So, under the watchful eye of the industry bigwigs from King Guan Entertainment, Yuan Ge's version of the heart-wrenching "brother confessing his love" scene is being played out.
Everyone is more intrigued by the performance of Arthur Guan than by the young director's improvisation, and all eyes are on the King himself, who is still dressed in his bespoke suit without making up for the role.
The great Jurchen warrior Sibeoci Fiyanggu marches up to Chu Jiliang and, without warning, suddenly jumps up and gives him a big kick, sending him into the corner.
Everyone can tell that Arthur Guan carried a lot of force with this action, and when the kick landed on Yuan Ge, his body flew three metres away and he staggered to the ground, holding his hand on his chest, unable to get up. Due to the force of the kick, the middle seam on the back of the bespoke suit Arthur had just changed into actually split open.
Liu Sang says a silent prayer for the poor unknown director. It seems that King Guan is still holding a grudge for the "water bath" he had received after all, and has finally found his chance to take revenge.
Yuan Ge obviously did not expect the kick from Arthur to be so painful either. Although he has designed the scene to highlight the emotional intensity between the two men, and he didn't need the Jurchen warrior to treat the emaciated Chu Jiliang with kid gloves, the kick was still way too forceful!
In the spirit of a good actor's professionalism, Yuan Ge places his hand on his chest and takes a deep breath, trying not to focus too much on the severity of the kick, but to control his facial expression to match the character in the scene, not letting his reaction out of character, and doing his best to show Chu Jiliang's dispirited state - his face ashen, neither resisting nor answering back, just letting the beating take place.
"He's dead! DEAD! Now you go to battle alone every day, provoking the Mongols, bent on throwing your life away, not even caring that the princess may become a young widow as a result. Are you still a man!!!"
Sibeoci steps forward and gives him two more punches and continued, "I was wrong about you! You are no longer that great, fearless hero in Shanhai Pass! Where is your strength? Where are your feelings? I went all out to the capital to save you just to see this half-dead worthless piece of shit?! I don't have a brother like you!"
Sibeoci continues to speak angrily as he swings a barrage of punches at Chu Jiliang with his huge iron fist. But it was as if Chu Jiliang had been drained of his life and did not react to all the violence inflicted on him, like a puppet that cannot feel pain.
Sibeici's eyes are red with anger, and he kicks and punches Chu Jiliang from one end of the room to the other. His actions are clumsy and violent, but his words are choked with emotions.
"Is your love the only true love in this world? Are you the only two people who can risk everything for each other? To build great things together and then to die fiercely and capriciously together, is that all that is worth having! There are many people in this world whose love is unrequited - they don't even get to profess their love, let alone have each other's hearts or be together!"
Chu Jiliang's head hangs weakly to one side, but the moment he hears these words from Sibeoci and sees the glint of tears in his eyes, a hint of surprise appears on his face, yet he quickly averts his gaze, but the corners of his mouth starts to tremble as he suppresses the urge to speak.
"Your love for him is so well known to the world that even the Emperor is mad with jealousy. Is this not enough! Open your eyes and look around you! Is he really the only person in this world who loves you? Someone has died for you; someone has become a nun for you; your new princess wife grieves for you day in and day out; and … your brother, who is willing to betray his tribe and go to hell and back for you any time … But you turn a blind eye to them all. Treasuring only your love for him in your heart, and yet letting the rest of us all down!"
With that, Sibeoci punches Chu Jiliang again in indignation, who spurts out a mouthful of blood, but Sibeoci has no pity for him. He draws out the two swords with their scorched sheaths behind him, and says, "These are your Double-edged Sword of Separation and his Star-Moon Sword of Soulmate, which I dug out from the ruins of your cabin with my own bare hands. I have hoped to retrieve them and see you use them to recreate your great feats again, but now it seems to have been a useless exercise. You want to die, don't you? Rather than die at the hands of the Mongols, let me kill you with this sword instead!" With that , he thrusts the tip of his sword right against Chu Jiliang's neck.
When Chu Jiliang sees the two swords, his emotions finally stir and a glimmer of light appears in his lifeless gaze. He shudders and struggles to stand up, but his body gives in and he falls back down in a daze, spurting out another mouthful of blood. The moment he lifts his head again, his face is covered in tears.
"He's dead … and I've done him and all of you a great deal of harm …" He chokes out, running his fingers up the sharp edge of the sword by his neck, ignoring the blood dripping from his fingertips and stroking inch by inch the design he has carved into the sword with his own hands.
"We promised each other we would be soul mates like the stars and the moon, and now the sword is here, but you are not. How can I live alone in this world …" The sad look, not like the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, not like a great general, but like a wounded baby animal, which makes Sibeoci utterly heartbroken.
"You only know he can't come back from the dead, but you don't know how I can live alone if you die …" With a clang, the charred sword falls to the ground, and unable to contain himself, Sibeoci crouches down and fiercely pulls Chu Jiliang into his arms.
Shivering as he is held tightly in those broad arms, Chu Jiliang stares at the man in front of him, his eyes red, tears rolling slowly down his handsome face, and another mouthful of blood spurting out, as if he has finally let out the grief that has been pent up inside him for so long. His tears could no longer be held back and pours out of his eyes uncontrollably. Ashamed to be seen by the man in front of him, he presses his forehead to his shoulder and lowers his face to hide away.
And Sibeoci holds tightly the silent but constantly trembling body, his hard shell finally disintegrates into nothingness, and the brotherly love that he has tried so hard to disguise finally turns into a lifelong obsession with no way back…