Chapter 303: Don't Let Fertile Water Flow to Outsiders' Fields

He chatted with Yu Xian for about two or three hours before hanging up. Yu Xian was actually quite lonely — he had no relatives over in the United States, and the people he was close to were just these few.

Besides, it was a traditional holiday, so he always seemed to have a lot to say, and every phone call dragged on longer than usual.

This call, apart from catching up, was also about work arrangements. The horror film couldn't just not be made — they still had to keep shooting it, and shoot a "The Purge 3."

Then there was also a "The Fault in Our Stars" to film.

They couldn't keep making horror films. Yu Xian wasn't too happy about it either, feeling it was boxing him in.

Closing the computer, Liu Tianxian was quite surprised. She patted Fang Hong's arm: "Hey, can that movie really win an Oscar?"

"The odds are good, but it depends on how he shoots it. It's hard to say." Fang Hong said.

Actually, he still had an Oscar film "Birdman" on hand, but this film was different from "Moonlight."

"Birdman" had a very unique artistic expression, a very profound social theme, reflecting modern people's anxiety and their yearning for a sense of individual existence.

Moreover, those old judges on the panel could resonate with the stage-play sentiment in the film — early cinema was a kind of stage play.

Winning an Oscar depends on many factors. In his previous life, this film was shot like a prose poem — without accumulated skill, it couldn't be pulled off.

An art film couldn't be copied verbatim and still capture that kind of intellectual expression.

"Moonlight" was much simpler — politically correct, and the entire creative team was black.

If Yu Xian only served as producer on this film, handed it off to a black director, with all-black cast, it really could win an award. It was up to him to choose.

In his previous life, the creative team of this film was all black, but the producer was white. The Best Film Award goes to the producer.

So just being a producer doesn't affect winning — it's not like he'd be standing in the spotlight.

"You're not even sure, yet you say it with such conviction." Liu Tianxian said.

"I have to give him confidence. If I say it like this, and he really wins the award, that's my credit — he has to thank me, right?"

Fang Hong patted himself, then added: "If he doesn't win, then it's Yu Xian's capability issue — try again next time, nothing to do with me."

"Reason and logic, you've taken them all for yourself. The blame is all his. Quite the clever trick you're playing." Liu Tianxian said.

Fang Hong smiled and said nothing.

"Why don't you make some art films? You could win awards too." Liu Tianxian sat face-to-face with him.

"I'm afraid I'd make nothing worthwhile — a waste of time. Before, I couldn't afford to gamble; now, I just don't seem to have such a strong desire." Fang Hong said.

Now he was advancing toward becoming capital. Being a great director or whatever didn't seem to hold much desire for him. Making special-effects films was only to build up Yutu Film's industry.

At this stage, no one dared to make this kind of film, because the investment was huge — too big a gamble.

"Oh," Liu Tianxian understood.

Fang Hong looked at her expression: "You want to act in an art film?"

Liu Tianxian gave a slight nod, resting her hand on his shoulder: "I'm someone with aspirations too. You forgot I'm an artsy young woman."

"You're a fake artsy young woman." Fang Hong saw through her.

Liu Tianxian was not pleased and smacked his face.

"I have a script here, just right for an artsy young woman like you." Fang Hong pulled open the drawer below, inside were stacks upon stacks of scripts.

"Let me see." Liu Tianxian said.

Fang Hong pulled out one of the scripts and handed it to her.

Liu Tianxian sat properly to take it, looked at the few big characters on the cover, and read softly: "Love Like the Binding."

She flipped to the first page and read the synopsis: it was a love story spanning several years — from the initial meeting and acquaintance, to mutual fondness, to living together, and under the cruelty of reality, gradually developing cracks.

There were no earth-shattering, passionate emotional conflicts — just very ordinary, everyday real life.

The female lead was an artsy young woman with niche hobbies, a perfect fit for her.

"Take this script home and study it carefully. It'll definitely help you. From college to work, the beauty of romance to the trivialities of life, from shared interests to mismatched values — it all really tests an actor's performance ability. It'll hone you." Fang Hong said it all.

"Mm, I'll read it when I get home."

Liu Tianxian closed the script, set it on the desk, planning to take it when she left: "Let's go down and see what your mom's doing."

The two of them went downstairs hand in hand. Downstairs, Xu Liyun was watching TV in the living room, watching while dabbing her tears with a handkerchief.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Liu Tianxian hurried over and sat beside Xu Liyun, patting her back.

She glanced at the TV — it was playing "My Love from the Star."

"The male lead is going back to his planet, has to part with the female lead. So moving." Xu Liyun dabbed her tears.

"Haven't you already finished watching it long ago?" Fang Hong sat on his mom's other side, leaning back against the sofa, as if it were perfectly normal.

His mom had nothing to do at home but watch Korean dramas and such. When she hit an emotional plot, tears would fall — very sentimental.

Korean dramas always pulled that cancer-and-death stuff at the end.

"This is my third rewatch. Can't get enough, just can't get enough. It's so good." Xu Liyun loved watching idol dramas.

"TV dramas are all fake." Liu Tianxian comforted.

"I know. I just get like this when I'm moved. It's nothing, don't worry. I'll be fine after a moment." Xu Liyun wiped her tears.

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian exchanged a glance, both smiling helplessly.

"Hey, son, why don't you let Xixi act in this drama? It's such a good show." Xu Liyun had calmed down a bit.

That was the "don't let fertile water flow to outsiders' fields" mentality. "It's me who won't act, Auntie." Liu Tianxian said.

"Huh? Why won't you act?" Xu Liyun was puzzled.

"TV dramas don't help me. I've already been famous, I've walked that path — no need to walk it again. Right now I just want to act well in films." Liu Tianxian explained.

"Is that so? I feel like TV and film are the same, no real difference. If anything, TV is better." Xu Liyun preferred watching TV — films were all fighting and killing.

"Mom, this is her career planning. It's not that whatever's hot in the entertainment industry is right to act in — it has to fit her future path. If I explain too much you still won't get it." Fang Hong said.

Xu Liyun smacked her son's leg — so impatient.

"Auntie, I don't need to act in that many TV dramas. Picking some films that suit me is enough. Besides, if I'm too famous I won't be able to keep up, and I won't have any time of my own." Liu Tianxian said.

"Oh, I see!" Xu Liyun nodded.

In truth she still didn't quite understand, but she didn't ask any more.

If a celebrity is too popular, too big, they basically have no time of their own — invitations, schedules, commercial deals keep coming nonstop, and it's impossible to refuse everyone.

Besides, many brand sponsors and backers you can't refuse, because you've signed contracts, because you have to give face, you can't offend people.

Just like Chen Xiao and Fan Xiaopang — even over New Year they're still out running commercial gigs and schedules.

Do you think they don't want to rest? They're just too popular. When brand sponsors and backers come to you, you have to go. Money is one thing, but it's also about solidifying relationships.

So they have no time of their own — those backers have bought out their time, bought out their value, made them run around doing product promotions everywhere.

Endorsement and commercial gigs are also a disguised form of product promotion!

In the afternoon, Liu Tianxian stayed home chatting with Xu Liyun and watching TV dramas; whenever they hit a fun part, bell-like laughter would ring out from time to time.

"Look, this is him when he was little." Xu Liyun pulled out a photo album and pointed at a picture on it.

"Ahahaha!" Liu Tianxian laughed out loud.

She saw that the photo showed Fang Hong as a little kid, stark naked with nothing on, and even that tiny little worm was exposed outside.

That was just too funny — she looked at Fang Hong and said: "You didn't wear clothes when you were little?"

"This must have been when I was a few years old. In summer back then, running around bare-bottomed was perfectly normal — wearing clothes wasn't good for letting heat out, we didn't have air-conditioning back then." Fang Hong defended himself.

"He was just naughty." With one sentence, Xu Liyun sent Fang Hong right back to his original form.

"Giggle giggle giggle!" Liu Tianxian laughed out a goose-honk.

Fang Hong, baffled: "Is it really that funny? Which little boy didn't go bare-bottomed as a kid?"

"Funny, especially funny."

Liu Tianxian laughed so hard she was twitching, and infected by her, Xu Liyun laughed along too.

The three chatted all afternoon. When Xu Liyun saw it was about time, she went to cook, leaving Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian together.

"Come take a photo of me and Heizi." Liu Tianxian handed her phone to Fang Hong.

Then she walked over to Heizi and crouched down!

Fang Hong looked at the phone screen and pointed to a spot: "Over there a bit, the light's too dim on that side."

Following his directions, Liu Tianxian led Heizi to another spot. Heizi was very obedient, didn't bare his teeth or snarl — women are all tigresses.

"This spot okay?"

"Good!" Fang Hong looked at the phone screen.

Liu Tianxian crouched down, put her hand on Heizi's neck, and flashed a "peace" sign toward the front.

Fang Hong tapped the phone screen — the image froze!

"Let me see."

Liu Tianxian stood up, walked over to Fang Hong, and looked at the photo he'd taken: "Not bad."

After all, Fang Hong came from a directing background, so he had a certain grasp of shooting technique and lighting.

"Let's take one of us too." Liu Tianxian looped her arm around Fang Hong's neck, held the phone high, pouted her lips and kissed him on the cheek.

A clear "click" — the image froze.

Just then, Xu Liyun called them to eat. Liu Tianxian went to get the red wine she'd opened ahead of time and poured it into goblets.

"Auntie, please try some."

Liu Tianxian set the first glass of red wine down on the table in front of Xu Liyun.

Xu Liyun picked up the wine glass, took a small sip, smacked her lips and savored it. Liu Tianxian watched hopefully.

"Seems a bit smoother." Xu Liyun said.

"Right?!" Liu Tianxian said happily, then poured a second glass for Fang Hong: "You try some too."

Fang Hong took a sip — just two words, "tastes good," very perfunctory; in truth he hadn't really tasted anything in particular.

Liu Tianxian gave him a slightly annoyed look, poured herself another glass, then sat down in her own seat.

"Auntie, wishing you good health."

"."

The three raised their glasses, and the goblets clinked together in the air.

(End of chapter)