Chapter 452

Late April, Nananli Lake in Hainan, the largest artificial freshwater lake here, lush with vegetation, scenic and beautiful, with sixteen islands scattered across the lake, all in their natural state.

It's perfect for the ending scene where the female lead boards the Return Capsule and returns to Earth, splashing down into the water.

The weather here is hot, around 28 degrees, with peak temperatures reaching over thirty, ideal for water scenes.

Water shots aren't done in one or two takes—they require many repetitions; having a location with suitable weather and beautiful scenery is best.

At least it's not cold—swimming feels comfortable, and many people have already come here to escape the chill.

But no bikini scenes were visible; Gravity had coordinated with local authorities to rent and seal off this lake for filming.

The production team had over a hundred people, yet this single exterior scene didn't require so many.

"Wow, so beautiful." Liu Tianxian stood on the muddy shore, gazing at the distant scenery.

The lake water was clear, rippling with emerald waves; distant islands, like small hills, were densely covered with tall trees, thriving and vibrant, with birds occasionally flying out.

"Only someone like you would get brought here—I wouldn't take just anyone to film here," Fang Hong said beside her.

"If it weren't me, where would you film?" Liu Tianxian asked.

"If it were someone else, I'd pick a lake in Beijing—film if you want, or get lost if you don't," Fang Hong laughed.

Liu Tianxian giggled, leaping onto his back: "You spoil me this much?"

"Of course," Fang Hong spun around repeatedly, making Liu Tianxian burst into delighted laughter.

Their laughter carried far, filled with pure joy.

Aside from returning to their hometown, this was their first time traveling so far, enjoying such beautiful scenery—even though they were filming, they couldn't help but take advantage of the opportunity.

As the two played, the crew members could only glance enviously—they worked and lived together; it was impossible not to envy them.

Han Jianü was directing crew members, scouting locations nearby: where to film, which angles offered the best views, where to enter the water, and where to climb ashore—all needed contingency plans.

They also needed to sink and secure the "Return Capsule" prop underwater, so the female lead could emerge from it to begin filming.

Several boats had been rented; crew members aboard them were checking water depths across the lake.

During filming, not only Liu Tianxian would enter the water, but also the cinematographer.

After surfacing, aerial cameras must capture the scene, and safety must be guaranteed throughout—so it's still complicated.

Of course, the cinematographer is guided by Liu Yin!

Guo Fan didn't come—he was in Beijing handling post-production special effects; Fang Hong could handle this exterior shoot alone, but Han Jianü came, replacing Chen Zhixi.

Chen Zhixi is the Producer, but she had no time, so she asked Han Jianü to come and oversee things.

Over a hundred crew members bustled busily along the lakeshore.

Fang Hong had set Liu Tianxian down; he sat on the grass, staring at her short hair: "I still find this short haircut a bit unfamiliar."

"What's unfamiliar about it? It's all the same," Liu Tianxian said, sitting beside him, gazing at the distant view.

She had cut off her long hair, replacing it with a practical short style—some found it disorienting, losing that ethereal aura, yet her beauty still held strong.

It was required by the plot—astronauts don't have long hair—and luckily, Liu Tianxian has few full-face shots.

Aside from the space station sequence, only this ending scene remains.

"I can't lean on your hair anymore," Fang Hong whispered, tilting his head.

"Go away."

Liu Tianxian punched his shoulder—she knew he was teasing.

Fang Hong smiled, placing his hand on her shoulder, watching crew members lower a "Return Capsule" prop into the water via ropes.

It needed sufficient weight to sink and stay submerged, but not too heavy—otherwise, a crane would be needed instead of ropes.

"I'll come out of that, right?" Liu Tianxian pointed.

"Didn't you already film the water-drenching scene? This time, the capsule sinks to the lake bottom—you just emerge from underwater," Fang Hong explained the scene.

Previously, Liu Tianxian's water-drenching scene was filmed in a studio—this isn't needed here.

"Water-drenching" means pouring water into the Return Capsule.

As the capsule sinks and the hatch opens, water rushes in.

As they talked, the Director's Assistant approached Fang Hong, pointing at the lake: "Principal, the water here isn't deep, there's aquatic grass below, and the waves are calm—all conditions are suitable for filming."

"Good, then prepare for filming," Fang Hong stood up, brushing dirt off his pants.

Liu Tianxian rose naturally, ready to work.

Upon hearing the order, the Director's Assistant instructed crew members to set up equipment; a cinematographer would follow Liu Tianxian underwater and needed waterproof gear.

Others also had to install their instruments and gear.

Fang Hong asked Liu Tianxian: "How's your swimming?"

"Fine, no problem," Liu Tianxian said.

"When you're underwater, take off your Astronaut Suit slowly—don't panic. If anything's wrong, say so—we'll stop filming. Don't stay underwater as long as last time; this scene doesn't need tension or urgency—just shoot it normally," Fang Hong said.

Last time, during filming for Now You See Me, Liu Tianxian held her breath in a water tank for half a day.

The plot requires the female lead's Return Capsule to fall into the water; she emerges wearing the Astronaut Suit, which she must remove before surfacing.

"I know, don't worry."

Liu Tianxian knew he was looking out for her and added: "I'll go change."

"Go ahead!" Fang Hong signaled.

Liu Tianxian needed to change into a gray tank top and shorts, then wear the Astronaut Suit over it—this suit must be removed underwater.

The shorts were like safety underwear—no exposure risk.

Fang Hong walked to the lakeshore, where the ground was yellowish wetland; he squatted, scooped up a handful of damp soil—it was soft.

When everything was ready, it was exactly noon—the hottest time of day—perfect for entering the water.

Liu Tianxian, clad in the bulky Astronaut Suit, was helped onto a small boat by crew members; no large vessel was needed—it stayed close to shore.

The boat drifted to the designated spot in the lake; the prop master beside her instructed: "Sister Yifei, when you enter the water, pull the zipper all the way down to exit."

"Alright, is this thing not heavy underwater?" Liu Tianxian was still worried about her safety.

"It's not heavy, waterproof, won't leak, and has some oxygen supply, so don't worry—it's just been made to look like an astronaut suit," said the prop master.

That meant Liu Tianxian would be fine before entering the water for filming, but after taking off the suit, she'd have to hold her breath.

Liu Tianxian nodded, gave a thumbs-up gesture toward shore, then slowly entered the water with assistance.

The cameraman followed her underwater, carrying the camera, while divers nearby assisted with filming.

This scene began underwater, but the camera wasn't turned on at first.

Above the surface, a mechanical arm extended precisely to the center of the lake, making it convenient for Liu Tianxian to surface later for filming; camera equipment was also set up on shore.

"Stay safe—if there's any problem, signal stop," Fang Hong said into his walkie-talkie from shore.

He said this not only to Liu Tianxian, but also to the underwater cameraman and other crew members.

Underwater, Liu Tianxian easily entered the Return Capsule—it was empty inside. The cameraman stayed outside, with divers helping nearby, out of frame.

Fang Hong could see the underwater scene clearly; he said, "All units, prepare. Begin."

Hearing the signal to start, Liu Tianxian removed her helmet; water immediately seeped in through the seams, but it wasn't heavy—this was normal.

She now had to hold her breath—no oxygen supply remained.

Liu Tianxian wasn't panicked; this wasn't her first underwater scene. She calmly exited the Return Capsule, while the cameraman, aided by divers, followed her filming.

Everything appeared normal and steady.

Underwater, Liu Tianxian zipped off the Astronaut Suit, revealing a gray tank top and black shorts, her tall, curvaceous figure fully visible. She began swimming upward—then suddenly froze, her foot caught in waterweed.

Fang Hong's heart tightened; being entangled by this could be hard to escape. He immediately said into his walkie-talkie: "Send someone to check."

One of the underwater divers rushed forward to rescue her, but Liu Tianxian waved him off—her gesture showed clear panic.

Yet the diver understood her meaning and didn't approach, instead staying just outside the frame, ready to act if needed.

This made Fang Hong anxious—he feared something might happen to her—but knowing she was a strong swimmer, he let her try.

Others watching were also tense.

Underwater, Liu Tianxian peeled the waterweed off her foot like taking off a sock—and succeeded. She surfaced safely, her head breaking the water.

Fang Hong was about to shout "Cut!" but stopped—he noticed Liu Tianxian's condition was excellent.

While coughing and choking from water, her face showed relief and gratitude—part acting, part genuine reaction.

After all these years, she had to show some progress.

The crew didn't move—they stayed at their posts.

"Principal, should we keep this part?" the director's Assistant asked, referring to the waterweed entanglement.

Fang Hong thought for a moment: "Keep it."

This small moment adds a touch of surprise, creating a subtle tension and release for the audience.

Good. No problem.

At this moment, Liu Tianxian floated on the surface, gazing at the sky. This scene will have Best Special Effects later—meteor-like fragments streaking across the sky—but right now, nothing was visible.

On the mechanical arm above, a cameraman sat, capturing this exact moment.

Liu Tianxian rested on the water's surface to regain strength, then swam toward shore—Fang Hong did not shout "Cut!"

Instead, he chose a single-take approach.

"Cut!" Fang Hong suddenly shouted.

The crew didn't move. Liu Tianxian had already reached shore. Fang Hong walked to the edge: "You must crawl. Don't use your feet yet—you haven't touched ground in a long time. You'll feel slightly unaccustomed."

"Crawl?" Liu Tianxian tilted her head, confused.

"Yes—like a newborn infant. First learn to crawl, then stand, then walk, and finally grow. That's the process."

Fang Hong crouched down and explained: "Birth is a difficult process. It symbolizes your rebirth."

Hearing this, Liu Tianxian felt it carried depth and meaning. She pondered Fang Hong's words carefully, then said: "I'll try."

"Start again from the middle of the lake," Fang Hong said. He didn't return to the monitor—he left the Assistant to watch, while he stayed on shore observing her performance.

How a film ends, how it elevates—it's crucial. A bad ending will drag the film's quality straight down.

Liu Tianxian was brought back onto a boat, dragged to the exact spot in the lake, and began filming again.

"All departments, attention. Begin," Fang Hong said into his walkie-talkie.

Liu Tianxian swam from the lake's center to shore. When the water grew shallow, she began crawling through the mud—this time, she appeared weaker, more exhausted.

As she crawled toward shore, Fang Hong stood ahead and instructed: "Lie flat on the mud. Press your cheek against the earth. Show the excitement, the gratitude of rebirth."

This would be dubbed later—no sound was recorded on set; speaking was fine.

Liu Tianxian was soaked. Listening to Fang Hong's words, she lay fully on the earth, her cheek pressed tightly against the damp soil, breathing heavily, inhaling the scent of wet earth.

Since she wore only the tank top and black shorts, and was lying prone, her long legs were exposed, making her waist look slender and her hips large and rounded.

Audiences would likely react strongly when they saw this.

The on-site crew remained professional—nothing indecent was shown, just a back view.

But seeing Liu Tianxian's exquisite, curvaceous figure, someone still swallowed hard. The Principal really had it good.

It was normal—anyone seeing a beautiful woman might have impure thoughts, especially someone like Liu Tianxian.

Liu Tianxian kept acting. She grabbed a handful of wet mud, pushed herself up—but collapsed again, powerless.

Yet she didn't grow angry. She smiled wryly, tried again, and slowly rose to her feet.

A cameraman hurried over, crouched down, and shot her from below upward—slowly.

Liu Tianxian spread her arms, looked up at the sky, and took stumbling steps forward. The cameraman captured her back—the moment of growth.

For this brief sequence—falling in, swimming, crawling, standing, walking—Liu Tianxian filmed for several days straight.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

After filming ended, loud applause and cheers erupted on set.

This film has officially wrapped up here.

The shoot lasted over two months, making it the longest-produced film we've ever done; sometimes a single scene took dozens of takes, and we encountered many difficulties along the way.

There were only two official actors, and Liu Tianxian had the most screen time, appearing from beginning to end without a single day off.

There was no choice—we all took it seriously, because this was Yutu Investment's biggest film yet.

Han Jianü, representing the crew, brought over a bouquet and handed it to Liu Tianxian: "You've worked hard, Yifei."

"Thank you, thank you, Sister Han," Liu Tianxian said, still wet, yet embraced Han Jianü anyway—the weather was fine, no problem.

Han Jianü was one year older than Liu Tianxian.

Liu Tianxian held the bouquet and bowed repeatedly to the crew around her: "Thank you all, you've all worked hard."

"Not hard at all."

Someone responded, but applause continued unabated.

Everyone was deeply moved and relieved—over two months of daily togetherness had finally come to an end.

Fang Hong brought a large towel, like a bathrobe, and draped it over Liu Tianxian; though she didn't mind much, it was still better to cover up this springtime view.

Liu Tianxian sensed the man's thoughtfulness, stepped forward, and embraced him, then, before everyone's eyes, gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.

Normally she wouldn't initiate kisses or affection in front of outsiders—maximum was playful banter and sweet words.

This could be considered the first time.

"Ooooh!"

The crew erupted in cheers, the applause growing even louder.

The scene was lively and romantic; Liu Tianxian smiled broadly, then pulled away from Fang Hong.

Fang Hong wrapped his arm around her waist and addressed the group: "Now that filming's done, you can all spend a few days in Hainan—the crew will cover expenses."

"Great, thank you, Principal!"

"Principal, you're brilliant!"

"."

Someone shouted in delight; everyone was thrilled—paid vacation!

"But… the account's out of money," Han Jianü immediately doused them with cold water.

"Out of money?" Fang Hong frowned.

Others were stunned; the atmosphere fell silent—was their free trip over already?

Seeing the disappointed faces around her, Han Jianü laughed: "I'm just kidding—you still have funds."

"Sister Han, that's not fair—you're teasing us!" someone said.

"Just a joke!"

(End of Chapter)