The Female Physician was being filmed right there in Hengcheng. Bao Ruanruan joined the production two days early to comple...
The Female Physician was being filmed right there in Hengcheng.
Bao Ruanruan joined the production two days early to complete her final costume and make-up fitting.
Usually, before filming began, the main cast would gather together for a script read-through.
However, the project schedule was far too tight.
Once Bao Ruanruan had been confirmed as the female number one1, they began looking for a suitable female number two and male number one2, respectively.
They quickly set 23 December as the start date for filming.
Director Mu Xun and the producer consulted the almanack and found no auspicious days in the month before the New Year to begin work.
They therefore had to rush and scramble to start filming before the end of December.
Once the opening ceremony was over, the actors would be taken back to the hotel for the script read-through.
They would then spend three days adjusting the dialogue and helping the actors find the right feel for their roles before officially beginning filming.
The investors had plenty of money, anyway, so there was no need to rush; they could take their time and do the job properly.
Director Mu Xun was rather confident, as he had plenty of time on his hands.
"Wishing the production a successful start!"
On the day filming began, at 9:19 a.m., they burned incense and handed out red packets to mark the start of the production.
Despite the winter cold, all the actors wore black production T-shirts printed with the words The Female Physician, with down jackets over them.
Reporters, paid photographers and fansite photographers came as soon as they heard about it.
The various actors' fan support clubs had also informed their members of the opening ceremony start time.
After receiving the information, everyone had already squatted3 online.
As soon as the production team released photographs and the fansite photographers uploaded videos, the marketing accounts4 began reposting them one after another.
#Han Mo and Qin Xing making special appearances? Joining forces with Bao Ruanruan, the newly rising acting little flower5 , The Female Physician boasts a powerful cast!#
Casual viewers came across it while scrolling, and fans from every fandom immediately started combing through the photos for their favourite celebrities.
[ In the group photo, Bao Ruanruan is standing in the C-position6 beside the director and producer! ]
[ Now that's impressive! Last time, during the production of The Demon Consort, she couldn't even squeeze into a corner of the opening photo, but now she's standing in the leading actress's main position! ]
[ Teacher Han Mo was still playing an emperor last time, but now he's actually playing a commoner, hahahaha. ]
[ Even Han Mo's celebrity status has been overshadowed by Bao Ruanruan? ]
[ Teacher Han Mo's Mocha7 are here~ Teacher Han accepted this project because he wanted to thank Bao Ruanruan for saving him during the thunderstorm. This time, he is joining as a favour between friends8, and he isn't even taking a fee. He only appears in two episodes, so please don't pay too much attention to Teacher Han. Today is Teacher Bao's home ground9~ ]
[ ! ]
Suddenly, a piece of heavyweight news10 exploded into the comments section.
Very soon, another piece of heavyweight news10 appeared.
[ Qin Xing has just finished a 'big female lead11 ' drama, and now she's actually playing a supporting role for Bao Ruanruan? Am I seeing this correctly? ]
[ One of Sister Qin Xing's Xiao Haixing12 members reporting in~ Let me whisper something: our Sister Qin joined because of Teacher Bao. During her birthday livestream last week, she said Teacher Bao understands her very well and is a fellow experiential-school13 actress, just like her. She really wanted to work with Teacher Bao. She happened to be free this time, so she went and auditioned. ]
[ Mm, Sister Qin's character is basically just going out to buy soy sauce14. I heard she only has scenes in the first episode, before the heroine enters the palace. She's just here to support Teacher Bao~ Don't pay too much attention to her~ ]
[ Right, everyone should focus on Teacher Bao! — Message from a Xiao Haixing12 ]
The casual viewers were astonished.
One after another, they had all joined as special guest actors specifically because of Bao Ruanruan.
And surprisingly, Han Mo's and Qin Xing's fans were considerate as well, ensuring that the guests wouldn't make more noise than the host and seize the host's place15.
Just what kind of social-badass syndrome16 did Bao Ruanruan have?
Everyone naturally shifted their attention back to the leading lady, whose production began today.
In the production's group photograph, Bao Ruanruan's appearance value really stood out. She was no less beautiful than anyone else present.
Then they opened a video shot by a fansite photographer and reposted by a marketing account4.
Mm. It wasn't just the carefully retouched photographs. Even Bao Ruanruan in motion was a beauty rarely seen within the entertainment industry.
The entire video was about thirty seconds long.
It simply showed the moments immediately before and after the production's group photograph.
Once the viewers saw the actors and director shout 'Cheese!' and pose smiling with their red packets, they began looking for the close-video button in the top-right corner.
—Nothing new.
—No fun at all.
But before their fingers could reach it, the video suddenly changed.
The magical spell17 that froze their fingers in place had begun!
"Wishing the production a successful start!"
The actors and director shouted towards the camera in unison, their voices full of vigour.
But after the photograph had been taken and the slogan shouted, an anxious voice timidly asked a question.
"Are we done? Are there any more photos to take?"
"Oh, no, that's all."
Everyone immediately located the source of that soft voice—it was Bao Ruanruan, standing in the C-position6.
In the video, she immediately did a tiny hop in place, switching her feet from side to side. Then, she hurriedly covered the chest of her The Female Physician production T-shirt by lowering her head, before frantically searching for the zip of her black down jacket.
As soon as she found it, she zipped it all the way up to her neck with a whoosh.
She even pulled a matching black scarf from her pocket and wrapped it around her exposed pale swan neck for the photograph.
It was as though she refused to let anyone look at her for even one second longer.
How stingy.
This scene irked the people walking by and passing through Weibo.
A moment ago, they had been about to tap away and leave. Now they refused to go.
They were going to stay and watch her!
Bao Ruanruan merely tucked her neck in and breathed warm air into her palms.
Then she clutched the red packet tightly and turned around, searching for someone in front of the camera.
[ Is she looking for Han Mo or Qin Xing? They have both come because of her, so she's probably going over to greet them. ]
Everyone assumed she was looking for someone.
But she wasn't. After looking around, she ran out of frame.
Five seconds later, she trotted back, brimming with energy, and now holding... a dry-powder fire extinguisher.
"Make way~ Excuse me, coming through~"
The female number one1 began weaving her way through the other actors.
She then sprayed the fire extinguisher at the incense burner, into which the production team had just inserted their incense sticks.
Some of the sticks that had been lit last had not yet gone out.
Wisps of white smoke still curled upward.
[ ! ]
[ !! ]
All the casual viewers were dumbfounded.
They could only blame themselves for not seeing more of the world—they had genuinely never seen an opening ceremony video like this before.
The direction it took was completely unexpected.
[ Hhhh, as expected of Teacher Bao, who once taught our Brother Han about thunderstorm safety! ]
[ Shocking! The little big-sister18 actress Sister Qin likes has actually... attended quite a few fire-safety drills? ]
[ Our Kiddo Ruan is just like this. Everyone, please bear with her~ In winter, the heavens are dry, and things are parched19. Fire prevention and electrical safety are for everyone's protection. Mwah-mwah~ ]
[ Hehe, even on opening day, our little kiddo is busy worrying about everyone~ ]
Then the thirty-second video ended.
And yet new casual viewers kept falling into the pit20.
At the opening ceremony itself, some people also had their understanding refreshed by her moves21.
Han Mo and Qin Xing had both come because of Bao Ruanruan.
Although neither of them would approach her to talk in front of the cameras, they both quietly kept an eye on her.
Seeing her worry about on-site safety even more than the floor crew did surprised them both.
Han Mo, in particular, understood clearly that this was not the first time she had shown such safety awareness.
So what had happened during the thunderstorm was no fluke.
Yet, despite believing he had fully grasped Bao Ruanruan's kindness, integrity, and exceptional acting ability... Han Mo was still shaken anew during the script read-through!
The script read-through took place in a hotel conference room.
During the post-opening script read-through, the conference table was surrounded by all the lead actors, the director, the producer and the screenwriters.
A second ring around them was packed with supporting actors and crew members.
Han Mo and Qin Xing only appeared in a few scenes, playing minor roles as a favour between friends8.
So they both stood modestly in the back row.
However, the producer smiled and waved them over. "Teacher Han, Teacher Qin, come over here and stand behind me and Xiao Bao."
"In the first episode, you two are her elder brother and sister-in-law."
"You guys can start cultivating that family feeling now."
Han Mo and Qin Xing could no longer keep such a low profile, so they walked behind Bao Ruanruan and nodded to her in greeting.
As soon as Han Mo came over, he rubbed his nose.
He had forgotten his script on the table at the back.
He had casually set it down on a young actor's desk.
However, the conference room was already packed, so it would be inconvenient to go back for it.
The producer laughed when he heard this.
"Teacher Han, just share Teacher Bao's copy. You're brother and sister, after all."
The young actor, who had been about to pass Han Mo's script over, stopped immediately.
Han Mo could only nod.
"All right, let's begin. We'll go in order. Episode One: the conversation between the Miao siblings."
The elder Miao brother had the first line.
Han Mo nodded and immediately looked down at the script on Bao Ruanruan's desk.
A thick script lay there. It looked as though it had been leafed through countless times and was covered with notes.
A trace of long-absent appreciation flickered through Han Mo's eyes.
She was still the same.
Despite not having seen each other for several months, she was still as serious about her acting career as ever.
But when Bao Ruanruan opened the first page, Han Mo looked as though someone had seized him by the throat22.
"Teacher Han? The first line is yours. It's the elder brother of the Miao family speaking to his younger sister about entering the palace."
The producer glanced at him.
Han Mo: "...Mm."
He reached out to flip through Bao Ruanruan's script.
The sheet attached to the first page was about combining acupuncture and moxibustion for blood loss.
Flip.
The next page contained ten traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for bruises and traumatic injuries.
Flip.
Next...
Good grief! Han Mo spent ages riffling through the pages with one hand, but still couldn't find his line in this script, which was covered in medical information!
"!"
Bao Ruanruan glanced at him and kindly flipped through it for her.
Finally, after roughly fifteen or sixteen additional sheets, she lifted six or seven sticky notes of various sizes and found Han Mo's first line.
Han Mo: "..."
She was seriously far too conscientious!
"Third Sister..." He quickly delivered his line with expressive rhythm and intonation, not relaxing his performance just because this was only a script read-through.
Bao Ruanruan nodded and naturally followed with the next line.
Her delivery was neither hurried nor slow, and had a distinctly ancient-style flavour.
Yet sweat was already beading on Han Mo's forehead.
Once Bao Ruanruan had finished her line, it was Qin Xing's turn to enter and speak as the sister-in-law.
After Qin Xing delivered a long string of lines to the younger sister, it was Han Mo's turn again!
But where was his next line?
Han Mo stared at the script, which was covered in additional sheets and sticky notes... and began to sweat with anxiety.
He had to apologise. He really had no right to judge other people's attitudes back then.
He had failed to memorise all his lines before the script read-through. He had been wrong—terribly, utterly wrong!
Throughout the script read-through, he fully relived the hardships and difficulties of his secondary school days, when he would cover his textbooks and try to recite passages from memory.
After another stretch of silence, the producer turned his head again. "Teacher Han?"
Han Mo: "!"
He was panicking!
But Bao Ruanruan merely extended her index finger again and effortlessly, almost weightlessly, flipped straight to the correct page for Han Mo.
She lifted a sticky note.
Then she circled the spot.
Han Mo: "!!"
Compared to the calm ease with which Bao Ruanruan lifted each sticky note, Han Mo was unbelievably clumsy!
Clearly, Bao Ruanruan remembered the line locations in the script extremely well.
Not only had she memorised her own approximate positions, but also those of the characters she had scenes with.
And the densely packed medical knowledge made Han Mo admire how much homework she had done for the role.
Han Mo took a deep breath.
Suddenly, he realised how ridiculous he had been before.
He had even thought that appearing without taking a fee meant he was helping Bao Ruanruan and repaying her kindness.
Absurd.
In truth, he was the one who had come here to learn!
So it was true: beyond one person, there is always another23.
The entire cast and crew of The Female Physician went into closed-door seclusion for filming.
Bao Ruanruan, Han Mo, and Qin Xing would take no leave and intended to remain with the production until all their scenes were finished, before emerging from seclusion.
Yet even under those closed conditions, filming progressed much more slowly than everyone had expected.
Han Mo was expected to appear in only two or three episodes, while Qin Xing was rumoured to appear in just one. Everyone assumed they would soon emerge from seclusion.
However, once they went in, they unexpectedly stayed for two whole weeks.
It was as though aliens had abducted them!
Both fandoms were stunned.
Qin Xing's fans, in particular, couldn't understand it.
Did filming one episode really take this long?
Not wanting to bother the production team, they first sent private messages to Qin Xing's studio.
[Teacher Qin Xing has not wrapped filming yet. Please wait patiently. ]
Xiao Haixing12: "?"
Has Sister's screen time increased?
[For now, filming is proceeding according to the script. If anything changes, we will inform Xiao Haixing12. ]
So nothing has changed? It's still only one episode?
This...
Xiao Haixing12 had accompanied Qin Xing throughout many female-led dramas, so as fans of an actress, they had plenty of experience.
Even a highly meticulous production could generally film forty to fifty episodes during 120 days of closed-door seclusion.
Roughly speaking, that worked out to around two or three days per episode.
But it had already been two weeks!
Everyone finally lost patience and flocked to Qin Xing's previous Weibo post to ask after her, concerned.
[ Sister, are you all right? ]
[ Sister, blink if you've been kidnapped24. ]
Qin Xing was an experiential-school13 actress. Whenever she portrayed a character experiencing profound emotional suffering, it always took her a long time to come out of the play.
Therefore, the more thoughtful Xiao Haixing12 wondered whether this particular role was making their sister so miserable that she needed to stay with the production to readjust herself.
[ Sister, let me recommend a comedy anime to you ~ ]
[ Sister, when you're under too much pressure, think of us. ]
[ We're really worried about you, Sister. If you see this, could you report that you're safe? ]
Even though they knew Qin Xing never replied on Weibo while filming because she was afraid of breaking her character, Xiao Haixing12 still left message after message, hoping to be her pillar of support.
They knew they would not receive a reply. They merely hoped that when Qin Xing eventually saw their messages, she might feel a little better.
But unexpectedly, when they refreshed the page today, they immediately found a reply!
[ QinXing V: I'm perfectly fine. ]
The Little Starfish: "!"
Everyone was stunned.
[ Sister, is filming going smoothly? ]
[ Sister, how are you finding things on set? ]
They had assumed there probably wouldn't be another reply.
Yet, after refreshing the page, another reply popped up a second later——
[ QinXing V: My whole body feels wonderfully at ease. I can feel myself floating, as though I'm about to become an immortal. ]
Xiao Haixing12: "???"
Everyone was utterly dumbfounded.
It was not until a week later, when behind-the-scenes footage from the production was released, that they found out why.
There was their Sister Xing, dressed in white silk under-robes and sitting alongside more than a dozen similarly dressed little big-sisters18. They were all wearing long, period-style hair and make-up.
—And they were all sitting on yoga mats.
"Now, let us slow down our breathing..."
At the front, Bao Ruanruan sat cross-legged, leading everyone with both hands resting on her knees.
"Close your eyes, lift your cheekbones, let the corners of your mouth rise, and give yourself a smile that prolongs your years and increases your lifespan."
[ !?? ]
"Feel the gentle breeze brushing across our faces, our hair, our tiny cells..."
"It is pouring vital qi25 into our bodies, spreading throughout us, cleansing us..."
[ ! ]
Bao Ruanruan's voice was like that of a gentle, hypnotic little big-sister18 on the radio.
Her voice naturally inspired trust, sounding neither hurried nor slow.
It was soothing to listen to.
Next, she slowly stood up.
Then she walked behind Qin Xing, who was sitting in the first seat of the front row.
She placed her hands on Qin Xing's shoulders and began to massage her, gradually increasing the pressure from light to firm.
[ !! ]
Qin Xing's smiling face unconsciously revealed an extraordinary sense of comfort and intoxicated contentment.
Her eyes remained closed, as though she never wanted to wake up.
Bao Ruanruan soon moved behind the next girl and continued to the last one.
For one fleeting moment, every girl in the room displayed the happiness of someone relaxed and brimming with vitality.
A line of behind-the-scenes caption bubbles slowly appeared.
—This is the everyday interaction between the 'patients' and the 'female physician'.
—Ever since the production introduced yoga classes and lunchtime massage sessions, the happiness index has soared.
—The actresses playing the 'patients' have progressed a thousand li in a single day26 in their portrayal of people being healed.
[ ! Pfft———— ]
Xiao Haixing12 finally understood why their Sister still had not wrapped filming after two whole weeks!
So she had been so happy that she had forgotten all about Shu27!
Author's Note:
Ruan: Day n28 of learning how to be a physician~
Footnotes Full List
- 女一号 (nǚ yī hào) — female number one; industry shorthand for the leading actress
- 女二、男一 (nǚ èr, nán yī) — female number two, male number one; industry shorthand for the second female lead and leading actor
- 蹲 (dūn) — squat; internet slang for camping online and waiting for an update
- 营销号 (yíng xiāo hào) — marketing accounts; social-media accounts that repost entertainment news, gossip or promotional content
- 小花 (xiǎo huā) — little flower; entertainment-industry slang for a young rising actress
- C位 (C wèi) — centre position; the most prominent central position in a group
- 抹茶 (mǒchá/read as mo-cha (cha as in chair)) is the name of Han Mo's fan club. It is based on wordplay of Han Mo's first name 陌 (mò: field path/path).). 抹茶 (mǒchá) means matcha. It refers to shade-grown green tea leaves (traditionally called tencha) that are steamed, dried, and ground into a vibrant green, velvety powder. Unlike regular loose-leaf tea, where you steep the leaves and then discard them, matcha involves consuming the finely ground leaves themselves, mixed with hot water or milk. Although it is now known by its Japanese name, matcha originated in China during the Tang and Song dynasties as 点茶 (diǎnchá). People ground tea bricks into a fine powder and whisked it into a micro-foam. In the late 12th century, Japanese Zen Buddhist monks who had studied in China brought this practice, along with tea seeds, back to Japan. There, they refined it into the formal tea ceremony, known as chanoyu. While loose-leaf steeping eventually replaced powdered tea during China's Ming dynasty, matcha has experienced a significant resurgence in modern culinary culture.
- 友情加盟 (yǒu qíng jiā méng) — join out of friendship; make a special appearance as a favour rather than for ordinary commercial reasons
- 主场 (zhǔ chǎng) — home ground; metaphorically, the occasion where someone should be the main focus
- 重磅消息 (zhòng bàng xiāo xi) — heavyweight news; major or bombshell news
- 大女主 (dà nǚ zhǔ) — big female protagonist; industry slang for a female-centred production dominated by its heroine
- 小海星 (xiǎo: small; hǎi xīng: starfish) — Qin Xing's fan club name. It is based on her first name 星 (xīng: star).
- 体验派 (tǐ yàn pài) — experience school; an acting approach in which the actor personally immerses herself in and experiences the character's emotions, broadly comparable to method acting
- 打酱油 (dǎ jiàng yóu) — go out to buy soy sauce; slang for having only a tiny, incidental or cameo role
- 喧宾夺主 (xuān bīn duó zhǔ) — the guest makes more noise than the host and seizes the host's place; steal the spotlight from the person who should be the focus
- 社交牛逼症 (shè jiāo niú bī zhèng) — social badass syndrome; humorous internet slang for being exceptionally confident, outgoing and capable in social situations
- 神奇魔法 (shén qí mó fǎ) — magical magic/spell; a playful metaphor for something irresistibly captivating
- 小姐姐 (xiǎo jiě jie) — little big sister; affectionate internet slang for a young woman
- 天干物燥 (tiān gān wù zào) — the sky is dry, and things are parched; a traditional warning that dry conditions increase the risk of fire
- 入坑 (rù kēng) — enter the pit; internet slang for getting hooked on something or joining a fandom
- 操作、刷新了认知 (cāo zuò, shuā xīn le rèn zhī) — operation/move, refresh one's understanding; internet-style expressions meaning someone's behaviour has caused others to reassess their impression of them
- 像是被掐住了脖子 (xiàng shì bèi qiā zhù le bó zi) — as though one's neck had been gripped; a simile describing someone suddenly rendered speechless or stunned
- 人外有人 (rén wài yǒu rén) — outside one person there is another person; there is always someone more capable, skilled, or impressive
- 被绑架就眨眨眼 (bèi bǎng jià jiù zhǎ zhǎ yǎn) — blink if you have been kidnapped; an internet joke used when someone has been unusually silent or appears unable to speak freely
- 元气 (yuán qì) — original/vital energy; in traditional Chinese thought, the fundamental vitality or life energy of the body
- 一日千里 (yī rì qiān lǐ) — travel a thousand li in one day; make astonishingly rapid progress
- (乐不思蜀 (lè bù sī Shǔ) — be so happy that one does not miss Shu; an idiom originating from Liu Shan of Shu, meaning to become so happily absorbed in one's present circumstances that one has no desire to leave
- The n represents an unspecified number, similar to saying 'Day X' in English. It suggests this is one instalment in an ongoing process.
きつね's Musing
ASKING FOR OPINION
Should I maintain pinyin for the other celebrities' fan club names?
For example, Yang Xueni's fanclub Snowman, will be changed to Xueren.
Closes:
Calculating...
COMMENTS