Chapter 461 Before Departure (8,000-word update!)

Lu Yanhe trended on social media for two days in a comical and funny way.

What frustrated Lu Yanhe even more was that Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, despite not being there that day, kept making fun of it.

One day at Ziyuan Bridge, the three of them finally had some time to play games together.

Lu Yanhe is currently live-streaming himself reading a book.

Li Zhibai knocked on the door and said, "Let's play games."

Lu Yanhe said, "I haven't finished reading the book yet. Let me finish this chapter first."

"I can't wait any longer, hurry up." Li Zhibai was too lazy to wait.

Lu Yanhe: "Just ten minutes."

Then, Yan Liang stood behind Li Zhibai and said, "Why are you wasting your breath talking to him? Drag him out."

So Li Zhibai and Yan Liang went behind Lu Yanhe, grabbed his shoulders and arms from the left and right, and lifted him up from the chair.

Lu Yanhe was shocked.

"Holy crap!"

Li Zhibai and Yan Liang dragged him outside without saying a word.

"This trick really works," Li Zhibai commented with satisfaction.

The viewers in the live stream were laughing hysterically.

Lu Yanhe, who had just been removed from the trending topics list, is now trending again.

-

Lu Yanhe was speechless.

I was inexplicably labeled as "delicate and frail" online.

Although he doesn't like sports much, he can't be considered delicate or frail, can he?

ha?

Chen Siqi, on the other hand, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the gossip surrounding this. She frequently sent Lu Yanhe jokes and memes from netizens.

Lu Yanhe was completely dumbfounded.

-

It can be said that Lu Yanhe's dramatic scene was the most talked-about moment of the charity event that evening.

At the same time, Lang Xia's auction items were ridiculed by many people.

In the eyes of netizens, "an opportunity to have dinner with Lang Xia" was really too disappointing. They were unwilling to offer anything of value and their attitude was too perfunctory.

In contrast, the manuscript that Lu Yanhe brought out, although not particularly valuable, was of great significance, as evidenced by the large number of people holding up placards at the scene.

Lang Xia's fans could only try to explain for him. But their explanations were rather weak. They said that Lang Xia's intention in bringing out such an auction item was good; he wanted to use a novel approach to liven up the atmosphere. However, he was too young and didn't understand how such occasions should be conducted.

This explanation only drew even more exaggerated ridicule.

Lang Xia's fans were furious and started making a fuss about Lu Yanhe's manuscript.

—Didn't Lu Yanhe bring out anything particularly valuable? It was just a manuscript, which isn't even worth much. A dinner costs several hundred yuan, right?

Lu Yanhe's fans would never want to see him dragged down with them.

It's still in such an outrageous way.

—A manuscript that was worth little money was bought for 400,000 yuan.

Charity galas, in essence, are about raising funds to do good deeds and engage in philanthropy.

Whether it's a black cat or a white cat, a good cat is one that can catch mice.

The auction price of 400,000 is the most compelling evidence.

Regardless of what people online say about the manuscript, Lu Yanhe's fans have only one point: Even something worthless in your eyes was auctioned for 400,000, which proves it is valuable.

To leave others speechless.

-

Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi both simply watched this online farce unfold without making any response.

There is absolutely no need to respond to this kind of online farce.

Once you respond, it's like stepping into a swamp; once you're in, it's hard to get out.

After resting for a few days and completing the magazine photoshoot for August, Lu Yanhe prepared to set off for Venice.

On his second trip to Venice, Lu Yanhe was much more relaxed this time.

After attending so many of these prestigious international film festivals, I've become quite indifferent to them. At first, I felt they were sacred places, and as an actor, I went with a sense of awe, like a pilgrimage. But after going so many times, while they are indeed a grand gathering for filmmakers, they've lost their sacredness. Sacredness often stems from mystery; when things lose their mystery in one's heart, they naturally cease to be sacred.

In comparison, this trip to Venice was the first time Lu Yanhe had been able to spend a proper amount of time at a film festival and truly experience it. Previously, his schedule had always been too tight.

Chen Siqi was very upset.

Because she has another course next semester, she can't go with Lu Yanhe.

Chen Siqi complained for a long time about why Lu Yanhe didn't have any classes in his senior year, while she still had classes.

She also wanted to enjoy the film festival!

Therefore, when producer Yuan Dao, the producer of director Yu Qin, personally called to invite Lu Yanhe to attend the premiere of "Happy Time" at the Venice International Film Festival, Lu Yanhe readily agreed.

Happy Hour is the only Chinese-language film to be nominated for the main competition at this year's Venice International Film Festival.

As a Chinese actor, Lu Yanhe would certainly be willing to go and support the event if he has the time.

Before setting off, Lu Yanhe went to watch a video of the Northern Lights.

Director Bai Jingnian said, "Filming for 'My Own Swordsman' will begin in September. Come visit us when you have time."

Lu Yanhe agreed.

He added, "Director, how about we schedule my cameo scenes for October?"

"Yes." Bai Jingnian nodded. "Don't worry, everything is arranged."

Lu Yanhe smiled and nodded, "That's good."

He then asked, "Director, how are things here with the Northern Lights?"

"It's quite comfortable, much more comfortable than in Beijing and Taiwan," Bai Jingnian said with a smile. "Here, I am highly respected, and everyone takes my opinions seriously, unlike in Beijing and Taiwan."

Lu Yanhe said, "Did Beijing TV contact you for the third season of Friends?"

“Why would they come looking for me? Things were already messy enough when I left,” Bai Jingnian said.

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "They don't respect you, they don't value you, and they will eventually suffer the consequences. Everyone says that I am the true creator of Friends, but they don't know that you are the true creator. I watched the second season, and even without my script, you, as the director, kept the rhythm and style of the first season and did your best based on the existing script. They don't understand, but I do.

Bai Jingnian took a deep breath. "To be honest, I was quite upset when you didn't participate in the second season. I even felt a little resentful towards you. Why couldn't you have put up with Jingtai for the sake of this drama that we all created together? It wasn't until it actually happened to me that I understood how you felt back then."

Lu Yanhe: "Works are created by people. We can't only collaborate on 'Friends'. Look, we've collaborated again on 'My Own Swordsman'."

Bai Jingnian laughed.

"Yes."

“I really love the script for ‘My Own Swordsman’,” Bai Jingnian suddenly said. “It’s a script that gets better the more you read it. You can savor it and ponder it over and over again. It’s more than just a simple sitcom.”

Lu Yanhe said, "Every character in 'My Own Swordsman' is actually more vivid and representative than those in 'Friends'."

“Indeed.” Bai Jingnian nodded. “Yan He, how did you come up with the idea of ​​writing such a martial arts comedy? Actually, it’s not martial arts in the strict sense.”

“How can it not be considered martial arts?” Lu Yanhe smiled. “Every martial arts story has an inn, and this is the story of that inn, where all sorts of people gather.”

Bai Jingnian: "You know that's not what I meant."

"Okay, I was just making excuses."

“But if it were really a martial arts film, they wouldn’t have asked me to direct it.” Bai Jingnian smiled. “Don’t worry, leave it to me. I won’t ruin your script.”

"Of course I believe you." Lu Yanhe nodded and smiled at Bai Jingnian.

After meeting Bai Jingnian, Lu Yanhe went to Lin Desheng's office at the appointed time.

"President Lin." Over the past few years, Lu Yanhe has met with Lin Desheng many times. It can be said that the main reason for the cooperation with Aurora Video is because of Lin Desheng's appreciation for him and his strong support.

If it weren't for Lin Desheng, Aurora Video wouldn't have been able to allocate so much funding to produce his works, "The Squid Game" and "My Own Swordsman".

Unexpectedly, before "Squid Game" and "My Own Swordsman" even aired, "Confession from the High Platform" brought Aurora Video an evergreen program.

This show is still being updated weekly.

Because the production cost is really very low, with no celebrities involved, the production cost for each episode is only around 50,000 yuan, which is really insignificant compared to the later revenue.

For a video platform like Aurora Video, the most important thing is to provide a program that can reliably keep a group of viewers on Aurora Video.

This show gets millions of views per episode. If one or two confession scenes in an episode spark a lot of discussion online, that episode can even get over ten million views.

Lin Desheng was very satisfied with his collaboration with Lu Yanhe.

“We should sign another cooperation framework agreement,” Lin Desheng said with a smile as soon as they met. “The one we signed last time will be finalized soon.”

After all, "The Squid Game" has already finished filming and is currently in post-production, while "My Own Swordsman" is about to start filming, and both shows may air next year. "My Own Swordsman" is planned as a seasonal series, with 18 episodes per season, meaning the show could potentially run for four to five seasons. This far exceeds the cooperation framework agreement previously signed between Lu Yanhe and Lin Desheng.

Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "President Lin, I'm so busy right now. Let me finish filming the movie scripts I have on hand first."

Lin Desheng asked, "Are you talking about 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' and 'Telephone'?"

Lu Yanhe was astonished and asked, "You knew all this?"

“Of course,” Lin Desheng said. “I pay close attention to all your projects, and I came here today to talk to you about this.”

"Hmm?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.

"I heard that you encountered some problems when looking for a production company for both of your scripts."

“Ah, right.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “We want to keep the film rights in our own hands, but it seems that everyone is not very willing.”

"Your company is raising the money itself for the bidding, but you don't have enough?" Lin Desheng asked.

Lu Yanhe nodded, "Firstly, there is this problem, and secondly, we are still working on 'Love Letter,' and we are worried that we can't do so much at once."

Lin Desheng said, "If you need it, you know we are willing to invest in your film projects."

Previously, Aurora Video had invested in two projects, "Lost in Thailand" and "Rouge". The latter has not yet been released, but the former has already brought Aurora Video several times the return in revenue, which proves that Lu Yanhe has continued his legend in screenwriting for TV dramas.

Lu Yanhe said, "Okay, if we need funds, I'll ask you again."

In fact, Lu Yanhe desperately needs funds right now. If he had enough money, he wouldn't even need to wait until "Love Letter" was finished filming; he could directly find producers and directors, assemble a crew, and start filming "You Are the Apple of My Eye" and "Telephone."

However, after his previous reflection, Chen Siqi's words enlightened Lu Yanhe—

He really doesn't need to rush right now.

He should first finish filming "Love Letter" himself, and carefully go through the entire process from filming to editing, from promotion to release, so that he knows the general situation of each stage. Once he has a clear understanding, he will be much more at ease when filming the other two movies.

After Lin Desheng finished discussing work with Lu Yanhe, he suddenly changed the subject and asked, "At school, did you keep in touch with Miaomiao a lot?"

Lu Yanhe was a little embarrassed and said, "Not many."

Lin Desheng asked, "Are you very familiar with that kid named Wang Xiao?"

“I do know him quite well,” Lu Yanhe nodded. “He was one of the first people I met at Zhenhua.”

He could see the disgust on Lin Desheng's face from an old father for a pig that had stolen his family's cabbage.

Lin Desheng asked him, "What do you think of him?"

Lu Yanhe was taken aback for a moment.

"ah?"

Lin Desheng: "What kind of person is he?"

Lu Yanhe pondered for a moment and said, "I don't have much private contact with my senior. We usually interact a lot through school activities, mainly the Youth Association activities. From my experiences with him, he is a very idealistic and upright person."

Lin Desheng asked, "How did you see his integrity?"

“Every year, the Youth Association invites big names from various fields to our school for exchange activities. From vice president to president of the Youth Association, he deals with different partners every day, no less than me, an artist, perhaps even more. But, in the three years I’ve known him, he has never used any… underhanded methods. I can’t find the right word right now, but that’s roughly the idea. In fact, as the president of the Youth Association, he could have used his position to his advantage in many things, but he has never done so,” Lu Yanhe said.

Lin Desheng nodded thoughtfully.

"His ability to get into Zhenhua University and become the president of your Youth Association goes without saying. But what I really care about is what kind of person he is in private and what his character is like," Lin Desheng said. "Yan He, you're in the same school as him, so you probably know a lot of things that I can't find out. As for Miao Miao, she's always been the type of person who makes up her mind and won't listen to anyone no matter what they say. No matter what I tell her, she won't listen. But I hope she can see clearly what kind of person Wang Xiao really is."

Lu Yanhe never expected that his visit to Lin Desheng today would bring up this very topic.

This is really a huge headache.

Lu Yanhe said, "President Lin, Wang Xiao and Lin Miaomiao are both my classmates and friends. When it comes to dating, it's always a matter of mutual consent."

He looked at Lin Desheng with some difficulty, "Besides, I rarely stay at school, so I don't know much about their daily interactions. Actually, although I haven't had much contact with Miaomiao, I've known her for a long time. From what I know of her, she's a girl who is very clear about what she wants. When Wang Xiao is dating her, she's definitely not the one being led by the nose."

Lin Desheng crossed his arms in surprise, "I didn't expect you to have such an opinion of Miaomiao."

“She is the bravest person I know,” Lu Yanhe said earnestly. “Sometimes I envy her. She does whatever she wants to say or do without hesitation, and she never cares too much about anything else. That is something I have always wanted to do.”

Lin Desheng laughed.

"I spoiled her since she was little."

"That's wonderful," Lu Yanhe said sincerely. "I really like people with this kind of personality."

Perhaps because he had never done it himself, he genuinely admired it.

Both Lin Miaomiao and Chen Siqi are like that.

However, unlike Lin Miaomiao, Chen Siqi's personality, due to her upbringing, also harbors a stubbornness that constantly challenges herself. It is precisely this trait that led Lu Yanhe to develop the desire to protect her shortly after meeting her.

Lin Desheng said, "I once thought you would be with Miaomiao."

Lu Yanhe quickly waved his hand with a smile and said, "Neither of us has ever had such a thought."

-

Lu Yanhe found the topics of conversation during his meeting with Lin Desheng to be rather strange.

Lu Yanhe had a strange feeling that Lin Desheng probably had something else he wanted to say to him, but he didn't say it.

Lu Yanhe and Wang Xiao arranged to meet.

Lu Yanhe mainly wanted to talk to Wang Xiao about the exchange activities that the main creative team of the film "Rouge" would hold at the forum organized by the Youth Association.

Wang Xiao said, "That's no problem, but everyone is quite disappointed that you can't come."

“I happen to be in Venice, but it’s the same as having Director Wang Zhong, Sister Bige, and Brother Huang coming over,” Lu Yanhe said.

Wang Xiao was surprised and asked, "Can all three of them come?"

"Yes, I've confirmed with them all, they'll be coming together." Lu Yanhe nodded. "So, I'll have to ask you for help."

"You're really reliable. Even for a small event like this where we can't pay people for their work, you managed to get all three of them to come."

“The film itself needs promotion, and the forums organized by the Youth Association have a great influence,” Lu Yanhe said. “Moreover, I have participated in exchange activities on your forum for every film I have made. It has become a routine. The feedback from each sharing activity on your forum has been very good, bringing very positive feedback to the works.”

"What do you mean 'your forum'? You're also part of our Youth Association, aren't you?" Wang Xiao chuckled. "In recent years, our forum has gained more and more influence, thanks to you. It was one of the best decisions I ever made to shamelessly beg you to join our Youth Association."

"There are no cameras filming right now, why are you being so dramatic?" Lu Yanhe joked.

Wang Xiao: "Now that you're in Venice, you should be preparing your graduation thesis when you get back, right?"

"I've finished my graduation thesis." Lu Yanhe proudly made a peace sign. "I started writing it in the first half of this year."

Wang Xiao: "You're pretty good. But you should check it carefully to make sure there aren't any problems. A lot of people are watching the papers of celebrities like you."

Lu Yanhe: "Don't worry, I wouldn't dare say how well it's written, but every word was written by myself, and the topic I chose was something I was very interested in."

What was the title of your essay?

"I'd like to briefly discuss the literary perspective of film and television works from the viewpoint of scriptwriting," said Lu Yanhe. "This is something I've been doing for the past few years, so I found it very easy to write."

Wang Xiao nodded.

"By the way, senior, have you and Miaomiao... talked about her family?" After finishing his business with Wang Xiao, Lu Yanhe brought up this topic, which was what he wanted to ask today.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao immediately showed a hint of worry.

“We’ve talked a few times, but every time Miaomiao says that our relationship has nothing to do with her family and that I don’t need to worry about it,” Wang Xiao said. “Actually, after I met her father last time, I also thought about whether I should make a special trip to visit him, but Miaomiao firmly refused.”

"So that's how it is." Lu Yanhe said thoughtfully.

"What's wrong?"

“I met with President Lin yesterday.” Lu Yanhe didn’t hide anything. “He is very concerned about your relationship with Miaomiao. I think that since he has asked me about it, it is unlikely that he can get any information directly from you. But he is very concerned about the two of you.”

Wang Xiao gave a wry smile and was about to speak when suddenly, Lin Miaomiao's voice rang out from beside them.

Lin Miaomiao walked over from under the shade of the tree with a cup of coffee and sat down next to them.

“Just because he cares about us doesn’t mean I have to report every little detail to him.” Lin Miaomiao pointed at Lu Yanhe with her eyes. “Wang Xiao and I are just dating, not talking about marriage. If he can’t control his concern for me now, then in the later stages, his concern will be even more intense. So, learning not to pry into the details of his precious daughter’s relationship is a required course for him.”

Lin Miaomiao spoke these words to Lu Yanhe in a light, confident, and unwavering rhythm.

"Next time you have the chance, you can also pass on what I said to him."

At that moment, Lu Yanhe thought to himself, "Thank goodness, I didn't respond to Lin Desheng's words."

Lin Miaomiao is a girl with a strong personality and a pursuit of independence.

He already knew.

Wang Xiao asked, "Weren't you studying in the library? Why are you here?"

Lin Miaomiao said, "I sent you a message, but you didn't reply, so I came to find you."

"How did you find him here so quickly?" Lu Yanhe was also very curious.

Lin Miaomiao said, "I posted a help request on the school forum, asking if anyone had seen Wang Xiao. Someone replied immediately, saying that he was with you at this coffee shop by Luoyan Lake."

Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised and said, "You can find people like this at our school?"

"The premise is that the person you're looking for is known by most people in the school." Lin Miaomiao pointed to Wang Xiao, "He's a prominent figure in our school."

"Don't say those four words. Just hearing them gives me goosebumps and makes me uncomfortable," Wang Xiao said immediately.

Lu Yanhe laughed.

Lin Miaomiao looked at Lu Yanhe and said, "What are you laughing at? You're just as popular as everyone else in our school. Every move you make is posted on the forum."

Lu Yanhe was aware of this.

“I’m used to it,” Lu Yanhe said.

He asked, "You said you were going to make a short film for a competition. Have you finished making your short film yet?"

"I've finished shooting." Lin Miaomiao nodded and said, "But after looking at it myself, I think it's terrible, so I don't plan to submit it for the competition. I'll just keep it as a souvenir."

"Huh?" Lu Yanhe looked at Lin Miaomiao in surprise, and didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

Lin Miaomiao said, "It was just for fun, don't take it seriously."

Lu Yanhe never took it seriously.

However, he originally thought that Lin Miaomiao might give up before finishing filming, or that it would be interrupted for some other reason, but it was a bit strange that she only decided to give up after the film was already finished.

Lu Yanhe said, "Since we've already finished filming, why don't we just submit it and see how it goes?"

"I won't submit it. I won't do something so bad that it's embarrassing to show it off." Lin Miaomiao said confidently.

Unable to persuade Lin Miaomiao, Lu Yanhe had no choice but to give up.

Lin Miaomiao asked, "The same goes for your film 'Love Letter.' If it doesn't turn out well, I suggest you don't release it at all."

Lu Yanhe: "..."

How do you know I didn't take good photos?

“I’m just saying, if,” Lin Miaomiao emphasized.

Lu Yanhe: "If I didn't know you, I would have already blacklisted you."

"Pick whatever you want." This Miss Lin clearly didn't care about any of that.

It brought back the familiar feeling I had when I first met her.

-

"Yan He, are you hoping to win an award this time in Venice?"

"Yan He, how many days will you stay in Venice this time?"

"Yan He, when will the sequel to 'Lost in Thailand' start filming?"

...

As expected, when he arrived at the airport and prepared to fly to Venice, there were many media reporters waiting to take pictures of him.

Lu Yanhe was surrounded as soon as he appeared.

Wang Biao, Zou Dong, Chen Ziyan, and several bodyguards who were temporarily arranged escorted Lu Yanhe into the airport with practiced ease.

Lu Yanhe simply smiled and remained silent in response to these impromptu questions.

The film festival hasn't even officially started yet. If he says something now and someone makes a fuss about it, it would be awkward.

Who knows if "Road to Glory" will win an award this time?

It's perfectly normal not to win an award; it's not like you're guaranteed to win an award just by attending a film festival.

Lu Yanhe and the others went directly into the VIP lounge.

“Hmm? That’s Ning Xiulian,” Chen Ziyan suddenly whispered in Lu Yanhe’s ear, “the lead actress in ‘Happy Time’.”

Lu Yanhe followed Chen Ziyan's gaze and saw a woman who looked to be in her forties.

She didn't have the typical celebrity aura; she was simply dressed in a mint green dress, wearing sunglasses, and sitting in her seat reading a book.

Lu Yanhe had never seen her before.

Chen Ziyan said, "She is a very talented actress. Although she is not very famous, her acting skills are superb. Director Luo Yuzhong said that her acting skills belong to the top group in the industry."

Lu Yanhe was very surprised when he heard this.

He certainly believed Luo Yuzhong's assessment.

Chen Ziyan: "Why don't you go and say hello?"

Their entrance caused a commotion that made Ning Xiulian look up at them.

Lu Yanhe took off his sunglasses, walked up to Ning Xiulian, bent down and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, Teacher Ning, I am Lu Yanhe. I am so happy to meet you here."

Ning Xiulian glanced at Lu Yanhe with some surprise, then extended her hand to shake his, offering a polite smile.

"Hello, Yan He." Ning Xiulian smiled slightly. "Are you also going to Venice?"

“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded.

Ning Xiulian: "Then we should be on the same flight."

Lu Yanhe said, "I think so. I'm very happy to travel with you."

Ning Xiulian glanced behind Lu Yanhe.

The bodyguards had already left; only Chen Ziyan came in with him.

Zou Dong and Wang Biao were also unable to enter because they were not in first class.

"Sister Xiulian, it's been a long time." Chen Ziyan then stepped forward and greeted Ning Xiulian, "Do you still remember me?"

Ning Xiulian nodded and said, "Ziyan, I remember you used to be Bige and Yongzhou's manager."

“Yes, that’s right.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “He’s Yan He’s manager now.”

"So you're Yan He's agent. No wonder." Ning Xiulian said with a smile. "I was wondering why such a talented young actor suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It turns out you were the one who discovered him."

Ning Xiulian's words clearly elevated Chen Ziyan to a very high level.

Chen Ziyan quickly waved her hand and said, "Sister Xiulian, you think too highly of me. It's all thanks to their own hard work."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while.

After Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan sat down, Chen Ziyan whispered in Lu Yanhe's ear, "Ning Xiulian's ex-husband is Liu Jian, the director of 'Mountain and Water Family.' Their divorce was very messy. Don't mention Liu Jian in front of her."

Lu Yanhe suddenly understood and nodded.

Just then, a well-built, handsome man walked in carrying a cup of coffee.

He sat down next to Ning Xiulian, placed the coffee beside her hand, and put his arm around her shoulder so she could lean against him.

Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan's expressions changed simultaneously.

Lu Yanhe looked at Chen Ziyan with some surprise: "What's this?"

Chen Ziyan: "I don't know either."

-

I shared some recent movies and books I watched on my WeChat official account.

I'm still doing my homework in order to write this novel.

(End of this chapter)