Chapter 112

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The MV shoot is still ongoing; "Blue and White Porcelain," "A Thousand Times," and "Clear Rain Upon the Tomb" have all been completed in sequence.

Now only the "Moonlight" MV remains to be filmed.

"Moonlight" is being released as the theme song for "Qin Shi Ming Yue."

Cheng Chen moved the entire MV's backstory to after the Qin state conquered the six kingdoms.

During this period, China's ancient cultures from the Hundred Schools of Thought clashed fiercely.

The grand, majestic battle scenes of the great era were powerfully recreated amid endless smoke and fire.

The heroism and tender emotions of martial artists bloomed amid the chaos of turbulent times…

He shaped these stories into a historical microcosm.

Although it was only an MV, to avoid criticism over trivial details, Cheng Chen consulted historical experts after finishing the script.

Only after everything was settled did filming for the "Moonlight" MV begin…

Since finishing the "Blue and White Porcelain" MV, Cheng Chen noticed Gao Yuanyuan's performance had skyrocketed.

She could now precisely capture the essence of every shot, performing exceptionally well.

At this moment, Cheng Chen, dressed in flowing ancient attire, lay in Gao Yuanyuan's arms.

Gao Yuanyuan's costume at this moment was inspired by Xue Nv from "Qin Shi Ming Yue."

Of course, it was the animated version of Xue Nv, not the TV drama version.

In the MV, Cheng Chen's character wandered between the imperial court and the Hundred Schools of Thought.

He clashed with various historical figures, experiencing the spirit of that Time.

In the end, he died in his lover's (Gao Yuanyuan's) arms after being hunted down.

Before being pursued, the two had vowed to endure hardship together and retire from the martial world.

First they swore their oath, then gazed deeply into each other's eyes, then kissed…

At first, Cheng Chen thought Gao Yuanyuan would resist the kiss scene—after all, they were so close, he feared she'd be too embarrassed.

But then Cheng Chen realized he'd overthought it.

When the clapperboard snapped, Gao Yuanyuan's delicate, expressive face steadily filled Cheng Chen's vision.

"Mmm…"

A little soft.

Heartbeat quickened…

Cheng Chen had assumed kissing scenes were no different from regular filming, but now he realized he was wildly wrong.

That intoxicating feeling, he had never experienced again except with Yan Danchen.

At that moment, Cheng Chen had only one thought: discard all thoughts in his mind and fully experience it…

"Sss~"

Cheng Chen suddenly sucked in a sharp breath, his mind instantly clearing.

Cheng Chen, eyes glistening with tears, said to Gao Yuanyuan:

"Sis, it hurts!"

"The director already called cut!"

Gao Yuanyuan said softly, blushing.

"Ah!"

He turned around—everyone on set was covering their mouths, stifling laughter.

Cheng Chen glared at them, then awkwardly said to Gao Yuanyuan:

"Sorry, I got into character."

"Should we do another take?"

APeng called out loudly.

Cheng Chen glanced at Gao Yuanyuan; she was glaring at him fiercely, so he quickly waved his hand:

"No need! We're professionals—that shot's good enough!"

After speaking, he whispered to Gao Yuanyuan:

"Sis, this was my first on-screen kiss—I gave it to you!"

"You're still talking!"

Gao Yuanyuan's face flushed crimson; she raised her hand to hit him, and Cheng Chen immediately fell silent.

After filming Cheng Chen's death scene, the "Moonlight" MV was finished.

MV filming was actually simple—each MV lasted roughly four minutes, with some parts featuring Cheng Chen singing alone.

Thus, Gao Yuanyuan's scenes weren't numerous; under Cheng Chen's rushed pace, the four MVs took about sixteen days total.

…

After filming ended, Cheng Chen treated Gao Yuanyuan to a farewell dinner alone.

"Sis, you worked hard this time."

Cheng Chen cooked personally to properly reward her.

"Not bad—your cooking has improved."

Gao Yuanyuan picked up a piece of tofu and smiled.

Cheng Chen placed a peeled shrimp into her bowl,

saying:

"Sis, when does your contract with the company end?"

Gao Yuanyuan glanced at him and said:

"What, you want to pull me over to Xinghuo Entertainment?"

It was Gao Yuanyuan who originally introduced Cheng Chen to Wang Tianxiao.

So with Wang Tianxiao around, she knew everything about Cheng Chen's Xinghuo Entertainment and Huaxia Blog.

"Hehe, I'm just worried you'll get bullied at some other company—just look at our shoot this time, who'd dare bully you!"

"You!"

As soon as Cheng Chen finished speaking, Gao Yuanyuan lifted her smooth chin, her large eyes fixed on him without blinking.

"How have I bullied you…"

Before Cheng Chen could finish, he saw her slender, pale neck and swallowed the words on his lips.

That sensation still echoed in his heart…

"You want me to join your company? To be honest, I have no such plan right now—let's just keep things as they are."

Without acknowledging Cheng Chen, Gao Yuanyuan chewed her food slowly, deliberately.

"Oh…"

Cheng Chen nodded, a faint disappointment settling in his chest.

But he had anticipated this outcome.

Besides being love-struck, Gao Yuanyuan had a strong drive for her career; in the future, she vanished from public view and shifted behind the scenes into investment.

For instance, launching her own shoe brand, floral e-commerce, covering various industries closely tied to daily consumption and entertainment.

She indirectly held 0.99% equity in Tangren Film and Television and co-invested with stars like Zhang Ziyi in a company.

According to reliable sources, Gao Yuanyuan controlled or held shares in thirty companies.

Of the twenty-five companies under her actual control, about ten were cultural enterprises.

A few companies, after two rounds of financing, reliably earned a hundred million.

She even made headlines for turning a one-million-yuan investment into a hundred million in a single year—an astonishing return!

So she was a contradictory woman: love-struck yet career-driven…

But Gao Yuanyuan's decision was right; Cheng Chen didn't want her to become a mere ornament.

Besides, if the company later signed both Yan Danchen and Gao Yuanyuan, having these two "Ehuang and Nüying" together would leave Cheng Chen caught in the middle—and that would be unbearable.

Hmm… though being caught in the middle might not be so unbearable.

After dinner, Cheng Chen drove Gao Yuanyuan home.

At her doorstep, as Cheng Chen turned to leave, Gao Yuanyuan suddenly called out to him.

"What is it, sis?"

"You're not mad at me for not joining your company, are you?"

Gao Yuanyuan asked softly, cautiously.

Cheng Chen smiled and said:

"How could I be? Though I'm disappointed inside, I respect your decision—you have your own world to carve out."

"Mm…"

Gao Yuanyuan nodded.

"Then I'll head back."

Cheng Chen waved with a smile.

"Cheng Chen!"

Gao Yuanyuan suddenly shouted from behind.

The stairwell was silent; the motion-sensor light flickered awake at her voice.

In the dim yellow light, her shadow stretched long.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, her eyes red-rimmed, though his view of her face was unclear.

But instinct told him Gao Yuanyuan was crying.

As Cheng Chen turned to step toward her, Gao Yuanyuan cried out in a trembling voice:

"Don't come closer—just stay there."

Cheng Chen nodded obediently, yet his heart felt heavy, as if crushed by a stone.

"Sis, what's wrong?"

Gao Yuanyuan's hair hung loose; under the light, her pale skin shimmered with a delicate glow.

"Will you vanish forever from my life? I'll text you and you won't reply, I'll call you and you won't answer?"

Gao Yuanyuan's voice was quiet, tentative, insecure, yet faintly hopeful…

Cheng Chen instantly understood what she meant and whispered gently:

"Sis, that was just to help you slip into your role faster—I won't ignore your calls or texts, and I won't disappear from your life."

Hearing his words, Gao Yuanyuan exhaled as if freed from a burden, her tear-streaked face finally breaking into a smile.

Watching her smile, Cheng Chen stepped forward slowly and gently embraced her, saying:

"Even if one day you push me away, I won't leave you—don't worry, sis."

"Mm…"

The wind blew softly; newly sprouted branches swayed in the breeze.

Moonlight spilled across the ground, shimmering like water.

After only a moment of tenderness, Gao Yuanyuan pushed him away, her face flushed, saying:

"Who said you could stay? Annoying pest."

"Hehe, I'm just a nuisance."

"Rogue, I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going back to sleep."

"Alright..."

Only after watching Gao Yuanyuan close the door did Cheng Chen leave with peace of mind.

On the road, Cheng Chen kept glancing back at Gao Yuanyuan's window, still lit up.

"The mission is not yet accomplished; I must still work hard!"

Cheng Chen muttered to himself.

Due to the tight schedule for the album release, Cheng Chen is using a shoot-and-edit-simultaneously approach for the MV.

As soon as today's footage is shot, the post-production team immediately begins editing.

Though exhausting, it's efficient.

Tianhai Records has also been very supportive, assigning seven or eight post-production staff directly.

From rough cut to fine tuning, from color grading to visual effects—every aspect of post-production has a dedicated person in charge.

They basically deliver a finished version every three days; after Cheng Chen gives feedback, they make revisions.

While urgently preparing the MV, Cheng Chen suddenly received a call from Lai Shuiqing, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Hey, Director Lai, how have you been lately?"

After some small talk, Lai Shuiqing finally said:

"Cheng, I'm preparing 'The Divine Doctor and the Heroic Lover'—it's about to start filming..."

Hearing Lai Shuiqing's words, Cheng Chen suddenly remembered when they filmed 'Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre' last year.

Lai Shuiqing had once invited him to play a role in his next ancient romance drama.

It must be this one—'The Divine Doctor and the Heroic Lover.'

"Congratulations, Director Lai. I'm currently busy producing the album MV; once I'm done, I'll join your crew."

Without discussing pay or screen time—if Lai Shuiqing just says the word, he'll go immediately.

This is Cheng Chen's greatest respect for Lai Shuiqing, and his way of showing gratitude.

Nothing else—because the first substantial role Cheng Chen ever got was given to him by Lai Shuiqing.

Since then, whether in 'The Policeman's Story' or 'The Great Dyeing Workshop,' Lai Shuiqing's influence was always there.

Cheng Chen is a man who remembers kindness, no matter how high his status or how great his fame now.

Hearing Cheng Chen agree so readily, Lai Shuiqing was momentarily stunned, then deeply moved.

He had merely helped Cheng Chen when he was struggling, unable to bear seeing a promising actor buried.

Yet he never expected this kid would agree without even asking.

In fact, with Cheng Chen's current value, the salary he offered might not even catch his eye—and it would feel like wasting a great talent.

After all, Lai Shuiqing was a veteran of the entertainment industry; he had witnessed too many cases of betrayal and corruption in this circle.

Cheng Chen's trust and straightforwardness moved and saddened him deeply.

"Uh..."

After a moment of silence, Lai Shuiqing continued:

"Let's put 'The Divine Doctor and the Heroic Lover' on hold for now—have you ever thought about coming to Gang Sheng?"

"To Gang Sheng? Hmm, no plans for that recently..."

"I mean, come to Gang Sheng to develop your career... Let me be direct—my friend in Gang Sheng, Zhou Xingchi, is currently preparing a film called 'Kung Fu.'"

"It starts shooting in July; by then your album should already be released—you can come early to audition."

"Hmm... films are different from TV dramas. You have acting skills, but that doesn't guarantee you'll be chosen."

"And my friend has a peculiar personality—if you aren't selected, you can always come back to join my 'The Divine Doctor and the Heroic Lover.' What do you think?"

Lai Shuiqing spoke at length, but the moment Cheng Chen heard the words "Kung Fu," his eyes lit up instantly.

Zhou Xingchi's 'Kung Fu'!

Just those five characters sparked boundless imagination and longing.

This combination was even revered as a myth by some film fans!

Someone once evaluated 'Kung Fu' thus:

'Kung Fu' not only showcases the beauty of China's traditional Kung Fu, but also reveals social darkness and the moral values of its time.

The film blends multiple elements—music, action, gangsters, romance, and more.

It stands equal to Hollywood; its countless magical martial arts, refreshed and renewed, appear on screen in dazzling fashion, satisfying the audience's visual cravings.

Its ingenious ideas and wildly imaginative imagery leave viewers overwhelmed.

It is a generation's memory, a flower blooming amid the dominance of Hollywood blockbusters, a rebel against the declining era of Gang Sheng cinema!

At this time, Zhou Xingchi, after starring in and directing numerous critically and commercially successful films throughout the 1990s, had grown even more renowned.

Last year, he won the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Director, Best Actor, and Outstanding Young Director for 'Shaolin Soccer.'

The film also won the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Film, and the Japanese Blue Ribbon Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

It was selected by Miguo's Time Magazine as one of the "25 Greatest Sports Films in World History."

And this year, he became the cover subject of Miguo's Time Magazine and was named one of the magazine's "29 Asian Heroes."

There are many comedy actors and directors, but only one Zhou Xingchi.

His films do not merely cater to mass tastes for laughs—they reflect his own thoughts on ideals and the world.

This legendary man, now with his prideful work 'Kung Fu' about to be filmed.

As an actor of this Time, how could Cheng Chen not be moved?

"Lai Dao, I'm going..."

"Go to Gang Sheng!"