Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

Chapter 184 Love Song: Collective Insomnia

When Jiang Yu woke up, it was already bright outside the window.

His first thought was that his back hurt.

It wasn't the sharp pain of a sprain, but the soreness and swelling of muscles after overuse, like the day after running a marathon, or like doing squats in the gym in college until your legs were weak.

He tried to move, and his lumbar spine made a slight protesting sound, which also pulled at the back of his thighs.

He turned his head to the side.

Liu Yifei was curled up in his arms, sleeping soundly on her back.

One leg was on his calf, one hand was on his chest, and his head completely occupied the pillow that the two of them should have shared.

Morning light peeked through the gap in the curtains, casting a long, thin shadow on her face.

She was sleeping soundly, a faint smile playing on her lips, perhaps dreaming of some delicious treat.

Jiang Yu looked at her for three seconds.

Then he began to recall last night.

No, it was early this morning.

Last night, after watching "Love Actually," Liu Yifei said it's her New Year's Day tradition every year. Even though there's no snow in Hawaii, the sense of ritual can't be lost.

When the movie reached the scene where Mark was confessing his love to Juliet while holding up a signboard, she suddenly turned her head and looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"Jiang Yu, tell me, if you hadn't asked me to act in 'Black Swan' back then, would we still be together?"

He thought for a moment and said, "Yes."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because I'm a very persistent person," he said. "I will definitely do what I want to do, and I will definitely win over the person I want."

She stared at him for a long time.

Then she leaned over and kissed him.

It was very light, like a butterfly landing on a petal.

Then, it became quite heavy.

Jiang Yu didn't remember who made the first move, only that after the movie ended, the TV automatically went into screensaver mode, and blue light spots slowly moved across the wall.

Her arms were around his neck, her breath warm against his ear, and the soft sound of her voice when she called his name was like the waves of Hawaii.

He carried her steadily from the sofa to the bedroom.

What happened next—

Jiang Yu tried moving his waist again, and the soreness was still very noticeable.

He sighed silently, thinking: Twenty-seven years old? Is it too old? Have I been exercising less lately?

The person in my arms stirred.

Liu Yifei opened her eyes groggily. The first thing she saw was Jiang Yu's jawline, then his collarbone, and then her own limbs wrapped around him like an octopus.

She blinked, then blinked again.

"Good morning," Jiang Yu said, his voice a little hoarse.

"Good morning—" Liu Yifei slowly withdrew her leg and hand, trying her best to appear nonchalant. "How long have you been awake?"

"Just woke up."

"Oh." She buried her face in the pillow and said in a muffled voice, "Then have you noticed—"

"What did you find?"

"They discovered I was faking sleep."

Jiang Yu paused for a moment, then smiled: "I've figured it out."

Liu Yifei pulled the pillow over her head: "Then why didn't you expose me!"

"Because you look cute when you're pretending to be asleep."

A muffled wail came from under the pillow.

Jiang Yu gently removed the pillow.

Liu Yifei's face was as red as her pillowcase, her hair was disheveled, her eyes were wet, and her expression was a mixture of shyness, annoyance, and an irrepressible urge to laugh.

"It's still early," Jiang Yu said. "Want to sleep a little longer?"

Liu Yifei glared at him, then noticed his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he spoke.

She stared at that spot for two seconds, then suddenly reached out and poked it with her fingertip.

Jiang Yu did not dodge.

She poked it again.

"Jiang Yu," she suddenly said, "you said your back hurts?"

"Um.

""

Is it because of me?

Jiang Yu did not answer.

Liu Yifei buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled: "Then I'll be gentler next time."

Jiang Yu paused for a moment, then let out a low laugh.

"What are you laughing at!" She looked up, annoyed and embarrassed.

"It's nothing." Jiang Yu stopped laughing, but the smile remained in his eyes. "It's just that I feel, sometimes you really—"

"Really what?"

"That's really pathetic."

Liu Yifei froze for two seconds, then grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

The pillow fight lasted for three minutes, ending with Jiang Yu pulling Liu Yifei and her pillow into his arms.

She struggled twice but couldn't break free, so she simply gave up and lay on his chest, panting.

"Jiang Yu," she said listlessly, "is your back not sore anymore?"

"It's sour," Jiang Yu said honestly, "but I still want more."

Liu Yifei didn't say anything, but the tips of her ears turned bright red.

Breakfast consisted of waffles made by the housekeeper, Mary, served with fresh papaya and coconut yogurt.

Liu Yifei ate two large pieces of pineapple juice, then drank a glass of pineapple juice before slumping in her chair and rubbing her stomach.

"Are you full?" Jiang Yu asked.

"I'm full." Liu Yifei said contentedly. "What are the plans for today?"

"Sea fishing. The boat departs at six o'clock, so there are still four hours left."

Liu Yifei glanced at the bright sun outside the window, then at her hair, which hadn't fully recovered from the pillow fight.

"Does sea fishing involve spending a lot of time in the sun?"

"Um."

.

"Then could you—"

"The sunscreen is in the cabinet by the door, SPF50+, waterproof and sweatproof."

Liu Yifei chuckled and ran off to apply sunscreen, slipping on her slippers.

She squeezed a large dollop into her palm and smeared it on her face like applying face cream.

Jiang Yu walked over and stood behind her, watching her smear sunscreen all over her face in the mirror.

"Applying it like that won't work." He took the sunscreen from her hand, squeezed out a coin-sized amount, and rubbed it in his palm. "Sunscreen should be applied in the direction of the pores, not rubbed back and forth."

He turned her face towards him and gently circled his thumb on her cheek.

Liu Yifei stood motionless, unsure of where to look.

"Close your eyes," Jiang Yu said.

She obediently closed her eyes.

His fingertips traced her forehead, down her nose, and gently pressed on her cheekbone.

The sunscreen smelled of coconut, and the warmth of his palm made her eyelashes tremble slightly.

"Alright." Jiang Yu took a step back. "You've finished applying it to your face; now you can apply it to your neck yourself."

Liu Yifei opened her eyes and looked at her flushed face in the mirror.

It wasn't from sun exposure.

At 5:45 p.m., they boarded Captain Mike's fishing boat.

Liu Yifei was as excited as a primary school student on a spring outing when she went sea fishing for the first time.

Mike taught her how to tie a hook, and it took her three tries to learn it with difficulty; he taught her how to bait a fish, but when she looked at the still-jumping mackerel, she couldn't bring herself to hook it.

"Will it hurt?" she asked Mike.

A complex expression crossed Mike's face, which was over sixty years old: "Uh, madam, this—"

"It's about to be eaten by a fish, so it doesn't matter if it hurts or not." Jiang Yu took the fishing hook from her hand, baited it neatly, and cast it into the sea.

Liu Yifei squatted by the gunwale, staring blankly at the fishing line.

Three minutes later, the fishing rod suddenly sank.

"It's hooked! It's hooked!" Liu Yifei screamed, frantically reeling in the line. The fishing line was taut, and the force from the other end made her stumble. Jiang Yu caught her from behind, placing his hand on hers and gripping the fishing rod together.

"Don't rush, pull back slowly." His voice was right next to her ear. "Yes, just like that, when it rushes towards you, release it; when it stops, pull it back."

Liu Yifei fought the fish with complete concentration for five minutes, her face flushed red and her forehead covered in sweat. Finally, a shimmering silver fish broke through the water, tracing an arc in the setting sun before landing with a splash on the deck.

"Tuna!" Mike gave a thumbs up. "Wow, you're amazing, Madam! This one weighs ten pounds!"

Liu Yifei squatted on the deck, watching the fish panting with its mouth open, its tail slapping against the wooden planks.

"Will it die?" she asked softly.

Mike paused for a moment and looked at Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu squatted down to be at eye level with her.

Do you want to release it back into the wild?

Liu Yifei looked into the fish's eyes and remained silent for a few seconds.

"No need," she said softly. "It was caught so we could eat it. If we put it back, it won't survive its injuries."

She stood up and said earnestly to Mike, "Captain, could you make it into sashimi tonight?"

Mike laughed heartily, "Of course! Fish caught by your wife will definitely taste especially delicious!"

Liu Yifei nodded, then walked to the side of the ship and watched the sunset gradually sink into the sea.

Jiang Yu stood next to her.

"Sad?" he asked.

"No," Liu Yifei honestly admitted, "I want to eat it."

That evening, Mike sliced ​​the fish into translucent sashimi, served with soy sauce and freshly grated wasabi.

Liu Yifei picked up a slice and said earnestly, "Hello, little fish, I'm going to eat you!"

Then put it in your mouth.

"Delicious!" Her eyes lit up, and she puffed out her cheeks like a hamster.

Jiang Yu looked at her and couldn't help but reach out and poke her face.

Liu Yifei puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.

"I'm sorry," Jiang Yu said insincerely, poking him again.

Liu Yifei swallowed a slice of fish, picked up her phone, and took eighteen photos of the sashimi platter, each one taken from a different angle. Then she opened Instagram and started editing the caption.

She wrote and deleted, deleted and wrote, wrote and deleted again.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Yu leaned closer to look.

"Post on Instagram—" Liu Yifei bit her nails. "I don't know what to write. Writing about the fish I caught today is too ordinary, writing about the tuna I caught myself is too boastful, and writing about thanking nature for its gifts is too pretentious—"

Jiang Yu took her phone, typed a few words, and handed it back to her.

Liu Yifei looked down:

The fish that Jiang Yu and I caught, the fish that Jiang Yu killed, and the fish that Jiang Yu sliced.

My main responsibility is to scream.

And eat it.

Little fish, you're delicious.

The accompanying photos showed a sashimi platter, a woman's frantic back view as she reeled in the fish line, and Jiang Yu cutting fish. Liu Yifei looked at the photos three times, then looked up and asked, "How did you know I took a picture of you cutting fish?"

Jiang Yu picked up a piece of sashimi: "You held up your phone and filmed me for thirty-seven seconds."

Liu Yifei paused for a moment, then sent out the text verbatim.

Five minutes later, the number of likes exceeded 10,000.

The first comment in the comment section is by Shu Chang:

[ShuchangV]: LOL, is this the writing style of a Venice Film Festival Best Actress winner?

Liu Yifei replied to her: 【Disagree?】

Shu Chang replied: [I'm impressed, absolutely impressed. I just feel so sorry for President Jiang, having to fish, kill fish, and fillet fish, and then you write that he's "mainly responsible for screaming."]

Liu Yifei replied: 【He's willing!】

Jiang Yu's phone vibrated. He opened it and saw a small red dot next to Liu Yifei's reply under Shu Chang's comment.

He clicked on it.

[Jiang Yu V]: Willing.

Liu Yifei was drinking coconut water when she saw this reply.

She choked, coughed for a long time, and her face was redder than the setting sun.

Jiang Yu ate the sashimi without changing his expression.

"Jiang Yu," she whispered, "when did you register for Instagram?"

Three years ago.

"Then why do you never post it?"

"Nothing I wanted to post," Jiang Yu paused, "but I did today."

Liu Yifei lowered her head and frantically pressed buttons on her phone, pretending to be very busy.

After clicking around for a while, she quietly opened his homepage.

Following: 1 person.

Followers: 7.

Posts: 1.

That post was made four minutes ago:

[With @LiuYifei in Hawaii. Here's the fish she caught.]

The accompanying photo shows her profile as she squats on the deck, intently staring at the fishing line.

She stared at it for a long time.

Then save the image and set it as your phone's home screen.

Liu Yifei decided to learn to surf on her way home yesterday.

"Captain Mike," she said, leaning on the gunwale and watching surfers gliding on the waves in the distance, "is surfing difficult?" Mike thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, it is. It took me a whole year to learn to stand up."

Liu Yifei was silent for a few seconds, then turned to Jiang Yu: "How many days do we have left?"

Five days.

"Is five days enough to learn to surf?"

Jiang Yu looked at the flickering fire in her eyes and knew that she had made up her mind.

"Not enough to learn," he said, "enough to have fun."

Liu Yifei nodded, took out her phone, and started searching for "private surfing instructors in Hawaii".

At nine o'clock this morning, the personal trainer appeared at the villa gate on time.

She was a local girl named Kayah, in her early twenties, with a beautiful tanned complexion and a bright white smile.

She paused for a moment when she saw Liu Yifei, looked her over carefully, and then asked softly in English, "Uh, are you...?" "Yes." Liu Yifei smiled and nodded, "I'm just a student who wants to learn surfing today."

Kay tried to maintain a professional expression, but his ears turned red.

The surf school is located on the east side of Waikiki Beach.

Kai first taught them to practice basic movements on the beach: lying on the board, paddling, pushing up, and standing up.

Liu Yifei practiced twenty times, and every movement was as standard as a textbook.

"Excellent!" Kay clapped. "You're perfectly fine on land now, try it in the water!"

Holding her surfboard, Liu Yifei walked into the sea step by step.

She was still smiling when the water was above her knees, her smile started to freeze when it reached her waist, and when it reached her chest...

"Jiang Yu!" she turned around, her voice rising, "Something touched my foot!"

Jiang Yu followed half a meter behind her: "It's fish, or seaweed."

"Can the seaweed move?!"

'

"Yes, I will drift with the waves."

Liu Yifei took a deep breath and continued walking forward.

Kaa chose a gentle wave suitable for beginners.

Liu Yifei lay on the board and paddled vigorously according to the instructions.

As the wave surged in, she braced herself with her hands on the board, pulled her legs in, and stood up...

Stood up.

A full three seconds.

Then he lost his balance and fell sideways into the sea.

Liu Yifei surfaced from the water, her face covered in hair and seawater choking her nose. But she didn't cry or complain; she just grinned after coughing up the water.

"Did you see that!" she shouted at Jiang Yu, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons. "I've stood up!"

"I saw it." Jiang Yu stood in the water, his body only wet from the knees down. He wasn't on the board at all; he was just standing to the side watching.

"Why don't you learn!" Liu Yifei accused.

"I studied it," Jiang Yu said. "Ten years ago in California."

Liu Yifei glared at him, forcefully shaking the water off her face: "Why didn't you say so sooner!"

"You didn't ask."

Liu Yifei choked on another mouthful of water.

All morning, Liu Yifei was constantly jumping between standing up and falling into the sea.

She swallowed at least five mouthfuls of seawater, her knees were bruised, her little finger was marked red from the rope, and half a cup of salt could be wrung out of her hair.

But she stood for longer each time.

Three seconds, five seconds, eight seconds.

When she fell into the sea for the twelfth time, she lay motionless on the board.

"Tired?" Jiang Yu swam over.

"Mmm." She buried her face in the board, her voice muffled. "I'm exhausted. Surfing is so hard."

"take a break."

"No." She looked up, wiping the water from her face. "One more time. That wave was good; I could stand longer."

She rolled over and lay face down, then started paddling.

Jiang Yu didn't try to persuade her anymore, but instead paddled to her side and behind, keeping a distance of half a board's length.

Another wave surged in.

Liu Yifei braces herself on the board, pulls her legs in, and stands up...

They stopped.

One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds, a wave gently carried her to the shallows. She remained standing until the bottom of the board scraped the sand before jumping down.

"I did it!" she shouted into the sea, waved to Kaa who was clapping on the beach, and smiled at all the strangers.

Then she turned her head and saw Jiang Yu walking towards her through the water, soaked from head to toe.

"Why are you wet?" she asked.

Jiang Yu looked down at himself: "There was a wave just now, and I didn't dodge it."

Liu Yifei stared at him for two seconds.

"You're lying," she said. "You did it on purpose."

Jiang Yu neither admitted nor denied it.

Liu Yifei suddenly stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

She was covered in seawater, salty and wet, her hair brushing against his chin, most of her sunscreen washed away, revealing her sunburned nose.

She was smiling happily.

"Jiang Yu," she buried her face in his chest, "I'm so happy today."

He put his arm around her waist.

"Um."

At noon, they bought Hawaiian rice bowls from a food truck by the sea.

Liu Yifei ordered two portions of salmon and wolfed it down while sitting on a plastic stool, unaware that grains of rice were stuck to the corners of her mouth.

Jiang Yu used his thumb to wipe it off for her.

She glanced up at him, then continued eating.

Halfway through her meal, she suddenly put down her fork.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"Why do you think I learned to surf?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment: "To have fun."

"Anything else?"

"And—" he looked at her, "to prove that I can still learn new things."

Liu Yifei lowered her head and poked at the salmon in her bowl with her fork.

"Do you know why I became an actress?" she suddenly asked.

Jiang Yu didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.

"When I was little, it was because I watched my mom perform on stage and felt it was fun to be the center of attention," she said. "Later, it was because I got used to it, and then—" she paused, "and then it was because I liked it."

Jiang Yu said, "Learn what you don't know slowly. Do what you want to do slowly. No one is rushing you."

Liu Yifei lowered her head and blinked hard.

Then she looked up and grinned.

"Jiang Yu," she said, "how can you be so good with words?"

"Because I love you."

They went into the water again in the afternoon.

Liu Yifei stood on the last wave for nine seconds today, breaking her own record.

She was washed ashore by the waves, jumped off the board, and waved wildly into the sea.

Kea clapped enthusiastically from the shore.

Jiang Yu walked over, wading through the water.

Liu Yifei suddenly threw her surfboard onto the sand and ran towards him.

"Jiang Yu!"

"Um?"

"I'm so happy today!" She threw herself into his arms, her wet arms wrapping around his neck. "I'll come again tomorrow!"

Jiang Yu was knocked back a step by her, but managed to steady himself.

"it is good."

"Come the day after tomorrow too!"

"it is good."

"I'll come every year from now on!"

"it is good."

Liu Yifei buried her face in his shoulder, her voice muffled: "Why do you say everything is okay?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment.

"Because I don't want to disappoint you."

Liu Yifei didn't say anything, she just hugged him tighter.

Liu Yifei discovers a secret about Jiang Yu.

He likes to drive fast.

It's not the kind of "fast" you see when speeding on a highway; it's the kind of "fast" you see when you're sprinting at full throttle on the sea.

The speedboat sliced ​​through the waves like an arrow released from a bow, and seawater crashed over her head. Liu Yifei screamed in the back until she lost her voice.

"Jiang Yu! Slow down!" Her voice was torn to shreds by the wind.

Jiang Yu couldn't hear what she was saying, but judging from the strength with which she gripped his life jacket, it probably wasn't "faster".

He eased off the accelerator slightly.

Liu Yifei, panting heavily, wiped the seawater off her face.

"You usually drive very steadily!" she accused.

"There are surveillance cameras while driving," Jiang Yu said. "But not at sea."

Liu Yifei choked for a moment.

"So you did it on purpose?"

"Um."

"You, you bastard—"

Before she could even gather her swear words, Jiang Yu twisted the throttle, and the motorboat shot off again.

Liu Yifei's scream echoed throughout the entire sea.

Twenty minutes later, the motorboat stopped beside a deserted beach.

Liu Yifei, holding onto Jiang Yu's shoulder, climbed down shakily, her legs as weak as a fawn that had just learned to stand.

"I hate you," she said.

Jiang Yu took off his life jacket and spread it on the beach: "Sit down."

Liu Yifei glared at him, but still sat down.

The sun was shining brightly, the sand was fine and white, and the seawater was so blue it looked like it had been artificially saturated.

Liu Yifei's breathing gradually calmed down.

"Actually—" she whispered, "it was pretty fun."

"What?"

"It's nothing!"

Jiang Yu didn't press further, but simply sat down beside her.

After a few minutes of silence, Liu Yifei suddenly spoke.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"What were you thinking when you were driving so fast?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment: "I'm wondering when you'll make me stop."

Liu Yifei was stunned for a moment.

"What if I don't call 'stop'?"

Jiang Yu turned to look at her.

"Then keep driving," he said.

Liu Yifei lowered her head and buried her feet in the sand.

"Are you—" she whispered, "afraid of losing me?"

Jiang Yu did not answer.

A long time passed, so long that the seabirds flew away and then flew back, before he finally spoke.

"It's not that I'm afraid of losing you," he said, "it's that I'm afraid you won't have the chance to know how much I—"

He paused.

Liu Yifei looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

Jiang Yu remained silent.

Liu Yifei waited for ten seconds, then smiled.

"Okay, okay, I won't make it difficult for you." She stood up, patted the sand off her bottom, and said, "Let's do one more lap, this time I'll drive."

She walked toward the motorboat, then turned back after a few steps.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"I know," she said. "You don't need to tell me."

She didn't turn around, but Jiang Yu noticed that the tips of her ears were red.

The sea breeze blows, salty and hot.

Liu Yifei sat in the driver's seat on the second lap.

Jiang Yu wrapped his arms around her from behind and taught her how to control the accelerator and the turning angle.

The motorboats, like tamed wild beasts, traced smooth arcs across the sea.

"How was my driving?" Liu Yifei asked loudly.

"Not bad," Jiang Yu whispered in her ear, "much lower than the volume of your scream just now."

Liu Yifei elbowed him.

The motorboat tilted, and the two almost fell into the sea.

Liu Yifei burst into laughter.

Jiang Yu steadied the steering wheel and silently downshifted the accelerator by one gear.

Back at the villa that evening, Liu Yifei collapsed onto the sofa, unwilling to move.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um.

""

My shoulders are sore.

Jiang Yu walked over, sat down on the sofa, and began to massage her shoulders.

"My hands are sore too."

He took her hand and slowly massaged the muscles in her palm.

My legs are sore too.

He paused for a moment, then placed her calves on his knees and pressed them gently.

Liu Yifei squinted her eyes comfortably, like a cat basking in the sun.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um.

"Will you keep giving me massages?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment: "It depends on your performance."

Liu Yifei opened her eyes and glared at him.

"If you perform well, you press the button; if you perform poorly, what happens?"

"Even if you don't perform well, you'll still get a penalty," Jiang Yu said, "but you'll still get paid."

Liu Yifei grabbed a cushion and threw it at him.

Jiang Yu caught the cushion, put it back in its original position, and continued massaging her calves.

Liu Yifei buried her face in another cushion, her shoulders trembling slightly.

I don't know if he's laughing or laughing.

Before coming to Hawaii, Liu Yifei's knowledge of "Pearl Harbor" was limited to the movie directed by Michael Bay.

A grand spectacle, handsome men and beautiful women, and a tragic love story.

Until she stood inside the white building of the USS Arizona Memorial, looking down at the wreckage of the sunken warship beneath the water.

The names of 1177 sailors are engraved on the wall.

Sunlight streamed through the ripples on the water, casting flowing spots of light on the wreckage.

The seawater was a clear blue, while the rusted hull was a silent gray.

Liu Yifei remained silent.

She walked quietly past each display panel, quietly watched the documentary, and quietly stood on the marble wall engraved with names.

before.

Jiang Yu stood beside her, equally silent.

As Liu Yifei stepped out of the memorial hall, a sea breeze greeted her. She took a deep breath.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"Tell me, what were these people thinking when they died?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment.

"I'm thinking about my family," he said. "I'm wondering if I'll ever be able to go home."

Liu Yifei remained silent for a while.

"If we had been born then," she whispered, "would you have gone to war?"

Jiang Yu looked at her.

"Yes," he said.

Why?

"Because if you don't go, no one will protect you."

Liu Yifei was stunned for a moment.

"But we didn't know each other back then," she said.

Jiang Yu was also taken aback.

Then he laughed.

"Consider it advance protection," he said. "Anyway, we'll run into you eventually."

Liu Yifei lowered her head and blinked hard.

"Let's go," she said, "to the next stop."

In the afternoon, they went to the USS Missouri Memorial.

The battleship that witnessed Japan's surrender ceremony now rests quietly beside Ford Island.

The deck was scorching hot from the sun, and the ship's guns were pointed at the sky, no longer aimed at any enemy.

Liu Yifei wore the audio guide and listened attentively to each segment of the audio.

When she reached the place where the surrender ceremony was held, she stopped and stared at the small plaque.

1945 9 Month 2 Day.

The Japanese delegation boarded the warship and signed the surrender document.

Liu Yifei stared at it for a long time.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"Tell me, if history could repeat itself, would humanity make the same mistakes?"

Jiang Yu stood beside her, also looking at the nameplate.

"Yes," he said. "Human history is a history of making mistakes, correcting them, and then making new mistakes."

Liu Yifei turned to look at him.

"Then what's the use of peace?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment.

"Peace gives people time to become wiser," he said. "wise enough to keep mistakes within limits and prevent them from destroying everything."

Liu Yifei remained silent for a while.

Do you believe that humans will become smarter?

Jiang Yu looked at her.

"I believe in you," he said. "You're smart enough."

Liu Yifei paused for a moment, then smiled.

"You're cheating," she said.

"Yes," Jiang Yu admitted, "but it's useful."

Liu Yifei didn't say anything, but simply put her hand into his palm.

On the way back, Liu Yifei leaned against the window, watching the palm trees rushing past outside.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

Do you know why I like you?

Jiang Yu turned to look at her.

She didn't wait for his reply and continued talking to herself.

"It's not because you're rich," she said. "Although being rich is great too."

Jiang Yu smiled.

"It's not because you're handsome," she said, "although you are quite handsome."

Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow.

"It's because you make me feel," she paused, "that the world isn't so scary."

Jiang Yu didn't say anything.

"I used to be very scared," Liu Yifei said. "I was afraid of not acting well, afraid of being scolded, afraid that no one would ask me to act. I was afraid of so many things. Sometimes I couldn't sleep at night, so I would lie in bed and count sheep. I would count more than a thousand sheep and still couldn't fall asleep."

She turned to look at him: "After meeting you, my fears seem to have diminished."

"It's not because you solved my problem," she said, "it's because you made me feel that even if problems arise, there will be people on my side."

She smiled and said, "This feeling is more effective than a hundred acting offers."

Jiang Yu remained silent for a long time.

Outside the car window, the setting sun was sinking below the horizon.

"Liu Yifei," he suddenly said.

"Um?"

"The same to you."

Liu Yifei blinked.

"Also what?"

Jiang Yu didn't explain, he just held her hand tighter.

January 4th, Monday, Shenzhen.

At 00:01, at the Chasing Light Cinema in Nanshan District, Shenzhen.

Yang Siwei stood at the entrance of IMAX Hall No. 9, holding a cup of Americano that had gone cold.

She didn't come to see the movie; she watched it twice more at an internal screening and knew every frame by heart.

She came to witness it firsthand.

.

There was a long queue at the entrance of the theater, which stretched from the ticket gate all the way to the rest area, and then turned from the rest area to the elevator lobby.

The group included college students in school uniforms, couples cuddling together, middle-aged couples with gray hair, and several white-collar workers who were clearly skipping work, still in their suits.

No one complained, and no one cut in line.

Everyone was looking down at their phones, occasionally glancing up at the slowly moving queue before looking down again.

Standing next to Yang Siwei was a boy in his early twenties, wearing a plaid shirt, carrying a backpack, and with glasses that were as thick as the bottom of a beer bottle.

He stared at his phone screen, his fingers flying across the screen as he muttered to himself.

"Dude," Yang Siwei couldn't help but ask, "what are you doing?"

The boy glanced up at her and casually replied, "Tickets from Maoyan! They've released tickets for the prime-time show on January 6th again, 2000..."

Zhang, it's gone in a minute!

He paused, his expression complicated: "I've tried to grab one of the three rounds, but I haven't managed to get one."

Yang Siwei looked at the gray "Sold Out" button on his phone screen and suddenly felt like laughing.

She recalled how, just two weeks ago, when Maoyan Tickets had just launched, many people in the industry were waiting to see it fail.

Some people privately said, "Jiang Yu has gone too far," and "Audiences are used to buying tickets at the venue; who would use your crappy app?"

What now?

More than 80 brand cinemas nationwide have connected to Maoyan's ticketing system, and the number of registered users has exceeded 80.

The 20 pre-sale tickets released before the release of Avatar were sold out within a week.

Scalpers are driving up IMAX 3D ticket prices to 300 yuan per ticket, and people are still scrambling to buy them.

The boy was still scrolling through his phone, his expression as devout as if he were on a pilgrimage.

Yang Si asked him with a slight surprise, "You really want to see Avatar?"

The boy looked up and remained silent for two seconds.

"It's not that I want to see it," he said softly, "it's that I have to see it."

He didn't continue, and Yang Siwei didn't press him for details.

As the crowds leaving the midnight show began to pour out.

The audience in the first row pushed open the door, and then the second and third rows—like a tide—surged toward the exit.

They wore the same expression: not excitement, not ecstasy, but a dazed look.

It's like waking up from a dream, not yet able to distinguish between reality and reality.

January 4th, early morning, Hawaii.

Jiang Yu put down his phone and saw Liu Yifei lying on the bed, scrolling through Weibo on her phone.

"Are the domestic box office figures out for the first day?" he asked.

"Not yet." Liu Yifei replied without looking up. "It's already trending."

She turned her phone screen around, and Jiang Yu saw the trending topics on Weibo.

#AvatarPremiere#

#Avatar made me cry#

#I can't get over Avatar#

#Light and Shadow Digital#

#IMAX tickets are in high demand#

There were seven trending topics, all about Avatar.

.

Liu Yifei clicked on a netizen's movie review:

I just left the theater, and my legs are still weak. It wasn't the plot that was so amazing, but the feeling of standing on Pandora, with glowing tundra beneath my feet, floating mountains overhead, and glowing forests all around me. You know it's special effects, but you just believe it exists.

When the logo of Light & Shadow Digital lit up at the beginning of the film, the guy next to me suddenly clapped. Then a second person, a third person, and the whole audience was clapping.

I have never applauded for a company.

But today was an exception.

After reading it, Liu Yifei remained silent for a long time.

Then she put her phone aside, turned over, and stared at the ceiling.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"What do you think people will feel when they see this movie ten years from now?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment.

"It will feel very ordinary," he said. "It's like when we watch Star Wars now, we think the special effects are rough and the plot is old-fashioned."

Liu Yifei turned to look at him.

"But they will remember," Jiang Yu said, "there was a movie in 2010 that took people all over the world to the cinema, where they wore strange glasses and watched for three hours of blue-skinned cat people falling in love."

He paused for a moment: "I will also remember that half of the special effects for this movie were done by a Chinese company."

"That's great," she said.

"Um."

"To be able to live in this era."

Jiang Yu took her hand.

"Um."

January 5th, Tuesday, Beijing.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the conference room at the headquarters of Light Chaser Pictures was full of people.

Jiang Xuerou stood in front of the projection screen, holding a laser pointer, her expression as serious as if she were reporting enemy intelligence.

"Avatar grossed 4620 million RMB on its opening day in mainland China."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room, followed by soft gasps.

Before everyone could process what was happening, Jiang Xuerou turned the page again.

"This figure is about 20% higher than our estimate. Light Chaser Pictures' 43 directly operated cinemas contributed about 12% of the box office, while Maoyan Tickets contributed about 35% of the online pre-sales."

「IMAX3D影厅的上座率是100%。普通3D影厅是98%。2D影厅是85%。全国影院平均排片占比62%，一线城市核心影城达到80%以上。」

She paused, then turned on the next page.

「根据猫眼后台数据，今天（1月5日）的预售票房已突破2000万。未来三天的IMAX场次全部售罄，黄牛票价已被炒至300—500元不等，部分核心商圈的黄牛票甚至喊到800

Yuan."

Someone in the conference room gasped.

Jiang Xuerou raised her head and calmly said her last sentence: "We estimate that the final box office of Avatar in mainland China may be between 12 billion and 15 billion RMB."

No one speaks.

In early 2010, the highest-grossing film in the Chinese market was "The Founding of a Republic," which earned 4.2 million yuan.

What does 12 billion mean?

There are three "The Founding of a Republic".

It accounts for one-third of the total box office revenue of domestic films in 2009.

It's a number that no one has ever seen before.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Then, Old Zhang, the distribution director sitting in the corner, spoke up, his voice a little hoarse: "President Jiang, are you sure the finance department didn't add an extra zero?"

Jiang Xuerou glanced at him.

"I also hope I overcalculated," he said, "but the data doesn't lie."

Old Zhang didn't ask any more questions.

He looked at the number on the projection screen: 4620 million; he suddenly remembered that ten years ago, when he first entered the industry, a domestic film that could sell 1000 million was considered a blockbuster, and one that could sell 3000 million was considered the champion of the year.

Ten years later, the opening day box office of an imported film was 4620 million.

He didn't know what to say.

Should we lament how times have changed, or should we lament that we're getting old?

BJ, the preparatory team for "Under the Hawthorn Tree".

Zhang Yimou sat alone in the director's dressing room, with the lights off.

It was raining outside the window, and the fine raindrops tapped against the glass, making a soft pattering sound.

There were several newspapers spread out on the coffee table in front of him, not new newspapers, but old newspapers from two weeks ago.

The front page headlines were all about "A Simple Noodle Story".

Zhang Yimou's new film surpasses 2 million yuan at the box office, but its reputation has plummeted.

【Three Guns: The Grand Tutor's Waterloo】

Zhang Weiping responds to criticism: Box office revenue is the only true measure.

He stared at it for a long time.

Then he folded the newspapers and put them in the bottom drawer of the coffee table.

The movements were very light, as if handling something they didn't want anyone to see.

There was a knock on the door.

"Director?" Assistant director Zhao Xiaoding poked his head in. "Time to go to the meeting room."

Zhang Yimou stood up.

He suddenly stopped when he reached the door.

"Xiao Ding," he asked, "have you seen Avatar?"

Zhao Xiaoding was stunned for a moment.

"I saw it," he said. "I saw it the day before yesterday."

Zhang Yimou didn't turn around; he had his back to him.

"How is it?"

Zhao Xiaoding remained silent for a few seconds.

"It's shocking," he said. "The technology—it's from a completely different era."

Zhang Yimou nodded and said, "Digital Light and Shadow, do you know about it?"

Zhao Xiaoding was stunned for a moment.

"I know," he said. "It's under the Light Chaser Group. The boss is Jiang Yu, 27 years old, and was the richest man on last year's Hurun Rich List."

Zhang Yimou remained silent.

A long time passed, so long that the sound of rain outside the window seemed to grow even more intense.

"27 years old —" he said softly.

He didn't continue.

Looking at his hunched back, Zhao Xiaoding suddenly felt that this sixty-year-old man looked particularly tired at that moment.

He recalled that twenty years ago, when Zhang Yimou was thirty-eight years old, full of vigor, and holding the Golden Bear trophy high in Berlin when he filmed "Red Sorghum".

At that time, everyone said: There is hope for Chinese films.

Twenty years from now, there is indeed hope for Chinese cinema.

But this hope no longer rests solely on him.

"Director," Zhao Xiaoding said softly, "it's time to go."

At 9:00 AM on January 8th, Light Chaser Pictures' official Weibo account posted a new message.

There was no pre-launch hype, no previews, and no countdown posters.

There is only a three-minute and forty-seven-second video and a short text:

The first trailer for the world's first 3D disaster blockbuster, "2012," was released today.

Produced by Light Chaser Pictures (BJ), Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, and Wanda Pictures.

Starring Jackie Chan, Gong Li, Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jing Tian, ​​and Zhu Yilong.

June 4th, the end of the world, a simultaneous global release.

If Avatar created a world, then 2012 will destroy one.

The accompanying image is a concept poster:

The Golden Gate Bridge broke in half, and the crowd on the bridge scattered like ants as they fled.

Giant waves surged in from the horizon, towering above the city's tallest skyscrapers. The sky was a thick, leaden gray, with only a sliver of despairing light peeking through the horizon.

There is a line of small print at the bottom of the poster:

[Presented with pride by Light Chaser Pictures]

Three minutes later, the Weibo server crashed.

When Wang Wei called, Jiang Yu was having breakfast with Liu Yifei.

"Boss!" Wang Wei's voice practically exploded through the receiver, "The server crashed! Weibo says the traffic is too high, and they can't even handle the increased capacity!"

Jiang Yu put down his fork and wiped his mouth.

"How many views has the trailer gotten?"

Wang Wei took a deep breath and announced a number: "Within 7 minutes of its release, the total number of views across all platforms exceeded 500 million."

"What about the comments?"

"Comments—" Wang Wei paused, "There are too many comments, I can't keep up. Eight out of the top ten trending topics are about us."

Jiang Yu picked up his phone and opened Weibo.

#2012预告片#—爆#追光影业2亿美元巨製#—爆#程龙巩丽首度合作#—热#光影数字特效再出手#—热#6月4日世界末日#—热#阿凡达还没下映2012就来了#—热#中国电影工业化里程碑#—热#姜宇这个男人#一热他点开最后那个话题。

The top trending post was made by an ordinary netizen:

I just finished watching the trailer for 2012.

To be honest, for the first half minute I was thinking, "The special effects are alright, comparable to Avatar."

Then the Golden Gate Bridge collapsed.

Then Los Angeles fell.

Then, when the giant wave swept over the Himalayas, the instant noodles in my hand went cold.

It's not that the special effects are amazing; I already knew they were amazing. It's just digital lighting and effects.

It's that feeling: a Chinese company in control, investing $2 million, using top-notch Chinese actors, and making a disaster blockbuster that will be released globally simultaneously.

Is this something that could possibly happen in 2010?

Did I time travel?

This Weibo post was forwarded 7 times.

The first comment is:

[You didn't time travel. It was Chinese cinema that did.]

Meanwhile, in the rest area of ​​Wanda Cinema in Beijing, a boy in a school uniform held up his phone, his voice trembling: "Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! You guys need to watch the trailer released by Light Chaser Animation!"

Several classmates gathered around, six heads crammed together in front of a six-inch screen.

Three minutes later, all six people looked up at the same time.

They looked at each other in bewilderment.

There was a three-second silence.

Then they both exclaimed at the same time, "This was filmed by Chinese people?!"

"Jackie Chan playing a novelist? Seriously?!"

"I got goosebumps when that giant wave swept over the snow-capped mountain!"

"Released on June 4th? That's just two days before the college entrance exam?!"

The last boy to speak paused.

He slowly raised his head, his expression complex.

"So—should I study or go see the premiere?"

The person next to him was silent for a second.

Then they said in unison, "Let's watch the premiere."

Wang Changtian placed the projector remote control on the table.

"Everyone has seen the trailer for '2012,' right?"

The twenty-odd people in the conference room nodded in unison.

Wang Changtian remained silent for a few seconds.

"Tell me, how does it feel?"

No one dared to be the first to speak.

Wang Changtian pointed to someone: Marketing Director Lao Li.

Old Li took a deep breath: "The special effects are stunning. Although it's only three minutes long, you can tell it's at the level of Industrial Light & Magic. In fact, the lighting and shadow effects in some scenes are even more refined than those of Industrial Light & Magic."

He paused for a moment, then said, "It should be a new technology in digital lighting and shadow, an upgrade from that used in Avatar."

Wang Changtian nodded, offering no comment.

"Anything else?"

Old Li gritted his teeth.

"And also—the project management capabilities of Light Chaser Animation are far superior to what we imagined."

He pulled up some information: "The '2012' project was initiated in December 2006, even earlier than 'Avatar.' At that time, everyone in the industry was focused on Cameron, and no one noticed that Light Chaser was simultaneously incubating another mega-project."

"In January 2008, Light Chaser Animation completed the final draft of the script. In February, they had their first contact with director Roland Emmerich's team. 3"

In [month], Emmerich officially signed with the company. In October, casting for Jackie Chan and Gong Li was completed.

He paused, then turned to the last page: "In December 2009, '2012' completed all filming and post-production, two months ahead of schedule."

Total budget: $2 million. Light Chaser Animation's actual investment: $3000 million.

The conference room was so quiet you could hear the central air conditioning humming.

Wang Changtian slowly began, "So, while we thought Light Chaser was busy with Avatar, they were simultaneously working on another $2 million blockbuster."

He paused, then said softly, "And it's finished."

No one responded.

Wang Changtian put the remote control back on the table.

"Let's adjourn the meeting," he said. "I'll treat everyone to drinks tonight."

Liu Yifei spent the entire day scrolling through Weibo at her villa in Los Angeles.

From the time the trailer was released at nine in the morning until now at eleven at night, her thumb has barely left the screen.

Jiang Yu was processing emails on his tablet, occasionally glancing at her.

"Aren't your hands tired?"

"I'm not tired." Liu Yifei said without looking up. "I can watch for another eight hours."

Jiang Yu didn't say anything, but gently removed her hand from the phone, placed it in his palm, and slowly massaged it.

Liu Yifei was stunned for a moment, then obediently let him massage her.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

"Someone trended on social media today saying that 'Chasing the Light' is a milestone in the industrialization of Chinese cinema." She paused. "What did you think of that?"

Jiang Yu thought for a moment.

"I don't feel anything," he said.

Liu Yifei turned to look at him.

"You really don't feel anything?"

Jiang Yu remained silent for a few seconds.

"It's not that I didn't feel anything," he said, "it's that I didn't have time to feel it."

He put down his tablet and looked out the window at the Los Angeles night view.

"2012 has been released, and My Love from the Star is about to start filming. Sci-fi blockbusters are still in early development, Despicable Me is waiting for a release date, and the promotional plan for Lucy has just started."

He paused for a moment: "There are too many things I want to do, and too little time."

Liu Yifei remained silent.

She pulled her hand out of Jiang Yu's palm, then turned her hand over and grasped his hand in return.

"Then let's take it slow," she said. "One thing at a time."

"I'll stay with you."

Jiang Yu looked at her.

The living room lights were warm, casting soft shadows on her face. Her eyes sparkled, like the sunlight shattering on the Hawaiian sea.

"Okay," he said.

Liu Yifei smiled and picked up her phone again.

"I'll watch it for another ten minutes," she said confidently, "and see if anyone says Uncle Jackie's acting is good."

Jiang Yu didn't stop her.

I simply moved the lamp closer to her to make the light brighter.

Shenzhen, Maoyan Ticketing Center.

At 2 a.m., the lights were still on at Maoyan Ticketing headquarters.

Zhou Hai slumped at his workstation, staring at the constantly changing data on the screen.

Next to his workstation were five empty Red Bull cans, three coffee cups, and an empty bag of soda crackers.

Forty-one hours have passed since the release of the "2012" trailer.

The number of server requests to Maoyan Ticketing's backend surged by 470% in those 41 hours.

It wasn't because of Avatar, although Avatar did contribute a huge amount of traffic.

It's because of "2012".

Seven minutes after the trailer was released, Maoyan Ticketing received its first comment:

When will pre-orders for "2012" begin? Urgent, waiting online.

By the thirty-second minute, there were 3000 similar comments.

At the 68th minute, Zhou Hai's team temporarily launched a new feature module: the "Want to Watch" button.

Users who click "Want to Watch" will receive a ticketing notification once the movie's release date is set.

Within three hours of its release, the number of "want to watch" clicks exceeded 200 million.

Zhou Hai stared at the number and suddenly remembered the sentence Jiang Yu had written on the first page of the product requirements document three months ago:

Maoyan Tickets is not a ticketing software. It's a bridge connecting audiences and movies. Remember, we serve people, not box office revenue.

He picked up the fifth can of Red Bull and took a sip.

It tastes awful.

He didn't let go.

A new intern leaned over and asked cautiously, "Brother Hai, are you able to get home tonight?"

Zhou Hai turned to look at him.

The intern had dark circles under his eyes like a panda, his hair was so greasy you could fry vegetables in it, and his face screamed, "Please let me go home and sleep."

Zhou Hai remained silent for three seconds.

"Go back," he said. "Leave now."

The interns, feeling like they'd been granted a pardon, grabbed their bags and tried to run.

Zhou Hai called him back: "Come again tomorrow afternoon, no need to rush."

The intern paused for a moment, then said, "That data—"

"The data processing is endless," Zhou Hai said. "People can rest."

He paused, then smiled, a rare occurrence: "What President Jiang said is true; those who serve others should also be served."

The intern stared at him blankly, then nodded vigorously.

The door closed.

Zhou Hai turned back to the screen and looked at the still-moving "Want to Watch" number: 237 million.

He opened a new document and began writing the product upgrade proposal to be submitted the next day.

Tomorrow is the 67th Golden Globe Awards ceremony.

Liu Yifei sat on the carpet in the living room of the villa, surrounded by three dresses, five pairs of high heels, and eight sets of jewelry and accessories.

She held a pair of diamond earrings in her hand, held them up in front of the mirror for a long time, and then put them down.

She picked up another pair of pearl earrings, held them up to her eyes, and then put them down.

Jiang Yu came out of the study and saw this scene in the living room.

"Haven't made a choice yet?"

Liu Yifei looked up at him, her expression mournful: "Isabella said the red carpet should have a composed and elegant style—not too flamboyant, but not too ordinary either. But what exactly is that middle ground between composed and elegant?"

Jiang Yu sat down next to her and picked up the pair of diamond earrings.

"That's right," he said.

Why?

"Because diamonds are sparkly enough," Jiang Yu said. "There will be many reporters tomorrow, and your face will be photographed hundreds of times. If it's sparkly, it'll be easier to edit the photos later."

Liu Yifei was stunned for two seconds.

"How do you even know that?"

"She asked me," Jiang Yu said. "She told me this during a conference call with Wang Wei the day before yesterday."

Liu Yifei paused for a moment, then took the diamond earrings and carefully put them on.

"Jiang Yu".

"Um."

I'll be nervous tomorrow.

"I know."

Are you nervous?

Jiang Yu thought for a moment.

"Yes," he said, "but nobody can tell."

Liu Yifei smiled.

"That's good," she said. "You take care of staying calm, and I'll take care of looking beautiful. We have a clear division of labor."

Jiang Yu looked at her.

The living room light was warm, shining on her carefully styled hair, her slightly flushed cheeks, and the ring on her ring finger.

"Okay," he said.

Liu Yifei lowered her head and continued to organize the things she would need for tomorrow.

Jiang Yu stood up and walked towards the study.

He suddenly stopped when he reached the door.

"Yifei".

"Um?

'

"Tomorrow is not the end," he said. "It's the beginning."

Liu Yifei raised her head.

Jiang Yu didn't turn around; he simply kept his back to her.

"The nomination is already an affirmation," he said. "You don't act to be affirmed."

Liu Yifei remained silent.

Jiang Yu entered the study and gently closed the door.

Liu Yifei stared at the door for a long time.

Then she looked down at the ring on her ring finger that was engraved with "Hawaii·2010".

She turned slightly.

Yes.

It's not about seeking affirmation.

It's for the sake of acting itself.

From age fourteen until now, from BJ to Venice to Los Angeles.

She kept acting, kept learning, and kept hitting walls only to get back up.

It's not for the trophy.

It's for that moment when I stood in front of the camera, forgot that I was Liu Yifei, and became someone else.

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