After reading a stack of books on film and professional editing knowledge, then adding more than a dozen strands of the light of fortune, Lu Zheng became a seasoned film editor.
Combined with the fact that the footage and angles shot by Si Lingxi were already inherently beautiful…
Lu Zheng worked swiftly and, in just two days, completed the editing of Song of Everlasting Regret and Butterfly Lovers.
Each was produced in two versions: one uncut, with full content and simple shot splicing, Song of Everlasting Regret running four and a half hours, Butterfly Lovers three and a half hours.
The other was a trimmed version closer to a standard film, Song of Everlasting Regret nearing two hours, Butterfly Lovers about one and a half hours.
Lu Zheng also thoughtfully added opening titles and subtitles, one set in Blue Star simplified characters, the other in the ancient script of Dajing.
“Oh dear, you know, watching one’s own performance is actually rather fun.”
In the living room, on a plasma television over seventy inches, the scene of Emperor Ming of Tang meeting Yang Guifei in the heavenly palace was playing.
Hu Caina played Yang Guifei, Shen Ying played Emperor Ming of Tang. Their expressions were vivid, their acting superb, and with the splendid illusion array, it truly felt like an immortal realm.
“With these special effects alone, it would cost at least a hundred million!” Lin Wan exclaimed in admiration.
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin. “If I went to a production crew to do special effects for money, it might be faster than robbing a bank!”
“Could we?” Shen Ying looked at Lu Zheng, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. “The special effects in several TV dramas I’ve watched lately are dreadful, far inferior to the illusion array. Why don’t I go and help them with illusion effects?”
Lu Zheng, “…”
Lin Wan, “…”
Lu Zheng shook his head. “The most valuable elements here are not the special effects at all. It is clearly the music and dance, is it not? Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Dress Melody, Flying Wing to Wing Melody, and Hu Caina’s dance. These could cause a sensation even on the Spring Festival Gala!”
“These two operas alone are packed with artistic treasures.” Lin Wan nodded. “If posted online, they would definitely create a huge stir. Look at the video from our night at the bar; it is still hanging in the top three on Bilibili’s hot list.”
The video of them playing Phoenix Seeks Phoenix at the bar a few nights earlier, despite clearly inferior phone audio quality, had still drawn fervent attention and praise. The popularity endured, never falling out of the top three over several days, occasionally surging back to first place.
Many people online had already tried to reconstruct the score and perform it, though all were far from the original.
Lu Zheng nodded, then shook his head. “Looking only at the front section, we have been cursed to death, so just skim the online comments. Definitely do not take them to heart.”
Lu Zheng had watched the video too. Besides the flood of praise, there was naturally no shortage of malicious slander against him and Si Lingxi.
Si Lingxi shook her head with a smile. “Rest assured, how could I be swayed by gossip? Though two music professors did make comments on the piece that hit the mark, showing they have some genuine ability.”
“If you want to exchange ideas with them, you could register an account on Bilibili,” Lu Zheng said.
Lin Wan laughed. “You are too late. Sister Lingxi has already registered.”
Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan nodded. “We have all registered accounts, so we can watch in the highest resolution.”
“Er…” Lu Zheng was speechless.
Not just Bilibili; the women had registered and topped up memberships on various video platforms. Now each was a veteran member.
At that moment, Si Lingxi’s phone pinged with a message.
She opened it, and a guzheng melody began to play.
Lu Zheng’s ears twitched. “Autumn Moon over the Han Palace. That is Gu Tingting?”
Si Lingxi nodded.
Lu Zheng smiled. “She is asking for your critique?”
Si Lingxi nodded again, listened patiently to the end, shook her head, and said, “Far inferior to Bai Ting’er, not even as good as the musicians in my palace.”
Nevertheless, Si Lingxi sent several long voice messages, carefully explaining which techniques Gu Tingting should prioritise.
At this point, Si Lingxi smiled again. “Fortunately she is humble and eager to learn. I have nothing pressing, so I shall offer a few pointers and see how she fares.”
“See how she fares” meant watching whether Gu Tingting would prove worthy or not.
Lu Zheng said mildly, “Huaxia culture declined for a time due to certain reasons, nearly suffering a generational gap, until the recent economic rise brought classical culture back into focus.”
Si Lingxi nodded. She had read that history too, then looked at Lu Zheng and asked, “If that is so, why not trigger Mount Fuji and sink those islands straight into the sea?”
Lin Wan: (ง˙o˙)ว
Lu Zheng gave a dry laugh. One had to admit Si Lingxi was truly a millennium fire phoenix; everything she did went straight to the heart of the matter, sharp and decisive.
Ordinary netizens, when fantasising about having power, might talk of bombing the Yasukuni Shrine or dropping a couple of nuclear bombs. Si Lingxi, however, went directly for eradication, wiping out the nation entirely.
And if she truly wished it, forget those islands in the East Sea; igniting the North American continent would take only a few breaths of fire.
“Relax, relax. Competition and games between nations still require the participation of all citizens for lasting progress. Unite minds, strive together, achieve revival in the end. Otherwise, if one acts as a nanny and ends up raising a horde of giant babies, would that not be disastrous?”
Lu Zheng shook his head with a smile. “So I generally stay out of national affairs. Of course, offering small help along the way, averting natural or man-made calamities, performing chivalrous deeds, that is certainly no problem.”
“And of course there is the most important point.” Lu Zheng spread his hands. “I can provide a safety net, but this must never be openly acknowledged, or I would probably already have been studied inside out.”
Lu Zheng spoke with utmost righteousness and grandeur. Si Lingxi nodded, showing complete understanding. “In plain terms, you are just lazy.”
Lu Zheng, “…”
Hearing this, the women looked at Lu Zheng’s dumbfounded expression and burst into giggles, feeling that the only one who could keep him in check was Si Lingxi.
“Let us head back to the county and show the others Butterfly Lovers and Song of Everlasting Regret,” Lu Zheng said, decisively changing the subject.
Liu Qingyan fully agreed. “Tomorrow is a rest day anyway. Why not invite Sister Hanyu and her husband, and Xiaoqian and hers as well?”
“Fine. I shall buy two big speakers too. Perfect for enjoying the snow while watching films,” Lu Zheng said.
Shen Ying nodded. “Then I shall go back first and have the Peach Blossom Heavenly Maiden pass the invitations.”
Lin Wan added, “I shall go to the supermarket for snacks and drinks.”
So the group divided tasks: Shen Ying returned first to prepare the venue and send messages, Lin Wan and Liu Qingyan went shopping, while Lu Zheng took Si Lingxi to buy various equipment for outdoor screening.
…
Early the next morning, when several members of the Liu family, the five women from Five Beauties Villa, the two Bi Xinyu women, Zhu Yushan and his wife, Ning Zhiqi and his wife, Wang Xiaowan with her elderly father, Xin Zhanting, and Yue Honghai all arrived at Peach Blossom Villa, they saw a collection of strange and peculiar items placed under the old peach tree in the front courtyard of the manor.
