44. The Girl with Flaxen Hair
◎Missing you◎
This documentary is a large-scale documentary, and it is currently only in the early stages of preparation. However, since Li Xun is directing it, he will naturally make things easier for Li Chi and Liang Chuling.
Li Xun signed a memorandum of understanding with Liang Chuling and Li Chi to document the documentary, clarifying their rights and obligations. The filming period is estimated to be twelve to eighteen months, making it a long-term project.
For the present moment, this agreement has a more practical use.
Li Chi's film finally received its release permit, a huge weight was lifted from their shoulders, and the whole team breathed a sigh of relief.
Liang Chuling's studio immediately sent the agreement summary and project description to Ivan's team and the company of Liang's father's former subordinates.
An apology letter was attached, stating that due to the need to invest in a national-level cultural project, the original schedule could not be coordinated, and subsequent cooperation would be difficult to proceed for the time being.
Ivan's team eventually gave an official reply and didn't pursue the matter further. Liang's father's former subordinates did make another call, sounding extremely regretful, but wisely refrained from saying anything more.
The siege that had plagued Liang Chuling for many days was temporarily lifted thanks to this agreement.
The world was peaceful, and Liang Chu was inspired by the effectiveness that the combination of power and fame could bring.
She used the system to gain protection and fend off harassment.
The feeling was complex; there was a sense of exhilaration in exploiting the rules to win, but it didn't feel like freedom.
She has simply moved to a more advanced chessboard, gaining more room to maneuver, but in essence, she is still being controlled by a greater force.
Setting aside this outdated speculation, at least the immediate problem was solved. Next, she would face a new job and unavoidable contact with Li Xun.
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Li Xun subcontracted the post-production work for the orchestra's film to graduate students at the Beijing Film Academy. He oversaw the storyboard and editing approach, explaining the requirements in great detail. Li Xun offered fair compensation and promised to credit them on the final film.
For students, it's a great opportunity to earn money and build experience.
For the film, costs were controlled and progress was guaranteed.
This can be considered a win-win situation.
He quickly withdrew, and together with several staff members assigned from above and his familiar team members, began intensive preliminary work.
Political tasks have their own efficiency; the shooting outline and core theme have already been formulated, and the direction is clear.
Seven pianists, each with a different focus.
For example, Li Chi's section will focus on his pioneering spirit and artistic vision in establishing an all-Chinese French-style orchestra.
For example, Liang Chuling's part focuses more on her image as a leader of the younger generation and her breakthrough victories in international competitions.
In early November, Beijing was already deep in autumn and the chill of winter was beginning to show.
The seven pianists on the filming list live all over the world, and coordinating their schedules was the biggest challenge.
Liang Chuling and Li Chi are the only two who are confirmed to be in China recently, and Liang Chuling will be heading to Norway in mid-to-late December to prepare for the concert.
Li Xun's plan is to start filming Liang Chuling's segment in early December, aiming to complete most of the interviews and performances that require her to appear on camera before she goes abroad.
If additional establishing shots and everyday scenes are needed later, or if historical materials are required for parts related to her childhood or learning experiences, we can wait until she returns to China to reshoot them, or contact Ms. Ma to assist in providing materials, or even tell some stories on her behalf.
For these kinds of biographical documentaries, the skill in constructing the storyline and editing is more important than the filming itself.
The raw materials are the bricks and tiles; the key is how to build a structure with soul. And understanding is the prerequisite for building. Li Xun needs to understand each pianist off-camera as much as possible, to find the hidden thread that connects the "pianist" with the "person."
Preparation meetings were held time and time again. Location coordination, shooting schedule, interview outlines, visual style... there were countless things to do.
As one of the directors, Li Xun was the person who knew Liang Chuling best, or rather, the person who once knew Liang Chuling best. He undertook the most communication and planning work, and he took the initiative to add Liang Chuling on WeChat.
He knew that they would soon meet formally, in a work setting, as the director and the subject of his filming.
The filming location was initially chosen to be Liang Chuling's childhood music room, reflecting a sense of a starting point.
Liang Chuling had not set foot here for several years.
There's a tree outside the music room that attracts a lot of insects, but its fruit is very sweet.
Five or six years ago, the trunk was cut off at a height of more than one person, leaving only a stump.
At the time, she thought the tree was definitely dead, but now she was surprised to find that a new trunk had grown back in the same spot. The branches stretched upwards with all their might, and the few leaves that had fallen in winter hung there with a stubborn vitality. The cut mark was wrapped and covered by the new bark, almost invisible, but it was definitely there, reborn in an almost miraculous way.
"Ms. Liang, this way please." The staff member's voice interrupted her thoughts.
The film crew had already arrived and set up the lights and recording equipment. Li Xun was confirming the camera positions with the cameraman when he heard the sound and turned around.
Both were dressed appropriately and looked normal.
“Teacher Liang,” Li Xun spoke first, glancing at her before moving to the environment behind her. “Is this place still the same as you remember it? We need to film some of your reactions and memories when you return to your old practice area.”
"Pretty much." Liang Chuling walked into the room, opened the window, and pointed to the tree outside. "Why don't we take a picture of this tree? Actually, I feel more attached to this tree than to this music room."
Li Xun followed her finger, his gaze passing over her shoulder and landing on the peculiar tree. The staff in the room were quietly tidying up equipment or adjusting the lights, undisturbed by the tranquility of this corner.
He walked to the other side of the window, standing an arm's length away from Liang Chuling, and looked intently at the tree: "This tree is very interesting."
Liang Chuling turned her head to look at him, but he didn't look at her. He was still staring at the tree, his fingers tapping on the windowsill, a small gesture he made when he was thinking.
"What's interesting?" she asked.
Li Xun then turned to look at her, his eyes filled with childlike interest.
“I was thinking about whether I could make it into a standalone storyline.” His idea took shape on the tip of his tongue. “Not as a backdrop or metaphor for your story, that’s too cliché. I think it could be treated as a character in this film.”
Liang Chuling blinked, not quite understanding at first: "A role?"
“Yes.” Li Xun leaned forward slightly, wanting to convey this sudden inspiration more clearly, “I think it’s interesting because it has an active story behind it.”
He began to use gestures to aid his description, drawing a box in the air: "It has a clear backstory—it was cut down. It has current actions—new branches sprouting from its remains. And there are suspenseful questions about the future—we don't know how tall it will grow, whether it can mend the past break, or what kind of storms it will weather."
"In our documentary, the pianist's story is a human symphony, full of complex emotions and choices. The tree's story, on the other hand, is a symphony of things, or rather, a symphony of the will to live. Its shots will be interspersed in the film's breathing spaces; we won't link it to the piano or the musician's story. We'll just let the shots of trees be interspersed throughout the entire documentary."
He looked at Liang Chuling with intense eyes, inviting her into this newly constructed world: "We won't provide any explanation; we'll let the visuals speak for themselves. The audience will complete this narrative loop on their own. It will engage in dialogue, or even create contrast, with the piano music, the applause, and the stage lights."
"Music is fluid, fleeting, and a brilliance brimming with human emotion. This tree, on the other hand, is a static, enduring, and silent brilliance of growth. They exist in parallel, each narrating its own story, yet they connect at a deeper level. What do you think?"
Liang Chuling understood completely. Looking at Li Xun's face, which was unusually lively with excitement, she used a playful attitude to conceive a leaping narrative style.
In fact, last night, Liang Chuling searched for Li Xun's previous homework videos and watched them one by one. She learned that he was studying the texture of stones with great interest and using music to imitate the sound of the wind passing through different shaped gaps.
He bypassed those generally accepted "meanings" to touch the unpredictable vitality of things.
"Let a tree tell a story." Liang Chuling felt a strange, indescribable stirring, which pulled her back to a long time ago, to those days illuminated by Li Xun.
"right."
As Li Xun spoke, his thoughts became clearer and clearer. As Liang Chuling listened, she suddenly realized that Li Xun was not only designing the shots, but also finding a completely new way to observe and tell the story of the seemingly broken relationship between the two of them.
Instead of dwelling on past rights and wrongs and pain, we observe each other like we observe this tree, taking a step back in time and using a silent and parallel perspective to record each other's growth after separation.
This realization left her somewhat bewildered. She avoided his gaze and turned back to look at the tree.
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the music room, and Huang Xiao walked in. "Director, about that thread you mentioned earlier about the interweaving of the city and the piano..."
She spoke quickly and walked straight toward Li Xun. It was clear that the two had a good working relationship, and her appearance interrupted their brief interaction.
Liang Chuling suppressed her surging emotions, but her gaze, which had been drifting towards the window, returned to the window frame in front of her, studying the wood grain.
Li Xun also detached himself from that creative process, resumed his work, and turned to Huang Xiao: "Perfect timing, I also have a new idea."
After listening to him, Huang Xiao looked at the tree and nodded.
"The camera angles and color tones also need to be adjusted," Li Xun continued to tell Huang Xiao.
“Speaking of camera work and color tone,” Huang Xiao continued, “the overall tone of this film is solemn, but could some parts be a bit bolder? For example, in the part about Teacher Liang, the lighting doesn’t need to be so restrained; we can use some highly saturated colored lights.”
"Just like in 'LaLa Land,' the final montage fantasy could also be used. Use almost dreamlike colors to wrap emotions and regrets, and use strong light to depict Teacher Liang's monotonous practice life..."
Liang Chuling remembers the movie *LaLa Land*. She recalls asking Li Xun why, even though they clearly loved each other, they didn't end up together. Why must beautiful love be accompanied by regret?
Li Xun said, "Perhaps it's because some roads can only be walked alone. And the light that intersects in that instant is enough to illuminate each other's entire lives."
Da! ——
Li Xun snapped his fingers. “You’re right. We don’t need such grand celebrations, but the method of using visual language to externalize the inner world can be used with Liang Chuling to break the audience’s stereotypes about classical music documentaries. We can carefully plan a few key moments…”
The two began to discuss animatedly, while Liang Chuling stood still, her face reflected in the windowpane.
The regrets she once couldn't understand, she now has someone who does, someone by Li Xun's side to experience them together, to make them part of his work. A subtle sadness, like autumn frost, creeps up the walls of her heart.
She's still standing here, but it's as if she's already left the stage.
There was a knock on the door of the music room, and a middle-aged man walked in, led by a staff member, and went straight to Huang Xiao.
"Huang Xiao!" The newcomer's voice was loud and cheerful. He was the director of another commercial film that Huang Xiao was currently working with. His surname was Chen, and he was known in the industry for his talent and temper. He was a true big-name director.
Several young staff members couldn't help but cast admiring or curious glances at them.
Huang Xiao quickly stood up: "Director Chen? What brings you here?"
"I was scouting locations nearby and thought I'd drop by to chat about that plot point I'm stuck on in the script." Director Chen glanced around the music room and nodded to Li Xun. "Director Li's here too, busy, huh?"
Li Xun nodded politely to him as well: "Director Chen."
Liang Chuling recognized the famous director and nodded politely. Director Chen also nodded politely.
Huang Xiao and Director Chen went to a corner a little further away to discuss.
The work here was temporarily interrupted, and everyone either looked around curiously or took the opportunity to rest.
The wind outside picked up, making the wooden window rattle softly, and some dust was blown in. Liang Chuling, who was sitting near the window, stood up to close it so as not to affect the recording later.
Just as she was about to touch it, an arm reached out even faster and closed the window for her.
Li Xun noticed Liang Chuling's movements as she got up. There were quite a few splinters on the wooden window, and he was worried that Liang Chuling might hurt her hand.
Li Xun closed the window and turned around. The two were very close. Liang Chuling gestured to Huang Xiao and Director Chen, who were discussing something in the distance. Director Chen glanced at Li Xun again and again. She reminded him, "Director Chen seems to be looking for you?"
Li Xun followed her gaze but showed no intention of joining in the conversation. Instead, he said to Liang Chuling, "When he turns around in a moment, look at this wall."
"Huh?" Liang Chuling was puzzled.
“Here.” Li Xun pointed to which wall it was.
Director Chen was wearing a dark blue sports jacket with a smooth coating. As he suddenly turned around, the afternoon sunlight slanted through the high window, shining on the sleeves and back of his jacket, and then refracting through the light to cast a mini rainbow on the wall.
"Wow!" Liang Chuling couldn't help but exclaim.
Li Xun's lips curved upwards slightly, but he quickly closed them again.
Liang Chuling recalled that a long time ago, Li Xun would also show her things that others overlooked. Now, her feelings were a mixture of secretly enjoying the unique happiness that belonged only to the two of them, and the melancholy that followed.
The discussion came to a temporary end, and Director Chen left.
Huang Xiao prepared to jot down a few key points and casually placed his phone on the table next to him, screen down.
Liang Chuling was also replying to messages. After she finished, she casually placed her phone not far from Huang Xiao's, screen down as well.
Neither of them paid much attention to the action. In public places, placing the phone screen down is the default way to protect privacy.
After Huang Xiao finished taking notes, he looked up and saw two cell phones. He paused for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Oh, Teacher Liang, we have the same model of cell phone, and even the same phone case!"
"What a coincidence! I bought it from that stray cat charity shop online. Did you also buy it from that shop, Teacher Liang?"
Upon hearing this, Liang Chuling also looked at the two phones. Sure enough, they were identical phones with identical phone cases.
She nodded in agreement with Huang Xiao's words: "It's the same company. It's quite a coincidence."
At that moment, one of the phones started vibrating.
Liang Chuling remembered that she hadn't set her phone to vibrate, so she didn't reach for it.
Seeing that Liang Chuling didn't react, Huang Xiao naturally assumed that his phone was vibrating. He said that it was probably the crew calling him, and when he turned the phone over, he saw that the caller ID on the screen was Zhou Xu.
Huang Xiao was surprised and embarrassed, and quickly handed the phone to Liang Chuling: "It's Teacher Zhou Xu! Teacher Liang, let me get it for you."
Liang Chuling was also stunned. When did she turn on the vibrate mode?
Without thinking much, I answered the call. Because my mind was a bit wandering, I accidentally pressed the speakerphone button.
Zhou Xu's clear, cheerful voice echoed in the quiet music room: "Chu Ling, I left my earphones at your house last night. Are you home? Can you help me look for them?"
When these words are combined, the amount of information they convey is amplified infinitely.
Huang Xiao felt that she probably shouldn't have listened to him, so she immediately took a small step back, looked away, and pretended to study the old posters on the wall.
Li Xun, who was watching the monitor with his back to them, didn't even turn his head.
The moment Liang Chuling heard the speakerphone, she realized what was happening. In a flurry, she pressed and held the volume button to turn the volume down to its lowest setting, then turned off speakerphone, lowering her voice to say, "Wait a minute..."
As she spoke, she took her phone and walked towards a corner. This gesture easily led to speculation.
Yesterday, Zhou Xu went to Liang's house to return the ear clips that Liang Chuling had left at the coffee shop. Aunt Zhang was very hospitable and insisted that Zhou Xu come in and sit down. Zhou Xu didn't stand on ceremony and took off the ear clips and put them on the table. However, he forgot about them when he left.
"I'll ask my mom or Aunt Zhang to look for it. I'll let you know when I find it. I have something to do, so I'll hang up now." Liang Chuling ended the call without waiting for his reply.
Huang Xiao appeared completely absorbed in her work, as if nothing had just happened.
Li Xun was behind the monitor, so Liang Chuling couldn't see his face.
During the subsequent filming, Liang Chuling and Li Xun both acted like they were important figures.
Li Xun guided her to recount the fun or hardships of practicing the piano as a child. Liang Chuling cooperated well, recalled clearly, expressed herself vividly, and occasionally threw in a few well-timed jokes.
Everything went smoothly.
Through the monitor, Li Xun noticed that Liang Chuling had indeed grown a lot. She appeared very composed in front of the camera, showing no signs of nervousness. Li Xun watched Liang Chuling sitting at the old piano, her profile softened by the adjusted lighting. Her expression when answering questions, the rise and fall of her fingers as she played, the look in her eyes as she gazed at the tree outside the window—every detail was faithfully recorded by the camera.
The perfect collaborative atmosphere also perfectly kept the two of them at a professional distance.
The afternoon schedule was relatively relaxed, and Liang Chuling didn't need to be in front of the camera all the time, so she sat in a corner of the room looking at her phone. The staff ordered coffee for everyone, and Liang Chuling's assistant brought her a latte. Li Xun picked up another cup and chased after her to exchange it, but when the assistant looked again, it had been replaced with a matcha cup.
The door to the music room was knocked on again, then pushed open, and Jinxi poked her head in.
“Chu Ling!” she said in a clear, crisp voice.
Liang Chuling was also somewhat surprised: "Why are you here?"
"I didn't have rehearsal this afternoon. I heard you were filming here, so I wandered over to check it out." Jinxi walked in and greeted Li Xun and the staff present. She was a member of Li Chi's band and had a close personal relationship with Liang Chuling, so her presence here wasn't unusual.
Jin Xi arrived, and Liang Chuling's assistant prepared to leave—except for performances, the assistant didn't really stay by Liang Chuling's side much. After all, Liang Chuling was different from a celebrity and didn't need constant supervision. Most of the time, the assistant just needed to handle emails, maintain the fan base, and coordinate work with the manager.
Liang Chuling herself didn't like being followed around all the time.
Li Xun nodded to Jin Xi as a greeting; he then nodded to Liang Chuling's assistant as a farewell. He then continued discussing the next shot with the cinematographer.
Jinxi moved closer to Liang Chuling, and the two began to chat in hushed tones.
At first, they were talking about the band's recent interesting events and the confusion Jinxi encountered while practicing the piano. Later, Jinxi said something and Liang Chuling suddenly laughed, a bright and cheerful laugh that Li Xun hadn't seen all day.
Liang Chuling even reached out and patted Jinxi's arm, her expression lively. She had shed the aura of a pianist and lost the composure she showed in front of the camera; she was just a young girl in her early twenties laughing and joking with her friend.
Out of professional instinct, Li Xun turned the camera towards Liang Chuling.
Out of professional instinct, Liang Chuling immediately spotted the camera.
Li Xun's gaze was fixed on her in the camera lens.
Liang Chuling's gaze was fixed on him behind the camera—although she couldn't see the person behind him, she knew who was there.
Separated by machines, by distance, by five years, by wounds, they "looked at each other" like this.
Someone once said that the human eye is the smallest sea. Li Xun felt that Liang Chuling's eyes were not the sea, but two of the strongest winds, stirring up countless sandstorms, with raging gales that engulfed him.
It made him feel that fate was simply cruel and heartless.
When we were still within reach, I longed to know everything about you, to be a part of your past, present, and future.
I want to know how you grew up before I met you, whether you secretly wiped away tears while practicing the piano besides gritting your teeth, what you like and dislike, what you dream of and what you fear, the music room you spent your childhood in, the streets you ran through as a teenager, and how you felt when you won your first award...
I always feel like I came too late and missed out on so much.
Our relationship began hastily at the tail end of adolescence and broke apart in the winds of reality.
Now we're separated, five years apart, our lives have long since diverged, and I can only watch from the sidelines—
Fate, however, in an absurd way, has given me a legitimate reason and opportunity to rightfully point my camera at you, record you, and even explore you.
I can know every little detail about you beyond your official status; I can know whether you walk home or take the bus after class; I can observe what you focus your attention on; I can notice how high you habitually roll up your sleeves; I can hear whether you speak of your favorite pianist with admiration, resonance, or ambition; I can discern which orchestra's tone you prefer; I can adjust the aperture in the sunlight just to see the pattern of your pupils contracting in bright light; I can learn from your friends who your close friends are and how you get along; I can find out from your assistant whether you prefer texting or phone calls; I can ask you whether you prefer the dryness of the North or the humidity of the South; I can even imagine a scenario to see if you close your eyes and let your thoughts wander when you play the piano; I can notice what colors most of the clothes in your wardrobe are; I can piece together from your past social media posts or other people's memories who you were with on your last trip, where it was, and what your expression was at the time…
All of these things, all the things I longed to know but couldn't fully understand, all the little details about Liang Chuling, now seem to have some kind of authority to know, to collect, to store in my material library, and to make them part of my work.
I want to know everything, everything.
I still want to know everything, everything.
This realization carried immense force, dealing a heavy blow to Li Xun.
Beneath the surging tide of desire, emotions that could not be concealed surfaced, so clear that they sent shivers down Li Xun's spine:
I miss you.
I still miss you so much.
I still miss you so much.
An overwhelming longing welled up in Li Xun's heart.
He misses her.
He misses the way she looked at him without reservation, the warmth of her dependence on him, and all her good and bad, bright and gloomy, strong and vulnerable sides.
Even with so many barriers between them, even knowing she has a new life, even knowing that he might just be a convenient pawn for her to use when she needs to get rid of trouble.
But this longing remains stubborn.
The photographer looked at Li Xun, asking with his eyes whether to continue.
Li Xun shook his head at the photographer, indicating that it was okay: "Let's prepare for the next shot."
Filming continued, the sunlight moved slowly, and the new branches outside the window swayed gently in the wind.
[Author's Note]
We've been working on some plot changes these past few days, so in the next few chapters, you might feel that some characters don't quite connect. I apologize in advance!
I almost forgot to mention! This is a completed VIP book; it's free until it's finished! So please feel free to read it!
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