Chapter 102

"Your hands are shaking; I can see you're nervous."

"Oh? Mr. Medical Expert, why would I be nervous?"

"Because you're interested in me; you say you want to reject me, but your body is very honest."

"Let's go."

"Now?"

"I don't mind, because I'm thinking the same thing as you..."

Immediately after, the scene switches from the coffee shop to the female lead's apartment.

"Action!"

At the director's command, Xu Can and Anne Hathaway are in position.

The moment they push the door open, they kiss deeply, a quite intense deep kiss, from the door all the way to the dining table.

Even if it's acting, Xu Can can feel the fragrance on Anne, as well as the wildness of their lips and tongues.

Her acting is really good; you can't see any traces of performance.

Whoo—

Battle settlement screen, the two lie on the floor.

"Cut!"

The director finally ends this scene, and the two sit on the side wrapped in blankets drinking hot coffee.

The weather is relatively cold, and too few clothes are still easy to catch a cold.

"How does it feel?" Anne Hathaway looks at Xu Can playfully.

"What?"

"Compared to Taylor, or compared to Emma, was the kissing scene better?"

"Let's just say, it's not bad, not too terrible."

"Eh? Is it just not bad?" Anne pouts.

"It's okay, just practice more; we have plenty of scenes like this."

Xu Can's lips reveal a Dragon King-like shallow smile.

"Ah..."

Anne Hathaway only then remembers that in a later scene, she has to be completely honest.

There are so many people on set!

She suddenly feels a bit nervous, and even somewhat regrets taking this film.

"I'm here, I'll accompany you."

Xu Can seems to see through her thoughts and holds Anne's hand.

"Mm."

Feeling the temperature and firmness on her hand, Anne gradually stops shaking.

Only then does she understand why young girls like Taylor Swift and Emma Stone would fall.

"Action!"

Anne lies on Xu Can, suddenly feeling that the set is indeed quite cold.

She can only take warmth from Xu Can as much as possible, keep calm, and recite her lines.

"Your inside isn't as bad as I imagined."

"No, no, I'm a real jerk, believe me."

"Very good."

Anne kisses Xu Can gently.

"If you weren't a jerk, that would be terrible."

"Then let me let you taste what a jerk is like." Xu Can suddenly becomes strong.

Although the current situation is awkward, the entire crew is staring at Anne.

But Xu Can by her side makes Anne completely indulge in it, forgetting the surrounding gazes.

She seems to have her soul leave her body, breaking through the clouds.

Director Edward and Assistant Director Clark look at the monitor screen.

"As expected of Xu, as expected of Anne; they shoot even such high-difficulty scenes so realistically."

"Yes, the acting is really good; basically one take."

"Wait, is it acted too realistically?"

"I think, they seem... not to be acting?"

"Holy Shit?!"

New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, VIP lounge.

"Xu, are you really leaving?"

"Silly, I'm just going to attend a premiere; we haven't finished filming yet."

"Fine, I don't know why, but I suddenly can't bear to part with you." Anne Hathaway bites her lower lip gently.

"Oh? Can't bear to part with a work partner?"

"You really are a jerk."

Anne swings a fist at Xu Can's chest in anger, but seems afraid of hurting him, so the fist falls gently.

"Goodbye, Anne, wait for me to come back."

Xu Can naturally lifts Anne's face and kisses her gently, the way they did in the film.

Leaving without a trace, he walks into the security gate.

Watching Xu Can disappear around the corner, Anne Hathaway feels empty inside.

For some reason, she feels she might be too deep into the role.

It's clearly an urban romance film; it shouldn't be this deep, right?

Having just kissed Anne at New York Airport, 5 hours later, Xu Can kisses Taylor deeply at Los Santos International Airport.

Yes, since that call, Taylor's emotions, suppressed for many days, exploded.

If she didn't have work to do, she would have flown to New York to find Xu Can.

When Xu Can returned this day, she finally couldn't help it and ran to the airport to pick him up.

All the way to the car in the parking lot, Taylor Swift could no longer hold back, proactively leaned over and pinned Xu Can in the passenger seat, comparable to a vampire.

"Hey, hey, you're going to give me a thrombosis."

The next day, at the *La La Land* premiere, Xu Can wears a turtleneck T-shirt.

This time he is dressed in a casual style, with a bit more ease and freedom, comparable to a runway model on the red carpet.

"Baby, first time seeing you wear a turtleneck; it's quite handsome."

Emma Stone holds his arm, her gaze unable to move away.

During this period of "calming down" apart, Emma lived like a year for a day.

Now that she has returned to Los Santos from Europe to attend the premiere, she wishes she could grab Xu Can and not let go.

"Your yellow dress is also very beautiful; wear this tonight..."

"You're so bad." Emma gives him a meaningful white look.

The *La La Land* they starred in is about to have its global premiere,

and besides fans, media and well-known film critics have gathered at the scene.

Previously, senior Hollywood experts had constantly stated,

"Musicals are the hallmark of Hollywood's golden age, their past glory."

"Xu Can, as a Chinese person, doesn't understand the essence of musicals at all,"

"Everyone wants to see how a foreigner can destroy Hollywood's golden age!"

This is the original quote from a *New York Times* columnist.

Now, Xu Can is about to conquer Hollywood in the way Hollywood is most proud of!

Looking at Hollywood in the 1950s, that was a scene of debauchery across North America.

With *Singin' in the Rain* as the hallmark, musicals also reached their peak during this period.

Later, until the 21st century, musicals gradually declined, even to the point of being called dead.

The first two parts of *High School Musical* couldn't even make it to the big screen and could only be broadcast on the Disney Channel.

The group that holds the right to speak in Hollywood always likes to reminisce about the golden age and view later films with a critical eye.

So after Xu Can announced the filming of a musical, the questioning voices against him never stopped.

Xu Can has been questioned since *Spider-Man* until now; he is long used to it.

If it were any white young actor, they would have been lifted to the sky by now, becoming Hollywood's savior.

The mistake is that Xu Can is Chinese, born with a debuff in Hollywood,

but Xu Can isn't the type willing to admit defeat; he wouldn't play those stereotypical roles just to please the North American film industry and cater to mainstream Hollywood views.

From the very beginning, he has been subverting the perception of the entire North American society.

They said he couldn't play Spider-Man, and he became the most handsome Spider-Man in history, with a box office of over 1.1 billion;

they said he couldn't film Marvel, and *Iron Man* had a box office of nearly 1 billion;

they said his temperament was too sunny to play a villain, and he created the Joker and won an Oscar;

and now they say Xu Can is tarnishing musicals, tarnishing Hollywood's golden age?

Saying he doesn't understand musicals?

Just as Xu Can said to the media live on the red carpet:

"The movie is about to start; remember to come back and ask me the same question after watching it—do I not understand musicals?"

After speaking, Xu Can turns around gracefully and walks into the venue with Stone.

Anyway, Stone is used to Xu Can's style; he is never afraid of challenging mainstream Hollywood groups; he is a disruptor, a subverter.

Assistant Director Damien is worried; he knows the film quality is great, but he is still worried that the entire society won't be able to appreciate their work.

Xu Can has offended the media to death; if *La La Land* fails, he doesn't dare imagine what kind of blow he will suffer.

Galaxy Entertainment will likely also suffer a heavy blow.

He doesn't want the boomerang to hit his own head.

"Don't worry." Happy pats Damien on the shoulder.

"Don't you know Xu after all this time? Just enjoy the victory, enjoy the movie."

This Galaxy 20 cinema doesn't have the same explosive atmosphere as before.

Mainly because the previous ones were superhero movies, full of entertainment.

This time it's an art-type musical, which is a niche category in itself. In addition, the previous rendering by the media also made everyone not optimistic about Xu Can's new attempt.

All of Xu Can's successes have been in commercial blockbusters, in action movies.

Has he taken too big a step this time?

Of course, fans who can calm down to watch musicals are basically relatively quiet.

The large hall with over 1,000 people is packed, but even a cough can be heard clearly at the scene.

Film critics Roger Ebert and his good friend William Guy also came to the scene to watch the film.

Roger has a quite good impression of Xu Can, seeing that he didn't enter his comfort zone but challenged himself to film a musical genre.

The fighting spirit of this young man, Xu Can, is worth encouraging,

not in vain for him to give two thumbs up for every movie.

No matter the final effect of the film, he is willing to evaluate it from the most objective angle.

Conversely, his friend William has been complaining to him on the way here.

William, who is over 50, loves *Singin' in the Rain* the most.

He sighs every day about the decline of Hollywood musicals and Hollywood gradually entering formulaic production.

But whenever someone challenges the musical theme, he can't help but criticize.

Criticizing *Chicago* for being flashy, criticizing *High School Musical* for being childish and vulgar.

Especially Xu Can, this Chinese person; he is so anxious he's jumping; that article in the *New York Times* was William's work.

"Just as I wrote in the column, does he understand musicals? How could he possibly understand?"

"Trampling on art in this field, I really can't stand it!"

Roger is speechless: "Have you watched it before evaluating it? You racist!"

"I didn't discriminate!"

William quibbles:

"I know without watching; it's definitely trampling! Wait for it, I'm going to pick it apart after the movie ends! Make him go back to filming spandex movies."

It's really too exaggerated, as if a treasured god-tier anime in the heart of a two-dimensional fan was adapted into a live-action version by some fledgling director.

Subconsciously, they feel it's trampling on a masterpiece.

But he ignores one point: live-action adaptation doesn't mean trampling.

There is also a ceiling for adaptations like *Rurouni Kenshin*.

Just because others can't film it well doesn't mean Xu Can can't.

Roger has black lines on his forehead: "Say less; the movie is about to start. Film critics should pay attention to viewing quality."

"I..."

William still wants to continue complaining, but the theater lights dim, and he can only suppress his desire to complain, watching with colored glasses.

The familiar space shuttle transforms from 2D to 3D, breaking through the void and reaching the galaxy!

[Produced by Galaxy Pictures]

[Distributed by Columbia Pictures]

During the subtitle display, before the film even started, Xu Can paid tribute to the history of film development.

From the black and white 1.33:1 of the birth of film, it gradually widened to a 2.55:1 widescreen, and the picture turned to color.

Those who don't know the industry completely ignored this little Easter egg.

But for professional film critic Roger Ebert, he noticed at a glance the love letter Xu Can wrote to film.

Regardless of nationality, regardless of race, all that exists is the love for film itself.

The film begins, and the handheld camera slowly falls from the bright sky of California.

A row of crowded cars is stuck on the highway, each car listening to a different type of music, chaotic and disorganized.

Until a lively, sunny piano intro plays, and the clear voice of the young woman in yellow unfolds the first musical number of the film.

"Thinking back to that day, I saw him left west of Santa Fe, we..."

The refreshing melody grabbed the ears of the entire audience from the start.

Now it's clearly night, but everyone feels as sunny and bright as the morning!

Everyone's mood is much better!

Film critic William, who originally wanted to pick faults, curled his lips at first, dismissive.

Until the camera didn't cut a single shot, the entire highway musical number was done in one take!

His expression became serious!

Different actors, different dance movements, complex but orderly!

Whether it's the actors' performance or the camera movement, it's so smooth and natural!

"Good, good, good, showing off skills at the start, huh?"

William already felt the uniqueness of this musical from this first number.

He is waiting for the follow-up content; if the story is thin and the music is poor later, the beginning is nothing no matter how gorgeous it is!

"Because the sun rises, it's another sunny day!!"

When all the dancers stand on the roofs of the cars on the highway, the panoramic shot covers the entire road, showing a spectacular grand scene!

The song's rest falls heavily, stopping abruptly!

[LA LA LAND]

The film's title emerges, echoing in the theater with the charm of the song.

Only then do the audience members let out a long sigh!