Huayu: The young actress is heavily dependent on me

"Sister Tiantian, let me get down to business."

Chen Li lowered his hands, which he had raised in a surrender gesture in fear of Jing Tian, ​​opened the folder, and said seriously,

Jing Tian also sat up straight and moved her teacup to the side to make room on the table for him.

"Take a look at this character design first." Chen Li pushed a page of character summary in front of her.

The text above describes the dual personality setting of the female protagonist, Qu Tan'er.

On one side is Qu Tan'er, the gentle and virtuous daughter of a high-ranking official; on the other side is Qu Xiao Tan, a lively, straightforward, and talkative real estate saleswoman who has traveled from the modern era.

Two souls live in the same body, switching at any time, becoming completely different people in an instant.

After battling his wicked stepmother, he fought the Eighth Prince, and after that, he took on the entire elite class of Dongyue Kingdom, unleashing his full verbal barrage without holding back.

Jing Tian stared at that page for a while, then suddenly couldn't help but chuckle.

"This character design is quite novel—I've never seen a female lead who is so self-righteous about her split personality before."

"It's precisely because I've never seen anything like it before that it suits you," Chen Li said.

"Sister Tiantian, you currently have 'Ban Shu Legend' in your hands, and 'Da Yu'er Legend' will be broadcast soon this year. Both of these roles revolve within the framework of solemnity, elegance, strength, and grandeur."

"Whether it's Ban Shu or Da Yu'er, the characters are too heavy and historically oppressive. If the audience watches too many of them, they'll feel that you're putting on airs and can't let go of your inhibitions. But Qu Tan'er is different."

"She's half a refined lady and half a modern chatterbox, switching between the two effortlessly and without any inhibitions. This contrast is precisely what allows the audience to see another side of your performance."

Jing Tian did not refute.

From last year to this year, her films "Special Identity," "Police Story 2013," and "From Vegas to Macau" have grossed a combined total of over 1.2 billion yuan, which has certainly sustained her commercial success. However, online opinions about her remain polarized.

Some say she's box office poison, others say she has no acting skills.

Lu Zheng wanted her to take on these big-screen projects to broaden her acting range, so he brought in Cheng Long, Donnie Yen, and Chow Yun-fat to play supporting roles for her.

No matter how well she performs on screen, the audience still habitually equates "Jing Tian" with "resource-backed actress".

The first half of 2015 was a delicate period of inactivity for her.

"The Legend of Da Yu'er" is still in post-production, and "The Great Wall" is still being filmed.

Taking on a light-weight web series at this time is not a downgrade of resources, but rather an active move to reach the softest spot in the hearts of the audience.

She has never proven herself in comedy.

"You have such a sharp tongue." Jing Tian picked up her teacup, which had gone half-cold, and changed the subject. "You just said this project is an IP adaptation acquired by Tencent?"

"Yes. 'Hilarious Pampered Concubine: My Lord, I'm Waiting for You to Divorce Me,' is a medium-sized IP under Yuewen. Tencent just acquired the rights, and its internal rating isn't top-tier," Chen Li frankly stated.

"But sweet romance dramas are a necessity in the online drama market, and this drama has a small production scale, so it doesn't have to bear the huge box office pressure and public opinion risks like movies."

"In this drama, what you need is to make the audience remember the character Qu Tan'er." He paused, then added earnestly.

"As long as the audience remembers Qu Tan'er, all your past controversies will be irrelevant in this competition."

Jing Tian put the teacup on the table without saying a word.

She lowered her head, her fingertip lightly tracing the edge of the character design page, her expression unreadable.

But this interesting and vibrant character, with her ability to switch personalities at any time, reminded her of some instinctive thoughts that occasionally popped into her head on set.

She would joke around with the crew and speak in dialect on set, but as soon as she was in front of the camera, those lively traits would automatically disappear.

She has never encountered a role like Qu Xiaotan, which allows her to be herself, in all her years of acting.

More importantly—she believed in Chen Li!

I don't know why...

"I'll go back and discuss it with Uncle Lu." Jing Tian closed the folder.

"But let me make this clear first—if I do get this project, you have to personally oversee the script. Don't just hand me a hastily written one."

Chen Li smiled, picked up the tea that had completely gone cold, and raised the cup to her:

"Of course. How could I dare to slack off on Sister Tiantian's leading role?"

Chen Li turned to the budget planning page in the folder, suddenly his smile faded, and his tone became unusually serious.

"Sister Tiantian, you're my senior, so I'll be frank with you." He pushed the folder towards her.

"I am very confident about this project - crossing the sweet romance genre, the female lead's dual personality setting, and Tencent's platform resources, all of these can make 'The Eternal Love' a hit."

"But as you know, after I left Sister Fan's company, I started working on my own. The money for the last drama hasn't arrived yet, and the funds I have on hand right now can't support a complete production."

Jing Tian paused, holding her teacup, and looked up at him.

"Unless I relinquish control and allow the platform to fill in the roles, change the script, or even replace the director, I'm not willing to compromise. This is my second series, and my first since becoming independent—what I want to film must be entirely up to me."

Chen Li's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear and resonant.

"So, Sister Tian, ​​if you really like the character Qu Tan'er—I hope you can stand by my side. Bring your investment to the project, and we'll lead it together."

"We can discuss the specific amount and profit-sharing ratio in detail, but I can assure you that this drama will become your representative work, not just another show."

Jing Tian put down her teacup, her gaze falling on the budget plan, lost in thought.

She remained silent for a while, then raised her eyes, slightly narrowed them, and a faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips:

"Chen Li, why are you being so attentive today? Bringing me projects and inviting me for tea—tell me the truth, is it just so you can get me to bring my own funding to the project?"

Chen Li nearly broke out in a cold sweat. Sure enough, Sister Tiantian wasn't just a nobody in this industry.

He immediately sat up straight, his expression ten times more serious than when they were discussing the project: "Sister Tian, ​​how can you question our relationship?"

Even if you doubt our relationship, you can't doubt your own abilities!

"I'm after your money, not you!"

Jing Tian: ? ? ?

"Pah! I'm after you, not your money!"

Chen Li got nervous and misspoke, so she quickly corrected herself.

"I only hired you because you're so outstanding! Bringing your own investment to the project was just a side effect, a convenient side effect."

"You are my first choice, money is secondary. Every word you just said was from the bottom of my heart."

Jing Tian was flattered by his praise, tilted her head back and chuckled:

"That's more like it. You're smart to know what's good for you!"

She's quite adept at getting roles by bringing her own financial backing!

Jing Tian didn't agree immediately, saying she needed to go back and discuss it further, even though she was already very tempted.

The main reason is that the female characters in this drama are really outstanding, and she really likes the female lead's personality.

Not bad, it was a pretty satisfying date—no, a collaboration!

She decided to go back and discuss it with Uncle Lu!