Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Liu Xiang paused for a moment, then looked down at her watch.

It was a women's watch with a silver strap and a white dial. The design was simple and elegant, and a small gardenia was engraved on the dial. It looked a bit old, but it was very well maintained. The edge of the strap even had a faint scent of soap, exactly the same as her scent.

In Hong Kong these days, watches aren't cheap, so she must have bought one years ago.

"This..." Liu Xiang was a little at a loss, and quickly waved his hand, "Sister Ruotong, this is too valuable, I can't accept it. I'm a grown man, and it's easy for a lady's watch to break."

"You can keep it too!" Li Ruotong looked up, her eyes filled with a seriousness and a hint of shyness that was barely perceptible. Her cheeks flushed instantly. "I bought it when I was filming my first movie years ago. It's quite comfortable to wear."

She paused, then added in an even softer voice, "The watch strap can be changed. I asked a watch repairman, and he said it wouldn't look bad on a man."

Looking at the watch, Liu Xiang knew it wasn't just for keeping track of time; it was clearly a token of her affection.

"Thank you, Sister Ruotong!" Liu Xiang took the watch, but her fingertips accidentally touched Ruotong's fingers again. As if electrocuted, they quickly withdrew their hands.

Li Ruotong's cheeks flushed even more. She took a step back, waved her hand, and turned to leave: "I need to go to the dressing room. There's a major scene this afternoon, the one between Wang Yuyan and Duan Yu in Wuliang Mountain. I can't be late. I need to go back and prepare!"

After saying that, she turned and walked back, her steps somewhat hurried.

Liu Xiang held the watch in her hand; the gardenias on the dial seemed to be in full bloom!

He walked over and sat down on a stone bench, raised his wrist to look at it in the sunlight, and the hands on the dial made a soft ticking sound like a heartbeat.

In the days that followed, the filming schedule accelerated dramatically. Director Lee Tim-shing was known for his strictness, demanding perfection in every scene and allowing no room for carelessness.

Li Ruotong's schedule was packed. Every day before dawn, she would go to the dressing room, put on Wang Yuyan's elegant dress and black wig, and stand for more than ten hours at a time. Her portrayal of Wang Yuyan was gentle and beautiful, with a hint of melancholy between her brows, making her look exactly like someone who had stepped out of the book.

Even the picky Li Tiansheng couldn't help but praise her: "Ruotong, you are exactly the Wang Yuyan in my heart, you couldn't be more perfect!"

She was so busy she barely had time to breathe, even eating a quick bite of boxed lunch on set. Sometimes she would film night scenes until one or two in the morning, her eyes red from exhaustion, but she would still grit her teeth and persevere. It was difficult for Liu Xiang to even see her. Often, when he finished work, she would still be filming night scenes. From a distance, he could see her in a light-colored dress, standing in front of the Wuliang Mountain set, acting opposite Chen Haoming, who played Duan Yu.

The moonlight shone on her, making her look like a white lotus that stood alone in the world.

Occasionally, when the two bumped into each other, they could only offer a brief word of concern. In the film set corridors, or on their way to the canteen, Li Ruotong would smile at him, her eyes filled with unspoken understanding and tenderness, before being called away by the assistant director to film her scene. Liu Xiang watched her retreating figure, a touch of heartache in his eyes.

Liu Xiang's work wasn't over either; his stunt work was becoming increasingly dangerous.

With his solid martial arts skills and his daring and fighting spirit, he gradually gained a stable position in the crew, and the crew members all called him "Desperate Saburo".

That day, the production assistant rushed to him, his face filled with anxiety: "Liu Xiang! Liu Xiang! Quick! Director Li wants to see you! There's a water scene where none of the stunt doubles are performing well! You'd better go check on them!"

Liu Xiang's heart skipped a beat. She quickly put down the boxed lunch in her hand and ran to the film set with the production assistant.

When he arrived at the film set, he finally understood what was going on. This scene was a prelude to Duan Yu's accidental entry into Langhuan Paradise. A stunt double was needed to play the villain, fight Duan Yu in the water, be suspended by wires, jump down from the artificial mountain, and plunge into the water. At the same time, he also had to complete a turning kick to knock the long sword out of Duan Yu's hand.

At that time, wire work technology was far less advanced than it would be later, and safety measures were very rudimentary. Visibility was obstructed underwater, doubling the difficulty of maneuvers. A single misstep could lead to choking and suffocation.

I tried two stunt doubles before, and both times they didn't control the angle well when they jumped down, and they fell sideways into the water.

Li Tiansheng was so anxious he was stamping his feet, chain-smoking cigarette after cigarette. When he saw Liu Xiang arrive, his eyes lit up as if he'd seen a savior, and he rushed over to greet her: "Liu Xiang! You've come at the right time! You can do this job!"

Liu Xiang glanced at the artificial lake. The water was extremely murky, with a few fallen leaves and aquatic plants floating in it.

The six-meter-high artificial mountain was built with cement and foam.

"Director, no problem." Liu Xiang rolled up her sleeves, revealing her muscular arms.

Liu Xiang followed the stagehands to change clothes. He changed into a villain's costume, a black, tight-fitting outfit. The staff fastened the wires around his ribs, making them ache, but he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound.

"Are you ready?" the assistant director shouted from the shore, holding a megaphone.

Liu Xiang took a deep breath and nodded. He walked to the top of the artificial hill, but the foam board under his feet was a bit slippery, so he quickly steadied himself.

"Attention all departments! Lights! Cameras! Action!"

With Li Tiansheng's command, the clapperboard snapped shut.

At that moment, Liu Xiang leaped into the air.

The wind whistled past his ears, and he could hear the shouts of the staff on the shore and see the water getting closer and closer. He suddenly turned in mid-air, his right leg kicking out like a whip, the movement clean, crisp, and executed in one smooth motion.

Just as his body was about to touch the water, the wire suddenly pulled him, causing him to pause in mid-air for a moment before he plunged into the water with a "plop".

The icy lake water rushed into his nose and mouth, choking him and causing him to cough. His lungs felt like they were on fire. To make matters worse, his feet seemed to be entangled in the seaweed; the more he struggled, the tighter the weeds became.

The wire was still pulling upwards, but his ankle was tightly entangled in the seaweed, causing him to grimace in pain. He held his breath and groped around in the water. When his fingers touched the slippery seaweed, he gritted his teeth and pulled hard, finally breaking off the seaweed.

Just as he was about to surface, the assistant director shouted from the shore again: "Liu Xiang, another take! The angle of your turn was wrong! Duan Yu's sword wasn't kicked away! Let's do it again!"

Liu Xiang: "..."

He was pulled up onto the artificial hill, wiped the water off his face, and coughed violently.

Liu Xiang grinned: "No problem! Let's try again!"

He jumped back and forth seven or eight times, and when he finally got ashore, his lips were purple, he was soaked to the bone, shivering from the cold, and his teeth were chattering. A stagehand handed him a dry towel, saying with concern, "Liu Xiang, you're pushing yourself too hard! You're risking your life!"

But only Liu Xiang knew in his heart that this was not risking his life. The pain he had experienced when absorbing mercenary skills was nothing!

He just wanted to test his limits and do something incredible in the near future!