Chapter 32: Stunning Appearance, Hu Ge's Shock

After all, it was their first time attending a filming commencement ceremony, so both Meng Ziyi and Bai Lu felt somewhat nervous.

Meng Ziyi kept adjusting the hem of her clothes, while Bai Lu repeatedly checked the contents of her bag.

Zhou Jin glanced at them, whispered a few words, and the two women nodded, their shoulders visibly relaxing.

Meng Ziyi suddenly leaned in slightly and said mysteriously, "Zhou Jin, I have a surprise for you."

"What surprise?"

"You'll know in a moment." She blinked, swallowing back her words.

Not long after, Hu Ge and Liu Tao, the lead actors of Nirvana in Fire, entered the plaza from the other side.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

Zhou Jin took Meng Ziyi and Bai Lu with him to actively step forward and greet them.

Upon seeing Zhou Jin, both Hu Ge and Liu Tao nodded very politely in response.

Hu Ge sized him up and said, "I remember you; you played Ling Yue in Sword of Legends, right? I've seen the clips you sent the director; your acting skill is outstanding."

Zhou Jin bowed his head slightly and replied modestly, "I am honored by your praise."

As the time approached ten o'clock, the area outside was packed with reporters and photographers carrying cameras, along with a large crowd of fans holding light-up signs and photos.

The director, the Producer, and several lead actors took the stage one by one, stood in place, and began the routine speech segment.

Since the roles of Zhou Jin and Bai Lu were not significant enough, they did not qualify to speak on stage and instead stood within the actor lineup on the side of the stage.

After the speeches concluded, the media began asking questions; the microphone passed from hand to hand among the reporters, who asked only routine promotional questions.

Suddenly, a reporter raised his hand, took the microphone, and asked a slightly sharp question: "I'd like to interview Zhou Jin, who plays Prince Yu. May I ask why a newcomer with no performance works and no fan base was able to secure the role of Prince Yu?"

The host glanced at the director.

The director nodded slightly; the host breathed a sigh of relief and handed the microphone to Zhou Jin.

Zhou Jin took the microphone and said, "Hello everyone, I am actor Zhou Jin, playing the role of Prince Yu in Nirvana in Fire this time."

The noise from below fell silent the instant he opened his mouth.

Screams and cheers surged from the fan section, wave after wave.

Someone held up a light-up sign bearing Zhou Jin's name, its blue fluorescent characters flashing brightly.

Holding the microphone, Zhou Jin looked at the screaming crowd below and was startled in his heart.

I haven't even had a drama aired yet; how do I have so many fans?

Could it be that Meng Ziyi paid to hire shills for me?

He subconsciously glanced in Meng Ziyi's direction.

Meng Ziyi was looking up at him, the corners of her mouth upturned, her eyes full of pride.

Zhou Jin's vision went dark.

On stage, Hu Ge and Liu Tao exchanged glances, both showing slight surprise on their faces.

This Zhou Jin's fans were screaming and cheering almost as much as theirs.

Moreover, those light-up signs, that finalized costume photo of Ling Yue, those uniform support chants—having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, he could tell at a glance whether these fans were hired shills.

These were real.

Liu Tao was also extremely surprised.

She couldn't help but look at Zhou Jin a few more times, beginning to view him in a new light.

The media below were all somewhat astonished.

Meng Ziyi smiled gently; she was the Group Leader of Zhou Jin's Fan Support Group, and today's fan event had been specially organized by her precisely to give Zhou Jin a surprise.

The reporter who had asked the question held the microphone and let out an awkward laugh.

He had just asked about Zhou Jin having no fan base, yet the screams on site had nearly blown the roof off.

Holding the microphone, Zhou Jin smiled modestly and said, "It seems I do have a bit of a fan base after all."

Whether media or fans below, everyone burst into a round of good-natured laughter.

Waiting for the laughter to subside slightly, Zhou Jin continued, "As for my works, as everyone knows, I participated in the filming of Swords of Legends. I believe Swords of Legends will soon be scheduled for release and meet the audience."

Director Kong stood nearby, watching Zhou Jin handle the situation with composure, and nodded slightly.

Director Kong was very satisfied with his performance, which was neither humble nor pushy and carried a touch of humor.

The filming commencement ceremony drew to a close.

After all questions were answered, Director Kong stepped forward to announce the end of the ceremony.

The next morning, Zhou Jin woke up at the hotel and rushed to the production team's makeup room.

By the time he finished his makeup, it was already nearly seven o'clock.

With a Height of 1.83 meters and an upright posture, once Zhou Jin put on that set of purple-and-black princely robes, his entire demeanor changed completely.

Standing there, he exuded an air of noble bearing intrinsic to royal offspring from the inside out, appearing dashing and talented yet revealing a hint of the gloominess fitting for Prince Yu.

During this period, he had studied the script for Prince Yu over and over countless times.

The performance of the character Prince Yu could roughly be divided into several stages.

From initially disguising himself as a virtuous prince, treating Mei Zhangsu with deference and respect for talent.

To later becoming obsessed with power struggles in the fight for succession, and then collapsing upon learning his true parentage.

After the collapse, risking everything to rebel, followed by a hysterical accusation faced with the emperor after the rebellion failed.

Finally, learning in prison that his princess was pregnant, and in despair committing suicide to protect her and the child.

And the first scene to be filmed today was precisely Prince Yu learning of his parentage.

This scene was a confrontation between Zhou Jin and Bai Lu.

Zhou Jin walked out of the makeup room, came face-to-face with Hu Ge, smiled, and actively greeted him: "Teacher Hu Ge, good morning."

Hu Ge, already in makeup, looked up and, seeing Zhou Jin's appearance, sized him up from head to toe with some surprise.

Hu Ge had to admit that Zhou Jin's ancient costume appearance was the most stunning he had seen in all his years of acting.

Smiling, Hu Ge teased, "With such a handsome Prince Yu, once Nirvana in Fire airs, I reckon many will support your bid for the throne and hope you become Emperor."

Zhou Jin smiled and responded with modesty.

He knew that many actors appeared cheerful, approachable, and down-to-earth before the media and fans, but it was all an act.

Many actors privately wouldn't even spare a glance for lesser-known junior performers.

He hadn't expected Hu Ge to be so approachable, able to joke even with a newcomer.

Before long, most of the actors had arrived one after another at the film studio's set within the movie city.

Zhou Jin also spotted Bai Lu, now in makeup and dressed in Qin Bore's costume.

She wore a dark red long skirt, her hair coiled into a bun adorned with several silver hairpins; with light makeup on her face, a touch of steadiness and stunning beauty had settled between her brows and eyes, making her look like a completely different person from the carefree Bai Lu of usual.

Seeing Zhou Jin, Bai Lu exaggeratedly opened her mouth wide: "Wow, so handsome!"

She truly felt this from the bottom of her heart.

Zhou Jin was handsome to begin with, and after donning this purple-and-black princely robe, he not only showed no sense of incongruity but gained an indescribable noble air.

This kind of aura made people unable to look away even more than mere handsomeness.

Zhou Jin offered no modesty to Bai Lu, smiling as he replied, "Thank you for the compliment."

He did not see Meng Ziyi on set; presumably, her maid role had no scenes scheduled for today.

At that moment, Director Kong Sheng was explaining a scene to an actor when, catching Zhou Jin and Bai Lu in his peripheral vision, his eyes lit up, and he beckoned to the two of them.

Zhou Jin and Bai Lu walked over quickly.

Looking at their appearances, Director Kong nodded in satisfaction: "Indeed, very photogenic."

Then he cut straight to the point and began explaining the key aspects of this scene to them.

"You already understand the premise of this scene: Prince Yu has been demoted to Prince Shuangzhu; he is depressed and dispirited, having lost all ambition to contend for the throne, while Qin Bore has come to him in a desperate gamble, holding the secret of Prince Yu's lineage as her final card."

Director Kong looked at Zhou Jin: "Tell me your understanding of this scene."

Zhou Jin said seriously, "When Prince Yu first hears the news that he belongs to the Hua Tribe, his initial reaction is not anger, but disbelief."

"Then, the moment he sees the evidence and confirms the truth, all his pride shatters; he transforms from an arrogant prince into an abandoned piece, a joke."

Hearing Zhou Jin's analysis, Director Kong's eyes lit up.

Zhou Jin paused, then emphasized his tone: "I believe the most important element of this scene is the emotional outburst."

"It is the emotion of despair, the hatred of being deceived from start to finish by one's own father."

"Prince Yu is not a simple villain; he is a tragic figure exploited from beginning to end, and the performance must evoke a sense that makes people's hearts ache."

Director Kong looked at Zhou Jin in surprise, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.