Volume Two: Shadows of the Past Chapter Nine: MV in Progress

After finalizing the collaboration with Wang Shumin, the next step was to follow the script and select filming locations and cast the roles. Finding suitable locations was not difficult; the real challenge lay in choosing the right people for each role. Out of the ten songs on Chen Jing’s album, four would have storyline music videos, while the other six would feature dance-focused MVs. For the dance numbers, Chen Jing planned to ask Chen Shuo for help with choreography, since he was the professional in that area.

After handing over the six dance tracks to Chen Shuo, Chen Jing began preparing to select filming sites for the remaining four songs. The tracks that required storyline MVs were “Jialan Temple,” “Huo Yuanjia,” “Lanting Preface,” and “Clear Skies”—the most popular songs from Chen Jing’s album. With the hype from Chen Jing’s recent international street dance competition and the public reversal of his smear scandal, these four songs had all shot up into the top five of the most popular music charts in Huaxia. Of course, “Nocturne” remained at number one.

All top five spots were occupied by Chen Jing’s songs, making his fame skyrocket. It was safe to say that if he went outside without a mask now, he would certainly be recognized and surrounded by fans.

For the four storyline MVs, Chen Jing decided to start with “Lanting Preface.” He had learned that at this very moment, the calligraphic artwork of “Lanting Preface” was on display in Xiang City. This delighted Chen Jing and his team, and they quickly agreed to shoot an MV about Chen Jing copying and describing the famous “Lanting Preface.”

They pulled some strings to contact the museum director in charge of the “Lanting Preface” exhibit. After explaining their purpose, the director readily agreed, pleased that the MV would also serve as promotion for the exhibit.

With the director’s permission, Chen Jing and his team began preparations.

“You really want to actually film yourself writing the Lanting Preface?” Wang Shumin asked Chen Jing in surprise.

In her mind, it would be simpler to just use someone else’s accurate copy as the original, have Chen Jing pretend to write a few strokes, and then edit it in post-production—no one would know the difference. But Chen Jing insisted on filming himself genuinely writing the calligraphy, without any editing. This left Wang Shumin speechless.

Come on, big brother, do you really think you can produce something camera-worthy by copying the Lanting Preface yourself? Do you think it’s that easy to reproduce such a masterpiece? Wang Shumin could only complain silently.

“Yes, I believe promoting an artwork like the Lanting Preface should be done without deception,” Chen Jing replied, fully aware of Wang Shumin’s concerns but already having a plan in mind.

Before Wang Shumin could say more, Chen Jing continued, “Give me three days. Keep filming as usual, but I’ll find a master to teach me how to write the Lanting Preface. In three days, we’ll shoot the scene of me actually copying it. This way, it won’t delay our schedule, and I can see if my approach works. If my version is good enough for the camera, we’ll use those shots; if not, it won’t have any major impact.”

Though Wang Shumin still felt it unnecessary, she agreed since it wouldn’t really affect the production. But in her heart, she thought that reproducing the Lanting Preface in just three days was wishful thinking.

For the next few days, Chen Jing only filmed the scenes where he absolutely had to appear. The rest of his time was spent seeking advice from calligraphy masters on how to copy the Lanting Preface.

Three days passed, and Wang Shumin had finished all the other necessary shots. She assumed Chen Jing would have realized the reality and dropped the idea of filming himself writing the Lanting Preface. To her surprise, he was still determined.

Left with no choice, Wang Shumin reluctantly agreed to shoot the scene, if only to humor him—after all, he was the boss.

What no one on the set expected, least of all Wang Shumin, was that Chen Jing actually managed to reproduce the Lanting Preface—not just a rough, unwatchable attempt, but a genuinely impressive result that met the standards for filming. While his copy wasn’t identical to the original, it was passable, with only minor flaws that wouldn’t even be noticeable on camera.

“How did you manage this?” Wang Shumin asked Chen Jing in disbelief.

Chen Jing shrugged and explained, “It was simple. I only learned how to copy the Lanting Preface, not the art of calligraphy itself. So it was manageable.” What Chen Jing didn’t mention was that he had practiced by copying the Lanting Preface over a hundred times in those three days. There were no shortcuts—practice made perfect.

Wang Shumin nodded, half-understanding, half-skeptical. Could it really be so simple to master the Lanting Preface in three days? She suspected Chen Jing was bluffing, but had no proof.

Since Chen Jing’s work was good enough, they proceeded to film. After three takes, with Chen Jing producing three versions of the Lanting Preface, they finally captured a satisfactory result. After all, with only three days of practice, perfection was too much to expect.

Once filming wrapped up, the team treated the museum director to dinner as a gesture of thanks and farewell, then hurried back to the company.

By then, Chen Shuo had more or less finished choreographing the songs. Upon his return, Chen Jing immediately began assembling people for dance practice.

In the dance studio, Chen Jing was working with the company’s artists on the upcoming rehearsals. The chance to be a backup dancer in one of Chen Jing’s MVs was highly coveted—especially for newcomers, as it was a valuable opportunity for exposure.

Chen Shuo watched from the side, feeling deeply moved. Just over two months ago, Chen Jing was as unknown as any other member of these dance teams. Yet now, he had become the lead dancer, while the others remained in supporting roles. The difference between people could indeed be vast.

With six dance tracks to shoot, Chen Jing’s schedule became extremely hectic, filled with daily rehearsals. To speed up the process and ensure everyone practiced efficiently, he even recruited members from six different dance troupes, assigning each team to a different song. That way, each team could quickly master their routine.

At first, the other dancers scoffed at this approach. They thought that if Chen Jing was leading all six routines at once, he would be the one struggling to keep up, not them. Secretly, they waited for him to make a fool of himself.

But reality proved otherwise. Even focusing on just one dance, they found themselves unable to keep up with Chen Jing, who was mastering six at the same time.

Some, assuming Chen Jing would lag behind, slacked off in their own practice, thinking they could still outperform him. In the end, they couldn’t keep up with the group’s pace at all.

For anyone with this attitude, Chen Jing replaced them without hesitation, having Lin Zitan report directly to the company for a new member. He had no patience for people who, believing others were incapable, thought they didn’t need to put in the effort themselves. Such people didn’t deserve opportunities.

Chen Shuo watched coldly from the sidelines. Though most of these dancers were his own students, he didn’t plead for them. Short-sighted fools—did they really think so little of Chen Jing, the reigning international street dance champion? If not for Chen Jing’s insistence on keeping it quiet, the company would have already made a big announcement.

After a few days of rehearsal, Chen Jing and the dance teams had developed strong chemistry, and he immediately called Wang Shumin in to start filming.

The shoot went smoothly, with no further mishaps.

Once the six dance MVs were finished, Chen Jing reviewed the footage. That evening, after careful thought, he decided to use dance for the MV of “Huo Yuanjia” as well.

Initially, he and Wang Shumin had planned to acquire the rights to a “Huo Yuanjia” film or TV show, and edit existing footage into an MV. But to his frustration, this world had no such figure as Huo Yuanjia. Chen Jing even had to explain the meaning of the song’s title to his fans, as it was nearly as popular as “Nocturne” and “Jialan Temple,” and he was bombarded with requests for clarification.

With no existing footage to use, Chen Jing decided to shoot his own MV. He thought of the last life’s “Huo Yuanjia” MV by Jay Chou, which had a strong Huaxia flair, and decided to stage a large dance number in that style. With the six dance teams now available, he had just enough people.

After consulting with Chen Shuo, the two began choreographing the dance for “Huo Yuanjia.”

At the same time, Wang Shumin took charge of “Clear Skies,” handling the MV storyline while Chen Jing simply appeared on camera. This had been her request, as it was her favorite song. Naturally, Chen Jing agreed.

After this flurry of activity, they finally completed the MVs for both songs in just a few days. Now, out of the ten tracks on the album, only “Jialan Temple” remained to be filmed. However, Chen Jing had to pause production for now.

Sun Ruoqing and her team had returned from their mission, and he needed to escort Molly back to the Dynasty headquarters for a checkup, with Zhang Jingzhi accompanying them.

(A tribute to Jay Chou’s “Huo Yuanjia” and “Clear Skies.”)