Chapter 716 Are you free to meet tomorrow? (10,000 words updated)
Yoo Ji-eum's concert was held at Okmyeong Stadium, one of the largest stadiums in Okmyeong.
This venue can accommodate 20,000 people at the same time, so it is often the first choice for singers to hold concerts.
Generally speaking, being able to hold a concert in such a place can be considered a symbol of a successful show.
Selling 20,000 tickets in one go is no ordinary feat.
Even in a large city like Yuming, if you want to attract 20,000 people to buy tickets to listen to your singing, you still need a lot of loyal fans to support you.
Don't be fooled by the fact that many singers you've never heard of are also holding concerts, especially some idol singers who haven't yet made it big and only have a small number of fans. If you look closely at the information about their concerts, you'll find that they are often held in a small venue, with an audience capacity of at most a few hundred people, or at most a little over a thousand.
Lu Yanhe rarely attends concerts.
The main reason is that he has relatively few singer friends, just the few from "The Days of Youth". Yoo Ji-eum was the first to hold a large-scale concert tour.
After entering through the VIP channel, Lu Yanhe and Li Pengfei went directly backstage.
Liu Zhiyin was backstage chatting and laughing with her backup dancers and vocalists.
As soon as Lu Yanhe appeared, a group of people let out a deafening scream.
"Liu Zhiyin, you didn't lie to us, Lu Yanhe really came—" A girl expressed her surprise and affection for Lu Yanhe with exaggerated gestures and tone.
Lu Yanhe was caught off guard and subconsciously laughed.
Liu Zhiyin reluctantly stepped forward to greet Lu Yanhe.
"Many of them are your fans. Sigh, helping me organize this concert is just a job. You are their passion."
Lu Yanhe was both amused and exasperated, and greeted everyone.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, someone arranged for everyone to take a group photo.
Lu Yanhe introduced Li Pengfei to Liu Zhiyin: "My high school classmate."
Liu Zhiyin had noticed this young man who seemed out of place in the entertainment industry long ago.
"Hello."
She shook hands with Li Pengfei.
"Hello." Li Pengfei shook her hand somewhat awkwardly.
After taking the photo, Lu Yanhe said, "Then I won't disturb your preparations any longer. I'll wait for your performance."
“Okay.” Liu Zhiyin suddenly remembered something. “By the way, the cameras on set might capture you later, and you’ll appear on the screen. Is that okay with you? If you mind, I’ll have them avoid your area.”
Lu Yanhe: "That's alright."
Yoo Ji-eun: "When you appear on the live screen, the whole audience will definitely scream."
Lu Yanhe teased, "Are you afraid I'll steal your thunder?"
Liu Zhiyin proudly raised her chin: "At my concert, no matter how much you steal the spotlight, you're just adding to my spotlight."
Lu Yanhe smiled.
"Okay, good luck, let's see how big your show is today."
-
Lu Yanhe and Li Pengfei went to the relatives and friends area.
The family and friends area is a separate area enclosed by railings.
It was actually in the first row of the audience seats, but it was separated from the main audience seats.
Qin Zhibai, Peng Zhixing, and other artists were there.
After exchanging pleasantries.
Because Lu Yanhe is almost always filming on set, he rarely has the opportunity to get to know other artists in the industry, especially those who are just starting out.
Lu Yanhe rarely attends ceremonies or events these days, especially those that bring together popular artists from various platforms. This certainly gives him more time to film or rest, but it also makes him gradually become a bit out of touch with the latest developments in the entertainment industry.
At Liu Zhiyin's concert, Lu Yanhe was shocked to find that he did not recognize most of the people there, and had never even heard of their names.
He couldn't show it yet, so he used all his acting skills. Only after exchanging pleasantries did he learn about it during the conversation.
Many of them met Yoo Ji-eum through recording variety shows or other work, and most of them were singers.
What surprised Lu Yanhe even more was that their enthusiasm for him wasn't actually for him as a person.
Peng Zhixing whispered to Lu Yanhe, "The news that you're going to do the show 'The Voice of China' has already spread throughout their music circle. They're all watching the show, no, they're watching you as a person."
"Uh—" Lu Yanhe didn't expect it to be because of this. "This is a show about ordinary people. Why are these already famous singers watching it?"
“There will be guest performers and singing segments, all of which require well-known singers,” Peng Zhixing said. “Moreover, the most important thing is the positions of the mentor team and the creative director. Aren’t we looking for people right now? None of the mentors have been decided yet, and only Qin Zhibai has been confirmed as the creative director. There are still many unfilled positions.”
Lu Yanhe: "I didn't handle these specific matters."
“You don’t need to worry about the specifics,” Peng Zhixing laughed. “In other people’s eyes, it’s just a matter of a word from you. You should know that everyone in the industry is saying that as long as you become friends with them, you will get a constant stream of resources, because the projects you have will prioritize your friends.”
“That’s true, but it has to be something I know and think is suitable,” Lu Yanhe said. “Besides, I don’t have that many friends or that many projects. I can’t just say that you’re my friend just because you exchange a few warm greetings with me, can I?”
Peng Zhixing: "That's true, hmm."
He nodded as if to say something more.
Lu Yanhe realized what was happening.
-
As the concert was about to begin, the entire venue suddenly went dark.
Screams started to erupt from the crowd—the kind of uncontrollable screams you hear when you're about to see your idol.
Then, suddenly, all the lights in the venue came on.
Music begins.
It's the kind of music with a very strong rhythm.
On stage, Liu Zhiyin and her more than twenty backup dancers appeared in a neat formation, striking several cool and stylish moves like female warriors to the beat of the music.
Then, the whole place erupted in cheers.
Liu Zhiyin chose her most popular song to open the show.
The Era of Wild Growth.
Lu Yanhe looked around.
This is a completely different environment from the movie premiere.
He could see a kind of fanaticism on everyone's face. This fanaticism was different from the one he had seen when Lu Yanhe was surrounded by fans at the airport.
The atmosphere was so infectious that even Lu Yanhe stood up and joined in the dancing, clapping his hands to keep the beat.
When he realized what Li Pengfei was doing, he turned around and saw the latter holding up his phone, recording a video of him.
"What are you doing?" Lu Yanhe laughed.
Li Pengfei: "Let me make a note of this."
Lu Yanhe said, "You're here to listen to the concert, not to be a photographer. Put down your phone, stand up and have fun."
Li Pengfei stood up.
"I haven't heard any of her songs, so I can't connect with them at all."
"So what do you think of her songs?"
"It's alright, it sounds pretty good."
“Then just pretend you’ve never heard it before, as if it’s the first time you’ve heard it,” Lu Yanhe whispered in Li Pengfei’s ear. “Actually, there are a lot of songs that I haven’t heard before either.”
Li Pengfei: "I see you're moving so energetically."
"It's rare to have a chance to sway around like this," Lu Yanhe said with a smile. "If I moved around like this normally, people would think I'm crazy."
Li Pengfei: "If it were you, then yes."
Lu Yanhe asked, "If you enjoy exploring the wilderness so much, would you be willing to turn this hobby into your profession?"
The surrounding area was filled with cheers and screams, creating a noisy atmosphere.
Li Pengfei almost thought he had misheard.
"Profession?"
“Yes,” Lu Yanhe said. “You used to always tell me that you didn’t have anything you wanted to do or any goals, so you didn’t know what to do. But in the past few years, you’ve been doing things related to the outdoors: rock climbing, wildlife photography, camping, and you’ve never stopped.”
Li Pengfei asked, "Can this really be a profession?"
"What if we filmed your wilderness adventure as a documentary?" Lu Yanhe asked.
Li Pengfei was taken aback.
Lu Yanhe: "You don't need to earn a lot of money, and you don't have the pressure of supporting your family. Just record everything that interests you. Of course, it can still bring economic returns, but the nature of it is different. Do you understand what I mean?"
"clear."
Lu Yanhe: "Zijun said that you have no plans and have not thought about what you want to do in the future. Have you ever thought that the reason you can't respond to the topic of marriage is because you know that marriage is a very worldly thing, while what you are doing is something that is not worldly. You subconsciously think that if you get married, you will end everything now. But you can actually put the things you like and the things you want to do for a lifetime into a worldly framework."
Li Pengfei remained silent for a long time before saying, "I don't know."
“Give it a try,” Lu Yanhe said. “Find like-minded partners and see if you can form a team to record your explorations of every place in the wild. It’s not just your job; in the end, it will also become a summary of your life, won’t it? You’ve always said that you don’t know what the meaning of your life is, and you just want to be happy and live a carefree life, even if it’s just waiting to die. But you’re not just living a carefree life now. Do you know why? It’s because you’ve found the meaning of your life.”
Lu Yanhe hooked his arm around Li Pengfei's neck and started bouncing wildly with him.
Right here, right here.
The dim light seemed to act as a camouflage, allowing them to jump and dance without any restraint.
Lu Yanhe whispered in his ear, "I hope you can be truly happy, and stay truly happy forever."
Li Pengfei was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and smiled.
-
After performing five songs in a row, Yoo Ji-eum's concert finally entered the slow song phase.
Lu Yanhe and Li Pengfei were also tired, so they sat down again.
Liu Zhiyin sang on stage.
Even when the stage is dazzling, I am still me.
"The flowers that time has borne on me are the flowers of my past journey."
Lu Yanhe listened from the audience and was deeply moved.
Only those who know Liu Zhiyin know how much sweat and toil she has put in to get to where she is today. Lu Yanhe has hardly ever seen anyone work harder than her.
When recording "The Days of Youth", she would stretch her legs every day without slacking off, just to ensure that the quality of her dance on stage would not decline.
A song suddenly popped into Lu Yanhe's mind.
"The Girl with Wings," originally sung by Joey Yung.
Under the blue lights, Yoo Ji-eun, dressed as a mermaid princess, softly sang on stage.
The entire venue was quiet as everyone listened to her sing.
She is not a singer with a particularly clean and clear voice, but the sincerity she expresses in her songs is pure and genuine.
Liu Zhiyin is not like Li Zhibai, a female idol who is loved by fans because of her own charm.
She is beautiful, but her beauty is aggressive.
She worked hard, but her hard work put pressure on everyone.
She is very competitive, but sometimes her competitiveness makes her seem unreliable.
When I first returned to China, I appeared on the show "The Days of Youth". Because I wanted to win in every situation, I was criticized by the audience.
Even after leaving this show, I still got criticized on other shows.
She persevered, never giving up, and of course, she didn't change her ways to cater to the audience, becoming a non-competitive, adorably clueless female idol.
As time went by, people seemed to gradually accept this girl who refused to give up.
Her stubbornness and persistence have become her trademarks, in a way that was once a stain on her reputation.
-
After the concert ended, Lu Yanhe and the others went out first.
After they went outside, they waited for Chen Siqi and the others in the car.
We all agreed to go out for a late-night snack together.
A big gathering of the editorial team of "Jump Up".
The editorial staff were also very familiar with Li Pengfei.
After all, this person's name was featured in the inaugural issue of "Jump Up," and continued to appear in many subsequent issues, sometimes as the photographer of an illustration, and sometimes as a "special thanks."
Of course, his most familiar identity is still Xu Zijun's boyfriend.
Many people had never seen him in person, only in photos circulating in various group chats. Now that they had met him in person, several young girls whispered that he was so handsome.
No one noticed that there was something actually going on between Xu Zijun and Li Pengfei.
-
At the dinner table, everyone was making a lot of noise, talking about embarrassing things that happened at work.
Zhou Mukai was also there.
After Bai Yu left, he took over Bai Yu's work on the magazine's content, and was in charge of it together with Xu Zijun.
Lu Yanhe asked Zhou Mukai, "After graduation, would you be willing to stay and work full-time at 'Jump Up'?"
Zhou Mukai looked hesitant.
"I haven't decided yet."
Lu Yanhe asked, "Is there a problem? If you have any thoughts, you can tell me directly."
Zhou Mukai pondered for a moment and said, "Then I'll just tell you directly. I really like the magazine 'Jump Up,' and I'd be happy to work for it indefinitely. However, firstly, I don't know how long 'Jump Up' can last. I know its market is still very good and sales are constantly increasing, but after all, the times are changing so much. With the development of AI, all industries are facing tremendous changes, not to mention the overall environment for print media. Secondly, I haven't figured out what kind of life I want to live."
Lu Yanhe nodded.
"So what you're hesitating about isn't something that can be solved by what we do right now?"
Zhou Mukai nodded.
“I’m also considering whether or not to pursue a doctorate,” Zhou Mukai said. “That way, maybe I can become a teacher at a university in the future, and if one day ‘Jump Up’ really stops, I’ll have a way out.”
Lu Yanhe understood what Zhou Mukai meant by "escape route".
People either do what they love or what offers high financial rewards; they always have to have one. Working on "Jump Up" and engaging in literature-related research and teaching are both jobs that Zhou Mukai enjoys.
Zhou Mukai currently earns 20,000 yuan a month at "Jump Up," and after taking over Bai Yu's work, his salary should rise to around 30,000 yuan—this is all take-home pay. It's safe to say that there's no higher salary than that of an editor at "Jump Up." However, if we're really comparing, the career ceiling for the position of copy director at "Jump Up" is actually limited.
Zhou Mukai himself is not an author and has no intention of engaging in creative work. The promotion space for the editor position is small, and the next step is the editor-in-chief. If "Jump Up" is preparing to build a large print media company and will launch other magazines in addition to "Jump Up", then Zhou Mukai's future development space will be much greater. However, the editor-in-chief of "Jump Up" can only be Chen Siqi.
Therefore, Lu Yanhe understood Zhou Mukai's hesitation.
“If you need anything, just let me know,” Lu Yanhe said. “Besides the magazine, there are many other business segments at Jump, including Linghe. Your work experience is invaluable to all of our companies, and so are you.”
Zhou Mukai smiled and patted Lu Yanhe on the shoulder.
“My first choice is definitely this place, but before making a final decision, I need to think things through and discuss them with my family and Xiuxiu.”
"Understood." Lu Yanhe nodded.
Zhou Mukai holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Zhenhua University. For him, as long as he doesn't stubbornly look for a job that matches his major, there are actually many places where he can go for jobs with great potential for development.
Not to mention, the work experience and connections he accumulated during his studies at a magazine like "Jump Up" are invaluable assets for any company in China.
Everyone has their own choices, and Lu Yanhe simply hopes that his classmates and friends can stay by his side as much as possible.
He couldn't tell anyone about this obsession, because doing so would become a burden to others.
Ultimately, he still hopes everyone is doing well.
Therefore, he supports Sister Zixing's return to Yemai.com.
He supported Bai Yu's decision to leave.
When Li Pengfei faced some difficult choices, he tried his best to help him resolve them in his own way.
Just as they had helped and supported him in their own ways when he needed help and support.
-
Lu Yanhe wrote the song "The Girl with Wings," then found someone to arrange the music and sing a demo. It sounded just right. He took an envelope and wrote a card by hand:
—Thank you for inviting me to your concert, this is a return gift.
He then had it delivered to Liu Zhiyin.
Since I came up with this song while listening to her concert, I'll dedicate it to her.
That evening, Liu Zhiyin sent him a message in disbelief: "This song of yours, is it for me?"
Lu Yanhe: Yes, it's a song that came to mind when I listened to your concert.
Liu Zhiyin:! ! !
Liu Zhiyin: This song really touched my heart!
Liu Zhiyin: You have perfectly embodied what I wanted to say in my heart.
Lu Yanhe: I wrote this song because I attended your concert.
Although Lu Yanhe didn't say anything, Liu Zhiyin sent him a profit-sharing agreement the next day, stipulating that 50% of all commercial revenue from the song "The Girl with Wings" would belong to Lu Yanhe.
There was no mention of copyright transfer.
Although Lu Yanhe said it was a gift for Liu Zhiyin, Liu Zhiyin did not actually accept it directly.
This agreement means that the copyright still belongs to Lu Yanhe; she only has the right to perform the song.
Of course, in reality, there was no discussion about copyright at all.
Lu Yanhe took the agreement without saying anything or even signing it, and stuffed it into his drawer.
He was quite fortunate that he had already made a lot of money, more than he could ever spend in his lifetime. Therefore, he could face the vast amount of benefits with ease and not care about gains or losses.
Even between brothers, accounts should be kept clear.
However, Lu Yanhe believed that there was no need to calculate the cost of the gifts given.
However, he did not intend to transfer the copyright directly.
If Yoo Ji-eun remains the same Yoo Ji-eun forever, then a gift will always remain a gift.
If Yoo Ji-eun becomes another Yoo Ji-eun, then the gift can be taken back.
This was Lu Yanhe's idea.
-
Do you remember a song you had called "Childhood"?
Chen Ziyan asked.
Lu Yanhe nodded: "I remember."
"I haven't sung it yet."
"Mainly because there haven't been any suitable opportunities to sing."
“But, should we record it first?” Chen Ziyan brought up “Childhood” after hearing about “The Girl with Wings”. “Although you’re not pursuing a singing career anymore, you’ve still released a lot of songs. You’re twenty-five now, and your voice has been changing all along. Don’t let it be that when you think about recording this song, you can no longer sing it with the same feeling.”
Lu Yanhe: "No way, this song resonates with people of all ages."
Chen Ziyan: "But it doesn't feel like you're 25."
Lu Yanhe: "Then, let's find some time to record it."
“Hmm.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “Actually, I’ve also been thinking about whether or not to make an album.”
"Making an album?" Lu Yanhe was somewhat surprised.
“Yes,” Chen Ziyan said. “You see, you’ve sung some songs yourself and written songs for many other people. It would be quite interesting to make an album as a songwriter, and release it in conjunction with the show ‘The Voice of China’.”
Lu Yanhe asked, "These days, do people even buy albums?"
“There aren’t many physical albums, but digital albums are quite popular,” Chen Ziyan said. “For your loyal fans, physical albums are also a gift to them.”
“Nonsense, people have to spend money,” Lu Yanhe immediately said. “Gifts should be free.”
“You can donate all the proceeds from this album in the name of your fans,” Chen Ziyan said.
Lu Yanhe fell into deep thought.
“Over the years, you have done a lot of charity work behind the scenes. This is your personal behavior. However, many hands make light work. I’ve been thinking recently that it would be a great thing if you could call on your fans to do charity work together,” Chen Ziyan said. “I think it would be better to do it in a hands-on way.”
Lu Yanhe hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Sister Ziyan, has something happened that requires me to use this to protect my image?"
Chen Ziyan was taken aback. "Huh?"
“Your suggestion came as a surprise,” Lu Yanhe said. “Of course I would love to call on my fans to do charity together, but bringing this up suddenly makes me a little uneasy.”
Chen Ziyan sighed.
“Okay, you’re very perceptive. But actually, nothing really happened. I just wanted to take precautions,” Chen Ziyan said. “Over the past few years, your high income has actually attracted more than one negative attack. There’s no way around it; it’s practically an original sin that can’t be eradicated. So, I wanted to use this incident to create a golden image for you.”
Lu Yanhe: "Is that all?"
Chen Ziyan nodded, "That's settled."
Chen Ziyan is a person who plans ahead and prepares for the future.
Such abilities are actually rare among agents.
But because she had such abilities, Lu Yanhe's journey had been quite smooth, without any major crises.
Every time someone tries to cause trouble, their attempts are quickly crushed by "ironclad facts".
Making facts "as solid as iron" requires more than just the facts themselves being solid enough.
-
Chen Ziyan didn't really have a clear purpose this time.
She thought about this for two reasons. First, she felt it was a pity that Lu Yanhe had written so many songs but didn't release any works because he wasn't going to pursue a singing career. Life is long, and it would be good to organize his scattered creations and use them to do something meaningful.
Secondly, it's because Lu Yanhe is now in a very high position. When someone is in a very high position, according to social norms, if you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight.
Lu Yanhe's charity work is usually done privately, but that means nobody knows about it. Chen Ziyan didn't want Lu Yanhe's charity work to be labeled as "showboating," so doing it under the guise of releasing an album and giving all his fans a gift would be legitimate and also a manifestation of his social responsibility.
Chen Ziyan's idea was indeed very simple; several factors came together, and she made this suggestion.
An album by a songwriter.
An album that is not in the traditional sense.
This is good; there's no pressure regarding grades or data.
Lu Yanhe thought about it for a moment and then agreed.
Chen Ziyan said, "As a birthday gift for your 25th birthday this year."
Lu Yanhe nodded: "Okay."
We did it right away.
The songs are all readily available. Of course, some songs need to be rearranged to make versions suitable for the album, such as "Love" and "Green Apple Paradise," which currently only have stage versions.
Lu Yanhe still needs to talk to Li Zhibai, Yan Liang, Song Linxin, Liu Zhiyin and others about this plan.
We invited them to record songs, but there was no payment. It's a charity project, and all profits will be donated.
Song Linxin asked in surprise, "What am I here to record? 'Commemoration'? You yourself are the original singer."
Lu Yanhe said, "My original version wasn't as popular as your version. It was your version that made this song known to many people. When the album is released, there will be one version of mine and one version of yours."
Song Linxin: "...I have no problem recording, but I always feel like I'll get scolded by your fans."
"No, when the album is released, everyone will know that you came to help me with a charity project."
Song Linxin then agreed.
-
Chen Ziyan took care of recording songs and making albums, while Lu Yanhe didn't have to worry about it and just waited to go into the recording studio.
The 2nd Jump Up International Film Critics Festival has arrived as scheduled.
Lu Yanhe had dinner with film critics and didn't participate in the subsequent activities. He filmed two commercials, recorded some interviews for the promotional materials for "Burning Fire" when it's released, and then—
Li Zhi returned to China weary from his journey.
Lu Yanhe specially gathered a group of friends to welcome him back.
After filming "Buried Alive", Lee Ji-baek was so thin that he looked like skin and bones.
Now that he's back, he'll have to stay indoors and raise the succulents.
In July, he will be joining the filming crew for "You Are the Apple of My Eye".
"Oh my god, I thought filming 'Buried' would be easy, that I wouldn't have to move around and would just stay in one place every day. But it turned out to be tough. I was stuck in a small, enclosed space every day. I feel like I'm going to get depressed."
As soon as Li Zhibai turned around, he poured out his grievances to Lu Yanhe, saying, "This lousy movie was so tiring to film, even more tiring than filming 'Chinese Paladin,' which had so many action scenes."
Lu Yanhe smiled.
He has already seen some of the footage from "Buried" through Parameter.
Although Li Zhibai looked like he had really been tricked, judging from the footage, his performance in this movie can be described as surprising.
It was a one-man show from beginning to end, and for most of the time, the camera was right up in his face.
In this situation, not only does Li Zhibai need to have a very strong sense of conviction, but he also needs to have very solid acting skills.
As a result, Lee Chi-pak, who has always played leading roles in idol dramas and romance films, delivered a very convincing performance.
Compared to the original, he presented a younger version that more closely resembled physiological responses and primal drives.
His anger, fear, and unease were all well-controlled.
Lu Yanhe knew that Li Zhibai had made a lot of preparations for filming this movie, and had even invited an acting coach to provide guidance before going there.
Lu Yanhe patted Li Zhibai on the shoulder and said, "Did you enjoy acting?"
Li Zhibai, who had been complaining and criticizing, fell silent. After a while, he smiled wryly.
"It was really enjoyable to act in."
A completely different performance. After being an actor for so long, he finally got to film a completely different role and a different subject matter.
Li Zhibai also felt that he might find it difficult to encounter a one-man show script again in the future.
Lu Yanhe: "This movie will be a great success."
"You've seen the footage?" Li Zhibai immediately realized.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
Li Zhibai: "Sigh, I only get a few days of rest before I have to go back to filming 'You Are the Apple of My Eye'. You're already torturing yourself, and now you're torturing me too."
"You can take a break after you finish filming 'You Are the Apple of My Eye', right?" Lu Yanhe said. "But after I finish filming 'Calm Wind No. 1,' I still have to film 'Friends.'"
Li Zhibai: "..."
Lu Yanhe: "Of course, cherish your time now. When 'Chinese Paladin' is broadcast, your popularity will skyrocket again. When 'Buried' is released, you will have fame in Europe and America. When 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' is released, OK, almost all the movie scripts suitable for you will be sent to you first. I don't know if you will be exhausted from filming, but your eyes will be so tired from reading scripts that you will need to take lutein every day."
Li Zhibai: "Holy crap, is this really that exaggerated?"
“Yes, that’s quite an exaggeration.” Lu Yanhe nodded. “So, you’ve only made two movies in a year, so you should cherish it.”
“…” Li Zhibai sighed deeply, “No, I have to tell Lin Suyang that I will not take on any more roles after I finish filming ‘You Are the Apple of My Eye’. I need to rest, I absolutely must rest. I’m not a spendthrift like you.”
Lu Yanhe laughed.
-
The next day, Li Zhibai didn't wake up until almost noon.
Lu Yanhe ordered takeout.
A roast duck.
The two people sat in front of the coffee table and ate.
Li Zhibai's head was half-erect, swaying like a peacock's tail in flight.
His eyes were lifeless, his mouth was greasy, and he said that same thing again: "So tired."
Lu Yanhe turned a deaf ear.
Two seconds later, Li Zhibai repeated, "So tired."
Lu Yanhe said, "I'm going to meet Liu Bige this afternoon. Do you want to come with me?"
"Where are you going?"
"Let's talk about the script of 'Dingfeng No. 1'."
What should I do there?
"Seeing old friends."
Li Zhibai's eyes were lifeless. "So tired."
She paused for a second, then said, "I don't want to go out."
Lu Yanhe: "Then what are you doing staying in the house?"
"Lying down."
Lu Yanhe: "Alright."
-
Regarding the film "Dingfeng No. 1", Lu Yanhe truly felt that the process of making a film, from its initial preparation to the end, could take so long.
It had been in preparation for several years before "Fake Death Is Not an Option", and now it is finally ready to start filming.
Fortunately, Liu Bige has already secured his position as a renowned director since "Late Spring" and "Even Faking Death Is Not an Option". The box office success of the two films has relieved him of any financial worries, allowing him to leisurely prepare for this film.
For him, the most worthwhile thing was that, because of several delays, the film was transformed from a spy blockbuster into an art film that could be made according to his ideas.
Of course, Liu Bige wouldn't make it dull or unattractive.
"Late Spring" is not a film like that.
Liu Bige is not the kind of director who likes to play with stream of consciousness.
"How are you feeling after filming 'The Mist'?" Liu Bige asked Lu Yanhe as soon as they met.
The play "Dingfeng No. 1" is very demanding on the actors; without sufficient energy, it's difficult to withstand the demands.
Because the movie is almost entirely tense, the protagonist played by Lu Yanhe also endures tremendous mental pressure, which is very torturous.
For an actor like Lu Yanhe, it's impossible not to empathize with the characters.
This also means that Lu Yanhe himself will face such immense mental pressure.
“No problem,” Lu Yanhe said. “I’ll take a break for a while, and I’ll definitely be able to adjust when I join the crew.”
Liu Bige nodded.
"I have no doubt about your abilities, I'm just afraid you'll get too caught up in the filming."
Lu Yanhe took a deep breath.
"Having filmed so many movies, I've learned how to distinguish between film and reality. It shouldn't be that bad, right?" he laughed.
Liu Bige: "When you filmed 'Late Spring' last time, you got really into it, although you managed to get out of it relatively quickly afterward."
Lu Yanhe fell silent as he recalled his experience filming "Late Spring" last time.
Because Liu Bige seems to have actually been right.
That's absolutely true.
Given Liu Bige's filmmaking style, this film, "Dingfeng No. 1," is likely another one where he can completely let go, immerse himself, and act again and again until he is completely absorbed in the role.
It's not to say that this kind of performance is necessarily the best performance, but it certainly takes the most toll on the actors.
Lu Yanhe paused for a moment, then said to Liu Bige, "You're making me a little nervous."
Liu Bige seemed genuinely worried about Lu Yanhe.
"To tell you the truth, after I started preparing for this film, I often dreamed about scenes from the movie," Liu Bige said. "I was the one who had to hide myself, and it was truly a scene fraught with danger, like I was right there in the middle of it all."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe's expression turned serious.
“As an actor with such a strong ability to empathize, I’m worried that once you get into a role, you won’t be able to detach yourself from it.”
“No, I won’t.” Lu Yanhe shook his head and told Liu Bige firmly, “I can let myself fully immerse myself in every role again and again because I have an anchor point. No matter how far I go, I can come back. You don’t need to worry about me.”
"I just want to tell you that if you feel something is wrong, you can call a halt anytime," Liu Bige said.
Lu Yanhe nodded.
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Although Lu Yanhe didn't know why Liu Bige was giving him such serious instructions, he believed that Liu Bige wouldn't be exaggerating.
He had already read the script.
Judging from the script, he didn't really think that getting into the role would make him fall into it too deeply.
Is it because he hasn't truly gotten into character yet that he thinks this way?
Lu Yanhe has only made very basic preparations so far.
Organize your lines and highlight all the subtext using keywords.
Especially in spy dramas like this, he already knows the ending and has an omniscient perspective.
But during the performance, one is unaware of the situation, so he has to list many possible scenarios to support his survival dilemma and the dilemma of making choices.
Where could the problem lie?
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Lu Yanhe decided to start seriously working on the script.
Perhaps there's nothing wrong with the script, but Liu Bige had worked with him on "Late Spring" and knew his acting habits, so he was worried that his acting habits might cause problems.
Lu Yanhe's habit of creating a character is actually the same as many actors: he writes a biography.
But it's different. Other actors' biographies all start with "I," and they go through "my" thoughts and feelings from "my" perspective.
Lu Yanhe's approach is to write letters to the characters, starting with "you".
It is a dialogue with oneself.
Just then, Wen Shengming suddenly contacted him:
Are you free to meet tomorrow?
(End of this chapter)
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