novellhall Chapter 96 Advancing Filming
Chapter 96 Advancing Filming
Chapter 102 Advancing Filming
In late April 2018, filming for "Joy of Life" entered its second week.
The weather in Hengdian is gradually getting warmer. There's still a slight chill in the morning, but by noon, the sun becomes scorching.
The filming pace did not slow down at all. With over 1,800 scenes and a five-month shooting period, not a single day could be wasted.
Chen Nianbei had completely adapted to this rhythm. She woke up at 5:30 every morning for makeup, costume changes, filming, and more.
Finish work, review, sleep, and the cycle repeats itself.
His body memorized this pattern, and his soul gradually got used to switching between "Chen Nianbei" and "Fan Xian".
But this transition is becoming increasingly difficult.
Because Fan Xian is gradually taking him over.
A major highlight: Fan Xian's second confrontation with Emperor Qing.
The scene was scheduled for an afternoon in late April.
The filming location was the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Ming and Qing Palaces—the production team spent a lot of money to rent this magnificent palace just to film a scene that lasted less than five minutes.
Chen Nianbei began preparations three days in advance.
In the script, this scene is the first time Fan Xian truly faces the oppressive power of Emperor Qing.
It wasn't out of fear, but because of some inexplicable, deep-seated connection in my blood.
He didn't know that Emperor Qing was his father, but he could sense that the man who controlled the world looked at him differently.
Emperor Qing, played by Chen Daomin, was the true emperor in this palace.
In that scene, he sat on the high throne, looking down at Fan Xian kneeling in the hall. He didn't have many lines, but every word was as heavy as a thousand pounds.
On the day of filming, Chen Nianbei arrived at the set two hours early.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony was empty, with only a few staff members making final preparations.
Sunlight streamed through the carved doors and windows, casting dappled shadows on the golden dragon throne. Chen Nianbei stood in the center of the hall, looking up at the high throne.
He recalled what Chen Daomin had said at the reading session that day—"Fan Xian's core trait is fear."
It's not that I'm afraid of death, it's that I'm afraid of losing.
Standing in this palace now, he suddenly had a deeper understanding of that kind of "fear." In this world, life, death, honor, and disgrace all depend on the thoughts of one person.
That sense of powerlessness, that cautiousness that necessitates taking every step with care, and that fear of an unknown fate are what Fan Xian experiences every single day.
He closed his eyes, letting the sensation slowly seep into his body.
"Teacher Nianbei, you're here so early?" The stagehand came over, somewhat surprised.
Chen Nianbei opened her eyes and smiled: "Let's get into the swing of things."
Filming officially began at 2 PM.
Chen Daomin changed into his dragon robe and walked out of the dressing room. At that moment, the atmosphere on the entire set changed.
He stood there, still the same person, but his eyes, posture, and aura had completely transformed into that of Emperor Qing, an unfathomable emperor who never showed his emotions.
Chen Nianbei looked at him, a slight stirring in her heart. This was a true veteran actor; he didn't need lines, he didn't need movements, he was the character just by standing there.
The two exchanged a glance. Chen Daomin nodded slightly as a greeting. Chen Nianbei also nodded in response.
Sun Hao walked over and explained the positioning and camera angles to the two of them. Chen Nianbei listened attentively, occasionally glancing at Chen Daomin's reaction. Chen Daomin didn't show much expression, only occasionally humming in agreement.
"Okay, let's rehearse once," Sun Hao said.
Chen Nianbei walked to the center of the hall and knelt down. Chen Daomin slowly walked to the throne and sat down.
Throughout the entire process, he did not glance at Chen Nianbei once, but that invisible pressure had already enveloped the entire hall.
"Raise your head."
Chen Daomin spoke. His voice was not loud, even somewhat casual, but every word seemed to carry weight.
Chen Nianbei looked up and saw that Zi Guang and Chen Daomin had met.
In that instant, he almost forgot that he was acting. In those eyes, there was scrutiny, curiosity, some deep-seated, complex emotions, and the cold indifference of an emperor who regarded all things as straw dogs.
"Are you Fan Jian's son?" Chen Daomin asked.
"Yes," Chen Nianbei said.
His voice was steady, but there was a hint of tension in his eyes—that was Fan Xian's instinctive reaction when facing the highest ruler of the country.
Chen Daomin looked at him and remained silent for a few seconds. Those few seconds felt like an eternity.
Chen Daomin stood up, slowly walked down from the throne, and approached him step by step.
Footsteps echoed in the hall, each step feeling like a blow to Fan Xian's heart.
He stopped in front of Chen Nianbei, looking down at him.
"Who exactly are you?"
This question came suddenly and sharply.
Chen Nianbei's body tensed slightly, but she quickly relaxed.
He raised his head and met Chen Daomin's gaze.
"Your subject—" He paused, "is Fan Xian."
Chen Daomin stared at him for a long time. Then, he suddenly smiled.
The smile was faint, but it was enough to ease the atmosphere in the entire hall.
"Fan Xian—" he murmured the name, as if savoring something, "Interesting."
He turned and walked back to the throne.
"Go down," he said, turning his back to Chen Nianbei.
Chen Nianbei kowtowed, stood up, took a few steps back, then turned and walked towards the palace gate.
Just as he was about to step out of the palace gate, Chen Daomin's voice came from behind him—
"Fan Xian".
He stopped and turned around.
Chen Daomin sat on the throne, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall before landing on him.
There were many complex things in that gaze: appreciation, doubt, curiosity, and a hint of tenderness that even Emperor Qing himself was unwilling to admit.
"Live," he said. "Live well."
Chen Nianbei looked at him, her Adam's apple bobbing. Then she nodded, turned, and disappeared outside the palace gate.
"Cut!" Sun Hao's voice rang out, tinged with excitement. "Passed! Good! Excellent!"
Applause erupted on set. Chen Nianbei stood outside the palace gate, still immersed in the emotions of what had just happened.
That last sentence, "Live well," was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in my heart.
Chen Daomin stepped down from the throne and paused as he passed by him.
"That glance back just now," he said, "would have been better if the gaze had been a little more restrained. Restraint doesn't mean weakness, it means deeper depth."
Chen Nianbei nodded earnestly: "Thank you, Teacher Chen, I'll remember that."
Chen Daomin nodded and left.
Sun Hao walked over with a big smile on his face: "Nianbei, this one is great."
The chemistry between you and Teacher Chen is even better than I expected. If this continues, the show is a sure thing.
Chen Nianbei smiled but didn't say anything. He was still replaying every detail of the scene in his mind, thinking about where it could have been better.
After finishing work that evening, Chen Nianbei did not return to the hotel immediately, but stayed on set to watch the playback.
In front of the monitor, he watched the scene they had just seen together with Sun Hao and Chen Daomin.
On the screen, Fan Xian kneels in the palace, while Emperor Qing sits high above him. The exchange of glances between the two, and every subtle change in their expressions, is captured clearly by the camera.
"Look here,"
Chen Daomin pointed to a spot on the screen and asked, "When you looked up, was there something in your eyes—curiosity or wariness?"
""
Chen Nianbei watched that moment and thought for a moment: "It was a test. He wanted to know what the emperor's attitude towards him was."
Chen Daomin nodded: "Yes. But don't 'test' me. Just look at me. I'll give you a response."
Chen Nianbei nodded thoughtfully.
Sun Hao, standing nearby, said, "Teacher Chen, what were you thinking with that 'interesting' laugh?"
Chen Daomin smiled and said, "Who is Emperor Qing? He has seen too many people and too many things in his life, and very few things can surprise him anymore."
But this Fan Xian surprised him.
That smile was a mixture of surprise, appreciation, and a hint of "I'll see how far you can go." Each layer had to be present.
Sun Hao and Chen Nianbei both fell silent.
This is the real performance—one smile, three meanings.
In the days that followed, the intensity of filming increased.
Chen Nianbei's daily sleep time was reduced from six hours to five hours, and then to four hours.
It wasn't the production crew that exploited him; it was he who exploited himself. After finishing work, he would always spend one or two hours reviewing the day's performance and preparing for the next day's scenes. Sometimes he would also discuss the script with veteran actors like Chen Daomin and Wu Gang.
His weight is decreasing, but his eyes are getting brighter.
That was Fan Xian's gaze—vigilant, sharp, always observing and thinking.
A dramatic scene: Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er's first meeting.
This scene is the sweet spot of the whole series and also an important juncture in Fan Xian's emotional storyline.
Lin Wan'er, played by Li Qin, is a woman with a gentle appearance but a strong inner strength.
Their first meeting at Qing Temple is one of the most classic scenes in the entire series—Fan Xian hides under the table, Lin Wan'er lifts the tablecloth, their eyes meet, and they fall in love at first sight.
The filming location was an ancient-style temple in Hengdian. The sunlight was perfect that day, streaming through the carved windows and creating soft beams of light inside the hall.
Chen Nianbei arrived at the film set half an hour early and went over her lines with Li.
Li Lin is a very serious actor with a thorough understanding of his roles.
The two chatted for a while and reached a consensus on the emotions of the scene: it should be light, sweet, and have that "love at first sight" feeling, but not cloying.
Filming has officially begun.
Chen Nianbei hid under the table, adjusting her breathing.
The camera zooms in from the outside, and Li Lin walks into the hall, looking around.
Her footsteps were light, and the hem of her skirt brushed gently across the ground, making a soft rustling sound.
She walked to the table, seemed to sense something, and stopped. Then, she bent down, lifted the tablecloth, and their eyes met.
For a fleeting moment, Chen Nianbei's eyes widened in amazement. It wasn't acting; it was real.
Li Qin was backlit at this moment, her whole body seemed to be enveloped in a soft halo, so beautiful it was unreal.
Then, that amazement transformed into something deeper—a flutter of the heart, a sense of surprise, and a touch of shyness unique to young people.
Li Qin looked at him, her eyes lighting up. In that gaze were curiosity, surprise, and a hint of barely perceptible joy.
The two looked at each other without speaking or moving, their eyes meeting.
Time seemed to stand still.
"You—" Li Qin began, her voice very soft, "Who are you?"
Chen Nianbei's lips curled up slightly, a pure smile from a young man in front of his beloved.
"Fan Xian," he said, "and you?"
Li Qin smiled too, a smile that held a hint of shyness and a hint of joy.
"Lin Wan'er," she said.
"Cut!" Sun Hao's voice rang out, tinged with laughter. "Okay! This one's too sweet. Let's do another one, from a different angle."
After taking more than a dozen takes, Sun Hao was finally satisfied.
When they finished work, Li Lin walked over and said to Chen Nianbei with a smile, "I almost couldn't handle that look in your eyes just now."
Chen Nianbei laughed: "Likewise. Your move of lifting the tablecloth made my heart skip a beat."
Li Lin laughed heartily, his laughter echoing through the ancient temple, as bright as the sunshine.
A martial arts scene: the duel between Fan Xian and Yan Xiaoyi.
Yan Xiaoyi, played by Li Zifeng, is a ninth-rank master in the drama, with unparalleled archery skills.
This scene marks Fan Xian's first real life-or-death struggle, requiring extensive action choreography and wire work.
Chen Nianbei began preparing a week in advance. He and the martial arts instructor practiced each movement repeatedly until their muscles formed muscle memory.
During those days, his body was covered in bruises, but he never complained of being tired.
On the day of the shoot, the weather was hot. Chen Nianbei was wearing a dark-colored outfit, and his back was quickly soaked with sweat.
But he didn't care about any of that; he just kept confirming the details of the movements with the martial arts instructor.
"This way, you charge from this side, then dodge the arrows to the side, and then deliver a backhand slash."
The martial arts instructor gestured famously, "Remember, be fast, be ruthless, but keep your eyes calm. Fan Xian isn't a reckless fool; he fights with his brain."
Chen Nianbei nodded and mentally reviewed the actions.
Filming has officially begun.
"Action!"
Chen Nianbei rushed out from the designated position, her steps quick.
Li Zifeng stands at a distance, making an archery motion (special effects added later).
Chen Nianbei turned to the side, as if dodging an invisible arrow, and continued charging forward.
His eyes were cold and focused.
That wasn't anger, nor fear, but an extreme calmness—Fan Xian's state during a life-or-death struggle was to suppress all emotions, leaving only instinctive reactions and a calculating mind.
He rushed in front of Li Zifeng and swung a knife (a prop knife) at him. Li Zifeng dodged to the side, and the two began to fight in close combat.
Chen Nianbei's movements were clean and crisp, each move carrying a killing intent, yet his eyes remained calm throughout. This contrast made the fight scene not only visually appealing but also layered.
"Okay! Stop!" Sun Hao called out. "That take is good. Nianbei, your gaze was spot on. It was that feeling of 'I'm killing someone but I feel no emotion whatsoever.'"
Chen Nianbei nodded, panting. His clothes were soaked through, and his face was covered in sweat, but his eyes were still bright.
After finishing work late at night, Chen Nianbei sat on a folding chair on set when Xiao Wu handed him a bottle of water. He took it and drank more than half of it in one go.
Sun Hao walked over and sat down next to him.
"Are you tired?" Sun Hao asked.
Chen Nianbei thought for a moment, then smiled: "Tired. But worth it."
Sun Hao looked at him with admiration in his eyes: "You know, the first time I saw you, I felt that you were suitable for Fan Xian."
It's not because you're a good actor, it's because you have something about you that makes you look good but you choose to make things difficult for yourself.
Fan Xian is that kind of person too. He could easily have just given up, but he chose to shoulder so much.
Chen Nianbei was silent for a moment, then said, "Because I'm afraid."
"What are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid I'll let this role down."
He gazed at the distant nightscape, "Such a great script, such a great team, such great co-stars—"
If I ruin all of this because I didn't act well, I will never forgive myself.
Sun Hao smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said, "you won't."
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