vanished without a trace.
This was the first time someone had treated her this way, which made her a little flustered.
Seeing this, Jiang Nian kept a straight face on the surface, but secretly laughed to himself.
Although this trick was completely overused by the year 2024, in this era, it was a devastating attack!
After all, there’s a saying that goes something like, right?
Sincerity is always the ultimate winning move!
Of course, it only works if you’re as handsome as him. Otherwise, sincerity just becomes a self-destruct move.
Walking out the door, the sun was shining brightly.
Although it was already late autumn, because they were in the south, the sun felt warmly on his body, quite comfortable.
After stretching his body a little, Jiang Nian grabbed a quick bite at a random restaurant and then headed to the film set.
Because by the time he arrived, it was already past ten o’clock.
There was only enough time to practice a scene two or three times. Jiang Nian thought about it and simply decided to take a break today.
So he went to find Tsui Hark and ask if there were any scenes for him to shoot today.
Hearing this, Tsui Hark was very surprised.
But he was also happy about it.
After all, filming Jiang Nian’s scenes was an enjoyment for him too.
Not only was it worry-free, but he could also appreciate the superb acting.
The question was, which scene to shoot?
As Tsui Hark pondered, his gaze swept across the many sets around him, and many images flashed through his mind.
But in the end, his gaze settled on the temple in the distance.
“Got it!”
Tsui Hark felt certain.
Then he looked at Jiang Nian: “Teacher Jiang, since you want to shoot, let’s just shoot the most classic scene today. What do you think?”
“Hmm?” Jiang Nian sounded surprised.
The most classic scene?
His expression was a bit strange: “Director Tsui, I remember I already shot my character’s final scene on the very first day, right?”
“No, no, no. That’s not what I mean by ‘classic’ this time. I mean the real classic!”
Tsui Hark realized Jiang Nian had misunderstood and quickly explained.
Seeing that he still didn’t believe him, he simply pointed to the temple in the distance: “We’ll shoot this scene over there!”
Hearing this, Jiang Nian looked in that direction. After seeing the temple, he was briefly stunned, then realized something and looked at Tsui Hark with some excitement: “You mean…?”
“Exactly! This is the one!”
“Great! I’ll go change right now. Wait for me!”
Leaving these words, Jiang Nian walked towards the makeup room with an excited expression to change clothes.
This scene was the one Jiang Nian was most looking forward to.
He thought it wouldn’t be shot until the finale, but unexpectedly, Director Tsui was bringing it out today!
If so, he had to give it his twelve hundred percent focus!
After all, this scene was the key to whether Yu Huatian would go viral. It was also the soul of his character!
Thinking this, Jiang Nian started getting into character as Yu Huatian right there in the makeup room.
He kept nitpicking every detail of his face, striving for perfection.
As for the others on the crew.
They learned about the scene being shot today through the VX group. Knowing how important it was, everyone who could make it to the set came.
Those who couldn’t make it asked others to film the scene so they could appreciate it too.
And so, amidst everyone’s eager anticipation.
An hour later, inside the temple.
Jiang Nian, wearing a gold-gilded official hat and draped in a silver-grey embroidered robe, strode in with the powerful gait of a dragon and tiger, his steps bold and forceful.
His expression was proud and aloof, as if nothing in this world was worth his notice.
Zhou Xun, watching from the side, had a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
She stepped forward.
“Teacher Jiang—”
But after just one step, Tsui Hark stopped her.
Zhou Xun looked at him, puzzled, and saw Tsui Hark shake his head, his gaze falling on Jiang Nian, his eyes thoughtful: “Don’t disturb him. He’s already ‘in the zone’ now.”
“In the zone?”
Hearing this word, Zhou Xun was surprised but didn’t think much of it: “So what?”
She felt what Tsui Hark said was funny.
Which actor doesn’t get into character when they act?
But Tsui Hark shook his head: “Teacher Jiang’s ‘zone’ is different from normal acting. It has another name: Divine Possession.”
As he slowly uttered these two words, the knowledgeable people nearby showed looks of astonishment.
Zhou Xun was confused: “What’s that?”
Jet Li, standing nearby, explained: “It’s a kind of folk practice of inviting a deity to possess your body. In the early days, street performers often used ‘divine possession’ as a gimmick to perform tricks like rolling in hot oil or being impervious to blades. As for Teacher Jiang’s current state, you can understand it as him completely merging with the character. He is Yu Huatian, and Yu Huatian is him. There’s no distinction between them.”
“So that’s what it is!”
Zhou Xun understood and realized why Tsui Hark had stopped her.
Because completely merging with a character, even for her, an award-winning actress, could only be achieved by chance.
It was something you couldn’t find but might stumble upon.
And once you entered that state, even someone who had never acted before could deliver a flawless, natural, and impeccable performance.
Because strictly speaking, it wasn’t acting anymore.
It was a monologue, a revelation of the character’s very being.
“I really need to look forward to seeing how he performs next!”
Zhou Xun said, her eyes full of curiosity.
As for Tsui Hark, after waiting for everyone else to get into position.
He directly picked up the walkie-talkie and the clapperboard.
“Yu Huatian, Scene One, Take One. Action!”
After saying that, he slapped the clapperboard down hard.
The cameraman started rolling, and the image of the Grand Hall’s main shrine came into view.
The current plot point was after the former court official Zhao Huai’an killed the Eastern Depot’s Grand Commander, Wan Yulou.
His head was hung high on the city gate, causing panic within the Eastern Depot.
Just as they were discussing strategies and how to capture Zhao Huai’an.
A young eunuch quickly rushed in, speaking urgently: “Report! Reporting to the Vice Commander! The Western Depot’s Eunuch Yu has suddenly arrived and has entered the Grand Hall!”
Hearing this, the Vice Commander spoke with displeasure: “The Eastern Depot’s business is none of the Western Depot’s concern. What does it have to do with him?”
As he finished speaking, Yu Huatian walked in. Hearing the Vice Commander’s words, he let out a contemptuous sneer: “A lone swordsman has you all jumping at shadows. You don’t even dare to enter your own headquarters. You hide here like turtles with your heads pulled in?”
As he finished, an attendant beside him moved a chair from the side and placed it behind Yu Huatian.
But Yu Huatian didn’t even acknowledge him.
He just stared fixedly at the Eastern Depot’s Vice Commander.
Seeing this, everyone was a bit dumbfounded. They didn’t understand what was happening.
Because according to the script, Jiang Nian should have sat down right now and started facing off with the Eastern Depot’s Vice Commander.
But why was he just standing there frozen, not moving at all?
“Did he forget his lines?”
Someone thought, and then whispered a reminder: “Eunuch Yu, please take a seat.”
Unexpectedly, Jiang Nian asked: “Sit on what?”
“The chair, of course.” The person replied.
“And where is the chair?” Jiang Nian shot back, his voice cold and sharp. “You blind fools. As soon as we leave the palace, you forget how to do your jobs?”
As soon as he said this, everyone present was stunned.
They thought, what kind of stunt is Jiang Nian pulling? The chair is right behind you!
Feeling at a loss, they looked towards Tsui Hark.
Tsui Hark frowned slightly, about to call “cut.”
But just then, a young eunuch beside Jiang Nian realized something. He quickly crouched down and crawled behind Jiang Nian, on his hands and knees.
Seeing this, Jiang Nian finally flicked his silver robe and sat down gracefully. Then, grasping the robe to cover himself, he scolded the crowd: “After being by my side for so many years, you don’t have the observational skills of this young eunuch. Report for punishment when we return!”
Then his gaze fell on the Eastern Depot’s Vice Commander: “Vice Commander, they’ve already come knocking to kill, and the depot’s dignity has completely crumbled. And you still dare say it has nothing to do with me?”
“Whoa!”
At this moment, everyone finally understood why Jiang Nian hadn’t sat down just now.
So he was using a person as a chair?
Say what you will, but this move perfectly captured Yu Huatian’s immense power and arrogant demeanor!
The Vice Commander quickly got back into character, feigning ignorance: “What do you mean, ‘come knocking to kill’? It’s just a few rebels. The Eastern Depot will deal with them.”
Yu Huatian was unmoved, calmly laying out the entire recent upheaval within the Eastern Depot in detail.
Having their secrets exposed by their rival made the Eastern Depot people lose face. Immediately, someone slammed the table: “How dare you!”
“Sit down!” The Vice Commander raised his hand to stop him.
Then he looked at Yu Huatian with disdain:
“What is the Western Depot anyway? Your Western Depot hasn’t even been established for half a year. What right do you have to lecture us here and share the Emperor’s burdens?”
As he finished, he flicked his hand. Instantly, the teacup resting on the table flew directly towards Yu Huatian’s face!
