Did the Movie Emperor Blow His Cover Today? - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Tao Hui was on the phone with her Little Fanboy when Han You suddenly lunged at her. Hearing Han You’s shout, Tao Hui glanced up, but she didn’t react quickly enough. The scalding water from Han You’s thermos splashed onto her, causing her to gasp sharply.

For a moment, chaos erupted in the quiet corner of the set. Han You tumbled to the ground, her thermos clattering to the floor. Tao Hui winced in pain, but she remembered to discreetly end her call with Little Fanboy first.

Tao Hui had worn a high-necked sweater to the set that day. Earlier, while studying her script and gesturing animatedly, she had grown warm and rolled up her sleeves, exposing her fair arms. When Han You’s hot water splashed over her, most of it landed on Tao Hui’s bare arm.

“Ah! Sister Tao Hui!”

“Sister Huihui!”

Tao Hui’s cry of pain was cut short by the increasingly shrill screams of Han You and Miao Miao beside her.

She glared at them, twisting her head. Damn it, I’m the one who’s hurt here! What are you two screaming about?

Han You, still in her ancient costume, had fallen rather awkwardly. But seeing the angry red patch on Tao Hui’s arm, she immediately scrambled to her feet, her face pale and trembling. “Sister Tao Hui, are you okay? I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?”

Miao Miao was equally terrified by the swelling redness on Tao Hui’s arm, her hands fluttering in panic. “What should we do? Does it hurt?”

Tao Hui was in so much pain she couldn’t speak. The skin on her forearm felt alien, as if Rong Momo were torturing her with steel needles.

It was break time, and everyone was in their designated rest areas. Only Han You and Miao Miao were fussing over Tao Hui, asking frantic questions.

Having never experienced a burn herself, Tao Hui was dazed by the pain. She could only clench her jaw and furrow her brow, trying to endure it.

“Where’s the medical staff? Get a doctor here immediately!” Han Buji’s calm, authoritative voice suddenly cut through the air from behind the three women. No one had seen the Best Actor approach; they only heard his composed instructions to his assistant: “Gao Meng, bring ice and cold water! Now!”

Tao Hui glanced at Han Buji, her brow still furrowed. She sensed he was angry, though she couldn’t tell at whom. His aura had shifted, making him strangely intimidating.

Han Buji’s words threw the set into chaos. Han You, as if jolted awake, began shouting at the top of her lungs: “Someone get a doctor! Sister Tao Hui’s been burned! Medical staff—!” Her voice cracked on the last word.

“What happened? Who called for a doctor?”

“Hurry, someone’s been burned! Get a doctor here now!”

“Where’s the ice? Bring all the ice!”

“Give me two bottles of mineral water, quick!”

Tao Hui glanced at the two glistening blisters on her arm, damn, they really hurt.

Someone handed her two bottles of mineral water. Han Buji twisted one open, crouched down in front of her, and firmly gripped her wrist as he poured the ice-cold water over the burn.

“Sss, it hurts, it hurts…” Tao Hui couldn’t help but flinch, her hand instinctively recoiling, her eyes rimmed with red.

Han Buji’s movements didn’t falter. He maintained a steady grip on her wrist, glanced up at her, and said softly, “Bear with it. If we don’t cool it down now, it’ll get worse.”

Perhaps it was because Han You and Miao Miao’s ear-splitting wails were so grating, but Han Buji’s words sounded unusually gentle, almost like he was soothing a child.

This… the Best Actor always maintains his gentlemanly persona. Has he just gotten too good at it?

She couldn’t break free from his firm yet gentle grip on her wrist. As he poured water over the burn with a splash, splash, splash, his thumb unconsciously stroked the pulse point on her wrist.

Even though this might just be part of Han Buji’s inherent tenderness and comforting demeanor, Tao Hui’s nose stung, and she nearly burst into tears.

Tao Hui had always been like this. Normally, she was carefree and fearless, never crying even when she tripped or bumped into things. Her first instinct was always to endure.

But if she was hurt or felt wronged, she absolutely couldn’t be comforted. The moment someone spoke to her gently, she would inevitably burst into tears.

She once joked that her tear ducts might be abnormally connected to her cochlea.

Now, Tao Hui tried her best to hold back, but she couldn’t. A single tear splashed onto the back of Han Buji’s hand with a plop.

The Best Actor had probably never encountered such a melodramatic person. The drop of tear made his hand twitch, and his brow furrowed even deeper.

Tao Hui quickly wiped her face. “It’s nothing, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt that much. It’s just… a reflex.”

“Really, it’s okay. It doesn’t hurt much anymore, and I’m not prone to scarring. It’ll heal in a few days.”

As Han Buji twisted open a second bottle of water, Tao Hui raised her hand, as if she wanted to wave her injured paw to comfort Miao Miao and Han You.

The Best Actor was in a foul mood. He’d never met such a clueless girl—her own tears hadn’t even dried, yet she was already trying to comfort others.

Han Buji grabbed Tao Hui’s wrist again, his voice low and stern. “Tao Hui, shut up.”

Startled, Tao Hui shrank back, thinking, So much for the illusion of gentleness. If I move again, Han Buji might start cursing in Sichuan-Chongqing dialect.

That would completely ruin his Best Actor image! All that hard work maintaining his cool facade would be for nothing!

Tao Hui considered herself a sensible girl. After all, Han Buji had even given her two ice-cold bottles of mineral water! She couldn’t let his carefully crafted persona crumble!

So, Tao Hui shut up.

The medical staff arrived quickly, efficiently taking over from Han Buji. They first rinsed Tao Hui’s arm with ice water, disinfected it with alcohol, then punctured the edges of the blisters with a needle. Before bandaging it, they applied burn ointment and likely took other measures Tao Hui didn’t notice.

For some reason, she felt Han Buji’s mood was even gloomier than hers. It made her feel a bit cold, even with her arm exposed, which at least distracted her from the pain.

Director Chen rushed over, “What happened? How did you get burned?”

“It was me,” Han You sobbed, her eyes red-rimmed. “I’m so sorry, Director Chen. It’s all my fault. I spilled the hot water and burned Sister Tao Hui like this. Waaah, I’m so sorry for causing trouble for everyone.”

“You clumsy child,” the Assistant Director scolded, tugging at Han You. “Stop crying now. If your eyes swell up, how will we film the scene later?” Han You sniffled and repeated her apologies.

The medical staff carefully instructed Tao Hui, “Fortunately, you rinsed it with cold water immediately. The burn didn’t reach the deeper layers of the dermis. Apply the burn ointment regularly, keep it dry to prevent infection, and it should heal in about a week.”

“Will it scar?” Miao Miao asked anxiously.

“Two small blisters have formed, which might leave faint dark marks,” the medical staff replied, handing the burn ointment to Miao Miao. “Is Miss Tao prone to scarring?”

Tao Hui shook her head. “No, my scars usually fade quickly. Thank you.”

Director Chen’s expression darkened. He paced back and forth, hands on his hips, before issuing his orders: “Tao Hui, go rest. We’ll postpone today’s filming.”

Historical dramas require particularly elaborate sets. Once a scene is set up, all related scenes are typically filmed to avoid wasting manpower and resources, and to maintain the filming schedule.

Tao Hui instinctively refused. “Director Chen, I’m fine now. We shouldn’t delay everyone’s progress because of me. I can still film. It’s my left arm that’s injured, and I wield the sword with my right hand.” She waved her uninjured right arm to emphasize her point.

Several layers of people surrounded Tao Hui, while Han Buji stood outside the crowd, his brow deeply furrowed.

Persuaded by Tao Hui’s insistence, Director Chen reluctantly agreed to continue filming.

Fortunately, the scene was simple. Tao Hui had only one line of dialogue, but the challenge lay in the wire work required.

Tao Hui played Qing Wan, a female assassin whose primary mission was to assassinate Dongchuan, the Third Prince of the Dong’ao Kingdom, portrayed by Han Buji. This role perfectly suited Tao Hui’s temperament.

Today’s scene marked Qing Wan’s first appearance, where she attempts to stab Dongchuan from behind.

The strike needed to be both imposing and aesthetically pleasing, a delicate balance that proved difficult to achieve.

In the dressing room, Tao Hui wore a white costume with wide, ancient-style sleeves that concealed the bandage on her arm. Moving her left arm still caused a sharp pain.

Miao Miao said with concern, “Sister Huihui, let’s aim for a one-take. Once we’re done, we can go back and rest. I already ordered fried chicken for you!”

“You know me so well,” Tao Hui replied, tilting her head back. “Fried chicken will make me as energetic as a dragon and as fierce as a tiger!” She added, “Remember to apply the concealer thickly.”

“Don’t worry,” Miao Miao assured her, squeezing out a dollop of concealer and applying it to Tao Hui’s neck. After finishing, she gave a thumbs-up. “This concealer was brought back from abroad by Sister Xun. It’s even better than the one we used before!”

When Tao Hui emerged from the dressing room, fully costumed and made up, everyone outside froze in place.

The set had been used for battle scenes, and the autumn air in Beijing was dry, leaving a faint layer of dust hanging in the air. The extras were covered in dirt from their falls, and even the main actors were stained with fake blood.

Only Tao Hui stood out like a celestial being, her white robes as pure as snow.

The woman who had been teary-eyed moments before now radiated a serene composure, perfectly embodying the cold detachment of Qing Wan, the female assassin.

Even her voice had turned icy as she asked the director and screenwriter, “How is it?”

Director Chen, rarely one to smile, gave a rare grin and a thumbs-up. “Excellent.”

The screenwriter clapped excitedly beside them. “This is Qing Wan! This is Qing Wan!”

After all, she was just a 21-year-old girl. Flustered by the elders’ praise, she lowered her gaze shyly, a gentle curve forming at the corners of her lips.

Xu Chang, dressed in ancient costume and smeared with fake blood, exuded a fierce, heroic aura. His sun-kissed skin further emphasized his rugged, manly image. Unfortunately, his cool demeanor lasted only three seconds before his goofy, husky-like grin revealed both his upper and lower teeth.

Right now, Xu Chang was grinning foolishly, baring his pearly whites. “Brother Han, hurry, give me a drink! I’m about to die of dehydration!”

Han Buji handed him the freshly opened water bottle. Xu Chang took a hearty gulp, then began impersonating two characters. Pinching his throat, he spoke in a high-pitched, delicate voice: “Brother Han, I want a drink.”

He replied to himself in a gruff voice: “Drink! Take a big gulp! Two sips enough?”

Switching back to the high-pitched voice: “Enough, thank you, Brother Han! You’re so kind!”

Han Buji shot him a speechless glance. Sensing movement behind him, he suddenly turned around and saw Tao Hui emerging from the lounge in a white robe. He overheard Director Chen and the screenwriter saying something, and Tao Hui lowered her gaze with an embarrassed smile.

In that moment, Han Buji suddenly recalled Xu Zhimo’s poem “Sayonara”: “Most tender is that lowered gaze, like a water lily, shy and delicate, trembling in the cool breeze.”

Xu Chang also heard the commotion and followed Han Buji’s gaze. He froze, the water bottle he was holding halfway to his lips, before nudging Han Buji with his elbow. “Brother Han, what’s the name of the new actress? Tao something?”

Han Buji’s eyes remained fixed on Tao Hui, ignoring his companion.

“Ah, I remember now! Tao Hui! Right? Her name is Tao Hui?” Xu Chang tossed the water bottle onto the nearby table and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Holy shit, I think I’ve found love!”

Han Buji slowly turned his head and shot him a sidelong glance.

Xu Chang clutched his chest dramatically, still rambling nonsense. “My heart… it’s racing! Brother Han, I’ve been struck by Cupid’s arrow!”