Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

Chapter 90 I'm Not Like Someone Who Can't Handle It (3K)

For her, the more than one month of filming was both a physical ordeal and a spiritual baptism.

Zhang Ze stepped out of the crowd and accepted the flowers handed to him by Chen Zhixi.

He glanced around at the group of actors and colleagues who had stayed with him for a month, and let out a soft sigh.

The first step has already been taken.

Now, let's see what he does.

The wrap party was held in a private room at a seafood restaurant near Pan-Ocean International.

Champagne bubbles slid down the sides of the glasses, and the table was laden with lobsters and abalone.

For a low-budget film crew, this meal was considered a luxury.

Zhang Ze, holding a wine glass, moved between several round tables.

He had drunk quite a bit, but his face remained pale, showing no signs of drunkenness.

Hao Lei held a wine glass in his hand, the red liquid swirling at the bottom.

She turned her head to look at Zhang Ze who had walked to her side, stood up, and her heels stomped firmly on the carpet.

"Director Zhang, this toast is for you."

Hao Lei wore a deep V-neck black tuxedo today, with a thin silver chain around his neck, the pendant fitting perfectly into his collarbone.

Zhang Ze raised his glass, and the glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Lei."

Hao Lei tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

She put down her wine glass and, while adjusting her shawl, leaned forward slightly.

A neatly folded note slipped from her fingertips into Zhang Ze's suit jacket pocket.

The actions were discreet, and only the two of them knew about them.

"The filming is finished, but the actors aren't done yet."

Hao Lei's voice was very low, and a warm breath brushed against Zhang Ze's ear.

"Filming has been too tiring lately, I need to rest for a couple of days. When I miss you, or when you miss your sister, call the number here. I'm not like some people who can't handle it."

After she finished speaking, she gave Li Xiaoran, who was sitting on the other side of the main table, a meaningful look.

Zhang Ze reached into his pocket and pressed his fingertips against the edge of a piece of paper.

"Sister Lei, please get some rest. I'll definitely visit you when I have the chance."

Hao Lei smiled, revealing the charm of a mature woman at that moment.

She patted Zhang Ze on the shoulder and turned to chat with the other staff members.

Zhang Ze turned around and his gaze fell on Li Xiaoran.

The plate in front of Li Xiaoran was very clean, and she had hardly touched her chopsticks.

She held a glass of warm water in her hands, huddled in the chair, and looked somewhat haggard.

When she saw Zhang Ze looking over, she subconsciously moved her chair back a little.

"Why don't you eat more? Is it not to your liking?"

Zhang Ze walked over, pulled out the chair next to her, and sat down.

Li Xiaoran tightened her grip on the water glass.

"I'm not eating anymore. I just had my assistant book tickets; I have to rush to Hengdian."

Her voice was a little hoarse, and even with concealer, her eye bags couldn't be hidden.

"So soon?" Zhang Ze was somewhat surprised. "Aren't you going to rest for a couple of days?"

"I'm not taking a break anymore."

Li Xiaoran shook her head, her tone resolute.

"My agent got me a role in a period drama, and they're rushing me. Besides—I think the production team is pretty good. Even with wire work and all-nighters, it's still better than—"

She paused, glanced at Zhang Ze, and a slightly unnatural blush rose on her face, which she quickly suppressed.

"It's easier than staying here with you."

She was genuinely scared during her month-long stay on Zhang Ze's film set.

During the day, she had to act out scenes with dramatic emotional ups and downs, and at night she had to deal with Zhang Ze's endless demands.

She loves the feeling of flying among the clouds, but flying continuously for a month is something even an iron man couldn't handle.

Although the food was good, it was too good. She ate until she was stuffed. It was so good that she couldn't stand it. She would rather stay on the film set.

All she wants now is to find a proper film crew and film quietly, even if it means rolling around in the mud, it would be easier than being tormented by Zhang Ze.

Zhang Ze didn't insist on keeping him.

"Okay, then I won't see you off. Take care on the road."

Li Xiaoran felt as if she had been granted a pardon.

She stood up, not even bothering to greet the people around her, grabbed her bag and hurried out, her steps hurried, as if afraid that Zhang Ze would change his mind and drag her back to film a few more scenes.

Watching Li Xiaoran's almost fleeing figure, Zhang Ze leaned back in his chair and chuckled to himself.

After the wrap party, Zhang Ze did not rest.

He plunged headfirst into the editing room.

The editing room was located in an office building near the Beijing Film Studio, and the rent was calculated by the hour.

The room was small, with sound-absorbing cotton covering all four walls, and the air was filled with a mixture of coffee and cigarette smells.

Zhang Ze sat in front of two huge monitors, holding a mouse and quickly dragging the timeline.

Although he was the director, in order to save money and to ensure that the quality of the final film matched the images in his mind, he decided to do the rough cut himself.

On the screen, Li Xiaozai's face was magnified.

That feeling of despair and heartbreak is incredibly impactful in close-up shots.

"That's right."

Zhang Ze pressed the shortcut key to cut and splice.

Time flies.

He lived in the editing room for a whole week.

When I'm hungry, I eat instant noodles; when I'm sleepy, I take a nap on the folding bed next to me.

Stubble had grown out, and his hair was a bit messy.

Even though Zhang Ze knew about the finished film from his previous life and had reference answers, when a bunch of real films were placed in front of him and needed to be carefully spliced ​​together, the tedious work of working day and night was enough to wear down a person's patience.

Zhang Ze stared at the screen, then tossed the mouse aside in frustration.

Just then, the cell phone, which was lying in a pile of crumpled paper, rang.

The buzzing vibration sounded particularly jarring in the quiet room.

Zhang Ze closed his eyes, reached out and groped around on the table for a while, then picked up his phone.

Zhang Ze answered the phone.

"Feed?"

"Zhang Ze! Have you been kidnapped? If you've been kidnapped, blink twice!"

Yang Mi's distinctive Beijing accent, with a slight nasal tone, came through the receiver, and she spoke very quickly.

"I called you three times and you didn't answer. I thought you'd been abducted by aliens."

Zhang Ze rubbed his temples and glanced at the time on the screen.

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

"I was busy just now and didn't hear you. What's wrong, big star?"

"My filming has wrapped up, and I'm at home now. Which film crew are you on? I'd love to come visit you on set!"

"What a coincidence, I happen to be in Beijing, but I'm not on set."

"You're in the capital? That's great! Where are you? I'll come find you, let's have dinner together!"

On the other end of the phone, Yang Mi's voice was crisp and clear.

Zhang Ze told her his location.

"We'll be there in half an hour."

The call ended, and the dial tone remained silent.

Zhang Ze took a shower and tidied himself up before going out.

The afterglow of the setting sun was fragmented by the tall buildings and scattered on the asphalt roads of Beijing.

Zhang Ze got into a taxi and gave an address near the East Third Ring Road.

It was a Chongqing hot pot restaurant hidden deep in an alley. The storefront was small and there was no conspicuous sign. Only people in the know knew about it. Its advantage was its privacy and the owner kept quiet.

If Yang Mi hadn't given him the location, Zhang Ze wouldn't have been able to find it on his own.

Pushing open the heavy solid wood door of the private room, the pungent aroma of hot, spicy beef tallow wafted out.

There was only one customer in the shop.

The person was bundled up tightly, with a baseball cap pulled low, almost covering half of their face, and a thick cashmere scarf around their neck, revealing only a section of their fair chin.

But Zhang Ze recognized Yang Mi at a glance.

Hearing the door open, Yang Mi looked up and glared at Zhang Ze with annoyance.

"You've finally arrived! I was starving if you hadn't come soon."

She unzipped her down jacket, revealing a pink sweatshirt, and her somewhat childlike face was flushed from the heat.

The charcoal fire in the copper pot was burning brightly.

The red broth in the copper pot was bubbling away, and the rising white steam blurred the figures of the people sitting opposite.

Zhang Ze took the serving chopsticks, picked up a few slices of hand-cut mutton, and put them into the boiling broth.

The slices of meat changed color in the boiling water. With a flick of his wrist, he placed the slices of meat into the sesame sauce dish in front of Yang Mi.

Yang Mi didn't stand on ceremony; she picked up a slice of meat, dipped it in sesame sauce, and stuffed it into her mouth.

Its cheeks were bulging, like a hamster eating.

She swallowed the meat in her mouth and took a sip of the plum juice.

"What's wrong with you?"

Yang Mi put down her cup, her tone tinged with resentment.

"He disappeared right after the Lunar New Year. He wouldn't reply to my text messages or answer my calls. If I hadn't gotten through to him today, I would have gone to the police station to report him as missing."

"Where did you go?"

Zhang Ze cooked another plate of tripe.

He remained calm and hung the strainer on the edge of the pot.

"I didn't go anywhere; I've stayed in the capital the whole time."

Zhang Ze picked up a napkin from the table and wiped his hands.

"I had a sudden inspiration a while ago, so I wrote a script, put together a makeshift crew, and made a movie. We just wrapped up filming yesterday. I've been stuck on set for over a month and haven't had a chance to check my phone."

Yang Mi's chopsticks, which were about to pick up peanuts, stopped in mid-air.

Her eyes widened, her face filled with astonishment.

"Making a movie?"

She looked Zhang Ze up and down as if she were meeting him for the first time.

"You'll direct it yourself?"

Zhang Ze nodded.

"Yeah, I'll write the script, direct it myself, and maybe even play the male lead."

Yang Mi put her chopsticks back and tapped them on the rim of the bowl.

"Wow, Master Zhang. I was still stuck on set, suffering under the director's swearing, and you've turned the tables and become the director, swearing all over the place."

She leaned forward, getting closer.

"What type of film is it? How much was invested? Who funded it?"

A series of questions were raised.

Zhang Ze glanced at her, his tone casual.

"It's an art film, not a big investment, five million at most. I paid for it myself. It's just for practice."

Yang Mi pouted.

"Sure, you've made it big, you can come up with five million! Aren't you afraid of losing it all?"

Five million is not a big production in today's film industry, but it is definitely not a small amount of money either.

Although her salary has increased, she really wouldn't be willing to spend five million to create a sensation.

"And also, since you're making a movie, how come you didn't ask me to join?"

Yang Mi poked at the sesame paste in the bowl with her chopsticks.

"Although I can't waive my fee, we're friends, so I can give you a discount as a favor. I just finished filming recently, and my schedule is free anyway."

Zhang Ze paused slightly in the hand holding Baiye.

He looked up at Yang Mi's face, which was full of eager anticipation.

Are they casting Yang Mi in an art film?

The scene was too beautiful for him to imagine.

Yang Mi's signature covered-mouth laugh and her superficial emotional expressions flashed through his mind.

Yang Mi's acting skills are still on the verge of becoming formulaic, but she is more than capable of playing roles in ancient costume dramas and fantasy dramas, and she exudes a captivating charm.

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