In Shancheng at the end of August, the heat had been washed away by several bouts of rain, leaving a damp chill in the air.
Filming for 《Prisoner's Game in the Mirror》 was nearing its end. Everyone in the crew was bracing themselves to tackle the final few heavy scenes that would determine the tone of the entire film.
Inside the courtroom set, the lights were brilliantly bright. Dozens of extras sat in the gallery, keeping so still that even the sound of paper turning was suppressed.
The evidence files for the movie were piled beside the judge's bench. The three-year-old falling case, the induction records behind the recent copycat murders, and the money trail for the forged evidence were all laid out in the open.
The judge turned to the last page.
“The defendant, Jiang Hongyan, is found guilty of intentional homicide, forgery of evidence, and false accusation. For these multiple crimes, he is sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve and lifelong deprivation of political rights.”
The gavel fell, and a crisp crack echoed through the boom mic near the judge's bench. The facade of decency Jiang Hongyan had maintained for half his life was finally torn away.
Jiang Hongyan, played by Ding Zhengxin, didn't collapse immediately. A trace of the gentle smile he had cultivated over many years still lingered on the corners of his mouth, but that bit of dignity could no longer support the weight of his imprisonment.
Two bailiffs stepped forward, flanking him on either side to escort him from the defendant's dock.
“Cut!”
Cheng Songran's voice came through the walkie-talkie. “Let's do a safety take. Revert to the shot list and pick up Wu Yaxin's interrogation!”
Over at the temporary interrogation room, Yang Qiong had already been waiting under the lights for half an hour.
This scene took place before the trial in the story's timeline. After hearing the full extent of Jiang Hongyan's plan to use her desire for revenge from the police, Wu Yaxin sat with the red string in her hand crumpled into a ball.
It was the symbol of her years of obsession, now reduced to nothing but irony. She sobbed into her hands until she couldn't speak in full sentences, slowly confessing how she had been verbally manipulated and how she had cooperated with the setup.
After filming this shot, Cheng Songran immediately arranged the final conflict scene.
In the detention visitation room, a thick layer of bulletproof glass separated two different worlds.
Jiang Hongyan had changed into a gray-blue prison uniform, his head shaved into a buzz cut. Having not been seen for a few days, he had become gaunt to the point of being unrecognizable, and his gaze was terrifyingly dark.
Chen Jingan sat outside and picked up the telephone receiver.
Across the glass, Jiang Hongyan saw him, and his clouded eyes finally found focus.
“What are you here for? To laugh at me?” His voice was hoarse.
There was no mockery or satisfaction on Chen Jingan's face.
“I'm just here to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye?”
Jiang Hongyan let out a low laugh, his shoulders shaking. “I truly regret it. Three years ago on that rooftop, I should have just pushed you off as well! How could I have believed you were just a useless fool paralyzed by fear!”
He had spent his life chasing fame and fortune, playing the part of a good man. To maintain that mask, he had made mistake after mistake after accidentally killing someone.
Even now, he still didn't believe he was wrong. He only hated that he hadn't dealt with the only witness cleanly back then.
Chen Jingan wasn't provoked by these words. He looked at the man before him, who had become a complete stranger, and asked an unrelated question.
“Seven years ago, on the set of 《Wind Rises in Nancheng》, the assistant director wanted to replace me. You were the one who protected me. Do you remember?”
Jiang Hongyan's laughter stopped. He frowned, seemingly searching his memory.
At that time, Chen Jingan was just a penniless young actor fresh out of school, while Jiang Hongyan was already a prestigious director.
That role hadn't been important in the play, but it was the only ladder Chen Jingan had at the time.
Chen Jingan still remembered the leaking rain canopy on set. He had been standing in the corner, clutching a daily call sheet that had been returned to him.
Jiang Hongyan had only said two sentences.
“I chose him. If you want to replace him, replace me first.”
Chen Jingan had remembered those words for seven years. It was because of that memory that he had repeatedly convinced himself that Jiang Hongyan couldn't be a murderer.
Jiang Hongyan was stunned for a long while before a distorted smile crept onto his face.
“So it was that. Of course I remember.”
He spoke slowly, word by word. “A good director who cherishes his reputation must, of course, protect the actors he favors. As it turns out, that was the best scene I've ever acted in my life, wasn't it?”
Those words shattered the last bit of sentiment in Chen Jingan's heart.
Chen Jingan remained silent for a long time before hanging up the phone.
On the other side of the glass, Jiang Hongyan was still laughing.
Chen Jingan looked at him through the glass and said one last thing.
“The play is over, Director Jiang.”
With that, he stood up and left.
His back was straight. The weight he had carried for three years was largely lifted from his shoulders.
“Cut! Good! Passed!”
Cheng Songran stood up from behind the monitor, unable to hide the excitement on his face. “Teacher Ding, Brother Jiang, the emotions in this take were perfect! It's the best one!”
Ding Zhengxin let out a long breath, detaching himself from the character.
Jiang Yue closed his eyes, shaking off the heavy emotions.
“Third Brother.”
Jiang Kaiwen pressed a bottle of ice water into his hand. Instead of rushing to talk about the trending topics, he first checked Jiang Yue's complexion. “Have you recovered?”
Jiang Yue felt the coldness through the bottle and replied after two seconds, “Mostly.”
Only then did Jiang Kaiwen wave his phone. “Then here's some news to wake you up. The finale of 《The Grand Game》 airs tonight.”
At eight o'clock that evening, countless pairs of eyes across the internet were glued to the Kiwi Video playback interface. Major forums and social platforms had long been flooded with posts waiting for Chu Yan to flip the table.
The finale of 《The Grand Game》 went live.
The plot started with a bang. The scene cut directly from the iron-blooded military camps of the Southern Realm to the torrential rain in the capital.
Chu Yan shed his disguise of the sickly hostage prince in purple robes and donned heavy dark armor with gold thread. His black cape fluttered in the wind and rain. Carrying a blood-stained longsword, he stepped into Taiji Hall one pace at a time, the tip of his sword dragging across the golden bricks, sending sparks flying along the way.
The bullet comments went silent for half a second before flooding the screen.
【Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! He's going on a rampage! This aura is exactly what the Heir of the Southern Realm should look like!】
【Under the purple robes was actually dark armor! This reversal is giving me goosebumps!】
【Queue the BGM! No one is stopping Chu Yan from ascending the throne today!】
Inside the hall, the Old Emperor sat on the dragon throne, desperately trying to maintain his imperial dignity, his words growing heavier with each sentence.
Chu Yan stood in the middle of the hall, letting the rainwater drip down his armor.
He didn't raise his voice. He used only a few cold remarks to strip away the Old Emperor's final shred of dignity.
【This dialogue scene is even more intense than the action scenes. Jiang Yue actually held his own against Chen Baoshan.】
【He isn't excited at all, yet the more the Old Emperor shouts, the more he looks like a loser. This directing is great.】
Finally, the Old Emperor took poison and collapsed on the dragon throne.
Chu Yan turned and walked out of the hall. Before him stood the civil and military officials, kneeling in a row, silent as cicadas in winter.
Once everything had settled, the final scene of the drama took place at the Ten-Mile Pavilion.
Lin Zheng had changed back into his green robes. Leading a thin horse, he prepared to withdraw from the world.
Chu Yan had also taken off his dragon robes. Dressed in ordinary attire, he had prepared a pot of tea and come to see him off personally. There were no officials or ceremonial guards, just two ordinary friends saying goodbye.
The autumn wind was bleak, and fallen leaves drifted through the air.
“You... you just think too much. It's a tiring way to live.”
Chu Yan tilted his head back and drained the tea in his cup.
“It is quite tiring. That's why I want to find a place with beautiful scenery to rest.”
Lin Zheng gave a candid smile.
One was to become a lonely ruler of a vast land, and the other was to become a free-spirited wanderer of the world.
They both understood each other's choices and respected each other's paths.
【Don't go, Lin Zheng! Wouldn't it be great to stay and assist him! I'm crying!】
【These are true soulmates! I understand your grand ambitions, and you understand my heart for seclusion.】
【The best ending ever! One became the Emperor, the other became a legend. They're strangely ship-worthy.】
Lin Zheng flipped onto his horse and rode away.
Chu Yan stood in the pavilion, watching that silhouette recede into the distance.
A shadow guard behind him asked in a low voice if they should eliminate the source of future trouble. Chu Yan gave a cold laugh and asked in return, “Do you think I'm that old man?”
A gust of autumn wind swept up the fallen leaves. The screen froze on Chu Yan's face, looking like a man who had everything under control.
The end.
Rate on N.U.
