Chapter 428: A bit of a stir (12,000-character update!)

Lu Yan He's salary negotiations began the earliest, yet even after many others had already settled theirs, his portion remained unresolved.

Chen Ziyan was not in a hurry. Since she dared to name such a price, it was naturally because Lu Yan He was worth it.

If Mrs. Huang wanted to play dumb and insisted on not paying, then even if Lu Yan He withdrew from the film *Burning Fire*, it wouldn't have much of an impact on him.

Lu Yan He just needed a major commercial blockbuster; it didn't necessarily have to be *Burning Fire*.

The negotiations reached a stalemate.

Chen Ziyan explained the situation to Lu Yan He. Upon hearing this, Lu Yan He nodded and said, "Alright, Sister Ziyan, let's do as you say. I don't know if I'm being narrow-minded, but from my perspective, aren't they just trying to squeeze our price because they see that the industry's reaction to *Burning Fire* is even more enthusiastic than expected? They think it's a great film, so the initiative is in their hands, and they're sure I want to act in this movie and will therefore compromise and back down."

Chen Ziyan nodded and said, "My thoughts are the same as yours."

Lu Yan He: "If it really doesn't work out in the end, then we just won't do it; we'll just withdraw. We haven't officially signed a contract anyway."

"Hmm, but they've already released the news that we're going to be in this movie. If we withdraw later, there will likely be a bit of controversy."

"It's fine," Lu Yan He said. "Let there be controversy. My life hasn't been without controversy anyway."

Chen Ziyan smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "You can't say it like that. Of course, the less controversy, the better. Saying 'a debtor isn't worried about having too many debts' is ultimately just deceiving yourself. You're not a deadbeat; don't you still have to face and resolve things bit by bit?"

Lu Yan He laughed as well.

Mrs. Huang had originally thought that as long as she didn't budge and maintained a firm attitude, Lu Yan He and Chen Ziyan would surely back down.

In fact, Lu Yan He had only acted in two films so far, and had only starred in one. Under these circumstances, being offered a salary of eight million was already not low. He wasn't the male lead, and there was an additional 10% share of the character's derivative revenue.

Who knew that Lu Yan He and Chen Ziyan would sit as steady as Mount Tai, showing absolutely no attachment to the film *Burning Fire*, and never came to communicate again.

This made Mrs. Huang feel more or less uneasy.

Could it be that this film was really so unattractive to Lu Yan He?

So many actors had approached them, including some popular first-tier stars who even voluntarily offered to lower their salaries to play a decent role. Like Huang Kai, who came to guest star in two scenes and only took 200,000 yuan. Why could others lower their salaries, but Lu Yan He couldn't?

Mrs. Huang pondered back and forth, thinking it was still because Shang Yongzhou had received a salary of 20 million, which had upset Chen Ziyan. But what right did Lu Yan He have to compare himself to Shang Yongzhou? What was Shang Yongzhou's status, and where was he? Moreover, Shang Yongzhou was playing the core protagonist, the main perspective of the film. Wasn't it reasonable for him to receive such a salary?

If Lu Yan He were playing such an important role, then his salary being higher wouldn't be an issue. But Lu Yan He was just playing a second male lead.

After pondering for several days, Mrs. Huang still wasn't willing to let Lu Yan He go.

She naturally knew that today, for the role they were discussing with Lu Yan He, no one was more suitable than him.

In terms of image, acting skills, fame and popularity, and the success of past works, Lu Yan He was the most suitable.

Just at this time, the Xitu'er International Film Festival announced the list of selected films for the new edition.

*Rouge*, for which Lu Yan He served as screenwriter, entered the Main Competition Unit.

*Lost on Journey*, for which Lu Yan He served as screenwriter, entered the screening unit.

One person, two films selected for the Xitu'er International Film Festival.

"Was the film edited so quickly? How was it sent to the Xitu'er International Film Festival?"

"It wasn't finished," Wang Zhong sighed. "But we did an internal assessment, and the international film festival most suitable for *Rouge* to compete in is Xitu'er. Aside from here, the judging styles of other film festivals don't really like films like *Rouge* that have a low barrier to entry and a strong narrative feel. If we didn't catch this edition, we would either have to give up on competing in film festivals or wait until this time next year. So, we edited a rough cut and sent it over. For the next month or so, I still have to lead the team to continue editing."

Lu Yan He understood.

Upon asking Teacher Jia Long, the situation for *Lost on Journey* was the same.

"It's just a rough cut version. I'm already very satisfied to be able to enter the screening unit," Jia Long said with a smile. "I hope to edit a satisfactory version in time for the premiere at the Xitu'er International Film Festival."

Hearing the two of them say this, Lu Yan He finally understood—alright, these two films hadn't been finished at all.

At the press conference for the Xitu'er International Film Festival, when the list was announced, the media reporters on site enthusiastically raised their hands to ask questions.

Among them were Japanese media reporters.

Aside from asking about the films from their own country that were selected, what they were most concerned about was naturally Lu Yan He, who had clashed with Yongshanhe three times in the recent period.

When everyone on site confirmed that this Lu Yan He was indeed the actor Lu Yan He they knew, expressions of shock and disbelief appeared on everyone's faces.

Lu Yan He's work as a screenwriter had previously only spread widely within the country. For the overseas public, their impression of Lu Yan He was mainly as an actor. Those who knew a little more knew that Lu Yan He was the screenwriter of *Friends*. But writing a script as a screenwriter, and having it adapted into a film that could be selected for the Xitu'er International Film Festival? This really exceeded many people's expectations.

Wu Yang, the artistic director of the Xitu'er International Film Festival, explained when answering questions from the media: "We have officially confirmed with the production side that it is indeed Lu Yan He, the actor Lu Yan He we know. As for why he suddenly became a film screenwriter and wrote two film scripts, I think it's better to wait until he arrives at the Xitu'er International Film Festival, and you can ask him in person."

As a Singaporean Chinese, Wu Yang had only been the artistic director of the Xitu'er International Film Festival for five years. Compared to Wintour Robe of the Situer Film Festival and Bikarochi of the Venice International Film Festival, his credentials were still too shallow.

Wu Yang was also the first Asian artistic director since the inception of the Xitu'er International Film Festival.

Someone immediately raised their hand and asked: "We see that there are two Chinese films selected for the Main Competition Unit of this Xitu'er International Film Festival. Does this have anything to do with you being from China?"

Wu Yang immediately smiled and spread his hands, saying: "First of all, I am a Singaporean Chinese. Although I maintain a very good relationship with Chinese film parties, which films can be selected for the Main Competition Unit is not decided by me alone. We have a very large but professional selection team. Secondly, the two Chinese films selected for the Main Competition Unit this time are both unanimously recognized by our team. Do you think any of them don't deserve to be included?"

Wang Zhong's *Rouge*—the director just won the Best Director award at the Situer Film Festival.

Fu Zhu's *South of the Yangtze*—the director is an even bigger director who made a name for himself internationally earlier than Wang Zhong.

Looking at these two film directors, it really couldn't be said that Wu Yang was practicing favoritism and deliberately opening a back door for Chinese-language films.

"That's great. Within two years, your works have traveled through all four major international film festivals."

Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yan He, "With achievements like yours, there isn't a second person in the country."

No matter how great a director, actor, or screenwriter is, none have been like Lu Yan He, having works selected for all four major film festivals within a year or two.

Lu Yan He said: "It's mainly because I film a lot."

"It's true that you film a lot; there are few people with a higher output than you," Chen Ziyan said. "However, it might not be the case in the future. You started a trend of filming short dramas in the industry now. And you probably haven't counted, but because of the success of *Sanshan* and *Late Spring*, the number of literary films approved this year has suddenly increased, because many first-tier stars are willing to act in those low-investment literary films again."

Lu Yan He was very surprised.

"Really?"

Chen Ziyan: "You succeeded, so others want to copy your path to success. This is very normal. Look at *Gold Rush* that Yan Liang is filming, and *Moonlight Symphony* that Li Zhibai is filming; they are all short dramas with only a dozen episodes. Previously, there weren't so many short dramas. In the eyes of film and television companies and platforms, these short dramas were all unprofitable."

"Are they profitable now?"

"Of course they can make money, it's just that one show doesn't earn as much as before. However, for everyone, this is actually a good thing. A show of 40 or 50 episodes, or even 70 or 80 episodes, with costs of hundreds of millions thrown in—now they are all short dramas, with costs of only tens of millions, or a bit more for high-quality ones, reaching a hundred million. The risks are much smaller than before, and the cost of trial and error has also increased."

That was true.

"*Friends* Part 1 succeeded, so they filmed Part 2. *Seventeen Layers* succeeded, so they also filmed Part 2. It's not that they can't film long ones. In this way, everyone's risks are reduced. Actors can raise their salaries with the filming of the second and third seasons, and the production pressure on production parties and platforms is also greatly reduced," Chen Ziyan said. "Everyone knew this logic before, but without a successful case, this trend couldn't be reversed. 90% of people operate according to the conventions of an environment. Only when someone appears who breaks this convention will a new convention emerge."

Lu Yan He nodded. Everything Chen Ziyan told him each time benefited him quite a bit.

"I heard that Jiang Yuqian is in contact with a literary film," Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yan He. "She is currently filming *Squid Game*. I originally thought she would take on another drama with a larger audience later. I didn't expect her to start tossing and turning again."

Lu Yan He thought for a moment and said: "Sister Yuqian still wants to transform."

Chen Ziyan said: "Transformation is of course necessary, but one must stabilize their own basic foundation. If you can't stabilize your own foundation and blindly pursue transformation, you might very well toss yourself away."

She laughed, "If I were Jiang Yuqian's agent, I would clearly tell her that her problem isn't wanting to transform, but that for the sake of transformation, her output has decreased significantly, losing exposure and heat, relying entirely on her past works and fans to support her. This is the problem. Look at her, how many shows has she filmed in these two years? How many variety shows has she been on? If you don't maintain exposure, you won't have heat. If the show flops again, isn't that just a rapid downhill slide?"

The words Chen Ziyan said pointedly identified the problem in Jiang Yuqian's career development.

Lu Yan He heard this and felt enlightened, feeling that it was indeed the case. Regarding the long-term development of an actor, Chen Ziyan always looked very accurately and had a big-picture view. This time, the matter of *Burning Fire* actually reflected from the side the correctness of Chen Ziyan's insistence that Lu Yan He must act in a commercial blockbuster as soon as possible.

In the eyes of others, Lu Yan He was already the top and most representative among the male actors of his generation, having everything he needed, with no shortcomings.

However, Mrs. Huang could offer Shang Yongzhou a salary of 20 million plus a share of the theater box office revenue without any discount, but was only willing to give Lu Yan He a salary of 8 million, which showed that in the eyes of such a top film company, the shortcoming in Lu Yan He was actually quite large—he had no experience in carrying the box office of commercial films. His past film box office success was more of a coincidence than a commercial pattern, and it was difficult to replicate.

If Lu Yan He wanted to have more initiative in his acting career, he had to make up for these key shortcomings.

"This time, *Lost on Journey* and *Rouge* both being selected for the Xitu'er International Film Festival is definitely a good thing for you. Your basic foundation in film actually mainly lies in these international film festivals. Currently, there is no actor in the country who has brushed their face at international film festivals more than you," Chen Ziyan said. "However, the only film you have starred in so far is *Road to Glory*, and there are no other films. We should carefully pick a few film scripts later. I want to ask you, do you intend to write scripts for yourself, do it yourself, or take scripts from outside?"

"I don't particularly like the scripts that come from outside. If it really doesn't work out, I'll just write them myself," Lu Yan He said. "It's just that if I act in them myself, don't we have to find people to film them? It feels quite troublesome."

"If you write the script and you star in it, there will be plenty of film companies willing to take over," Chen Ziyan said. "The key is, do you have any ideas now?"

"Hmm, I have indeed prepared several ideas, but Sister Ziyan, you said I should act in a blockbuster, and the scripts I'm writing now are not that kind of blockbuster script."

Chen Ziyan said: "As long as it's not a literary film, it's fine. You have too many literary films on hand. As for whether it must be that kind of action-oriented, visual blockbuster, that's not something we can put into production in a year or two just by writing a script now. Such films often require too long a preparation time."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"Then I'll go back and think about what kind of film script I should write for myself to act in."

"Alright, if you can think of it during this time, we can announce this at the Xitu'er International Film Festival, and it can also make an appearance."

"Hmm," Lu Yan He nodded.

What kind of script was Lu Yan He preparing for himself?

He pondered for a long time, looking at the script library he had made, looking back and forth, and for a long time, he couldn't make up his mind.

It was mainly because at his age, there were many films he couldn't act in.

Many good films he had seen, such as genre films like *Ocean's Eleven*, or films like *The Invisible Guest* and *Perfect Strangers*, were not films he could star in at his age.

In the film industry, men in their early twenties who star in films and achieve outstanding box office results are basically all blockbusters, such as *The Lord of the Rings*, *Harry Potter*, *Twilight*, and *Spider-Man*... They basically don't rely on the actor's charm, but on the charm of the film's worldview and characters to attract fans.

The only ones suitable for him to film at his age, which he can film now, and which have high box office results in his memory, are basically youth films or romance films.

Lu Yan He pondered for a long time about what kind of film he should find to act in. First, it must be something that can be pushed into production as soon as possible, so that there won't be many things that need to be prepared in advance. Like *Burning Fire*, the early preparation, building the worldview, making various settings, finding collaborators, and talking to directors basically took more than two years. And now it still hasn't started filming; they are building the sets.

Thinking about it, filming youth and pure love themed films is what can be pushed to start filming the fastest.

Actually, when filming *Late Spring* before, Lu Yan He had thought about *In the Heat of the Sun*, but this film was still an art film.

He needed a mass-market film. Lu Yan He took a deep breath.

Chen Siqi finished showering, returned to the front of the computer, and saw the email Lu Yan He sent her.

Hmm?

*You Are the Apple of My Eye*.

*First Love*.

*Love Letter*.

*The Notebook*.

Four names, followed by their story synopses.

After Chen Siqi finished reading them briefly, she called Lu Yan He.

"Hello?" Chen Siqi asked, "What do you mean by the email you sent me?"

Lu Yan He said: "I'm preparing to write a script for myself. These are the four stories I've prepared. Which story do you think is the best?"

Chen Siqi: "They are all youth romance films. Why did you suddenly want to film this?"

The shows Lu Yan He filmed before were basically unrelated to these.

Including *Late Spring*, the theme wasn't romance either.

Lu Yan He said: "Sister Ziyan said my future film inventory is too small, and I have to film movies. The ones that can start filming as soon as possible are this type of subject matter, which is easier to film."

Chen Siqi suddenly realized.

"So that's it. I like all four of them, but the perspective of *Love Letter* is a girl's perspective. If you act in it, you'll be at a disadvantage, right?" Chen Siqi said. "*First Love* is the same."

These two films were indeed both youth romance films from a girl's perspective. However, Lu Yan He knew very clearly how many fans these two films had attracted for the two male leads. It could be said that these two films became the life-defining films for the two male leads.

"If you want me to choose, I think among these four films, the one that looks like it has the best role is *You Are the Apple of My Eye*," Chen Siqi said. "*The Notebook* is too pure love. I feel that people don't like a pure love film that much now. Moreover, its regret is Romeo and Juliet-style. In our era now, if you really fall in love, who would really not be together because of parental opposition?"

Lu Yan He felt enlightened.

Indeed.

"But putting these aside, the story I like the most is *Love Letter*. It's very aesthetic. Although it tells a story of unrequited love, it actually tells about people's memories and longing for youth," Chen Siqi said. "It tells about the kind of missing out between two people, sigh."

Lu Yan He laughed.

He had an idea in his heart.

"Then let's film both movies."

"Ah?" Chen Siqi was stunned.

"*You Are the Apple of My Eye* and *Love Letter*, let's film both," Lu Yan He said. "The investment for these two films doesn't need to be very large; I can afford it myself."

Chen Siqi: "Do you have that much time?"

"I don't have any filming plans this year," Lu Yan He was also helpless. "I was so busy last year, entering and leaving crews with almost no time to breathe."

"Aren't you going to film *Burning Fire*?"

"There are some variables now, it might not be filmed. But even if it is to be filmed, it won't be anytime soon. They are still building the sets now. By the time they coordinate the actors' schedules and officially start filming, it will probably be the end of the year or next year."

"No wonder you started writing scripts for yourself," Chen Siqi said. "I have never seen you act in a youth romance film. Act well, and strive to make my heart flutter again."

Lu Yan He: "What? Does that mean your heart doesn't flutter for me anymore?"

Chen Siqi: "I'm referring to that kind of heart-fluttering moment."

"Same thing," Lu Yan He clicked his tongue twice. "Sure enough, I said I love you more."

Chen Siqi: "You better."

The two of them bickered for a bit.

Chen Siqi said: "You'll be going to this edition of the Xitu'er International Film Festival, right?"

"Yes."

Chen Siqi: "Good."

"Are you going?"

"I haven't decided yet, but Linyu and Li Bi will definitely go," Chen Siqi said. "This time, two Chinese films were selected for the Xitu'er International Film Festival, and major media will definitely pay attention. Our *Jump Up* will definitely go too. The online forum for film critics we did before had quite a good response, and other overseas media also forwarded and reported on it."

Lu Yan He: "The activity last time was indeed unexpected. You guys are also amazing, doing it as soon as you said it."

"I have to thank Linyu. She has a good relationship with those overseas film critics, and she invited them all," Chen Siqi said. "Inviting her to be in charge of our film and television section was really finding a treasure. Many media know her, and there are places offering high prices to poach her."

"She's that amazing now."

"After all, the influence of that online forum was quite large," Chen Siqi said. "Basically all film-related media in the country paid attention to that forum, and our film channel's news column even reported on the online forum's activities."

Lu Yan He said: "Linyu is only a junior now. Has she signed an employment contract with us?"

"She hasn't graduated, how could she sign an employment contract with us?" Chen Siqi said. "What we signed are cooperation agreements. However, Linyu still has a lot of affection for *Jump Up*, and she doesn't lose out here. She told me not to worry, she won't leave."

Lu Yan He: "Hmm, that's good. It seems now that the proportion of our *Jump Up* in film and television is getting larger and larger, and we really need her."

Lu Yan He believed that Linyu would definitely not leave easily. Not to mention their classmate relationship, just being a founding member of *Jump Up* was enough to become Linyu's bond. Lu Yan He didn't want the treatment they gave Linyu to be lower than the conditions offered to her from outside.

Chen Siqi: "No matter how high the price offered by outsiders is, it certainly can't compare to the space Linyu has here. All sections related to film and television here are decided by her, and she is already building her own team."

Currently, the physical product of *Jump Up* is only the magazine published every month. However, there are many online media brands. Just for film and television reviews and character interviews, including Li Bi's video account, there are four or five media accounts.

Now all these related contents are in charge of Linyu, and the authority and space are not small. The corresponding conditions and treatment enjoyed are even more needless to say.

Lu Yan He began to bury his head in writing scripts for himself.

One is *You Are the Apple of My Eye*, and one is *Love Letter*.

At the time, he watched them with his classmates in class.

When he was burying his head in writing scripts at school, a film also emerged, stirring up the off-season market in March, sweeping 700 million in box office in three weeks, shocking the industry.

This film is called *The Home I Haven't Returned to in a Long Time*, a film with a bit of suspense and thriller segments.

This day, in the evening, at six o'clock, Lu Yan He came out of the library after finishing the script, preparing to go to the cafeteria to forage, and happened to run into Miao Yue and Liu Bige on the road.

Night had already fallen, and the two were walking side by side. Liu Bige was still wearing a white shirt and black trousers, no different from his usual appearance, while Miao Yue was wearing a light green waist-cinching long dress, fresh and beautiful, a very beautiful landscape.

Lu Yan He saw it at a glance and didn't miss it.

"Are you two taking a walk at school?" Lu Yan He was a bit surprised.

Liu Bige explained: "We are preparing to have dinner together and then go see that film with high box office recently, *The Home I Haven't Returned to in a Long Time*. Have you seen it?"

Lu Yan He shook his head and said: "I haven't seen it yet."

"Do you want to join us?" Liu Bige said. "It's very popular, it has already taken 700 million in box office."

"You two are on a date, I won't be a lightbulb. You go ahead."

"What date, it's not that serious," Liu Bige said.

Miao Yue also smiled and said: "You have been staying in the library recently. Someone on the school forum even posted that you are treating the library as a dormitory. Go out and walk around."

Hearing this, Lu Yan He joined them. "How is your new film preparation going?" Lu Yan He asked Liu Bige while having dinner.

Liu Bige said: "Are you talking about the one starring Li Zhibai? It's almost prepared, the scenes are chosen, and the people are selected. Just waiting to start filming."

Lu Yan He: "No wonder you can be so leisurely coming out to see a movie with Miao Yue now."

"Since I am a director, of course I have to know what is being filmed in the works with high box office in the cinema."

"My senior Shang Yongzhou rarely watches so many movies," Lu Yan He said. "He usually only watches the subject matter he wants to watch."

Liu Bige said: "He is an actor, he doesn't need to analyze films. I am a director, this is different."

Lu Yan He thought for a moment and said: "Actually, actors still need to analyze films, see how others act, and see what kind of movies the audience likes to watch now."

Liu Bige said: "This depends on how the actor thinks about this matter. Everyone's situation is different. There are actors who have analyzed many films and still act badly, and there are also many actors who have never analyzed films and have a low viewing volume but act well. However, among directors, I have never heard of a director with a low viewing volume."

Lu Yan He thought about it seriously and found that this was a solid fact, it was really the case.

Miao Yue asked Lu Yan He: "Do you usually go to analyze films specifically?"

Lu Yan He shook his head.

"Rarely. Usually, it's when I'm going to act in a certain type and subject matter of play that I will specifically find the films this director filmed before to watch, and then find films of similar type and subject matter to see how others act."

Miao Yue: "I thought you would go to the cinema often."

"I go too, but I won't go to the cinema fixedly just to watch a movie," Lu Yan He said. "Usually go about twice a month."

Miao Yue: "You go even less than me."

"Hmm," Lu Yan He nodded. "This is still because I'm relatively free recently, not in a crew. In a crew, I go even less."

Compared to the people around him in this industry, Lu Yan He indeed belongs to those who watch fewer films.

After dinner, they went to the cinema together.

*The Home I Haven't Returned to in a Long Time* has been released for three weeks. In the evening session, a large hall that can accommodate about a hundred people still has nearly half the occupancy rate, which also shows the popularity of this film now.

This film is directed by Chen Mufan and starred by Xu Yiren. It tells the story of a girl returning to her old home that has been uninhabited for many years, only to receive a phone call in the middle of the night. The person on the phone tells her to leave the house immediately, otherwise something terrible will happen.

Then, the girl experienced a series of terrible things. When she realized whether she had encountered a ghost, she accidentally discovered that all this was planned by someone behind the scenes, just to drive her out of the house. She discovered that someone was hiding in her basement, and it turned out to be a murderer wanted for two years.

After the murderer was wanted, he hid in the basement of this old house that had been uninhabited for a long time, not expecting the owner to return suddenly. In order not to be discovered, he created a series of haunting events to try to scare the girl away, not expecting to be discovered in the end, so he prepared to kill her to silence her.

The girl tried hard to escape the murderer's pursuit in the house, fought with wits and courage, and finally, through her own design, locked the murderer in the basement, got the opportunity to call the police, and escaped.

The atmosphere of the whole film tends to be suspenseful, tense, and has an omnipresent sense of crisis.

The first half is almost a solo performance by Xu Yiren. This actress, who doesn't have a good reputation in the industry, still has strong professional ability, and her acting is very exquisite, portraying the fear and anxiety of a woman encountering various strange events vividly.

In the second half, the male actor playing the murderer appeared, and Lu Yan He realized it was Chen Jiping.

Both of these are actors who have won awards and are very popular in the last two years.

After watching the film, seeing the heroine played by Xu Yiren escape, sitting on the side of the road in a mess, waiting for the police car to drive over, with the appearance of the police car, a look of relief finally appeared on Xu Yiren's face. The film ends here.

Lu Yan He breathed a sigh of relief.

There is a reason why the box office is high. The tone of the whole film is always accurate, and there is one main line from beginning to end, with almost no idle strokes. For a thriller suspense film, this is actually very important.

"Good," Lu Yan He said.

Liu Bige nodded and said: "Very rare, done in one go, and the ending didn't drop the chain."

This kind of suspense film is most afraid of the ending reversal truth making the audience feel "why is it like this," making people feel discouraged. The cleverness of this film lies in not leaving any suspense that must be revealed at the very end. When the film reached halfway, the murderer appeared, and the second half was almost the chase and struggle between Xu Yiren and Chen Jiping in this house, becoming a contest between the two. The focus of the film also became watching how Xu Yiren dealt with Chen Jiping's pursuit, finding a way out for herself in a dangerous and tense environment.

After watching this film, Lu Yan He suddenly remembered a Korean film called *The Call* that he had seen a long, long time ago. It was actually different from this film, but the beginning was a bit similar. It was also the heroine returning home alone, and then receiving a strange phone call. Of course, this film involved elements of time and space, and two people in different time and space contacted each other through this phone.

Lu Yan He hurriedly entered the name of this film on his mobile phone—before watching this film, Lu Yan He had completely forgotten that he had seen this film.

"Chen Jiping's murderer performance is too wonderful, it should be a strong contender for Best Supporting Actor," Liu Bige said.

Lu Yan He nodded, "Yes, I was made to feel creepy by his performance. This film only has these two actors, and they supported this play by themselves, really amazing. Moreover, Chen Jiping played the murderer, it was too creepy. At first, he called Xu Yiren, reminding her that the house was haunted, and told her to leave quickly. Later, after being discovered by Xu Yiren, he said he was a neighbor living nearby, saw her living in alone, and kindly came to remind her. When he discovered that Xu Yiren had already searched for the wanted warrant issued by the police, and there was his photo on it, the change in his expression and eyes at that moment, I still get goosebumps when I recall it now."

"Too scary, I feel like I will have nightmares when I go back," Miao Yue said.

Liu Bige hugged Miao Yue, smiled and held her, saying: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Lu Yan He silently looked to the other side.

At this time, it was already past nine o'clock in the evening.

When Chen Ziyan saw the three script outlines Lu Yan He took out, although she had already seen Lu Yan He's output, she was still stunned for a moment.

"This... are these all written by you recently?"

"Yes," Lu Yan He nodded.

Chen Ziyan took a deep breath, telling herself in her heart that there was nothing to be surprised about. Lu Yan He's creative speed was just that fast, and it wasn't the first time she had seen it, so there was no need to be so surprised.

She read the three script outlines seriously, a bit surprised, and said: "The first two scripts were written for yourself, right? Are they both youth romance themed films?"

"Hmm," Lu Yan He nodded, "Yes."

Chen Ziyan said: "If you only look at the outline, it feels... quite ordinary."

Chen Ziyan also spoke the truth directly.

"I don't really see what's good about these two stories."

"Hmm, but if filmed into a movie, it will be very good-looking, and many people will like it," Lu Yan He said directly.

"Hmm?" Chen Ziyan asked, "Why?"

"Because everyone has had such a story in their youth, or hopes to have such a story," Lu Yan He said. "These two stories are both about regret. One is the regret of having fought and tried but ultimately not succeeding in being together, and the other is the pure regret of missing out."

Chen Ziyan: "Yes, I see they are both tragedies."

"It can't be said to be a tragedy. I have always felt that the reason why adolescence is so precious is because it has many regrets," Lu Yan He said. "Liking someone at that time is pure liking, and the regret of missing someone is also pure regret, without mixing anything else."

Chen Ziyan said: "Do you think these two films can prove your ability to carry the box office?"

"The box office results of these two films will definitely not be bad," Lu Yan He was very confident.

*You Are the Apple of My Eye* goes without saying, a phenomenal film. If it weren't for that male lead's own self-destruction, his subsequent development would really be bright. He was the most sought-after male lead in that age group at the time, none other. All film resources suitable for him would basically be prioritized to his hands.

And *Love Letter*, in the hearts of literary youth, this is a bible about youth unrequited love. It was re-released in mainland China in 2021 and took 65 million in box office.

Since Lu Yan He wants to choose films for himself to prove that he can carry the box office, of course he has to choose films with excellent box office results.

Chen Ziyan was noncommittal.

Regarding the box office of youth romance films, it has always been a metaphysics, and no company can predict their box office results. Some films can miraculously get 800 million or 900 million, while others, even with first-tier actors as male and female leads, only get 100 or 200 million in the end. Under the condition that the word of mouth is similar, the box office figures can be very different.

She looked at the third film.

"*The Call*?" Chen Ziyan was very surprised. "This film is a dual-heroine film, you..."

"Hmm, suddenly remembered. Didn't you tell me before that Sister Yuqian is in contact with a literary film? She needs a commercial film, so I wrote this," Lu Yan He said. "Sister Ziyan, you help me give it to Sister Yuqian's agent. You don't have to say I wrote it. See if Sister Yuqian is interested in this script. If she is interested, I will write the script."

Chen Ziyan looked at him in astonishment, "Are you tailoring a script for her?"

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "Sister Yuqian is very different to me. I don't want her career to go downhill."

Chen Ziyan: "Then why don't you give it to her directly?"

Lu Yan He said: "Because if I give this to her directly, she will definitely take it without even looking at it, but I don't know if she really likes this story."

"Are you crazy? Now that you wrote the script, how could she not like it?" Chen Ziyan shook her head and sighed, "Alright, I will communicate with her agent. If she is willing to act, then which company are you preparing to find to do this film?"

"We'll contact them when the time comes, and cooperate with whichever company has the best conditions," Lu Yan He said.

Chen Ziyan: "Yan He, sometimes I feel you are even more willful than I imagined, but I have no way to criticize your willfulness, because you have the capital and strength to be willful."

Lu Yan He thought to himself, he can be a bit willful with the scripts he takes out because he knows the probability of their success is very high.

Therefore, in these projects, he will subconsciously show a strong and unquestionable posture.

Lu Yan He laughed and said: "Sister Ziyan, if one day I really become very willful, you must stop me."

"For example, like you tailoring scripts for other actors directly?"

"Uh, does this harm my career?"

"No, but it's very reckless," Chen Ziyan said directly.

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "Then if one day my willfulness will cause harm and impact to my career, you must stop me. As for being reckless, allow me to be reckless occasionally."

Chen Ziyan shook her head with emotion.

"You did this for Jiang Yuqian, and I don't know if she can accept your kindness," Chen Ziyan said. "If you don't tell her that this script was written by you, based on her current standards for taking plays, she might not be willing to take such a genre film. People have been thinking about transforming."

Lu Yan He said: "If she is not willing to take it, we'll talk about it later."

Chen Ziyan: "If she is not willing to act in this play, will you still write this script completely?"

"I will write it if I have time."

Chen Ziyan nodded.

In April, the temperature finally began to rise in a climbing manner, and spring finally began to slowly show what it should look like.

Spring is warm and flowers are blooming, and the campus is bright.

Many girls have changed into long skirts, walking on campus, the skirts swaying, very beautiful.

Lu Yan He was writing the script halfway, his thoughts couldn't keep up, so he simply put it aside and turned to look out the window.

The library's study room is on the eighth floor.

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Sitting by the window here, you can overlook the campus.

Lu Yan He suddenly noticed someone secretly filming him.

Lu Yan He glanced over there.

The person who was filming secretly immediately put down the phone.

Lu Yan He took back his gaze and continued to look out the window.

He was pondering how *Love Letter* should be written.

The male lead's appearance time in this film is really much less.

Those few shots in the original work, handsome, quiet, and with a bit of a boy's mischief, are all fragmented shots. Being able to become popular across Asia is entirely relying on Kashiwabara Takashi's face, as well as the resonance triggered by the unrequited love and regret expressed by the film's theme.

Lu Yan He was thinking, whether he should follow the original work and replicate such a quiet and clean boy image, or add a few scenes to make his character image more three-dimensional and full, not just staying on a surface like a picture.

A breeze blew in from the window that was opened a little.

The pages of the book on the table were turned by the wind, like sound like stacking, coming one after another.

Lu Yan He suddenly remembered an evening a few years ago.

He walked out of the school gate, and under the orange-red sunset, he saw Chen Siqi sitting on the steps next to the school gate. She fell, and there was a cut on her calf, and a little blood came out, and she couldn't walk.

Before that, the image of Chen Siqi in his heart was a somewhat spoiled and unreasonable girl. That was the first time she had a fragile side in front of him.

When Lu Yan He remembered it, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.

Thoughts pulled back.

Lu Yan He began to think, why was *Love Letter* so popular, and the male lead with only a few shots was even more popular than the heroine as the main perspective?

It's because it's simple.

He is like a person without a story or background. He only appears in the heroine's memory, with only a few fragments, all of which are the fragments the heroine remembers most deeply. Therefore, every time he appears, it appears along with the heroine's memories.

The audience who entered the heroine's perspective seemed to see the person they had unrequited love for during their youth on him in the first person.

Precisely because he has no character biography-style background, there is enough blank space for the audience to fill in their own memories on him.

Lu Yan He suddenly realized and understood the core significance of this role to *Love Letter*: he doesn't even need to speak, he just needs to appear when the heroine's heart ripples like cicada wings.

Lu Yan He gave up his entanglement and decided to write this script according to the original work.

When the script was about to be finished, Lu Yan He returned to Huiziyuanqiao.

He often didn't have thoughts until late at night, and his fingers tapped on the keyboard like flying.

If he were in the dormitory, it would be too easy to disturb his roommates.

Lu Yan He wrote the script for *Love Letter* first.

When he typed the last word of the script, it was two o'clock in the morning.

There was only him in the residence at Huiziyuanqiao.

He walked out of the room, poured himself a glass of wine, stood by the window, drinking while looking at the starry sky outside.

This is a starry night.

Only at this time, when many neon lights in the city are turned off, will the starry sky take off its veil and appear flickering in front of people.

Half a glass of wine was drunk quickly.

Lu Yan He's alcohol tolerance was already a bit tipsy.

Suddenly a bit sentimental.

Lu Yan He took a photo of the starry sky and posted it on Weibo.

He said:

Typed the last word of the new script on the computer. At this late night, there is no sleepiness at all. Suddenly I really want to call her, but she must have fallen asleep, so I can only call her in my dreams.

Lu Yan He didn't know at all how big a wave the Weibo post he sent caused the next day.

He didn't sleep until four in the morning.

And the next morning, the content of Lu Yan He's rare, true-feeling confession-style Weibo post quickly climbed to the hot search.

Lu Yan He's female fans couldn't hide their excitement one by one, as if this Weibo post was written for them.

Marketing accounts were even more frantically editing various topics and contents, speculating on the emotional status between Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi, and even asking if they were getting married.

Of course, this kind of groundless speculation can only attract some people who are deceived.

In addition to the boiling of the public domain over the late-night confession of a popular first-tier young actor, film and television companies and other people in the industry also moved at the first time, calling everyone they could contact, such as Lu Yan He, Chen Ziyan, Chen Siqi, etc.

Lu Yan He's mobile phone was on silent, couldn't get through, and no one answered, but it bittered Chen Ziyan, Chen Siqi and the others.

"New script? I don't know what new script it is either."

"He didn't tell me whether he was writing a TV script or a film script. He is still sleeping, and I called but he didn't answer. It must be on silent."

"President Chen, I really didn't lie to you. How could I fool you? Don't worry, I will definitely convey your desire to cooperate with him to Yan He."

In the end, Chen Siqi couldn't help but set her mobile phone to Do Not Disturb mode directly.

She really wanted to rush in front of Lu Yan He, lift him up from the bed, and loudly question him why he wanted to go crazy in the middle of the night and make such a confession. Now everyone who sees her has an ambiguous smile on their face!

Chen Siqi was really annoyed. But when she opened Weibo for the nth time and read this Weibo post written by Lu Yan He, a sweetness that she couldn't deny at all would crushingly suppress her annoyed mood.

"..."

Lu Yan He didn't wake up until noon.

Waking up with a sleepy face, eyes bleary, looking at dozens of missed calls and hundreds of unread messages on his mobile phone, he was stunned. He had just woken up, his brain couldn't turn, and now he was even more at a loss.

How... did it cause such a big stir? ===== CHAPTER 429 =====