Chapter 477: Teacher Chen's Great Righteousness

Early the next morning, Liu Tianxian had her long hair loose, wearing a loose-fitting pajama set, looking completely unwashed, giving off a lazy, at-home vibe.

She squatted beside the suitcase, unzipped it, and took out two white crew-neck short-sleeve T-shirts with tiger prints on them, looking fairly high-quality in texture.

These were all newly bought and brought over by her.

Then she took out her own underwear, along with a pair of capri pants, and laid them on the bed, calling out: "It's hot outside today, so just wear this one."

Fang Hong came out of the bathroom after washing up, hugged her from behind by the waist, buried his face in the nape of her neck, and his hands started getting restless too.

"What are you doing?" Liu Tianxian pulled his hand away.

"Nothing." Fang Hong laughed.

"Don't get handsy with me, change your clothes, I'm going to wash up." Liu Tianxian patted his hand, turned and knocked on his head, then headed toward the bathroom.

Fang Hong took the chance to give her butt a hard slap — plenty of give to it, same as in bed.

Liu Tianxian turned and glared at him; Fang Hong raised both hands in surrender, putting on a pitiful expression.

"You look like death." Liu Tianxian went straight into the bathroom.

Fang Hong laughed, looked at the two identical T-shirts on the bed — they were about the same size, just one size up and one size down — with a bra beside them.

Liu Tianxian was still quite slim now, still wearing size S, while Fang Hong wore size L.

Fang Hong took off his clothes and changed on the spot; by the time he finished changing, Liu Tianxian came out too, her face freshly washed, looking fresh and beautiful, her long hair pinned up.

"It fits quite well!" Liu Tianxian looked at him after he changed, took his hand and gestured for him to spin around, looking quite nice.

"This proves my wife is attentive, knows my size." Fang Hong flattered.

Liu Tianxian smiled, took off her top right in front of him to change, chatting: "Are we going to visit the set of 'Wushuang' later?"

"Yeah, since we're here, we should visit the set. If we don't go, people will say I came to Shanghai and didn't even bother to see them." Fang Hong just watched her change clothes — he'd seen everything already, no need to be shy.

But speaking of which, Liu Tianxian's skin really was fair, smooth as congealed cream, and felt amazing to the touch.

Part of the 'Wushuang' crew was filming in Shanghai, and they were currently shooting here.

"Then we should buy something to bring."

Liu Tianxian felt going empty-handed wasn't good, and wanted to buy some snacks or something to take; she turned her back to him and said: "Help me button this up."

Fang Hong helped her fasten the bra clasp and said: "Why don't you use pasties?"

"It's not like I'm wearing a gown on a red carpet, why would I use pasties." Liu Tianxian felt it was fastened, then put on that tiger-print short-sleeve.

The two were wearing the same pattern — a couple's outfit.

"I finally get why your fans say you go big and small." Fang Hong's gaze dropped downward.

"Why?" Liu Tianxian looked down and smoothed the wrinkles on her T-shirt.

"The difference between wearing pasties and wearing a bra, that's all." Fang Hong said.

"Get lost."

Liu Tianxian sat on the edge of the bed, took off her pants, grabbed a pair of jeans and put them on, saying: "Hey, where is the 'Wushuang' crew filming?"

"Over by Hengshan Road, there's navigation."

Fang Hong replied, then said again: "Why are you wearing jeans again?"

"What's wrong with wearing jeans?" Liu Tianxian retorted.

"You're a girl, dress up a bit nicer, wear a skirt, look all pretty and charming — wouldn't that be nice?" Fang Hong said.

"Didn't you say I'm a tomboy? How can I be all pretty and charming." Liu Tianxian pulled up her pants, fastened the belt, and looked at him playfully.

"I still prefer you all dressed up, looking like a fairy — so pleasing to the eye!" Fang Hong said.

"Hey!"

Liu Tianxian took a big stride, danced gracefully around the room, her supple figure performing a classical dance, high leg lifts with elegant, captivating movements.

Then she curled an orchid-finger gesture, held it beside her face, and looked at him with a shy expression.

Then she did a spin, ending up beside him, placed both hands on his shoulders, stuck her hip out, struck a flirtatious pose, and blinked: "Pleasing to the eye?"

"If you keep this up, I won't want to leave the house — how about we take our clothes off and get back in bed." Fang Hong teased.

"I'm afraid I'd wear you out, let's go, let's eat." Liu Tianxian said with a laugh, looping her arm through his.

But after just a few steps she stopped, as if remembering something: "Oh right, we finally got to wear couple's outfits again, we should take a photo to remember it."

Saying so, she took out her phone and held it high.

Fang Hong cooperated, leaning against her shoulder and giving a thumbs-up.

Liu Tianxian nestled against his head and "Click—" took a photo of them in that pose, mainly capturing their couple's outfits.

"Look." Liu Tianxian showed him the result.

"Not bad, a match made in heaven." Fang Hong said.

"Hahaha."

The two headed to a restaurant to eat along the way, drawing quite a few glances on the road, all because of their couple's outfits.

But both of them still wore sunglasses and baseball caps, taking protective measures; Liu Tianxian additionally wore a mask.

As for Xue Xiaolu, Lu Yang, Xie Miao and the others, they had already left Shanghai long ago, each busy with their own things — couldn't stay in one place forever.

After eating, Liu Tianxian bought a lot of snacks and put them in the car's trunk, to share with the 'Wushuang' crew members later.

Going empty-handed was never proper — had to bring something.

The crew was filming in an area with a strong Ouzhou atmosphere, where the architecture was stylish and romantic, perfect for a leisurely stroll.

And in the plot of 'Wushuang', the painter originally had that kind of elegant, romantic gene.

Rich people always have a bit of that elegant, refined taste.

This was somewhat different from the character setup in the original version, no longer solely emphasizing treachery and ruthlessness.

A high-end commercial vehicle pulled up at the crew's entrance; Wang Ran, Zhang Songwen and the others, seeing Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian get out of the car, came forward to greet them.

"Not filming?" Fang Hong looked at the crew — they hadn't started work.

He looked around again; the crew were all busy, and some had come over to stare at them, as if they were looking at something exotic, like a Panda.

It was only because the Principal and Liu Tianxian were wearing matching outfits, which looked so affectionate that people couldn't help but glance a second time.

Wearing matching outfits really was rare.

"We just finished shooting; since you, General Manager Fang, were coming, we paused for a bit." Wang Ran invited them inside.

"There are snacks in the trunk—share them with everyone." Liu Tianxian walked to the trunk, opened it.

A second director stepped forward, found a few people to help carry things, and one by one, boxes of snacks were brought out.

The crew immediately gathered, enthusiastically beginning to distribute snacks; nearly everyone got some, as Liu Tianxian had bought a lot.

"Each bag probably costs dozens—Immortal Sister really is generous!"

"Of course she is—she's already the boss's wife, can't you see? She's even wearing matching outfits with the Principal, their chest patterns are identical."

"Hey! I'm so envious of the Principal—he found a woman who's beautiful, kind-hearted, and easy to get along with. Where can we find such a woman?"

"Isn't that right? Then why don't you go chase after her?" A crew member joked, gesturing toward Liu Tianxian's retreating back.

"Damn, she's already the Principal's—what chance do I have?"

"Then don't blame anyone else—blame yourself for not chasing her, hahaha!"

"."

The crew teased and gossiped, while Fang Hong, Liu Tianxian, and Wang Ran had already walked deeper into the set, looking at the scenery here.

This was a closed set; outsiders rarely came.

"Song Wen, you look exhausted—like you haven't slept." Fang Hong looked at Zhang Songwen.

"Don't mention it—I shoot all day and night, then still have to squeeze in time for reviewing footage—I'm worn out." Zhang Songwen waved his hand.

Footage had already been delivered, but due to insufficient staff, he still had to take on the reviewing responsibility.

"Those who can should do more—this is exactly when you need to shoulder extra burdens. Thanks for your hard work." Fang Hong comforted him.

Zhang Songwen understood; after all, Jade Rabbit had only him as its Imperial Award-winning actor, with no other heavyweight figures.

"Regardless, I'll do my best at this job," he said.

"Good."

Fang Hong nodded, then turned again to Wang Ran: "How much longer until filming wraps?"

"We expect to finish by early July—it's almost done," Wang Ran replied.

They didn't shoot by script order, but by location: they filmed every scene at one place completely, then moved to the next.

Shanghai was the final stop; after this, it's over.

"Then it won't be long—after filming, I'll give you a big vacation." Fang Hong looked at Zhang Songwen.

"Hehehe!" Others chuckled; after filming ended, there was usually nothing left—no one rushed straight into another project.

Zhang Songwen smiled too; after this, he still had to promote "Heart Flower Road," so there was still plenty to do—he wouldn't have much free time.

As Fang Hong walked and learned about the set's situation, he asked again: "Have you encountered any difficulties in filming?" "No, everything's been smooth," Wang Ran said.

"What about funding? Have all the salaries been paid in full?" Fang Hong asked.

"Funding is basically sufficient; when Chen Daoming was hired, it was ten million; Song Wen was three million," Wang Ran reported.

This made Liu Tianxian, listening nearby, gasp—she'd only ever been paid three to five million for her Jade Rabbit films, no matter her status, never changed.

But all her films were handled by Fang Hong and approved by him—she couldn't blame anyone else.

And for Chen Daoming's current status, this salary was adequate—not excessive.

"Salaries are rising everywhere; compared to TV dramas, ours are still much lower," Wang Ran explained.

Fang Hong nodded silently, saying nothing.

A few years ago, when Chen Daoming starred in "The Legend of Chu and Han," his salary was fifty million—absolutely terrifying.

As they walked and chatted, they reached the filming location; Chen Daoming was dressed in a suit, a makeup artist applying his makeup, while he held the script, deep in thought about his performance.

"Teacher Chen, hello," Fang Hong greeted.

Chen Daoming looked up, saw them, and was genuinely surprised.

Liu Tianxian also greeted: "Teacher Chen, you're working hard."

This was her first time meeting Chen Daoming; she deeply admired him, feeling an innate reverence.

It was normal—everyone in this industry looked up to him.

"No hardship at all—this is what actors do. Your conditions are good, filming is quite relaxed."

Chen Daoming seemed in high spirits, pointing to a nearby chair: "Sit down."

They'd come to visit him, showing him respect—he didn't need to treat them as the old rumors described.

He'd clearly revised his opinion of Fang Hong.

He'd always heard how the Principal was deceitful, inhuman, garbage—but now he seemed fine.

Probably mostly from hearing Feng Kuzi and Xiao Wang and that circle of people.

"So filming this should be pretty easy for you, given your acting skills," Fang Hong said, holding Liu Tianxian's hand as they sat on two chairs.

Others also gathered around, listening to the conversation.

"Not that easy—I play a fictional character, one described within the film's story-within-a-story. So I have to exaggerate my performance slightly, because an outward personality stands out more, making it easier to believe and more logically consistent with the plot," Chen Daoming explained his character insights.

His character was Fa Ge's character—the "painter" villain described in the story.

As Chen Daoming spoke about his character, Liu Tianxian leaned forward, propping her chin on one hand, listening intently, hoping to learn something.

Though she was a Golden Rooster Award winner, she knew she was still far behind this man.

"Excellent—your character is too deep and restrained; for the real murderer, that's hard to convey."

Fang Hong nodded in agreement, then added: "But you could use another approach—create a sense of mystery.

For a character described in a story, the more mysterious, the better—the more mysterious, the more confusing, not just for the audience, but for the characters within the plot too."

Hearing this, Chen Daoming's expression hardened, and he fell into thought, as if grasping something.

This remark also caused Wang Ran beside him to lower his head and ponder.

"You're right—we really need to cultivate a sense of mystery," Chen Daoming said, his eyes bright, as if he'd just realized it.

"The essence of the entire drama lies in deception—deceiving the audience, deceiving the characters—so that when the twist comes at the end, everyone is stunned."

Fang Hong added: "Of course, the final answer must still leave blanks, allowing room for imagination and interpretation."

This hit the nail on the head—this kind of mystery film works exactly like this: confuse the audience, confuse the plot, and when they reach the end, the audience feels deeply satisfying.

"Then we'll need to reshoot some scenes," Chen Daoming said, looking at the director.

"If we reshoot, it'll be hard to solve the budget issue," Wang Ran said, troubled.

Even though there aren't many scenes, it still costs money.

"Can't we tighten up? We must guarantee the film's quality—only with quality can it be called art," Fang Hong said.

"That's probably difficult—we're already at the final stages, and all the money has been spent," Wang Ran said.

Many locations need to be re-rented, many crew members need to be relocated—all cost money, and it's expensive; we're burning through thousands a day.

"Oh, I see. Then it's problematic—after all, the company has its rules, and I can't just say anything," Fang Hong said, also looking troubled, unwilling to pay this money.

Liu Tianxian watched him and felt skeptical—adding investment wasn't even a question; it was just one word from her husband, never needing to ask anyone.

Zhang Songwen said nothing beside them, merely listening to their analysis of the film.

Chen Daoming, seeing both looked troubled, said: "How about deducting it from my salary?"

"That's out of the question—no, no," Fang Hong waved his hands rapidly.

"It's my fault—I didn't portray the role well enough. The loss should be made up by me; it's only right," Chen Daoming was surprisingly reasonable.

"Making a film isn't easy—you need to support your family. How can we deduct your salary?" Fang Hong disagreed.

He said this, but he knew clearly: Chen Daoming wasn't short of money—how could he be short? He was worth millions.

"You just said that only a well-made film can be called art—if it's poorly made, we're just shooting trash. What's the point?"

Chen Daoming argued: "We're all doing this for the film—the film's quality is what truly matters."

Fang Hong fell silent, as if hesitating.

Wang Ran kept his head down, looking deeply troubled and helpless—he truly had no money.

Because every cent spent on filming had been pre-calculated by the Producer—how to spend it, how much to spend—all had to be accounted for.

If you suddenly reshoot, what will the Producer think of you? Getting to keep your job would be a mercy.

Of course, he knew well: if the Principal wanted to add investment, it would be one word.

Zhang Songwen said nothing—it wasn't his salary being cut, and besides, Yu Tu's salary was already low; while he didn't starve, he still needed to save.

Actors' expenses were still substantial.

But hearing Chen Daoming was willing to sacrifice his salary, he hesitated—should he also contribute a little?

"It's settled—deduct it from my salary," Chen Daoming declared.

"That doesn't seem right," Fang Hong said.

"That's how it is—the most important thing is to make the film good," Chen Daoming insisted, directly moving to deduct from his salary.

"If that's the case, don't deduct too much—see if the crew can share some of the burden," Fang Hong looked at Wang Ran.

"Alright, I'll try my best," Wang Ran nodded.

"Oh, Teacher Chen, you truly have noble character—I must learn from you!" Fang Hong said earnestly.

"No, no—I just didn't perform well, and I wanted to redo it; this role was a joy to play," Chen Daoming smiled humbly.

Being praised always felt good, especially when praised by someone like the Principal—it made his heart flutter.

"This kind of virtue is excellent—Tianxian, you should learn from Teacher Chen," Fang Hong said to Liu Tianxian beside him.

Liu Tianxian nodded. You're right, everything you say is right! She always felt Fang Hong was acting deliberately, but she had no proof—just a feeling.

They shared a bed—they knew each other too well.

This made Zhang Songwen feel ashamed—he wondered if he should also cut his salary to support the crew's filming.

After Fang Hong and the others finished chatting and left the set, Zhang Songwen found Wang Ran alone: "Director Wang, please also reduce my salary a bit—to support the crew's filming."

"Why didn't you say that earlier?" Wang Ran looked at him, puzzled.

"I was too shy before—I couldn't make up my mind. But since the crew needs to reshoot, I think I should contribute too," Zhang Songwen said.

"No need—the budget is sufficient," Wang Ran waved him off.

"Huh? But didn't you just say it wasn't enough?" Zhang Songwen was confused.

"The Principal doesn't screw over his own people," Wang Ran patted his shoulder and said no more.

Left alone, Zhang Songwen pondered—how clever of the Principal, step by step, guiding people into the trap, making them cut their own salaries without offending anyone.

Chen Daoming probably still thinks the Principal is kind!

Chen Daoming truly felt nothing unusual—Fang Hong had refused several times, but Chen Daoming insisted.

On the way to the airport, Liu Tianxian asked Fang Hong: "Were you just pretending?"

"You noticed that?" Fang Hong laughed.

"Hmph, I'm that smart."

Liu Tianxian pouted, then became serious: "I just don't get it—why did you do that?"

"He raised the problem—so his salary should solve it. Should I be the one solving his problem?" Fang Hong said as if it were obvious.

Liu Tianxian looked at him, seeing the face of pure capital.

But she couldn't say anything—Yu Tu was the investor; quality must be guaranteed. If the actors had issues, additional investment was necessary.

Then what if all the actors had problems? (End of chapter)