"Teacher Ning, you didn't tell me you would be attending the premiere." Ji Yan found an excuse to scold his teacher Ning first.
The last time Ning Wei participated in a movie promotion event was for "I, Nameless". However, the two were not familiar with each other at that time, and Ji Yan regarded her as a fan looking at an idol.
However, according to his teacher Ning, and with Duan Yiran as a witness, Teacher Ning fell in love with him earlier than he thought.
"Were you already harboring ill intentions towards me when you wrote that letter?"
Ning Wei refused to answer Ji Yan's question because Duan Yiran had complained about him a long time ago—"Is that a letter? It's clearly a love letter, okay?"
Duan Yiran was shocked by Ning Wei's seriousness in choosing words and constructing sentences, so she specially gave him a dictionary of idioms in case Ning Wei's cultural level couldn't keep up.
Of course, Ji Yan absolutely cannot know about this. Ning Wei would never tell him, and he wouldn't allow Duan Yiran to tell him either.
His collection of love quotes was confiscated by Ji Yan, but recently... Ning Wei bought another copy. The new one wasn't as corny as the previous one, and it sold quite well, although it was a bit too modern for Ning Wei.
But he has been studying diligently and putting his knowledge into practice.
...
The two waited quietly in the corner for the premiere to begin. Ji Yan had not yet seen the finished film of "Black Curtain," but he had listened to the theme song sung by Ning Wei on repeat many times. It was a melody he liked, and after listening to it, his curiosity was completely piqued. He tried to use his personal connections to get Teacher Ning to sing it for him, but unfortunately, Teacher Ning was too principled and just refused, so Ji Yan had no choice but to give up.
Backstage, Ji Yan greeted Qu Xiyu, Xi Ming, and the other actors in the crew. Everyone noticed that Ning Wei quietly followed behind Ji Yan wherever he went, and they were quite curious about how the two got along.
Even Xi Ming looked over curiously.
He had known Ning Wei for longer than Ji Yan, but their relationship had always been lukewarm and they hadn't gotten to know each other well. In his impression, Ning Wei was someone who found it difficult to open up to others. Perhaps talented people were like that, but Ning Wei was able to get along with Ji Yan so smoothly. Xi Ming couldn't help but ask Ji Yan if he had any secret.
Ji Yan: "Maybe... he's a looks-obsessed person?"
Xi Ming: "...Am I not good-looking?"
When Xi Ming was young, he was definitely a handsome young man. He was never afraid of anyone when it came to looks, okay?
Ji Yan: "Maybe it's because I'm more handsome?"
Xi Ming couldn't stand Ji Yan's words, but he was a magnanimous person and somewhat acknowledged Ji Yan's advantage in appearance. However, upon closer reflection, he was still a little unhappy. Considering that Ji Yan had brought a sugar daddy, Xi Ming chose to forgive him.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Xi Ming and Ji Yan discussed the movie they were currently preparing to shoot. Ning Wei wasn't interested in their conversation, but she still stood there and listened to them finish.
Xi Ming was disappointed that Ji Yan did not choose the script he had picked, and Ji Yan was also helpless: "The schedule is just too tight."
The scripts that Xi Ming chooses are definitely of high quality. However, Ji Yan prefers the two scripts he has already accepted. He can only squeeze out a limited amount of time to film each year. If possible, he would like to have a clone of himself.
...
After the premiere began, the main cast and crew took their seats and gave a brief introduction before the film was shown. Reporters from several professional magazines, including "Fancy Movies" and "Movies," were also in the audience.
As a fan of both Ning Wei and Ji Yan, Zhong Lu was lucky enough to snag a ticket. The process of getting the ticket was a double test of physical and mental strength. Zhong Lu didn't know that Ning Wei was also there. She came because of Ji Yan's movie and Ning Wei's theme song performance. Isn't that real? Isn't that solid proof of their pairing?
The evidence is irrefutable; she was the officiant.
Even if it's on the summit of Mount Everest, she'd still move the Civil Affairs Bureau there.
When Zhong Lu arrived at the scene, she found out that Ning Wei was also there. For Zhong Lu, this was a chance to see Ning Wei up close.
Then she saw that there were so many seats on the stage. According to the importance of the roles, Ji Yan should sit in the middle with Xi Ming and Qu Xiyu. Although Ning Wei was a big star, he was not the main character of the movie, so it was normal for him to sit a little off to the side. But he and Ji Yan actually sat down on the side quite naturally.
Zhong Lu: "..."
Seriously, this is getting a bit blatant.
But the two of them acted so naturally, as if the same thing had happened a thousand times before. No one else could understand it, only she could.
Zhong Lu could only sigh, how lonely it is to be invincible.
...
As the lead actors, Ji Yan and Xi Ming shared some interesting stories from their time filming. It was their first time working together, and both of them had recently won the Chang Kong Award for Best Actor. Reporters were very interested in the chemistry between the two during filming. One reporter even asked Ji Yan if he was worried that his image would become fixed. After Ji Yan answered, Xi Ming joked with him, "With Teacher Ji's image, he can handle any type of role."
After that, "The Curtain" was officially shown in the screening room.
The cast and crew retreated to the audience to watch the movie. Zhong Lu stood up and glanced ahead. As she expected, Ji Yan and Ning Wei were still seated close together.
As the screen gradually brightened, the theater itself gradually darkened.
City D.
It was very dark in a small alley. A woman lay there silently. Two drunk men walked by, kicking her and cursing as they walked on. Suddenly, one of the drunk men seemed to realize something and sobered up instantly, staring straight in the direction he had just passed.
The scene shifts to the police station, where the carefree Gu Chao is being reprimanded by his superior for violating regulations again. While Gu Chao listens obediently to the reprimand, he is investigating the case according to his own ideas. Ji Yu is one of his most frequent informants, who always manages to find the clues Gu Chao wants. Gu Chao is naturally wary of him, but over time, the two have gradually become familiar with each other.
The bar was dimly lit. The camera focused on Gu Chao, then followed his gaze to another person—
The other person casually smoked, the smoke curling upwards, and his face seemed to blur for a moment.
The moment Zhong Lu saw Ji Yan's face appear on the camera, only one word came to her mind—handsome!
Ji Yan was already handsome, but in the movies he had acted in before, only "I, Nameless" showed his handsomeness without reservation. In this scene in "Black Curtain", there is a strong atmosphere of old-fashioned European and American art films. Ji Yan's features are very clear, and the atmosphere of handsomeness is instantly created.
Zhong Lu has always liked Ji Yan. She already had a biased view of Ji Yan, and now that bias is as thick as 10 meters.
On the screen, Gu Chao and Li Yu exchanged information again. Gu Chao continued to subtly probe Li Yu, using a very smooth approach. Li Yu's expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't noticed Gu Chao's probing, and he was shrouded in mystery.
Gu Chao's probing was not yet over when he received a call from his superior saying that another murder had occurred in a certain place, and Gu Chao had no choice but to leave in a hurry.
The instant Gu Chao disappeared from sight, Li Yu's face was reflected in the wine glass. He was smiling, and although his smile wasn't creepy, Zhong Lu could still feel the eeriness emanating from him in the July weather.
"Teacher Ji is getting more and more adept at playing perverts."
Although Zhong Lu didn't know the specific content of the script, in her mind, the character played by Ji Yan was obviously not a decent person. It was just that the last few scenes of "The Vanished Murder" were an outward-facing pervert, while "The Curtain" was a more inward-looking pervert.
Although being a pervert is indeed very exciting, Zhong Lu thinks that Teacher Ji is still the most handsome on stage, and he seems to be shining.
In the story, Gu Chao discovers more and more murder cases, and gradually, the clues focus on someone he knows.
At this moment, Gu Chao was still not entirely convinced. In his impression, Li Yu was not the kind of person who was heartless and insane. With a glimmer of hope in his heart, Gu Chao went to find Li Yu and got a definite answer from the other party's behavior.
This is the scene where Ji Yan and Xi Ming confront each other with a gun.
In their hands, the two guns were like toys, and neither of them showed any panic. It was as if this was just a game. But for the audience, the thrill of this scene was beyond words.
Especially Li Yu's eyes under the camera—unlike his previous appearances, his gaze seems not to be directed at living beings. He himself is like a cold-blooded animal, unable to express human emotions whether it is a gun or a person.
The clash between Ji Yan and Xi Ming was particularly thrilling.
Ji Yan is young, while Xi Ming is older, but the two of them performed their scenes together with perfect chemistry. Zhong Lu could only marvel at how twisted Li Yu's character was, and all she could say was "awesome."
Zhong Lu couldn't think of any other sophisticated or elegant descriptions.
In the next scene, when Li Yu had a gun pointed at his temple, his excited and sticky expression sent chills down the spines of the audience. In that scene, the audience couldn't help but wonder if they were Gu Chao and could escape from Li Yu's clutches.
The answer is probably no.
This person has no respect for life, yet possesses the strength to match his twisted mind.
But Gu Chao ultimately escaped, and the back-and-forth between the two kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
When Gu Chao escaped, the only bullet in his magazine made the audience worry for him. But then, Gu Chao slowly reviewed the discussion between Li Yu and him about the four shots he had fired. The audience couldn't help but wonder if Li Yu was misleading Gu Chao.
In the current plot of the movie, the audience and film critics think that Gu Chao is like Li Yu's prey. Although he is very smart, Li Yu seems to be holding invisible threads behind him, silently controlling him.
Zhong Lu initially came to the movie because of the pairing of Ning Wei and Ji Yan, but as the movie progressed, she became engrossed in the plot and couldn't focus on anything else.
The plot of "The Curtain" is both fast and slow, and the confrontation between Li Yu and Gu Chao is extremely exciting. Xi Ming and Ji Yan's performances do not make the audience feel out of place at all. On the contrary, the two of them fully show the characteristics of their characters, which Zhong Lu found very exciting.
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