Chapter 235 Two, Three, Five, Two Combined

235:

Whenever Feng Que recalls this scene, her heart softens.

Ye Qingxi was so well-behaved back then.

He looked at him expectantly, his voice soft, so much so that Feng Que simply couldn't bring himself to refuse at that moment.

He wanted to make a movie about the bond between father and son, but unexpectedly, he saw genuine father-son affection in the child in front of him first.

Ye Qingxi's face merged into his script at that moment, as if the child living in the script had appeared before him.

Feng Que almost exhausted all his rationality to avoid agreeing on the spot.

He said, "Let me think about it."

Ye Qingxi smiled sweetly, "Okay, thank you, Uncle Feng."

Feng Que almost agreed again in an instant.

How can there be such an obedient child!

He really just wants Ye Qingxi to play the child in his script!

"Then leave me your phone number. I'll call you when I've thought it through." Feng Que took out his phone.

Ye Qingxi took it, entered her phone number into it, and also added him on WeChat.

"Uncle Feng, if you've made up your mind, call me anytime, but it's best to do it sooner rather than later. I want to hear good news as soon as possible."

Phoenix Palace: ...

Feng Que could only nod and say, "Mm."

Ye Qingxi turned around, picked up the flowers on the table, and put them back in the vase.

He then threw all the tissues he had used into the trash can next to the coffee table.

Feng Que watched quietly, thinking that he was perfect in every way.

Not only is he good-looking and a good actor, but he also loves his father, is very polite, well-mannered, and has a strong sense of public morality.

"Uncle Feng, my eyes aren't red, are they?" Ye Qingxi turned to look at him.

Feng Que leaned closer to take a look. "It's still a little red?"

"You really weren't just overcome with emotion by the sight of that scene?" Feng Que still couldn't quite believe it.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Indeed, Ye Qingxi thought, when he was six years old, his acting skills couldn't have been as controlled and expressive as they are now.

If I were myself back then, I'd probably be surprised to see him now.

"Really, no," Ye Qingxi said with a smile. "My father and I will never be separated, so I won't be reminded of those times."

Looking at the happy smile on his face, Feng Que thought to herself that Mu Shaowu had taken good care of him.

He may not be a very good actor, but he is definitely a good father.

This aligns with his script.

Once Ye Qingxi's eyes were no longer so red, Feng Que walked out with her.

When Feng Que's cousin, Feng Kuo, saw them finally come out, he laughed and asked, "What were you two talking about? You've been talking for so long?"

"It's nothing," Feng Que said with a smile. "Have you ordered yet?"

"I've already ordered, and I'm just waiting for you."

Feng Que sat down next to his cousin, and Ye Qingxi sat down between Mu Shaoting and Li Jing.

Li Jing looked at Ye Qingxi's face and saw that although there was no obvious sadness on her face, there was no obvious happiness either. He pondered that what he was thinking probably still hadn't come to fruition.

Indeed, who would change their decision and replace an actor based on a child's few words?

Especially since this child isn't even his child.

Therefore, Li Jing took the initiative to speak, "I heard that Director Feng is going to make a new movie. I wonder if Xingli has the honor of investing in this movie?"

He came with Ye Qingxi, and from a great distance, so how could Feng Que not know his thoughts?

Normally, he would be very happy.

But right now, Feng Que can't just agree directly.

He had never used an actor with Mu Shaowu's acting skills before, and he didn't know if casting him in the end would ruin his reputation.

Feng Que knew very well that he couldn't make movies forever.

He was about thirty years old when he returned to the group to take over his father's position.

So he wants to make more good movies while he still has the time, and to make movies that he likes.

"There's no need to expand investment at the moment. If there's a need later, I will definitely contact President Li," Feng Que said with a smile.

"Then I'll wait for your call, Director Feng," Li Jing said.

However, judging from the current situation, Ye Qingxi's little wish is probably unlikely to come true.

Li Jing glanced at Ye Qingxi sitting next to him without showing any emotion. It was truly a pity that he had gone through so much trouble, yet still couldn't get what he wanted.

He raised his hand and gently patted Ye Qingxi's head as a gesture of comfort.

Ye Qingxi felt his movement, looked up, and looked at him with some confusion: Why did you suddenly rub his head?

"What would you like to drink?" Li Jing asked him. "Yogurt or a beverage?"

“Yogurt,” Ye Qingxi replied.

Li Jing called the waiter and ordered another bottle of yogurt.

After finishing their meal, Ye Qingxi, Mu Shaoting, and Li Jing went back home.

After landing, they ate a quick bite and then went home.

When Mu Shaowu saw him return, he didn't suspect anything and simply asked him, "Was the comic convention fun?"

"It's fun," Ye Qingxi said.

"Did you take any photos? Let me see."

Ye Qingxi shook her head, "I was going to take a picture, but my aunt's camera broke, so all that effort was wasted on making a heart shape with my hands."

Mu Shaowu: ...As expected of his sister, she really is unreliable!

"Dad will take you next time!" Mu Shaowu said.

Ye Qingxi nodded, "Mm."

Ye Qingxi returned home and patiently waited for Feng Que's call.

Compared to him, Feng Que was clearly not as calm.

What should I do? Feng Que leaned back in his chair, feeling a headache coming on.

On one side is Ye Qingxi, who has excellent acting skills, good looks, and even a deep understanding of the plot at a young age.

On one side is Mu Shaowu, who is incredibly handsome.

Can he really let Mu Shaowu join his group for Ye Qingxi's sake?

Feng Que was in a real bind.

He's a director, and no director could resist a genius actress like Ye Qingxi. If he hadn't met her, it would have been fine, but he did!

Whenever Feng Que thought about giving up on Ye Qingxi and not cooperating with him, he felt dizzy and even lost the will to direct the drama.

But whenever he thought of Mu Shaowu's acting skills, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

He was in the dark when his assistant called and asked, "Director Feng, the contract with Kou Yang is ready. When should we have him come over to sign it?"

"Let's wait a bit," Feng Que said.

The assistant asked in confusion: Wait?

"You...have another actor you're even more satisfied with?"

“Hmm,” Feng Que said.

He initially chose Kou Yang because Kou Yang was considered cute among her peers and her acting skills were also decent.

Most importantly, there are only a handful of child actors in China whose names you can think of. Feng Que has met and auditioned almost everyone with a similar appearance, and Kou Yang is considered to have a better overall performance.

Therefore, he had no choice but to choose him.

Feng Que knew, of course, that he wasn't the child in her heart, but who could truly be 100% in sync with their heart?

That's good enough. Striving for perfection sometimes doesn't lead to perfection, but rather to nothing at all.

But now!

Ye Qingxi has appeared!

In particular, he came to see Mu Shaowu specifically for an audition and said those kinds of things.

When he did those things and said those words, he had already become the child in Feng Que's heart.

It perfectly matches his heart.

Feng Que had no choice but to sign a contract with Kou Yang under these circumstances.

Unfortunately, Ye Qingxi doesn't sell retail!

He bundled the purchase together!

Buy one get one free!

Most importantly, he even gave it to us as a gift!

It's simply impossible to buy!

Phoenix Palace: ...

Where exactly does Mu Shaowu burn incense? With such a good son, he wants to burn incense too!

"Go and compile a list of all the movies and TV series that Mu Shaowu has acted in before, and also compile a list of the variety shows that you mentioned watching featuring Mu Shaowu."

“Okay,” the assistant replied. “As for Kou Yang, I’ll just say that you’re still thinking about it and haven’t made a final decision yet.”

“Hmm,” Feng Que said.

He hung up the phone, picked up a piece of paper, and began calculating the scores.

Ye Qingxi: 100 points, Kou Yang: 55 points, Mu Shaowu: 30 points

The adult actor X, who hasn't been decided yet, only needs 75 points to tie with the Ye Qingxi and Mu Shaowu combination.

Phoenix Palace: ...

Feng Que felt something was wrong; there must be something wrong with it. How could it only require 75?!

This is not scientific!

He thought for a moment, then crossed out 100 points and changed it to 120 points.

After thinking about it, I crossed out 120 and changed it to 150.

Finally, they simply changed it to 200 points!

That's correct.

Feng Que thought that Ye Qingxi's acting skills were clearly more than a hundred points better than Kou Yang's and Mu Shaowu's.

Two hundred points, that's more in line with Ye Qingxi's acting skills!

In this way, Ye Qingxi and Mu Shaowu will have 230 points, and correspondingly, X will need 175 points.

It's easy to find actors who score 75 points, but it's difficult to find actors who are 175cm tall!

After doing this calculation, Feng Que finally understood the inclination of the scales in his heart.

Okay, he admits he just can't let go of Ye Qingxi.

If he meets Ye Qingxi but doesn't cooperate with her, it would be better if he never met her at all!

If all else fails, just increase the son's screen time in the script.

Anyway, Ye Qingxi can definitely handle it.

Thinking this, Feng Que quickly dialed Ye Qingxi's number.

Ye Qingxi had just finished class and was walking back with Zhong Yan after using the restroom when her smartwatch suddenly rang.

He looked down and saw it was Feng Que calling, so he said to Zhong Yan, "You go back first, I'll take this call."

Zhong Yan nodded and returned to the classroom.

Ye Qingxi leaned against the railing and said, "Uncle Feng."

"Bring your father over here to sign the contract with me," Feng Que said bluntly.

The sooner he signs, the sooner he can give up. Once he signs the contract and pays himself a huge penalty for breach of contract, he'll have no way out but to desperately teach Mu Shaowu how to act!

He just wouldn't believe it!

He taught Mu Shaowu with the mindset of getting a perfect score, yet he couldn't even get a score of 60?!

"Tonight or tomorrow would be best," Feng Que said.

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ? So in such a hurry?

It seems that Uncle Feng is very afraid that he might change his mind.

Ye Qingxi smiled and said, "Okay! I'll go tomorrow."

"Okay." Feng Que finished speaking and prepared to hang up the phone.

But Ye Qingxi stopped him, "Uncle Feng, you said before that you had already decided on the child actor, so what about him now?"

“Now that you’re chosen, he’s no longer needed,” Feng Que said.

"Who did you book before?" Ye Qingxi asked him.

Feng Que was somewhat confused. "Why are you asking this?"

"I want to see if it's someone I know," Ye Qingxi said.

"Do you know Kou Yang?" Feng Que asked.

It really was him.

Ye Qingxi shook her head, "I don't know him."

Feng Que guessed that was right. He said, "That's how it is when you're an actor. If a better or more suitable actor comes along, then the director will choose the better or more suitable one. That's normal, and that's the point of auditions. It's not like the role is yours just because you're the first one there."

“The final results of choosing one out of three, one out of five, and one out of a hundred will definitely not be the same. Kou Yang is indeed very good compared to the other kids, but he is far inferior to you. Before Kou Yang came to audition, I had another kid in mind, Zhao Zhao, but he was not as good as Kou Yang, so after Kou Yang appeared, the person in my mind changed to Kou Yang.”

"Of course, they know nothing about my personal thoughts, so all they know is that they failed the audition, which is indeed the case."

"You don't need to overthink it," Feng Que said gently.

He was already a seasoned director, so he didn't feel any guilt about the change in personnel.

That's how auditions are; until the very last day, no one knows what might happen.

Ye Qingxi is good-looking and a good actor, so it's normal for him to defeat Kou Yang.

He earned it through his own abilities, so Feng Que didn't think much of it.

He didn't want Ye Qingxi to think there was anything wrong with it.

Ye Qingxi nodded.

He was unaware that before Kou Yang, Feng Que had considered a child named Zhao Zhao.

All he knew was that, according to the book, Kou Yang was the one who ultimately participated in the film.

But Kou Yang's fate did not improve because of this drama.

After all, this is a good resource for He Yao, but not for him. Even Feng Que himself didn't benefit much from this drama, let alone a small actor like Kou Yang.

In fact, Kou Yang's life became even more tragic because of this drama and because of He Yao.

Kou Yang's mother died when he was three years old. His father was a hoodlum who didn't care about him. He would only give him two meals a day and then ignore him completely.

Seeing that his peers were all in school, Kou Yang naturally wanted to go to school too. However, after his father unexpectedly made money from his son's acting, he felt that being a child star was far more lucrative than going to school. So he took Kou Yang to various film sets, making him film one movie after another.

Kou Yang was only seven years old; he needed to live more than go to school.

Without his father, life would only be more difficult for a child his age. Therefore, he could only follow his father's wishes, constantly making movies and earning money.

Until he starred in this movie with He Yao.

This movie is about the bond between father and son, but what Kou Yang lacks the most is that bond between father and son.

He experienced normal fatherly love in the movie, but after the filming, he had to face his own father.

This contrast made Kou Yang unconsciously empathize with He Yao, hoping that He Yao could become his father and love him like his father in the movie.

However, He Yao already had a daughter named He Lei online at that time, and his rise to fame and the opportunity to audition for this movie were all because netizens found his father-daughter relationship with He Lei very touching.

Therefore, he naturally had to maintain his persona of loving He Lei the most.

Moreover, Kou Yang is young and has developed feelings for him, while He Yao hasn't. He knows very well that he's just acting; it's his job. He even thinks Kou Yang's acting isn't good enough and that he should work harder on his acting.

Therefore, when Kou Yang asked him to take him away from his father, He Yao refused without hesitation.

Hearing his rejection, Kou Yang felt as if his dream had shattered, and he had fallen back to reality.

He felt that life was harder to endure than before—he clearly felt genuine family affection, yet he couldn't have it.

He spent an afternoon in anguish trying to visit his mother's grave, but because he was distracted and not watching where he was going, he was hit by a car.

Fortunately, his life was not in danger, but one of his legs was seriously injured.

When Kou Yang's father arrived at the hospital after receiving the call, he heard the doctor say that the best treatment plan had a 50% chance of restoring Kou Yang's legs to normal and preventing him from becoming disabled, but it would also require extremely high costs.

Kou Yang's father refused as soon as he heard the news.

—That much money, more than he earns!

After he refused, he happened to see the video playing on his phone.

It was an interview where the host was interviewing He Yao, who was laughing as he talked about how Kou Yang wanted to be his son on set.

The host laughed and said, "It must be because Mr. He Yao, you acted so well that Kou Yang treats you like his own father."

He Yao smiled, looking quite embarrassed.

He Yao's fans immediately started praising him, saying that he truly deserves to be called He Yao, the ideal father for every child.

Kou Yang's father smiled slowly, "Since you like him so much, why don't you ask him to pay for your leg treatment? Are you going to call him?"

Kou Yang, of course, did not fight.

His leg became lame, and he could no longer live like a normal person, so naturally he could no longer be a child star.

He lost his value and was finally able to return to the school he had once longed for.

But what were Kou Yang's feelings at that time?

It's not mentioned in the book.

Ye Qingxi had no way of knowing either.

Even the information he knows now is something he pieced together himself from books.

In the original book, this information was broken into fragments and used for comparison.

Use the example of Kou Yang having such a scumbag biological father to contrast with He Lei having such a good father as He Yao.

At the same time, Kou Yang's affection for He Yao is used to showcase He Yao's charm, popularity, and He Lei's good fortune in having He Yao.

As for Kou Yang's final fate, no one cared.

After all, it was he who didn't call He Yao, not He Yao who rejected his call.

Ye Qingxi felt a pang of pity when she thought of Kou Yang.

He originally thought that if Mu Shaowu participated in the film, and if Kou Yang begged him to take him away from his father, Mu Shaowu, after learning about Kou Yang's situation, would help him leave his father and return to school, even if he didn't treat him as his own son.

In this way, Kou Yang would no longer be disabled, and he could be like the other children he longed to be.

While he certainly didn't want others to want to be his father's son, he hoped even more that Mu Shaowu could have a bright future.

Besides, Kou Yang is just a child, and he should also have a hopeful future.

Ye Qingxi believed in Mu Shaowu and believed that he would definitely make things clear to Kou Yang, telling him that he was willing to help him, but only to help him, and that he already had a child, so he didn't need to have another child.

Now, he has become a minor actor in the movie. Kou Yang will no longer participate in this film, so he will naturally not suffer from the stark contrast between his real life and his on-screen life, he will not be involved in a car accident, and he will not be unable to recover his leg due to the expensive medical bills.

This is a good thing for Kou Yang.

only……

Ye Qingxi looked at the small tree not far away.

So, to whom should Kou Yang plead, hoping that someone would take him away from his father?

He can only keep making movies, an endless cycle of making movies forever.

He didn't want to act; he just wanted to go to school.

He should go to school too; he's only seven years old.

In that instant, Ye Qingxi thought of her past self.

When he was seven years old, he also wanted to go to school.

He was just luckier than Kou Yang. At seven years old, he hadn't yet realized that his parents didn't love him and was still living in a false sense of happiness.

At seven years old, he also has time to rest, and he can go back to school during his rest time.

"Never mind!" Ye Qingxi thought, "Let's just consider it compensation for him taking his role."

He Yao was unwilling to take him away.

But he was willing.

He tried to find a way to get Kou Yang away from his awful father and to get him back to school.

But before that, he had to do something else.

Ye Qingxi raised her wrist, ready to make a phone call, when the class bell rang.

He could only lower his wrist and walk toward the classroom.

After school, Ye Qingxi sat in her car and dialed Feng Que's number.

When Feng Que saw it was his call, she asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Uncle Feng, could you or your assistant tell my father that he can act in your movie?"

"Why?" Feng Que didn't understand. "You were willing to travel a long way to see me and audition for him, so why aren't you willing to tell him?"

"Oh~~" Feng Que realized what she meant, "You're embarrassed, you're shy~"

Ye Qingxi was naturally embarrassed; he said to himself, "It's so awkward no matter how I look at it."

But he doesn't admit it, "I just feel that he would be happier if you told him."

"Really? But I think you're just shy~"

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi thought he was so annoying!

When Feng Que saw that he was silent, she thought to herself that things were going to get bad and became angry with embarrassment.

"Okay, okay," he quickly coaxed, "I'll call your dad right now, I'll call him myself, alright?"

Ye Qingxi nodded, "Thank you, Uncle Feng."

Now she's all better~ Feng Que thought, this child is easy to coax.

"Then send me your dad's phone number."

"Um."

After Ye Qingxi finished speaking, she hung up the phone and sent Feng Que her number.

Feng Que dialed the number he sent, but Mu Shaowu did not answer.

He was in the middle of a video conference when he saw it was an unfamiliar number and hung up immediately.

Phoenix Palace: ...

Feng Que had no choice but to wait, and only dialed Mu Shaowu again after twenty minutes.

Mu Shaowu rushed to finish the video conference before his son returned. As he was tidying up his desk, his phone rang again.

He picked it up and saw it was that unfamiliar number again?

Mu Shaowu had just received a harassing phone call two days ago, and now he realized that the call was from S City. He already had all the people he knew in S City in his contacts.

Moreover, those who want to discuss acting roles, commercial brand events, or other business opportunities with him will contact his agent directly.

Those who want to discuss group cooperation with him will also contact his assistant directly.

Nine times out of ten, these unfamiliar numbers are spam calls.

Mu Shaowu hung up again.

Phoenix Palace: ? ? ?

Feng Que was completely baffled. Was he really that busy?

Don't you even have time to answer a phone call?

Feng Que waited another ten minutes before dialing again.

Mu Shaowu was about to leave the study when his phone rang again; it was that unfamiliar number once more.

He's quite persistent!

What is this if not a nuisance call?

What boss could be so patient!

Mu Shaowu immediately launched into a tirade: "I'm not buying a house, I'm not buying a shop, I'm not buying insurance, I'm not buying anything, and don't call me again!"

Phoenix Palace: ...

Feng Que listened to the agitated voice on the phone and glanced at the video on his computer.

In the video, Mu Shaowu is bending down to talk to Ye Qingxi. Next to his head, two large cursive characters have been added in post-production: "gentle".

Phoenix Palace: ...

"Want to buy the movie ticket?" he asked casually.

Mu Shaowu: ? ? ? Huh?

"I am Feng Que."

Mu Shaowu: !!!

Mu Shaowu belatedly realized that Fengque was indeed in S City.

Isn't that awkward?

Mu Shaowu quickly changed his tone and asked with a smile, "Is there something you need from me?"

Feng Que: ...You're quite gentle now.

"I'm here to tell you that the role you auditioned for is yours. Come over tomorrow to sign the contract."

Mu Shaowu: !!!

Mu Shaowu simply couldn't believe it!

"What did you say?" Mu Shaowu was confused. "Didn't your assistant say before that I have a good appearance, but my acting skills are not good enough for the role?"

So what is it now?