Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 433 Honey Understands Heartbreak Well

"I choose the second option."

This time, Dahlia didn't even bother to consult with Lao Wang; she agreed without hesitation.

Earning hundreds of thousands of yuan a month from serializing a novel was something I never dared to dream of before; now I'm making two yuan per word.

Moreover, a novice screenwriter having the right to be credited is a very good treatment.

It is still associated with Liu Jing's name, and this alone surpasses everything else.

The right to be credited as a screenwriter is a moral right explicitly granted to authors by law and, in principle, cannot be deprived.

Principles are principles, but in reality, few people follow them, especially novice screenwriters.

Newcomers don't have the right to negotiate with producers, and some screenwriters don't understand this and sign contracts without fully comprehending them. Even if they do understand, it's useless; they have no choice but to accept certain terms.

Many screenwriting jobs are commissioned, and novices are often hired as freelancers, only responsible for writing a portion of the content. This content is then heavily revised by other screenwriters, and their contribution doesn't meet the industry standard for credit.

Therefore, opposition is ineffective, and litigation is useless.

"This is the agreement, let's sign it."

Shu Chang was well-prepared. She always acted decisively when she wanted to do something, and she always dragged her feet when she didn't want to do something.

With Liu Jing involved this time, Shu Chang was confident that they could reach an agreement, and she had prepared all the necessary materials.

Liu Jing had a ready-made script, but the novel wasn't finished yet, so he couldn't just take it out now.

Moreover, he felt there were areas for improvement in the script, such as reducing the instrumentalization of characters and enhancing their multifaceted nature, as well as the disconnect between the subplots and the main plot, resulting in a somewhat unbalanced pacing.

No script is perfect, and its flaws do not detract from its overall excellence. In Liu Jing's opinion, the script is already quite good.

However, he still wanted to see how the original author's version differed from the one provided by the system.

Combining the two might result in an even better script.

“Okay!” Dahlia glanced at Old Wang; the two had a division of labor.

Shu Chang handed over the agreement, and Lao Wang took it and looked at it carefully.

Old Wang graduated from the directing department but had no experience in filmmaking. After graduation, he shot some commercials or did other jobs.

Even so, her understanding of the industry is far superior to Bao Jingjing's.

Many contracts in the film and television industry have pitfalls, so you have to be careful. That's why Lao Wang studied them word by word.

“I…I’ve never written a screenplay before. I’m perfectly fine with writing novels, but I lack screenwriting experience,” Dahlia confessed.

“That’s a minor issue. I’ll arrange for a professional screenwriter to assist you.” Shu Chang shook her head, hesitated for a moment, and said, “I’ve read the novel you’re serializing on Douban. Here’s a suggestion: proofread it carefully and consider publishing it. Chunqiu Academy has relevant personnel; you can contact them. You have a readership base, and the movie’s release might even increase physical book sales.”

"Thank you." Dahlia nodded emphatically.

Shu Chang smiled and said that if the physical book becomes popular, it will also contribute to the movie's box office.

Jing Tian returned with several drinks at that moment. "Two coffees and three teas, please choose for yourselves."

As she said this, she placed a cup of green tea in front of Liu Jing, saying that Brother Jing liked this kind.

As for what other people like to drink, it doesn't matter.

Shu Chang was on the left, Jing Tian was on the right, and a young couple was opposite them. Liu Jing continued to read his novel.

Jing Tian was also drinking tea, and it was iced. Just as she was about to pick it up to drink, a hand reached out from the side and switched her tea with Shu Chang's.

"Brother, it's very hot today."

"The air conditioner is on."

Liu Jing didn't even look up; he had to take responsibility since he couldn't drink cold drinks during his period.

Jing Tian gave a soft hum, took a sip of tea, and said it wasn't good to drink if it wasn't cold.

Dahlia seemed oblivious, silently confirming the rumor. If those two weren't having an affair, she'd eat the contract.

Whether there is any inappropriate physical contact between men and women can be observed in their daily interactions.

As someone with experience, she could tell that these weren't normal siblings.

"Sister Jingjing, is Wang Xiaojian based on Brother Wang? He's so sarcastic." Jing Tian rested her chin on her hand, some people were looking at contracts, others were reading novels, but she was the only one who didn't have anything to do.

When Yang Mi shared the post with her, she thought the author had broken up with her boyfriend.

I only found out a few days ago that it wasn't like that; they just had a fight.

"No, absolutely not." Dahlia quickly denied it, but when she found that no one believed her, she explained helplessly, "I just borrowed the surname Wang. Actually, Wang Xiaojian's personality is mostly like mine."

“I’ll be your witness,” Old Wang, who was looking down at the contract, suddenly looked up and echoed.

He didn't dare tell anyone that his girlfriend was writing novels.

Even so, a few of his friends found out and started calling him Wang Xiaojian, or even just "Jianren" (meaning "scoundrel").

He really wanted to say that I was the prototype for Lu Ran. But then he thought about how this guy cheated on Huang Xiaoxian with her best friend, so he decided against it.

"Where is Huang Xiaoxian?" Jing Tian still didn't believe it.

"Huang Xiaoxian isn't like me; her prototype is a friend of mine, a girl from Yandu with a very cool personality," Dahlia chuckled.

"Your friend...it can't be you, can it?" Jing Tian muttered to herself.

"Huang Xiaoxian has a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and she's inherently aloof and self-important. Besides being cool, she's also quite pretentious. There's still hope for Huang Xiaoxian; she knows she's pretentious. A friend of mine is even more pretentious than Huang Xiaoxian, but she never thinks she is," Shu Chang said with a smile.

Dahlia blinked. "This friend isn't you, is it?" She'd heard that Shu Chang was difficult to deal with.

Jing Tian hesitated, wanting to speak but then stopped herself. We're all sisters in the same trench, why can't we get along peacefully?

Because of her family background, she didn't have many friends growing up.

When she was in the affiliated high school of Beijing Dance Academy, her entire dormitory isolated her, and few of her classmates played with her.

Later, when she went to university, the situation improved, but her best friend was not her roommate, but Hao Hao from another dormitory.

Because of Liu Jing, she made good friends. Her best friend was Qianqian, then Bai Bing, and next was Yang Mi.

Liu Jing is the link, and Jing Tian values ​​this friendship very much.

The atmosphere among the sisters is also very good. Even if their friendship is not very deep, at least they don't hate each other.

Sister Sisi and Sister Mi have reconciled, but Sister Chang and Sister Mi remain irreconcilable.

The friend that Shu Chang just mentioned, she felt she wanted to argue a bit with Sister Ququmi, but then thought better of it.

Sister Mi isn't as pretentious as Shu Chang described, but she is indeed a bit pretentious, and she doesn't think she is pretentious at all.

But her flaws don't overshadow her virtues; Sister Mi has many good points, otherwise Brother Jing would have distanced himself from her long ago.

Snapped……

Liu Jing closed the printed novel. "Jingjing, this novel doesn't employ complex narrative techniques or delve into profound philosophical discussions. Its strengths lie in its authentic language, vivid portrayals of ordinary people, and subtle emotions. Are you interested in becoming a contracted screenwriter for Chunqiu Film & Television?"

"I do." Dahlia was even more excited than if the novel's copyright had been sold; it was like a feast, a lifelong meal ticket.

She aspired to be a writer, and naturally knew about the compensation at Chunqiu Film and Television. A contracted screenwriter in the scriptwriting department could earn at least two or three hundred thousand yuan a year.

Furthermore, the screenwriter ranking system in Spring and Autumn allows top-tier screenwriters to enjoy project revenue sharing and have a certain degree of say in the matter.

When that time comes, she can let Lao Wang join the crew.

Dahlia's reply was a bit loud, and all the few scattered tables of guests turned to look.

She quickly put her hands together in apology.

Old Wang felt a little uneasy. "If the emcee asks you at our wedding, 'Will you marry me?' will you be able to answer so loudly?"
With a girlfriend who's a long-term meal ticket and Liu Jing taking a liking to his novel, his future looks bright.

And me?

Suddenly, a scene flashed into his mind: he was Huang Xiaoxian, and his girlfriend was Lu Ran.

The more he thought about it, the more upset he became. When would he ever get ahead?

Forget it, if you want to get ahead, you have to humble yourself first. I'd better bury my head in the contract. "Brother Wang, I've seen some of your films; your skills are very solid. Shu Chang is directing for the first time, so she lacks experience. I'd like to invite you to be her assistant. What are your thoughts?"

Liu Jing went to great lengths for his god-sister.

He supports Shu Chang's desire to become a director. Director Shu Chang can create more entertainment value for him than actor Shu Chang.

"I do." Old Wang was so excited that his voice was louder than a dahlia's, and he spilled the coffee he had just ordered.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

There was a commotion, and the waiter rushed over.

How could Lao Wang not be excited? Putting aside Liu Jing, Liu Jing's roommate is a typical example.

Shen Ao hasn't even graduated from school yet, and he's already directing a TV series on his own. Many directing students spend half their lives striving for that kind of qualification.

Birds fly far and wide with the phoenix, and his enthusiasm this time may well be a sign that he intends to follow Liu Jing.

I'd thought about it before, but never had the chance.

After tidying up, Lao Wang quickly flipped through the contract, no longer scrutinizing every single word.

Dahlia swiftly signed her name, elegantly pressed her fingerprint, and successfully sold herself.

Shu Chang, who is not eccentric, is not only quiet, but also particularly good at guiding people to speak.

She first asked about the inspiration behind the dahlia, then about the creative process, and the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious.

When talking about the creative process, Dahlia suddenly hesitated, "Director, I have a small request, but I don't know if I should say it or not."

That's inappropriate! Making demands before even starting the job.

This was Shu Chang's first thought: we're outside, we can't be so brash.

director?

Shu Chang was stunned for a moment, then realized that the other person was calling her when she noticed their gaze.

This was the first time she had heard someone call her that, and for a moment it felt quite strange.

She nodded slightly and gestured, "Go ahead."

"Could you invite Wen Zhang to play Wang Xiaojian? When I was writing this character, Wen Zhang was actually in mind. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, so don't worry about it," Dahlia quickly added after finishing her sentence.

“Wen Zhang isn’t that sharp-tongued in private,” Jing Tian couldn’t help but reply. She had worked with Wen Zhang on “Struggle” and knew him quite well.

Jing Tian glanced at Jing Ge. Actually, Jing Ge was also quite sharp-tongued, but he was hiding his sharpness now.

Besides being sarcastic, Wang Xiaojian is also a sissy, so Jing Ge definitely won't play the role.

Jing Ge likes to play villains, and he also likes to play tough guys.

“You’re our screenwriter, so you’re qualified to nominate actors. I’ll contact Wen Zhang and ask for his opinion. If it’s settled, you can write the script in his style.” Shu Chang smiled gently; this wasn’t really a request. You nominate your actors, whether I want them or not is another matter.

"When are we going to start filming? Do we have a plan?" Old Wang couldn't help but ask.

Shu Chang couldn't help but look at Liu Jing. She really had no experience and didn't know how to plan it. Besides, it also depended on Liu Jing's schedule.

"As Jingjing signs the contract, preparations will officially begin. I'm giving you two tasks: publish the novel within three months and finish the script within six months. Especially the novel's publication; you must prioritize that. I'll find people to promote the book, and when the movie is released, the book's fans will be a great help. Filming is scheduled to start next year..."

Liu Jing really didn't have time to be a producer this year; his schedule was very full.

He will soon begin promoting "The Message," followed by the start of filming for "Let the Bullets Fly," then "The Night the Comet Came," and finally, at the end of the year, he will be filming "The Myth 2."

He had already planned out the process of Shu singing this play.

With the script settled, Shuchang just needs to proceed step by step.

Sissi is about to join the cast of "Inception" and won't be in China, so she can't do much as a producer. The actual execution is still done by Shu Chang.

After Liu Jing finished speaking, Shu Chang said with some regret, "Huang Xiaoxian is not suitable for Qianqian. I originally wanted Qianqian to be the female lead in my first drama."

Shu Chang wanted to finalize the male and female leads first, which would make the scriptwriting and production team preparation easier.

"Sister Xixi is quite suitable to play Lu Ran, but let's forget about Huang Xiaoxian." Jing Tian shook her head vigorously. If Sister Xixi is going to play Lu Ran, then I'm more suitable to play Huang Xiaoxian. She abandoned me and went for my Brother Jing.

"Jingjing, do you have any suggestions for the female lead?" Shu Chang asked.

"I don't have any thoughts," Dahlia shook her head.

Shu Chang glanced at Jing Tian, ​​"Tian Tian, ​​you just played the rebellious Qian Xiaoyang, are you confident in playing Huang Xiaoxian?"

"Me?" Jing Tian was stunned. How did this involve me? I've already made up my mind to catch up on my studies at school during my junior year.

Liu Jing shook his head. He wanted to say that Jing Tian was not as suitable as Yang Mi, but then he didn't say it.

"Director, Liu Yifei is definitely not suitable, and neither is Jing Tian. She's beautiful, gentle, and well-off; she's obviously a rich heiress. What kind of idiot boyfriend would dump Jing Tian?" Dahlia couldn't help but argue.

After the selection of the Four Little Actresses, the fact that Jing Tian was a wealthy young woman was previously only known to students at the Beijing Film Academy, but now everyone knows it.

Recently, she's been receiving two things in abundance: a lot of notebooks, but they all seem to disappear without a trace.

Jing Tian wanted to film a movie, so she just organized the whole thing herself, avoiding all the messy stuff.

The second reason is that there are many suitors, as many people want to avoid a lifetime of hard work.

If the harassment is mild, ignore it; if it's severe, get rid of them.

"Yeah! What an idiot boyfriend he must be to dump me," Jing Tian said wistfully.

Dahlia thought to herself, "Oh no, have I gotten myself into some kind of conflict?"

With a strong survival instinct, she pretended not to hear Jing Tian's words and quickly continued, "Huang Xiaoxian is just an ordinary wedding planner, an ordinary working girl. She has personality flaws; she's both sharp-tongued and soft-hearted. She's proud and assertive, but also very humble in relationships. Huang Xiaoxian isn't pretty; she's average-looking, comes from an ordinary family, and has a good personality. She's just an ordinary girl who grows on you."

"Huang Xiaoxian's beauty lies in her imperfections and her authenticity. Her character traits and appearance together constitute her unique appeal. We can see some shining qualities in her. In love and life, every ordinary soul deserves to be noticed and understood. And our true growth often begins with accepting our own imperfections. Love is not about finding a perfect person, but about learning to appreciate that imperfect person with perfect eyes," Liu Jing remarked.

Dahlias are speechless. How come I don't know anything about these things in my novel?
Shu Chang seemed thoughtful. "What do you guys think of Yang Mi? She's a bit pretentious, and her looks are just average, though she's somewhat pleasing to the eye."

Liu Jing and Jing Tian looked at each other in bewilderment. Shu Chang had actually brought up Yang Mi. Was the sun going to rise in the west?

"Sister Honey... Sister Honey understands heartbreak quite well. Don't worry about me, just give me a small extra role." Jing Tian quickly replied.

She'll definitely support Sister Chang's debut film. Besides financial support, she'll also support her with the role.

With Sister Sisi as producer, Sister Chang as director, and Sister Mi as the lead actress, this film might just be a journey to break the ice, and she wants to bring this marriage together.

Liu Jing didn't think so. Three women make a drama, this is a drama within a drama, this is something to be played.

“You’re right, she understands heartbreak best, she’s heartbroken every day. Yang Han, cough cough, Yang Mi also has personality flaws. She has a sharp tongue and is very cynical, she seems very strong on the surface, but sometimes she’s very soft. She looks very proud and clear-headed, but she’s actually quite humble.” The more Shu Chang talked, the more she felt that Yang Mi was suitable, and she became a little excited.

The person who understands you best is often not your friend, but your rival.

“Great! Then when I write the character, I’ll lean towards Yang Mi.” Dahlia was very happy; she already liked Yang Mi quite a bit.

"We've been talking for so long, shouldn't we give the play a good name? What do you think of 'The Guide to Heartbreak'?" Jing Tian was also very happy. No matter how much Shu Chang belittled Yang Mi, at least half of the deal was done. As for whether Yang Mi would agree, she had a way to get her to agree.

"No, this name is too straightforward," Shu Chang shook her head.

“How about the title, ‘After the Breakup, My Best Friend Fell in Love with Me’?” Jing Tian had another idea, and this time she was even more enthusiastic than Shu Chang.

"No, this name is so idiotic." Shu Chang continued to shake her head.

"Sister Jingjing, you're the author, what are your thoughts?" Jing Tian turned to ask Dahlia.

"How about 'Love is Not Blind'?" Liu Jing suggested.

"Why thirty-three days? Why not thirty-six days, forty-nine days, or eighty-one days?" Jing Tian asked, puzzled.

"It doesn't take long to get over a breakup," Liu Jing explained.

“But I’m here for a lifetime,” Jing Tian murmured.

“Great, this is a good name…” Dahlia clapped her hands.

How could it not be good? The script already has this name.

(End of this chapter)