Chapter 445: A Mother

Liu Xiaoli wore a floral dress with a coat over it and carried a handbag, looking elegant and gentle.

The weather had warmed up; the snow and ice had melted, and it was no longer so cold.

She wore a soft smile, as if in good spirits, and anyone who saw her couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness.

The crew here all couldn't help but steal a glance at this legendary "mother-in-law."

Liu Xiaoli was quite courteous: "I just came to take a look—haven't I disturbed your filming?"

"No disturbance at all; you can chat freely here—it won't reach the set, and even if it did, it doesn't matter, since all audio is dubbed and synthesized later, not recorded on location." Fang Hong waved, signaling a crew member to bring a chair.

Sci-fi films can't record sound on location—the sounds of spaceships, damaged control stations, and collisions simply can't be captured live.

Either you synthesize them on a computer, or you hire professional voice actors.

Guo Fan glanced curiously at the two chatting and greeted: "Hello, Auntie Liu."

"Oh, don't call me Auntie—just call me Sister," Liu Xiaoli said, noting his mature demeanor and guessing he wasn't young.

At that moment, the quick-witted crew member had already placed a chair beside Liu Xiaoli and gestured for her to sit.

"How could I do that? Then I'd be Uncle to the Principal!" Guo Fan laughed, feeling he'd gained an advantage.

If he called her that, then whenever Fang Hong addressed her as "Mom" or "Auntie," he'd truly be taking advantage of the Principal.

"Hahaha."

Liu Xiaoli sat down and patted her knee, laughing: "No need to be so formal—I sometimes call my daughter anything, and we don't stick to strict titles."

"That's good—you get along well with your daughter," Guo Fan said, charmed by her gentle, soft-spoken manner and non-threatening aura; his fondness for her deepened instantly.

Previously, their impression of Liu Xiaoli had been poor—they thought she was cold and unfriendly, just mindlessly repeating rumors.

In reality, Liu Xiaoli was very kind and talkative in daily life, which was why she had so many wealthy lady friends.

She was a mother who became strong—so long as you meant no harm, she was quite warm and easy to get along with.

Fang Hong stayed silent beside them, just listening.

"Yes, my daughter and I treat each other like friends—we often play around and joke with each other," Liu Xiaoli said.

"That's great—Liu Tianxian takes after you; she's usually lively and treats all of us like friends," Guo Fan continued.

After spending time together, they found Liu Tianxian generous and easygoing—she often bought them snacks and gave them small gifts.

Sometimes you have to meet people in person; hearing secondhand accounts is always colored by bias, and some people just do things for money.

After chatting for a while, Guo Fan said: "You sit here a bit—I'm going back to filming."

"Alright, go ahead," Liu Xiaoli signaled for him to work.

Guo Fan returned to watching the monitor, observing Liu Tianxian acting, and directed through the intercom: "Do it again."

Scenes requiring strong emotion are rarely passed in one or two takes—they need many rehearsals.

Liu Xiaoli looked around; many people came and went, but the space felt vast, filled only with machines and instruments—she saw no filming set.

She watched the monitor, seeing her daughter in a virtual space filled with high-end instruments, and asked curiously: "Where is Xixi filming? I can't see her."

"She's inside that box," Fang Hong pointed to the large, box-like object ahead—the Light Box.

Liu Xiaoli looked up; it looked ordinary on the outside. She'd assumed it was just storage, and now asked in surprise: "Do you film now just inside a box?"

"This is a sci-fi film—all sets are virtual, and everything is added in post-production, so we don't need on-location shooting," Fang Hong explained.

Liu Xiaoli nodded, half-understanding; it was her first time at such a set—when she'd accompanied her daughter before, they always filmed on real locations, climbing mountains and crossing rivers.

Now it was this simple—just film inside a space.

She watched the monitor and computer, seeing her daughter appear to be crying bitterly, and asked: "What are they filming?"

"The spaceship has run out of fuel; the female lead feels she'll die in deep space, so she's utterly desperate," Fang Hong explained briefly.

"Oh, so she's just acting," Liu Xiaoli said.

"Yes, just acting," Fang Hong said.

Hearing it wasn't real crying, Liu Xiaoli relaxed and leaned closer, cupping her hand to her mouth to whisper: "Xiao Fang, you told me before about the BOE stock surging—you know about it, right?"

"I haven't paid much attention—so you must've made a lot!" Fang Hong laughed.

"Not bad," Liu Xiaoli beamed.

Yesterday, its market cap shot from over thirty billion to over eighty billion in an instant—doubling or tripling in a blink.

Her two wealthy lady friends jumped up cheering; she hadn't told many others, only those two close friends.

She couldn't help but marvel—her son-in-law was truly sharp—he'd predicted this, even though the stock had been completely quiet before.

But she sighed regretfully: "I bought too little—I wish I'd bought more."

Too cautious—she'd only invested a few hundred thousand; if she'd put in a few million, it would've been better. She felt some regret.

"Earn a little at a time—don't be greedy. With stocks, know when to take profit; greed often leads to losses," Fang Hong spoke wisely.

"That's true," Liu Xiaoli nodded, having sold immediately after the rise and earned over a million.

She leaned forward, eyes hopeful: "Hey, Xiao Fang, tell me—will it keep rising?"

"It'll probably rise, but the market won't be this good again—next year might be the next chance. You could buy again by year-end," Fang Hong thought.

Next year would be a bull market—anything you bought would rise. "What about BYD and Luxshare Precision?" Liu Xiaoli asked.

"These two stocks require long-term holding—short-term gains won't show yet," Fang Hong replied honestly.

BYD and Luxshare Precision took twenty years to rise—it's up to you: if you play long-term, buy these two; if not, no need.

"I see," Liu Xiaoli mused.

She only played short-term—she didn't do long-term; without patience, long-term loses money, and she had no patience.

She'd been burned before, so now she was much more cautious.

Besides, long-term isn't guaranteed—who knows if the company will collapse or rise? It's unpredictable.

"Take your time—I'll tell you if I hear good news," Fang Hong said.

Earning enough to live on is enough—he didn't remember so many stocks, and constantly coming to him for tips wasn't right; that'd make him a stock god, and what if he crashed?

He only remembered major events at specific times, not the details.

Liu Xiaoli nodded, said nothing; she had made plenty from just one or two takes, and asked for nothing more.

"Click! Take a break."

As the two were chatting, Guo Fan suddenly shouted "Cut!" and the crew instantly relaxed.

The set grew noisy, with people chatting in small groups.

Inside the Light Box, Liu Tianxian was surrounded by simulated spaceship interiors and outer space scenes, to immerse her fully in the Performance.

Crew members helped her up; Liu Tianxian took the tissue offered by her Assistant and wiped away her tears—she had truly cried.

Wiping as she walked toward Fang Hong, she spotted her mother from afar, her eyes lit up, and she broke into a run: "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you. How's the filming going? Are you tired?" Liu Xiaoli smiled warmly, holding her daughter's hand and looking up at her.

The two mothers and daughters together were a pleasing sight, lifting anyone's mood.

"It's fine, not too tiring, just hard to act—I don't even know if I did it well," Liu Tianxian said, standing.

"Take your time. Isn't Xiao Fang here to guide you?" Liu Xiaoli said.

"Count on him? I've been filming for a month and a half—he's been MIA for a month, and even when I see him, he never tells me how to act." Liu Tianxian frowned.

He didn't guide me at all—when I studied the script in bed, he kept fidgeting beside me, driving me crazy.

"Just improvise. I say too much, and I'll ruin your style." Fang Hong said.

"Pfft, you never cared about it in the first place—I'm not even going to lecture you." Liu Tianxian retorted.

His mind was all on how to get close to her—he had plenty of energy, that energetic guy.

"You need your own style, your own flavor. If I say too much, you'll lose it." Fang Hong defended himself.

He really hadn't focused on this movie—the plot was too simple.

Liu Xiaoli watched the two bicker in silence; Guo Fan had already left, checking the set and going backstage to review the footage.

"Then tell me—how's my acting now? Do I have my own style?" Liu Tianxian asked.

"The emotion's still a bit off," Fang Hong pinched two fingers together.

"What's missing?" Liu Tianxian asked again.

"I don't feel your despair—the despair of being at the edge of ruin. You need a few more takes to refine it." Fang Hong said.

"Pfft, everything's your opinion." Liu Tianxian dismissed him.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. Let's go eat—I'm treating." Liu Xiaoli cut in, patting her chest.

They both knew it wasn't real bickering—just idle nitpicking, the way couples are.

"Oh my, Mom, you're being so generous!" Liu Tianxian beamed, surprised her mother had come all the way to treat them.

"Of course I am! When have I ever been stingy? How else would I have raised you?" Liu Xiaoli stood up without hesitation.

"Yes, yes, yes—tell me, what good thing happened?" Liu Tianxian linked arms with her mother, curious.

Liu Xiaoli whispered something in her daughter's ear.

"Really?"

Liu Tianxian's eyes widened, and she beamed too—her mother had made money: "We have to celebrate! Let me change clothes first."

Saying that, she ran toward the dressing room.

Changing clothes didn't mean stripping down—just taking off her coat. It wasn't a nude scene; the costume didn't need replacing during filming.

Fang Hong and Liu Xiaoli waited, then saw Liu Tianxian emerge wearing a baseball cap, a denim jacket, and jeans that hugged her curves front and back.

She looked sexy in jeans—her hips rounded and firm, her confident stride like a model on a runway.

"Let's go—dinner at a Western restaurant," Liu Tianxian took Fang Hong's hand; just moments ago they'd been bickering, now they were back together.

Liu Tianxian and her mother chatted and laughed as they left the filming site; crew members watched them depart.

(End of Chapter)