HuaYu97: Starting as a Singer

Chapter 95 [095] MV female lead Chen Hong, playing such a thrilling game?

The production team of "The Emperor's Shadow" offered Qi Yuan a role.

Although Qi Yuan did not succeed in collaborating with Chen Kaige and his wife, their contact never ceased.

Chen Kaige greatly admires this younger brother who understands him and also wants to meet him.

Just then, paparazzi photographed Qi Yuan returning to the mainland to film a music video.

Warner Music also promoted the idea that Qi Yuan wanted to include the scenery of Jiangnan in the music video.

And so Chen Hong extended an invitation.

Qi Yuan flew directly to Zhejiang Province.

That evening, Chen Kaige and his wife chose a very upscale restaurant to entertain Qi Yuan.

Chen Kaige and Chen Hong had a very good first impression of Qi Yuan.

With a handsome face, regular features, and upright posture, perhaps due to winning several major awards recently, Qi Yuan's gaze was sharp and confident, yet he did not give others a sense of offense. He exuded a strong sense of confidence in every gesture.

This is an outward manifestation of early success.

Chen Kaige won the Palme d'Or in the same way back then, even though he wasn't young anymore.

Looking at Qi Yuan in front of him, Chen Kaige seemed to see himself on the day he received his award at Cannes, so he made a gesture of invitation: "A Yuan, please sit down."

"Mr. Chen, Sister Hong, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Qi Yuan spoke in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant.

Once the dishes were served, Chen Kaige started showing off.

When he tasted a plate of Dongpo pork, he would tell Chen Hong and Qi Yuan about its history and even recite a couple of lines of Su Dongpo's poetry.

However, to be fair, aside from his pretentious nature, Chen Kaige is a decent person.

He served Qi Yuan famous dishes from Zhejiang Province, such as Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp, Song Sao fish soup, and pickled mustard greens with yellow croaker, but West Lake vinegar fish was not on the list.

Chen Kaige sarcastically remarked, "West Lake Vinegar Fish is a fabrication; it doesn't have an 800-year history at all."

"Yes, the origin of West Lake Vinegar Fish in the Southern Song Dynasty is a legend, and there is no historical record of it. The current West Lake Vinegar Fish can only be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty, when it was called Vinegar Fish."

During the Qing Dynasty, there was a gourmand named Yuan Mei who wrote a book called Suiyuan Shidan (隨園食單), in which he mentioned the taste of West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce.

This dish was most famous at Wuliuju on West Lake in Hangzhou, but now the sauce has turned sour and the fish is spoiled!

Qi Yuan spoke eloquently, recounting the history of West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce in great detail.

Chen Kaige was overjoyed. Qi Yuan really understood him. He had just made a few sarcastic remarks to show off his knowledge.

Qi Yuan actually cited historical materials to prove that his view was correct, which gave him a huge sense of satisfaction.

Why does Qi Yuan know so much about this dish?
Of course, it wasn't because he had crammed before meeting Chen Kaige and his wife; it was simply because he was the victim of this dish.

In his past life, he visited Hangzhou and unsuspectingly ate West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce, which had a huge impact on both his wallet and his mental well-being.

Qi Yuan was able to respond well to many of the things Chen Kaige said at the dinner table, and occasionally she could even subtly flatter Chen Kaige, making it harder for Chen Kaige to suppress his smile.

“Wait for me for two more days. My movie will be finished in two more days. I’ll personally direct your music video then, and I’ll take you to ancient towns in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces to film on location.” Chen Kaige got carried away and transformed from the director of photography into the music video director.

Qi Yuan feigned surprise and said, "Mr. Chen, I can't afford to invite you... However... with your culture and knowledge... this music video will definitely be the most beautiful and top-notch music video ever made, an absolute milestone in the history of Chinese music videos that will be difficult for future generations to surpass."

Chen Kaige made a stop gesture: "Talking about money is too formal, A-Yuan. Do we need to talk about money? I'll take the photos for you for free."

He couldn't buy what he liked; he simply found Qi Yuan pleasing to the eye. He had originally planned to take a break after filming the movie.

What's wrong with him using his rest time to shoot one or two music videos for young people he admires?
Chen Kaige not only personally took on the role of director, but he also stated that the cameras used by Qi Yuan's team were too outdated, so he simply used those from the "Jing Ke" crew.

The crew had a lot of film left over from filming "Jing Ke," so they decided to use it to shoot a music video.

Qi Yuanshuang was stunned; Brother Pigeon is such a generous person.

With a top-notch director and the most advanced equipment in the country, he couldn't even imagine how explosive his music video would be.

They might actually be able to create a top-tier music video that is unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated.

Which singer has such a big reputation? To be able to hire a director of Chen Kaige's caliber to shoot a music video.

Qi Yuan declined somewhat embarrassedly, but under Chen Kaige's insistence, he forced himself to accept Chen Kaige's suggestion while suppressing a laugh.

"East Wind Breaks" unfolds against the backdrop of the transition between ancient and modern times and the interweaving of time and space, telling a love story full of nostalgia and sorrow.

"Jiangnan" tells the story of a romantic encounter and parting between a couple in the water towns of Jiangnan.

After losing his lover, the male protagonist returns to the place where the two spent many happy times together, only to find that everything has changed and he can only face his grief alone.

After hearing Qi Yuan's idea, Chen Kaige's inspiration struck: "A painted boat on misty waters, a cobblestone path, in a light drizzle that's neither smoke nor fog, she holds an oil-paper umbrella and their romantic encounter..."

Chen Kaige's composition skills are indeed very strong; he can create a vivid and evocative image with just a few words.

"The female lead in the music video must be beautiful enough, preferably with a classical beauty," Chen Kaige emphasized, adding that he had already figured out how to shoot it.

Qi Yuan is handsome enough, the scenery of Jiangnan is beautiful enough, and the female lead's looks can't hold her back.

"I'll ask the company to help me find a classical beauty." Qi Yuan was a little troubled, as girls with classical beauty are not easy to find.

Chen Hong said, "Ah Yuan, do you need to invite anyone else? Guess what everyone called me when I first debuted?"

When Chen Hong first debuted, she was called a classical beauty by the media. Her features were outstanding, with big, round eyes that met the traditional aesthetic standard of three courts and five eyes. She had a dignified and elegant temperament, which is why she was able to play Diao Chan in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

Qi Yuan never imagined that Chen Hong would be the female lead in the music video.

This is incredibly extravagant! The songs are "Jiangnan" and "Dongfeng Po," he's the singer and lead actor, Chen Hong is the female lead, and Chen Kaige is the director—it's truly top-tier.

He dares to say that no singer in the current Chinese music scene can compare to him; Richie Jen is no match, nor are the Four Heavenly Kings.

"Sister Hong, you're not kidding me, are you? You're really going to be the female lead in my music video?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise.
“Kai Ge has already directed for you, so why can’t I be the female lead? I’m also a fan of yours, and I even have your records at home,” Chen Hong said with a smile.

Qi Yuan turned to look at Chen Kaige.

There is a scene in "East Wind Breaks" where the male lead kisses the female lead's cheek.

Old Chen, I'm going to kiss your wife, aren't you going to say anything?

Old Chen did speak, looking at Chen Hong with affection and saying, "As long as Honghong is happy."

They registered their marriage in the United States in 96.

Later, Chen Hong played Princess Taiping in "Palace of Desire", and had many kissing scenes with Xue Shao.

He wouldn't mind if Qi Yuan kissed his wife's face, or even her lips.

He's an actor! He's quite open-minded about it; everything is for the sake of art.

(End of this chapter)