Huayu: Tianxian Qianmeng

Ling Yuan: "..." Subconsciously pulled his hat brim down further, pretending not to hear.

Shu Chang chuckled to herself, hiding in the hood of her down jacket, her shoulders shrugging.

Liu Yifei lowered her head slightly, her long eyelashes drooping, and her face under the scarf looked a little hot.

The lights dimmed, and the big screen lit up.

The magnificent visuals and unique color aesthetics of "Hero" instantly captivated everyone.

When Nameless, played by Jet Li, duels with Sky in the chess hall, the water droplets freeze, the music is chilling, and the scene is breathtakingly beautiful.

"Wow..." Shu Chang couldn't help but exclaim softly, forgetting her disguise, she pulled down her mask a little to let in some air, "This action scene is amazing!"

"Hmm, the colors are used very boldly," Liu Yifei said, her voice barely audible, "The red dress amidst the yellow leaves looks like blood, and like fire."

Ling Yuan nodded and lowered his voice: "Director Zhang's visual storytelling is indeed groundbreaking."

Although opinions on Zhang Yimou vary from generation to generation, Ling Yuan, as an aspiring director, feels that he still learned a lot from this film.

Ling Yuan turned his head to the side and lowered his voice even further: "After 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils' wraps up filming, I'd like to try making one myself."

"Really?!" Shu Chang and Liu Yifei were immediately attracted, their bright eyes turning to him at the same time, full of curiosity and excitement.

"What movie? Can we act in it?" Shu Chang asked impatiently, her little fists clenched. With our relationship, it would be too much not to give us a lead role.

Liu Yifei looked at him expectantly, her eyes crinkling into crescents above her scarf: "Is it... a romance film? Or a martial arts film?"

Ling Yuan: "Horror movies. Like the one I wrote, 'Spiritual Movement: The True Story of Ghosts'."

"Huh?!" Shu Chang exclaimed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Ew~~~ Brother! Why are you making horror movies? Never mind, I can't act in them."

Liu Yifei pursed her red lips and said, "I won't act either. I'm afraid I'll have psychological trauma and then I won't be able to sleep at night."

Shu Chang leaned close to Ling Yuan and whispered, "Brother, you should make some more normal movies in the future, like romance films or something. We'll act in them for you for free!"

Ling Yuan laughed: "There's a chance. I believe you can sing for free, but as for Xixi, her mother definitely won't agree."

Liu Yifei: "I really envy that Changchang can make her own decisions!"

Shu sang, "I envy you having a mother to take care of you!" She was envious again.

Ling Yuan patted her shoulder, pointed to the screen, indicating that the exciting part of the movie had arrived, and so the three of them focused on watching the movie.

A barrage of arrows!

One of the most famous scenes from the movie "Hero".

On the screen, a dense rain of arrows poured down like a storm, blotting out the sky, accompanied by stunning sound effects, instantly drawing the three people's attention back to the screen.

Shu Chang and Liu Yifei both subconsciously held their breath, their earlier emotions dispelled by the visual spectacle before them.

The movie ended late at night.

The winter night was even colder, and their breath condensed into white mist. After watching the movie, the three of them had stomachs rumbling.

"Let's go get some skewers!" It's rare for me to bring two girls out to play, so we can't just go back right after watching the movie.

So, Ling Yuan led them to a bustling late-night food street near the cinema.

The air was filled with the aroma of charcoal and cumin. They found an open-air barbecue stall that wasn't too crowded and sat down.

在徵询过舒唱和刘艺菲意见后，凌远开始点单：「老闆，羊肉串、牛肉串各来三十，烤中翅9串、小鱿鱼9串、烤茄子1个、玉米3个、麵筋9串、生蚝6个、扇贝6个、鲳鳊鱼6条、韭菜3串、金针菇3串、小白菜3串……」

Finally, Ling Yuan ordered two more bottles of beer, a local specialty called "Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon".

The phrase "Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon" refers to the four wonders of Dali: the wind of Xiaguan, the flowers of Shangguan, the snow of Cangshan Mountain, and the moon over Erhai Lake. Naturally, the people of Yunnan registered this excellent IP early on.

Shu Chang and Liu Yifei each had a cup of hot orange juice.

The charcoal sizzled, and the glistening meat skewers were quickly served, emitting a mouthwatering aroma.

The three of them sat in the corner, then took off their masks, hats, and scarves and began to eat heartily.

Ling Yuan took a swig of ice-cold beer, while Shu Chang and Liu Yifei sipped their warm orange juice, their pale faces gradually turning rosy.

Shu Chang was struggling to eat a perfectly roasted chicken wing, her mouth glistening with oil.

Not far away, at a table, a young girl glanced in their direction, her gaze suddenly stopped, and then her eyes widened.

"Huh? You guys..."

Forgetting to eat the skewers in his hand, he nudged his companion, his voice low but unable to hide his excitement: "Look, look! Over there! Doesn't it look like... Xu Zhu? And Tong Lao and Miss Wang too?!"

Her companion followed the gaze and instantly became excited: "My God! Ling Yuan! Shu Chang! Liu Yifei?! It really is them! The Tianlong crew!"

Although the shout wasn't loud, it was heard by several neighboring tables, and all eyes turned to it.

The barbecue stall owner also looked over when he heard the noise, and his eyes lit up.

"Oh my, it really is you guys!" The boss rubbed his hands together, running over with a look of surprise on his face. "I'd heard the three of you were filming in Dali, I never expected to run into you, what an honor!"

His voice was loud and clear; now the whole stall knows.

That's the downside of being a celebrity; you're easily recognized, even though the three of them aren't super famous yet.

"Brother Xuzhu, Sister Tonglao, Miss Wang, can we take a picture together?" The fans at that table excitedly pulled out their cameras—well, they were portable point-and-shoot cameras.

These days, even a point-and-shoot camera can cost several thousand yuan, and it's a very popular choice among young people. It can be said that it's the dominant player in the mobile imaging market, with annual shipments exceeding one hundred million units.

However, once smartphones were introduced, point-and-shoot cameras became obsolete. What defeated them wasn't other competitors, but something else entirely—a disruptive force.

"Of course," Ling Yuan said with a smile, standing up confidently. Shu Chang quickly wiped her mouth and stood up with a grin. Liu Yifei, though a little shy, also nodded with a smile.

The three of them stood under the warm yellow lights of the barbecue stall, taking photos with their excited fans in a natural and generous manner.

The owner was incredibly enthusiastic, not only snapping several photos but also constantly asking, "How was the food? Was it tasty? Bring your friends next time!"

Not only did they give us an extra serving of clams wrapped in tin foil, but they also gave us a 50% discount at the end of the bill.

The other party originally offered to give the meal for free, but Ling Yuan insisted on paying, so they had no choice but to offer a large discount.

Fans will naturally treasure today's group photo. They will be even more proud to take it out a few years later, because by then, Ling Yuan, Shu Chang, and Liu Yifei will all be incredibly famous!

In her past life, Shu Chang took the wrong path. She studied an unrelated major in college and later went abroad to study. After returning to China, she faced a lack of acting opportunities and could only take on minor supporting roles.

Although he later succeeded in live-streaming e-commerce and short drama production, his achievements would have been far greater if he hadn't taken that detour.

So in this life, after having barbecue, on their way back, the three of them chatted about life and looked forward to the future. Ling Yuan's advice to Shu Chang was: Don't go abroad, stay in China, study at schools like Beijing Film Academy, Central Academy of Drama, or Shanghai Theatre Academy, majoring in a relevant field, and don't fade out of the public eye.

Shu Chang's grades aren't bad; it's not like she can't get into college.

"But my aunt and cousin are in America, and I want to go and be with them." Shu Chang has no parents, and her aunt and cousin are like her own mother and sister. Now she lives with her uncle's family, which is somewhat inferior to her own.

Ling Yuan: "Silly girl, you're all grown up now, you'll have to be independent eventually. You can visit them in America often in the future."

Liu Yifei also laughed and said, "I know America well, I'll go with you then."

Ling Yuan: "I'm going too!"

"What are you going there for? To meet my parents?" Liu Yifei glared at her!

"Wow, let's go to Hollywood!"

"Wow~" Shu Chang waved her little pink fist, "Take me with you then!"