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

Chapter 221 Dating Routine: Who's Taking Advantage of Whom? (6000 words, requesting monthly votes)

On July 12th, the weather was crystal clear.

Sunlight streamed through the tree-lined paths of the Shunyi villa district, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Lu Rui parked his car on the roadside outside the villa area ten minutes earlier than the nine o'clock time he had agreed with Liu Yifei the night before.

Being late for a date with a girl is not a respectable thing to do.

Although he never had the habit of arriving early, he wouldn't mind making an exception for her this once.

Just a few minutes after I parked the car, a slender figure emerged from the gate of the villa area.

Liu Yifei was clearly worried about being late, and she quickly walked out at 8:55.

After all, she was the one who made the appointment. It would be very impolite to be late and make others wait for her.

However, just as she was about to wait at the intersection, she looked up and saw a familiar license plate number on the side of the road.

The car window slowly rolled down, and Lü Rui, sitting in the driver's seat, waved to her with a slight smile: "Here you are, get in the car."

"Coming."

Liu Yifei walked briskly around to the passenger seat, opened the door, and got in.

After fastening her seatbelt, she turned to look at Lü Rui, a hint of apologetic playfulness in her eyes: "Senior, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting?"

"It's okay, I just arrived a little while ago."

Lu Rui responded, his gaze unconsciously falling on her.

She had clearly made thorough preparations for today's meeting.

A thin layer of foundation was applied to her face, making her skin tone appear clear and translucent. A touch of eyeshadow was lightly swept across the outer corners of her eyes, almost imperceptible unless you looked closely, but it added a touch of softness to her already bright eyes.

She wore a cherry blossom pink lipstick that was close to her natural lip color, so moist it looked like it was glowing. When she spoke, she gently pursed her lips, making her look exceptionally charming.

On her fair, jade-like earlobes adorned a small, delicate silver four-leaf clover stud earring. When the light swept across it, it would shimmer with a subtle sparkle, perfectly accentuating the long, slender, and fair lines of her neck.

Her outfit was refreshing, featuring light-wash denim shorts with slightly frayed hems that perfectly showcased her fair and slender legs. Her legs were delicate yet not gaunt, with a touch of youthful softness at the knees.

She wore a short T-shirt, not a tight-fitting design, but because the length was just above the waistline, it slightly revealed a section of her flat stomach, and you could vaguely see the outline of her abs. It was neither deliberately sexy, but exuded youthful vitality.

A small plush panda charm hung from the canvas bag she was carrying, swaying gently with her movements, perfectly matching her overall style.

As if sensing his gaze, Liu Yifei gently brushed a stray hair behind her ear and subconsciously asked, "Does it look good?"

Because they were very familiar with each other, there was less awkwardness and restraint between them, so she didn't hold back when she spoke.

However, as soon as she spoke, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

Oops!

Isn't asking this question too direct? Does it make me seem narcissistic?
She instinctively tightened her grip on the strap of her canvas bag, her gaze drifting slightly towards the window, but she was already beginning to feel annoyed.

Unexpectedly, Lü Rui nodded without hesitation, following her words, and said in a natural and sincere tone, "It looks very good, very beautiful."

He genuinely felt that way.

It had been almost half a month since I last saw her, and the girl in front of me seemed to have suddenly grown up.

Not only has her youthful innocence faded, but her figure has also become more delicate and charming, no longer the chubby-cheeked little girl she once was.

"Hehe~"

Upon hearing this praise, Liu Yifei's earlier annoyance vanished instantly.

She couldn't help but smile, and habitually raised her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes brimming with undisguised joy.

As Lü Rui started the car, he noticed her little gesture and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Why do you always cover your mouth when you laugh? Wouldn't it be better to just laugh openly?"

"My smile might not be very attractive..."

Liu Yifei's voice was a little lower, with a hint of embarrassment.

My mother always says that when she smiles, her mouth stretches too wide, making her look less refined.

Over time, she developed the habit of covering her mouth when she laughed.

At home, she can occasionally laugh freely in front of relatives and friends.

But when she's out in public, especially in front of people she likes and admires, she always tries to show her best side, so she doesn't dare to be careless about even such small details.

As Lü Rui listened, he freed one hand and gently rubbed her head, his tone both helpless and tender:

"You silly girl, be confident. You look beautiful when you smile. Don't care what others say, just be yourself. Living in the eyes of others all day long is exhausting."

In his eyes, Liu Yifei's smile when she covers her mouth is a kind of reserved beauty.

But if you laugh freely without a care in the world, your eyes curving into crescents and your lips adorned with dimples, that's a different kind of vibrant beauty, much cuter than the deliberately maintained "fairy-like" look.

His words made Liu Yifei feel as if her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed even more.

But because of this, she completely let her guard down, swung her legs, and said cheerfully, "Okay! Go! Go! Go! Let's go on a date! Let's go to the movies first!"

Strictly speaking, this should be her fourth date with Lü Rui since they met.

The first time was in a shopping mall in Harbin, but unfortunately I was interrupted by buying gift boxes after only a short time.

The second time was when I went to the Golden Horse Awards to have dinner alone, but we only chatted for half an hour before I ran into that annoying guy, Li An.

The third time was in Los Angeles, watching a movie and having a candlelight dinner, where I even saw Leonardo DiCaprio get slapped by Gisele Bündchen...

That trip lasted quite a while, but it only took a little over five hours in total, and we had to come back before we had had enough fun.

But today is different.

Last night, she specifically finalized the day's plans with Lü Rui on QQ.

Before leaving home, she made a point of reviewing her schedule for the day several times.

In the morning, we'll first go see the latest movie, and then go to the amusement park.

She ate her favorite barbecue for lunch, and in the afternoon she went shopping at the newly opened mall. She also wanted to buy Lü Rui a small gift.

Then in the evening, we went to that highly-rated French restaurant, and afterwards took a walk in the nearby park.

She had specifically asked her mother before coming out that she could play until after 11 o'clock before going home.

Anyway, I don't have work these few days, so it's okay to sleep in a little later and I can sleep until I naturally wake up during the day.

The car drove smoothly in the morning light. Liu Yifei turned her head to look at the shadows of the trees flashing past the window, then turned back to look at Lü Rui's profile. Her heart was pounding with anticipation, like a little rabbit jumping around inside her.

She had only just set off, but she was already hoping that today would pass by more slowly... much more slowly would be better.

Just as the car's taillights disappeared at the end of the tree-lined road, the gate to the villa area slowly opened again.

Liu Xiaoli gripped the steering wheel, carrying her younger sister, Liu Yifei's aunt, as they slowly drove out.

The moment she stepped outside, her gaze unconsciously followed the disappearing car in the distance, her eyes unblinking, her expression inexplicably complex.

My carefully nurtured, beautiful bok choy has been stolen away by someone else just like that?
Thinking about this, she felt a strange mix of emotions.

Especially considering that my daughter, who usually never gets up before 10 a.m., actually got up at 6 a.m. today, spent a long time in front of the mirror pondering her makeup, and tried on several outfits...

His earnestness stirred a faint pang of jealousy within her.

"Sis, look, that car is almost out of sight. Shall we follow it and see where they went?"

Liu Yifei's aunt tilted her head, looked at her older sister's expression, and teased her with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaoli rolled her eyes in annoyance: "Do you think I'm bored? Why would I join in the fun?"

As she spoke, she lightly pressed the accelerator, and the car turned in the opposite direction from Lü Rui.

Aren't you curious?

"What are you curious about? She's old enough to be a child, she can't possibly get lost."

"You're so stubborn. You're clearly thinking about him, but you pretend you don't care. But then again, that young man seems really nice. He wouldn't be a bad match for our Xixi..."

Liu Xiaoli didn't reply, gazing at the road ahead, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

It was true that she was reluctant to part with her daughter, but seeing her daughter find someone she liked and prepare carefully for a date filled her with an undeniable sense of motherly joy.

Besides, my daughter is growing up, I can't keep protecting her under my wings forever, can I?
Let's just start from now on and let her fly on her own. Anyway, that day will come sooner or later.

……

Lü Rui was involved in the entire screenwriting process for the script of "The Sun Also Rises".

The film unfolds in four segments, connecting an absurd story that took place in 1976:
After her husband disappeared, the mentally ill mother took her son to the riverbank to search for the mysterious pebbles he had left behind, and her behavior became increasingly bizarre.

Teacher Tang Yulin and his wife Lin Hui's marriage is fraught with cracks, and a hunting trip reveals the complicated entanglement between the two and their fellow villager Xiao Liang.

Xiao Liang, an overseas Chinese who returned from Southeast Asia, worked as a music teacher at a school. His rendition of "Beautiful Solo River" caused a commotion among the students, but ultimately ended in an accidental death.

Finally, the madwoman disappeared into the burning tent, the baby's cries mingling with the rising sun, leaving behind a symbolic ending.

This narrative, which blends love, death, and the imprint of the times, actually had a clear logical structure in the script stage.

However, Lü Rui has not paid much attention to the film since it officially started production.

Even when Jiang Wen finished post-production and took the finished film to Cannes for awards, he only heard the other party mention it occasionally and didn't take it to heart.

But when he saw the finished product today, he realized that everything had changed!
The scene on the screen was almost entirely different from the script he remembered.

The shot of the madwoman running on the railway tracks with pebbles in her arms is stretched out for an extremely long time, with the sounds of wind and rails in the background intertwined, creating a strange sense of absurdity.

When Xiao Liang was playing and singing in the cafeteria, the camera repeatedly switched between the students' expressions, which were ambiguous and chaotic, as if deliberately creating a mystery.

Even the gunshots Tang Yulin fired while hunting were rendered with an eerie echo, as if they were alluding to something, yet the author refused to reveal the truth.

This deliberately mysterious expression made Lü Rui instantly realize that Jiang Wen must have made a compromise in order to pass the censorship.

After all, some of the explicit depictions of the era in the original script were too sharp, and without using metaphors to wrap them up, it would be wishful thinking to pass the censorship.

However, the price was that the film became exceptionally obscure.

Most people simply can't understand it. They lack sufficient appreciation skills, don't understand that period of modern history, and lack political knowledge. After watching it, they'll only think it's a group of people acting crazy and nonsensical, with the screen full of pretentious intellectualism.

Just like Liu Yifei sitting next to me, who once had a small role in the film, but now looking at the screen, her brows were tightly furrowed and her eyes were full of confusion.

Even she was confused, let alone the average viewer.

The plot is full of metaphors; every shot and every line of dialogue is like a riddle, so mind-bending that it's hard to grasp the main point.

In comparison, Lü Rui still prefers Jiang Wen's "Devils on the Doorstep".

That film was so straightforward and direct, its black-and-white shots revealing the suffering and absurdity without any concealment. It satirized directly where satire was needed and criticized boldly where criticism was required, without needing to beat around the bush. The audience could understand the core message at a glance. But "The Sun Also Rises" wrapped itself up too tightly, as if afraid of being seen through, or as if deliberately trying to keep its distance from the audience.

Given this style and market environment, Lü Rui had already made his judgment.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, The Sun Also Rises will not perform well at the box office.

Ordinary viewers who don't understand the metaphors may feel that the story presented in the film is pretentious.

Art-house film buffs might be able to glean some deeper meaning, but ultimately it's difficult for it to generate widespread word-of-mouth.

It was also thanks to Jiang Wen selling the overseas rights in advance at Cannes that the production costs were recovered.

Otherwise, given the limited acceptance in the domestic market, it's inevitable that this film would lose money.

After all, this film is destined to be seen by a minority, not a mainstream movie.

"Senior, there's something I don't understand."

Sitting next to her, Liu Yifei frowned, but finally voiced her doubts.

She thought about the scene in the movie where the madwoman disappeared into the fire, and the ending with the baby crying, over and over again, but couldn't figure it out.

Lu Rui had expected this to happen. He reached out and patted her head, his tone relaxed: "If you don't understand, don't think about it. It wasn't meant for everyone anyway. Come on, let's go to the amusement park first."

"Great!"

Liu Yifei instantly forgot about her confusion regarding the movie, stood up, and quickly followed Lü Rui out of the theater.

The amusement park wasn't crowded on a weekday. There wasn't the usual holiday crowd at the entrance, and even the lines for the popular rides weren't too long.

This provided the two with a lot of convenience, as they didn't have to try too hard to hide themselves or worry about being recognized by passersby and causing trouble.

Lu Rui accompanied Liu Yifei to ride the carousel she had been longing for.

She specially chose a white wooden horse, and when she sat on it, she excitedly waved to Lü Rui, asking him to take a picture of her.

Sunlight shone on her hair, and even her smile was sweet.

After getting off, the two went to play bumper cars.

At first, Liu Yifei was cautious, but after being "bumped" by Lü Rui's car, she loosened up and chased after his car, her laughter echoing far and wide across the venue.

Afterwards, the two went to ride the Ferris wheel.

When they reached the highest point, she pointed at the scenery in the distance and chattered away.

Lu Rui sat beside her, listening to her voice, and felt a sense of peace in his heart.

He enjoyed the feeling; the sudden appearance of a cheerful little lark in his busy and tedious work made him feel very happy.

However, at this very moment, far away in Hollywood on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Harvey Weinstein was sitting in his office, staring at the distribution reports on his desk, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Since acquiring the overseas rights to "The Sun Also Rises" from Jiang Wen, he has been pushing forward with distribution with great confidence, including theatrical scheduling, DVD production, and cooperation with online and offline platforms.

We've expanded to all channels, and spent a lot of money on marketing and promotion alone.

But the result left him completely dumbfounded!
Box office revenue at cinemas was dismal, with many screenings having an occupancy rate of less than 30%.

The DVD and disc market was even worse, with only tens of thousands of copies sold in more than half a month.

The online viewership was also very low, with feedback mostly consisting of comments like "I don't understand it," "It's too obscure," and "I don't know what it's about."

After doing a rough calculation, he found that after spending millions of dollars to buy the copyright, plus the marketing costs, and after almost a month of work, he had only made a profit of less than one million dollars.

How can this be considered a loss?

What a waste of blood!
They've almost lost their underwear!
After watching the finished film of "The Promise", he realized something was wrong and ran away very quickly, only losing a small deposit.

Unexpectedly, this time they stumbled on "The Sun Also Rises," and the stumble was devastating!

Then, considering that fellow Chinese director Lu Rui had snatched the Twilight series from his own film, he was even more furious.

While others are peacefully preparing with their intellectual property, I'm stuck here worrying about losses from a Chinese-language film.

He slammed the report on the table and yelled at his assistant, "These Chinese film directors are utterly heartless! Nobody watches their films, yet they dare to sell them for such high royalties!"

The assistant stood silently to the side, inwardly grumbling:
"You were the one who insisted on buying the copyright in the first place, and now you're blaming others? Isn't that just being a jerk?"

But she dared not say it aloud, and could only watch helplessly as Harvey paced back and forth in the office, venting his anger and frustration.

Just as he was getting so frustrated he was about to go crazy, back home, Lü Rui and Liu Yifei were still basking in the joy of the day.

At 10:40 p.m., the car came to a smooth stop in front of the villa area gate.

Liu Yifei glanced down at her phone screen and muttered softly, "It's still early, there are still 20 minutes until 11 o'clock."

Clearly, she didn't want to get off the bus and go home.

Lu Rui saw through her little scheme at a glance, and the corners of his mouth curved up: "Then you can sit in the car for a while longer, and go back when it's time. There's no rush."

"Okay!" Liu Yifei nodded immediately, as if afraid he would change his mind.

But just sitting there like that is a bit awkward.

After chatting casually about the fun things that happened at the amusement park during the day, Liu Yifei's eyes suddenly lit up, and she took out a camera from her canvas bag: "By the way, senior, we took a lot of photos today, let's take a look together?"

As she spoke, she waved to Lü Rui, her voice soft and gentle: "Come closer, the camera screen is small, you can't see it clearly from a distance."

Lu Rui did not refuse and moved closer to her as instructed.

Their shoulders were almost touching.

He could clearly smell the faint fragrance in Liu Yifei's hair, and even feel her slightly heavy breathing.

Perhaps they haven't calmed down from the excitement of the day?
Liu Yifei pressed the buttons on the camera, flipping through the photos one by one.

There are photos of her smiling with dimples on a carousel, a funny photo of the two of them holding cotton candy, and a candid shot of Lu Rui making a funny face while riding a roller coaster with her.

Every time she flipped to a page, she would whisper, "This is so cute," or "Your expression was so funny," her voice full of excitement.

Before I knew it, the time on my phone screen had jumped to 11 o'clock, and I had just scrolled to the last photo in my camera.

"Alright, it's time. It's getting late. You should go back to sleep."

As Lü Rui spoke, he prepared to straighten up and sit back in his seat.

But the next second, a warm and soft touch suddenly landed on his lips.

It was very light, like a feather brushing past, fleeting in an instant.

Before he could react, he heard Liu Yifei's soft, sweet voice in his ear: "Senior, I had a lot of fun today, here's a kiss for you."

He raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze suddenly meeting Liu Yifei's shy yet sparkling eyes.

Before he could say anything, she had already quickly pushed open the car door and jumped out, like a fluttering butterfly, running towards the villa gate while waving back at him: "Goodnight, senior!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already run into the gate, leaving only a light and agile silhouette.

Lu Rui sat in the car, still in a sideways position, his mind blank.

After a long while, he licked his lips with the tip of his tongue, as if he could still feel the lingering warmth.

"No way... My first kiss is gone just like that? This girl actually took advantage of me?"

……

The lights inside the villa were warm and inviting.

Liu Yifei ran into the house and mumbled to her mother and aunt who were watching TV on the sofa, "I'm back."

Before the two could respond, she darted into her bedroom like a startled yet excited fawn.

With a soft "bang," the door was slammed shut.

Her back was pressed tightly against the door, her chest still rising and falling slightly from the running and that moment of boldness.

Her tongue unconsciously touched her lips, and the scene in the car earlier resurfaced in her mind.

It was just a light touch, so quick it felt like an illusion, yet the lingering warmth on my lips was exceptionally clear.

There wasn't anything particularly memorable about it, since it was only a brief moment.

Even so, Liu Yifei couldn't help but smile.

That was her first kiss, given to the senior she liked. Just thinking about it makes her happy!
She felt as if she still carried his faint scent, mixed with her own gardenia fragrance, which was strangely reassuring.

The joy of playing all day hadn't faded yet, and the slight emptiness I felt when I got home was completely filled by that little kiss. Even the air seemed a bit sweeter.

At that moment, she felt as if she were completely filled, feeling incredibly fulfilled.

"I'm not brushing my teeth tonight."

She muttered something to herself in the empty room, as if guarding some secret.

Then, she tiptoed to her desk, pulled out the romance novel she was halfway through reading from the drawer, and hurriedly flipped to the page she had recently read.

The words on the book page came into view, and after reading only two lines, her gaze stopped.

"After the kiss, the relationship will take another step closer, and the next step is a passionate French kiss..."

"French kiss?!"

Liu Yifei's eyes widened suddenly, and her fingers gripping the book pages tightened.

She wasn't some clueless naive girl. After all, as an actress, she had watched many films and TV series that included intimate scenes in order to study her roles, and she had even been exposed to some rather explicit scenes.

But "having seen" and "thinking that you might experience it" are two completely different things!
She subconsciously recalled scenes from those movies and TV dramas, and the way the male and female protagonists kissed...

At that moment, the words on the page seemed to come alive, instantly entering her mind.

Her cheeks instantly turned burning hot, and even the tips of her ears turned bright red!

She quickly closed the book, then, as if afraid of being seen, hurriedly stuffed it into the drawer.

"How...how do I do this?"

She sat in the chair, her hands supporting her burning cheeks, and muttered to herself softly.

At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder, if I get close to my senior again next time, will... will it really be like what's written in the book?

The thought had barely crossed her mind when she quickly shook her head, buried her face in her arms, and her breathing became rapid.

However, although I felt flustered and confused at that moment, I also had a strange sense of anticipation that I couldn't suppress.

That night, she inevitably suffered from insomnia...

(End of this chapter)