Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 156 "Kuai Ge" Filming Completed

"Scene 21, 7 shots, 1 take, begin!"

As the crisp sound of the clapperboard rang out, the camera began to zoom in.

Zhang Zifeng walked along the path, holding grilled sausages in both hands and carrying a bag, in a cheerful mood.

"I don't want to be your sister. I hope someone takes you away soon."

As Zhang Zifeng was laughing and joking, Gu Jingyi, who was running up from behind with a backpack, seized the opportunity to snatch the sausage from her right hand.

When she realized what was happening, Gu Jingyi pretended to give in and took a big bite, raising an eyebrow smugly: "Call me 'brother' and I'll leave you half a stick."

Zhang Zifeng stared angrily at the empty sausage in her right hand.

"Push the camera in, use a split-screen technique to cut from a distance to a close-up. Give him a close-up of his face!"

Director Zheng Fenfen stood outside the monitor, holding a walkie-talkie and shouting loudly.

The next second, the monitor really started changing the camera's trajectory.

She slowly pushed towards the figure of the boy in the school uniform, who held half a sausage in his left hand like he was teasing a puppy. He dangled it in a spot where Zhang Zifeng could see him but couldn't reach him.

Looking at his silly sister, who was seething with anger, he sighed in a mocking manner.

"It seems you don't really like it. Let me eat it for you."

Before she could react, Gu Jingyi had already eaten the rest of the sausage.

Gu Jingyi smiled and waved his hand to indicate that there were no more sausages left.

With just a small gesture, Shi Fen's carefree personality is portrayed in a more relatable way.

Zhang Zifeng let out a loud bang, "It's no use, you bitch! Today I'm going to tell Mom and Dad everything about you skipping class, lying to the teacher, and stealing my piggy bank!"

"Cut!"

Upon hearing the director yell "cut," Gu Jingyi rubbed his ear.

Zhang Zifeng's sonic attack just now did disturb him.

This wasn't like Duanmu saying to Chu Yuxun on the rooftop, "You're disturbing my ears," but rather Gu Jingyi being genuinely attacked by ultrasonic waves.

On the other hand, director Zheng Fenfen did not chat with Gu Jingyi after filming, as usual.

Instead, she stood in front of the monitor with the original comic artists, the Shen sisters, Shen You and Shen Ling, watching the playback.

"That sly smile of his was just perfect."

"Jingyi has a lot of attention to detail, no wonder he's a top performer among the new generation. He's popular, and his acting skills are great too."

Previously, the sisters Shen You and Shen Ling already had a high level of goodwill towards Gu Jingyi, and after seeing his superb acting skills, they were even more impressed with him.

After everyone gathered around the monitor and chattered amongst themselves, director Zheng Fenfen nodded, picked up a megaphone, and said, "That's a good take, but let's do another one!"

Assistant Xiaopang quickly handed Gu Jingyi a glass of electrolyte water so he could replenish his electrolytes quickly and continue filming.

Gu Jingyi drank a few sips of electrolyte water, and the stylist team that had been with him on set sprayed another layer of setting spray on his face.

He then stood still again, acting as the script supervisor and clapperboard operator.

"Scene 21, 2 shots, 1 take, Action!"

...

Filming days on set are so boring; in the blink of an eye, Gu Jingyi has been on set for two weeks.

Many shots in finished films may seem ordinary, but they can be completed in one take thanks to the actors' skill.

However, when filming, directors often reshoot close-ups of scenes between actors from different angles to achieve a better effect, keeping these takes as backups.

Finally, during post-production, the entire crew would gather together and watch each scene, one by one. They would select the most effective and perfect angle from each scene, mix and splice them together, and then choose the best shot.

However, these processes are too cumbersome, and not every scene is treated this way.

Only a highly popular plot from the original comic and a highlight of the script would warrant such a move by Zheng Fenfen.

"Take My Brother Away" is essentially a refreshing, youthful drink, designed to cool you down rather than be rich and sweet.

If she were really that particular about quality, she would be making art films.

Only high-quality story segments receive this treatment.

Gu Jingyi arrived at the film set relatively early today, and he was browsing Weibo with great interest.

"Jingyi, what are you looking at?"

Gu Jingyi showed him the video he had opened on his phone; today was July 28th.

On this utterly ordinary date, the fifth Seine River Election was held as scheduled. More intriguing than the first, second, and third place winners were the memorable moments during their interviews.

Huang Ting and Li Ka stood together, and when the camera focused on the two of them during the interview with third-place Feng Duoduo, they had zero interaction throughout. When the camera focused on them, their eyes darted around as they pretended to be very busy, which went viral and became a trending topic.

Terms like "Ka Huang Be" and "Li Ka's Eyes" were frequently mentioned in the comments section.

Lin Ze watched the video, which was less than ten seconds long.

He looked at Gu Jingyi with interest and said, "Jingyi, I didn't expect you to be interested in this."

"I wouldn't say I'm interested, I just think it's quite fun. Do you think they actually dated?"

Gu Jingyi tilted his head and asked Lin Ze.

He hadn't been in the industry as long as the other person, and he had only vaguely heard of the "famous love-hate relationship in the Chinese entertainment industry."

I only remember that many years later, Li Ka went on to ride the waves. Huang Ting's comment section was still flooded with CP fans, just like the male lead and third male lead in "Hikaru no Go" sold very well.

"How would I know? You know that information doesn't circulate much across the river. I'm not a staff member on the other side of the river. You should ask the people there."

Lin Ze smiled and winked at Gu Jingyi, "You should also have someone in mind, Zhao Guangdong and Sun Zhenni."

Gu Jingyi was reminded of this and remembered it too.

It's all Brother Gal's fault; he insisted on organizing the gathering. After adding the two pretty girls on WeChat, they chatted occasionally, but not that much.

Zhao Guangdong is genuinely interested in Gu Jingyi and has been working hard to win him over.

As for Sun Zhenni, it seems that her interest in Gu Jingyi stems more from him as a person.

I often share funny videos with him and leave a string of "hehehehe" laughs in the comments.

She didn't have a strong ulterior motive towards him; it was more like the ordinary infatuation a young girl might have.

"Did you send one of my gift bags to them for me?"

Gu Jingyi suddenly remembered this matter and asked Lin Ze about it with a serious expression.

"Of course, didn't you give me a black card?"

Lin Ze smiled and helped him recall, "You said that as a reward for accompanying you out for a day, this card could be used as a perk to reimburse me for some things I want to buy. When I deliver things to my girlfriends, I can also buy some to help you maintain your relationships."

Seeing how carefully he explained it, Gu Jingyi suddenly understood.

No wonder... no wonder Cheng Xiao's messages to him suddenly became less and less like those of an outsider after that day.

So that's the reason.

Lin Ze is really reliable; he's getting paid the top agent's salary without losing out at all.

"Forget it, I'm too lazy to verify this with them. The Senegal is so vast, how could someone who wasn't born in the same year as me know so much about it?"

Gu Jingyi waved his hand, still wanting to maintain his aloof image.

"How are the overseas sales of OPPO's Find X going?!"

On July 20th, OPPO released a short video on an external website.

Standing beneath the dome of the Paris Opera, Gu Jingyi's fingertips brushed against the pop-up camera of the OPPO Find X. The golden light swirled in the depths of his eyes, and he recited the promotional phrase "Find More Possibilities" in a gentle, tender tone. His voice was soft, the ending notes lightly sweeping across the screen.

On the same day, Weibo in China also made the official announcement at exactly 10:00 AM.

[#Gu Jingyi, Global Ambassador for OPPO Find Series# Dual-track periscope, Find your light. There are no conventional formulas, no need to worry about light and shadow or composition. Just be natural and relaxed; you are charming as you are.]
After a three-month evaluation period for the R15 Dream Edition, Gu Jingyi's title was upgraded to #Global Promotion Officer of the Find Series#.
Cai Xukun, whose endorsement materials were removed by the Blue Factory, has already been mocked by his fans who have put up big-character posters.

As a high-end "Find series" relaunched by OPPO in an effort to shed its "factory girl phone" image, the "Find X series" has garnered significant attention from OPPO. The overseas promotional ambassador for the "Find X" series even includes football superstar Neymar.

Neymar is also lucky to have caught the right moment, being able to receive the same endorsement title and treatment as Gu Jingyi.

However, in China, although sales are still very high, it's almost entirely driven by fans.

Starting at 49999, it's positioned similarly to Apple's pricing strategy. At that time, only the foldable series dared to set such a price.

The Find X series sold well overseas, but its sales in China fell short of expectations. Gu Jingyi had arranged for his father to hold shares in OPPO long-term before the official endorsement announcement, intending to capture a portion of the profits.

Gu Jingyi fiddled with his phone for a moment, then suddenly said, "I have a great idea that can help the Find X series break into the Chinese market. It's just..."

Lin Ze's eyes lit up, and he looked at Gu Jingyi happily and said, "What great idea is it? Don't keep me in suspense."

As Gu Jingyi's agent, after noticing that Gu Jingyi would occasionally check the stock market on set, he became aware of Gu Jingyi's activities and, following his own artist's lead, invested some money in OPPO shares.

"The idea is definitely a good one, but it's a bit harmful to the parents' palace. I'm not doing this; if you want to do it, use your own account."

All the fans know that Lin Ze is Gu Jingyi's agent.

He now gets more comments on his Weibo every day than a third or fourth-tier celebrity.

Countless "Consort Jing" fans were squatting here, ready to get the latest news about Gu Jingyi.

Lin Zeyue became curious after Gu Jingyi said that.

He was so bothered by the noise that he had no choice but to lower his head and tell Lin Ze his solution.

"..."

That guy has huge eyes; that's the perfect description for Lin Ze at this moment.

After finishing her work at the general election and returning home, Huang Ting was happily browsing Weibo, ready to read her fans' comments, when she suddenly noticed that her Weibo comments were smudged.

Huang Ting's latest selfie received tens of thousands of comments, such as, "Please explain why she and Sister Ka are no longer interacting."

Huang Ting's lips twitched; she really didn't want to answer this kind of question.

Just then, Gu Jingyi's agent, @Huace-Lin Ze, also posted a Weibo:
"What's going on? Browsing Teacher Tingting's Weibo is getting increasingly laggy (scratching head)."

"Oh, right, speaking of cards—"

As soon as this Weibo post was published, a large number of fans of the "Ka-Huang" pairing felt like they had found their "happy home".

"All those who cheated on their cards are standing behind Brother Lin Ze!"

"Type 'protect' on the public screen."

Just as she was feeling somewhat speechless, Gu Jingyi arrived late.

A reply appeared under Lin Ze's Weibo post.

[@Gu Jingyi: Speaking of lag, details of the new OPPO X Find have been released. Slim and stylish, the Snapdragon 845 flagship processor balances performance and selfie capabilities. Ze Ge, if it's lagging, just get a new phone. OPPO's dual periscope telephoto lenses can capture all your frustrations (doge)]
The top comments instantly exploded:

"Light! Thin! No! Stuck! Every word is a veiled attack on Kahuang."

"Professor Gu, I won't read a doctoral dissertation on the unethical aspects of the Chinese entertainment industry without you in it!"

"I placed an order for Find X overnight. I have to know the inside scoop on this."

The "Ka Huang" pairing, known for its intense rivalry in the Chinese entertainment industry, has garnered significant attention, leading many casual observers to notice OPPO's new product launch.

OPPO Mall, along with Taobao and JD.com, achieved impressive results with the Find X series selling out in seconds.

"Jingyi, what if she mentions those two people in my family? What should I do then?"

Lin Ze's lips trembled as he looked at Gu Jingyi with lingering fear.

"What are you afraid of? Didn't you notice that I asked you to comment on someone else's post?"

Gu Jingyi laughed, "Rising up from the spot and then exploding into fireworks is much worse than this, isn't it?"

"You must have bought a lot of green factory stock, right? That adds up to a lot of money! The higher the sales volume, the more shares you get promoted..."

Lin Ze nodded, feeling much better after the comparison.

"Jingyi, it's your turn to perform."

Director Zheng Fenfen held a megaphone and called his name on set.

"Okay, here we come."

Today's scene is about Shi Miao talking on the phone with her best friend Miao Miao. She's complaining about her parents being so old yet still dating, when suddenly she notices her carefree brother playing video games in his room.

Unable to sit still for a moment, I went to the living room to tell Shi Fen the fact that "my parents might get divorced."

The sharp clapperboard rang out, "Scene 173, Action!"

Gu Jingyi nestled into the sofa, the blue light from the game controller making his chin appear bluish.

When Zhang Zifeng rushed in to question him, he was stuck on the final boss level of the game.

Gu Jingyi's fingers mechanically pressed the buttons, his knuckles turning white from the force. His line slipped from the corner of his mouth, lightly: "Divorce is great, double the allowance!"

The camera zoomed in on his profile, his eyelashes trembling as he looked somewhat insincere.

"You!" Zhang Zifeng was infuriated by his attitude, seemingly never expecting her brother to utter such a tasteless remark.

She pointed at Gu Jingyi a few times with trembling fingertips, then walked away.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Gu Jingyi's character, "Shi Fen," seems to be caught up in some kind of memory.

“Very good, Jingyi, you improvised exceptionally well here. This is a perfect opportunity to pick up where you left off earlier, about your childhood memories of your parents always arguing.”

After filming this scene, Shen You and Shen Ling, who were the screenwriters for the series, immediately thought of the optimization plan that Gu Jingyi had mentioned before.

I'll follow the production crew's arrangements.

Gu Jingyi said this with a half-smile, then leaned back in his chair to rest.

It wasn't until evening that the main event of the day began: "Shi Miao" wished for her brother to be taken away quickly.

The neon sign of the abandoned pirate ship restaurant twitched as if it were leaking electricity, and Gu Jingyi crashed into the frame while straddling his electric scooter.

Happy birthday, Shi Miao.

Gu Jingyi picked up his phone to wish Zhang Zifeng a happy birthday. He was wearing a mushroom-shaped helmet, which made him look somewhat comical.

He picked up his phone and switched to the electronic candle.

"Stop bragging, making a wish doesn't cost any money."

Gu Jingyi pulled down the hood of his sweatshirt, revealing his full sideburns.

"I hate you! Is it because of you that my parents divorced? Didn't you ask me to make a wish? Well, I wish you could take my brother away quickly!"

Zhang Zifeng's acting was explosive, full of emotion?

"Cut!"

Zheng Fenfen called a halt and nodded with satisfaction.

"This one is approved!"

Time flies when you're on set; it's already mid-August. Gu Jingyi has been on set for a month and a half now, and today is the last scene of the movie, which is also the source of the line "You abandoned me" that moved countless people after its release.

The train station was a specially chosen abandoned one, which was decorated to create a sense of wear and tear, making it feel more historical and authentic.

As the blower started running, Gu Jingyi, carrying two large burlap sacks, staggered into the train station.

He deliberately limped when he walked, which wasn't written in the script. But he learned this little trick from observing migrant workers carrying bricks on construction sites.

When a person lifts something heavier than themselves, they will always lose their balance.

"toot"

When Zhang Zifeng's electric scooter stopped, she saw that familiar figure.

I learned from home that my brother had given me a better educational opportunity, and that my mother reminded me of my habits when we went out to dinner on my birthday.

Zhang Zifeng ran several red lights before finally making it.

"Brother," Gu Jingyi stopped in his tracks and turned around to look.

Looking at the familiar handsome face before her, Zhang Zifeng could easily see the tenderness in his eyes, even though he still seemed a bit reckless. Her emotions were quickly stirred.

On her way to find her brother, she recalled all the times she and her brother had spent together.

It turns out her brother deliberately saved up game cards to redeem an electric scooter for her because she envied other kids who had bicycles when they were little. Her brother said he would buy her a big electric scooter someday.

The more Zhang Zifeng looked at Gu Jingyi, the more a hundred emotions surged within her.

Thinking of those times, tears welled up in my eyes.

You left something behind!

Gu Jingyi's smile froze. He pointed to his backpack and said loudly, "I didn't forget it, I brought it this time!"

Yes, her brother will never again slow down her alarm clock and deliberately make her go back to pick up his backpack in order to prevent her from seeing the truth about their alcoholic father.

But why does it hurt so much this time?

Zhang Zifeng could no longer control her emotions, and tears streamed down her face.

You left me behind!

Her voice was very penetrating, and her words, tinged with tears, made Gu Jingyi lose his smile and look at his sister with some helplessness.

You left me behind!

She said the same thing again, but this time Zhang Zifeng's voice was filled with sorrow.

It was as if, after her brother abandoned her, she was completely unable to accept this world of solitude.

This usually strong and proud girl was crying terribly.

Similarly, Gu Jingyi, standing opposite, also found herself unable to hold back her tears at some point.

Large tears streamed down her face, forming shallow puddles on the ground.

Beside the train station, a brother and sister looked at each other and silently shed tears. It seemed that even the air was filled with the faint sorrow of parting.

"Pass!"

Unlike before, Zheng Fenfen did not shout "Cut" this time.

After looking around, she raised the megaphone and announced loudly, "I now announce that filming for 'Take My Brother Away' has wrapped!"

"Yay, happy wrap-up!"

"The box office success of 'Fast Brother'"

Cheers came from all directions on set.

Gu Jingyi wiped away his tears; this was his first movie.

We filmed for over a month, living and eating in hotels.

Fortunately, he completed this stretch of mountain road.

He had a simple wrap party with the cast and crew of "Kuai Ge" and posted a Weibo post to promote the show.

When I met the crew of "Kuai Ge", it was time to do a promotional tour.

(End of this chapter)