Chapter 25
The sweltering heat, which felt like being in a sauna just a second ago, vanished instantly! The sticky sweat seemed to freeze, and the hot skin felt refreshed as every pore opened up comfortably upon contact with the cool air!
The dizziness that shot straight to my head vanished as quickly as snow melting away, and my mind instantly became clear! Even my vision, which had been blurred by sweat, became clear again!
Lu Xiao suddenly jolted awake! His eyes widened in disbelief! He instinctively looked at Zhuo Hua.
Zhuohua continued to slowly fan herself, without even lifting her eyelids, as if the life-saving coolness from just now had nothing to do with her.
But Lu Xiao knew! It had to be her! Only her!
He felt the perfect coolness all over his body, and seeing Zhuohua's indifferent "it's none of my business" attitude, the flutter in his heart was like a stone thrown into a lake, instantly creating huge ripples! The immense joy and a sweet feeling of being favored instantly dispelled all his fatigue!
His glassy eyes shone brightly, and the corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably as he stared blankly at Zhuohua, his cheeks slightly flushed from excitement and lingering warmth.
"What are you grinning about?" Zhuohua finally turned her head, glanced at him, and said with her usual disdain, "Hurry up and memorize your lines."
"Oh! Oh! Coming right away!" Lu Xiao snapped out of his daze, quickly grabbed the script, and shouted enthusiastically, "Director! I'm ready! Let's begin!"
Director Chen looked at Lu Xiao, who had instantly regained his energy, his eyes were bright, and he was in top form under the sunshade. Then he looked at Zhuo Hua, who was still calm and composed beside him. He stroked his chin and once again sighed sincerely:
"Tsk tsk tsk... Chosen ones! This teamwork, this performance... it's like God is feeding them to them!"
In the sweltering heat of the film studio in midsummer, the sun was so scorching it could melt you. Inside the antique-style county government set, the air felt like solidified oil, and even a breath of it was burning.
Filming of "Under the Blue Sky" is in full swing and progressing at an astonishing pace. Most of the credit goes to "Captain Song," who is like a natural air conditioner in the center of the set.
Zhuo Hua, who plays Song Qinglan, is dressed in a dark red outfit, with her hair tied high in a ponytail and a short sword hanging at her waist, like a moving, cold spring under the blazing sun. Her movements are clean and crisp, her lines are concise and powerful, and her fight scenes are fluid and pleasing to the eye, almost all of which are completed in one take.
Director Chen stared at her every precise movement and sharp gaze on the monitor, so excited that he slapped his thigh repeatedly, muttering "chosen one" and "I've struck gold."
However, the real "treasure" that allowed the entire crew to catch their breath in the sweltering heat and boost their efficiency was not Zhuo Hua's astonishing skills, but rather the "cooling barrier" she released without making a sound.
The barrier wasn't large, precisely covering an area with a radius of about two meters around her. Whenever Lu Xiao's character, Shen Yan, needed to film for a long time under the scorching sun, or whenever Zhuo Hua felt the surrounding temperature was too high to enjoy her snacks, that barely perceptible icy aura would quietly spread.
Lu Xiao is the biggest beneficiary.
A scene depicts Chen Yan presiding over a dispute in the main hall of the county government. Lu Xiao, dressed in heavy official robes, sits upright beneath a plaque symbolizing power, large beads of sweat constantly rolling down his forehead, the back of his robes already soaked through.
The sweltering environment, coupled with the need to concentrate on reciting long, difficult passages of verdicts, left his lips dry and his eyes starting to glaze over. After two takes, Director Chen frowned deeply.
Just then, Zhuohua, who was sitting in the "audience" seat next to Lu Xiao and playing the role of a yamen runner (but actually secretly protecting him), moved his position almost imperceptibly, getting closer to Lu Xiao.
Buzz—!
A familiar, refreshing coolness instantly enveloped Lu Xiao! It was as if he had stepped out of a steamer and into a room with powerful air conditioning!
The sticky, hot feeling was instantly dispelled, and his chaotic thoughts were instantly cleared as if washed by an icy spring! He subconsciously took a deep breath, and the cool air slid down his throat, making his slightly tight throat feel much more comfortable.
Lu Xiao's spirits lifted instantly! He looked up at Zhuo Hua, who was idly fiddling with the tassel on his sword at his waist, as if he had just changed his posture to rest.
But Lu Xiao knew where that life-saving coolness came from. His heart warmed, and he winked very quickly and discreetly in Zhuo Hua's direction, a grateful yet slightly smug smile curving his lips.
Zhuohua noticed his subtle gesture, and almost imperceptibly pursed her lips, but her fingertips unconsciously twirled the tassel of the knife.
"Action!" the director shouted again.
This time, Lu Xiao was in top form! His lines were clear and fluent, his emotions were full, and his eyes were firm, perfectly portraying Shen Yan's naivety when he first took power, his helplessness in the face of troublesome people, and his stubborn adherence to principles!
"Cut! Perfect!" Director Chen stood up excitedly. "Lu Xiao! That was fantastic! That's it! Keep it up!"
He glanced at the composed Zhuohua beside him, then at Lu Xiao who had instantly regained his energy, stroked his chin, and smiled meaningfully, "Tsk tsk, with Qinglan protecting him, our Lord Shen is truly different!"
A burst of good-natured laughter erupted on set. Lu Xiao's cheeks flushed slightly as he secretly glanced at Zhuo Hua, who was slowly unscrewing a bottle of mineral water, seemingly oblivious to the director's teasing.
The benefits of this "cooling barrier" go far beyond this.
When Zhuohua is in a good mood (for example, when Lu Xiao's performance in a scene is particularly to her liking, or when she has just eaten a new snack that suits her taste), the range of the barrier will even expand slightly, the coolness will be stronger, and the duration will be longer.
The staff and extras who were close to her always managed to "just happen" to get some perks, feeling a touch of heavenly coolness in the sweltering heat.
Everyone understood each other implicitly, and their eyes were filled with awe and gratitude as they looked at Zhuohua. In private, they called her the "portable air conditioner goddess," while Lu Xiao was jokingly called the "air conditioner remote control"—only he could accurately trigger the "goddess's" cooling switch.
Of course, Zhuohua's "doting on her husband" goes far beyond just cooling things down.
In a night scene, Chen Yan is shown studying late into the night in his study, racking his brains for clues to solve a case. The props department prepared scalding hot tea for him.
Following the script, Lu Xiao picked up the teacup to drink, but his fingertips barely touched the cup before he hissed in pain from the heat, instinctively pulling his hand back and furrowing his brow. This subtle reaction was entirely genuine and was captured by the camera.
"Cut! Great! That reaction was realistic!" Director Chen was very satisfied and prepared for the next take.
No one noticed that Zhuohua, who was sitting in the shadows in the corner of the study, playing the role of a guard and resting with his eyes closed, flicked his fingertips very lightly on his knee.
A faint, icy spiritual energy silently brushed across the teacup in front of Lu Xiao.
As Lu Xiao picked up his teacup again, preparing to sip according to the script, he felt a warm touch on his fingertips! Not too hot, not too cold, just right for drinking!
He paused for a moment, then understood, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart again. He looked up at Zhuohua in the corner; she still had her eyes closed, as if in meditation, but Lu Xiao felt that even the cold lines of her profile had softened a bit.
He picked up the warm teacup, took a sip, and his brows relaxed. The comforting feeling of being silently cared for by his childhood sweetheart naturally flowed onto his face, adding a touch of humanity and sweetness to the character of Shen Yan.
"Great! That's the feeling! This is how Shen Yan should be! Being taken care of perfectly by Qing Lan!" Director Chen couldn't stop smiling behind the monitor.
On set, life unfolded amidst Zhuohua's doting affection and Lu Xiao's sweet responses. Lu Xiao's acting skills improved rapidly under Director Chen's guidance and Zhuohua's subtle yet powerful influence.
He is no longer the heavy-hearted, gloomy general in "The Long Song," but has truly become the flesh-and-blood, somewhat adorable, bookish young magistrate in "Under the Blue Sky."
When Song Qinglan retorted, he would helplessly and indulgently push up his glasses; after Song Qinglan came to his rescue, he would be extremely grateful, but would still awkwardly mutter "this is uncivilized"; and when no one was around, he would secretly watch Song Qinglan's back as she practiced martial arts, his eyes filled with unconscious admiration and dependence.
Zhuohua, on the other hand, perfectly embodies the meaning of "effortless and worry-free" pampering. Her action scenes are always clean and crisp, completed in one take, making the action choreographer seem like a mere decoration.
Her delivery of lines was precise and to the point, never hesitant or rambling. Her care for Lu Xiao was evident in every detail—deflecting props that were accidentally swung at him, discreetly helping him up when an extra bumped into him, and "just in time" handing him a bottle of water at the perfect temperature when his throat was dry from memorizing his lines…
What the crew talked about most was a scene where Shen Yan was tricked by the villain and fell into a trap. The trap was very deep, and the bottom was covered with thick straw (a prop). According to the script, Song Qinglan would anxiously call out from the edge of the trap and then try to find a way to rescue him.
As filming began, Lu Xiao followed instructions and fell backward in a slightly disheveled posture. However, just as his body was about to touch the straw at the bottom of the trap—
Zhuohua, standing at the entrance of the trap, narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly!
An extremely gentle, invisible current of air, carrying a lifting force, appeared beneath Lu Xiao in an instant, like the softest air cushion! The force of his fall was perfectly buffered and neutralized by this force!
Lu Xiao felt as if he had fallen into a large, extremely soft, and elastic ball of cotton. The feeling of falling disappeared instantly, replaced by a sense of security from being steadily supported. He even subconsciously bounced around in the "cotton" before, according to the script, making a "slightly dazed" expression.
On the monitor, Lu Xiao's landing was natural and fluid, without a single flaw. Only he knew how comfortable and safe that landing had felt!
"Cut! Great! The landing reaction is very realistic!" Director Chen was very satisfied.
Lu Xiao was pulled out of the trap, his face still showing signs of being "still in shock," but his eyes shone brightly as he looked at Zhuo Hua, filled with lingering fear (thinking about what would have happened if she hadn't been there), gratitude, and an indescribable sweetness of being absolutely protected.
He walked up to Zhuohua and, under the guise of straightening his clothes, quickly whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Thank you, Zhuohua!"
Zhuohua was brushing a speck of dust off her sleeve when she heard this. She paused for a moment, without even lifting her eyelids, and simply replied with two words: "Troublesome."
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