"Everyone, don't just stand there, come in and sit down!" Liu Yifeng ushered them into the living room.
He then took out the fruit he bought yesterday and placed it on the table for them to help themselves.
"Tongtong, the calming medicine you developed is simply amazing. Last night, I took one pill and slept soundly until dawn. I feel completely refreshed. It's nothing like the sleeping pills prescribed by the hospital, which leave me feeling listless and nauseous after waking up. Your medicine truly has no side effects. It's all thanks to you that I could finally get a good night's sleep."
Director Wang held Tongtong's hands tightly, wishing he could hug him and kiss him soundly, but he was afraid of scaring Tongtong.
"It's good that Uncle Wang slept well. If you can't sleep again, just come find me," Tongtong said with a smile, looking as adorable as ever.
Director Wang nodded, then showed Tongtong his hands again. "Tongtong, after applying the ointment you gave me yesterday, it's indeed much better. Look, in just one day, it has healed by more than half. How did you become so intelligent, my child?"
"Actually, there are many children in the world who are smarter than me!" Tongtong replied humbly.
"You are so humble at such a young age; you are indeed not an ordinary child."
"Director Wang, if you keep praising him, Tongtong will truly become arrogant," Liu Yifeng said with a chuckle from the side.
Director Wang was unfazed. "No matter how much you praise Tongtong, it's not too much. He has the right to be proud. Yet, this child is neither arrogant nor impatient; his temperament is gentle, making him more and more likable the more you look at him."
"Tongtong has also changed my perception of children. It turns out not all children are mischievous and troublesome," Xia Qianqian said, walking up to Tongtong and bending down to gently pat the back of his head.
"Director Wang, do we have a specific theme for filming today?" Liu Yifeng shifted the topic.
Director Wang shook his head. "Let's just film everyday life. No need for anything superficial. Just be yourselves as you normally are; being too deliberate will only make it seem artificial."
"Alright. Please help yourselves to the fruit. I still need to practice horse stance in the courtyard for half an hour. It's a daily essential for me!"
Upon hearing Liu Yifeng's words, Xia Qianqian looked curious. "Yifeng, are you practicing martial arts? I see many martial artists have the habit of practicing horse stance."
"It's not common for young people to practice martial arts these days," Director Wang added from the side.
Liu Yifeng replied with a smile, "This isn't really about practicing martial arts; it's just for physical conditioning. A man should have some skills, otherwise, in case of any emergencies, he'll only be at the mercy of being beaten. How can he protect his family then?"
"Indeed. However, most people only know flashy moves. If they actually had to fight, they couldn't even defeat an ordinary person. I wonder about your level, Yifeng. Could you show us something on camera?" Director Wang thought this would be a great publicity stunt. A genius son and a martial artist father – neither was ordinary.
Liu Yifeng had learned a few moves from Tongtong. His movements were clean and agile, without any wasted motion. Seeing Director Wang's interest, Liu Yifeng didn't hesitate. He nodded and said, "Then I'll make a fool of myself in front of you."
With that, he went into the courtyard, found the wooden staff he used for practice, and began to perform. He held the long staff, swinging it rapidly through the air, creating whistling sounds. His movements were fluid and seamless, with no redundant actions. The others watched intently, as if they were at a high-class stage watching a martial arts performance. Especially when Liu Yifeng lifted both legs off the ground, gripped the staff with both hands, and struck the ground forcefully, it seemed as if the earth itself vibrated. The cameraman's lens remained focused on Liu Yifeng until he perfectly completed his final move.
The scene erupted in thunderous applause. "That was incredible! Not only were your movements beautiful, but they also exuded immense power. I truly didn't expect someone as refined as you to possess such skills." Director Wang praised him sincerely.
Liu Yifeng blushed a little at the compliment. "Actually, this is all just theoretical. I've never actually put it into practice. Compared to someone who truly understands martial arts, I'm nothing."
However, Director Wang immediately dismissed his words. "Yifeng, you are too modest. I've been a director for so many years, not only shooting variety shows but also martial arts films. Many martial arts stars or stunt doubles in those films are nowhere near your level. I'd like to know how long you've been learning martial arts and where you learned it?"
Liu Yifeng, not wanting to cause unnecessary trouble, did not mention that Tongtong was his teacher. "I actually just learned bits and pieces from watching TV and my phone. No one taught me."
"What? You're self-taught?" Director Wang's eyes widened immediately. If he was truly self-taught, he would be a martial arts prodigy! However, he still found it hard to believe that Liu Yifeng could achieve such skill from just his phone and television. He had never seen those particular movements in any TV show or movie; they looked like his own created techniques.
"It's true that I learned it by myself through trial and error. It seems Director Wang thinks I've practiced reasonably well," Liu Yifeng asked with a smile.
"Reasonably well? It's more than reasonable; it's absolutely fantastic! It even makes me want to push you towards becoming a kung fu star. Your movements just now were so awesome, they made my blood boil," Director Wang said excitedly.
Liu Yifeng smiled and shook his head. "I appreciate your kind offer, but I'm not interested in the entertainment industry!"
"That's a shame. However, I respect your decision. But if you ever have such thoughts, feel free to contact me anytime. I feel you were born for this. Not only is your appearance superior to all the young idols, but you also have a great sense of the camera. Combined with your martial arts skills, if you were to star in a quality production, you would become famous overnight." Director Wang said with regret.
Liu Yifeng remained unmoved, merely offering a polite response. "Alright, if I have any ideas, I'll definitely contact Director Wang." Director Wang knew Liu Yifeng was just being polite and not actually agreeing, so he didn't press the matter further.
Xia Qianqian, on the other hand, had always aspired to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She had never forgotten how Yun Duo'er had deceived her regarding the song. To this day, everyone still believed Yun Duo'er was the original singer, and that song had earned her a certain status in the music industry. Little did they know, she was merely a thief, enjoying the fame and fortune that did not rightfully belong to her. She was determined that one day, Yun Duo'er would have to face the consequences of her actions. For this to happen, Xia Qianqian needed to possess the strength to bring her down. Without fame and fans, her words held no weight. Just like before, when she claimed in front of so many people that Yun Duo'er's song was hers and that Yun Duo'er was lip-syncing, no one believed her; instead, she was heavily criticized. Therefore, without the ability to bring Yun Duo'er down, she could only remain silent. Her current priority was to cherish this hard-won opportunity to be on the show and lie low.
After showcasing his martial arts skills, Liu Yifeng began practicing horse stance. He had progressed from holding it for a few minutes to being able to sustain it for half an hour. Seeing him stand still, Xia Qianqian assumed it was easy and stood beside him, mimicking his horse stance.
"Qianqian, are you also interested in learning martial arts?" Director Wang asked with a smile, observing Xia Qianqian's actions.
"I just want to see how long I can last. Only by experiencing it myself will I understand how difficult this line of work is."
"Then I'll give you a challenge and see how long you can maintain it," Director Wang said, taking out his phone to check the time. Xia Qianqian, having just assumed the horse stance, already felt her legs aching but could still endure.