Chapter 834: Lu Yanhe Is Your Inept Protective Talisman

Insomnia, actually, wasn't anything special.

For Lu Yanhe, insomnia hadn't quite reached the point of being routine, but it did come around properly every now and then.

But this bout of insomnia was a little different—

Lu Yanhe knew exactly why he couldn't sleep.

And the reason was a rare, unresolvable tension.

Lu Yanhe hadn't felt this kind of "how-do-I-even-act-this" tension in a long time. Not that his mind was empty of approaches—there were plenty: outwardly expressive, restrained, foregrounding the inner life, or conveyed through minute facial control. Having acted for so long, having played so many roles, Lu Yanhe had now accumulated a vast "arsenal" for himself.

But all of that was technique, tools, equipment—not performance.

Lu Yanhe knew exactly where his problem lay.

He couldn't throw himself wholly into this scene.

The moment he did, an uncontrollable fury would surge up.

He would substitute himself, slip into the situation of "Chen Pinhe is dead," and at that moment, feel even a touch of relief—as if "a long-cherished wish had finally been granted."

But an emotion like that had no place in this film.

His emotion was supposed to be complicated.

He was doing it to save his own sister and nephew.

It was a "patricide" undertaken only after much inner struggle.

Behind the act of "killing," the motive had little to do with him personally.

Of course, he was just as confused, just as furious—unable to understand how his own father could bear to murder A Bao.

But that confusion, that fury, sprang from the respect and reverence he had once held for his father.

Lu Yanhe lay in bed, tossing and turning.

—Respect, reverence…

Heh.

Lu Yanhe really couldn't sleep.

He lay with his eyes open all night until dawn.

Wang Biao came to call him, and seeing the two heavy dark circles under his eyes, froze for a beat.

Lu Yanhe waved a hand and said, "I'd better ask the makeup artist quick—can these dark circles be covered up?"

The makeup artist looked and said, "Even better—no makeup needed."

Luo Yuzhong added, "This worn-out, haggard state is exactly right. In the film, you're all waiting for your father's death, all suffering inner torment—there's no way your condition could be good. This is precisely the feeling we want."

Yu Mengling said, "I forced myself to stay up till four in the morning yesterday. Just couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep."

Lu Yanhe shook his head. "I didn't want to stay up at all. Right now I really want to sleep, but I can't. The moment I close my eyes, I just fall apart. I have no idea how I'm going to act today's scene."

Luo Yuzhong: "It's fine. We'll take it slow, ease into the feeling. If we can't shoot it today, we'll pick it up again tomorrow."

Yu Mengling smiled too and said, "Yes, let's take it slow together. No rush."

Lu Yanhe: "I'm just afraid if I can't pull it off today, I'll be back to insomnia tonight, won't be able to sleep again, and then I'll really—"

Luo Yuzhong gave his shoulder a firm pat.

"It's fine. If you can't act it today, just take a sleeping pill," Luo Yuzhong said. "You have to understand—every bit of pressure you're feeling comes from the high standards you set for yourself. The harder the scene, the more so. But actors with your ability and your ideas, once you step onto the actual set, you'll slowly find the feeling. It's just a matter of sooner or later. Never worry that you're not good enough. Great performance is always like looking at a flower through mist—you are that flower."

Luo Yuzhong's encouragement stirred something deep inside Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe: "Then please bear with me, everyone. I really have no confidence in today's scene—I still don't know how to act it."

Yu Mengling: "It's fine. Maybe once we start, you'll find there's a me who has even less idea how to act than you do. What you said is exactly what I wanted to say, but you said it faster than me—so frustrating."

Luo Yuzhong laughed.

"Both of you, one after another, saying you can't act—what am I supposed to do?" Luo Yuzhong joked. "All right, you two."

Yu Mengling smiled softly, her eyes bright.

"Teacher Wen is here," she said suddenly.

Everyone turned to look.

Wen Shengming walked over in his costume (an inner robe).

Wen Shengming said, "What are you all chatting about?"

Luo Yuzhong pointed at Lu Yanhe and Yu Mengling and laughed. "These two, the moment they saw me, started telling me they had no idea how to act today's scene—really stuck, really at a loss."

Wen Shengming: "This scene is hard to act."

He looked at the two of them in surprise.

"But for you two—is it hard enough that you need to give me a heads-up in advance?"

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Very hard to act." He pressed his palms together. "Teacher Wen, if I NG too many times, please forgive me—I absolutely don't mean to."

"He didn't close his eyes once last night—just kept worrying, had no idea how to act this scene," Luo Yuzhong said with a smile.

Wen Shengming: "That's strange. It's not the first time I've acted with you. A role as tough as the one in Storm Calmer No. 1, and I never saw you this anxious before a shoot. What's going on?"

Lu Yanhe shook his head. "Inner demon."

When he said it that way, no one else could understand.

Of course, where an actor's inner demon truly lay—no one could ever really understand.

When the actual performance began, everyone realized just how vast Lu Yanhe's inner demon was.

Even Luo Yuzhong could plainly see that, while performing, Lu Yanhe had never truly entered the character's state.

He was adrift.

He looked deeply invested, very earnest, but it was entirely a "technique"-style investment.

Still, Luo Yuzhong didn't call cut, and no one else stopped either—they all stayed with Lu Yanhe and saw the entire scene through to the end.

Luo Yuzhong came over and chatted with Lu Yanhe: "Is there anything about this scene you need me to continue analyzing and hashing out with you?"

Earlier, everyone had already discussed the script until they knew it by heart, reaching a consensus on the characters and the dialogue.

Therefore, Luo Yuzhong asked this question at this very moment.

Normally, every actor's understanding was already in place; what followed was merely the matter of presentation on set, no longer requiring the director to explain the scene to the actors onsite.

Explaining scenes on set was a very elementary practice, necessary only when prior communication had been inadequate, forcing last-minute discussions onsite.

Often, there were elements of "improvisation" on set, things "collided" into existence onsite, where everyone sat together to discuss whether this or that worked, whether it was reasonable.

Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "I know how I should perform it, but I cannot get into it."

"Where is the problem?" Luo Yuzhong asked. "How about we talk it through?"

Lu Yanhe did not hide anything, stating directly: "My current problem is, on one hand, I find it difficult to gauge the degree of anger stemming from my past reverence and love for my father; because I lack confidence at the core, my other emotions also become unbalanced, lacking any sense of proportion. On the other hand, I did not anticipate what degree of genuine emotion I should convey before my father's death; consequently, my emotional delivery is tentative, lacking distinct layers, and instead becomes chaotic."

Luo Yuzhong: "I understand."

Yu Mengling also nodded.

Wen Shengming: "Then let's try it step by step."

Luo Yuzhong also said: "Yes, in the past you relied on talent; without needing to try, you knew clearly in your heart what layer and what degree the performance required. But now that you are unclear, we will start by restraining everything within the heart, exposing nothing. Let's try performing it this way first; after filming, we will examine the effect presented on camera and make adjustments."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

Yu Mengling shook his head slightly and said to Luo Yuzhong: "I finally understand why he could act so well at such a young age. He is perfectly clear even on why he is acting poorly and exactly where the flaws lie; he merely lacks a bit of emotional self-empathy."

Luo Yuzhong: "This kid's greatest skill is his exceptionally strong comprehension; regarding his grasp of character personality and emotion, basically no one ever needs to worry. You only need to help him make technical adjustments."

Yu Mengling: "It truly makes one jealous. I have acted for several years more than him, yet I discover that his grasp and insight into the character far exceed mine."

Luo Yuzhong: "There is no need to speak of your techniques. In the end, for an actor, it comes down to aesthetic consciousness and stylistic temperament. You two each have your own distinctive traits; there is nothing to compare. As long as you encounter a role that fits yourselves, you will absolutely be godslaying upon meeting gods and Buddhaslaying upon meeting Buddhas."

Yu Mengling: "Oh my, thank you, Director, for such encouragement."

Lu Yanhe went off to one side by himself.

The words just spoken by Luo Yuzhong and Wen Shengming had given him a bit of inspiration.

He took out paper and pen and sorted out three different layers of performance for himself.

These performance layers were entirely sorted out based on rational judgment.

However, after outlining these three layers, Lu Yanhe instead gained a certain sense of direction. Regarding the mobilization of emotion, Lu Yanhe could now technically stimulate his own sensibilities.

Lu Yanhe used these three layers to perform, mainly to find the one layer he could enter most easily. Half an hour later, Lu Yanhe filmed another take.

Luo Yuzhong and the others sat before the monitor, watched it, and offered a piece of feedback.

Lu Yanhe made some adjustments and filmed another take.

"In this spot, actually, a slight fluctuation in the eyes would be better." Luo Yuzhong pointed at the monitor and said, "At this moment, your sister is already holding Ah Bao and silently shedding tears; she uses her lowered gaze to conceal her complex inner emotions. If you still keep your emotions restrained within your heart, it becomes a bit too deep."

Lu Yanhe said okay.

In total, they did five takes.

After the five takes, Luo Yuzhong said: "Alright, let's stop filming here for today; we are not rushing the schedule, we will continue shooting tomorrow."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

Indeed, although the content filmed today was unusable, after several takes, Lu Yanhe had already found a bit of the feeling.

Regarding the performance baseline for this scene, he now had a rough internal fulcrum.

After dinner, Lu Yanhe prepared to go outside for a stroll, to wander alone and review today's filming.

Wen Shengming suddenly came to his side and asked: "Strolling?"

Lu Yanhe nodded and said okay.

He and Wen Shengming walked out together.

Night had already fallen.

The bodyguards occupied positions around them, maintaining a distance of four or five meters.

Lu Yanhe and Wen Shengming walked all the way to the wilderness on the edge of the county town.

The streetlights were spaced far apart, their glow faint and dim.

This was just as well; no one could see anyone else clearly.

Wen Shengming said: "You seem to have some resistance toward the image of a father?"

With his opening words, he struck directly at Lu Yanhe's true vulnerable spot.

Lu Yanhe smiled. "Yes."

Wen Shengming nodded.

"As expected."

He did not continue pressing for the reason why.

Wen Shengming said: "I do not mind if, while acting, you substitute me into the image of your father."

"Huh?"

"If you cannot cast aside yourself to enter the character's perspective, then simply use your own perspective to replace the image of the father in your life experience," Wen Shengming said. "Find someone you idealize who can serve as a father, and use him to replace the figure originally occupying that role in your life."

Lu Yanhe felt as if struck by a club.

"Reverence, love, anger, contradiction, entanglement, making a painful decision..." Wen Shengming said softly. "Different people have different lives. An actor, in the final analysis, is reality within fiction and fiction within reality. Often, just one or two tenths of genuine emotion flowing forth is enough to make the audience empathize. Do not obsess over whether it is one hundred percent identical. The script is dead; the actor is alive. What you give is what is real."

When Lu Yanhe finished his shower, dried his hair, and lay back down on the bed, his mind was still replaying Wen Shengming's words.

Thinking, thinking, drowsiness crept over him.

Unknowingly, he fell asleep.

Over here.

"What have you been up to recently?" Li Zhibai asked Yan Liang over the phone.

Yan Liang said: "Nothing much."

"Nothing much. Why haven't you returned to China?" Li Zhibai asked. "Aren't you about to film 'Friends'?"

Yan Liang said, "I'm not doing nothing, nor am I saying I have nothing to do. I'm currently touring Italy with Wu Zhouyou."

"Wu Zhouyou? Isn't he the director of 'The Gold Rush'? You're touring Italy with him? When did your relationship become so close?"

"Ruyu wants to develop a 'The Gold Rush' film. Coincidentally, they have contacts with the Italian Tourism Board. The Italian Tourism Board is willing to provide assistance and even offer partial filming funding, so we came over to look around." Yan Liang said. "Are you interested? The script hasn't been written yet. If you're willing to come along and have some fun, they'll certainly be delighted."

Li Zhibai: "Treasure hunting in Italy? Uh, your one-man show, why drag me into acting in it with you?"

"Acting together is fun," Yan Liang said. "Besides, if you come to act, I'll have a reason to refuse Meng Li's joining."

"What the heck?"

"Meng Li is Wu Zhouyou's girlfriend. Meng Li has been pestering him, wanting him to write a female lead role for her in this film," Yan Liang said. "Wu Zhouyou has been persuading me, hoping I'll agree to this. I really can't find a reason to refuse with righteous indignation. My head is huge."

Li Zhibai: "You're really funny. Dragging me in to help you refuse Meng Li, as if my enemies aren't numerous enough already."

"She's been your enemy for a long time; one more time doesn't matter," Yan Liang said with a smile. "Moreover, for this film, I think the international market should perform quite well. The two series did very well on streaming platforms with many fans. As soon as news of the spin-off film went out, several international distributors came to discuss distribution rights."

Li Zhibai said, "If the two of us star together, can Ruyu afford our salaries?"

"If you come to star, how could Ruyu not increase the budget?" Yan Liang said.

Li Zhibai: "Then let them come talk to me and see what their attitude is."

Yan Liang: "OK. If their attitude is bad, I won't act either."

"Are you sick? 'The Gold Rush' is an IP you worked so hard to create. If you don't act, are you just making it easy for Meng Li?"

"If I don't act, this film won't get made," Yan Liang said. "You're underestimating me too much."

Li Zhibai: "Tsk, you've become quite impressive."

Now Yan Liang really was... how to put it? Besides Lu Yanhe, one of the Chinese male actors with the highest commercial value internationally.

'Friends' built a massive foundation of fame for him.

'Flypaper' directly opened the international market for him.

And 'Speed of Life and Death' is waiting to be released—because of this blockbuster, everyone regards him as a "reserve for Hollywood's rising young star."

Even if Yan Liang's personal fan count wasn't huge, he still had a series of works like 'The Gold Rush', 'The Summit', and 'Dragon Gate Inn' that had some international recognition.

The play protects the actor.

If he didn't act in 'The Gold Rush' spin-off film, the Italian Tourism Board might not really be willing to provide relevant support for this film.

Not to mention, without him, whether this IP could still attract the IP's fan base.

If 'The Gold Rush' spin-off film only targeted the domestic market, then of course, inviting the other male lead of 'The Gold Rush' or Meng Li to star would have some appeal. But if Ruyu wants to sell the rights of 'The Gold Rush' spin-off film to the international market and get a good price, Yan Liang must star in it.

This is the fundamental source of Yan Liang's confidence now.

Long Yan.

Huang Zhongjing discussed the production plans for the next few years with a group of executives, mentioning Lu Yanhe, Yan Liang, Jiang Jun, Jiang Yuqian, and others.

"Because these stars who are starting to have box-office appeal internationally have appeared, major film companies are now starting to build projects with them as the core selling point. Ruyu is making 'The Gold Rush' spin-off film. Jingtai authorized Linghe to create three spin-off films of 'Seventeen Floors'. These three films will be co-produced with US Green Valley," Huang Zhongjing said. "If the past three years saw a trend of Chinese actors participating in large numbers in international projects, it is foreseeable that the next phase will likely be when our Chinese-language films open up box-office space overseas."

Someone said, "But currently, apart from Linghe being able to successfully and steadily output box office for Chinese-language films, no second company can do it. And the reason Linghe can do it is because of the connections Lu Yanhe accumulated in Hollywood, which allows Linghe's films to obtain conditions for global distribution."

oC〇

"'The Gold Rush' spin-off film has nothing to do with Lu Yanhe, but as soon as news of this project broke, distributors in Europe and America offered a seven-figure US dollar distribution price," Huang Zhongjing said. "If we always use Lu Yanhe as an excuse, we will always be left behind. What I emphasize is that China has now produced several stars who have bargaining power and commercial value with international distributors. We cannot fall behind and let these stars' schedules be snatched away."

"We still have the cooperation with Lu Yanhe on 'Burning Fire 3'."

"Yes, and 'Can't Even Fake Death 2'. Although Liu Bige is no longer directing, Li Zhibai is confirmed to return to star, isn't he?"

"Does 'Burning Fire 3' currently have an open door for international cooperation?" Huang Zhongjing asked directly. "'Can't Even Fake Death 2' is still in the script development stage so far. If you go look for international investment, will any company invest? You should properly study the development situations of the 'Seventeen Floors' spin-off films and 'The Gold Rush' spin-off film. They started cooperating with overseas companies before the project was even approved, with only a film title. Letting overseas companies deeply participate in a film is the only way they will further value it in subsequent stages."

Everyone fell silent.

Huang Zhongjing said, "Having a box-office hit star also requires combining it with a topic that has selling points. Considering global distribution from the very beginning of project approval is far more efficient than editing around those market hotspots after the film is already finished."

"But whether it's 'Seventeen Floors' or 'The Gold Rush', they both rely on hit series, have a fan base, and are themselves IPs with recognition."

"Isn't 'Burning Fire' an IP?" Huang Zhongjing said. "This film was operated by Lu Yanhe, and its overseas box office was brought back from the dead. Does that mean we only have a third part to develop? Besides 'Burning Fire', do we have no other IPs to work with? Are IPs all ready-made?"

Several executives looked at each other.

"If we don't develop the overseas market, we can only rely on the domestic market to make money forever. The risk will always be so great that a single film could collapse the entire company's capital chain at any time," Huang Zhongjing said. "Linghe has not gone public or raised financing to this day. An independent small company initially not taken seriously by everyone now has a profit margin that no company can catch up to. People make more money from a single art film than 'Burning Fire', yet in your mouths, it's still only Lu Yanhe. It's all because of Lu Yanhe. Lu Yanhe is your shield of incompetence!"

Several executives' faces all turned green.

"Little Brother Lu's filming yesterday didn't go very smoothly," Wang Biao said while calling Chen Ziyan in a corner, reporting the situation on the set. "I don't know how today will be."

Chen Ziyan asked, "Then how is Yan He's condition today?"

"He still looks quite good, saying he slept very well last night," Wang Biao said. "Although I still see him looking a bit listless, with bloodshot eyes, compared to yesterday morning, he is indeed much more spirited."

Chen Ziyan: "Alright, just keep an eye on his mental state at all times. I'm worried he'll get too immersed again."

"Hmm," Wang Biao said. "That shouldn't be the case. Little Brother Lu's current acting problem is that he can't immerse himself."

Chen Ziyan: "For this play, it's normal for him to be unable to immerse himself in some scenes for a while. With Luo Yuzhong and Wen Shengming there, he will overcome it."

Wang Biao: "Ah?"

"For Yan He, if he really wants to find the role of a father in his life, it is Luo Yuzhong and Wen Shengming," Chen Ziyan said.