Chapter 11 I was charmed by my junior sister's cuteness.
As the movie ended and the lights in the theater came on, the few remaining audience members got up and left. Xu Weisheng turned to look at Jian Zhen, who was still staring at the big screen, lost in thought.
"What do you think?" Xu Weisheng asked.
"Huh?" As if the sound slowed down, Jian Zhen turned to look at him after two seconds, a captivating smile suddenly appearing on her blank face: "I like her."
Xu Weisheng lowered his eyes and scratched his eyebrows. He thought that Jian Zhen had come all the way to watch the movie with him to critique the production quality from an industry perspective, but he didn't expect her to be completely immersed in the plot.
“Her Irish accent is hilarious.” Jian Zhen grabbed her handbag, stood up and stretched. She heard a cracking sound from her shoulders, neck and lumbar spine. She hadn’t even started working yet, and she was already practically suffering from an occupational hazard. She stood there for a couple of seconds before recovering and then shook her head and said, “But her hair color is pretty good.”
Xu Weisheng followed her out, trying to steer the conversation back to what she cared about: "From a production perspective?"
"The level of completion is very high, as expected of Pixar." Jian Zhen walked down the steps with her hands in her pockets and a nonchalant air.
Xu Weisheng laughed. Pixar is the ultimate dream for so many in this industry, yet she spoke of it so casually, as if she were already an Oscar judge. He raised an eyebrow, suppressing his laughter, and asked, "Oh? What makes it so special? How is it different from other animated films?"
"Let's not talk about the sound effects." The two had already left the steps and entered the exit passage. Jian Zhen suddenly turned around and started walking backwards facing Xu Weisheng. "Did you notice the characters' hair? Merida's curly hair, her mother's long hair, the black bear's fur, the shapes and colors are very different, but each one is very realistic. And it's not just realistic in static state, the effect is also quite good in dynamic state. You could say it's to the point of being extremely detailed."
Xu Weisheng maintained the same pace as her, the distance between them neither too close nor too far, just enough for them to talk in hushed tones: "Pixar has always been a monster of detail."
“This isn’t something you can achieve by just focusing on details.” Jian Zhen shook her head at him and continued, “They used a self-developed hair simulation system in this film, which can present the most realistic state of hair. This system is like a game cheat, giving other production teams a crushing defeat.”
This was exactly what Xu Weisheng wanted to hear. He nodded in satisfaction and continued to ask, "Anything else?"
"Besides this hair simulation system, their rendering skills are also top-notch. You know, so-called 3D animation actually grows from a two-dimensional image. The reason they can achieve such realistic 3D effects is largely due to rendering. For example, the scene of Stonehenge collapsing in the movie reportedly used volumetric cloud rendering. The protagonist's clothes, although they don't seem to follow a complicated approach, also use multiple layers of fabric overlay rendering..."
Jian Zhen became more and more enthusiastic as she talked. By the time the two sat down to eat dinner face to face, she had already been talking about the dynamic light and shadow tracking technology used extensively in the film for a quarter of an hour. She only stopped abruptly when the steaming steak was served. As if snapping out of her reverie, she relaxed her shoulders, picked up her knife and fork, looked at the steak in front of her, paused for a few seconds, looked up at the other person, puffed out her cheeks, and winked: "Um... sorry, I forgot that I don't eat anything with blood on it."
Now, what's in front of her is Xu Weisheng's well-done steak, while the medium-rare steak that Xu Weisheng ordered according to the tastes of most customers has been replaced in front of her. With one cut, the pink protein fibers inside are clearly visible. He glances at Jian Zhen, wanting to sigh—he doesn't like eating raw food either, but he can't waste food—but this fan of his really knows a lot about animated films, shining with a dazzling light, so he can only indulgently forgive her this time.
“It’s OK,” Xu Weisheng said, shaking his head as he imitated a Scottish accent from a movie.
"This meal is on me." Jian Zhen had a good chat. Not many of her friends knew anything about this, and her classmates at school wanted to stay away from their majors after class, so no one listened to her talk about these things.
"No need." The restaurant Xu Weisheng brought her to today was not cheap; it was at least the most expensive within an hour's walk. He was always generous when treating people and didn't want to be obliged every time.
"Aren't you going to work?" Jian Zhen belatedly realized that the movie had ended just in time for dinner, and she had dragged Xu Weisheng out to eat without considering the consequences of him skipping work.
“A colleague is covering for me.” Xu Weisheng cut her steak, put a piece in her mouth, and looked up to meet Jian Zhen’s gaze. Jian Zhen’s gaze was intense. Even Xu Weisheng, who was used to big scenes, was stunned for a moment, swallowed the beef, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
"Are you going to stay here as a ticket collector forever?" Jian Zhen's question was direct and sharp. Xu Weisheng felt as if he had been shot in the stomach, losing all appetite and even wanting to throw away his knife and fork.
"You probably still want to keep drawing, right?" Jian Zhen leaned closer, resting her wrists on the edge of the table, and stared at him as she asked.
Xu Weisheng was speechless for a moment before he finally managed to crack a joke, thinking it was just a bit of humor: "So, you're trying to find me a job? A full-time position or a temporary worker? Let's get this straight, I'm not doing outsourcing!"
"Hmph." Jian Zhen snorted lightly, stood up sullenly, and began to cut her steak. For a moment, only the clinking of metal cutlery could be heard on the table. Just when Xu Weisheng thought this part was finally over, Jian Zhen suddenly spoke again: "In short, one should not easily give up on one's dreams."
Xu Weisheng was startled by this sudden, childish declaration. He stopped eating and quietly looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
"Although I've never seen your paintings, I've felt the calluses on your hands; they're thicker than mine. And the first time I met you was in..."
As Jian Zhen spoke, she felt her logic becoming a bit chaotic. Perhaps she hadn't yet emerged from the emotions of the movie. At this moment, her emotions took over, and she even felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welling up. She pursed her lips, sniffed, and composed herself before looking up at the other person and saying, "We're both artists, after all. It's reasonable for artists to follow their intuition. I believe you're a good painter, perhaps even more outstanding than I imagined. That's why I can't stand seeing you wasting your time here. You have to understand that a person's life is finite, and no one should waste their passion and talent."
After delivering this long-winded speech that was far beyond her years, Jian Zhen lowered her head and fiercely began cutting her steak.
Xu Weisheng stood there stunned, and after a long while, he sighed, both amused and exasperated, and protested, "Who said I gave up on my dreams? I'm not staying here because—"
He lowered his voice and said, "Are we going to hide from those who plunder me?"
"What era are we living in? Why are they still using those feudal, aristocratic forced marriage tactics?" Jian Zhen couldn't understand. "If you don't leave, can they just kidnap you?"
“They may not tie me up with rope, but there are many other things in the world that can bind a person’s hands and feet besides rope.”
Before Jian Zhen could say anything more, Xu Weisheng had already raised the white flag and gently advised, "Let's eat first."
"Eat it then!" Jian Zhen said angrily without saying a word, stuffing food into her mouth one bite after another. She inherited her family tradition of eating quickly and cleanly. She didn't have the temperament of a lady, but she did have a bit of the temperament of a chivalrous woman. However, when Xu Weisheng saw her choking on the well-done steak, chewing with her cheeks full of beef, he thought she looked like a squirrel hibernating for the winter, which was kind of cute.
To comfort his chivalrous junior sister, Hsu Wei-sheng had no choice but to pick up the topic they had just dropped and continue talking about Pixar's achievements in technological advancement as an industry pioneer, so as to show that he really didn't intend to be a ticket collector forever.
“Of course, the core of artistic expression is still people. Specifically in film, it’s the story and the script. The techniques we’re talking about are just auxiliary means. Pixar’s greatest strength is its spirit. Do you like this story?” Before Jian Zhen could answer, Xu Weisheng said confidently, “You definitely like it. You said you wanted to get Merida’s hair color right after watching it.”
The tip of the metal fork pressed against a piece of broccoli, rubbing it against the plate. Jian Zhen looked up and realized she'd been right. She gave an embarrassed twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"Actually, I also have a question I want to ask you." This question had been buried in Xu Weisheng's heart. He wanted to ask not only Jian Zhen, but also the millions of moviegoers who went to the cinema. Why did they buy tickets? He wanted to ask this rapidly changing era: "In your eyes, are animated films works of art or industrial products?"
This question seems easy to answer at first glance, but upon closer examination, it's actually quite difficult to say what the answer will be.
Jian Zhen swallowed the words "works of art" that were already on her tongue, remaining silent for a moment. After all, she was the one who had been talking so eloquently about industrial technology just now.
This is only the first question. He hadn't even mentioned 2D animation, that old thing that's gradually being forgotten. Xu Weisheng shook his head and smiled, not wanting to mess with his junior sister's little head any further. He raised his hand to call the waiter to settle the bill. Before the waiter arrived, he put his hand down and said to Jian Zhen, "Perhaps you can find the answer to this question at Qili."
After paying the bill and leaving the restaurant, the sunset painted half the sky. This time, no one mentioned it, and Xu Weisheng offered to take her to the bus stop.
On the way, Jian Zhen raised her chin to indicate the horizon and asked, "What mountain is that?"
"Qianling Mountain."
Is there a temple on the mountain?
“There’s not only a temple, but also an old monk who likes to tell stories to the young monks,” Xu Weisheng said in a tone as if he were teasing a child.
"Tch—" Jian Zhen turned her face away disdainfully.
"Hey, hurry up, the bus you're waiting for is about to arrive." Xu Weisheng looked back at the intersection behind him, where the bus that was about to take Jian Zhen away was already waiting at the red light.
Jian Zhen quickened her pace and jogged with Xu Weisheng toward the streetlight by the station. The thought swirled in her mind, "Let's exchange WeChat or phone numbers," but she couldn't muster the courage to speak, even though she kept glancing at Xu Weisheng as she jogged.
Why is this person like a block of wood? Or is it really just her who wants to exchange contact information?
Jian Zhen was almost annoyed.
Xu Weisheng arrived before her. He had just eaten and exercised vigorously, and his stomach was churning. He leaned against a lamppost, panting heavily. In that brief moment, the bus and Jian Zhen arrived at the same time. Jian Zhen didn't have time to dawdle and immediately jumped onto the bus through the front door, took out her student ID, and swiped it.
"Master—" Xu Weisheng almost blurted out "Junior Sister," but he almost swallowed it back. He looked up and saw through the glass that she had found a seat in the back half of the carriage and was sitting by the window. The two of them had a chance to talk for a moment.
So he loudly asked a very important question: "When are you going to report to Qili?"
Half the carriage heard it, but Jian Zhen got angry and pretended not to hear. She quickly pulled the curtains shut, thinking that she would leave the question for when she came to bother him next time!
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