Chapter 113

Wu Yuchen stroked his chin and estimated the time. By now, the creation of "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" should have already begun.

Young people from later generations who haven't experienced it might look back at the present and think that it's impossible to get into a god-tier hit like "Huan Zhu Ge Ge", just like thinking you can invest in Tencent without any connections—you're just daydreaming. However, this is an era where opportunities are everywhere. No one thinks this thing has any prospects for being popular, including the creators themselves.

Also a work by Seeing Qiongyao, "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" is treated like a stepchild compared to "Cang Tian You Lei". The latter's configuration—Jiao Enjun and Zhu Yin—are "famous actors," big stars. Not only is there plenty of money and good treatment, but Seeing Qiongyao herself often visited the set.

Meanwhile, "Huan Zhu Ge Ge," which was filmed at the same time, was entirely a crew of newcomers with little funding and poor treatment. Seeing Qiongyao never visited once, controlling everything by phone. It was originally just a casual creation to adjust her mood while away; how could "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" compare to "Cang Tian You Lei," which she had painstakingly created for three years? It was completely undervalued by Seeing Qiongyao.

In his past life, the actress originally slated for Little Xiao Yanzi, Li Tingyi, wasn't from Seeing Qiongyao's company either. It was just that she turned it down due to scheduling conflicts, which led to Zhao Wei, who was originally supposed to play Ziwei, being bumped up to play Little Xiao Yanzi.

You ask why Seeing Qiongyao was still willing to film "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" if she didn't value it? Because her cooperation model with Xiangnan Satellite TV was that she provided the copyright and fame, while Xiangnan Satellite TV provided most of the filming funds, and then the Wanwan copyright belonged to Seeing Qiongyao's company. It was basically a risk-free business.

This time, it will test Seeing Qiongyao's level of affection for Jiang Qinqin—whether she's willing to give the role in "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" to a girl who doesn't want to sign a contract.

There's no need to say how popular "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" is. If Jiang Qinqin could play the female lead, Wu Yuchen really wouldn't need to worry about her anymore.

Although he himself doesn't really like filming 'braid dramas' (Qing dynasty dramas), it doesn't stop Jiang Qinqin from taking advantage of this!

"Why won't she! Why won't she... Sigh!"

Seeing Qiongyao, who had just been rejected by Jiang Qinqin, sighed. She felt that all her good intentions were misunderstood. She really liked Jiang Qinqin at first sight and wanted to make her famous!

He Xiuqiong came over to comfort her: "Mom, don't be sad. She's still young and a student. She doesn't understand the principle that it's hard to become famous without someone backing you, and she doesn't understand your good intentions, Mom."

In the current entertainment industry, some people only have works but no promotion, making it hard to become popular. Even if they win awards, without anyone hyping them up or creating buzz, they simply can't spread the word. After all, media resources now aren't like the internet later, where you can rely on fans and passersby to spontaneously create buzz.

Then He Xiuqiong added: "I went to find out about the movie her boyfriend is filming. It's a banned film that can't be released in the mainland. And most art-house films directed by this type of director don't have great box office results. In two or three years, she'll understand."

"I feel sorry for her! In the prime of life, how many two or three years are there?" Seeing Qiongyao couldn't stop sighing.

Seeing Seeing Qiongyao like this, He Xiuqiong knew that her mother-in-law had fallen into her habit of being a heavy 'face-con' (obsessed with looks) again, especially towards handsome men and beautiful women who caught her eye; she was always exceptionally tolerant.

Seeing Seeing Qiongyao's reluctant expression, He Xiuqiong rolled her eyes, then smiled at Seeing Qiongyao and said:

"Mom, if you can't bear to let her go, why not give Qinqin a role first to deepen your relationship and leave a connection? Didn't she say she likes something more relaxed and cheerful? Isn't the "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" you're writing right now just perfect for that?

Didn't Station Manager Ouyang say yesterday that if you're willing, they'd like to film "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" together too.

After "Cang Tian You Lei" is released next year, she will know your good intentions~

By then, when she graduates next year, we can go and sign her with this connection in place."

Upon hearing this, Seeing Qiongyao thought of the "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" she was writing. She was writing this work quite smoothly, but it was completely different from her usual melodramatic style. She wasn't sure how it would perform in the market.

If "Cang Tian You Lei" was a work of reputation she had painstakingly created, then "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" was just a casual play. It might be okay to follow her daughter-in-law's suggestion and pick a role for Jiang Qinqin to keep a connection first. She really liked this girl.

As for the role, it would definitely be the female lead, Ziwei. The crazy girl Little Xiao Yanzi didn't fit the image of Jiang Qinqin in her heart.

Seeing Qiongyao nodded first, then shook her head and sighed: "But who should I find for Xiao Yufeng!"

"If it really doesn't work out, I'll go visit Chen Derong in person again, reasoning with her and appealing to her emotions. Given our past relationship, she shouldn't refuse," He Xiuqiong said.

"That's the only way."

"'My Fair Princess', Ziwei, are you sure?" Wu Yuchen asked to confirm.

Jiang Qinqin nodded: "Would I lie? Auntie Seeing Qiongyao promised it herself, saying their company's door is always open for me."

Then she took out a very thin script: "Auntie Seeing Qiongyao said she hasn't finished writing it yet, and told me to take a look first."

After Wu Yuchen took the script and flipped through it, it started with Ziwei looking for her father. It really was "My Fair Princess".

Wu Yuchen clicked his tongue several times. It seems Seeing Qiongyao is truly captivated by Jiang Qinqin's looks; she's willing to give her a female lead role even without her signing with the company.

"Should I agree this time?" Jiang Qinqin asked.

Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded: "Agree. I'm quite optimistic about this 'Huan Zhu Ge Ge'; it will definitely be hotter than 'Cang Tian You Lei'."

Jiang Qinqin flipped through the script, which was only half-written: "How come I can't tell?"

"Trust me and you'll be right. But it's fine if you don't want to act in it. 'Classic Again' (Jiang Ru Ai You Tian Yi) will definitely make you famous too, and famous across all of Asia!"

Wu Yuchen was quite confident about "Classic Again," but he felt that having "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" would be better for Jiang Qinqin to walk on two legs.

Seeing Wu Yuchen say this, Jiang Qinqin agreed: "Then I'll agree to Auntie Seeing Qiongyao."

Wu Yuchen watched Jiang Qinqin go to call Seeing Qiongyao.

What, you ask what about Lin Xinru? To hell with her!

Don't even mention Lin Xinru; even if the core character Little Xiao Yanzi was changed, he wouldn't want to care. If "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" performs poorly, so be it. It was originally just a casual thing. He's too lazy to be a nanny and labor over someone else's project.

Come to think of it, Lin Xinru's skin is a bit dark, and her looks aren't exactly top-tier. She wasn't highly regarded by Seeing Qiongyao to begin with. In his past life, after filming for over a month, the crew sent the footage to Seeing Qiongyao, who was so angry she cursed Lin Xinru as a block of wood, saying her acting was terrible and she couldn't even cry. She wanted to replace her immediately and had even bought her a plane ticket back to Wanwan.

At the time, director Sun Shupei mobilized the entire crew to speak well of her to Seeing Qiongyao and even had Zhou Jie, who played Erkang, find time privately to guide Lin Xinru, inviting her for tea and chats to help her get into character. Only then did Seeing Qiongyao let her off the hook.

As it turned out, everyone knows what happened later. Zhou Jie was manipulated by the narrative, and director Sun Shupei claimed that during holidays, only Fan Bingbing would call to greet him.

Wu Yuchen shook his head. After Jiang Qinqin finished her call, he continued to discuss the "Classic Again" script with her.

"Qinqin, you have to play two female leads from different eras by yourself—the mother and the daughter. Although both mother and daughter have the same introverted personality, you must be able to let the audience distinguish the differences. Your expressions, movements, way of speaking, and some small habits must all be distinct. You have to find a way to design this yourself."

The most important part of this film lies in the female lead. As long as Jiang Qinqin shapes this female lead well, it's at least half successful. So Wu Yuchen broke it down bit by bit to help her analyze it.

"Wu Dao, Wu Dao, are you going to film a new movie?" After welcoming Wu Yuchen in, Zhou Xun kept hovering around him, her eyes very eager.

Ever since she won Best Actress at the Tokyo International Film Festival half a year ago for starring in "Suzhou River," her acting career had undergone earth-shaking changes. Previously, she had to go everywhere to find opportunities in various crews, but now crews were coming to her proactively, and several of them offered her the female lead role right off the bat.

In the past half year, she had also acted in two dramas, one as the female lead and one as the second female lead. Her pay and the crew's treatment had greatly improved. She and her boyfriend Dou Peng had already saved enough money for a house, and the two were currently looking at properties.

She had always been very grateful to Wu Yuchen, and recently, Wu Yuchen won Best Director in Berlin, which made Zhou Xun admire him even more. She only hoped to participate in his next movie.

Wu Yuchen nodded, not hiding anything:

"There is a new movie, filming in the summer. But the female lead for this film has already been decided; there are no roles suitable for you."

This left Zhou Xun feeling extremely disappointed, but she still hovered around Wu Yuchen: "Wu Dao, a supporting role is fine too. I just want to act in your movie~"

Wu Yuchen smiled and shook his head: "The second female lead role lacks presence and isn't worthy of you. Don't worry, I'll find you when there's a suitable role later."

At this moment, he saw Dou Peng in the room and smiled, saying: "Brother Peng, I'll have to trouble you with the arrangement this time~"

Dou Peng took the sheet music Wu Yuchen handed over, looked at it, and said: "I'll give it a try."

If the movie "Classic Again" is a 10, its music must account for at least 3. This theme song and the movie should be mutually complementary, forging a classic.

He could change the background music and theme songs of other movies to be different from the original versions, as long as the music met his requirements. But "Classic Again" couldn't; it really couldn't do without this theme song.

Therefore, Wu Yuchen was also preparing in advance. Taking advantage of his free time now, even if it took effort, he had to get this theme song out first.

He first found Sun Chuan, who had helped him compose music by humming tunes last time. The two spent a whole day composing the music, but Sun Chuan said he wasn't very good at this kind of Western classical style, and it would be better to hire someone more capable for the arrangement.

Therefore, Wu Yuchen sought out Dou Peng. Don't look at him as a rocker now; he was a serious graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music's conducting department. He started learning music at age 4, was proficient in piano, violin, cello, and many other instruments, and attended the middle school affiliated with the Conservatory. He was very skilled at this type of Western-leaning classical music.

"Right, the beginning is cello, violin, and flute. The whole arrangement should have that symphonic feel, sorrowful and mournful..." Wu Yuchen hummed while giving Dou Peng various requirements.

Watching Wu Yuchen discuss the music with her boyfriend, Zhou Xun couldn't help but feel a bit sad. She didn't know when she would finally get a suitable role from Wu Yuchen.

"Yo, isn't this Wu Dao? Do you have a new script again?"

Inside the SARFT office building, a staff member who had crossed paths with Wu Yuchen a few times before asked with a smile.

"Hahaha, the new script is still being perfected. I'm here to find someone today," Wu Yuchen replied politely.

"As expected of Wu Dao, you have a new script so quickly. Who are you looking for? I'll take you there."

"An intern, a network engineer, from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University."

Hearing this, the staff member was surprised. He thought Wu Yuchen was here to discuss a script, not expecting him to be looking for a technical intern. However, he didn't ask further and led him towards the back.

Li Jian sat bored in the office, picking up his thermos for the umpteenth time. He had been interning at SARFT for a month, but every day was incredibly boring, as if he could see the next few decades of his life at a glance.

Think about it: Li Jian was a prominent figure at Tsinghua University. In high school, he attended Tsinghua's winter camp and won first place in the country with the song "Speak from the Heart"; he won first place in the first Tsinghua University Campus Song Competition; first prize in the Capital College Student Solo Competition; and was recognized as the top guitarist at Tsinghua, simultaneously serving as a guitarist for nine bands. In 1995, he went to Hong Kong with the Tsinghua Art Troupe to perform, and in 1996, he won the Gold Award in the CCTV College Student Song Competition...

His glorious achievements at Tsinghua University over the past few years were truly too numerous to count. Was he really going to give up music in the future and spend his whole life here at SARFT, never parting with the three-piece set of thermos, newspaper, and magazine?

Just as Li Jian was lost in confusion, staring blankly and contemplating life:

"Li Jian, someone is looking for you!"

"Hey, coming!"

Li Jian hurriedly put down his thermos and got up to go out.

"Wu Dao, this is Li Jian. You two talk."

Seeing a boy with a center-parted hairstyle and delicate features come out of the office, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but take the initiative to reach out his hand and smile:

"Hello, Li Jian, my name is Wu Yuchen. I went to your school to find you earlier, but heard you were interning at SARFT, so I came directly to find you."

Wu Yuchen didn't expect that Li Jian, who would later become a singer, was actually interning at SARFT at this time.

Li Jian was stunned for a moment, then immediately said with pleasant surprise: "Are you Wu Dao Yuchen? It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Although he was doing technical work in the back office at SARFT, he read the newspapers and magazines about movies every day until they were worn out. He was very familiar with Wu Yuchen, the prominent figure in the industry who had recently won Best Director in Berlin. However, he was curious why a director like Wu Yuchen would be looking for a technical intern like him?

"I heard you sing once last year and was deeply impressed by your voice; it's distant and pure. I'm going to film a new romance movie, and I want to find you to sing the theme song. I wonder if you're interested?"

"Find me to sing? Of course, of course I'm willing!" Li Jian suddenly felt a surge of excitement in his heart. Although he didn't know what he was going to sing yet, just being able to deal with music made him involuntarily happy.

Then Wu Yuchen took out a piece of lyrics and music and handed it to Li Jian:

"No rush. I value this song very much. Prepare well; you have half a year. If you can sing this song well, you can directly release an album and become a singing star. If you don't want to work here in the future, this is also a way out."

After saying this, Wu Yuchen smiled and patted Li Jian on the shoulder, telling him he could go find Dou Peng to communicate more when he was free on weekends.

Watching Wu Yuchen's departing back, Li Jian was full of doubts. How did he know he didn't want to work here?

Immediately casting aside that thought, Li Jian returned to the room, sat down, and picked up the lyrics and music for "Classic Again." He couldn't help but immerse himself in it. In his mind, the lyrics and music intertwined and fluttered, already playing a mournful song.

In an instant, Li Jian felt a surge of sorrowful emotion welling up in his chest. The lyrics and music of this song were truly too good, making him unable to stop himself from wanting to shed tears!

Li Jian immediately got up to ask his leader for leave, then dashed out the door. He was so excited and unable to contain himself; he couldn't wait to sing this song right away!