Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 443 Zhang Yimou: Please have you two act together! (Bonus chapter for replying to Yuan Gu)
The first dress rehearsal at the Daxing base, which was scheduled to start in the early hours of the morning, was abruptly halted for various reasons.

The production team arranged for the actors to leave the venue in an orderly manner by bus, with volunteers and professional actors given priority, and soldiers bringing up the rear.

Zhang Heping, Lu Kuan, and Zhang Yimou were talking in a corner. The former had just taken out a cigarette, but then remembered that one of the two in front of him didn't smoke and the other had quit, so he reluctantly put it back in his pocket.

He smacked his lips, feeling that the atmosphere wouldn't be complete without a cigarette in his hand, a deep sigh: "Comrades, the road is tortuous, but the future is bright."

Boss Lu said irritably, "Does the leader have any further instructions? If not, I'm going home to sleep. It takes more than forty minutes to get back from Daxing, and I won't get home until 1 a.m.

Zhang Yimou rubbed his teacup in his hand, glanced at the young director, and hesitated before speaking.

After finishing her conversation with Ma Wen, Lin Ying, and others, Liu Yifei walked over and said, "Dean Zhang, it's been a long time since I've seen you."

Zhang Heping smiled and said, "I was sent by Leader Liu to the International Olympic Committee on official business. I haven't been to the Beijing People's Art Theatre for a while. Is everything alright at the theatre?"

Xiao Liu chuckled: "How would I, a mere actor, know if it's good or not? But Teacher Pu and the others have handled their work very well. Our performance of 'Sunrise' is scheduled for September 24th, the anniversary of Mr. Cao Yu's birth."

"Will Yi Fei play Chen Bailu?" Zhang Yimou asked curiously.

"Yes, it's a completely new era and a new character for me, which is very interesting."

Zhang Yimou's smile was simple and honest. Hearing her blurt out "very interesting," one could roughly tell what the young actress's mindset was regarding her performance.

This stems from a heartfelt passion, rather than a purely utilitarian purpose; it represents a step from technical skill to a higher level of artistic expression.

He glanced at the smiling Lu Kuan and thought to himself, "Isn't this young, wealthy director just like him?"
Compared to Liu Yifei, he probably also has to take care of a huge business empire, devoting his heart and soul to it.

For actresses like Liu Yifei, as long as they don't have excessive material desires, their only pursuit now may be artistic achievement.

What Zhang Yimou doesn't know is that Liu Cixin also has a family, which may even take precedence over his artistic pursuits.

To prevent stampedes or other accidents, the production team watched as more than 15,000 cast and crew members left the stage before heading to the parking lot.

Thinking about the suitability of Xiao Liu and Chen Bailu for the roles, and with her casual remark of "very interesting" still ringing in his ears, Zhang Yimou suddenly invited, "Xiao Lu, why don't you two go for a late-night snack?"

Ok?
Mr. Lu didn't react for a moment.

Zhang Yimou's work schedule is notoriously "eccentric" within the creative team:
He only eats one lunch a day, goes to bed at midnight and gets up at 4:30 in the morning to run, and then begins his busy workday.

It's one thing for a young person like Lu Kuan to hold multiple public and private positions, but it's truly astonishing that a nearly sixty-year-old man like Zhang Yimou can maintain such energy and self-discipline.

It can only be said that the greatest talent of people who do great things is their physical strength and willpower, using their physical limits to reach their maximum potential.

Liu Yifei blinked her eyes sweetly at her boyfriend, who readily agreed: "Let's go then, let's mooch a meal off our old senior today."

He guessed that they wanted to talk to him about the movie "Under the Hawthorn Tree".

Zhang Yimou tempted, "I'm a fellow Xi'an native. I rented a small courtyard near Xinjiekou on the Second Ring Road and specialize in Shaanxi-style barbecue. Just set up a charcoal grill, sprinkle some cumin and chili, and the meat skewers sizzle with oil. Want to try some?"

He knew that the two people in front of him were not the kind of people who put on airs; even though they were quite wealthy, they were very down-to-earth.

Xiao Liu chimed in considerately, "Barbecue is great! I only had it once in Hengdian when I was filming 'Chinese Paladin,' and I haven't experienced that kind of atmosphere in all these years."

"Hehe, I'll have Mo'er go and save a seat first." Zhang Yimou laughed as he dialed the phone: "He has a private little terrace there, where the cooking fumes won't bother him, and he's not worried about Yi Fei's popularity causing congestion."

Zhang Mo is the daughter of Zhang Yimou and his ex-wife. She was also the editor and subtitler for "A Simple Noodle Story" and later served as Zhang Yimou's assistant director on "Under the Hawthorn Tree".

Zhang Yimou began his directing career with "A Simple Noodle Story," bringing along his daughter, a graduate of NYU's School of Cinematic Arts.

Liu Yifei sat in the passenger seat, and the three of them rode together in the car towards the Second Ring Road, chatting casually inside.

"Zhang Mo is back in China?" Lu Kuan had last seen Zhang Yimou's eldest daughter at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival.

At the time, Zhang Yimou was exhibiting "Hero" and he was there to discuss the copyright as an investor in "Blind Shaft".

It was also in that year that he met Iris Chang by chance, which led to the story that followed.

“Yes, I’m planning to have her join the crew to learn some skills.” Zhang Yimou smiled like a proud father: “She studied architecture at Columbia University for her undergraduate degree, which isn’t a formal academic background, so she still needs to brush up on a lot of things.”

"Like father, like daughter; Zhang Mo's future achievements will be remarkable!" Lu Kuan seemed to have forgotten that he was only two years older than Zhang Mo, and his words sounded like those of an uncle.

Zhang Yimou didn't really consider him to be his daughter's age, but he started paving the way for her: "What are your plans for your next movie? If you don't want, let Zhang Mo work for you for free."

“Sure! No problem.” Boss Lu was quite open with Zhang Yimou: “Wenjie Films’ screenwriting team has several scripts in the works, which should be science fiction.”

"Science fiction?" Zhang Yimou looked at him in surprise, then immediately thought of his junior from Beijing Film Academy, the Pan-Asian Film Academy, the slogan of industrializing Chinese cinema, and "A Home Away From Home," which swept the mainland film scene four years ago.

Clearly, after his two well-structured works, "Tangshan" and "The Sky of History," and the even more meticulously structured Olympic Games, he is ready to make new attempts in commercial films.

“I think Director Xie Jin made a very good point when talking about your film.”

Holding a teacup, Zhang Yimou said with relish: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Earthquake, and The Sky of History all have the core of nationalism and patriotism, and can be called the Chinese Past Trilogy."

"Both 'Whiplash' and 'Shoplifters' are films about the emotional rifts and deconstruction of teachers and family under the influence of East Asian Confucianism, and can be considered as a social trilogy."

"The Otherworld is about a future population explosion, so it should obviously be included in your future trilogy. I just don't know the theme and core of the next one."

Mr. Lu was quite pleased with these words; he never expected that Zhang Yimou would have such a silver tongue!

"Director Zhang, your level is comparable to the top international film critics. Next time, write me some advertorials, and I'll pay you!"

"Hey! We're praising you even if you don't pay us, why are you being so formal!" The vehicle arrived at the location, and the group walked into the alley, chatting and laughing.

The dim streetlights illuminated the words "咥美咧" on the blue brick wall, which should be considered the shop sign of this barbecue courtyard.

"This character sounds the same as the 'Die' in 'The Killer,' right?" Liu Yifei asked, linking arms with her boyfriend and pointing to the illuminated characters not far away.

Zhang Yimou explained: "Yes, this character is from classical Chinese. In Xi'an dialect, it means to eat heartily. 'Mei lie' means 'it's great' or 'it's fantastic'."

"We're entering the backyard through the side back door. My fellow villager specially hired a technician to serve us, so we won't run into anyone. We're not afraid of being stared at like pandas later."

As if to confirm Zhang Yimou's introduction, just as the group entered the back door, a "sizzle" sound came from the corner of the courtyard. The chef, wearing a sailor shirt, was pouring water onto the red-hot charcoal stove to cool it down, and the metallic glint of iron skewers clashing flashed in the rising white steam.

Boss Lu seemed to remember something: "Isn't this the chubby chef who often delivers roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) to you?"

"Haha, it's him."

Liu Yifei smiled and said, "Director Zhang likes roujiamo? I'd like to try some authentic Xi'an roujiamo later!"

Zhang Yimou was delighted that the food from his hometown was loved by others, and he couldn't stop smiling: "Eat up, eat up, let's eat our fill today, Xiao Lu and I will have some beer."

"Director Zhang doesn't just like roujiamo (Chinese hamburger); he craves it if he doesn't have it for two days!" Boss Lu exclaimed dramatically.

"Gu Yunlai filmed a documentary for several months. When she went back and edited the footage, she found that during lunch when everyone was discussing issues, Director Zhang almost always had a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) on hand."

"Everyone chats for a bit, then he picks up a snack and takes a couple of bites, managing to balance work and meals."

Zhang Yimou waved his hand and laughed, "It is indeed convenient. I'm getting old and my appetite is smaller. Eating food from my hometown makes me feel comfortable."

From a profound art theory perspective, as Bergman said, artists must be rooted in their own national culture.

However, if we shift our perspective to the most ordinary aspects of life, such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation, we will find that an artist's thinking habits and lifestyle are influenced by the cultural environment that nurtured him.

One of the most direct examples is the dance elements that Zhang Yimou designed for "singing while striking the earthen jar," some of which imitated the movements of Shaanxi knife-cut noodles.

In the documentary "Zhang Yimou's 2008," what viewers talked about most was how he would eat a couple of bites of a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) from a plastic bag that looked no different from those from a street vendor, wipe his hands, and continue talking, eating, writing, and chatting all at the same time.

Pushing open the glass door with the "Xifeng Liquor" advertisement printed on it and walking upstairs, there are several cases of Bingfeng soda stacked on the cement steps.

Not someone who often experiences this kind of late-night snack, Liu Yifei looked around curiously, while Lu Kuan casually brushed away the chili pepper skewer that was about to rub against her forehead.

On the second-floor terrace, brightly colored Olympic flags were wrapped around the wrought iron railings, and several empty beer crates were stacked in the corner to serve as a makeshift coffee table, with playing cards on top.

Zhang Mo was bending over to adjust the angle of the oscillating fan when she heard footsteps and straightened up.

She was wearing a navy blue T-shirt with "NYU FILM" printed on it, her ponytail was tied casually, and she had several colorful hair ties on her wrists.

"Dad, you've arrived."

"We're here, Mo'er, you have charcoal ash on your nose." Zhang Yimou smiled as he wiped it off his daughter, then turned to introduce, "I think only Yi Fei and Zhang Mo haven't met here before, right?"

Xiao Liu stepped forward with a smile: "Hello, Sister Mo, just call me Qianqian!"

"Hello, Xixi, I really love your portrayal of Iris Chang, it was absolutely fantastic." Zhang Mo is four years older than Liu Yifei, and both of them have experience living and studying abroad, so they have a lot in common.

Zhang Yimou smiled kindly: "Mo'er, have you ordered anything?"

"I don't know what Director Lu and Qianqian's tastes are, so I'll order a little less first." Zhang Mo counted on her fingers: "Forty skewers of mutton, one fatty and one lean, all from sheep slaughtered this afternoon, ten skewers of pork kidney, two plates of hot pot tripe, and some Shaanxi-style roasted flatbread."

He then pointed to the charcoal stove in the corner: "Two yellow croakers are roasting on the stove, and their bellies are stuffed with purple onions from our hometown. For cold dishes, we ordered pickled vegetables with peach kernels and peanuts in aged vinegar."

"Dad, what else do you want to add?"

Liu Yifei swallowed hard and waved her hand, saying, "Don't add any more, we can't finish it."

When Zhang Yimou hosts a dinner party, he never considers it a matter of saving face; he would rather have leftovers than leave anything out.

He smiled and beckoned Zhang Mo to come with him: "Xiao Lu, you and Yi Fei sit for a while, I'll go find Old Zheng to see what fresh produce he has."

Liu Yifei sat down and poured boiling water into all five cups. She looked at the cast iron charcoal stove in the center of the terrace, where sparks splashed onto the "Beiping Evening News" newspaper on the ground, burning several yellow holes.

Three folding low tables were joined together to form a long dining table covered with a disposable plastic sheet printed with blue and white "Yanjing Beer" advertisements, and the corners were secured with old-fashioned iron clips to prevent them from being blown away by the wind.

There was also an enamel mug on the table that read "Commemorating the successful bid for the 2001 Olympics".

Xiao Liu, this "runaway princess" who doesn't seem to care much about worldly affairs, is a novel and interesting character. Her boyfriend is also full of memories, naturally, all the memories from his previous life.

"How about we set up a small barbecue yard at home?"

"Sure, but it won't taste the same. It'll just feel like a Western family barbecue." Boss Lu leaned on the railing of the second-floor terrace: "The warmth of everyday life is what truly comforts the human heart."

Liu Yifei smiled radiantly and teased him, "You're a little fairy, not a mortal!"

"Didn't you drag me down to the human world?"

"Hehe, that was a good catch. You could go perform at the very popular Deyun Club now."

A young couple leaned against the railing, chatting and laughing. The old alleyways of the Second Ring Road stretched out in the night. The lights of the residential buildings in the distance were scattered like stars. Occasionally, the air conditioner units of wealthy households hummed, and a few clear bicycle bells rang out.

As far as the eye can see, there are also a few barbecue stalls set up around the courtyard, many of which are probably side jobs for people who have come to Beijing to work.

The snack economy and late-night food economy in China, represented by barbecue, first emerged after the reform of state-owned enterprises in the 90s.

Many laid-off workers chose barbecue as their entrepreneurial path because it was low-cost and easy to operate, especially in Northeast China.

Around 2008, with the influx of a large number of migrant workers and tourists into Beiping, the demand for night markets and specialty restaurants was boosted. Barbecue, due to its strong social attributes and affordable prices, quickly became popular.

Restaurants from Northeast China, Northwest China, Shandong and other places come to Beijing, rent a courtyard, alley or street-side shop, set up a charcoal stove and they can start their business.

Looking at the vibrant scene before him, Xiao Liu felt as if the entire city was breathing together in the night. He couldn't help but sigh, "When I was at the Beijing Film Academy, I always heard them talk about how delicious and fun places like Guijie and Sanlitun are."

"It's a pity that I've lived in Beiping for four or five years, but I don't think I've been to many places, except for a few parks and the Forbidden City that I used to stroll around when we lived in a courtyard house."

Looking at the scene before him, Lu Kuan recalled his university life in his previous life: "Beijing's nighttime snack economy used to consist of only two parts: one was the snack stalls and snack streets on Jinsong South Road, Majiabao, and Guijie Street, which were for ordinary people's consumption."

"The other area is mid-to-high-end venues such as Sanlitun, Wangfujing, and the Workers' Stadium bar street, which are more refined than the lively atmosphere."

The girl hugged her boyfriend's arm, looking at him with sparkling eyes: "Lu Kuan, when are you going to take me to Sanlitun for drinks?"

Mr. Lu laughed and said, "Beijing is a divided city, half of which is noble and half of which is commoner. Sanlitun is the intersection of the two."

"It's too late now. The demolition started in 2004 to accommodate the Olympics. I estimate that there are hardly any people left on South Street, North Street, and Middle Street."

Liu Yifei exclaimed with regret: "It's a pity I wasn't an adult at that time."

Suddenly, Xiao Liu handed over the hair tie that Zhang Mo had just prepared for her in a coquettish manner: "Washing Machine, braid my hair."

Looking at the rainbow-colored hair tie in her fair palm, Boss Lu said with a hint of reluctance, "I don't know how. What if I make it look ugly and get beaten up again?"

Liu Yifei smiled charmingly: "No, you're the boss outside. When have I ever failed to give you face?"

"Go home and tie it up, tie it into pigtails." Washing Machine looked at her sideways, almost wanting to demonstrate with her hands.

"Huh? You can't even do a double ponytail? Hurry up! Otherwise, it'll affect my meal!" Xiao Liu shoved the hair tie into his hand without saying a word, then turned her back to her boyfriend.

As Lu Kuan took the rainbow-colored hair tie, the moment his fingertips brushed against Liu Yifei's hair, the fine downy hairs on the back of the girl's neck shimmered with a golden glow under the terrace lights.

He clumsily gathered his loose hair into a bundle, his index finger accidentally catching the pearl earring on his earlobe, causing Xiao Liu to hiss and shrink his neck, but still smiling with his lips pursed.

In the reflection of the glass window, her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents, and the shadows cast by her eyelashes on her cheeks trembled slightly as she suppressed a laugh.

"Washing machine, now I truly believe you and I are each other's first love."

"what?"

"Looks like you've never done a girl's hair before. You're not as skillful and efficient as when you were cutting film."

Lu Kuan casually pinched her round, plump earlobe: "Of course! Would I lie to you? My first time and first kiss were after I met you. In my lifetime, I could not escape them."

Liu Yifei, with her back to him, looked disgusted: "When you say these pure love lyrics, it feels like even Wang Fei would want to delete them from the song."

Zhang Yimou and his daughter Zhang Mo were chatting and laughing as they stepped onto the stairs when they looked up and were confronted with this scene—

Lu Kuan's fingers were clumsily twirling Liu Yifei's hair, the rainbow hair tie shimmering with tiny spots of light under the warm yellow lamplight.

The girl's profile was reflected in the glass window, the shadow cast by her eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and the blush that appeared when her earlobe was pinched was like the most beautiful love confession.

"dad?"

"Don't move!" Zhang Yimou stared intently at the young couple on the edge of the terrace, his mind flashing back to the scene in "Under the Hawthorn Tree" where Jingqiu squatted by the river to bandage Lao San's wounds:
The gauze wrapped around the young man's well-defined wrists, and the ripples of water shattered and pieced together the reflections of the two of them. When Jingqiu lowered her head, the end of her braid brushed against Lao San's knee, startling a shiver of sunlight.

Looking at the cinematic composition before him, Zhang Yimou thought to himself that the couple's image truly matched the characters in the novel, but...

It would be better if Xiao Lu could tone down his masculine traits a bit.

Zhang Yimou shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself that the movie was still far from being made, so why should he think too much about it? He then smiled and called to everyone, "Come on, let's have some skewers!"

"okay!"

As the group began to eat and drink, Zhang Yimou watched Lu Kuan, Liu Yifei, and Afei enjoying their meal and swallowed back the words he had prepared to persuade them to eat more.

The iron skewers on the charcoal stove were sizzling with oil. Zhang Mo used iron tongs to turn the golden-brown fried bread. Melted mutton fat seeped out of the broken bread core, mixed with cumin seeds, and fell onto the charcoal fire, scattering a few sparks.

The portly chef brought up an iron plate, the rim still coated with chili powder: "Freshly grilled fatty and lean pork, eat it while it's hot!"

Xiao Liu took the skewer, blew on it, and took a bite of the first piece of meat. The rich flavor of the mutton tail fat mixed with the spiciness of the chili powder exploded on her tongue, burning her so much that she blew on it and stomped her feet, but she couldn't bear to spit it out. She mumbled indistinctly, "So delicious!"

Zhang Mo found it amusing. She had met quite a few female celebrities with her father, but Liu Yifei was the first one to be so uninhibited.

But seeing her slender white fingers holding the iron skewer, oblivious to the cumin seeds on her lips, and the way she ate with her cheeks slightly bulging, she was a hundred times more vibrant than those female celebrities who counted the grains of rice while eating.

Thinking back to the girl's shapely buttocks, long legs, and slender waist when we first met, she must have put in a lot of hard work in her training.

Zhang Yimou watched everyone eat for a while with a smile, then picked up his beer glass: "Yifei, Mo'er, and this young man, have some soda. Xiaolu and I will have some drinks. Let's have one!"

Xiao Liu took her boyfriend's beer and poured herself a glass: "It's been a long time since I've had a drink. An ice-cold beer would go better with this barbecue."

Zhang Yimou looked at this atypical female celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry with surprise. Boss Lu explained with a smile: "She's a little drunkard. If she really wanted to drink, she might be able to drink more than me now."

"Haha, really! Mo'er, then you should have some too."

"Okay, Dad."

Liu Yifei raised her glass, looking every bit the seasoned drinker: "Director Zhang and Director Lu, the two chief directors of the Olympics, thank you for your hard work serving the country and the people. Mo Jie, Afei, and I would like to toast you."

Lu Kuan lowered his glass slightly with gentlemanly manners: "Not at all, thank you for your hard work, family. Thank you for the Six-God premium mosquito repellent perfume today."

Zhang Yimou, who resembles a terracotta warrior, had no idea about this joke: "What foreign brand of perfume does Xiao Liu use that can also repel mosquitoes?"

"Dad, it's Six God Floral Water." Zhang Mo covered her mouth and laughed, having the same thought as her father.

They all felt that the couple in front of them didn't seem like the typical male director and actress, or male tycoon and female star combination in the entertainment industry. Instead, they seemed like the couple who had been selling lamb skewers at the entrance of the alley for twenty years, with the woman responsible for sprinkling cumin and the man responsible for fanning the charcoal fire.

It reminded her of the elderly Italian couple downstairs in her New York apartment building, where the old man would steal a kiss on the wrinkles on the back of the old woman's neck while she was tying her apron.

They were clearly 27 and 21 years old, yet they seemed to have lived together for decades.

Actually, Zhang Mo's feeling wasn't entirely wrong.

If we include the image of Liu Yifei that Lu Kuan knew in his previous life, and the past and present lives that Xiao Liu knows about him in this life, they can be considered lovers who have known each other for decades and are united in body and soul.

Therefore, every glance and joke they exchanged in private appeared incredibly harmonious and tacit, even to Zhang Mo, who was unfamiliar with them.

What she didn't know was that this came from the long journey of life they had walked hand in hand together.

The so-called eight sufferings of life are: birth, old age, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, encountering those you hate, not getting what you want, and being unable to let go.

Even though they've only known each other for eight years, they've already experienced most of it.

Zhang Mo turned to look at her father and noticed that after finishing a glass of ice-cold beer, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes had become even deeper.

Zhang Yimou was actually triggered by the scene; images from twenty years ago suddenly pierced his memory.

When filming "Red Sorghum" in 1987, the 37-year-old actor squatted on a barren slope in Ningxia eating a cold steamed bun. The 22-year-old actress Gong Li broke off half of the bun and handed it to him, with sorghum lees still stuck in her fingernails.

A spark from the charcoal stove jolted him out of his daze.

The young couple before him, though barely in their early twenties, already possessed a tacit understanding that suggested a lifetime commitment. Suddenly, Zhang Yimou felt a surge of greasiness from the fatty kidneys in his mouth, turning into a slightly bitter lump in his throat. Yet, this only strengthened his resolve regarding the film "Under the Hawthorn Tree," which he had originally been considering.

"Xiao Lu, what are your plans for that novel you gave me?"

Without hesitation, Lu Kuan said, "Director Zhang, to be honest, I don't have a good opinion of the adaptation of 'Blood Simple,' and I don't have a good opinion of Zhang Weiping's use of Zhao Benshan and his go-to screenwriter."

"It's not that Mr. Benshan's acting is subpar, but Zhang Weiping is likely to repeat the same mistakes he made in 'Curse of the Golden Flower'."

"Wenjie has full copyright to this novel. If you like it, we'll sell it to you at the original price. Wenjie will personally invest in you. I trust it, and it will prevent Zhang Weiping from finding any more excuses to cause trouble."

Liu Yifei glanced at her boyfriend in surprise. She had been doing business with him since she was fifteen, and this was the first time she had ever seen him actually turn things around without asking for a single penny.

Of course, one of his goals was to sever ties between Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping.

For Lu Kuan, Zhang Yimou is indeed somewhat special.

Firstly, Tian Zhuangzhuang has been his staunchest supporter ever since his interview at the Beijing Film Academy in 2002.

Secondly, regarding the Beijing Olympics, even though he won the bid and became the chief director of the opening ceremony with programs and ideas that were different from those of later generations, he still felt that it was somewhat unfair to his senior.

Even after becoming the chief director with such limited experience and at such a young age, Zhang Yimou was the first person to stand up and express his support unequivocally.

This is a senior colleague and friend with whom I can have a deep friendship.

Zhang Yimou pondered for a few seconds, then slowly nodded and said, "Wei Ping sometimes goes too far, but after so many years, sigh..."

Liu Yifei glanced at Lu Kuan discreetly. The latter knew that the conflict between the two had not yet escalated and that it was not the right time for her to bring it up. It would be better for her to do so.

"Let's not talk about whether the script is transferred or not, let's talk about the story first."

When Zhang Yimou saw that he was no longer insisting on removing Zhang Weiping, he relaxed a bit: "To be honest, I have read 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' twice since the day before yesterday. The whole book is full of my essays."

"Many fragments and scenes, such as when Jingqiu first saw Lao San at the entrance of the county hospital, his white shirt back standing next to the exploration team's truck, the sunlight casting dappled light on his shoulders through the sycamore leaves, the metallic reflection of the exploration hammer on his belt, and the silhouette of 'as upright as a poplar tree' that Jingqiu repeatedly described in her diary later."

Zhang Yimou became animated when talking about the film: "There's also the bandage scene by the river, including the two people embracing across the river, which really captured the restrained love of that era."

"It would be so beautiful, so very beautiful, if it were filmed in a movie."

Xiao Liu excitedly chimed in, "Director Zhang, my favorite part is the last scene in the hospital bed!"

"At the end, on the hospital ceiling, the third brother, on his deathbed, asked Jingqiu to look through the glass window, and their reflections overlapped in the hawthorn leaves falling outside the window."

The girl recalled with hope: "That's how it was written in the book—his eyes lit up, as if he had saved up all his last bit of light to recognize her face."

"This part is so touching, it made me cry so much."

Liu Yifei was discussing the plot with Zhang Yimou, a fellow reader of the novel, but her eyes kept wandering to the man beside her, and a small dimple appeared on her lips.

Clearly, when she was reading the novel, she was projecting herself onto the story of Lu Kuan.

This is the purest part of a girl's heart: finding her own reflection in other people's stories.
In the joys and sorrows of others, one finds confirmation of one's own emotions.

Every girl immersed in love intertwines the romance between the pages of a book with her own reality, allowing the fictional plot to coat the real feelings with an ideal halo.

Zhang Yimou's smile deepened the wrinkles on his face. He had originally wanted to cast her as the female lead, not only because she was already considered an excellent actress among actresses of the same age, but also among all Chinese actresses.

Furthermore, this top domestic director already had a perfect match in mind even before filming began or the script was finalized.

Especially the scene where the two of them were braiding their hair when they first went upstairs, the composition of that scene seemed so natural that it could be transplanted into a movie.

At this moment, he and his daughter Zhang Mo shared the same feeling. The tacit understanding and harmony between the couple, in contrast to the harsh historical background of "Under the Hawthorn Tree," is expressed in a restrained and introspective way, making it even more beautiful and moving.

This performance style, which compresses intense emotions into subtle physical contact, is far more effective than straightforward dialogue in conveying the emotional repression and outburst of a particular era.

What he needs to do now is figure out how to convince Boss Lu to work with him on a film project after Boss Lu has convinced him to change the first film project for the Olympics!

Zhang Yimou is cunning. Just by looking at the way the girl across from him looked at her boyfriend, he knew that she would be his staunch ally in this matter.

Zhang Yimou said with a sigh, "Xiao Lu, after thinking it over and over, there are still quite a few problems."

"what is the problem?"

“I have two main concerns right now,” Zhang Yimou said seriously. “First, we both took a break from filmmaking for the past two years because of the Olympics. Your company’s Ning Hao and Xue Xiaolu are still able to generate revenue normally, but I’m the only director at New Pictures, so Weiping is also under financial pressure.”

"For his first film after his comeback, I promised him that I would make a purely commercial film with the main goal of box office revenue. Now it has been changed to this film, 'Under the Hawthorn Tree.' I like the story and the adapted script very much, but the box office ceiling for art films is limited."

Zhang Yimou raised his glass and clinked it against Lu Kuan's, holding up one finger: "That's one thing."

The latter, with its ice-cold draft beer, was enough to reveal the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth points that Zhang Yimou had planned.

Even the most seasoned veteran can't outmaneuver a time traveler with eight hundred cunning schemes!

"Second!"

Zhang Yimou frowned and said, "I've actually thought about Wei Ping's matter a few times myself, including talking to... and my family."

"To be honest, if this film were to follow my ideas completely, prioritizing the balance between box office success and the auteur film genre, it would have to be a clean and pure love story between a man and a woman."

"It's not that kissing, passion, or even sexual contact is unclean, but in that era, such scenes were unusual and abrupt, and the backgrounds and love stories of the male and female protagonists didn't fit that style."

"But if Wei Ping uses the excuse of selling box office revenue to exert pressure, that would be a very troublesome matter."

Zhang Yimou seemed to have rediscovered the feeling of winning Best Actor at the Tokyo International Film Festival twenty years ago. He smiled wryly and said to Liu Yifei, "Little Liu, I originally wanted to invite you to act, but given the current situation, if there are any passionate scenes, I definitely can't use you, without you even having to say more."

Liu Yifei was overjoyed. Zhang Yimou practically had "Please participate in this movie" written all over his face. She understood the meaning of that last sentence perfectly well.

This is practically inviting someone else to help them out!

"Director Zhang, actually both of the questions you raised are quite easy to solve."

Zhang Yimou opened his eyes wide: "Hmm? Please go on."

Xiao Liu nudged her boyfriend, who was sitting quietly drinking beside her, with her elbow. She knew perfectly well that Lu Kuan was also aware of everything, but she couldn't be stingy with her help.

"Let him act in it too!"

The young woman confidently stated, "Art films have limited box office potential, but Lu Kuan and I, a real-life couple, are playing roles in the film, and it's our first time acting opposite each other. This kind of marketing should have a lot of market potential in China, right?"

"Oh dear! How come I didn't think of that!" Zhang Yimou slammed his hand on the table as if suddenly realizing something, causing a few drops of beer to spill from his glass. "Xiao Liu, hurry up and continue!"

As Boss Lu listened to the Errenzhuan performance playing in his ear, he helplessly pinched the bridge of his nose.

As a seasoned director, he didn't really want to see acting of this caliber; it was too awkward.

"Let's talk about Zhang Weiping. The wicked need the wicked to teach the wicked a lesson. If Lu Kuan, that domineering actor, were to play the male lead, and with the investment from Wenjie, Director Zhang, do you think Zhang Weiping would dare to make any unreasonable demands?"

"So this is really easy. You just need to convince Director Lu to take some time out of his busy schedule to participate in the creation of this film, right?"

"With his Berlin Film Festival Best Actor acting skills, it's a piece of cake for him to handle a character like this who doesn't have much of a character arc. Besides, you two directors can also learn from each other and improve together outside of filming, isn't that great?"

Zhang Yimou was overjoyed to hear this. Looking at the girl in front of him, who was even younger than his own daughter, he felt that it was not an exaggeration to say that she was exceptionally beautiful.

"Oh my, that's why I always said you and Xiaolu would end up together."

"Young lady, you're so clever! Come, let me toast you!"

Xiao Liu glanced at the motionless washing machine out of the corner of his eye, smiled, and raised his glass: "I toast to you, Director Zhang, thank you for such a delicious late-night snack, it really made us all feel good!"

"Right? Lu Kuan? Why don't you join us? We'll toast Director Zhang and Sister Mo together."

With his charming and sweet girlfriend's gentle words ringing in his ears, and under the guise of thanking the banquet host, Boss Lu naturally raised his glass without hesitation.

Actually, he wasn't too opposed to playing the role; the key was whether it would conflict with his pre-filming work for his next sci-fi movie.

However, his proposal to collaborate personally with Zhang Yimou was rejected. If he were to also involve the troublemaker Zhang Weiping, the terms of the collaboration would be far more complex than that.

His friendship with Zhang Yimou made it acceptable for him to make concessions on financial matters, as long as he earned as much money as he wanted.
But Zhang Weiping, the old vampire who later fought a lawsuit with Zhang Yimou for several years, would never receive such treatment.

"Director Zhang, it's hard to guard against a thief within the family. We're not even married yet, and Xiao Liu has already conspired with you to deceive me."

"Hahaha! No, no!" Zhang Yimou laughed like a terracotta warrior: "Yi Fei is truly the smartest girl I've ever met, naturally intelligent and kind-hearted."

"I think you're bragging. This is clearly a piece of Hetian jade that's been passed down through generations, isn't it?"

Xiao Liu raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend smugly, who finished his drink, then turned serious after the joke:
"Director Zhang, we're all family here, so let's not be formal. Working with you and working with Zhang Weiping are two completely different things."

"If you personally need my help, even if it's for nothing but playing this role or providing screenwriting services, I won't hesitate to ask."

"However, from a business perspective, we're all investing in making a movie together. I can't accept Zhang Weiping's overbearing approach; it's clearly unfair!"

What is Zhang Weiping's style?
Every film by Zhang Yimou must include new visuals; he must act as both producer and distributor.

If Zhang Weiping didn't have the ability to distribute the products, he would subcontract them out and keep a cut of the profits.

Many of Zhang Yimou's films follow this operational model: Zhang Weiping uses his popularity and influence to attract investment, takes a stake in the project, and ensures that his name is listed first on the domestic production credits, while also retaining the distribution rights.

The key issue is that domestic investors really can't do anything about him right now. There are only a few people who can make movies and good commercial films, and the "money-making gang" led by Lu Kuan, who makes stable profits, is untouchable.

With Xiao Gangpao tied to Huayi Brothers, and Chen Kaige's reputation collapsing and his golden image broken after "The Promise," isn't Zhang Yimou, the pillar of the domestic film industry, the only one who can be counted on one hand?
Zhang Mo glanced at her father with concern. She naturally knew about the many twists and turns involved, and even the love-hate relationship between Zhang Yimou, Gong Li, and Zhang Weiping had caused her a lot of harm back then.

Zhang Yimou was genuinely scratching his head at this moment, with three deep furrows between his brows, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes looked like rice paper creased by fire under the glow of the charcoal fire.

He was indeed in a difficult position.

On one hand, there's an old friend with whom I've worked for many years, who offered a helping hand during a difficult time.

On one hand, there's a close friend from the same family, despite the age difference. Moreover, the other party was the one who first offered to sell the script to me at the original price and was willing to invest. The conditions they proposed later were also standard practice in the industry.

Zhang Weiping's "using the emperor to command the princes" was not exactly a respectable business strategy; it was just something he found difficult to refuse.

With Zhang Yimou remaining silent, Lu Kuan knew he couldn't press the issue any further, otherwise the atmosphere of the meal would immediately sour.

Even close friends and family shouldn't interfere with each other's relationships. There are some things that are difficult to say openly, even to close friends and family, let alone to two people who are just friends now.
The yellow croakers sizzled on the charcoal stove, oil splattered on the plastic tablecloth, and a subtle stillness filled the air.

Zhang Yimou's knuckles turned white as he rubbed the wine glass, while Boss Lu stared silently at the tea leaves floating in the glass, his face expressionless.

The discussion about the investors just now weighed heavily on everyone's minds like a burning ember.

The intelligent and discerning Liu Yifei silently observed the expressions of the two, pondering the meaning behind Lu Kuan's words.

Clearly, he doesn't care much about the meager profits from this movie—compared to his net worth.

Considering his long-standing relationship with Zhang Yimou, it didn't seem worth being so aggressive and forcing Zhang Yimou to express his support in front of him.

What does he want to do?
Just like every actor's work and even every performance segment, there is an ultimate goal, and the actor needs to build their action chain around this goal.

Xiao Liu suddenly remembered what Zhang Yimou had told him: to separate Zhang Yimou from Zhang Weiping. Then his current unusual behavior became very easy to understand.

He was using legitimate reasons to force Zhang Yimou to develop a rift with Zhang Weiping!
It has to be said that Liu Yifei is the one in the world who understands this time traveler who made a silent move the most.

Boss Lu wanted to use this opportunity to force Zhang Yimou, who was indecisive on this matter, to communicate with Zhang Weiping about the investment plan for "Under the Hawthorn Tree".

It's obvious that Zhang Weiping, who's used to being exploited, will be furious and vehemently oppose this actually fair form of cooperation.

What he had to do was to release the news at the right time that Wenjie wanted to poach Zhang Yimou, or to raise Zhang Weiping's suspicions through other means.

They gradually forced him to detonate Zhang Yimou's "excessive birth" bomb ahead of schedule.

Of course, before that, he would help Zhang Yimou resolve the aftermath in a reasonable and legal way.

When everyone saw Zhang Weiping desperately trying to take revenge on his longtime "friend," that was when Zhang Yimou truly made up his mind to part ways with him.

This process cannot be completed in a short period of one or two years. Boss Lu is just making his first move with "Under the Hawthorn Tree".

Xiao Liu didn't have the foresight of a time traveler, but her and her boyfriend's telepathic judgment was completely accurate; the latter was determined to force Zhang Yimou to "blush and sweat" with Zhang Weiping.

"Director Zhang, may I say a few words?"

Zhang Yimou silently looked up, forcing a smile as he looked at Liu Yifei, who had suddenly spoken.

“I am not entirely clear about your relationship with Zhang Weiping, but I think your relationship with Lu Kuan is a true gentleman’s friendship, as pure as water. You have never talked about any business dealings, only artistic communication and shared ideals.”

“Lu Kuan often tells me that among directors of different generations in China, you are the one he respects and recognizes the most.”

"This is not only an achievement in directing art, but also because back then, when the president of the Cannes Film Festival, Jacob, suggested that you replace the film because the national anthem in 'Not One Less' was suspected of being glorified and propaganda for the government, you did not hesitate to write a letter to denounce him and announce your break with the Cannes Film Festival."

The girl's tone was sincere, which moved Zhang Mo, who was standing next to Zhang Yimou.

"Let's get back to this issue. I believe Director Zhang, you are also aware that any investor collaborating with New Pictures must accept this unequal treaty. If you want to change this distorted cooperation model—"

"I think this is a great opportunity."

Zhang Yimou, who had initially thought Liu Yifei was simply siding with her boyfriend, suddenly looked up and listened attentively to her explanation.

Liu Yifei's voice rang out softly on the terrace, carrying the gentle breeze of the night, yet each word was clear as pearls falling onto a jade plate.

"Zhang Weiping is a businessman, and businessmen prioritize profit. You can give him the choice—"

"The first option is for Wenjie to fully support the creation and subsequent promotion of this film using its film industry chain. Lu Kuan and I can play the male and female leads, which will definitely make the marketing of the film much more effective, and the final profit of the film will not be small."

"The second option is to follow the old path and repeat the same old words, but obviously this will not get much support from the community. In the end, the result may not be much different from the situation of 'Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles'."

“You can use Lu Kuan and Wen Jie as shields and let Zhang Weiping make this choice himself. If he wants money, he should give up his unreasonable demands and cooperate fairly.”

Xiao Liu's tone was neither hurried nor slow, possessing both the clarity unique to a young girl and a composure beyond her years.

These words were like a soft knife, first using the metaphor of "a gentleman's friendship is as light as water" to elevate his relationship with Lu Kuan to the level of artistic confidants.

You say that distance doesn't diminish intimacy? I think you and someone like Lu Kuan, who shares artistic resonance, are actually closer!
She also alluded to the limitations of Zhang Weiping's model by mentioning the old story of "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles". However, she did not say that if the collaboration could not be completed, she would also carefully consider the matter of playing the female lead.

That sounds like a threat.

These words were heartfelt, reasonable, and well-founded. Moreover, given that the road was too wide to continue pressing forward and the atmosphere was extremely awkward, it was perfectly appropriate for this "little woman" to ease the tension.

The key is that she truly understands her boyfriend's intentions, which allows her to use targeted words to continue "luring" Zhang Yimou into her trap.

What Liu Yifei did was not to force Zhang Yimou to confront him directly, but to provide him with a practical solution to the problem, a solution that seemed to fit Zhang Weiping's business mindset.

The second-floor terrace of the barbecue courtyard fell into a brief silence once again.

Zhang Yimou stared at the swaying beer foam in his glass. The two options Liu Yifei had given him were like the choice between cold bread and hot soup on the barren hillside years ago:

One is the austerity of upholding the essence of art, the other is the warmth of embracing new models.

The night breeze rustled the Olympic flags hanging from the wrought iron railings, making them flutter slightly, as if counting the days of his deep thought.

The last drop of mutton fat on the charcoal stove not far from them was falling onto the glowing red charcoal, hissing as a wisp of smoke rose up. Only then did Zhang Yimou come back to his senses.

He looked bitter, but then smiled with some relief and said, "Xiao Lu, Yi Fei, if I may be so bold as to say that I am thirty or forty years older than you two."

"You two children have already said so much and given me plenty of face. If I were to remain stubborn, that would be quite unreasonable."

This was the first time Zhang Yimou had made the decision to argue with Zhang Weiping. He smacked his lips and said, "Weiping isn't a bad person, he's just too calculating in business. We'll proceed with this film project as you say!"

"I'll handle things with him. You can't expect me to solve all the problems and just sit back and do nothing, can you? Haha!"

Boss Lu sighed and raised his glass: "Director Zhang, Xiao Liu knows I'm not good at saying sentimental things, but the meaning is in the wine. I'll toast you."

"Hey! Let's skip the formalities and just have a drink together!"

The young couple, who hadn't exchanged a single word or even a glance, worked together to push their plan forward another step.

The two exchanged a glance while raising their glasses. His eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, and her lips pursed slightly, as if confirming some unspoken understanding.

After the banquet, Zhang Yimou, still troubled about how to communicate with his old partner, parted ways with the two.

The car sped along the Second Ring Road in Beiping at around 2 a.m. Liu Yifei yawned slightly inside the car, nuzzled her chin against her boyfriend's shoulder, and the minty scent of Six God Floral Water lingered in her hair.

The streetlights cast long, orange streaks on the car windows, like flowing gold, and soon we arrived at Wenyuhe Prefecture.

The young couple sat in the living room for a while, and Liu Yifei smiled at her boyfriend and said, "I suddenly realized that we just looked like a couple from a novel!"

Boss Lu was a little sleepy, and with his eyes half-closed, he replied, "Who?"

"Huang Yaoshi and Feng Heng! They worked together perfectly and tricked Zhou Botong into giving them the Nine Yin Manual!" Xiao Liu's excitement dispelled his drowsiness: "It's just that Director Zhang isn't as foolish as Zhou Botong."

"Tch, trying to flatter yourself. Feng Heng has a photographic memory. You're just a stupid little donkey."

"Pshaw! All you have is Huang Yaoshi's 'evil'! He's handsome and dashing, elegant and refined, highly skilled in martial arts, and can even play 'The Song of the Azure Sea'. Can you do that?"

The washing machine, exhausted and slumped on the sofa, drooped its eyelids upon hearing this.

"Play the flute? I can't."

But I hope you will...

"what!"

A sudden and tragic scream came from the mainland's largest mansion, which covers more than 70,000 square meters.

The villainous woman transforms, and the washing machine is subjected to domestic violence again.

(End of this chapter)