Chapter 698: The Moment of the Movie (7400-word update)

Chen Siqi didn't mean that Jump Up must reach a certain position.

It's just that *Jump Up* is already a top literary magazine in China. After the annual inventory, the monthly sales dropped slightly, but the January issue still stabilized at 350,000 copies.

For her, she has always believed in one thing: doing anything must be "sailing against the current, not advancing is retreating."

If you think that *Jump Up* has achieved this result, it is already very good, and from then on, you start to "defend the country," then perhaps the country will only become smaller and smaller.

"Doing artist brands, on the one hand, can further enhance the popularity and influence of 'Jump Up' in various vertical fields, and on the other hand, it can also help us maintain good relationships with artists in various fields." Chen Siqi said, "Curating exhibitions, cross-field cooperation, these all need a professional organization to help them manage for them. This is also a direction that our 'Jump Up' can open up."

"However, our 'Jump Up' doesn't have people in this area now, and we need to integrate resources." Linyu said.

"Yes." Chen Siqi nodded, "We will select internally first to see if there are suitable objects that can be cultivated. If not, find a headhunting company to help us find them outside."

As soon as the meeting was over, everyone scattered.

Linyu and the others stayed.

She said: "This time in Xitu'er, why didn't you accompany Yan He?"

"He only stayed for two days this time, so I was too lazy to go." Chen Siqi said, "There are so many things here. How is the preparation for the second International Film Critics Film Festival this year?"

"Already contacting film critics, because the response to the first session was good, our work this year is much easier to promote." Linyu said bluntly, "After everyone knows what kind of film festival this is, there are many fewer concerns. However, in terms of film selection, I am struggling, whether it is necessary to select *Raise the Red Lantern* and *Tropical Rainy Season*."

"Our film festival is in June, which is too close to Xitu'er." Chen Siqi said, "Regardless of whether these two films will win awards in Xitu'er, they have just been in Xitu'er and have already experienced a round of relatively large publicity exposure and discussion. I personally suggest not putting them into the film list."

Linyu nodded, "Then our views are consistent."

Chen Siqi said: "It's a pity, *Tropical Rainy Season* director Huang Tianlin, I remember his previous directorial debut had a good response at the Toronto Film Festival, and the evaluation was very high. Perhaps we can put this movie into the film list for screening, and invite Huang Tianlin over to do a dialogue activity with film critics."

Linyu said: "Okay, I will communicate with his film company."

"It's just a pity, Yan He only acted as a supporting role in *Tropical Rainy Season* this time, otherwise, maybe he could directly win the Best Actor at the Xitu'er Film Festival." Xu Zijun said.

Bai Yu asked: "The Best Actor at the Xitu

"That's what they say, but in reality, it's actually quite rare. It would really have to be that the jury for that year just loved that actor too much." Chen Siqi was saying this when she suddenly paused, because she suddenly remembered that Liu Bige was on the jury for this year's Xitu'er. "No way, right?"

The thought that popped into her mind made her feel a bit incredulous.

The screening of *Raise the Red Lantern* was a success.

And just as Lu Yan He had anticipated, this film was a piece extremely well-suited for international film festivals; the media and film critics gave it high praise, and once the daily bulletin scores were out, it jumped straight to first place.

Chen Bige's performance also led to her being seen as a top contender for Best Actress at this year's Xitu'er Film Festival.

Although Li Yuefeng only made a friendly cameo in it, he still basked in the glow, appearing with the cast and crew on the red carpet and at press conferences at Xitu'er, marking the first time he had appeared at a top-tier international film festival with a work of his own.

He himself was very happy.

But what made him a bit depressed was that, apart from the domestic media, almost no one was discussing his appearance or performance in the film.

Lu Yan He attended several official events with the cast and crew, completing his promotional duties.

Li Yuefeng said to him again, "Yan He, if you have any movies in the future that need me to act in, like a friendly cameo like in *Raise the Red Lantern*, I'm willing. You should look for me more; I want to come to these international film festivals more often."

To be so blunt about wanting to come to film festivals—

Among the first-tier stars Lu Yan He knew, it seemed only Li Yuefeng would do that.

In a way, Li Yuefeng was very similar to Jiang Yuqian.

This concept of similarity refers to how they were very frank when facing their own ambitions, desires, and thirst for fame and fortune, without pretending to be noble, high-minded, or aloof from the world.

Lu Yan He smiled and said okay.

However, he also said bluntly, "If you want to gain more attention at international film festivals, you should collaborate with the best art-house directors in the country, star in their films, and bring a film you lead to these festivals. The attention you get will be completely different."

Li Yuefeng: "I'd like to, but how would my agency allow me to lower my salary and spend several months acting in an art-house film? Only for your films, okay, they won't talk nonsense."

Lu Yan He: "Well, you have to fight for that yourself. Before, when Yan Liang wanted to act in some plays he wanted to do, his agent didn't agree either. They negotiated many times, and in the end, they made mutual concessions; Yan Liang cooperated with their work, and they would give Yan Liang some opportunities to act in the plays he wanted."

Li Yuefeng: "That's because Yan Liang knows what kind of plays he wants to act in. To be honest, my ability to read scripts is just so-so. I might think a script is good, but others might not, or if I come across a decent script in the future, can I ask for your opinion?"

"Sure." Lu Yan He nodded. "I can also recommend scripts to you, but I'm very afraid of recommending scripts to people. One very important reason is that others always feel that the scripts I recommend must be successful, which puts a lot of pressure on me. I can only judge from the level of the script whether it's a good script or a bad one, whether this role is suitable to play, and whether it's challenging. But you also know that whether a movie can succeed, while the script is certainly important, what's more important is the director and the production team."

Li Yuefeng: "If it's a script recommended by you, no matter what it lacks, I'd be willing to use my own strength to arm it. Really, I'm even willing to invest in it myself."

"Don't be impulsive. To be fair, for art-house films, nine out of ten investments lose money, including my own," Lu Yan He said. "I personally have invested in quite a few low-budget films in the country, and very few have actually been profitable."

Li Yuefeng was astonished.

"Really? Everyone says you have a very sharp eye. Do you have times when you miss the mark too?"

"Of course, I'm not a prophet," Lu Yan He said. "You have to think this through yourself. I know you might not really treat film art as art, but you can act; that is beyond doubt. Under a good director, you will be a good actor. That's why I'm telling you this. Even though you don't have that many artistic pursuits yourself, you can help some directors who haven't made a name for themselves yet. But the problem is, it's definitely not something that can be achieved in one or two films. You have to be prepared for long-term efforts without returns."

Li Yuefeng pondered for a moment and asked, "Then do you think, even if there are no returns from long-term efforts, I should still do it?"

"You should." Lu Yan He nodded. "You are an actor who can act; you are not just a traffic star. People will slowly lose the popularity and attention that comes from their appearance as they age. At that time, you will need industry influence, acting skills, and recognition from society in a more common sense. If you can spend these years personally supporting many art-house directors, even if you don't win any awards in the end, the way this industry looks at you will be different. These are all things you can hold in your hands. Not to mention, in terms of worldly value, you might be able to rely on a good work to win an award, further increase your influence, and even become an even greater actor."

"Okay." Li Yuefeng nodded. "Since you say so, then I'll do it."

"Huh?"

"I trust you very much," Li Yuefeng said. "Only you will tell me the truth."

"That can't be."

"Really, when I tell my company I want to act in more serious, valuable films, they think I'm not cut out for it, that there's no need to waste time, and they also think it will affect my own popularity and commercial value. Sometimes when I talk to other directors and producers, although they welcome me to act in their films with their words, I can actually feel that their positioning of me is just as a big star who can attract investment and help the project gain more attention," Li Yuefeng said. "You didn't look down on my utilitarian purpose, you could affirm my acting skills, and you were willing to help me. Only you."

Lu Yan He: "Then believe me, as you slowly open up your circle, you will meet more people willing to help you. It must be that you were too self-isolated before, locking yourself in a circle and not interacting with others."

Li Yuefeng: "I admit that too. I'm not a person who is good at dealing with others. Sometimes, I assume that all my peers are in a competitive relationship, and I don't want to be friends with them. It's too fake. I've always felt that there is no true friendship in the entertainment industry."

Lu Yan He: "What about me?"

"To be honest, if the gap between me and you wasn't so big, I wouldn't think we could really become friends," Li Yuefeng said honestly.

Lu Yan He smiled. "I don't know why you have such thoughts. Maybe this has something to do with the things you encountered when you first entered this industry, but your thoughts will change, really."

Li Yuefeng shrugged his shoulders.

"I hope so."

Lu Yan He: "Come back and help me act in a movie. The second male lead, how about it?"

"Who is the first male lead?" Li Yuefeng asked. "I won't be a stepping stone for a first male lead who is worse than me."

Lu Yan He was speechless.

Li Yuefeng was just Li Yuefeng; he never hid his thoughts—even if he could have expressed such thoughts in a more tactful way that wouldn't hurt his own image. But this was precisely an important reason why Lu Yan He, despite having a personality completely different from his and values that weren't quite the same, could still be friends with him.

"Li Zhibai," Lu Yan He said.

Li Yuefeng pondered for a moment, hesitated, and said, "Fine."

"Don't worry, I won't let you lose out," Lu Yan He said. "This movie will definitely have good results."

Li Yuefeng: "Is that so?"

"Yes," Lu Yan He nodded. "And you will definitely receive a lot of attention; you won't be a stepping stone."

"Okay," Li Yuefeng said. "Then you send me the script later, and I'll go tell the company not to make things difficult."

"It's fine, just keep it professional. If they want to turn down this movie for reasons other than the second male lead, then this company doesn't have a good eye," Lu Yan He said. "You can also consider changing companies. I don't need you to give me friendly support in any aspect; everything should be done according to market rates."

Li Yuefeng looked at Lu Yan He with some surprise.

"You have to know, even if I play the second male lead, if I don't give them a heads-up, the company will still quote the price according to my normal movie acting salary."

"Quote it," Lu Yan He nodded. "As long as it's not an exorbitant price, for any film and television project I do, I don't want any participant to lose out, unless it's not profitable from the start, and I clearly tell everyone that this is not a commercial project."

Li Yuefeng stared at Lu Yan He in amazement.

"Do you have to be so exaggerated?"

"You told me the truth, so I'm telling you the truth too," Lu Yan He said.

Li Yuefeng: "You really make people admire you. I really admire you."

Lu Yan He smiled brightly: "Winning people over with virtue?"

"If you only had virtue, I wouldn't admire you that much," Li Yuefeng said.

Lu Yan He: "... Sigh, sometimes I also wish you wouldn't be so direct with me."

In the evening, Lu Yan He met with Huang Tianlin and Huang Feng, who had just arrived in Xitu'er.

Huang Feng had already started school and had specifically asked for leave.

He was the main lead of *Tropical Rainy Season*, so it was impossible for him not to appear.

The reason why the two of them came so late was actually a very key reason: their company didn't have enough budget to let them stay here for so long; they were even returning on the same day as Lu Yan He.

After the screening event ends tomorrow, Huang Tianlin and Huang Feng will leave Xitu'er the day after tomorrow.

This is also the embarrassing part of independent films. Even if they were shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Xitu'er Film Festival, they actually couldn't easily enjoy the glory of the film festival.

Lu Yan He invited them to have dinner together.

This was not Huang Tianlin's first time attending a film festival, but the main competition unit of the Xitu'er Film Festival could be said to be the sanctuary for every director who wants to make art-house films.

Huang Tianlin never expected that the film *Tropical Rainy Season* could have such results.

This was only his second film.

After meeting Huang Tianlin, Lu Yan He clearly felt that he was a bit excited and nervous.

"Screening tomorrow, Director, are you looking forward to it?"

Huang Tianlin: "I've already had insomnia for several nights."

"I'm also a bit nervous. I never expected *Tropical Rainy Season* to come to Xitu'er," Lu Yan He said. "You're too awesome, your second work was shortlisted for the main competition unit of Xitu'er."

Huang Tianlin: "Isn't this thanks to you?"

"Is that so? How come I don't know?" Lu Yan He laughed.

Producer Yuan Hai laughed and said, "If you hadn't acted in it, Xitu'er's selection team might not have noticed our film."

"So I have this role too," Lu Yan He laughed. "I wasn't even planning to come to Xitu'er this year, after all, I was only the screenwriter for *Raise the Red Lantern*, but then I was suddenly told that *Tropical Rainy Season* was also shortlisted."

"Then you must come; we all have to rely on you to hold down the fort."

"No, believe me, after *Tropical Rainy Season* is screened, Director Huang will be known by the whole world," Lu Yan He said. "I am now incredibly looking forward to seeing the finished film of *Tropical Rainy Season*. I saw some clips before and it made me look forward to it."

Yuan Hai smiled mysteriously at Lu Yan He and said, "You will be pleasantly surprised."

"Ah?" Lu Yan He was surprised. "A surprise?"

Yuan Hai said: "When Tianlin was editing the film, he couldn't stop praising your performance."

Lu Yan He: "Is that so?"

He turned his head to look at Huang Tianlin.

This young director, who was very reluctant to have him participate at first, now turned his head to the other side, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Lu Yan He asked: "What is the surprise?"

Yuan Hai: "You'll know when you see the movie tomorrow."

Seeing that Yuan Hai refused to say it now, Lu Yan He had to give up.

He turned his head to look at Huang Feng.

"Did you have fun filming *Home Alone*?"

The child's eyes were as bright as night pearls.

"It was fun!" Huang Feng was very excited. "I like it!"

Lu Yan He guessed that the process of Huang Feng filming *Home Alone* must have been incredibly happy.

There were so many props for playing tricks on people in it; when would he have the chance to try them one by one in real life?

Huang Feng asked: "They said this movie will have a sequel, is that right?"

Lu Yan He nodded: "Yes, we are planning to film another one this summer vacation, but this way, you won't have a summer vacation."

Huang Feng: "I don't need a summer vacation, I want to film *Home Alone*."

At first, *Home Alone* was planned to be filmed at a speed of one per year, but later, everyone considered that Huang Feng was growing up, and at the speed of one per year, they might not be able to film two before Huang Feng grew into a teenager.

Although it's not impossible to film when he grows into a teenager, it's ultimately not as interesting as when he was a child.

So, it was finally decided to film two a year.

Huang Tianlin of course also knew about the movie *Home Alone*.

He asked: "How many of this movie are planned to be filmed?"

"I have a complete idea for three parts myself," Lu Yan He said. In fact, it was because he had only seen three. He thought for a moment and said, "If the market feedback for this film series continues to be very good, we might keep filming it later, but we might hire other screenwriters to write the script later."

Huang Tianlin nodded.

"I guess after the movie is released, Huang Feng will become the most popular child star in China."

Lu Yan He nodded.

He thought so too.

Huang Tianlin asked: "You won't let him lose out, right?"

Lu Yan He shook his head. "I have read every one of his contracts, and his mother has also read them. I dare not say that he got the best treatment, but he definitely won't lose out."

Hearing this, Huang Tianlin seemed to believe it directly and nodded.

"No way, I just said that, and you believed it?" Lu Yan He said. "Then whatever you ask, I could just fool you."

"You wouldn't," Huang said. "You don't need to do that."

Lu Yan He thought to himself, is this not what you call winning people over with virtue?

One after another, they all trusted his character so much.

If Lu Yan He's mindset during the screening of *Raise the Red Lantern* was as steady as a rock, with no extra worries at all, then for the screening of *Tropical Rainy Season*, Lu Yan He couldn't help but feel nervous.

The former was a work that Lu Yan He saw as "bound to succeed," while the latter was a solid new work by a newcomer, and he didn't know what kind of evaluation and feedback it would receive.

As soon as the movie started, it was Huang Feng's profile.

In the completely silent image, Lu Yan He was shirtless, sitting on the floor against the wall, holding a book and reading.

The afternoon sun cut in diagonally from outside the window.

It was that kind of dryness that only exists in tropical regions.

Lu Yan He was lean and dark, but still handsome, with a somewhat lazy and unruly look in his eyes.

A kind of handsomeness and wildness with a bit of sharpness.

Huang Feng asked him a question from time to time.

He basically answered in one or two words, seeming not very patient.

Such a shot became the opening of the film.

Information such as the director, producer, etc., surfaced one after another.

Lu Yan He was surprised by his own image appearing on the screen.

He actually didn't quite recognize himself.

It was an image very different from his usual self and his self in other movies.

In terms of image, he had completely turned into a local teenager.

When the opening ended, a girl's voice calling him sounded outside.

He immediately threw the book on the ground and got up to put on his clothes.

"Where are you going?" Huang Feng asked childishly.

"Stay home by yourself," Lu Yan He dropped this sentence and left.

Huang Feng showed an expression of disappointment and loss, came to the window, and saw the scene of his brother and a girl leaving.

His eyes were very innocent and naive.

The movie started like this.

Sitting in the dark screening hall, Lu Yan He felt this story through the light and shadow.

Even though this was a story where he knew the plot development completely, he was completely immersed in it.

Huang Tianlin's lens language had a very Southeast Asian feel.

The perspective was very small, the picture was very clean, the soundtrack was almost non-existent, but it had a kind of summer wind chime feeling, popping out from time to time to tease you, like the wind, like a dragonfly flying under the eaves.

Lu Yan He had always felt that Huang Tianlin's shooting rhythm and picture style were very similar to Wong Kar-wai, but at this moment, Lu Yan He felt that, in fact, the overall temperament of his film was more like Hirokazu Kore-eda.

It's just that the lens language was more like Wong Kar-wai.

The plot of the movie was actually very simple, but through the perspective of a child like Huang Feng, many things changed. Many things, such as an argument, or a few simple words, became huge things when they fell to Huang Feng.

The film captured every subtle and sensitive reaction of Huang Feng, so the difficulty of the mother working hard at home, the brother's longing for the outside world, and the anxiety that this family seemed to be on the verge of collapse under the appearance of maintaining it were all invisibly magnified.

When the movie had been playing for an hour, Lu Yan He discovered something very surprisingly.

Why were there so many shots of him?

Lu Yan He knew very clearly that his two most important scenes, one where he argued with his mother and was slapped, and one where he left this home, had not yet appeared.

Many short shots that were only one or two seconds long were edited in by Huang Tianlin.

Shots that didn't have much in themselves, but because Huang Tianlin always put them in front of Huang Feng's reaction shots, suddenly, his reactions in every shot had different stories and meanings.

Huang Feng's shots gave Lu Yan He's "nothing special" shots a lot of things.

What impressed Lu Yan He the most was the contradictory state of mind of the teenager's rejection and attachment to this family.

He had to say that when he was acting, at least in many of the shots, he was not expressing this state, but after being edited by Huang Tianlin like this, it suddenly had a thematic meaning.

And the subsequent argument with his mother, the silent communication with his younger brother that night, and his final farewell to this home alone were suddenly elevated to a different level.

What Lu Yan He didn't expect the most was that after he left this home, there was only one last scene left in the movie.

A calm afternoon with sunlight spilling all over the room.

Huang Feng asked where his brother went.

Mom said he went outside.

Huang Feng asked when his brother would be back.

Mom said he would be back when you grow up a little.

Huang Feng stood in front of the window and looked at the place from the opening; he saw the girl he met with his brother before looking towards their house.

He greeted her with surprise.

She turned and ran away as if she had been frightened.

Huang Feng was a bit puzzled.

Mom asked who you were greeting.

Huang Feng shook his head and didn't say.

He walked into his room again.

Before he walked in, the camera gave the mother a blurred shot.

Mom raised her hand and wiped the corner of her eye, the movement was very light.

It was like wiping away tears, but the information given was not so clear.

Huang Feng didn't see it.

He walked to the wall, where there were numbers marking his and his brother's height.

He stood with his back to it, recorded a position with his hand, and then turned to look.

This time, the position where his hand landed was a little higher than the place recorded last time.

He started to smile.

The movie stopped abruptly here.

The end.

A burst of soft music sounded.

Lu Yan He took a deep breath.

Huang Tianlin made a lot of cuts to the script, especially the second half of the script.

However, in this way, the movie was simpler, and the emotions expressed were more concentrated.

This was the growth and confusion of a teenager, and the changes in an ordinary family.

There was no preaching, nor any forced era or social significance.

However, after watching it, Lu Yan He felt a sense of blockage deep in his heart.

It was because he thought of a lot of his own childhood, and at the same time, felt a kind of helplessness between people.

Leaving, staying, getting close, drifting apart, arguing, reconciling...

*Tropical Rainy Season* actually expressed the most subtle emotional changes between people.

What Lu Yan He was particularly moved by was that Huang Tianlin did not use this film to try to tell the pain and hatred of the so-called original family; too many movies talk about these.

He did not blame a teenager for leaving home in anger, nor did he blame a mother for not knowing how to communicate with her children or for her irrational way of handling things. He used a way of "separating and leaving" to tell an emotional result that "they are still family."

Even if the brother didn't return in the movie, just like Huang Feng was full of expectations at the end, believing that his brother would be back soon, as an audience, one believes that the brother will return.

Just like how everyone will grow up.

The applause around surged like a tide.

Lu Yan He stood up, picked up Huang Feng directly, turned around, and faced everyone.

The applause in the audience behind him was even more enthusiastic.

Lu Yan He turned to look at Huang Tianlin, this young director who had been very arrogant since the first time they met, actually had red eyes and was secretly wiping them.