Chapter 85: The Horseback Scene

Chapter 85: The Horseback Scene

He had collaborated with many actresses before, but none had ever distracted him during filming like this. An Wen’s ancient costume and her shy, timid expression were enough to make any man falter.

The training ground was connected to the horse-riding field, where the scene of Lin Wanting arriving at the training ground to learn archery with the princes was being filmed, followed by Li Hongyuan teaching her how to ride. In this segment, Lin Wanting would accidentally fall off the horse, and Li Hongle would catch her before Li Hongyuan could.

Due to the high difficulty of the stunt, a wire harness and a stunt double were required. While editing could make the stunt double appear convincing, the effect wouldn’t be as good as performing it oneself—the fall would only show a blurry figure. Tang Zhiming insisted that if possible, the actor should perform the stunt themselves.

An Wen immediately demanded to do it herself. Why would she need a stunt double? In her past life, she had even worked as one. However, Li Hongle’s action was particularly challenging, and any misstep could lead to injury. Yang Fan wanted to give it a try.

"Action!"

Lin Wanting cautiously attempted to ride the horse. The horse moved slowly, posing no danger, and Lin Wanting laughed happily, the camera capturing her radiant smile.

An Wen lightly tapped the horse’s sides with her right calf, signaling it to move forward, while she began acting as a startled beauty. The horse, agitated by her performance, grew restless.

Tang Zhiming directed, "Accidental fall, now!"

The wire harness was ready, and An Wen acted as if she had lost her grip on the reins, tumbling off the horse with a perfect mix of fear and shock. Her expression was flawlessly managed, exuding a fragile beauty.

However, when she fell, Li Hongle failed to catch her. Fortunately, An Wen reacted quickly and landed safely, avoiding injury.

The crew members were terrified and rushed to ask, "Are you okay, An Wen?"

An Wen waved her hand and smiled. "I’m fine."

The horse trainer had taught An Wen what to do, but no one expected her to perform so skillfully—as if she had been riding horses for years.

For safety reasons, Yang Fan had to use a stunt double. After two rehearsals with the double, Director Tang was finally satisfied.

In the scene, Lin Wanting, still shaken, clung to Li Hongle’s robes in his arms, her peach-blossom eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

"Cousin, are you alright?" Li Hongyuan rushed over anxiously, trying to take Lin Wanting from Li Hongle.

Li Hongle, however, only gazed at Lin Wanting in his arms and said gently, "Let’s go over there first."

But Lin Wanting looked at Li Hongyuan with tearful eyes, her delicate appearance tugging at the heartstrings. "Cousin, my foot hurts so much..."

Li Hongyuan panicked. "Quick! Summon the imperial physician!"

Li Hongle carried Lin Wanting to a chair, with Li Hongyuan and the others following closely behind.

"Cut!" Director Tang called.

Another one-take success.

An Wen’s tearful expression resembled a dew-kissed jasmine flower, so pitiable that the "princes" immediately immersed themselves in the scene.

An Wen had brought the fragile, pitiable early version of Lin Wanting to life, and Director Tang was delighted, silently praising his own discerning eye.

If handled well, her early vulnerability might even make it hard for the audience to hate her later. After all, Lin Wanting was, at her core, a tragic figure.

Meanwhile, at home, Mother Chu was catching up on Ding Qian Kun, and Grandfather Chu joined her upon finding out.

This episode featured Xuan Yuan Zun and the others battling the Chiyan Sect to rescue Yi Xinxin. The special effects and visuals were impeccable. Grandfather Chu had initially thought it was a romance drama but was surprised to find it was a fantasy series.

After watching without pause for an entire episode, they waited through the commercials with Mother Chu.

She praised, "Qing Sha is so beautiful, and our Wenwen is truly lovely—even her fight scenes are stunning."