Chapter 77: Cameo — She and her boy appeared on the big screen together.
At this point, the camera slowly moved closer.
Fortunately, it had been a wide shot just now, allowing the two to boldly “break character” and whisper to each other as if they were sneaky children excited and guilty about stealing candy.
“No need.”
As the camera returned, Jiang Qi’s expression shifted back to cold indifference, fully resuming his role as Liang Jieyu.
Even his aura immediately changed—despite pretending to be drunk, he still exuded the cold and harsh aura of a seasoned warrior. The man spoke flatly, “You went through all this trouble to get into my tent, all for this bed, isn’t it?”
At this moment, the camera crew moved in for a close-up, focusing on Zhi Qi’s eyes.
In the shot, her lively black eyes shimmered like a starry sky, but they flickered nervously. “General, what are you talking about…”
“Stop pretending.”
Jiang Qi’s long fingers pinched the girl’s delicate chin through her veil.
The motion was swift, sharp, and precise, as though he had done it a thousand times before. He gently rubbed her chin, his voice coldly amused, “Tell me, who sent you?”
“…”
The dancer had no lines at this point, only her eyes, feigned earlier to be innocent, now turning icy.
“Not talking?”
Liang Jieyu chuckled, no longer bothering to act drunk.
He looked wild and reckless, like a lazy leopard, watching his “prey” under his paw with disdain. “Then I guess I’ll have to tie you up.”
“Let go of me!”
The dancer knew she couldn’t keep up the act anymore and decided to resist.
—This is where the judo Zhi Qi had been practicing overtime for the past few days came in handy.
She reached for Liang Jieyu’s eyes, hoping to use his momentary distraction to flip herself off the bed and escape.
But as soon as she stretched her hand out, her slender wrist was tightly grasped.
Jiang Qi didn’t use much force, but following the scene’s development, Zhi Qi still let out a scream.
.
It startled Jiang Qi, making him almost believe he had hurt her. His long fingers, gripping the girl’s delicate arm, loosened slightly.
Seeing Zhi Qi’s pained eyes, he almost couldn’t continue acting—it was the first time he realized that Zhi Qi also had “acting skills.”
Steadying his emotions, Jiang Qi returned to his “Liang Jieyu” persona.
The emotionless general swiftly pulled the belt from his robe, and in just a few motions, tied the dancer’s wrists tightly.
Zhi Qi was fully “immersed” in the role, remembering her memorized lines. Throughout the process, the dancer struggled continuously, but subduing her was no harder than handling a baby chick for the man.
Once she was bound, Liang Jieyu held her chin, lightly chuckling as he asked, “Now, are you done with your antics? Tell me, who is your master?”
The production team, led by Lin Qihang, nearly jumped with excitement behind the camera.
This was the vibe they had been aiming for! Exactly the vibe they wanted!
That perfect blend of dangerous intimacy, laced with tension.
It was the sense of a true “superior,” fully aware that the other was here to kill, but treating her like a playful kitten.
Jiang Qi had finally delivered the feeling he had been trying to capture for this scene!
Lin Qihang was utterly thrilled, but couldn’t help wondering—could it be that real couples truly shared a kind of telepathic connection?
Otherwise, how could Jiang Qi have performed with such spot-on emotions when Zhi Qi hadn’t even revealed her face? It felt completely different from his previous failed attempts.
Initially, Zhi Qi had wanted to keep her involvement a secret from Jiang Qi, and Lin Qihang had felt a bit uneasy about that. But now, seeing the final product… he realized his earlier concerns were unnecessary.
Could Jiang Qi have figured it out? That would explain today’s drastic transformation. Lin Qihang pondered this as he continued to focus intently on the screen, watching the two’s “tension-filled” interactions—
“My master is, of course, the General.”
Seeing that her identity was exposed and there was no way to escape, the dancer was no longer as panicked.
A woman used to navigating such circles was far from ordinary, let alone one chosen as a spy. Her beautiful eyes curved with a feigned sorrowful smile, “I came here tonight to serve the General. How could you mention someone else? I’m heartbroken.”
Liang Jieyu remained impassive, silent for a moment before saying something that sent a shiver down the dancer’s spine, coldness creeping up from the base of her tailbone: “Is it the Second Prince? The Third Prince? Or perhaps the Sixth Prince?”
Among the royal contenders, these princes held the strongest power, and they were the most eager to curry favor with the military.
…
The tent fell into dead silence. The dancer’s skin, visible beneath the veil, turned pale.
She continued to deny, stammering, “General, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”
Then, her face felt a sudden chill.
The veil was torn away by Liang Jieyu.
No, it wasn’t Liang Jieyu who tore it.
Inches away, it was Jiang Qi’s gaze fixed on Zhi Qi, not Liang Jieyu’s on the dancer.
Zhi Qi froze for a moment but then clearly caught the fleeting amusement in his eyes.
She felt a bit annoyed, but with the camera zooming in for a close-up, Zhi Qi had no choice but to feign a panicked expression, biting her lip and “glaring” at Jiang Qi.
His long, cold fingers lightly tapped the girl’s fair, jade-like cheek.
“Still not talking?”
Jiang Qi, knowing the camera wasn’t on his face, gazed at Zhi Qi with unashamed affection, nearly breaking into a smile. “Then I guess I’ll just have to throw you into another tent.”
.
Let the other soldiers “interrogate” her thoroughly.
Zhi Qi lifted her head stubbornly, remaining silent—after all, the dancer had come prepared to die; what was humiliation compared to that?
The young girl wasn’t much of an actress, but in her current frustration, the blush of defiance on her face coincidentally matched the character’s mindset.
Though Lin Qihang’s team had sensed that the two were “flirting on the company’s dime,” they couldn’t help but get caught up in the chemistry of the scene.
Too bad the dancer didn’t have much screen time, just a decorative role in the plot.
Otherwise, Lin Qihang wouldn’t have trusted an inexperienced Zhi Qi with the part.
After the dancer said nothing, the plot had Liang Jieyu deem her useless. His large hand climbed up to her slender neck, swiftly ending the life of someone in the prime of youth.
Such was his character—decisive and ruthless, with no room for sentimentality.
When Liang Jieyu had threatened to throw the dancer to the soldiers, it was merely to scare her.
Who knew what nonsense she might spill? The court’s power struggles had no place in the military camp; not even a whisper should be heard there. The quickest solution was always to end things.
Yet, as Jiang Qi reached this point, he found himself hesitating.
His long fingers gripped the girl’s pale neck, feeling the pulse beneath her skin—this soft neck, which he had kissed countless times with affection, now had to be coldly held as if he would kill her.
It was…
Quite the “twist” in their dynamic.
Zhi Qi felt every second in front of the camera was pure agony, wishing desperately for the scene to be over.
She really, really wanted to “die” already!
But for some reason, Jiang Qi seemed to be playing with her in front of the camera, his fingers lingering at her neck without giving the fake “killing” motion.
“If you want to kill me, just do it!”
Zhi Qi was genuinely frustrated now, delivering her line with real emotion: “Stop toying with me.”
Jiang Qi may have chuckled as Liang Jieyu would, but either way, he laughed.
And then, finally, he gave Zhi Qi what she wanted, making the necessary motion to end the seductive “dancer’s assassination” scene—Zhi Qi’s one and only appearance on the big screen.
With the director’s call of “Cut,” Zhi Qi felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Filming was exhausting; she couldn’t understand how Jiang Qi tolerated it… Zhi Qi thought to herself, feeling a surge of sympathy for him.
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But before she could speak, the boy who had been inches away leaned in and kissed her.
His soft lips pressed firmly against hers, leaving Zhi Qi speechless.
.
The crew, who had been ready to celebrate the completion of the challenging scene, were momentarily dumbfounded, watching as the male lead and his wife openly flirted and showed affection on set, leaving everyone else feeling like third wheels…
It was a long while before Zhi Qi snapped out of her daze, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Her ears flushed red, and she shyly pushed Jiang Qi, whispering, “You… get up.”
They were still in costume, lying on the bed in the set’s tent.
The scene was a mess—what would people think?
Jiang Qi, always obedient to her, got up and sat beside her, his long fingers playing with the golden hairpin in her hair, murmuring softly, “Beautiful.”
He had never seen Zhi Qi in a historical costume before, and now he felt he had finally gotten his fill.
Her outfit was an exotic Hu-style ensemble, with a blue-green gauze dress and fluffy accessories.
Elegant and adorable.
“Little Zhi, I really have to thank you this time.”
Seeing the two finally separated, Lin Qihang seized the moment to chime in, grinning as he said, “It’s all thanks to you that we got this scene in one take.”
Otherwise, given Jiang Qi’s stiffness when filming emotional scenes, it would have taken another whole day, and even then, success wasn’t guaranteed.
Zhi Qi’s face still held a faint blush from the kiss, her voice soft, “No need to thank me.”
In fact, getting to film a scene with Jiang Qi, creating such a “bizarre” memory together, was something special for her.
Even though she wasn’t an actress.
She was able to appear on the big screen with her boy.
Thinking about it, she should actually thank Lin Qihang.
Although she had been uncomfortable at first, and the past few days of practicing dancing and lines had been exhausting for someone with no experience… she was still grateful.
Zhi Qi curled her long legs beneath her, resting her chin on her knees. Her dark eyes sparkled as she earnestly said, “Director Lin, I should be the one thanking you.”
She was genuinely, truly happy.