It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 143 My Heroine Has Grown Up! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
At the celebration party for "Taken", not a single person from the Hong Kong entertainment circle attended.

Yinghuang had previously said they wanted to come over, but in the end no one showed up; they only sent a congratulatory gift.

As for other Hong Kong capital, not a single person even bothered to say hello, presumably because the box office results had stung their fragile nerves.

Not to mention Hong Kong capital, there isn't even a single Hong Kong actor to be seen.

Lu Rui has reason to suspect that those actors who want to get close to mainland capital have been subject to some kind of "ban".

That's why when Xie Nan called out "Mei Yanfang's" name, the audience erupted in uproar!

Everyone turned around and looked towards the entrance of the venue.

The next instant, two long-absent figures suddenly appeared.

It was Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung!
The guests at the scene hadn't even come to their senses yet, but the media had already been snapping photos non-stop!

Everyone could hardly believe their eyes!

It's worth noting that since the two publicly announced their retirement from the entertainment industry at the press conference for the filming of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in 03, they have completely disappeared from the media spotlight.

Over the years, some people have occasionally claimed to have encountered them abroad, but not a single clear photo has surfaced.

Everyone thought they had completely faded from the public eye and would never again get involved in the entertainment industry.

Unexpectedly, these two almost legendary figures actually appeared at Liu Yifei's 18th birthday party!
The media were not about to miss this opportunity; their flashbulbs went off like firecrackers, as if they wanted to photograph the two of them from head to toe.

This marks the first public appearance of the two in over two years.

This one story alone is enough to dominate the headlines of all entertainment sections tomorrow!

At the same time, the scene fell into a deathly silence, followed by a sudden burst of buzzing discussion.

Even seasoned directors and producers couldn't help but turn around, their eyes filled with astonishment.

Li Bingbing and Fan Bingbing had long forgotten their bickering and couldn't help but take half a step forward, their eyes wide open.

As for Yang Mi, Jing Tian, ​​Shu Chang, Jiang Yiyan, and the others, they were completely dumbfounded.

"Wow! It really is Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui?! Am I seeing things?"

"Didn't they retire from the entertainment industry? Why are they here?"

"It's obvious they're here for Liu Yifei's birthday party. That's quite an honor!"

However, the investors were immediately intrigued, scrutinizing the two men with expectant glints in their eyes.

If they were willing to make a comeback now, their concerts, movies, and TV series would be absolutely wildly popular!
Wang Zhonglei couldn't help but step forward.

Wang Jinghua's departure is a foregone conclusion; the most important thing now is to stabilize Huayi's foundation.

He would be willing to spend any amount of money to cooperate with these two!

It's no exaggeration to say that even if these two had left the entertainment industry for two and a half years, they would still be top stars upon their return!
At this moment, only Lü Rui looked at the two familiar figures at the door, raised a smile and went to greet them.

The reason these two suddenly returned to China was because he had specifically invited them.

When Mei Yanfang learned that Liu Yifei was going to have her birthday, she readily agreed. Leslie Cheung, who had originally planned to return to China to visit relatives, decided to come back with her.

Anita Mui wore a well-tailored black suit, her short hair was styled exquisitely, and although she had become more composed and gentle than when she retired from the entertainment industry, her aura still commanded the entire audience.

Her surgery was successful, but she can no longer do heavy work or overexert herself, so a comeback is impossible.

Leslie Cheung was wearing a light gray T-shirt, with a gentle smile. When he looked at Liu Yifei, who was stunned on the stage, his eyes were filled with the loving kindness of an elder.

"Director Lü, it's been a long time." Seeing Lü Rui come over, Zhang Guorong spoke first, his voice still as gentle as ever.

Mei Yanfang nodded and greeted them, her gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Liu Yifei: "You two chat, I'll go on stage first."

She was also carrying an exquisite gift box, which was obviously prepared on purpose.

“Okay, go ahead.” Lü Rui led Zhang Guorong to his seat first.

To prevent being disturbed by the media, he specifically asked Zhao Peng and Shen Ao to stand guard by his side.

At this moment, Liu Yifei on the stage was already so shocked that she gripped her skirt tightly. Her cheeks under the crystal crown were flushed red, and her lips moved as she excitedly stepped forward and called out, "Godmother?"

At that moment, she felt like she was dreaming!

Although she occasionally spoke with Mei Yanfang on the phone, she knew that the other party had decided to leave the entertainment industry completely. She never expected that the other party would show up here today!

"Sisi looks so beautiful today." Mei Yanfang handed over the gift box first, then hugged her. "I came back to see you. You're 18 now. Happy adulthood! You're a big girl now, so be brave!"

Liu Yifei snapped out of her daze, quickly accepted the gift box, and said in a soft but clear voice, "Thank you, godmother."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again: "Are you feeling better? You must be exhausted from flying so far back."

"Much better, haha, I have a good appetite now."

Mei Yanfang responded, took the microphone, greeted everyone present, and offered a few words of blessing.

After saying that, she handed the microphone back to Xie Nan and winked at Liu Yifei, saying, "I'll go down first, we'll talk later?"

"OK."

There aren't many people who can actually go on stage today.

Most of Liu Yifei's friends and classmates gave her gifts privately, without ever having the chance to go on stage.

However, Zhang Jizhong did manage to get a chance to go on stage.

The main purpose was to promote Liu Yifei's starring role in "The Return of the Condor Heroes". Otherwise, how could someone who acts in TV dramas be worthy of showing his face in such an occasion?

"Yifei is a very hardworking and resilient actress. She didn't miss a single day while filming 'The Condor Heroes'..."

After showering him with praise and seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, he presented the gift and happily stepped down from the stage.

With today's birthday banquet, the popularity of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is sure to increase even more!

When he tried to ride the wave of popularity to create hype, he was afraid of upsetting Lü Rui.

But there's no need to worry about that now, because everyone's goal is to promote Liu Yifei, and it won't matter if he rides on the coattails of "Taken".

Subsequently, Chen Jingfei and Liu Xiaoli took the stage one after the other.

Liu Xiaoli, the mother, was especially happy today. She went on stage, held her daughter's hand, and said softly, "From today onwards, you are a big girl. Be strong and stay calm in the face of adversity... Mom is so proud of you!"

The scene of the mother and daughter wiping each other's tears was particularly touching.

But then, Zhao Peng suddenly leaned close to Lü Rui and whispered, "Brother Rui? I heard that Liu Yifei's mother is also in the arts and entertainment industry? So she must have studied acting, right?"

Lu Rui knew what he was up to as soon as he heard this: "You want her to play the grown-up 'Ren Nami' in 'Sunny'?"

"Yes! They look so alike, the mother is the perfect choice to play the grown-up daughter."

"Let's talk about it during the audition." Lu Rui felt it was a bit risky. He remembered that Liu Xiaoli seemed to be a dancer and hadn't systematically studied acting.

As the two were talking, the mother and daughter on stage separated.

After Liu Xiaoli stepped off the stage, Xie Nan raised the microphone, looked at the last name on the list, and announced loudly, "Welcome Director Lü Rui!"

No one knows who started it, but everyone spontaneously began to applaud.

Lu Rui paused slightly, then calmly walked onto the stage.

As they met face to face, he and Liu Yifei inevitably made eye contact.

His eyes held a hint of doting affection and tenderness, as well as a sense of accomplishment from watching her grow from a green newcomer to someone who could now stand firmly in the spotlight.

But Liu Yifei's eyes were burning hot!
There was gratitude, dependence, and a burning passion that she herself couldn't quite explain.

It seemed to be the peace of mind he felt every time he solved her problems, and it was also like her admiration when she watched him direct a film; they were all mixed together, sparkling like a small flame.

Lu Rui's heart skipped a beat for no reason. He subconsciously looked away and quickened his pace slightly.

The girl's eyes were so direct, so direct, that they reminded him of his own little schemes hidden under the guise of "interests," and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Director Lü, here's your microphone." Xie Nan stepped forward to greet him.

"Okay, thank you."

Lu Rui took the microphone, stood beside Liu Yifei, faced the audience, and steadied his voice: "I'm very happy today. First, 'Taken' has broken 3 million yuan at the box office, and second... my leading lady has come of age."

Liu Yifei subconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt.

'If I heard correctly, my senior just said that I'm his leading lady?'

She glanced down at the audience and noticed that no one seemed to have noticed, which made her slightly disappointed...

Liu Xiaoli raised an eyebrow, feeling that this explanation was a bit strange, but seeing Lü Rui's serious expression, she thought that she was probably overthinking it.

Who would have designs on a young girl who has just come of age?
Wouldn't that be abnormal?

On stage, Lü Rui continued speaking: "Here, I would like to wish Liu Yifei a happy birthday. She once said that her idol is Audrey Hepburn, so I wish her to become one of the greatest actresses in film history, just like her idol!"

At the same time, I wish "Taken" great box office success both domestically and internationally..."

His speech was very simple, and he didn't prepare a speech.

He handed the microphone back to Xie Nan, then gave Liu Yifei the gift he had prepared beforehand, saying in a voice only she could hear, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you, senior."

Liu Yifei lightly touched the satin surface of the gift box with her fingertips, gently took it, and then turned her head to wink at him.

The shallow dimples at the corners of her eyes spread out, and a smile spread from her eyes to the corners of her lips.

It wasn't a sudden burst of vibrant color, but rather like snow melting in a spring stream, gentle and tender, as if even the air itself was infused with a touch of sweetness.

As Lü Rui turned around, she suddenly felt that the Yuefu poem best suited her here:

There is a beautiful woman in the north, peerless and independent.

Regardless of the city, consider the country.

How could one not know the power of beauty to topple cities and kingdoms? Such a beauty is hard to find again! After the gift-giving segment ended, the microphone was handed to Liu Yifei.

She stepped forward, recalling the thank-you speech in her mind, and thanked all the guests present.

Although she was somewhat surprised by the arrival of Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung, she made a point of mentioning their names and sweetly expressed her gratitude.

Despite the large scale of the event, she showed no stage fright and was even more composed than the host, Xie Nan.

This filled Xie Nan with amazement. He stared at her intently, thinking to himself: How could there be such a beautiful, outstanding, and poised girl...

"Here, I want to especially thank senior student Lü Rui..." Liu Yifei continued, "He has been helping me since I first debuted. Without him, I wouldn't have had my performance in 'Mystic River,' nor 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,' and today's 'Taken'..."

Many actresses in the audience raised their eyebrows as they listened.

"So, all the movies Yifei has made since her debut have been directed by Director Lü?" Yang Mi realized the underlying meaning.

"I think so?" Shu Chang clicked her tongue, her mind racing with doubt.

Because she knew Liu Yifei the earliest, and could even be considered Liu Yifei's first friend after returning to China, she knew more than others.

For example, what happened during the filming of "The Story of a Noble Family".

At that time, Liu Yifei could summon Lü Rui and Jiang Wen with just one phone call, which scared the director and lead actor Chen Kun into hiding.

So what exactly is their relationship?
Is it really just a normal working relationship between a director and an actor?

At that moment, not far away, Zhang Jizhong's lips twitched.

He clearly helped Liu Yifei a lot with the production of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", so why was he just mentioned casually, while Lü Rui was thanked for two whole minutes?
Is this fair?

This is not fair!

He looked aggrieved, while Jiang Wen on the other side was quite pleased.

He also received a minute of thanks, though not as much as Lü Rui, but that's understandable, considering Lü Rui is the director.

After the thank-you speech ended, Xie Nan finally snapped out of her daze, which had been staring intently at Liu Yifei.

Picking up the microphone, she began the next segment: "Next, please welcome the most exciting part of the evening."

As soon as he finished speaking, several staff members slowly pushed a food cart in.

As soon as the contents of the car were revealed, many people at the scene let out a soft "wow!"
It was a castle-shaped cake that was almost half a person tall, with milky white frosting piled up to form pointed towers, pink and white rose sugar flowers adorning the windowsills, and a little sugar figure in a princess dress standing on top, just like Liu Yifei at this moment, so exquisite that it seemed otherworldly.

Many people at the scene were clicking their tongues in amazement.

"This cake is really impressive! This is the first time I've seen such a sophisticated cake at a celebration banquet!"

Liu Xiaoli turned around and looked at Lü Rui in surprise.

He had only said he would prepare the cake, but I never expected him to prepare such an "exaggerated" one!

Liu Yifei's beautiful eyes sparkled as she stood in front of the cake.

Soft light fell on her face. She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She made a wish for a while before opening her eyes and gently blowing out the candle.

The flame went out with a "poof," and applause immediately erupted from the audience, even more enthusiastic than before.

By now, the big shots had already taken their seats at the main table, holding wine glasses and munching on snacks while watching the stage, all with smiles on their faces.

Having witnessed countless scenes of project negotiations and resource competition, I found it quite pleasant to see this young girl celebrating her birthday.

"Mom, come help me cut the cake!" Liu Yifei waved to the audience.

Liu Xiaoli walked onto the stage with a smile.

The mother and daughter each picked up a cake knife, cut off several pieces, placed them on delicate little plates, and brought them to the main table first.

"This is the first time I've ever tasted such a big cake, haha." Han Sanping laughed brightly.

"I have diabetes!" Ren Zhonglun said with a troubled expression, then gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it, I'll just enjoy the good luck."

Everyone else was very kind and took a few bites, offering their congratulations to Liu Yifei as well.

Wang Zhonglei had another idea and specifically asked her what her plans were for the future.
If only we could get this girl to Huayi...

But the next second, Lü Rui came to the main table with a wine glass and called on everyone to raise their glasses and have a drink, interrupting Wang Zhonglei.

The remaining cake was cut into small pieces by the staff and distributed to the other people present.

Many people, holding small cakes, still had their eyes glued to the "castle," their envy almost impossible to hide.

Today's scene is truly magnificent!

The celebration banquet for the 3 million yuan box office was held in conjunction with the 18th birthday coming-of-age ceremony. Half of the investors, directors and seniors in the Chinese entertainment industry were present. Anyone who attended would remember it for a lifetime, let alone the fact that the lead actress was a young girl who had just come of age. In the future, this will be a source of pride that people can talk about for a long time!
The same is true for Liu Yifei; she will remember this birthday for the rest of her life!

"Tian Tian..."

Just as Lu Zheng was about to say something, Jing Tian guessed his thoughts: "No, I won't follow others."

She refused outright, but Yang Mi, Jiang Yiyan, and the others, even though they also wanted that kind of prestige, didn't have the opportunity.

"Yifei really made a name for herself today."

"Among actresses who will surpass her in the future?"

"Want to surpass her? You'd have to debut as a child star, be 18 when you're ready to play the lead role, and have to hold your own in terms of box office success and national recognition..."

"The key is having a director like Lü Rui who is willing to support him!"

"Not even one in ten thousand will make it."

"She's so lucky! How come I..."

……

Fortunately, the cake was big enough that everyone present got a small piece.

However, after the distribution was completed, Liu Yifei greeted Liu Xiaoli and turned around, only to suddenly realize that it seemed there wasn't a portion for her!
She pouted, feeling a little regretful; she should have saved a piece for herself first.

"What are you standing there for? Doesn't the birthday person eat cake?"

A familiar voice suddenly reached my ears.

"No..." She was about to shake her head when she turned around and saw that the large piece of cake with the little sugar figurine in a princess dress standing on top of the castle cake was now in front of her.

She looked up, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she stared at Lü Rui: "Senior, you specially kept this for me?"

"Hmm." Lu Rui said casually, "I just happened to be passing by the cake and asked the staff to save it for you."

Zhao Peng, standing next to him: "???"

Holy crap? You were the one who specifically told me to get it!
hypocritical!

Scumbag!

While inwardly complaining, Zhao Peng finally came to a realization.

No wonder Lü Rui ignored Dong Xuan; it turns out he likes cute girls like her.

Tell me, after tonight's performance, which girl could resist?

Zhao Peng scoured his memory of countless romance dramas and novels he had watched, and finally came to the conclusion:
This girl will definitely not escape Lu Rui's grasp!
Of course, you can't tell anyone this.

Having followed Lü Rui for five years, he knew all too well what kind of person his boss was.

They are always very methodical. Once they have a goal, they will lay the groundwork from multiple angles to ensure that everything is foolproof and that no loopholes are left before they take action.

Perhaps... finding a wife is the same?

……

After finishing the cake, Liu Yifei hurriedly ran to her friends.

Shu Chang and Wang Jia were looking after the gifts for her.

"Sissi, should we take it down now?"

"No, I'll open them slowly when I get home." Some of the gifts are quite valuable, and she's afraid she might lose them if she opens them here.

As she spoke, she rummaged through the pile of gifts.

"What are you looking for?" Wang Jia asked curiously.

"I was looking for... Oh! I found it!" Liu Yifei pulled out a gift box and excitedly prepared to open it.

Yesterday, when I was chatting with Lü Rui on QQ, he said he would send her a mysterious gift, but no matter how much she pressed him for details, he wouldn't reveal it.

Her curiosity was like a kitten scratching at her; she couldn't wait any longer and wanted to see it right now.

Many people around noticed the gift box in her hand and immediately recognized it as the one given by Lü Rui. They all curiously gathered around.

She quickly opened it and saw a folder inside. Liu Yifei's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had already guessed what was going on.

With a mix of anticipation and trepidation, she unsealed the package and peered inside.

On the cover, the five characters "Sunny Sisters" are clearly visible!

She suddenly hugged the file folder to her chest, her pretty face flushed with excitement, and her breathing became rapid.

"What is it?" Shu Chang asked curiously, seeing her expression.

Yang Mi, Jing Tian, ​​Jiang Yiyan, Zhou Yang, and others also perked up their ears.

"It's a drama..." she blurted out, then quickly covered her mouth and shook her head, "I can't say."

But that's like burying your head in the sand.

Upon hearing the word "drama," and considering Lü Rui's identity as a director and her identity as an actress, everyone immediately guessed what it was.

Lü Rui gave Liu Yifei a script!!!
The moment this thought crossed their minds, the people around them exchanged glances, a mix of envy, jealousy, and bitterness welling up from the depths of their hearts...

(End of this chapter)