Chapter 215

Zheng Haitao, who played the commander of the officers and soldiers as an extra, quickly stopped moving when the director called cut, not wanting to interfere with Yin Shuang Shuang's presence. Yin Shuang Shuang gave him a polite smile and, with her assistant's help, put on a bathrobe to cover her exposed appearance.

Zheng Haitao watched Yin Shuang Shuang as she walked away, his expression gradually changing to one of fervent admiration. He once played the head of the escort in "The Legend of the Fox Demon," who harassed the fox demon portrayed by Yin Shuang Shuang in the inn lobby. Yet, director Lin Jing's requirements for that scene were quite different from today's.

Although the molestation scenes are similar, the characters in the two dramas differ: one is debauched, the other is guarding her chastity. As an actor facing Yin Shuang Shuang in both roles, Zheng Haitao could distinguish their differences by looking into her eyes, even though she looked the same.

Moreover, whether as a debauched girl or Chaste, Yin Shuang Shuang still has a strong allure that attracts men. Zheng Haitao stopped thinking about this and glanced at another extra with a bitter smile. All the men had obvious physical reactions, showing that none could resist her charm.

Once this scene finished filming, Director Zhang An kept working with the group of extras. Yin Shuang Shuang quietly sat off to the side, reading her script and waiting for the director to call her over separately.

After waiting a while, the female relatives, including Ru Yao, were paraded through the streets for public display. All the princes and young men Ru Yao once knew in Yanjing stared at her naked body without their former respect or admiration. Their looks showed only their desire for her.

In this scene, Ru Yao again recognized her change in status. She understood she was about to become a prostitute. Even those who were her former suitors now lustfully watched her from the crowd without restraint.

The shame Ru Yao faced nearly broke her spirit. She felt sadness and despair but refused to give in. Officers and soldiers from the Duke An Mansion led her, bound, along the road to the Jiaofang Division. At first, she hunched over to cover herself, but gradually, she stood up straight and looked back at the crowd with calm defiance. These shifts showed changes in her character and eyes, which Yin Shuang Shuang carefully practiced before filming.

(Jiaofang = the royal entertainment division)

After Yin Shuang Shuang got the script before the filming started, she began to think about the biography of her character. In discussing with the director, she learned about many scenes that were not described in the script to make the character's image more three-dimensional and full.

Ru Yao was born into a general's family and had a bolder personality than most women in this dynasty. She spent part of her childhood with her maternal grandmother, who was born at the start of the Xin Dynasty and raised under the guidance of her great-grandmother. Her great-grandmother still held the bold style of the previous dynasty's women, but had toned it down over time. Although Ru Yao had never directly heard the stories of these proud women, she grew up with some of their spirit.

In the previous dynasty, women dared to love and hate openly and were not bound by ritual or religion. There were even many female generals at court. Women could be as open about their desires as men without facing criticism. When Yin Shuang Shuang learned this history, she felt that women's liberation in that era was nearly the same as in modern society.