Chapter 509 Retreating to Advance (14,000 words update!)
Wu Bai and Wang Biao are not of the same generation.
The two people are from different generations.
However, in the entertainment industry, just as the seniority of celebrities is usually lower than their popularity, the status of staff members is often related to who they work with.
Even though Lu Yanhe's assistant is a kid who's not even twenty years old, he's still looked up to wherever he goes.
Wu Bai couldn't call him "Xiao Wang," he could only affectionately call him "Xiao Biao."
Wang Biao came at Lu Yanhe's behest.
They couldn't tell Wu Bai directly that they had found the two proxy photographers and talked to them to find out that someone was deliberately targeting Li Yuefeng, but they also couldn't let Wu Bai and Li Yuefeng remain in the dark and unaware of the situation.
Putting everything else aside, Li Yuefeng's incident is not a good thing for "Burning Fire".
Not to mention, Lu Yanhe and Li Yuefeng also acted together in "The Seventeenth Floor", and will also act together in the second season of "The Seventeenth Floor". In a sense, he and Li Yuefeng are also a community of interests.
So, Wang Biao came over.
He asked, "Brother Lu is a bit curious. What's going on with Li Yuefeng? It's been clearly determined that the proxy photographer was responsible, but now it's being made to seem like it's Li Yuefeng's fault. So he asked me to ask Brother Wu Bai, did Li Yuefeng offend someone?"
Wang Biao immediately launched into a tirade.
There was not a single step-by-step trial and error—
Because Lu Yanhe said that if he spoke in a gradual and progressive manner, it would be obvious that something was amiss.
The entire crew knows Wang Biao's usual speaking style.
As expected, Wu Bai was not puzzled by Wang Biao's questions. He explained, "We don't know what the situation is yet. I've already asked someone to find out. Thank you for your concern, Yan He."
“Of course Brother Lu cares. We're filming ‘Burning Fire’ together now, and we'll be filming ‘Seventeen Floors’ Season 2 together in the future. If Li Yuefeng continues to be embroiled in scandals, it won't be good for either of these production teams.” Wang Biao clearly stated his purpose, leaving Wu Bai no need to overthink it. “Actually, most people online are on Li Yuefeng's side. I don't understand why the families of those two proxy photographers are still doing this. Do they think they can get money from you just by holding up a banner?”
Wu Bai thought to himself that he had indeed considered whether to spend money to avoid disaster.
However, no one knew how big those people's appetites were, so Wu Bai did not easily choose this method.
Wu Bai smiled and said, "If you stay in this line of work for a long time, you'll see all kinds of people. It's nothing unusual."
He sounded quite relaxed, as if he didn't take the matter to heart.
Wang Biao thought to himself, "You've got a really big heart."
"Anyway, all I know is that there's always something fishy going on when things are unusual. Why do something that doesn't seem to bring any benefit?" Wang Biao scoffed. "Maybe Li Yuefeng has offended someone, so they're deliberately using this to stir up trouble and get back at Li Yuefeng."
Wang Biao thought to himself that he had made his point clear enough. If Wu Bai still didn't take it seriously, he would have no choice but to send an anonymous letter.
Wu Bai looked at Wang Biao with some confusion.
When he looked at him with a puzzled expression, Wang Biao breathed a sigh of relief.
Goal achieved.
Wang Biao shrugged. "I'm not talking to you anymore. It seems you don't know anything. I was even thinking of asking Brother Lu if there was anything he could help with."
After Wang Biao finished speaking, he turned and left.
As Wu Bai watched Wang Biao's retreating figure, he couldn't help but feel that something was off about Wang Biao.
Wu Bai returned to Li Yuefeng's dressing room.
Li Yuefeng asked him, "Brother Bai, what does Wang Biao want with you?"
“He said Lu Yanhe was concerned about your situation and asked him to come and ask,” Wu Bai said. “However, what he said was a bit strange. He asked several times if you had offended anyone, and also asked if someone was deliberately making things difficult for you.”
Upon hearing this, Li Yuefeng suddenly realized and slapped his thigh: "I knew it! Maybe that's how it is."
Wu Bai glanced at him sideways.
“No, Brother Bai, what if those two people who were taking photos for others bumped into my car? I haven’t even asked them for the repair costs yet, and they’re still harassing me like this. Do they think I’ll give in to their demands?” Li Yuefeng said. “What’s their motive for doing this? After thinking about it, isn’t it because someone is encouraging them to do this behind the scenes?”
-
Li Yuefeng's acting career has been significantly affected by this incident.
Lu Yanhe acted in a play with him, and Li Yuefeng forgot his lines twice and failed to catch Lu Yanhe's line once. He stumbled through the play and didn't even know how he acted. Even a freshman could probably have acted better than him.
Lu Yanhe was getting a little annoyed and glanced at Wan Renhai.
Wanren Hai was also annoyed, and when he saw Lu Yanhe's look, he stopped filming.
Li Yuefeng knew it was his fault, and he immediately apologized to Lu Yanhe, saying, "I'm sorry, I wasn't in good shape today and didn't perform well."
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "It's okay. Take a break, rest, and adjust your state."
He turned and walked to his chair.
Wang Biao handed him his water cup.
Wanrenhai called Li Yuefeng over.
"Yuefeng, something's not right with you," Wanrenhai said in a low voice. "You need to concentrate."
Li Yuefeng lowered his head in frustration. "Director, I realize I'm not concentrating enough, but I'm really annoyed, I can't help being annoyed."
Wanrenhai: "Why don't you take a couple of days off?"
Wanrenhai was also helpless against Li Yuefeng.
Li Yuefeng is actually a decent actor, but his acting right now is really off, and can even be described as terrible.
His acting style not only ruins his own image, but also drains the energy and spirit of his fellow actors.
Li Yuefeng said, "Director, I—"
Wanrenhai: "This is actually a very simple play, but even in such a simple play, you have made so many basic mistakes. I know this is not a problem with your ability, so you should take a two-day break and get yourself back in shape."
Li Yuefeng sighed in frustration.
"Alright then."
Wanrenhai would rather move other scenes to the front of the filming than waste time with Li Yuefeng here.
An actor who can't even maintain focus is just wasting time filming take after take.
This is really not an exaggeration at all.
It's like a child trying to memorize a text. He reads it over and over again without thinking, just reciting it. Even if he tries to recite it all morning, he still won't be able to memorize the text.
Li Yuefeng left the film set.
Wanrenhai brought Lu Yanhe over and filmed Lu Yanhe's part first.
"Film my scenes first?" Lu Yanhe asked, somewhat surprised.
Wanrenhai nodded, "We don't know when Li Yuefeng will be in good condition. If he can recover immediately, then we'll wait for him to come back and reshoot the scene. But if he can't find his rhythm, then we'll let him work on it himself over and over again, so as not to waste your energy."
Wanrenhai was thinking of Lu Yanhe's best interests.
Although it's a scene between two people, it doesn't mean that the two of them have to film at the same time.
We can shoot A today and B tomorrow, and then edit the footage together to make it seem as if they filmed the scene at the same time.
This method is often used by production crews when actors cannot all be available.
However, Lu Yanhe never expected that this movie would be filmed in this way.
Lu Yanhe never expected that Li Yuefeng, an already famous actor with a lot of filming experience, would be affected by external factors, causing such a big mistake in his acting.
-
Li Yuefeng's condition is problematic, and Lu Yanhe is not the only one affected.
Li Quanling, who was in charge of coordination, was one of the people who suffered the most from this.
Because he had already scheduled Li Yuefeng for later filming due to Li Yuefeng joining the crew, he was now being told that Li Yuefeng's scenes for the next two days should not be scheduled, as the director did not want to film them, and Li Quanling had to make changes again.
I wonder how many brain cells will die.
Lu Yanhe didn't know when this matter would be properly resolved.
Li Yuefeng himself was quite frustrated.
-
“I know that actors’ emotional state is easily affected, but it is really rare to see an actor’s emotional state directly affected to the point of a disastrous performance like this.”
Xiao Yundu complained to Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe smiled.
Xiao Yun asked, "Are you not going to have time to record 'The Days of Youth' again this year?"
Lu Yanhe shook his head and said, "I don't know yet, because the filming schedules for 'The Mist' and the second season of 'The Seventeenth Floor' are not yet set, and I have to prioritize filming those two shows."
"I understand." Xiao Yun nodded. "However, everyone was quite disappointed that you didn't record the whole thing with everyone last year. It's not easy to have a chance to get together like this."
Lu Yanhe: "I also wanted to record the show with everyone, but unfortunately, I was always on set these past two years. If I hadn't been on set, I definitely would have gone to record the show with you guys."
Xiao Yun: "Of course, we all know that."
Lu Yanhe asked, "After you broke up with your ex-boyfriend, you haven't dated anyone else?"
"No, let's focus on my career first." Xiao Yun said with some melancholy, "I feel like if I don't make the most of these next few years, I might be eliminated. The competition among actresses is too fierce."
"You've already won the Best Supporting Actress award from the Directors Guild, and you're still worried about being eliminated?" Lu Yanhe was surprised. "There aren't many actresses your age who have won major awards, are there?"
“It’s not like I’m in one of the three major awards, so it’s not very useful. It just makes my award record look better when the media does a review,” Xiao Yun said. “The main thing is… sometimes I feel like I’m really not good at acting. I’ve actually been working very hard to improve myself, and I’ve given my all to every role I play, but the final result is just so-so, not very good. I’m starting to doubt myself and whether I’m really suited to be an actor.”
Actually, Xiao Yun is quite good at acting, but based on the few times he has worked with Xiao Yun, he probably knows where Xiao Yun feels he is not good at acting.
Her acting is too academic, too rigid, which makes her lack naturalness. People might think she acts well, but she doesn't leave a lasting impression.
So far, the role that left the deepest impression on the audience was the one in "Phoenix Terrace" where she replaced Zhen Hongyu.
After that, Xiao Yun acted in several plays, but none of them left a deep impression on the audience.
Her most well-known work is actually the program "The Days of Youth".
Lu Yanhe said, "Why are you in such a hurry? You just graduated from university and have received such professional training. Your acting skills are very good. It's just that it's hard for you to find a suitable role. Once you do, just like in 'Phoenix Terrace,' you will immediately be noticed."
Xiao Yun: "I really don't want to hear you say these things."
"Why?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Xiao Yun: "Because what you said makes me jealous."
She looked intently at Lu Yanhe.
“I’m not kidding you, I’m really jealous when I see you acting now.”
-
"But I'm not Lu Yanhe, nor am I Shang Yongzhou. It's normal that my performance is affected and I can't act well, isn't it?"
Li Yuefeng drank some alcohol that night and sat in his room, complaining to a friend on the phone.
“I didn’t want to encounter this kind of thing either, but who can be completely unaffected by it? Can Lu Yanhe do it?” Li Yuefeng muttered, “I don’t know what Wu Bai did. I’m really speechless. It’s been two days, and the online buzz hasn’t died down yet. There are still people stirring up trouble in my comment section.”
"Hey bro, I feel sorry for you, but don't think about these things right now. Just relax for a bit."
Li Yuefeng: "Relax? How am I supposed to relax now?"
"Just do whatever makes you stop thinking about these things."
Li Yuefeng was speechless and said, "What you're saying is utter nonsense. I'm really impressed."
"What nonsense are you talking about? Let me tell you, don't worry about anything right now. Go find a few women to play with, and your mood will immediately improve."
"Do you think I'm like you?"
"If you're so capable, then don't look for it."
Li Yuefeng hadn't originally intended to have this idea, but after his friend mentioned it, that thought started to stir within him again.
...
When Wu Bai went downstairs to pick up his takeout, he ran into Li Yuefeng, who was fully armed, in the corridor.
It was late at night, and he was wearing a hat and a mask, with his head down, clearly about to go out.
Even though he couldn't see his face, Wu Bai's familiarity with him was enough for him to recognize him at a glance.
Wu Bai called out to him.
"Where are you going?" Wu Bai asked.
Li Yuefeng never expected that he would be caught red-handed by Wu Bai as soon as he stepped out.
However, he is no longer the kind of minor celebrity whose every need, from eating and drinking to using the toilet, is managed by an agent.
He said, "I'm going out for a walk to clear my head."
Wu Bai: "You're not bringing your assistant or bodyguards. What if someone recognizes you?"
Li Yuefeng said, "I called Brother Hu, and he was waiting for me downstairs."
Tiger is his bodyguard.
Wu Bai then nodded.
He also knew that Li Yuefeng's condition and mood were affected, and he couldn't even film normally, so it would be good for him to go and relax.
Wu Bai said, "Go ahead and come back soon. Also, don't worry about the proxy bidding; it's all been taken care of."
Li Yuefeng, who was eager to get rid of Wu Bai, immediately stopped in his tracks upon hearing his words.
"Really?"
“Really.” Wu Bai smiled. “There was indeed someone behind this, and Wang Biao guessed correctly.”
"who?"
"Lang Xia's agent," Wu Bai's smile vanished, "He Yingzi."
At that moment, the fire burst into flames.
Li Yuefeng clenched his fists and glared angrily at Wu Bai.
"Why would they do this?" Li Yuefeng asked.
"I deliberately stepped on your head to get you embroiled in negative news," Wu Bai said. "It's He Yingzi's old trick. Seeing that this has happened, she wants to take advantage of the situation."
Li Yuefeng asked Wu Bai in surprise, "She didn't even have any real purpose?"
“I haven’t talked to her either, so it’s impossible to know what she’s thinking. But we don’t have any conflicts of interest with her or Lang Xia recently, and we can’t see any real motives,” Wu Bai said. “He Yingzi is the kind of person who will kick someone when they’re down if she can. I don’t have any particular thoughts about her intentions, but you can wait and see if she will reap what she sows tomorrow.”
Li Yuefeng looked at Wu Bai in surprise and asked, "What are you planning to do?"
Wu Bai: "Let's release the recording of her phone call with that proxy photographer so that everyone can see what she's doing behind the scenes."
Li Yuefeng: "...You got the call recording?"
“Yes.” Wu Bai nodded. “She can pay, and I can pay. Bidding for others is all about money anyway. Let’s smash it and see who can out-smash whom.”
Li Yuefeng asked with some concern, "Won't that proxy bidder take the money you gave him and go to He Yingzi again? Trying to make money from both sides?"
Wu Bai: "Regardless of whether he's trying to profit from both sides, I've already obtained the evidence I needed. In this matter, you just need to play the victim."
Li Yuefeng: "I was a victim to begin with, why should I play a role!"
He was somewhat exasperated.
Li Yuefeng was really annoyed.
He suddenly remembered something and asked, "Do you think Brother Bai, Lu Yanhe already knew about this?"
"Um?"
“Otherwise, why would Wang Biao suddenly come to you and remind you twice that there might be someone behind this?” Li Yuefeng frowned slightly. “I remember that he and Lang Xia didn’t have a very good relationship.”
Wu Bai: "Who knows? Anyway, even if we ask, they won't admit it. If they really know and take the initiative to remind us, then it means they did a good thing."
Li Yuefeng: "We didn't even know what was going on, and he already knew. Don't you think he was a bit too fast?"
Wu Bai was taken aback, looked at Li Yuefeng, and asked, "What are you trying to say?"
Li Yuefeng said, "I'm just a little envious of Lu Yanhe's team. If they really knew so much earlier than us, and we only realized that someone might be up to something after he reminded us, then it means that his team is much more capable than mine."
Wu Bai: "Damn, are you mocking me?"
Li Yuefeng pouted: "Who told you to be so slow this time? I've been getting yelled at for days!"
"What does it matter if those few clowns curse you? The majority of people online support you and believe you're innocent. Why suppress this free publicity?" Wu Bai said. "As long as we remain silent and inactive, the public will always be on our side. We'll be the ones who haven't done anything wrong. Let them make a scene. The more they rant and rave, the more people will sympathize with and support you. Victims are most likely to evoke sympathy, and you're blaming me for letting you get cursed for days?"
Li Yuefeng: "...You're telling me now that you deliberately let me get yelled at by those people?"
"Otherwise what?" Wu Bai retorted. "Are those few clowns who stir up trouble really that hard to deal with? Letting them jump around there is just to draw attention to them, isn't it?"
"I'm impressed." Li Yuefeng gave Wu Bai a thumbs up. "You're awesome."
Wu Bai didn't understand at first, but Li Yuefeng finally figured it out and understood his intention, yet he continued to mock him.
Li Yuefeng's brain is full of clever tricks, but lacks true wisdom.
Wu Bai really didn't dare to overestimate his intelligence.
-
Lu Yanhe had just finished showering and came out of the bathroom when he heard his phone ringing.
I don't know who called at this time.
Lu Yanhe walked over, picked up the phone, and was stunned. He hadn't expected it to be Li Yuefeng.
He answered the phone, bewildered, and asked, "Are you looking for me?"
"Looking for you." Li Yuefeng's tone was filled with a silly, cheerful gait, which shocked Lu Yanhe. "Are you at the hotel? Which hotel are you staying at? Let's go for a drink together."
Lu Yanhe: "...It's so late, and we have to film tomorrow—"
"You have to have a drink with me today," Li Yuefeng interrupted Lu Yanhe without giving him a chance to argue.
Lu Yanhe was stunned.
What is that?
What's wrong with Li Yuefeng?
Are they already drunk?
Li Yuefeng said, "Stop pretending. I know you still consider me a friend, right? Knowing that someone was pulling strings behind my back and trying to get me, you even had Wang Biao secretly come to remind my agent."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
He suddenly realized.
This is why Li Yuefeng suddenly acted strangely tonight.
Lu Yanhe was so overwhelmed by Li Yuefeng's attitude that he couldn't refuse, and finally decided to go to the appointment. He wouldn't admit it, but he actually wanted to know who was behind Li Yuefeng's downfall.
-
"Lang Xia? He Yingzi? Are you sure?"
This was an answer that Lu Yanhe had never even considered.
In Lu Yanhe's view, no matter what, these actors who are making a movie should be in the same trench, at least before the movie is released.
Otherwise, in the current environment, if even one person gets into trouble, the film will be greatly affected. If the film can't be made or released, won't everyone be affected? It's a lose-lose situation.
However, Li Yuefeng said with certainty, "Just wait, the evidence will be released tomorrow."
Seeing his resolute expression, Lu Yanhe believed him to some extent—at least he was certain that Li Yuefeng wasn't just making wild guesses.
Li Yuefeng suddenly grabbed Lu Yanhe's hand and looked at him with deep affection.
Lu Yanhe was so frightened that he stammered.
"You, you—"
Li Yuefeng said, "I used to think you didn't treat me as a friend. I remember when you were casting for a role in a movie, you made me audition with other people and compete with them. I was really annoyed. But today I realized that you are loyal and a good friend!"
After he finished speaking, he let go of Lu Yanhe's hand, and Lu Yanhe quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Yuefeng raised his glass, indicating that he wanted to clink glasses with Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe had no choice but to raise his glass and clink it with Li Yuefeng's.
As a result, Li Yuefeng mumbled something and suddenly finished the whole glass of wine in one go.
“I’ve finished my drink, you can drink as you please.” Li Yuefeng said very boldly, “Lu Yanhe, although you are more famous and more capable than me, I admit that. But I used to really annoy you. I hate people like you who are more famous than me. However, starting today, I accept it. You treat me as a friend, and I will treat you as a friend too.”
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Disillusionment.
It was a night of disillusionment, and a night that was completely unexpected.
Lu Yanhe looked at Li Yuefeng, who was clearly drunk, smiled silently, and said, "You... are you still angry with me because I made you audition?"
"What else? We've already filmed 'The Seventeenth Floor,' haven't we? Don't you know what kind of acting is required? Do you think I'm some kind of expressionless actor with no acting skills?" Li Yuefeng patted his chest. "You asked me to audition, of course I feel like you're looking down on me."
Lu Yanhe: "...Isn't this just a normal procedure? I got many roles through auditions."
Li Yuefeng: "Bullshit, you're being so dishonest. These days, what kind of acting roles require auditions? Did you even audition for 'Burning Fire'?"
Lu Yanhe: "I misspoke. It wasn't an audition, it was a role audition. Can you accept that now? I've auditioned for 'Late Spring' and 'The Road to Glory.' It has nothing to do with acting skills. It's about how well you suit the role. Of course, I know your acting skills are fine, but after acting in so many dramas, you must know that if a role is played by a very suitable actor, even the most mature actor can't compare."
Li Yuefeng frowned. "Damn, you actually auditioned?"
What Lu Yanhe didn't say was that many of the auditions were actually initiated by him. He wanted to perform a short scene first and see how it went. From the production company's perspective, it was indeed as Li Yuefeng said; they never even suggested he audition, including for the Hollywood film "The Mist"—Hollywood truly has the most mature audition system in the world's film and television industry, but when the director approached him, he didn't ask him to audition.
However, Lu Yanhe himself still hopes for such a step—similar to script readings and rehearsals—the better the pre-production work is done, the smoother the filming will be. Because many problems are resolved before filming. And why are many productions bad? Is it because the production staff didn't work hard enough on set? No, it's because the production staff had too many problems and conflicts to handle on set, leaving them overwhelmed.
"Forget it, I won't hold it against you." Li Yuefeng waved his hand. "Next time it's your movie, you can let me audition. But we still need to keep it a secret. If I audition and you still don't want me, then I, a top-tier actor, will lose face completely."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated.
"Okay, got it."
Li Yuefeng sighed.
"I really envy you."
"ah?"
“You can act and you can write.” Li Yuefeng said, “If I could write scripts, I wouldn’t be like you, giving the scripts to others to act in. Damn it, all those scripts are mine.”
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Lu Yanhe said, "Even if you can't write screenplays, you shouldn't lack scripts to offer you, right?"
“We don’t lack scripts, but not many good scripts will come knocking on our door,” Li Yuefeng said. “For a play like ‘Burning Fire,’ the script is kept secret until you officially sign the contract. They won’t show you the whole thing. Scripts that come to us on their own initiative are usually not big productions in the conventional sense unless the production company specifically wants you to play the male lead.”
“You don’t have to act in every big-budget production. It’s good to take on one or two roles that are different from your usual types and styles, and try something new,” Lu Yanhe said.
He never imagined that he would say such a thing to Li Yuefeng one day.
Li Yuefeng: "Oh my, you're really talking without thinking. These days, who dares to fail? If you fail at one film, you'll fall straight to rock bottom, like you've been abandoned by the market. I'd like to try acting in art films, but in this market, nine out of ten art films lose money at the box office. If people wouldn't blame me for the losses, I'd be willing to give it a try, but how could they? As long as it's a film I'm in, no one cares if it's a commercial film or an art film. If the box office is just average, maybe 20 or 30 million, people will say, 'Look at Li Yuefeng, a top-tier actor, and his movie only makes 20 or 30 million? That's rubbish.'"
What Li Yuefeng said is indeed very realistic.
Lu Yanhe seemed to be deep in thought.
"If the market environment doesn't even give us any leeway to try projects that might fail, how can we possibly have the courage to make films that don't conform to the mainstream market?" Li Yuefeng said.
Li Yuefeng's words reminded Lu Yanhe of himself.
Everything he has now is actually built on the fact that he has never had a failed work.
With his success in both film and television, and his success in both commercial and award-winning projects, he gives the industry the illusion that he has no weaknesses. Therefore, now is almost the best time for him to undertake projects. No matter what project he undertakes, everyone thinks he will succeed.
But if he fails even once, the market's filtered trust in him may crumble.
If he wanted to film something, things probably wouldn't be going as smoothly as they are now.
Li Yuefeng asked, "What are you planning to film next?"
Lu Yanhe: "My next film is going to be filmed in the United States. I've taken on a Hollywood movie role."
Li Yuefeng didn't quite understand and said, "Why would you go to Hollywood to act in movies now? It's not like ten years ago anymore. Our domestic market is big enough."
Lu Yanhe said, "The script is interesting, and I don't want to be stuck in my ways."
Will you often go to Hollywood to act in movies in the future?
“I don’t know either,” Lu Yanhe said. “Let’s see the script. I have no plans to shift my focus to Hollywood.”
Li Yuefeng: "Oh, that's alright."
That night, Li Yuefeng was so drunk he could barely walk. Zou Dong had to take him back, first dropping him off at the hotel and handing him over to Wu Bai before Lu Yanhe returned to his own hotel.
The next morning, as soon as Lu Yanhe arrived at the film set, Li Yuefeng suddenly appeared and patted him on the shoulder from behind.
Good morning.
Li Yuefeng was in high spirits and showed no signs of having drunk too much yesterday.
Lu Yanhe looked at him in surprise.
"Didn't the director tell you to take two days off?"
"I feel like I'm back to my old self, so I told the coordinator that I can continue filming."
Lu Yanhe asked, "It seems there's no filming scheduled for you on today's call sheet."
Li Yuefeng said, "It's okay, I'm here to watch your performance."
Lu Yanhe didn't understand why Li Yuefeng was suddenly so enthusiastic.
At this moment, Li Quanling, the coordinator, walked over with dark circles under his eyes.
He glanced at Li Yuefeng helplessly and said, "Don't call me at midnight anymore and tell me you can act now. It's impossible to change the schedule for the next day at midnight!"
Li Yuefeng immediately smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Quan Ling, I was drunk yesterday. I'm sorry for bothering you."
Li Quanling let out a heavy sigh and left.
Lu Yanhe: "..."
-
This morning's scene was another one that took place in the Sorcerer's Academy.
A scene features seven or eight actors.
Li Yuefeng's character is indeed not in this scene.
However, he persisted in staying on set, chatting with this person and that person.
While Lu Yanhe was rehearsing with everyone, Xiao Yun muttered to herself, "What's wrong with Li Yuefeng? Why does he suddenly seem so excited?"
Lu Yanhe: "I don't know."
Lang Xia said with some disdain, "Perhaps they were overreacted; things will turn around when they reach their extreme."
Lu Yanhe did not respond.
This is a dialogue scene, consisting mainly of the characters' conversations.
In other words, it's not difficult for these seasoned actors to perform.
The preparation time was long, from adjusting the lighting and camera movement to coordinating the actors with the camera, as well as rehearsing on set, which took about an hour and a half.
The actual filming only lasted half an hour.
After filming three times, Wanrenhai finally let the scene pass.
The scenery will change soon.
Every time the scene changed, it was the most chaotic time on set.
Wang Biao had already helped Wan Qingqing collect all his things and was preparing to go back to the lounge to rest.
Over there, a young actor playing one of their classmates suddenly pulled out his phone and exclaimed in surprise. Several people began whispering among themselves. This reaction spread quickly, from a few to a dozen, until most of them wore expressions of shock and disbelief.
Lang Xia noticed that suddenly many eyes were focused on him.
He looked at others, puzzled, but no matter who he looked at, the other person would immediately look away to avoid eye contact.
This scene annoyed Lang Xia.
Because of this incident, Lang Xia was basically certain that something bad had happened that concerned him, but he didn't know what had happened, which made him feel frustrated and confused.
Until his agent walked through the crowd and came to him with a somber expression.
-
"He Yingzi's face is really dark," Wang Biao said gloatingly.
They have left the set and returned to the lounge.
Actually, Wang Biao wanted to stay and watch the excitement, but Lu Yanhe didn't share that idea.
Lu Yanhe: "I don't know if we can still film that scene later."
Wang Biao: "Then it depends on whether Lang Xia can be a bit better than Li Yuefeng. If he's a bit more shameless, then maybe we can continue filming."
He clicked his tongue. "Put yourself in their shoes. I don't even know how those two can work together on the same set after this. They've completely torn each other apart."
If they don't completely break off relations, even if they have a grudge, they can still tolerate each other and finish filming the movie together despite their differences.
Once the facade is broken, with the entire crew watching, can the two of them still pretend nothing happened and continue filming?
The difficulty has doubled.
Of course, in this vast world, anything can happen. There are even divorced couples who can continue acting together, playing a couple deeply in love with each other on screen.
Wu Bai found a familiar marketing account and exclusively released the behind-the-scenes truth about Li Yuefeng being harassed by paparazzi and the paparazzi's family holding up banners at the entrance of the film set demanding medical expenses.
A phone recording was released, complete with carefully added subtitles, including the names and identities of the speakers, so that everyone could clearly know who the two people speaking were.
Then, Lang Xia and her agent He Yingzi quickly became trending topics.
The crew of "Burning Fire" were, of course, more shocked than anyone else.
Having worked in the entertainment industry for a long time, it's extremely rare to find a situation like this where both parties involved are right in front of you.
This is truly being a firsthand observer, without any intermediaries.
Just as Lu Yanhe had predicted, the film... couldn't be made.
The scene was changed at the last minute, and neither Li Yuefeng nor Lang Xia showed up.
Lan Mingting is also gone; he's probably gone to mediate the conflict between the two sides.
Suddenly, the set of "Burning Fire" became inexplicably... turbulent.
Actually, this has nothing to do with anyone else. It's just about Lang Xia and Li Yuefeng, plus their teams. Even if the two of them fight to the death, it has nothing to do with anyone else.
However, that's how people are. When something happens around them, they feel a sense of "participation" and start discussing it quietly, in hushed tones, and cautiously, with a "let's not add fuel to the fire" attitude. In reality, they're just adding fuel to the fire and stirring things up.
Xiao Yun, who loves excitement and especially loves gossip, has been as excited as if he had met his idol these past two days. His eyes are shining brightly. Whenever he's on set, he doesn't discuss the script or the characters with others, but rather the latest gossip.
—How will Lang Xia and Li Yuefeng resolve this matter?
Lu Yanhe is actually quite fond of gossip, but this time he didn't enjoy it at all.
He was worried that this incident would affect the filming of the movie "Burning Fire".
The same is clearly true for Wanrenhai.
-
The next day, Li Yuefeng still appeared at the scene.
He's here to film a movie; the call sheet says he has two scenes today.
But Lang Xia did not appear.
If Li Yuefeng was in poor form two days ago, frequently forgetting his lines, let alone delivering a high-quality performance, today Li Yuefeng is like he's on steroids, acting with divine assistance and his performance is soaring.
Lu Yanhe felt a thrilling sense of being "shown off" when acting opposite him.
When acting, encountering a good co-star can stimulate a better reaction.
Lu Yanhe felt this kind of stimulation from Li Yuefeng.
He was surprised.
Seeing Li Yuefeng's state, the others at the scene also had their own doubts. Mainly, the difference before and after was too great, one was on the ground, the other was in the sky.
What surprised many people even more was that Li Yuefeng and Lu Yanhe's relationship suddenly became closer.
They were quite familiar with each other before, and would chat and laugh on set, but that was still far from being "close".
Now, after filming a scene, Li Yuefeng would still put his arm around Lu Yanhe's shoulder and chatter on and on.
Those who observed more closely noticed that Lu Yanhe's attitude hadn't actually changed much; it was mainly that Li Yuefeng had become closer to Lu Yanhe.
Even Xiao Yun asked Lu Yanhe in disbelief, "What's going on between Li Yuefeng and you? Did you borrow money from him or save his life, that makes him so close to you now?"
Lu Yanhe: "Uh, it's a long story."
Xiao Yun said, "After this incident, I realized that Li Yuefeng's popularity over the past few years is largely due to his agent."
"Huh? What did his agent do?"
“You know, before this happened, his agent gave every member of the crew a small gift.” Xiao Yun’s tone was full of admiration.
This was the first time Lu Yanhe had heard of this.
What did he give as a gift?
"It wasn't a particularly expensive gift. It was just a pair of headphones from an electronics brand that Li Yuefeng endorses. They sell for 168 yuan a pair," Xiao Yun said. "At the time, everyone thought Wu Bai was very generous. But then it was revealed that Lang Xia and his agent were smearing Li Yuefeng behind his back. Only then did everyone realize that he was hoping everyone would support Li Yuefeng in this matter. Actually, there was no need for the crew to say anything. It was already a done deal. Wu Bai probably just wanted to prevent anyone in the crew from saying anything bad about Li Yuefeng at this crucial moment."
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized what was happening.
However, to be fair, the agents behind the actors in this production crew are not simple people.
Chen Ziyan goes without saying.
Lang Xia's agent, He Yingzi, was Chen Ziyan's previous rival, and Wu Bai—
He is also a very capable agent. His ability to bring Li Yuefeng to prominence and keep him at the forefront of the industry speaks volumes about his skills.
Not to mention anyone else.
This is a phenomenon that inevitably exists behind big-budget productions.
Only the top people in the industry can join this big production, and the same goes for the agents.
Lu Yanhe was curious about how He Yingzi would resolve this matter.
Of course, more than how He Yingzi would resolve the matter, Lu Yanhe was curious about why He Yingzi's phone call was recorded.
It feels like such a basic mistake shouldn't have happened to He Yingzi.
He Yingzi's solution didn't keep Lu Yanhe waiting long. That very evening, she recorded a video and publicly apologized to Li Yuefeng.
"I'm sorry, but because of my personal grudge against Wu Bai, I tried to make things difficult for Li Yuefeng by taking advantage of the proxy bidding incident. I actually know that this is not Li Yuefeng's fault and he does not need to bear any legal responsibility. So, I found the injured proxy bidder and asked him to cause trouble for Li Yuefeng. It was purely for revenge and to vent my anger."
He Yingzi stood sincerely in front of the camera.
"This matter has nothing to do with the conflicts between artists that everyone is discussing. Lang Xia was completely unaware of this matter. I also have no problem with Li Yuefeng himself. My target was Wu Bai. Here, I would like to sincerely apologize to Mr. Li Yuefeng. Because you are Wu Bai's best artist, I chose to cause trouble for you in an attempt to disgust Wu Bai, which resulted in you being condemned and insulted."
-
After watching the apology video, Lu Yanhe was completely bewildered, realizing that he didn't understand it at all.
He even had to ask Chen Ziyan for help.
"Did He Yingzi have a personal grudge against Wu Bai?"
“Which agent hasn’t had personal grudges?” Chen Ziyan said. “Don’t be fooled by He Yingzi. She’s using a strategic retreat to let Lang Xia get away. As an agent, she doesn’t need to rely on her public image for a living. With the other party’s evidence irrefutable, she’s taking all the blame herself so that Lang Xia can get out unscathed.”
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized.
He said so.
It's still He Yingzi, she's ruthless enough.
Chen Ziyan added, "The most ruthless thing about He Yingzi's move is that when she apologized, she planted a thorn between Wu Bai and Li Yuefeng."
"ah?"
-
"Don't you understand? She's doing this on purpose! Deliberately trying to sow discord!" Wu Bai rolled his eyes at Li Yuefeng speechlessly.
Li Yuefeng actually believed He Yingzi's words, thinking that He Yingzi did that because she had a personal grudge against him.
What personal grudge did he have against her that warranted this much?
Li Yuefeng said, "He Yingzi apologized to me in public."
“That’s because she only has one option left: to apologize,” Wu Bai said angrily. “The recording has already been released. If she doesn’t apologize, then Lang Xia will be the villain who schemed against you behind your back. How will he continue to be an artist? How will he make a living? She wanted Lang Xia to get away unscathed, and she didn’t want to be the villain herself, so she gave us this fake personal grudge and made it seem like it was a personal feud between the two of us.”
Li Yuefeng remained skeptical.
Wu Bai let out a long sigh.
"Whatever, believe it or not."
Li Yuefeng then smiled and said, "Hey, Brother Bai, why are you in such a hurry? I didn't say I didn't trust you. Even if she resorted to such underhanded tactics because of you, I'm definitely on your side. How could I let her sow discord between us? Our relationship isn't something that can be easily undermined."
Wu Bai: "Anyway, I've taken care of this for you. Now you can focus on filming. I'm tired too, so I'm going back to rest."
Li Yuefeng could tell that Wu Bai was truly angry.
He immediately put his arm around his neck with a grin and said, "What rest? Shouldn't we celebrate? Come on, come on, I'll treat you to a drink. You've worked hard these past few days. Thanks to you, otherwise I would have been ripped off long ago."
Looking at Li Yuefeng's grinning face, Wu Bai sighed, ultimately unable to bring himself to go all the way.
-
Lang Xia returned to the film crew unharmed.
On the surface, this matter has nothing to do with him.
It was his agent who did this behind his back.
However, no one knows how many people believe this.
Everyone probably believes it verbally.
When Lang Xia and Li Yuefeng met on set, they didn't fight, but they ignored each other like strangers.
Lang Xia's situation suddenly became awkward.
Lu Yanhe was already a stranger to him, and now with Li Yuefeng added to the mix, Lang Xia was mostly left alone on set.
This atmosphere always made the filming set a little awkward.
But for some reason, everyone's performance actually improved a lot in this atmosphere.
Everyone was astonished.
While many people were enthusiastically following the gossip and getting involved in all the events that happened on set, Shang Yongzhou remained focused solely on his own filming, leaving as soon as he finished and rarely interacting with the other actors.
This was Shang Yongzhou's acting style, and Lu Yanhe was used to it.
Whenever he acts and gets into character, he tries his best to stay in that character's state for a period of time, especially when he's with other actors.
The character he plays carries a mission of revenge, is filled with bitterness and hatred, and after becoming a teacher at the academy, he spends most of his time alone.
In order to maintain this state and feeling, Shang Yongzhou deliberately kept his distance from everyone.
Including Lu Yanhe.
Because Lu Yanhe and he didn't get along at first in the drama.
In this respect, Lu Yanhe greatly admired Shang Yongzhou.
He truly respects the acting profession and approaches his roles with a spirit rarely seen in actors today, giving it his all.
Of course, Shang Yongzhou's approach also made some people secretly wonder if he was being too aloof and arrogant by keeping his distance from others.
When Lu Yanhe heard others say this, he would usually try to explain it to Shang Yongzhou.
In short, after the incident involving Li Yuefeng and Lang Xia, the film crew entered a period of calm and peaceful filming.
Every actor is completely immersed in their role, a stark contrast to the first two weeks of filming.
-
That day, Lu Yanhe finished work relatively early, at four o'clock in the afternoon. The next two scenes were for Shang Yongzhou.
Lu Yanhe was about to go back when Xu Ping suddenly came over carrying two boxes.
"Teacher Lu!" he called out to him.
Lu Yanhe turned around with some surprise.
Xu Ping smiled broadly and said, "I haven't had a chance to properly thank you for your help that morning. Thank you so much."
Lu Yanhe suddenly realized and shook his head, "It was just a small matter. I was afraid of escalating the conflict. You handled it very well."
Xu Ping picked up the box in his hand.
It's obviously a gift.
Lu Yanhe's face already showed a look of refusal.
Xu Ping said, "This is nothing valuable, Teacher Lu, please don't refuse. It didn't cost much. My wife's family owns a farm, and knowing that you helped me a lot, she insisted that I bring it over as a token of my gratitude. Please accept it."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe finally felt relieved and gave an "oh," then asked, "What is it?"
Xu Ping said, "Some deer antlers, matsutake mushrooms, peach gum, and the like."
Lu Yanhe: "You're too kind, thank you."
He received it.
Xu Ping: "Oh, this is nothing. Compared to the help you've given me, this is really just a small token of my appreciation. Thank you!"
Lu Yanhe waved his hand.
"Then you should go back and rest early, Teacher Lu. If you need anything, please contact me anytime," Xu Ping said with a smile. "As long as it's within my responsibilities, I will definitely do it if you need it."
Lu Yanhe nodded, "Okay, go ahead and get busy, thanks."
As soon as Xu Ping left, Zou Dong stepped forward and took the two large boxes from Lu Yanhe.
"It's quite solid," Zou Dong said.
Lu Yanhe breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, although this incident caused quite a stir, it seems that no one was injured or killed so far. Oh, no, those two paparazzi broke their bones."
Zou Dong: "If paparazzi try to cut off our cars like they do in the future, I really don't know what to do."
Lu Yanhe said, "Just drive it however you want. You see, everyone knows this time it's a problem with proxy photographers."
Zou Dong: "Luckily, nothing serious happened to them. If the photographer had been thrown into the air and hit something sharp, it might not have been as simple as just a fracture."
Lu Yanhe: "Brother Dong, don't worry. As long as we don't intentionally want to hurt them, if something like this really happens, we'll face it and resolve it positively."
“I am…” Zou Dong hesitated for a moment, but still said it directly, “I saw that you were worried about those two injured paparazzi this time. With your personality, if you accidentally hurt someone, even if it’s not your fault, you might blame yourself.”
"Brother Dong, I'm just a little sentimental, but I'm not so rational as to lose my senses." Lu Yanhe smiled helplessly.
-
As the actors gradually joined the crew, Lu Yanhe's daily filming pressure finally eased.
In March, he might have had one scene each in the morning, noon and evening. By the beginning of April, he was much more relaxed, with only one or two scenes a day, which allowed him to study them carefully. He even had one or two days a week without any scenes to rest.
In early April, Zhao Yuan brought the first cut of "Love Letter" to the "Burning Fire" crew to show Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe specifically asked Shang Yongzhou and director Wanren Hai to watch the film together and give him their opinions.
Lu Yanhe also gave his opinion to Zhao Yuan based on his impression of what "Love Letter" looked like.
"Didn't Li Fenglei come this time?" After finishing their business, Lu Yanhe asked the young editor at the dinner table.
Zhao Yuan looked at Lu Yanhe with some surprise when he heard Lu Yanhe bring up Li Fenglei.
"He had some family matters to attend to and went home," Zhao Yuan said with a smile. "Why is Director Lu so concerned about him?"
Lu Yanhe: "I feel bad seeing that you came all this way today. I'm already very fortunate and content to have you as the editor of 'Love Letter'. I can't go to your place to watch it because I'm filming, so I can only ask you to send it to me. It's not right for me to make you run errands yourself."
Zhao Yuan's smile finally became genuinely bright.
“What’s the big deal, Director Lu? To be honest, the movie ‘Love Letter’ will become a classic,” Zhao Yuan said. “Although we haven’t started color grading, dubbing, or music composition yet, I’ve seen so much material. As soon as I saw the movie, I knew it would be a success.”
Shang Yongzhou nodded and said, "It's really good, Yan He. I didn't expect you to direct so steadily for your first time."
“I think the temperament of ‘Love Letter’ is quite similar to Yan He’s own temperament.” Wan Renhai laughed and said, “Quiet, profound, and yet, beneath this appearance, it gives me a strong sense of youth and adolescence. This kind of quality is very rare.”
“Then I feel more confident,” Lu Yanhe said. “I was really worried because it was my first time directing, and I was afraid I would mess it up.”
Wanrenhai: "That little girl in the movie will become an overnight sensation after it's released. I think I should hurry up and sign her to two movie contracts before she becomes famous?"
Lu Yanhe said with a smile, "She's still in high school. We don't even know if she'll become an actress in the future. It took a lot of effort to convince her to film 'Love Letter'."
If Chen Ziyan hadn't won over Zhang Ruozhi's mother, Zhang Ruozhi definitely wouldn't have been able to get the role.
"She has a face that's naturally blessed by the camera; it would be a shame if she didn't become an actress." Wanrenhai had a very high opinion of Zhang Ruozhi.
Hopefully, the release of this movie will spark her interest in becoming an actress.
Zhang Ruozhi has signed with Chen Ziyan and Lu Yanhe's company, but she is not currently being managed as an artist.
They reached an agreement with Zhang Ruozhi and her family that before the college entrance examination, all matters related to performing arts would be unrelated to Zhang Ruozhi.
Therefore, although it was clear that Wanrenhai was very interested in Zhang Ruozhi, Lu Yanhe did not break the rule just because it was a good opportunity.
Lu Yanhe changed the subject.
"By the way, Director, after you finish filming the first part of 'Burning Fire,' will you immediately start preparing for the second part?" Lu Yanhe casually threw back a question.
“I have another film in the works, which has been in preparation for a long time. After I finish filming ‘Burning Fire’, I will film it first,” Wan Renhai said. “The post-production of ‘Burning Fire’ will take one or two years, so it won’t be released so soon. Before its release, Longyan will not officially push forward with the second film.”
Although "Burning Fire" was planned as a trilogy and each actor signed a letter of intent for the trilogy, if the first film does not perform well at the box office, there will definitely be no second film.
After all, a movie has a production budget of several hundred million yuan, and it can't afford to go down the drain.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
(End of this chapter)
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