Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

She slowly reached out and grabbed Ziwei's wrist with such force that Ziwei winced in pain. Rong Momo picked up a "silver needle" from the tray, held it close to Ziwei's eyes, and shouted sternly, "Speak! Who are you and Xiaoyanzi? Are you assassins sent to harm the Emperor?"

Her voice was sharp and piercing, like a knife that quickly cut through the silent air.

Ziwei's wrist ached from being gripped so tightly, but she still kept her back straight. She raised her head, her eyes filled with stubbornness, and gritted her teeth, saying each word clearly, "I am not an assassin! I am the Emperor's daughter! Rong Momo, don't be so arrogant towards me!"

"The Emperor's daughter?" Rong Momo seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. She abruptly flung Ziwei's wrist away, letting out a piercing, cold laugh. She raised her hand and slapped Ziwei hard across the face!

A crisp "snap" sounded particularly loud in the quiet main house.

The slap was real, though the force was slightly reduced. Lin Xinru's cheeks instantly turned red, and she turned her head to the side, a faint trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

Liu Xiang stood at the door, secretly marveling. No wonder later generations said the actors in this drama were quite good; just the sheer intensity of their real fighting and falling was something most actors couldn't handle.

Ziwei slowly turned her head, her eyes flashing with angry fire. She glared hatefully at Rong Mama and said, word by word, "You will be punished!"

"Retribution?" Rong Momo sneered, reaching out again to grab Ziwei's wrist tightly. She picked up a "silver needle" and thrust it towards Ziwei's arm. "Today I'll let you taste the power of a silver needle! Let's see if you're tougher than my silver needle!"

The "silver needle" slowly descended, but did not actually pierce the flesh; it merely gently touched the skin. As the "silver needle" entered the skin, "bloodstains" instantly appeared, appearing remarkably realistic.

Lin Xinru trembled violently, her brows furrowed tightly, and her eyes filled with tears, which she stubbornly refused to let fall. Her body trembled slightly, and she let out suppressed sobs, perfectly portraying Ziwei's pain, fear, and stubbornness.

Liu Xiang stood next to the director, watching intently. He noticed that when Ruby Lin portrayed pain, she not only changed her facial expressions, but also perfectly captured the curling of her fingers, the trembling of her shoulders, and even the rhythm of her breathing. This attention to detail was exactly what he needed to learn.

"Will you talk or not?" Granny Rong picked up another "silver needle," her tone fierce. "If you say you're an imposter, I'll let you go!"

"I'm not an imposter!" Ziwei shook her head, tears finally streaming down her face, dripping onto her rough prison uniform. Her body trembled slightly with fear and pain, yet she still refused to divulge anything. "Kill me! I won't tell!"

Enraged by her stubbornness, Rong Momo's eyes became even more ferocious, and she raised the "silver needle" to stab Ziwei in the chest!

"Card!"

Sun Shuping suddenly shouted, frowning as he said to the actress playing Rong Momo, "That last blow was a bit harder! The viciousness in your eyes wasn't enough! The character of Rong Momo is meant to be thoroughly evil, so evil that people grit their teeth! You need to make the audience hate you to the core just by looking at you!"

The actress playing Rong Momo quickly nodded: "I understand, Director Sun, I'll adjust accordingly."

Lin Xinru rubbed her reddened wrist and smiled at Sun Shuping: "Director Sun, I'm fine, let's do another take right away."

Sun Shupei nodded in satisfaction: "Xinru is in good condition! All departments, get ready again!"

Everyone quickly regained their composure. Liu Xiang stood at the door, memorizing every detail of the two actors' performances. He noticed that the actress playing Rong Momo would deliberately take a deep breath when adjusting her demeanor, and then her eyes would instantly become fierce. This shift in emotion felt incredibly natural.

The second shoot went smoothly once again. Rong Momo's ruthlessness was even more pronounced; her eyes were filled with malice and ferocity, sending chills down the spines of viewers. Ziwei's despair was also more genuine; her tears flowed more fiercely, and her body trembled more noticeably, bringing the character's pain to life even more deeply.

The staff present were all secretly worried. Even Zhao Wei, standing in the background, couldn't help but clench her fists and mutter to herself, "That Rong Momo is infuriating, she's just too wicked! I want to go up and beat her up!"

This scene was filmed three times before it met Sun Shuping's requirements.

When Sun Shupei shouted "Perfect! That's a wrap!", everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and their tense nerves finally relaxed.

Lin Xinru rubbed her reddened wrists and cheeks, stood up from the wooden stool, and gave a tired smile. Seeing this, Zhou Jie quickly went over and anxiously tried to pull Lin Xinru's arm: "Xinru, are you alright? That slap was pretty hard, let me see!"

Unexpectedly, Lin Xinru gently pushed his hand away, her tone somewhat distant: "It's nothing, just a minor injury, it's nothing serious."

Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable distance. Zhou Jie's hand froze in mid-air, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. He awkwardly withdrew his hand, muttering, "It's alright, it's alright..."

Liu Xiang watched this scene, a slight tremor running through his heart. Before he transmigrated, he had seen some gossip online, saying that Zhou Jie and Lin Xinru didn't get along well while filming "Princess Pearl." He never expected to see it confirmed right before his eyes. It turned out that those gossips in the entertainment industry weren't entirely baseless.

Li Mingqi, the actress who played Rong Momo, also came over and smiled apologetically at Lin Xinru: "Xinru, I'm sorry for hurting you just now. I didn't control my strength well with that slap."

Lin Xinru quickly waved her hand: "Teacher Li, please don't say that. It's all for filming."

Sun Shuping watched the playback on the monitor and smiled with satisfaction: "This scene was filmed so well! It's definitely going to become a classic! Everyone, thank you for your hard work. Pack your things and go back to the dorm to rest!"

The crowd cheered and dispersed. Some went to get water, some went to pack up props, and some sat on the ground, rubbing their sore arms and legs. The atmosphere on set instantly became relaxed.

Liu Xiang also breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his slightly sore eyes. He stood at the entrance of the main house, stretched, and his gaze inadvertently swept over the eaves of Kunning Palace.

The night was deep, and the bright moonlight illuminated the outline of the eaves clearly. The tiles on the eaves gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the moonlight.

Just then, a faint, mournful cry suddenly came from the eaves.

The cry, like a baby's wail or a wildcat's howl, was sharp and piercing, sounding particularly abrupt in the quiet night.