Chapter 77
Is it because filming for the movie has wrapped up and you're reluctant to leave?
Luo Mingxiu looked preoccupied.
I've felt this way before when filming with him; after spending months together on set, it's hard not to feel nostalgic.
Typical separation anxiety. Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Shen Li's lips.
After dinner, the crew members said their goodbyes and took photos in small groups. Naturally, some people asked Shen Li and Luo Mingxiu for photos.
The two were stopped from leaving, and a crowd gathered around them. Only after the group photo was taken and everyone dispersed did they walk towards each other.
The assistants went to get the car, and the two of them stood at the exit waiting.
The restaurant booked by the film crew was not in the city center. As dusk fell, the streets were quiet and empty, with little traffic. Only the evening breeze rustled the shadows of the roadside trees.
It was quiet beside him. Luo Mingxiu had barely spoken since the start of the dinner party, and hadn't eaten much either. Shen Li nudged him with her arm: "Are you full?"
With the script Liang Jinfeng had given him still in his mind, Luo Mingxiu was distracted. But when Shen Li asked him a question, he snapped out of his daze and asked, "What did you just say?"
“I’m worried about you,” Shen Li said, raising her voice. “Ever since we finished analyzing tomorrow’s scene, you’ve been looking downcast. What’s wrong? Are you too tired from overworking your brain, or are you reluctant to part ways now that filming is almost over?”
Upon hearing the words "separate," Luo Mingxiu hugged Shen Li tightly.
"Uh, what?" Shen Li was startled by him, then felt herself being hugged tightly.
"It's the latter."
"Um?"
I don't want to be separated from you.
For some reason, Shen Li felt that Luo Mingxiu was in a very low mood. She had originally wanted to tease him, but now she didn't know what to say. She raised her hand and gently patted his back to comfort him.
Luo Mingxiu released her, then cupped her face and kissed her.
...
"This kissing scene has to correspond to the previous one, you know? At first, Teacher Shen's emotions were not affected, but they gradually changed, as if she had returned to the time when they first met."
"Then, when Xiao Luo tastes the 'poison,' just make a subtle movement and expression. Don't be too shocked, because at this point you are prepared to die."
"Understood," Luo Mingxiu replied.
Director Xie: "OK, relax, don't be nervous."
Shen Li looked at the energetic staff members on set, their eyes wide like saucers, and then at Director Xie constantly rubbing his hands together. She couldn't help but laugh: "You look more nervous than us. Let's begin, Director Xie."
"Okay." Director Xie shouted to the surroundings and returned to the monitor.
"Action!"
The setting sun on the horizon was fiery red, reflecting a faint red glow on the sea. Two people appeared in the shot: a man hugging a woman from behind, while the woman struggled and resisted.
A wave surged in, and Lin Xiao walked towards it. Hu Zheng grabbed her and dragged her to the shore.
"Don't even think about dying." As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Zheng lifted her face and kissed her.
Lin Xiao's eyes were like a stagnant pool, letting him suck and bite her until he forcefully pried open her mouth and their lips and tongues intertwined.
At this moment, Lin Xiao smiled and began to respond to him.
Hu Zheng paused for a moment, then became even more immersed in it, his chest heaving violently until the last trace of crimson on the horizon dissipated.
He fell into the sea.
With this, the filming of the final scene of "Restoration" came to an end.
Hu Zheng's fate was to be killed by Lin Xiao, in a manner almost identical to how he killed his daughter years ago.
Back then, little Lin Zhiyi accidentally took Hu Zheng's discarded manuscript as her homework, and continued writing the mystery novel that Hu Zheng had been unable to finish, forming a perfect closed loop.
Hu Zheng noticed that she saw a resemblance to Lin Xiao.
After getting into mystery writing, Hu Zheng spent a lot of time polishing his work. From the beginning, he was jealous of Lin Xiao's talent and wanted to kill her.
However, Lin Xiao didn't take her talent seriously at all. She gave up writing after falling in love, which satisfied Hu Zheng's sense of conquering a genius. He felt that he had tamed Lin Xiao, which allowed him to bury his hatred in his heart.
Lin Zhiyi, who was equally talented, reignited the lingering resentment in his heart.
He began to suppress Lin Zhiyi for a long time, subjecting her to emotional abuse when Lin Xiao couldn't see him. He thought his daughter could be tamed, until one day, Lin Xiao exposed his thoughts.
The script depicts Hu Zheng's state of mind at that time, and Lin Zhiyi's blunt words are like a knife repeatedly stabbing into his chest, leaving him bloodied.
His hatred reached its peak, so he continued to add a slow-acting poison to the fresh milk that Lin Xiao ordered for Lin Zhiyi every week, destroying her nerves and immune system. He calculated the time when the poison would take effect, and on that day, he would lure her to the river, where she would die from the poison and fall into the river to make it look like she had drowned.
Years later, Lin Xiao used the same method to take revenge, but she had no opportunity and couldn't wait for Hu Zheng to die from simple chronic poisoning.
So she found a chemical agent that would be slow-acting for ordinary people, but could be instantly fatal to someone like Hu Zheng who suffers from a mental illness and has been taking related medications for a long time.
She first pretended to commit suicide by taking poison, then took advantage of Hu Zheng's conflicted feelings of wanting to kill her but not wanting her to die, pretending that she was forced to jump into the sea by him, thus completing her counterattack.
He let his daughter die in the water, so he would sink to the bottom of the sea forever.
Happy wrap-up!
Amid cheers, a group photo of the entire crew was taken, after which the staff began moving equipment and dismantling the set.
"The filming went faster than I expected. You two have worked very hard. I hope we can collaborate again in the future." Director Xie seemed very satisfied with the filming over the past few months. He took out two books for them, saying, "These are the physical copies of the script. Keep them as souvenirs."
"It's been published! Congratulations!" Shen Li took the book and was pleasantly surprised to find that the cover featured a character poster of her and Luo Mingxiu.
Director Xie explained, "These two are sample copies. The publisher made them in advance and sent them to you. The ones that are sold later will not have this cover."
It's like a special edition customized for the lead actor, which is very meaningful. Shen Li glanced at the person next to her, who was engrossed in flipping through the book.
Luo Mingxiu: "Thank you, I love it so much."
Shen Li smiled and asked the director, "Will the new book be released after the movie is released?"
Director Xie: "Yes, I hope the box office is a huge success, and then the book sales will also benefit from your success."
"What are you saying? Director Xie is so talented on his first screenplay. It's sure to be a bestseller." Shen Li said, and then asked Director Xie to sign their books, which made him laugh heartily.
After saying goodbye to the director, the two went to the parking lot together. Seeing that Luo Mingxiu was still reading the book, Shen Li smiled and said, "You love it so much?"
“Of course, this is the first film we’ve collaborated on, so it’s very significant,” Luo Mingxiu put away the book and looked at her. “I had originally planned to go back and make a copy of the script and turn it into a booklet, but this book is just perfect for me.”
“I like it too,” Shen Li said, taking out the book. “I didn’t expect it to be the cover of this poster. I thought it looked really good when we took the photos.”
The cover shows half of each of their faces, which are then combined with the surrounding rolling waves. Importantly, their eyes convey a strong sense of story and emotion.
"Let's take a picture," Shen Li stopped in front of a tree and waved the book in her hand in the dappled sunlight. "The light is just right here, I'll take a picture and post it on my WeChat Moments."
“Okay.” Luo Mingxiu stepped forward and posed with her, bringing the two books together.
After getting on the bus, Luo Mingxiu checked Shen Li's WeChat Moments: Lin Xiao and Hu Zheng, happy wrap-up of filming.
He liked the post, took a screenshot, and added it to his dedicated album for Shen Li.
“Brother,” Xiao Wen, who was in the driver’s seat, turned his head to remind him, “Brother Liang just sent you a WeChat message saying that you should call him back after work. He said it’s about some director.”
"I know." Luo Mingxiu's smile faded, and he swiped to the missed call and dialed back.
The call connected, and Liang Jin's voice came through: "Have you read the script I sent you?"
Luo Mingxiu: "I took a quick look."
"Probably?" Liang Jin said, "You have to take this seriously. This is a big production. People who audition will be selected through a selection process. Prepare well. The preliminary auditions will start next month. We'll be going to Country B then."
“So fast,” Luo Mingxiu frowned, his lips pressed into a thin line. “Brother, I don’t think I’m suitable for this role.”
Liang Jin: "How could it not be suitable? It's a crime drama, the role requires martial arts skills, and the director said that after watching your past works, he thinks you have a great chance of winning."
Luo Mingxiu: "Foreign films are not easy to communicate with due to language barriers."
"..." Liang Jin was silent for several seconds before saying, "I remember your English is pretty good, right? Besides, you haven't even tried yet, why are you thinking so much? Mr. Weber gave you a chance, which means you have the advantages he has identified."
Hearing no response, Liang Jin sighed: "Do you think it's not suitable? Or do you think the filming time is too long and you don't want to be abroad for too long, separated from Shen Li?"
Liang Jin's words hit the nail on the head, leaving Luo Mingxiu deeply conflicted and speechless.
“I haven’t reported this to President Cheng yet, and Shen Li doesn’t know about it. I hope you can tell her yourself, see her attitude, and make a decision after careful consideration.”
After the call ended, Xiaowen noticed Luo Mingxiu's serious expression and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is it because that director's film wasn't very good?"
“No,” Luo Mingxiu said, “Don’t tell anyone else what I just said to Brother Liang. I need to think this through some more.”
"Oh, okay." Xiaowen nodded, somewhat confused.
.
After spending a few days in Q City and filming some vlog footage, Shen Li packed her bags and left. Instead of going straight back to B City, she went home first.
My mom's birthday is coming up soon, and Shen Li plans to spend it with her before leaving.
"Oh, what a rare guest!" I heard my mother's familiar sarcastic tone when I got home.
Shen Li was delighted and hugged her mother tightly, presenting her with the gift she had picked out in Q City: "Beautiful Ms. Shen, happy birthday! May you be happy every day and stay eighteen forever!"
"Hmph," Mom accepted the gift, "I'd be happy if you came back more often."
"Oh, I think of you all the time when I'm not busy," Chen Li looked around, "Where's Dad? Hasn't he gotten off work yet?"
"I'm off," Mother Shen said, placing the gift on the cabinet. "They're busy in the kitchen. Wait for the food to be served."
"Oh," Shen Li smiled, sat down on the sofa, and noticed that besides the gift she had given, there were many other gift wrappings on the cabinet. She casually asked, "Were those all gifts from Dad and his company?"
"And there's what your Aunt Song gave you, and Mingxiu, who came back before you."
Mother Shen: "He came back that day, put down his things, and left in a hurry without saying a few words. He didn't even get to eat."
Shen Li played on her phone: "He has to rush back to work; every time he joins a production crew, there's a backlog of business."
Mother Shen: Are you busy too? How many days are you staying?
"Of course I'll stay until after your birthday the day after tomorrow before I leave," Shen Li said, looking up at her with a smile.
“That’s right, come home and play with Mom more often when you have nothing to do,” Mother Shen got up and sat down next to Shen Li, poking her with her hand. “Hey, I remember your movie started filming after the Lantern Festival, right? It’s been filming pretty fast. How was it working with Mingxiu for the first time?”
Shen Li stopped scrolling on her phone, raised her eyebrows at her mother, and asked, "Are you concerned about me, or about Luo Mingxiu?"
"What are you saying? Can't you care about both of them, you brat?" Mother patted her. "You've acted in so many movies, of course I don't care. I'll mainly talk about Mingxiu."
That's because they want to know about Luo Mingxiu.
It seems that while Mom outwardly agreed to let them continue dating, she is actually still evaluating Luo Mingxiu.
“Mom,” Shen Li put down her phone, “he’s my boyfriend. What am I supposed to say? If I did, you’d probably say I’m blind to love.”
The fact that we filmed so quickly proves that neither of us held back the acting, and the director was satisfied. Anyway, you'll see when the movie is released; his acting has improved a lot.
“You know it in your heart,” Mother Shen said. “I just want to remind you to pay more attention to your work together and not let sweet words cloud your judgment.”
"Okay, thank you, Mom," Chen Li stood up. "Is that enough? I'll go help Dad serve the dishes."
When the dishes were served, Shen Li took a picture and sent it to Luo Mingxiu to make him envious.
After taking a shower after dinner, I saw his reply: It smells so good, did Godfather make it all?
Shen Li smiled and replied: "The main dish was made by my dad, the rest were made by my aunt."
After sending it, I typed a few more words: Have you eaten?
Luo Mingxiu also replied with a picture, it was from the takeout restaurant that Shen Li often ordered.
Pear's Little Dog: Just arrived, having a quick meal to tide me over, I have to shoot an ad tonight.
A message popped up at the top, and Shen Li tapped a patting emoji on the head before opening the new message box.
It's a screenshot of a notification sent by Li Nan: Congratulations on our film "Breaking the Cocoon" being shortlisted for Cannes, see you on the 13th.
Shen Li's eyes lit up, and she quickly forwarded it to Cheng Qingqing.
The reply came quickly: I was just about to tell you, Li Nan also told me.
Cheng Qingqing: He's too amazing. To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for your work to be nominated. You know what happened during filming. I thought his relationship issues would affect him.
Shen Li: I was also a bit surprised. After the movie was finished, I only saw the final cut and there was no further news about it. So this big surprise came suddenly.
Cheng Qingqing: It's been a long time since I've contacted him. I sent him a few messages before, but he didn't reply. I feel like it's still because of what happened before; he's avoiding us.
Cheng Qingqing: Do you think he might not have let go of you yet?
Shen Li stared at Cheng Qingqing's reply for a few seconds, and suddenly began to worry about the meeting on the 13th.
Cheng Qingqing: How about I go with you this time? Let's see how he's doing. After all, he has so many friends; we shouldn't make things too awkward.
Shen Li typed "OK," sent it, then switched back to her chat with Li Nan and replied to his previous message: Congratulations, see you on the 13th.
On the 13th, Shen Li opened the calendar and checked the date. After celebrating her mother's birthday, she would go back to the company for two days and then leave.
This is such a big matter, I need to tell Luo Mingxiu in advance, so that I don't see the news online and feel that she is hiding something, and get jealous.
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