Chapter 314: The Ten-Year Promise

A string of Chinese knots hangs high and rotates, interpreting the festive joy of the holiday in a Chinese family's home in Douglaston, New York.

In the dining room, a round table is covered with a red tablecloth featuring gold flowers, and the chandelier directly above is wrapped in red silk ribbons.

On the floor below, a pair of lion dance puppets are placed facing each other, looking lifelike.

A pair of small spring couplets are pasted on the kitchen door, red bows are tied to the cabinet handles, and the entire house is decorated in a vibrant red, filled with a warm and festive Spring Festival atmosphere.

Liu Xiaoli happily urges everyone to start eating; she and A-Fei sit on one side, looking at the young couple opposite them, her face overflowing with smiles.

This literary worker, who has experienced marital misfortune and has also lived far from her homeland, can certainly see the subtle changes in the relationship between her daughter and Lu Kuan after the tempering and accumulation of the years.

Thinking of how Liu Yifei was washed in tears when she first arrived in North America a few months ago, she feels a wave of emotion in her heart.

Romance is truly a trial that no girl can escape.

"A-Fei, you should eat more too!"

"Eating, eating!"

"Little Lu, shall Auntie have a couple of drinks with you?"

Boss Lu quickly waves his hands; he has seen Liu Xiaoli's boldness after getting drunk: "Next time, next time. I have an appointment in the afternoon and still have a lot of things to handle."

Liu Xiaoli is dissatisfied: "There is no reason for a Chinese person to be wandering outside during the holiday. You stay at Auntie's house for these two days; the guest room is ready!"

Little Liu actually wants him to stay in her heart, but seeing his attitude makes her feel a bit uncomfortable, so the words turn into sarcasm when they reach her lips.

"Oh Mom, Boss Lu is the richest man; surely he has to go stay in a New York Marriott presidential suite that costs tens of thousands of dollars a night?"

"Don't make things difficult for him."

Boss Lu laughs in spite of himself; the sarcastic Little Liu is back online.

"It's not that; I have to take Little Liu out for a trip this afternoon."

He puts down his bowl and chopsticks and begins to describe the follow-up public relations arrangements in detail.

"The situation behind this incident is complex. I won't go into details with you for now. I have already arranged things back home, and the work here in North America is mainly divided into several parts."

"First is Wendi Deng."

"I have already entrusted Martin to find the best lawyer in North America, Alan Dershowitz, to sue Wendi Deng for suspected defamation."

Alan Dershowitz is a top lawyer famous in New York, who became a professor at Harvard Law School at the age of 28 and has represented various top-tier cases.

Such as the Simpson case, the Tyson case, the Pentagon Papers case, the Clinton impeachment case, and the U.S. presidential election case, and he is hailed as the most successful defense lawyer in contemporary America.

Liu Xiaoli turns pale with anger at the thought of that woman: "Yes! You must punish her properly! It's too much, using you to threaten Liu Yifei."

Lu Kuan nods: "Wendi Deng's status is quite special, and the public opinion power of News Corporation is too strong; we must first sever her connection with News Corporation."

"Wendi Deng is Murdoch's wife; how can you sever that?" Liu Yifei cannot help but feel curious.

Having been influenced by him over these years, she has also become accustomed to thinking a few steps ahead when encountering such matters.

Therefore, she did not directly state the truth about being threatened during the live stream today.

Because she did not know how strong the young director's power was in North America.

If they were to burn together and drag everyone into the water, and the scandal were made public, the final result might not necessarily be what she wished for.

After all, the justice of this world must be maintained with fists.

Lu Kuan laughs: "Murdoch has two wives; the big wife is called News Corporation, and the little wife is Wendi Deng."

"He sent his little wife to Asia to preside over MySpace's work just to enter China through her identity."

"In North America, I am not his opponent, but as long as Murdoch wants to enter China, perhaps this local snake can still cause him some trouble."

There are special ways of doing things in the country.

Little Liu listens thoughtfully, knowing that he has left many things unsaid.

"I have consulted with Anna Huang. To be honest, suing Wendi Deng this time is destined to have no results; it can only build momentum and voice grievances."

First of all, Wendi Deng did not place Liu Yifei under house arrest or control her personal freedom; she said she was free to leave or stay in the News Corporation office.

It was just that Little Liu, in order to seize this opportunity to clear Lu Kuan's name during the live stream, was willing to fall into the trap.

This is an overt plot.

Even if the evidence were conclusive, this would at best be defamation. Moreover, Little Liu had no conditions to preserve evidence at the time, and only her testimony exists as isolated evidence, which cannot form an effective chain of evidence.

In this era, defamation at the U.S. federal level still belongs to the civil category; there is not even legislation for criminalization, so its significance is better than nothing.

But in any case, this momentum must be built. Boss Lu, who is seen as insidious and vicious in the eyes of Kaige Chen, naturally has other arrangements.

"Besides Wendi Deng, the rest is to use the public opinion power we currently hold to make Little Liu famous in North America."

"I talked to the Disney CEO this morning, and the affiliated TV stations, including ABC, will cooperate with our PR plan and act as the medium."

"Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened last September, will also officially appoint her as its image ambassador in two days."

Liu Xiaoli's happy expression is beyond words. Before she can speak, Little Liu is already jumping for joy: "Then can I go to Disney without waiting in line!"

"If you want to avoid waiting in line, go to the Disney in California."

"Many tourists will leave after the 9:30 PM fireworks show at California Disney; there won't be many people in line then."

Liu Yifei asks suspiciously: "How do you know? You don't look like someone who would go there either?"

He had been there, of course, in his past life.

Little Liu's attention is entirely drawn by Disneyland; perhaps the person happiest about this news is Siwei Yang.

Following Pepsi, another world-class corporate endorsement is in hand. Even if it is only regional, the studio will have its hands full again.

"So where are we going this afternoon?"

Boss Lu laughs: "Of course, to pay New Year calls."

"Pay New Year calls? You still have relatives in New York?"

"There is a famous designer in the New York Chinese circle named Lin Ying, who is a technical consultant for the Ask World Olympic team. I entrusted her to contact an old gentleman of the North American Chinese press, Mr. Zheng Shirong."

"Your popularity base in North America is still mostly the Chinese community. This Mr. Zheng founded the *New York Daily* in the 70s and is very well respected."

"In addition to Disney's media power, the power of the North American Chinese circle and the public opinion circle must be utilized."

Use legal channels to issue a challenge to Wendi Deng, coordinate with Boss Lu's public opinion power in China, and incidentally tie the father and son of the Taro family together to roast them.

In a weak region like North America, it is better to borrow strength to strike and form cliques, waiting for the rise of Facebook, in which he has invested, and Weibo, which he controls.

This Manhattan incident also made Lu Kuan clearly realize that once he leaves the comfort zone of his home country, he still needs to do more preparatory work on the world stage.

"Little Lu, Auntie won't say anything else; I'll toast you with tea instead of wine."

"You take Yifei to get busy; I'll cook at home, and we'll have a good drink on New Year's Eve tonight!"

Liu Xiaoli is particularly moved as she hears him arrange everything in such detail.

Although it was her daughter who first sacrificed herself to save him, this kind of mutual devotion that never leaves or abandons is the emotional power that can best comfort people in the mundane world.

Lu Kuan glances at the charming and lovely Liu Yifei and says sternly: "Since deciding to film this massacre movie in 2002, I actually anticipated that there would be many difficulties."

"These difficulties come from within the country, even more from abroad, and even from our film's own creative team."

"This time, from the joint letter to the live television broadcast, it should all be the Japanese right-wing group 'Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact' pushing and connecting everywhere behind the scenes."

The young director sighs: "In a sense, Little Liu suffered on my behalf this time."

"Don't say that; she is the film's lead actress, and this is what she should do." Liu Xiaoli smiles and pats her daughter's hand, feeling proud of her.

The ringtone of the mobile phone Lu Kuan placed on the table sounds; he glances at it, and his expression changes slightly.

Everyone falls silent, listening to the urgent call from Beiping.

The caller is Zhang Heping from the Olympic Organizing Committee: "Director Lu, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Director Zhang. What can I do for you?"

Zhang Heping says briefly: "Following instructions from superiors, please have Comrade Lu Kuan report to the Olympic Building on the North Fourth Ring Road on February 10th. A leader wants to talk to you."

Boss Lu probes: "I wonder which leader it is?"

"Hehe, it's Leader Liu. Hurry back, Comrade Little Lu; don't wander around outside. Home is warmer after all."

These words clearly have an implied meaning, making Boss Lu's heart skip a beat.

This is the final selection of members for the Olympic creative team. Among the twenty or thirty team members, the only ones who could have Leader Liu talk to them personally are directors or chief consultants.

After hanging up the phone, Little Liu is the first to ask with joy: "Are they going to make you the chief director of the Beiping Olympics?"

"Not necessarily! It's just a talk; Leader Liu will talk to several people."

From the start of the bidding, the Zhou Army stopped him, wanting to use the previous scandal of Liu's father to dismantle Ask World Holdings and swallow up Blog Network before he could build his golden body;

Xiong Gexi stopped him, wanting to cast a shadow over this massacre movie destined for the world stage through the concentrated explosion of black materials;

Wendi Deng stopped him, clearing the biggest obstacle for the Huayi Society she invested in ahead of time, but unfortunately, she fell short and lost to that color.

Through all the turmoil, he has finally reached this step.

After lunch, the young director takes Little Liu out to pay New Year calls.

The destination is not far, in the town of Oyster Bay on the North Shore of Long Island.

The two get out of the car and see in the distance, at the end of a quiet path, Lin Ying is already waiting for him in front of an antique Chinese-style building.

"Little Lu, why did you come so fast?"

Lin Ying greets them with a beaming smile: "This must be Yifei; I am truly proud of you."

She hugs Little Liu with admiration. Lu Kuan had entrusted her to act as a go-between to introduce Zheng Shirong, naturally explaining the general situation, and Lin Ying could not stop sighing during the phone call.

Liu Yifei is also smiling like a flower: "Thank you, Sister Lin."

"Let's go; Mr. Zheng has been waiting for you."

Lin Ying explains as they walk: "The old gentleman is nearly 90 years old; he only has some energy after lunch every day to talk to you for a while."

"I have already told his eldest son about the general situation, so there should be no problem."

"By the way, he has even watched your *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*; he watched it more than once, and it is said that he wept during that air battle scene."

Zheng Shirong was born in 1916. After the July 7th Incident, he fled to Shancheng and, after graduating from National Central University, went to work for *Ta Kung Pao* in Shancheng.

He once served as secretary to the former high-ranking Nationalist official Chen Yi, the latter of whom has a mixed reputation in later generations; he was both the executioner of the 228 Incident and was posthumously recognized as a patriot for plotting against Tang Enbo.

This visit was primarily because Zheng Shirong had spent thirteen years building his career at The New York Times and had also assisted the China News Service in establishing a foothold in North America; he was an old media veteran with deep sentiments.

Through his influence in the New York Chinese community, the North American Chinese community, and the media, combined with the media power of Disney, they aimed to gradually dissipate the negative impact of Liu Yifei’s recent incident.

As for the fact that he was moved to tears by the aerial combat in *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*, Boss Lu understood why in his heart; this was a man who had begun to experience the tribulations of the era since the July 7th Incident.

Having experienced countless academic pursuits and bureaucratic battles, from the mainland to Taiwan to North America, he had seen so many wasted years in his life that he surely felt deeply about that period of history.

The female designer paused and said with some hesitation, "There is just one thing; Mr. Zheng’s eyesight is failing now, he has trouble seeing people clearly, and sometimes his consciousness might be a bit blurred."

He is over ninety, of course his consciousness would be blurred.

Boss Lu nodded and said to Liu Yifei, "Little Liu, be well-behaved when we go in later; this is a patriotic Chinese man with deep sentiments."

Liu Yifei nodded: "Mm, I understand."

"Sister Lin, did you design this courtyard?"

"Yes, it was renovated a few years ago." Lin Ying gave them a brief explanation.

"The ground is paved with blue bricks, the roof features hip-and-gable and hard-gable styles, and the roof ridges are decorated with exquisite Chinese-style ridge beasts, symbolizing good fortune and auspiciousness."

"The exterior walls are made of beige facing bricks, paired with dark gray brick carvings. The content of the carvings includes traditional patterns like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemums, and symbols of fortune, prosperity, and longevity, which the old gentleman also likes."

Boss Lu smiled: "Very nice, was the inspiration drawn from the manuscripts of Mr. Liang and Ms. Lin?"

"Design a set for me when you have time; I expect I will have more opportunities to travel to North America in the future."

Buying land with permanent property rights in America, and investing in real estate in Los Angeles and New York—the centers of American film, politics, and culture—is a good choice.

Little Liu glanced at him, thinking to herself that he really liked settling down, and had a particular fondness for the Chinese style.

The first thing he did after returning from the Cannes Film Festival four years ago was to buy a courtyard house.

The three of them chatted and laughed as they entered the main hall, stepping on the Chinese-style solid wood floor, where the elderly Mr. Zheng was sitting in a rosewood chair, squinting his eyes.

The old butler stood quietly to one side, gently waking him up.

From the layout of the room to the old butler’s mannerisms, it was truly the lifestyle of someone from the early 20th century.

"Hmm? You’ve arrived, have you?"

The old gentleman had crane-like white hair and wrinkled skin, his eyes slightly cloudy. When he opened them wide and saw Lu Kuan, he slapped the armrest of his chair violently: "Li Ming! You are Li Ming!"

Everyone was left speechless; the old butler stepped forward and gave a look, signaling his apologies.

The young director smiled and stepped forward to shake his hand: "Hello, Mr. Zheng, I am Li Ming."

"Little Liu, come and greet the old gentleman."

Liu Yifei walked forward: "Hello, Mr. Zheng, my name is Liu Yifei, I wish you a happy Spring Festival!"

Zheng Shirong’s attention was drawn by her voice, and he squinted again to carefully examine this young girl; she had delicate brows and phoenix eyes, a beautiful appearance, and a distinct classical temperament.

"You are...?"

"Oh! You are Li Ming’s lover, Lucy, why aren’t you wearing a qipao?"

This referred to the adult appearance of Zhang Manyu in *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* while she was still in Shanghai.

For someone of Zheng Shirong’s generation, the qipao was perhaps the most beautiful attire for a Chinese woman—dignified, elegant, gentle, and subtle.

Lin Ying felt her head spinning; she was an alumnus of Zheng Shirong’s grandson, and both were from top families in the New York Chinese circle, with frequent interactions.

The old man had been fine during the meal, why was he starting to get confused again after just this little while?

"Grandpa, this isn’t a movie! And in the movie, Li Ming’s lover is played by Zhang Manyu!"

"The young man is named Lu Kuan, and the young girl is named Liu Yifei; I talked to you about them during the meal, could you take a closer look?"

Zheng Shirong waved his hand at her: "Impossible, do I have eyes that would misidentify someone?"

He seemed to suddenly gain some spirit, lifting his chin at the old butler: "Old Lin, tell them the story of my past!"

"Yes!"

Butler Lin was left speechless, and Lin Ying sighed helplessly; clearly, this was a routine program, and she didn’t know how many times she had heard it since she was a child.

"In 1940, Mr. Zheng went to take the exam for *Ta Kung Pao*, and he could memorize a full page of text in fifteen minutes."

"Later, he served as a staff member and personal secretary for General Chen; Mr. Jiang Dingwen and Mr. Jiang Baili both praised my master endlessly, saying he possessed a unique skill."

"As long as he had seen a person once, he would never forget them in his life, even if they grew from a tender child to an elderly person, he could identify them in one word!"

"Later, even Mr. Chang recognized his outstanding talent and intended for him to be the director of the Quzhou Pacification Office..."

Butler Lin recited the story fluently, which Boss Lu listened to with great interest, while Liu Yifei was dumbfounded.

"Hahaha!" Zheng Shirong scratched the white hair on his head: "It is clearly Li Ming and Lucy."

He stood up with his cane and leaned in to observe Lu Kuan: "No mistake, you, Li Ming, have become young again; how did you turn into someone in your twenties?"

"And you, little girl."

Zheng Shirong muttered: "You are different from Li Ming; you are growing up slowly, but it’s not fast enough!"

He pointed his finger at Lu Kuan: "You need to hurry and catch up to him, you need to be faster, faster..."

Little Liu was caught between laughter and tears; of course she was getting older, where in the world does one not grow old?

But why did Zheng Shirong, who was skilled at reading people, see Lu Kuan as becoming younger?

Hurry and catch up to him?

She did know that the male and female leads in *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* were moving toward each other in a reverse journey of time, and only became lovers when their souls were deeply in sync...

After a bout of wild thoughts, the young girl’s cheeks flushed, and she couldn’t help but turn her head to look at him, only to unexpectedly discover that the man’s face was slightly pale.

The expression he had just worn while listening with such interest had become deeper and more reserved.

Liu Yifei suddenly thought of the hug after the birthday banquet.

Seeming to have exhausted all his strength for the day, Zheng Shirong sat back down in the rosewood chair in the main hall, leaning against the soft cushion, and began to doze off in a daze.

"Sigh!" The old butler let out a long sigh: "Miss Lin, it seems it can only be like this today; if you have business, please talk to the eldest young master."

Lin Ying gave the young director a wry smile, and the latter waved his hand: "Then we shall take our leave."

He took out his phone and had A-Fei from the car bring the gifts inside; after some polite exchanges, it could be considered a New Year’s visit. Lin Ying had no choice but to drive them to the home of Zheng Shirong’s eldest son, where both sides had a close conversation and agreed on a series of cooperation agreements.

There are circles everywhere; Liu Yifei’s future schedule in North America would not be light, and her base would also be centered on the 5 million Chinese people in North America.

With the Liang and Lin families represented by Lin Ying, and the introduction from the Chinese newspaper industry leader represented by Zheng Shirong, she could be considered to have a safe harbor on this land.

Once inside the circle, the next step is to maintain relationships oneself, using hometown sentiments, using interests, and so on.

When it was over, by the time A-Fei drove back to the house in Douglaston, the sky was already turning dark.

Liu Yifei gently nudged Lu Kuan with her arm in the back seat: "What’s wrong? You’ve been a bit absent-minded all afternoon?"

"Have I? I was thinking about things."

Boss Lu came back to his senses and joked: "Thinking about returning to the country in a couple of days and how to deal with those little ants."

Little Liu was in an exceptionally beautiful mood that afternoon; she rolled her eyes at him and said in a spoiled tone: "It’s New Year’s! Don’t think about those bad guys, it ruins the mood."

"Lu Kuan! How about we go buy some fireworks and firecrackers?"

"Can you set off fireworks and firecrackers in New York?" Boss Lu’s thinking might still be stuck in his previous life, feeling that such a big metropolis should have quite strict environmental protection requirements.

Little Liu was excited: "Mom asked, it’s allowed!"

"Alright, A-Fei, go to Chinatown first."

"You got it!"

The Spring Festival is a statutory holiday in New York State; the ban on firecrackers was abolished in 2004, adopting the restrictive measures of fixed times and locations used in later generations.

Starting from the 2005 Spring Festival, different organizers would set off hundreds of thousands of firecrackers at Lin Zexu Square, located in front of Chatham Square and the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, and there would also be fireworks displays in the evening.

Boss Lu led the incredibly jubilant young girl into the densely packed New York Chinatown, which had nearly 500 Chinese shops and was the largest Chinatown in the United States.

Restaurants, jewelry stores, teahouses, art malls, and antique shops were everywhere.

As the sky darkened, the young man and woman used scarves to slightly disguise themselves and walked through the bustling and prosperous Chinatown.

Perhaps because she had a sense of security being by someone’s side, the young girl held a cup of hot coffee, walking like a butterfly among flowers, looking left and right, wanting to taste everything and buy everything.

Lu Kuan followed behind her, carrying bags and paying; at this moment, Liu Yifei had truly returned to the innocence and cuteness belonging to her eighteen years of age.

No need to face the headache-inducing Twitter project fundraising and operations to fight against an impossible-to-defeat transmigrator;

No need to be cautious and careful while dealing with a sinister and cunning female hunter like Deng Wendi, worrying that she or he would fall into a trap;

No need to face those massacre materials that made her tremble and were too painful to read, wanting to speak but shedding tears first time and time again.

Wrapping his coat tightly, Lu Kuan, who was walking silently behind her, couldn’t help but think of Zheng Shirong’s "strange powers and chaotic spirits" words today—

Faster... faster...

Her life in this world was indeed being pushed forward by him.

She had gained more exquisite acting skills, a top-tier performance physical foundation, superior film resources, and an incomparably smooth development path.

But at the same time, she had also lost a lot.

The young director was very glad to be able to see the spoiled and innocent foundation she revealed at this moment; beyond the fullness of a mature soul, this greenness and innocence were even more precious.

"How about it? Is it enough?"

Little Liu had gone crazy shopping; Lu Kuan and A-Fei were almost covered in fireworks and firecrackers, and at this moment, a single match could send them to the moon.

Boss Lu was speechless: "If you aren’t planning to blow up the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan’s East Side, this should be enough."

"Haha! Don’t talk nonsense, in case that patrolling black American police officer hears you."

At eight o’clock in the evening, they returned fully loaded.

Liu Xiaoli had received the call in advance and had already prepared the meal; there was no need for her chef daughter to take action for this New Year’s Eve dinner.

"Cheers~~~"

"Happy New Year~~~"

The Spring Festival Gala was being rebroadcast on TV, and the singing of *Lucky Three Treasures* became the best footnote for this unique New Year’s Eve dinner.

A-Fei also broke the rules and started drinking, and Boss Lu frequently clinked glasses with him.

After fighting side by side around the world for these few years, this was already the closest person to him; Lu Kuan could entrust him with all matters, whether they could be brought to the table or not.

Liu Yifei insisted on having two drinks with Lu Kuan, her face immediately flushing a rosy red; she watched her daughter and him exchange witty banter, unable to stop smiling.

During the 2003 Spring Festival, little Liu’s father was also present; they had just finished handling Liu Yifei’s residency reinstatement, and everyone gathered together to spend the Spring Festival.

Three years later, the scene was nearly recreated.

The old mother was truly beaming with joy today, unable to hide the delight in her heart.

In this one day, from the hell to the heaven of the Fox Media Center, to everything this young man had already arranged in advance, and then there was the visibly lively and spirited state of Sisi...

"Little Lu, three years ago you were still a fledgling director, and now you are nearly a grand slam winner of Western film festivals, and the richest person in the country."

"Our Sisi is the same; from a little girl who knew nothing in *The Story of a Noble Family*, she is now an adult woman who can stand on her own."

The old mother suddenly felt a bit sentimental: "How time really flies!"

"Watching you young people in such a vigorous and enterprising state, it’s really good, really good."

Little Liu hugged her mother’s arm: "Oh! You talk as if you’re seventy or eighty yourself."

"Look at your face, it’s even more tender than mine!"

She playfully winked at Boss Lu, who was peeling shrimp: "The 'Richest Man Lu' you speak of already said in public on the program that I am the ugliest in our family!"

"I’m a notch below you!"

"Gosh! You child, talking nonsense!" Liu Yifei’s mother, whose eyes had just turned red, curved them again, and she boldly wanted to toast with the young director once more.

Liu Yifei snatched her glass: "You take a break, I’ll drink for you!"

"You? You can drink?" Boss Lu scoffed.

"Who are you looking down on? I had two glasses of rum before going to Fox today, didn't I have no issues at all?"

Boss Lu looked at her with half-belief; rum is also around 38 to 40 percent alcohol, not much different from the ten-year Wuliangye on the table.

"Sisi, are you for real?" When Liu Yifei’s mother was young, she was arguably a bit of a tough Northeastern girl, so for a moment, she didn't stop her.

It was the New Year, and they were at home; it was just adults having a couple of drinks to join in the fun.

Little Liu had a serious face: "Really, give it to me."

Boss Lu’s expression was exaggerated, and his tone was solemn: "This is your first glass of white liquor in life, Liu Yifei; I must keep you company for this one."

"I’ll finish mine, you drink at your own pace!"

"Wait!" Little Liu pulled out her uniquely styled N93 again, coquettishly raising her eyebrows at him: "I want to record this, will you let me?"

The young girl pouted, returning to the willful and capricious look that hadn't been seen for a long time.

Boss Lu scoffed: "Be my guest."

"Afei, you come film!"

Afei smiled, nodded, and took the phone: "Alright! Start!"

In the retro-feeling filter of the old Nokia, inside the villa in Douglaston, New York, festive Chinese knots hung high, and the bright red background and bright gold paper-cut patterns of the 'Fu' character at the entryway complemented each other perfectly.

Liu Yifei carefully held the glass and walked to the young director’s side, clearing her throat to act funny for the camera: "Ahem, today is New Year's Eve in 2006, and we are in Douglaston."

"I am recording this video today to take out and watch again in ten years, in 2016."

She turned to Boss Lu: "Mr. Lu Kuan, I wish that in ten years you can realize your dream and become the greatest film master in the world, bar none!"

The latter also smiled and played along: "I accept your kind words."

"Ms. Liu Yifei, I wish that in ten years you can also realize your dream and become a world-class Best Actress."

Little Liu looked dissatisfied: "No 'bar none'?"

"There are already so many Best Actresses, how can there not be a 'bar none'?"

The young girl acted coy: "No! You think of one for me that is 'bar none'!"

Boss Lu looked at her meaningfully, lowered his head, and whispered something in the young girl’s ear.

Liu Yifei’s beautiful eyes widened; she looked up at him in disbelief, biting her lower lip, her starry eyes shimmering, her peach-blossom cheeks ready to blush.

"Go to hell! I’ll beat you to death!"

Boss Lu only felt his chest aching faintly again and hurriedly changed the subject: "Drink, drink."

"Come on, finish this glass, there’s another one!"

Little Liu gave him a charming glare, raised her glass and finished it in one gulp, her face instantly flushing a deep red.

It was just unclear whether it was because of the alcohol or the person.

The old mother was smiling like an aunt on the side, still wondering in her heart what secret words the two had just whispered?

"Alright, we’ve eaten enough, let’s go set off fireworks."

Outside, it was already sounding like a barrage of gunfire; the sensible Afei and the old artist chose to stay inside the house to watch the fireworks.

Liu Yifei, living in her eighteen-year-old self today, dragged Lu Kuan to run outside.

The young girl decided to start playing with some small items, but the night wind was rustling, and she failed to light them several times with her lighter.

"Come over here, help me block the wind."

Little Liu’s self-sacrifice at the Fox Center this morning was quite heroic; Lu Kuan had made up his mind today to let her have her way, so he obediently leaned over and pulled his coat open to block the wind for Liu Yifei.

Whether it was because her heart had been imbued by the secret words just now, or because the alcohol she had swallowed had stolen away her reserve.

Under the faint flame and the dim streetlights, the girl’s cheeks were even more suffused with a seductive, rosy glow, extremely alluring.

The young director had also downed nearly a pound of white liquor today; looking at the jade cheeks and cherry lips so close at hand, with her eyes shimmering, even in the biting cold, he felt inexplicably feverish.

Flowers should be plucked when they can be plucked; when can this flower be plucked?

The night was like ink, and more and more fireworks joined this exotic starry sky; Liu Yifei played wildly for a while, exhausting all her stock.

Boss Lu clicked his lighter back and forth, bored: "Finished, going back?"

Little Liu said with dissatisfaction: "It’s not 12 o'clock yet, right? There’s a fireworks celebration at the town square later."

Lu Kuan looked at her still-flushed cheeks: "You aren't drunk, are you? Why are you so excited?"

"It’s only been a few glasses of wine?" Little Liu said with great spirit: "Maybe I really am better at drinking than you!"

"Alright, that’s the spirit."

Boss Lu could tell at a glance that she was indeed a bit "drunken imperial concubine."

Although she hadn't reached the point of losing consciousness or blacking out, this unspent wild energy explained everything.

The two sat on a bench in the Douglaston town square; there were no bells for twelve o'clock here, but suddenly the intermittent sound of firecrackers and fireworks served as a timekeeper.

The night sky was instantly dyed with colorful brilliance, shimmering and dazzling, like a fairy’s rainbow garment covering the human world.

The cold wind was biting, piercing to the bone; Liu Yifei’s excitement lessened a bit, and she only felt her body getting slightly cold, so she couldn't help but lean closer to Lu Kuan.

"Cold? You shouldn't be in the wind after drinking."

Liu Yifei pouted with dissatisfaction: "Shouldn't you take off your coat and put it on me now?"

Boss Lu scoffed: "What kind of third-rate screenwriter’s plot are you watching?"

"I have a suggestion; if you don't beat me, I can..." He opened his coat to signal, seeking the young girl’s opinion.

Liu Yifei stared at him for a few seconds: "You’d better behave yourself."

With warmth and softness in his arms, although separated by thick clothing, they finally built a long-lost corner of warmth and lingering affection in this biting cold wind.

"Actually, I’m under a lot of pressure right now."

Lu Kuan asked curiously: "What pressure?"

"This role, Sister Chunru’s role."

Little Liu swallowed, her throat dry from the alcohol: "The closer I get to her, the more I spend time with her, and the more materials I read, the more I realize the gap between me and her is growing."

"She is knowledgeable, resilient, and has countless shining points; I’m really afraid I won't be able to portray this role well and will let her be tarnished."

"And all the difficulties we’ve encountered; so many people didn't want you to make this film during this time, and we finally managed to walk through it with such hardship."

"With so many Hollywood stars playing foreign supporting roles, I’m worried that I, the female lead, won't interpret it well enough."

Perhaps it was this dreamy and warm environment that made her sentimental, or perhaps her emotions were unexpectedly tainted by the alcohol, but Liu Yifei choked up a little.

The treacherous and unpredictable events of this period, and the obstacles and difficulties overcome with such great effort, had instead become a huge pressure on her shoulders, hard to let go of.

She was like the final leg of a 400-meter relay race.

The team, including Lu Kuan, had cleared all obstacles for the film’s shooting, and she began to worry if she would drop the baton due to her own lack of ability.

The young director sighed inwardly; the pressure on and off the set for this film was immense, and even though Liu Yifei had experienced a lot following him over the past few years, it was hard to avoid feeling timid inside.

At this moment, what she needed was encouragement.

Seeing Lu Kuan silent, little Liu looked up at him with teary eyes.

"You won't."

The young director said seriously: "I have seen many of Sister Chunru’s video materials; she has given many inspiring speeches on different occasions."

"The most chaotic and dangerous one was when she was attacked by thugs during a book signing at Times Square in '98."

"This scene wasn't originally written into the script; I was afraid you wouldn't have that kind of performance tension, and forcing it would be counterproductive, so I chose other scenes."

He lowered his head to meet little Liu’s clear eyes: "Now I’ve changed my mind."

Boss Lu had her sit up straight from his arms, held little Liu’s shoulders with both hands, and said seriously, word by word: "Your performance today surprised me too much."

"Whether as a person or as an actor, you have achieved the status of an aristocrat in spirit and a warrior in action."

"To be honest, if I let you play this role before, it was because you were similar to her in appearance, had a similar growth experience abroad, or could attract more teenage viewers for patriotic education."

"But now, from a director’s perspective, I can responsibly say that you are fully capable of handling this role."

"Like her, you both have a clean and resilient soul."

"Your defense of this film in the live broadcast on the TV station today is exactly like the strong resistance Zhang Chunru faced against the right-wingers back then."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself; I believe you will definitely complete this role perfectly; this will be a transformation in your acting career."

Liu Yifei stared blankly at him; the fireworks rising into the sky highlighted his sharp-angled profile.

The setbacks and education of the past few years were still vivid in her mind; how could she have ever expected to hear such high praise for herself from the young director’s mouth?

Boss Lu looked at Liu Yifei, whose slender shoulders were trembling slightly and whose clear tears were gushing out like a spring, and teased her with a wicked sense of humor: "Besides, you still have me, don't you?"

"Even if you were a pile of dog shit, I could still groom you into a fresh flower."

Liu Yifei, who had been completely moved and overwhelmed with emotion, broke her composure in a second; she was laughing and crying at the same time, not noticing that she had blown a snot bubble.

With an expression of disgust like the "subway grandpa" meme, Boss Lu snatched up Liu Yifei's own scarf and swiftly wiped her tear-streaked face clean.

"You're the one who's dog shit!"

The "Barbie with muscles" unleashed a flurry of soft punches, and the young director fled in a panic.

The suggestion from the previous chapter to write more interactions has been received.

Next, dealing with Tang Mu, Deng Wendi, and the others, it should be the process of the two of them making a movie together; there will be a period of smooth plot (presumably).

The conflict is brought about by the movie, and once it is resolved, filming will naturally begin.

Also, a sincere thought: foreshadowing is the seasoning, and the climax is the main course. If you think the main course in Chapter 313 is good, then the seasoning played its part, so don't be too critical of the seasoning, though I may have used too much before, I will be careful.

There are also many readers who skip chapters, which is normal due to differences in taste, but when pointing out errors, you might want to check the skipped chapters first; every event should be explained quite clearly, and there are many bits of foreshadowing as well.

For example, Chapter 312 describes the protagonist reading Liu Yifei's diary, which involves the changes in their emotional state; if you didn't read that, some parts later on might feel abrupt.

Asking for monthly votes!

Thanks to the brother who became an Alliance Leader for Chapter 313; I will find time to add an extra update!

Thank you for your support!

(End of this chapter)