Chapter 276: Parents give you the skin, I will give you the soul

Early the next morning, Boss Lu, who had relaxed his vigilance abroad and didn't know that he had been captured by the paparazzi with massive material, was still sleeping.

Bingbing slipped away early. Thanks to the usual laziness of Europeans, he could continue to fulfill his duties as chairman of the jury even if he got up at nine o'clock.

Suddenly the phone rang, and Boss Lu reached over and answered it directly.

"Hello? Still sleeping?"

Lu Kuan was startled, sat up straight, and came back to his senses after listening to Liu Yifei's crisp voice.

How did it become a bit guilty...

"Hmm... always watching films and scoring and stuff recently, a bit tired."

Boss Lu habitually began to find excuses. Perhaps he didn't even realize that he didn't have such a reaction in the past.

Little Liu also felt strange, and really explained it seriously. In the past, wouldn't she have been dismissed with a sentence of having something or nothing?

She vaguely felt that something was wrong.

"Guess where I am?"

"On the toilet?"

"Get lost! Vulgar!"

Liu Yifei said impatiently: "I'm in Rongcheng! I'm going to Shuimo Town tomorrow to film that tea art video!"

"Just take a look at how the building we built for them is doing, and go to Dorje's house to send some things."

Lu Kuan reacted: "Oh oh oh, right right right, film well, I'll give you a bonus."

"Cut, rare!"

Little Liu was full of joy and chatted with him on the phone: "Became the principal? How does it feel?"

"No feeling, there are no beautiful girls like you, they are all rough men."

"Haha, virtue." Liu Yifei saw her mother push the door in and was embarrassed to be sticky with him again: "I'll hang up first, talk later."

*Dududududu*...

Boss Lu put down his phone, only to find that his palms were full of sweat.

Why does it feel so wrong?

Didn't he fool her with a set of practiced rhetoric before? How did meeting Bergman once make him...

A bit of conscience discovered?

Shaking his head fiercely, the washing machine tried to shake out the accidental shame and conscience, got up, washed, and went out.

On May 17th, a large-scale filming team walked into Shuimo Town in Aba, Sichuan Province.

Regarding the content of the first video, Long Danni and the production team considered a lot.

For example, going to Liu Yifei's hometown, Jiangcheng, to make a video about lotus root powder, letting the foreign devils see this unheard-of delicacy;

Or perhaps, in keeping with the Qingming scenery of last month, make some Qingming vegetable rice cakes, letting the audience feel the breath of spring and the gifts of nature, while also taking the opportunity to popularize the solar term culture of ancient ethnic groups.

However, after Lu Kuan's car accident, Liu Yifei, who had visited the tea mountain in Shuimo Town, gave the director team an opinion:

Just take the tea culture of Shuimo as the basis, and make a cultural promotion video about tea planting, tea picking, tea frying, and tea drying.

Long Danni asked Lu Kuan for instructions, and the latter readily agreed.

In later generations in 2013, Wuchuan was rated as a 5A-level scenic spot. The scenery here is beautiful, just like a paradise.

Doing a program in Shuimo Town is a disturbance, but it can bring cultural and economic promotion to the local area, which is infinitely beneficial.

Tea and porcelain are one of the business cards of the Chinese nation to the outside world. Using this theme as an opening is conducive to the promotion of this fresh and natural pastoral style video overseas.

In order to expand the influence of this variety show, Boss Lu also asked Little Liu's father for help.

2003 to 2005 is the China-France Cultural Exchange Year. There will be many high-level cultural exchange and promotion activities between the two countries. Articles can be written on this.

For Liu Yifei herself, participating in such a pastoral style and rural style video program at this time node also has many invisible benefits.

For example, next year the country will completely abolish agricultural tax, increase investment and efforts in the "three rural issues," and promote rural comprehensive reform and social development.

The whole world is watching how this oriental power based on farming culture is using agricultural policies to adjust the bow of the ship in the vast ocean, as well as the results achieved.

While other female stars are comparing beauty and showing off wealth, "posing" on various stages, releasing sexual charm and modern atmosphere;

Now suddenly there is a top female star in the domestic entertainment industry, using poetic, beautiful, and culturally connotative video programs to show our pastoral style and rural beauty, and convey the diligence, simplicity, and kindness contained in the countryside.

How much praise and support can this get in the cultural and propaganda departments, and how many leaders will keep it in mind, does it still need to be mentioned?

For Liu Yifei, at the age of just eighteen, such a persona is also appropriate and pleasing.

The key is that it is also very consistent with her own personality. Didn't you see that she has already learned several dishes from Master Qiao!

The crew is making various preparations. Boss Lu sent Wu Ershan to handle the first video.

The composition and aesthetic design of a film director cannot be compared with the level of a variety show director. The first few videos are bound to be out of the circle and brilliant.

In view of this, the program team arrived near the tea mountain more than ten days in advance to set up scenes and build studios.

Rural tea gardens, ancient courtyards, and traditional-style tea rooms are used as the main shooting scenes.

In the tea garden, it is clear after the rain, the tea leaves are green, and the green is dripping. In the courtyard, there are chairs full of ancient atmosphere.

Tea sets in the tea room and decorations related to tea culture, such as bamboo tea baskets, ceramic tea leaf cans, etc., are complete. Wooden tea racks and futon cushions are simple and elegant.

Although it is a rural and pastoral style video, it must have artistic processing and elevation, otherwise it will not have much attraction for domestic audiences.

My home is in the countryside, you are not as smooth as me in doing these things, why should I watch you do it?

It's better to watch fashion shows and movies and TV series.

Of course, this is also to deal with the policy risks of video going overseas—

You filmed our countryside so broken for foreigners to see? Want to follow...

Liu Yifei took her best friend Su Chang to the town, donated a batch of schoolbags, pencil cases, books, and other stationery to the school, and Dorje followed her excitedly when she came back.

"Director, what time does it start?"

Wu Ershan was commanding the lighting and camera, and smiled sideways when he heard the words: "Half an hour later, Yifei, you go to put on makeup first."

"Su Chang is here too?"

These three are also old partners. Wu Ershan handled the second half of the first season of *Zhu Xian*. Liu Yifei and Su Chang were both leading actors.

"Wu Dao, why is the shooting of this season so rushed? Is it starting in a few days?"

Su Chang was considering the matter of asking for leave from the Beiping Film Academy.

Not yet a junior, originally filming around the summer vacation, it was convenient for her to ask for leave, but this sudden advance...

Wu Ershan smiled and didn't answer her question directly, or you ask Liu Yifei beside you, the news you get might be more accurate.

It's not that the boss ordered it, trying to squeeze this popular little flower as much as possible!

"Right, we have to film a promotional video for the Shanda game *Zhu Xian* at the end of the month. You guys keep the schedule."

"Okay, I'll tell Siwei."

Liu Yifei and Su Chang laughed and walked to the dressing room, preparing for the ancient style makeup before filming.

In view of the merger of Boss Lu and Chen Tianqiao on Sina shares, the cooperation between the two sides is also closer.

Among many internet companies, Taobao and Inquiry Realm Mall, other portals and Blognet all have hidden competitive relationships.

Only Shanda, which currently has games as its core business, and Inquiry Realm still have relatively large cooperation space.

With the big explosion of the first season of *Zhu Xian*, at the end of last year, Shanda bought the game adaptation rights of *Zhu Xian* for 30 million, plus a 5% share of the game's net profit.

This price cannot be said to be high, and it can also be said to be a bullying clause.

Compared with the later generations, Perfect bought the adaptation rights of the hit *My Own Swordsman*, and the game development expenditure was as high as 300 million;

In this timeline, the *Zhu Xian* official blog has accumulated more than 5 million fans, and the topic degree on Douban, Blognet, and Tianya is full.

Among the three heroines, Liu Yifei and Fan Bingbing don't need to be mentioned. Su Chang is also a rising new generation female star in the domestic entertainment industry, especially after entering Inquiry Realm, her development path is clearer.

Relying on such influence and basic fan base, Shanda's 30 million and net profit share are spent willingly.

At 9:30 in the morning, the filming officially started.

The morning sun was revealed, the mountains were shrouded in clouds and mist, and the camera slowly zoomed in, focusing on a lush tea garden.

Little Liu, dressed in cloth and thorns, walked out of the symmetrical composition screen, carrying a bamboo basket on her back, and gently picked the fresh and tender tea buds with her slender fingers.

There is a close-up shot that runs through the panoramic view of the tea garden, the close-up of the tea trees, and the protagonist focusing on picking tea.

At the same time, it is accompanied by soft natural sound effects, such as bird calls, the rustling of wind blowing through tea trees, etc., showing the quiet and beautiful atmosphere of the tea garden in the morning.

Little Liu in the lens only wears light makeup, her face is like jade, her eyes are clear like water, walking through the green tea trees, her body is light, and her steps are very small.

Wu Ershan and Long Danni nodded secretly looking at Little Liu in the picture. Under Yifei, there is no ancient beauty.

After showing the close-up action of tea picking, the lens slowly opened, showing her busy figure in the tea garden and the beautiful tea garden scenery around.

The audience can return to the overall scene from the details and feel the harmonious picture of man and nature.

The lens switched from the panoramic view of the big rocker to the medium shot, focusing on the tea garden path where Liu Yifei walked, sat back in the ancient courtyard, and started filming the next scene.

Liu Yifei displayed tea making processes such as spreading green, killing green, kneading, and baking in turn.

The video recorded the operation process of each process in detail.

For example, when killing green, the lens focused on the steaming tea leaves in the pot. As she kept stir-frying with her hands, the tea leaves jumped and changed color in the pot.

"Push the lens for a close-up." Wu Ershan picked up the walkie-talkie to command.

Liu Yifei's hand movements in the kneading process were close-ups, kneading the tea leaves into appropriate shapes, matched with the crackling sound of firewood burning in the courtyard, creating a traditional and simple atmosphere.

She has been studying this part of the content for several days, striving for truth and simplicity, to achieve an incomprehensible communication effect among foreign audiences.

Some of Li Ziqi's tea art videos in later generations have been criticized, that is, the picture is beautiful, but there are many loopholes in the tea making process.

It doesn't matter if you let the foreign devils watch the excitement, but if you investigate it deeply, you haven't done your homework well. It's just that the surface of the donkey dung egg is bright.

Therefore, for this video, Inquiry Realm specifically found tea art consultants to guide the program content.

For example, some problems of Li Ziqi in the past: tea leaves were killed directly without spreading and drying after picking.

If you don't spread and dry and kill directly, the moisture in the tea leaves cannot be dispersed, and the tea produced affects the beauty and quality of the rough tea.

For example, the pot for stir-frying tea is a cold pot.

If spreading and drying is deliberately omitted by the director to save time, the temperature of stir-frying tea is a hard injury, and even many foreigners can see the problem.

The standard practice is like Little Liu now, constantly adding firewood, burning the temperature of the pot to above 200C, and then starting to stir-fry tea.

Such a high temperature is to ensure complete killing and less red stems and red leaves.

In the screen, the red flame licked the bottom of the pot, and the temperature in the pot gradually increased.

Liu Yifei wiped the fine sweat on her forehead, and the light makeup was not smeared.

The little girl poured the dried tea leaves into the pot, and her hands kept stir-frying in the pot rhythmically. The tea leaves kept rolling and jumping under her hands, like a group of lively little elves.

She sometimes pressed gently with her hands, sometimes turned quickly, and the whole action was flowing like water.

"It's really good, it's hard work."

Wu Ershan asked the tea art consultant of the crew beside him, and the latter looked amazed.

In his opinion, a female star who doesn't touch the spring water with ten fingers can do this, which is already very remarkable.

After processes such as kneading, the tea leaves, under Liu Yifei's careful production, gradually changed from fresh and tender leaves to dry tea forms that can be brewed.

Each tea leaf is curled, carrying the full charm of tea culture.

Enter the final time of brewing tea and tasting tea.

"King Kong Barbie" Liu Yifei rolled up her sleeves and moved the tea table to a quiet place in the courtyard with murmuring water and surrounded by a few green bamboos without any effort.

Then she took out exquisite ceramic tea sets, first scalded the teapot and teacup one by one with boiling water, and then gently scooped an appropriate amount of tea leaves into the teapot with a tea spoon.

Boiling water was poured into the teapot from a height, and the tea leaves rolled and stretched in the water, like sleeping lives being awakened, and wisps of white water vapor carrying rich tea fragrance rose up.

She picked up the teapot and slowly poured the tea soup into the teacup. The orange-yellow and bright tea soup rippled in the cup, and under the reflection of the sun, it was as charming as amber.

The ancient style first beauty picked up the tea cup and took a sip, her eyebrows bloomed, and the aftertaste was endless.

"Okay, cut!"

The whole audience rang with applause. This is the convention of the Inquiry Realm crew, encouraging every actor.

Of course, Liu Yifei's fresh and natural performance from beginning to end, or rather, the beauty and ancient charm she presented by playing herself, also made everyone full of confidence in this video and this program.

This fairy spirit, can't it choke those rednecks?

"Yifei, the daytime part ends here. We will film a few more shots later, and then it will be the night drying and other processes."

"Okay, director."

Wu Ershan watched the picture in the lens again, and asked the special effects artist of Butian Yinghua to increase the saturation and contrast of the picture.

At the same time, appropriately adjust the color temperature to make the picture present a warm and soft tone.

With this adjustment, an ancient, quiet, and poetic atmosphere was created.

Coupled with an ancient style girl who seemed to have walked out of a painting, the visual infectious power and artistic beauty of the video were greatly strengthened.

These clips have to be sent to Boss Lu for review. Wu Ershan's attitude towards this video is not a bit slack compared to *Zhu Xian*.

He has been waiting for Lu Kuan to give him the opportunity to film his first feature film, just like Ning Hao in the past, and Zhang Songwen who has just made it out among the artists.

Liu Yifei and Su Chang were watching the script of the second season of *Zhu Xian* in the RV, and Liu Xiaoli brought them cut fruits.

"Thank you, Auntie!"

"Changchang, haven't you filmed recently? Why do you have time to accompany Xixi to film videos?"

Su Chang turned her head and gave her godmother a sweet smile: "No, I'm studying at the Beiping Film Academy. It's just that *Zhu Xian* is going to be filmed in advance, otherwise I wouldn't have to ask for leave."

Before the words fell, Su Chang's phone vibrated.

"Hello? President Lu?"

The other end of the phone was Lu Yao: "Su Chang, prepare yourself, *The Barbarian Princess* is set."

"This role was snatched by Director Lu from Huayi's Zhang Nara. Perform well."

"Oh! Understood."

The blind tone of *dududududu* rang.

Combining the big drama in the domestic entertainment industry that has been rampant this month, everyone knows what is going on.

Obviously, a black-bellied Inquiry Realm president has made a dead hand.

The subsequent filming in the afternoon went smoothly. It was a temporary solution to the inner demon, the director who returned to the right path, the dedicated and excellent actors such as Hu Jun, Zhou Xun, Wang Baoqiang, and Song Jia, plus the experienced filming team.

Even though the progress was delayed because of Boss Lu's state when he started filming in April, there is no problem in catching up with the Spring Festival file according to the current filming speed.

As for the reason for arranging it in the Spring Festival file, it is also the result of weighing from many aspects.

For example, the poor performance of the main competitors *The Banquet* and *The Promise*. They might have occupied an advantage in the early stage, but the rapid decline in reputation is the opportunity for *Tangshan*.

In addition, the film is not aimed at the eyeballs with tragic scenes and tragic tones.

On the contrary, it has universal emotions and humanistic care for family, warmth, and national justice, and will not conflict with the festive and harmonious atmosphere of the Spring Festival file.

It can provide the audience with an audio-visual experience of sharing family affection and being grateful for life.

At noon, Boss Lu had to take time to go to the conference room of the crew hotel to participate in the discussion of the Olympic bidding plan.

"Director Lu, hello."

Looking up coldly, Little Yang was standing on the side with her lips pursed and looking timid.

"Yang Mi, when did you arrive?"

"I arrived in the morning. I came to visit Senior Sister Zhou Xun."

Both of them came from the same line of Rong Xingda. Yang Mi really had something to ask Zhou Xun for advice, and of course, it could not be denied that she wanted to find a legitimate excuse to contact this young director.

The last time we met was at the Golden Rooster Film Festival in Yinchuan. At that time, in the hotel's linen room...

Thinking of these, Yang Mi was a bit dazed. At that time, the atmosphere was tense and she didn't have too strong a perception.

But the physical contact full of hormones that she realized later, that... that pressed against her little buttocks...

The future little flower swallowed, watching him nod and walk past her, wanting to find more topics but not knowing what to say.

"Lu... President Lu."

"Ah?"

Boss Lu smiled while flipping through the Olympic plan in his hand: "It's noon, go find Zhou Xun, eat a meal in the crew."

"Our food is still very good."

"Hmm... good, thank you President Lu."

Yang Mi looked at his back walking away while chatting with Zhao Fei, stomped her feet secretly, and scolded herself for being unpromising in her heart!

To be honest, she was impulsive and afraid.

Recently, the *Sword Fairy 3* crew stopped, and she killed her way to Tangshan from Beiping on impulse.

But really facing this big Buddha, she was a bit timid, afraid of offending him, and afraid of being eaten without leaving any residue.

Especially after seeing the acting skills of the Berlin Film Emperor, Yang Mi was even more afraid.

Although she didn't publish any comments on Zhang Nara from beginning to end, it didn't affect the insiders knowing how deep the water behind it was.

Especially after seeing the acting skills of the Berlin Film Emperor, Yang Mi was even more afraid.

"Mi Mi, when did you arrive?" Zhou Xun had just changed into casual clothes and saw the little junior sister standing at the door of the studio with a worried face.

"Sister Xun, your accent is really like a local, what does 'duo zan' mean?"

"Hebei dialect, 'duo zan' means when."

Zhou Xun was not very familiar with Yang Mi, but she didn't exclude her. The little girl had high emotional intelligence and usually respected her very much.

This time she contacted in advance, saying she had something to ask for advice.

"Let's go, eat first, the crew food is good."

"Hmm!"

The sun at noon in Tangshan in May was already a bit big. Zhou Xun took Yang Mi to her room and closed the door.

"Lu Kuan must be very happy to see this big sun."

"What?"

"The sun comes out, the ground is dried, and the heavy scenes can be filmed. He can save a lot of equipment costs!"

Zhou Xun was in a good mood to talk today, so she followed her question: "Director Lu is... what kind of person?"

Zhou Xun looked up and glanced at her: "This question, there should be many answers on the internet, right? Heh."

"Good, bad, it's all him."

Zhou Xun had the intention of avoiding talking about it. In fact, she also wanted to express an attitude to this little junior sister who was thoughtful.

You must not have any curiosity about him.

It would be fine if she was like Xixi, who was straightforward and didn't make him hate her.

Like Yang Mi, who thought she was smart and wanted to play tricks with Lu Kuan, it is estimated that there would be no residue left in the end.

Big Mimi is not yet considered very sophisticated, but she has the ability to observe words and colors. Seeing that Zhou Xun didn't want to talk more, she didn't mention it again.

"Sister Xun, Huayi found someone to contact me."

She was very smart. In order to gain Zhou Xun's trust, she spoke out and poured her heart out.

From another perspective, the conflict between Zhou Xun and Rong Xingda has long been irreconcilable. This is something everyone up and down knows.

Zhou Xun looked up and smiled freely: "That's pretty good, how do you consider it yourself?"

"Compared with the conditions offered by Director Li Shaohong and Aunt Li Xiaowan, the artist share is not much different, but they promised to give me..."

"The position of the heroine Xuejian in *Sword Fairy 3*."

Zhou Xun hmm-ed, noncommittal.

It's not that her attitude is cold, it's that she knows this little junior sister of hers too well, knowing that her words are far from finished.

Yang Mi swallowed a few mouthfuls of food without taste: "Sister Xun... actually... I want to ask you to talk to Director Lu and see if I have a chance to go to Inquiry Realm?"

Zhou Xun sighed in her heart, thinking that you little girl paved the way for so long, and finally said the point.

Looking at Yang Mi, who had red lips and white teeth and flowing eyes, she couldn't help but think of another little flower of the same age.

Both are at the age of flowers, but their personalities are completely different.

Xixi is usually relatively lazy and spoiled, but influenced by Lu Kuan, her mind gradually became exquisite;

Yang Mi is more like Song Jia, whom the young director commented on in the morning. Acting as a village girl, she almost wrote the word village girl on her face.

She looks too shrewd and is not particularly pleasing.

Zhou Xun looked at her and said seriously: "I can help you talk."

"But first, although I have known Lu Kuan for so long and have a good relationship, we never talk about these things. Maybe he will give me face, maybe not."

"Second, I don't think going to Inquiry Realm is a good idea."

Zhou Xun is a white phosphorus personality. This female star with extremely rich emotional world can almost imagine the plot behind.

Yang Mi might fall in love with the domineering president, might please people with color, but meeting someone like Lu Kuan, the result will definitely not be good.

Because Jiang Qinqin's story has been staged in front of her.

The only one who can make Lu Kuan seem to treat her differently, she has only seen Liu Yifei.

Yang Mi bit her lip with unwillingness: "Sister Xun, why?"

Good words are hard to persuade the ghost who should die. Zhou Xun said earnestly: "The person he likes doesn't need others to speak actively, he will sign it himself."

"Didn't you see Song Jia in the morning? He likes actors who are good at acting and work hard."

"You have met several times, and he has also seen your business ability in the *Return of the Condor Heroes* crew. To be honest... it should be that he didn't like you."

Zhou Xun's words were not very polite. There were two people in the room, and she didn't think about taking care of her self-esteem.

It was really that if she didn't say the words to death, this little girl might still fly into the fire.

"Sister Xun, then he appreciates your acting skills so much, and your relationship is so good, you..."

Zhou Xun sneered in her heart, I am an undercover agent!

"Lu Kuan is a friend who can eat meat and drink with me. If there is suitable business, he will think of me, even if I go to Huayi."

Xun Ge'er didn't hide it and stated her next home directly.

"I don't like the feeling of a friend becoming a leader. It's weird to get along, not comfortable."

Yang Mi sighed, and only after a long time said woodenly: "Sister Xun, I really want to leave Rong Xingda."

"Not to mention comparing with Inquiry Realm, even compared with second-tier companies like Huayi, Rong Xingda..."

Zhou Xun smiled, she naturally understood Yang Mi's meaning.

In later generations, there is a "Rong Xingda Curse" that is laughed at, that is, all the actors who leave Rong Xingda are popular.

Zhou Xun's contract expired in 2006 and she didn't renew it. After turning to Huayi, she became a film actor. *Perhaps Love* directly won the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards double shadow queen;

Yang Mi didn't renew her contract in 2010. After accumulating a large number of fans in *Sword Fairy 3*, she exploded in *Palace*, ranking among the first line;

And other examples like Jiang Mengjie and Yang Yang.

The fundamental reason is that the domestic film development has entered the era of blockbusters, the box office has begun to soar, and the importance of the big screen for raising the status has become more and more important.

Rong Xingda cannot bring considerable film resources to its artists.

On the other hand, the soul combination of Li Shaohong and Li Xiaowan of Rong Xingda, like Wang Jinhua, their nanny-style agent model can no longer keep up with the development trend of the times.

Take Zhou Xun as an example. Her emotional and life style, which is full of emotions, is hard not to have conflicts when she meets Rong Xingda's Chinese parent-style management.

A very obvious example, Li Shaohong once instructed a marketing article to take a title: *Director Mom Li Shaohong: Your love warms Zhou Xun for a lifetime*.

The economic base determines the superstructure. The output value, situation, and marketing ideas of the domestic entertainment industry are changing with each passing day. Rong Xingda still sticks to its own set of outdated systems, so it is no wonder that artists will be separated from their hearts when their wings are hard.

Zhou Xun suddenly smiled: "Actually, Wang Xiaolei of Huayi called me recently, wanting me to persuade you to go to Huayi."

"But it's better for you to decide this kind of thing yourself. The relationships in the entertainment industry are intricate and complex. Sometimes one decision can affect your whole life."

Yang Mi pondered for a few seconds and tested: "Sister Xun, you mean the relationship between Inquiry Realm and Huayi..."

"I didn't say anything, heh, don't guess blindly."

After a pause, out of kindness, she still reminded: "Don't learn from Koreans, being pushed out to fight on the ring, and not knowing it when you become a bird that sticks out."

"Even if you go to Huayi, you must have a scale in your heart. Who can be offended and who cannot be offended."

"Mi Mi, you are a smart one. Don't forget the past, it's the teacher of the future. Look more and think more, and you will understand."

Time passed quickly, and the filming in the afternoon started again. Yang Mi was a bit confused and didn't choose to leave, continuing to watch the crew start to be orderly on the sidelines.

The entrance of the filming base on the 70s street suddenly came with noisy movements and a few honks, and then a Toyota Alphard was released by the guard.

At the same time, Boss Lu, who had just reached the monitor, hung up the phone, wondering why Little Liu came over at this time.

Yang Mi turned around and saw Liu Yifei and her mother bringing two assistants, carrying a few bags of things that looked like tea and fruits, walking over.

Liu Yifei's expression was calm, and she didn't seem to have the excitement of seeing Lu Kuan as before. Her hair was casually tied into two bundles, and her sunglasses were simply stuck on her head and walked to the studio.

"Eh, Mi Mi is here too?" The little girl walked close and saw Yang Mi with a worried face.

Yang Mi's expression was natural and she stepped forward to take the two bags of supplies from her hand: "Auntie Liu, Xixi, I came to visit Sister Xun, and I was just about to leave."

Little Liu smiled naturally.

So stupid, just like herself before.

What are you explaining?

"Don't rush to leave, are you going back to Beiping? Let's go together later."

Boss Lu walked over with the crew members: "Auntie Liu, Little Liu, is this sending warmth?"

Liu Xiaoli smiled and put down the things in her hand: "Xixi went to Shuimo to film a video. The school's foundation in the local area has already started construction. This is the new tea that the families of Dorje and the other little guys specially asked to bring to you."

"And the red cherries from Luding and apples from Danba that we bought locally. Filming is hard, let everyone in the crew taste it?"

Yu Feihong waved her hand: "Little Wang, Little Li, you have no eyes, come over and take the things and distribute them."

She turned to Lu Kuan again: "Director, shall we?"

Boss Lu looked at his watch and smiled: "Half an hour for after-meal fruit, start filming in half an hour."

The crew cheered, and everyone rushed up to take things and distribute them.

Zhou Xun, Hu Jun, Wang Baoqiang, Song Jia, and others had just finished their makeup. Hearing a cheer from the outside, they walked over with makeup.

"Xixi, why didn't you say anything in advance when you came!" Zhou Xun gave Little Liu a hug.

"On the spur of the moment, hehe."

Liu Yifei smiled at Hu Jun again: "Brother Hu Jun, you seem to be darker again?"

"Heh, Director Lu requested it, it won't work if it's not dark!"

Wang Baoqiang helped: "The director said, the male actors in the crew are based on me, and they can't be whiter than me."

Everyone laughed, and the scene recorder Little Li brought the washed fruit over. Everyone sat near the waiting area and chatted.

Everyone is very familiar with each other, joking and opening jokes, but there are still sensitive people who captured a trace of something wrong.

What's wrong with Liu Yifei today? She hasn't said a word to him since she saw Lu Kuan?

If this was in the past, she would have been sticking to him, laughing and making trouble.

Zhou Xun watched from the side calmly. Liu Yifei was chatting with Song Jia whom she had just met, and Boss Lu was tasting the black tea of Shuimo Town leisurely from a distance, with a calm expression.

"Song Jia, you should be Hu Ge's senior sister, right? You are one grade older than him."

"Yes, we met when we were rehearsing."

"Yifei, you are so beautiful, like a porcelain doll." Song Jia looked at the little beauty in front of her with envy. She is not this type of actor.

Liu Yifei smiled: "Stop praising me, your temperament is called gentle and atmospheric, and you look heroic even in this kind of costume."

"I heard from Sister Zhou Xun that your acting is good. Can I learn from you while I'm on the sidelines?"

Song Jia waved her hand repeatedly: "Don't, don't, I was criticized by Director Lu in the morning, and the first scene was filmed six or seven times before it barely passed."

Song Jia mentioned Lu Kuan to Liu Yifei. Zhou Xun glanced over inadvertently to see what her reaction was.

Little Liu just changed the subject and continued to whisper with Song Jia, and did not turn the topic to the young director as before.

Something went wrong.

Something must have gone wrong.

If she could exonerate him, it would prove that everything Liu Yifei just said was mere speculation, and she could temporarily push the cruel truth aside and not look at it.

Several people chatted for a while, perhaps because the break time was coming, Liu Yifei stood up slowly and walked to Boss Lu who was closing his eyes and resting in the sun.

Little leather boots kicked the chair leg unceremoniously: "Hey, where is the bathroom, take me there."

Except for Liu Xiaoli giving her daughter a white look to signal her not to be presumptuous, the rest of the crew seemed to be temporarily deaf and blind, and they were all talking and eating fruit.

Just pretend not to see or hear the dialogue between the two.

The conditions of the crew's temporary toilet were too poor, so Boss Lu walked in front like an old cadre with a teacup, preparing to take her to his hotel room near the crew.

If you want to say who first noticed the weird atmosphere and Liu Yifei's abnormality, it must be the washing machine.

The reason he can guess, probably is the "Lu Principal Cannes Hunting Beauty Event" that was popular in the domestic entertainment industry for a few days and then quickly disappeared.

The heat dissipated quickly, not because he found someone to control the comments, but because netizens were already used to it.

Apart from scolding the washing machine as a beast and secretly envying it, there was nothing to say.

It's just that Little Liu didn't mention it, so he played dead...

Just like before.

Isn't this the reason why Liu Yifei decided to force him to express his attitude on her eighteenth birthday?

Lu Kuan looked at the little girl's shadow that was slightly behind his shoulder, wondering why she hadn't spoken all the time.

"That... how is the video filmed?"

"Didn't Wu Ershan send you the clips to watch? Why are you talking nonsense?"

Little Liu's expression couldn't be said to be frosty, but she was expressionless in general, and it seemed that she didn't even have the interest to glance at the washing machine.

"Oh, heh, forgot."

"How is Dorje? The courtyard wall of Shuimo Town Primary School has been rebuilt, right?"

"Hmm."

The atmosphere between the two had never been so gloomy. They walked into the hotel, entered the elevator, and went to the director's suite.

Liu Yifei finally took the initiative to say a word: "Don't come in."

With a *bang*, she closed the door, walked into the room alone, and stood still without moving.

Going to the bathroom was just an excuse, a reason to walk a distance with him and be alone for a while.

She really wanted to question the washing machine like before, or hammer him with anger.

It's just that it doesn't seem to make much sense now.

The pen is in his hand. He wants to describe it, how to color it, a painting cannot decide.

Liu Yifei walked into the room lightly, sat on the side of the bed he had slept on for ten seconds, and went to the bathroom to wash her face.

Looking at the indifferent expression in the mirror of the washbasin, this is the best proof of her chaotic thoughts during this period.

Pushing the door open again, Little Liu had put on a long-lost smile: "Let's go."

"Oh." Lu Kuan crushed the cigarette butt he hadn't finished smoking on the sole of his shoe and responded in surprise.

Just like the process of the two from acquaintance to contradiction, and then to the final choice:

Liu Yifei took a deep breath: "I have a feeling, so I want to take a gamble."

"You've seen *Whiplash*, right?"

"At the end of the movie, what did Feng Yuanzheng do when he saw Zhou Jielun, whom he had suppressed, struck down, and destroyed, rise up in anger to resist him?"

"He is a madman, an artist; he chose to accept Zhou Jielun's defiance and transformation, and together with him, completed the final performance."

"In the movie, isn't Zhou Jielun Feng Yuanzheng's work? He has been cultivating him using the most brutal methods."

Liu Yifei pressed both hands on her best friend's shoulders: "I think an artist like Lu Kuan is also a madman."

"Just imagine, he, this impressionist painter, is painting, and this painting of mine is becoming less and less to his liking—it's crooked, it's skewed."

"Suddenly! The woman in this painting jumps out of the frame, stands right in front of him, alive, and says to him."

"Lu Kuan, I don't want the soul you give me; I have my own!"

"Do you think he would be ecstatic, or furious, or... both?"

Su Chang gazed at her for a long time, then smiled brightly: "I don't know what he would do."

"But you are right; you should jump out of the frame."

"Jump out, and he will never be able to cover you up with a new sheet of paper again."

"But what if you lose the gamble?"

"If I lose... if I lose..." Liu Yifei murmured as she walked to the floor-to-ceiling window; the neon lights in the night of Rongcheng made her dizzy.

"If I lose, I will leave."

"As for the rest, we'll talk about it later..."

Su Chang looked at her resolute back and remained silent.

Whether it's ten million fans or being the top young actress in the domestic entertainment industry, it was clear that in her eyes, none of these things were too important.

Otherwise, how could she be so willing to "sacrifice herself for the greater good"?

After turning off the lights, the two girls seemed to have said everything they had to say during this time; they lay quietly on the bed, and only their steady breathing could be heard.

The high-thread-count cotton fabric of the luxury hotel felt smooth and fluffy, yet the two of them could not fall asleep for a long time.

Su Chang lay with her back to the bed near the floor-to-ceiling window, and faint light escaped through the loose curtains.

She suddenly saw some crystalline reflections on the face of the girl on the bed opposite her.

She was crying silently.

Su Chang said nothing, got out of bed, crawled into Liu Yifei's quilt, and hugged the girl tightly from behind.

Closing her eyes, she thought about the life Liu Yifei had spent bound to Lu Kuan all these years.

There was sorrow, and there was joy.

At 14, she was Guo Xiang, just waiting with infatuation, happy all alone.

At 16, she was Huang Rong, racking her brains to strive for him, only to find that just being Huang Rong was far from enough.

At 18, who does she want to be?

Su Chang recalled a plot point from *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*.

On Spirit Snake Island, to save Zhang Wuji, Zhao Min used a Wudang sect move, "Heaven and Earth Together," against the three invading masters of the Ming Cult's main altar.

This was a killer move that dealt a thousand points of damage to the enemy while suffering eight hundred oneself.

She stabbed her own lower abdomen with a long sword to successfully force the enemy back; in the end, she was seriously injured, but she also won Zhang Wuji's deep affection.

But is Lu Kuan Zhang Wuji?

Just as Liu Yifei said, no one has ever been able to understand him, and there is no way to judge any of his decisions.

Su Chang simply couldn't bear to imagine the tragedy of that day, August 25, 2005.

Liu Yifei, oh Liu Yifei, is doing this really worth it?

(End of chapter)