Chapter 527 Loyalty and Righteousness (15,000 words updated!)
"Lu Yanhe, your sister loves you—"
"Lu Yanhe, Mom loves you—"
"Lu Yanhe, the fairy loves you—"
...
The constant screams have created a familiar sound barrier for Lu Yanhe's travels, especially at the airport.
Lu Yanhe, wearing sunglasses, was being protected by his team as he walked forward. Suddenly, he heard the words "Fairy loves you" in the voice and couldn't help but laugh. He turned around and saw a very beautiful girl.
"Hello, fairy." Lu Yanhe said with a smile.
The fairy screamed on the spot.
"Alright, please don't see me off any further. The entrance is just ahead, and there are too many of you. You'll be blocking other people's way, so let's stop here," Lu Yanhe said to them.
Everyone nodded.
This has almost become a habitual practice for Lu Yanhe's fans.
No one questioned it.
Lu Yanhe walked to the door, turned around and waved to them.
The crowd erupted in cheers again.
-
"Brother Lu's popularity seems to be getting better and better." After entering the airport, Wang Biao turned around and looked out through the glass wall. "This time, there are almost a hundred people here."
Chen Ziyan said, "Yan He was very popular in 'The Days of Youth,' and with his career now, he has more and more fans. This trip to Venice has been widely publicized by the media, and the large number of people attending is a special case. Under normal circumstances, there shouldn't be so many people."
When picking someone up or dropping them off at the airport, there are usually only twenty or thirty fans at most.
Not many people have the time to spend on these things. Nor are many people truly willing to go offline to "support" celebrities. Those who can actually do this are basically people who have money, free time, and the ability to find out Lu Yanhe's schedule.
It's important to know that before Lu Yanhe's official fan club was canceled, Lu Yanhe firmly opposed them organizing such activities, let alone after the cancellation, it's even less likely that anyone would organize them.
Many of Lu Yanhe's activities now are spontaneous actions by his fans.
But this is also good. Compared to other actors' performances, which are accompanied by uniform and identical promotional materials, Lu Yanhe's fans can speak normally without having to mass-produce text garbage like robots.
After entering the waiting room, Lu Yanhe ran into several acquaintances.
Peng Zhixing, Yan Liang, Su Xiao, and Qin Zhibai were all on this flight to Venice.
"What a coincidence," Lu Yanhe greeted them with a smile. "Zhenzhen and the others should have started filming as soon as they set off."
Li Zhenzhen and the others had already gone there ahead of time.
They need to scout locations and develop shooting plans in advance.
Almost everyone is accompanied by an agent, unlike regular work where they might only be accompanied by an assistant.
As soon as Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan appeared, everyone warmed up and greeted each other.
The agents, in particular, were already chatting enthusiastically, and when they met Chen Ziyan, they chatted even more enthusiastically.
They were all very curious about the show "The Birth of an Actor".
Qin Zhibai's agent seemed somewhat interested and wanted to send him to the show to see if he had any acting talent.
But Qin Zhibai himself was very resistant.
He has never acted in any dramas; he is a pure singer.
He didn't want to act either—he had absolutely no interest in it.
Qin Zhibai said to Lu Yanhe helplessly, "Why do you insist on making me act?"
Lu Yanhe actually understands the choices these agents made.
Although Qin Zhibai's music is quite popular and his fans are very loyal, this is no longer an era where music drives the world crazy, nor is it an era where movies drive the world crazy. The weight of everything is declining because another new world is densely encroaching on every corner of this ancient world along the Internet.
But TV dramas and movies at least capture a larger share of viewership.
That's right, even between music and film/television, there are differences in popularity.
Qin Zhibai's agent wants him to act so that he can further expand his acting career.
He's very handsome, and aside from other acting roles, he's definitely good at idol dramas.
Perhaps his career can reach new heights, after all, generally speaking, 1+1 will not be less than 2.
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and said, "It's up to you. If you're really not interested and don't want to do it, don't force yourself. I think any creation can't be forced."
Qin Zhibai: "It's not that I'm forcing myself, it's that my agent is forcing me."
Lu Yanhe: "That's between you and your agent. We're all outsiders."
Qin Zhibai: "Didn't your agent force you to do work you didn't want to do?"
"I have never encountered a job that I particularly didn't want to do."
"..."
Qin Zhibai: "Livestock."
Lu Yanhe: "This is a personal attack."
Qin Zhibai: "There are no cameras here."
Lu Yanhe: "A gentleman is cautious even when alone."
Qin Zhibai: "A gentleman does not accept all comers."
Lu Yanhe: "Are you traumatized?"
Qin Zhibai glanced at him sideways, "Who among the people around you hasn't been provoked by you?"
Lu Yanhe: "...You're making it sound like I'm some kind of contaminant."
"The first time I saw you was on the show 'Little Songs Gathering,' where you sang 'Remembrance,' do you remember?"
"Um."
"As soon as you finished singing, everyone looked at you in surprise. But at that time you were on stage and didn't see our expressions. Later I watched the show and I found out that Ms. Liu Zhilan actually said something that wasn't included in the program."
Liu Zhilan was a senior singer who recorded that episode with them.
Qin Zhibai said, "She said that compared to those noisy avant-garde music, she still prefers your kind of refreshing music and clean voice."
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
Qin Zhibai: "Chen Ziliang was right next to us at the time, and his face immediately turned black."
This was the first time Lu Yanhe had heard about this.
He had never heard of it before.
He suddenly realized why Chen Ziliang and his manager had been so rude to him when he ran into them on the stairs after the recording ended.
At the time, Lu Yanhe thought that Chen Ziliang himself had a problem with his personality, that he would directly make sarcastic remarks to someone he had just met and had no prior conflict with.
Four years later, I'm only now realizing what happened.
Lu Yanhe sighed.
Qin Zhibai: "So, from the first day I met you, you've been constantly provoking others, and I've gotten used to it."
Lu Yanhe: "Are you saying that I'm so outstanding that I'll dazzle people wherever I go?"
Qin Zhibai: "..."
Peng Zhixing patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Little Lu, learn something good from others, don't learn Li Zhibai's shamelessness."
Qin Zhibai said to Peng Zhixing, "Brother Zhixing, you still say he learned from Li Zhibai? He has already surpassed his teacher. Li Zhibai should acknowledge him as his master."
Lu Yanhe immediately shook his head vigorously.
"No, I didn't."
-
When they arrived in Venice again, they were greeted by beautiful weather.
Before Lu Yanhe left the airport, Chen Ziyan checked him over from head to toe, adjusted his collar, and put a hat on him.
"Your hair is all limp from flying all the way."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
Image management is an essential course for artists.
Lu Yanhe actually wanted to say, "Forget it, there's no need."
But he knew that if he dared to say that, Chen Ziyan would glare at him.
Lu Yanhe didn't want to have to worry about his image all the time.
For example, at the airport, after a long flight, all he wants to do is get to the hotel as soon as possible and get some rest.
However, outside the airport, more than thirty of his fans rushed over upon hearing the news, holding up his movie posters, calling out his name, and asking him for autographs.
Seeing this, Lu Yanhe whispered to Chen Ziyan, "Sister Ziyan, did you hire these shills?"
He had never encountered so many fans supporting him when he was abroad before.
Chen Ziyan whispered, "About half of them were found by me, and the other half came spontaneously. You're here to hold an exhibition, so the event can't be too shabby."
Lu Yanhe asked in a low voice, "How are the tickets for the movie screening?"
"I haven't asked yet," Chen Ziyan said.
Lu Yanhe waved and greeted his fans with a big smile, signed autographs, and took selfies with them, demonstrating the impeccable manners of an artist.
-
Peng Zhixing and his group were on the same flight as Lu Yanhe and happened to witness this scene from the side.
None of them were known abroad, especially in Venice.
At this moment, witnessing Lu Yanhe's popularity abroad firsthand, they felt a complex mix of emotions. On one hand, they were proud and happy for Lu Yanhe, but on the other hand, they felt somewhat disappointed that they had not achieved the same success.
Li Zhenzhen and her team had already been waiting here in advance.
The recording of the third phase of "The Days of Youth" begins here.
This scene was also captured on film by Li Zhenzhen and her team.
Lu Yanhe decided not to get into his own car with Chen Ziyan and Wang Biao, but instead to get into the car rented by the production team with everyone else to begin the official recording.
Throughout the entire process, Lu Yanhe was filmed by the program crew's cameras.
Of course, the same applies to other artists.
Once in the car, Su Xiao said with some envy, "Yan He, I didn't know you were already so popular abroad."
"Yes, the scene of welcoming people at the airport here is just as good as in China," Peng Zhixing said with a smile.
Lu Yanhe looked at Li Zhenzhen: "Sister Zhenzhen, remember not to edit what I'm about to say into the show."
Li Zhenzhen looked puzzled. "Huh?"
Lu Yanhe told them, "Actually, half of them were shills hired by my agent."
A group of people: "..."
Li Zhenzhen: "Don't say things like that in front of the camera in the future!"
Peng Zhixing laughed loudly.
"That's quite a lot, and half of them are true fans."
Lu Yanhe: "It's really been a gradual increase over the past few years. When I first started attending film festivals, hardly anyone knew me. Not to mention at the airport, even on the red carpet, hardly any photographers took pictures of me. Later, I guess it was because I appeared in public more often that people started to recognize me. The photographers and reporters who cover film festivals for various media outlets are basically the same people, so there isn't much change. The more you come, the more people recognize you. And when they report on it, some audience members also recognize you."
“Then you should bring your work with you too,” Su Xiao said. “Without work, I don’t know what to do here.”
“If you don’t have any works to show, come here to find opportunities to act in them,” Lu Yanhe said. “Although many people say that you shouldn’t walk the red carpet if you don’t have any works to show, to be honest, I don’t agree with that.”
"Huh?" Peng Zhixing and the others were all shocked.
It's important to understand that bringing your work to the red carpet is the mainstream view.
Lu Yanhe said, "Because acting is a very passive profession. I have a special feeling about this program, 'The Birth of an Actor.' Some actors, is it because their acting skills are bad? Is it because their appearance is average? No, it's just that they haven't been seen by everyone, so they remain silent and unknown. The less work they have, the more frequently they need to go out, meet with producers, directors, and screenwriters, to find opportunities and roles for themselves."
Su Xiao: "What you said makes a lot of sense."
“That makes a lot of sense.” Peng Zhixing nodded. “I’ve done a lot of interviews over the years, and I’ve interviewed many successful artists. They all said that you have to be proactive and fight for the projects you like and are passionate about. There’s always been a saying that not competing or fighting is the best attitude, but in this industry, once you’ve been noticed, of course you can be nonchalant and indifferent. But if you haven’t been noticed yet, and you’re not proactive or enthusiastic, who will offer you a free lunch?”
...
Apart from Lu Yanhe, all of them were visiting Venice for the first time as artists.
Lu Yanhe went through this stage.
Because it wasn't my own country, it wasn't my home turf, and deep down I felt that I didn't have any works that were known to the public, I was a little nervous.
That's why Lu Yanhe spoke those words very seriously.
Although he himself didn't find it easy to do it, he was hesitant and timid.
-
When Lu Yanhe arrived at the hotel, several media outlets were already waiting to interview him.
These media outlets were arranged by the official Venice Film Festival.
Chen Ziyan originally didn't want to arrange so many interviews for Lu Yanhe, but she happened to see a reporter from China who attended the film festival complaining that although there were many stars and the event was dazzling, almost none of them reserved time for media reporters to conduct exclusive interviews.
After thinking about it, Chen Ziyan basically agreed to everything.
Lu Yanhe's achievements were largely due to the media's favorable impression of him, which enabled him to achieve them so quickly.
Chen Ziyan still wanted to maintain the media's positive impression of Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe went back to his room to rest for a while before changing his clothes, because he would be taking photos during the interview later. Fortunately, he didn't need to do a full makeover like he would on the red carpet, as that would be too formal for interview photos.
During Lu Yanhe's trip to Venice, every outfit he wore featured Math. While Lu Yanhe had worn Math quite a bit before as a brand ambassador, it had never been this frequent. This was mainly to reciprocate their generosity—Math sponsored Lu Yanhe's thank-you dinner with $200,000.
-
Lu Yanhe gave a total of three and a half hours of exclusive interviews to eight media outlets.
The entire process was filmed by the crew of the show "The Days of Youth".
The show's slogan at this stage was to showcase the most authentic state of celebrities in the world of fame and fortune.
This is his condition.
Between each interview, Lu Yanhe was given a ten-minute break, which also gave the media outlets time to adjust their equipment and coordinate.
Lu Yanhe could only change his clothes, drink some water, eat something, and replenish his energy in those ten minutes. Even though he was exhausted, he had to pull himself together and appear relaxed, natural, and full of energy for the next media interview.
Li Zhenzhen personally followed Lu Yanhe's group.
Other celebrities also have corresponding schedules, and they are followed by filming crews.
This was also the first time Li Zhenzhen had seen Lu Yanhe in his normal working state.
When Li Zhenzhen saw Lu Yanhe maintain his high spirits for three and a half hours, chatting with the interviewer about film, directors, the films nominated for this year's Venice International Film Festival, his own film exhibition, and a wide variety of other topics, she was deeply moved. Lu Yanhe never faltered; no matter the question, he provided sincere answers rather than rambling nonsense.
After the interviews with eight media outlets concluded, and as Lu Yanhe saw off the last media outlet, the light in his eyes dimmed wearily.
He stretched and turned to look at them.
"You've all worked hard, haven't you had dinner yet?"
"No."
Lu Yanhe said, "Let's go, I'll treat everyone to dinner."
He changed back into casual clothes and immediately became lazy and listless.
Lu Yanhe greeted everyone in the "Days of Youth" group: I just finished work here, how about you guys?
Except for Song Linxin, who is still shooting for the magazine, everyone else has already finished.
We all agreed to meet at a restaurant.
Chen Ziyan had booked the restaurant in advance.
Lu Yanhe dozed off for a while in the car.
Li Zhenzhen suddenly thought of something and turned to Chen Ziyan in a low voice, "Sister Ziyan, can we ask you a few questions later? About Yan He."
Chen Ziyan thought for a moment and nodded.
"Sure."
The camera kept filming Lu Yanhe, even though Lu Yanhe had closed his eyes and fallen asleep.
Afraid she might forget, Li Zhenzhen took out her phone and wrote in her notes:
He is not only a dedicated actor on set, but also a dedicated artist in his work. He could have lowered his standards as an artist simply because he is already a successful actor, but he did not.
What shocked me even more was that he would change his clothes every time he was interviewed by a media outlet. I asked his agent privately why he changed clothes so frequently. Was it a requirement from the brands? Was it to showcase more clothes?
His agent said that it wasn't that; rather, it was because every media outlet would take photos and videos, and Yan He wanted to give each media outlet something different.
Li Zhenzhen is no longer a newcomer to the workplace, but looking at everything Lu Yanhe has done, she still feels that there is so much for young people to learn from Lu Yanhe in the entertainment industry.
This dedication, especially the ability to offer something unique to each media outlet, is truly commendable.
Suddenly, a subheading popped into Li Zhenzhen's mind:
People often say that Lu Yanhe is a media darling, but it seems that no one has ever asked why Lu Yanhe is a media darling.
She immediately took out her phone, wrote down the sentence, and decided to use it in the program's script.
-
When they arrived at the restaurant, Li Zhenzhen discovered that not only Peng Zhixing and his group, but also Director Luo Yuzhong had been invited by Lu Yanhe.
"As you all know, the director is the director of my first film. He is the one who led me onto the path of acting, and he is also my teacher."
Lu Yanhe specifically invited Luo Yuzhong over tonight.
On the one hand, Xiao Yun and the others all need to get to know Luo Yuzhong, whether it's for filming or other purposes, knowing Luo Yuzhong would be beneficial.
On the other hand, Luo Yuzhong also needs to get to know more actors, especially young actors—many people mistakenly believe that a big director like Luo Yuzhong has no shortage of actors to act in his films.
But in reality, the more directors of Luo Yuzhong's caliber they are, the more actors they are surrounded by, making it difficult to have opportunities to meet them privately. They usually get introduced by friends, audition, or have a meal and chat for a few tens of minutes, which is already quite an achievement.
Lu Yanhe felt that the people in "The Days of Youth" were all very good artists. Whether they were hosts, singers, or actors, after spending several years together, their character, temperament, professional skills, and dedication were all reassuring.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe wanted to give Luo Yuzhong a private opportunity to get to know and communicate with them. Good actors are in high demand by any director.
Although there will be a thank-you dinner the night after tomorrow, there will be too many people at that time, not only them, but also the media and other people, so it won't be a place to have a proper chat.
-
Luo Yuzhong came here specifically to support Lu Yanhe, and he didn't have any other work, so he was quite relaxed.
He had read "The Days of Youth" and the works of some of them, and was familiar with these young people.
Luo Yuzhong said with a smile, "Your program is quite interesting. You have a good eye to bring you all together before you even became famous."
Li Zhenzhen made a peace sign and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Director Luo."
This is indeed the most impressive aspect of "Days of Being Young".
They have an exceptionally good eye.
From a market perspective, among the eight people, only Su Xiao may not yet be recognized as a top-tier star; the others are undeniably famous.
But Su Xiao's career is not doing badly either.
For an artist of her age, she was already a well-known figure with a portfolio of works.
Li Zhibai said, "Director, do you remember me? During the audition for 'The Golden Era,' you auditioned all of us. You praised my acting as being very relaxed and even told them to learn from me. What do you think of Lu Yanhe's learning? Did he learn even a little bit of what I had?"
His calm and proud demeanor instantly made everyone, who had been a little reserved upon seeing Luo Yuzhong, break down in their inhibitions.
here we go again.
Luo Yuzhong smiled and tapped him with his hand.
“I’ve seen some of your shows, especially ‘Washe,’ where you acted very well. It’s hard for people to accept your acting skills because of your appearance, but you did it very well,” Luo Yuzhong said. “If Yan He were to play the role, you might not be as suitable as him.”
Li Zhibai raised an eyebrow at Lu Yanhe and asked, "Did you hear that?"
Lu Yanhe: "Of course, after all, even if I act well, I can't compare to you playing a character who is arrogant, cocky, and loves to show off.
Li Zhibai clicked his tongue: "Jealousy, blatant jealousy."
Yan Liang asked, "Director, when you're casting actors, you wouldn't usually choose someone as shameless as Li Zhibai, would you?"
Luo Yuzhong laughed twice.
“Actors have to be thick-skinned. You used to be too thin-skinned, but you’ve gotten a little better in the last two years.”
Yan Liang was taken aback.
The implication behind Luo Yuzhong's words is that he has actually been paying attention to Yan Liang over the past two years.
This surprised and astonished Yan Liang.
Just then, Peng Zhixing suddenly said excitedly, "The nomination list for the Golden Tripod Awards has been announced! Yan Liang, you've been nominated for Best Supporting Actor!"
Everyone showed an unexpected look of surprise.
The nomination list was announced at this very moment.
What a coincidence!
Yan Liang looked at Peng Zhixing in surprise.
Due to some special reasons, the Golden Tripod Awards were held a little later than usual this year, and the nomination list was only released at this time.
In previous years, it usually came out in July.
Lu Yanhe was the first to react.
"Congratulations! We should raise a glass!"
"That's amazing!" Xiao Yun immediately raised his glass. "I'm so envious. When will I ever get a nomination?"
A group of people excitedly clinked glasses in a restaurant in a foreign land to celebrate Yan Liang's victory.
Li Zhenzhen was also extremely excited at this moment.
Who would have thought that Yan Liang's nomination would be announced during the recording of the show?
Thank you, God of Variety Shows, for your blessing.
-
After dinner, back at the hotel, Lu Yanhe was so tired that he just wanted to go straight to sleep.
But he still had to double-check the list of guests who would be attending tomorrow, otherwise, it would be embarrassing if he suddenly got stuck and forgot the names of the guests.
He only slept for six hours before being woken up by Wang Biao.
There are many things to do in the morning.
Unlike any of his previous jobs, this time it was his home turf, and he needed to take on the role of "host".
Lu Yanhe took a shower and drank a cup of very strong black coffee to wake himself up. Then he started checking all the day's schedule with Wang Biao and Wan Qingqing.
Only by double-checking can I have a clear understanding.
The crew of the "Young Days" program entered the industry with Wang Biao.
Lu Yanhe didn't have time to greet them either.
They just stood quietly taking pictures from the side.
At 8:30 in the morning, Song Jiang brought up a breakfast.
A boiled egg and a piece of bread.
Lu Yanhe ate while reviewing his speech.
He wrote his own speech. Since it was in English, not his native language, even though his English was quite good, he was still a little nervous speaking in such a formal setting and needed to practice it more.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Lu Yanhe looked back.
Wan Qingqing had already opened the door.
It turned out that Chen Ziyan and Picasso had arrived.
“Hi, Mr. Picasso.” Lu Yanhe stood up and greeted Picasso.
"Hi, Yan He." Picasso hugged him and asked with concern, "Did you rest well yesterday?"
“That’s great, thank you for the invitation.” Lu Yanhe gave Picasso a bright smile.
As the head of the Venice International Film Festival, Picasso treated Lu Yanhe very well, giving him a lot of face.
Later, before the screening of his work, Picasso will act as the host to introduce Lu Yanhe and his achievements in the performing arts, and then invite Lu Yanhe to the stage to give a speech.
This high regard demonstrates the Venice International Film Festival's high regard for Lu Yanhe.
At noon today, Lu Yanhe will also have lunch with Picasso.
This segment was suggested by Picasso himself.
Lu Yanhe specifically mentioned that all of his activities in Venice would be filmed by a Chinese variety show.
Picasso's response was: "I've been filmed by cameras all over the world for the past two weeks, so why should I avoid this one?"
They happily appeared on the show.
After a brief meeting, Picasso left.
See you later.
After a while, Lu Yanhe took a deep breath. At nine o'clock, they officially set off.
At 9:30, they arrived at the entrance of the screening room.
A red carpet area was set up here. Lu Yanhe, as the host, was the first to step onto the red carpet and then stood at the door to welcome each guest.
Lu Yanhe originally thought there might not be that many media outlets present.
However, as soon as he got out of the car, a huge group of photographers occupied the media area, calling out his name.
Lu Yanhe looked at them with some surprise.
Chen Ziyan and Wang Biao got out of the car and stepped back to the side of the red carpet.
At this moment, Lu Yanhe felt inexplicably excited and proud.
The feeling of having the whole world at his feet.
Lu Yanhe found it difficult to describe his feelings afterward.
Because this was something he had never experienced before.
He stood at the door with a beaming smile, welcoming each of the invited guests.
Some were invited by him, some by film festivals, and some by sponsoring brands. Lu Yanhe didn't know everyone.
Chen Ziyan and Wan Qingqing stood behind him, with Wan Qingqing in particular reminding Lu Yanhe of the identity and name of each person who came.
Lu Yanhe called out their names enthusiastically again.
When renowned Spanish actress Fellaina Ricci appeared on the red carpet, she was greeted with a thunderous roar of cheers.
She was a judge in the main competition section of the Xituer Film Festival when Lu Yanhe's film "Three Mountains" was shortlisted.
Lu Yanhe didn't expect her to appear.
He greeted her with delight and gave her a hug.
Felena Rich congratulated him happily.
They greeted everyone in a whirlwind tour, including everyone from the "Days of Youth" program.
Peng Zhixing whispered in Lu Yanhe's ear, "Yanhe, walking this red carpet today makes me especially proud. I'm so proud of you."
When Liu Zhiyin stood with him for a photo, she gracefully took Lu Yanhe's hand, raised it, and struck a lively pose as if she were proud of Lu Yanhe, her smile bright, unrestrained, and infectious.
She said, "Yan He, you're amazing."
At times and in such situations, emotions can be contagious.
Only after the red carpet event ended did Lu Yanhe walk into the screening room amidst applause.
This is a large hall that can accommodate 500 people, and it was packed to capacity.
This way of entering the venue filled Lu Yanhe with excitement at that moment.
A moment of glory.
Picasso took the stage as the host, first introducing the event, then Lu Yanhe's achievements as an actor and screenwriter, and mentioning that Lu Yanhe's first film as a director has been completed and will be released next year.
Picasso didn't praise Lu Yanhe too much, which made Lu Yanhe feel a little relieved.
At this moment, he was really afraid of being praised too much.
When it was time for him to take the stage to give his speech, Lu Yanhe let out a long sigh and went up on stage.
There were a few steps that left my feet numb—
This isn't my first time on stage; I've received awards several times before, but this time it feels different.
Even fear.
After Lu Yanhe took his seat, he took out his speech.
"I'm sorry, I can't give a speech without notes today. Please allow me to rely on this piece of paper in my hand for a moment. After all, it is an honor and a privilege to be able to revisit the works I participated in with everyone at the Venice International Film Festival."
“Venice is a very beautiful city, and the Venice Film Festival is a film festival that holds special significance for me. Of course, after today, it will hold even more special significance for me. Thank you, Mr. Picasso. I am very fortunate to have met a mentor like you who supports young people on my film journey.”
“I’ve acted in some films and was fortunate enough to enter the acting industry. I also met several directors, which broadened my understanding of the film world. I’m especially excited because director Luo Yuzhong, who introduced me to the industry, is here today. I’m also very grateful because many producers, directors, and actors who have worked with me are here to watch the films we made together again.”
"Film is an art of the moment. Once filming is finished and the film is released, it is forever frozen in that moment. I am only twenty-three years old this year, but when I think back to my first film and my first shot, I feel that I am completely different now compared to then. I can't imagine what I will feel when I see them again in ten, twenty, or even fifty years."
"Film is also an eternal art because it preserves moments eternally. Whether it's the appearance of us actors or the expression of the film itself, it is recorded in the form of light and shadow. This is our good fortune as filmmakers. It gives us, who are originally very ordinary people, the possibility of being seen and remembered by the world."
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "It's an honor to have this opportunity to watch my first film and my first scene with everyone. I'd like to thank Director Luo Yuzhong, my teacher, for specially editing a 70-minute version for this screening. Yes, the first film we'll be showing is 'The Golden Era,' directed by Luo Yuzhong. Promise me you won't laugh at me when you see my green performance, because that's where I started as an actor."
After Lu Yanhe finished his speech, he bowed to everyone.
The audience erupted in applause.
The lights in the screening room gradually dimmed.
-
A white sedan sped across the driveway like lightning and stopped in front of a house with a very stylish interior design.
Zhang Yuezhen got out of the car and hurriedly went inside, "Husband!"
She couldn't find Chen Pinhe on the first floor, so she went upstairs.
She found him in the media room on the second floor.
"husband!"
Chen Pinhe, sitting on the sofa, seemed to wake from a dream, picked up the remote control, and pressed pause.
Zhang Yuezhen turned on the room light, carefully looked Chen Pinhe over, and asked, "Honey, why aren't you going to Venice? Didn't you say that your collaboration with Maxine would be announced at this year's Venice Film Festival?"
Chen Pinhe smiled slightly and said, "I had other work to do at the last minute, and the timing just clashed."
"Oh, I see." Zhang Yuezhen wrapped her arms around Chen Pinhe's neck and leaned against him. "I thought you were unhappy."
"Unhappy? How could I be unhappy?" Chen Pinhe said with a smile, his eyes full of tenderness. "What about you? Weren't you in England with Lulu? Why did you suddenly come back?"
“I came back suddenly after hearing that you weren’t going to Venice. I was originally planning to meet you in Venice,” Zhang Yuezhen said. “Honey, Venice is really interesting. Instead of holding a screening event for your work, they invited Lu Yanhe, a young man who has only been acting for a few years.”
Chen Pinhe smiled, his expression showing no sign of anything amiss.
"His reputation has grown even more overseas in recent years."
"Hmph, he can't compare to you." Zhang Yuezhen looked at Chen Pinhe. "Husband, you will always be the best leading man in my heart."
Chen Pinhe put his arm around Zhang Yuezhen's waist and kissed her on the lips.
Zhang Yuezhen smiled sweetly.
She rested her head on Chen Pinhe's shoulder.
They went back to their room together.
An hour later, Chen Pinhe went to the restroom, sat down, and sent a message to a number: "Could you help me arrange to meet him? I want to meet him."
Inside the room, Zhang Yuezhen glanced at the door, picked up her phone, and sent a message to a number: Are you sure that what happened back then left no trace?
Her face was expressionless, showing none of the tenderness she displayed in front of Chen Pinhe; instead, she resembled a clay statue devoid of joy or sorrow.
Don't worry, there isn't.
—Then why did he say that? He must be hinting at something!
Don't overthink it, he's just playing with turtle soup.
"No, his gaze back then indicated he was implying something. Go back and double-check. What happened back then must not leave any trace. Any threat must be eliminated!"
The screenings of Lu Yanhe's works will include "The Golden Age" in the morning, "Three Mountains" in the afternoon, and "The Road to Glory" in the evening.
All three screenings were sold out.
Lu Yanhe traveled back and forth, and in between, he also had to give interviews to different media outlets and exchange pleasantries and conversations with different people.
Fortunately, Chen Ziyan stayed by his side the whole time.
Li Zhenzhen was already feeling a bit guilty and didn't want to squeeze in some pre-interview footage for him at this time. However, the program "The Days of Youth" was being filmed, and the program needed to be good. At this time, the director couldn't be absent, and the pre-interview couldn't be absent either.
She finally gritted her teeth and asked Lu Yanhe for fifteen minutes.
"Are you usually this busy at film festivals?"
“Not at all.” Lu Yanhe shook his head. “Don’t think this is my normal work routine. I’m almost exhausted too. I didn’t expect it to be this intense.”
Li Zhenzhen personally took part in preparing for the interview.
She asked, "Many friends have come to support you, including Jiang Yuqian, whom we just learned came all the way from Paris. She just got off the plane to attend the screening of your work tomorrow. Is there anything you would like to say to them?"
"All I can think of right now is thank you." Lu Yanhe shook his head for a moment before coming back to his senses. "I've talked too much today, and I feel like my language skills have become a bit out of control. But I'm very excited that everyone was able to come. It's really not easy, including Sister Yuqian. If I had known she was so busy, I wouldn't have invited her. Sigh. I'm sorry I didn't take good care of them."
"You chose a special edition of 'The Golden Era' as the first film to be screened at this event. Besides it being your first film, is there any other reason for this?" Li Zhenzhen said. "Because—actually, it's impolite to say this, but please allow me to ask—it is, after all, a TV series, not a movie."
"Other reasons... The most important one is, of course, that I fell in love with acting because of this drama. Otherwise, I might not have chosen to reduce my singing and acting performances and focus on film and television dramas. It must have been a decisive role for me. At that time, I was not a professional actor."
Lu Yanhe pondered for a moment, then added, "Also, I hope to use it to remind myself that as a creator, content is always more important than form, and I should not be greedy for empty fame."
Li Zhenzhen understood what Lu Yanhe was saying.
Just like the question she raised.
While everyone assumes that movies are superior to TV series, Lu Yanhe wants to remind himself that as a creator, nothing is more important than content.
-
News of Lu Yanhe at the Venice International Film Festival kept coming back to China.
Red carpet, speeches, VIP guests, official hospitality, interviews with media from various countries...
For the past week, the Venice International Film Festival has been relatively quiet in China, barely making a ripple. But now, its popularity has suddenly surged exponentially.
"With this golden statue, for the next five to ten years, major companies won't need to cast actors of his age anymore; they simply can't compete," He Yingzi couldn't help but exclaim.
Lu Yanhe's sudden emergence was a nightmare for all male actors of his generation.
What Four Heavenly Kings? What Four Dan Actresses? What Bing and Bing? It's fine to fight and compete. There's always a fight. You laugh for a few years, I laugh for a few years, and we've been fighting for a lifetime. In the end, they firmly occupy the throne, and others can't even get involved if they want to.
Lu Yanhe is such a high mountain that it's practically the Himalayas; who can cross it?
How can you fight a back-and-forth battle if you can't overcome the mountains?
The most despairing thing is that it's really impossible to get over it.
If you can't suppress it, and you can't overturn it, you can only accept this fact.
"Don't even think about it. He's not someone we can just throw mud at and bring down now." Someone else sighed. "With his connections and influence now, if you don't bring him down, he'll crush you first."
He Yingzi thought back to when she met Lu Yanhe two or three years ago, when Lu Yanhe didn't have the influence he has now.
"With the momentum overwhelming, no one can stop his advance."
"Is Lang Xia still throwing a tantrum?" his friend asked.
“He’s making a scene. I won’t allow him to take that Hollywood movie, and he throws a tantrum at me. Let him fuss for a few days,” He Yingzi said. “It’s a small movie with a budget of less than a million dollars. They’re asking him to play an Asian ghost. Isn’t it obvious that they’re just trying to capitalize on the popularity of ‘The Mist’ and make a quick buck? He’s out of his mind to want to act in it.”
"If you choose a foreign film and act in it, all you can do is say you're an international star," a friend complained.
Although Lang Xia was an actor brought in by He Yingzi, she still had plenty of criticism when necessary.
After all, He Yingzi herself didn't think much of the actor she was managing.
“Not only is he not as good at acting or as talented as Lu Yanhe, but he's also not as easy to deal with,” He Yingzi said. “You have no idea how easy Lu Yanhe is to deal with. It’s really enviable. How did he end up in Chen Ziyan’s hands?”
"Well, you're not Zhou Ping'an, are you? Look at Zhou Ping'an, everyone's laughing at him. He handed over his royal flush, and his other king was taken away by the little king. Now he's just relying on a king to hold up his hand."
“K?” He Yingzi shook her head and sighed. “They’ve already been nominated for the Golden Tripod Award, what’s the point of K? With two hit series in hand, I don’t know how popular Yan Liang will become, but it’s definitely going to be a long-lasting success.”
"Have you heard? Lu Yanhe has a script for a martial arts movie and a script for a fantasy drama," his friend said. "Do you think there's any chance of getting Lang Xia into those roles?"
"Why didn't he reserve the roles that Lang Xia could play for Li Zhibai and Yan Liang?" He Yingzi didn't even think about that. "With these three people, the others can just drink the soup."
“Then don’t underestimate yourself too much. Lang Xia is, after all, the male lead who carried a movie on his own and made over 100 million at the box office,” his friend said. “There are very few male actors who have achieved such success at his age. Lu Yanhe and the others can’t possibly act in every movie on the market. They will have opportunities.”
He Yingzi said, "Do you have any promising talents in your class who haven't signed with a talent agency yet? Introduce two to me, I need to take a look, I need to mentor some new talent."
My friend was taken aback, somewhat surprised, and asked in astonishment, "Are you planning to give up on Lang Xia?"
“Give up? I’ve been training him for so long and finally made him famous. Am I crazy to give up? It’s just that Lang Xia’s development has stabilized now, and his upward momentum has been blocked by Lu Yanhe and the other two. Let’s wait a few years. I can use my energy to train newcomers.”
The friend thought, if this isn't giving up, then what is?
He was on the rise, so let him persevere... His friend felt that He Yingzi was giving up too early.
Even with Ma Zhiyuan in that state, Zhou Ping'an still hasn't given up.
-
“From today onwards, the names of Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang must not appear in your mouth.”
Zhou Pingan said to Ma Zhiyuan with a stern face.
"I went to great lengths to get this show for you, so don't say anything out of line."
Ma Zhiyuan glanced at him and gave a somewhat impatient "hmm".
"What's your attitude?" Zhou Ping'an raised an eyebrow. He never expected that after everything that had happened, Ma Zhiyuan would still be like this.
Ma Zhiyuan drawled, "I understand."
Zhou Ping'an was silent for two seconds, then said, "Okay, that's all I wanted to say. You can leave now."
Ma Zhiyuan left immediately.
He didn't even turn his head, and the door wasn't closed.
Zhou Pingan took a deep breath, and after a while, he made a phone call.
"Lili, what have you thought about that thing I told you before?"
On the phone, Meng Li said, "The conditions you offered are not enough to sway me."
"Really? Are you sure?" Zhou Ping'an said confidently. "Sui Xiaodie's contract has expired and she has left Xingyu. Jiang Yuqian's main activities for the next three years will be overseas. Zhang Lan filmed the third season of 'Friends,' which greatly damaged her career, but now she has returned to the ancient costume drama circle. This is the best time for you to join Xingyu. After you join, I can't promise you anything, but think about how much of their resources will flow into your hands."
"Stop making empty promises to me," Meng Li said. "Don't think I don't know you have a little girl named Fu Li under your command, right? You're giving all these resources to me instead of feeding them to the little girl you've mentored? Who would believe that?"
“She’s not in the same competitive field as you. She’s five or six years younger than you, and you’re already a top star, while she’s still far behind,” Zhou Ping’an said. “Putting everything else aside, she definitely won’t pose a threat to you for at least the next three years, and that’s what I can promise you.”
Mengli: "If you don't believe me, stop fooling me. If you don't produce something more substantial, then there's no point in talking."
"What if I told you that your agent, Li Xia, is in contact with Sui Fangran, the young girl who starred in 'Three Mountains'? What would you think? Did Li Xia tell you that?" Zhou Ping'an dropped his bombshell.
Mengli was taken aback.
“Li Xia is a very capable agent, I admit that, but you also have to admit that she lacks experience in making people into superstars,” Zhou Ping’an asked. “You’re already a top-tier star right now, are you just going to watch Jiang Yuqian leave you further and further behind?”
"Do you have the resources to help me expand overseas as well?"
“No, you don’t need to expand overseas.” Zhou Ping’an said bluntly. “Since Jiang Yuqian is going to shift her focus overseas, she can’t keep taking up so much of the pie in China. Come here, I won’t say anything else, I’ll just tell you one thing: in three years, you will be just as popular as Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang are now.”
Mengli fell silent for a moment.
"You've already chased them away, and you still have the nerve to mention them?"
"Why should they be embarrassed? They're all artists I've mentored. Without me, would they be where they are today?" Zhou Ping'an said. "How did Li Zhibai, a pure idol, manage to establish himself in the acting industry? How did Lu Yanhe become an overnight sensation with his first role in 'The Golden Era'? Did they only take those roles after leaving me? Meng Li, you don't lack connections, resources, or popularity, but you lack a pair of roles that can help you find a breakthrough, and you lack a capable and experienced manager who can help you soar. Li Xia doesn't have that ability, nor does she have that experience. The prerequisite for getting rid of Lu Yanhe and Li Zhibai is that they first become top-tier artists under my management, and that's all predicated on me."
Mengli: "You're really shameless."
“But I think you understand what I mean and are tempted.” Zhou Ping’an smiled slightly. “Let’s have dinner together tomorrow night. I’ll bring a script over. You can read the script and then decide whether you want to consider coming here.”
After this silence, Meng Li did not mock Zhou Ping'an again.
-
Yu Ming.
An SUV is moving slowly through traffic.
Wang Biao whispered to Wan Qingqing, "Remember to coordinate with the photographers later and get a copy of all the photos. There's no rush, just keep them for future reference. Just upload them to the cloud drive before Saturday."
Wan Qingqing nodded and said okay.
Wang Biao then said to Song Jiang, "We need to collect all the reports from various media outlets, both domestic and international. Be sure to check them against the ones collected and posted by Xiao Lu Ge's fans online. These are all materials we will use for our press releases later. Don't forget any of them. In addition to the press releases, we will also send thank-you cards and small gifts later."
Song Jiang nodded and said, "Don't worry, I've already asked all the media reporters on site for their business cards. I'll check with each of them to see if they've sent any articles to Brother Lu."
Wang Biao glanced at Song Jiang with some surprise.
"That's a good idea."
Song Jiang smiled, pursing her lips.
Gradually, both of them became familiar with their jobs.
Chen Ziyan sat in the back and listened to the whole thing with a smile.
Wang Biao is really becoming more and more capable as the head assistant.
Chen Ziyan gradually began to feel relieved.
She felt that many things could gradually be handed over to Wang Biao to take care of.
Chen Ziyan turned her head and glanced at Lu Yanhe.
Lu Yanhe, wearing an eye mask and earplugs, was slumped in a chair, fast asleep.
He was really exhausted these past few days. He kept himself in a high-energy state for three or four days until he boarded the plane back home and finally relaxed.
Chen Ziyan noticed that Lu Yanhe's eyes were somewhat bluish.
It's not just that I'm tired, but also that I've been forcing myself to stay alert for a long time, and I'm a bit exhausted.
Fortunately, there was no work for the next few days, which allowed Lu Yanhe to get some rest.
Chen Ziyan replied to the message, politely declining the several new job offers she had received.
-
Lu Yanhe felt like he had slept for a very, very long time.
Actually, it only takes an hour and a half to get from the airport to Ziyuan Bridge.
For the past hour and a half, he felt a profound weariness, as if he were sinking into the deep sea. The seawater allowed him to float, rising and falling with the waves.
Every bone and muscle in my body relaxed.
The sun shone on him, making him feel warm and cozy.
When the car arrived at Ziyuan Bridge, he heard Chen Ziyan softly calling his name, as if a person with amnesia was being called in a maze and remembered everything.
Lu Yanhe opened his eyes.
The past few days felt like a grand event held amidst hustle and bustle. Now, the event is over, the noise has subsided, and he has returned to this familiar place where he has lived for four years.
He breathed a long sigh of relief.
I feel at ease now.
-
The recording of the fourth phase of "The Days of Youth" is scheduled for the end of September, which means that everyone can have a good rest in between.
The recording of the first three stages is enough to make eight or nine episodes.
Because there was so much footage from the Venice International Film Festival, Li Zhenzhen was considering whether she could edit out one or two more episodes for this season.
This season has generated enough buzz, and Iceborne Video is happy to pay for it.
After returning to China, Li Zhenzhen did not rush into the computer room, but went to see her father first.
Before returning to China, Li Zhenzhen had arranged to meet with her father this time, asking him to wait for her at home.
She felt she had to see him immediately and say what she wanted to say to his face.
However--
"Didn't he make things difficult for you?"
The first thing her father asked her when he saw her was this.
Li Zhenzhen was surprised for a moment before saying, "How could that be? Don't judge a gentleman by your own petty standards."
Her father said, "Don't think of people as too kind."
“He is truly kind, and I am already very grateful to him for continuing to record ‘The Days of Youth’ without holding a grudge.”
Li Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment, almost swallowing back the words, "Dad, it's you who disappoints me the most."
However, her father must have sensed something, because after a long silence, he said, "Do you know how much of a stir Lu Yanhe caused with a certain remark he made in the first episode of this season of your show?"
"What did you say?" Li Zhenzhen asked.
Her father said, "Never mind, I can't tell you about this either."
“Since you’re not going to talk about it, I won’t ask, but please don’t tell me what to do,” Li Zhenzhen said. “Especially things related to Lu Yanhe. Do you know how I felt when I went to Venice this time? I’m even more convinced that Lu Yanhe will get better and better in the future. No one can stop him, no one can suppress him. So, you, or anyone else who thinks the same way as you, have no idea that what you did before means nothing to him. He won’t be defeated by you.”
Her father took a deep breath.
"But there have always been people who want to destroy him."
Li Zhenzhen's eyes flickered.
"Stop spreading alarmist rumors," she said deliberately.
"What alarmist talk! Why do you think I told you not to use him on your show? Is it because I don't want your career to succeed?" Her father glared at her. "You don't know how crazy that guy is. What if something happens to Lu Yanhe, and your show can't even air? Who do you think I'm doing this for?!"
Li Zhenzhen: "Isn't it already in its fifth season?"
"That's because that kid is ruthless! His manager is ruthless too."
“Dad, I’m telling you now, no matter how serious you make it sound, I will keep inviting Lu Yanhe to record this show. If you don’t want this show, which has become the most representative work of my life, to be canceled halfway through its fifth season, then tell me who is targeting him behind the scenes,” Li Zhenzhen said. “I won’t do anything else. I will just give Lu Yanhe this name so that he can be careful and not fall into any traps. If you still want to keep this a secret, then I can’t help you. You can continue to keep it a secret.”
"Li Zhenzhen!" her father roared, never expecting his unfilial daughter to threaten him.
Li Zhenzhen said, “Dad, you did such a terrible thing to him. I really thought he would leave and never come back to ‘Young Days.’ You can see his attitude and personality from ‘Friends.’ But he didn’t. Why do you think that is? Because he trusted me. He trusted that even though you are my father, I would never interfere in your affairs, and he trusted that I would never betray or harm him. That’s just the kind of person he is, loyal and righteous. You’ve always told me since I was little that people should be loyal and righteous, and that you should make friends with loyal and righteous people. I’ve done that. So, can you expect me to continue being a loyal and righteous friend to a loyal and righteous friend?”
Li Zhenzhen's gaze pierced her father's eyes.
-
My fingers are numb from typing.
I don't have any drafts saved up; I have to write from scratch every day.
Requesting monthly votes and recommendations for older books.
(End of this chapter)
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