Chapter 26: Wrapping Up Scenes

Chapter 26: Wrapping Up Scenes

Lu Xu was staring blankly at the contacts on his phone.

The crucial point was that the seasoned crew members were highly dependable. The agents they recommended weren’t just figureheads casting wide nets; they were experienced professionals who understood scripts.

In today’s increasingly entertainment-driven industry, these agents were far less famous than those infamous agents constantly talked about by fans, who might as well be public enemy number one. A few years ago, when Lu Xu was still with Verse, their agent was always topping the fan assassination list.

Some agents were good at marketing, while others excelled at crisis management, but Lu Xu still preferred all-around professional agents. With their assistance, he could fully immerse himself in filming.

Cheng Yun grumbled to Guo Yining, "Old Xu is something else! I've recommended actors to him before, and he wouldn't bother to respond. But just now, he actually added Lu Xu on WeChat!"

Guo Yining and Cheng Yun were signed with the same agency.

Their agency had both established stars and promising newcomers. It was true that they envied those who were successful, but as supporting actors, they weren’t struggling to make ends meet either.

At least Guo Yining and Cheng Yun were satisfied with the status quo. When there were roles, they filmed; when there weren’t, they lived their lives. Their agents always managed to find roles that they were willing to take on.

The two weren’t sure what kind of life Lu Xu wanted, so they just made a recommendation. As for which agency Lu Xu would choose, it probably depended on his future career path.

Guo Yining asked Cheng Yun in a low voice, "What did you say when you introduced him?"

Xu Wen was one of the top agents in their company. He had always been picky, and Guo Yining guessed that Cheng Yun must have praised Lu Xu to the skies and vouched for him with his own career before Xu Wen would even consider signing Lu Xu.

But he also thought that Cheng Yun, given his personality, wouldn’t exaggerate too much when praising someone.

Cheng Yun looked at him in confusion. "I just showed him some photos of Lu Xu."

Guo Yining: "?"

"Our production stills. I saved one on my phone," Cheng Yun said, "as well as a photo of Lu Xu himself. I only took it with his consent."

"And Xu Wen agreed?"

Cheng Yun nodded slightly.

Guo Yining had initially thought it was impossible, but when he saw Lu Xu's face, which was still stunning after removing his makeup, he couldn’t help but sigh softly.

This looks-obsessed world is seriously depressing.

He now understood why Xu Wen was willing to sign Lu Xu—their agency was mostly filled with powerhouse actors, and among the new generation, the actors the company promoted were also powerhouses.

But as everyone knew, powerhouse actors and idol actors were usually opposites. The newcomers in their company were praised for their acting skills, but they lacked attention in comparison.

Xu Wen likely saw potential in Lu Xu to balance their roster.

Of course, this was also why Cheng Yun and the others strongly recommended Lu Xu.

They had been in the entertainment industry for quite some time. With Lu Xu’s looks, if it were twenty years ago, he would have been signed by an agency right after graduation. Back then, even the hottest young actors couldn’t hold a candle to Lu Xu’s talent!

Not to mention that Lu Xu was such a great actor!

If he had already signed with an agency, it would be fine, but since he hadn’t, they had to grab him immediately, right?

Guo Yining wondered, "Now I'm a bit confused. Why did Ling Ge Entertainment let Lu Xu go?"

From their days of working together on set, Guo Yining felt that Lu Xu was not a difficult person to get along with. He wasn’t standoffish or prone to diva moments like some other young actors. He was far better than some of the younger actors they had worked with.

Cheng Yun pondered for a moment. "Maybe Ling Ge has other actors who fit their needs better?"

Guo Yining looked at him, “...Gu Sinian?”

Cheng Yun: “......”

They exchanged a silent glance, opting for quiet.

...

After the Spring Examination scandal and the Shaanxi disaster relief grain case, Crown Prince Qin Zhao became far more subdued.

But because of the various events in the court, he began to develop thoughts of rebellion—his father, the Emperor, wanted to strip him of his title, but he had been Crown Prince for decades. It could be said that he could do nothing except be Crown Prince.

A subject could dedicate themselves entirely to the realm, but as the Crown Prince, he could not. Because if he dared to harbor any unwise thoughts, he would be challenging the Emperor's authority, committing treason, and deceiving the Emperor.

What else could he do besides being the Crown Prince?

Even if he renounced his position, the Emperor wouldn’t let him go, and his brothers would never leave him in peace. Moreover, he was not alone—he had his uncle and grandfather, and these people would definitely defend his position as Crown Prince.

If he didn’t fight for a way out, would these people have any chance of survival?

For the first time, Qin Zhao’s inherent weakness bred a sense of malice.

In the daily rehearsals, Lu Xu gradually revealed Qin Zhao’s transformation, portraying a Crown Prince who was slowly deteriorating as written in the script.

However, Qin Zhao only became a little worse and did not become smarter. Thus, his rebellion was doomed to fail from the beginning.

At heart, Qin Zhao remained a coward. His other brothers displayed their sharpness in the court and relieved the Emperor’s worries on the battlefield, but as the Crown Prince, he could only resort to the most trivial and despicable means.

When the scandal erupted, Emperor Cheng flew into a rage.

But—it was him who had step by step forced Qin Zhao onto the path of no return.

If Liu Chunfeng had to sum up Lu Xu’s portrayal of Qin Zhao during this period, he’d say it exuded a sense of destiny.

In the script, Qin Zhao’s downfall carried a powerful sense of inevitability, and Lu Xu’s performance enhanced this feeling even more.

The Crown Prince didn’t start out corrupt; he deteriorated slowly over time.

Emperor Cheng, this wise and mighty Son of Heaven, ultimately cast a lifelong unhealable shadow over his legitimate heir.

...

On the day of the audition, Lu Xu’s second scene was the confrontation between father and son after the Crown Prince was deposed.

This was also his last scene in *The Son of Heaven* drama.

As the plot of *The Son of Heaven* progressed, Lu Xu’s makeup and costume became more mature, but no matter what kind of makeup the stylist applied, Lu Xu could always display acting that matched the look.

In other words, no matter the age of the Crown Prince, people believed in his age because of Lu Xu’s acting.

Before shooting this scene, Guo Yining and the others were concerned that Lu Xu might struggle with the intense emotions needed.

But Cheng Yun looked reassured, “Don’t worry, we’ve rehearsed this scene once.”

With Liu Chunfeng’s call of “Action,” a father and son—one lost, one desperate—faced off, one trying to assert authority, the other ruthlessly exposing his father’s hypocrisy.

Being the Crown Prince, he understood all too well!

The coldness and mockery in Qin Zhao's eyes were almost enough to stun the other actors watching the scene.

Guo Yining and the others had seen Lu Xu perform many times before. They were well aware that Lu Xu had a strong command of the character Qin Zhao, and there were even occasions when their own performance faltered, only for Lu Xu to help them get into character.

But in this scene, Lu Xu still delivered a portrayal of Qin Zhao that went beyond their understanding.

Historical records stripped Qin Zhao of his title, but his resentment was almost palpable.

Qin Zhao was a person, not something that could be simply depicted with a few lines in historical texts. The world mocked Qin Zhao as foolish and ignorant, overshadowed by his brother who took the throne, but anyone who stood in his shoes would understand his pain and resentment.

As Crown Prince, being weak or foolish was a mistake, but being too smart could also lead to trouble. It was simply a matter of being unable to control one's own circumstances.

"Cut!"

The moment this scene was finished, Lu Xu took a deep breath. He had put so much into the scene that he was almost out of breath.

He believed his performance this time was much better than during the initial script reading. Back then, he only had part of the script and had to interpret the role based on his own insights.

But now it was different. He had finished reading the entire script and portrayed Qin Zhao's entire life as written. Qin Zhao's anger and frustration were things he understood many times more thoroughly now.

In this scene, he even felt that he had become the embodiment of Qin Zhao. All his resentment and coldness weren't aimed at Cheng Yun, his co-star, but rather at his imperial father!

This scene had left him exhausted.

Of course, Lu Xu wasn't the only one feeling this way.

Cheng Yun was also panting beside him. Meeting Guo Yining's amused gaze, he rolled his eyes at his old partner. "Want to give it a try?"

"I'll pass on that suffering," Guo Yining laughed. "I've never seen you work so hard."

"That's because you didn't play this role. Once you do, you'll understand."

During the initial script reading, Lu Xu's performance had already left a strong impact on him, and now, that impact had grown even stronger. Lu Xu was exploding with emotion, and he had no choice but to follow suit. Otherwise, how could a father fail to respond when his son was expressing such deep emotions?

But he was also exhausted.

For some reason, Cheng Yun had a feeling that *The Son of Heaven* would achieve even greater success than he had imagined.

Although his feelings often turned out to be wrong.

But...

If *The Son of Heaven* didn’t get the recognition it deserved, how could it match the emotional intensity of that scene?

While catching his breath, Lu Xu saw Liu Chunfeng emerge from behind the monitor, giving him a hard slap on the back.

Lu Xu winced in pain. "Director, have you seriously trained in boxing? That hurt!"

Liu Chunfeng’s expression remained impassive. "...No."

Why did everyone think he should be a boxing coach?

The director had long forgotten the time he was mistaken for a butcher at the market.

He generously chose to forgive them.

"Well done," said Liu Chunfeng, who had been keeping a straight face, finally smiled. "Really well done."

Choosing Lu Xu to play Qin Zhao might have been one of his best decisions.

During the first few days when Lu Xu started filming his initial scenes, Liu Chunfeng already felt that he had chosen the right person. As the plot involving Qin Zhao grew more prominent, Lu Xu's performance became more satisfying with each passing day.

Lu Xu thought that once his scenes as Qin Zhao were finished, he would be on his way home.

At this point in time, only Cheng Yun had some scenes left to film for *The Son of Heaven* crew. Guo Yining, who played the role of the Prime Minister, had already wrapped up his part long ago. He was only staying with the crew to wait and travel together with Cheng Yun.

Unexpectedly, Liu Chunfeng led Lu Xu to the neighboring set and called out, "Old Jiang, I've brought someone for you to check out. See if he's suitable."

"Even if he's not, you still need to pay Xiao Lu his service fee. Make sure you pay him fairly."

Liu Chunfeng explained to Lu Xu that this was the neighboring *Supreme* crew. The actor who was supposed to play the Demon Lord had left, so he had brought Lu Xu over to try out for the role.

"Jiang Wangshu has been hanging around our set for almost half a month now; I don't know how he found us. He's been dying to poach you, but I held him off."

As Director Jiang made his appearance, Lu Xu compared Liu Chunfeng's boxer-like physique to Jiang Wangshu's ginger-like frame and felt that his own director's words lacked any convincing power.

In short, the Demon Lord had run off, and Director Jiang had his eyes on Lu Xu, attempting to poach him.

Liu Chunfeng said no, that if anyone was going to sell him, he would have to do it himself.

Liu Chunfeng: "...Interpreting it that way takes the fun out of it."

Although the logic made some sense.

Jiang Wangshu had happened to pass by the *The Son of Heaven* crew and only then discovered Lu Xu.

Jiang was on good terms with Liu Chunfeng, and during the filming of *The Son of Heaven*, Jiang had come over to greet him.

At that time, Jiang Wangshu had felt that Lu Xu was very suitable for the role of the Demon Lord, but the role had already been cast, so he couldn't ask him to take the part.

Coincidentally, halfway through the filming of *Supreme*, the actor playing the Demon Lord breached his contract to act in another role, and Lu Xu had just finished filming his part for *The Son of Heaven*.

After a lot of convincing, Jiang Wangshu finally persuaded Liu Chunfeng to bring Lu Xu over for a tryout. Liu Chunfeng hadn't even explained the situation clearly to Lu Xu and had brought a bewildered Lu Xu over.

Jiang Wangshu: "Boxing has scrambled your brains."

Liu Chunfeng: "...Fat Jiang is spicy and bad-tempered; your temper is really bad."