Chapter 323: Rarity Makes Things Precious

"Don't say forever, forever, forever to me; forever is too expensive a vow~"

"I can't hold it, nor see it; in the end, it vanishes with the waves~"

In the television, Li Yijun's melodious singing echoed alongside the clatter of pots and pans colliding in the sink.

After dinner, Chen Hao, who was arranging fruit on the coffee table in the living room, heard the singing coming from the kitchen and couldn't help but smile: "I heard the production team of 'The Storm Riders' actually asked you to play Nie Feng?"

"You're just listening to the production team brag. As for Nie Feng, although I do look younger, taller, and more handsome than Zhao Wenzhuo, fitting the image of Nie Feng better."

Zhou Yi, having finished washing the dishes, walked out of the kitchen, shaking water off his hands, and strolled into the living room, plopping down on the sofa: "But asking me to undergo training to act in that kind of martial arts drama? Forget it, I can't endure that kind of hardship."

Period costume dramas in this era truly required enduring hardship, unlike the later traffic-star era where green screens, cut-and-paste compositing, and studio shooting were all deployed, purely treating the audience like fools.

Not to mention a period martial arts drama like 'The Storm Riders'.

"Tsk, asking Producer Zhou, who can't endure hardship, to help me wash dishes; I feel a bit reluctant." Chen Hao handed a peeled apple to the man, her eyes curving into a smile, and she pouted her lips toward the kitchen.

"If you don't cook, I definitely won't wash the dishes."

Zhou Yi took a casual bite of the apple he had received, just as he saw Bu Jingyun on the TV screen shouting, "I'm going to be a father!" and his lips simply couldn't hold back a smile.

No matter how much time passes, this scene is truly fresh every time you watch it.

"This is an actor's sense of belief."

Chen Hao, who had picked up a green date, could clearly see what Zhou Yi meant: "Don't look at the script and lines like that; He Rundong is actually quite good, the lead role, and it's Bu Jingyun."

"This drama is currently exploding in popularity; he should be able to reap many benefits later. I bet many male actors in the industry are so envious their back teeth are about to break." Chen Hao, who could hear plenty of news from the Central Academy of Drama, started chatting about industry gossip.

In the domestic TV drama circle of 2002, if one had to find the single most popular drama, it was undoubtedly this one, 'The Storm Riders', without a single exception.

The shocking appearance of the 'Weeping Death God' Bu Jingyun was mocked by many netizens to the point where even his mother wouldn't recognize him, but the actor He Rundong indeed acted it so convincingly that the audience gradually got used to it; now, if they didn't see that instant-noodle hairstyle for a day, they felt an itch in their hearts.

In comparison, the controversy surrounding Nie Feng's actor, Zhao Wenzhuo, was much greater.

Whether it was comparisons with the movie version of Nie Feng played by Ekin Cheng, or news about him previously 'eating soft rice' by relying on Anita Mui, such stories were flying all over the internet and entertainment newspapers.

After all, earlier this year, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui's duet of 'Peerless Elegance' had indeed caused a stir, simultaneously dragging Zhao Wenzhuo, Anita Mui's former lover, into the fray; at that time, he was fiercely criticized by a crowd of Anita Mui fans.

And with Leslie Cheung releasing a mini EP album titled 'CrossOver' containing only five songs last month, and Zhao Wenzhuo finally exploding in popularity across the two sides of the strait and the mainland, opening up his fame, this matter was brought up again by Hong Kong media.

"For a drama that can yield benefits for so long, if I were an actor, I'd be jealous too."

The fact that Zhao Wenzhuo and He Rundong were able to win over the mainland audience was truly largely due to this 'The Storm Riders'.

Don't brag that Zhao Wenzhuo broke into the Hong Kong circle and acted in movies very early; ask anyone who knows him about classic roles, and the first impression that comes to mind is Nie Feng.

"Your situation is different, after all; you are currently the only person in the industry who can drive attention to film and television dramas without accepting any roles."

Hearing Zhou Yi talk like this, Chen Hao immediately burst out laughing: "Do you remember that 'Love in the City' (Pink Lady)? Since you haven't shown any signs of accepting other roles for the past two years, this 'Love in the City' hasn't even started broadcasting yet, but the attention is already very high."

The experience of him visiting Chen Hao on set, and during that visit, making a cameo appearance as Li Bai who got married to Chen Hao in the drama, had already been chewed over and over by netizens.

The official team of 'Love in the City' never expected that Zhou Yi, who was just a novice when he made his cameo, would now transform into an international superstar; the director and the original manga author would rather chat with Zhou Yi eight hundred times a day to get some screen time.

Even Liu Ruoying from Rock Records, when entering the mainland to promote her new album released in Taiwan in June, rode on Zhou Yi's coattails, simply because the song 'Lonely for a Lifetime' on this album had been officially announced as the theme song for 'Love in the City'.

As for the ending theme...

Don't worry about whether 'Li Bai' is suitable as an ending theme; as long as the production team and the broadcaster think it's suitable, then it is suitable.

If it weren't for the fact that this song was really unsuitable as the theme song for this drama, plus the contract signed with Rock Records, the production team would have kicked Liu Ruoying out no matter what.

After all, Liu Ruoying is the first female lead; Chen Hao is actually just a supporting actress.

"Although my positioning is still a supporting actress, because of that one song of yours, the production team increased my share of the scenes in the drama."

"Has this drama started its promotion?" Zhou Yi asked with some curiosity.

"Not yet; they are just occasionally releasing some news to tease people, and most of it is related to you."

Having said this, Chen Hao shrugged: "Moreover, the mainland side is still waiting for approval; if there are no problems, it is estimated to air around March or April next year. Precisely because of this drama, it is said that many people in the circle want to invite you to act again."

Although that Li Bai in 'Love in the City' was purely devoid of any technical skill, it did not affect Zhou Yi's popularity.

During the subsequent process of Chen Hao and Zhou Yi filming the music video, as news spread that Jiang Wen was suspected of joining as the 'director', Zhou Yi became even hotter in the film and television market—

Any drama or movie that could be called a big investment had 'scandalous rumors' circulating about Zhou Yi.

Today, rumors spread that the director of 'The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber' was originally dissatisfied with Alec Su and had once thought about overturning the existing scenes before wrapping up to invite Zhou Yi to play Zhang Wuji, with the reasoning that only his face was worthy of standing alongside a group of beauties;

Tomorrow, rumors spread that the director of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' was dissatisfied with Li Yapeng's constant injury recovery and was preparing to invite Zhou Yi to play Guo Jing to partner with the scandalous partner Zhou Xun.

There were even rumors about 'My Fair Princess 3' and 'The Golden Dust Family'.

"Having Qiong Yao involved is just ridiculously absurd; which small tabloid is so unreliable? If they just checked the facts."

Zhou Yi helplessly roasted the situation.

On August 9, after Jiang Wen had deeply studied 'In the Name of the Father' again, which Zhou Yi had proposed modifications to on set, Ning Hao, who had finally regained his directorial dignity, began filming the music video for 'Ghost' for Zhou Yi with an extremely professional attitude.

To be honest, the original music video for 'Ghost' was actually quite abstract.

Fortunately, under Zhou Yi's pointing and directing with just his mouth and no hands, Ning Hao, who had been reduced to a tool, still delivered a satisfactory answer, fully embodying 'Ghost's' satire and depiction of social phenomena, while also completing the narrative connection between the beginning and the end—

It can be said that within the album 'Lianshan', the importance of 'Ghost' is to connect the preceding and the following.

The mafia member played by Zhou Yi, having grown up in the terrifying and oppressive family environment from the previous song 'Can You Feel My World', began to have his personality gradually twisted—

After becoming an adult and entering society to work for the family, the various people he encountered along the way, who were named 'ghosts' but were actually 'humans', further twisted his mind, causing him to completely collapse at the end of the music video, becoming the 'Assassin' in the third song.

And Chen Hao's appearance began from the 'Assassin' music video, extending into 'In the Name of the Father'.

Playing two roles in one person—first, the girl in 'Assassin' whom Zhou Yi fell in love with but who did not like Zhou Yi; then, the pawn he married for revenge in 'In the Name of the Father'.

One was innocent; the other was scheming.

As the chief director of the quartet, Jiang Wen had very high requirements for Chen Hao's acting, high enough that she had to be able to drive Zhou Yi.

But even so, the sound of Jiang Hao shouting 'Cut' could still be heard occasionally on set.

And to promote Zhou Yi's brand new Chinese album, Warner even arranged a media interview open day for the music video crew, officially releasing the news of Jiang Wen's joining!

In an instant, countless entertainment media flocked to the Imperial Capital; Chen Hao, who played the female lead on the A-side, once again experienced the feeling of being surrounded by flashbulbs after the 'Love in the City' crew.

"Zhou Yi's new song? I've heard him sing it privately; it is indeed very good, and it certainly won't disappoint the vast number of fans."

August 11, the crew's open day.

Chen Hao, having accepted media interviews, spoke cheerfully to the camera.

"Then, may I ask, Chen Hao, what are your thoughts on playing the female lead in Zhou Yi's many music videos?"

"Not really. If I must say something, I can only say that it's a bit unrealistic."

In the camera's view, Chen Hao's smile was brilliant, like a flower blooming in the wind: "I played two roles, but one of them didn't like Zhou Yi. I feel that doesn't make sense; Zhou Yi is so handsome, how could any woman not like him, right?"

(End of this chapter)