Chapter 641

Jiang Yue's shout of "fighting" amused the entire set.

Lu Yan He also laughed.

The atmosphere became much more relaxed.

Lu Yan He did not stay long on set and soon left.

However, he had already agreed with Wu Chi that he and Chen Siqi would treat the entire crew to dinner tomorrow night.

A group dinner.

As soon as Lu Yan He left, the way everyone looked at Jiang Yue changed slightly.

Jiang Yue did not notice anything unusual.

She immediately went to find Wu Chi.

"Director, I'm Jiang Yue." Jiang Yue smiled and introduced herself to Wu Chi. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity to act in this film."

Wu Chi had just seen Lu Yan He off and was feeling relieved. Seeing Jiang Yue, he nodded. "It's good that you're here."

Jiang Yue asked, "So, Director, do I have scenes today?"

"Yes," Wu Chi said. "Hurry and let the stylist work on you; you need a new hairstyle."

Jiang Yue was stunned. "Huh?"

"Huh what?" Wu Chi looked at her in surprise. "Did they not tell you that this hairstyle won't work? I need hair that is a bit shorter with some natural waves. Your hair clearly looks like it was straightened at a salon; it doesn't suit this character."

Jiang Yue: "... No one told me I needed to change my hairstyle. Can I wear a wig?"

She asked hesitantly, "I put a lot of effort into growing my hair out like this."

Wu Chi said, "There is no budget for a wig, and we don't have one prepared. We are filming soon."

The implication was that she had to cut it.

Jiang Yue felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

Seeing her reaction, Wu Chi frowned, puzzled. "You're unwilling?"

Seeing Wu Chi's expression, Jiang Yue immediately shook her head and said, "No, I'm not unwilling. I'm willing."

She went off to do as told.

Seeing her return after meeting the director with a conflicted and miserable expression, Shen Yicheng didn't know what was wrong and asked, "What did the director say to you? Why do you look like that?"

Jiang Yue said, "Nothing much... No, he said I need to cut my hair and change my style. He said my current long, straight hair doesn't suit the character."

Shen Yicheng suddenly reacted. "Ah!"

"What's wrong?" Now it was Jiang Yue's turn to look at her in confusion.

Shen Yicheng said, "They did mention this to me, but I forgot. I was just so happy you got the role."

Jiang Yue: "Sigh, forget it, forget it. It's fine. If I have to cut it, I'll cut it. It will grow back."

Shen Yicheng: "Should I go talk to the director? See if there's another way? Wear a wig?"

"I already asked. The crew didn't prepare a wig for me, and we're filming soon; there's no time to find one." Jiang Yue sighed. "Just cut it. That's the only way."

Shen Yicheng felt very guilty.

If she hadn't forgotten about this, she might have been able to communicate with the crew sooner.

She knew how much Jiang Yue cherished her hair.

Lu Yan He returned to the house—

This was a house Wang Biao had booked for them online.

It wasn't a hotel.

This house had a view of the sea and a small courtyard; the environment was much better than the hotels in this small town.

Chen Siqi had already changed into comfortable clothes and was sitting under a large tree in the courtyard, typing on her laptop.

"Working?" Lu Yan He walked in and asked.

"Replying to a few emails," Chen Siqi said. "How is the crew?"

"Worse than I imagined," Lu Yan He laughed. "Although I was prepared for it to be bad, when I met with Chen Yin and the others, we agreed to let Wu Chi have free rein to direct this film. Even if it turns out terrible, we'll accept it."

Chen Siqi: "Why didn't you arrange for an experienced producer to help him?"

"Linghe doesn't have many experienced producers," Lu Yan He said. "Once you bring in an experienced producer to oversee things, you have to pay hundreds of thousands in fees. Another reason is that we started this project to let Director Wu Chi gain experience. If we brought in an experienced producer to oversee him, and since he's never directed before, we were worried the 'west wind would overwhelm the east wind'."

Chen Siqi nodded.

"If this film really turns out too bad—bad to the point where you feel it's shameful—what will you do?" she asked.

Lu Yan He: "Then it means our previous thought that he could direct *Those Years* was wrong. He doesn't have the ability to be a director. Isn't it cost-effective to use two million to insure a more important project in advance?"

"Your abacus is clicking loudly," Chen Siqi squinted and laughed.

Lu Yan He: "I'm just listening to what Chen Yin and the others say. Sometimes listening to them is quite rewarding. Their planning for the company's projects is considered from a global perspective. Look, after *Co-renting Men and Women* finished filming, the production team stopped working. Although a large part of them were hired from outside and not signed to the company, because it's a familiar team, and we plan to make *Co-renting Men and Women* a series, we hope to have them cooperate with our company long-term. We're preparing to sign project contracts with them. That means we have to find work for them; we can't let them just wait. So, now when Chen Yin and the others invest in projects, they also require these people to be arranged into the crew."

"That's not just stuffing actors into the crew; it's stuffing staff into the crew."

"Actors are just a very small department in a crew; the behind-the-scenes team is huge," Lu Yan He said. "So I think management is really difficult; it's a great science. As long as there are many people, things get complicated."

Chen Siqi laughed.

"Look at me, managing so many people," Chen Siqi laughed. "Actually, it's difficult, but it's also easy."

"Hmm?"

"Look, Li Bi is in charge of video media; Zijun and Bai Yu are handling magazines and content; Lin Yu is in charge of film and television; and Jiang Shuiqin is in charge of self-media," Chen Siqi said. "If you don't know how to lead a team, you can only work yourself to death. You can never expect to manage everything by yourself."

"Boss Chen is impressive," Lu Yan He teased.

Chen Siqi closed her laptop, stood up, stretched, and asked, "What are we eating later?"

"I saw online that the sour soup hot pot here is very famous. Shall we go eat that?"

"Sure," Chen Siqi's eyes lit up immediately. "Sounds delicious."

Both of them belong to the group that likes stronger flavors. Of course, this refers to the cooking style, not "truly heavy flavors" like insects.

The two of them went together to a sour soup hot pot restaurant in this small town called "Fish Head".

It was bustling with noise and very crowded.

Zou Dong and Xing Lecheng had booked a private room.

For this trip, Lu Yan He gave Wang Biao a break and let Xing Lecheng come along. Wang Biao was quite unhappy; his sense of crisis remained severe.

Xing Lecheng was proactive in his work, but not very meticulous, and he didn't understand much. Fortunately, when he encountered things he didn't understand, he would take the initiative to call Wang Biao for advice.

Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi entered the private room.

Xing Lecheng immediately stood up and shouted, "Little Brother Lu," and "Sister Siqi."

He was truly younger than them; he still had acne on his face and couldn't hide his nervousness.

"Have you ordered?" Lu Yan He asked.

Xing Lecheng's expression changed immediately. "N-not yet. I didn't know what you wanted to eat."

Lu Yan He: "Then let's hurry and order. We're a bit hungry. You guys see what you want to eat and order it yourselves."

Xing Lecheng looked a bit at a loss, not knowing whether to sit or stand.

Zou Dong walked over, raised his hand, pressed it on his shoulder, and pushed him down onto the stool.

Lu Yan He took a menu from the table, gave it to Chen Siqi, and handed another one to Zou Dong.

"I already looked online earlier. Just help me order a plate of fatty beef rolls and a grilled beef tongue."

Xing Lecheng immediately agreed and took out his phone to write it down with great seriousness.

Lu Yan He smiled slightly and said nothing.

"Lecheng, are you used to the sour and spicy flavor here?" he asked.

Xing Lecheng nodded. "I eat everything. I can eat anything."

"That's good. You're from the same hometown as Wang Biao, right?"

"Yes."

While they were talking, Chen Siqi had already finished looking.

Unlike the online ordering systems common in city restaurants today, this sour soup hot pot restaurant in the small town still maintained the most traditional ordering mode.

The waiter came in with paper and pen, and the guests would call out an item, and the waiter would record it.

However, because of Lu Yan He, Xing Lecheng had already agreed with the shopkeeper that the waiter wouldn't enter the private room, and they would go out to order later.

After Chen Siqi reported the dishes she wanted, Xing Lecheng was about to get up to order, but Zou Dong had already stood up and said, "I'll go. You pour the water."

Xing Lecheng turned red—

They had been in for so long, and he hadn't even poured them water yet.

He scrambled to pick up the teapot.

"Sorry." His apology was very quiet, like a mosquito's hum.

"It's okay," Chen Siqi said. "Give us the teapot; we can do it ourselves."

Xing Lecheng bit the bullet and said, "I'll do it."

He felt he was doing a terrible job.

The training and guidance Wang Biao had given him were all forgotten, and his mind was a blank slate.

When the food was served, Xing Lecheng noticed that in addition to the dishes Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi ordered, Zou Dong had added several other dishes.

He was stunned.

He suddenly realized something.

If he had gone to order, he might have only ordered the few dishes mentioned earlier and wouldn't have thought to add other side dishes. For example, vegetables, other hot pot ingredients, or a bowl of cold jelly and a bottle of sea buckthorn juice for everyone.

"Brother Dong, is Xiaoyu in middle school now? Is he adapting?" Lu Yan He asked.

Zou Dong: "Not bad. Because it's boarding, he can basically only come back once a week."

"Why did you choose boarding?" Lu Yan He was a bit surprised.

"His mother also has a job, so boarding is more convenient for everyone," Zou Dong said. "Besides, there are many boarding students at the school, and he has people to play and study with. It's quite good."

Lu Yan He nodded.

Chen Siqi said: "I heard Xiaoyu's grades are very good. He got into the middle school division of No. 13 Middle School on his own."

"He got in by luck." Although Zou Dong said this, the smile on his face couldn't be hidden.

Chen Siqi: "That's really impressive."

"Where did you go to middle school? Was it also No. 13 Middle School?" Lu Yan He asked.

"No. 13 Middle School," Chen Siqi nodded. "But I didn't get in on my own. I spent a sum of school-choice fees; commonly known as buying my way in."

Lu Yan He: "No. 13 Middle School isn't the best middle school in Yuming. To be precise, it's not even in the first tier. Why didn't you try to find a way to get into the best middle school at the time?"

Chen Siqi rolled her eyes. "Do you even have to ask? Of course, it was that woman's schemes. She said No. 13 Middle School was close to home, and she said my grades weren't very good, and if I went to the best school, I would be compared to others and feel inferior. Anyway, she had a whole set of theories, and in the end, she made me go to No. 13 Middle School."

Lu Yan He nodded.

"It's a good thing you went to No. 13 Middle School, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to meet," Lu Yan He laughed. "Have you been back recently?"

"No," Chen Siqi shook her head. "Why go back? They wouldn't welcome me anyway."

"I'm asking if you've been back to your grandparents' house."

"Of course I went back," Chen Siqi said. "Last time I went back, Grandma was still talking about you, asking how you were."

"Me?" Lu Yan He was confused. "Aren't I doing quite well?"

"They wouldn't stop asking just because you're doing well," Chen Siqi said. "She likes you so much, it makes me jealous."

"Grandma is just loving me because she loves you."

Meanwhile, on the set of *Oh My Sea*.

"How did you act out this scene like this?"

Wu Chi looked at Jiang Yue in disbelief.

Jiang Yue was also confused, not knowing how she had acted it out.

Wu Chi pulled her to the monitor and let her watch her performance just now.

Jiang Yue looked, uh, isn't this her normal level?

"I remember when you auditioned, it wasn't like this," Wu Chi said. "You were clearly very natural and poised. Why are you so awkward now?"

Jiang Yue said "uh".

On the side, the male lead Kong Fanyu, who had just acted with her, burst out laughing.

Jiang Yue glanced at him.

Kong Fanyu quickly waved his hands and zipped his mouth.

Wu Chi glared at Kong Fanyu. "You have the nerve to laugh at others? How well did you act?"

Kong Fanyu's eyes widened in shock.

Now it was Jiang Yue's turn to laugh.

Wu Chi: "..."

Wu Chi asked Jiang Yue: "Can you be a bit more natural and poised? Stop being so awkward." Jiang Yue stuck out her tongue and said: "I thought that when I see a boy I like, I'm supposed to be a bit awkward."

Wu Chi: "In this script, you are playing a poised and elegant beauty! Even if you like him, you like him in a poised way."

Jiang Yue: "Okay, okay, I'll act it again."

"Act it again my ass, it's getting dark," Wu Chi sighed impatiently. "Change scenes, we're filming the next scene. You guys will film this scene again tomorrow."

A look of guilt appeared on Jiang Yue's face.

"Sorry, Director."

"Don't apologize to me. Act well later, don't improvise blindly."

Jiang Yue: "..."

After Wu Chi left, Jiang Yue was dejected.

Kong Fanyu could no longer hold back his laughter; he looked at Jiang Yue, laughing so hard his waist bent.

【641-144】 (In one look)

"What are you laughing at?" Jiang Yue glared at him.

Kong Fanyu: "No, it's not just that you were awkward; the way you acted wasn't even called awkward. I thought you were deliberately trying to look ugly and be funny."

Jiang Yue: "..."

"It's amazing. People on the crew told me you were handpicked by the director. I didn't expect you to be just like this," Kong Fanyu said.

Jiang Yue took a deep breath and snorted.

"I also thought the male lead of this film would be so outstanding. I didn't expect him to be just a straw bag with a good skin," she retorted without hesitation.

Kong Fanyu's eyes widened. "Damn!"

"Didn't you hear the director criticizing you too? Hurry up and ponder it," Jiang Yue turned and left.

"Teacher, if you keep frowning like that, I estimate that by the time this film is finished, your nasolabial folds won't go away," Li Chao said.

Wu Chi: "Nasolabial folds? I'm full of despair right now. How can this film be filmed? Everyone is different from what I imagined."

"Isn't filming a movie always like this? It's impossible to be perfect," Li Chao used the rhetoric he learned online to comfort his teacher.

"Is it that I can't reach perfection? It's that there isn't a single place I'm even slightly satisfied with," Wu Chi was melancholy. "Are my requirements too high?"

Li Chao thought to himself, Teacher, it's that your requirements are too non-specific; no one knows what you want.

Li Chao took out a large-format booklet, gave it to Wu Chi, and said: "Teacher, why don't you look at this?"

"What is this?" Wu Chi asked.

Li Chao said: "This is a simple storyboard I made for tomorrow's scenes based on your previous vision for this film."

Wu Chi took it and flipped through it.

"Right now, everyone is unclear about what kind of footage needs to be filmed, so the work each person is responsible for is hard to push forward," Li Chao said. "I'm thinking, if every scene could have a detailed storyboard, everyone could have a more accurate understanding."

Wu Chi finished reading it carefully.

The storyboard Li Chao made wasn't just a storyboard; next to every page, he had made very detailed annotations in text.

"If this works, I'll distribute this set of storyboards and let each department submit their relevant plans for tomorrow's scene, and we'll have a meeting to go over it together at night," Li Chao said. "Through a few such exchanges, perhaps everyone will slowly be able to understand what this film is supposed to look like."

Wu Chi said: "Do you have a pen? I'll make some modifications."

Li Chao immediately took a pen out of his pocket and handed it to Wu Chi.

Wu Chi made some modifications in several places, mainly text annotations.

For example, in a close-up shot of Kong Fanyu laughing with his hands on his hips, Wu Chi noted: This scene needs to have a manga-style exaggeration.

Li Chao looked at it, and his vision went black.

Manga-style exaggeration...

It's this kind of adjective again.

Such a requirement makes it impossible for the various departments to execute operations.

Li Chao hesitated for a moment and asked: "Teacher, this shot is actually meant to express the side of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy that is a bit idiotic, brainless, and chuunibyou, right?"

Wu Chi nodded.

"It's just to have a feeling of being arrogant to the extreme," Wu Chi said. "Forming a sharp contrast with the next scene where he is suddenly doused with a basin of cold water."

"If it were in an anime, you could use a deliberately exaggerated big-mouthed laugh to highlight it, but this is a live-action film... Why not use a low-angle shot to show it?" Li Chao suggested. "Filming a sense of stupidity that pretends to be tall."

Wu Chi heard this and nodded. "Yes, that's the meaning. Anyway, don't make this shot too ordinary; give it a surreal sense of exaggeration."

Li Chao nodded.

"I'll go communicate with the photographer."

Jiang Yue was constantly practicing that poised and gentle posture of a model student in front of Shen Yicheng.

Shen Yicheng was also using her phone to record it, making it easy for Jiang Yue to see the effect of her performance just now.

Just as she was practicing, she suddenly heard a very exaggerated "Ha—ha—ha—ha—ha—" coming from next door.

Laughing like an exhaust pipe.

Jiang Yue and Shen Yicheng both showed expressions of disbelief and curiously walked over to take a look.

As a result, they saw Kong Fanyu standing in one place, hands on his hips, laughing up at the sky like an idiot, laughing very exaggeratedly.

Another person was carrying a camera, squatting in front of him and filming him.

The most critical thing was that Assistant Director Li Chao was also watching from the side.

What is this situation?

After Kong Fanyu finished laughing, he asked: "How is it? Do you want to do it again?"

Li Chao looked at what was just filmed and said: "Enough, enough, it has that meaning."

He left with the photographer.

Jiang Yue walked over with a face full of suspicion and asked: "What were you doing just now? Reshooting a scene?"

"What reshooting, test shooting!" Kong Fanyu said. "This is for tomorrow's filming. Brother Chao and the others said the director wanted to see what the effect would be if it were filmed like this."

"Oh," Jiang Yue nodded. "You laughed really stupidly just now."

Kong Fanyu: "That's the effect I wanted; what do you know?"

Jiang Yue: "Hehe."

Kong Fanyu asked: "Didn't you just laugh like a mannequin, practicing to be a goddess?"

Jiang Yue: "You actually peeked at me?"

"You were practicing right there; do I need to peek? I could see it openly," Kong Fanyu said. "Then you peeked at me just now too."

Jiang Yue: "... Wow, how can your face be so thick?"

"Likewise," Kong Fanyu retorted.

The two of them bickered for a long time.

Suddenly, Jiang Yue saw an unexpected figure out of the corner of her eye.

Wu Chi.

"Ah! Director!" Jiang Yue quickly retracted her fighting-hen-like expression and revealed a proper expression. "Are you looking for us?"

In front of the director, Jiang Yue's demeanor was very honest.

In her ear, Kong Fanyu whispered: "Changing faces really fast."

Jiang Yue acted as if she hadn't heard.

Wu Chi looked at them with a thoughtful expression.

"So, you really don't plan to act in *Those Years*?" Chen Siqi asked Lu Yan He.

Lu Yan He shook his head. "I don't plan to act in it, although I really want to."

Chen Siqi: "If you want to act, just act. It's rare to have a play you really want to act in."

Lu Yan He: "They are right. I can't find a suitable actress to play my opponent. Among actresses of the same age, if they act with other male actors, the audience might believe they are Shen Jiayi, but... saying it like this makes me seem too narcissistic."

"Exactly, you can act as the cold, introverted, secret-crush-type male lead in *Love Letter*. Anyway, although it's a secret crush, it's also deified; it's basically too beautiful to appear in reality. But you can't act as a boy who is seriously and realistically pursuing a girl."

"It's not impossible, but that actress must be someone like Chen Bige, who is a bit higher and stronger than me in the audience's mind, worthy of me lowering my posture and pursuing her like a loyal dog," Lu Yan He said. "Of course, they actually have another suggestion, which is for you to play Shen Jiayi."

"Me to play?"

"Yes," Lu Yan He nodded. "Because you and I are already a couple, everyone has accepted it, so everyone can accept me liking and pursuing you so much in the movie."

Chen Siqi: "I can't act."

"I mainly considered that at the end of this movie, the two people don't end up together, which is a bad omen, so I gave up on this plan," Lu Yan He laughed. "Otherwise, I would teach you how to act. You are so smart, you would definitely be able to act well."

Chen Siqi: "Then I really can't do it. Let's be realistic; don't let beauty be in the eyes of the lover."

Lu Yan He: "... Anyway, in short, maybe it really needs to be changed."

"Who told you your golden body is so hard now? Even Li Zhibai would be fine," Chen Siqi said. "He is popular, but his image in the public's mind is not as high and lofty as yours."

"Yes," Lu Yan He nodded. "I was also thinking, why not find Li Zhibai to act in this movie? As you said, although he is popular, he has always been controversial—playing big, lazy, not working hard. Since his debut, there have been many negative news stories. Of course, he doesn't care, but because of this, everyone doesn't have so many high expectations for him... When he has negative news, everyone's acceptance is very high, thinking it's normal."

Chen Siqi: "If Li Zhibai acts in it, then who will play Shen Jiayi?"

Lu Yan He said: "Ji Miao, who we just cooperated with, pass first. We need some freshness. Hmm... actually, the role of Shen Jiayi can be played by many actresses. It's not difficult. As long as her image is that kind of non-aggressive beauty, with a bit of the proper feeling of a good student, it's fine."

Chen Siqi nodded: "Indeed, this youth romance film is definitely from the male lead's perspective, and the female lead's tool-person attribute is also very strong, just like you in *Love Letter*. But her scenes are much more, and even as a girl, after reading the script, I also like the role of Shen Jiayi very much, and I will also feel that Ke Teng is an idiot for missing such a good girl. Your script is written very well, not at all formulaic, but has a kind of... it's like something you actually experienced in the past. If I hadn't known you in high school, I would definitely think that you had a girl like Shen Jiayi in your high school days."

Chen Siqi's eyes suddenly changed, becoming a bit jealous.

Lu Yan He: "..."

"No way, you're jealous of a fictional character?"

Chen Siqi: "Shen Jiayi is so gentle and beautiful, and proper. Do you think I'm not gentle and not proper?"

Lu Yan He: "... I really am... where can I reason?"

He looked at Chen Siqi.

The sunset was about to fall completely behind the mountain.

At this time, the twilight had a desolate feeling like embers.

Chen Siqi raised her eyebrows and looked at him, meaning, let's see what else you can say.

He suddenly kissed her.

Chen Siqi widened her eyes in surprise.

The meaning of Lu Yan He's kiss was, you are unreasonable, and I am unreasonable too.

"Change the script?" Li Chao looked at his teacher in disbelief.

He felt that if it weren't for the fact that his teacher was his teacher, he might not be able to help but ask—

Is your brain flooded?

Wu Chi's eyes were shining.

"I was wrong. Why should I arrange a goddess he can't get for someone like Zhao Ye (the character played by Kong Fanyu)? He should be explosive, and even the girl he likes should be explosive and able to bombard him."

"Bombard..." Li Chao looked at his teacher in disbelief. "Teacher, is there such a way to describe love between men and women?"

"The most important thing is that I saw the spark I wanted from Jiang Yue and Kong Fanyu," Wu Chi said. "Jiang Yue doesn't need to act like a very proper girl at all. The friction between her and Kong Fanyu is so damn youthful!"

Wu Chi was trembling with excitement.

"Teacher, do you want to calm down a bit?" Li Chao was a bit helpless.

Wu Chi said: "I watched the shot you filmed just now; it's the exaggerated feeling just now. You go tell them about the storyboard. I have to go change the script tonight. Jiang Yue's scenes are all moved back; don't film them for now."

Li Chao: "Teacher, wait a minute. Can the script be changed just like that? Doesn't this matter need to be told to Linghe? This film was invested and produced by them."

Wu Chi suddenly realized. "Ah, right!"

Li Chao: "Besides, Lu Yan He just came over. If we change the script without authorization, what will we do if Lu Yan He and the others get angry?"

Wu Chi scratched his head.

"This... then what should we do? Sigh, no matter what, I have to change the script first. I'll go change the script tonight," he said. "Even if we communicate with Linghe, we must take the changed script to communicate."

"Teacher, wouldn't it be better if we tell Linghe about this idea first? Let's communicate first, so they don't think we are acting first and reporting later," Li Chao said. "Besides, if they say they don't agree to change the script now, it's better than ending up with nothing."

Wu Chi scratched his head very irritably.

"I'll go find Lu Yan He directly," Wu Chi said. "I'll go find him now."

Li Chao was numb.

He really wanted to pull back his teacher who had suddenly gone off the rails.

However, a rational voice in his mind reminded him that it would be good for him to hit a wall at Lu Yan He's place.

Change the script temporarily?

The crew was already chaotic enough; if this happens, it might as well fall apart.

"You stay here and be responsible for tonight's scenes," Wu Chi instructed Li Chao. "You know what I want every scene to look like."

Li Chao: "... Ah? Me?"

Wu Chi ran away just like that.

Li Chao muttered: "... If others don't say we are a grass-roots team, then it's a ghost."

Although he was muttering, he sighed and bit the bullet to go to the filming site.

Recommend the old book "I Became the Scandalous Heroine Overnight" (End of chapter)