I Became Famous in the Entertainment Industry with High Martial Arts Skills - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The Archery Competition

 

“In order to watch this segment with Xiao Xie during tonight’s livestream, I specifically dragged both my parents over to vote!”

 

“Out of the four episodes aired so far, it seems this segment has the highest view count.”

 

“The scene design is great; this entrance is truly captivating. I see Xie Ci’s Weibo followers are approaching three million.”

 

“To be fair, Xie Ci’s eye-acting here is quite good. I remember he’s a newcomer actor, right?”

 

“Not a total newcomer; he played a supporting role in the Diving Abyss crew before. His sword-dancing in the promotional video was incredibly handsome, I fell into the pit because of that video.”

 

In the comments, fans who came specifically for Wan Yuya were seething with excitement, each bullet comment faster than the last.

 

In the livestream room, seeing the footage of his own appearance, Xie Ci’s eyes curved at the corners. His smiling face overlapped with the Wan Yuya playing on the screen.

 

It was as if the ancient beauty under the umbrella in the rain had truly stepped out of the screen to watch his own life along with the audience.

 

Tonight’s livestream featured several interactive segments. While the clip was playing, the host smilingly picked a bullet comment from the public screen to read aloud.

 

“I really want to ask the male lead: what exactly were you thinking when you saw this scene?”

 

The host clearly understood what the audience loved; this picked question went straight to their hearts.

 

They also wanted to know: what exactly was the male lead thinking at this moment while facing the son of the enemy who massacred his family—the person who was about to save him?

 

The host said with a smile, “Zhaobai, for this question from the audience, what is your answer?”

 

Li Zhaobai wore a Neo-Chinese style black jacket today, very much in line with his early character setting of being distant and cold-hearted.

 

He thought for a moment and answered according to his original understanding: “According to my understanding, the male lead should hate the second lead even more. However, within this compounded layer of hate, there is a tiny bit of wavering mixed in.”

 

In the script of Han River Crossing, although Gu Huaizhou knew his parents were dead and his adoptive father raised him, before he learned of the blood debt he carried, he was just a taciturn, slightly calculating, and eccentric youth.

 

But when he accidentally overheard the conversation between his adoptive father and the female lead, the past ten years of whitewashing were completely torn away.

 

He could no longer continue living in that secluded small village with his adoptive father and the female lead. If he could not use the enemy’s blood to sacrifice to his family, he would have no face to survive alone.

 

“Ahhh, so heartbreaking! I’ve withered.”

 

“This is a massacre debt; it’s completely reasonable for the male lead to hate everyone in the Wan manor.”

 

“Even though the second lead is innocent, it was his father’s sin after all. Sometimes it’s truly hard to say.”

 

“When I watched the first episode, I complained to my friends that the male lead is a standard ‘Dragon Aotian’ rise-from-the-bottom script, just waiting to go on a killing spree later.”

 

During the script read-through, the writer Song Ling gave the leads a background briefing. When filming the scene of the male lead leaving home on a rainy night in the first episode, Ming Yang spent an entire day polishing it until the male lead’s sense of the world collapsing was perfectly captured.

 

Xie Ci was right there at the time. By the final take, he was unconsciously drawn into Li Zhaobai’s bone-deep hatred.

 

The host asked the others a few more questions before smilingly switching to the next video.

 

This segment was very stimulating: it was the scene after the second female lead returned to the palace, flirting with her Imperial Father’s young concubine at the rockery.

 

Xie Ci sat right next to Qiao Mingyue. Seeing the second female lead pressing closer on the big screen, scaring the young concubine until she collapsed on the ground, he stole a glance at Qiao Mingyue beside him.

 

Qiao Mingyue didn’t even move an eyebrow, whispering, “How’s my acting?”

 

Xie Ci silently gave her a thumbs-up under the table.

 

The highlights in the first four episodes were numerous, and the audience’s response was enthusiastic. After several interactions, the livestream atmosphere grew hotter and hotter, and the number of online viewers rose steadily.

 

The trailer for Han River Crossing was already a “chaos stew” of CPs (couplings). The writer, while designing the plot, pulled a thread for every character, allowing the audience to taste a bit of love and hate within the plot from time to time.

 

With both plot and emotion, that’s what makes a good drama!

 

The host knew to leave enough suspense for tomorrow’s broadcast and guided the audience to chat about behind-the-scenes stories. The leads shared their feelings while filming, occasionally dropping a line or two about subsequent plot content.

 

The attention of everyone in the livestream room gradually shifted to the future plot. Many were looking forward to tomorrow night’s fifth and sixth episodes.

 

When it came to the next game interaction segment, the bullet comments instantly became as if injected with chicken blood.

 

“Whoa, the game segment I’ve been looking forward to most is here!”

 

“The wheel is full of various competitive games; this is quite interesting.”

 

“The male lead and third lead look quite capable; looking forward to them competing.”

 

Because Han River Crossing has elements of wuxia, and the promotion specifically mentioned that the actors underwent special training, most of the challenges on the wheel were physical or martial arts action challenges.

 

The needle spun and stopped squarely in the area labeled “Archery Challenge.”

 

“Watching while rubbing my hands in anticipation!”

 

“I bet one vote on the third lead! Those arms look very strong.”

 

“Li Zhaobai posted his gym photos; his physique is the real deal. I vote for the male lead!”

 

“I remember Su Wu studied archery before, so I’ll bet a vote on our baby female lead!”

 

“Except for the late-joining second male and female leads, all the other actors in the crew trained together, right? I remember Director Ming is into the ‘trainee’ style.”

 

“Then aren’t those two going to lose quite embarrassingly? My toes are starting to construct [cringe].”

 

“I want the luxury villa!”

 

Qiao Mingyue had an old arm injury from previous filming, so she chose to forfeit directly.

 

Therefore, most of the bullet comment attention was focused on the male lead and the third lead. After all, both had posted updates of their archery training with the crew, and the former had even trended on the hot search.

 

Xie Ci had been in the public eye for too short a time. Although some viewers remembered him trending for his act of bravery, the image of the weak, timid, and saint-like Wan Yuya in the drama was already deeply ingrained.

 

It was hard for them to associate Xie Ci with the person who subdued a man with a knife barehanded. The feeling was like seeing Lin Daiyu pulling a weeping willow out by its roots.

 

It was truly hard to imagine.

 

“The video of our Xiao Xie dancing with a sword is also very handsome. I believe in Xiao Xie, betting a vote!”

 

“Then I’ll dote on him too, one vote for Xie Ci.”

 

Some of Xie Ci’s old fans tried hard to vote. Although looking at his physique alone, their idol indeed couldn’t compare to the other two male actors, they had to dote on their own child!

 

Inside Xie Ci’s fan viewing group:

 

Red Bean Paste: I have high hopes for Xiao Xie. I heard from a friend in the Diving Abyss crew that Director Zhang signed him specifically because he liked Xiao Xie’s action scenes.

 

Lilith: Exactly! Our Xiao Xie is proficient in eighteen types of martial arts. Everyone remember to go to the bullet comments to support him.

 

Earth Stir-fried Eggs: I’ve already gone to voice support, but there are so many people watching the livestream that we’re being submerged TmT…

 

Those participating in the livestream could see the scrolling bullet comments on the big screen. Seeing the few fans supporting him, Xie Ci’s eyes narrowed slightly, two drops of “bad water” bubbling in his belly.

 

Looking at a screen full of text was a headache. Ji Xiuheng turned off the bullet comments and leaned lazily against his chair. The files on the desk that were mostly handled were swept to the side. On the center computer screen was the Han River Crossing livestream room.

 

Thinking of the strength in those fair fingertips when Xie Ci massaged him, Ji Xiuheng’s Adam’s apple rolled up and down.

 

Then, like other viewers, he sent a bullet comment:

 

“I also vote for Xie Ci.”

 

The props for the items on the wheel had been prepared in advance. The livestream room rented by the crew was large enough, and with professional equipment, the five targets fixed to the white wall were very striking.

 

Considering safety issues, this competition used low-poundage soft bows and large-diameter suction-cup arrows. This could simulate the actual effect of archery while avoiding potential accidents during the game.

 

The actors participating in this archery challenge put on the finger tabs and armguards prepared by the crew. Su Wu’s loose long hair was also tied into a sharp ponytail.

 

“Place your bets! I bet ten pounds of meat on Li Zhaobai winning!”

 

“I bet twenty pounds!”

 

“To be fair, why does Xie Ci look like some kind of martial arts master?”

 

“The second lead should know martial arts later in the drama, right? The trailer has a fight scene with the male lead.”

 

“Damn officials, always teasing us before the broadcast!”

 

In the spacious livestream room, the staff quickly cleared out a large space.

 

Considering various restrictions, the final archery distance was set at seven meters, which counts as a semi-formal competitive playstyle.

 

Xie Ci weighed the bow and arrow in his hand and tested the string.

 

It was worlds apart from the bows and arrows he used before, but since the purpose was different, he didn’t mind too much.

 

A total of five people participated. Standing next to Xie Ci were Li Zhaobai and Yan Feng.

 

After these past few days of filming, Yan Feng’s initial defensiveness toward Xie Ci had long since vanished.

 

He wasn’t from a professional background; his acting lagged behind Li Zhaobai and Su Wu, and he was chosen by Ming Yang based on his temperament and image.

 

Yan Feng had acted with Ye Ming before; the other’s acting was decent and the two collaborated harmoniously. He hadn’t expected such a mess to break out right before filming.

 

When he heard the choice for the second lead was a newcomer, Yan Feng’s heart skipped a beat, worrying the collaboration wouldn’t go well, and worrying Xie Ci hadn’t undergone the crew’s concentrated training and wouldn’t keep up with the action scenes in the middle and late stages, affecting the final result.

 

But after filming these past few days, Yan Feng’s perception of Xie Ci had changed significantly. The other’s acting was clearly more delicate than Ye Ming’s, and his expressions and eye-acting were very expressive. While filming together, he had been drawn into the scene several times.

 

Now his only major worry was the large number of action scenes after episode seven.

 

“Is the bow comfortable in your hand?” Yan Feng turned his head to ask.

 

Both he and Li Zhaobai had studied archery. Asking them to compete with Xie Ci made Yan Feng feel a bit embarrassed.

 

Xie Ci adjusted his armguard: “It’s okay, just a bit light.”

 

Yan Feng smiled and said, “When we took archery lessons, the poundage of the recurve bows the teacher first gave us was about the same as this. It’s quite friendly for beginners.”

 

Xie Ci realized Yan Feng was trying to lower the pressure for him. Just as he was about to speak up for himself, the host walked over smilingly.

 

“It looks like our five contestants are mostly ready. Without further ado, let’s start the competition!”

 

The livestream equipment was pushed closer. The first to attempt the archery challenge was the female lead, Su Wu.

 

Her movements were very standard. Her fingers drew the string, her arm exerting overall force. With a whoosh, the suction-cup arrow was fired and stuck firmly to the target.

 

Eight rings one ring counts as one point.

 

Three arrows per person. Su Wu’s final score was a very pretty twenty-seven points.

 

The third female lead played a sickly noble lady in the drama, and the actress herself was a bit frail. One of her arrows nearly missed the target, and she ended up with only sixteen points.

 

“Su Wu’s archery is good; feels like she has a chance at first place.”

 

“Mu Hua’s score is a bit of a pity, but her health seems to have never been very good; it’s understandable~”

 

Next was Li Zhaobai. Through his shirt, the shape of his arm muscles was faintly visible.

 

Three arrows were fired. Li Zhaobai’s score tied with Su Wu’s at twenty-seven points.

 

Su Wu gave him a smile from across the room, very much in line with her character seemingly weak, but actually exceptionally resilient.

 

When it came to Xie Ci, the bullet comments became lively again.

 

“Clearly they are the ones competing, so why am I so nervous?”

 

“Heart rate slowing down / brain dizzy / face turning red / blood flowing backward… my habit of feeling nervous and embarrassed for others is acting up again QAQ.”

 

“Qiao Mingyue didn’t participate, so Xie Ci is the only actor who hasn’t trained. Hope the score won’t be too embarrassing.”

 

Xie Ci’s attention, however, was entirely on the bow and arrow in his hands. Three slender fingers drew the string, firmly holding the somewhat comical suction-cup arrow.

 

Suddenly, the three fingers gripping the string bloomed like an epiphyllum. With a low thrum-hum, the suction cup stuck firmly to the bullseye in the exact center of the target.

 

One ten-pointer.

 

Two ten-pointers.

 

Three ten-pointers.

 

The bullet comments fell into a rare silence for a moment.

 

“Friends, I don’t dare open my eyes…”

 

“Such a standard bullseye, not tilted at all. I prostrate in worship.”

 

“Baby Xiao Xie is just so capable, this is so satisfying!”

 

Yan Feng, standing behind Xie Ci, cast an incredulous look over.

 

So, he was the clown all along?