"The one named Chen Kaiyuan clearly has feelings for Liu Yuanyuan," Jiang Jianjia stated directly.
"I saw that. And then what?"
Wang Shu also recalled the scene at the dinner table. The second male lead, Chen Kaiyuan, seemed to have a liking for Liu Yuanyuan.
"And Liu Yuanyuan seems to like you quite a bit!"
Jiang Jianjia said with a smile, looking at Wang Shu again.
"She's my fan, so it's normal for her to like me, right?"
Wang Shu said somewhat smugly.
"I don't think it's just fan-like admiration. It feels more like she wants to develop something with you."
Jiang Jianjia pointed out directly.
"That's also normal. After all, I'm so handsome and talented. Any girl would like me. And I'm so talented, if I were a girl, I'd like myself too."
Wang Shu said with a smile.
"So narcissistic!"
Jiang Jianjia merely pouted and retorted.
But what Wang Shu said was indeed true. This guy wasn't only exceptionally talented, but his appearance wasn't bad either, and he was skilled in medicine. Such a person would be highly sought after in any social circle or profession. Therefore, Wang Shu's words weren't really narcissism, but rather a statement of fact.
"I saw it long ago, but what does it have to do with me?"
Wang Shu naturally understood what Jiang Jianjia meant. Liu Yuanyuan was interested in him, and Chen Kaiyuan liked Liu Yuanyuan. That was why Chen Kaiyuan showed his displeasure towards him at the banquet. However, none of this had much to do with him. He could only blame Chen Kaiyuan for his lack of ability. He wasn't interested in Liu Yuanyuan either; while she wasn't unattractive, her demeanor was far inferior to Jiang Jianjia's, and in terms of looks, Jiang Jianjia completely surpassed her. Moreover, Wang Shu was here to finish filming as quickly as possible, not to find romance on set.
After resting for a few hours at the hotel, the sky began to lighten. Due to the tight filming schedule, Wang Shu was woken up by a series of phone calls from the director as soon as it was dawn. Reluctantly, he stumbled to the set.
When Wang Shu arrived, he found that the equipment and props were already in place, and Chen Bo was sitting upright in front of the monitor.
"Mr. Wang Shu, you're here!"
Chen Bo called out as soon as he saw Wang Shu arrive. He then proceeded to arrange for Wang Shu to get his makeup and costume done.
The scene to be shot today involved the protagonist rescuing his classmates in a fight against ten opponents. After getting ready, Wang Shu walked directly into the abandoned factory that had been set up.
"Action!"
As soon as Wang Shu entered the factory, Chen Bo shouted the command. All the cameras started rolling, focusing their lenses on Wang Shu. Wang Shu quickly got into character, immersing himself in the role. He then proceeded to perform a spectacular one-against-ten action sequence. Even Chen Bo was so engrossed that he forgot to call cut.
"Director, I can't take it anymore!"
Finally, one of the actors, unable to withstand Wang Shu's relentless "beating," shouted out. Chen Bo snapped back to reality and quickly called cut.
"Very good, one take!"
Chen Bo walked up and patted Wang Shu on the shoulder, expressing his strong approval of Wang Shu's performance.
"The next scene will be a bit more challenging. Our male lead, Chen Kaiyuan, will appear. You'll have to spar with him. Just a reminder, Chen Kaiyuan is a practitioner of Chen-style Xingyi Quan."
Chen Bo whispered in Wang Shu's ear. He knew Chen Kaiyuan's capabilities well, having seen him once punch a bull to death. That's why he kindly reminded Wang Shu. Although Wang Shu was also skilled, he wasn't sure if Wang Shu could gain the upper hand against Chen-style Xingyi Quan.
"Chen-style Xingyi Quan? Interesting."
A subtle smile flickered across Wang Shu's lips. He was eager to see what Chen-style Xingyi Quan was all about.
After a brief rest, the second scene officially began. Chen Kaiyuan walked onto the makeshift ring with a stern expression.
"Kid, today I'll show you who truly represents Chinese martial arts!"
Chen Kaiyuan pointed at Wang Shu and declared.
"Perfect timing. I also want to experience the legendary divine skill, Chen-style Xingyi Quan!"
Wang Shu spoke his lines as he walked onto the ring. After Wang Shu finished his dialogue, Chen Kaiyuan swiftly lunged towards him. Wang Shu stood calmly, waiting for Chen Kaiyuan's attack.
"So fast! He truly is a practitioner of Chen-style Xingyi Quan. He's too powerful!"
"Yeah, I can't even see him clearly. Luckily, this is just filming. If this were real, even ten Wang Shus wouldn't be a match for Chen Kaiyuan!"
"Right, Wang Shu's skills are just fancy moves. How could he possibly beat someone practicing authentic Chen-style Xingyi Quan?"
When Chen Kaiyuan launched his first move, the people present were stunned. They had never imagined that Chen-style Xingyi Quan could be so formidable. Previously, when filming fight scenes, they had to meticulously choreograph every single move. But Chen Kaiyuan's movements were as fluid as flowing water. Even before he attacked Wang Shu, it was evident how powerful he was, far surpassing the superficial displays of many big stars. At that moment, they understood that traditional Chinese martial arts were truly the most formidable!
Seeing Wang Shu standing still, Chen Kaiyuan secretly assumed Wang Shu was paralyzed by fear. After all, he was a genuine martial artist, whereas Wang Shu was just an actor, a mere celebrity. He couldn't understand why such a popular young idol could be the lead role, while he, a skilled inheritor of traditional martial arts, was relegated to the second male lead. It felt so frustrating. And why did girls nowadays prefer these effeminate, unmanly idols instead of someone like him, who was strong and muscular? The more he looked at Wang Shu, the more he felt it was unfair.
"Watch closely, your idol is nothing before my fists!"
A smug smile played on Chen Kaiyuan's lips. He thought to himself, while glancing at Liu Yuanyuan, who was watching from the side. He wanted Liu Yuanyuan to see what a weak and useless waste the person she admired truly was!
At this moment, Wang Shu had already discerned Chen Kaiyuan's approach. As Chen Kaiyuan threw a punch, Wang Shu placed his hands behind his back, took a small step back, and effortlessly dodged the attack. Then, Wang Shu executed a sweeping leg kick that disrupted Chen Kaiyuan's balance, causing Chen Kaiyuan to kneel before Wang Shu.
"Holy cow, how did he do that?"
"So fast! I didn't even understand what happened. Wang Shu didn't even use his hands."
"Incredible! He made Chen Kaiyuan kneel without even lifting a finger. This is amazing!"
"Oh my god, this is too exciting! This is what a real master's duel looks like!"
When the crew and extras witnessed this scene, they were utterly dumbfounded. They knew that both men were performing without any wires or special equipment. Therefore, what they displayed on the ring was their true state. However, they never expected that the inheritor of Chen-style Xingyi Quan would be forced to kneel before a young celebrity.
"Brother, there's no need for such a grand gesture," Wang Shu said his line smugly.
"Director, why isn't he saying the correct lines?"
One of the assistant directors by the monitor remarked. Chen Bo raised his hand, signaling him to be quiet, his eyes fixed on the monitor. According to the script, this part depicted Wang Shu's character defeating the second male lead. Although the lines were different, Wang Shu's current performance was exactly what he desired. This improvisation felt even more impactful than the scripted dialogue.
Chen Kaiyuan, however, refused to yield. As an inheritor of the prestigious Chen-style Xingyi Quan, how could he suffer such humiliation today? He intended to get up and strike Wang Shu again. But Wang Shu saw through his intention. As Chen Kaiyuan started to rise, Wang Shu stepped on his knee with a sideways kick, forcing Chen Kaiyuan back to his knees.
"Whoa..."
The scene of Chen Kaiyuan being subdued by Wang Shu once again shocked everyone present. They had thought the scene was over, and the director had simply not called cut yet. They hadn't expected this turn of events.
"This Chen-style Xingyi Quan is just a paper tiger. It has no power to fight back."
"Yeah, too weak. Wang Shu didn't even fight back. That's hilarious."
"This is too weak. Purely for show!"
Many people were murmuring. Earlier, when they were assisting the director in casting, they had witnessed the Chen-style Xingyi Quan. On that occasion, it could punch a bull to death. But here, why was Xingyi Quan useless and so easily controlled by Wang Shu?
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! This is what I wanted! Cut!"
Chen Bo, sitting in front of the monitor, exclaimed excitedly. He had been dissatisfied with the original script for this scene. However, today's performance had perfectly compensated for that shortcoming. Wang Shu's outstanding performance had significantly elevated the protagonist's status.
"Are you alright?"
Seeing the scene conclude, Wang Shu asked Chen Kaiyuan, who was still kneeling on the ground.