Chapter Ninety: A Star Makes a Cameo

Chapter Ninety: A Big Name Makes a Cameo

The four gifted scholars traveling together, and Tang Bohu using his legendary womanizing skills on Ruhua, was unquestionably one of the film’s highlights.

Ruhua. What a beautiful name. As for the person behind it...

Naturally, Zhang Le was not going to let such a highlight slip by. He found a burly man, stuck on a full beard, dressed him in women’s clothes, made him pick his nose, and then turn back with a smile over his shoulder.

It was hard to imagine what it felt like to see that moment. It was said that when Master Zhou first shot it, even he was startled. He had chosen the performer himself, and still got a fright. Feng Lei had already seen the actor playing Ruhua before, but once the makeup was on and that head turned back in that instant, Feng Lei was so stunned he stood there wide-eyed, his stomach turning over.

That expression did not need acting at all; it was utterly genuine.

Master Zhou’s films had many things worth talking about, and even the supporting roles, even the bit players, left an extraordinarily deep impression, something other films simply could not achieve.

Huang Yao, playing Zhu Zhishan, leaped into the river to pursue the bizarre beauty, while Zhang Le, as Wen Zhengming, voiced a pang of envy and jealousy: “What a pity. He got there first!”

That scene was now complete, and the shoot had gone very smoothly.

“I think the most enviable thing about Brother Tang is his luck with women. Everyone knows Brother Tang has eight wives at home, each one as lovely as a flower, a true peerless beauty. What more could a man ask for in life than to be like Brother Tang?”

After that scene wrapped, Yang Xin’er came over and recited the line Zhang Le had once spoken while guest-starring as Wen Zhengming, not missing a single word, though her tone carried a hint of mischief.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Zhang Le looked at Yang Xin’er, puzzled.

“When you said that just now, it sounded awfully sincere,” Yang Xin’er said with a smile.

“That’s called acting,” Zhang Le replied with a grin. He knew she was teasing him, not really thinking he longed to be like Tang Bohu, with women on both sides of him and a house full of gorgeous beauties.

“Keep boasting,” Yang Xin’er said, smiling.

“I played a role before, and people nicknamed me Genius Zhang!” Zhang Le said proudly.

“Go on, show off,” Yang Xin’er said, rolling her eyes at him, then looking off in the distance. “Teacher Feng is here to visit the set!”

“Teacher Feng, hello!” Zhang Le turned at once and hurried over to greet him. Whether as Feng Lei’s father or as a senior in the industry, Zhang Le could not possibly be careless.

Zhang Le and Feng Lei had been friends for years, but this was Feng Yuan’s first time meeting Zhang Le. He was very pleased that his son had made such a friend.

Feng Yuan had deep connections in the industry; with a word from him, getting Feng Lei a role would have been easy. But to have Zhang Le hand Feng Lei the male lead outright was almost impossible. Even he could not have done something like that without hesitation.

“Hello. I’ve heard my boy mention you many times, but never had the chance to meet you. Conveniently, I’m filming nearby too, so I thought I’d come have a look,” Feng Yuan said with a smile.

“So you were filming nearby. I thought you’d come specially to see me,” Feng Lei said, rolling his eyes.

“If I had that much free time, I could have raised you better,” Feng Yuan shot back, then laughed.

Zhang Le and Yang Xin’er merely watched with smiles, saying nothing.

Then Feng Lei’s eyes turned, and he suddenly thought of something. He said to Feng Yuan, “Dad, since you’re here, why not cameo in my first film as the male lead? A friendly cameo, to show some support for your son!”

At once, Zhang Le’s eyes lit up, and he looked toward Feng Yuan.

Feng Yuan heard this, flicked Feng Lei on the head, and smiled at Zhang Le as he replied, “Fine then. What role do you want me to cameo as?”

“A boatman!”

Zhang Le had not even answered before Feng Lei blurted it out first.

Zhang Le’s pupils widened, and for a moment he did not know what to say. Yang Xin’er first froze, then seemed to remember something and burst out laughing.

A filial son indeed—this was truly a filial-son special.

Feng Yuan was an old hand. Seeing everyone’s expressions turn strangely meaningful, he realized his son had probably set him up. This boy was still the same old troublemaker.

“What, is there something wrong with that role?” Feng Yuan said. “Why do I feel like this brat is digging a pit for his old man?”

“Teacher Feng should take a look at the script first. The boatman only has two scenes, both opposite Feng Lei’s Tang Bohu,” Zhang Le said with a smile, then took out the script and handed it over.

Feng Yuan took the script, glanced at Feng Lei, and began to read. The part was small, only two scenes, with just a few lines of dialogue. Once he finished, he understood exactly why his son wanted him to cameo in this role.

Was it to prove that he was a dutiful son selling himself to bury his father, or was he cursing his old man to die?

“With my intelligence, do you really think you can fool me?” Feng Yuan said with a smile, twisting Feng Lei’s ear.

“Can’t fool you, can’t fool you!” Feng Lei quickly begged for mercy. Once Feng Yuan let go, he said, “So, are you doing the cameo or not?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I?” Feng Yuan said with a laugh.

“If you had come earlier, it would have been even more perfect for you to cameo as Ruhua,” Feng Lei said with a grin.

A cameo as Ruhua? Everyone’s expressions grew even stranger. Feng Yuan did not know exactly what the Ruhua role involved, but he could tell from everyone else’s faces that something was off.

Feng Yuan’s boatman was not a particularly eye-catching part in the film. Of course, in the scene where he sells himself to bury his father, the most memorable thing was probably not the miserable man himself, but the cockroach called Xiao Qiang and the dog named Wang Cai.

As for Feng Yuan’s boatman, after rolling his eyes and lying on the handcart, he had little else to do.

But that eye-roll was so scene-stealing that it left a very deep impression.

Filming gradually went more smoothly, and Feng Lei also became increasingly adept at grasping the characters and the style. Though he still could not compare with Master Zhou, he had captured a bit of that spirit and even blended in his own flavor.

Compared with the dramatic scenes, Feng Lei showed remarkable talent in the action sequences. Perhaps, just as he had said, after shedding all that fat, he had also improved his physical condition.

In fact, Zhang Le knew that after taking this film, Feng Lei not only lost weight, he also went to learn martial arts. Admittedly, the martial arts he learned were not all that impressive.

Of course, in acting, even in action scenes, you do not have to be a true martial arts expert. With enough post-production, a complete novice can be made into a master. But if you cannot even fake it well, then you are truly rotten wood that cannot be carved.

Feng Lei handled the action scenes rather comfortably, largely because his co-stars were highly experienced. Chen Xiao, who came up as a martial stuntman and often played hired muscle in many films, found fight scenes to be no trouble at all.

Though this film was a comedy, its action sequences were unquestionably one of its great highlights. In particular, the climactic duel between Tang Bohu and the deadly scholar was delivered with such force and grandeur that, from the moment Tang Bohu’s spear diverted the tip of the sword, the Overlord Spear pressed the attack move after move, driving forward step by step, brimming with heroic spirit. It gave the audience a thrilling, satisfying duel that firmly held the stage.

And for this film, Zhang Le had not invited any martial arts choreographer. Everything was done by Zhang Le himself, though it did not cost him much effort, since most of it followed the original version.