Huayu Entertainment: Starting with Exorcising Evil from a Film Queen

Chapter 91 Take your hand away! (3K)

If it's a commercial film, casting Yang Mi is a sure win, as she brings her own audience and buzz.

But putting her into a film like "Like Father, Like Son," which requires you to calm down and use micro-expressions and eye contact to convey emotions, would be a disaster.

Zhang Ze put the blanched tofu skin into his own bowl, subtly avoiding her gaze.

"I've already finished filming this movie."

He answered very decisively.

"Besides, this play isn't suitable for you."

"The characters this time are all middle-aged people in their thirties or forties, and they also have children. You look too young; you can't portray that sense of vicissitude."

"Next time, definitely next time!"

These words both praised Yang Mi for being young and beautiful and subtly rejected her suggestion.

Yang Mi was indeed very pleased.

She snorted and picked up another piece of mutton.

"You have good taste. I'm still a youthful and beautiful girl, I really can't play a haggard old woman."

She took a few bites, then seemed to remember something, and the smile on her face faded a little.

Yang Mi put down her chopsticks and took a tissue to wipe her mouth.

She looked around and lowered her voice.

"Now that you're running your own studio, there are a few things I need to remind you of."

Seeing her serious expression, Zhang Ze put down his cup.

"What's wrong?"

Yang Mi leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"My agent mentioned it to me a couple of days ago. Last year, the scandals in the entertainment industry were huge and had a very bad impact, plus we've had a lot of misfortunes here. This year, the government's stance isn't quite right, and they might be going to regulate the entertainment industry."

She held up one finger and pointed to the ceiling.

Zhang Ze looked at Yang Mi with some surprise.

He has an unfair advantage, so naturally he knows about this. He made this movie as a roundabout way to achieve his goal.

However, this is a high-level decision, and the official document has not yet been issued. Most people in the industry are still living in a state of decadence.

But Yang Mi's agent, Zeng Jia, was able to sense it in advance.

It must be said, he is indeed a remarkable person.

It's no wonder that he was able to keenly sense the changing winds at this juncture, and later leave with Yang Mi to build the vast business empire of Jiaxing, even betting against capital.

This keen sense of policy and ability to plan ahead is something that ordinary brokers can't match.

"Thanks, I'll be careful."

Zhang Ze raised his glass of plum juice and touched it to Yang Mi's glass.

Although he was prepared for this news, he felt he had to accept the favor Yang Mi did him by reminding him at this time.

"Don't be so polite. What kind of relationship do we have? We're sworn brothers."

She picked up her phone and glanced at the time, then scratched her hair in frustration.

"Sigh, I only have these two days of peace and quiet. My agent has already booked a ton of gigs for me: gigs, commercial performances, and a new script I'm negotiating. My schedule is booked for at least six months."

She lay sprawled on the table, her chin resting on the back of her hand, looking utterly dejected.

"Sometimes I really envy you, being your own boss and doing whatever you want. I can't do that; my contract is in someone else's hands, I'm just a money-making machine."

Zhang Ze smiled but didn't reply.

If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight.

Yang Mi's future rise to become a top celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry is also due to continuous exposure and resources.

She's complaining of being tired right now, but if you actually ask her to stop, she'll panic more than anyone else.

The two had almost finished eating.

Zhang Ze waved to the waiter to settle the bill.

When I stepped out of the hot pot restaurant, it was already completely dark outside.

The capital city was still bitterly cold in early spring.

Yang Mi hunched her shoulders, pulled the hood of her down jacket over her head, leaving only her eyes showing.

"Where to next?"

She turned to look at Zhang Ze, clearly not intending to go home.

Zhang Ze tightened the collar of his coat.

"I have to go back to the editing room. The film isn't finished yet, and I want to strike while the iron is hot."

"I'll go too."

Yang Mi immediately responded.

"I've never seen what an editing room looks like before, so I'd like to take a look at the working environment of a great director."

Zhang Ze looked at her eyes, which were sparkling under the streetlights.

The words of refusal reached his lips, but he swallowed them back.

"Okay, let's go then. But the environment is a bit messy, please don't mind."

"Tch, you saw me squatting in Hengdian eating boxed lunches, so who's complaining about whom?"

The two hailed a taxi and headed straight for an office building near the Beijing Film Studio.

We arrived at the door of the editing room.

Zhang Ze took out his keys and opened the door.

As soon as I opened the door, a strong smell hit me.

Yang Mi wrinkled her nose and waved her hand in front of her.

"Wow, are you cultivating immortality in there?"

She followed Zhang Ze inside.

The room was indeed small, only about ten square meters.

There were no windows, and the walls were covered with gray sound-absorbing cotton, making it feel somewhat oppressive.

A long table was placed against the wall, with two monitors on it and the computer case humming.

Next to it was a folding bed, with the blankets piled up haphazardly.

Waste paper balls and empty water bottles were scattered on the ground.

This is Zhang Ze's living radius for the past week.

Zhang Ze walked over, took his coat off the chair, and hung it on the hook behind the door.

"Please sit anywhere. There's only one chair, so please sit here."

He pulled out the ergonomic chair and gestured for Yang Mi to sit down.

He then dragged a round plastic stool from the side.

Yang Mi didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down in a chair, curiously examining the original film in the darkroom.

"So this is what film editing is like?"

She pointed to the colorful blocks on the screen.

"It looks like gibberish."

Zhang Ze sat on a small stool and reached out to hold the mouse.

As he moved, the images on the screen began to flicker.

"This is the video track, and this is the audio track."

Zhang Ze clicked on a clip.

The image shows a close-up of Li Xiaoran.

She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, the light and shadow casting shadows on her profile, her eyes empty and filled with despair.

Yang Mi looked at the screen, her playful expression slowly fading away.

Although there was no background music or color grading, the oppressive feeling conveyed in the scene still made her feel a tightness in her chest.

"Is this Li Xiaoran?"

She could hardly believe it.

In my memory, Li Xiaoran was always gentle and dignified, but in Zhang Ze's lens, the woman seemed to have her soul drained, and every strand of her hair exuded fatigue.

Yang Mi took a closer look and was somewhat surprised.

"The filming quality is really good, completely different from her usual TV drama roles."

"Film shots are different from television shots; they emphasize lighting and layering."

Zhang Ze stood behind her and reached out to grasp the mouse.

Because of the limited space, he had to stand very close to Yang Mi.

Yang Mi was wearing a down jacket today, which made her look a bit bulky, leaving almost no gap between the two of them.

Zhang Ze could even smell the fresh shampoo scent on her hair.

"I'll show you a sample clip that's roughly edited."

Zhang Ze pressed play.

The images on the screen are scrolling.

There was no background music, only ambient sounds recorded live.

The sound of wind, footsteps, and heavy breathing.

Yang Mi was quite engrossed in watching.

Although she doesn't understand editing techniques, as an actress, she can feel the emotional tension conveyed in the footage.

This doesn't seem like something a novice director would make at all.

The camerawork is mature and the direction is skillful.

The way they captured the actors' emotions, in particular, was frighteningly accurate.

"Why cut this section here?"

Yang Mi pointed to a spot on the screen that had suddenly gone black and asked.

"Leave blank space."

Zhang Ze's voice rang out above her head, deep and magnetic.

"Give the audience some room for imagination. Sometimes, not showing something is more powerful than showing it."

He spoke while operating the mouse and keyboard.

The sound of keyboard shortcuts being typed echoed in the quiet room.

To demonstrate, Zhang Ze had to bend down and rest his arms on the edge of the table.

This position trapped Yang Mi completely between him and the table.

Yang Mi was initially looking at the screen, but gradually her attention wandered.

The man behind her exuded a strong aura of hormones.

It didn't smell bad; in fact, it made her feel a bit hot.

The editing room had no windows and the air was not circulating.

The monitor was radiating heat, baking their faces.

Yang Mi felt her back pressed against Zhang Ze's chest.

Even through the thick down jacket, the tactile sensation was still clearly felt.

She turned around instinctively.

Their faces instantly drew closer, less than five centimeters apart.

Zhang Ze was staring at the screen when he noticed Yang Mi's movements and lowered his eyes as well.

Eyes facing each other.

The air in the editing room seemed to freeze.

On the screen, the scene cuts to a passionate scene featuring Hao Lei.

Although it was only a brief encounter, the ambiguous panting sounds amplified by the speakers in this environment sounded particularly jarring.

Yang Mi's face flushed red instantly.

She bit her lip, but didn't look away, still staring straight at Zhang Ze.

"Zhang Ze".

She called out softly, her voice very low, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

Just as Zhang Ze was about to ask a question, a warm, milky scent wafted towards him.

Yang Mi grabbed Zhang Ze's down jacket collar with both hands and pressed herself against him.

Two soft, warm touches landed on Zhang Ze's lips.

Yang Mi's hand, which had been gripping his collar, gradually loosened, and she weakly climbed onto his shoulder.

Zhang Ze's hands started to wander.

He was used to being on set.

Whether facing Li Xiaozai or Hao Lei, as long as the atmosphere is right, his hands will always naturally find the most comfortable position.

Down jackets are bulky and cumbersome.

His hand slipped under the hem of the down jacket and touched her slender waist.

Yang Mi's body stiffened abruptly.

Although she is usually carefree and doesn't watch her mouth, she is still a girl in her early twenties.

This level of intimate contact was a first for her.

She let out a muffled whimper through her nose, pressing her palm against Zhang Ze's chest, trying to push him away a little.

Zhang Ze noticed her resistance and slowed his movements, but did not stop.

Yang Mi was almost out of breath when she bit his lip hard.

The rusty taste spread in my mouth.

Zhang Ze, in pain, finally released her.

The two men pressed their foreheads together, their chests heaving violently.

Yang Mi's fair face was flushed as if she had just come out of a sauna, her lips were moist and swollen, and her eyes were misty, making her look somewhat pitiful.

Are you born in the Year of the Dog?

Zhang Ze licked the wound on his lips, his voice a little hoarse.

Yang Mi ignored his teasing.

Her pretty face flushed red, even her ears turned crimson, and she glanced down at Zhang Ze's arm that had slipped inside her clothes.

"Have you touched enough? Take your hands off now."

Yang Mi's voice was very low, tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.

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