Chapter 535 Luckily it was me (6,600 words update!)
The latest episode of "The Days of Youth" has aired.
This is the final episode of the Venice International Film Festival segment, with Lu Yanhe's thank-you dinner being the main focus.
In this episode, Lu Yanhe finally became the main character. The entire episode revolved around Lu Yanhe's preparation for the banquet, interweaving the content of other people's stories and gradually unfolding the plot.
Preparing a dinner party always presents a variety of problems.
However, these issues are rarely exposed to the public. This is because, in most cases, people don't have the opportunity to host such lavish, large-scale banquets.
One of Lu Yanhe's quotes from the show has become widely known.
"Over the past few years, I've come to a realization, which may not be entirely accurate, but it's now my guiding principle: when entertaining others, if you've already spent fifty yuan, don't hesitate to spend another hundred."
This statement sparked some controversy, but more importantly, it generated discussion.
Discussing interpersonal relationships and social rules.
In the comment sections of his various social media platforms, Lu Yanhe saw some fans lamenting that their idol, who was once so youthful and innocent, now also had a sense of social responsibility.
Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
A sense of community?
Lu Yanhe thought for a moment and then laughed.
All right.
People change.
How can it stay in one place without any change?
-
Lu Yanhe exited his social media account and was about to turn off his phone when a message suddenly came in.
Miao Yue sent him the first draft of the TV adaptation of "Rouge".
She said: I've finally finished writing it, but I haven't given it to anyone yet. I'd like to hear your opinion first.
Lu Yanhe: Okay.
He opened the electronic document of "Rouge" and saw that it contained more than 400,000 words and a total of 26 episodes.
Lu Yanhe forwarded it to Wang Biao, asking him to print it out and give it to him.
There are too many words here; it's difficult to read on a mobile phone.
The first draft of the script for the TV adaptation of "Rouge" has finally been completed.
Miao Yue had been communicating with him and keeping in touch while she was writing the script.
Lu Yanhe knew Miao Yue's idea for writing this script—
Based on the film version, she expanded on the stories of many women in the brothel where Ru Hua lived, enriching the details of that era.
Overall, the main plot remains unchanged, but it has been enriched and expanded upon. For example, the film only touches upon Ru Hua's life in the brothel, focusing primarily on her time with Twelve Young Master. In reality, Twelve Young Master is absent for the vast majority of Ru Hua's time in the brothel. What was her life like under these circumstances? Besides her, what stories did the diverse women in the brothels of that era have?
Similarly, Miao Yue also manipulated the Twelfth Young Master's large family, adding intriguing descriptions to his deep affection, cowardice, and selfishness, emphasizing the power struggles, betrayals, and callousness within the mansion. Growing up in such an environment, the Twelfth Young Master both cherished the love and warmth given to him by Ru Hua, which ultimately foreshadowed his decision not to die with her.
At the same time, she expanded on the modern couple, incorporating contemporary views on marriage and love, creating a comparison between the past and present. Against the backdrop of grand history, the love between Ru Hua and Twelve Young Master is tragic; similarly, modern men and women are entangled in mundane family matters, helping Ru Hua find Twelve Young Master while simultaneously facing family pressures and examining their own relationship.
Lu Yanhe felt that Miao Yue's idea was a very good approach for adapting "Rouge".
Miao Yue didn't intend to create another work of art; instead, she wanted to enrich the story through storytelling, transforming the impressionistic style of the film version into the realistic style of the TV series.
Lu Yanhe had been looking forward to the script written by Miao Yue.
A story like "Rouge" is just right for Miao Yue's age to write. Ultimately, it's not a particularly weighty story, and with Miao Yue at the helm, it won't try to be a classic, nor will it be a melodramatic mess.
However, finding actors for the TV adaptation of "Rouge" is quite a headache.
In any case, both the roles of Twelve Young Master and Ru Hua are very difficult to play. Especially Ru Hua, with Chen Bige's performance being a perfect example.
These two roles absolutely require established actors to carry the show. Newcomers can't play these roles; they won't be able to command the scene.
Of course, it's really not up to Lu Yanhe to worry about this.
After all, this series was produced by Icefield Video.
-
After hearing from Lu Yanhe that the first draft of the script for the TV series "Rouge" had been completed, Chen Bige also wanted to read it.
She has consistently stated that "Rouge" is the best film script she has received in the past two years. In fact, this film also earned her the Best Actress award at the Jose Film Festival, marking her second consecutive win of Best Actress at one of the four major international film festivals, placing her among the top Chinese actresses.
She also hopes that if such a story is adapted into a TV series, it won't be ruined.
After telling Miao Yue, Lu Yanhe also made a copy for Chen Bige.
The two of them were on the set of "The Seventeenth Floor" and reading the script for the TV series "Rouge".
The fact that they were both engrossed in reading thick scripts caught the attention of many people in the "Seventeen Floors" community, who wondered what they were reading.
Li Yuefeng was the first to ask Lu Yanhe, "What script are you guys looking at? Are you and Sister Bige going to work together again later?"
Lu Yanhe then explained what kind of script it was.
Upon hearing that it was the script for the TV series "Rouge," Li Yuefeng's interest was piqued.
"Has the male lead been cast yet? If not, let me play the role." He wasn't polite at all and asked for it outright.
Lu Yanhe said, "It's not decided yet, but one thing is that I'm not in charge of this drama. It's being produced by Bingyuan Video. They bought the rights, and the script was written by Miao Yue. They asked me to take a look. Another thing is that even if I were in charge, you know, there would still be auditions. We need to find the most suitable actors."
Will Li Yuefeng play the role of Twelfth Young Master?
It wasn't that Lu Yanhe looked down on Li Yuefeng; it was that he felt Li Yuefeng was too unsuitable.
His image lacks that of a spoiled young master—the kind of person who has been pampered since childhood and appears somewhat indecisive at first glance.
Li Yuefeng is actually the kind of sunny and cheerful school heartthrob.
He's better suited to playing the male lead in movies like "You Are the Apple of My Eye".
Upon hearing Lu Yanhe's words, Li Yuefeng gave him a somewhat annoyed look.
Why don't you trust me at all?
"Do you want to hear the truth?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Li Yuefeng nodded. "Go on."
“I don’t think you’re suitable for the role of Twelfth Master,” Lu Yanhe said bluntly.
Li Yuefeng: "..."
“You also let me audition for ‘The Squid Game’ last time.” Li Yuefeng’s tone was somewhat complaining.
“Actually, if you had auditioned for ‘Squid Game’ last time, you would have had a very good chance of getting the role.” Lu Yanhe also said frankly, “My only hesitation about you last time was that you had acted in ‘Seventeen Floors’ and you were acting in a similar genre. I wondered if the audience would not be able to tell the difference. Apart from that, I think you are very suitable for the role of Liu Zefan in every other aspect.”
Li Yuefeng looked at Lu Yanhe in disbelief, "Then why did you let me audition?!"
“As I said, almost every role requires an audition, makeup, styling, and a final look before a decision is made,” Lu Yanhe said. “Even if I think you’re suitable, this step is still necessary.”
Li Yuefeng: "Damn it, I just missed out on a role that could have made me a global sensation?"
The young policeman played by Liu Zefan is indeed quite popular, especially in various Asian countries.
Lu Yanhe said, "You don't need to think like that. It's just one play, one role. There will be many more plays and many more roles in the future. Li Yuefeng, I'm telling you this because I truly consider you a friend. Don't always be afraid of auditions. Even if the production company doesn't require you to audition, you should still take the initiative to ask to audition, do a makeup test, do a short test, find people who will tell you the truth, and listen to their opinions. Don't be afraid that you might find out you're not suitable for the role. If you can find out this before filming starts, that's a great thing. Every play has to be tested in front of the audience. If you can find out incompatibility between you and a role in advance, you can avoid a potentially failed performance."
What Lu Yanhe said completely contradicts Li Yuefeng's understanding of acting.
Li Yuefeng hesitated for a moment and then remained silent.
Lu Yanhe didn't say anything more.
In short, Li Yuefeng wants to act in his drama, fine. In fact, Lu Yanhe still has a preference for him now, without the rejection he felt after their first collaboration on "The Seventeen Floors" (he has to admit that he didn't like Li Yuefeng that much at first because he thought Li Yuefeng was too opportunistic). But auditions and screen tests are essential steps, and no matter what the relationship is, they have to go through this process.
The only three people who haven't gone through this process with him are Chen Bige, Jiang Yuqian, and Jiang Jun. Even Huang Kairen has properly auditioned and had his makeup done. The reason these three don't have to go through this process is because Lu Yanhe had already decided to cast them in the film before tailoring the scripts specifically for them.
Perhaps in the future, Lu Yanhe will feel that Li Yuefeng really needs such a script to break through, and Lu Yanhe will write such a script for Li Yuefeng, but not now.
Lu Yanhe didn't know if his rejection would make Li Yuefeng distance himself from him.
He hoped that Li Yuefeng would truly understand one thing: if something is unsuitable, it's like forcing a relationship, and it's not guaranteed to be sweet.
-
"This script is well-written, but shouldn't the structure be revised?" Chen Bige said after reading Miao Yue's script. "Each segment is excellent on its own, but when put together, it feels a bit disorganized and lacks coherence. This is especially true for episodes seven through eleven, where almost all the content is devoted to the messy affairs of the Twelfth Young Master's family. Although the writing is excellent, the storylines of Ru Hua and the two modern characters haven't progressed at all; they seem to have disappeared. As a drama, shouldn't this be adjusted?"
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I feel the same way about this. I understand why Miao Yue wrote it this way instead of using multiple storylines. She probably wanted to explain everything about the Twelfth Young Master's family in one go. She used a particularly risky approach. The Twelfth Young Master's family is quite large. To clarify their relationships and explain their family history in just a few episodes, if we don't do it in a concentrated way, the audience might not remember it."
“Then why not cut some characters?” Chen Bige said. “This is also my second point. I understand why we need to enrich the background of Twelfth Young Master’s family, but within the context of the main storyline, if it doesn’t serve to create obstacles for Twelfth Young Master and Ru Hua’s love, or explain why Twelfth Young Master is the kind of person he is, I think it should all be deleted. If Miao Yue really wants to write about this large family story, she can take this chapter out as a separate episode and make it into a side story. Putting it in the main episode would greatly affect the overall pacing.”
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Top actors like Chen Bige have seen countless scripts and films. Their eyes are incredibly discerning; they know exactly what's good and what's bad. Moreover, Lu Yanhe hadn't expected Chen Bige to offer so many sincere suggestions.
Lu Yanhe summarized Chen Bige's opinions and his own, and sent them to Miao Yue.
Miao Yue's first reaction was: Ah, as expected, you also think this is too bloated. I also think that the family story of the Twelfth Young Master has been written too much and in too much detail. I always thought that every character should not be stereotyped, but in reality, it has been written like a small side story.
Lu Yanhe: I can sense that you wanted to achieve the effect of "Dream of the Red Chamber" by depicting an era through a family in this part, but it does seem a bit abrupt in the main film. I think Chen Bige's opinion makes a lot of sense. You have already written so much detail, it would be inappropriate to discard it all. Perhaps you could make a side story and film it together, and then broadcast it as a separate side story.
Miao Yue: Okay, I'll think about it. I'll also communicate with Bingyuan via video.
Lu Yanhe: Hmm.
Any creator with aspirations will have ambitions.
Everyone knows that they may never reach the end of "Dream of the Red Chamber" even if they spend their whole lives writing it. However, since we have been influenced by these classic literary works since childhood, we will inevitably follow in their footsteps during the creative process. This is because our literary views, aesthetic views, and even the techniques for creating a work will be influenced by them.
Any story about a family cannot avoid being influenced by "Dream of the Red Chamber".
Just like any story about political intrigue, it's impossible for anyone to claim they can escape the influence of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
Miao Yue's description of the Twelfth Master's family clearly shows influence from *Dream of the Red Chamber*. To say it's comparable is impossible, but it's certainly good. The diverse characters are all imbued with the decadent atmosphere of that era. Each one carries the lingering glow of a setting sun.
Lu Yanhe even felt that this was the best part of Miao Yue's entire script, the part where the plot and characters flowed most smoothly, as if written in one go.
There are indeed differences between women and men.
Asking Lu Yanhe to write such a family drama, he found it hard to imagine that he could write it like Miao Yue, pouring a sense of compassion into each character as he watched them walk towards the end of an era.
-
Two days later, Li Yuefeng came to see Lu Yanhe.
“I’ve been thinking about what you told me these past two days,” Li Yuefeng said seriously to Lu Yanhe. “Although you said I’m not suitable for the role of Twelfth Young Master, I still want to audition. Since you told me that auditioning is such a good process, I want to see what you think is wrong with me after my audition, and where I am inferior to others.”
Lu Yanhe never expected that Li Yuefeng would come all this way, as if his competitive spirit had been ignited.
He nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll tell Bingyuan Video about your interest in this role. I don't know if they'll arrange an audition, but I'll definitely strongly suggest that they organize one. Although it's very possible that they'll just cast you directly—Li Yuefeng—once they know you're willing to play the role. I'm not lying to you; I don't think you're suitable for this role."
“You don’t need to repeat yourself,” Li Yuefeng waved his hand dismissively at Lu Yanhe. “It’s only because I’m a magnanimous person that I’m not holding it against you. Anyone else would have been angry with you long ago.”
Lu Yanhe: "..."
-
"Why does Li Yuefeng talk so funny?"
Chen Siqi laughed on the phone.
Lu Yanhe: "The longer I know him, the more I realize he's actually quite interesting."
“I know what you’re talking about,” Chen Siqi said. “Because he’s very direct, even if he’s sometimes very realistic and mercenary, you still think it’s good.”
"right."
“Did you see that? Some fans commented in your comment section that you seem to have become mercenary.” Chen Siqi was referring to the impact of the program “The Days of Youth”.
Lu Yanhe smiled and said, "I saw it, that's good. If everyone can see that I have changed and their impression of me is no longer the same as before, that's a good thing."
"Many fans are very disappointed, feeling that you are no longer the Lu Yanhe they like."
“Then I can’t stay eighteen forever,” Lu Yanhe said.
Chen Siqi: "Aren't you going to explain this to everyone?"
“I don’t want to explain,” Lu Yanhe said. “I don’t want to have to stand up and explain every time I cause controversy. There’s nothing wrong with it, so how am I supposed to explain to them that people grow and change? And how am I supposed to explain that my behavior isn’t mercenary? These things, the truth will out, and lies will become truth. If I really do become mercenary in their eyes, then explaining won’t help.”
"I think you're starting to get a little resistant to your fans."
“I wouldn’t say I’m hostile to my fans, but I admit I don’t really want to take their comments seriously right now,” Lu Yanhe said. “At first, I really cared, and it’s not that I don’t care now, but I can’t care about every single thing they say. Because I can’t maintain a perfect state every day, and I can’t say that everything I do or say is perfect. There will definitely be times when I’m not so good, and then people will say things like, ‘Oh, what happened to you?’ ‘This isn’t your level.’ ‘I feel like you’re just being perfunctory.’ I see these kinds of comments all the time, and eventually I just have to ignore them to keep my mindset stable.”
After saying this, Lu Yanhe was stunned.
Why am I suddenly telling you all this?
He rarely talked about these things with Chen Siqi before.
Chen Siqi smiled and said, "That's great. I rarely hear you say these things before."
Previously, Lu Yanhe did not want to bring these negative things to Chen Siqi.
Chen Siqi: "Knowing that your emotions aren't very stable either, I'm relieved."
"ah?"
What kind of logic is this?
Don't girls all say they like guys who are emotionally stable?
Chen Siqi, however, did not intend to explain.
She said, "After you finish filming 'The Seventeenth Floor,' you should be able to take a break for a while, right?"
“Yes,” Lu Yanhe said. “I can rest for about a month, and then we’ll start filming Friends.”
“I have to go to the UK to talk to their publisher about publishing the English version. We’ve been communicating via email so far. Why don’t we go there together for a vacation?” Chen Siqi said. “I’ve been too tired lately and I want to rest.”
Lu Yanhe: "Okay, I'll ask Sister Ziyan to see if there are any arrangements later, and what time would be suitable."
"Um."
-
After finishing his phone call, Lu Yanhe returned to the photography studio.
He saw Song Li again.
This was his last shoot for this film.
This time, Lian Bei specifically gave him one-on-one instruction on the play.
Although Lian Bei was really annoying, he still had to consider Song Li's identity and couldn't cut all of his scenes. He still had to leave a few usable scenes in the final cut.
So, Lian Bei patiently explained to Song Li the details of the upcoming filming.
Lu Yanhe noticed that Song Li seemed to become even more nervous as soon as he appeared.
He now knows what happened.
So, Lu Yanhe left the filming location without saying a word.
He guessed that Song Li would be less nervous if he wasn't around.
Lu Yanhe did not stay on the film set; he stayed in his dressing room the whole time.
About an hour later, there was a knock on the door.
Lu Yanhe said "Please come in" and stood up, thinking that a staff member had come to remind him that it was his turn to film.
To his surprise, the person who knocked on the door and came in was Song Li.
“Teacher Lu.” Song Li stood nervously at the door, looking at him.
Lu Yanhe glanced at him in surprise, then quickly realized his purpose, smiled, nodded, and said, "Hello, Song Li."
Song Li was taken aback.
He asked in surprise, "Do you know me?"
Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "Of course."
Song Li scratched his head awkwardly and said, "It's my fault for acting so badly, which delayed the production schedule. I'm really sorry."
He thought that was why Lu Yanhe remembered him.
Lu Yanhe didn't offer any further explanation.
"Is today your last shoot?"
Song Li nodded and said, "I'm leaving after filming today, so I wanted to say goodbye before I leave. I... I wanted to come to the film crew to experience it because of you. Of course, now I realize that I'm not suitable, and I won't be acting anymore."
He said somewhat embarrassedly.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"So... what are you planning to do in the future?"
Song Li thought for a moment and said, "My family helped me contact a director and asked me to go to his company to learn first. Although my acting skills are terrible, I still really like this industry and I want to continue working in it."
"Okay." Lu Yanhe laughed. "Fortunately, this filming didn't make you feel disgusted with TV dramas."
“How could that be? I’ve watched you perform live several times and I was completely mesmerized,” Song Li said. “It’s just that I’m not good enough.”
“But I know you’ve always wanted to do this well,” Lu Yanhe said. “Let’s add each other as friends.”
"Huh?" Song Li looked at Lu Yanhe in surprise, not expecting Lu Yanhe to take the initiative to add him as a friend.
Lu Yanhe said, "Actually, I already knew why you came to this production crew, and I thought about whether I should take the initiative to talk to you, but I was worried that it would make you feel more uncomfortable, so I left it as it was and didn't change anything. I don't know what I can do for you, but I'm very lucky that someone became interested in this industry because of me and came to work in this field. So, if you need me in the future, feel free to contact me anytime."
Song Li stared at Lu Yanhe in shock, unable to recover for a long time.
"Are you...you're such a nice person?"
Lu Yanhe smiled and shrugged. "It's alright, not great, just the best I can manage."
Song Li was taken aback and added Lu Yanhe as a friend.
After knocking on the door, things took a completely different turn than Song Li had anticipated or planned.
Lu Yanhe nodded to Song Li.
"The next scene should be mine, I need to prepare," Lu Yanhe said. "Happy wrap-up day."
Song Li snapped out of her daze and nodded. "Thank you."
This was the first time he had ever heard anyone say that to him.
-
I recommend the older book, "I Became the Leading Lady of a Scandal Overnight".
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
