Chapter 79
Chen Zhiyi's new drama "Eternal Love Song" started filming in mid-January. Many fans still have strong opinions about him taking on this project. In their eyes, it is a step down for a movie star to act in a TV series, especially since it is a brainless fantasy romance drama.
But when the official photos were released, those fans who had opposed the idea almost immediately switched sides.
He wore a moon-white robe with silver floral patterns that accentuated his tall and straight figure, adorned with a jade crown and calligraphy. He held a jade flute in his hand, and a faint smile played on his lips. His demeanor was otherworldly and gentle as jade.
This is Chen Zhiyi's first time in a period drama, and it is truly stunning.
Moreover, the plot has been greatly changed, focusing not on romantic love between men and women, but on showing universal love. The main storyline is the growth of the male protagonist, who goes from a novice cultivator to a great hero, overcoming obstacles and slaying demons along the way.
This aligns with Chen Zhiyi's casting preferences and silences the fans.
When Lin Ting saw the official photos, she was immediately amazed. As expected, good-looking people look good no matter what. She even zoomed in on the photos to examine them closely.
Song Xiaolei couldn't stand it anymore and sent her a message, "Why can't you get enough of looking at it at home every day? Why do you have to take up your work time to show off?"
The implication was to remind her to be careful, as the office is full of shrewd people who love to exaggerate. To outsiders, you two already seem to have a deep connection, but now you're staring at a photo like that. Aren't you afraid they'll notice something?
Song Xiaolei was really worried sick about them. Luckily, she had a good relationship with the building's property manager and promptly deleted the video of Chen Zhiyi entering and leaving the building on Christmas Eve. Otherwise, things would have been terrible.
Lin Ting smiled, silently saved the photo, then closed the page and focused on her work.
With only half a month left until the Chinese New Year, Lin Ting couldn't understand why they were starting filming at this time. Didn't the crew members go home for the New Year? What difference would another half a month make?
Chen Zhiyi, however, was used to it. Believe it or not, some "kings of making money" can hold a launch ceremony on the first day of the Lunar New Year. If he missed the chance to go home and reunite with his family this year, there would be another chance next year. But good money-making opportunities don't come all the time.
This film, "Eternal Love Song," is aiming for the summer prime-time slot. It's already late to start filming now. It's obvious that at least three crews will be shooting at the same time, and they'll be working themselves to the bone to meet the deadline.
This time, the filming location was set up in the Chunqiu Film and Television Base in the suburbs of Shanghai, a film and television base specifically used for shooting period dramas. Because the location was in a remote suburb, it took nearly two hours to get from home to the filming location. However, no matter how late he finished filming or how early he had to go to work the next day, Chen Zhiyi insisted on going home to rest.
Lin Ting felt sorry for him and suggested that if it got too late, they could stay at a hotel arranged by the film crew near the studio, but Chen Zhiyi refused, as he couldn't bear to leave Lin Ting alone at home.
Women tend to overthink things when they live alone for a long time, and he doesn't want that to happen.
On the contrary, Lin Ting has been relaxed recently. The suppliers have all started to give their annual holidays early. The workers in these factories are all migrant workers who look forward to going home for the New Year all year round. Basically, the factories start to close for the holidays after the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Therefore, much of the work, such as prototyping, order placement, and pricing, can only be done after the suppliers return to work after the New Year. As a result, the design department's recent work consists of reviewing past performance, and they often use market research as an excuse to sneak out and have fun, hoping to coast through until the Spring Festival holiday.
M Group's fourth-quarter sales figures were very good, and the winter models also sold well. The senior management didn't care much; after a year of hard work, a few more days of taking advantage of the situation wouldn't make a difference, so they turned a blind eye.
After all, even vampire capitalists need to show some kindness occasionally in order to retain employees who are willing to be exploited.
After New Year's Day, Lin Ting slept in the master bedroom. Since they'd done everything couples were supposed to do, there was no need for any more coyness. She couldn't help Chen Zhiyi with the hardships of filming, so she focused on taking care of him and being understanding in his daily life.
Since filming for his new drama started, he's been getting home almost every day in the early hours of the morning. She'll put the porridge or soup she's cooked in a thermal box so he can have a late-night snack when he gets home. As soon as she hears him unlock the keypad lock, she'll jump out of bed, let him take a shower, and then serve him his food. Sometimes she'll eat with him, and sometimes she'll just sit by the table and watch him finish eating.
Chen Zhiyi felt that waking up in the middle of the night was affecting his sleep quality, so he told Lin Ting not to get up, but she was willing. She liked waiting for him to come home and having dinner with him.
Lin Ting couldn't give Chen Zhiyi the kind of dramatic love he had, but she could accompany him to live each day peacefully and earnestly.
It's almost Lunar New Year's Eve, and Lin Ting is going back to Lizhen to celebrate the New Year. But Chen Zhiyi will probably be spending the New Year on set, so she'll come back to be with her sooner. In the past, she would take a few days of annual leave and not set off for Haishi until the tenth day of the first lunar month. This time, she'll be back around the fifth day of the first lunar month.
Lin Ting thought of something: Chen Zhiyi had never mentioned going home for the Chinese New Year. She knew that he and his family did not get along, but the importance of family reunion during the Spring Festival is something deeply rooted in Chinese culture, and the family still needs to get together for the New Year.
Just like myself, I have mixed feelings of love and hate towards my uncle's family, but we still sit together for a reunion dinner during holidays. No matter what, blood ties cannot be changed.
But he doesn't seem to have that idea at all.
The two of them had only talked about his family matters once before, when he was injured and hospitalized on set, and hadn't mentioned it since. Perhaps it was out of consideration for him, or perhaps he simply didn't want to bring it up.
Then a phone call came in. She glanced at it and saw that it was Chen Lan calling. Chen Zhiyi first looked at Lin Ting, hesitated for a moment, and then went to the balcony to answer the call.
He never avoided contacting Lin Ting when he received other calls, presumably out of consideration for her feelings.
For Lin Ting, the difference in social status was the biggest problem between them. But for Chen Zhiyi, he simply didn't want Lin Ting to feel bad. After their conversation at the hospital, he knew that Lin Ting's sudden contact with her family five years ago must have been related to her family.
He never mentioned his family matters, which was also a subtle way of telling Lin Ting that he didn't care and that these things were not problems at all.
Although she was on the balcony, Lin Ting still managed to hear some of what Chen Zhiyi was saying.
"I'm not going back. I'm busy with the new film and I'm rushing to meet the deadline."
"Yes, we can't even find time to have a New Year's Eve dinner. Besides, the crew also has a New Year's Eve dinner, so it doesn't matter where we eat."
"Why go back? To listen to their criticism and ridicule? I've already moved on and I won't go back. Everyone should just live well in their own places."
"Don't come over either. I don't have time to entertain you. I have plenty of food and clothing, what are you worried about?"
"And if you want to know my whereabouts, just search online. It will be clear where I am and what I am doing recently, as long as you are willing to investigate."
"Okay, that's all, I'm hanging up."
Her tone was so cold, as if she were talking to a stranger. The mother-son relationship had returned to square one, and all of Lin Ting's efforts five years ago had been in vain.
Chen Zhiyi turned around, met Lin Ting's gaze as she stood in the living room, and smiled slightly, as if to say to her, "It's nothing."
Lin Ting stepped forward; she couldn't pretend she hadn't heard anything. "Why don't you go back?"
Chen Zhiyi touched the tip of her ear. "Didn't you hear me? The crew is busy."
"Come on, film crews usually rest on the first day of the Lunar New Year. You have plenty of time to go back."
Chen Zhiyi joked, "Then we're the second-rate film crew."
Lin Ting said seriously, "Stop joking around. Have you gone home for Chinese New Year these past few years?"
"I went back home for Chinese New Year during my freshman year, but after signing with Sister Fei during my sophomore year and officially starting to film, I haven't gone back since. On the one hand, I was indeed on set during the Spring Festival, but on the other hand, what would I do if I went back? I would hear them all attacking me. In their eyes, my choice to become an actor was unconventional and disgraceful to my family. They were determined to drag me back to the path they wanted me to take."
"Don't forget, you were the only one who supported me from beginning to end; they were all attacking and dismissive."
"Instead of going back to get scolded and unhappy, it's better to stay on set and have some peace and quiet."
When Chen Zhiyi said these words, his eyes conveyed helplessness and amusement.
"But didn't your mother agree five years ago?"
Chen Zhiyi chuckled. "Although my mother is a strong woman in her career, she's a typical virtuous wife in her personal life and relationships, always following my father's lead. My father, having reached that position, naturally wanted a son he could be proud of and who would listen to him. They are both intellectuals, and in their eyes, my job is nothing more than being an actor. So he strongly opposed me going down this path. If I hadn't taken precautions, he would have almost ruined my college acceptance letter. Even if he cut off my tuition and living expenses, I would have persisted. Now that I've completely broken free, I won't let any of his threats prevent me from going back."
"They looked down on my choices and preferences when I was young, and now they look down on my job. To put it bluntly, they look down on me as a person. It's pointless. It's best if we each go our own way and don't bother each other."
He must have needed a lot of time to let go of the fact that he was never understood or supported by his family and was always suppressed and forced to accept things.
Lin Ting felt a pang of sympathy, reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, gently stroking his back as if to comfort him. "So, aside from the Spring Festival, have you ever gone back home these past few years?"
Chen Zhiyi rested his chin on her head and kissed her hair. "I went back twice, I remember it very clearly. Once was when my grandfather fell and was injured, and the other time was when Uncle Li was in a car accident. But I only went to the hospital to see him and didn't even go home."
Lin Ting felt that she and Chen Zhiyi had two extreme concepts of family. One had a complete family but no feelings, while the other had a broken family but deep feelings. Neither was perfect, but they could hug each other and lick their wounds.
Love wounds are the hardest to heal, but family wounds are the hardest to cure.
Chen Zhiyi spoke again, "Are you going back to Lizhen for the Spring Festival?"
Lin Ting nestled in his arms, her voice muffled, "Yes, I can skip other holidays, but I definitely have to go back for the Spring Festival."
Can I come with you?
Lin looked up from his embrace, her eyes shining, "Are you sure?"
Chen Zhiyi nodded.
"How does the film crew arrange their holidays?"
"Just like you said, we'll start resting on the afternoon of New Year's Eve and resume work on the second day of the Lunar New Year."
Lin Ting was a little disappointed. "The second day of the Lunar New Year is too early. I want to stay home and spend more time with my mom, and I also want to visit relatives for the New Year."
"Then do as you plan. I'll come back to pick you up at noon on New Year's Eve, and I'll come back early on the second day of the Lunar New Year."
"Okay, then I'll come back to be with you soon, around the fifth day of the Lunar New Year."
"OK."
Lin Ting told Lin Qin about her and Chen Zhiyi's Spring Festival plans. Lin Qin was very happy to hear that Chen Zhiyi would be spending the New Year with them. She said that no matter what, she would cook the New Year's Eve dinner this time so that Chen Zhiyi could taste her cooking skills. She felt bad that she had only cooked a bowl of noodles when she came back last time.
Hearing her mother's happy tone on the phone, Lin Ting also smiled, feeling the same anticipation for the New Year that she had felt as a child.
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