Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 152 Genius is but a flash of inspiration

It was only seven or eight o'clock after dinner, and the opening ceremony day was usually when the entire crew was at their most complete.

Normally, actors playing supporting roles only need to join the crew when their scenes begin.

Two days before filming began for Yu Zheng's "Story of Yanxi Palace," the actress originally cast as "Consort Xian" (also known as "Consort Jiang") turned down the role. Yu Zheng then directly invited TVB Best Actress Charmaine Sheh, who was filming in Malaysia at the time.

She only made a brief appearance at the press conference for the drama series on June 14, 2017, and spent the rest of her time on other drama series. Before "Story of Yanxi Palace" wrapped up filming in October, she spent two months filming all of her scenes as "Consort Xian".

The scenes depicting Consort Xian's descent into darkness were filmed in just two or three days. Despite the tight schedule and intense filming, the actress still delivered a performance that garnered the most attention and popularity of the series, showcasing Consort Xian's masterful ability to kill without leaving a trace and her madness for love.

Images such as "killing someone always involves cutting the lamp wick" and "pulling someone to look in the mirror always leads to trouble" went viral and dominated countless trending topics.

It was precisely because of Charmaine Sheh's precedent of saving the day 17 years ago that Gu Jingyi, the "firefighter," was able to rescue "Ashes of Love" from disaster.

Generally speaking, the filming time for a TV series with about 60 episodes is about five months.

Gu Jingyi joined the production team after the group debuted in early April, and it took about three months until the filming of "Xu Feng" wrapped up.

This is related to his optimization of the script for "Ashes of Love" by Xu Feng, which was modified to provide a complete storyline.

It was also related to Gu Jingyi filming multiple projects at the same time and running around for two weeks for the "Milk Foam Forest Tour".

However, the production team of "Ashes of Love" was very satisfied with the final performance.

林泽告诉顾璟奕：《香蜜》已经拿到了2017年12月的通行证。预计将于1月7号开播，成为2019开年剧。

This was indeed good news for Gu Jingyi, as domestic TV dramas are usually broadcast only after filming is completed. From the time filming wraps to obtaining the license, it usually takes several months.

From joining the production team to airing, excluding the 2024 drama "The Beauty of the Country" starring Yang Zi and her current boyfriend, it only took 5 months and 12 days.

Generally, it takes six months to a year for a TV series to go from production to broadcast.

This has also led to a reduction in the growth space for young actors in the industry, and the situation where choosing the wrong drama can consume a lot of popularity.

This is one of the reasons why Gu Jingyi chose to follow the "acting-to-singing" route, as filming on set would be too time-consuming. He is eager to seize the market opportunity and use the talent show to become a top star with countless endorsements.

Gu Jingyi was eager to enjoy the rosy glow of youth, and he didn't want to wait a moment longer!

Indeed, Gu Jingyi's income in the first half of the year, after deducting taxes and sharing profits with the company, reached "a small goal".

Global ambassador for high-end jewelry brand Chopard and Asian brand ambassador for Dior—these titles come with very substantial endorsement fees.

In addition to national brands such as Anmuxi, Mosen Glasses, Peacebird, and OPPO, Gu Jingyi currently holds a total of seventeen endorsements.

If you had waited for "Go Go Squid!" to become a top hit during the summer of 2019, you would have earned more than a year less than you do now.

According to his current calculations, it's roughly equivalent to two small goals.

This loss is all Gu Jingyi's money!
Sitting in the van on his way to the film set, Gu Jingyi leaned against the window and drifted into thought.

"Jingyi, are you tired?"

Seeing that Gu Jingyi seemed a little listless, Zhao Jinmai asked curiously.

"No, I was just thinking about something."

Gu Jingyi snapped out of his thoughts, looked into her eyes, and smiled as he spoke.

But in Zhao Jinmai's eyes, it seemed a little forced.

"Jingyi, are you worried about whether you'll win an award at tomorrow's awards ceremony?"

Zhao Jinmai lowered her voice, bent down, and leaned closer to ask.

"Why would you ask that?" Gu Jingyi didn't answer, but instead met her gaze.

"Huh? Isn't that right? Jingyi, you went out to take a 20-minute phone call during lunch. Weren't you talking to your manager about whether you could win an award?"

Zhao Jinmai smiled slyly; in her opinion, this handsome older brother was just putting on a show.

However, this also happens to align with her aesthetic preferences.

She really liked this one; the contrast between its cool, aloof, and arrogant appearance and its underlying struggle with uncertainty about its future was just too appealing!
“…” Gu Jingyi paused for a moment.

If Zhao Jinmai hadn't reminded him, he would have genuinely forgotten about it.

Before joining the crew, Lin Ze kept muttering about the week's schedule in the van.

Gu Jingyi was so tired that he simply closed his eyes and fell asleep.

I only have a vague impression that there are two award ceremonies to attend in August.

One is the Golden Bone Network Film and Television Festival, and the other is the Asian New Song Chart Annual Ceremony.

These two award ceremonies are usually held in August, but this year is different.

The Golden Bone Award for Online Film and Television was moved up by about twenty days and held on July 11.

Perfect timing, it's tomorrow.

This award is quite prestigious in the industry. The Golden Bone Award Ceremony is hosted by the leading domestic film and television data platform, Bone Media. Its awards are determined based on the total number of online drama views throughout the year, public opinion popularity, and votes from a professional judging panel.

Within the industry, it is hailed as a "trendsetter" in the field of online content.

Judging from Gu Jingyi's current film and television works, only one of them, "A Love So Beautiful," is eligible for consideration.

As a hit drama series in the first half of the year, "A Love So Beautiful" has maintained high popularity online.

When it comes to the awards ceremony, "A Love So Beautiful" is naturally a part of it. Gu Jingyi was nominated for "Potential Newcomer in Web Series of the Year" and "Most Commercially Valuable Newcomer of the Year".

These two awards are evaluated based on the Guduo Commercial Value Model, taking into account the number of brand endorsements an artist has received and their popularity throughout the year.

The winners of these two awards, especially the first "Potential Newcomer in Web Series of the Year" award, are likely to be incredibly talented in the coming years.

Let's take a look at the actors who have won the "Potential Newcomer in Web Series of the Year" award: Rou Si, who just finished filming "The Romance of Tiger and Rose" in 2019, and Bo Zi Ge, who played the role in "The Untamed".

Then there's Wang Hedi from 2022, who won this honor for his role as "Zun Shang". Within six months of winning the award, Wang Hedi secured three new high-end luxury brand endorsements, and his commercial fees tripled.

Given Gu Jingyi's current commercial value, he doesn't need to worry about not being able to get what he wants.

Therefore, he looked at Zhao Jinmai's little expression and wanted to laugh but was trying hard to hold it in.

The girl's innocence, purity, and innocence were something even Gu Jingyi wanted to protect.

"Jingyi, here's a candy for you. If you eat it, everything will go smoothly in the end."

Zhao Jinmai held a piece of candy to Gu Jingyi's lips, smiling sweetly.

"Alright, then I'll take your kind words."

Not far away, Zhang Zifeng, wearing headphones, was still immersed in the world of music.

There is no way of knowing what happened inside the carriage.

Upon arrival, the meeting room was found to be clean and tidy.

All the actors who had arrived had gathered around a large round table.

The purpose of holding script reading sessions is to help actors familiarize themselves with their roles as quickly as possible, and to allow them to immerse themselves in the characters' perspectives to see if they have any flashes of inspiration and discuss or revise parts of the plot with the editors.

The main creative team members, including "Shi Fen", "Shi Miao", "Miao Miao", "Kai Xin", "Wan Sui", and "Wan Xing", gathered together. Apart from the "Fen Miao Miao" trio, the other characters were all supporting roles.

Gu Jingyi's eyes were just casually sweeping over them, but when he saw Fang Xiangrui, who played "Long Live," his pupils contracted slightly.

Good heavens, it's him!

At this time, Fang Xiangrui was not yet called Zhou Liran, and he had not yet been labeled a "resource-backed star" because he shared the lead role with "Dudu" in a female-centric drama.

He's appeared in 28 dramas in total, but only one of them made him a breakout star. Yet, he managed to become the male lead in a female-centric drama despite playing a supporting role.

Chen Dudu, who rose to fame as the female lead in the hit drama "When the Wild Geese Return," was directly relegated to a "co-starring" position.

It stayed on the trending topics list for several days in a row, and netizens dug up the "Royal Family Road".

This guy is really lucky. In 2018, he was able to sit at the same table as VV, who was at the peak of his popularity in those years. In 2024, he became a global spokesperson for Tencent Video with Xin Xinzi. His only representative work is "When I Run Towards You".

But Gu Jingyi remembered that this guy not only had great resources, but also questionable character.

The dispute over billing order has ripped away the fig leaf from the "Lou Si" (a term referring to fans of a certain type of celebrity), and one person's only breakout work is "Former Teammate."

Noticing that Gu Jingyi's gaze lingered on him for a while, Zhou Liran seized the opportunity to approach him.

"Hello Jingyi, I'm Zhou Liran, who plays Wansui, Shifen's best friend in the drama. It's nice to meet you. By the way, like you, I also came from a boy band."

“No, we are different,” Gu Jingyi waved his hand, somewhat resistant.

He clearly remembered the person in front of him, who had betrayed his former teammate and sold his schedule to sasaeng fans.

Gu Jingyi didn't intend to have too much entanglement with him; they could just be colleagues.

"What's different?"

Gu Jingyi glanced at him and suddenly smiled.

"I was genuinely propelled to the top spot by a landslide by the votes of my fans. What about you?"

Zhou Liran's face turned bright red, and he couldn't find the words to say.

"never mind…"

Gu Jingyi was too lazy to waste any more words; he was different from some former trainees who hadn't debuted.

"Brother Jingyi, when did you arrive?"

"Just arrived"

Zhang Zifeng's eyes lit up the moment she saw Gu Jingyi arrive.

Director Zheng Fenfen looked around and, seeing that the main cast and crew had all arrived, smiled and said, "Alright, now that our main creative team is all here, I hereby declare that the script reading session is now officially beginning."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the actors sat together and began to read the script.

From the very beginning, the film "Take My Brother Away" focuses on the younger sister, "Shi Miao."

In the eyes of her younger sister "Shi Miao", her older brother "Shi Fen" is a good-for-nothing who is always slacking off and only knows how to tease his sister. Every morning, she has to outwit and outmaneuver her brother.

The older brother, "Shi Fen," would deliberately slow down the alarm clock and tangle his younger sister's hair on the rack so that "Shi Miao" would leave the house very late.

He then took the breakfast from "Shi Miao" in the refrigerator, making his younger sister run to school hungry. He even deliberately sent a message to his sister "Shi Miao" halfway through the journey, asking her to go back and pick up the schoolbag he had intentionally left behind.

Shi Miao was almost at school when the gate was about to close. Luckily, her best friend Miao Miao blocked the school gate on her electric scooter, preventing Shi Miao from being late.

Shi Miao grew angrier and angrier, wanting nothing more than to grab her schoolbag and confront her brother. Her best friend Miao Miao stopped her, urging her to think it over.

Shi Miao has already been disciplined for beating up her older brother Shi Fen at school last time.

Shi Miao barely managed to suppress her anger when the teacher suddenly called her to the office.

It turned out that the older brother, "Shifen," had secretly removed the names from the class's test papers and auctioned them off in class. The test papers with high scores were awarded to the highest bidder.

Tempted by the three grilled sausages offered by "Shi Fen," "Shi Miao" suppressed her anger and, with tears welling in her eyes, worked together with her brother "Shi Fen" in the office. Through their tacit understanding, the siblings saved him from a potential disaster.

But when it was finally time for "Shi Fen" to fulfill his promise, the sausage in "Shi Miao's" hand ended up in "Shi Fen's" mouth.

"Shi Miao" went berserk: "You're useless, you bitch! Today I'm going to tell Mom and Dad everything you did—skipping class, lying to the teacher, stealing my piggy bank!!"

Walking with her best friend "Miaomiao", "Shimiao" sighed that she really envied her because she was an only child.

"It's so great to be an only child, you can buy whatever you want. Unlike me, I only ever receive half the love. I only get half the allowance, and there's always the risk of being robbed, kidnapped, or even having my money stolen from me."

Shi Miao felt increasingly aggrieved; her brother always bullied her. He would either steal her meat at the dinner table or secretly take her hard-earned allowance to collect game cards at the arcade. When questioned, he would claim he was "buying a limited-edition Brazilian tortoise," until one day Shi Miao saw Brazilian tortoises for "five yuan each" at a street vendor.

She then realized she had been tricked and stormed home to confront her brother. Unexpectedly, she stumbled upon her parents arguing again, her mother carrying luggage, saying she was going on a business trip.

Shi Miao lost interest in confronting her brother and, realizing that her parents' relationship was in trouble, called her best friend Miao Miao to complain.

Seeing her older brother "Shi Fen" still playing games nonchalantly, "Shi Miao" couldn't hold back any longer and asked him if their parents were getting a divorce. Her brother replied indifferently, "Wouldn't it be better if they got a divorce? They could get two allowances."

This time, "Shi Miao" was furious and vowed never to talk to her brother again. But while tidying up her room, she found the game cards that "Shi Fen" had been collecting, and she was just one card away from redeeming the grand prize.

The grand prize is an electric car or a family trip.

Shi Miao thought her brother had been diligently collecting game cards, but actually, he wanted to redeem the ultimate prize of a "family trip" to win back his parents' relationship. She stopped arguing with her brother and suddenly became so kind to Shi Fen that he didn't even feel comfortable.

On Shi Miao's birthday, Kaixin, whom she had a crush on, messaged her to invite her to ice cream. When she arrived at the location, she discovered it was actually a prank by her own brother.

Today is her birthday, but no one remembers. Shi Miao is sadly walking down the street when she discovers her mother behaving intimately with a strange man across the street.

She followed them and found her brother there as well.

Watching her brother and his two friends laughing and chatting across the street, Shi Miao felt a pang of sadness. She went alone to the Pirate Ship Restaurant, where her family used to celebrate her birthday every year. Now, times had changed, and the once-bustling Pirate Ship Restaurant was long gone.

Shi Miao was secretly shedding tears when she heard a car horn outside. Shi Fen found his sister and was utterly disappointed to see that her brother had redeemed the grand prize for an electric scooter. She had assumed that her brother, like her, hoped to win back their parents' relationship.

While "Shi Fen" was still smiling and letting his sister blow out the electronic candles, "Shi Miao" completely lost her temper. She wished that this brother didn't exist and that he could be taken away!
As the electronic candle went out, I woke up to find that my wish had actually come true.

"Shi Fen" became "Miao Miao's" older brother. At first, "Shi Miao" thought it was just a prank. But then she saw that even the name on the test paper in the classroom had changed from "Shi Fen" to "Miao Shi Fen," and everyone around her, no matter how she asked, said that "Miao Miao" was "Shi Fen's" younger sister.

Watching her older brother and "Miaomiao" cooperate in front of the teacher, just like before, and play around on the way home from school.

Shi Miao felt a pang of sadness. This bittersweet feeling was amplified when she returned home and saw that Shi Fen's place in the group photo had been replaced by a dog, and his room had become a storage room.

But the double allowance and the refrigerator full of food made her very happy. What made her even happier was that her parents had a good relationship. The family celebrated her birthday at the pirate ship restaurant, just like before.

Strangely, "Shi Fen" continued collecting cards. When he was only one card short, he went to stalk a younger elementary school boy, only to be confronted by the boy's older brother. Suddenly, "Shi Miao," a karate expert, appeared and helped the older brother win. Through repeated encounters with the brother, "Shi Miao" discovered a secret.

It turns out that Shi Fen's bullying of her younger sister was all to cover up the fact that her parents had long been separated.

He teased his sister on the street because he didn't want her to know that their parents were arguing at home. He deliberately set her alarm clock to a slower speed so she wouldn't see him tidying up the empty bottles his alcoholic father had piled up in the room.

Unbeknownst to others, this seemingly unreliable older brother has been protecting his younger sister in his own way.

On the day Miaomiao's parents were getting a divorce, Shimiao saw Shifen say that he was going back to the countryside with his father. Since his younger sister was introverted, it would be better for her to stay with their mother. Shimiao hurriedly ran to tell Miaomiao, who was going to a concert, the news, and said she had a way to stop it from happening.

Her best friend said that Shi Miao had overstepped her bounds, and that this was a matter between her and her brother that no outsiders needed to interfere with.

Her parents noticed that Shi Miao had been acting strangely lately and thought something was wrong with her. Sitting across from them, she had an emotional outburst. She said that if her parents divorced, she didn't want to live with either of them, she only wanted to live with her brother.

It was only at this moment that Shi Miao realized that her brother had been protecting her all along.

Unfortunately, her wish led to her brother being taken away.

A few days later, I encountered the "time" when I was still one card short of collecting all the cards.

"Shi Fen" plans to sell these cards to buy a concert ticket for his sister.

But "Shi Miao" stopped him and led him to the snack pool to find the rare card. After tireless efforts, they finally found it.

On her birthday, Shi Miao made a wish to bring her brother back.

"Shi Fen" rode by on her electric bike, saw "Shi Miao," smiled and greeted her, thanking her for helping her find the rare card.

"You may not know this, but Miaomiao has always envied you for having an electric scooter."

"Shi Fen," wearing a helmet, stood with his long legs on the ground, looking into her eyes and speaking.

Despite still being as carefree and irresponsible as ever, "Shi Miao" remembered the electric scooter her brother had given her before she made her wish. It turned out she had always possessed something others envied most.

“I also have an older brother, but I lost him.”

With tears in her eyes, Shi Miao uttered these words.

Upon learning that it was her birthday today and she was spending it alone, "Shi Fen" accompanied "Shi Miao" back to the Pirate Ship Restaurant to celebrate her birthday with her.

Faced with the electronic candle that "Shi Fen" took out, "Shi Miao's" feelings this time were completely different from her previous resentment.

She closed her eyes and secretly wished to bring her brother back.

When I woke up the next day, my brother really had come back.

The room and the photos showed traces of Shi Fen living with her before, but Shi Miao couldn't find her brother anywhere.

Her mother told her that "Shifen" had chosen to move to the countryside to live with her father in order to take care of him. She herself would stay here with her mother and "new father".

Shi Miao finally understood. The time she saw her brother and his two siblings eating together at the dinner table on her birthday was actually because he had given her a better educational opportunity. That idiot…

She rode the electric scooter her brother had given her to the train station. On the way, she saw a little girl riding a bicycle and suddenly remembered that she had said she wanted one when she was little.

"Shi Fen" said he would buy her a bigger one later.

It turns out, my brother had always remembered...

When they arrived at the train station, Shi Miao finally saw her brother.

"Shi Fen" was carrying large and small bags and was rushing to catch a bus.

"Brother, you left something behind."

"I've fallen on hard times, and this time I'm carrying a backpack."

You left me behind.

As Shi Miao spoke, large tears began to fall, and Shi Fen, who had just been laughing, instantly stopped smiling.

He looked at the small figure standing on the opposite side of the platform, and tears began to fall.

The younger sister, who had always disliked "time," also took out an electronic candle, just like him.

He blew a breath into the phone screen.

Unlike the previous times when she looked down at the screen to make a wish, this time she looked at her brother and only made a wish to him:
"Bring my brother back right now!"

The script is indeed a good work, and there is a reason why the original timeline was able to achieve a box office of 3.75 million yuan with newcomers such as Zhang Zifeng, Peng Yuchang, and Zhao Jinmai.

Gu Jingyi recalls that this movie didn't perform well at the box office on its opening day because it didn't have any big-name actors.

However, its excellent quality attracted a group of enthusiastic word-of-mouth recommendations, leading to soaring box office returns. On Douban, over 30 people have given the film a score of 7.2, placing it among the top-rated domestic youth films.

However, the script does have its flaws.

The script lacks depth, relying on comedy for slapstick in the first half. By portraying the character "Shi Fen" as a superficial comedic figure, the actor could easily misunderstand the true nature of the character.

Peng Yuchang's portrayal of "Shi Fen" is too overly "cheeky and cute," which weakens the character's sense of weight regarding the family secrets he carries. Film critics have criticized it as "superficial and noisy," with too much of a grassroots feel.

Gu Jingyi couldn't possibly use Peng Yuchang's exaggerated acting style, not because he was too proud to admit it.

Luxury brands always conduct brand research before granting a title, going through a process of seeking approval and evaluation.

In 2018, his popularity as a "double luxury brand ambassador" was second only to Chris in the entire industry.

With the airing of dramas like "Ashes of Love" and "Go Go Squid!" in 2019, Gu Jingyi's luxury brand will become increasingly popular.

The most favored type of face among top-tier luxury brands is that of someone with a cool and aloof demeanor, such as EXO's Sehun, who became Dior's global brand ambassador in 21.

In addition to the need to boost sales during the mask-wearing period, it is also related to Oh Sehun's own characteristics.

If Gu Jingyi portrays "Shi Fen" in the same cheeky way as Peng Yunchang, just the scene where he smugly twists his waist and makes a face after grabbing the sausage will easily make people remember the "cheeky Zeng" from "iPartment" who went viral.

This is terrible. Teacher Yang Yang's infamous scene of eating bean sprouts in a greasy manner and his low-price bidding for endorsements have led to a severe loss of fashion resources.

Valentino would rather give Lamb a higher title than give him one.

Gu Jingyi is very protective of his reputation, so he'll definitely use a more restrained approach to this performance. He'll shift the focus from the more outward hip-swaying to standing in front and smiling at Zhang Zifeng.

Another issue is that the script lacks detailed support for portraying the male protagonist "Shi Fen" as covering up the truth about his parents' divorce. The comic only vaguely mentions through a bedroom photo that "Shi Fen" and "Shi Miao" lived with his father after his parents' divorce.

The film portrays Shi Fen's pranks on his sister as an act of protection, which feels somewhat odd. It's as if it's deliberately trying to whitewash Shi Fen, without adding scenes of him secretly reading the divorce papers or calculating household expenses. This results in a weak sense of sacrifice and a lack of justification.

The emotional shift in "Shi Miao" is also too abrupt; her transformation from "hating her brother" to "cherishing her brother" relies on a fantasy setting. Her daily life with her brother also lacks warmth, which is only revealed later in the film during her emotional outburst with her parents, where she declares, "I don't follow anyone else, I only follow my brother."

However, its flaws do not detract from its overall excellence; "Kuai Ge" remains one of the best domestic youth films.

After reading the script, Gu Jingyi roughly knew how to "optimize the script".

"Shi Fen" retains its carefree and irreverent style, but removes exaggerated scenes such as "flour spraying out of the hair dryer." At that time, the comments section was filled with "fire warnings."

Adding another small detail, the older brother, who was playing games in his room during his sister's period, tossed her a pre-charged hot water bottle. He said, though with a hint of annoyance, "Hold on tight, or you'll faint and I'll have to take you to the doctor."

Furthermore, if we delve a little deeper into the family storyline, after "Shi Miao" made a random wish that led to "Shi Fen" becoming someone else's older brother.

In the citrus, "Shi Fen" can tell the truth while briefly inserting a scene of him eavesdropping on his parents' negotiations when he was a child.

When he was little, he huddled behind the door and heard his parents arguing and smashing things. He bit his hand hard to stifle his sobs and comforted his sister, saying, "It's just that our parents are rehearsing a play."

Then, following the earlier setup of making a wish, when "Miaomiao" says she wants a brother like "Shifen," have "Shifen" look at his sister with a smug expression and say, "Shimiao, did you hear that? Your brother is very popular. Be careful if you treat me like that, or one day my love will be shared with Miaomiao."

Shi Miao, however, remained defiant, looking at her best friend and saying, "If you really want a brother that much, why don't you just give me my brother? I wish I could, I wish for it every day."

This echoes the later, wonderful transformation of identity, softening the abruptness of the sudden change.

Most youth films don't delve into these details, so "Brother Kuai" only needed to add this small detail. When haters criticized "Shi Fen's identity swap being too abrupt," fans used the "foreshadowing" from earlier episodes to prove them wrong.

"Alright, everyone has seen enough, right? I hereby declare the script reading session for 'Take My Brother Away' officially open."

At Zheng Fenfen's command, the stagehands began striking the clapperboard: "Kuai Ge, Scene Seven begins!"

"Shi Miao was on the phone with her best friend Miao Miao, telling her that her parents' relationship was in crisis. But she accidentally discovered that her brother didn't care at all."

As the production assistant finished reading the narration, Zhang Zifeng held up a "six" sign to her ear and complained indignantly, "Miaomiao, let me tell you, my parents are so old and they're still arguing. My mom even went on a business trip with her suitcase, and my dad didn't even go after her..."

As she was talking, she suddenly shifted slightly to find a more comfortable angle.

Gu Jingyi, who was a step and a half behind her, lowered his head and pretended to play a game while holding a cardboard box in both hands.

"Brother, do you think Mom and Dad are getting a divorce?"

Zhang Zifeng stomped her feet a few times on the ground, indicating that she had gone to her brother's room.

Gu Jingyi didn't even look up, still holding the cardboard sign in one hand, and said casually, "Isn't it better to be divorced? It's good that I can get two allowances."

"Oh! You really don't care about your parents at all; you don't care about this family at all!"

Zhang Zifeng held the script and her voice suddenly rose.

"Say what you will, I'm going to take a shower."

Gu Jingyi put down the cardboard box and stomped his feet a few times in place.

"Shi Miao wasn't satisfied yet, so she kicked her brother's bed."

The stagehand added a voiceover, and Zhang Zifeng also kicked at the air.

"Tch, he doesn't act like a proper older brother..."

As she spoke, she suddenly leaned forward, pretending to fall. She then groped around in the air and pulled out a box.

The stagehand continued reading the narration to help the pantomime continue: "Shi Miao discovers that her brother sneaked off to the arcade to collect cards."

Zhang Zifeng pretended to accidentally bump a corner of the box while putting it back, and her pupils dilated slightly as she noticed a game card that had fallen out. She pretended to pick one up, then suddenly stood up, squinting as she examined it: "So all these days he's been sneaking out to the arcade at night not to play games at all?"

A card collection rule has also been revealed, with the "grand prize" being a family trip or an electric vehicle.

Zhang Zifeng suddenly realized something, jumped up, hugged the game card, and spun around: "I knew my brother wanted to repair Mom and Dad's relationship too."

"The moment just came out after taking a shower," the stagehand continued reading the narration.

Gu Jingyi stomped his toes on the ground a few times, casually wiped his hair with his hands, and looked at Zhang Zifeng with some surprise.

"Shi Miao, when did you get into my room?"

"Brother, thank you, hehe."

Zhang Zifeng smiled, her lips curving upwards.

"What's wrong with her..." Gu Jingyi asked, his tone somewhat unsteady as he held the script.

The seventh act, which ended with the dialogue, brought the characters of Shi Fen and Shi Miao out of the real world.

Shi Fen may seem carefree and irresponsible, but he takes care of his younger sister by collecting cards.

Shi Miao may seem irritable, but her emotions come and go quickly.

Even parents whose marriages were on the verge of collapse but who kept it a secret from their children left an impression on the audience.

After the script reading for Act VII, Zheng Fenfen looked at Gu Jingyi and Zhang Zifeng and asked them for their thoughts.

"Do you think there's anything else that needs to be added to this section?"

Screenwriters and directors often have to film multiple characters, which leads to them taking a macro-level perspective when looking at issues.

Actors, on the other hand, portray characters from a single perspective, which often leads to a deeper understanding.

When asked by the director in front of so many people, Zhang Zifeng blushed. She waved her hands, "I didn't..."

At that time, my younger sister was just a small-time actress, and even if she had ideas, she wouldn't dare to say them.

Status and influence signify respect, no matter where you are.

"What about Jingyi?"

Zheng Fenfen nodded; she hadn't expected Zhang Zifeng to have any insights anyway.

Gu Jingyi, however, is different. People in the industry know that this top star has many ingenious ideas for filming.

Many of his iconic scenes were created from a flash of inspiration.

"Director Zheng, I think we could add that Shi Fen knew from a young age that his parents' relationship was strained. We could insert a scene where, as a child, he's curled up behind the door, biting his hand so hard to stifle his sobs when he hears the question, 'Which is better, Dad or Mom?'..."

Gu Jingyi directly pointed out the shortcomings he noticed after reading the script, as well as the optimizations he thought of.

He talked on and on for a long time, until his mouth got a little dry.

Gu Jingyi took a sip of the water on the table, only to find the conference room completely silent.

"what happened?"

"Jingyi, you're a genius! Shen You, Shen Ling, did you remember everything he just said?"

Zheng Fenfen was all smiles. Only those involved in adapting this comic knew how valuable Gu Jingyi's idea was.

He made the fantasy setting more natural, and Gu Jingyi also perfected the script.

Indeed, talent is more important than hard work; a flash of genius can outweigh the efforts of most ordinary people.

(End of this chapter)