"Cut!" Kang Xin shouted, "Zhou Yun, that was too fast."
The scene was reshot, and Zhou Yun stepped out again, this time staring steadily at Song Chi’s face for a long while.
"Cut! Too slow," Kang Xin’s voice rang out again.
The same shot was taken three times and still didn’t pass.
Zhou Yun felt distraught.
She was at a loss. She didn’t know what her problem was, nor did she know what would be correct.
Kang Xin came over and said, "Think about it, why did you come out?"
Zhou Yun said, "I wanted to say thank you to He Mu."
Kang Xin said, "Is it just about saying thank you? When can’t you say that?"
Zhou Yun pursed her lips, "Also, I feel something for He Mu in my heart, I want, want to see him."
"Right, but is Liu Rusu’s character the type who would go see someone whenever she wants to?" Kang Xin asked again.
"No, she’s a hesitant person."
"So what would she be thinking when she sees He Mu still up late brewing medicine for her?"
"Would she express her feelings directly?"
"Would she go up to him and talk directly?"
"No, Liu Rusu is someone who keeps a lot of words in her heart."
"That’s right." Kang Xin patted Zhou Yun on the shoulder and said, "Think about it, and perform like that next time."
Zhou Yun had an epiphany.
"Three, two, one, action."
Holding a candle, Zhou Yun walked slowly to the door, and looking up, she saw He Mu in the courtyard.
In that instant, Zhou Yun wasn’t acting, her heart was filled with gratitude, hesitation, turmoil...
In the pitch-black night, under the Eaves, Liu Rusu was clad in a simple gown, the evening breeze fluttering, the candlelight flickering slightly.
The light and shadows danced on the pure and beautiful face of Liu Rusu.
Her eyes were very black, also very deep, like a pond of still water, with faint fish shadows swimming within.
Reflected in her eyes was a person.
In a brief moment, she gently lowered her eyelashes, stepping over the doorway.
Zhou Yun sat down on a low stool at the doorway, putting the candlestick down beside her.
Heard the noise, He Mu looked up towards her.
"Why did you come out? Your illness has just gotten better, be careful not to catch a cold," He Mu stood up and walked over.
Liu Rusu smiled slightly and said, "I’m always indoors, I wanted to get some fresh air."
He Mu went into the house, fetched one of his coats, and draped it over Liu Rusu.
The scene continued to shoot, shot by shot.
It was already eleven o’clock at night, and the end was not yet in sight.
Zhou Yun sat under the Eaves, a look of weariness on her face.
Zheng Xiaojue brought Zhou Yun a flask, allowing her to have a drink during the brief rest.
It was apparent to everyone, despite the constant reshooting, Kang Xin was satisfied.
Shot by shot was taken, with adjustments being made word by word.
Everyone had worked in the crew for many years; they had their standards for gauging the quality of the performance.
You couldn’t say Zhou Yun was the most skilled at acting; that would be false. However, she was smart and quick-witted. Whatever Kang Xin explained, she could adjust rapidly and provide an accurate performance.
At the same time, Zhou Yun was never bound by certain acting paradigms; she didn’t even know what a paradigm was.
Many times it was just an inspiration ground out through repeated attempts.
"He Mu, why did you save me?"
"I... I am a doctor, saving lives and helping the wounded is what I should do."
"I, actually, just want to be a doctor, to treat and heal the sick. I can’t stand to see people suffering from illness, nor can I bear to see them die from it. Ever since I was a child, following my grandfather, I’ve become accustomed to the scent of medicinal herbs."
"Then you have already achieved that."
"But I won’t be able to continue being a doctor for much longer." He Mu’s eyes held a touch of loss.
"Why?" Liu Rusu asked.
He Mu shook his head, unwilling to say more.
"What about your family? If you stop being a doctor, what do they say?"
"They never wanted me to continue being a doctor in the first place. You might be the last patient I’ve ever treated."
"Such a waste with your medical skills," said Liu Rusu.
He Mu looked down and gave a bitter smile, remaining silent.
After a while, Liu Rusu asked, "If you’re not going to be a doctor, what do you plan to do?"
He Mu said, "A friend recommended me for a position in Prince Cheng’s Mansion."
"Prince Cheng’s Mansion?" Liu Rusu was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, I wrote a few short poems before, and the steward of Prince Cheng’s Mansion thought I was educated and asked me to work as an accountant there." He Mu chuckled, his smile even more tinged with loss.
"That’s also a decent job."
"He wants to marry his daughter to me, and my father has agreed."
In the last scene, the camera captures Zhou Yun, her face bare and naturally beautiful, with a subtle smile on her lips and a hidden disappointment in her eyes.
Liu Rusu said to He Mu, "Thank you for all your hard work during this time."
He Mu smiled at Liu Rusu, a clean and somewhat shy smile.
"It wasn’t hard at all."
It was clear that he didn’t understand anything.
Liu Rusu’s smile became even more gentle; she gently tilted her head up to gaze at the moon in the night sky and said with some surprise, "He Mu, look, the moon is so full tonight."
The moonlight, pure and clear, shone on Liu Rusu’s face.
"Cut!" Kang Xin shouted.
The set remained quiet.
Zhou Yun lowered her head, unable to restrain a tear from falling from her eye.
She had to hold back tears during the scene, couldn’t have reddened eyes, but her heart was too heavy, too uncomfortable.
Kang Xin came over and hugged Zhou Yun, patting her on the back.
Zhou Yun wiped away her tears and said, "Director, I feel so upset, I need a moment to recover."
Kang Xin patted Zhou Yun’s head and walked away.
The crew had begun to pack up.
This was the last scene for the day.
Song Chi sent a meaningful glance at Zheng Xiaojue, then approached Zhou Yun himself.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
Zhou Yun sighed and said, "I feel Liu Rusu is so wronged, He Mu is such a fool, not even realizing what Liu Rusu is thinking."
"If He Mu understood, with his personality, there wouldn’t be the rest of the story."
"Did He Mu really feel nothing for Liu Rusu?" Zhou Yun asked.
"Perhaps he did," Song Chi replied, "but maybe at this point, He Mu doesn’t even realize he has feelings."
"Don’t make excuses, He Mu definitely cares that Liu Rusu has been in a brothel," Zhou Yun said as she wiped her eyes, "how could he not know, he’s just playing dumb."
"If He Mu cared about that, why would he bring Liu Rusu back to treat her?"
"Then He Mu is a fool."
"Liu Rusu is also a fool, keeping everything inside, never speaking out."