"Cut! Very good, very good! That was a wrap. Props check, makeup touch-ups! Thank you, everyone. Let's do one more for safety!"
After the fight scene ended, the director immediately called for a cut. His excited expression showed he was very satisfied with the take. However, he still planned to shoot another one, just in case the actors performed even better in the second take.
The prop master had already rushed over when the cut was called, quickly resetting the props. Li Yue also came over to check if Qilin’s makeup needed touching up.
Once everything was ready, they shot another take, which turned out just as perfect, with Qilin performing even better! The director was increasingly pleased, already considering giving Qilin more scenes. This promising talent was sure to make it big in the future, and giving him more scenes now might seem like a favor to Qilin, but once Qilin became famous, it would be a favor returned.
After the shoot, the prop master began clearing the set, preparing for the next scene. An experienced stuntman walked up to Qilin and said with a smile, "Young man, you're impressive. Your moves are so precise; it’s a pleasure to act with you."
Qilin, still very polite, smiled and replied, "It’s a pleasure working with you too, sir. Your control over the movements is just right."
"Haha, you're too kind, young man!"
After some mutual compliments, other stuntmen also came over, saying a few words of praise. Finally, even Hong Tai approached, patting Qilin on the shoulder, "As expected from someone taught by Master Wang, your talent is high! If you ever come to Hong Kong, I'll introduce you to some seniors."
Qilin nodded enthusiastically. He was very passionate about martial arts; otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen to study it initially.
Not far away, Jia Dan watched everything silently, his expression complicated. He was jealous of Qilin! It was laughable, a man with decades of fame envying a newcomer in his twenties. But that’s exactly what was happening!
Especially when Qilin had said, "I grew up watching your movies," Jia Dan felt utterly defenseless, even thinking Qilin was mocking him! These older artists hated to admit they were aging, especially martial arts stars like them. When you get old and can’t fight anymore, who will watch you?
He had wanted to transition to different roles, but he had typecast himself, and audiences couldn’t accept him in other roles. Seeing the young, talented, and handsome Qilin, how could he not be envious? If possible, he would even trade everything he had now to swap bodies with Qilin!
...
Time flew to mid-August. Qilin had been filming with the crew for half a month. He didn’t have many scenes, and with the director’s intention to shoot his scenes first, they had finished about eighty percent of his parts in these two weeks. Only the final showdown with Jia Dan, where Fang Shiyu rescues his father at the execution ground, remained.
Qilin wasn’t in a hurry. Staying on set meant he could spar with Hong Tai and other martial artists, which was far more interesting than staying at home. These martial artists liked Qilin, often giving him pointers during their matches.
Don’t think that because Qilin was a martial arts champion, he didn’t need to learn anymore. On the contrary, there was always more to learn. He knew many forms of martial arts, but he had mastered only three: Bajiquan, Taijiquan, and some Pi Gua techniques. His most mastered style was a small boxing art called Ang Quan.
However, he rarely used this style because it was too ruthless. Many have heard of the brutality of Muay Thai, but compared to Ang Quan, Muay Thai seemed tame.
Qilin’s Bajiquan and Pi Gua were more for performance than actual combat, which wasn’t sufficient for filming. Over the past days, he had learned many moves specifically designed for performances, which looked grand and impressive on camera.
The veteran martial artists didn’t hold back, teaching him everything they knew, as there were too few young people willing to endure the hardship of learning martial arts.
One afternoon, as Qilin was scrolling through Douyin, Wang Xiaohua walked in with a beaming smile.
"Brother, I got you another movie role!"
Qilin immediately perked up. After all, acting in movies meant earning money! For someone as money-minded as he was, this was very enticing.
"Sister Hua, what kind of movie?"
"Period drama! A big IP adaptation with a strong cast!"
"Big IP? Which one?"
"‘The Butterfly Lovers’!"
Qilin's face fell. As a typical macho man, he wasn’t into romance movies. He’d rather watch two episodes of Ultraman or Pleasant Goat in his free time.
"Sister Hua, a romance movie? I'm not good at that genre."
Wang Xiaohua just smiled silently. Seeing this, Qilin continued, "Besides, Liang Shanbo is a weak scholar. I don't fit that image."
Wang Xiaohua shook her head, "No, no, you’re not playing Liang Shanbo."
Qilin was stunned, then asked, "Who am I playing then?"
"You’re playing Ma Wencai!"
"..."
Even if Qilin had never watched "The Butterfly Lovers," he knew Ma Wencai was the villain and a supporting character!
"Sister Hua, I don’t mind playing supporting roles, but isn’t playing the villain too often a bad idea?"
Wang Xiaohua laughed, "This time it’s our company’s own production. The company said they’d pay you a million without taking a cut. How about that?"
Hearing this, the previously reluctant Qilin instantly became energetic, patting his chest. "Sister Hua! I believe a good actor shouldn’t be picky about roles! What’s wrong with Ma Wencai? He’s a crucial character in 'The Butterfly Lovers,' an unavoidable antagonist in the story!"
"I think this role is very challenging and suits me! I’ll take it!"
Wang Xiaohua rolled her eyes at him, "I knew you’d agree as soon as money was mentioned! You think I don’t know it’s a supporting role and a villain? But if you want something, you have to give something in return. I’ve negotiated with the company, and they’ll tailor a web series just for you! The condition is you play Ma Wencai this time."
Qilin scratched his head. He didn’t have a strong concept of web series or movies, only caring about how much he could earn! This was called staying true to his roots.
...
Two days later, it was finally time to shoot Qilin’s final scenes. Throughout the series, he only had two fights with Jia Dan’s character, Fang Shiyu. Their first encounter had already been filmed, and they had fought evenly. After all, the choreography was pre-designed, so there was little room for unexpected moves.
Qilin thought this time would be the same, but little did he know, he was wrong!
NEXT