Chapter 442 Reunion

A top-tier male star is suspected of having mental health issues, recently exhibiting erratic facial expressions due to facial nerve disorder!

When the famous paparazzi Zhou Shuchun's team reported this news, they did not name the male celebrity. However, based on their descriptive words and related content, it is basically possible to identify who it is.

The direction is too clear.

Chen Ziyan directly denied: "Lu Yanhe did not have facial nerve disorder. I don't know who Zhou Shuchun and the others reported on, but it was not Lu Yanhe."

Someone asked, "But didn't Lu Yanhe really lose control of his expression when he met Lily Winton at the Jose Film Festival just now?"

"That was just a loss of control over his expression. Who hasn't lost control of their expression at some point? Do you know what facial nerve disorder means? It means you can't control your facial muscles at all. Yan He came back from Jose, and you took pictures of him at the airport. Can't you tell whether his face looks normal or not?"

Although Chen Ziyan has clearly denied the matter, it continues to spread rapidly, much like a virus.

Lu Yanhe's facial nerve disorder even became a trending topic.

However, when tens of thousands of people left messages on Zhou Shuchun's Weibo, asking whether the person they were exposing was indeed Lu Yanhe, Zhou Shuchun pretended to be dead, not replying at all, letting the heat and discussion ferment.

Chen Ziyan contacted Lu Yanhe and asked him if he wanted to make a response online.

“Zhou Shuchun must have heard some news, but his news is obviously wrong. He’s basically just making wild guesses and he’s even saying that you have facial nerve disorder, which is such nonsense,” Chen Ziyan said. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so afraid to confirm and respond that this person is you.”

Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "A written response might not be believed by everyone. How about I do a live stream and chat with everyone? They can just see my expressions directly."

Chen Ziyan: "Live streaming...aren't there any risks? After all, you are under a lot of pressure, and you might make some strange expressions."

Lu Yanhe: "Sigh, I feel so painful. If I could sense that I had a problem, I wouldn't be so depressed. If I knew what the problem was, I could just treat it accordingly. But now I feel like I don't have any problems, but the doctor's test results tell me that I'm under a lot of pressure. I can't even deny it."

“It’s nothing. To be honest, it’s just that you’ve been under too much pressure these past month or two. If you hadn’t been the director of ‘Love Letter,’ this problem probably wouldn’t have happened.” Chen Ziyan said frankly, “I’m not worried about your future, but I think we should be a little careful these days. Otherwise, if Zhou Shuchun’s revelation gets in the way, people will really think you have facial nerve disorders.”

Lu Yanhe laughed.

"Then I—"

“I know how to respond,” Chen Ziyan said. “It’s okay, Yan He, don’t worry about this, leave it to me.”

Lu Yanhe was surprised that Chen Ziyan had suddenly come up with a solution. Curious, he asked, "Sister Ziyan, what are you planning to do?"

Chen Ziyan said, "I directly forwarded Zhou Shuchun's Weibo post and questioned him, is this male celebrity with facial nerve disorder Lu Yanhe?"

Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

"What if he stubbornly insists on saying yes?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Chen Ziyan sneered: "Are you having facial nerve disorders? If he dares to say yes, I'll sue him for spreading rumors!"

Lu Yanhe sensed a murderous intent in Chen Ziyan's tone.

“And Yan He—” Chen Ziyan asked, “How about we move the summer filming of ‘Love Letter’ to next year? You’ve been under enough pressure lately, take a break. Anyway, we’re investing in this film ourselves, so we can afford to wait. At worst, we’ll lose some money, it’s no big deal.”

Lu Yanhe said, "Sister Ziyan, I've thought about that too. However, Zhang Ruozhi will be a senior in high school next summer. If we postpone the filming until next summer, it will interfere with her exam preparation. It's okay, Sister Ziyan, don't worry, I'm fine. For the next two months, apart from attending classes and preparing for 'Love Letter,' I will put everything else aside and not worry about anything else."

Chen Ziyan: "Sigh, fine, this is the only way."

Ten minutes later.

Chen Ziyan forwarded Zhou Shuchun's revelation on Weibo, asking: "Mr. Zhou, is this highly anticipated revelation referring to Yan He? If so, please stand up and name him openly, instead of stirring up trouble like a troublemaker."

Chen Ziyan's tough stance was like a bucket of cold water poured on this celebration.

Originally, many people genuinely believed that Lu Yanhe had gotten into trouble.

Since Chen Ziyan dared to be so assertive, it means that this person is definitely not Lu Yanhe.

Chen Ziliang pursed his lips, put down his phone, and looked visibly disappointed.

"Why didn't you let him ruin his face so he could never act again?"

With the release of the movie "Criminal Records of the Nineteen Years", Chen Ziliang, one of the male leads, has been busy with promotional tours.

However, the film's box office revenue plummeted from 34 million on Friday and 42 million on Saturday to only 13 million on Sunday.

The negative reviews were overwhelming.

Fans of the original work launched a fierce attack.

The original author, Liu Jiazhen, remained silent.

Media reviews were also full of irony.

Chen Ziliang finally got a leading role in a movie that was about to gross over 100 million yuan, but the movie was surrounded by a barrage of negative reviews.

From the second season of "Friends" at the end of last year to this "19 Years of Crime Records", Chan Chi-leung's two consecutive works have been met with a barrage of negative reviews.

Some people even asked: Who exactly is promoting Chen Ziliang to become an actor?

Chen Ziliang's words implied that he was truly incompetent.

Such negative reviews have resulted in Chen Ziliang not getting a single new high-quality business opportunity in the past six months; all the new clients are fast-moving consumer goods brands that are drawn to him because of his popularity and media attention.

Chen Ziliang couldn't afford to complain. If he rejected everything, where would he get the money to support a team and maintain his data?

For a top-tier celebrity like him, a team of seven or eight people, from drivers and assistants to nutritionists and bodyguards, would cost two to three million yuan just in salaries. And he also needs to spend money on marketing, data acquisition, his outfits when he goes out, and his overall image.

He is different from Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe's publicity and marketing expenses can basically be covered by the production company. In addition, he has enough natural exposure. Chen Ziyan's investment in him is mainly in public relations expenses, as well as expenses for dealing with rumors such as "expressionless face".

What Chen Ziliang dislikes most is that everyone uses Lu Yanhe's acting skills to mock his own.

He's not an actor by training, and he's already working very hard to improve his acting skills, so why are they being so strict with him?

Is his acting really that bad?

Some fans defended him, but then someone jumped out and said that Lu Yanhe was not an actor by profession.

Is not being an actor a reason for you to not be a good actor?

If you can't act well, you shouldn't be an actor.

You should just keep making your avant-garde music! Isn't it because you couldn't make it in avant-garde music that you turned to acting?

Words like these, one after another, transformed into spears and arrows, piercing his heart.

If it weren't for Lu Yanhe, his situation would be much better, right?

Putting aside his prejudice against Lu Yanhe, Chen Ziliang sometimes thought this way.

"Yin Xincheng was ultimately cast in the drama 'Blossoming Scenery'," his agent Yan Wei told him. "They said that if we were willing to act in it, they could give us the second male lead role."

Chen Ziliang frowned. "The second male lead? What are they talking about?"

“I was saying the same thing. No matter what, the second season of Friends did so well, and The 19 Years of Crime is about to break 100 million at the box office. The data is so good, which proves that you have appeal and a base of fans. Why should we play the second male lead?” Yan Wei also said indignantly, “It’s not like we don’t have male lead roles.”

Chen Ziliang hesitated for a moment and asked, "Are there any S-level dramas that want me to play the male lead?"

Yan Wei paused for a moment before saying, "Not yet. There are very few S-level projects launched on the platform right now."

Chen Ziliang said, "Is 'Blossoming Scenery' an S-level film?"

"We're currently working on it at an A-level," Yan Wei said. "If we can find a top-tier actress to play the female lead, then it can be upgraded to an S-level."

A project's rating is not static. Many scripts may not even be rated A at the beginning, but as long as an actor who can carry the show in the eyes of the platform joins the cast and becomes the lead, it will immediately transform into an S-level project.

Chen Ziliang currently has the title of a top-tier star, but in the eyes of the platform, he is not the kind of actor who can "carry a drama".

For S-level projects, it's practically impossible to consider him as the lead actor.

Unless another actor, whom the platform considers to be a pillar of the drama, strongly supports it.

Yan Wei said, "If Lu Yanhe really has facial paralysis and can't act for a while, then he will have to give up some projects. The second male lead in 'Burning Fire,' the male lead in this movie, and even his role in 'The Seventeen Floors' sequel may have to be replaced by a different actor."

These projects would be very lucrative opportunities for other male actors, and any one of them would spark fierce competition.

Chen Ziliang said, "It's not that I can't play the second male lead in 'Blossoming Scenery'."

"Hmm?" Yan Wei looked at Chen Ziliang with some surprise.

“A special guest appearance is also fine,” Chen Ziliang said.

Yan Wei said, "Since they hired Yin Xincheng, your salary won't be too high. It will definitely be lower than the salary you received for acting in the second season of Friends."

Chen Ziliang said, "If they want to lower my salary and not give me the market price, then they should make up for it in the subsequent publicity and include the supporting publicity in the contract."

Yan Wei: "Actually, you could talk to them and ask them to add some scenes for you, turning this drama into a dual male lead drama."

Chen Ziliang's eyes immediately lit up. "Is that okay?"

“If we can bring our own funding to the production team, I believe they definitely won’t refuse,” Yan Wei said.

Chen Ziliang stroked his chin and said, "I'll go talk to President Lan. Ruyi Pictures also makes TV dramas, maybe she'll be interested."

-

At that moment, news of the Jose Film Festival came back.

At the premiere of "Flowers on the Stars," not a single audience member left the theater with dry eyes.

The media gave it a 62% approval rating, but the audience gave it an 89% approval rating, a huge difference.

Nevertheless, the screening of "Flowers on the Stars" at the Jose Film Festival was a great success.

Yu Jiang was interviewed on site, beaming with pride.

When asked about the stark contrast between the media and audience reviews, she said, "This is something we anticipated from the beginning. After all, in the eyes of many media outlets, our film isn't really a film; it lacks the highbrow elements and humanistic reflections. Our film was made for the audience from the very beginning, and I'm very content if the audience likes it."

She then announced, "Our film has been acquired by the American film company Parameter for global distribution, excluding mainland China, and will be released worldwide."

The reporter asked, "Congratulations! When will 'Flowers on the Stars' be released in China? Has the release date been set?"

"Not yet, but we will make it available to everyone as soon as possible," Yu Jiang said happily.

"Did you see any other films during your visit to the Jose Film Festival, Professor Yu?"

"I'm too busy. My schedule is full every day. I have to meet with a lot of people, and I can't find the time at all." Yu Jiang sighed regretfully. "Actually, if I could, I would like to see films from all over the world at the Jose Film Festival. Although I am a writer, I am also a film lover. I watch a lot of films every year."

The reporter asked, "Does Professor Yu watch Lu Yanhe's movies?"

Yu Jiang smiled slightly at the reporter.

The reporter also wore a sincere smile.

Yu Jiang said, "Of course, I'm not the kind of viewer who would abandon an entire movie just because I have a problem with someone."

"Lu Yanhe's screenplay for 'Rouge' received high praise at the Jose Film Festival, and another film he wrote, 'Lost in Thailand,' will be screened the day after tomorrow. We all know that you and Lu Yanhe had some conflicts and disagreements before. So how do you view the films written by Lu Yanhe?"

Yu Jiang smiled and said, "Let's talk about 'Flowers on the Stars' instead. I'm here to promote 'Flowers on the Stars,' not other movies."

The reporter pressed on, asking, "If 'Flowers on the Stars' were released at the same time as these two films, which film do you think would have a higher box office?"

Yu Jiang's smile was almost impossible to maintain.

"That depends on the audience. I can't guess right now. Besides, there's no need to compare box office numbers. If we did, there would only be one successful film each year. After all, there's only ever one film with the highest box office, isn't there?"

Reporter: "Will your magazine, Star!", which you edit, launch a movie section like Jump Up?"

Yu Jiang: "..."

-

Yu Jiang posted on his Weibo: "Encountering an unprofessional reporter is really like eating shit, it's so uncomfortable and makes me feel awkward all over."

Her original intention was to vent her frustrations and also to prepare herself in case the interview had a negative impact on her. In that case, she could blame it on the reporter's unprofessionalism and deliberately stirring up trouble.

However, she didn't expect that so many people would say the following in her comments section:

—You feel uncomfortable and awkward when you encounter an unprofessional reporter, but wouldn't Lu Yanhe feel even more uncomfortable and awkward when he encounters a piece of dog shit like you that he can't shake off?

—Was Sister Yu being ridiculed by the reporter? Or was she being deliberately harassed by the reporter?

— "Flowers on the Stars" received good reviews from audiences at the Jose Film Festival, and Sister Yu is now standing up straight and daring to scold reporters.

—This time you encountered a reporter who annoyed you, why didn't you just get up and leave? Didn't you run away in embarrassment last time after being ridiculed by Teacher Feng Qiyue?

...

At first glance, it seemed like everyone was mocking her.

-

Lu Yanhe glanced at his phone.

Several people sent him screenshots of Yu Jiang's comments section.

When Lu Yanhe saw Yu Jiang being criticized, the corners of his mouth turned up. It would be a lie to say that he didn't feel gloating.

Yu Jiang has reaped what he sowed.

Previously, he had repeatedly provoked Lu Yanhe, and countless times tried to smear Lu Yanhe by speculating, belittling, or even slandering him.

But none of them were successful; instead, he made himself a laughingstock.

However, the popularity of "Flowers on the Stars" at the Jose Film Festival was indeed beyond Lu Yanhe's expectations.

Lu Yanhe thought this movie would be criticized for being too melodramatic.

It turns out that different people have different tastes, and even the worst movie can resonate with a viewer.

Lu Yanhe packed his schoolbag and prepared to return to Ziyuan Bridge.

Yan Liang is back today.

He has finally wrapped up filming "The Gold Rush" and can now rest at home for two days.

Lu Yanhe had arranged to have dinner with him.

Unfortunately, Li Zhibai's filming is not yet finished.

He's still filming "Moonlight Symphony," and there's still a little bit left to wrap up; it'll be finished soon.

As soon as I stepped out of the classroom, Yan Liang sent me a message: Have you finished class?

Lu Yanhe: get out of class is over, I'm getting ready to go home, what about you?

Yan Liang: I just came out of the company and signed the contract for the next film.

Lu Yanhe: Is it the movie "The Summit" that we talked about before?

Yan Liang: Yes.

Lu Yanhe: You're such a workaholic now, filming one show after another. And now you're going to start filming the third season of Friends in the fourth quarter?

Yan Liang: Yes, the first draft of the script for the third season of Friends has been completed, and we are very dissatisfied with it.

Lu Yanhe: Not satisfied?

Yan Liang said: "Isn't Zhang Lan supposed to join us this season and co-star with us? She insists on having the most screen time and demands to be listed first in the credits, which the rest of us disagree with."

Lu Yanhe: Of course, we cannot agree to such an unreasonable demand.

Yan Liang said: That's right, they still treat us like newcomers, someone to be manipulated at will.

Lu Yanhe asked: What about the Beijing-Taiwan relationship?

Yan Liang: Of course, Jingtai wants to persuade our agents to cooperate, but I disagree. I told Zhou Pingan the same thing when he came to me.

Lu Yanhe: Now you've become more assertive.

Yan Liang said: If we keep doing this, Friends can just end after the third season. There's no need to make a fourth season. Anyway, with this mess, the reputation still won't be good.

Lu Yanhe: It's not that we can't arrange a new lead, but to say right away that you want to be the lead and have more screen time than everyone else is ridiculous. You guys have already filmed two seasons of Friends, you are the most crucial members of Friends, why should you give way to her?

Yan Liang: As Beijing and Taiwan have said, they are top-tier stars who have achieved great success in leading dramas on their own. They have more experience than us and can bring more viewers to "Friends".

Lu Yanhe: Then why not just tailor a script for her? Why should she act in a multi-lead drama?

Yan Liang: Anyway, we're all pretty much on the same page about this. Ever since you went through those things at Beijing TV and decided to leave "Friends," it's been a wake-up call for all five of us. If even you could be bullied like that by Beijing TV, what about us? We all agreed that no matter what happens, we'll stick together. Whether it's salary negotiations or other issues, it's the same.

Lu Yanhe asked: Director Bai has now gone to Aurora Video. Has it been decided who will direct the third season?

Yan Liang said: We still don't know which director will be coming. It feels like Beijing TV isn't taking the director's job seriously at all.

Lu Yanhe asked: How's the script? Putting aside the fact that Zhang Lan's character has too much screen time, what about other aspects?

Yan Liang said: "The script is a bit better than the second season. We learned a lot from the second season and finally stopped deliberately designing some melodramatic plots. Instead, the plot revolves around us."

Lu Yanhe: That's good.

Yan Liang: Sigh, if only the cast from season one could stay the same forever.

Lu Yanhe: In the entertainment industry, there's no way around it. Teams break up and reunite all the time, and it's hard to find a production crew you can work with for a long time.

The two of them chatted on their phones while heading back to Ziyuan Bridge.

Lu Yanhe even specially asked Zou Dong to open a braised food shop they often bought from, wanting to buy some to take home and eat together.

"Dong-ge, you can rest tomorrow. I don't have classes tomorrow and I don't plan to go out, so don't worry about me," Zou Dong said.

Zou Dong nodded and said okay.

Lu Yanhe added, "By the way, summer vacation is coming soon. I bought some books, one set for Xiaoyu and one set for Brother He's son, Xiaohu. They've arrived. Please take them back with you later and send a set to Brother He for me as well."

Zou Dong was somewhat surprised, because Xiao Yu was his son, Zou Yu.

"Why did you buy them books?"

“Reading more books is never a bad thing. It’s summer vacation, so there’s plenty of time. It’s a good time to read,” Lu Yanhe said. “They are all very interesting storybooks, some fantasy and some fairy tales. They are all books that I have read and think are very suitable for their age.”

Zou Dong nodded solemnly, "Thank you. Sigh, sometimes I want to buy him something, but I really don't know what to buy him."

“You can buy him anything,” Lu Yanhe said. “Trust me, as long as you don’t buy him tutoring books or anything like that, he’ll be happy with whatever you buy.”

Zou Dong was taken aback, his face turning somewhat embarrassed.

"Brother Dong, you wouldn't—"

“I just bought him a set of study guides last week,” Zou Dong said.

Lu Yanhe couldn't help but laugh.

He said, "Then you have to make it up to him; he must be very hurt."

Zou Dong: "I think it's more important for him to study more, get good grades, and get into a good university."

“That’s certainly true, but if you try to reason with a child, you’re the one who’s being unreasonable,” Lu Yanhe said. “Studying hard is one thing, but they need love without any specific intention.”

Zou Dong: "Sigh, that's true."

Lu Yanhe said, "However, I'm just talking theory on paper. I haven't even graduated from university yet. I was just thinking about my childhood."

Zou Dong was taken aback.

Lu Yanhe could tell from his expression that he had misunderstood.

Whenever he mentions his childhood, people immediately think of Lu Yanhe as someone who "had no parents growing up".

But the childhood he actually referred to was "a childhood with parents".

Each time such a misunderstanding occurred, Lu Yanhe had no way to explain it.

Fortunately, despite the misunderstanding, everyone reached the same understanding.

The ultimate consensus is on what is most important in life.

-

There weren't many books, eight books in each set, packed in two cardboard boxes about the size of a book.

Zou Dong took it away.

Lu Yanhe carried the groceries that had just been delivered to the door into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

His cooking skills aren't particularly good; at least he can't go on TV and show off his wok-flipping skills, but he can handle the basics.

He simply did a lot of cooking himself, and through practice he became skilled, gradually transforming his food from just filling his stomach to tasting quite good.

It's very convenient now.

The chicken I bought has already been cleaned and can be stewed directly in the pot.

He wanted to make some chicken soup so he could drink it again tomorrow.

Yan Liang said that he was filming abroad and spent every day in the deep mountains and forests. He said that although it was not extremely difficult, it was definitely a tough time compared to his usual life.

Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation—everything is inadequate.

But "The Gold Rush" is a show like that. It's not impossible to film it in a studio instead of on location, but it will always be a little different.

Lu Yanhe still admired Yan Liang quite a bit.

I went without hesitation.

This is also because of a solid foundation. When Yan Liang was in the Fengzhi group, he wasn't very popular. He relied entirely on his own hard work. So now that he's famous and has opportunities, he doesn't dare to get arrogant. He puts his heart into it and endures hardship without making excuses or complaining all the time. Of course, his complaints in their group chat don't count; those are just venting to his friends.

Although Lu Yanhe was mentally prepared, he was still startled when he saw Yan Liang.

Yan Liang used to run every day, and later he started going to the gym. He has always been quite muscular and well-defined, making him look slim in clothes, but he doesn't look thin.

When he entered carrying a large bag and dragging two suitcases, Lu Yanhe felt that Yan Liang had been thinned out, as if he had just returned from a flight—Lu Yanhe felt that his thought was not an exaggeration at all.

Lu Yanhe looked at him in disbelief.

What are you doing—

Yan Liang sighed deeply and said, "I know, everyone at the company says I've lost so much weight that I look emaciated. I need to eat well and get back in shape during this time."

Lu Yanhe: "How tough was it to film this movie?"

Yan Liang shook his head and said, "Let's not talk about that now. Is there anything to eat? I can already smell the aroma. What is that aroma? It smells so good."

"Chicken soup," Lu Yanhe said. "The chicken soup still needs to be simmered. I bought some braised food; have some to tide you over."

Upon hearing this, Yan Liang's eyes gleamed.

"You really understand me so well. I'm starving right now." Yan Liang immediately threw the food down.

-

Lu Yanhe stir-fried lily bulbs and ham, following a recipe he copied from the internet. He took a bite and found it to be quite delicious.

I steamed another fish; this one is much easier to make.

Then, he specially took out the steamed rice and fried it into a pot of egg fried rice—this was the dish Yan Liang ordered.

"I crave this fried rice when I'm abroad, so much so that I drool in my sleep."

Yan Liang was very restrained and only ate a little bit of the braised food, so as not to leave himself with no room for the dinner that Lu Yanhe had worked so hard to prepare.

The two sat down at the table and looked at the five dishes. Lu Yanhe said, "Take a picture and send it to Li Zhibai."

Yan Liang said, "Okay, I'll post another Weibo and tag him, which will also let my fans know that I'm back in China."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

The two took a selfie with a table full of food.

Lu Yanhe posted: "I've lost weight and come back, it wasn't easy."

Yan Liang posted: I came back starving, Chef Lu was amazing.

Both of them tagged Li Zhibai at the end.

I didn't say anything to Li Zhibai, I just tagged him.

A hundred minutes later, Li Zhi replied with a "Pah!" in their respective comment sections.

He was still stuck on set and couldn't come back, so he missed the meal and was clearly very resentful.

A minute later, Li Zhibai left another comment under Lu Yanhe's Weibo post: You better wait until I come back and then prepare a table like this for me, otherwise we can't be friends anymore.

(End of this chapter)