Seeing that Liu Yifeng had misunderstood his meaning, Director Wang quickly explained, "Yifeng, you've misunderstood. I'm not asking you to replace the role. We've signed contracts with the artists before filming started, and we can't just replace someone like that. It would not only incur breach of contract fees, but also damage our reputation if it got out, which would directly affect the show's viewership."
After listening to Director Wang's explanation, Liu Yifeng looked puzzled. "Then what does Director Wang mean?"
Director Wang pondered for a moment, then said, "I mean, I want you to be my male lead's fight double. I assure you, you won't have to show your face. As for your pay, I'll give you the highest rate for a fight double. Please, I really need your help!" As Director Wang spoke, he clasped Liu Yifeng's hand tightly, fearing he might refuse. Of course, he was also mentally prepared for rejection. If Liu Yifeng truly refused, he wouldn't be angry, but he still hoped Liu Yifeng would agree.
"Are you sure I won't have to show my face?" Liu Yifeng asked Director Wang uncertainly. He had heard of doubles, mostly used in fight scenes. Usually, fight doubles had martial arts skills. Their pay was nowhere near comparable to the lead actor's. Yet, many were willing to do this job because even low pay was much better than wages elsewhere. However, this profession was quite risky. Minor injuries like sprains were common, and many were hospitalized directly, with fractures being an everyday occurrence. Thus, not everyone could do this job.
Director Wang nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, you won't have to show your face. You've probably seen fight scenes, and most of the shots where the face and full body aren't shown are done by doubles. It does involve a certain degree of danger. I'll have you and your opponent practice beforehand to ensure your safety!"
"But I have no acting experience. What if I accidentally appear on camera during a fight? I don't want to delay your progress."
Director Wang's eyes lit up with hope. "That's not a problem. We'll tell you in advance which positions to stand in for the fight scenes. And filming isn't always perfect on the first take. Especially for action scenes, retakes are very common!"
Liu Yifeng still looked hesitant. "Director Wang, you know I brought Tongtong here. He's participating in a show, and I'm afraid I won't have enough time. Besides, a whole series takes at least three months to film, and I really don't have that much time."
To his surprise, Director Wang immediately said, "Those are not issues. Our historical drama doesn't consist entirely of fight scenes, and I only need you to double for a few intense fight sequences. While we could hire professional stunt doubles, I think you're more suitable because your height and build are very close to the male lead's. As long as your face isn't shown, the audience will barely notice it's a double. So, if we do this, it'll take at most two days. Can Tongtong be looked after by Qianqian during those two days?"
"This..." Liu Yifeng didn't immediately agree. While he didn't want to be a star, it didn't mean he wasn't interested in acting. If he didn't have to show his face and could experience acting, it would be quite good. However, he was here to accompany Tongtong in the competition. Leaving him to go filming felt a bit unfair to Tongtong.
Tongtong, who had been engrossed in eating, sensed his father's concerns and immediately looked up at him. "Dad, please help Uncle Wang. I can take care of myself, and with Aunt Xia here, there won't be any problems."
"But wouldn't that be too much trouble for Qianqian?" Liu Yifeng looked embarrassed at Xia Qianqian. It felt unreasonable and irresponsible to have someone else look after his son while he went off to film. He didn't want to be an unqualified father!
To his surprise, after hearing this, Xia Qianqian immediately patted her chest. "That's a small matter. Tongtong is such a good boy, I won't feel tired taking care of him. If you want to go, you can go. Don't worry about Tongtong, I can take good care of him. Besides, it's only two days, that will pass quickly. You can go with peace of mind!"
Director Wang seized the opportunity. "Yifeng, look, both Tongtong and Qianqian have agreed. Please help me out with this. I promise you won't get hurt. And filming is fun! You can experience how movies are made, and you don't have to worry about your face being shown."
Looking at Director Wang's expectant eyes, Liu Yifeng ultimately couldn't refuse. "Alright, but it's settled, only two days. I won't film for even a day longer." Since Tongtong had asked him to help, he wouldn't refuse!
Seeing that Liu Yifeng had agreed, Director Wang nodded excitedly. "Good, I promise not to delay your time. Thank you so much. You have no idea, I was so afraid you wouldn't agree. I've been worried sick about the stunt double situation for these two days. Thankfully, you agreed, and it's solved a big problem for me!"
Actually, there was something Liu Yifeng didn't quite understand. "Director Wang, logically speaking, finding fight doubles shouldn't be that difficult. Why did you specifically choose me?" He didn't believe that apart from his height and build being similar to the lead actor's, no one else suitable could be found. Moreover, such doubles usually don't have constant close-up shots, to avoid continuity errors. Therefore, it should be easy to find someone with martial arts skills and acting experience.
Director Wang explained, "This might be hard for you to believe, but the last time I saw you perform a martial arts move with a staff, I couldn't forget it. I've been in this industry for so many years and have seen the moves of many martial arts stars. None of them were as fluid and powerful as yours. So, I believe if you were to perform the action scenes, it would significantly enhance the film."
Liu Yifeng hadn't expected Director Wang to have such high praise for him based on just one martial arts demonstration. This made him very happy. After all, he had only been training for two months and had achieved such results. If he persisted for a year, wouldn't he reach peak perfection?
This topic also caught Xia Qianqian's attention. "Director Wang, what's the name of the show you're talking about? I'll be sure to watch it when it airs to see if Yifeng's fight scenes are truly amazing!"
"The show is still in production, and we've all signed confidentiality agreements. However, I'll definitely tell you when it's released," Director Wang replied.
Xia Qianqian wasn't angry that the director didn't tell her. Confidentiality was very important in their industry, so she understood. Even when she participated in backing vocals in the recording studio, she had to sign confidentiality agreements. This was all to ensure that when the song was released, it would create a sensation. Otherwise, if people knew in advance, they would have expectations, and the excitement would be greatly reduced when listening. Unless the singer was exceptionally good, it would be difficult to create a surprise hit. Thus, many shows were the same; to maintain an air of mystery, they usually revealed things during promotional campaigns.
"By the way, when are we going to the set?" Liu Yifeng asked.
"Later. We'll film for two days, and I'll drive you back that same evening."
"Where are you filming? Is it far?"