Two weeks passed quickly.
For Jin Taoran, those fourteen days felt like both a lifetime and a blink of an eye.
Every morning began at six.
Acting training.
Script analysis.
Body movement practice.
Voice control.
Aurora Entertainment did not treat their actors lightly, especially not someone personally recommended by Lu Cheng.
The instructors pushed Jin Taoran hard.
But he welcomed it.
Because every lesson sharpened his abilities.
And every night after training, he returned to his apartment and practiced Liang Wei's scene again.
Over and over.
The battlefield had already become familiar in his mind.
The soldier's life.
The exhaustion of war.
The unwavering loyalty to the prince.
The system interface flickered occasionally during his practice.
---
Emotional Synchronization Progress
Day 1: 42%
Day 5: 58%
Day 10: 73%
Day 14: 86%
---
Each improvement made the character feel more real.
But today…
Today was different.
Today was the first day of filming.
---
The filming location was a massive outdoor set built outside the city.
Entire villages had been constructed to resemble an ancient kingdom.
Stone gates.
Wooden towers.
Dusty roads where soldiers and horses moved constantly.
Hundreds of crew members were already working when Jin Taoran arrived.
The place was buzzing with energy.
Large trucks transported equipment.
Makeup artists hurried between tents.
Assistant directors shouted instructions through megaphones.
For a moment, Jin Taoran simply stood there, watching everything.
This was a real production.
A real drama.
And today he will appear on screen.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Lu Cheng.
Don't forget what I told you.
Don't act. Live the role.
Jin Taoran smiled slightly.
Then he walked toward the costume department.
---
Inside the costume tent, racks of armor and robes filled the space.
A stylist approached him immediately.
"Jin Taoran?"
"Yes."
"You're playing Liang Wei, right?"
She handed him a set of soldier armor.
Unlike the cheap plastic costume he wore as an extra before, this armor looked far more detailed.
Leather straps.
Metal plating.
Cloth stained with artificial dust and blood.
It felt heavier too.
"Put this on," she said. "We'll start wearing makeup after."
Jin Taoran nodded.
A few other actors were already changing nearby.
One of them glanced at him curiously.
"You're the new guy Aurora recommended."
Jin Taoran looked over.
The man looked slightly older, with sharp features and confident posture.
"I'm Zhang Rui," he said.
"I'm playing Captain Han."
Jin Taoran nodded politely.
"I'm Jin Taoran."
Zhang Rui studied him for a moment.
"I heard the director fought pretty hard to cast you."
Jin Taoran shrugged slightly.
"I was lucky."
Zhang Rui chuckled.
"Directors don't fight for lucky actors."
He finished adjusting his armor.
"Just don't disappoint him."
Then he walked out of the tent.
Jin Taoran finished dressing as well.
The armor settled across his shoulders.
For a moment, he stared at himself in the mirror.
The reflection looked different now.
Less like an ordinary young man.
More like a soldier.
A soldier from a dying kingdom.
---
Makeup took another hour.
Artificial dirt was brushed across his face.
A faint scar was painted near his temple.
When everything was finished, the stylist stepped back and nodded.
"Perfect."
Jin Taoran barely recognized himself.
But that was the purpose of acting.
To disappear inside someone else.
---
The battlefield set stretched across a wide valley outside the studio area.
Hundreds of extras wearing armor were already positioned across the ground.
Smoke machines created thin clouds of dust and fog.
Broken shields and spears were scattered everywhere.
The scene being filmed today was Liang Wei's death scene.
The most important moment of his character.
Jin Taoran walked onto the battlefield slowly.
His heart beat slightly faster.
Not from fear.
From anticipation.
The director stood near the cameras, reviewing the shot setup.
When he noticed Jin Taoran approaching, he waved him over.
"Ah, the soldier finally arrives."
Jin Taoran bowed politely.
"Good morning, Director."
The director studied his appearance.
Then he nodded approvingly.
"You look the part."
He gestured toward a young actor standing nearby.
"This is Chen Yiming. He plays the prince."
Chen Yiming looked about twenty years old.
Handsome.
Slightly nervous.
He bowed politely as well.
"Nice to meet you."
Jin Taoran returned the greeting.
The director clapped his hands once.
"Alright."
He pointed at the battlefield set.
"We'll rehearse first."
The assistant director handed Jin Taoran a prop spear.
Then he explained the scene.
"Enemy forces have broken through the outer defenses."
He pointed toward the far end of the field.
"The prince is retreating with the remaining soldiers."
He tapped Jin Taoran's shoulder.
"You stay behind to protect him."
Jin Taoran nodded.
"I understand."
The director added something important.
"Don't worry about the cameras."
He pointed toward the battlefield.
"Just survive as long as you can."
Jin Taoran smiled faintly.
That advice sounded simple.
But it carried deep meaning.
Because Liang Wei wasn't performing heroics.
He was fighting for his life.
---
The rehearsal began.
Extras ran across the battlefield.
Fake explosions burst in the distance.
Metal weapons clashed loudly.
Chen Yiming ran through the smoke, pretending to retreat.
Jin Taoran followed behind him, fighting invisible enemies.
Even during rehearsal, he stayed fully focused.
The system interface flickered.
---
Character Memory Simulation Activated
---
The battlefield memories returned again.
But this time, the real set blended with the memories.
The shouting soldiers around him felt real.
The chaos felt real.
When the arrow struck his chest during rehearsal, Jin Taoran almost forgot it was only acting.
He staggered.
Fell to one knee.
The director raised his hand.
"Cut!"
He walked closer.
His expression was thoughtful.
Then he said something unexpected.
"Good."
The crew looked surprised.
Most directors criticized rehearsals heavily.
But this time, he seemed satisfied.
He turned toward the camera operators.
"Prepare for the real take."
The assistant director shouted loudly.
"Everyone ready!"
Extras returned to their positions.
The battlefield grew quiet again.
Jin Taoran stood in place.
Holding the spear.
Feeling the armor pressing against his shoulders.
Chen Yiming stood several steps behind him.
The young actor whispered quietly.
"Don't worry."
"I'm pretty nervous too."
Jin Taoran smiled faintly.
"Just follow your instincts."
The assistant director raised the megaphone.
"Quiet on set!"
The entire battlefield fell silent.
The wind moved softly through the artificial smoke.
Cameras began rolling.
The director lifted his hand.
His voice echoed across the set.
"Action!"
---
The battlefield exploded into motion.
Extras charged forward.
Swords clashed.
Dust filled the air.
Chen Yiming ran through the smoke.
Jin Taoran stepped in front of him immediately.
"Your Highness!"
His voice rang across the battlefield.
But something felt different today.
Because this time…
He wasn't acting inside a rehearsal room.
He was standing on a real battlefield set.
Surrounded by soldiers.
Surrounded by cameras.
Surrounded by a hundred people watching.
And yet—
None of that mattered.
Because in Jin Taoran's mind…
Only one thing existed.
Protect the prince.
The arrow struck.
Pain flashed through his body.
He staggered.
But he forced himself to stand.
The prince was still there.
Still alive.
Still needing protection.
Jin Taoran slowly looked back.
His eyes softened.
"Please… live…"
The final words escaped his lips.
"Restore… our home…"
He collapsed into the dirt.
The battlefield noise faded.
Then—
"Cut!"
The director's voice echoed.
Silence spread across the set.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then the director stood up slowly.
He looked at the monitors.
Then he looked at Jin Taoran lying in the dirt.
And finally—
He began to clap.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The entire crew stared in surprise.
Because directors rarely applauded during filming.
But this time…
The director smiled widely.
"Excellent."
Jin Taoran sat up slowly.
Dust covered his armor.
His chest still rose and fell heavily from the performance.
The director walked toward him.
"Welcome to the industry."
Jin Taoran blinked.
"What?"
The director chuckled.
"Actors have many scenes in their careers."
He pointed toward the battlefield.
"But only a few become unforgettable."
Then he tapped Jin Taoran's shoulder.
"I think this one will be remembered."
Far away, inside Aurora Entertainment's headquarters, Lu Cheng watched the live filming feed on his office screen.
When the scene ended, he leaned back in his chair.
His assistant looked at him.
"Well?"
Lu Cheng smiled faintly.
"The industry just gained a new actor."
And somewhere beyond the battlefield set…
Jin Taoran's journey had truly begun.