Pei Rong played the part of a spoiled young master who was utterly clueless about his family's business. A catastrophic fire had destroyed everything, and he didn't even have an idea who could be behind it. Suddenly, he experienced the fickleness of human relationships and how quickly things can change. The uncles and elders who had once been so friendly to him instantly turned cold—so much so that no one even bothered to help with the funeral arrangements.
The young master, who had once lived in luxury, had no choice but to dig a grave with his own bare hands in the wilderness. A coffin was provided only through the charity of a former opera actress he had been involved with. Like a walking corpse, he buried the remains found in the ashes.
The only one by his side now was his two-year-old son. Even at such a young age, the boy showed signs of an unusual character. As the only child to have escaped the fire, he remembered certain clues from that day, planting the seeds of revenge in his heart from an early age.
Later in the plot, there would also be elements of detective work.
The final scene was filmed in a mountain forest. The only people involved were Pei Rong and Pei Dundun, along with the director, cinematographer, and a few crew members—a simple setup for a simple scene.
The dissipated young master sat slumped in front of the grave, consumed by despair. His son, though heartbroken, tried his best to comfort his father. Through his sorrow, a resilient spirit shone. From time to time, the boy seemed on the verge of saying something, his eyes clear and perceptive, wanting to share what he had witnessed. But whenever his good-for-nothing father asked him questions, he would draw a blank. Slowly, the boy began to understand that the future of their family now rested on his shoulders.
The emotional depth of the characters was almost exaggeratedly complex.
Pei Rong had already finished filming the earlier scenes where he dug the grave by hand. Dressed in coarse mourning clothes, his fingernails caked with mud, he was now just waiting for Pei Dundun to join him for the next part.
Pei Dundun had a wide range of interests—he would even stop to examine roadside recycling bins. Pei Rong didn’t want him to appear in public too much, worried it might affect the boy’s freedom in the future.
He had discussed it with the director: they would give Pei Dundun a mourning hat. Since Dundun was smaller than the originally planned child actor, the hat would cover half of his face.
Besides, the drama had just started filming. It would take eight months to shoot, and with post-production and waiting for a suitable release window, it would be another year before it aired. By then, Pei Dundun would already be three years old. Children change so quickly at that age—he would look very different from how he appeared in the show, so it wouldn’t really affect his daily life.
When Pei Dundun heard he could help his dad with work, he was thrilled. Clutching his milk bottle, he rushed over excitedly.
Lu Qin personally drove him to the set. As the car pulled over by the mountain path, before they even got out, Pei Rong came over with the costume, changed Dundun into it, and began explaining the scene.
"In a moment, Dad will be sitting over there, crying. I want you to cry too, and then try to comfort me. For example, imagine I’ve forbidden you from ever eating instant noodles or ice cream again—that’s the level of sadness I want."
"Daddy..." Pei Dundun’s eyes reddened. That sounded really serious.
"But why would Daddy punish you? Because all three layers of glass in the house are shattered, and Daddy’s foot got cut. Was it you, Orange, or Pineapple who did it? Or maybe a thief? When you woke up, you saw a clue. If Dundun can figure out who’s really to blame, then you can still have instant noodles."
Pei Dundun whispered, "I think it was the thief. Can’t we just check the security cameras?"
Pei Rong said, "The surveillance camera was buried in the dirt."
The director hadn't expected a two-year-old child to deliver multi-layered emotions—being able to cry was enough.
Pei Dundun's slightly red eyes gradually welled up with tears.
They were filled with grief for the instant noodles, stubbornness for uncovering the truth, and heartache for his father.
Pei Rong picked up Dundun and got out of the car, ordering Lu Qin to stay inside and not make a scene.
Only a few people in the crew, like the director, knew about his relationship with Lu Qin. It was better to keep some distance.
Pei Rong walked in front of the camera, placed Dundun beside him, and said, "Action, Dundun."
The props team promptly turned on the wind machine, sending the withered leaves scattered across the ground swirling into the air. A few scattered paper coins fluttered up from the lonely grave, creating a bleak and desolate scene.
The prodigal young master knelt before the grave, crying until he was numb. The little child stood beside him, reaching out a small hand to wipe his father's tears. "Daddy..."
Pei Dundun's sadness was initially acted, but upon seeing his father cry, it instantly became eighty percent real. Although he had seen his father act in other roles, none were as tragic as this one.
As if only now realizing he had a child who depended on him for survival, the prodigal young master turned and hugged his son, weeping bitterly.
Pei Dundun's role required him not to cry aloud but to hold back his tears while comforting his father.
The camera zoomed in on the father and son, locked in their tearful embrace. The emotional impact was amplified tenfold by their striking looks, moving the cameraman to tears.
The director, gripping his thigh in admiration, marveled, "Where could we ever find such a talented little actor? His eyes carry conviction; his sorrow isn't lost or confused—far more compelling than his father, who only knows how to cry."
From inside the car, Lu Qin watched the filming scene with complicated emotions.
Luxurious silks and satins only added superficial splendor to a great beauty. It was the simplest, coarsest linen that most profoundly conveyed the allure of natural, unadorned elegance.
In this regard, simple shirts and T-shirts couldn't compare to the effect of plain white hemp cloth.
A man in mourning clothes possesses a striking beauty.
But at this moment, Lu Qin's heart held no improper thoughts—his wife and child on set were crying far too realistically.
It gave him the illusion—
He shouldn't be in the car; he should be in the ground.
With the shots mostly completed, Pei Rong was about to pick up the child and slowly walk along the path into the deep forest to film the final shot, marking the end of their roles.
Pei Rong crouched down and reached out his hand.
Pei Dundun suddenly noticed his dad's hands, covered in tiny "cuts" and dirt from digging. The little one, who was about to finish filming his scene, immediately broke down. He held Pei Rong's hands and started crying for real, his tears falling drop by drop into his father's palms, washing away the dried yellow soil.
In the drama, the prodigal son had lived a life of luxury until then, and since the day he was born, Dundun had only ever known his beautiful father with hands that never touched rough work. This was the first time he had seen his dad's hands in such a state.
Wuuu wuuu... Does Dad suffer when he goes to work? Did Dad have to dig in the dirt? But Dundun can drive an excavator to help Dad dig! He came too late...
