The attire was as if tailor-made for Liu Yifeng, accentuating his noble bearing with an aura of gentle scholarly elegance. It was as if he had stepped right out of that era. Liu Yifeng did not look in the mirror. Seeing the two of them staring at him motionlessly, he thought perhaps the clothes didn't suit him and lowered his head to examine them. "Do these clothes not suit me?"
The makeup artist snapped back to attention. She excitedly pulled Liu Yifeng over to the makeup mirror and exclaimed, "Not just suitable, they are perfect! Quick, sit down, I'll put on the wig for you now." She was eager to see the overall effect. Director Wang, who had been standing by the doorway, also walked over to Liu Yifeng's side.
Liu Yifeng looked at himself in the mirror and, for the first time, realized he could look so handsome in ancient costume. In modern clothes, his features were more rugged, giving him a steady appearance. But in ancient attire, he seemed altogether more refined, evoking the ancient saying: "Like jade on the path, a peerless young master." This wasn't mere self-praise; it was the truth. He possessed a demeanor of a gentle scholar, yet with an underlying tenacity.
Soon, the wig was in place. The makeup artist meticulously secured it at the temples to prevent it from falling off and to avoid looking fake. After all was done, both the makeup artist and Director Wang were stunned.
"He's so handsome! Just like a male lead from a novel. Director Wang, are you sure he's just here as a stunt double? Isn't he here to steal the male lead's role?" the makeup artist marveled.
Director Wang nodded with satisfaction. "Very good, very good. Yifeng, I didn't expect you to be so suited for ancient costume. If I didn't know you were a stunt double, everyone would truly believe you were here to snatch the male lead's job! Stand up and turn around for me to see!"
Liu Yifeng stood up and, walking to the side, spun in a circle. "How is it? Will it look like a mistake if they film me from behind?"
"More than not a mistake, it's exactly like the male lead's back profile. Moreover, your aura is even more elegant than the male lead's. This is the kind of presence a prince should have," Director Wang praised without reservation.
The makeup artist strongly agreed. "The male lead is quite handsome, but his temperament is a bit lacking. If he had your aura, he'd be perfect!" Although the male lead had his own makeup artist, she was responsible for minor characters and extras. Being on set daily, she'd often watch the main actors perform during her free time. At the time, she felt the male lead's demeanor wasn't that of a prince, but rather more like the son of a merchant; the class was slightly off. Seeing Liu Yifeng in prince's attire today, she finally understood what a prince should look like. Even standing still without saying a word, one could immediately tell he was a prince.
Liu Yifeng felt a bit embarrassed by the praise. "It's my first time dressing like this. It feels a bit strange."
"Not strange at all, not strange at all. Once you go out, who knows how many girls you'll enchant. May I have a photo with you?" the makeup artist asked bashfully, pulling out her phone. Liu Yifeng didn't mind a photo and readily agreed. "Of course! But I'm not some big star. This photo probably won't help you much!"
The makeup artist immediately replied, "No need. I just genuinely think you're handsome and want a memento. And I'm a good judge of people. If you pursued a career in entertainment, you'd definitely become famous. It's a shame you're just a stunt double in this drama; otherwise, with your looks, you'd be more than qualified to be the male lead!"
"Let's not say that. It wouldn't be good if the male lead heard it and thought I was really trying to steal his job!" Liu Yifeng cautioned. The makeup artist playfully stuck out her tongue. She didn't care what she said; she spoke her mind. Seeing her demeanor, Liu Yifeng realized she was likely a young girl inexperienced with the world and decided not to press the matter.
After taking a photo with the makeup artist, Director Wang handed him the script. "Yifeng, this is the male lead's script. These marked sections are where you'll be his stunt double. You don't have any lines, but understanding the context of these scenes will help you get into character more easily. Later, I'll take you to the martial arts instructor. He'll teach you the moves hand-by-hand, and then you'll practice with the actors you'll be fighting against on set. This will make it easier to pass."
"Okay, I'll take a look first!" Liu Yifeng took the script and began to read. He focused on the scenes designated for the stunt double. After reading the preceding events, he could understand the male lead's state of mind at the time. This would make it easier to immerse himself in the action scenes, as Director Wang had said. He found the writing quite good. Even though he wasn't reading from the beginning, these short excerpts deeply captivated him. The male lead's characterization was excellent: not overly virtuous, not consumed by romance. He was brave and intelligent, acted with integrity, was upright, and most importantly, devoted. This was surely the pinnacle of male lead archetypes, wasn't it?
"How is it? Have you finished reading?" Director Wang entered from outside. After giving Liu Yifeng the script, he had gone to attend to other matters. Seeing that enough time had passed, he returned. Liu Yifeng closed the script and nodded. "I'm done!"
"Then let's go. I've just spoken with the martial arts instructor. He wants you to come over now. The male lead and the actors you'll be fighting against are already discussing with the martial arts teacher!" Hearing that he was about to meet the real male lead, Liu Yifeng felt a pang of nervousness. After all, he was an imposter, and he feared being scolded when meeting the genuine article.
"You can do it, I believe in you!" the makeup artist said, giving Liu Yifeng a thumbs-up. Her encouragement eased his tension considerably. "Thank you!" He then followed Director Wang out of the makeup room. As soon as they stepped out, he noticed many staff members looking at him. Even the actors were staring, making him feel very uncomfortable, like a monkey in a circus. Everyone else, seeing someone with such good looks, especially dressed in the male lead's attire, began to speculate if he was there to replace the male lead.
"Teacher Duanmu, this is the male lead's stunt double. Please explain the specific fighting choreography to him in detail!" Teacher Duanmu, who was demonstrating martial arts moves, stopped his instruction upon hearing Director Wang's words and turned to look at Liu Yifeng. The male lead also saw Liu Yifeng, and his gaze froze. He had expected the crew to find someone with a basic martial arts background to be his stunt double, but he hadn't anticipated finding someone with such a similar build. Resemblance was good for avoiding mistakes, but this person's facial features were just as good as his own. Those who knew he was a stunt double would think he was there to steal his role; this gave him an unprecedented sense of crisis.
As the newcomer, Liu Yifeng was the first to greet them politely. "Hello, Teacher Duanmu. Hello, everyone! My name is Liu Yifeng. Please guide me!" He had seen the male lead before; he had indeed acted in many dramas, but he couldn't recall his name. As for the actors he would be fighting against, they were essentially high-level cannon fodder in the drama, appearing in only two scenes. Therefore, they hadn't cast big stars but rather an eighteen-line actor with a solid martial arts background and a sturdy build. Liu Yifeng didn't know his name either. The actor playing the opposing role was currently feeling fortunate that the main lead was being introduced first. Otherwise, if Liu Yifeng had appeared before him, he might have mistaken Liu Yifeng for the male lead!