CHAPTER 461: CHAPTER 458: BEST ACTRESS 25

It’s not that there aren’t any actresses willing to endure hardship, but there are only two top-tier actresses known for their dedication to action scenes. Ning Shuangshuang, a newcomer vigorously promoted by Fang Jian, impressively completed the scenes without a stunt double, carrying the weight entirely on herself, and she performed so well. It’s truly admirable.

Leng Hua addressed the crowd below who were gasping in amazement: "When we watched this video, we were all anxious about Ning Shuangshuang’s risky filming. It seems that Ning Shuangshuang truly put in a lot of effort to authentically portray the role of Qin Shuangshuang."

The audience responded to Leng Hua’s words with enthusiastic applause to show their agreement. Once the applause died down slightly, Leng Hua turned to Ning Shuangshuang and said, "I’m sure all the viewers share the same question as I do, which is, were you originally able to ride a horse, or did you learn to ride especially for this acting role?"

"I naturally couldn’t ride a horse. In fact, before filming the role of Qin Shuangshuang, I hadn’t even seen a real horse. It was during filming that I rode a horse for the first time," Ning Shuangshuang replied with a breezy, slightly playful smile.

"Oh! You’ve never ridden a horse before?" Leng Hua exclaimed, clearly surprised.

He Bin chimed in from the side, "Shuangshuang truly hadn’t ridden a horse before—I can attest to that. I remember her initial attempts at horse riding were really a sight not to behold. However, Shuangshuang is incredibly resilient. To perform well in the horseback combat scenes, she sought out a horse-riding master, started building a bond from bathing and grooming the horse, then rigorously trained day and night for over twenty days just to be able to film the scenes on horseback."

Following He Bin’s words, the screen behind displayed video clips of Ning Shuangshuang in a raincoat bathing the horse she used for filming, with the playful horse shaking water all over her. There were also shots of Ning Shuangshuang feeding the horse with bean cakes and carrots, and, more extensively, clips of her practicing horse-riding techniques on horseback.

These clips blended into a larger video across the huge screen, fully showcasing the great effort Ning Shuangshuang put in to film these scenes. Not only were the live audience amazed, but viewers in front of their televisions were incredibly surprised as well.

The biggest appeal of this variety show is its simultaneous filming and broadcasting, capturing real-time movements and expressions from hosts and guests without any edits. Thus, every viewer was watching the live broadcast, although rehearsals and discussions of the script before filming were unavoidable.

Whether a variety show or a reality show, in truth, they all have scripts. However, scripts for variety shows tend to be more generalized, setting just the main direction, while individuals are free to improvise afterward.

Since this episode was being watched on television, many couldn’t send bullet comments to discuss, but those wanting to speak couldn’t be restrained. Unable to comment beneath their favorite shows, viewers opted to discuss in online forums while watching.

Especially when they saw Ning Shuangshuang cultivating a bond with the horse and practicing riding, the forum discussions became exceptionally lively.

"I used to think Ning Shuangshuang acted well, but the brilliance was due to the character Qin Shuangshuang itself, so I didn’t feel particularly inclined to stan her. But today, seeing her work so diligently, I suddenly feel her dedication and effort have won me over!"

"To the person above, I’d rather say it’s Ning Shuangshuang’s powerful acting skills making the character shine. Numerous actresses have challenged the role of Qin Shuangshuang, but the only one who truly brought Qin Shuangshuang to life was Ning Shuangshuang!"

"Suddenly realized—one named Qin Shuangshuang, the other Ning Shuangshuang. Could it be that both having ’Shuangshuang’ is why Ning Shuangshuang can so vividly bring Qin Shuangshuang to life?"

"Haha! Pardon me for laughing, but the above logic that sharing the same name as a historical figure means one can bring the other to life—is just where did that logic come from?"

"Nowadays, many actresses use doubles even for a simple fall. It’s rare to find someone who tackles such dangerous scenes herself, diligently filming like Ning Shuangshuang. Her dedication alone is enough for me to decide to support her!"

"While watching the show, I especially wondered during the horse combat scenes about the impeccable cutting—it seemed too unreal. Now I’ve come to know it wasn’t the editing, but authentically filmed for real, which explains why the horse combat was so awe-inspiring."

"I must say, my idol has good taste; if Fang Jian hadn’t recognized Ning Shuangshuang’s talent, she’d still be a hidden gem."

"Person above, you’re fan of Fang Jian! That’s great, I’m too! He films wonderfully, has insight, plus he’s handsome—simply the perfect Idol!"

"Ahhh, Fang Jian is my idol and Ning Shuangshuang is my goddess. Suddenly feel these two are so loveable—one’s the talent and the other’s the talent scout, her abilities shrouded in dust, uncovered only through his keen eyes. So much love!"

"Surprise CP fans here, but you’ve matched the wrong CP! Ning Shuangshuang’s talent scout isn’t Fang Jian, but Fang Jian’s good friend, the genius director Zheng Mingjing. Zheng Mingjing once said online that Ning Shuangshuang was his fan, and his film happened to have a fan character, so he gave it to Ning Shuangshuang. This led Zheng Mingjing to immediately notice Ning Shuangshuang’s acting talent, and he first recommended her to his friend Fang Jian. Fang Jian too recognized Ning Shuangshuang’s acting skills, and most importantly, the screenwriter Lin Ziqing also recognized Ning Shuangshuang’s performance, leading to significantly increasing the scenes for Qin Shuangshuang, more than the female lead. Therefore, Ning Shuangshuang has three talent scouts—Zheng Mingjing, Fang Jian, and Lin Ziqing—but the very first to see her potential was Zheng Mingjing!"

"Thanks for the information! I didn’t know Ning Shuangshuang’s first talent scout was Zheng Mingjing. I always thought Fang Jian discovered her talent—it’s a bit disappointing, Fang Jian and Ning Shuangshuang are really loveable."

"I must ask those matching CPs to spare Ning Shuangshuang. Have you forgotten she’s still a minor? Matching minors with CPs could easily have you watched by the internet police and placed in the metaphorical ’small black room’."

The heated online discussions continued, while in the program, Fang Jian and He Bin were almost incessantly praising Ning Shuangshuang. Meanwhile, Meng Simin was somewhat left out at the side, though Leng Hua attempted several times to include Meng Simin, with Ning Shuangshuang, Fang Jian, and He Bin tactfully supporting her.

However, in the show, Meng Simin mostly portrayed a character in love with General Qi. The only meaningful aspect was sticking with General Qi during his impoverished times. Once General Qi succeeded, Meng Simin’s character was left with nothing but indulging in General Qi’s affections!

Though Ning Shuangshuang and her crew tried to make space for Meng Simin, she didn’t have Ning Shuangshuang’s dedicated effort to draw public interest, nor the intense acting exchanges and excitement that He Bin and Ning Shuangshuang’s co-star scenes drew upon from the entire crew.

The worst part was that when camera angles turned to Meng Simin, viewership began to drop, leading the show crew to subtly raise signs indicating for Cold Hua not to spend excessive effort on Meng Simin’s segment.

Seeing the hint, Leng Hua naturally shifted the topic back to Ning Shuangshuang and He Bin, discussing the intense filming where Ning Shuangshuang and He Bin’s acting pushed everyone to film scenes worth three days in one, prompting Fang Jian, the challenging boss, to reward everyone.

In a single apartment, Bai Qiao Xin’s face looked grim, watching Ning Shuangshuang on TV, cheerfully discussing with the host, her eyes betraying veiled jealousy.