The director's voice prompted Jing Yu to lower his sword.
"Let's reshoot that scene," Jing Yu said with a smile.
At his words, the crew quickly moved in to reset the scene. Bamboo poles knocked over during the fight were propped back into place.
"How did you do that?"
— asked Yan Jiang, walking up to Jing Yu.
This wasn't just about whether someone had martial arts training or not. Even among trained actors, it was rare to see someone with moves that smooth, flowing, seamless, beautiful, yet practical.
"I trained in swordsmanship for a while back in the day," Jing Yu replied after a brief pause.
"Swordsmanship?"
Yan Jiang fell into thought, recalling the startling presence he felt when Jing Yu unsheathed his sword earlier.
"You mean real swordsmanship?" he asked again.
Most action actors in the industry relied on choreographed sets — flashy moves meant for performance, more acrobatics than combat.
Sure, they had the physicality to take on a few average people, but it wasn't real martial skill.
Real swordsmanship — the kind used to kill on ancient battlefields — had long since vanished in peacetime.
"Yeah."
Jing Yu nodded after a moment of hesitation.
Since they'd be filming together for three to four months, and Yan Jiang had already filled in the blanks himself, Jing Yu simply played along.
"I see…"
Yan Jiang's expression changed instantly.
As an old-school martial arts actor — even though his prime had passed and he now made appearances in mediocre kung fu dramas and worked as a fight choreographer — he still held deep disdain for the current crop of "pretty-boy" actors.
All face, no skill. No technique, no individuality.
But Jing Yu? He'd just rewritten that image entirely.
"Impressive, Teacher Jing. Still so young and already knows so much."
"Ah, sorry about earlier. I didn't follow your choreography," Jing Yu said, glancing at the now-reset set.
"It's fine. Fight choreography isn't set in stone. To be honest, your spontaneous move just now was cleaner and more elegant than my preset routine. Even though I'm the fight coordinator, it's not necessary to follow my plan to the letter. If an actor has inspiration and can offer something better — that's even better."
"It's just a pity. That was such a good long take, but the actor playing Kiyosato Akira froze up, and we missed your perfect four-man takedown."
"That's no big deal. I can reproduce those moves anytime. They work — that much I know. But whether they look good on camera, I can't say."
Jing Yu was acting from a first-person perspective. The audience would see everything from the third-person view. His moves were efficient — actual combat moves — but that wasn't what films prioritized. If it were, wuxia movies would be full of groin shots, eye jabs, and dirty fighting.
"Understood. Then, for the next shoot, Teacher Jing, feel free to improvise. Or just explain your intended moves to the others — I'll handle ensuring they look good on camera," Yan Jiang offered.
If an actor could perform better moves, why stick to the script?
Jing Yu nodded in agreement.
Soon, the shoot resumed.
After a brief discussion with the co-actors, they began again.
And then...
The entire 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' crew went silent.
The first time, Jing Yu's swordplay had been fast, but it was a night shoot, and most people hadn't paid full attention. They just found it odd.
The second time, though, the director and everyone else were laser-focused.
Fast.
Too fast.
Even with mental preparation, the five actors couldn't keep up. As they began their moves, Jing Yu's blade had already swept past their vital points.
It wasn't just his speed. It was the precision, the intensity in his gaze.
Was this still acting?
Was this really the same guy who used to star in modern dramas?
The fake blood packs went off as planned — but the actors were still processing what had happened. Before they could react, they were already down. Blood poured out.
Thankfully, their acting instincts kicked in — their final gasps, struggles, and panic looked incredibly real.
"I don't want to die yet…"
"I still have things to do… Yukishiro…"
The actor playing Kiyosato Akira delivered a heart-wrenching performance.
He collapsed at Jing Yu's feet, blood and tears streaming down his face, as a white plum blossom petal floated down onto his hand.
Then — a reverse-angle shot — the blade pierced his neck and embedded in the ground.
"Cut! That was great!"
— The director called, triggering applause around the set.
But the actor's neck was covered in goosebumps.
The blade was a blunt prop, filmed from the side facing away from the camera — it looked like it had pierced his throat.
But when he got up, he saw Jing Yu's sword had actually gone into the ground, hard enough to split a stone slab.
That force... even if it's blunt... if he missed by an inch...
Jing Yu wiped off the fake blood from his face. The iconic cross-shaped scar on Kenshin's face — one from this battle with Akira, and the other from Yukishiro, Akira's fiancée, at the end of the Trust & Betrayal arc.
Someone handed Jing Yu water.
Yan Jiang blinked. The director exchanged a glance with him.
Everyone — including Cheng Lie — had assumed the biggest challenge for 'Rurouni Kenshin' would be Jing Yu's action scenes.
But clearly... There was nothing to worry about.
That last take — no post-processing needed — was clean, powerful, and beautifully executed. A perfect portrayal of a top-tier assassin.
Filming for 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' was now proceeding smoothly.
Meanwhile, over on the 'Love Letter' set...
Yu Youqing was playing a dual role — Lin Zi (Watanabe Hiroko) and Cheng Shu (Fujii Itsuki). She handled it with ease. One character was quiet and introspective, the other bubbly and outgoing — but everything was on schedule.
It was just... kind of boring.
Even though she was technically the female lead, and Jing Yu played the male Cheng Shu (Fujii Itsuki), the two barely had any scenes together.
Only the younger version of the female Fujii Itsuki had interactions with Jing Yu's character.
And that role?
Was being played by Xia Yining.
So in both films...
The only female actor who shared scenes with Jing Yu was Xia Yining.
That was something Yu Youqing only realized after the productions had launched and started filming.
Sigh.