Translator: Vian
Editor: Fafnir
If the previous script had once implied to the audience that Huo Xi liked Liang Linghui since he was young, then in the new script, those feelings are shown and much more well-developed with the many newly added scenarios, letting the audience realize and understand how deeply those feelings were suppressed in his heart, to the point where he would refuse to tell them, even when near death.
Five cameras were fixed from different angles, and the filming began.
Zhang Tongtong wore a cheongsam as she passed through the living room. At this time, Liang Linghui had just met with Bai Mingde. She, herself, also could not clearly say what the relationship between the two of them was; her principles prevented her from having an affair when she was married, however, the one she loved was never her husband, but this man who refused to elope with her.
So up to present now, Liang Linghui and Bai Mingde had maintained a reasonable distance. But one do not know if it was because she felt guilty in her heart, Liang Linghui breathed a sigh of relief when she found that Huo Xi was not in the house, although only until she walked to the garden. There, she saw a long casted shadow.
Liang Linghui's eyes widened, and a flustered expression flashed across her face. She halted beside the French windows inside the parlour, not stepping out into the garden, but instead stood there, watching Huo Xi from afar.
Zhang Tongtong's acting skills were still passable and Liang Linghui's scenes were not especially complicated either. Although she currently has not overstepped the boundaries, but towards her husband, she still has some several feelings of guilt, so to suddenly spy on her husband, there was naturally discomfiture.
She then heard Huo Xi beckoning her over.
It was presently spring; the flourishing pear blossoms had flowered to a snowy white. When the breeze tenderly swayed, the petals would arise to cascade in snowfall kindred of goose feathers, veiling the earth in a soft blanket of silver white silk bind. Much like snow, like feathers; Huo Xi stood under the tree as the pear blossoms showered, scattering upon his hair and uniform, his person appearing more soft, and gentle.
Visible within Director Zheng's five screens was this mesmerizing scene.
The sweet and graceful young wife slowly approached her husband's side; she regarded the petals sitting on the other's shoulders, after pondering for a moment, she still could not help but reach out. Merely through this passing brush, Liang Linghui did not discover that Huo Xi's body was trembling ever so slightly, nonetheless, when their two eyes met, he returned to his original cold and heartless mien.
"Have you eaten?"
Liang Linghui held on to her apprehensive mood waiting for a long time, never expecting that the first sentence Huo Xi says to her, would turn out to be this.
Remaining mum for a time, Liang Linghui replied: "I have eaten. I happened upon Teacher Xu at Rouge, and ate with her then," pondering after, she still amicably inquired: "Have you?"
This time, Huo Xi have not answer her. Instead, he stated: "Tomorrow, I will be leaving for Beiping."
Liang Linghui did not react for a moment.
The sound of Huo Xi's indifferent voice resonated within the hushed garden. Apart from his flat, unfluctuating voice, there alone was only the sighing of the wind and rustling of the falling petals, breaking the near silent stillness. "Is there anything that you need me to help you with?"
Liang Linghui hesitated for a moment, but voiced: "I have heard that Beiping Publishing House has recently published a new book written by Teacher Taiyue which Ping City has yet to receive. Could you bring me back a copy?"
Huo Xi lowered his head gazing at her; Liang Linghui uncomfortably shifted her eyes away.
A long time after, she heard a soft laughter, but when she looked up again, her husband still had on that cold face of his.
"Only this one book?" Huo Xi asked.
Liang Linghui nodded: "Yes, only this book."
Within the eye hid a silent, intense focused hue. Only after a long time, Huo Xi slightly nodded: "Very well."
Such a courteous tone would not happen between any other married couple, but for Huo Xi and Liang Linghui, this was already the best way for them to get along. Liang Linghui felt that today's Huo Xi was acting rather unusual. She did not want to stay under the tree, but Huo Xi have yet tell her to leave, so she could only continue to stand there awkwardly.
The thoughts in her heart abundant, suddenly, Liang Linghui exclaimed: "Today is your grandfather's memorial?!"
Huo Xi's whole person trembled, this time he did not reply. Liang Linghui sighed: "I remember that as a child, Grandfather Huo doted on me dearly."
Huo Xi murmured: "Leave."
Liang Linghui stared blankly as she looked up towards Huo Xi, only to see the latter solemnly stare back, his expression somber, no longer retaining the gentle appearance before. She indistinctly felt something was wrong, but could not understand the reason why, and could only choke out: "Huo Xi, you…"
"Leave!"
The severe tone startled Liang Linghui, then she turned around and left, never once looking back.
Under the warm and gentle setting sun, the beautiful young woman left angrily. Behind her stood her husband who had no genuine relationship with her and a ground of fallen petals. Huo Xi watched Liang Linghui's retreating back, his expression gradually loosening, but he still turned around to stop his gaze, remaining the same, and facing the tree, not leaving the whole night.
This is where the scene ends.
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Due to wanting to obtain the perfect light and shadow effects, Director Zheng asked for a few extra retakes.
Rong Xu appeared to have gained a few years in front of the camera, to where one could not even tell that he had yet to come of age. Hair gel was used to comb his hair back behind his right ear, leaving only a few strands on the left.
Over these many years, Huo Xi was involved in numerous wars. He was very tired, even within his own home, the person himself still carried a solemn coldness that makes one hard to get close to, along with a sense of ruthlessness and tyrannical bearing.
Whenever Rong Xu would step out with his makeup done, many young girls in the crew would all stare at him with a blushing red face. Even some of the older women couldn't help but hold their face, one by one lamenting: "If only I was born twenty years earlier ah!"
While this evening's scene seems simple, it was in fact foreshadowing.
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That year amidst the pear blossom shower, he met a girl. She sat among the clusters of pear blossom, the white adorned her clearer than snow, a pure white amid the blooms. She gleefully giggled, suddenly flying down and throwing herself towards him, knocking him to the ground with laughter: "My name is Liang Linghui, my mother calls me Hui girl. What is your name?"
At that time, he could only stutter his reply: "My name is… Huo Xi."
For many years after, the girl at that time could no longer remember their first meeting at the age of four. But he constantly kept in his mind that girl who had flown down from the sky and fell within his arms that year. The Westerners had said before that there was this beautiful symbolic figure called an angel. He felt, that she was his angel who had descended from Heavens, arriving by his side.
He took this girl out to play, this girl was even bolder than him, and even disliked his petty attitude.
They would keep thousands of secrets between each other, catch mud fishes together, and on the day his most important grandfather died, the girl took his hand and comforted him: "Grandfather is gone, but you still have me."
Then later when he turned seven, he was thrown into the army by his father, only coming out when he was fourteen. He had experienced the terrible battlefield, he had killed… he had killed many people. He was no longer that boy who would accompany her to climb trees and catch mud fishes together. When they met again, she was already twelve years old, now a slender and graceful young girl. His cold and indifferent face had not yet even had the time to show his joy, when the other shyly extended out her hand, and said to him——
"Hello, my name is Liang Linghui."
That person in his memory, would never again remember him.
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This story definitely had some dog blood elements. Originally in the script, it was only casually mentioned a bit without much details, but now in the new script, several scenes were added. Especially in the ending where their underground party broke through Ping City, first destroying the other three warlords till China's mainland was only left with one Huo Family.
Chief Commander Huo suffered serious injuries during the war, Huo Xi took over as the Commander in leading the thirty thousands soldiers. Afterwards, with the secret help of Bai Mingde and other underground parties, the war lasted for a month. Ping City was breached and Huo Xi was captured. Chief Commander Huo was furious, causing his mental state to deteriorate, and not even waiting until the army entered the city, he was ready to be angered to death.
After capturing Huo Xi, the army officially announced Huo Xi's conviction. The number of people Huo Xi had killed was not small, not just the enemies, but also those from the underground party, and people who threatened the Huo Family. His hands were stained with blood and his means were especially cruel. He was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment. However, as he sat in his cell leaning against the filthy wall, he took the poison he had long prepared and committed suicide.
As for Liang Linghui, she had been already persuaded by Bai Mingde to join the underground party. On that day when they breached Ping City, she stood beside Bai Mingde, looking at Huo Xi from far away, watching her own husband-in-name be caught by the enemy.
Even the Marshal's wife was part of the underground party; it was only a matter of time before the city was defeated.
Rong Xu saw a few of these considerably dog blood heavy plots as he looked through the new script and could only helplessly shake his head. Luo Zhentao curiously looked over and laughed when he read the story: "Even more people will like this current script with a few sprinkles with dog blood."
The youth raised an eyebrow: "Luo ge, so you also think this 'embracing the other from behind when drunk and almost revealing his true feelings' situation… is very dog blood?"
Luo Zhentao happily laughed out loud: "Either way, this role's character is very three-dimensional with a very distinct and clear image."
No can oppose this point. Back when Rong Xu was first picking out scripts, he also liked "Ambush" distinctive character images, fast-paced plot, and many contradictions and conflicts. Which was the reason why he choose it.
Whether it's the composed and farsighted Bai Minge, or the strong-willed and intelligent Liang Linghui; whether it's the cruel and ruthless Huo Xi, or the self-sacrificing nature of Zhao Fangsheng. They all have their own image, and with the fast-paced storyline, it creates an extremely vivid and lively person out of each of them.
It was said that within a film, the male lead is for the female lead to like and the second male lead is for the audience to like.
You might as well ask that for such a rich, powerful, handsome, strong and still young Marshal, which little girl would not like? "Ambush" was a spy and war romance drama. It uses the romance aspect to film to a spy and war film and also uses the spy and war aspect to film a romance film.
Although he felt in his heart that this dog blood plot was really not something that ordinary people can think up of, Rong Xu maintained his professionalism and continued to perfectly act out his scenes, making even Director Zheng unable to help but clap his hands and cheer.
Especially when it was time for the 'drunken confession' scene. He embraced Zhang Tongtong's waist from behind, his action careless and languid. When he cried out "Hui girl" in a sexy voice, every fellow female comrade in the studio had their heart go numb, and as the person involved, Zhang Tongtong got the full impact with her legs going soft… and then NG.
The messy black hair blocked the young man's beautiful and clear phoenix eyes, the unbuttoned white shirt revealing a strong but not overly muscular chest. Being held by such a person, Zhang Tongtong repeatedly NG-ed nine times in a row and even needed to use her hands to cover her non-stop blushing face.
Li Yan stood next to the set and lamented to her manager: "I feel that this scene of Zhang Tongtong's really let her eat a lot of tofu. Really envy her…"
Not far away, Han Yanghao coldly snorted and unhappily glared at Rong Xu.
When the day's filming came to an end, the "Ambush" crew sent the late stage post-processed trailer to T.V. station. Starting from ten o'clock this evening, this weekly drama's trailer will be aired eight times a day and four days later, it would be officially aired.
This first trailer shows the love triangle between Bai Mingde, Liang Linghui, and Huo Xi. Director Zhang did not hesitate to arrange to put the 'almost confession after drunk' scene shot earlier today into the trailer. When the trailer played on TV tonight, it incited an extremely lively discussion overnight!
The author had something to say:
After my Rongrong and Qin Orangeorange got together and look back at this dog blood drama…
Rongrong: …Actually, it doesn't have that much dog blood, it's just a very orthodox spy and war romance idol drama…
Qin Orangeorange: You hugged her! You weren't even dressed properly, your shirt was still unbuttoned yet you went and hugged her! Angry!
Dog Blood – Melodramatic
Beiping – Former name of Beijing. The city was called Beiping from 1368 to 1403 and from 1928 to 1949. In 1403 and again in 1949, the city's name was changed from Beiping to Beijing. – via Wiki-san