AITFYMIBP Chapter 94

TL: Hua

As soon as Guo Fang said this, Lin Yanran clearly felt that the several staff members passing by all had excitement in their eyes.

He didn’t say anything, waiting until he returned home with Gu Siye to ask him.

“What did Director Guo want us to prepare?”

“The actor’s mental preparation, building rapport with each other, and…” Gu Siye, having taken off his coat, casually picked up a bottle of red wine, “some props.”

He lowered his head and poured the wine into two tall glasses, handing one to Lin Yanran.

Gu Siye curled his lips. “After all, we’re going to shoot an intimate scene.”

Although the script didn’t explicitly mention a bed scene, there were still many intimate physical contacts.

Lin Yanran took the glass. His alcohol tolerance wasn’t great, so he only took a light sip.

As the taste of alcohol spread across his lips, he remembered how some actors, in interviews about intimate scenes, would often say they would drink a little beforehand to numb themselves and make it easier to get into character.

Thinking of this, Lin Yanran took another sip.

“Then, Teacher Gu, let’s have a rehearsal in advance.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Siye raised an eyebrow and twirled the red wine in his hand.

Lin Yanran continued from his previous thought, “I haven’t filmed this kind of intimate scene before and have no experience.”

Alcohol bolsters one’s courage. After speaking, he pointed to the section of the script featuring Sheng Zhao and Sheng Yi’s intimacy and continued to ask Gu Siye, “So if we rehearse tonight to find the feeling, maybe tomorrow’s filming will… be much better?”

Before getting this script, Lin Yanran hadn’t thought much of it.

But at this moment, he felt incredibly lucky that the person coming to support his performance was Gu Siye.

The other would teach him how to act and would also accompany him through rehearsals in advance.

Even with such an intimate scene, acting it out with him didn’t feel that awkward.

Gu Siye glanced at the segment Lin Yanran was pointing to and said softly, “Alright.”

The next second, the wine glass in Lin Yanran’s hand was taken away by the other man.

He fixed his gaze on Gu Siye.

When the other man turned back to look at him, the coldness in his eyes instantly reminded Lin Yanran of Sheng Yi from the script.

In the early stages, Sheng Yi lay low in order to seek revenge, presenting a gentle and soft exterior to the world.

His acting had fooled everyone; they all believed him to be a refined gentleman.

In reality, however, he had always been a deeply calculating, through-and-through madman.

Especially after gaining power and becoming the emperor above all others, he no longer hid his true nature: violent, erratic, sinister, and ruthless—willing to use any means to achieve his ends.

Thus, when Sheng Zhao learned he had been deceived by his beloved, cut ties with him, and swore never to meet again, Sheng Yi refused to let go.

He directly imprisoned the man in his private chambers. He personally fastened a chain around the other’s ankle, forcibly clipping his wings so he could never fly out of the palm of his hand.

Gu Siye clearly had a perfect grasp of the character.

Though he wasn’t wearing a costume and there was no set built around them, a single look from him instantly made Lin Yanran feel as if the blackened version of Sheng Yi was standing right in front of him.

Gu Siye walked to Lin Yanran’s side, gripped his wrist, and supported his waist as he pressed him down onto the sofa.

“Teacher Yanran, can we begin?”

The words weren’t from the script, but Lin Yanran clearly felt the oppressive feeling that Sheng Yi had towards Sheng Zhao due to his strong desire.

Knowing that Gu Siye was leading him into the scene, Lin Yanran nodded immediately.

He had never seen such an aggressive side of Gu Siye, so from almost the very first glance, he fell into character.

“Xiao Zhao, haven’t you always been fond of zhen¹朕 (zhèn), the exclusive, first-person pronoun used only by the emperor.…?”

As he spoke, Gu Siye pinned Lin Yanran’s hand down, gradually increasing the pressure until he was held fast against the sofa.

“Why is it that now you refuse to look at zhen?”

Gu Siye’s voice was vastly different from his usual tone; it was like a poisonous poppy—alluring yet filled with traps at every step.

In this segment they were rehearsing, Lin Yanran had no lines in order to showcase Sheng Zhao’s hatred for Sheng Yi.

But the lack of dialogue didn’t mean it was easy.

Compared to explosive lines and outward displays of emotion, this silent content was actually harder to perform.

Without the aid of words, he could only rely on his movements, expressions, and eyes to convey his feelings.

If any detail were off, it would be glaringly obvious on camera.

He looked up, and upon seeing Gu Siye’s sharp and resentful gaze, he immersed himself in Sheng Zhao’s emotions.

Having already committed acts of betrayal and deception, yet you come before me to bring up the past. And what you bring up are my most pathetic and foolish memories.

What a vile personality this man has; what a wicked heart.

Lin Yanran closed his eyes, wanting to preserve the last shred of dignity in his heart.

However, Gu Siye began to kiss his fingertips.

It started as a light touch, like a dragonfly skimming water, but gradually became forceful and sucking, like a violent storm.

Heavy breaths brushed against his palm. Lin Yanran’s originally fair fingers were kissed until they were covered in blurred red marks.

Lin Yanran felt as though every inch of skin touched by the other man was burning.

His mind wandered for a moment, only to hear Gu Siye say to him:

“Xiao Zhao… talk to Zhen. Open your eyes and look at zhen.”

The man spoke the gentlest words, yet there wasn’t a trace of warmth in his eyes.

After waiting a moment and receiving no answer, Gu Siye’s fingertips began to caress Lin Yanran’s beautiful eyes.

He gazed at them obsessively over and over before covering them with one hand.

“Zhen knows you hate zhen, but… Zhen also has his reasons.”

For the first time, the repressed and lonely madman spoke a word of truth before his beloved.

Lin Yanran’s world was pitch black. Though his eyes were closed, he could clearly sense Gu Siye’s hand resting over them.

This forced gesture suddenly made his breathing quicken.

His eyelashes fluttered slightly against the palm, tickling Gu Siye’s hand.

At some point, Gu Siye realized he had slipped out of character.

Taking advantage of the fact that the other man had his eyes closed and couldn’t see, he leaned down and used his tongue to pry open Lin Yanran’s pink lips, invading wantonly.

The sensation of the tongue was familiar yet long-absent, carrying a hint of red wine’s mellow fragrance.

Gu Siye’s kiss was more violent and unrestrained than usual.

Lin Yanran was pressed beneath him, his head tilted back as he was forced to endure this urgent and intense kiss.

In the script, Sheng Zhao was resistant, so he tried to struggle and evade.

But the result was only more forceful biting and sucking from the other man.

Gu Siye tangled his tongue with Lin Yanran’s, eventually biting him until the area around his lips flushed with an erotic red.

Lin Yanran’s heart raced. In the midst of such heated entanglement, he momentarily lost track of whether the person before him was Gu Siye or Sheng Yi.

The tingling sensation made his body go soft.

He instinctively wanted to wrap his arms around the other’s shoulders, only to find his hands were pinned down and unable to move.

Stirred by emotion, the tips of Lin Yanran’s ears turned red.

He parted his lips slightly, a glistening sheen covering them.

Then, he softly called out, “Teacher Gu…”

*

Lin Yanran felt that he probably wouldn’t make a good actor after all.

Because last night, he and Gu Siye had “practiced” that passionate scene several times, and every time, he ended up defeated.

After discussing it with Gu Siye, he went to the set the next day to ask Director Guo Fang if that kissing scene could be deleted.

Guo Fang himself didn’t like filming explicit scenes; he had always preferred creating a sophisticated sense of implicit, subtle atmosphere.

Furthermore, he believed in respecting the actors’ mutual wishes for intimate scenes.

So, upon hearing the suggestion and thinking that two male actors kissing so intensely might indeed be awkward, he waved his hand and directly deleted the line Sun Hangyi had written in the script: [Sheng Yi forces the other and kisses him violently].

After Lin Yanran and Gu Siye finished filming their “breakup” scene in the morning, he quickly changed his look for the afternoon.

The set was rearranged. Fearing the two would be too shy to perform the imprisonment scene, Guo Fang thoughtfully cleared the set.

Lin Yanran shed his luxurious robes and changed into a large, simple white robe.

Because of the imprisonment and his worsening health, Sheng Zhao was meant to look very thin and frail.

To make this more apparent, the stylist pulled Lin Yanran’s clothes slightly open, revealing a bit of his collarbone.

Lin Yanran was already slender, and when he was barefoot with his black hair loose and only a little bit of snow-white skin showing under his fair neck, the slightly fragile feeling of a sickly beauty immediately came through.

The prop team fastened a thin gold chain around his slender right ankle.

The crowd, which hadn’t fully dispersed yet, turned back to see Lin Yanran’s look and collectively forgot to breathe.

Forget a madman like Sheng Yi—even if it were them, facing such a sickly beauty every day, they wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to imprison him and make him their private possession.

The gold chain shimmered with a cold light under the candlelight.

Sheng Yi crouched down and grasped Sheng Zhao’s slender, delicate ankle.

His fingertips caressed the skin where the chains were attached, a smile playing on his lips.

“Why haven’t you been taking your medicine lately?”

There was no color on Sheng Zhao’s beautiful face. Like a doll that had lost its soul, he remained indifferent to Sheng Yi’s words, standing still without a response.

After playing with the slender ankle for a moment, Sheng Yi found it dull and let go, ceasing his teasing.

He stood up and took Sheng Zhao’s hand, gently telling him interesting stories from outside the palace and sharing secret rumors from within.

He treated Sheng Zhao exactly as he had back when they were companions.

However, he soon realized that no matter how much he coaxed or enticed, he still received no reaction.

Sheng Yi was never known for his patience. Having performed this monologue for so long, his composure finally began to fray.

He tossed aside the folding fan he had just inscribed for Sheng Zhao, grabbed the other’s hand in irritation, and circled his waist, pinning him into a corner.

“Are you determined to stay with Zhen like this forever?”

The sickly beauty was like a piece of exquisite yet fragile paper; before the furious Sheng Yi, he had no power to resist and could only let the other man manipulate him as he pleased.

Sheng Yi had imprisoned Sheng Zhao for quite some time, so this wasn’t the first time he had hit a wall.

Seeing that he was being ignored, he changed his tactics.

He stepped forward, closing in on the other man, and ran his hand over his slender waist.

After a period of slow, suggestive stroking, Sheng Yi’s hand began to wander upward.

It wasn’t until his hand stopped at the lapel of Sheng Zhao’s robe that the latter—who had been as indifferent as a puppet—instantly froze.

While sliding his hand into the robe, Sheng Yi observed Sheng Zhao’s expression.

He then leaned down to speak into Sheng Zhao’s ear, “Look what Zhen has found.”

His tone was gentle, even carrying a hint of a joke.

But the expression on his face was ice-cold, his sharp gaze looking as though he wanted to swallow the person in front of him alive.

Between Sheng Yi’s slender fingers was a slip of paper covered in dense, elegant small script.

It was Sheng Zhao’s handwriting.

“Xiao Zhao, what are you trying to do behind Zhen’s back?”

The beauty’s face grew even paler. He desperately reached out to snatch the note back.

But how could a man so cruel ever give it to him?

Pinning the other’s wrist with one hand, Sheng Yi made a move to open the note.

Seeing that his plan had been exposed, Sheng Zhao looked up for the first time, meeting the eyes of the man before him.

“I wasn’t trying to do anything…” His tone was nervous and cautious.

“I just missed my family and wanted to ask if my consort mother was well.”

After his feeble explanation, he looked at the other party anxiously. “Your Majesty…”

Sheng Zhao faltered for a moment, then added, “I just wrote this today. I haven’t sent anything before.”

Sheng Yi let out a cold laugh. With every word of defense he heard, his heart grew a degree colder.

He was able to search out the evidence right in front of Sheng Zhao without a sound; how could he not have known everything the other had done before?

But he hadn’t exposed him. He had indulged him since the very first time he contacted the outside world.

If he hadn’t been so angry today, he might have let him continue like this indefinitely.

Sheng Yi didn’t want to dwell on the matter. Instead, he studied the person before him intently. “Are you finally willing to speak to zhen?”

Sheng Zhao lowered his eyes.

The atmosphere returned to its previous state.

Sheng Yi stared at Sheng Zhao for a long time, the look in his eyes growing increasingly cold.

Having lost his patience, he resorted to his old tricks, threatening, “Don’t you know that plotting behind my back is punishable by death?”

Sheng Zhao didn’t argue. He only said, “Then kill me…”

This attitude completely roused Sheng Yi’s anger. In his rage, he pinched the other’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet.

“How could killing only you be enough? Plotting rebellion and colluding with treacherous officials warrants the execution of nine clans.”

At the mention of his family’s lives, Sheng Zhao’s eyes flickered.

As the camera pushed in, the close-up of Lin Yanran’s face was breathtakingly beautiful.

His snow-white neck was arched proudly, but his face had gained a flush of color from the agitation.

Amidst the stalemate between the two brothers, Sheng Zhao—standing barefoot on the floor in his thin inner robes—couldn’t help but cough several times.

Sheng Yi gritted his teeth. “Trying to fool zhen with this self-inflicted injury ruse again?”

The words had barely left his mouth when he noticed several streaks of blood seeping from the corner of the other’s lips.

Sheng Yi panicked instantly and moved to lift him toward the bed.

But Sheng Zhao rejected him, gripping the doorframe tightly.

“Let Zhen carry you to rest first, alright?”

Sheng Zhao lowered his eyelids.

“Are you worried about this secret letter? As long as you submit to Zhen, Zhen will guarantee the safety of your family.”

Sheng Yi’s tone softened as he began to coax his younger brother. But the other remained silent.

Helpless and ultimately unable to bear seeing him suffer, Sheng Yi turned and held the secret letter to the candle flame.

In a moment, the paper covered in small script turned to ash.

Sheng Yi walked back to Sheng Zhao. “There is no evidence now.”

The anger in his eyes had subsided, replaced by boundless pity for Sheng Zhao.

Recalling how the boy used to act spoiled to avoid taking medicine, he suppressed the loneliness in his heart and used his old tone to persuade him: “Brother, go and rest.”

Sheng Zhao looked up, his mind dazed for a moment.

In that split second, Sheng Yi swept him up in a princess carry and placed him on the bed.

He took a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from his brother’s lips. As he did, a few strands of hair tangled around his fingertips.

He looked at Sheng Zhao with a mix of pity and restraint.

“You see? Even they (the hair) are loath to part from me…”

He didn’t use the lofty “Zhen” but Sheng Zhao’s older brother, “I.”

The words were like knives carving into Sheng Zhao’s heart. He was in agonizing pain yet couldn’t push the man away; he could only turn his face away, refusing to look.

Sheng Yi, obsessed with the hair tangled in his fingers, asked him in a whisper, “Xiao Zhao, can we start over?”

On the monitor’s close-up shot, a single tear quietly slid from Sheng Zhao’s beautiful eyes, disappearing into the bedding.

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  朕 (zhèn), the exclusive, first-person pronoun used only by the emperor.