The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles

The filming clip of the scene from "The Farewell My Concubine" was, unsurprisingly, leaked within the crew.

At first, it was just a few core cinematographers and lighting crew members privately reviewing the footage repeatedly, studying the miraculous camera language and use of light and shadow.

But soon, this video spread like wildfire, circulating wildly through the work chat groups of various departments.

The editing room became the most bustling place.

Everyone wanted to see for themselves just how "mad" that legendary performance was, the one that reportedly left the entire Group A speechless.

Thus, rumors began to develop in two completely opposite extremes.

One version claimed that Jiang Ci and Zhao Yingfei had fallen in love because of the play, a tragically intense love.

"Didn't you see that final embrace? Jiang Ci's arm was actually bleeding! To hold Zhao Yingfei, he didn't even try to dodge!"

The other version was even more mystical.

It said these two had been "possessed" by their characters.

"Let me tell you, the atmosphere inside the tent that time was downright eerie! Once that song 'Eight Thousand Souls' started playing, the temperature in the whole tent dropped several degrees!"

"Right! I heard that during those few days Zhao Yingfei was in seclusion, there were noises in the dance studio every night, but the lights weren't even on!"

From then on, Jiang Ci and Zhao Yingfei were crowned with the title of the "Mad CP" within the crew.

Wei Song soon heard these rumors.

He didn't stop them. Instead, riding on this momentum, he officially announced a decision during another routine meeting.

To protect the integrity of the actors' emotional state, the very last scene to be filmed for the entire series would be "The Wujiang River suicide."

In other words, Xiang Yu must die last.

Once these words were spoken, that strange, watch-the-madmen atmosphere within the crew grew even thicker.

...

In a corner of the film set's rest area.

Qin Feng, Liu Hanyu, and Huang Shengqiu, three veteran actors whose combined ages exceeded one hundred and fifty, were sitting together.

The not-so-high-definition filming clip was playing on loop on the phone in front of them.

No one spoke.

It wasn't until the video played for the third time that Liu Hanyu finally turned off his phone.

"In a lifetime of acting, I've never seen anything like this."

Huang Shengqiu, usually the most hot-tempered, was now uncharacteristically silent, just smoking one cigarette after another.

Qin Feng finally spoke, his words slow. "Those who immerse themselves in the role can't get out. Even after 'cut' is called, their soul remains in the play. Look at Jiang Ci, then look at Yingfei, that girl... the two of them, one snaps out of character faster than the other."

Huang Shengqiu took a deep drag of his cigarette, coughing twice from the smoke. "So what do you call this then?"

Qin Feng didn't answer immediately.

He picked up his thermos, unscrewed the lid, steam rising.

He looked at the frame on his phone screen, the one where Jiang Ci was holding Zhao Yingfei, his body trembling violently.

A long time passed.

"He's not acting."

Qin Feng uttered a sentence that left both Liu Hanyu and Huang Shengqiu stunned.

"He's more like a 'vessel'."

Qin Feng put down his thermos and tapped Jiang Ci's face on the screen with his finger.

"When needed, he can precisely, completely, pour the soul of the character 'Xiang Yu' into his own vessel."

"Then..." Qin Feng paused, raised his head, and looked at the other two.

"After 'cut' is called, he pours 'Xiang Yu' back out again, not a single drop left, with perfect precision."

Liu Hanyu and Huang Shengqiu's faces showed unconcealable shock.

And at this moment, this "inhuman" vessel was sitting on a director's chair not far away, looking at his phone with intense concentration.

Sun Zhou leaned over to take a look.

On the screen was a detailed introduction to a newly opened residential development in Star City, complete with the contact number of a top sales agent below.

Sun Zhou just felt utterly exhausted.

"Ci-ge, you're still looking at houses?" he asked worriedly, lowering his voice. "The rumors in the crew are going crazy right now, saying you and Teacher Zhao..."

"Mhm." Jiang Ci didn't even look up, his fingertip scrolling past a picture of a luxuriously decorated showroom. "This top-floor duplex is nice, comes with a huge terrace."

Sun Zhou: "..."

He realized his artist truly didn't care.

Over the next few days, Jiang Ci returned to his previous state.

Observing and learning on set every day, or rather, observing the performances of the veteran actors in front of the camera.

The crew was filming a supplementary scene between him and Huang Shengqiu, who played Fan Zeng.

It was a scene taking place before the Hongmen Feast, where Xiang Yu, due to his womanly compassion, dismisses Fan Zeng's advice.

According to the script, this was just a setup scene, a dialogue-heavy scene.

However, when Huang Shengqiu, playing Fan Zeng, cried out in anguish and frustration, "That boy is not worth plotting with!"

Jiang Ci's reaction once again made everyone's hearts palpitate.

He showed no anger, no impatience.

He just looked at Huang Shengqiu with arrogance.

In that instant, Huang Shengqiu felt he was facing the self-willed, world-despising Conqueror of Western Chu.

After this scene, Jiang Ci's "inhuman" impression within the crew was firmly cemented.

Time flew by, arriving at March 14th.

An ordinary filming day, and Lin Wan's phone call came right on schedule.

"Jiang Ci, the ad shoot for the 'Lang Feng' menswear brand is confirmed. The day after tomorrow, right here in the capital."

"Okay."

Lin Wan paused on the other end, seemingly organizing her words, but in the end, she emphasized once more, unable to fully rest assured.

"The client's requirement is simple, and it's the core of our endorsement this time."

"A healing smile."

The call ended.

Jiang Ci checked his schedule with Wei Song. The next few days happened to have no scenes for him.

So, after wrapping up that day, accompanied by Sun Zhou, he set off for the capital.

In the entourage van.

Sun Zhou, holding the itinerary, excitedly described the precautions for this ad shoot to Jiang Ci.

Jiang Ci listened with an expressionless face.

Inside, a fierce internal struggle was underway.

He quietly opened his phone's front-facing camera.

His own slightly pale face appeared on the screen.

He tried to move his facial muscles, attempting to form a "smiling" expression.

However, the person on the screen only gave a stiff twitch of the cheek.

Sun Zhou was talking animatedly, spittle flying, when he accidentally caught a glimpse of Jiang Ci's phone screen.

The next second.

He was startled by that horror-movie-worthy "smile."

"Ci... Ci-ge... you..."

Sun Zhou finally realized the severity of the problem.

He began frantically searching for all sorts of "smile tutorials" for Jiang Ci.

From the standard celebrity eight-tooth smile to the internet sweetheart wink-smile.

All ended in failure.

It wasn't that Jiang Ci couldn't smile, but deliberately crafting a healing smile was simply too high a difficulty for him.

On the day of the shoot.

The soundstage was arranged to be bright and sunny.

Huge floor-to-ceiling windows, a warm beige sofa, lush green potted plants,

even the staff wore matching bright-colored T-shirts, with professional smiles plastered on their faces.

Jiang Ci changed into a set of bright yellow casual wear prepared by the brand.

The brand's representative was a woman in her forties, dressed efficiently.

Seeing Jiang Ci, she immediately stepped forward enthusiastically and shook his hand.

"Teacher Jiang! Hello, hello! We absolutely adore your performance!"

The female representative said excitedly, "We were drawn precisely to that sense of warmth after weathering life's storms that you embody! It fits our 'Embrace the Sunshine' theme perfectly!"

After hearing this, Jiang Ci felt even more despair inside.

The shoot officially began.

The cinematographer tried hard to guide him.

"Come on, Teacher Jiang, relax, let's imagine..."

"Imagine warm sunshine, a golden beach, and your beloved running towards you..."

What flashed through Jiang Ci's mind was:

A blood-red setting sun, yellow sand stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Cut! Cut!"

The cinematographer put down the camera in frustration.

"Teacher Jiang, could you... could you be just a little bit happier?"

"With that smile of yours, I feel like you're about to bid farewell to your lover in the next second."

No matter how the cinematographer tried to guide him, Jiang Ci's smile always carried a hint of that "about-to-end-in-tragedy" Broken Feeling.

The cinematographer was completely out of ideas.

The enthusiastic smile on the female brand representative's face also gradually faded.

The atmosphere on set shifted from initial anticipation to awkwardness.

During the break.

Jiang Ci hid alone in a corner, looking at the floor plan of that top-floor duplex in Star City on his phone.

He imagined the kind of genuine, slightly smug smile Madam Chu Hong would wear upon seeing this big house.

So he walked in front of the camera again.

This time, he gave up on imitating those standard smiles from the tutorials.

He closed his eyes.

What his mind conjured was that black great tent surrounded by Chu Songs.

Then, he imagined he was Yu Ji.

In the final moments as her life burned out, she collapsed in the arms of her beloved,

gazing at the vulnerability revealed by that towering, indomitable man for her sake.

She revealed a smile filled with boundless sorrow, yet also immense satisfaction.

Jiang Ci opened his eyes and replicated this smile for the camera.

Behind the monitor, the cinematographer looked at Jiang Ci's "smile" on the screen, his hand beginning to tremble.

He turned around, looked at the female brand representative, and squeezed out a few words with difficulty.

"Director Wang... this... can this still be used?"

The female brand representative stared fixedly at Jiang Ci's face on the monitor.

Far from getting angry, a previously unseen light burst forth from her shrewd eyes.

She grabbed the cinematographer's arm and shouted,

"This is it! Don't stop! Get me close-ups!!"