Chapter 12
Liu Yifan walked to the window and looked at the bustling city below. She knew that the days ahead would no longer be just a practice of acting skills, but a dangerous, deep-dive psychological adventure.
She not only wanted to become Bao Si, but also tried to understand and even "become" the one gazing at Bao Si - King You of Zhou.
The inner room of the suite fell into an almost sacred silence, as if the subversive brainstorming session just now had drained away all the noise.
Liu Yifan did not leave immediately. She stood alone in front of the floor-length mirror in the inner room. The woman in the mirror looked a little pale, but her eyes were surprisingly bright, as if there was a deep fire burning at the bottom of her pupils.
The conclusion she had just said to Lin Na and Chen Feng - "I must understand Zhou Ping'an" - was now weighing heavily on her heart with all its weight, and also illuminating the only path before her.
This is not a choice, but a revelation, a ritual that must be completed through action.
She slowly raised her hand, and her fingertips gently touched the cold mirror, as if she was touching the outline of a woman named Bao Si from another time and space.
"So... that's how it is." She uttered a few words very softly to herself in the mirror, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion after a sudden enlightenment, as well as a calmness of a desperate move.
To become Bao Si, one must first understand the world that created her, understand the "king" of that world. And in this time and space, Zhou Ping'an is the only existence, the center of that huge gravitational field, the abyss she must step into.
This wasn't a performance; it was a sacrifice. A sacrifice of Liu Yifan's original safety margins, of the wall of security between actor and character, and perhaps even something more unforeseen. She would offer herself as the most precious sacrifice and probe, plunging herself into Zhou Ping'an's orbit, experiencing up close the powerful will that distorted reality and defined "beauty," savoring the ultimate loneliness and emptiness at the pinnacle of power.
She took a deep breath, the cool air sinking into her lungs, yet strangely, it made her more lucid and resolute. She didn't act immediately, but instead poured herself a glass of water and stood by the window, gazing at the still-bustling street below. Her heartbeat gradually calmed, but her eyes grew clearer and more resolute.
A few minutes later, she picked up her personal cell phone and, instead of calling Zhou Ping'an, typed a text message that was extremely cautious and even a bit businesslike:
"Hello, Mr. Zhou. I have some new and crucial ideas about the core motivations of the character of Bao Si, and I believe it's imperative to discuss them in depth with you in person. This is crucial to the ultimate artistic level of the 'Allure of the Nation' project. I wonder if you can arrange a time in the near future? The location will be at your convenience. Liu Yifan."
She read it over several times, making sure it was professional, well-reasoned, and free of any personal feelings, before pressing send. It was a test, but also a declaration.
After sending the message, she opened the door of the suite and faced Lin Na and Chen Feng again.
Their discussion came to an abrupt halt, and they both looked at her. Liu Yifan's face no longer bore the fatigue and confusion from before, replaced by a calmness and determination almost characteristic of a leader.
Outside, Lin Na and Chen Feng were still whispering and discussing the script possibilities brought about by the "extreme boredom" theory. When they saw her come out, they stopped talking and looked at her.
Liu Yifan walked up to them and stood still. Her posture remained unchanged, but her aura was different, carrying an unquestionable, almost tragic determination.
"Director Lin, Editor Chen," her voice was low but remarkably clear, each word like a pebble dropped into a tranquil lake. "The discussion can continue, but the direction has been set."
She glanced at the two of them, finally landing on Lin Na. "While the studio is being built, my focus will shift. I won't just be here studying scripts and practicing my manners."
She paused, as if announcing a fait accompli rather than discussing it:
"I will go to Rongcheng. I will go to Zhou Ping'an."
Chen Feng gasped, as if about to say something. Lin Na's eyes became extremely sharp. She immediately grasped the huge risks and value behind this. "What are you going to do?"
"I need to observe him closely, to understand the source of his behavioral logic, the threshold of his emotional fluctuations, and even his subconscious that he might not even be aware of." Liu Yifan's tone was as calm as if he was explaining an experimental plan. "The most natural and least suspicious way is to pretend to be his girlfriend and integrate into his life."
Lin Na immediately grasped the key point: "The crew needs to be united in their statement. Your schedule..."
She looked at Lin Na, her eyes filled with an artist's frantic pursuit of ultimate truth, and also with a hint of begging for protection. "Absolute confidentiality is required on the crew side. We must keep a consistent story to everyone, including Yang Wei: Mr. Zhou and I met on a project, and we've developed a mutual affection. We're exploring a relationship."
Her tone intensified, a ceremonial solemnity. "Remember, from this moment on, the lie itself is part of the truth. This is the necessary 'field' for this performance art. Anyone who knows will destroy the purity of this 'field'. My motives must be known only to the three of us."
Lin Na looked at her deeply, as if gauging the purity of her will. After a few seconds, she nodded firmly, her eyes a complex mixture of admiration, concern, and a ignited creative fervor. "I understand. You're right. I'll take care of this. You're my actor, and any request you have for 'experiencing life' is reasonable."
At this moment, the screen of Liu Yifan's personal mobile phone placed on the table lit up and made a very slight buzzing sound.
The three people's attention was drawn over at the same time.
Liu Yifan walked over and picked up his phone. A new message appeared on the screen, from [Zhou Ping'an]. The message was brief, without any greetings or questions, like a precise instruction:
"Sure. The day after tomorrow at 3 pm, Rongcheng, Anping Battery Factory, my office. Let me know when you'll land and I'll send a car to pick you up."
The air seemed to freeze. This message was like an icy rail, dropped from the sky, precisely laid on the path Liu Yifan had just marked with his will. There was no room for doubt, no way back.
Liu Yifan held the phone, her fingertips feeling the faint heat from the machine's operation. She raised her head and looked at Lin Na and Chen Feng, her face expressionless, only filled with a vast, settled calm.
"The time is set," she said, her voice calm. "The day after tomorrow."
She didn't explain further, but Lin Na and Chen Feng could both see from her instantly intensely focused eyes that a drama, with real life as its stage and souls at stake, had quietly begun. At that moment, Lin Na and Chen Feng seemed to see that she had already set one foot on the altar.
Liu Yifan turned and began to neatly gather the scattered documents and books. Her movements were steady and swift, with the calm determination of someone rushing to a battlefield. She had less than forty-eight hours to prepare.
She needed to meet Yang Wei immediately and use another carefully woven "truth" to kick off this great sacrifice.
Returning to his hotel suite, Liu Yifan discovered his agent Yang Wei checking the itinerary in the living room, her brows slightly furrowed, clearly troubled by something.
"Sister Wei." Liu Yifan called out, trying to sound relaxed.
Yang Wei raised her head, saw her, and immediately put down the tablet: "How was the talk with Director Lin and the others? Was there any breakthrough?" What she was most concerned about was the fundamental issues of the project.
"Yes." Liu Yifan sat down across from her, poured himself a glass of water, and spoke carefully, his face revealing a mixture of confusion and a hint of subtle excitement. "Also, this breakthrough point may be a little unexpected."
"Oh?" Yang Wei perked up.
"We discussed it for a long time and found that the root of the problem might be... the discrepancy between our ultimate understanding of the project and Mr. Zhou's original intention." Liu Yifan guided the conversation.
Yang Wei nodded: "Mr. Zhou's ideas are different from those of ordinary people."
"So," Liu Yifan put down his water cup and looked directly at Yang Wei, as if he had made up his mind. "Director Lin suggested that instead of working in isolation, we should...go directly to the source of the project, that is, Mr. Zhou himself, for more in-depth communication."
Yang Wei was stunned for a moment: "Communicate? How to communicate? He is so frugal with words..."
"It's not the kind of communication you'd get in a meeting." Liu Yifan lowered her eyes slightly, revealing a hint of just the right amount of feminine reserve and uncertainty. "It's more... a more everyday exchange. Sister Wei, don't you think that Mr. Zhou... is actually a very charming and special person?"
Yang Wei was a shrewd person, and she instantly caught the subtext in Liu Yifan's words and his unusual demeanor. Her eyes widened slightly, and she leaned forward, lowering her voice: "Yifan, you mean... how you treat him?"
Liu Yifan didn't admit it directly, but sighed softly, his tone tinged with self-analysis. "I can't really explain it. But I can't deny that everything he did for me was very touching. And, after getting to know him, he's not as cold as he appears. Director Lin is right. To truly understand 'The Fall of a Nation,' perhaps we must first understand Zhou Ping'an himself."
She raised her eyes, her gaze becoming clear and resolute. "So, I've decided to accept Director Lin's advice. During the construction period of the studio, I'll go to Rongcheng more often and interact with him as... a friend. Putting aside the project, I'll just get to know each other as Liu Yifan and Zhou Ping'an."
Yang Wei's mind raced. As a manager, she immediately weighed the pros and cons:
Pros: If Liu Yifan can truly establish a stable and close relationship with someone of Zhou Ping'an's stature, the resources and connections it brings will be phenomenal. This is far more profitable than just a single film.
Disadvantages: There are emotional risks and it may affect your public image.
But seeing Liu Yifan's "first love" expression and his high-sounding reason of "sacrificing for art," Yang Wei quickly made a judgment - the benefits far outweighed the disadvantages! This was simply pie in the sky!
She immediately put on a supportive smile, "I understand! This is great news, Yifan! Mr. Zhou is absolutely one in a million! You should have opened up to him long ago! You can balance work and life! Don't worry, I'll arrange the itinerary. It will be very low-key and natural, and won't give the outside world any excuse for random speculation!"
Watching Yang Wei's active planning, Liu Yifan felt a wave of mixed emotions, but they were quickly suppressed by a stronger sense of purpose. The first step had been successfully completed.
Now, she only had to wait until three o'clock the day after tomorrow, at the modern battery factory in Rongcheng, to begin her truly "national" journey. What she would gaze upon was not only that man, but also a bottomless well that reflected the fate of another man and woman three thousand years ago.
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