Gu Huai was pulled to his feet, and he patted his clothes, saying, "It's nothing, it doesn't hurt or itch."
Song Shi'an said with a smile, "It's all thanks to Teacher Gu's cooperation."
The director chimed in. "Stop praising each other, let's prepare for the next scene. Try to finish shooting these few shots tonight."
He changed his look several times in one morning, doing all the things a spoiled brat would do: cricket fighting, visiting brothels, riding a horse in the street, and engaging in forced buying and selling. Song Shi'an felt that he had played the role of a spoiled brat for the rest of his life.
During his lunch break, he rubbed his face, thinking that if he continued playing this role, he would almost believe that he was the tyrant of Luo'an City.
In the afternoon, he was sent to archery practice again. Li Xuyang smiled and said, "You're recovering well. Let's continue today."
Song Shi'an also wanted to know how effective the skill the system had given him actually was.
He picked up the bow and arrow; although it was the same one from yesterday, it felt much more comfortable to use.
The bow in my hand doesn't feel like an unfamiliar tool; it feels more like an extension of my body.
He casually drew an arrow, nocked it onto the bowstring, drew the bowstring taut, aimed, and released it.
The arrow flew out with a whoosh, straight through the bullseye, hitting the bullseye perfectly. The shaft was still vibrating on the target, the arrowhead deeply embedded, almost piercing through the target.
Song Shi'an was startled himself. Holy crap! Is this something a normal person could ejaculate?!
I've already started drafting a script in my head that says, "I'm actually a hidden archery genius."
Lin Fan and Li Xuyang, who were standing to the side taking pictures, were so shocked that their jaws almost dropped.
Lin Fan stammered, "Brother... brother, what you just did..."
Song Shi'an was frantically searching for an excuse in his mind. Could he say he'd secretly practiced extra these past few days? Or that he was good with a slingshot back in his hometown? Who would believe that?!
The next second, Lin Fan shouted, "That's awesome! Bro, how can you be so amazing!"
Song Shi'an breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the silly boy was just excited. But the next second, a hand patted his shoulder.
He stiffly turned his head, looked at the somber-faced coach, and gave an awkward laugh, "Hahaha... Coach."
Li Xuyang smiled and said, "Good lad! You're incredibly talented! How about joining the national team? Let me formally introduce myself, I'm the coach of the Asian team for the World Archery Championships."
Song Shi'an was stunned. Were all the archery coaches hired by this film crew national team level? Just how well-funded was this production team...?
"Coach, would you believe me if I told you I was just lucky?" Song Shi'an tried to make a last-ditch effort.
Li Xuyang stared at his face, his eyes like he was examining a rare gem. "I've been observing you ever since you picked up the bow and nocked the arrow. Your movements are very standard, even perfect. If you were to participate in the World Championships at the same level, winning first place would be no problem at all."
Upon hearing this, Song Shi'an realized he had overdone it. He quickly made up an excuse about having a headache and fever, and dragged Lin Fan away.
Li Xuyang stood there, shaking his head helplessly. "Such a promising talent, it's a pity he doesn't bring glory to the country."
That evening, a video suddenly went viral online. The video showed a boy wearing a light gray half-zipped shirt, a black bow belt around his waist, a light gray professional chest protector, a protective arm guard on his right arm, a wrist guard wrapped around his wrist, and a quiver hanging diagonally at his side.
The full set of professional equipment accentuated his upright posture. The next second, he casually drew an arrow, nocked it, and as he drew the bow, the fabric of his clothes stretched taut with the movement, exuding a sense of power. The arrow flew out with a whoosh, piercing straight into the bullseye.
The comment section instantly became lively.
"Tell me this is fake! It's just special effects! I don't believe it!"
"I'm not asleep yet, how come I'm already dreaming? Isn't that me? Who took this picture? Did they ask my permission?!"
"Upstairs, I have diabetes and I'm trying to wake you up."
"[Trophy image]. jpg, I've been learning archery for over ten years and have participated in many competitions. The person in the video has very professional movements; he must be a pro. He just looks unfamiliar and very young, so he probably hasn't participated in any major competitions before. If he were to participate, the Asian team would be a sure thing to win the World Championships."
"I believe you if the comment above is long, you're awesome! Even though I don't understand competitive sports, it looks really impressive!"
"I knew it! Why was my D Station recommending esports matches to me?! Isn't that my newest heartthrob?!"
"What does that mean? Is An'an going to leave the entertainment industry to participate in competitive sports?"
"No, I saw him acting just a couple of days ago. There must be archery involved in the plot! I'm really looking forward to it!"
"This is toxic. Why are they pushing him so much lately? How much money are these marketing accounts getting paid to keep promoting him as an all-rounder, saying he can do this and that? I'm speechless."
"I feel the same way. It feels like I can see him everywhere I go, like he's haunting me like a ghost."
After taking a shower, Song Shi'an lay in bed scrolling through food videos when he saw a familiar face.
Holy crap, who filmed this?! He stared at himself in the video, drawing his bow, the moment the arrow pierced the bullseye being replayed in slow motion. He opened the comments, and his heart, which had been pounding in his chest, finally died.
He mentally typed to the system: " Brother System, which system did you exchange this skill from? Who's some kind soul who shot an arrow through the bullseye? Is this even reasonable?"
[This system, exchanged with the Long Aotian System, is absolutely worth the money!]
Song Shi'an sighed. What a Long Aotian! Does he want to destroy everyone...?
Long Aotian was far away in another dimension and could dominate everything, sneezed. "No way, I caught a cold?" he thought. "I just cleaved a piece of the sky with my sword energy; the wind was a bit strong. I'll go back and drink some 999 as a precaution."
When Song Shi'an arrived at the film set early the next morning, he found everyone staring at him.
As soon as Director Zhou saw him arrive, he immediately greeted him, "Hey Xiao An, I didn't expect you to have such a hidden talent! Coach Li asked me for people last night. There are really few people in the Chinese entertainment industry as versatile as you, hahaha!"
Song Shi'an was showered with praise by the director, but then, remembering that all his skills were acquired through exchange, he gave an awkward laugh. "Oh dear," he thought, "I've overdone it..."
The director patted him on the shoulder. "These next two days are crucial. Once your scenes are finished, the production will be over. Go get your makeup and hair done."
While getting his makeup done, Lin Fan scrolled through his phone, looking at a string of comments about "posing," "staged photos," and "post-production," and said angrily, "Bro! These people are going too far. Is it so hard to admit that someone is good?"
The makeup artist then interjected, "That's just how the entertainment industry is. No celebrity is without haters. Just take it easy."
Song Shi'an nonchalantly shoved a bag of homemade snacks into Lin Fan's hand. "What's the use of getting angry? It's better to let your work speak for itself. People will forget about it in a few days."
After a short while, Song Shi'an, dressed in silver-white armor, curiously picked at the armor plates on his chest with his fingers, and then lifted a corner of his cloak to examine the material. The thought that the shoot would be over soon made him feel very comfortable.