Chapter 460 I'm ecstatic! (12,000 words updated!)

The next day, "Flowers on the Stars" experienced the same sharp decline as most films scheduled for release on Qixi Festival – its box office revenue was only 13 million yuan the following day.

Nevertheless, it's a certainty that the film will gross over 100 million.

Yin Xincheng's agent, Zhou Chi, asked him, "Even so, are you still not going to take on Yu Jiang's new film?"

Yin Xincheng said, "Didn't we already say that our schedules clashed?"

“The schedule can be coordinated,” Zhou Chi said. “It’s not impossible to take a break in the middle to film the movie. I heard that the movie ‘Flowers on the Stars’ was filmed in just twenty days. These kinds of youth romance movies are filmed very quickly.”

Yin Xincheng shook his head, "I don't want to film multiple projects at once."

"You really don't want to take on multiple projects at once?" Zhou Chi asked with a smile. "You..."

Yin Xincheng said nothing.

"But this is for the best. Indeed, you debuted from 'Friends,' and in everyone's eyes, Lu Yanhe is your benefactor, and you owe him a debt of gratitude. If you were to cooperate with Yu Jiang now, you might be criticized by many people for being ungrateful. Everyone knows about the conflict between Yu Jiang and Lu Yanhe, so you can't pretend to be ignorant."

After Zhou Chi finished speaking, he sighed again.

"It's a pity, he was the male lead in the movie. He could have used this movie to get his foot in the door in the film industry."

Yin Xincheng asked, "Have you received any other film scripts?"

“Those are all scripts that popped up out of nowhere, obviously bad movies,” Zhou Chi said. “Or they are scripts that are supposed to be art films but are completely nonsensical.”

Yin Xincheng nodded, "If there isn't a good script, then we won't act in movies for now."

"If you can get into the film industry as soon as possible, you should do so. Otherwise, if you keep acting in TV dramas, over time, the industry will only see you as a TV drama actor, and it will be difficult for you to get into the film industry," Zhou Chi said. "When an actor first debuts, it is the time when they are least typecast, so you must seize the opportunity."

Yin Xincheng said, "I'm not in a hurry. If I really reach a bottleneck in the future, I'll go to Yan He and ask him for help."

"If you ask him for help, he'll help you?"

"Yan He is a very good person, he will help me."

"Will he give you the male lead role?"

"Why do I have to play the male lead?" Yin Xincheng said, "I don't mind starting with a supporting role."

"Are you crazy? You debuted in 'Friends' as the lead, with such a high starting point, and now you're willing to play supporting roles?" Zhou Chi looked at him in shock.

Yin Xincheng said, "Look at Yan He, does he mind playing supporting roles?"

"He is Lu Yanhe."

"Before he became the Lu Yanhe he is today, he also started from supporting roles," Yin Xincheng said. "He always said one thing that I think makes a lot of sense, and Yan Liang did the same thing."

"What did you say?"

"The audience won't naturally like you more just because you're the lead, nor will they naturally like you less just because you're a supporting actor," Yin Xincheng said. "Yan Liang played the second male lead in two dramas this year, 'The Gold Rush' and 'The Summit.' He was the real main character in 'Friends.' If he can play the second male lead, why can't I?"

Zhou Chi: "Yan Liang's appearance isn't as good as yours."

“If I have good enough looks, I don’t need to worry about not being able to make it big if I play supporting roles,” Yin Xincheng said. “Brother Chi, whether it’s the male lead or not really doesn’t matter that much.”

Zhou Chi looked at Yin Xincheng with disbelief.

"Why do all of you who have worked with Lu Yanhe sound like this? What kind of bewitching potion has he given you?"

"Because I saw that he played supporting roles very well, and he has won several Best Supporting Actor awards. Moreover, even without winning awards, his performances in supporting roles are always loved and praised by everyone. This proves that in today's film and television environment, the charm of the character itself has far exceeded the limitations of the lead and supporting roles."

Zhou Chi seemed to be deep in thought.

He really wanted to say, "Yin Xincheng, if you had half the acting skills of Lu Yanhe, I would believe you."

But he didn't say those words aloud.

First, those words were too hurtful. Second, when it comes to acting, if the supporting actors can't perform well, how can the lead actors perform well?

When Zhou Chi selected scripts for Yin Xincheng, he mostly chose scripts that were within Yin Xincheng's comfort zone.

That way, his weaknesses won't be exposed—making the audience think his acting is bad.

“Oh, right, don’t forget the drama training camp I signed you up for. It starts in October and lasts for fourteen days,” Zhou Chi said. “I saw you mentioned before that you wanted to go to Iceland.”

Yin Xincheng said, "Yes, I remember. I'll go to Iceland again at the end of the year. After I come back, I'll join the cast of 'Blossoming Scenery'."

Zhou Chi frowned when Yin Xincheng mentioned "Blossoming Scenery".

If Chen Ziliang hadn't interfered, insisting on bringing his own investment to the production and adding scenes for his second male lead, this would have been a really great opportunity for Yin Xincheng.

-

"What? You want Chen Ziliang to play the role?"

When Yu Jiang, who was riding high, heard Ruyi Pictures' suggestion for the male lead in her new film, her face immediately fell and she looked ugly.

"Why did you cast Chen Ziliang in my movie? Don't you know his background? Are you trying to ruin my film?"

Yu Jiang glared angrily at the group from Ruyi Pictures sitting opposite her, clearly very angry.

A representative from Ruyi Pictures said, "Isn't the problem that we can't find suitable male actors right now?"

Yu Jiang said, "We still can't let Chen Ziliang act in it! Every movie Chen Ziliang acts in is a disaster. It's your business if you want to promote him, but don't ruin my movie!"

The people at Ruyi Pictures were also annoyed by Yu Jiang's domineering style.

“Teacher Yu, this movie is indeed adapted from your book, and you are also the screenwriter. However, this movie is produced by Ruyi Pictures. It is a Ruyi movie.” The Ruyi Pictures representative suppressed his temper. “Although Chen Ziliang has some negative reputation, the works he starred in have ultimately achieved good commercial returns.”

Yu Jiang said, "Really? With the box office performance of 'Nineteen Years of Crime Records,' you call that a decent commercial return?"

A representative from Ruyi Pictures said, "This film was profitable, and the problem with the film doesn't lie with him."

"That's ridiculous. Go tell that to someone else." Yu Jiang rolled his eyes. "I don't agree to let Chen Ziliang act in my movie. Even if I find a newcomer, I won't use him!"

"The casting decision is in Ruyi's hands, not yours!" The people from Ruyi Pictures were furious.

Yu Jiang: "Then there's no need for us to cooperate."

She sneered, crossing her arms. "No wonder your movies get worse and worse. You keep using actors like Chen Ziliang over and over again. I'd like to see when you go bankrupt."

The people at Ruyi Pictures turned green with rage.

Yu Jiang is notoriously arrogant, outspoken, short-tempered, and difficult to work with. She achieved fame at a young age, is a bestselling author, and several film and television adaptations of her novels have been quite successful. Ruyi Pictures had been mentally prepared for this before collaborating with Yu Jiang. However, since the start of the partnership, they have still been repeatedly provoked by some of Yu Jiang's attitudes and remarks.

How should I put it... this person is sometimes just so repulsive, and in such a low and utterly ridiculous way that it leaves you speechless. Why would someone like her become their collaborator? How could someone like her achieve such success? Even high school students probably wouldn't be so brazen in their threats, yet she possesses an arrogant confidence that the world revolves around her.

This meeting between Ruyi Pictures and Yu Jiang ended in a very unpleasant manner.

-

"Ruyi wanted Chen Ziliang to act in Yu Jiang's new film, but Yu Jiang refused? Why?" Lu Yanhe looked at Chen Ziyan in surprise, then realized that his last question was ambiguous, and immediately added, "I meant why Ruyi still wants Chen Ziliang to act?"

Lu Yanhe never understood why Ruyi Pictures was so supportive of Chen Ziliang.

Chen Ziliang is not a contracted actor with Ruyi Pictures, so there's really no need to promote him like this.

Chen Ziyan said, "Chen Ziliang has hooked up with a big shot, and this big shot has a lot of influence in Ruyi Pictures."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Thighs...are they a woman's?"

Chen Ziyan: "Why are you asking so cautiously? Of course it's about women."

Lu Yanhe suddenly realized.

"I heard that Chen Ziliang is still in contact with 'Idol Era' and wants to sign a contract to be a regular performer for two seasons."

"Huh? He's never followed the idol route before, so why is he going to appear on 'Idol Era' now?"

"It's all because he's had a run of bad luck these past few years, and his career has completely collapsed," Chen Ziyan said. "If he doesn't try every possible way to save himself under these circumstances, then he's really doomed."

Lu Yanhe said, "If Yu Jiang doesn't agree to use him, will Ruyi Pictures listen to Yu Jiang's opinion?"

“It’s really hard to say. Generally speaking, the words of novel authors and screenwriters are practically meaningless in front of production companies. But Yu Jiang, you have to admit, she’s crazy and wild enough that even Ruyi Pictures, a production company that should be very powerful, is hesitant to act against her,” Chen Ziyan said. “Even the most skilled martial artist is afraid of a madman wielding a kitchen knife, because madmen aren’t afraid of death.”

Lu Yanhe: "This is really..."

"Moreover, the huge success of 'Flowers on the Stars' means that for this film, the director and lead actor are not the most crucial keyman. The keyman is Yu Jiang." Chen Ziyan shrugged. "So you know, if Yu Jiang strongly opposes it, it's really hard to say what Ruyi Pictures' attitude will be."

No film company can ignore the opinions of a creator who can generate eight-figure profits.

As we were talking, someone knocked on the door.

Jia Long has arrived.

He came alone, without any entourage.

"Teacher Jia!" Chen Ziyan stood up and greeted her with a smile.

"Brother Long." Lu Yanhe also greeted Jia Long.

Jia Long took off his baseball cap, clicked his tongue twice, and said, "It's so hot. I was sweating buckets just walking from the parking lot to the elevator."

He sat down with a broad smile.

"There was a bit of traffic on the way, sorry to keep you waiting."

“We just arrived a little while ago. We were supposed to meet at 3 p.m., and it’s only 55 now.” Chen Ziyan personally poured Jia Long a cup of iced tea and said, “This place is owned by my friend. Putting aside everything else, the confidentiality is top-notch. You can come here if you need to in the future, and you will definitely not be disturbed by anyone else.”

Jia Long nodded and said, "I've already felt it. From the time I parked until I entered the gate, I didn't encounter a single person on the way. The security measures are top-notch."

“It’s all one-on-one service, and you won’t run into anyone when you come in or out,” Chen Ziyan said. “Lost on Journey was a great success. Although the box office wasn’t as spectacular as your previous films, Mr. Jia’s, it didn’t even reach 1 billion, but the word-of-mouth was very good. It even has an 8.2 rating on Yemai.com.”

Jia Long nodded, "I didn't expect this movie to be so well-received by the audience. Ever since the news of the second movie came out, people have been asking me every day when the second movie will be filmed."

He smiled at Lu Yanhe and asked, "Yanhe, how's the script for the second part coming along?"

"The first draft is finished, but I still need to polish it a bit more." Lu Yanhe writes movie scripts very quickly. They are all movies he has seen, and he is very clear about the characters and the development of the story. He does not need to think about them. He just needs to write the script down. "The script for the second movie is not just two male leads, but one more, making a total of three main characters."

Jia Long asked curiously, "Are you finally willing to join our 'Lost in Thailand' universe?"

Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "No, I won't act in it. I can't play the lead role. It's a man around forty years old."

"Huh?" Jia Long was taken aback, bewildered. "What's going on?"

Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "After all, we've been abroad, so we need a villain to cause trouble to keep the story interesting."

Jia Long raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Okay, although I don't know what kind of story you've written yet, it's definitely a good story."

“Not necessarily, Brother Long. I personally feel that the second part doesn’t have as many interesting lines as the first part,” Lu Yanhe said. “The second part has a lot more exaggerated parts.”

Jia Long: "Whatever it is, how do we make the second part?"

"Let's try to keep the original cast as much as possible," Lu Yanhe said. "The most important core is still your duo with Dashan, that can't be changed."

"Are you still willing to cooperate with Yannian Film and Television?" Jia Long asked.

Lu Yanhe said, "If it weren't for them, 'Lost in Thailand' would have broken 1 billion yuan if it had been released during the Spring Festival."

“Yes, that’s the most regrettable thing,” Jia Long said. “But this kind of thing would happen to any film company. No company would give up a sequel that grossed 4 billion yuan to release a new movie.”

Lu Yanhe nodded.

What kind of terms are they willing to offer for the sequel?

“They are willing to give a production budget of 150 million yuan, not including publicity and distribution costs,” Jia Long said. “Of that, you and I will each receive a package fee of 20 million yuan, Director Jiang will receive 10 million yuan, Da Shan will receive 4 million yuan, and you and I will receive 4.5% of the box office profits.”

For a sequel that grossed nearly 700 million yuan at the box office for its first installment, such a production budget and actor salaries are at a standard level.

A salary of 20 million yuan is top-tier in China. Aside from the few actors with the highest box office appeal, 20 million yuan is practically the ceiling.

The conditions are quite good.

However, this was not what Lu Yanhe was really considering.

What about the Spring Festival film season?

"It must be written into the distribution contract that if the film cannot be released during the Spring Festival season and guarantee a first-day screening rate of more than 15% within two years after it has passed the censorship, Yan Nian Films will have to pay a loss of 80 million yuan."

Lu Yanhe was surprised: "Would Yannian Film and Television be willing to sign them? The terms aren't very favorable."

“They would never refuse a sequel that’s guaranteed to make money,” Jia Long said. “Moreover, they offered us a total investment of 30 million yuan. Of course, they would have preferred us to refuse.”

The so-called 30 million investment share is equivalent to giving them one-fifth of the 150 million budget for the film. If they want, they can convert their investment into their salary and then directly enjoy the profit sharing.

At this point, Lu Yanhe realized that Yan Nian Films had truly shown its sincerity.

That's equivalent to giving them one-fifth of the profits.

It's like the owner of a gold mine giving them a portion of the mining rights—an obviously profitable deal with far less risk than investing in other films.

Chen Ziyan said, "We must add a priority settlement right, and at the same time, we must send finance personnel to the production crew to supervise the flow of every fund."

Movies are so easy to book.

Don't be fooled by the generous terms Yan Nian Films is offering now. They can easily manipulate the settlement later. For example, they could include many of Yan Nian Films' expenses in the budget for the sequel to "Lost on Journey," and then cover up some of the peripheral copyright revenue from the sequel by adding marketing and distribution fees or by bundling it with other film projects. This would effectively reduce the profits that Yan Nian Films could have enjoyed.

Chen Ziyan believed that they wouldn't lose money in the end; they would definitely make a profit. However, it was very possible that a project that could have earned fifty or sixty million yuan would, after some accounting manipulation by Yan Nian Film and Television, only earn ten million yuan. After all, there were still publicity and distribution costs that hadn't been factored in, making the situation even more suspicious.

The three men sat in this secluded little club, discussing the sequel project to "Lost in Thailand." They needed to reach an agreement among themselves before they could negotiate with Yannian Films.

-

Lu Yanhe felt that he had gained a lot of knowledge.

After discussing the sequel to "Lost in Thailand," Jia Long said, "I'm planning to make a web series for Dashan. The budget isn't high. Are you interested in investing?"

Lu Yanhe asked curiously, "What kind of subject matter?"

"It's a suspenseful story about a murder case that happens in a village. I had a movie script in mind many years ago. I wanted to develop it, but no one was willing to invest, so it was shelved. Now I'm too old to act in it anymore," Jia Long said. "I found a screenwriter to adapt it into a web series script and cast Da Shan in it. It's a script tailor-made for him. The cost is not high. It's twelve episodes, and the total cost is only three million."

Lu Yanhe said, "Sure, how much do you need me to invest?"

"Three hundred thousand?" Jia Long said, "I'll take half myself, and I'll ask my friends for the rest."

Of course, it's not that Jia Long couldn't come up with three million himself, but generally, in the investment of these film and television projects, he wouldn't invest all of it himself. Instead, he would distribute the investment, with each person contributing a little. This would reduce the risk, as you wouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, and also, with more producers investing, there would be more people to help if the project encountered any problems.

Therefore, you can see big names listed as producers in many Hollywood movies. Some are just credited, some invested, and some provided other assistance. In short, it's the same principle: the more friends you have, the more support you'll receive for your project.

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Sure."

At this moment, Jia Long asked with a smile, "I thought you were going to refuse me. You even posted a Weibo saying you weren't investing in film projects lately. Have a lot of people been asking you to invest recently?"

Lu Yanhe said, "No, maybe my Weibo post really caused a lot of people to misunderstand. It's not that I'm unwilling to invest in film and television dramas, that's an exception."

He explained the background of Zhou Changying and the sequel project of "Behind the Golden Robe" to Jia Long.

Jia Long suddenly realized.

“There’s really nothing we can do about it; it’s impossible to guard against,” Jia Long said. “Heaven knows how many people outside are using our name to solicit investment. Right now, nine out of ten comedy projects list me as a potential actor.”

Lu Yanhe laughed.

"There's no way around it, you're the king of comedy movies."

“This is also bad. Over the years, I haven’t acted in a single non-comedy film,” Jia Long said. “My acting roles are too limited.”

Lu Yanhe said, "Then Brother Long, you should organize a project yourself and do it yourself."

Jia Long said, "If it has nothing to do with comedy, no one will invest."

Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.

That's just how the market is.

-

On the third day of its release, "Flowers on the Stars" only grossed eight million at the box office, and by Monday, a weekday, the box office had completely collapsed, with only a little over two million left.

This youth romance film garnered over 100 million yuan at the box office in its first three days, but its box office performance faltered from the fourth day onwards due to negative word-of-mouth from casual viewers.

However, both Ruyi Pictures and Yu Jiang said that this is a very normal phenomenon.

"If you look at the movies released during Valentine's Day and Qixi Festival in the last three years, you'll see that it's the same for both periods. Basically, the box office on the day of release accounts for 70%-80% of the total box office, and only a very few films can go the distance," a spokesperson for Ruyi Pictures said confidently. "The Flower on the Stars is already one of the best-performing domestic youth romance films this year, and with its strong overseas sales, its success is undeniable."

Yu Jiang spoke with even more confidence.

"The Flower on the Stars didn't perform well? A film without a famous director and with the male lead Lang Xia making his film debut, yet it achieved the best box office results for a domestic youth romance film this year. You call that a bad performance? Then find me a good one to watch."

A reporter, always eager for amusement, immediately challenged: "What if director Lu Yanhe's 'Love Letter' ultimately outperforms 'Flowers on the Stars' at the box office?"

"So what? Do you think it's strange that Chen Bige's movie has a higher box office than Lang Xia's? They use big-name stars, but we don't have any big-name stars," Yu Jiang said.

Then, Lang Xia's fans were not happy.

One by one, people flocked to Yu Jiang's Weibo account to question her.

—Lang Xia's first film role resulted in such high box office returns, shouldn't you be grateful? Why does it sound like Lang Xia is a small actor who benefited from your success? He was already a popular actor before starring in "Flowers on the Stars"!

—How come Lang Xia isn't a big star? It's really bad luck to work with you. In order to prove the success of "Flowers on the Stars", you have to belittle the male lead.

Without Lang Xia, who would go to see this movie?

...

Even before the movie "Flowers on the Stars" finished its run, fans of the male lead and screenwriter/producer Yu Jiang got into a fight.

How could Yu Jiang possibly tolerate it?

She responded to each and every one of them.

—Back then, I was the only one who dared to cast him as the male lead, even though he had never acted in a movie before. If it weren't for me, he still wouldn't have been able to get into the film industry!

—Does Lang Xia know you're saying this? Do you know how much respect he has for me?

—I never said that Lang Xia wasn't famous, but compared to Chen Bige, there's no doubt who has a bigger star and a higher status, right?

With fans like you, which film company would dare to cast Lang Xia as the male lead in the future? Is this how you repay me?

...

The online argument between Yu Jiang and Lang Xia's fans became a trending topic.

She was furious and unleashed a torrent of abuse.

However, Lang Xia's fans are not so easily fooled.

None of them are weak fighters.

In the end, Yu Jiang even went so far as to curse in despair: "Then I might as well give up on cooperating on another movie that I've already cast Lang Xia in!"

Lang Xia's fans: Without Lang Xia starring, we'd like to see how much your movie can gross at the box office!

Lang Xia, who had remained silent throughout, was suddenly put on the hot seat.

While cursing Yu Jiang in her heart—how many public figures would argue with people on social media these days? Who does she think she is?—she still had to force a smile, call Yu Jiang, persuade her to calm down, and coax her gently.

“Why should we let those haters provoke us? We don’t even know if they are really Lang Xia’s fans. Which real fan doesn’t know that you are Lang Xia’s benefactor?” He Yingzi said. “Lang Xia starring in your movie is a win-win situation.”

-

“A leopard can’t change its spots. Every other sentence is about putting you down.” Chen Siqi put down her phone, sat on the bed, and dried her hair with a towel while saying to Lu Yanhe, “When it comes to ‘Flowers on the Stars,’ you have to bring it up. You even said that Chen Bige is a bigger star than Lang Xia. You just want to say that even if ‘Love Letter’ had a higher box office, it’s Chen Bige’s achievement and has nothing to do with you.”

Lu Yanhe sat in the chair, looking at Chen Siqi who was only wearing a white spaghetti strap dress, and hummed in agreement.

Chen Siqi asked, "What time is it now?"

"4:30."

"Oh dear, we'd better hurry," Chen Siqi said, "otherwise we might be late."

Tonight they are going to a charity gala hosted by a fashion magazine.

The editor-in-chief personally called to invite them. Lu Yanhe had worked with them a few times before and had a good relationship with them, so he agreed.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

The makeup and styling team has arrived.

Lu Yanhe went to open the door.

Wang Biao brought his men in and started styling the two of them.

"Brother Lu, Chen Ziliang and Lang Xia will also be attending the event tonight," Wang Biao whispered.

Lu Yanhe nodded.

Charity galas are common in this industry. Everyone wants recognition, and no one is an exception. Lu Yanhe couldn't say he didn't need it either. However, his charity work wasn't through these events, but rather by consistently donating money and goods to children in mountainous areas with Chen Ziyan.

Every time he and Chen Siqi appear together, they attract a lot of attention.

This time was no exception.

However, they never expected to run into Liu Wei'an tonight.

The last time Lu Yanhe saw Liu Wei'an was back in high school.

After getting together with Chen Siqi, Lu Yanhe never saw them again.

Chen Siqi's expression changed first, and only then did Lu Yanhe notice why.

She actually came tonight too.

Lu Yanhe subconsciously looked at Chen Siqi, worried that Chen Siqi's mood might turn sour at this moment.

"Siqi".

"It's okay." Chen Siqi immediately took a deep breath. "Let's just pretend she doesn't exist."

However, while they wanted her to be absent, she seemed to have no such intention.

She walked gracefully towards them in an elegant long dress.

Liu Wei'an was clearly not a stranger at the event tonight.

Many people know her and follow her movements.

At this moment, Lu Yanhe was thinking about many things.

For example, Chen Siqi's family background is not widely known at present, but with Liu Wei'an's appearance tonight, this matter may be exposed online in a serious manner.

For example, Liu Wei'an provoked Chen Siqi with her usual hypocritical demeanor, and Chen Siqi couldn't help but lose her composure in front of everyone, resulting in a conflict with Liu Wei'an.

My mind was filled with all sorts of ideas.

Liu Wei'an walked up to them and said, "Siqi, you don't even come home for summer vacation. Your father misses you so much."

She raised her right hand, as if wanting to gently place it on her shoulder.

Chen Siqi took a step to the side to avoid Liu Wei'an's actions.

As if Liu Wei'an had anticipated Chen Siqi's avoidance, she didn't hesitate at all. Her hand suddenly turned in mid-air and landed on Lu Yanhe's shoulder.

Lu Yanhe didn't even have time to dodge.

"I've wanted to see you for a long time." Liu Wei'an looked at Lu Yanhe calmly and said, "Big star."

Before Lu Yanhe could speak, Chen Siqi suddenly raised her hand and slapped Liu Weian's hand off Lu Yanhe's shoulder.

"Stay away from us." Chen Siqi lowered her voice and glared at Liu Wei'an with an unpleasant expression. "Don't you know we don't want to talk to you?"

When Lu Yanhe saw Chen Siqi's expression, he knew she was about to explode.

Lu Yanhe reached out and took Chen Siqi's hand, gently squeezing it in her palm to signal her to control her emotions.

Chen Siqi took a deep breath.

Lu Yanhe calmly looked at Liu Wei'an and asked, "Didn't Mr. Chen come with you? Are you alone tonight?"

Liu Wei'an was taken aback.

Lu Yanhe's attitude exceeded her expectations.

The almost flawless expression on Liu Wei'an's face froze for a moment before disappearing again.

"Can't I come alone?" she countered.

Lu Yanhe smiled faintly—a faint smile, intentionally.

“I can come, but if Mr. Chen really misses his daughter, he should tell her in person. Don’t let someone else speak for him, especially a fake stepmother, as it’s easy for people to misunderstand.” Lu Yanhe said calmly and without changing his expression, “Stepmothers in fairy tales are not good characters. We children who grew up reading fairy tales are inevitably influenced by them. You are so gentle and generous, you shouldn’t mind, right?”

Liu Wei'an's eye twitched slightly.

Chen Siqi looked at Lu Yanhe in surprise.

She seemed surprised that such words could be used to subdue Liu Wei'an.

Lu Yanhe said, "Since Mr. Chen isn't here tonight, let's keep our distance. If people find out that my girlfriend is the daughter of the Chen family, they might wonder why she doesn't want to come home for summer vacation. Especially... people who grew up reading fairy tales, will they be moved by your hypocritical compassion like your hypocritical friends?"

Liu Wei'an: "She has indeed seen a lot and is even more sharp-tongued than before."

“When facing an enemy, you must show your sharpest claws.” Lu Yanhe said calmly, “I believe you are a smart woman, Aunt. If the story of how you went to great lengths to prevent Siqi from going to Jiangguang University were exposed online, you would know how much criticism you would face. Unfortunately, apart from Mr. Chen, no one would believe that your excuse was just that you were reluctant to let your youngest daughter go too far away from her parents.”

Every word Lu Yanhe uttered was laced with a strong sense of threat.

Liu Wei'an gritted her teeth, her face expressionless, and walked away calmly.

Chen Siqi breathed a sigh of relief and stared at Lu Yanhe with excitement.

"How are you so amazing?!"

Lu Yanhe's lips curled up slightly.

Chen Siqi said, "It's a good thing you were here today, otherwise I definitely would have lost my temper."

“Control your temper and don’t let yourself go berserk,” Lu Yanhe said. “Liu Wei’an isn’t worth your outburst.”

“There’s no way around it. I can tolerate other people and I can hypnotize myself to not care about them, but I can’t do that with Liu Wei’an,” Chen Siqi said. “You can’t understand how I feel when I see Liu Wei’an. I can’t even control myself.”

“Then next time you run into Liu Wei’an, you don’t need to say anything. Leave it to me to deal with her,” Lu Yanhe said. “You just don’t have as thick a skin as her. As long as you have a thicker skin than her, she’s actually quite easy to deal with.”

Chen Siqi laughed.

-

Tonight's charity gala has attracted many celebrities and socialites.

After all, it involves donations.

Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi will also donate today, together donating 500,000 yuan in their own names.

It wasn't that Lu Yanhe didn't want to donate more, but frankly, these charity galas hosted by fashion magazines were far more for show than for actual charity.

Lu Yanhe didn't want to spend too much money on this. He preferred to donate more to children in mountainous areas, even though not many people knew about the charity there, and he didn't actively promote it.

There will also be several performances at tonight's charity gala.

Chen Ziliang was among those who went on stage to sing.

During a song request segment, the daughter of a large corporation spent 200,000 yuan to request one of Chen Ziliang's signature songs.

This 200,000 will naturally be included in tonight's charity fundraising.

There is also an auction component.

The organizers had previously contacted Lu Yanhe, asking him to provide an item for the auction.

Lu Yanhe thought for a long time and took out the original handwritten draft of the lyrics for "Remembrance".

Lu Yanhe went on stage to introduce the item he brought for auction, saying, "This is the handwritten manuscript of my first song. At that time, Siqi and I were both in our senior year of high school. I wrote the lyrics on paper and hummed the tune. Siqi added the score based on the tune I hummed. This is the only original manuscript of the song 'Remembering,' which is of great significance to Siqi and me. It should also have some collectible value. I hope it does, otherwise I will be too embarrassed if no one bids later."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Then came the part where people raised their placards.

Chen Siqi was the first to raise her sign.

fifty thousand.

Everyone gasped in surprise.

What's going on here? You put your own things up for auction, and then you bought them back yourself?

Fine, the auction proceeds are for charity anyway, so feel free to handle them yourselves.

At this moment, Chen Ziliang suddenly raised his sign in a surprising move.

100,000.

Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi both glanced at Chen Ziliang with some surprise.

Chen Ziliang holding up the sign was something none of them had expected.

At this moment, Liu Wei'an casually raised her sign again.

150,000.

She is not in the entertainment industry, and many people do not know her.

But of course, celebrities know her.

Some people knew about her relationship with Chen Siqi and whispered among themselves. Then, someone next to them showed a knowing look of "I see".

Chen Siqi raised her sign again without hesitation.

Two hundred thousand.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

Are you kidding me?

You were fine with raising your sign the first time to get the ball rolling, but now that others are raising their signs, why are you still doing it?

Do you really want to buy it and take it home yourself?

At this moment, Li Luzhi, who had also been invited today, also raised his sign.

250,000.

As Li Pengfei's father and the founder of "Xueyou APP," the brand endorsed by Lu Yanhe, his act of holding up the sign was interpreted by many as him supporting his endorser.

Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Li."

A manuscript was auctioned for 250,000 yuan, which is not low.

The host didn't expect this effect.

But at that moment, Liu Wei'an suddenly raised her placard again.

A gentle smile played on her lips as she held up the sign with an effortless, nonchalant air, as if she were merely waving her hand casually.

She casually tossed out the price of 300,000.

Chen Siqi rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Lu Yanhe knew that Chen Siqi definitely didn't want Liu Wei'an to take the manuscript back.

Three hundred thousand is nothing to Liu Wei'an, but if this manuscript falls into Liu Wei'an's hands, Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi will be disgusted for the rest of their lives.

Chen Bige suddenly raised his sign.

Three hundred and fifty thousand!

The host exclaimed in surprise, "Ms. Chen Bige has raised 350,000! It seems that Yan He and Ms. Bige have a very pleasant collaboration."

Chen Bige waved the sign with a smile.

Lu Yanhe immediately said, "I really have to thank Sister Bige. You're so helpful. I'm flattered."

Jia Long suddenly raised his sign as well.

"I'll join in the fun too." Jia Long held up a sign, then took the microphone from the emcee next to him and said with a smile, "Yan He and I are going to work together on the sequel to 'Lost in Thailand,' so I have to support my little brother."

Four hundred thousand!

The discussion intensified.

No one expected that Lu Yanhe's manuscript would attract so many people to raise their placards and fight over it.

Lu Yanhe immediately said, "If I had known, I should have brought the manuscript of 'Lost in Thailand' with me. The story of 'Lost in Thailand' was originally written on a manuscript."

The host immediately said, "Then, on behalf of Vogue magazine, I'd like to reserve this manuscript for you as an auction item at our charity gala next year, would that be alright?"

Lu Yanhe nodded generously and said, "Okay."

Host: "Then we must invite Mr. Jia Long over next year."

Jia Long said with a smile, "It would be unreasonable for me not to take pictures of this."

The host said, "It would be really unreasonable for you not to take a picture of the original manuscript of 'Lost in Thailand'."

Jia Long: "Okay, as long as there are manuscripts for 'Lost in Thailand' next year, I will definitely come and film it, even if it means selling everything I own."

Ultimately, the manuscript of "Remembrance" was auctioned off to Jia Long for 400,000 yuan.

This 400,000 will also go into tonight's charity fundraising.

Lu Yanhe returned to his seat.

Chen Siqi whispered in Lu Yanhe's ear, "Luckily, someone else raised their paddle. If Liu Wei'an had actually won the bid, I would have definitely disagreed and snatched it away."

Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "Don't worry, if no one tries to take it from Liu Wei'an in the end, I'll take the picture myself. I said I couldn't bear to part with it and decided to take the picture myself."

Chen Siqi: "That would be too awkward."

Lu Yanhe: "There's nothing embarrassing about it. This isn't a real auction. It's just a way to add some fun and raise some funds."

Following Lu Yanhe's auction items, Lang Xia's auction items were also presented.

However, the stage was completely empty.

The people below the stage looked at each other, wondering what was going on.

At this point, the host announced, "The item offered by Lang Xia is—"

"Having dinner with Lang Xia."

Upon hearing the host's words, Chen Siqi coughed and stared at the stage in disbelief.

"What the hell?"

Lu Yanhe also looked at the stage with disbelief.

For a moment, the scene was very quiet, everyone was shocked by the item being auctioned and had nothing to say.

The host probably didn't expect the audience to react this way to this item.

When the host announced that people could start raising their signs, no one raised a sign for three seconds.

The silence was awkward.

Lu Yanhe felt embarrassed for Lang Xia.

Fortunately, someone still politely held up a sign.

He is a producer.

Starting bid: 50,000.

Fearing an awkward silence, the host immediately switched to a conversational style.

"President You has raised his sign. Does this mean he wants the opportunity to have dinner with Lang Xia? Is there something going on between them and he wants to collaborate later?"

Producer You nodded and said, "Yes, there's a project we'd like to work on with Lang Xia. Let's take this opportunity to chat while we eat."

The host turned to Lang Xia and said, "President You's sincerity is truly remarkable, isn't it?"

Lang Xia also felt embarrassed. He hadn't expected that his carefully prepared item would almost receive no response.

Lang Xia was naturally grateful to the producer who helped him out of that predicament.

"Of course." Lang Xia laughed self-deprecatingly, "I thought no one was going to raise their placards, and I was even preparing to do it myself, haha, thank you, President You!"

-

Chen Siqi whispered to Lu Yanhe, "I was so embarrassed I almost dug my toes into the ground."

Lu Yanhe said, "I think that in the future, auctions like this should still need to find a shill. It would be too embarrassing if no one bid."

“Indeed.” Chen Siqi nodded. “I’ll accompany you to all these kinds of events from now on, and I’ll be your shill.”

Lu Yanhe smiled and nodded, saying okay.

After the photo session is over, it's time for a group photo.

All the guests were invited to the stage one by one.

Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi were also named.

“Let’s walk slowly. We’ll just have to wait around like idiots once we get on stage.” Lu Yanhe was very experienced. “When the video gets out, you’ll see a bunch of people on stage politely deferring to each other for the center position, awkwardly socializing and exchanging pleasantries.”

Chen Siqi laughed, "That's a very vivid image."

Lu Yanhe said, "Really, in my experience, the later you go on stage, the better. You don't have to socialize awkwardly with people or be led around by others. You can just stand on the side."

Chen Siqi asked, "Won't taking photos while standing on the edge distort the image? Everyone says that the closer you are to the edge, the more distorted the photo will look."

Lu Yanhe: "So what if the photos are distorted in this kind of group photo? I don't care."

“Okay.” Chen Siqi nodded.

The two of them were almost the last to go on stage.

As a result, as soon as they went on stage, they were invited to the center.

Lu Yanhe quickly waved his hand, preparing to stand to the side.

Chen Siqi has no interest in associating with female celebrities.

However, the group photo shows a clear distinction between men and women in their positions.

Almost all the girls stood at the front, while all the boys stood at the back.

Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi had to separate.

As soon as Lu Yanhe moved to the side, the people next to him ushered him inside.

He waved his hand but didn't move, so the other person simply grabbed him with both hands and moved him to a different seat.

Lu Yanhe was shocked.

Then, the second person who tried to get him in did the same, and no matter how much Lu Yanhe shook his head, he insisted on pushing him inside.

Lu Yanhe was picked up three times and, completely bewildered, was taken to the center position in the fourth row.

ha? !

The viewers watching the live stream were absolutely thrilled by this scene.

—I have never seen Lu Yanhe so helpless.

—This scene is destined to be legendary; it's foreseeable that this GIF will go viral online.

—As it turns out, when you're in the center position, you don't need to fight or compete; everyone will voluntarily give you that spot.

—Lu Yanhe is hilarious, the hostage in the center position.

—Hahahaha, what the hell is this hostage in the center position?

—Chen Siqi, hurry and rescue your boyfriend! Your boyfriend has been kidnapped!

Seeing Lu Yanhe tonight made me realize a profound truth: traffic, popularity, and fame are not as important as works and achievements. In the end, this industry still values ​​solid work.

—I'm really looking forward to the Venice International Film Festival at the end of the month. Although it's not in the main competition, the Horizons section is an official competition section. I really hope Lu Yanhe can win an award this time!

—Bring back the Best Actor award!

—Shang Yongzhou is still alive.

—Then I wish them a double yolk!

Bonus chapter rules, more on Saturday!

(End of this chapter)