This director only directs blockbusters.

The mountain roads in Cape Town are even more dangerous than they look in photos.

Yang Ning stood on the viewing platform and looked down. The cliff plunged straight into the sea, and the waves crashed against the rocks, breaking into white foam.

The highway, like a gray snake, winds its way around the mountainside, with one bend after another. In some places, it's so narrow that two cars have to squeeze along the edge to pass each other.

The wind was so strong it could blow a person away. Deng Chao, gripping the railing, glanced down and his face turned pale: "Holy crap... what if I fall..."

"If you fall, you're gone." Nicholas Tse stood beside him, his tone as calm as if he were commenting on the nice weather.

Deng Chao quickly took two steps back.

Chen Wei squatted by the roadside, touching the road surface with his hand. The asphalt was scorching hot from the sun. He stood up and stomped his foot: "The road surface is alright, the friction is good enough. It's just that a few bends are too sharp, so you have to slow down in advance."

"Will it pass?" Yang Ning asked.

Chen Wei thought for a moment: "Yes, but I'll have to practice."

Nicholas Tse walked over to him, and the two started gesturing at the road. One said to cut inside at this bend, and the other said to downshift in advance at that bend, using jargon that Yang Ning couldn't understand.

Li Bingbing and Gao Yuanyuan stood on the other side, also watching. Li Bingbing was wearing sunglasses, her face expressionless, but her fingers were gripping the railing tightly. Gao Yuanyuan was alright, except her face was red from the wind.

"Scared?" Yang Ning walked over.

"A little," Li Bingbing honestly admitted, "but I wasn't driving when we were filming, right?"

"You're not driving," Yang Ning said. "You sit in the passenger seat, and Feng will drive. Your job is to scream and be scared."

"No problem." She laughed. "Screaming is my specialty."

Gao Yuanyuan whispered to him, "Director Yang, in Lin Yue's car scene... did I drive myself?"

"I'll drive it myself," Yang Ning said. "But the road is flat and not that dangerous. I've trained for three months, so it'll be fine."

Gao Yuanyuan nodded, but her hands remained clenched.

Hu Jun walked over from behind and patted Yang Ning on the shoulder: "Director Yang, this place is amazing. I'll be looking down from the helicopter—just thinking about it is thrilling."

Are you afraid of heights?

"Not afraid." Hu Jun grinned. "I parachuted when I was in the army."

---

We had lunch in a nearby small town. The town had only one street, a few shops, and very few people.

The restaurant owner was an elderly white man with a South African accent. When he saw a group of Chinese people arrive, he was overjoyed.

"Making a movie?" he asked as he served the food. "Hollywood?"

"From China," Yang Ning said.

The old man paused for a moment, then gave a thumbs up: "Chinese films, awesome!"

The dishes were simple: roast meat, mashed potatoes, and salad. But the portions were shockingly large; Deng Chao devoured two large plates of meat by himself.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you," Hu Jun said with a laugh.

"I'm starving." Deng Chao's mouth was full of meat. "I only ate a piece of bread this morning, and it's already digested."

Nicholas Tse still ate very little, only picking at his plate with a few pieces of mashed potatoes. Li Bingbing, sitting next to him, whispered, "Brother Feng, how do you maintain your stamina when you eat so little every day?"

"It's a habit," Nicholas Tse said. "People in Hong Kong don't eat much growing up."

Chen Wei added from the side, "Brother Feng practices driving for six hours a day, and he keeps going with just this much. I'm impressed."

Nicholas Tse didn't reply and lowered his head to drink water.

After finishing their meal, Yang Ning called Chen Wei aside.

"Can we film that most dangerous bend?"

Chen Wei thought for a moment: "We can film. But we'll have to close the roads, clear the area, and take all the necessary safety precautions. What if the car goes out of control..."

Have you ever lost control?

Chen Wei paused for a moment, then laughed: "Director Yang, Brother Feng asked me the same question."

"What did he ask?"

"He asked: Are you scared?" Chen Wei looked at the highway in the distance. "I said I was scared. He said: It's good to be scared, being scared will make you careful."

Yang Ning nodded.

"So, which of you two will drive that section?"

"Feng will drive," Chen Wei said. "He's more reliable than me. I'll stay on the sidelines and keep an eye on things so I can alert you if anything happens."

---

We continued our sightseeing in the afternoon.

The car drove slowly along the winding mountain road, stopping at each bend. Chen Wei took notes, Xie Tingfeng got out to check the route, and Yang Ning took photos.

When filming reached the third bend, Nicholas Tse suddenly said, "Director Yang, can we stop here for a moment?"

The car stopped. Nicholas Tse got out, walked to the edge of the cliff, and looked down for a long time.

Yang Ning followed.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Thinking back to the past," Nicholas Tse said, "I used to race cars in Hong Kong, and I've driven on mountain roads like these. I was young then, and I wasn't afraid of death."

"Are you scared now?"

"Now..." he paused, "now I'm afraid of dying. But I'm even more afraid of not filming well."

The wind blew, messing up his hair. He ignored it and just stood there.

"Director Yang," he suddenly asked, "do you think I can play Zhao Feng well?"

Yang Ning looked at him.

"You're not playing Zhao Feng," he said. "You *are* Zhao Feng. A man who was once fearless, now fears death, but would still fight to the death for his brothers."

Nicholas Tse remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he nodded, turned around, and got into the car.

---

As we descended the mountain, it was getting dark. The setting sun bathed the entire bay in gold, and the highway resembled a golden ribbon winding around the mountainside.

Deng Chao leaned against the car window and said, "It's so beautiful. I wish I could film here forever."

"Film for a lifetime?" Hu Jun laughed. "Filming one movie is already tough enough, let alone a lifetime."

"Then we'll retire here when we're old," Deng Chao said seriously. "We'll buy a small house and look at the sea every day."

Li Bingbing chuckled: "Deng Chao, you're only twenty-four, and you're already thinking about retiring?"

"Can't I even think about it?" Deng Chao said matter-of-factly.

Everyone in the car laughed.

Gao Yuanyuan leaned back in her seat, looking out the window. The setting sun shone warmly on her face. She suddenly whispered, "Director Yang."

"Um?"

"Thank you for bringing me here." She looked at him. "You're so handsome."

Yang Ning nodded without saying anything.

The car continued driving, and it grew darker and darker. In the distance, the lights of Cape Town could be seen, twinkling like stars, stretching into the distance.

It was already past eight o'clock when I got back to the hotel.

Everyone was exhausted, so they ate something quickly and left. Yang Ning went back to her room, took a shower, and had just lain down when her phone rang.

It's Li Bingbing.

"Director Yang, are you asleep?"

"without."

"Then come to my room?" She paused. "I have something to discuss."

Yang Ning hung up the phone, put on her clothes, and went out.

Li Bingbing's room was on the fourth floor, and the door was ajar. He pushed the door open and went in. She was standing by the window, wearing pajamas, her hair still wet.

"What is it?"

She turned around and looked at him.

"Director Yang," she said, "I've been thinking about something all day on the mountain road."

"What is it?"

"That crying scene with Leng Yue," she said, walking over. "I want to change it to her crying while smiling."

Yang Ning raised an eyebrow: "Laughing while crying?"

"Yes." She stood in front of him. "She looked out the window, knowing she couldn't go back, but she didn't want her teammates to worry. So she smiled, and as she smiled, tears started to fall."

Yang Ning remained silent for a few seconds.

"Show me."

She looked at him, her lips slowly curving into a smile, her eyes following suit. As she smiled, her eyes reddened, tears rolled down her cheeks, but her lips still curved upwards.

Just look at him.

A few seconds later, she wiped away her tears: "How are you?"

Yang Ning nodded: "Okay."

She laughed, and this time it was a genuine laugh.

"I'm going back to sleep now." She walked towards the door. "Goodnight, Director Yang."

The door closed.

Yang Ning stood there, looking at the door.

Laughed.

Turn around and go back to sleep