All those who tried to disturb Wen Ying were driven away by Yuan Fenghui.
Only Xie Qian could not be driven off. Come rain or come shine, he came every day to invite Wen Ying to eat with him.
Yuan Fenghui did not wish to drive Xie Qian away either. The more intense the work, the more it needed some relief. Xie Qian was the best relief during Wen Ying’s creative process. “Love” has always been a theme repeatedly depicted in literary works. Not just in literature, love can bring boundless inspiration to all artistic creation!
Yuan Fenghui welcomed Xie Qian with a smiling face every day.
Xie Qian accepted it calmly.
Director Zhang had given Wen Ying two months. She secluded herself for ten days, devoting herself fully to creation, and produced the first version of the film script.
Director Zhang hurried over to read the script as soon as possible. After finishing, he remained silent for a long time.
After a while, Director Zhang commented very cautiously, “This is a story of revenge… yet it is not solely about revenge.”
Wen Ying looked at him expectantly. “What do you think?”
Director Zhang said nothing. He read the script carefully twice more.
“I think it’s very engaging, but… oh, I can’t quite put it into words!”
He could not say what the final effect of the script would be like!
This story was not as complicated as Director Zhang had imagined. Its overall structure was simple, yet it featured several reversals.
Moreover, it contained all the elements Director Zhang wanted: love, friendship, and family affection. It was rooted in wuxia yet went beyond mere wuxia.
The film included demon settings.
The demon settings faintly echoed the strange tales of China, yet gave a fresh and novel feeling.
If the post-production special effects were done well, it should attract a group of young viewers who enjoy visual spectacle, right?
Director Zhang began calculating in his mind.
The total production budget was 60 million. 5 million had gone to Wen Ying for writing the script, leaving only 55 million.
Good special effects are very expensive.
To achieve impressive effects, the budget for this aspect absolutely could not be skimped.
There were also costumes, makeup, props, and the crew’s shooting expenses. No matter how much they compressed, savings there were limited.
The only area that seemed saveable was perhaps the actors’ salaries?
Director Zhang’s mental abacus clicked away for a long time, his brows and eyes twitching. “We can’t afford overly expensive actors. External actors are too costly. We’ll have to drag in the company’s signed artists. That can save some on salaries!”
Wen Ying breathed a sigh of relief.
Director Zhang was already calculating how to cut actor salaries, which meant he had approved the script!
“Director Zhang, does the script not need any revisions?”
Wen Ying wanted a definite answer.
Director Zhang stopped his mental calculations and asked Wen Ying seriously, “Does Teacher Xiaoyu want to revise it?”
Wen Ying thought about the script she had written in ten days. The only possible changes were minor details, which could be adjusted on set during filming. Beyond that, the entire script had been created in one inspired flow. There was no need for major revisions.
“I can’t think of anywhere that needs changing.”
Director Zhang made the final decision. “Then no revisions are needed!”
Yuan Fenghui brought in tea again and lavished praise on Director Zhang. “Director Zhang is truly magnanimous!”
Director Zhang looked at the tea in Yuan Fenghui’s hands with a touch of wariness.
Tianjiao’s tea might have been spiked before. Last time, after drinking tea and negotiating with Yuan Fenghui, Director Zhang’s mind had felt a bit foggy.
Now Yuan Fenghui was bringing tea again. Director Zhang instinctively guarded himself.
“It’s not that I’m magnanimous. It’s that I only know how to judge, not how to write.”
Director Zhang also felt that Wen Ying had earned her 5 million too easily.
But he had no way around it.
If he could write scripts himself, he would never have spent 5 million to commission Wen Ying.
The money was already spent. Director Zhang dared not interfere with Wen Ying’s creation. He feared that a script originally worth 5 million might, after meddling by an amateur like him, instantly drop in value tenfold. Better not to change it at all!
Yuan Fenghui smiled and invited Director Zhang to drink the tea. “I’ve read the script too. Post-production costs will be considerable. To achieve stunning visual effects, we absolutely cannot skimp on post-production. Yet we’re fighting with our backs to the wall. We can’t truly use newcomers for the lead roles. We still need popular male stars to ensure box office success!”
The tea fragrance wafted gently. Director Zhang vaguely sensed trouble.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. So I plan to reserve the roles for our own people. Our own people don’t need excessively high salaries.”
“Of course it should be reserved for our own. What do you think of Yun Chen from our company?”
Director Zhang had not taken a single sip of tea, yet he could not block Yuan Fenghui’s revealing her true intentions.
Wen Ying looked at Director Zhang with some sympathy. Even an iron rooster passing in front of Teacher Yuan would struggle to avoid having a few feathers plucked. Director Zhang was truly pitiful.
Wen Ying did not know how Yuan Fenghui negotiated with Director Zhang in the end, but it was settled that Yun Chen would play the male lead!
Even Zhang Yangning got a supporting role.
Yuan Fenghui did not fight for the female lead role for Li Mengjiao.
Wen Ying worried Li Mengjiao might feel disappointed and wanted to comfort her. “It’s not that Teacher Yuan didn’t want to fight for you. It’s that there’s no role in this film suitable for you…”
If Wen Ying insisted, she could have written the “female lead” to fit Li Mengjiao closely.
But doing so would weaken the story’s climactic conflict.
In the end, Wen Ying made a choice.
Between seeking personal gain for a friend and her professional integrity as a screenwriter, Wen Ying chose the latter. She had to live up to the 5 million Director Zhang had paid!
Li Mengjiao had a broad mind and did not care at all. “I know. Teacher Yuan said if there’s no suitable role, don’t force it. She also said I’m too young and have too little life experience. Some roles, if taken forcibly, I wouldn’t act well.”
At first, Li Mengjiao was not entirely convinced by Yuan Fenghui’s words.
Li Mengjiao did not mind whether she could play the female lead in this film, but why did Yuan Fenghui say she could not act certain roles well?
Since deciding to debut as a celebrity after joining the talent show in high school, Li Mengjiao had been taking acting classes continuously.
She had played female leads in two dramas, achieved the top professional score in the arts exam, and was often praised by teachers at school for her natural acting talent… Wasn’t that enough?
Yet Yuan Fenghui killed her argument with a single sentence.
Li Mengjiao poured out her grievances to Wen Ying. “Teacher Yuan said emotions one has never experienced can only be performed superficially. One cannot grasp the deeper emotional power. She said I’m already eighteen, with so many vibrant boys at school, yet I haven’t fallen for a single one. She criticised me for never having been in love!”
Li Mengjiao felt wronged.
It was clearly Yuan Fenghui who forbade her from having scandals, yet now she criticised her for never having dated!
This was just like those parents who pressure their children to marry.
No dating in high school. Dating in university is too early. As soon as you start working, you should bring home a marriage partner immediately.
Scandals were forbidden. Where was she supposed to find a boyfriend?
Wen Ying was a little surprised, but upon careful thought, she understood Yuan Fenghui’s good intentions.
Silly Li really needed to grow up.
Troubles in life could be handled by others, but emotional experiences were essential for personal growth.
Beyond improving acting skills, emotional experiences were even more important for individual maturity.
Blocking was not as good as guiding. If they continued to guard Li Mengjiao strictly, she could easily become another Shui Mingyue.
Wen Ying decided to give her a push. Smiling, she asked Li Mengjiao, “If Teacher Yuan insists you date someone to improve your acting, do you have a suitable candidate? There must be many outstanding boys at your school. Is there anyone you like?”
“Dating one of those boys at school?”
Li Mengjiao shook her head vigorously. “I’m just not good at thinking deeply, not brainless. They like the celebrity ‘Li Mengjiao’, not me!”
Finding a boyfriend at school would of course be easy.
If she looked down on the young boys at school, there were male stars in the entertainment industry to choose from.
But… all those people only liked the celebrity ‘Li Mengjiao’.
Wang Shuang’s face suddenly appeared in Li Mengjiao’s mind.
If she dated Wang Shuang, he would not treat her as a celebrity.
But Wang Shuang was a notorious playboy. He had once secretly loved Qin Jiao and had many girlfriends.
A few months ago, Wang Shuang had nearly been deceived by a senior from the same school!
Li Mengjiao puffed up her cheeks in anger. “No way. I absolutely won’t choose Wang Shuang!”
Wen Ying blinked. “Eh? Is Wang Shuang a candidate for boyfriend? I didn’t even mention his name. How did you think of him? Come to think of it, I always felt you paid extra attention to Wang Shuang. During the summer after middle school exams when we went to Long Beach Lake, when Wang Shuang fell into the water and was in danger, you seemed to cry the hardest.”
Li Mengjiao’s face turned red.
“You’re wrong. I never paid him any attention!”
Li Mengjiao refused to admit it, even on pain of death.
At noon, Xie Qian came to invite Wen Ying to lunch, with Wang the dutiful son following behind.
Wang Shuang had re-registered an e-commerce company, planning to drive traffic through his blog. The investment did not come from Wen Ying. Wang Jun had emptied his private savings to give Wang Shuang a second round of startup funds.
Seeing Wang Shuang made Li Mengjiao angrier the more she looked. She found an excuse to scold him.
After scolding him, Li Mengjiao dragged Wang Shuang to a corner. “Surname Wang, I have something to discuss with you. No, I have a decision to inform you of. Teacher Yuan gave me a task. After thinking it over, you’re the most suitable. After all, you’re the only playboy I know!”
Wang Shuang looked bewildered and instinctively wanted to protest. “I’m not—”
Li Mengjiao continued regardless. “Since you’re a playboy, breaking up later won’t be too troublesome… Hey, are you willing to be my boyfriend or not?”
Uh?
Wang Shuang swallowed his protest.
“I’m willing!”
Wang Shuang’s heart nearly exploded with joy.
Li Mengjiao emphasised repeatedly that she needed a boyfriend and needed to date to improve her acting skills. Once her acting reached greatness, they would break up.
She rambled on with a list of demands, and Wang Shuang nodded to everything.
If he did not seize this heaven-sent opportunity, the heavens would surely strike him dead with lightning!
Get the relationship confirmed first. Future matters could be dealt with later.
Wang Shuang boldly took Li Mengjiao’s hand. “Don’t worry. Even if we weren’t dating, we’re childhood friends. I have a duty to help you improve your acting properly!”
Wang Shuang beamed with joy. Li Mengjiao felt awkward and shy.
Just holding hands. It wouldn’t cost her a piece of flesh.
Boyfriends and girlfriends hold hands, after all.
They also hug and kiss… Thinking of kissing, Li Mengjiao’s face turned flushed.
Wen Ying and Xie Qian had confirmed their relationship even earlier. Li Mengjiao wondered if the two had kissed.
Looking at Xie Qian’s aura, Li Mengjiao dared not ask such a private question.
How could Xie Qian know Li Mengjiao’s little thoughts? Regarding the two suddenly confirming their relationship, Xie Qian only felt it was two childish brats playing house.
Childish brats dating. How could it compare to the seriousness between himself and his hamster?
Xie Qian knew Wen Ying was submitting the script today and had been concerned about it all along.
On the way to Tianjiao, Xie Qian had thought that if the iron rooster Director Zhang was dissatisfied with Wen Ying’s script, he would simply drive Zhang away and have Jiaxin co-produce the film with Tianjiao.
Tianjiao had no money, but Jiaxin did.
Without an established giant like Liansheng leading, they could just spend more on promotion and distribution.
“It passed on the first try?”
Xie Qian was a little surprised by this answer, then felt relieved. Good that Zhang had the eyesight and did not pick faults with the script.
“With the script approved, it’s time for the press conference.”
Wen Ying nodded. “Teacher Yuan and Director Zhang have discussed it. The press conference will be in three days.”
