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

Chapter 234 Let's Be Together; Casting Completed for Pacific Rim (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

It wasn't until she experienced it firsthand that Liu Yifei realized that the descriptions in romance novels were actually true.

Kissing is truly magical!

At that moment, she felt a tingling, numb sensation all over her body.

Moreover, because the two were standing quite close, she could even clearly hear the "thump thump thump" sound.

That was clearly the sound of a heartbeat.

However, she couldn't tell whether it was hers or Lü Rui's; she just felt it beating faster and faster, as if it was about to burst out of her chest.

The first deep kiss was a truly magical experience, but also very sensitive.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Yifei suddenly felt that her body was starting to feel strange.

She...she actually needs to use the restroom!
Perhaps because she drank a lot of water at Jiang Wen's house, and also drank a whole row of AD calcium milk on the way back, she couldn't hold it in any longer.

But ironically, she doesn't want to break up now and wants to continue.

That was my first kiss!

What a wonderful experience!
How can I be interrupted by the urge to pee?
"I can hold it in... I definitely can! Just a little while... just a little while!"

Her face grew redder and redder, whether from holding back or from embarrassment, she didn't know. Her small hands gripped Lu Rui's shirt tightly, crumpling it into many wrinkles.

In the end, however, she failed.

After shoving Lü Rui away, she opened the car door, turned around, got out, and closed the door... The whole sequence of actions was incredibly smooth.

By the time Lü Rui realized what was happening, she had already vanished behind the gate in a flash.

"What's going on? Why did they suddenly run away while we were kissing?"

He was in a daze.

Although his body in this life is still that of a novice, in his previous life, he was, if not a veteran of countless battles, certainly a seasoned veteran.

However, this "battle-hardened" quality is mostly honed in karaoke bars and massage parlors.

In those places, as long as you throw money on the table, plenty of pretty girls will be willing to fawn over you; it's all about being proactive and receiving emperor-like treatment.

Lu Rui still remembers that when he went to Xi'an, he followed an old man from Shenmu and truly enjoyed the taste of "wine pools and meat forests".

But precisely because of this, he has never experienced what it feels like to be in a relationship.

Therefore, Liu Yifei's behavior of suddenly running away halfway through a kiss is truly baffling.

Unable to figure it out, he simply stopped worrying about it. After all, it wasn't like they would never see each other again; he could just ask them later.

Meanwhile, Liu Yifei, who had rushed home in a flash, didn't even have time to greet Liu Xiaoli, who was sitting in the living room, and went straight to the bathroom.

A moment later, she washed her hands and stared at herself in the mirror, her face full of frustration.

If she had known they would kiss tonight, she shouldn't have drunk so much water.

Now, things have gotten even worse; the user experience has been compromised.

When they kissed, she really felt like she was floating.

But then, because I needed to go to the bathroom, I had to fall from the clouds, which was so annoying...

Fortunately, she managed to push Lü Rui away in time and endured the pain all the way home.

It would be so embarrassing if they couldn't hold back their kiss and made a fool of themselves!
After all, she rarely wet the bed when she was little. If she caused something like this because of kissing, she would be laughed at to death.

However, she suddenly remembered that in a novel she had read before that was not easily circulated, the female protagonist seemed to have experienced a similar situation, and the male protagonist didn't seem to mind?!

"very strange?"

After calming down for a while, she touched her slightly swollen lips, composed herself, and then came out of the bathroom.

"Auntie, Mom, little cousin... Good evening."

She politely greeted everyone sitting on the living room sofa, chatted with them for a while, and then made an excuse that she had to work the next day to go back to her bedroom.

As Liu Xiaoli watched her daughter's hurried departure, she felt that something was off about her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Fortunately, she didn't bother with it.

My daughter is all grown up now, it's normal for her to have her own little secrets. As her mother, I don't have that strong a desire to control or pry into her secrets.

Back in her bedroom, Liu Yifei hesitated for a long time while holding her phone before finally sending a message to Lü Rui:
"Senior, you... went back?"

"Yeah, I just got home downstairs." The reply came almost instantly.

"Ok."

She actually had a lot to say, but for a moment she didn't know how to start.

After all, she's a girl, so it's impossible to just ask her directly, "What do you think kissing feels like?" That would be too awkward.

Fortunately, Lü Rui knew that at this time, as a man, he should take the initiative.

After all, he was the one who initiated the kiss tonight, and he didn't intend to be a jerk.

The superficial relationships he had in his past life always left him feeling incredibly empty.

So in this life, he really wants to find a proper girlfriend and experience what it's like to be in a relationship.

So, standing in the elevator, he sent a message asking, "Do you like me?"

The phone lost signal immediately after the message was sent.

The signal was not restored until the elevator doors opened on his floor.

At this moment, several messages from Liu Yifei had already popped up on the screen:
"I don't really know what 'like' means. I just feel happy when I'm with you. I really want to stay with you forever, even if we don't do anything, I'll still feel happy."

However... I feel like I'm not good enough for you. You're so outstanding, so talented, and a great director, while I'm just a small-time actor...

I am truly grateful for all the help and guidance you have given me. Without you, I might have been forced to leave this industry long ago by all the rumors and gossip…

You can't hide your love for someone.

But Liu Yifei was unsure whether her feelings for Lü Rui were liking or admiration.

She wanted to get close to him and cling to him, yet she also felt awe and fear towards him.

He was like a high mountain, and she was a small flower at the foot of the mountain.

She wanted to rely on the mountain, but felt that the gap between herself and the mountain was too great...

But at that moment, Lu Rui, this towering mountain, suddenly bent down, reached out, and scooped up her little flower: "Then let's be together."

"what?"

Liu Yifei was stunned. Lü Rui had actually confessed his feelings to her?!

"Want to start a relationship?" he sent a second message.

She was practically going crazy with inner turmoil, but her fingers wouldn't obey her brain at all, furiously typing out a single word:

"it is good!"

And then... no more.

Two people who are seriously dating for the first time have absolutely no idea how to start their conversation.

Besides, it's getting late, and I have to work tomorrow, so we can't keep chatting forever.
So, Lü Rui took the initiative and said, "I'm going to sleep now. I have an audition for the male lead in 'Pacific Rim' tomorrow. Would you like to come and act alongside me?"

"Ok."

As Liu Yifei typed her reply, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Is this a date invitation?

A normal date would be in a park, shopping mall, or grove of trees, right? What's the deal with inviting someone to work on a film set?
Completely baffled, she suffered from insomnia.

Lu Rui slept soundly and even had a particularly beautiful dream, but it was a pity about the freshly changed sheets.

A body in its early twenties is at its most vibrant and energetic...

It's also Gu Changwei's fault; the prescription he gave us was just too potent!
……

The following morning, the casting for the male lead in "Pacific Rim" officially began.

Liu Yifei was exceptionally dedicated. Although she hadn't slept well all night, she arrived at the scene early the next day. Under the arrangement of the casting director, she put on her costume and props and meticulously prepared for the audition.

Lu Rui took a break from his busy schedule, came over, reached out and patted her head, and handed her a bottle of hot milk.

"Thank you, senior."

She thanked him subconsciously, her tone no different from usual.

But after saying it, I felt something was off. Even though we'd already started dating, why was there still this strange, subtle distance between us?
Ultimately, she attributed it all to the fact that the two of them were too familiar with each other, like an old married couple, and some habits were simply impossible to break.

There were quite a few people auditioning today.

Jin Dong, Huang Xiaoming, Qiao Zhenyu, Deng Chao, Tong Dawei, Yuan Hong, Yan Yikuan, Feng Shaofeng, Huo Jianhua, Zu Feng...

It's no exaggeration to say that, apart from Chen Kun, almost all the male celebrities in the industry who meet the age requirements have signed up.

Actors from all levels, from first-tier to third-tier, and even those far below the third tier, all came.

These people are either confident in their abilities or are just trying their luck.

As for why Chen Kun didn't come, he knew the answer himself.

During the filming of "The Story of a Noble Family," he led the group in isolating Liu Yifei and even mocked her in various ways on set...

Although they had collaborated before, the two have long since severed ties and never spoken to each other again.

He knew that even if he came to sign up for the audition, he would have no chance of being selected, so he simply decided not to join in the fun.

Li Shaohong and Li Xiaowan felt it was a pity, but since things had come to this point, trying to ease the tension would probably only be a waste of time, so they might as well just let it go.

Yang Mi failed her audition, and Chen Kun had no hope either, so the two teamed up and went straight to film "The Door".

Meanwhile, at the audition set for Pacific Rim, Lü Rui was rapidly selecting candidates.

Those with absolutely no action skills are out.

A skinny, thin, dog-like figure is not acceptable.

Those who act and speak in a effeminate manner and lack masculinity will be rejected.

Under such screening criteria, there are not many who can meet the requirements.

After half a day, the number of people at the audition site had decreased by more than half.

In the afternoon, the on-screen auditions, with makeup on, began immediately.

To Lü Rui's slight surprise, among the many people who remained, Shen Teng, a newcomer from Happy Twist, was in no way inferior to Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao in terms of appearance and temperament.

The most handsome guy at the PLA Academy of Arts truly lives up to his reputation!
I wonder what he went through in the next ten years or so, and how he turned into a chubby middle-aged man.

And then there's Sha Yi. Looking at him now, he still looks like the handsome Bai Zhantang, a stark contrast to his image as "Yingzi's Daddy" more than a decade later.

When it came to the audition with makeup on, quite a few people were rejected.

Especially after Liu Yifei joined the cast, her heroic and valiant aura easily overshadowed many male actors.

Lü Rui doesn't expect the male lead's action scenes to be better than Liu Yifei's, but at least his limbs shouldn't be too stiff.

At the same time, even if you can't win a fight, you can't lose your aura, otherwise how can you live up to the role of the male lead?
Among the group, Wu Jing's action scenes were the most stunning. Not to mention his commanding presence, his action scenes alone were enough to make Liu Yifei retreat in defeat.

Lu Rui just couldn't understand why a man suddenly looked so old after turning thirty.
The swordsman A Fei in "Little Li Flying Dagger" was so handsome, how come he turned into a tough and rough man in just a few years?
Unfortunately, in terms of actor-role suitability, he is far inferior to Liu Ye.

Although the latter's action scenes were not so outstanding, the title of "Central Academy of Drama Best Actor" was well-deserved, and he performed extremely well in several audition scenes of dramatic scenes!

Over the next two days, the crew conducted both in-makeup auditions and on-set auditions.

Lü Rui even personally acted in several scenes.

After all, he had already decided to make a cameo appearance as the protagonist's brother, so he naturally had to be suitable for the role.

After several rounds of auditions, Liu Ye, 28 years old this year, a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama, who has starred in many film and television works and won several Best Actor awards, finally defeated Wu Jing, who was born into a martial arts family and became an actor halfway through his career, and successfully won the role of the male lead in "Pacific Rim".

While piloting a mecha requires a certain level of physical fitness, it doesn't demand the same level of martial arts skill from the actors as filming a martial arts movie.

Action skills are fundamental, but the emphasis is more on dramatic acting ability.

In this respect, Wu Jing is clearly far behind Liu Ye.

Lü Rui did seem to appreciate talent, and specifically asked Wu Jing if he wanted to make a cameo appearance in a supporting role.
In Pacific Rim, humanity produced a total of 31 Jaegers across five generations.

If Wu Jing is interested, he could make an appearance in it.

However, perhaps because of the failed audition, Wu Jing was a little frustrated and directly shook his head and refused:
"Thank you for the invitation, Director Lu, but I have several films to shoot in Hong Kong and really can't find the time. I'll definitely come next time if I have the chance..."

"..."

Lu Rui didn't insist, but he was a little speechless.

At this point, are you still thinking about becoming a "Hong Kong drifter"?
It would be truly strange if this road were passable!
Jackie Chan is daring and hardworking, and he's able to rise to prominence because he's a Hong Kong native.

But you're a mainland actor. Even if you're just as daring and reckless, even if you break an arm, tear a ligament, or even risk your life, do you think you can become a "kung fu superstar"?
Even someone like Donnie Yen, a Hong Kong local with connections, status, and resources, couldn't take over from Jackie Chan and Li Lianjie, let alone someone like you who came from the mainland to Hong Kong.
Watching Wu Jing's departing figure, Lü Rui shook his head and gave him a pitying look.

With the male lead officially confirmed, the casting of mainland Chinese actors for "Pacific Rim" has officially come to an end.

Unlike Zhang Jizhong, Lü Rui didn't engage in any marketing hype.

After confirming the roles, he immediately announced the cast.

Male lead Qiu Qing: Liu Ye.

Female lead Xing Fei: Liu Yifei.

Supporting male character Liu Hongtao (highest-ranking officer of the Pacific Rim Defense Force): Chen Baoguo.

Supporting male character Zhong Hongchang (Professor of Monster Studies): Yu Hewei.

Monster Black Market Merchant: Tian Yu.

The drivers of Storm Red: He Rundong, Jiao Enjun, and Zhao Wenzhuo.

Supporting actress Wei Meimei (female mecha pilot) played by Fan Bingbing; Supporting actresses in the logistics team: Shu Chang, Jing Tian, ​​Tang Yan, Zhao Jinmai...

Director Lü Rui makes a cameo appearance...

With the official announcement of this cast, the entire online media immediately focused their attention on this matter.

The following day, with the arrangement of Sony Columbia, the cast of Hollywood (foreign) actors was officially announced.

First-tier actors would naturally not be able to play supporting roles, but the list includes quite a few second- and third-tier artists.

For example, Dr. Herman, who partners with Yu Hewei, is played by Andy Serkis, an old friend of Lü Rui.

The father-son duo Chuck Hansen and Heck Hansen, who pilot the Eureka Raider, are played by 23-year-old actor Henry Cavill, recommended by the CAA, and 42-year-old Brad Pitt, respectively.

The two are 19 years apart in age, so playing father and son feels completely natural.

However, Lu Rui's expression was inexplicably complicated as he looked at the list.

Would you invite a future "Superman" and a Venice Film Festival Best Actor nominee to make cameo appearances in your own film?

This era is truly interesting!
It must be said that CAA has shown considerable sincerity, as these Hollywood actors did not take up a large share of the film's salary, and most of them were paid the lowest possible price under the market conditions.

Their thoughts are very direct:

We've shown our sincerity this time. If we're looking for a partner again, we can't possibly bypass CAA, can we?
While CAA was planning future collaborations, Lü Rui suddenly remembered the copyright to a movie.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

This film, directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, grossed nearly $4 million worldwide upon its release.

With low costs and high returns, it's definitely a high-quality project.

He immediately instructed Peter to search for the copyright and prepare to purchase it.

Upon receiving the news, Peter did not hesitate and immediately began searching for copyrights, adding them to his list of potential purchases.

At this point, the shortlist already included the rights to a novel called "Sherlock Holmes".

After issuing the new task, Lü Rui began communicating with the system to prepare to claim the reward upon completion of the task...

Meanwhile, in China, with the official conclusion of the casting process for "Pacific Rim" both domestically and internationally, major media outlets immediately launched a massive publicity campaign surrounding the event!

"The Sino-foreign co-production 'Pacific Rim,' with an investment of $2 million, has officially finalized its cast, with many talented actors joining the project."

"Casting highlights: In addition to the female lead Liu Yifei, the male lead Liu Ye, supporting actors Chen Baoguo, Tian Yu, Tang Yan, and others are all graduates of the Central Academy of Drama..."

"He Rundong, Jiao Enjun, and Zhao Wenzhuo, three tough guys, team up to pilot mechs and battle alien monsters. Stay tuned..."

The "tradition" of Beijing Film Academy directors favoring actors from the Central Academy of Drama is vividly demonstrated in "Pacific Rim".

But in reality, there are only a few; it's just that the media has exaggerated them.

Like Fan Bingbing and Yu Hewei, they both graduated from Shanghai.

However, the media and netizens didn't care about all that and started making fun of the situation, which made the Beijing Film Academy quite embarrassed.

Fortunately, there's Liu Yifei, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, who can hold the fort; otherwise, the many high-ranking professors and mentors of the Beijing Film Academy's acting department would probably be collectively depressed.

Meanwhile, someone far away in Nanjing, preparing for a new play, was already so frustrated he was about to cry, but no one paid any attention...

(End of this chapter)