"You mean," Zheng Bohan put down his pen and looked at Shang Yechu seriously, "to arrange a 'white moonlight' for the emperor?"
"Yes." Shang Yechu sat opposite Zheng Bohan, nervously turning the teacup in front of her.
Zheng Bohan did not immediately agree or disagree, but leaned back in his chair and scrutinized Shang Yechu with a probing gaze.
Tell me your reasons.
Shang Yechu carefully crafted her words: "Imagine there is a woman who met the emperor when they were still young, and they were husband and wife for many years, sharing joys and sorrows, weathering storms together. The emperor promised that after he conquered the country, she would be his only empress. But on the eve of his ascension to the throne, she passed away for some reason."
Zheng Bohan did not interrupt Shang Yechu, so she continued, "She can appear in the emperor's memories. Whenever the emperor is having trouble making a decision about something, he can confide in his imaginary wife, who doesn't need to speak or even make any extra movements; she just needs to listen silently."
Zheng Bohan sat up a little straighter, a sign that he was showing interest in the conversation.
Shang Yechu continued, “This wife can remain forever young—because she is dead. In the emperor’s memory, she will never grow old. In this way, it is also very suitable in terms of appearance.”
Shang Yechu didn't explicitly say whose appearance his wife was compatible with, but Zheng Bohan naturally understood.
Not only is he intelligent, but he also knows how to be reserved, which is what Zheng Bohan admires most about Shang Yechu.
However, Zheng Bohan was not in a hurry to agree to Shang Yechu's suggestion. Instead, he gently tapped the script draft in front of him.
"Xiao Ye, do you know what the main theme of our drama is?"
"Yes." Shang Yechu could only nod in agreement.
Zheng Bohan slowly twirled the pen in his hand and said, "Then you should know that such a plot is inappropriate in such a work."
Before Shang Yechu could answer, Zheng Bohan continued, "A deeply affectionate emperor and a tragic love story—that's certainly beautiful. If it were an idol drama, I'd say your idea is good. But since our work is 'an unprecedented palace drama,' we can't have scenes that glorify the emperor's love."
To be honest, Zheng Bohan was slightly disappointed. However, he understood that it wasn't Shang Yechu's fault. After all, she wasn't a screenwriting major, and her initial intention was to help him solve the problem. Ultimately, it was Su Ge's fault for being too demanding.
If "The Legend of Qingyun" hadn't been taken away...
Shang Yechu noticed that Zheng Bohan's expression was somewhat complicated. It seemed that this renowned screenwriter was reminiscing about his failed project again.
Shang Yechu smiled slightly, her expression even appearing somewhat childish. "Teacher Zheng, you're absolutely right. So, the plot I just described actually has a second half."
Shang Yechu lowered her voice and said a few words to Zheng Bohan.
Zheng Bohan's expression gradually changed from nonchalant to astonished.
Before Shang Yechu could finish speaking, Zheng Bohan slammed his hand on the table and shouted!
"Brilliant!"
Shang Yechu seemed startled, "Director Zheng?"
"Cough cough. It's nothing. Xiao Ye, I was just too excited." Zheng Bohan sat down again.
This time, his posture was exceptionally upright, but his attitude was not very serious; in fact, it could be described as excited. "Xiao Ye, this plot is great—no, to be honest, it's fucking fantastic!"
Zheng Bohan's use of profanity surprised Shang Yechu. After all, he was a cultured man; he shouldn't have been so rude.
Unbeknownst to Shang Yechu, Zheng Bohan was secretly plotting something in his mind!
With this plot, how can we not trample Xu Hanwen and all those screenwriters who stole his scripts for fame and fortune into the mud?
As the true author of "The Legend of Qingyun," Zheng Bohan is quite familiar with the script—both the original and revised versions. He can also guess the approximate number of episodes in "The Legend of Qingyun."
In the very instant he was talking to Shang Yechu, Zheng Bohan had already made clear arrangements for both "Yun Qing Ji" and "Qing Yun Zhuan", even planning out the specific day when each episode would air!
He wanted to give Xu Hanwen a hard slap across the face! Not only that, he wanted to make the other half of Xu Hanwen's face be slapped as well!
Shang Yechu couldn't understand Zheng Bohan's enthusiasm for crushing Xu Hanwen, but she knew how to take advantage of the situation. "Teacher Zheng, please stop praising me. If you keep praising me, I'll become arrogant."
“Hahaha…” Zheng Bohan laughed loudly, “A young man with your insight should not be overly modest.”
"Teacher Zheng!" Shang Yechu seemed a little embarrassed.
"Alright, enough teasing. Let's get down to business." Zheng Bohan's smile faded, and he said seriously to Shang Yechu, "This idea was yours, so I won't plagiarize your creativity. I'm thinking of adding your name to the screenwriter credits. What do you think?"
"This..." Shang Yechu seemed somewhat tempted, but ultimately said tactfully, "Teacher Zheng, I want to focus on my current profession first."
Zheng Bohan understood the unspoken meaning and naturally wouldn't press the matter. However, he still drew a line in the air as if making a mark, "I understand your decision. But—I'm not cursing you, I'm saying if, someday you want to try screenwriting, you're welcome to come and collaborate with me."
Shang Yechu smiled, a very happy smile, like a child who had just received affirmation from their teacher: "Of course, teacher!"
"You," Zheng Bohan chuckled, tapping Shang Yechu's forehead from a distance, "you little sycophant."
That means you've accepted the title of "teacher".
Shang Yechu felt a slight surge of excitement. Regardless of the actual value of those two words, they were enough to impress others!
The mutual flattery is over; it's time to get down to business.
Shang Yechu was naturally very interested in the role that Zheng Bohan had promised her, which was suspected to be that of an emperor, and was even eager to know what kind of role it was. Now was the perfect time.
Shang Yechu coughed lightly and said, "I just don't know if Miss Su Ge would be willing to play such a role?"
Zheng Bohan's smile froze instantly.
Happiness is always fleeting; Zheng Bohan felt as if his heart was blocked by a lump of sticky glutinous rice.
Would Su Ge be willing to play such a role? Zheng Bohan was really unsure.
In any TV drama, the deceased cannot occupy a significant portion of the story. If Su Ge were to portray this beloved, deceased wife, her screen time would inevitably be greatly reduced. She would have the title of leading lady, but not the substance.
Given Su Ge's fame, what are the chances that she would be willing to do such a deal?
Even if Su Ge agrees—what about her fans?
The frenzy of fans of popular celebrities was already beginning to emerge in 2016. Su Ge, with her controversial yet popular image, had incredibly fierce fans. Zheng Bohan couldn't even imagine what would happen after the drama aired. Su Ge's fans would watch "Yun Qing Ji" because of Su Ge's name, only to find that her role was minimal...
Zheng Bohan shivered.
There's no such thing as a life with only benefits and no drawbacks. Zheng Bohan hesitated for only two seconds before putting the matter of being scolded out of his mind. In the entertainment industry, you can't make a name for yourself without a strong heart.
Zheng Bohan gritted his teeth and said, "You don't need to worry about this. I'll go talk to her agent."
Before calling her "teacher," Shang Yechu was still an outsider to Zheng Bohan. But after calling her "teacher," Shang Yechu became almost "one of his own" to Zheng Bohan. Therefore, Zheng Bohan didn't hesitate to tell Shang Yechu something real: "I have some connections with her agent."
“What a coincidence.” Shang Yechu’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “Miss Su and I have just become friends and even added each other on WeChat.”
As she spoke, Shang Yechu took out her phone and showed Zheng Bohan the contact "Tian Tian Chi Tang Tang" from her contacts.
Zheng Bohan was of course familiar with Su Ge's WeChat account, and he was astonished to see that Shang Yechu had actually gotten involved with this young lady.
The shock was fleeting; Zheng Bohan's eyes darted around, and he immediately had an idea.
“Isn’t this better?” Zheng Bohan sold his newly acquired “student” without hesitation. “I’ll go talk to Lin Hui, and you go sound out Su Ge and ask her what she thinks.”
Before Shang Yechu could answer, Zheng Bohan offered her a condition she couldn't refuse: "If she succeeds, the other roles will have more room to maneuver."
This is quite blatant. In modern Chinese, it means: if Shang Yechu can win over Su Ge, then the role Zheng Bohan mentioned will be Shang Yechu's for the taking. And she might even get some more screen time as a reward for her efforts.
Undoubtedly, this was just empty promises being made to Shang Yechu. But Shang Yechu really had to take the bait!
There's no need for so much beating around the bush in private conversations. The entertainment industry is a narrow world; it doesn't tolerate gentleness, courtesy, frugality, or excessive morality and formalities. If you try to act like Kong Rong sharing pears, they'll play a zero-sum game with you. If you hesitate and wonder if doing so is unethical, you might look up and see the other side has already grabbed the chessboard and smashed it over your head!
Both Zheng Bohan and Shang Yechu were very familiar with this approach. Shang Yechu did not feel disheartened by this; on the contrary, she knew that Zheng Bohan was treating her like family.
Shang Yechu certainly wouldn't be ungrateful. She smiled and shook her phone, saying, "Speaking of which—Teacher, I already have Su Ge's WeChat, but not yours. That's not appropriate, is it?"
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