Chapter 10: What it means to die well

Lan He and Song Futan walked all the way to the city. By this time, it was almost dawn. There were few stars visible in the morning skies and the dawn wind was cold but fresh. Everything was waiting to embrace a new day. More colors gradually filled the skies, the scenery becoming more and more vibrant.

There had never been such a breathtaking view.

“It’s almost daylight.” Song Futan said.

He came to the realization that beauty was in the eyes of its beholder[1]. The truth was, dawn had always been this beautiful, he just didn’t appreciate it before.

The little lame donkey was so anxious that it pawed at the ground with its hoofs.

“What are you in a hurry for? Will we turn into foam when the sun rises[2]?” Though Lan He indeed had things to do, thus he said to Song Futan, “I won’t accompany you any further, quickly go back bah.”

“Oh.” Song Futan nodded.

Although he wouldn’t turn into foam, living souls that wandered from their bodies for too many days couldn’t be saved. And the little lame donkey was considered a Netherworld creature, which did not like sunlight. It urged him by biting on the corner of his shirt.

Lan He walked a few steps in a different direction, “En… Goodbye!”

Not knowing each other’s names, not asking when nor where, hoping that fate allows them to meet again.

Song Futan: “... Goodbye.”

---

Liu Chunyang looked for Lan He, to let him and the male lead act a scene together. This time, he invited Chen Xingyang.

Liu Chunyang liked going to restaurants for these script readings.

“This restaurant’s prawns are particularly good; the meat is very firm.” Liu Chunyang first sucked the spicy and fragrant juices, then peeled off the bright red prawn shells, revealing the vibrant red color of the meat. Just from watching Liu Chunyang chew the prawn simmered with green onions, chilli and other ingredients, they could imagine the springy texture and dense fragrance. “*hiss*... it’s a bit spicy. Lan He should be able to handle the spiciness, but you can’t eat any of these hahahaha.”

Chen Xingyang and Lan He: “....”

Although the two of them were meeting for the first time, they seemed to be closer after Liu Chunyang said this.

Of course, it could also be because Chen Xingyang, who was famous for many years, was well-known for his good temper since his debut.

The scene that Liu Chunyang wanted them to try acting, was the last showdown between the villain and the male lead. The villain that Lan He was acting as would receive his box lunch[3] after this.

Liu Chunyang wiped his swollen lips. Suddenly, he became excited and said to Lan He, “Later, die once and show him what it means to die well!”

Lan He: “....”

Chen Xingyang: “???”

Lan He: “Director Liu! That is very ambiguous!”

Liu Chunyang realized what he just said, “Hahahah, I didn’t mean it like that---just that Lan He practices yoga and can adjust his breathing until there’s practically none. He can also lower his body temperature. This doesn’t only require technique, talent is also necessary. I heard that there’s no more than 5 people in the world who can do this! This group of people are extremely demanding of their successors!”

Lan He: It’s not… I don’t have...

What kind of information did Director Liu search for? Lan He didn’t even know that there were other people in the world who could do the same thing.

“It’s so miraculous?” Chen Xingyang looked at Lan He in surprise and asked, “Then can you put your leg behind your head? I really want to see ah…”

Lan He: “....”

… What is wrong with all of them? He was indeed someone working under Liu Chunyang, the first thing he said was doing standing splits. If he really did that, he would become a full-time Impermanence!

Lan He pretended he didn’t hear that, “Then let’s begin bah, if I become cold later there’s no need to rescue me.”

……

Without a doubt, Lan He’s dying on the spot shocked another person.

Chen Xingyang was convinced and the pair’s acting was pretty good with a lot of tension. Liu Chunyang was also quite satisfied, but he didn’t immediately confirm it. He wanted to consider some more. It was important to note that Lan He’s case was rare. He only auditioned once and got the role, and was also someone who had never worked with him (Director Liu) before.

Chen Xingyang interacted with Lan He again out of appreciation and found out that they went to the same school, “You’re actually my junior! Where did you come from?”

Lan He told him that he was from Hunan province.

“The Xiangxi region?” Chen Xingyang said, “Are you from a minority group? There are quite a lot there.”

Lan He said honestly, “My mother is a Miao[4].”

“Oh oh!” Chen Xingyang was a Northerner, but he heard of many Southern myths. “I heard that the Miao people know how to raise Gu. Have you seen it before? Do you know how to do it?”

Lan He said righteously, “Senior, of course I don’t. How can every Miao know how to raise Gu!”

Chen Xingyang: “Oh, hahah, it’s just a rumor hah.”

Lan He: “En!”

… It’s true that he didn’t raise Gu, he only knew how to be an Impermanence!

---

Because Liu Chunyang kept bringing Lan He to restaurants for script readings, the news that he decided on Lan He for the male villain spread like wildfire.

The media quickly found more information; Liu Chunyang's movies had always been popular.

The following message was understood: Lan He was not only the male villain, he was also the first actor to be confirmed. Liu Chunyang actually made him the center point to find other actors, despite having never worked with him before. The person in question was also from an obscure company and only acted in small roles that couldn’t be more forgettable.

So how did this actor conquer Liu Chunyang?

No one came to interview Lan He, this small forgettable fellow, but surrounded Liu Chunyang and asked him about his new drama. They also asked why he used an unknown actor for such an important role.

Liu Chunyang’s lips were sealed tight, not spilling a single thing about the new drama. When he was questioned closely about why he chose Lan He, he thought for a while and carelessly said, “Maybe it’s because he’s particularly good at pretending to be dead.”

The reporters: “???”

What rubbish! Did it make sense to talk nonsense to pacify the reporters?

---until a certain time in the future, when everyone looked back and realized that what Liu Chunyang said was not wrong, and was even a spoiler.

---

Liu Chunyang and Lan He signed the contract not long ago. And the role of the third male lead in the idol drama <Geometry of a Clear Dream> directed by Wang Mao, also fell without incident into Lan He’s hands.

Liu Chunyang could make the decisions himself, but Wang Mao had to negotiate with several others and come to an agreement to choose Lan He. Hence, it was a bit slower.

They were all familiar with each other, so the three of them had a friendly consultation. Liu Chunyang would as much as possible film Lan He’s parts first, while Wang Mao would push them back. In addition, the starting date on both sides were originally different, so the shooting schedules were staggered.

It was a good thing that Lan He wasn’t the main lead for both sides, or else it would be a mess.

Liu Chunyang’s drama was named <The Chase>. During the preparation of the crew, various parts of the plan were finalized, and the actors signed the contract one after another. Lan He obediently prepared for the role at home, completing the character modeling and other tasks in the meanwhile.

The filming for <The Chase> started in early summer.

Other than Lan He, the male and female leads were all in an old team under Liu Chunyang---Chen Xingyang successfully got the role of first male lead. Even those slightly special small roles were given to veterans for cameo appearances.

---

The opening ceremony was set at 8:18 a.m., which was specifically chosen as it sounded auspicious.

Lan He reached the site early and sat at a corner with Cheng Haidong to chat.

All opening ceremonies were similar and full of traditional colors. Cameras were covered with red cloth and an altar table was set up. It was also covered in red cloth, with incense, fruits, a pig’s head and other offerings on top.

The pig’s head was the most important offering. The pig was regarded as the best livestock, and the head of a pig was the best of the best. Using a pig’s head as an offering meant expressing sincerity. In ancient times, emperors even raised sacred pigs to ward off evil spirits.

Twenty minutes before 8:18 a.m., everything should have been prepared. However, Liu Chunyang who self-claimed that he was not a superstitious person roared, “Who bought this pig’s head! Who!! Why is the pig’s head like this? Give me an explanation!”

Lan He was startled. During the script reading Liu Chunyang seemed friendly, someone who loved eating and making jokes. Once he entered the crew, it was like he became another person.

What’s wrong with the pig’s head? Did anything happen to it?

Lan He took a careful sniff, but he didn’t smell anything weird.

“Go, go!” Cheng Haidong immediately jumped up, revealing an excited expression, “Go see what’s the commotion about!”

Lan He was speechless. He was pulled along into a run by Cheng Haidong, who even wanted to squeeze to the front to see. This fellow was timid when meeting ghosts, but he was actually quite strong.

“What’s wrong with the pig’s head?” Cheng Haidong stretched out his neck.

This was what many people were wondering. What could happen to the offerings? If there was really a problem with the offerings, given the director’s personality, he might feel it was a bad omen.

They saw Liu Chunyang lifting the whole plate with the pig’s head, “Look at this pig’s head! It’s expression is so fierce, how is it suitable to use as an offering! Who bought this? Can’t you pick one with a more peaceful expression?!”

The crowd: “....”

Did this count as a bad omen… Perhaps it did...

It sounded a bit funny, but carefully looking at it, this pig’s head did look quite fierce, like it had died unwillingly[5]. Those who looked at it felt a bit uncomfortable.

The staff member who was responsible for buying the pig’s head panicked, “I’ll go buy a new one now.”

Liu Chunyang: “It’s already 8:05 a.m., where are you going to buy it?”

Was the opening ceremony going to be pushed back until the pig’s head was bought?

Lan He witnessed the staff member being scolded like a dog and said weakly, “Director Liu, how about…”

Once he started speaking, everyone looked at him, making him pause.

Many people at the site were from Liu Chunyang’s old team and were familiar with his temper. On set, he was a grumpy older brother. But most of the time, he scolded people for a reason. Everyone just had to shrink their heads and endure it until it passed. It would only make things worse to evade or plead for forgiveness.

Once Lan He spoke, he attracted everyone’s attention. One look and they could tell that he was a newcomer. No wonder why he still didn’t understand Director Liu’s temper.

Lan He noticed Liu Chunyang’s gaze on himself and said, “What I mean is...why don’t we put some makeup on the pig’s head? It isn’t that big of a deal.”

Liu Chunyang: “Makeup?”

Lan He: “It can’t be helped that the pig’s head looks fierce. I think it’s enough to put some makeup on it.”

Liu Chunyang’s superstition was stroked. He hesitated for a second and said, “Let the makeup artist come and do it!”

The makeup artist choked, “I…”

How was he supposed to put the makeup on? He didn’t know what kind of peaceful look Director Liu wanted.

Everyone was silent. Director Liu blew a gasket because of the pig’s head and they were at a loss for what to do. It was a good thing that someone was able to persuade Director Liu, but who was supposed to take over and fix the appearance of the pig’s head?

Lan He volunteered, “Let me, I know how to do it.”

He went up and used edible materials to transform the pig’s face into one with a smiling expression. It was somewhat similar to putting makeup on zhizha[6]. Finally, a piece of red paper was placed on the pig’s forehead.

The other members of the crew were weirdly silent while looking at the youthful actor sitting in front of the altar table, putting makeup on the pig’s head.

Cheng Haidong resisted the urge to chuckle and took a photograph of this scene.

---

At 8:15 a.m., everything was ready.

Everyone applauded unanimously. Good, this pig’s face looked so peaceful!

“Ok, ok, prepare to burn the incense!” Liu Chunyang called out happily.

It was said that the scent of incense attracted deities. Other than the offerings, the most important thing was the incense, which was always burnt by the directors during opening ceremonies.

Burning incense, praying to the four directions, and distributing small red packets. Finally, everyone ate a bit of the food on the altar table, and the ceremony was over.

<The Chase> film crew officially started work.

---

Photos of the opening ceremony were leaked and the netizens were very confused.

[Why is that little brother holding the pig’s head? I can’t see clearly.]

[Seems like they said the pig died too miserably so they made it at peace?]

[What peace, can you make more sense?]

[Uh, I heard that the director requested for someone to put makeup on the pig’s face.]

[Pig face? What kind of superstitious act is this?]

[?? The film crew’s makeup artist is so incredible?]

[Eh, something’s not right ah. Look at the portrait photo.]

[Handsome, I can do it!]

[Can do it my ass ah. Look at his face, he’s not the makeup artist, he’s the male villain in the film crew. Lan He, this name isn’t common so I remember it. That...the one who Director Liu hand-picked, says he’s very good at pretending to be dead.]

[Huh? Then shouldn’t he be more appreciated? Why would Liu Chunyang force him to put makeup on the pig’s head?]

[Don’t talk about others, Director Liu’s sense of aesthetic is always online ah! The pride of straight men! The actors he chose are all so good-looking. I support Director Liu giving the pig’s head makeup. When Director Liu films a show, there must be the most beautiful pig’s head!]

The following comments were all crooked, arguing whether that pig was the most beautiful, and why a certain male actor was suffering from the director’s sabotage. This became the first hot topic of <The Chase>.

……

“Hahahahahahahahaha!!” Dou Chunting held his tablet computer and laughed while smacking his thigh. He didn’t feel the air pressure beside him getting lower and lower.

“Cousin, cousin take a look at this hahaha.” Dou Chunting wanted to show Song Futan his tablet computer.

Song Futan: “Too noisy.”

Dou Chunting felt wronged and said, “Aunt made me come to accompany you, I can’t go away. I just wanted to let you see an interesting piece of news. It’s said that Liu Chunyang went overboard and not only chose beautiful actors, but even the pig’s head offering must be beautiful. If it’s not beautiful enough, he would force an actor to put makeup on the pig’s head.”

As he spoke, he began laughing again.

Facing this humor which was as low as his cousin's IQ, Song Futan could only feign ignorance.

Dou Chunting: "Hmm, don't talk about whether this pig is cute or not, but the actor is actually kind of adorable…"

Adorable…

Song Futan's thoughts have already drifted far away.

Dou Chunting brought the tablet over, "Take a look, brother[7]?"

Song Futan shoved away the tablet computer that was blocking his vision, "Get lost."

TL Note:

Sorry for the late update! I was a little busy catching up with some friends in real life. The covid situation is really putting a damper on group outings…

Anyways! In this chapter, Lan He shows off his specialty of “dying on the spot” again lol. Can practicing yoga really achieve such effects? Hmm… We also learn more about Song Futan. He has a younger cousin and their interactions are so cute!

[1] The original saying is far more complicated. "万古长空，一朝风月" means that Buddhism exists regardless whether dharma comes or not. And that enlightenment is a personal matter, so one should focus on themselves and on reality. What I inferred based on this context, is that Song Futan was so focused on himself and material items that he forgot to appreciate nature and the simple things in life.

[2] Reference to the original story of the little mermaid. In the original story by Hans Christian Anderson, the little mermaid failed to make the prince fall in love with her. The witch gave her an ultimatum: Kill the prince by sunrise or turn into foam. The little mermaid approached the prince, who married another girl, but couldn't bear to kill him. She chose suicide and turned into foam, returning to the sea.

[3] A film culture whereby an actor will collect his last box lunch before leaving the set. This means that the character that he is playing is dead or has exited the film.

[4] The Miao are an ethnic minority group in Southern China.

[5] Yeah I know, I know. Like what kind of pig enters the slaughterhouse willingly? But the original phrase is trying to convey that this pig died with deep resentment and regret.

[6] Zhizha is a Taoist paper art used mainly in festive occasions and funerals.

[7] Song Futan is Dou Chunting's older cousin, but males who are particularly close like to call each other "brother" at times.