"Wu Henggu stood in front of Lu Zhou, maintaining a bowing posture, while Lu Zhou flipped through a memorial.

The scene began.

"How many times have I told you!" Lu Zhou slammed the memorial on Wu Henggu's face, his voice sharp. "Who allowed you to interfere with the Karijatse family?"

Wu Henggu trembled, lowered his head, looking somewhat afraid. His eyes darted around, appearing unsure.

The two of them acted their parts very well, and the director whispered, "Wu Henggu can handle Lu Zhou's performance."

Xiao Yi asked, "Is Wu Henggu a professional actor too?"

The director nodded. Xiao Yi watched the two of them act. In the past, he believed that anyone could be an actor, but he gradually realized that acting was a challenging skill. He couldn't imagine himself in Wu Henggu's position.

Lu Zhou spoke briefly and reprimanded Wu Henggu, who portrayed his brother. The director was satisfied with both of their performances, and it was done in one take.

At 5:50, everyone began packing up, and box meals were distributed. Lu Zhou received his dinner, but he looked tired. He only took a few bites and leaned back in his seat. Xiao Yi offered him a pill, while another assistant massaged Lu Zhou. Lu Zhou didn't look comfortable and said, "Xiao Yi, come here."

Xiao Yi gave Lu Zhou a shoulder massage, knowing he was tired. He didn't speak and, after a moment, someone called from below, prompting Xiao Yi to head to the next set.

As the sky darkened, the set, lighting, and crew were all ready. They had covered a section of the palace wall, set up lights, and Lu Zhou changed into a black night outfit, consulting with the action director. Then, he put on royal attire over the night clothes. The supporting actors came out to ring the bells and walked along the long corridor.

A camera assistant crawled on the ground, pushing the camera.

Xiao Yi, "..."

Xiao Yi had always assumed that this type of tracking shot involved ground rails. He didn't expect someone to have to crawl on the ground to push the camera. It was another surprise for him.

The crew members moved the reflectors slowly.

Lu Zhou, with his hands behind his back, walked in front, followed by two male supporting actors.

"For this matter, it's up to you two..."

Xiao Yi was getting sleepy, holding Lu Zhou's clothes and leaning against the car. Then, they filmed another scene with the supporting actress and palace maid, encountering the character of Shulu Ping.

This scene took a long one and a half hours to shoot.

Next, it was the messenger's horse-riding scene.

Xiao Yi dozed off and felt his head resting on someone's shoulder. When he opened his eyes, he saw Lu Zhou sitting beside him, and he had leaned against Lu Zhou's shoulder.

"Is it finished?" Xiao Yi asked.

"It's not late yet," Lu Zhou commented. "There are still some challenging scenes to shoot. If you're feeling tired, you can rest in the car."

Naturally, Xiao Yi couldn't sleep, and a moment later, a thunderous roar jolted him.

"Lu Zhou!"

Upon hearing this booming voice, Xiao Yi knew that Lu Zhou was now filming. He promptly stood up to observe the scene.

"Dierla!" Lu Zhou chased after another actor playing Dierla and gradually stopped in his tracks.

"Cut!" the director yelled. "Dierla went out of the frame. Let's do it again."

Lu Zhou said, "..."

Everyone reset.

"Dier La—!"

"Dier La!" Lu Zhou chased after him again and then stopped.

The director said, "Cut! Lu Zhou got too close!"

Lu Zhou was truly exasperated. In the third take, he chased Dier La, who kept his back to Lu Zhou. Lu Zhou, with a heavy heart, said, "Now, are you leaving me too?"

Even though Xiao Yi didn't know which scene they were shooting, being in the moment made him feel Lu Zhou's sorrow. Dier La choked up, kept his back to Lu Zhou, and trembled as he said, "Your Majesty, Anduan is dead, and the Cige family has been wiped out. You no longer need Dier La. Please, Your Majesty, spare my life!"

Dier La turned around and knelt, and Lu Zhou rushed to help. The director shouted "Cut" again.

"No, you didn't help him properly, and the last line wasn't moving enough. Let's do it again."

Xiao Yi was always getting this "Cut" when he was about to be moved by the scene, leaving him a bit unsatisfied.

They repeated the scene over and over until, finally, Lu Zhou let out a pained cry.

"Dier La—!"

Lu Zhou's voice was incredibly powerful, leaving everyone stunned. The director immediately called for the stunt double.

On top of the palace wall, a ladder was quickly set up, and the stunt double climbed up. "Dier La" collapsed into Lu Zhou's arms and was shot by assassins in the distance. Xiao Yi couldn't believe it. Even though the script had some questionable moments, it was quite well-written. Who would dare to kill Lu Zhou... no, the brother of Emperor Abaoji, right in front of the Emperor?

Was it assassins sent by Shulu Ping?! Xiao Yi quickly flipped through the script and confirmed it.

Lu Zhou's restrained anger and heartbreaking sob, with "Dier La" lying in his arms, made the coordinator, props, camera assistants, and logistical support staff all make admiring sounds. As Lu Zhou shivered all over and bowed over "Dier La," touching his face and forehead, the girls nearly lost their minds, whispering, "So intense... It's too intense..."

Xiao Yi, however, felt like he couldn't hear anything. He was completely moved by Lu Zhou. His eyes even got a bit teary. Even from a distance of ten steps, he could feel Lu Zhou's pain and bitterness. Anyone would be devastated if their younger brother was shot by poison arrows in front of them. That was his own flesh and blood. Lu Zhou conveyed the agony of losing a loved one through his trembling and forehead touches, and it was incredibly genuine."

Xiao Yi suddenly became very excited about this drama. He wondered what it would be like after the editing process and how well the investors' money was spent.

After one scene was filmed, the props were quickly packed up. Lu Zhou was breathing heavily, and there were even tears in his eyes. He came over to take a break, sitting down and trying to catch his breath. He accepted a sip of water from Xiao Yi, who was slightly taken aback by the situation. However, Lu Zhou waved his hand, indicating that it was okay.

Next, they filmed close-up shots of Lu Zhou. He took off the imperial robe, revealing the black martial attire underneath. He stood in front of the camera with his face covered and then started running. He performed a series of actions below the palace wall, with the martial arts instructor demonstrating the key elements of scaling the wall. The rest would be handled in post-production.

"Absolutely perfect!" the director exclaimed. "That's a wrap for today!"

People started removing their makeup, and Xiao Yi checked the time. It was already 11 o'clock.

"Get some rest, especially for those joining the production for the first time. Look at the schedule; we'll have to gather in the makeup room at 7 am sharp tomorrow," the director said. "We need to take more official makeup photos in the morning."

Xiao Yi was nearly exhausted. By the time Lu Zhou finished removing his makeup, it was already midnight. Xiao Yi asked, "Do you want to grab a late-night snack?"

Lu Zhou sat on the couch, looking a bit despondent, but he didn't say anything.

Xiao Yi asked again, and it was only then that Lu Zhou seemed to come back to his senses. He said, "No need, everyone can go to bed."

Xiao Yi, "..."

Lu Zhou waved his hand. "I'm not recovered yet; go get some rest."

Back in his room, Xiao Yi's only thought was that filming was really hard.

After taking a shower and packing, it was already 1:30 AM, and he had to wake up at 6:30 AM. He could still get about five hours of sleep.

*

The next day, somehow it was already 6 AM, and Xiao Yi hurriedly got up, rushed to take care of Lu Zhou's morning routine, and drove him to the makeup room. By now, he was getting familiar with the operating model of the entire production crew. He knew when he needed to stay by Lu Zhou's side at all times and when he could take a short break.

In the morning, when Lu Zhou was shooting the second set of official makeup photos, Xiao Yi initially stayed with him. After scrutinizing the art retouching and post-production work, he dropped Lu Zhou off at the filming location and left an assistant to assist. Then he immediately left to prepare lunch and dinner. He glanced at the schedule and realized there was a night scene, so he needed to prepare a late-night snack as well.

After preparing lunch and returning to the set, Lu Zhou had just finished a military meeting scene and was about to break for lunch. The producer was absent today, and Xiao Yi had promised to prepare some Hubei dishes, but only Lu Zhou ended up eating them.

"Why did you make extra dishes?" Lu Zhou asked, surprised.

"I thought the producer might want to have some," Xiao Yi explained.

Lu Zhou said, "Ah! They just say things casually; you don't need to worry about that."

Really? Xiao Yi had taken the joke seriously. Lu Zhou scolded him, saying, "Why are you so serious? Can't you tell when to take things seriously and when it's just a joke?"

Xiao Yi nodded in agreement. Lu Zhou seemed to enjoy this meal, and he ate a lot. It happened that the producer arrived.

"I see you two are having a little feast every day," the producer said with a smile.

"Come on, Mr. Wang," Lu Zhou mentioned, "Xiao Yi specially prepared this for you. Let's eat together."

"Oh, I can't accept that," the producer replied with a smile. However, he still pulled up a chair and sat down, patting Xiao Yi's shoulder and teasing, "Hardworking and honest, not bad."

Lu Zhou added, "Xiao Yi doesn't cut corners and is diligent. You can count on him."

Xiao Yi smiled with embarrassment, and the producer praised his cooking skills. After a while, he said, "Oh, I can't just enjoy a free meal like this."

Lu Zhou replied, "Mr. Wang, you have to come and eat every day while you're here."

The producer added, "Next time we have a scene, we should let you make an appearance too. Hahaha!"

Xiao Yi, "..."

Lu Zhou urged him, "You better thank Mr. Wang!"

Xiao Yi was genuinely shocked and said, "Thank you... Mr. Wang!"

The producer waved his hand, finished his meal, and went to discuss matters with the director. Xiao Yi couldn't believe it. Was this for real? Would he actually get to appear on camera?

In the evening, during the break, Xiao Yi asked Lu Zhou about it. Lu Zhou's lips twitched, and he said, "Just listen for now. In a few days, people will forget it."

Xiao Yi thought, "Okay, you guys are so casual with your promises, treating them like drinking water. You almost made me believe it."

Life on the set was mundane and repetitive, with each day involving the same routine of shooting, running errands, and sleeping. Occasionally, fans would visit and bring food for Lu Zhou, along with small gifts. Lu Zhou's artist friends also came to say hello.

When there were no night scenes to shoot, Lu Zhou would go out with his friends to sing karaoke and network. Xiao Yi would wait outside. He only got four hours of sleep each day. While that was manageable for a day or two, after a month, it was taking a toll on him.

Everyone was working tirelessly and sleep-deprived, grabbing any chance they could to rest, whether it was in the car, on the set, or anywhere they could lie down. They also had to be cautious to prevent fans who came to visit from taking unauthorized photos.

Xiao Yi had bought a stack of face masks on Taobao. During Lu Zhou's short breaks, he would apply an eye mask for him.

Many actors also found Xiao Yi fun to be around and enjoyed the fruits he bought for Lu Zhou. Soon, Xiao Yi's popularity among the crew members improved. He kept a low profile and just smiled when he overheard conversations. Being Lu Zhou's personal assistant, many people intentionally or unintentionally tried to get on his good side.

“You have constipation, eat more apples.” Xiao Yi suggested.

"You..." Lu Zhou said fiercely, "Stop talking about this! I don't have constipation!"

Xiao Yi replied, "Your time in the bathroom in the morning is quite long... prolonged constipation can lead to other issues. Eating more fruit might help."

Lu Zhou uttered, "You're even more nagging than my mom!"

Xiao Yi tried to hold back his internal complaints and avoid letting Lu Zhou hear them. He looked earnest and said, "You should take good care of your health."

"Who do you call every day?" Lu Zhou asked suspiciously.

"My girlfriend," Xiao Yi replied as he continued to peel an apple for Ning Yaqing. The latter came over and sat down, giving Xiao Yi a friendly smile. Xiao Yi had received warnings from Lu Zhou several times not to be too nice to anyone. People would flatter and butter him up because of his proximity to Lu Zhou, but the moment he lost that status, they would turn their backs on him. So, he learned not to be too kind to anyone, or they might take advantage of him.

Xiao Yi felt that people weren't always as shallow as Lu Zhou believed. Working on the set was like being in prison, and if you could find moments of happiness, why not?

Lu Zhou scolded, "What are you talking to her about? Are you even a man? A good horse doesn't eat the grass behind it. Do you understand?"

Xiao Yi said, "Her phone is turned off. I have to give her an explanation somehow."

Ning Yaqing smiled and said, "You really shouldn't underestimate a girl's thoughts."

"Is that so?" Xiao Yi asked hopefully.

Lu Zhou grunted and didn't comment further. Ning Yaqing advised Xiao Yi, saying, "If her phone is turned off, call her home, use QQ, WeChat, and any other means to reach her. If you really care about her, you should find ways to contact her. Sometimes, girls don't say things out loud, but you need to understand."

Xiao Yi thought for a moment and said, "Thank you, I understand now."

Ning Yaqing smiled kindly and looked at Lu Zhou, saying, "Mr. Lu should be quite aware of a girl's thoughts. For guys, it's better to be more proactive." She turned to Xiao Yi and added, "What she means is, you should take the initiative."

Lu Zhou made an indistinct sound of agreement. Xiao Yi, with a smile, asked Ning Yaqing if she thought the same way when she was in a relationship. She replied that she had never been in a relationship.

At this moment, a group of fans who had come to visit started screaming from a distance and taking photos. Lu Zhou's expression darkened, and Xiao Yi immediately stood up and walked over to them, saying, "Please don't take photos. Come over here, and I'll arrange a time for everyone to take a group photo with Lu Zhou, alright?"

"You can take a group photo," Xiao Yi said, "but no individual photos. Come on, everyone, wait here, and you can take the photos before we start shooting."

As Xiao Yi returned, he saw Ning Yaqing sitting in his place, chatting and laughing with Lu Zhou.

"Is it okay to take photos?" Xiao Yi asked.

This arrangement had been agreed upon before they joined the crew. Both Du Mei and Lin Yao had promised Xiao Yi that he would have some authority and could, when appropriate, arrange for Lu Zhou to take photos with fans to increase his appeal. Lu Zhou reluctantly stood up and smiled, telling the fans, "It's quite cold out here. Come a few more times, and we'll have to stop because we'll be filming on location."

The fans were ecstatic to hear the male god talk to them. The person responsible for gifts stammered as he said, "We brought these for you, for you... for you."

Xiao Yi encouraged him silently, urging him to go in for a hug, but Lu Zhou would maintain his image and not shout at the fans. So, for a moment, Xiao Yi wished to see how awkward Lu Zhou would become when the fans got too close.

Lu Zhou smiled and asked, "What's your name?"

"I-I'm... I'm $%#," the male fan's tongue was tied. He continued, "I love the roles you play so much. I-I... I'll learn from you." Realizing that he might be getting too close to hug Lu Zhou, which might be inappropriate given their genders, the fan paused. Xiao Yi thought this was the perfect moment for Lu Zhou to pat the fan's head or place a hand on his shoulder. That would likely make the fan faint from happiness.

Lu Zhou gently laughed and said, "Next time you come to visit, don't bring gifts. I don't need any, so feel free to come and watch the filming."

With that, Lu Zhou placed his hand on the fan's shoulder. Xiao Yi smiled, feeling that he shared something with this fan. That sense of bliss could be contagious, and it felt like he saw a part of himself in the fan. Everyone was suddenly so happy seeing Lu Zhou standing there. He had an extraordinary ability to make people feel content in a matter of seconds, even if it was all an act. If Lu Zhou could maintain this state every day when talking to Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi thought he might... well, he didn't know how to describe it.

"Come on, let's take a group photo," Lu Zhou said casually and relaxed, "Yaqing, where are you... Xiao Yi, where are you going? Come back here!"

Xiao Yi was about to leave, but Lu Zhou didn't want him to. He asked him to stand between himself and Ning Yaqing. The fans handed Xiao Yi a DSLR camera, asking him to take the photo. Xiao Yi agreed, saying, "I'll take a group photo for everyone. Come closer."

So, Lu Zhou and Ning Yaqing stood in the middle, while everyone else formed a line. The camera clicked to capture the moment.

That evening, when Du Mei called, Xiao Yi was busy organizing the hand warmers, scarves, gloves, and snacks that the fans had gifted to Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou sounded explosive when he answered the call, saying, "I won't call her!"

 

Translator : DarNan