AITFYMIBP Chapter 93

TL: Hua

Lin Yanran and Gu Siye felt the script had issues.

As the director, Guo Fang naturally noticed it immediately as well.

As a script, being melodramatic isn’t a crime, and stacking tropes isn’t a problem either—after all, the audience loves that.

The problem lay in the fact that the emotional scenes and transitions Sun Hangyi wrote felt too forced.

The overall trajectory of the script and even the political intrigue were written well enough, but the details were truly hard to stomach.

The most moving part of a romance isn’t the melodrama itself, but the emotional push and pull between the protagonists. Melodrama is just a catalyst; emotion is the foundation.

But the emotional scenes Sun Hangyi wrote were basically: I love you, you betrayed me, so I hate you.

Then, with no foreshadowing at all, he wrote that Sheng Zhao—unable to forgive Sheng Yi for threatening his family’s lives—just whoosh, jumped off the building.

This emotional writing was like someone grabbing a handful of uncooked rice and trying to shove it into your mouth; it made people want to roll their eyes.

On the day of filming, Guo Fang arrived at the set early. The moment he saw Sun Hangyi, he gave him a piece of his mind.

“Didn’t your master teach you not to be so rigid in handling the details of emotions?”

Sun Hangyi shrank back but said helplessly, “I’m really terrified of writing emotional scenes. I did my best.”

Guo Fang thought Sun Hangyi was talking nonsense.

He opened his mouth to retort, but his gaze landed elsewhere.

Two staff members were moving equipment at the entrance.

The two were discussing today’s scene back and forth.

“Why is Guo Fang filming for our group?”

“I don’t know. They even made us sign non-disclosure agreements. Who is the guest actor? Why is it so mysterious?”

“Is the person they invited too terrible, or are they a huge star? I’m really curious.”

“Is there really a big-name star coming to fill in these days? Unless he’s…”

Before the sentence could be finished, two figures appeared five meters ahead on the carpet, walking one after the other into the studio.

The two staff members nearly dropped the equipment in their hands.

Why is Gu Siye here??

The production team had kept it strictly under wraps; only Guo Fang and the talent coordination department knew. Even the screenwriter, Sun Hangyi, was in the dark.

So now, as Gu Siye and Lin Yanran appeared here together, the staff on-site—especially the younger ones—were internally screaming.

Is the production team really this powerful? They actually managed to invite him to carry the show!!

Once the initial shock passed, many people cast envious looks toward Lin Yanran.

A newcomer with zero acting experience, and his partners for his screen debut were top-tier best actor and director.

With a lineup like this, if they took a photo for their social media saying they were working on a top-level production, absolutely no one would doubt them.

Gu Siye and Lin Yanran walked up to Guo Fang. As the three of them spoke, Sun Hangyi, standing off to the side, was completely dazed.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think that the “dog-blood” brother-romance script he had gritted his teeth to write would have such a powerhouse cast.

“What kind of dumb luck have I stumbled into?”

As a screenwriter who specialized in crime and mystery, the actor he dreamed of collaborating with most was Gu Siye.

After all, who hadn’t seen his performance in Wild Ambition? He had been mysteriously cool and legendary.

However, now that his dream had finally come true, he realized the man was here to perform in his nonsensical, dog-blood drama.

Realizing this, Sun Hangyi suddenly felt that Guo Fang’s earlier scolding was actually quite justified.

With his awkward emotional scenes, he feared Teacher Gu might cringe so hard he’d end up building a “Dream Barbie Castle” with his toes.

However, he soon realized he was wrong.

Gu Siye first led Lin Yanran to familiarize him with the camera positions.

Having had experience filming Gu Siye’s music video and being naturally intelligent, Lin Yanran adapted quickly.

Guo Fang brought the script over and specifically explained the upcoming scene to Lin Yanran.

As sharp-tongued as he was, he was meticulous in his work; knowing Lin Yanran had never acted before, his explanations were incredibly detailed.

Afterward, Lin Yanran went to get his hair and makeup done.

His look was aimed toward the sickly beauty aesthetic, so it took a bit longer than Gu Siye’s.

As he lowered his eyes to silently memorize his lines, he heard someone speak to him from behind.

“Imperial Brother, shall we go over the lines?”

Through the vanity mirror, Lin Yanran saw Gu Siye in an ancient costume for the first time.

He wore a simple, elegant blue robe with subtle dark patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs.

Blue is a very demanding color; on many male actors, it doesn’t look ethereal but rather disastrous.

But Gu Siye was tall and slender, with an air of refined grace. In this outfit, he looked valiant yet scholarly—a true gentleman of distinction.

Lin Yanran thought Teacher Gu looked wonderful like this. He wanted to compliment him, but since the makeup artist was still there, he held back and replied in Sheng Zhao’s tone.

“Alright, Imperial Brother.”

The two looked at each other through the mirror.

Gu Siye found a chair and sat beside Lin Yanran, starting with his lines.

Although he hadn’t received professional training, Gu Siye’s delivery and vocal technique surpassed many professional actors.

The moment he spoke, he stepped into character, pulling Lin Yanran into the scene along with him.

Lin Yanran had previously wondered what kind of person Sheng Yi would be.

But as soon as Gu Siye’s voice emerged, the image in his mind was instantly locked in place.

Lin Yanran followed Gu Siye’s emotional lead and delivered his lines.

He had practiced before under the guidance of his teacher and Gu Siye, but he was still inexperienced, and there were always parts where he couldn’t quite convey the emotions properly.

Every time there was a problem, Gu Siye would patiently demonstrate and correct him, time and time again, without a hint of impatience.

The makeup artist listened while working on the styling.

Once they finished running the lines, he couldn’t help but speak up. “Teacher Gu is so attentive.”

Then he added, “Teacher Yanran, your memory is amazing; you learn so fast.”

Once the makeup was done, Lin Yanran walked with Gu Siye toward the built set.

In that short span of time, the news of Gu Siye coming to save the day had spread throughout the entire crew.

By the time they reached the filming location, staff members who weren’t busy had gathered around, intentionally or otherwise.

Lin Yanran was dressed in white, his long hair as black as ink, looking untainted by the world.

Because his character was frail, the makeup artist had given him a look that leaned into the sickly beauty aesthetic. It looked very light, carrying a hint of fragility and pitiable charm.

He was breathtakingly beautiful; many people were stunned at first sight and couldn’t help but turn back for another look.

Lin Yanran walked with his head down, memorizing his positions and the surrounding props.

When he looked up, a stray lock of hair had draped over his shoulder.

Seeing this, Gu Siye naturally reached out and tucked it back for him.

Witnessing this scene, many people felt the CP atmosphere hit them like a tidal wave.

They couldn’t help but look forward to what their forbidden “brotherly love” story would look like.

Because of the previous controversy surrounding the withdrawal from the role and the sensitive nature of the subject matter, Guo Fang called the two together before filming to give them a psychological pep talk to ensure things went smoothly.

“We’re going to have some intimate scenes coming up, like holding hands. If you two feel like you’re slipping out of character while acting, just remember that this is only acting. It’s not about gender; it’s only about love and hate. Don’t overthink it. In short, our goal is to perform this well, right?”

Lin Yanran glanced at Gu Siye, who was also looking at him.

At the moment they exchanged a knowing smile, Guo Fang’s words echoed in Lin Yanran’s ears. For some reason, he suddenly felt as if he and Gu Siye were having a publicly funded romance.

Once everything was ready, the clapperboard snapped.

With that crisp sound, “Imperial Power” officially began filming.

Because this short drama was high-energy dog-blood almost the whole way through, Guo Fang didn’t want to start with life-and-death intensity. The first scene they filmed was a relatively tender one.

The Lantern Festival.

Sheng Zhao was holding a book, reading, when the curtain at the door was lifted.

It was the dead of winter, and a gust of cold air blew in with the visitor.

“Xiao Zhao, why are you out of bed?”

When Sheng Yi saw that Sheng Zhao was not resting in bed but was reading a book while wearing a thin robe, he immediately walked up to him and confiscated the book from his hands.

Sheng Zhao’s body was weak; he would fall ill for a period every winter, and this year was no exception.

Seeing his brother return, the originally expressionless Sheng Zhao gave a faint smile. His eyes shimmered when he looked at his brother, and his spirits seemed much better than usual.

“I’ve been lying down for over a month; I recovered from the illness a few days ago. Today is the Lantern Festival. I heard they are releasing lanterns outside. Imperial Brother, could you take me to see them?”

Sheng Yi felt the coldness of Sheng Zhao’s fingertips when he took the book away.

He didn’t reply but simply took off his own thick cloak and wrapped it directly around the other.

After a while, seeing that the other party still hadn’t reacted, Sheng Yi walked to the door first, then turned back and reached out to Sheng Zhao, jokingly asking, “Not going?”

Sheng Zhao placed his hand into the other’s palm.

As they walked in sync, Sheng Zhao said, “I’ve heard that the view of the lanterns from the Zhaixing Tower is the most wonderful.”

He did not finish the rest of the sentence.

Sheng Yi let out a helpless sigh. “Since you say it like that, you must want me to take you there.”

Zhaixing Tower was five stories high. With Sheng Zhao’s physical condition, climbing it would likely be extremely strenuous.

Originally, Sheng Yi wanted to tell him this, but seeing Sheng Zhao’s immense anticipation, he held it back.

The two brothers arrived at the Zhaixing Tower.

As expected, after climbing only two floors, Sheng Zhao was panting with exhaustion.

“Imperial Brother, you go up first. I’ll rest a bit before climbing further.”

Sheng Zhao clutched his chest, gasping for air and feeling secretly annoyed that this broken body of his was such a disappointment.

When he looked up, he suddenly saw the person in front of him lift his hem and squat down before him.

“Come up, I’ll carry you.”

Sheng Zhao stared at his brother’s back, his face suddenly flushing red.

“I can climb up.”

“Get on. By the time you climb up, the lanterns will all be gone.”

Sheng Zhao froze for a moment before gently leaning his body against his brother’s back.

His hands rested lightly on his brother’s shoulders, his eyes flashing with a bit of joy and secret delight.

His brother hadn’t carried him on his back for many years.

He remembered once when he was a child, his boots got wet, and he didn’t want to walk. His brother did the same, with a helpless and cold face, yet carrying him all the way back to the sleeping chamber.

By the time they reached the fourth floor, Sheng Zhao felt that time was passing truly fast.

Recently, due to the struggle for the throne and his physical ailments, he hadn’t spent good time with his brother for a long while.

Seeing that the terrace was already close at hand, he hesitated for a moment and then gently leaned his cheek against the other’s back.

However, this action was too intimate. Fearing the other would detect his abnormal feelings, he merely made the gesture without truly resting his face against him.

Guo Fang pointed at Lin Yanran on the monitor and said to Sun Hangyi beside him, “See that? That back and that hesitation to lean—the emotional back and forth between the two brothers comes right out.”

After saying this, he carefully observed Lin Yanran’s expression again.

The pleasant surprise when Sheng Yi said he would carry him, the trance-like disbelief when he was actually on the other’s back, and finally, the hiding of his forbidden feelings for his imperial brother.

Every glance and expression was handled just right.

His eyes were very vivid—unlike some actors whose eyes are lifeless, staring wide open but looking no different from a blind person.

Soon, Sheng Yi reached the top-floor terrace of the Zhaixing Tower with Sheng Zhao on his back.

At this moment, hundreds and thousands of lanterns had already been released into the starry sky.

Some were far away, some were just rising; the warm orange light was exceptionally beautiful.

Sheng Yi had also bought one.

He held the lantern in front of Sheng Zhao and asked him, “You write the inscription.”

Sheng Zhao held the brush and, without a second of thought, wrote four large characters.

Peace and Joy.

Seeing how simply he wrote, Sheng Yi asked him before lighting the lantern, “Not going to write any other wishes?”

Sheng Zhao smiled faintly and shook his head gently. “It has already been made.”

That his imperial brother be peaceful and joyful was his greatest wish.

While Sheng Yi was lighting the lantern, Sheng Zhao secretly looked up at the other, who had his back turned.

In his eyes, there was no longer the usual caution and fear that his brother would discover his feelings that defied social norms.

Instead, he looked at the other with adoration, scrutiny, and greed.

Ten thousand lanterns could not compare to the brilliance of this one person.

Guo Fang pushed the camera in for a close-up of the look Lin Yanran gave Gu Siye.

When facing Sheng Yi, his gaze was always hidden and restrained.

But when the other couldn’t see, the deep light of love in those eyes was so passionate.

The emotion was so real, it was as if he truly loved Gu Siye.

Lin Yanran’s performance in this gaze-focused scene provided the most crucial logical connection for the dry emotional lines Sun Hangyi had written.

Sheng Zhao’s love for Sheng Yi was like a scorching fire. The two of them spent every day together—how could a man as calculating as Sheng Yi not feel the temperature of that fire or notice his younger brother’s feelings?

Precisely because he had noticed it long ago, he endured the burden, occasionally making deliberate ambiguous gestures to keep his brother hanging for all these years.

The two people, one with an adoring gaze and the other with a furtive gesture, brought this otherwise bland scene to life.

Guo Fang felt that Sun Hangyi had truly struck gold.

The emotional scenes in his script were written terribly, but the two guest actors helped him compensate for all those flaws.

This scene was finished in one take.

The sharp-tongued Guo Fang didn’t say anything extra after filming, only telling Lin Yanran three words: “It was good.”

During the remaining time, Lin Yanran and Gu Siye filmed other plot points. Although there were some NGs, overall it went very smoothly.

They filmed until evening before Guo Fang finally let them off work.

Before leaving, the director said to the two of them, “Go back and prepare; tomorrow we film the fallout and the imprisonment.”

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