The filming location for this scene was in the woodland area at the edge of the Beijiao Film and Television Base.
This base was originally converted from an old military factory and a mountainous outdoor scenic area. Later, it expanded to include a racecourse, ancient paths, and woodlands. Wuxia and war dramas loved filming here.
For 《The Pivot Bone》, they rented a whole section of the outdoor area. The path between the edge of the woods and the ruined temple had been cleared beforehand, allowing horses to pass through at low speeds.
The horse brought by the props team was "Old Pal".
Jiang Yue had ridden this horse during his special training. It had a gentle temperament, but once it actually started running, the potential risks weren't something that could be brushed off just by saying the horse was gentle.
He Chuan walked over to make things clear first. “We have a stunt double ready for this scene. You've trained, but you're not a professional rider after all. We can just shoot the start and the final close-up, and let the stunt double handle the woods.”
He looked at Jiang Yue, laying out his concerns. “If you fall right now, it won't just affect you; the entire crew's progress will have to halt with you.”
Jiang Yue glanced at the route.
The obstacles in the woods had been cleared in advance, and the low-hanging branches were padded. What they really needed to guard against was the horse's potential stress response.
He walked over and patted the horse's neck.
Old Pal snorted and tilted its head to rub against his palm.
Jiang Yue knew He Chuan wasn't trying to scare him; safety and progress were indeed crucial.
But since he had entered this profession, he should do his best to complete the scenes he could do himself. What was the point of handing everything over to a stunt double? Doing it himself was also to let the audience see a more complete Lu Ji.
“Director He, let me try first.”
Jiang Yue continued, “If I can control it, we'll shoot. If not, we'll switch to the stunt double immediately. The trial run won't count as official footage; you can decide after seeing the results.”
He then looked at Jiang Kaiwen, who already had a tense face. “I don't want to make Kaiwen open his first-aid kit today either.”
Jiang Kaiwen immediately chimed in, “Thank you for remembering it's not a prop.”
He Chuan's furrowed brow relaxed slightly, but he was still worried. “This is no time to show off.”
“I know.”
Jiang Yue patted Old Pal's neck. “So let's try first. If it's not suitable, I'll get down myself and won't cause trouble for the crew.”
Old Hong looked at the horse, then at the route. “Let him do a run-through first. Keep the speed low, safety crew on both sides, and the stunt double on standby.”
Only then did He Chuan nod. “Alright. Jiang Yue, don't force it yourself. I don't lack a good-looking shot; what I lack is a male lead who can make it to the wrap-up.”
Jiang Yue smiled, his expression serious. “Understood.”
Jiang Kaiwen stood at the edge of the field, already feeling nervous.
He set the first-aid kit and ice packs aside, arranging them like a small logistics outpost.
After two trial runs, the equestrian team and safety crew confirmed there were no issues with the route.
After watching the playback and confirming that Jiang Yue could control the rhythm, He Chuan finally agreed to shoot an official take.
“All departments, get ready!”
The clapperboard snapped.
“Action!”
Lu Ji rushed out from the back door of the ruined temple, with several Qingyun Sect disciples hot on his heels.
As he ran, he raised his hand to his lips and blew a sharp whistle.
The sound of hooves came from the edge of the woods ahead.
The chestnut horse he had left near the ruined temple dashed out from behind the tree shadows, stopping by the roadside and stamping its hooves.
Lu Ji had left himself an escape route long ago, but in a life-or-death situation, he was still incredibly panicked.
The next moment, he gritted his teeth, rushed forward to grab the saddle, and used his forward momentum to vault onto the horse.
The movement wasn't exactly graceful—it was a bit rushed—but it was neat and efficient.
“Hyah!”
The chestnut horse charged into the woods.
The camera followed the action on a track, while the Qingyun Sect disciples behind threw prop concealed weapons.
Jiang Yue stayed low, adjusting his center of gravity with the rise and fall of the horse's back.
When a horizontal branch swept toward him, he lowered his shoulders and back, narrowly avoiding it. Stray leaves brushed past his hairband as he glanced back at his pursuers.
Lu Ji didn't know martial arts. The reason he had survived until now wasn't by fighting head-on, but because he was quicker to sense danger than anyone else.
The hooves trampled the muddy ground, splashing wet soil.
“Cut!”
He Chuan stared at the playback, watching it twice.
Jiang Yue pulled the reins, waiting for Old Pal to come to a complete stop before dismounting.
The safety crew went up first to check the harness, and Old Hong also came over to glance at his knees and wrists.
Jiang Kaiwen handed him a thermos, his eyes still fixed on his legs. “You didn't get banged up, did you?”
“No.”
Jiang Yue took it but didn't open it to drink. “The speed wasn't fast just now.”
Jiang Kaiwen glanced at him, his face almost turning into a poker face. “Your understanding of 'not fast' seems to be a bit different from mine.”
Jiang Yue wiped the mud from his palms. “Then next time I'll say the speed was within controllable limits.”
Jiang Kaiwen's expression grew even colder. “That sounds even more dangerous.”
He Chuan shouted from behind the monitor, “Let's do a safety take. Lower the speed a bit, safety first.”
Jiang Yue nodded readily. “Alright.”
Shen Xiuyuan was also watching the playback nearby.
He had scenes for Su Jingci in the afternoon, so he had just come over to watch.
But after watching, he didn't know how to evaluate Jiang Yue for a moment.
A layman would see Jiang Yue mounting the horse himself, but an actor would see that he still hadn't dropped his character's state while on the horse. He felt that anyone would probably feel inferior in the face of such a naturally gifted actor.
The crew didn't hold a celebration for this scene.
The set quickly moved to the next shot. The camera crew adjusted their positions, and the action team re-confirmed the route.
Jiang Yue wiped his sweat with a towel. Just as he patted the dust off the cuffs of his costume, Jiang Kaiwen's work phone vibrated.
Jiang Kaiwen glanced at the screen and lowered his voice. “Third Brother, message from Sister Qing. The official invitation for the Penguin Annual Gala has been sent to the studio.”
Jiang Yue took the phone.
The gala was in mid-November. He would still be in 《The Pivot Bone》 crew by then, so his schedule had to be arranged in advance.
Jiang Kaiwen continued, “Sister Su Qing also said that the Lamerd brand heard you're going to the gala and reached out proactively. They want to lend you their current season's haute couture, maybe even an unreleased piece.”
Speaking up to this point, he couldn't help his excitement, his tone rising. “This treatment is incomparable to before. In the past, even if we proactively asked, they might not lend it to us. Now, they're proactively offering the clothes. The entertainment industry is indeed realistic; once you get famous, your treatment changes with it.”
Jiang Yue looked down at the mud splatters on his trouser cuffs, then at the crew members still adjusting the camera angles in the distance.
“Let's put haute couture aside for now.”
He handed the phone back. “With what I'm wearing now, I'm still a horse's distance away from haute couture.”
Jiang Kaiwen froze for a second, then couldn't help but laugh when he understood. “True. Just now, you almost wore the mud-limited edition.”
Jiang Yue added, “Ask Su Qing how long the fitting will take, and pull up the call sheets for the day of the gala and the two days before and after.”
Jiang Kaiwen waved his phone at Jiang Yue with a smug expression. “I knew you'd ask that. I already asked just now, and Sister Qing sent over the times.”
“Also,” Jiang Yue knew Jiang Kaiwen had grown a lot as a manager, but he still instructed, “report it to Director He's side first. Don't wait until it's close to the date to say something.”
Jiang Kaiwen nodded in response, without the slightest impatience. “Understood.”
He lowered his head to reply to the message, then looked up at Jiang Yue the next second. “What about you? Aren't you excited hearing about haute couture?”
Jiang Yue lifted the mud-and-dust-stained outer robe of his costume, glanced at it, and shook it. “I guess I am, but if this horse scene doesn't pass, it won't matter what I wear.”
Jiang Kaiwen looked at him carefully inspecting his costume and clicked his tongue. “Right, I'd be damned if I believed you're actually excited.”
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