Chapter 401 A Second Blossom (11,000 words!)

Lu Yanhe discovered that Chen Siqi received a better reception than he did.

Others genuinely like this sweet-talking girl.

Perhaps because Chen Siqi was by his side this time, Lu Yanhe never felt bored.

If you have any thoughts, you can tell Chen Siqi directly; you don't have to keep them to yourself.

Inside, the most common topic of conversation was gossip.

Many people often assume that when these filmmakers get together, they might talk about art or something similar.

In fact, gossip is the most powerful adhesive for maintaining relationships between people.

Even for those big shots, it's the same.

Tonight, the topic everyone's been talking about the most is whether the online leak about the inside story of the Fei Hong Award for Best Actor is true.

Some people analyzed that it must be true, otherwise someone would have stood up to refute it long ago.

If such insider leaks, which greatly damage the image of an award, are false, someone will definitely come forward to refute them.

That logic sounds pretty good.

Lu Yanhe ate some melon seeds with everyone for a while before returning to the awards for tonight.

"With the Fei Hong Award serving as a cautionary tale, the Ling Yun Award should avoid making such a fool of itself again, right?"

"I wonder if Chen Pinhe or Liu Teli will win the award tonight."

The speaker suddenly realized that Lu Yanhe was also nominated for Best Actor tonight, and immediately added, "Of course, it could also be Yanhe. Yanhe's performance is also highly recognized."

Lu Yanhe waved his hand with a smile and said, "I know I have no chance, don't bring me up."

Everyone laughed.

Lu Yanhe's attitude is generous and unpretentious, which is quite endearing.

A nomination is an affirmation.

"Xiao Lu's mindset is something many people can learn from," said Huang Beng, the director of "Upstairs." "In any case, it's something I can learn from."

Lu Yanhe quickly shook his head and said, "I wouldn't dare."

He Daren was also present tonight.

Previously, in an interview with Star!, he responded to the issue of winning awards, and he was actually quite sincere.

"When I filmed 'The Galaxy's Nine Turns,' I already cherished the opportunity because it was my first time playing the male lead. As for the possibility of being nominated for the Fei Hong Award, that was something I never even considered. Whether I would win the award or whether I won it by chance, I don't know. Maybe it's real, maybe it's not. But that's all in the past. I don't want to dwell on things I can't change. I can only think about what I can do in the future. So, no matter what, I will continue to act well and strive to win awards that are recognized by the audience."

This statement clearly demonstrates a very proper attitude. Based on the information revealed so far, this award wasn't obtained through manipulation or back channels by He Daren; he simply got lucky. Therefore, the criticism of He Daren is gradually subsiding.

In fact, the fact that he was nominated for both the Fei Hong Award and the Ling Yun Award consecutively already shows that his performance in "The Galaxy Nine Turns" was definitely good and recognized.

Sometimes, when you're not ready to compete for an award, you earnestly comfort yourself with the idea that "nomination is recognition," and there's some truth to that. The same principle applies to forced relationships: you can't force something to work.

This year's Best Actor nominations are only slightly different from the Fei Hong Awards nominations: Shang Yongzhou is gone, and Cheng Shiyan, who starred in last year's box office hit "Northwest Pursuit" (which grossed 1.8 billion yuan), is a new addition. Cheng Shiyan is also a very talented actor. However, because "Northwest Pursuit" is a very commercial action film, it doesn't offer much room for the actors' emotional depth. Cheng Shiyan's nomination is almost equivalent to Shang Yongzhou's nomination for "Go, Big Star," and his chances of winning are even lower than Lu Yanhe's.

However, this does not diminish everyone's respect for Cheng Shiyan.

This talented actor has been acting for over twenty years, achieving his success step by step.

This was also the first time Lu Yanhe had met him.

Cheng Shiyan patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder in a friendly manner and said, "We'll act together sometime in the future."

"Okay, sure." Lu Yanhe nodded immediately and said with a smile.

Cheng Shiyan doesn't really need any awards anymore.

To put it simply, he's arguably one of the most bankable actors in China over the past five years, placing him in the top tier, and his acting skills have long been recognized. If it weren't for the fact that he almost exclusively stars in commercial blockbusters and isn't a favorite of awards, given his status, experience, and influence in the film industry, he would have won awards long ago.

To some extent, Chen Pinhe holds a very high position—but in terms of market evaluation, he is not as good as Cheng Shiyan in terms of box office performance.

Liu Teli is another example. Liu Teli is known for his outstanding performances as ordinary people, and is famous for his "street-smart" style.

In the film industry, Liu Teli's screen image is not suitable for the true "leading man" of a blockbuster, while Chen Pinhe is suitable, but his box office performance is not as good as Cheng Shiyan's.

This is why Chen Ziyan said that Lu Yanhe should consciously get himself accepted into big-budget commercial films later on.

These male actors have all reached near the top, but their individual strengths and weaknesses are quite obvious. Top-tier art-house films almost never cast Cheng Shiyan, while top-tier commercial blockbusters, especially those with many large-scale scenes, almost never cast Chen Pinhe and Liu Teli. This reflects the different roles the market assigns to different actors.

Labels are important. Everyone wants to shed those labels, but others still judge people based on them. Especially on a film set, who has the opportunity to get to know you so deeply?

After getting to know more actors, Lu Yanhe increasingly realized that Chen Ziyan's requests and ideas often had their reasons.

That evening, the Best Supporting Actress award didn't go to Bao Zhenzhu again, but to Yang Youyou from "Fusang," a girl who was only fifteen years old. Upon hearing Yang Youyou's name, Lu Yanhe's heart skipped a beat. He had seen "Fusang," and while Yang Youyou's performance was good—a natural fit with powerful emotional outbursts, clearly showing talent—it was still far weaker than Bao Zhenzhu's performance in "Upstairs."

Is it because the Flying Goose Award was given to Bao Zhenzhu that the Soaring Cloud Award was no longer given to her?

Lu Yanhe suddenly became anxious about his Best Supporting Actor award.

If that's the case, then he might not be able to win the Lingyun Award tonight.

Lu Yanhe turned to look at Chen Siqi.

Chen Siqi immediately understood what Lu Yanhe was thinking.

She whispered, "It's okay."

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath.

Five minutes later, the results for Best Supporting Actor were announced.

He heard his own name called.

Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened.

-

"Among this year's Best Supporting Actor nominees, there is absolutely no one who can compete with Yan He. This year is a weak year for this award. Moreover, Yan He's performance in 'Three Mountains' was outstanding. It is also a rare case of a supporting actor carrying a movie."

During the live broadcast, invited commentator Chen Miao offered her frank analysis.

"If Yang Youyou was nominated for Best Supporting Actress because of her role in 'Fusang,' which was almost as big as the lead actress, and thus had an advantage in terms of screen time, then Lu Yanhe's Best Supporting Actor award is truly well-deserved. I wonder when the next supporting actor with such a strong presence will appear."

...

Lu Yanhe won Best Supporting Actor once again, which drew applause from the entire audience.

After taking the stage, Lu Yanhe was genuinely at a loss for words.

It seems I've already said everything I wanted to say when I won the award last time.

"Yes, I'm very lucky. I won the Lingyun Award on my first nomination. Thank you to the judges." Lu Yanhe used this sentence as his opening statement. "Especially since Siqi accompanied me to the awards ceremony today, I was worried that if I didn't win the award today, I wouldn't be able to show off in front of her. Thank you to the Lingyun Award for giving me the opportunity to show off."

Chen Siqi looked at him with a smile.

The others burst into laughter and applause.

Lu Yanhe took a deep breath. “Being an actor is a blessing because our work is seen by millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of viewers. Being seen is a kind of luck, a kind of happiness. It’s also a blessing to be an actor who can stand on the award stage because it means being recognized by the industry. When we try our best, giving 1000% of our emotions, experiences, and empathy to portray a character, we have all experienced those moments of selflessness and being unable to extricate ourselves. At such times, when someone tells you that you did a good job, it is truly inspiring. Thank you everyone. I have said thank you many times during this period because I have also received a lot of encouragement from senior teachers. I say thank you from the bottom of my heart because I know that it is because of your love for young actors that I have the good fortune I have today.”

Lu Yanhe bowed and stepped off the stage with the trophy.

-

That evening, Li Zhibai and Yan Liang were both free from work, so they stayed together in their house near Ziyuan Bridge to watch the live broadcast of the Lingyun Awards.

After listening to Lu Yanhe's acceptance speech, Li Zhibai clicked his tongue twice and said, "Lu's acceptance speech is really high-level. I think no one else can compare to him."

Yan Liang said with a smile, "He has always been very good at speaking. I want to learn that from him, but I can't. I still need to read more books."

Li Zhibai said, "I was wondering why you've started reading so many books lately. I've never seen you like going to school that much before."

Yan Liang sighed and said, "Back then, I thought I was destined to be an artist, and that reading so many books was useless. Now I realize how naive that idea was."

Li Zhibai nodded, "It's all Yan He's fault. He single-handedly raised the standards for us young idols."

Yan Liang laughed and said, "It's one thing for us to lack skill, but we're blaming others for being more skilled."

Li Zhibai stretched out his legs, clicked his tongue, and said, "All chickens are like this, all they know is how to peck at others."

The two chatted and laughed.

-

When the Best Actor award was presented at the Lingyun Awards, everyone perked up, waiting to hear who would win.

Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi were not spared either.

When the presenter announced Liu Teli's name, Lu Yanhe could almost hear everyone in the room breathe a sigh of relief and then applaud Liu Teli.

Lu Yanhe said to Chen Siqi, "Actually, I had thought before, what would happen if the Lingyun Award also gave the Best Actor award to He Daren?"

“Many people might just say that Chinese cinema has collapsed,” Chen Siqi said directly.

Lu Yanhe smiled.

Before going on stage, Liu Teli gave Chen Pinhe and He Daren a hug.

When he passed by Lu Yanhe, Lu Yanhe immediately stood up.

The two hugged.

"Congratulations, Teacher Liu!" Lu Yanhe congratulated him.

Liu Teli couldn't stop smiling.

The Best Actress award went to Yu Mengling, the lead actress in "Fusang".

What Lu Yanhe least expected was that the Best Director award went to Yu Mingjiang, the director of "White Pearl." This was mainly because the film received mixed reviews, largely due to its value orientation. However, it must be said that director Yu Mingjiang's perseverance in making such a film is truly remarkable.

However, in Lu Yanhe's heart, Wang Zhong was still more deserving of the trophy.

The biggest surprise was in the Best Picture category.

"Upstairs" was a major upset, winning Best Picture and becoming the most unexpected result of the night.

After all, this year can be considered a big year for art films, with films like "Three Mountains," "Late Spring," and "White Pearl" winning major international awards or being nominated. Yet, the Best Film award at the Lingyun Awards was given to a commercial genre film.

It's not that "Upstairs" isn't good enough, but rather that its artistic merit doesn't quite match that of these other art films. This is a consensus within the industry.

"Is the Lingyun Award undergoing a major change of direction, or what?"

"No commercial genre film has won Best Picture in nearly 20 years. This year, director Fu Zhu is the chairman of the jury. How could he give Best Picture to 'Upstairs'?"

"The film 'Late Spring' failed to win an award once again."

...

Just like any awards ceremony, the results of the Lingyun Awards sparked a lot of discussion.

Of course, the topics that sparked heated discussions this time were not as concentrated as those of the Fei Hong Award; they were more scattered.

As one of the three major film awards in China, it still has considerable influence.

Each award signifies the rise or ascension of certain individuals, and indicates that certain dynamics are about to shift.

Lu Yanhe has now won the Fei Hong Award and the Ling Yun Award for Best Supporting Actor in a row. He only needs the Galaxy Award to achieve a grand slam of Best Supporting Actor awards in the three major domestic film awards.

However, the nomination list for the Galaxy Awards has not yet been released.

The nomination list is usually released in January, and the awards ceremony is held in February.

It all depends on whether the judges of the Galaxy Awards want Lu Yanhe to achieve a grand slam of Best Supporting Actor awards at such a young age.

Having won two Best Supporting Actor awards, Lu Yanhe was already very satisfied. Even if he didn't get the Galaxy Award later, he would still be content.

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised by the lukewarm reception of "Late Spring" at both the Fei Hong Award and the Ling Yun Award.

The film "Late Spring" is clearly a very good film, and it has received high praise. It even won the Silver Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. Why hasn't it won a single award in China yet?

Lu Yanhe was really puzzled, so he went to ask Chen Ziyan.

Chen Ziyan said, "It's still a matter of the awards' orientation. After all, in many people's eyes, this film is essentially a youth film, and it's also the debut of a new director. In the minds of many judges, this film has already achieved a high level of honor, and there is no need to add these honors to it."

Lu Yanhe was greatly puzzled. "What kind of logic is this? Shouldn't we just evaluate it based on the quality of the work itself?"

"Yan He, in many people's eyes, the quality of a film is not just its content. Every work is inseparable from its additional elements. Take the Mona Lisa, for example. Is it necessarily the best painting in the world in terms of technique? But why is it the most famous painting in the world? There is never a so-called standard of quality for art. It is a matter of personal judgment. It is where it is in people's hearts."

Lu Yanhe vaguely understood what Chen Ziyan meant, but he didn't fully grasp it.

He knew that this might be something that would take a long time to understand, and that he would finally have a sudden realization on some day.

Liu Bige was somewhat downcast after "Late Spring" didn't win an award.

Of the three major film awards in China, only the Galaxy Award remains.

Given the current situation, it is unlikely that "Late Spring" will win an award.

Lu Yanhe didn't know how to comfort him.

When Lu Yanhe returned to school, he ran into Miao Yue and specifically asked her about it.

Miao Yue said, "He is in a bad mood, but he is already preparing for his new film. He is very busy every day and has a lot to do. He doesn't have much time to think about these things, which is good."

Lu Yanhe asked, "That's good. I feel he still cares about these awards quite a bit."

"Of course I care. It's a Chinese-language film, so of course I hope it will be well-received," Miao Yue said.

Lu Yanhe nodded.

He asked Miao Yue, "Will you be involved in the script for the movie he's going to be making later?"

“I’m not involved anymore. It’s a script that someone else has already written and given to him to film, so it would be strange for me to get involved,” Miao Yue said. “Besides, I’m going to revise the next script, the one that will cast you again.”

Lu Yanhe laughed, "Are you planning to become a screenwriter in the future?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'm going to pursue a master's degree anyway, so I'm not in a hurry to decide what career to take. I'll just study and see what happens," Miao Yue said with a smile. "But I've started writing my third novel. I've talked to Lin Yu and Zhou Mukai before, and they've read my manuscript. Maybe I'll have the opportunity to have it serialized in 'Jump Up' magazine in the future."

“Really? That’s great,” Lu Yanhe said.

After the release of the film "Late Spring", Miao Yue quickly became a highly anticipated emerging screenwriter.

Her two previously published novels, especially the new edition of "Late Spring" published by Jiangyin Press, have also seen a significant increase in sales.

If Miao Yue were to serialize her new work in "Jump Up" at this time, it would certainly be a very good thing for "Jump Up".

The mere phrase "Miao Yue's new work" is enough to attract a lot of attention.

This applies to any platform. There must be a constant stream of new content and topics to keep them in the user's view, rather than being forgotten after a long period of inactivity.

Lu Yanhe said to Miao Yue, "Thank you."

Miao Yue asked, "Are you going to join a film crew later?"

"Yes." Lu Yanhe nodded. "I'll be joining the crew soon. I'll go after the exam."

Miao Yue nodded and said, "Your filming speed is truly impressive. The key is that you are still in school and cannot take on roles many times. I really don't understand how you can film so many dramas when you spend seven or eight months of the year in school. Many actors feel tired after filming only one or two dramas a year."

“This is related to the fact that the dramas I take on only take about one to two months to film, or even less,” Lu Yanhe said. “For actors like Li Zhibai, filming a major period drama can take five or six months, or even longer, and it is indeed tiring.”

Miao Yue: "Okay, that's true."

“I’ve heard that there are more and more short dramas now, with only eight or ten episodes. That’s great. Have you ever thought about trying to write a TV series?” Lu Yanhe asked.

Miao Yue said, "Actually, some people have approached me and asked if I would take on writing TV drama scripts, but I refused. Because I have never written a TV drama script before, and I don't think I can write one. It takes so long to write a movie script, I feel like it would take forever to finish writing a TV drama script."

Lu Yanhe nodded upon hearing this. Miao Yue was a typical academic, and one who was extremely meticulous about the details of language. Asking her to write a TV drama script was certainly possible, but it would require changing many of her writing habits. Miao Yue herself wasn't very familiar with scriptwriting yet, making it even more difficult.

Miao Yue asked, "I heard that you're not planning to pursue graduate studies?"

“Yes, I’ll not study for now.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “Because I don’t plan to pursue an academic career, and now is the time when I need the most time, I plan to focus my main energy on filming. Anyway, if I want to pursue a master’s degree, I will have the opportunity in the future. I can study at thirty or forty.”

Miao Yue: "That's true."

Miao Yue added, "Professor Zhao Dezhong had previously complained to other teachers about your reluctance to pursue graduate studies."

"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback. "Why? What are you criticizing me for?"

“He said you still want to be a star, that you can’t settle down, and that you don’t even plan to pursue a master’s degree.” Miao Yue shrugged. “It’s strange, because there are many other students in our college who don’t plan to pursue a master’s degree and go straight to work. Why did he single you out?”

Lu Yanhe roughly knew the reason.

Previously, Liu Qiao had hosted a dinner for Lu Yanhe and Professor Zhao Dezhong, and even took the initiative to mention that if Lu Yanhe wanted to pursue graduate studies, he could ask Professor Zhao Dezhong to be his graduate advisor. At the time, Lu Yanhe disliked Liu Qiao's approach, so he politely declined on the spot and said directly that he was not considering pursuing graduate studies for the time being.

I guess that's when I offended Professor Zhao Dezhong.

-

The snow began to fall softly.

When Lu Yanhe came out of the classroom and saw that it was snowing, the first thing he thought of was asking Li Zhibai and Yan Liang if they wanted to go out for hot pot or spicy hot pot together.

He tagged the two of them in the group chat and asked if they were free that evening.

As a result, Li Zhibai had a live broadcast that night, and Yan Liang also had to record a program, so both of them wouldn't finish until late at night.

Yan Liang said: I estimate it will be past midnight by the time I finish here.

Lu Yanhe could only regretfully give up.

Everyone is getting busier and busier, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find the time to work together.

I was looking down at my phone, typing "Okay" when I suddenly bumped into someone in front of me.

Lu Yanhe instinctively began to apologize: "I'm sorry."

Looking up, I was surprised to find it was Professor Zhao Dezhong.

"Teacher Zhao," Lu Yanhe greeted him quickly.

Zhao Dezhong saw him, snorted, and said, "Looking at your phone while walking is not a good habit."

Lu Yanhe nodded with an awkward smile and said, "Yes, sorry, I was replying to a message just now."

“You can’t walk around looking at your phone to reply to messages,” Zhao Dezhong said.

Lu Yanhe could only continue apologizing.

Zhao Dezhong then left with a dark expression.

Lu Yanhe felt somewhat helpless, but didn't know what to say. He knew Zhao Dezhong simply disliked him—in fact, Lu Yanhe had a rough idea. The day Liu Qiao asked him out, he had probably already mentioned Lu Yanhe's desire to pursue graduate studies and his search for a supervisor. Otherwise, Liu Qiao wouldn't have so abruptly suggested that Lu Yanhe could study under Professor Zhao Dezhong. Without Zhao Dezhong's tacit approval, such matters naturally required the supervisor's prior consent before the student could even begin.

However, Lu Yanhe couldn't possibly ask Liu Qiao about the ins and outs of this matter now.

Regarding their current relationship with Liu Qiao...

Of course, even if he still had a relationship with Liu Qiao, Liu Qiao would definitely not admit to this.

After thinking it over, Lu Yanhe felt that he still had to seriously explain things to Zhao Dezhong.

If Zhao Dezhong truly harbors resentment towards him simply because he refused to pursue graduate studies, then that's Zhao Dezhong's problem, and his prejudice is irrelevant. However, if Zhao Dezhong develops a prejudice against him because Liu Qiao said something that could be misunderstood, he won't let the misunderstanding continue.

So, Lu Yanhe caught up with Zhao Dezhong.

"Teacher Zhao, are you free now? Can I have a chat with you?"

Zhao Dezhong glanced at Lu Yanhe with some surprise, a hint of panic appearing on his usually tense and dark face.

-

Many professors at the university are actually quite simple-minded at heart.

Because the people they deal with are relatively simple-minded.

Therefore, you can see a side of youthful rebellion and idealism in many professors in their forties and fifties that is rarely seen in other people in their forties and fifties.

Zhao Dezhong sat in front of Lu Yanhe, his face still somewhat stern, and remained silent.

But as Lu Yanhe slowly recounted the events surrounding his studies, acting, and the last time he had dinner with Lu Yanhe, Zhao Dezhong's expression gradually softened.

“I did struggle with whether or not to pursue a master’s degree for a while, because I wanted to study and was interested in it,” Lu Yanhe said. “However, compared to doing academic research and writing papers, I found that I actually prefer reading books. Moreover, there are objective reasons for this. I have many film and television projects in recent years, which require a lot of time. If I continue to pursue a master’s degree, I will face the situation of not being able to concentrate on either one. If I try to do both, I will end up doing neither.”

Zhao Dezhong hummed in agreement.

“So, my decision not to pursue graduate studies for the time being is one I have made after careful consideration,” Lu Yanhe said. “Professor Zhao, I don’t know how Liu Qiao contacted you, but I heard from other students that you are a little concerned about my decision not to pursue graduate studies. I was afraid you would misunderstand, so I wanted to explain my thoughts to you.”

Zhao Dezhong said, "I support your decision because you can think these things through so clearly. However, since you said you love reading and literature, don't give it up just because you're busy filming. Reading is a lifelong thing. No matter what profession you are in, you should never forget to read."

Lu Yanhe sensed a hint of earnestness in Zhao Dezhong's serious tone.

He was very moved and glad that he had come to Zhao Dezhong to explain the matter.

-

On December 16th, Chen Siqi sent him a message saying: "The physical book sales of this winter special issue of 'Jump Up' have exceeded 300,000 copies!"

Lu Yanhe's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the number.

How should I put this number?

Even ten years ago, when print media was still prevalent, such a figure would still be impressive.

It was a best-selling magazine for that era.

Not to mention in this day and age.

Lu Yanhe: That's great! That's wonderful.

Chen Siqi: This further solidified my idea of ​​making a newspaper, but I didn't want to make a traditional newspaper. I wanted to make a newspaper that readers felt "weighty" and that they could read content in our newspaper that they couldn't find online or on social media.

Lu Yanhe: ?

Chen Siqi said: This newspaper should focus on "culture" rather than literature. Look, we have so many people, so many universities, and so many great professors. In fact, we know best which teachers have real talent and the ability to explain professional knowledge in a way that is both comprehensive and easy to understand.

Lu Yanhe's head went blank.

ha?

He suddenly realized something: wasn't this just another parallel universe where "paid knowledge" was slowly emerging after experts and scholars from various fields entered the internet? The so-called online courses.

Is Chen Siqi trying to use a newspaper, a newspaper that only costs one dollar, to give people all over the world the same experience?

Chen Siqi said: Just like many of our students audit classes at other colleges, and some of our teachers' online courses are also watched by many people in the community. It's not only students in school who are interested in culture, and culture isn't something lofty and unapproachable. After you, Qiu Ling, and her boyfriend Professor Zhou Shuyu recorded that episode of "City Travelogue," many people expressed a desire for Professor Zhou Shuyu to be a regular on the show. In fact, in this day and age, there are still a large number of people who have a need for "culture," whether it's a genuine need or a psychological one.

Lu Yanhe was even more shocked after hearing what Chen Siqi said.

He really didn't expect that Chen Siqi could understand such social psychology on her own.

With the development of the internet age, many people say that the massive amount of information on the internet has made many people less fond of reading books, and fragmented reading has squeezed out people's ability to read for extended periods of time.

However, this phenomenon has also led many people to hope to read some meaningful and cultured content.

We hate assigning meaning and value to everything and enjoy simply wasting our lives, but at the same time, everyone's life is certainly pursuing something more enduring on a longer, more distant scale.

This is an instinct that has allowed humankind to reproduce to this day.

When Lu Yanhe first heard that Chen Siqi wanted to start a newspaper, he felt that "her idea is right" and said for the first time: This is worth doing.

He was genuinely worried that Chen Siqi wanted to create a literary renaissance in the newspaper industry, attempting to replicate the miracle of "Jump Up" in the newspaper world.

If miracles could be replicated, they wouldn't be miracles.

When they made "Jump Up," they weren't aiming for success; they just wanted to do it, which is why they started.

Newspapers and magazines are different.

Now Lu Yanhe realized that Chen Siqi's idea had really hit the mark with the public and was very likely to succeed.

Lu Yanhe said: This idea is really good. There will definitely be a lot of people who need to make reading materials with real knowledge content.

China is a large country with a huge population of over a billion. Even if only one million people are willing to pay for this product, it would be enough to make it a super bestseller.

One dollar.

Lu Yanhe suddenly understood why Chen Siqi emphasized the price.

It makes you feel that it's absolutely worth the price.

-

Based on this positioning, this newspaper would be of a very high level, especially in terms of its requirements for submissions.

Lu Yanhe did not interfere. He believed that with Chen Siqi and the "Jump Up" editorial team's abilities, they could gradually implement their ideas.

In reality, what ability or qualification does he have to interfere now?

He's not a professional.

They are far less professional than them.

On the contrary, seeing Chen Siqi suddenly come up with such a good idea, and seeing that this newspaper might really be very successful, hitting the psychological needs of the masses in this era, Lu Yanhe himself was also inspired.

What happened to his film and television projects?

Are they all in the process?

Lu Yanhe proactively contacted Wang Zhong, Jia Long, and the others to inquire about the progress of "Lost in Thailand" and "Rouge," and also contacted Aurora Video to inquire about the progress of "My Own Swordsman" and "Squid Game."

During exam week, Lu Yanhe was like a man possessed, resuming his previous livestreaming frequency, streaming for at least four hours every day while studying and writing scripts.

Finally, the exam week ended, and Lu Yanhe was ready to join the production team.

-

Filming for "The Road to Glory" has been underway for a week now, with the previous scenes focusing on Shang Yongzhou.

After Lu Yanhe joins the crew, the production will stop filming for two days, and then hold one last script meeting to unify everyone's understanding of the script.

Fu Kai did a better job in this regard than other production teams.

He holds script meetings, not only with the actors present, but also with the heads of various departments, requiring each department to clearly understand what kind of film they want to make.

This also allowed Lu Yanhe to learn a lot and gain many insights.

Indeed, filmmaking is not just an art form for directors, screenwriters, and actors; various departments need to be involved. If each department can establish a clear understanding of what kind of film they want to make from the beginning, it can actually reduce a lot of communication and trial-and-error costs in post-production.

After Lu Yanhe joined the crew, he first served everyone a cup of hot coffee, and then greeted the coordinator and took money from his pocket to add dishes for everyone.

The main reason was that he was a week late joining the crew due to his exams, which caused some trouble for the production team.

Lu Yanhe expressed his apology in this way, which is also a matter of social etiquette.

The film had a low production budget and was planned to be shot on location, which resulted in a significant expense on transportation and accommodation.

Lu Yanhe simply told the crew not to worry about his food, drink, or other needs. He only had Zou Dong and Wang Biao with him, and he would drive a van with the crew. They didn't need to take care of him; they just needed to keep him safe.

When Shang Yongzhou heard that he had done it that way, he followed suit.

Big-budget films have ample budgets, so of course they can provide the best shooting conditions in every aspect.

But "Road to Glory" is such a low-budget film. If you're looking for the kind of treatment where you're waited on hand and foot, you might as well not have taken the role in the first place.

The fact that the two main characters were so easy to manage naturally put the coordinator at ease.

However, the accommodation conditions weren't exactly great.

In some places, there isn't enough room to stay, so people sometimes have to share a room with others.

Lu Yanhe was at least given a small, independent room, but it was really small.

In winter, the snow falls softly.

Lu Yanhe's first scene was an outdoor scene, where he stood by the roadside and threw a tantrum at Shang Yongzhou.

A winding mountain road stretches out before you, where the rocks blend in varying shades of light and dark, resembling a vast ink painting eroded by time.

They actually went up a mountain to film.

At this time of year, you might not see a single car pass by in half an hour.

The crew arranged staff at both ends to keep an eye on passing vehicles and provide timely updates, while the actors performed their scenes within the road section.

This scene depicts Jiang Ying, played by Lu Yanhe, and Mo Wen, played by Shang Yongzhou, embarking on a journey together.

Jiang Ying followed Mo Wen on the road for three days, completely unaware of what Mo Wen was planning to do. She also felt that being out in the freezing cold was too much of a hardship, so she wanted to go back.

Karen Mok disagreed.

Jiang Ying wanted to walk back by herself.

Director Fu Kai wants to shoot the exterior scenes first.

So, before the scene of arguing in the car was even filmed, Lu Yanhe was already slamming the car door and getting out.

Shang Yongzhou took the initiative to ask, "Should I set up a scene for you first, like arguing a bit?"

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Okay."

So, before filming officially started, Lu Yanhe had a quarrel with Shang Yongzhou.

"In the dead of winter, can't you see the snow falling heavily? You're still driving into the mountains. Aren't you afraid the road will freeze and you'll accidentally fall into a ditch?" Lu Yanhe was already in a bad mood from the start.

Shang Yongzhou gave him a stern look.

He didn't say anything.

Lu Yanhe continued, "Brother, what's wrong with you? Can you tell me the truth? Did a woman cheat on you, or did you get fired? Ugh, can't we stop suffering like this outside? Let's go home and lie down comfortably, wouldn't that be better? My feet are practically frozen."

Shang Yongzhou: "Don't talk nonsense."

“I—” Lu Yanhe said, looking annoyed.

At that moment, Fu Kai's voice rang out, shouting "Action!"

Lu Yanhe immediately turned and glared at Shang Yongzhou—actually, at this moment, no camera was filming him, but he and Shang Yongzhou were still in character, performing each step perfectly.

Lu Yanhe opened the car door, got out, bent down and shouted to the person inside, "Drive slowly by yourself, are you out of your mind to suffer like this!"

He slammed the car door shut and turned to walk down the mountain.

After taking only two steps, his feet started to slip, and his body slid uncontrollably downhill.

Lu Yanhe cried out in panic and sat down on the ground with a thud.

This wasn't written in a script, nor was it something they planned in advance.

It just slipped unexpectedly.

Lu Yanhe froze for a second, then subconsciously turned to look in Fu Kai's direction. Since he didn't hear the "cut," he had no choice but to continue acting. When he came to his senses, an angry and embarrassed look appeared on his face. He braced himself on the ground, trying to get up, dusted himself off, glanced back at Shang Yongzhou in the car, raised his middle finger, and angrily continued walking forward. But then he suddenly slipped and fell again.

Lu Yanhe himself was embarrassed.

He even heard someone in the audience burst out laughing.

Lu Yanhe scrambled to his feet, looking disheveled.

"Director, aren't you going to yell 'Cut'? I'm going to break my bone!"

He filed a complaint out of desperation.

At this moment, everyone burst into laughter.

Shang Yongzhou also got out of the car and asked, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"It's alright, but I feel embarrassed." Lu Yanhe's cheeks were slightly red. "I made such a fool of myself in my very first scene."

Fu Kai walked over and said, "It's good, really good, this part can be used."

Fu Kai couldn't stop smiling.

Lu Yanhe: "..."

Shang Yongzhou said, "Indeed, those two falls instantly dispelled the tense atmosphere, which perfectly suited Jiang Ying's character."

Lu Yanhe: "Is he impulsive, reckless, and stupid?"

Shang Yongzhou: "I didn't say that."

Fu Kai chuckled and patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder, "I thought you designed it yourself, so I didn't call 'cut'."

Lu Yanhe: "...I would never design such an embarrassing move."

Fu Kai was in a good mood.

Lu Yanhe's accidental fall had an unexpected effect.

This led Fu Kai to believe it was an omen—a sign that the film would be made very smoothly.

-

In this scene on the mountain road, there is a particularly important shot where Lu Yanhe slips and slides under the roadside railing. Luckily, he is wearing thick clothes and gets stuck, otherwise he would have fallen straight down.

Then Shang Yongzhou got out of the car and hurriedly pulled Lu Yanhe up.

Fu Kai said, "Add two lines: Yongzhou, when Lu Yanhe slipped for the first time, you shouted to him, 'Get in the car.' When he slipped a second time, you shouted to him again, 'Get in the car.' Lu Yanhe was furious and refused to get in. Then he slipped again and almost slid down the steep slope."

Shang Yongzhou nodded.

The reason for adding two lines on the spot is that some unexpected situations occurred on set, and it was necessary to add a couple of lines to make the lines in the script more consistent with the actual filming situation.

Lu Yanhe also needs to be present for these two shots, to assist Shang Yongzhou.

Fu Kai said, "When these two lines are spoken, the camera should show Lu Yanhe looking disheveled; that would be more effective."

Lu Yanhe: "..."

Then, Lu Yanhe witnessed just how strong Shang Yongzhou's delivery of lines was.

The two phrases "Get on the bus" are identical, yet they convey different emotional progressions.

The first time, I said "Get in the car" in a slightly more serious tone, to stop him from venting his anger.

The second time, there was an added sense of helplessness, meaning the helplessness of "What's the point of you torturing yourself like this?"

Lu Yanhe's feelings towards Jiang Ying were even stronger, that feeling of being both embarrassed and angry.

He volunteered, "Director, how about we do another take? When we were filming just now, I lost focus the first time I fell and got up. We'll do it again to make it better."

Fu Kai nodded.

Lu Yanhe tried again, but this time his slip was not very natural.

Fu Kai told him, "It's okay. We're not shooting a long take here. If the fall looks unnatural, it looks unnatural. We can just use the first take of the slipping scene. You just need to act out your reaction after falling and hearing Shang Yongzhou tell you to get in the car."

Lu Yanhe nodded, now he no longer needed to focus on how to make his fall look more natural.

Sure enough, spurred on by Shang Yongzhou's two "get on the bus" commands, Lu Yanhe's reaction became even more furious and enraged.

Having good actors acting opposite you on set can stimulate you to produce better reactions.

Fu Kai shot this scene four times before it was approved.

"It's going very smoothly." Fu Kai said with a relaxed expression, "Let's keep this momentum going and try to finish filming this scene today so we don't have to go up the mountain again tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)