Chapter 271 We're Birds of a Feather (14,000 words updated!)

After spending so much time with the crew of "Phoenix Terrace," Lu Yanhe has come to know and become more familiar with Chen Lingling.

This director is a very assertive director—her assertiveness is reflected in the fact that no one can offend or question her when it comes to filming.

Once she makes a decision, no one can change it.

The younger actors didn't say anything and were quite obedient, showing great respect to such a renowned director. However, the established and high-ranking actors in the crew had no chance of getting any compromise or special treatment from her.

Unlike director Luo Yuzhong, known for his gentle, meticulous, and tolerant approach, Chen Lingling rarely encouraged Lu Yanhe, and praise was almost nonexistent. She would only offer some feedback after each of Lu Yanhe's performances. Privately, there was practically no communication between them. Chen Lingling seemed to be a director who disliked unnecessary interaction with anyone in private.

But under these circumstances, Lu Yanhe trusted her more and more.

Because Lu Yanhe eventually realized that every word she said was true.

Whether it's her professional judgment or her insults, she never does it without reason.

Chen Lingling has her own abilities.

Her presence also gave everyone a sense of reassurance, even while they feared her, because she didn't show much emotional fluctuation in the face of anything, let alone affect her work style—she was already strict and had a bad temper enough, and it was difficult for her to become even more violent.

Whether it was the previous Shen Yufang incident or this Zhen Hongyu incident, the Phoenix Terrace crew was caught up in the storm, but Chen Lingling's emotional stability amazed Lu Yanhe.

That's really impressive.

-

Zhen Hongyu did not appear on set for three or four days in a row.

Her name was trending on social media for three or four days.

On set, Lu Yanhe could hear people mentioning her or her boyfriend's name almost anytime, anywhere.

Her boyfriend's name is Li You, and he's a photographer. Lu Yanhe had no idea how he got involved in this illegal fundraising scheme. According to the news, because Li You was Zhen Hongyu's publicly acknowledged boyfriend, many people could easily find out that he used his status as Zhen Hongyu's boyfriend to swindle money from many people.

Once the news broke, hundreds of people were found to have been deceived, with the amount involved reaching tens of millions of yuan.

Zhen Hongyu's company immediately issued a statement indicating that Zhen Hongyu was completely unaware of the matter and was cooperating with the police investigation.

But this didn't help much.

In this era, fraud is the most abhorrent thing, let alone using a celebrity's fame to commit fraud.

Zhen Hongyu's fans struggled to explain the situation and suggest that she was also a victim.

However, in the current climate of public outrage, although Zhen Hongyu was not criticized by many people, this incident still created a negative impression of her.

All the brands she endorses and related business collaborations have temporarily erased any trace of their cooperation with her.

There's no logic to it. Zhen Hongyu may indeed be a victim, but the audience dislikes and hates her, and that's her original sin as an artist.

-

Lu Yanhe was also concerned about whether Zhen Hongyu would continue to act in "Phoenix Terrace".

The two actors he had the most scenes with in "Phoenix Terrace" were Lang Xia and Zhen Hongyu.

If Zhen Hongyu stops acting and a replacement is needed, it will have a significant impact on him.

“If your scenes with Zhen Hongyu need to be reshot, then we might not be able to finish filming during the holidays,” Chen Ziyan said. “This will affect your classes next semester.”

That's a really big problem.

What will Lu Yanhe do if this drama is never finished filming?

According to the contract, is it mandatory to leave the film crew and rush back to school to attend classes?

With an investment of hundreds of millions for a TV series, how could he just abandon it like that?

That means I'll have to sacrifice my class time next semester.

Filming over the weekend? Is that enough time?

If that's not enough, should we also set aside a few days from Monday to Friday for filming?

Can I apply to defer several courses and make them up in the next academic year?

Lu Yanhe sighed, somewhat helplessly.

"If it really has to be delayed until after the holiday, then there's nothing we can do about it."

Chen Ziyan nodded and said, "Also, because of the popularity of 'The Golden Era,' several brands that are suitable for you have finally extended olive branches to you, and I'm going to help you accept them."

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.

Lu Yanhe knew how high Chen Ziyan's requirements were for his endorsement.

Since June of last year, a large number of endorsement offers have been made, but Chen Ziyan has refused to accept them. The reason is that she feels that these brands are relatively ordinary, not top-tier enough, and would only exploit Lu Yanhe without bringing any career advancement to him. That's right, for Chen Ziyan, making money is secondary when it comes to accepting endorsements for Lu Yanhe; the most important thing is to help Lu Yanhe raise his market value.

If her idea gets out, many people will probably be speechless.

And now, someone with such high standards is being offered several jobs at once?

Chen Ziyan was clearly in a good mood.

“Besides the Italian men’s shoe brand, Bucherer, there are two other top domestic brands: Shangjian, a sportswear brand, and Baixing, a stationery brand,” Chen Ziyan said. “Of these three brands, the first one was specifically secured for you by Lu Qingzhen from the company’s business department, while the other two approached you proactively. This is all thanks to the good reputation that ‘The Golden Era’ has brought you.”

Chen Ziyan was pleased with the brands Shangjian and Baixing because both brands have tens of thousands of stores across the country, with exclusive stores in almost every city. If Lu Yanhe becomes the spokesperson, his image will be seen by a large number of people in various cities along with the stores.

This is extremely beneficial to Lu Yanhe's popularity among the people.

Lu Yanhe was also very excited.

Chen Ziyan added, "Buchère signed a one-year endorsement contract with you for $500,000, while Shangjian and Baixing both signed six-month endorsement contracts for $1 million."

Lu Yanhe was shocked.

So much money?

He had just told Li Pengfei that he didn't earn as much as he did as an artist, but now he's immediately contradicting himself.

Wow.

According to his profit-sharing arrangement with the company, as long as Lu Yanhe brings in more than five million in annual revenue for the company, his profit-sharing ratio with the company can be adjusted to 5:5. This means that his annual revenue must exceed 10 million to receive this 5:5 profit-sharing ratio.

At the time, Lu Yanhe felt that he could never achieve this in the past few years. Unexpectedly, the three endorsements combined brought in more than 6 million.

It's only January.

At that time, there will be the remaining payment for the filming of "Phoenix TV" and the second phase of the endorsement fee for "Xueyou APP". In addition to other work, we can achieve a 50/50 split with the company this year.

That means he has an annual income of at least five million this year.

Of course, after taxes are deducted, it will be almost half less, but it's still very high!

Lu Yanhe, who had never seen so much money before, was stunned.

Is it really that profitable?

Hearing Lu Yanhe's slightly rapid breathing on the phone, Chen Ziyan smiled and said, "After all the hardships, the sun shines through. Congratulations."

"No, no, no, Sister Ziyan, thank you so much." Lu Yanhe immediately said, "Without you, I definitely couldn't have done it."

Chen Ziyan said, "In the entertainment industry, as long as you are famous and popular, you don't have to worry about making money at all. In the past six months, you have never worried about money or doubted the path I have set for you. I am very pleased."

"I know you mean well."

“I’m really doing this for your own good,” Chen Ziyan said. “Since you have no shortage of opportunities to make money, you should make sure that every penny you earn is clean and honest. Now there’s something you need to think about: do you want to set up your own studio or company? That way you won’t have to pay taxes at such a high rate as personal income tax.”

Lu Yanhe asked, "Should I hire a professional accountant to help me with this? I feel like I don't know anything about it."

“Hmm,” Chen Ziyan said, “Not for now. With your income, you don’t need a professional accountant to manage your money. Oh, right, you also have income from ‘Jump Up,’ so your sources of income are indeed becoming more and more complicated.”

Lu Yanhe said, "Yes, there's also the song 'Remembering'. Although it's not much, it has gradually brought me some follow-up income. Since it didn't go through the company's accounts, it's all in my personal account, and I haven't been able to sort it out very well myself."

Chen Ziyan: "Okay, I understand. I'll go find you a reliable accounting firm. Don't let anything go wrong in this area, or it would be such a waste."

"Um."

"Also, Xiao Lu, there's something else. Zou Dong, you've been using it for almost two months now. How do you feel about it?" Chen Ziyan asked.

Lu Yanhe said, "Very reliable, Dong Ge is too reliable."

Chen Ziyan said, "The Spring Festival is coming soon. Although he is paid an annual salary, according to custom, he will usually receive a year-end bonus. His contract is with you, so no matter how much it is, you should give him something in return. That way, he will feel more comfortable."

Chen Ziyan's reminder made Lu Yanhe realize that he had almost overlooked this matter.

"Sister Ziyan, how much do you think would be appropriate for me to give? I have absolutely no idea," Lu Yanhe said.

Chen Ziyan said, "The usual practice is to divide it by one-third of the salary. He has only worked for two months, so divide it by six to make it a round number of 20,000."

Lu Yanhe understood and said, "Okay, I understand, Sister Ziyan, thank you."

"If you'd like, besides the bonus, why not give him something else? It doesn't have to be expensive, it's the thought that counts. Zou Dong is someone who's always by your side. The more you care about him, the more he'll reciprocate."

Chen Ziyan is teaching Lu Yanhe about social etiquette again.

Lu Yanhe kept it in mind. "Okay, I understand. By the way, Sister Ziyan, should I also prepare a gift for the directors I've worked with and some media outlets that have always supported me?"

"You get it right away!" Chen Ziyan laughed. "I was just about to tell you. This is the second thing. This year is your first Spring Festival after you became famous. Other artists will send gifts, so we can't not do something in return. Just like you said, everyone has given you a lot of help and support in the past, especially with so many trending topics, so many reports, and the strong support for you before and after the broadcast of 'The Golden Era'."

"yes."

“My suggestion is this: I’ve made a list of the gifts to be sent. Based on your income over the past six months, prepare gifts for the media and partners. A value of around 1,000 yuan would be appropriate. There are about 40 companies to send gifts to, which is estimated to cost around 50,000 yuan,” Chen Ziyan said. “For directors like Luo and Chen, you can buy and send them separately.”

Lu Yanhe: "Okay, Sister Ziyan, I'll listen to you."

Chen Ziyan: "Okay, I'll take care of the media partners. As for the other things you need to send, do you want me to help you purchase them? Or do you want to figure it out yourself and send something different to each person? I suggest that if you have the energy, you can think about it yourself. That way, it will show more sincerity."

Lu Yanhe understood what Chen Ziyan meant. "Okay, I'll think about it myself."

If you calculate it that way, there are actually quite a lot of people to give gifts to.

He should at least send gifts to the two directors and two producers of "The Golden Age," as well as Hou Jun, the director of "Little Song Gathering," who has always been very supportive of him; Xin Zixing, the editor of "City Travelogue"; and Xu Xiaoyin, the editor of Jiangyin Publishing House...

Lu Yanhe immediately realized that thinking about them one by one wouldn't work, as he would miss people; he had to write a list directly.

As for what to buy... Lu Yanhe thought for less than three seconds before deciding to seek outside help.

Chen Siqi: "How would I know what they like? You're asking me for advice."

"I don't know either," Lu Yanhe said honestly. "I think you definitely know more than I do."

Chen Siqi: "Okay, I'll go to the mall in the next couple of days and see if there's anything suitable."

-

As expected, the Spring Festival is approaching. Even in the Langhua film and television base, various businesses have started playing festive songs and posting Spring Festival couplets and hanging red lanterns at their entrances.

Lu Yanhe followed the crew's call sheet every day, but because of Zhen Hongyu's departure, he couldn't film many of his scenes with her and could only film other scenes, which required many adjustments.

Several fight scenes were also arranged for him. This was Lu Yanhe's first time filming an action scene—not counting the fight scene in "The Golden Era".

Mo Lan provided Lu Yanhe with a great deal of help.

However, injuries are inevitable when filming action scenes; bumps and bruises are perfectly normal.

Lu Yanhe was mentally prepared for this, and Zou Dong also helped him prepare a medicine box containing commonly used medicines for sprains and bruises—he was an expert in this area as well.

Chen Lingling and Huang Cheng originally hoped that most of the action scenes would be done by stunt doubles.

But Lu Yanhe wanted to fight it himself.

If he does the filming himself, it means the error rate will be much higher, the number of takes will increase, and the filming time, which might have originally been two hours, will end up being four or even six hours.

Knowing Chen Lingling's filming style, she was extremely meticulous, always striving for every second. If a take was good, she would never do it a second time. Rather than being responsible for only a portion of the major scenes while the rest were handled by a B group and the assistant director, she preferred that each scene be filmed entirely by her own hands, even if it wasn't meticulously polished. Lu Yanhe wasn't sure if Chen Lingling would agree to his request.

At this moment, Huang Cheng came to find Chen Ziyan.

Sure enough, he brought up the possibility that Lu Yanhe's time on set might be extended and hoped that Lu Yanhe could cooperate.

Chen Ziyan had already made plans in her mind and had also discussed them with Lu Yanhe, so she was confident and acted with ease when pretending to be in a difficult situation.

"Mr. Huang, as you know, Xiao Lu is still in school and has to attend classes when school starts."

Huang Cheng said, "I know you must be in a difficult position regarding this matter, but because Zhen Hongyu has such a problem, her scenes have to be reshot, and we have no choice but to replace her with another actress."

Chen Ziyan was somewhat surprised and asked, "Has it been confirmed that the actor will be replaced?"

“She resigned voluntarily,” Huang Cheng said. “She also knew that if this stalemate continued, it would affect the filming schedule. We have already found an actress to replace her, who will join the crew the day after tomorrow. Of course, we will try our best to schedule the scenes during Lu Yanhe’s winter vacation and finish filming as soon as possible.”

Chen Ziyan hesitated.

“Yan He wanted to film the action scenes himself, and we were happy that he was willing to do it himself. However, the filming schedule is already quite tight. If Yan He can’t stay on set for a longer period of time, then we can only try to keep up with the schedule,” Huang Cheng said. “You probably know that if we keep up with the schedule, we can’t guarantee the quality.”

Chen Ziyan: "President Huang, to be honest with you, since you've asked, I have to give you face no matter what. I'll handle Yan He's work. Although he's young, he's a very professional person. If the crew really needs him, he'll even take a break from school to finish filming this movie. But as you know, his identity is sensitive. If he takes a break from school because of his acting career, it will definitely cause a lot of public criticism. Let's try to schedule the filming when Yan He doesn't have classes, and on weekends, and try not to make him ask the school for leave. What do you think?"

Huang Cheng nodded: "Of course, Yan He definitely suffered a loss in this matter, I understand. As for the compensation for the delayed filming..."

"Let's not talk about compensation for the delayed filming," Chen Ziyan said. "Replacing the actor will definitely put a lot of financial pressure on the crew, and we don't want to make things worse for them at this time. But we have only one request: let's sign a supplementary agreement stating that the delayed filming is Yan He's own choice and he has no obligation to cooperate with the crew. This is to avoid any mishaps in the scheduling and to prevent a repeat of the situation where He Min deceived his superiors and ended up making Lu Yan He suffer, saying that Lu Yan He was uncooperative and acted like a diva. To be honest, once Yan He starts school, he definitely can't be on set all the time."

Huang Cheng nodded understandingly, "Okay, Ziyan, it's easier to greet you now, thank you."

"It's not easy for anyone. After what happened with Zhen Hongyu, I bet you've been so busy you haven't been able to sleep for days, right?"

“More than that, sigh.” Huang Cheng said, “Zhen Hongyu is quite ethical. She returned all her previous pay without saying a word. What can I say? To put it bluntly, she is also a victim. That bastard, using his status as Zhen Hongyu’s boyfriend, did some despicable things.”

Chen Ziyan: "It's okay if a person who is moral and capable goes downhill for a while; they will continue to rise in the future. As long as she hasn't gone astray, that's fine."

-

The actress who replaced Zhen Hongyu in the role of Chen Yourong was actually Xiao Yun.

This extremely cheerful girl gained immense popularity and rapidly increased her fame after appearing in "The Days of Youth," and she also had a very good relationship with Lu Yanhe.

Before she even arrived at the film set, she had already sent a message to Lu Yanhe: "Lu, it's been so long, have you missed me?"

Lu Yanhe: To be honest, no.

Xiao Yun immediately sent a picture of someone throwing a kitchen knife.

Lu Yanhe: Hahaha, I'm filming on set, I don't have time to think about you guys.

Xiao Yun said: Hmph, just you wait!

At this point, Lu Yanhe still didn't know what Xiao Yun meant by "just wait".

Then, Xiao Yun joined the crew.

Lu Yanhe was extremely surprised.

Xiao Yun stood in front of him, dressed in a black down jacket, bundled up from head to toe, yet still able to nimbly spin around, showing off. "Haha, didn't expect that, did you?"

A girl who can laugh like an idiot all day long by herself.

"I didn't expect that." Lu Yanhe laughed as well.

"I was quite nervous at first, but when I heard that you were going to be my co-star, I breathed a sigh of relief," Xiao Yun said. "I'm really lucky this time."

Lu Yanhe asked, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just wanted to see you get scared right now." Xiao Yun's face beamed with a bright smile, which was still captivating even in the chilly weather.

Xiao Yun isn't the kind of stunningly beautiful woman; rather, she possesses a pure, innocent charm reminiscent of a schoolgirl. This purity is purely a physical characteristic and has little to do with her personality. In fact, she has a more boyish quality, which is why she got along well with many people in "The Days of Youth."

They took a photo together and posted it in the "Days of Youth" group.

Everyone else chimed in, asking where they had met.

Lu Yanhe asked Xiao Yun if she could tell him about her coming to act in "Phoenix Terrace".

Xiao Yun said yes.

Lu Yanhe mentioned in the group that it was being processed in Langhua.

Peng Zhixing: I'm still in the studio, I just finished recording the show.

Xiao Yun said: We haven't seen each other for a long time since the show ended.

Peng Zhixing: Yes, how about we find some time to get together again?

Xiao Yun: Mm-hmm.

Song Linxin: I miss everyone too. Let's get together sometime!

We all got to know each other quite well while recording the show together and spending so much time together.

Since the show finished recording in October, we've often chatted online and shared interesting things, but we haven't gotten together again.

Peng Zhixing said: "How about I arrange a time for everyone to do a special episode of 'Zhixing'? We can all get together to record an episode, and after the show is finished, we can set aside some time to have a proper get-together."

Liu Zhiyin: That's a good idea!

Liu Zhiyin: I've wanted to be on "The Trip" for a long time!

Peng Zhixing: Arrange it immediately.

There are no masking elements in this group.

No one has mentioned anything inappropriate, such as whether or not to bring Mengli into the group.

Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning it and pretended to have forgotten about it.

The members of the group for "The Days of Youth" are not, to say anything else, the kind of people who are completely self-centered like Meng Li. They can chat and laugh together, and when they have something to promote, they will help each other promote it.

Just like when Lu Yanhe's "The Golden Era" was broadcast, everyone in the group helped promote it.

Moreover, everyone here is a very nice person. Liu Zhiyin started a column on "Jump Up" about her experiences as an overseas trainee and in a girl group. Each installment is only about 800 words, or one page, and the fixed fee is 1,000 yuan, which is not high. So far, Liu Zhiyin has written two installments, and the content of each installment has been excerpted online, sparking heated discussions and bringing new popularity to "Jump Up".

Peng Zhixing's "Zhixing" column is another example. Each episode tells the behind-the-scenes stories of the "Zhixing" program, involving many celebrities' private stories, which is loved by many people.

Their column on "Jump Up" brought the magazine a loyal following and generated considerable buzz, ensuring the magazine was frequently in the public eye. In turn, "Jump Up" provided them with sustained exposure and popularity.

In an interview with a fashion magazine earlier this month, Liu Zhiyin mentioned starting a column in "Jump Up." She specifically mentioned this: "I took the initiative to talk to Yan He about this column. I just returned to Korea and wanted more people to know me. After all, I was more active overseas before, and 'Jump Up' is a magazine aimed at hundreds of thousands of young people. It was an opportunity I really needed. Yan He is a very nice person and immediately agreed. He said that many people would definitely want to know about my experience overseas. What kind of experiences have I had over the years? What have I gained? By writing this column, I can also record a lot of things while I still remember them. It is a very meaningful thing. I am very busy with work and cannot guarantee that there will be one in every issue, but I will continue to write as long as everyone is willing to read it."

"Jump Up" needs some regular columns, and of course, it also needs some fresh content.

Chen Siqi's project to revisit Shi Xia's novels is one example; commissioning Jiang Yubai, the author of "Children of Time and Space," to design the cover is another; and there are all sorts of other ideas and suggestions.

Because it's a physical book with limited space, and Chen Siqi wanted to deliver a book rich in content rather than just a pretty facade, she had a very high demand for content. However, good content is always scarce, and she couldn't wait for people to come to her; she had to take the initiative.

On the one hand, they were trying to win over established writers; on the other hand, they were seeking out top figures in various fields to discuss collaborations with "Jump Up." In fact, the January issue included an article by a famous interior designer about home renovation design techniques and several typical cases she had encountered.

When Lu Yanhe was reviewing the manuscript, he was a little hesitant when he saw this. He wondered if readers of "Jump Up" would be willing to read this kind of thing. However, the response was very good. Although it did not become a hot topic on the Internet, many readers expressed their hope that "more interesting and practical content like this can be published in the future."

For example, right now, Chen Siqi is doing something else.

"This is a survey. Please send the link to your classmates to expand the survey scope as much as possible so that there are more cases and data. This will also better guide us in how to make 'Jump Up' in the future."

Chen Siqi conducted a survey on "What content do you hope to read in magazines".

It was specifically targeted at ordinary college students, not readers of "Jump Up"—that was a separate survey.

Chen Siqi said: We must do everything we can to increase the popularity and readership of "Jump Up".

The January issue of "Jump Up" sold 41,000 physical copies and 13,000 e-books in two weeks, and sales figures have been brought under control and are no longer declining.

Each issue of "Jump Up" generates a new wave of sales for the previous issues, so each issue of "Jump Up" actually brings in millions of yuan in revenue, which is divided among Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi, amounting to hundreds of thousands of yuan.

Lu Yanhe found it unbelievable.

A themed book, or more accurately, a magazine, was created by these young people.

Not only did they find it unbelievable, but everyone at Jiangyin Publishing House also found it unbelievable.

It's important to understand that the value of a long-running, consistently popular, and best-selling magazine to a publishing house far exceeds the millions of dollars in profit it brings each month—and in an era where physical books are declining, that profit is already an enormous figure.

Jiangyin Publishing House has seen a significant increase in year-end bonuses for everyone this year.

Xiao Yun specifically told Lu Yanhe, "I really haven't read magazines in a long time. I really enjoy reading your 'Jump Up' magazine. I'm not just saying this for show; I buy every single issue."

Lu Yanhe asked, "Why do you like it?"

“Because there’s something to read. A lot of the content is something I like. I really like the novels written by the author Bai Yu. There are many things that I want to express but can’t put into words,” Xiao Yun said. “And that novel about Liujia Town, I’ve been following it all along. I’m really curious to know who the murderer is.”

Lu Yanhe was surprised to find that Xiao Yun liked to read novels. He had thought that Xiao Yun liked to read the articles written by celebrities in each issue.

“When we were learning acting, our teachers always emphasized that we actors must read all kinds of literary works, classics, popular ones, realist ones, romantic ones, and so on,” Xiao Yun said. “However, there are a few traditional literary magazines that I have been subscribing to, but they are actually very difficult to read. The novels in ‘Jump Up’ are not so difficult to understand, and I like them very much. By the way, I also like the novel by Teacher Shi Xia that you just posted.”

"Shi Xia's novels are traditional literature."

“I’m talking about the novels in those traditional literary magazines nowadays. You probably haven’t read them, have you?” Xiao Yun said. “I can’t even finish reading almost half of them.”

Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.

Xiao Yun: "I have a suggestion, of course, just my own. People like me really want someone to recommend some books to me. Although there is a lot of information on the Internet now, there is also a lot of misinformation. I don't know who is telling the truth and who is not telling the truth. If your 'Jump Up' could do a recommendation column in each issue, especially one with the recommender and the reason for the recommendation, it would be very useful to me."

Lu Yanhe fell into deep thought.

"And the same goes for online novels. I actually love reading online novels, but they're just too long," Xiao Yun said. "Then each platform has its own featured works. The ones I like to read aren't mainstream. I know why they're popular and I understand what makes them good, but I just can't get into them because they're not my type. It would be great if there were a dedicated section to introduce some less famous but good works."

Xiao Yun's words lingered in Lu Yanhe's mind for a while.

That evening, Lu Yanhe contacted Chen Siqi and told her what Xiao Yun had said.

“I was thinking, could we really do a column like this?” Lu Yanhe said. “Before, we did columns featuring very famous writers like Teacher Shi Xia. But at the beginning, we had Jiazhen and Mingyin, who were newcomers and not very famous, but we really liked their works. Could we do a column like this and invite famous writers to recommend their works?”

Chen Siqi: "Seek recommendations from famous people?"

“For example, does Professor Shi Xia think there are any excellent novels or novelists that are not yet widely known? If Professor Shi Xia is willing, we can ask him to recommend them in our magazine,” Lu Yanhe said. “Others are also welcome. I believe there are many teachers who appreciate talent and are willing to mentor talented people. What do you think about us creating such a platform?”

Chen Siqi: "We can give it a try."

"It's not limited to books published by Jiangyin Publishing House; books from any publishing house are welcome," Lu Yanhe said. "There are indeed fewer and fewer people with reading habits these days. If we can use this column to get them interested in some unknown works and authors, that would be of great significance."

Chen Siqi nodded and said, "I understand, we can do it, but this will require starting a new column. Right now, there are only a few of us, and everyone is already very busy. This will be another new workload, so our editorial team will need to add more people."

“Then let’s add it,” Lu Yanhe said.

"Do you think it's better to hire full-time editors or to find students from school to work part-time, like we do with graphic designers?" Chen Siqi asked. "If we hire full-time editors, unlike us who are all students, we have to pay their social insurance and housing fund contributions. We don't have a formal finance staff member yet, so I'm handling all these things myself, which will be very complicated."

"Looking for part-time workers?" Lu Yanhe said, "If possible."

"If you're recruiting part-time workers, you have to find them from people you know or ask them for recommendations. Otherwise, it's very unreliable. Our magazine deals with a lot of celebrities, and if we encounter someone with bad intentions, things can easily go wrong."

Wow.

"What are you 'wowing' about?" Chen Siqi asked.

Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "You've thought this through very thoroughly. I hadn't considered these things at all."

“Of course, aren’t I the chief executive of ‘Jump Up’?” Chen Siqi said. “It sounds very reasonable, but it’s all just theoretical. I even want to intern at Jiangyin Publishing House for a while to really learn something, but unfortunately they’re closed for the Spring Festival again, how annoying.”

Lu Yanhe: "You can do it. We've gotten through the toughest initial stage."

"The initial stage wasn't the most difficult time for us. Because of you, our initial stage was already the easiest. The next year will be the most difficult. We must make sure that 'Jump Up' has a firm foothold," Chen Siqi said.

Lu Yanhe: "I'm counting on you."

"Keep it up," Chen Siqi said. "The more successful your acting career is, the stronger our support will be for 'Jump Up,' and the less we'll have to worry about anything."

"I will try my best," Lu Yanhe said.

"I hung up the phone, and Liu Wei'an knocked on the door," Chen Siqi suddenly said.

"good."

-

Chen Siqi hung up the phone.

She looked towards the doorway, her smile fading slightly, and called out, "You can come in now."

Liu Wei'an opened the door and walked in.

She was still dressed in that meticulously crafted outfit, from head to toe.

It was already evening, almost bedtime, but Liu Wei'an looked so exquisite that she seemed ready to go straight to a photo studio for a magazine cover shoot.

She smiled at Chen Siqi and asked, "Were you on the phone with Lu Yanhe just now?"

“Yes.” Chen Siqi nodded.

A knowing smile appeared on Liu Wei'an's face. "Have you two confirmed your relationship? Are you officially together?"

Chen Siqi said expressionlessly, "What's it to you?"

Liu Wei'an: "Your dad wants to know."

"Then let him come and ask me himself." Chen Siqi was not buying it at all.

However, Chen Siqi has changed a lot in her attitude towards Liu Wei'an now, that is, she no longer directly expresses her disgust by saying "I don't even want to say a word to you".

A lightness, like a breeze brushing across a stream, appeared on her face. She spoke words of disapproval, but without any intense emotion. Her composed demeanor surprised Liu Wei'an.

Chen Siqi's return this time took her by surprise.

“Now that you’re the editor-in-chief and a celebrity, with so many readers and fans, even your dad doesn’t know how to face you anymore,” Liu Wei’an said with a smile.

"Huh?" Chen Siqi stared at Liu Wei'an in astonishment, never expecting Liu Wei'an to say something like that. "Have I turned into a monster or some other magical species?"

Liu Wei'an wanted to say something more.

Chen Siqi: "Stop it. I have nothing to say to you. No matter how you explain or pretend, I know exactly what you did to me. As for this family, I don't really care whether you welcome me back or not. Now you should understand one thing: you can't control me anymore. So, for the sake of my dad living a few more years, you and I will just live in peace and not interfere with each other."

Liu Wei'an's expression instantly seemed to be covered by frost, exuding a chilling aura.

Chen Siqi: "As for what is rightfully mine, I will not give up a single penny. Don't expect me to give it up. I used to think about just leaving and ending it all. I didn't care about taking a share of this inheritance. But now I've changed my mind. Why should I give up what is rightfully mine because of your attitude? My mother made it very clear before she passed away that what is rightfully mine is mine no matter what. This inheritance wasn't earned by you and my father."

Liu Wei'an looked at her with a forced smile and said, "I never thought of taking away what is rightfully yours, Siqi. You're being too sensitive."

“That’s because you can’t take it away.” Chen Siqi looked at her coldly. “Do you really think I don’t know about my mother’s will? When I turn twenty-two, the shares my mother left behind will be directly and completely handed over to me, instead of being temporarily managed by my father.”

Liu Wei'an pursed her lips and looked at Chen Siqi in silence.

"Don't come here to put on a show again, it's disgusting," Chen Siqi said. "You'd better not mess with me. If you really piss me off, I'll sell my shares. The company will depreciate, and your assets will shrink. I don't care, but do you think you won't care?"

Liu Wei'an looked at her warily, "Don't do anything reckless."

"I won't do anything reckless, provided you don't." Chen Siqi crossed her arms. "Now you can leave."

Liu Wei'an gave Chen Siqi a deep look, as if a shadow had fallen into her eyes.

Chen Siqi met Liu Wei'an's gloomy gaze with composure.

-

From the idea of ​​mutual destruction to now having the confidence to truly not care, Chen Siqi knows that if it weren't for the success of "Jump Up," she would have had a hard time overcoming her inner demons—even though she had hated and resisted Liu Wei'an since childhood and vowed to leave, she was still in a weak position deep down. Because of this weakness, she was unable to make rational judgments, and no one taught her to make rational judgments.

Creating "Jump Up" brought her more than just an income; it was an opportunity to "see the world," broadening her horizons and allowing her to witness the vastness of the universe. With increased knowledge, she realized that she had previously been confined to the bottom of a small well. The anger, loss of control, and the impulse to destroy the world that had settled deep within her heart all dissipated like ashes, carried away by the wind.

-

To Lu Yanhe's surprise, although Xiao Yun was a very optimistic girl who usually seemed to love to show off, she wasn't particularly talented at acting. On set, she was often scolded by Chen Lingling.

Lu Yanhe was already used to Chen Lingling's style, but he still felt embarrassed when he heard what Chen Lingling said to Xiao Yun.

Especially when Chen Lingling scolds Xiao Yun, she rarely hides it from others and scolds him in front of the entire crew.

"Is this how you show your affection for someone? By making faces and gestures? I only see your affected expressions; I can't feel any genuine affection from you!"

"Chen Yourong is a well-educated woman from ancient times, not a girl who grew up in the marketplace. You need to stand properly!"

"Listen to your own lines. It's an eighteen-word line. How many words can you make out? Can't you open your mouth properly or what?"

...

After Xiao Yun arrived at the film crew, she was met with a barrage of criticism from the very first scene.

She seemed numb from all the scolding, and the cheerfulness she had when she first arrived was gone.

However, Lu Yanhe and Lang Xia benefited from her, as they had many opportunities to have a second or even a third take for their scenes.

Lu Yanhe was also worried that Xiao Yun's mentality would collapse, after all, even they boys would find it hard to handle Chen Lingling's style.

Although Xiao Yun was as dejected as a wilted eggplant, she did not break down. Instead, she forced herself to study the script and delve into the character. When she wasn't filming, she would find a corner to practice her lines and rehearse with them.

Lu Yanhe had never seen Xiao Yun cry from being scolded—it wasn't that he looked down on girls, but he felt that Xiao Yun would cry whenever he heard Chen Lingling say those things.

"That's terrifying." Lu Yanhe even overheard Chen Wenwen and the other girls saying this in private.

Lu Yanhe wanted to help Xiao Yun, but he didn't know how.

Acting is something that can only be done by the actors themselves.

Whether an actor performs well or poorly depends entirely on their own understanding and effort.

Actually, Xiao Yun herself felt quite wronged. She was replacing Zhen Hongyu in this role, taking on the role at the last minute. She hadn't studied the script beforehand, didn't know the character, and was very unfamiliar with her, so making mistakes was inevitable. However, these explanations were meaningless in front of Chen Lingling. Xiao Yun saw herself as a professional actress, and as a professional actress, no matter the reason, if she didn't perform well, she simply didn't perform well.

Xiao Yun put in a lot of effort to study the script.

Aside from acting time, all other time is spent studying scripts and rehearsing.

Fortunately, both Lu Yanhe and Lang Xia were willing to rehearse with her again and again.

As the Spring Festival approaches, news about this year's Spring Festival Gala is flying around, becoming the most talked-about topic in the entertainment industry.

From the lineup of hosts to the guest performers, from the appearance of artists in the first row to the appearance of artists in the second row, all kinds of news have attracted a great deal of attention.

Under these circumstances, the popularity of Phoenix TV gradually declined.

Huang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.

-

That day, the sun finally came out, though it was still very cold.

After Lu Yanhe finished filming a scene, it was lunchtime, so he went back to the rest room to eat.

Zou Dong went to get his lunchbox and was about to eat when Chen Ziyan suddenly arrived.

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised that Chen Ziyan came today without informing him beforehand.

"Sister Ziyan?"

Chen Ziyan nodded to Lu Yanhe and said, "You need to sign the performance agreement for 'The Seventeenth Floor'. The specific terms of the agreement have finally been reviewed."

This is a major opera from Beijing and Taiwan, which Chen Ziyan brought over.

Lu Yanhe nodded, put down his chopsticks, took the agreement from Chen Ziyan, read it carefully, and signed his name.

Chen Ziyan said, "This drama will start filming next summer because it is a 12-episode short drama, and the filming time is only 50 days, which coincides with your summer vacation."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"The other thing is the movie 'Miss Ning.' I met with He Han and Liu Bige. I originally wanted to invite you, but you had a filming that day and were not available, so the three of us chatted first," Chen Ziyan said. "They were originally planning to shoot in March, but they haven't been able to find a female lead. I recommended Minglan to them, but they felt it was not suitable, so the start date will be postponed."

"Okay, I don't have many scenes in this movie, so it should be filmed in a few days."

“Yes.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “If there are similar roles in the future, I can give you more opportunities to hone your acting skills without taking up too much of your time.”

Lu Yanhe nodded with a smile.

"Sister Ziyan, haven't you had lunch yet? Why don't you join us for a boxed lunch?" he asked.

Chen Ziyan nodded, "Okay."

"Brother Dong, could you do me a favor?" he said to Zou Dong.

Zou Dong understood and got up to leave.

After he left, Chen Ziyan said, "Chen Mo has finally made a move. Recently, two sums of money have been deposited into her account. The account is an overseas account with unknown origins, and the total amount is exactly 100,000."

"Then there's no way to find out who instructed her to plant a Trojan in my laptop?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Chen Ziyan shook her head. "The more they act like this, the more it proves that person is cautious. They even transfer money to her through an overseas account, afraid of leaving any trace. But we should fight fire with fire. No matter how careful they are, there is always some connection. If there is a connection, it can be traced. I had someone hack Chen Mo's phone and have obtained her call records for the past six months and all the chat logs on her phone."

Lu Yanhe stared at Chen Ziyan in shock.

Is this okay?

Chen Ziyan: "I said, an eye for an eye, but of course we can't do that. But if we want to find out who is behind this, we have to do it. I checked myself and these three people are the most suspicious because they are not people she would normally come into direct contact with at her level."

She took an envelope out of her bag and handed it to Lu Yanhe.

"These are the files of these three people. Look at them when no one's around." She glanced at the door and gestured to Lu Yanhe. "We can't completely trust them yet, understand?"

Lu Yanhe nodded and put it away. "Understood, Sister Ziyan."

Chen Ziyan: "After reading it, do nothing and don't show any emotion. Don't alert them. The main thing is to pay attention to these three people and the people around them. If anything happens, don't be foolish enough to go to a secluded riverbank late at night just because of an anonymous letter, and get pushed off from behind without even seeing what the other person looks like."

Lu Yanhe awkwardly covered his face.

"I know I was wrong, please stop talking."

Chen Ziyan smiled, raised her hand, and subconsciously wanted to touch Lu Yanhe's head, but because Lu Yanhe was wearing a wig, she pulled her hand back halfway and finally placed it on his shoulder, patting it gently.

-

On the last day of January, Lu Yanhe welcomed two more visitors to the film set: He Han and Liu Bige.

Liu Bige said that He Han insisted on seeing him in person.

Lu Yanhe only had three scenes to film that day, and he would finish work at four o'clock in the afternoon, so he asked Zou Dong to book a restaurant to take them out for dinner.

However, the two arrived at 2 p.m., carrying a strange gift in their hands—several cans of nuts.

Lu Yanhe: "..."

Liu Bige, dressed in a black overcoat, still exuded the air of an elite office worker.

He Han looked the same as in the video, except that he had finally cut his neck-length hair short. It wasn't as long anymore. In the dead of winter, he wore a loose-fitting long black down jacket, which allowed him to blend in perfectly with the crew of "Phoenix Terrace," whose uniform was a long black down jacket.

"I still have a scene to film, and I have to wait two hours," Lu Yanhe said.

"It's okay, you keep filming." He Han said in a somewhat nonchalant tone, looking around curiously. "I've never been to a period drama set before."

Two more people came to visit Lu Yanhe on set—no one knew their identities, they just assumed they were Lu Yanhe's friends.

He Han and Liu Bige had no intention of introducing themselves. They hadn't even finished filming a single movie yet, and they were too lazy to say that they were the director and producer. If they did, people would definitely ask what movies they had filmed, and they would have to say that they hadn't filmed any yet.

But the two of them were clearly very interested in the film set, constantly looking at the various equipment with curiosity and talking about topics that Lu Yanhe couldn't understand.

Huang Cheng came to find Lu Yanhe and asked who they were.

Lu Yanhe gave Huang Cheng a brief introduction.

Huang Cheng was somewhat surprised when he heard that they were the producer and director of Lu Yanhe's next film, because he had never met or known these two people before.

Lu Yanhe could tell what Huang Cheng was wondering from the surprised look on his face.

“They haven’t acted in any films yet,” Lu Yanhe said. “They’ve all worked in the French film industry before, not in China.”

Upon hearing this, Huang Cheng suddenly understood and nodded.

You can tell just by listening to their name that they make art films.

Huang Cheng instantly lost interest in the two of them.

After all, we don't work in the same circles.

"Is he the lead actor?" Huang Cheng asked Lu Yanhe.

With Lu Yanhe's current fame and status, he could easily land a leading role in an art film.

But Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "No, it's just a cameo role, only two scenes."

Huang Cheng was astonished. Looking at Lu Yanhe, he seemed to find it unbelievable and asked, "Why would Chen Ziyan let you take on this kind of role?"

"It was my own choice to take the role. I read the script and thought it was very challenging," Lu Yanhe said.

Upon hearing this, Huang Cheng hesitated for a moment, but said nothing more.

In Huang Cheng's eyes, Lu Yanhe was just a newcomer to the acting world, so he didn't realize how lucky Lu Yanhe was to have his first role in "The Golden Era" and to have it become a minor hit when it aired.

Many actors can live off the profits of a single film or television series for four or five years.

The role in "The Golden Era" will be a sure thing for Lu Yanhe, if not four or five years, at least two or three years. Not to mention he's already quite famous for other reasons.

Why would someone choose to play a supporting role in an art film at this time?

Huang Cheng couldn't understand it.

After Lu Yanhe finished filming his last scene of the day, he wrapped up work, removed his makeup, and took Liu Bige and He Han to the restaurant.

It was already 5:30 when we arrived at the restaurant.

The sun was about to sink below the horizon, and darkness was approaching.

In the north, it always gets dark so early in winter.

Lu Yanhe was quite familiar with both of them.

Zou Dong doesn't drink alcohol, but the three of them opened a bottle of white wine and drank it.

The wine was brought by Chen Ziyan earlier.

At the time, Chen Ziyan said, "We should always keep two bottles of wine in the car, just in case we need them."

Now it's come in handy. Otherwise, you could forget about getting this quality of wine in a small restaurant like this.

He Han said, "I only realized how popular you are after I came back. People are even watching your shows on the subway."

He was referring to "The Golden Age".

Lu Yanhe laughed and said, "You just happened to catch the airing of 'The Golden Era.' It's not that I'm famous, it's that this show is very popular."

Liu Bige said, "Don't be modest. This kid is cunning. As soon as he heard you were a big star, he immediately raised his production budget quote with the production company."

"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

He Han said, "If you were to act in it, they would be happy to increase their investment, so why not?"

Lu Yanhe asked, "Will my salary increase?"

He Han: "That's true, what we pursue is art."

Liu Bige said to Lu Yanhe, "You know I wasn't lying to you when I told you this guy was a bit shameless, right?"

"You always ruin my reputation. No wonder I only have the opportunity to direct a movie for the first time at my age," He Han complained.

"Why don't you look for the problem within yourself first?" Liu Bige retorted.

Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "It's already very impressive that you can become directors in your early thirties."

After all, there are very few directors younger than them in the country.

He Han said, "Fortunately, there are still people in China who recognize the value of goods."

"The French film industry is so big that even its own people don't get a share, so why would they give us any?" He Han said, shaking his head. "But it's also annoying back home. All they ask is whether we can win an award."

Liu Bige said, "If you're making art films, are you aiming for box office success if not awards?"

"How vulgar." He Han glanced at Liu Bige with disdain. "Forget it, once my movie is released, I'll show you what it means to achieve both fame and fortune."

"Oh, so gaining both fame and fortune doesn't make one vulgar?" Liu Bige glanced at He Han without any politeness.

He Han: "I never said I wasn't a vulgar person. If I am vulgar, does that mean I can't say you are vulgar?"

Lu Yanhe nodded seriously and said to Liu Bige, "He is indeed shameless to the point of being self-righteous, and his thick skin makes me realize one thing clearly."

"What's up?"

"Even after all this, you're still willing to be friends with him. You probably aren't as morally upright as you usually appear."

Liu Bige: "What the hell?"

He Han laughed so hard he almost fell over. "That's what you call birds of a feather flock together! You saw right through him. This guy is just putting on an elite act, but he's actually a scoundrel who's been hiding a lot of bad intentions."

Liu Bige: "Hehe."

(End of this chapter)