Provoking Fire [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 29

Seeing Bei Yaoyao’s starstruck expression, Chu Xiyue couldn’t help but smile.

She recalled a tweet from a young actor she’d once seen: “No one can escape Su Yan’s charm, whether on set or on screen.” Now, she realized the truth in those words. Su Yan’s powerful, fluid action scenes far exceeded the capabilities of an ordinary actor, clearly the result of years of dedicated training and real-world experience.

Chu Xiyue didn’t even need to imagine the injuries Su Yan must have endured. It was obvious that achieving such mastery required extraordinary effort far beyond what most people could comprehend.

As she was thinking this, the woman they had just been discussing approached them in her costume. Su Yan wore a crisp, clean azure robe that perfectly complemented Gu Feishuang’s cool, aloof demeanor. Her hair was styled in a high, neat ponytail, adorned with a delicate pearl hairpin that added a touch of youthful charm, softening her usual sharp, mature aura.

Yet her bright, spirited energy remained undiminished, radiating the same bold, heroic spirit.

When Bei Yaoyao saw Su Yan walking toward them, her face flushed crimson. She frantically adjusted her clothes and hair, terrified she didn’t look presentable enough. But Su Yan had already reached them, naturally settling down between the two women, sitting very close to both.

“So, have you learned it?” Su Yan’s voice was clear and cool, yet her tone was gentle. The sudden question left Bei Yaoyao’s mind blank. As she scrambled for an answer, she realized Su Yan was looking at Chu Xiyue, addressing the question to Teacher Chu.

Looking at the space between Su Yan and Chu Xiyue, Bei Yaoyao realized it wasn’t much. She had initially assumed Su Yan would sit beside one of them, but instead, she had chosen the middle seat, leaving only a small gap.

In that instant, Bei Yaoyao understood. Her initial excitement at meeting her idol quickly transformed. She quietly shifted sideways, creating a little more space for them.

Chu Xiyue followed Su Yan’s gaze and heard her continue, speaking slowly and deliberately:

“You have quite a few action scenes coming up. Study hard and don’t slack off.”

The unspoken implication was clear: Chu Xiyue shouldn’t hold her back.

Miss Chu understood immediately and straightened her posture, adopting a fiercely determined expression.

Action scenes? she thought. I specifically trained for those before joining the production! I’m not the type to coast on my family’s connections and slack off on set, you know.

Chu Xiyue resolved to do three extra sets of push-ups tonight. She was determined to show Su Yan the results of her fitness efforts, so she wouldn’t keep treating her like some weakling.

Besides, she thought, I carried Su Yan on my back for ages before! It’s not like she doesn’t know!

The undercurrent of tension between them, their gazes clashing, went completely unnoticed by Bei Yaoyao. She simply marveled inwardly at how the two exchanged glances as if she, the outsider, didn’t exist.

Could this be the legendary “CP chemistry”? she wondered. How else could Teacher Chu and Teacher Su convey such subtle emotions through their eyes, even without speaking? It’s so addictive to watch!

As Su Yan’s scenes wrapped up, the ensemble scenes were quickly set up. Bei Yaoyao, having composed herself, only needed two takes to nail her performance, much to the relief of everyone around her. They had all braced themselves for an all-nighter, but Bei Yaoyao’s improvement meant they could wrap up relatively early.

With the Director’s final call, the crew members who could pack up and leave finally felt liberated, their faces beaming with joy. Finishing by eleven o’clock was a welcome surprise, considering how late shoots often ran.

Chu Xiyue returned to her hotel, removed her makeup, showered, and lay in bed with a face mask on, scrolling through her phone. She noticed Yu Xian, still clinging to her fantasies, had sent her a message:

“Yueyue, how’s it going filming with Goddess Su Yan? Are you already falling for her?”

Chu Xiyue typed back, ruthlessly shattering Yu Xian’s illusions:

“Don’t even mention it. The filter’s shattered.”

Someone as rigidly proper as Su Yan was only suitable as a senior colleague. When it came to romance, Chu Xiyue simply couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. After all, they were in the same industry, and the kind of on-set chemistry that blossomed into real feelings usually only occurred between actors of equal standing.

What would it even mean if she fell for Su Yan just because of filming?

The kind where you fall for your teacher in class or your drill instructor during military training?

Chu Xiyue shuddered at the thought, feeling the faint affection she’d harbored for Su Yan completely dissipate. Ironically, it was Su Yan’s exceptional acting skills that made her feel they were on different levels, making any further development seem impossible.

Regardless, Su Yan’s portrayal of Gu Feishuang was undeniably perfect, capturing the character’s righteous and dignified spirit flawlessly. With her long hair pulled back and a pearl hairpin tilted jauntily, she radiated youthful charm. Her raw, unadorned beauty shone through her eyes, bringing the young Gu Feishuang to life on the page.

Director Yang, though known for commercial films, was a notoriously strict director. His commercial films were consistently high-quality, generating significant buzz and leaving a lasting impact, often leading to extended runs and additional screenings.

Chu Xiyue’s performance was decent, but she inevitably paled in comparison to Su Yan’s. Moreover, after witnessing Su Yan’s earlier scene with the veteran actor, even the assistant director, who was also the martial arts choreographer, unconsciously raised his standards for her, leaving Chu Xiyue feeling utterly overwhelmed.

“Cut! Yan Qiuxi, you were too slow. Was that sword angle meant to stab yourself? Let’s try again!”

“Kick your leg out, extend it fully. Don’t look clumsy! Yan Qiuxi, you need to channel some ferocity. Remember, you’re a wanderer, not one of those proper sect disciples. Use every trick in the book—killing moves, subtle techniques—don’t hold back!”

The drama’s production team demanded an overwhelming number of action scenes. After the initial calm episodes, nearly every day involved filming intense combat sequences. Soon, Chu Xiyue, Su Yan, and even the other actors began accumulating bruises and injuries.

Director Yang despised actors who juggled multiple projects or relied heavily on stunt doubles. He tolerated occasional stunt doubles only for truly impossible maneuvers. Chu Xiyue’s arms, thighs, and calves were covered in bruises. She threw herself into the fight scenes, delivering genuine punches and kicks. Sometimes, when she held back, the shots lacked impact. Her kicks were real, and her force was undeniable. After each wire stunt, she had to apply medicinal ointment.

Before they even reached the halfway point of filming, Xiao Ya, Chu Xiyue’s assistant, had nearly emptied her bottle of safflower oil. Every evening, she dutifully applied the ointment to Chu Xiyue’s bruises, her face etched with concern as she tended to the actress’s purple and blue marks.

Xiao Ya was about the same age as Chu Xiyue, having just graduated from university. She had originally worked as an assistant for a male celebrity. However, the celebrity’s poor moral character and indiscriminate behavior had led to complications. His two or three assistants and even his manager were all entangled with him, leaving Xiao Ya, who wasn’t involved, feeling ostracized.

When the male celebrity eventually wanted her gone, Xiao Ya was transferred to work for Chu Xiyue. Finally free from the troublesome, arrogant man, she found her days filled with genuine happiness.

“Chuchu, you really need to take it easy during filming. You just applied medicine to your knee yesterday, and now you’ve added another layer today. It looks so awful—I don’t know if it’ll even fade by the time you get home.”

Having grown close to Chu Xiyue, Xiao Ya rarely called her “Teacher Chu.” She couldn’t bear to see Chu Xiyue’s injuries, her heart aching with concern. Chu Xiyue herself, however, seemed unfazed. After all, everyone on set was in the same boat; no one expected special treatment.

“Bring me the script again,” Chu Xiyue said, changing the subject to avoid further discussion about her injuries. She was far more worried about tomorrow’s scene.

Tomorrow, she and Su Yan had a kiss scene. In reality, it was a desperate act of administering medicine. Gu Feishuang, poisoned by demonic toxins and unconscious, had lost all control. Yan Qiuxi was forced to cut open her skin, take a mouthful of spiritual bl00d mixed with the antidote, and feed it to her through a kiss.

Feeding medicine alone wouldn’t be difficult, nor would a straightforward kissing scene for a professional actress. The real challenge lay in combining the two.

And the other party was Su Yan.

Just imagining the scene gave Chu Xiyue a headache.

In the original script, their relationship was ambiguous, never formally defined as lovers. This left the ending open to endless interpretation. When Chu Xiyue first skimmed the script, she hadn’t noticed this kissing scene.

She’d filmed kissing scenes before, but they were always done with clever camera angles. This was just feeding medicine; surely it wouldn’t require too much intimacy. The script wasn’t very detailed, so Chu Xiyue had Xiao Ya apply her medicine while using her as a stand-in. She instructed Xiao Ya to sit still as she leaned in to practice the motions.

As the woman approached silently, Xiao Ya looked up and found her artist’s exquisite face inches away. Though she’d seen it countless times before, this was the first time she’d been so close. She froze, forgetting to breathe, staring blankly at Chu Xiyue’s face.

Only when a strand of hair brushed lightly against her cheek, like a dragonfly skimming water, did Xiao Ya snap out of her daze. Her heart pounding, she shook her head, finally realizing:

“Chuchu, you and Senior Su Yan have a kissing scene next?”

“…Mm-hmm.”

Though reluctant to admit it, Chu Xiyue felt a slight flutter of nervousness. Xiao Ya noticed and teased her relentlessly, making her laugh. Having finished tending to her injuries, Xiao Ya quickly said goodnight.

Even late at night, the hotel area remained brightly lit, but drawing the curtains plunged the room into complete silence.

At one in the morning, Chu Xiyue was still lying in bed, reviewing the script, her sleep filled with strange and unsettling dreams.

The next morning, she was woken promptly at seven to begin hair and makeup, yawning incessantly from exhaustion.

The film crew’s makeup artists had a dedicated studio, brightly lit and far more suitable for makeup than the hotel room. Chu Xiyue got ready and headed straight there, finding Bei Yaoyao, who also had scenes that day, already waiting. But Su Yan was nowhere to be seen.

Could Su Yan actually be late for once?

As Chu Xiyue wondered this, she heard Bei Yaoyao, her voice still drowsy, voice the question aloud. The makeup artist, who was organizing her brushes, answered their unspoken concern:

“No, Teacher Su Yan already finished her makeup early and went for a run.”