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

Chapter 173 Little Sweetie secretly turned into Big Sweetie? Little Fei is so envious! (Seeking monthly votes)

"Two-thirds of the filming has been completed, and the remaining scenes are expected to be wrapped up smoothly before Chinese New Year's Eve..."

Inside the set of "Sunny Sisters," Zhao Peng is reporting the filming progress to Lü Rui.

Nearly two months have passed since filming began, and the most difficult part has been successfully completed, which is quite fast.

Lu Rui glanced through the materials and nodded in satisfaction: "If post-production goes smoothly, we can schedule it for release during the May Day holiday."

“That’s what I’m thinking too,” Zhao Peng said with a simple smile. “Once filming wraps up, I’ll do post-production and try to get it released as soon as possible.”

The post-production editing of this film was quite challenging, as it required constant switching between scenes of youth and adulthood, and achieving a smooth and seamless transition took considerable effort.

"I might be starting a new project soon, so I won't be going anywhere for a while. I'll stay in the capital. Feel free to contact me if you encounter any difficulties."

Lu Rui glanced meaningfully at the group of actresses who were sitting obediently in the rest area reading their scripts.

Zhao Peng understood the underlying meaning and laughed, "Actually, it's nothing. Your appearance today at least ensures that there won't be any trouble before filming wraps up."

Before this, although the group of young actresses had been making small, unsavory moves behind the scenes, they were generally alright.

However, ever since those middle-aged actresses joined the crew, they have started to frequently exhibit behaviors of "acting like big shots despite being minor ones".

Although Zhao Peng could handle it, he was annoyed by the many trivial matters he had to deal with every day.

It's really ridiculous. Just because the air conditioning in the dressing room was a degree too high, the two actresses started arguing. They were acting like overgrown babies!

On the contrary, the younger actresses are more obedient.

Shu Chang, a currently popular actress, has never uttered a single complaint since joining the production.

Although Jing Tian's acting skills are poor, she is very hardworking and serious when faced with the guidance of her acting teacher, and always strives to do her best.

Jiang Xin, Tang Yan, and Wang Ou have all managed to avoid causing any trouble.

As for Fan Bingbing and Huo Siyan, although they constantly competed with each other behind the scenes, they were very good at dealing with people on the surface and never caused trouble for the crew during filming.

The older ones, however, were always vying for status, billing, and even hotel rooms after each change of venue.

Three women make a drama, but more than twenty could practically form an entire opera troupe!
Fortunately, Zhao Peng is quite adept at navigating relationships with women; anyone else would probably have given in long ago.

A typical example is Lu Yang.

At first, he was quite looking forward to working with so many actresses, after all, they were all great beauties and very pleasing to the eye.

But after we actually started working together, we realized that this was just pure torture!
He lost several pounds in less than two months of filming, and was truly exhausted.

"Director Lü, are you going to the premiere of 'The Promise' tonight?"

Seeing Lü Rui wandering around the film set, observing the filming progress, Fan Bingbing seized the opportunity to approach him and strike up a conversation in a warm tone.

“Okay, I’ll go.” Lü Rui nodded.

Whether Chen Kaige gives him face or not is up to him, but he can't ignore the face of China Film Group and Han Sanping.

Since I'm free anyway, I might as well join in the fun.

"Can I hitch a ride with you? My driver is off today." Fan Bingbing also received an invitation.

She had originally planned to contact her assistant to have another car sent from the company, but unexpectedly, Lü Rui suddenly appeared.

She's ridden in many Rolls-Royces, but she hasn't had the chance to experience Lu Rui's one yet.

"Sorry, we're full." Lü Rui shrugged and pointed to Liu Yifei, who was getting her makeup done not far away. "She's going too; she made an appointment in advance."

Fan Bingbing's smile froze instantly, and she said awkwardly, "Okay, then I'll have the company arrange another car."

"Ah."

Lu Rui responded and turned to walk away.

Behind him, Fan Bingbing watched his retreating figure, then glanced at Liu Yifei out of the corner of her eye, her heart filled with confusion.

In terms of figure, looks, and fame, where exactly does this ripe "red apple" fall short of that unripe "green apple"?
It's no exaggeration to say that she has always been extremely confident in her beauty!

Among the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses in China), she believes she can easily surpass the others in terms of looks.

Li Bingbing is an old woman, Zhao Yanzi's big mouth is incredibly ugly, Zhang Ziyi's figure is terrible, Zhou Xun has no looks, and Xu Jinglei appears quiet on the surface but has a slutty side...

She didn't respect any of these people.

The only thing that made her feel that Liu Yifei's looks were comparable to hers was that of Liu Yifei, but the child's figure was a huge drawback.

"What exactly does Director Lü see in her?"

Just as Fan Bingbing was lost in thought, Huo Siyan strolled past her leisurely and teased, "Bingbing? Why are you so absent-minded? Did you try to flatter someone and end up hurting them?"

"Get lost, you idiot."

Fan Bingbing snorted coldly and walked straight to the rest area.

Huo Siyan stood frozen in place, her face turning pale and then as black as the bottom of a pot.

"You sly fox, what are you so cocky about! You dare to insult me? Just you wait! Don't give me the chance, or you'll regret it!"

She gritted her teeth and cursed inwardly, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.

……

In the afternoon, Lü Rui stayed on the set of "Sunny Sisters" and watched the filming process for a while.

Today's main scenes were filmed with Liu Yifei and her daughter.

In her youth, she became who she is today as she aged...

The two already looked alike, and after makeup, their resemblance skyrocketed!

Walking along the tree-lined path on campus, the wind blows, lifting the wisps of hair that once graced Liu Yifei's forehead, and sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on her face.

Soon, two similar faces overlapped in the light and shadow.

A child with an unshaken innocence, whose eyes held a mixture of curiosity and recklessness towards the world.

He had shed his youthful naiveté, and his brows held a calm composure born of experience.

Youth quietly took a turn in the passage of time, transforming into the composure and resilience of adulthood...

This scene was captured exceptionally beautifully.

Lü Rui couldn't help but marvel at the power of genes!
He didn't believe Liu Yifei when she said she was the "ugliest" one in her family.

But then she sent him a family photo, and after seeing it, Lü Rui realized that this girl really wasn't lying!
Good times are always short-lived.

Just as Lü Rui was admiring the footage on the monitor, a group of people suddenly arrived outside the film set, accompanied by a noisy chatter.

"What's going on?" He frowned.

Lu Yang, standing beside him, explained somewhat helplessly, "Another year of art college entrance exams is about to begin, and many acting teachers have opened tutoring classes outside of school. Look, today it's probably another teacher bringing their students to visit a film set." "Does this happen frequently?"

Lü Rui took out his phone, intending to call the school to let them know.

Visiting is fine, since they're all from the same school, but what kind of behavior is it to be so noisy?
“It started this month,” Zhao Peng chimed in, adding, “Brother Rui, don’t bother with them. I’m moving to another location the day after tomorrow.”

"Go ahead and take the picture, I'll handle it."

Lu Rui stood up and walked out of the film crew's office, casually dialing the phone number of Qi Shilong, the head of the acting department.

As I walked to the perimeter of the film set, I saw several acting teachers standing in groups with their students from tutoring classes.

One of the teachers, wearing glasses, pointed towards the film set and introduced it with great enthusiasm: "See that? This is the cast and crew of 'Sunny Sisters.' Liu Yifei and Fan Bingbing are in it; they're both big stars!"

Another teacher even boasted, "As long as you study hard with me, you'll be able to get into any film crew like this once you get into the Beijing Film Academy. We can help you get introduced to them!"

A group of students and parents listened with wide eyes, completely taken aback.

Many parents were busy offering water and cigarettes to the teachers, their faces full of eagerness.

Looking at the chaotic scene from afar, Lü Rui said to Qi Shilong on the phone, "Director Qi, listen to this commotion. Several teachers are making a scene outside the film set with their students, saying they can get them into the crew..."

Qi Shilong on the other end of the phone paused noticeably, his tone tinged with embarrassment: "Sigh, I'm really sorry, Director Lü, for disturbing you. I'll hold a department-wide meeting tomorrow morning to seriously discuss this matter."

As he spoke, he sighed and explained helplessly, "Actually, there's nothing we can do. The teachers' salaries aren't high. As you know, being a performing arts teacher doesn't necessarily mean you're a good actor or can frequently work on film sets and earn money."

Only a few teachers like Wang Jinsong can balance teaching and acting, so most have to rely on tutoring classes to supplement their income...

Lu Rui listened, his brows relaxing a bit: "I understand, it's not a big deal, just don't let it affect the crew's normal filming too much."

Qi Shilong quickly agreed, then changed the subject with a smile and said, "By the way, Director Lü, could you be a judge for the art college entrance exam next year?"
"You're now a shining example for our school, and a renowned director with a keen eye for talent. You'll definitely be able to select promising young talents, which will be a great contribution to the Beijing Film Academy."

Upon hearing this, Lü Rui chuckled and joked, "Isn't our school's performing arts department all about looks? What use would I be there?"

Qi Shilong immediately became anxious: "You...you! Director Lü! It's one thing for outsiders to say things, but why are you joining in the commotion?"

Lü Rui laughed and made an excuse: "Just kidding, Director Qi, don't be angry. Actually, I've been busy preparing for a new project recently and really can't spare the time. Let's talk about it next time."

"Alright then," Qi Shilong had no choice but to give up.

After hanging up the phone, Lü Rui immediately put the matter out of his mind.

I went to be a judge for the Class of 02 mainly because I owed Wang Jinsong a favor, and I also wanted to take the opportunity to meet someone, so I got involved.

Going to be a judge now would be just asking for trouble.

"Beijing Film Academy, Class of 06, Acting Department..."

As Lü Rui pondered this in his heart, he suddenly remembered a very important person!

Isn't Zhai Tianlin from this year's class?
He subconsciously peeked into the group of students from a distance, but did not see that familiar face from later generations.

That's true, the art exams are just starting now, and the other party might not be here.

Thinking about it, it's actually quite magical.

In his previous life, before his rebirth, this "doctor" managed to turn around his reputation several years after his scandal broke, which was quite a strange thing.

What's even more outrageous is that papers published on CNKI can be revised again, which is truly outrageous!

Thinking about it carefully, the world sometimes really is like a makeshift operation, where rules are all about how you manage to keep them in check.

Lu Rui shook his head, too lazy to think about it anymore. Anyway, it had nothing to do with him, so he turned around and went back to the film crew.

Meanwhile, the noise outside gradually subsided with Qi Shilong's promise, and the film set returned to normal order.

……

The premiere of "The Promise" is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The distance from Beijing Film Academy to the CPPCC Auditorium is not far, so Lü Rui and Liu Yifei waited until 5 o'clock before setting off.

Fan Bingbing left half an hour early, presumably to get a more elaborate makeup and styling.

She knows exactly how to stand out and present herself on the red carpet. Since joining the ranks of the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to top actresses in China), she has never missed any opportunity to appear in public, steadily moving towards becoming a "carpet star."

Liu Yifei didn't dress up too complicatedly; she simply put on a gray sweater cardigan, which made her look fresh and clean.

Although her red carpet look wasn't as dazzling, her youth made up for it, and the charm in her eyes and brows was undeniable.

"Senior, have you seen 'The Promise' beforehand? Some people say this movie is going to break our 'Taken' box office record, but I don't believe it. Chen Kaige's movies have never had high box office returns..."

As soon as she got in the car, Liu Yifei started chattering away, completely losing her quiet demeanor from the film set.

Lu Rui didn't say much, just looked at her with a gentle smile, occasionally adding, "We'll know how it is tonight..."

Liu Yifei was speaking enthusiastically when she suddenly stopped talking, and the car fell silent.

Lu Rui blinked, about to ask what was wrong.

But the next second, Liu Yifei turned her head and suddenly asked, "Senior? Can you stop treating me like a child? I'm almost 19 years old, 1.7 meters tall, taller than many adults, and my development is not bad!"

As she spoke, she deliberately puffed out her chest, her face showing a hint of defiance.

It was just that the way Lü Rui looked at her always made her feel that there was a hint of...kindness?
This feels so weird!

"Bang!" A flick on the forehead suddenly hit her.

"Ouch, it hurts!" Liu Yifei covered her head, looked up, and her eyes were full of grievance.

"Stop trying to hold it in, you're too young," Lu Rui emphasized deliberately.

"I'm still young! I'll grow up!" she retorted defiantly.

"We'll talk about it when you're older," Lü Rui said calmly.

"Hmph!" Liu Yifei pouted, pretended to be angry and turned her head away. Then she looked down at herself without making a sound. She secretly made up her mind that when she got back, she would drink more coconut juice and eat more papaya like Jing Tian.

Last month, she went to a hot spring with Shu Chang and Jing Tian.

She was stunned as soon as she entered the pool!
When they filmed "Taken" last year, their figures were about the same, but only a year later, Jing Tian has gone from "Little Sweetie" to "Big Sweetie," which made her extremely envious.

Seeing her throwing a little tantrum, Lü Rui reached out and patted her head, his tone somewhat like coaxing a child: "Don't be angry, be good."

"I'm not angry at all." She said defiantly, but her lips were so pouty they could practically hang an oil bottle on them.

Lu Rui suppressed a laugh and deliberately conceded, "Fine, I won't call you small anymore, is that alright?"

"You still dare to say that!" Liu Yifei was on the verge of a breakdown. She reached out and slapped his hand away, her cheeks puffed up like an angry little pufferfish. "Don't you dare mention the word 'little' again!"

"Hahahaha!" Lu Rui couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He suddenly found it quite amusing to tease this girl, especially her huffy yet helpless expression, which was so adorable it could melt anyone's heart...

(End of this chapter)