Chapter 56 There must be treasure ahead.

Not long after they started living together, Xu Zecheng bought a British shorthair and named it Script.

Sun Ziyi didn't want to keep a pet at first. Firstly, she had no experience in raising pets and was afraid that she couldn't take good care of it. Secondly, pets have a short lifespan, and she was accustomed to thinking the worst. She was afraid of developing feelings for the pet and then having to send it away. This would be a very cruel thing for the sentimental Sun Ziyi. However, Xu Zecheng felt that she was usually at home except for going to school, and he had to go to work and was worried that she would be bored, so he bought the kitten anyway.

Having a cat made Sun Ziyi feel very anxious. When Xu Zecheng came to their house, he was only six months old and very small. At night, he would lie flat on the floor like a person when he slept. Sun Ziyi was afraid that the floor would be cold, so she took Xu Zecheng into bed with him. Unexpectedly, Xu Zecheng was used to sleeping on the bed. Every day, when he didn't go to bed, he would stand in the middle of the floor and meow frantically. In order not to delay his sleep, Sun Ziyi had to leave space for Xu Zecheng every day. However, she was afraid that Xu Zecheng would sleep too deeply and turn over and crush Xu Zecheng to death, so she opened his eyes every few hours to check on him. In the first week, Sun Ziyi was almost exhausted and couldn't concentrate on class. Every day when she came home, she was upset by the cat's meowing. Xu Zecheng said that she was under a lot of pressure and asked her to distract herself. Cats are not stupid and can't be crushed to death.

Sun Ziyi knew in her heart that she wasn't afraid of the cat dying, but rather that school was too stressful. The teacher in charge of the appreciation class was very old and said that he couldn't use the computer due to his shortsightedness, so he required everyone to write their homework by hand. Sun Ziyi could only write on the computer and then copy it word for word into her notebook every day. At first, she was calm, but later she became more and more frustrated. She even bought some incense that could help her calm down. Xu Zecheng didn't dare to provoke her. Every day when he opened the study, he would see Sun Ziyi crouching there with a pen, writing, and the study was filled with clouds and mist. This scene was very much like cultivating immortality.

If one cohabiting partner is uncomfortable, the other will definitely not be happy. Xu Zecheng lived his life like walking on thin ice. Seeing Sun Ziyi wearing a suspender and tying her hair up at home every day, her face and back became thinner and thinner, Xu Zecheng's words of concern would become a bomb, and he dared not breathe every day.

-

In fact, Sun Ziyi's recent stress comes from many reasons. Chen Qingqing has found her own thing to do, and Sasa is also preparing to buy a house. Among the three of them, she is the only one who is still going around in circles. Going back to school seems to be something to do, but it is more like an escape.

She replayed her career in her mind, from the withdrawal of her signature, the online bullying, the quarrels, and being sent home by her teacher. Every time she reasoned, she felt that it was really a bad luck. Of course, she also questioned herself, wondering if she had misjudged this industry over the years. At the time of the online bullying, the comments section was full of questions like "Do you really want to make money in this circle? Do you not have a passion for the industry?"

In the first class of the Beijing Film Academy Advanced Training Program, the teacher asked, "Why do you want to be a screenwriter? Why do you want to come back here to study again after working?"

Everyone is talking about passion, no one says I am doing it for the money.

She recalled that when she was in college, she initially wanted to work in new media because new media was booming at the time. A certain Meng's assistant could earn 50,000 yuan a month. She really wanted to work in the new media industry at the time because she had a lot of things she wanted to do in college and she really lacked money.

What led her to become a screenwriter? One day, someone left a message on a press release she'd written, including their contact information and asking if she'd be interested in helping revise the script. The draft, she'd created, satirized a social event of the time.

She added that contact information, and when she was young and naive, she said that she really wanted to make money. The other party said, then you can be a screenwriter. Big screenwriters can earn tens of millions for a script, and the ceiling is much higher than new media.

At that time, she was very presumptuous and felt that she had "ample room for maneuver". She could be a screenwriter or work in new media, so she chose to go a step further and started working as a screenwriter, and has been doing so until today.

In class, the teacher asked Sun Ziyi, "Why do you want to be a screenwriter?"

At that moment, she began to reflect on herself. Why did I become a screenwriter? Was it just for the money? Wasn't my love for writing in the first place driven by the desire to tell the stories I wanted to tell? Was it from which collaboration that my perspective on the film and television industry became skewed?

The teacher repeated, "Student, how long do you want to think about this?"

Sun Ziyi actually said in a daze, "I'm sorry, teacher, I haven't thought it through."

-

Sitting in the study of her home, Sun Ziyi still couldn't think clearly. When people can't figure out something, they need an outlet to express themselves. At this moment, she really wanted to eat mung bean pancakes with fermented bean curd sauce. Thinking of this, she hugged her head and exclaimed.

Xu Zecheng opened the door with Switch in his arms and asked Sun Ziyi what was wrong.

"I really want to eat mung bean pancakes with fermented bean curd. The one near the entrance of our elementary school, the auntie there..."

Xu Zecheng asked, "What else?"

Sun Ziyi paused for a moment and said, "We are all so old now, is Auntie still...alive?"

Xu Zecheng was amused by her silly look. "The last time I went back, my aunt was still running away from the urban management."

Sun Ziyi's stomach growled twice, "What do we have to eat now?"

Xu Zecheng said, "We have beef and Shin Ramyun. How about cooking one?"

Sun Ziyi quickly said, "Eat, eat, eat."

When Sun Ziyi lived alone, she was like a raccoon, lying down anywhere, sometimes on the carpet, sometimes with her face pressed against the coffee table and folded up. After living with Xu Zecheng, she was no different. When she was face pressed against the coffee table, her cell phone suddenly rang. It was Chen Qingqing. She slowly picked up the phone.

Chen Qingqing asked Sun Ziyi to accompany her to meet the producer of a platform. Chen Qingqing had not had the experience of holding a meeting on her own for many years and was afraid of saying something wrong. Sun Ziyi agreed readily, but Chen Qingqing hesitated on the other end of the phone, talked about a lot of trivial matters, and paused after each sentence.

Sun Ziyi knew her too well. Shen Qingqing's acting skills had always been terrible, and she couldn't hide things in her heart. Sun Ziyi guessed that something was wrong with her, so he asked Shen Qingqing directly what was wrong?

“Um…the person we want to meet is the producer from Station A, the platform where you were cyberbullied before.” Shen Qingqing’s voice became clumsy.

Sun Ziyi let out a long "ah" sound and pretended to be nonchalant. "What's the big deal? I don't care~"

But when she said this, her acting was as bad as Shen Qingqing's, and one could hear the deep concern in her tone.

Chen Qingqing continued on the other end of the phone, "I'm sorry, this website is the only one willing to talk to me. Although I've sold a lot of idle items, it's still a drop in the bucket for making a film. This producer is the only one willing to invest in me among all the platforms."

"Don't say these things to me, shut up, I will definitely accompany you." Sun Ziyi gave her a reassurance.

As they were talking, Script came over with cat steps. Sun Ziyi suddenly noticed a small blister in Script's mouth. She touched it gently, but Script didn't seem to feel any pain. Thinking she was playing with it, it held Sun Ziyi's hand and started to chew it.

Sun Ziyi played with the script and said, "Send me the time and address when the time comes. I'll take leave in advance to accompany you. Don't be afraid."

Shen Qingqing was silent for three seconds, then slowly said, "Thank you..."

Sun Ziyi quickly stopped her and said, "I'm telling you to shut up and stop being sentimental. You finally have something you want to do, and I support you in everything you do."

Xu Zecheng shouted that the ramen was ready, and Sun Ziyi quickly said, "I want to eat now, so I won't say anything else."

After hanging up the phone, Sun Ziyi couldn't help but collapse on the sofa and breathed a sigh of relief.

-

The blisters in Jibian's mouth were very strange. They didn't hurt to touch, and didn't affect his eating and drinking, but Sun Ziyi was very worried. After discovering the blisters, Sun Ziyi became anxious at home, waiting for Xu Zecheng to take Jibian to the pet hospital.

When Xu Zecheng came back, Sun Ziyi had just finished sweating as she stuffed the script into the airline box. She was about to meet Chen Qingqing, so she downloaded Station A and reopened the interview video where she was scolded. The latest update was from a few months ago. She lit some incense to calm her mind and spirit, and she looked very love and peaceful.

Xu Zecheng knew she must be in a bad mood when she lit incense; it was an inexplicable tacit understanding between them. So after entering the door, he took the flight case and took her hand as they walked out.

Sun Ziyi lowered his head and tapped his phone a few times, and then Xu Zecheng's phone rang, but he didn't move, because the sound was neither WeChat nor a text message, but the kind of insignificant platform notification tone. The two of them watched the numbers move in the elevator, and Sun Ziyi asked, "Your phone is ringing, don't you want to check it?"

"There's nothing good to see, right? Shall we go to the pet hospital downstairs?" Xu Zecheng asked.

"You can take the script with you. I'm going to see Chen Qingqing today and I'll drive you there." Sun Ziyi said.

Xu Zecheng said, "Will you come back for dinner tonight?"

"It depends on what time we chat. If it's dinner time, Qingqing will probably have to treat them to a meal."

The elevator reached the first floor, and Xu Zecheng quickly kissed Sun Ziyi before opening the door. The two of them smiled at each other in tacit understanding.

-

Shen Qingqing blocked the sun with her hands and walked from the ground parking lot towards Sun Ziyi, with one hand behind her back, looking sneaky.

Sun Ziyi took a few steps towards her, and Chen Qingqing immediately took out the Van Cleef & Arpels perfume in her hand with a smile, handed it to Sun Ziyi, and said in a slightly flattering tone, "Oh, the moment I smelled it in Sephora, I felt that this scent would suit you very well. It's not vulgar or flattering, it suits you very well! If you spray it on me, I don't even need to open my eyes, I will know that our cultured people have made a shining debut at the first sniff~"

Sun Zi saw her like this, smiled and said something about virtue, and then he opened it and sprayed it on the way, saying that it was indeed good.

The two of them entered the mall. Shen Qingqing took Sun Ziyi's arm and asked her, "What should I say to the producer? Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Just go along with the other party. The budget should be low, the content should be new, the intention should be high, the values ​​should be correct, and the words should be nice," said Sun Ziyi.

Shen Qingqing silently gave her a thumbs up and said, "When I make money, I will invest in your drama."

Sun Ziyi made a stop gesture and said, "Don't give me empty promises. First, finish your documentary."

The two of them laughed and joked as they arrived at the coffee shop, where they met the producer. The producer's name was Sara, a name they both found difficult to pronounce, so they finally agreed to call her "sister." Sara's demeanor was very professional, but professionals are often less gentle. After a few pleasantries, she fired off three questions.

The first is about Shen Qingqing's background check: "Your husband is developing the disaster, and you have been tied together for hype. Now you are going to make a documentary about divorce. It will be popular in the future, but it will definitely be accompanied by controversy. You should ask your husband if he can bear this risk."

Shen Qingqing smiled awkwardly and kicked Sun Ziyi under the table.

Sun Ziyi took three seconds to react, then quickly replied, "I don't think controversy is necessarily a bad thing. We want to do this to speak up for women. Mr. Wang... we'll communicate with the game team!"

"You probably haven't thought about the possible risk management yet. I think this is something that needs to be carefully considered. Of course, we think Teacher Shen's content is very good, and I do want to follow up on it, so I'm reminding you." Sara said.

Sun Ziyi quickly said, "Oh, thank you so much, thank you for recognizing us~."

Sara typed a second question, "But Mr. Shen, I think the content has good intentions. Of course, there are risks of it not being broadcast. I've mentioned this to all the directors who submit projects to our platform. The policy changes every day. In other words, if you can't actually finish filming and can't publish it under the platform's own name, you can turn to self-media and publish it as a submission. Our platform will definitely give you more traffic. Can you accept this? The platform's policy on submitted content is still very relaxed."

Shen Qingqing nodded and said, “I have thought about this, I can accept it, but what about the publicity?”

Sara said, "We only give you a package price, including promotion and filming, everything together. You need to do the promotion yourself. We can only guarantee the promotion within the platform, and we don't interfere outside the platform."

Shen Qingqing said, "Sister, I can overcome most difficulties. My hope is that this thing can really be filmed. Let's take it one step at a time."

Sara smiled and finally asked the third heavy question, "Teacher Shen, we can't afford the investment you require for disbanding the group. I suggest you focus on the content and not the filming. Keep the crew small and light, and shorten the production as much as possible."

This time, Shen Qingqing and Sun Ziyi both paused, not daring to breathe, waiting for Sara to give the final price.

Finally, Sara touched her upper and lower lips and only gave half of Shen Qingqing's offer.

-

The three of them walked out. The atmosphere was not as relaxed as when they came. As they walked side by side, Chen Qingqing and Sun Ziyi both had sullen faces. Of course, this was when Sara couldn't see. Once Sara turned her head, the two of them would immediately put on a dog-licking face.

Sara's family lived in the community next to Sun Ziyi's. Sun Ziyi quickly offered to take Sara home, and the few of them said goodbye in the parking lot.

Along the way, Sun Ziyi's hands gripping the steering wheel were a little nervous, and he sat upright. Sara, on the other hand, was very relaxed. She asked Sun Ziyi, "Teacher Sun, are you a screenwriter?"

"Yes, yes." Sun Ziyi said quickly.

"I remember the name Teacher Sun very clearly, because I have never seen anyone use the word 'yiyi' to name a school. I saw your name in a project plan a few years ago," said Sara.

Sun Ziyi turned right, his body unconsciously leaning a little, and turned his head to look at Sara, "Really? What a coincidence~"

Sara nodded. "It seems to be a Northeastern love story, right? I thought it was very interesting at the time, but the script fee our platform gave was very low, so I missed it."

Sun Ziyi recalled the story from three years ago. She was a new screenwriter at the time and only communicated with the producer. As a screenwriter, she did not communicate with the platform. The producer at the time did not talk to her in such detail. She received 20,000 yuan per episode for writing that project.

Sun Ziyi asked, how much did our platform pay per episode for the script back then?

Sara thought about it and said, "Original script, it seems to be 30,000."

Sun Ziyi smiled. He was neither nervous nor too surprised. He really felt that he shouldn't say anything more at this moment.

Sara asked again, "I watched this project broadcast a while ago, but your name was not there. I remember that you were listed as the lead screenwriter of the project."

Sun Ziyi smiled awkwardly, "I can't help it. I'm in school recently and I want to calm down."

Sara said, “Going to school is good too.”

Sun Ziyi suddenly asked Sara, "Hey, does your platform require real-name registration for online use?"

Sara said, "Of course, the policy requires everyone to use their real names online."

Sun Ziyi hummed and said, "Your platform and I are truly destined to be together. I even got scolded last time."

"It's normal to be scolded. If Teacher Shen's project is filmed, people will also scold her."

Sun Ziyi thought she was going to tell this story, but Sara acted as if she was not surprised. When they arrived downstairs of Sara's house, Sun Ziyi pulled over and said, "Well, we all need to develop strong abilities to deal with the terrifying online society."

Sara said "Come on", then got out of the car, turned around and said goodbye to her, and politely said see you next time.

When he arrived downstairs of his house, Sun Ziyi opened the car window to get some fresh air, then sat in the driver's seat and turned on his mobile phone.

Before leaving, she chased the cat into the airline box and returned to Station A breathlessly. For some unknown reason, she sent a message to the person who had helped her curse at the time, "Let me ask you, are you Xu Zecheng?"

In the list, there were two words "picture" under Chengcheng's name. After clicking it, she found that Chengcheng had sent her a photo of two mung bean pancakes on the coffee table in her house half an hour ago.

He did not answer Sun Ziyi's question, but just said.

"Go home and eat mung bean pancakes. Auntie is setting up a stall today."

Sun Ziyi suddenly realized that life was like an online game. Whenever she couldn't hold on and was confused, God would sprinkle some gold coins on her, sometimes it was friends, sometimes it was love. In this difficult society, friends and love were the traction on the road, and also told her that if she went forward, there would be treasures ahead.

There must be treasure ahead.