[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta":3,"chapter-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-277":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Playboy of Huayu: How Did a Celestial Immortal Transform Me?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2297903,4495,"Chapter 277: Two Young Actresses Visit the Set","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-277",277,"\u003Cp>\"Damn! That bitch!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a \"bang,\" the Eight Immortals Treasure Pot, a piece by the venerable Mr. Zhou Zunyan that Zhou Jun loved most, shattered all over the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shouts of rage echoing from the investment banking manager's office made both Chinese and foreign employees on the same floor distance themselves, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly was wrong today with Young Master Zhou, who was always so refined and unflappable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, his state was somewhat similar to that of Liu Xiao yesterday, who had been utterly heartbroken and decided to make one last stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both thought they had been cheated on...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Zhou Jun felt an immense sense of agreement with those posts he had spent money to have desperately deleted from the internet not long ago—the ones calling her a slave of a tiny, insignificant country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly, some things just cannot be tamed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To think she would go and fawn over the enemy at the final moment, debasing herself; how could Zhou Jun, who had always held himself in high regard, not be absolutely furious!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a blow made him even more resentful than failing to extract enough profit from Huayi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jun had lost his patience and decided, through his network of connections, to completely abandon commercial means and fair competition in his siege of Lu Kuan, shifting instead to direct intimidation through power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, what he did not know was that Boss Lu was thinking the same thing, but his power came from the calculated efforts of the \"common folk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Nara had gained a deep understanding of the fickleness of human relationships over these past two months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the promotional activities for \"Seven Swords\" at the Cannes Film Festival concluded, she returned to Huayi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the film contracts for \"Sword Fairy III\" and \"My Fair Princess\" promised by Huayi fell through, and Zhang Nara had lost her value for cultivation, both sides negotiated to stop holding each other accountable and amicably terminated the contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Jun had thought about \"severely punishing\" this foreign woman, but considering her nationality and the feelings of his wife at home, he feared complications and let it go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already poured all his focus into the individuals Zhuang Xu and Lu Kuan, the two fellow disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having traveled across the ocean for nearly two years, Zhang Nara finally returned to her homeland ahead of schedule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such is time, such is fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In mid-May 2005, after the incidents involving Zhang Nara and others, the waves in the mainland entertainment industry calmed slightly, but a shocking piece of news exploded in the internet world!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the formal notification and approval of the Ministry of Information Industry and the National Development and Reform Commission:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Tianqiao and the North American Gunman Fund officially acquired shares in Xinlang, with both sides each holding a 25.6% stake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, the foreign chairwoman of the Gunman Fund, Ms. Falina, joined forces with Shengda's Chen Tianqiao at the first shareholders' meeting initiated by the latter, and through the majority voting power in their hands, re-elected Chen Tianqiao as the chairman of Xinlang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to conflicts with the former leader Wang Zhidong, the Taishan Association's big brother Duan Yongji was forcibly driven out by the former leading a group of barbarians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would be cited as a classic in China's internet world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaos and confusion were a real treat for the onlookers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Boss Lu, the mastermind behind both the Zhang Nara incident and the Xinlang incident, had already returned to the Tangshan set with his Olympic bidding team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having returned from his pilgrimage to Faro Island, he continued to explore his path as a master with a brand-new outlook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>May 24, 2005, Tangshan set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu walked into the studio and the crew's base with high spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia, wearing a polyester costume dress, stood in front of the crew's call sheet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only after arriving at the \"Aftershock\" crew that she first witnessed this type of Hollywood-style set standard, which had now been promoted to all film and television crews under Wenjie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The content of the call sheet was concise and clear; she carefully found her shooting schedule for the day, with the location, time, scene, and makeup\u002Fcostume all clearly marked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The director is back?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Principal!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu smiled and pointed at a Beijing Film Academy student whom Jiang Wei had pulled strings to get in as a photography intern on the crew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're from Beijing Film Academy, you can't just call me Principal; Principal Zhang will scold me later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes! Dean!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd burst into laughter, calling the young man clever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking again at the young director walking in from outside the studio, surrounded by people and wearing a calm expression, he seemed to be a world away from the struggle he had shown during the last shoot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia turned around, just as Boss Lu came toward the call sheet; he wanted to check the weather for the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the call sheet, the light intensity and rainfall for the entire day were standardized, facilitating the work arrangements for the director and the lighting department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Song Jia? How is your Tangshan dialect coming along?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem, Director. I've been going into the city to shop these past few days, and the locals can't even tell I'm from the Northeast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Boss Lu, whose presence was even more imposing than before, Song Jia was still a bit reserved, her hands clasped in front of her, standing prettily to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu nodded, tapped the call sheet lightly with his finger, and turned to Zhao Fei and Yu Feihong: \"You two, why is there so much rain in the north even in May?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Deputy Director Yu, how much is the daily rent for the motion control rig we rented?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The motion control rig was a camera motion control machine produced in the UK; since the next scene was not a rainy day in real history, they had to wait for the rain to clear before they could shoot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The machine could only sit idle, resulting in extra expenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Feihong had already served as a deputy director for two of his films and knew the rental costs and expenses for these standard pieces of equipment by heart, without needing to look at her work notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Over 30,000 yuan, plus two British assistants, with a salary of 800 US dollars per day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without waiting for him to continue asking, the beautiful and capable deputy director gave her conclusion: \"Based on the weather forecast, it will likely take another 6 days before we can start shooting this scene.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excluding the food and lodging expenses for the British personnel, the crew will exceed the budget by 256,800 yuan on this item alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu smiled at Zhao Fei: \"My heart aches just hearing that!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master cinematographer smiled without speaking, thinking to himself that he didn't feel any heartache when staying in a room in Cannes for over 100,000 a night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu, with his refreshed mental state, continued to patrol his territory to see if any department had been slacking off during the half-month he was away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where's the 'Big Cannon'? When will it be in place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Big Cannon\" was the jib arm, industry jargon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene of the high-rise collapse in \"Aftershock\" even required an extended and reinforced jib arm so the camera could swing to a height of over ten meters to film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It will be on set in 10 minutes, Director!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm.\" Boss Lu nodded with satisfaction and looked up at the sky again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's overcast and rainy these days, so the main light source must use high-key lighting, with enough fill light to eliminate the shadows cast by the main light source.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Received, Director!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu walked around, found no faults, and looked at his watch: \"Everyone to your positions, we start in half an hour.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Received!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young director walked back to the main monitor and sat down, flipping through the script and storyboard in his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had originally wanted to take advantage of his recent good state to shoot a major scene during the earthquake, but the heavens were not cooperating, so he could only finish a few indoor dramatic scenes before the earthquake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun and Song Jia walked out of the dressing room and began to walk through the blocking under the guidance of the deputy director, while the lighting crew made fine adjustments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About ten minutes later, the script supervisor picked up the walkie-talkie: \"May 24th, Scene 1, Take 1, Action!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1976, Tangshan had many industrial and mining enterprises, and the power supply was limited; Song Jia, who had not yet finished her postpartum confinement, and her sister-in-law were talking in the room, lit only by a kerosene lamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light was dim and flickering; Zhou Xun wore a simple, elegant floral cloth shirt, her hair neatly tied up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this special era, to avoid anyone making an issue of it, she had hidden away her few pieces of jewelry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floral cloth shirt she wore, which showed a bit of charm and liveliness, was something she only dared to wear at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister-in-law, you're so pretty; my brother doesn't deserve you.\" Song Jia lay on her side on the bed, looking enviously at Zhou Xun, who was flipping through an English novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She admired this bright and graceful sister-in-law and wanted to desperately hide her own rustic air, wanting to be as sophisticated as Zhou Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun's lips curved; she could tell that her sister-in-law was deliberately trying to clear up misunderstandings and improve the relationship between her and her husband.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rural girl, whom she hadn't thought much of at first, was not stupid at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister-in-law, what book are you reading? Can you tell me about it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm... this book is called 'Jane Eyre,' it's about...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The director's interruption came from the set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone, including Zhao Fei, felt a jolt in their hearts; they remembered the nightmare on set not long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Zhou Xun had almost been driven crazy by the torture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the young director's smiling expression dispelled their concerns; he sat behind the monitor without moving: \"Song Jia, you can perform even better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had been with Boss Lu for a long time, including Yu Feihong, knew this meant he was going to give Song Jia acting notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by his tone, he clearly recognized her ability and intuition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia was not stupid at all and hurriedly sat up from the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director, please point out where I have problems.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu stood up and walked over: \"What school did you graduate from?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shanghai Theatre Academy, class of 2000, Director.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mentioned this to Hu Ge on the set of 'Zhu Xian' before; the acting instruction at Shanghai Theatre Academy and the Central Academy of Drama focuses more on theatrical performance, that is, stage performance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Beijing Film Academy focuses on film and television acting, so the actors who come out of there might have stronger adaptability in film and television works.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Kuan walked over and simulated her tone and movements from just a moment ago: \"It's not that there is any fundamental problem with your performance just now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But there is a saying that you should try to understand and master; it might be more beneficial for your future acting path.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The acting in the eyes of the academic school and the acting in the eyes of the ordinary audience are different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is a paradox here; let me give you an example: how should one play an insidious and cunning person?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The conventional way is to wear glasses to hide one's eyes, look gloomy, be two-faced, or look at people sideways.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But have you ever thought about it? Is that still called insidious and cunning? The audience can see at a glance that he has the word 'villain' pasted on his face; doesn't the protagonist in the movie know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone present was stunned, including the veteran actor Hu Jun, who was waiting on the sidelines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right! There is a logical contradiction here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the topic of the similarities and differences between theatrical performance and film\u002Ftelevision performance that Lu Kuan mentioned at the beginning, on a theater stage, due to the distance from the audience, a moderate amount of exaggeration is necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sissy character must hold an orchid-finger gesture, act coy in their posture, and have a sharp, shrill voice;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hooligan must bare their fangs and brandish their claws, with a murderous look in their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jun understood what this genius director and Berlin Film Festival Best Actor meant:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia wanted to play a village girl too much and was acting with too much force; this was inconsistent with her inner psychological desire to align with the petty-bourgeois style of Zhou Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, in Lu Kuan’s eyes, Song Jia’s truly perfect performance would be to want to hide her \"village\" nature while being forced to reveal it, rather than actively acting \"village\" just to highlight the character’s image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is like playing a sinister and cunning villain: one must hide their sinister nature from the characters they are acting against in the scene, while simultaneously interpreting and expressing that sinister nature to the audience through various details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this makes sense logically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia was stunned as she listened; she had graduated five years ago, and although she had worked with actors like Chen Baoguo and Xu Jinglei, this was the first time she had received such penetrating performance guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finally grasping the director’s intent, Song Jia said with some difficulty: \"Director Lu... I feel like I can’t act it out. Could you give me some guidance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is exactly what I just said: the difference between acting in the eyes of the academic school and acting in the eyes of the ordinary audience.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Playing a village girl is very simple; the audience will think you are rustic and vulgar, and that is called 'good acting'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I don’t think so. With your ability, you are fully capable of a deeper level of expression; this is the key to whether you can take a step further in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun and Hu Jun nodded secretly on the sidelines, and Wang Baoqiang was even more envious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many extras and supporting actors who were working with Boss Lu for the first time also opened their eyes wide and pricked up their ears to listen to the guidance of this internationally renowned director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was something that could benefit their acting careers for a lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu liked serious and talented actors, and regardless of whether the filming schedule was heavy or not, he immediately began to guide her: \"Try to drive it from within your heart and find the chain of action for the character.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The chain of action—you learned that in school, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In short, every moment and every detail of your movement in the performance should be full and rich within your heart; feel first, then judge, and then it is a drive from the inside out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about your chain of action just now? You threw your 'village girl' side at the audience first, then acted out the desperate attempt to hide it and the longing for the petty-bourgeois sentiment of Zhou Xun—you got it backward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia frowned and thought for a few seconds, then smiled sheepishly: \"Director, I didn’t fully understand, but I want to try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about this, have you seen Liang Chaowei’s *Infernal Affairs*?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not just *Infernal Affairs*; his facial expressions don’t change much in any of his roles. Whether playing a policeman or a hooligan, he uses his eyes and micro-expressions. You can refer to that to find the feeling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia nodded, her palms sweaty with nervousness, ruminating on Boss Lu’s guidance just now as she continued filming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Movement, eyes, tone, details—let’s do it again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grasp the character’s chain of action, keep one safe take, let’s do it again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t until the 12th take that Song Jia finally completed a shot that satisfied Boss Lu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good, this take is a pass.\" Lu Kuan picked up the walkie-talkie: \"Song Jia, come over and look at your performance, compare it with the previous takes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The film crew breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Legend had it that the director went to meet a film master, and it seemed that upon returning, he stopped torturing himself and started torturing the actors like before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old-timers who followed him still remembered the \"Boss Lu Filming Record\" of fifteen-year-old Liu Yifei crying five or six times a day and shooting thirty takes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unknown if anyone would ever break that record in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In *Days of Being Wild*, there is a scene where Liu Jialing is mopping the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jialing mopped it twenty-two times; the floor was bright and shiny, but it still didn’t pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t until the thirtieth take that it finally passed. Liu Jialing, watching her own performance in front of the monitor, saw herself in the shot with steam rising from her head, fine beads of sweat on her body, and a sense of exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did she realize that this was the kind of detail Wang Jiawei wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Song Jia, sitting in the director’s chair watching her own performance, had the same feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In every take, she was very rustic and \"village,\" but only in the last take did she unintentionally imitate that petty-bourgeois, literary-youth way Zhou Xun had of flicking her hair—clumsy and ridiculous—which truly expressed the character’s image brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia stood up, filled with gratitude, and bowed slightly toward Boss Lu: \"Thank you, Director, I understand what you mean now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm, go back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Kuan was certainly not a director known for torturing actors like \"Sunglasses Wang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as a disaster film in the traditional sense, if this *Tangshan Earthquake* wanted to capture points of interest with more story and human depth beyond the realistic and explosive special effects, he had to put great effort into character development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the face of a massive disaster, the individual is too insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What can move the audience more is not the cruel and tragic scenes or the numbers of the victims.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is about turning these numbers into faces with distinct personalities in a narrative story, placing them before the audience, and watching what kind of fate they ultimately experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without these incisive character portrayals, *Tangshan Earthquake* would just be filmed as an earthquake version of *2012*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensory stimulation *2012* brings to the audience only lasts for a few hours; after waking up, apart from exclaiming that the visuals are truly awesome, there is nothing else to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is unfavorable for Lu Kuan’s hope of awakening the nation’s attention to earthquakes and popularizing basic common sense for earthquake prevention and escape through this film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is his fundamental purpose for making this film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the young director was explaining the scene to Song Jia, there was a pretty Beijing Film Academy girl on the sidelines watching all of this with envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi had arrived very early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had wanted to take advantage of the time before filming started to quickly greet Boss Lu and get familiar with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t expect that from the moment he walked onto the set with Yu Feihong, Zhao Fei, and others, he went from the call sheet to the large jib, then went to direct and point out the lighting, and then immediately started guiding Song Jia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t a single opportunity to wedge herself in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having watched him guide Liu Yifei on the set of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* and observing Song Jia’s short-term transformation on the spot, it would be a lie for Yang Mi to say she wasn’t envious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of opportunity should she find to approach him...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The subsequent filming in the afternoon went quite smoothly; the director, who had temporarily solved his inner demons and set things right, along with dedicated and excellent actors like Hu Jun, Zhou Xun, Wang Baoqiang, and Song Jia, plus a battle-hardened filming team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though some progress was delayed due to Boss Lu’s state when filming started in April, there was no problem catching up to the Spring Festival slot at the current filming speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the reason for scheduling it for the Spring Festival, it was also the result of weighing many factors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, the poor performance of the main competitors *The Banquet* and *The Promise*; they might have an advantage in initial screenings, but the rapid decline in word-of-mouth would be *Tangshan*’s opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, the film does not aim to attract attention with tragic scenes and a tragic tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, it possesses the universal emotions and humanistic care that Chinese people have for family, warmth, and national righteousness, which will not conflict with the festive and harmonious atmosphere of the Spring Festival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It can provide the audience with an audiovisual experience of sharing family affection and being grateful for life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At lunch, Lu Kuan still had to find time to go to the conference room of the crew’s hotel to participate in the discussion of the Olympic bidding team’s proposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lu, hello.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly looking up, little Yang was standing to the side, pursing her lips and looking timid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yang Mi, when did you arrive?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I arrived this morning; I came to visit Senior Sister Zhou Xun on set.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both came from the same Rongxinda lineage; Yang Mi did indeed have something she wanted to ask Zhou Xun for advice on, and of course, it couldn’t be denied that she wanted to find a legitimate excuse to interact with this young director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time they met was at the Golden Rooster Film Festival in Yinchuan, back then in the hotel’s linen room...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Yang Mi felt a bit dazed; the atmosphere was tense at the time, and she didn’t have too strong of a perception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those hormone-filled physical contacts that she realized later, that thing pressing against her little hip...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The future little starlet swallowed her saliva, watching him nod and prepare to walk past her, wanting to find more topics but not knowing what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lu... Boss Lu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu smiled while flipping through the Olympic proposal in his hand: \"It’s noon, go find Zhou Xun, have a meal with the crew.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our food is actually quite good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm... okay, thank you, Boss Lu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi watched his back as he walked away chatting with Zhao Fei and secretly stomped her foot, cursing herself in her heart for being spineless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To tell the truth, she was both impulsive and afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, the *Paladin 3* crew had stalled, and on an impulse, she had come straight to Tangshan from Beijing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when truly facing this big Buddha, she became a bit timid, fearing that she would anger him and fearing that she would be eaten without even a scrap left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially after the recent Zhang Nara incident gradually came to an end, the fear in the entertainment industry toward this mastermind behind the scenes was even greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he hadn’t expressed a single comment about Zhang Nara from beginning to end, it didn’t affect the insiders knowing how deep the water was behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Yang Mi, who had witnessed the acting skills of the Berlin Film Festival Best Actor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mi Mi, when did you arrive?\" Zhou Xun had just changed into casual clothes when she saw her junior sister from the same company standing at the entrance of the studio with a bitter expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister Xun, your accent is really like a local’s; what does 'duo zan' mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s the Hebei dialect; 'duo zan' just means when.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun wasn’t very familiar with Yang Mi, but she didn’t reject her either; the little girl had high emotional intelligence and usually respected her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, she had contacted her in advance, saying she had something she wanted to ask for advice on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go, let’s go eat first, the crew’s food is not bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At noon in Tangshan in May, the sun was already quite intense. Zhou Xun took Yang Mi to her room and closed the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lu Kuan must be thrilled with this big sun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The sun is out, drying the ground, so the big scenes can start filming. He can save quite a bit on equipment costs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Zhou Xun was in a talkative mood today, Yang Mi took the opportunity to pose her own question: \"Sister Xun, what kind of... person is Director Lu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun was stuffing water spinach into her mouth while reading the script; hearing this, she looked up and glanced at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There should be plenty of answers to that question online, right? Heh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The good, the bad—it’s all him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun seemed somewhat evasive, though she also wanted to express a stance to this sharp-witted junior sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You must never get curious about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be fine if you were straightforward like Xixi and didn't annoy him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for someone like Yang Mi, who thinks she’s quite clever and wants to play mind games with Lu Kuan, I suspect there won't even be scraps left in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Mimi wasn't exactly worldly-wise yet, but she did have the ability to read the room; seeing that Zhou Xun didn't want to talk more, she stopped asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister Xun, Huayi has sent people to contact me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was very clever; to gain Zhou Xun's trust, she spoke with complete candor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, the conflict between Zhou Xun and Rongxingda had long been irreconcilable; this was something everyone from top to bottom knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun looked up and smiled nonchalantly: \"That's quite good. How are you considering it yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Compared to the terms offered by Director Li Shaohong and Sister Li Xiaowan, the artist commission split isn't much different, but they promised to give me...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The role of the female lead, Xue Jian, in *Chinese Paladin 3*.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun gave a hum, noncommittal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't that her attitude was cold; it was that she knew this talented junior sister of hers too well and knew her words were far from finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi swallowed a few mouthfuls of food without tasting it: \"Sister Xun... actually... I want to ask you to speak to Director Lu and see if I have a chance to join Wenjie?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun sighed deeply in her heart, thinking that this little girl had laid the groundwork for so long, and finally reached the main point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Yang Mi before her, with her vermilion lips and pearly teeth, her eyes flowing with light, she couldn't help but think of another young starlet of the same age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were both at a flowery age, yet their personalities were vastly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xixi was generally lazy and spoiled, but having been subtly influenced by Lu Kuan, her mind had gradually become clear and transparent;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi was more like Song Jia, whom the young director had commented on that morning—acting as a village girl, she almost wrote the words \"village girl\" on her own face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked too shrewd and wasn't particularly likable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun looked at her and said seriously: \"I can speak for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But first, although I've known Lu Kuan for a long time and we have a good relationship, we never talk about these things. He might give me face, or he might not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Second, I don't think going to Wenjie is a good idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun had a white-phosphorus personality; this actress with an extremely rich emotional world could almost imagine the plot that would follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi might fall for a domineering CEO, or she might use her beauty to entertain, but if she encountered someone like Lu Kuan, the result would certainly not be good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Jiang Qinqin's story had played out right before her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only person she had seen Lu Kuan treat differently was Liu Yifei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi bit her lip, looking unwilling: \"Sister Xun, why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is hard to persuade a ghost who is determined to die with kind words. Zhou Xun said earnestly: \"The people he takes a fancy to don't need others to speak for them; he will sign them himself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn't you see Song Jia this morning? He likes actors who have good acting skills and are willing to endure hardship.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have met several times, and he also saw your professional ability on the *Return of the Condor Heroes* set. To be honest... he probably just didn't take a fancy to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun's words were not very polite; there were only two people in the room, and she didn't intend to cater to her self-esteem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that if she didn't speak bluntly, this little girl might just throw herself into the fire like a moth to a flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister Xun, then since he appreciates your acting so much and your relationship is so good, you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun sneered inwardly: I'm a mole, for heaven's sake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To me, Lu Kuan is a friend with whom I can eat meat and drink alcohol. If there is suitable work, he will think of me, even if I go to Huayi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sister Xun did not hide anything and directly stated her next destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't like the feeling of a friend becoming a boss; it feels weird and uncomfortable to get along.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi sighed heavily, and after a long while, she said woodenly: \"Sister Xun, I really do want to leave Rongxingda.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not to mention compared to Wenjie, even compared to second-tier companies like Huayi, Rongxingda is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun smiled; she naturally understood what Yang Mi meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In later generations, there was a jokingly called \"Rongxingda Curse,\" meaning that all actors who left Rongxingda became hugely famous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun's contract expired in 2006 and she did not renew it; after switching to Huayi, she became a film star, and *Perhaps Love* directly won her the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi's contract expired in 2010 and she did not renew it; the massive fan base she accumulated in *Chinese Paladin 3* exploded in *Palace*, propelling her into the first tier;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also cases like Jiang Mengjie and Yang Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The root cause was that the domestic film industry had entered the era of blockbusters, box office returns were skyrocketing, and the big screen was becoming increasingly important for elevating one's status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rongxingda could not provide its artists with substantial film resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, the soul-duo of Rongxingda, Li Shaohong and Li Xiaowan, like Wang Jinhua, had a nanny-style management model that could no longer keep up with the trends of the times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Zhou Xun, for example; with her emotionally intense way of loving and living, it was hard not to have conflicts when encountering Rongxingda's Chinese-parent-style management.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A very clear example: Li Shaohong once authorized a marketing article with the title: \"Director Mom Li Shaohong: Your Love Warms Zhou Xun for a Lifetime.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Economic base determines the superstructure; the output, situation, and marketing ideas of the domestic entertainment industry were changing with each passing day, yet Rongxingda still clung to its outdated system. It was no wonder that once the artists grew their wings, they would become alienated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun suddenly smiled: \"Actually, Wang Xiaolei from Huayi called me recently, wanting me to persuade you to come to Huayi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"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.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi pondered for a few seconds and probed: \"Sister Xun, are you saying the relationship between Wenjie and Huayi...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn't say anything, heh, don't guess wildly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, out of kindness, she still offered a hint: \"Don't learn from the Koreans, being pushed out to fight in the arena, becoming a target without even knowing it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if you go to Huayi, you must have a scale in your heart—who can be offended, and who cannot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mimi, you are a clever one. Learn from the past to guide the future; look more and think more, and you will understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed quickly, and the afternoon shooting soon began. Yang Mi felt a bit flustered, but she chose not to leave, continuing to watch the orderly crew from the sidelines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the entrance of the 70s street filming base, there was a sudden noisy commotion and a few honks, and then a Toyota Alphard was let in by the guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Boss Lu, who had just sat down in front of the monitor, hung up the phone, wondering why Liu had come over at this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi turned around and saw Liu Yifei and her mother walking over with two assistants, carrying several bags that looked like tea and fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei's expression was calm, seemingly without the usual excitement of seeing Lu Kuan. Her hair was casually tied into two bundles, and she walked toward the set with her sunglasses simply perched on her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eh, Mimi is here too?\" The young girl saw Yang Mi, who was full of worries, as soon as she got close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Mi stepped forward naturally to take the two bags of supplies from her hands: \"Hello, Aunt Liu. Xixi, I came to visit Sister Xun's set and was just about to leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young Liu smiled naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So clumsy, just like her old self.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why explain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't be in such a hurry to leave. Are you going back to Beiping? Let's go together later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu walked over with the crew members: \"Aunt Liu, Little Liu, is this a delivery of warmth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Xiaoli smiled and put down the things in her hand: \"Xixi went to Shuimo to film a video, and the local school has already started laying the foundation for construction. This is new tea that the families of Duoji and those little ones specifically asked us to bring for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are also Luding red cherries and Danba apples we bought locally. Filming is hard work; let everyone on the crew have a taste, shall we?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Feihong waved her hand: \"Little Wang, Little Li, you have no sense of observation, come over and take the things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to Lu Kuan: \"Director, shall we?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boss Lu looked at his watch and smiled: \"Half an hour for post-meal fruit, then we start filming in half an hour.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a cheer on the set, and everyone rushed up to take the things and distribute them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun, Hu Jun, Wang Baoqiang, Song Jia, and others had just finished their makeup; hearing the cheers from the outside, they walked over in their makeup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xixi, why didn't you tell us in advance that you were coming!\" Zhou Xun gave the young Liu a hug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A spur-of-the-moment decision, hehe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei smiled at Hu Jun: \"Brother Hu Jun, you seem to have gotten darker again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, Director Lu requested it; I can't help but get dark!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Baoqiang chimed in: \"The director said that all the male leads in the crew must use me as the standard; no one can be whiter than me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone burst into laughter. The script supervisor, Little Li, brought over the washed fruit, and everyone sat near the waiting area to chat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all very familiar with each other, joking and teasing, but some sensitive people still caught a hint of something wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What's wrong with Liu Yifei today? She hadn't said a word to Lu Kuan since she saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, she would have been clinging to his side, laughing and making a scene, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xun watched calmly from the side. Liu Yifei was chatting with Song Jia, whom she had just met, while Boss Lu was leisurely sipping black tea from Shuimo Town from far away, his expression indifferent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Song Jia, you should be Hu Ge's senior, right? You are one year ahead of him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, we met when we were rehearsing plays.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yifei, you are so beautiful, like a porcelain doll.\" Song Jia looked at the little beauty in front of her with envy; she herself was not that type of actor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei smiled: \"Stop complimenting me. Your temperament is what you call soft and atmospheric; even wearing this kind of costume, you have an air of heroism.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard from Sister Zhou Xun that you act well. Can I learn from you on the side later?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Jia waved her hands repeatedly: \"No, no, no, I was just criticized by Director Lu this morning; it took six or seven takes for the first scene before it was barely passable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Song Jia mentioned Lu Kuan to Liu Yifei, Zhou Xun glanced over inadvertently to see how she would react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Liu merely changed the subject, and the two continued to whisper to each other, not turning the conversation to the young director as they usually did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was definitely wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having started dating at 18 and having floundered in the tangled webs of love for nearly a decade, Zhou Xun quickly caught the awkward atmosphere between the two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the group chatted for a while, perhaps because rest time was almost over, Liu Yifei slowly stood up and walked over to Boss Lu, who was resting with his eyes closed in the sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her little leather boot kicked the leg of his chair without ceremony: \"Hey, where is the restroom? Take me there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for Liu Xiaoli, who glared at her daughter to signal her not to be impudent, the rest of the crew seemed temporarily deaf and blind, continuing to laugh, chat, and eat fruit on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They acted as if they hadn't seen or heard the conversation between these two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temporary restrooms for the crew were in such poor condition that Boss Lu, holding his teacup like an old cadre, walked in front, preparing to take her to his own hotel room near the set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one were to ask who first sensed the strangeness of the atmosphere and Liu Yifei's abnormality, it would certainly be the washing machine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could guess the reason; it was likely the \"Principal Lu's Cannes Flirtation Incident\" that had been hot in the domestic entertainment industry for a few days before quickly losing its buzz.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that the heat dissipated so quickly wasn't the result of him hiring people to control the narrative, but because the damn netizens were already unfazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from cursing the washing machine as a beast and feeling secretly envious, there was nothing else to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that since Little Liu didn't bring it up, he would just play dead...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn't this the very reason Liu Yifei decided to force him to make a statement on her eighteenth birthday?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Kuan looked at the shadow of the young girl trailing half a shoulder behind him, wondering why she had been silent the whole time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That... how is the video coming along?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn't Wu Ershan send you the trailer? Why are you making small talk?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Liu's expression couldn't exactly be called frosty, but she was expressionless nonetheless, and seemed to lack even the interest to glance sideways at the washing machine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, heh, I forgot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is Duoji? Has the courtyard wall of the Shuimo Town Primary School been rebuilt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere between the two had never been so gloomy; they walked all the way into the hotel, entered the elevator, and proceeded to the director's suite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei finally took the initiative to speak: \"Don't come in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a bang, she closed the door, entered the room alone, and stood there blankly without moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going to the restroom was just an excuse, a pretext to walk a stretch of road with him and spend a moment alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She really wanted to question the washing machine like she used to, or angrily give him a punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But looking at it now, none of it had any meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brush was in his hand; he could decide how to depict and how to color, but a painting could not decide for itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei walked into the room on tiptoe, sat by the bed where he had slept for a dozen seconds, and then went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the indifferent expression she couldn't describe in the mirror of the washbasin, this was the best proof of her chaotic thoughts during this period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushing the door open again, Little Liu had already put on a long-lost smile: \"Let's go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\" Lu Kuan crushed the unfinished cigarette butt under his sole and responded with surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like the process between the two from first meeting to conflict, and then to the impending final choice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 15, the road coming, the young girl followed him, ignorant and trailing his every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 18, the road going, Liu Yifei, having made up her mind, walked at the very front with graceful and firm steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Kuan, the painter holding the brush, did not yet know that the beauty on his easel was ready to jump out and give him a \"surprise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only felt that Little Liu gave him a very strange feeling today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",6943,"2026-06-20T06:05:19.268Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","10b56f57f5d49ed589eddeaf1c79bcd9c70cf2e6ff1d195d437cfb9d4e7899bc","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-278","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-276",343,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-cover.jpg"]