Details such as armor and weapons can reflect how meticulous a film’s production is, and Clovis spared no effort. From helmets to armor to swords, all of the props were crafted with great care. Except for Luo Ding’s weapon, which was a lightweight curved bow, the other actors’ heavy props weighed a good few dozen pounds altogether. Especially for Uhm, who played a warrior wielding a pair of heavy hammers. To make his swings look natural and reflect the weight, the hammers, although hollow, were still deliberately weighted down.
Carrying such heavy gear was no less demanding than running laps with a backpack in a military camp. Luckily, the weather wasn’t hot; otherwise, the harsh summer heat combined with such intense physical activity would have tortured the actors to death.
“Later, when you turn around, you need to use your weapon like this…” Clovis was holding the arm of Tristan, the actor playing Morin Grigri’s henchman, repeatedly guiding him on how to make the upcoming confrontation as visually graceful as possible.
“Hey!” He enthusiastically greeted Luo Ding when he saw him approaching.
Luo Ding nodded in return, standing beside him with a smile. Soon, the other actors arrived as well, all standing quietly to listen to Clovis explain the scene.
Luo Ding had a friendly face and was quite young, so when extras in the crew felt nervous, they would often approach him first. As one of the leads, Tristan was usually more reserved—some might say socially awkward—but he still treated Luo Ding with kindness because of his warm demeanor.
“I don’t know if I can control my crossbow properly,” Tristan said.
“It’s fine,” Luo Ding reassured him. “The crossbow’s force isn’t too strong. Just shoot it, and I’ll be wearing armor. Don’t be nervous.”
Compared to the rough, sometimes overly blunt behavior of Westerners, Luo Ding’s approach always made people feel as though they were being gently touched by the spring breeze. This was especially helpful for those who were more sensitive and anxious. Tristan’s tension eased immediately, and he dropped his gaze gratefully. “You’re really gentle.”
He said this while trying to grab Luo Ding’s hand. Before Luo Ding could react, still smiling, a pair of strong arms reached from behind and turned him away.
Luo Ding stumbled slightly and found himself facing Duan Xiubo. The slight frown on Duan’s face quickly softened. “What’s wrong?” Luo Ding asked.
“Nothing.” Duan Xiubo stared at him, briefly glancing over Luo Ding’s shoulder at Tristan before pulling Luo Ding toward another direction. “We need to go get ready.”
Luo Ding didn’t understand but instinctively trusted Duan Xiubo. He turned back to give Tristan an apologetic smile before following Duan without thinking too much about it.
Tristan stood in place, confused. As Luo Ding walked away, the scene of Duan’s piercing gaze at him played over and over in his mind.
He shivered.
Suddenly, a soft fragrance wafted by, and a delicate, pale hand patted him on the shoulder. Tristan turned to see Emma, already made up and dressed. With her platinum blonde hair, light-colored eyes, and flowing robe, Emma looked like a goddess.
She gave Tristan a look of shared misery, lightly patted his shoulder, and silently left without a word.
*****
Wandering aimlessly.
The Forest of the Elves was dense with vegetation. The trees and grass, infused with unique elements, were two or three times larger than those found outside. The towering warriors walking through the forest seemed like underdeveloped children by comparison. Their armor had become dirty and tattered, and everyone was exhausted beyond measure.
Austin was filled with despair.
He had once thought that the elves, who had always maintained good relations with the Eastern Continent, would offer him hope. He had resisted Morin Grigri’s relentless pursuit, lost two brothers along the way, and endured countless hardships to make it into the Forest of the Elves. He crossed swamps and caves, surviving against all odds, each time thinking it would be his last. The only thing that kept him going was the imagined hope of a happy ending.
Elves were kind, powerful, beautiful, and valued old friendships. Austin had believed that he could find a safe refuge, somewhere secure enough for him to regroup and gather strength. He didn’t ask for much, just a place to lay low. But all those beautiful hopes were shattered the moment the Elven Queen’s emotionless gaze fell upon him.
They were driven out of the elven stronghold. The elves weren’t even willing to provide them temporary shelter. Now, without the protection of the Elven stronghold’s barrier, the poisonous creatures and wild beasts in the Forest of the Elves would surely claim their lives. So despite the dangers outside, they had no choice but to leave as quickly as possible.
Austin’s once-proud and upright back was now on the verge of being crushed under the weight of his burdens.
“Don’t be like this, sir.” Alfred gently placed a hand on Austin’s arm, speaking softly to pull him out of his self-pity.
“Al…” Austin didn’t shake him off. His expression showed a trace of confusion as he reached out and covered Alfred’s slender hand with his own, enveloping it completely. “What should I do?”
A long moment of eye contact.
“Oh, damn this bug!” Tokar’s shout up ahead successfully broke the moment between the two. Alfred froze for a second, then averted his gaze. Austin released Alfred’s hand and looked toward Tokar. Holding a large hammer, Tokar had smashed a venomous snake into pulp, cursing in frustration. Austin was just about to speak when he heard a sharp whistling sound cutting through the air, and he immediately shouted, “Get down!”
A sharp sword pierced through the fog, whistling as it flew, impaling Tokar’s leather-armored arm. Tokar roared in pain, quickly recovering and remaining on high alert, scanning the surroundings for any further threats.
A pack of hyenas, drooling with saliva, came charging out of the bushes. Their eyes glowed green, their teeth filthy and sharp, and they stared at the group as if they were prey.
Then, the hyenas rushed in.
Though exhausted, the group had no choice but to summon their strength for another battle. Austin swung his massive sword, cutting down enemies, while Alfred calmly drew his bow, taking down each target with deadly precision.
Corpses lay strewn around them. Austin focused on fighting the largest hyena leader, and just as he was about to land the killing blow, another hyena suddenly pounced on him from behind. The stench of its breath alerted Austin to the danger, and he turned his head to see two rows of sharp teeth closing in on him.
An arrow shot through the hyena’s skull from behind, ending the ambush in the nick of time.
Alfred lowered his bow, exhausted, leaning against a tree. Austin decapitated the hyena leader.
He let out a sigh of relief.
But then he realized that the arrow which had pierced Tokar’s arm earlier hadn’t come from the hyenas.
That moment of weakness was enough to be deadly. Another whistling sound echoed above, cutting through the air at breakneck speed.
Austin had no time to dodge!
Alfred heard it too. Furious, he quickly reached for an arrow, only to realize that the battle with the hyenas had depleted his supply. He had no arrows left.
Without thinking, Alfred threw himself forward, using his body to shield Austin from the arrow aimed at his head.
Armor long abandoned during their escape, Alfred’s leather armor was useless against the arrow. When Austin felt the hot blood splatter onto his face, he was confused.
Then, in the next second, he realized what had happened.
The assailant had been spotted, a sword thrust through the treetops. It was Domrel, Morin Grigri’s henchman and the only person in the church proficient in wood magic.
“I should have seen this coming…” Austin muttered to himself, his hand trembling as he pressed down on Alfred’s chest, already soaked in blood. His eyes were filled with panic and guilt. “I should have known they’d send a wood mage after us.”
There was no time to deal with the dying Domrel. Austin held Alfred’s body close, his hand hovering over the arrow in his chest, too hot to touch.
“Al, look at me… please…”
Green vine-like patterns began to creep up from Alfred’s back, slowly crawling up his neck. Austin tried to cover these ominous markings with his hands, but he couldn’t stop the creeping vines from spreading under Alfred’s skin.
“Al…” Austin choked, his hand caressing Alfred’s face, his voice trembling. “Please…”
His hoarse voice couldn’t bring out any more words.
Alfred struggled to open his eyes, his amber pupils unfocused but still fixated on Austin’s face. His lips moved as if trying to call Austin’s name, but no sound came out.
“I’m here, Al. Hold on, I’ll save you…” Austin softly called Alfred’s nickname, wiping the tears from his eyes with trembling fingers.
He begged, “Al… please…”
Alfred smiled faintly, regretful. He closed his eyes, moving his head slightly as if trying to rest closer to Austin’s chest.
But he never moved again.
Austin waited quietly, as if all life had been drained from him. The person in his arms would never move again, and his body was growing cold.
He slowly tightened his grip around Alfred, pulling him close, pressing his face to his.
“Al…” he whispered into Alfred’s ear, tears flooding like a broken dam. For the first time since the escape, he wept. His tears fell onto Alfred’s face, and the next moment, Austin wiped them away. His fingers brushed over the green vine markings, and after a moment of silence, he carefully pulled the arrow from Alfred’s chest.
Clutching the arrow tightly, he gently laid Alfred’s body on the ground.
Before standing, Austin gazed at Alfred’s face, his lips hovering just above Alfred’s pale lips. After a long moment, he pressed a kiss to Alfred’s forehead.
*******
“Cut! That was great!” Clovis yelled from behind the monitor.
Luo Ding let out a long groan, curling up in discomfort, reaching behind his back to pull out the quiver and toss it aside.
“That thing was killing me,” he complained to Duan Xiubo. “Next time, clear the area before you drop me. I almost jumped out of character.”
Duan Xiubo looked down at him, no longer crying but with red-rimmed eyes. Under that gaze, Luo Ding’s voice gradually softened, shifting from blaming to concerned. “What’s wrong?”
Duan Xiubo suddenly opened his arms and hugged him.
“What are you doing?!” Luo Ding was startled and immediately looked behind him to check the reactions of the crew, his hands instinctively pushing against Duan Xiubo’s shoulders.
But Duan Xiubo only tightened his grip under the resistance.
“Let him hold you for a while.” Clovis, seeing this scene, nodded understandingly, trying to calm Luo Ding down. “He’s been building up his emotions for a long time. He’s probably still feeling sad. You both did a great job today. You can head home early and comfort him properly. Don’t come to work tomorrow with swollen eyes.”
Duan Xiubo stuck close to Luo Ding the whole time, from removing makeup to taking off costumes, and even tried to stay with him to change clothes and shower, which Luo Ding strongly opposed. After changing into casual clothes, Luo Ding came out and saw Duan Xiubo waiting outside the bathroom. He followed him back to the hotel, sticking to him the entire time.
Luo Ding couldn’t bear to send Duan back alone, so he let him come inside. As soon as the door closed, Duan Xiubo hugged him tightly before the lights were even turned on.
“Don’t mess around… don’t mess around…” Luo Ding knew his emotions were a bit out of control, so he gently patted Duan’s back, trying to calm him.
He fumbled along the wall to find the light switch, but before he could, a larger hand covered his. The cool skin of Duan’s hand met the warmth of his palm. Luo Ding was still dazed when his lips were suddenly sealed in a kiss.
He was pressed against the wall, and a hand quickly cupped the back of his neck, forcing him to tilt his head upward. The heat of Duan’s breath spread across his body. The kiss felt familiar, but unlike the last time, it wasn’t as passionate or intense.
This time, it was completely clear-headed, without any external factors.
Luo Ding’s first instinct was to push away. He didn’t think he was ready to accept Duan’s feelings, so he tried to avoid any intimate contact.
But as Duan’s tongue, uncertain and trembling, explored his mouth, Luo Ding’s heart stirred. His senses became incredibly sharp in that moment. He could feel Duan’s hand, resting on the back of his neck, trembling despite its forceful grip, and the large hand covering his own was nervously fidgeting.
During the shoot, Duan’s lips had been cold when pressed to his forehead, a stark contrast to his usually fiery limbs. It was clear something was off.
Luo Ding sighed quietly in his heart.
Then, he gently shifted his arms, slowly wrapping them around Duan Xiubo’s back, pulling him a little closer.
Duan’s kiss faltered for a moment.
Then, like the brief silence before a firework explodes, everything suddenly erupted.
In the dark room, the only sound was the soft, wet noise of their kiss. Duan’s breathing grew hotter, as if he wanted to devour Luo Ding’s soul through his throat.
Luo Ding couldn’t take it anymore. This guy was pushing his luck.
He loosened his grip on Duan and began pushing him away again. After several attempts, he finally managed to peel him off like a stubborn sticker.
Exhausted, Luo Ding reached out and flicked on the light switch, then collapsed onto the bed. “You…”
He had barely spoken half a sentence when the man pounced on him from behind, lips trailing over his neck, trying to kiss him on the side.
The softness of the bed and the smooth sheets created an entirely different atmosphere. Luo Ding could feel Duan’s emotions quickly rising, as he began pushing for something deeper. Luo Ding’s body was also heating up, but he was rational. This was just a kiss for comfort, and after several days of action scenes, he didn’t want anything unexpected to happen.
As the kiss grew deeper, Luo Ding forced himself to turn his head, avoiding Duan’s lips.
Duan, panting, withdrew his tongue, leaving soft kisses along Luo Ding’s cheek and jaw. “Lu Xiaoding…”
“Get up,” Luo Ding ordered without hesitation.
The kisses paused for a moment.
Duan pretended not to hear, continuing to lick his way up. “Lu Xiaoding…”
“I’m not joking, get up.” Luo Ding squinted, allowing him to lick the back of his ear for a moment before grabbing Duan’s ear and yanking it backward. “Stop messing around! Behave!”
Duan pouted but obediently sat up, clearly not understanding why Luo Ding was suddenly hot and cold with him.
Luo Ding casually grabbed a few tissues from the bedside table to wipe off the saliva on his face, frowning deeply. “You’re not a cat; you’re a dog. Drooling everywhere like it’s free.”
This made Duan even more unhappy. Kneeling on the bed, he stared at Luo Ding in silence. Behind closed doors, with no need for pretense, his eyes drooped sadly.
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