Chapter 40: 040 Filming in Progress

Chapter 40: 040 Filming in Progress

To be honest, when Lu Xu performed his first knife fight scene, the photographer had already recognized his formidable acting skills.

After gradually adapting, the photographer noticed that even when wielding a knife, Lu Xu displayed a sense of character depth when facing different enemies.

It was like watching a golden retriever puppy morph into a one-headed, then two-headed, and finally a three-headed hellhound, with the level of ferocity completely different.

During breaks in filming, even though he knew Lu Xu was acting, when his gaze occasionally swept over, it felt like a cold breeze brushing his skin, occasionally sending shivers down his spine.

"Now you understand how I feel, right?" the assistant director said with an air of experience. "Look, Qian Ji is also deeply immersed in his role."

The actors chosen for the enemies in "The Path of Bones" were all highly skilled performers, but when acting opposite Lu Xu, they hadn't anticipated how quickly he would immerse himself in the role. When Lu Xu fully embraced the emotions of Yu Yi's character, they were caught off guard, creating a noticeable disconnect in their emotional interaction, and the scene had to be reshot.

In the past, it was usually the other actors who couldn't keep up with their pace.

Qian Ji was the most responsive among the actors present.

From the very first shot, he knew that Lu Xu was different from the young actors he had worked with before.

He originally expected this scene to require extensive shooting time—Director Lei Ai casually instructed them to film Yu Yi's revenge scenes back-to-back. While Qian Ji appeared to listen attentively, he was inwardly dismissive.

The core of the revenge scenes clearly lay with Lu Xu, who played Yu Yi.

These scenes needed to highlight both the ruthlessness of Yu Yi's revenge and the fluctuations in his emotions, making them significant parts of the entire series.

Could a newcomer like Lu Xu handle it?

If it weren't for Director Lei Ai's constant smiling demeanor, Qian Ji might have suspected that the director was trying to intimidate Lu Xu.

But once filming actually began, Qian Ji understood why Director Lei Ai had arranged things this way.

Lu Xu had indeed donned his costume—the outfits for "The Path of Bones" were everyday clothes.

Lu Xu had also changed his appearance—but in Qian Ji's eyes, Lu Xu's striking appearance made his on-screen look indistinguishable from his everyday self.

The reason he emphasized the costume and appearance was that the transformation from an ordinary person to a terrifying executioner happened almost instantaneously.

One moment, Lu Xu was politely greeting him, introducing himself as having recently signed with Feiyang Entertainment and playing the lead role of Yu Yi in "The Path of Bones."

The next moment, he had adopted a cruel and cold expression, slitting a throat and, amidst the enemy's spilled blood and their still-open eyes, methodically cutting again and again.

Yet his expression remained so indifferent, as if revenge were merely a ritual.

Or as if he had killed so many times that it had become routine, no longer capable of eliciting any thrill.

The moment the scene ended, the entire crew fell silent.

Everyone's gaze, whether intentional or not, tilted toward the center of the set.

It was only after a considerable pause that soft murmurs began to emerge.

"...My God, has Lu Xu always been this good at acting?"

"This is Yu Yi!"

Fans of the book always view adaptations with a healthy dose of skepticism, and usually, film and TV adaptations fail to meet their expectations. After all, when reading, the mind can imagine endlessly, but adaptations confine those infinite fantasies to the small space of the screen, instantly shattering expectations.

Of course, opinions on set design, costumes, and special effects vary, and even if they aren't done well, book fans don't have fixed standards in mind.

The roles, however, are different.

Appearance, styling, physique—these matter, but they're not as crucial as the resonance an actor creates with the character.

If an actor can master the role well enough, even if external factors make book fans feel he’s out of place, as long as he can portray the true essence of the character, certain shortcomings can be overlooked.

When Lu Xu walked onto the set of *The Path of Bones*, many crew members thought he looked just like Kong Le’s description of Yu Yi.

Strikingly handsome, yet reserved.

Lu Xu’s silence carried a natural melancholy.

However, even though Lu Xu had proven his acting skills in *The Son of Heaven*, doubts lingered among the *The Path of Bones* crew about whether he could handle the role of Yu Yi. After all, supporting roles don’t get the same frame-by-frame scrutiny from the audience as leads do.

At this moment, Director Lei Ai was quietly chuckling to himself, and Kong Le looked pleased.

When Lu Xu first joined, despite their assurances of satisfaction, skepticism lingered among the crew.

But now, the proof was in the performance.

“Is he really from an idol group?”

“If an idol group member can act like this, it makes me question my own training.”

“Ah, who wouldn’t? So… what was Ling Ge Entertainment thinking?”

“Maybe they’re crazy, or maybe the other Verse members were just too talented, forcing Lu Xu out.”

“Ling Ge Entertainment should’ve said no earlier, given him to our company. But now Feiyang Entertainment got ahead, snatching him from Xu Wen…”

At the thought, everyone shook their heads in silent disbelief.

Can’t compete.

…

After wrapping this scene, the pressure on Lu Xu from *The Path of Bones* crew lifted.

The crew was banking on Yu Yi to deliver. Not to mention, the original author was still watching. If this drama turned out as bad as *The Informant*, they, as book fans, would be too ashamed to show their faces in the future.

And with Yu Yi’s character brought to life just right, *The Path of Bones* was already halfway to success.

After the intense knife scenes, it was time for the first scene in the script.

The first mission together after the “01” team retired, by the warm campfire, they talked about their dreams for the future.

“I want to buy an elevator apartment for my uncle. He struggles so much climbing stairs now. After my mom passed away, it was my uncle and aunt who kept me alive.”

“I’ll buy a doll for my daughter first. She keeps pestering me every day. Where do they get such expensive dolls?”

“I want… to go back and propose!!”

Cheers erupted around the campfire. Yu Yi wasn’t the type to join in the cheering, but seeing this, he couldn’t help but smile.

In the team, he, as the captain, usually played the role of a listener.

Though silent, the warmth he exuded was felt by everyone present.

No one could have imagined that such a warm team would soon face a disaster.

And at this moment, the young man listening to dreams would allow himself to turn into a monster.

The camera mainly focuses on Lu Xu.

The crew is now completely reassured—from back-to-back intense scenes to warm and kind-hearted roles, Lu Xu still handles it with ease, at least his mental state hasn't been affected by the previous scene.

The cold personality and warm heart of Yu Yi are nailed by him.

...

While Lu Xu is busy filming in "The Path of Bones" crew, the news that he is playing Yu Yi has also got out.

The book fans are keeping quiet, after all, the casting was taken over by Kong Le, who had been offline for half a year due to the failure of "The Informant". Since his return, he has been more attentive to the project of "The Path of Bones" than anyone else.

Everyone knows it’s tough to find the right actor for Yu Yi.

In fact, the first reaction of most book fans is—Lu Xu playing Yu Yi is more suitable than imagined.

"At least he's good-looking!"

"As a fan of Qin Zhao, I'm thrilled, who understands the joy of being controlled by the character Qin Zhao for two months! Going all out to crazily edit videos!"

"Good-looking + at least some acting skills, suitable!!"

The book fans are lukewarm, but the industry is quite worried about the project of "The Path of Bones", after all, "The Informant" failed so miserably, it can be called the lowest point of novel adaptation.

The actors who took on "The Informant" also took a nosedive from their peak and haven't recovered yet.

"Lu Xu has finally gained popularity through 'The Son of Heaven', isn’t it risky to take on such a project with a bad precedent right away?"

"I'm more worried that the audience might not be interested in Kong Le's adaptation, clicking away as soon as they see the title."

"Before 'The Informant', Kong Le was a big author in high demand among investors, his books sold better and better, after 'The Informant', his commercial value plummeted, relying solely on book fans can't support the heat of a drama."

There are doubters and supporters, and as a fan of Lu Xu, Tan Qi finally got the chance to visit the set.

Since the disbandment of Verse, she hasn't seen Lu Xu in person.

Lu Xu has gained fame through "The Noble Son" and "The Son of Heaven", smoothly embarking on the path of an actor, but in Tan Qi's eyes, he has become more mysterious and distant.

This is a good thing, but as a fan, she feels that Lu Xu has grown up unknowingly, she knows what he was like in Verse, but now she can only know his grown-up self by watching dramas.

Tan Qi has regained her liking for Lu Xu.

She went to the set of "The Path of Bones" with a friend, and on the way, they kept exchanging various recommendation videos.

There are many videos related to Lu Xu, from the stage of Verse to the disheveled Qin Zhao, to Yu Wei reading under a tree, most of these videos have titles like "Transformation".

Many fans remember the scandal-filled situation when Lu Xu left the group.

To have come this far, isn't it a transformation?

The two happily watched the videos, and suddenly her friend exclaimed: "The Supreme has released a trailer!"

Tan Qi leaned over, and the trailer was already playing on her friend's phone—

He Ziqing and Yun Hui pass first, it's a heart-wrenching story.

And as the villain Ji Xiuya showed a side profile, Tan Qi and her friend couldn't help but scream, making the driver shoot them a few looks.

Tan Qi covered her mouth: "He's so hot!"

"So handsome it brings tears to my eyes."

"He's totally my husband!!!"

The *Supreme* team had earlier shared a group photo of the cast, and Ji Xiuya, even in close-ups, was already stunning. But in the trailer, seeing Ji Xiuya in action made him a thousand times more attractive!

Ji Xiuya's makeup was subtle, but the way his eyes shifted hinted at a wicked charm. He had a half-smile, enigmatic and alluring—one moment as gentle as a feather, the next, black mist erupted from him, and blood sprayed everywhere.

Unpredictable, commanding, and ruthless—this is the immortal, all-powerful Demon Lord!

Within minutes, the video's views skyrocketed past ten thousand.

Ji Xiuya was on screen for just a few seconds, but his GIFs went viral in no time.