Being able to get in close contact with the two idols, Xiaoxi was the first to jump into the real-life pit with real feelings. From the day she jumped into the pit, every day felt like she was immersed in honey and she was as happy as a mouse falling into a rice jar.
For example, if Xia Yitong had nothing to do, she would come to Lu Yinbing at a fixed time every afternoon and ask her out for dinner. Although Lu Yinbing did not respond most of the time, she did not show any disgust. She had been with Lu Yinbing for three years, and you know, what Lu Yinbing hated most was someone pestering her.
Xiaoxi is happy to eat real-life food every day. She also goes to the official Weibo of the CP station to eat fan-made food. She even wrote a fan fiction herself, which was completely based on the original character. However, it was marked as seriously ooc by other CP fans, interrupting her bright journey to becoming a big name in the fan circle.
Xiaoxi hangs out on forums, BBS, and Weibo, and Lu Yinbing finds her more and more often staring at her phone and laughing foolishly, making evil noises from time to time. Curious, Lu Yinbing asks her if she is just fantasizing about a couple. Lu Yinbing wants to see, so Xiaoxi shows her a gay couple she used to be a fan of, and Lu Yinbing immediately loses interest.
Such idle days soon came to an end. On July 8, the "Breaking Snow" crew, which had been formed long ago, finally started the filming and production of the movie.
Xia Yitong got up early that day, washed herself up in front of the mirror, and didn't wear anything fancy, just a simple T-shirt and cropped pants. Her long hair fell to her shoulders and had been dyed back to black. She looked pure, lovely, and generous. She was a little nervous. It had been more than ten days since she was chosen to play the leading female role, but it was her first time to meet the crew in full.
It was really too early, it was just daybreak, and when she arrived there were only staff members on the set. Some of them looked up at her and greeted her enthusiastically, but a few scattered staff members were busy moving things with their heads down and had no time to pay attention to her.
The big fan was whirring.
Xia Yitong looked around. The door of the lounge was not open yet. After asking, she and her assistant sat on the small stool next to the lighting technician.
The lighting engineer was a middle-aged man in his early forties. Although he had a full beard, he was very friendly. Seeing her sitting there with her hands and feet aggrieved, he said, "You're here too early. Director Qin won't be here for at least another hour."
Xia Yitong heard that he seemed to be very familiar with Qin Hanlin, so she asked, "Have you been following Director Qin?"
The lighting engineer said, "We are his personal team."
Xia Yitong said sincerely, "I heard that Director Qin has a private lighting team when filming. Today I finally met one. Master, what is your last name?"
"Your surname is Ni."
Xia Yitong was full of praise. She had a sweet face and an even sweeter mouth. Her words really sounded real, and even the fake ones sounded real, which made Master Ni laugh. "No, no, we are used to it. We know what Director Qin wants. He is very picky about these things, and ordinary lighting can't satisfy him. Except for us," Master Ni pointed to a large area surrounded by curtains. People came in and out with various tools in their hands. "Look, that's Director Qin's costume and prop team."
"Can I go and see it?"
"Of course you can, but don't touch it without permission."
"Got it. Thank you."
Xia Yitong took advantage of her early arrival to tour the set and got to know the lighting, stage management, coordinator, script supervisor, makeup artist, and photographer. When the assistant director arrived at the set, he opened the door to the lounge for her, but she didn't go in. She just wandered around outside and chatted with people.
When Lu Yinbing arrived, Xia Yitong was helping the staff push the camera. The two of them were chatting and laughing, discussing the hardships of doing odd jobs on the set, without any airs of being a popular star.
Lu Yinbing lowered his sunglasses a little, revealing a pair of surprised eyes, and asked Xiaoxi beside him: "Is that person Xia Yitong?"
Xiaoxi carefully identified it and said, "Yes."
Lu Yinbing couldn't believe what she saw: "What is she doing?"
Xiaoxi was silent for a moment, then said, "… pushing the camera."
"..." Lu Yinbing put on his sunglasses, "Okay."
"I worked here in 2011. Sometimes when the blower blew, my face was covered with dirt and my eyes were so blurry that I couldn't see, let alone see the machine. I could only rely on my instinct," said Xia Yitong.
"Yes, yes, yes, if you don't do it right, you will be scolded." The staff member deeply understood and sighed, "I didn't expect that you celebrities have done this too."
"Stars don't just grow out of the ground, they grow slowly."
"So I also have a chance to be a star?"
"Of course there are. You stay on the set every day. If you have a chance to be an extra, what if you become famous?" Xia Yitong said, "Didn't Stephen Chow also become an extra? Everything is possible."
"That makes sense, hahaha."
The staff member just said it casually, and Xia Yitong answered it casually, and they both laughed.
Xia Yitong glanced around and her smile froze. She rubbed the dust off her hands and said, "Lu Ying is coming later. I'll go say hello."
"Go ahead, go ahead."
Lu Yinbing was not easy to approach, so two bodyguards, five assistants, and a team of makeup artists carrying makeup cases, about ten people in total, marched into the extra-large dressing room prepared for her by the crew.
Xia Yiting wiped her hands while jogging over. Seeing her recklessness, a few stagehands who had just gotten to know her hid behind the curtain and giggled. Xia Yiting turned around and stuck out her tongue and glared at them, but she didn't slow down at all.
Knock on the door.
Xiaoxi opened the door.
Lu Yinbing sat on the chair, her sunglasses still covering half of her face, her beautiful curves extending from her face to her slender neck. She turned her head and looked quietly through her sunglasses at Xia Yitong who was standing at the door.
Xia Yitong pinched her fingers and said, "Teacher Lu."
Lu Yinbing finally spoke in a dull voice, "I heard your voice in the room. It was very lively."
"Thank you, Teacher Lu, for the compliment." A hint of joy flashed in Xia Yitong's eyes.
“Is it fun to push the camera?”
Xia Yitong's smile disappeared, and she pursed her lips and said, "... Not bad."
"Have you washed your hands?"
Xia Yitong looked down at her hands: "I have wiped them, but not washed them yet."
"Xiao Xi, take Teacher Xia to wash his hands."
"Okay." Xiaoxi walked to Xia Yitong, "Teacher Xia, follow me."
Xia Yitong was led to the sink, where she squeezed some hand soap and rubbed her hands full of foam. She frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Xiaoxi, is Teacher Lu in a bad mood?"
"No, I was in a good mood when I woke up this morning, but it suddenly turned bad just now."
"Why?"
“Probably after entering the set.”
"Ah?" Xia Yitong looked confused. "Is the environment on the set bad? I think it's OK."
"Maybe. I don't know."
"You... seem to be smiling?"
"No."
Xiaoxi's heart was full of exploding fireworks. No one knew better than her assistant why Lu Yinbing was unhappy. After Lu Yinbing entered the set, she glanced at the place where Xia Yitong was several times, but Xia Yitong was chatting happily with others and didn't notice her at all. Finally, Lu Yinbing went into the dressing room with an unhappy look on her face.
It’s too late to come to her now.
After washing her hands, Lu Yinbing was already sitting down. The makeup artist was combing her hair first. She heard the noise but did not turn around. She went straight to the mirror and asked, "Where is your makeup artist?"
Xia Yitong replied: "Director Qin said there is no scene for me today."
"Then why are you here so early?"
"Come and take a look, get familiar with the environment."
"Then you should continue to go outside and get familiar with it."
Xia Yitong: “…”
Xiaoxi turned her head away and tried to hold back her laughter.
Xia Yitong, who was ordered to leave, lowered her head and walked out. The door of the dressing room was temporarily ajar. The sound insulation was not very good, and the laughter of Xia Yitong and other staff members could be heard from outside.
Lu Yinbing: "Why does it take so long to comb your hair? Are you going to take the final makeup photos later?"
The dresser quickened her movements: "Right away, right away."
“Where’s my phone?”
"Here it comes." Assistant A handed over the phone.
"The phone case doesn't look good, change it." Lu Yinbing said, "Xiao Xi, go see if Director Qin is here, and close the door by the way."
Xiaoxi went out for a while and came back and said, "Director Qin is here and is waiting for you outside."
The door closed, and the annoying noises outside also disappeared. Lu Yinbing's tone became much calmer: "Okay, let Qin Hanlin send someone to bring the clothes I want to wear. They are so precious."
Xiaoxi asked Assistant B to go, and when Assistant B came back, he was followed by an assistant holding costumes.
In this fictional era, black is the most respected color, so the clothes prepared are a black robe, with four silver claws on the front, and dark unicorn patterns of the same color embroidered on the shoulders and wrists, and a large water cloud pattern on the hem. It is matched with a black belt and a double dragon jade pendant, which is extremely luxurious. On top of the folded clothes, there is a small jade crown for tying hair. It shines under the light, like the green mountains in the distance. It is not something you can buy at a street stall.
This is the outfit in the middle of the movie, when Jing Xiu was the regent, at the most glorious time of his life.
An hour later, the door of the dressing room was pushed open, and there was a sound of rings colliding, ding-lang—
The lighting engineer stopped what he was doing, raised his eyes, and was stunned. The people next to him followed his line of sight and forgot about the pen in their hands. It was as if they were being paused one by one. Ten seconds later, the noisy set was quiet, with only the humming sound of the machines running. They stared at the woman in front of them quietly, not daring to breathe.
Xia Yitong stood beside the director, staring at him blankly. She heard her own heartbeat, which seemed to stop after a heavy thump.
A person walked out leisurely, as if she had traveled through a thousand years of time. She stood on the city wall, gazing at the vast mountains and rivers in the distance. She was wearing brocade clothes, a jade crown, and vermilion tassels on both sides, outlining a face as beautiful as jade, so full of vigor and vitality.
With just one look, Jing Xiu came alive in front of everyone.