Shao Guangji sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and waved to Shang Yechu.
On a rainy day, the indoor lights were on, casting a soft, white glow. Upon entering, a gentle, sweet fragrance wafted to her nose, momentarily disorienting Shang Yechu. Her eyes darted around discreetly, but she didn't see any scented candles or incense stones in the room.
"Teacher Shao." Shang Yechu stepped forward with a smile, bent down and offered her hand, "It's been a long time."
Shao Guangji stood up, casually shook his fingertips on Shang Yechu's fingertips, and said, "Miss Ye, please sit down."
"Just call me Xiao Ye." Shang Yechu smiled and sat down opposite him. "Is Mr. Cao not here?"
“There’s flooding over Nanqiao.” Shao Guangji sat down again. “He won’t be back for a while. But it’s alright, Lao Cao and I are old friends. I’ll borrow his house to make a donation, I’m sure he won’t mind.”
"What a pity. I'd also like to get to know Professor Shao's friend."
As soon as she sat down, Shang Yechu realized how pleasant this place chosen by Shao Guangji was. She sat in a soft, cloud-like shell chair, and on the small table in front of her, a purple clay teapot emitted wisps of steam, filling the air with the aroma of tea. The large window was open, letting in the fresh, post-rain air, carrying a hint of the island's dampness. A glance to the side revealed a view of the garden below.
In early February, the garden of the mansion was already showing signs of green, and the rain made the green appear even more lush.
The combination of the chill outside the window and the aroma of tea inside created a unique ambiance.
The rainy season in Taiwan arrives earlier than in Hengshi. The damp chill of spring rain in Hengshi is no less intense than on the island, making it a nightmare for the elderly. Shang Yechu needs to have the logistics department distribute a batch of warm clothing and health supplements to the long-time residents of Xingfu Commercial Street, ostensibly as company welfare. She silently calculated—she'd forgotten about it last year, but she absolutely couldn't forget it this year.
"What do you think of this rain?" Shao Guangji glanced at Shang Yechu.
Shang Yechu glanced at the sky again: "It's not raining now."
Shao Guangji choked for a moment. After a while, he said again, "Actually, you don't need to come to the island. I'll probably go back in three to five days."
Shang Yechu smiled insincerely and said, "Time is money. I won't feel at ease until 'The Heavenly Emperor' starts filming."
Shang Yechu was determined not to give Shao Guangji any chance to stall. The amount stipulated in the betting agreement had already been agreed upon, and the company had also learned that the main actors for "The Heavenly Emperor" had long been contacted. The only crucial element, the lead actor, hadn't been decided yet. Old Shao really had no shame! These old-school directors often had an unimaginable amount of shamelessness.
“Speaking of which,” Shao Guangji smiled faintly, “I haven’t congratulated you on the box office success of ‘Happy Street’ yet. You’re a newcomer, congratulations!”
Shang Yechu brought the topic back on track: "Thank you, Teacher Shao. Actually, it felt like a dream to me. The moment we broke 1.2 billion, I was so happy I almost jumped for joy."
Shao Guangji was taken aback, then shook his head and chuckled: "You don't need to remind me again and again that the agreement is there, and the 'Heavenly Lord' is yours. I wasn't intentionally holding you back on the island; I was just tied up with other things."
As soon as she finished speaking, Shang Yechu breathed a sigh of relief, and her smile became more genuine: "I trust Teacher Shao the most, how could I feel that you deliberately dragged me along? This time I came to the island, I actually wanted to visit some friends along the way."
"Friends?" Shao Guangji repeated the word without asking any further questions.
The atmosphere became a little awkward for a moment. Shang Yechu was thinking about what to say to warm things up when he suddenly heard Shao Guangji say, "Speaking of which, I've always been curious, why did you sign that betting agreement in the first place?"
Asking this question now felt like making a pointless argument. Shang Yechu was taken aback, not understanding what Shao Guangji was trying to say. Seeing this, Shao Guangji decided to be more direct: "I know you're doing this for 'The Heavenly Ruler.' But there must be some other reason, right?"
The agreement was so harsh that even until the very last second before signing, Shao Guangji still thought Ye Chu wouldn't agree. After all, if "Happy Street" didn't reach that box office figure, Ye Chu wouldn't be able to star in "The Heavenly Emperor," and all the valuable copyrights she held would have to be given to Shao Guangji.
Shao Guangji observed Shang Yechu's expression and said, word by word, "The company's requirements? Do you like Ai Xiaodong's work? Are you confident in the box office performance of 'Happy Street'?"
At the end of Shao Guangji's line of sight, Shang Yechu's expression changed slightly, but her thoughts remained unreadable.
What a shrewd and calculating child. This thought flashed through Shao Guangji's mind. When he finalized the betting agreement, he hadn't seen the finished film of "Happiness Street, Please Come In!" and didn't know its quality. Setting the figure of 1.2 billion was purely a deliberate attempt to make things difficult. If he had seen the finished film of "Happiness Street" at the time, the betting figure wouldn't have been 1.2 billion, but 2 billion.
Nevertheless, given the prevailing notion that actresses can't guarantee box office success, Shang Yechu's decision to sign this agreement demonstrates considerable courage. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a do-or-die move.
What gives her such confidence?
Shao Guangji is only in his forties, the prime of a director's life. But when facing Shang Yechu, he often feels somewhat confused. This young man seems shrouded in mystery, leaving him unable to see him clearly.
Shang Ye remained silent for a long time.
Why? She herself couldn't explain it.
Perhaps she was a gambler by nature; perhaps it was the stubbornness in her bones that made her do or die trying; perhaps it was the burning ambition and destructive desire buried deep in her heart. Her blood was too hot; sometimes, in a moment of passion, she would think of simply burning herself to death.
Memories flooded back.
Comedy films, dramas, tragedies, the film industry, countless filmmakers, the sparse mainland Chinese faces at the World Film Awards and Golden Dome Awards ceremonies, an endless river of film reels…
Before I knew it, a light rain began to fall outside the window.
The rain seemed to wash away many impurities in her heart, allowing her to see clearly the most fundamental and essential reason why she initially signed that betting agreement.
So that's how it is.
Shang Yechu pondered for a long time, then suddenly raised his head and smiled with relief.
"The Heavenly Emperor will be a good movie. And it's a movie that could only have been made on this land." At this moment when the dust has settled, Shang Yechu said sincerely, "I hope to see it in my lifetime."
"—Even if the 'Heavenly Ruler' is not me."
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