Chapter 496 Respect for the Elderly and Love for the Young vs. Clowns (8,000-word update!)
"Lu Yanhe's connections in the media and critical circles are far beyond my imagination." At Longyan Film Studio, Mrs. Huang told her husband, "The reason why 'The Squid Game' became such a hit on Maxine is entirely due to the initial attention from the media and critics. Globally, only the top creators can attract such a lot of attention all at once. Even director Wang Zhong could hardly do it. Before this, only director Gong Jiang's works in China had such ability. I really don't know how Lu Yanhe did it."
Meanwhile, Zheng Huai-ren privately joked with his friends, "No wonder Lu Yanhe was adamant about not selling the copyright along with the content, only the broadcasting rights. 'Squid Game' is really a hit now, both domestically and internationally. With all the subsequent derivative developments, they'll make a fortune."
December belongs to "The Squid Game".
The "Red Light, Green Light" chapter, in particular, transforms a game that almost everyone played in their childhood into a terrifying and bloody murder game, making it one of the most talked-about designs in "The Squid Game" on social media.
A prominent figure in the gaming industry suddenly remarked: "If Lu Yanhe were to design games, he would probably be very strong. Several games he designed on the show 'Young Days' were quite popular, such as 'Love is hard to guess.' Everyone I know plays it at gatherings. After watching 'Squid Game,' my feeling is even stronger. He really has a talent for making several childhood games that we are all familiar with terrifying."
This post received countless likes and shares, and became very popular.
Meanwhile, after gaining popularity in China, the lead actors of "The Squid Game" have also seen a surge in attention overseas.
-
Recently, Jiang Yuqian's schedule has been divided into hours.
She didn't just return to her former career peak overnight; instead, she soared to a height she had never reached before.
"The Seoul International Drama Awards in South Korea, the Star Awards in Singapore, the Star Night in Thailand... We have a total of 14 overseas trips in the next three months. That's all for now."
Agent He Heng now has the face of someone who has survived winter and is now radiant with spring sunshine.
Jiang Yuqian asked in surprise, "With so many schedules, how can I possibly manage? I'm about to start filming the sequel to 'Behind the Golden Robe'."
“I’ve already been communicating with the production team to see if I can join the crew a little later. Your role in this movie isn’t that big anyway,” He Heng said. “I shouldn’t have taken this movie in the first place.”
Jiang Yuqian paused for a moment, then said, "I already accepted it. At the time, it was the best resource I could get."
He Heng: "That's true, but the popularity of 'The Squid Game' exceeded our expectations. I was really surprised by how popular it was overseas. The stylists we worked with have all reported that many international brands are now observing our situation. This has never happened before."
Jiang Yuqian said, "The Squid Game seems to be more popular overseas than in China."
“That’s true, especially since no one expected it to become so popular in Europe and America,” He Heng said. “It’s the most popular Chinese-language drama ever to have been in Europe and America.”
"That's an exaggeration," Jiang Yuqian said.
"While the subject matter did have an advantage, the main reason is that Yan He's influence is indeed sufficient," He Heng said. "Although he is not yet world-renowned, people in the media circle know him and have high expectations for him, so as soon as his screenplays are released, everyone goes to watch them immediately."
Jiang Yuqian said, "It really depends on his personal influence. No matter how much publicity a show does, it's all in vain if it doesn't attract people to watch it."
“That’s right.” He Heng nodded. “It’s a pity that your character died. I guess you won’t be in the second and third seasons.”
Jiang Yuqian smiled and said, "Be content, Sister Heng. Besides, Yan He and I have worked together on more than just this one film."
He Heng: That's true. You were blessed by God. When you were in the drama "The Golden Era" which brought you to the peak of your career, you met Yan He, which allowed you to break through to another peak.
"Of course, God favors someone as good and hardworking as me." Jiang Yuqian's smile was especially charming at this moment.
Seeing her like this, He Heng smiled.
-
Seeing that "Squid Game" had become a hit just like it had in another world, Lu Yanhe finally breathed a sigh of relief, put down his uneasy heart, and began formal preparations for the winter filming of "Love Letter".
The crew members' schedules were all booked well in advance, and they were just waiting to start filming.
At this moment, Lu Yanhe has had several more hits, from "Rouge" to "Road to Glory" and most recently "Squid Game", always on a legendary path and never making a mistake.
Whether it's a movie or a TV series, whether it's a weekly or daily broadcast, whether it's a romance or a battle royale, it transcends all boundaries, yet it remains the same.
Compared to when he was filming "Love Letter" in July, people now have a greater... respect for him.
This includes photographer Bao Wenliang.
He was incredibly grateful for one thing: thankfully, he hadn't acted like a madman and hadn't offended Lu Yanhe.
Damn, Lu Yanhe isn't just at the peak of his career, he's on his way to becoming a powerful figure.
Bao Wenliang felt a wave of fear wash over him.
So, after the crew members returned to their positions, the young cinematographer Wu Zhou was shocked to find that the old fox Bao Wenliang was no longer so slick.
"..."
-
The river port is located in the northeastern region, along the coast.
Lu Yanhe had never been to this place before, before he came to scout out the location.
When he came to scout locations, it hadn't snowed yet in the river port, so it wasn't really clear what it would look like with snow.
It was only after seeing the photos and videos they had found of the city of Hegang after snowfall in previous years that Lu Yanhe confirmed that the movie could be filmed there.
Zhang Ruozhi hasn't started her vacation yet and can't come right away.
But it doesn't matter, because Lu Yanhe can film Chen Bige's scenes here first.
Chen Bige has a lot of winter scenes that haven't been filmed yet.
Filming scenes with Chen Bige is really easy.
When filming Zhang Ruozhi in the summer, Lu Yanhe really had to teach Zhang Ruozhi how to act step by step, but of course, that wasn't necessary when it came to Chen Bige.
Lu Yanhe only needs to explain to Chen Bige what he wants, and Chen Bige will give it to him.
Because she was playing two roles, Chen Bige needed to differentiate between the two characters in her performance. In the original version, the two actresses even looked very similar, which Lu Yanhe hadn't noticed when he first watched it. Lu Yanhe didn't want to challenge the audience on this point.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe gave the adult Huai Jingshu a long hairstyle, while Zheng Ni, who looked exactly like the adult Huai Jingshu, had a short hairstyle with her hair only reaching her neck.
But apart from this feature, Lu Yanhe did not make any other significant distinctions.
He explained to Chen Bige, "I just need the audience to be able to tell who is who at a glance, but I don't want the two of them to look completely different. They must have many similarities so that the audience, knowing that they are two different people, will feel that they are not only similar in appearance, but also in other aspects."
Chen Bige nodded, then asked, "Why do you want the audience to have this feeling? I don't understand."
Lu Yanhe said, "Only when two people truly share a similarity beyond their appearance will the male version of Huai Jingshu's affection go beyond just a face. It also makes it easier for the audience to accept why the two of them would write letters to each other. In this era, writing letters is a very luxurious thing. Although I offered some explanation in the script to give this somewhat classical behavior a reason, for the audience to truly believe that their communication must be sustained through such an old-fashioned method as letter writing, they need to share not only the commonality of having both encountered a male version of Huai Jingshu in their lives and the commonality of looking very similar, but also a kind of curiosity about each other—a curiosity tinged with cautious speculation and a sense of seriousness."
After listening to Lu Yanhe's explanation, Chen Bige took a deep breath and said, "I understand."
With a hint of disbelief on her face, she said, "The relationships between the characters in this movie are so intricate."
“Yes.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “I just wanted to capture it in great detail.”
Chen Bige: "Did you think of these things when you were writing the script?"
“Well, when I was writing the script, I was thinking that in this age of advanced internet, is it too inappropriate to use letters?” Lu Yanhe said. “However, I also wanted to retain this method of exchanging messages via mobile phone, which has a relatively casual feel. It’s understandable to send a letter the first time, since I only had an address found in a yearbook, so I could only send a letter. But later, as the two of us started chatting, why not give each other our phone numbers in the letter for convenience? We could have called each other, or even made a video call.”
Lu Yanhe smiled and shrugged. "If I want to preserve a method like letter writing that's almost obsolete, I have to solve these problems. So I can only look at the motivation. Why wouldn't someone want to communicate with another person in a more convenient way?"
Chen Bige: "I understand what you mean."
She said, "Actually, playing two roles is not difficult for me. It's not a very difficult role to play."
Lu Yanhe nodded, "Indeed."
Chen Bige: "But it's very difficult to act to the level you want; it has to be effortless."
“Especially… those most subtle moments between the two of them,” Lu Yanhe said. “When I was writing the script, the moments I most looked forward to filming were the ones where the two characters you play brushed past each other on the street, and Zheng Ni, as the male Huai Jing Shu’s girlfriend before his death, saw the female Huai Jing Shu who looked exactly like her. Another moment is the last scene of the film, when the female Huai Jing Shu received the library card that the male Huai Jing Shu had registered many years ago from several female high school students, and saw the portrait of her that he had secretly drawn on the back, and she smiled in the sunlight.”
As Chen Bige listened to Lu Yanhe speak, she lowered her eyes, then raised them again, and her eyes suddenly reddened.
"These two moments are actually the most important reason why I wanted to act in this movie."
Chen Bige smiled faintly. At that moment, Lu Yanhe saw a hint of her own dazedness in Chen Bige's face and eyes.
Some actors excel at realistic works; their ability to create character, their expressive power, and their ability to move the audience are simply unmatched. But what makes some actors great is that, on top of these qualities, they evoke a sense of uniqueness in the audience. In the realm of artistic creation, this unique quality is always a creator's most precious asset. The same applies to actors.
What makes Chen Bige, an actress, most praised is her ability to subtly convey emotions with ease. She doesn't need to act forcefully; just a glance or a fleeting, dreamlike expression, lasting a second or two, is enough to captivate the audience in an instant.
Lu Yanhe didn't know how Chen Bige would ultimately portray the character, but he had complete trust in her.
He didn't need any instructions; he just had to wait behind the monitor.
-
"It's so cold."
Liu Bige pulled back the curtain of a grilled fish restaurant in the river port from the outside, revealing himself wearing a thick black down jacket, finally no longer dressed in a shirt and trousers.
He took off his gloves and earmuffs, removed his down jacket, and stuffed it into the laundry basket. His breath was white.
"It's so cold! Even more so than Yu Ming's!"
Lu Yanhe: "It's further north than Yuming, so it's normal that it's colder here."
Liu Bige: "You, when you write a script, you have to write about such an extreme snow scene, and you have to shoot a wide-angle shot. You can't even do artificial scenery."
Lu Yanhe: "Artificial landscapes are not as beautiful as real natural landscapes."
Liu Bige: "They all look the same when filmed."
“But in real natural scenery, everyone can better feel the atmosphere,” Lu Yanhe said. “Hurry up and sit down and eat a couple of bites, stop chattering. You started chattering as soon as you walked in.”
They only have one small table for four people here.
This restaurant doesn't have any private rooms, just a few four-person tables arranged side by side; it's the kind of small roadside shop.
However, someone in the crew said that this grilled fish restaurant was exceptional, so Lu Yanhe decided to come and try it.
Liu Bige was probably hungry too. He picked up his rice bowl, grabbed a piece of potato and tofu puff from the grilled fish pot, and took a big bite along with the rice.
His bite greatly stimulated Lu Yanhe's appetite, who had been waiting for Liu Bige and hadn't eaten yet.
It smells delicious.
"What are your plans after you finish filming 'Love Letter'?" Liu Bige asked.
Lu Yanhe said, "I'm going to join the crew to film 'Burning Fire,' which will start filming in March."
Liu Bige nodded.
When are you going to shoot that Hollywood horror movie?
"The second half of the year," Lu Yanhe said. "I'm very busy this year, with several films and TV series."
Liu Bige said, "The script for Miao Yue's spy drama is almost finished, and I was hoping to start filming this year, but it seems that's not going to happen."
Lu Yanhe asked, "How long will it take to film your movie?"
Liu Bige said, "It will take about forty days. It's not the kind of movie that can be filmed quickly."
Lu Yanhe: "The main issue is that the schedule for the second half of the year hasn't been set yet. But if I immediately join another project, my performance will definitely be affected. Can you wait for me? Can we postpone filming this drama until next year?"
Liu Bige nodded: "We can wait. It's based on your script anyway. If you can't act, of course we can only wait. But this way, all I need to do this year is edit the film and do post-production. I'll be much more relaxed now."
Lu Yanhe said, "Don't just sit there. Take a look at the scripts I've written. See if there's one you'd like to film."
He added, "If there's anything you want to film, I'll authorize you to film it."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bige said, "Of all your scripts, the one that really appeals to me is 'Dragon Inn.' Are you willing to let me film it?"
Lu Yanhe was taken aback. "You actually took a liking to this?"
Liu Bige nodded and said, "The characters in your script are comparable to those in 'Rouge.' After reading it, I had a feeling that several more classic characters in film history are about to emerge."
"Then go ahead and make it. Why didn't you say so earlier? But, are you able to get this movie ready and start filming this year?" Lu Yanhe asked.
After all, Liu Bige didn't have nothing to do all year. He still has to do post-production work on "Even Faking Death Is Not Allowed," and this romantic comedy might even be released this year. He'll definitely be exhausted after a promotional trip.
Liu Bige said, "Hey, I was just saying. I just finished filming 'Pretending to Die,' how could I start another project right away? Of course I need to rest. It's definitely not going to be filmed this year. Just building the sets for this movie will take a lot of effort."
Liu Bige, who is very familiar with the film industry, can roughly estimate how long it would take to make a movie like "Dragon Inn" just by looking at the script.
Lu Yanhe laughed.
"You said so much, it made me feel so guilty, like you were really going to delay things for a year because of me."
Liu Bige: "To make you feel more guilty, you'll have to act in more of my movies in the future."
"How ruthless!" Lu Yanhe sighed.
Wang Biao lowered his head and chuckled softly.
-
Here, Yuming.
"What is this? A dark comedy film?"
The script that Li Zhibai handed him was incomprehensible. The cover of the script had the four big characters "Go to hell" written on it. It was hard to believe that a movie would have such a title.
This script was sent by Longyan Film Industry.
Lin Suyang said, "This is the new work of Huang Beng, the director of the movie 'Upstairs,' which is a collaboration with Longyan Film Industry."
Li Zhibai flipped through the script.
"Are you looking for me to act?"
“Yes.” Lin Suyang nodded. “However, although you are the main character, the script itself is an ensemble piece with three storylines and seven main characters.”
Li Zhibai shrugged. "That's not a problem. Do you think this script is well-written?"
“Very good, I really like this script.” Lin Suyang nodded. “Moreover, Huang Beng’s previous film, ‘Upstairs,’ won many awards and had a high box office, which makes me more confident about this project.”
Li Zhibai said, "Then let me take a look at the script."
Lin Suyang nodded and then asked, "Zhibai, have you read the martial arts script written by Lu Yanhe?"
Li Zhibai nodded. "I've seen it."
"Is there a role that would suit you?" Lin Suyang asked.
Li Zhibai grunted, then shook his head firmly, saying no.
Lin Suyang: "One reason I want you to act in a dark comedy like 'Go Die' is that your current roles are rather one-dimensional, mostly handsome, cool, and youthful. If this continues, it won't be good for your future acting. I want to give you some roles that are different from what you've played before."
Li Zhibai: "Okay, but don't even think about 'Dragon Inn,' there aren't any suitable roles for me in it. Also, I'm not forcing myself to change my image now. Yan He said that at our age, if you want to change your image, there aren't many roles on the market that can help you change your image. You might as well just keep filming and not care if the roles are repetitive or monotonous, just see if the show is good or not."
“That’s true. The common weakness of all of you is that you’re all too young,” Lin Suyang said.
Li Zhibai: "I really like the main villain in 'Nineteen Years'. I've never played a pervert before. I've been reading the script these past few days and it's been incredibly enjoyable."
Lin Suyang smiled.
He said, "In this drama, the role of your girlfriend who goes on the run with you, Ji Miao's agent contacted me and said that Ji Miao wanted to play it."
Li Zhi was stunned.
“I was wondering the same thing. I was wondering why Ji Miao, who only acts in movies and never in TV dramas, would suddenly become interested in a TV drama role.” Lin Suyang looked at Li Zhibai with a teasing smile. “You didn’t even tell me about these things beforehand. If the media finds out and exposes them one day, I won’t have time to react.”
Li Zhibai: "...Sigh, the situation is more complicated than you think, and more complicated than I imagined. I'm such a fool to actually believe that things between men and women can be truly consensual."
Lin Suyang: "...It makes me feel quite ashamed to hear such a sentence from a boy who is only twenty-two years old."
"What do you want to say?" Li Zhibai glanced at Lin Suyang.
"You're only twenty-two, what are you pretending to be?" Lin Suyang laughed and scolded, "You're acting all old-fashioned."
Li Zhibai: "...Damn it."
Lin Suyang: "Tell me what's going on between you and Ji Miao. At least I need to know what happened so I can clean up your mess later. Wait, don't tell me you suddenly became a father like Ma Zhiyuan, right?"
Li Zhibai: "Pah!"
Lin Suyang let out a long sigh of relief.
"Actually, being a father isn't so bad. As long as it's not a matter of life and death, it's not a big deal," Lin Suyang said with emotion.
Li Zhibai glanced at him sideways, "You looked so tense and like the sky was about to fall just now, which is quite different from how open-minded you are now."
Lin Suyang: "Hurry up and say it, stop talking nonsense."
Li Zhibai then gave a brief explanation.
He scratched his head in frustration.
“I’ve told her many times that I don’t want to be in a committed relationship right now, but she doesn’t care what I say at all.”
Lin Suyang: "You deserve it. Even rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows."
Li Zhibai: "I'm not here to listen to what you're saying."
Lin Suyang: "Who told you to do such a thing? I thought you were a handsome young man who was pure and indifferent to worldly desires."
"Do you believe me? I never try to portray myself as a pure and innocent person to my fans. You still think I'm celibate?" Li Zhibai looked at him speechlessly. "I'm twenty-two years old this year, not sixty-two."
Lin Suyang: "..."
"This is not something you can justify," Lin Suyang said speechlessly. "Even if your fans don't see you as a pure boyfriend, they certainly wouldn't be happy to see you sleeping with someone else."
"Hey, what the hell is it to them who I sleep with? I'm neither a monk nor a nun, what era are we living in that they still talk about chastity and lifelong fidelity?"
Lin Suyang: "That makes sense, but I still advise you to be careful with your words and actions."
Li Zhibai: "You don't need to tell me, I've already learned this lesson from Ji Miao."
"As for Ji Miao, let me tell you something from my experience. No matter what, you brought this trouble upon yourself. How you explain things to Ji Miao and break things off is your business, but don't hurt that young girl. No one can control their feelings. Maybe one day you won't be able to control yourself either and will develop feelings for another woman. After chasing her for a year or two, you'll understand how Ji Miao feels."
Li Zhibai: "Don't make me sound like a heartless scumbag."
“Of course you are not. To be honest, you are one of the most consistent and best artists I know,” Lin Suyang said. “But that’s precisely why I have to remind you of these things. Even saints can make mistakes, and smart people can make mistakes. I’m afraid that you might do something irreparable in a moment of impulse or confusion.”
Lin Suyang was, of course, trying his best to persuade him.
Li Zhibai: "After all that talk, you've only mentioned a bunch of values, but not a single word about methodology."
Lin Suyang laughed heartily.
"Let me tell you a lesson from experience: when it comes to matters between two people, even if the other person is begging you to get involved, don't get involved. Just run away," Lin Suyang said. "From my perspective, what's going on between you and her isn't a big deal, and I don't need to get involved. The worst outcome would be her accusing you of not recognizing her after getting out of bed. But to put it bluntly, you didn't trick her into sleeping with you. As you said, it was consensual. It's not a matter of principle, so why should I care?"
"Damn it." Li Zhi was utterly convinced.
Lin Suyang patted Li Zhibai on the shoulder.
-
The end of each year is the busiest time in the entertainment industry, due to various award ceremonies and grand events.
This year, Lu Yanhe was once again rarely seen because he was on set.
When the Galaxy Awards nominations were announced, Lu Yanhe was once again unsurprisingly among them, receiving nominations for both Best Actor and Best Screenplay.
The organizers of the Galaxy Awards contacted Lu Yanhe immediately to confirm his attendance at the awards ceremony.
However, Chen Ziyan could only politely decline.
“He’s currently filming ‘Love Letter.’ He’s not an actor, he’s the director. The schedule is very tight. If he takes leave, the crew will have to stop filming for two days, which would be a huge loss.”
When the organizers of the Galaxy Awards heard that Lu Yanhe couldn't come, they were really worried. They mobilized all their resources and pulled strings to try and bring Lu Yanhe over.
As the most popular movie star right now, how could he not attend?
As a result of the negotiation, Lu Yanhe really couldn't come, but Chen Bige could be given two days off to attend.
Originally, Chen Bige couldn't have come either.
“Are you really not going? You have a pretty good chance of winning an award this time.” Chen Ziyan said, “Huang Kairen and Zhou Yuning have already won Best Actor at the Feihong Award and Lingyun Award, and Shang Yongzhou has won the three major awards several times. It will be extremely difficult for you to win an award. You are basically not competitive with ‘Upstream’.”
According to Chen Ziyan, the Galaxy Award is very likely to be Lu Yanhe's first time standing on the stage to receive the Best Actor award at one of China's three major film awards.
However, Lu Yanhe still decided not to go.
Filming, filming. Filming is what he wants to do, and what he truly wants to do.
Whether he wins an award or not, if he did win, his absence doesn't negate the award's value. If he didn't win, his presence wouldn't have made a difference. It's fine to show support when you have free time; everyone's busy filming, there's no time for that.
Finally, the news that Lu Yanhe would be unable to attend this year's Galaxy Awards ceremony was reported.
One stone stirs up a thousand waves.
Before Lu Yanhe's fans could even say anything, Yu Jiang, who hadn't been active for a long time, suddenly reappeared, offering sarcastic remarks:
—So, he hasn't won any awards yet, so he doesn't want to embarrass himself anymore? A non-lead role competing for Best Actor, and he hyped himself up as if he were a strong contender, and now he's finally been proven wrong. What a spectacle.
Yu Jiang was not surprised to be attacked by Lu Yanhe's fans.
After experiencing so many times, Yu Jiang no longer felt angry or ashamed. She didn't care about the voices criticizing her and firmly lived in her own world, believing that Lu Yanhe's current momentum was all created by him and his team.
Until Chen Siqi casually posted a Weibo message that evening, casually asking: "Let's not even talk about winning awards anymore. I wonder when Teacher Yu Jiang's film will finally get a nomination for one of the three major awards? Oh, it's probably never going to happen in this lifetime, because she doesn't take pride in being nominated, but rather feels ashamed of it, haha."
Li Zhibai and Yan Liang both appeared in the comments section, leaving the exact same two words: "威武" (majestic).
Upon seeing this, Yu Jiang took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, but after a while, he still broke down.
She said: "How can a movie about petty romance compare to the artistic masterpiece of a child prodigy? I don't dare to hope for awards; the audience's liking is enough."
Chen Siqi reposted: Teacher Yu, are you saying that the 130 million yuan box office of "Flowers on the Stars" is enough to prove that the audience likes it? As long as Yan He is involved in a movie, whether he is the lead or not, the box office is higher than 130 million yuan. Teacher Yu, how do you find a sense of superiority from Yan He?
Someone questioned Chen Siqi: How could you, a young girl, be so harsh on a senior who is older than you?
Chen Siqi replied: "Since you respect the elderly and care for the young so much, why don't you go and get her some water to wash her feet?"
After replying without any politeness, Chen Siqi put down her phone, her face radiating a chilling aura.
Entertainment critic Guan Suchen's insightful comment: Chen Siqi alone is Lu Yanhe's army of thousands. How many ugly clowns are there in the entertainment industry behind Yu Jiang?
(End of this chapter)
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