Chapter 941: After the Concert and the Proposal (4)

The house he and Chen Siqi had in the Lingyang District had previously only hosted people from *Jump Up*.

This was the first time they were hosting a different group.

As everyone toured the place, they frequently let out exclamations of wonder.

"I absolutely love your home's design!" Xiao Yun said. "This design is just too beautiful. To think an entire wooden wall is actually a rotating door, and behind it is a tea room—your interior design is so full of leisure and elegance."

"I love their study; it's completely open, with such a large table in the middle," Song Lin Xin said. "Honestly, I've only ever seen a table this big in a library, but I really love big tables. I want to get one just like this for my studio. Where did you buy it?"

"Siqi hired a carpenter to custom-make it," Lu Yan He said. He led them over to the bookshelf. "Look, it's evening now, but during the day, there's a forest outside this floor-to-ceiling window. It's very beautiful. This kind of environment is perfect for reading."

"But you don't have a computer in your study?"

"The computer is kept elsewhere. We don't want to be interrupted by work messages when we're reading here," Lu Yan He said. "This place is just for reading."

"Cool. Such a large space, used exclusively for reading," Peng Zhixing said. "Your home's design really has a vibe. I even want to borrow it to film a show."

"Refused," Lu Yan He shook his head without hesitation. "This place is our pure land. You people can come, but work cannot be brought in."

Peng Zhixing gave a thumbs up.

"Fair enough. I admire that."

Tonight's dinner was served in the outdoor courtyard.

"The weather isn't hot today, especially after nightfall; it's quite comfortable," Lu Yan He said. "Sitting here to eat also has more atmosphere."

"It certainly has atmosphere," Li Zhenzhen nodded. "But I really didn't expect you to have such a large round table here."

"This large round table can be retracted into a long table. Usually, this area is designed as a place for afternoon tea when the weather is nice," Lu Yan He said. "Although, generally, in this kind of environment, people put long tables, I feel that since we Chinese eat together, a large round table is more harmonious and has more atmosphere. I specifically ordered this table. Look at it now—it's more than enough for all of us, unlike those long tables where you can't face each other to talk."

"Indeed," Li Zhenzhen said. "But this large round table matches the surrounding environment very well. The corridor design in this corner clearly has a new Chinese style, and the overall layout is garden-esque. Placing a large round table here doesn't look out of place at all. It's beautiful."

"That's because Siqi supervised every bit of this design. I just sat back and enjoyed the results," Lu Yan He laughed.

At this moment, Chen Siqi, Lin Yu, Xu Zijun, and Li Pengfei arrived together.

"You're finally here," Peng Zhixing greeted them with a smile. "Yan He was just praising you."

Chen Siqi: "Praising me? Praising me for what?"

"Praising your good taste, which is why you have such a beautiful house," Peng Zhixing said.

Lu Yan He left a seat next to Peng Zhixing, specifically reserved for Li Pengfei.

He said: "Sit down, then we can start the meal."

It was a lovely night.

Above the night sky, the stars twinkled.

Everyone chatted and laughed, eating and drinking; the atmosphere was excellent.

Without the cameras, everyone spoke with even less restraint.

Xiao Yun asked curiously: "Where did you and Siqi go in Europe?"

"Prague," Lu Yan He said. "We only went for a few days, and it passed in the blink of an eye. She was still constantly being harassed by work messages."

Chen Siqi rolled her eyes at Lu Yan He and said: "My line of work is different from yours."

Lu Yan He: "I'm not complaining about you, I'm just stating a fact."

Xiao Yun: "You knelt down fast."

"It's just an explanation, but in your mouth, it becomes 'knelt down fast'," Lu Yan He squinted. "I'd actually like to know if your boyfriend kneels fast in front of you."

"Not fast, which is why I'm single now," Xiao Yun smiled.

The whole table was stunned. "Huh?"

"Huh what? We just broke up, why are you so shocked?" Xiao Yun looked indifferent. "We broke up months ago."

"Huh?" The group was even more shocked.

"Stop," Xiao Yun made a 'cut' gesture. "I'm not the protagonist tonight, don't look at me with such surprise."

Lu Yan He said: "There are no protagonists tonight, so anyone can become one. You threw out a depth charge and blew us all out of the water; you don't think you can just change the subject like this, do you?"

Xiao Yun said: "I'm going to the restroom."

She ran off as soon as she said it.

Leaving everyone looking at each other.

"That's not kind, throwing out such a topic and then not continuing."

"Who's to say it isn't."

"The boyfriends Xiao Yun found before weren't very good."

"Her taste is the problem."

"Indeed, she seems to have a particular fondness for those strange, not-quite-normal people."

"Can't she see the bad parts of those people?"

"She thinks she can make those people change those bad parts."

"I suddenly don't know what to say."

After a while, Song Lin Xin also got up to go to the restroom.

She was probably going to check on Xiao Yun.

Everyone had already moved on to other topics.

Chen Siqi said to Peng Zhixing: "An editor in our editorial department previously proposed a plan that I think is quite innovative and relates to you. I wanted to ask for your opinion."

"What plan?" Peng Zhixing felt a bit surprised and asked.

Chen Siqi said: "Come write a 12-issue column for us, one piece per month, mainly recounting the 12 most memorable interviews you've had as a show host."

Peng Zhixing was stunned.

"Huh?"

"Previously, we invited a film producer to write a 6-issue column about her experiences as a producer, and the response was very good," Chen Siqi said. "You've always been recording your work through video; have you considered the form of writing or a column?"

"Publishing it in *Jump Up*?"

"Yes," Chen Siqi nodded. "We want to increase the proportion of non-fiction articles in *Jump Up* to showcase broader content. Of course, the core remains literature and art, but we can expand on that concept." "I need to think about it; this task is too daunting," Peng Zhixing said. "My writing isn't very good."

"Many non-professional writers we invite to write have the same first reaction—that their writing isn't good. But honestly, the best writing isn't necessarily the most skilled at phrasing; it's the real, detailed, and sincere kind," Chen Siqi said. "You can even imagine you're giving a speech, introducing these experiences to everyone. Language is interconnected; writing is just language on paper."

Peng Zhixing smiled and said: "You're too persuasive. I admit it, but I still need to think about it."

"Okay, take your time to think," Chen Siqi said to him with a smile. "I'll call you again in two days."

She paused again.

"Anyway, you need Li Pengfei for your next show, right? Li Pengfei is Xu Zijun's boyfriend. This topic was proposed by Zijun, and she specifically named you to write this column because you are the most representative host at the moment."

"Damn, this is threatening me," Peng Zhixing had an exaggerated, shocked expression.

Chen Siqi looked very pleased with herself.

"You can understand it that way."

"I'm depressed."

Chen Siqi: "Look at the column Liu Zhiyin opened in our magazine, specifically recording the lives of overseas girl groups and trainees. After so many years, writing one every now and then, it's about to be collected and published. What a great commemoration and record this is. It also allows her fans to understand her as a person in a more three-dimensional way. You writing this column is the same. A host always treats the guest as the protagonist and themselves as the green leaf, which often makes you the easiest to be misunderstood. This is the era of self-media; don't you hope to be understood more authentically?"

Peng Zhixing: "I... I haven't reached the stage where I need to be understood more authentically."

"But you're about to turn thirty," Chen Siqi said. "Life stages are always changing. Once this stage passes, it won't come back. If you don't record it now, can your memories remain clear in hindsight?"

Peng Zhixing looked between laughing and crying.

"*My Sassy Girl*'s box office performance was quite good, so why wasn't it good enough? Does it have to achieve a box office miracle every time to be good?" Lu Yan He chatted with Xiao Yun, who had returned from the restroom, about their last collaboration. Learning that Xiao Yun had always been bothered by this, he corrected her thinking very seriously. "I'm already very satisfied with it myself. I'm currently negotiating a collaboration with TVN to produce a Korean drama, which will also be included in the 12 dramas I'm collaborating on with Aurora Video. I'm planning to have you play the female lead."

"Huh?" Xiao Yun was stunned. "Really?"

Lu Yan He: "Really. Why would I lie to you? I watched *My Sassy Girl*, and I think you acted very well. Don't listen to the nonsense from those media outlets and marketing accounts. Besides, you and Li Yuefeng were able to sell a movie that was entirely about falling in love to nearly 300 million at the box office—isn't that enough to prove your box office appeal? I've said many times, any evaluation that doesn't analyze specific projects is just hooliganism."

Xiao Yun: "I really don't think I can carry a movie's box office."

"Have you been brainwashed that badly?" Lu Yan He was astonished. "If even you can't carry a movie's box office, how many people dare to say they can? Does it really have to sell 700-800 million or over a billion to be called carrying the box office? No actor can sell a movie to that number on their own. This is a situation where subject matter, actors, style, and market conditions are all indispensable. Let me tell you, as long as the role is suitable, you are absolutely an actor in my heart who can carry the box office alone. For example, Wang Jing in *Summer Night Villa Horror*, or Li Yuefeng in *Corpse Phase*."

Xiao Yun: "My god, your words are so encouraging."

"It's a fact."

If these words were heard by others, would they have the same reaction as Lu Yan He?

Do you want to hear what you're saying?

You, a first-tier actress, can't carry the box office? No ability?

Holding a national-level hit drama like *My Own Swordsman*, the character Guo Furong is deeply rooted in people's hearts, and *Young Days* has kept your popularity and fame at a high level for years.

How can you still say that?!

However, many actors are actually like this. On one hand, very confident; on the other, inferior.

Lu Yan He understood Xiao Yun's mood.

He also always attached great importance to protecting the confidence of actors.

To be precise, he attached great importance to protecting the confidence of all creators.

This is too important for a creator.

This thing really grows the more you praise it, and disappears the more you attack it.

Unfortunately, although many people know this truth, not everyone can do it.

After everyone finished dinner, they left one after another.

Li Zhibai also left.

Originally, Lu Yan He wanted to ask him if he wanted to stay the night before leaving.

But clearly, he had plans.

Lu Yan He and Chen Siqi tidied up a bit.

With so many people coming over, to do a thorough cleaning, they would definitely have to wait for the housekeeper to come tomorrow.

They just put away what needed to be put away and mopped what needed to be mopped.

Even such a simple cleanup took over half an hour.

At night, the two of them lay in bed together.

Chen Siqi said: "You only have *Friends* to film this year, right?"

"Right," Lu Yan He said. "This year is the year with the fewest acting projects since I started acting."

"You also filmed *The Former Father* and *Men in Black*, plus *Friends*, that's three projects," Chen Siqi smiled silently. "Your rest year is a high-yield year for others."

Lu Yan He said: "Now that you mention it, that's true."

"You tell me if that's exaggerated."

"When can I go a whole year without filming a single project, just truly resting?"

"As long as *Friends* doesn't end, you'll be filming this show every year without fail."

"But actually, I don't feel tired or drained at all filming this show," Lu Yan He said. "On the contrary, filming this show is very happy, even very relaxed."

"No matter how happy it is, it's still in a work state. As long as a person is in a work state, it's impossible to be completely relaxed."

"Alright."

"Of course, you might be the type of 'work saint' who feels uncomfortable if you're not working," Chen Siqi said.

Lu Yan He squinted at him. "Don't you be the pot calling the kettle black."

Chen Siqi: "I didn't say I wasn't."

The two of them laughed at the same time.

As if laughing at themselves.

The two of them held hands.

"So you have no other work besides recording *Young Days*?"

"Right."

"Now that you mention it, it's really rare that you haven't joined a crew to film for more than half a year," Chen Siqi also let out the exact same exclamation as Lu Yan He did minutes ago.

Lu Yan He: "... Three projects a year is already a model worker."

"Look, people shouldn't be too diligent. People who are too diligent, because they do much less than before, even if they still do more than others, will still be perceived as doing less."

"Truth."