Huayu: I rely on hit-movie tactics to interweave...

Chapter 81 Filming Completed

Bangkok at the end of August was as hot as a steamer forgotten on the stove.

When Liu Yu walked out of Don Mueang Airport, the humid air felt like a wet towel on his face, causing him to involuntarily take a half step back.

He stood at the arrival hall entrance for a moment to adjust, then dragged his suitcase towards the arrivals gate. A young Thai man was standing there holding a sign with a line of English characters written crookedly: "Mr. Liu"

— Super Body

Team.

Liu Yu looked at the sign, then at the young man. The young man smiled at him, revealing two rows of bright white teeth.

"Mr. Liu, welcome to Thailand. I'm Anu, the translator on set."

"Hello, Anu. Where's the car?"

"Outside, the air conditioning is on." Anu took his suitcase, his steps light and quick, as if he were dancing a dance only he knew.

The car drove out of the airport and onto the highway. Liu Yu leaned back in his seat and looked out the window.

The sky in Bangkok was hazy and gray, unlike the dry gray of BJ; it was damp and misty.

The GG signs along the road are written in Thai, mixed with some English and Chinese. Motorcycles weave through the traffic like a flock of agile water birds gliding on the water.

"After we get to the hotel, we'll rest for a bit. The crew is having a small dinner party tonight in Chinatown. Teacher Hong has already made the arrangements," Anu said as he drove, speaking at a moderate pace, as if reciting a list.

"Has Teacher Hong arrived yet?"

"It's been three days. He said he wanted to come early to familiarize himself with the venue, and he's already been training there with the choreography team for two days."

Liu Yu nodded and didn't say anything more.

He closed his eyes and felt the cool air from the air conditioner blowing on his face, slowly dispelling the damp heat he had brought from the airport.

The hotel was booked on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. It was an ordinary business hotel, not luxurious, but clean and quiet.

Liu Yu went into the room, put down his suitcase, and walked to the window to look out. The Chao Phraya River was shimmering with a turbid golden light in the afternoon sun, and several long-tailed boats left white trails on the water.

He washed his face, changed into a dry T-shirt, lay down on the bed, and stared at the ceiling.

He closed his eyes, intending to only doze for five minutes, but when he opened them again, an hour had passed.

The light outside the window had dimmed a bit, and there were two unread messages on my phone screen. One was from Zhong Lifang: "Have you arrived yet?"

"Was it successful?"

The other one was posted by Liu Yifei, and it only had a question mark.

He replied to Zhong Lifang first, then to Liu Yifei, "Arrived, just woke up."

She replied instantly with an "OK," and then added, "Will you come to the dinner party tonight?"

"Come."

"Then send me a message when you get to Chinatown, I'll be waiting for you."

Liu Yu glanced at the message for a few seconds, put his phone in his pocket, and stood up to straighten his clothes.

I don't look too haggard in the mirror. I've lost a little weight since I turned on the computer, but I'm in good spirits.

The lights in Chinatown are brighter than in other parts of Bangkok.

Rows of large red lanterns hung down from the eaves, casting a warm glow in the night. The traditional Chinese signs, illuminated by neon lights, had a bustling feel that blended Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

As Liu Yu got out of the car, a pungent aroma of stir-fried rice noodles, seafood, and charcoal filled the air, making his stomach rumble involuntarily.

Anu led him to a Chaozhou restaurant tucked away deep in an alley. The restaurant wasn't big; there were a few round tables set up at the entrance, and on the tables...

Several plates of cold dishes were already laid out on the turntable.

Sammo Hung sat in the main seat with a pot of tea in front of him and was picking his teeth with a toothpick. When he saw Liu Yu walk in, he put down the toothpick and waved to him.

"Director Liu, come, sit here. I've ordered some local specialties that you can't find in Beijing."

Liu Yu sat down in the chair next to him and glanced around at the people at the table.

Several members of the action team had arrived, with translator Anu sitting on the far side, but Luo Jing hadn't arrived yet.

His gaze paused when it reached the innermost part of the room.

Liu Yifei sat there, wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt, her hair tied in a low ponytail, looking down at her phone.

As if sensing something, she looked up, saw him, smiled slightly, and waved her hand gently.

"Brother Liu."

"How's your neck?"

"I'm all better now." She tilted her head, as if to show that she was fine. "I rested in Hong Kong for a week and had several physiotherapy sessions at the hospital, and now I don't feel any pain anymore. Teacher Hong said I can do some light movements, but not anything too strenuous. It was the right thing for you to do when you had me film dialogue scenes."

Liu Yu sat down in the empty seat next to her. "It's fine if you think that way."

She bent down, poured him a cup of tea, and handed it to him with such naturalness that it seemed like she had done it many times before.

"Don't worry, I won't push myself anymore. I'll rest when I need to, and use a stunt double when necessary. But there's one thing you have to promise me."

"What is it?"

"After filming wraps up, you have to let me film an action scene myself, without a stunt double. Even if it's only three seconds long, it has to be filmed by me. Otherwise, I'll be embarrassed to say that I acted in this movie if people ask about it later."

Liu Yu picked up the tea she handed him and took a sip; the temperature was just right.

"Okay. As long as the doctor says you're fine, you can film a short segment before filming wraps up."

The dishes were served one after another: boiled shrimp, curry crab, oyster omelet, stir-fried water spinach, and a pot of Tom Yum soup that smelled of lemongrass and lime.

Sammo Hung picked up a curry crab with his chopsticks, skillfully peeled off the shell, and said, "Director Liu, you're short on time here. Filming starts the day after tomorrow. I had the action crew go over all the action scenes, and there aren't any problems. You can check it out on set tomorrow and then decide."

"Okay. I trust Teacher Hong to handle things."

Luo Jing also arrived, wearing a floral shirt, his hair was a bit longer than when the film started, and he looked like he had just returned from a vacation on some island.

He squeezed down next to Liu Yu, picked up a glass of water, and drank half of it. "It's so hot! Bangkok's weather is even hotter than the mountain city when I was filming 'Crazy Stone'." He picked up the menu and flipped through it. "Director Liu, did you order Tom Yum soup?"

"I ordered it."

"That's good. I heard that the Tom Yum soup here is different from the one in China, and it's more sour."

Scarlett was the last to arrive, wearing a black slip dress and with her hair down. When she walked in, everyone at the table turned to look at her.

She sat down in the empty seat opposite Sammo Hung, picked up a glass of iced water from the table, took a sip, and then let out a long sigh. "I went shopping at the mall near the hotel today and bought two dresses. Then I realized that it seems like I can only buy dresses; I don't know anything else to buy."

Sammo Hung chuckled, "Then next time you shouldn't go shopping. Come with us to the film set; it'll be much more interesting than shopping in a mall."

The meal lasted very late.

After drinking some beer, Sammo Hung became more talkative, recounting several experiences he had while filming in Thailand. He recalled one time after filming, he was dragged by locals to participate in the Songkran Festival, where he was soaked to the bone before returning to the hotel. He developed a fever the next day and couldn't film, and was scolded by the producer for three days.

Luo Jing, who was listening nearby, laughed so hard that his chopsticks trembled.

Liu Yifei didn't say much, just listened quietly, occasionally picking up a piece of food with her chopsticks, occasionally taking a sip of water from her cup, and her gaze would occasionally fall on Liu Yu before quickly looking away.

It was almost 11 o'clock when the show ended.

The hustle and bustle of Chinatown hadn't yet subsided; people were still stir-frying rice noodles at roadside stalls, the crisp sound of woks and spatulas clattering together filling the air.

Liu Yu stood at the entrance of the restaurant, watching everyone get into their cars and leave one after another. Liu Yifei walked over, holding a plastic bag in her hand, and handed it to him.

"I just packed up a serving of stir-fried rice noodles. You can have it if you're hungry tonight."

Liu Yu took it; the lunchbox inside the plastic bag was still warm.

How did you know I'd be hungry at night?

"You didn't eat much at dinner tonight, you were chatting the whole time." She finished speaking and pursed her lips. "Well, I'll be going now, see you on set tomorrow."

See you on set tomorrow.

She turned and walked a few steps, then turned back. "Oh, right, Brother Liu, the owner of that fried rice noodle shop said if it's good, I can..."

Please recommend him.

She laughed after she finished speaking, waved her hand, and turned to walk towards the car parked on the side of the road.

The intensity of filming in Thailand is higher than in Hong Kong.

We start work earlier each day because we need to finish filming outdoor scenes before 10 a.m., before it gets too hot, and then move to indoor scenes after 10 a.m.

On his first day on set, Liu Yu experienced the Bangkok August sun.

After standing outdoors for five minutes, the back of my T-shirt was soaked with sweat.

The cameraman set up his equipment under a parasol. As soon as the lens cap was opened, sunlight streamed directly into the viewfinder, making the entire image appear washed out. The director of photography had to have a filter added to the lens.

Liu Yifei was in much better shape while filming in Thailand than in Hong Kong.

After half a month of rest and physiotherapy, her cervical spine has basically recovered to the point where she can move normally.

Sammo Hung arranged few action scenes for her, keeping them within a reasonable range. The big stunts were done by Ah Ling, while she did the lighter jumps and running herself.

She had no objection to the arrangement, arriving at the film set on time every day and leaving on time, reading in her RV during breaks.

They occasionally come out for some fresh air.

One day, after filming an outdoor running scene, she sat down on a folding chair next to Liu Yu to drink water, sweat dripping down her temples.

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, then turned to look at Liu Yu. "Brother Liu, after I finish filming this movie, I want to learn Muay Thai."

Why?

"I feel that the style of movement here is different from what Teacher Hong taught; it's more direct. I'd like to learn it and see."

"It's fine for you to go and learn, but take care of yourself first."

She smiled, screwed the cap back on her water bottle, and said, "I know. Let's focus on filming this movie first."

Midway through filming in Thailand, the crew encountered a minor but significant problem.

The original plan was to rent a closed street for filming a night scene, but the local government changed the notice at the last minute, saying that a religious event would be held on that street that night and it could not be closed.

The director of the grade was sweating profusely with anxiety. He walked back and forth in the grade field more than a dozen times and made seven or eight phone calls. Finally, he found a backup plan and changed the location to a small alley further away from the city center.

The alley was narrower, so the lights needed to be repositioned, but the resulting photos actually had a more authentic feel.

The lighting technician placed lights on both sides of the alley entrance, casting warm yellow light onto the mottled walls, making the entire alley look like an old painting.

Grade.

After watching the replay of the scene on the monitor, Liu Yu said to the production director, "Your anxious phone call resulted in an even better scene."

The department head wiped the sweat from his brow and said with a wry smile, "Director Liu, what you said makes me afraid to rush next time."

In the final week of filming in Thailand, the crew entered the final stage of production.

All the dialogue scenes have been filmed, and the action scenes are nearing completion. The final scene was filmed on a prime piece of wasteland along the Chao Phraya River.

The female protagonist completed her final transformation there, and then walked into the distance.

There are few lines in this scene; it relies mostly on facial expressions and body language to convey the emotions.

Liu Yifei stood in the middle of the wasteland, wearing a light blue long trench coat. The wind blew from the river, causing the hem of her coat to flutter slightly.

She stood there, looking up at the distant sky, her expression indifferent.

Liu Yu sat behind the monitor and called out, "Start!"

Liu Yifei didn't move immediately. She first confirmed something in her mind, and then she took one step after another, walking towards the edge of the wasteland.

His steps were neither hurried nor slow, and his figure gradually shrank in the rising sun.

Liu Yu didn't call "cut" until she walked out of the frame before pressing the intercom.

"That's enough. We're done."

The arena fell silent for a second.

Then someone clapped their hands first, the sound crisp and clear. Then a second person clapped, a third person, a fourth person, and finally the entire audience clapped.

Liu Yifei walked back from the barren land, her trench coat covered in grass clippings and dust.

She walked up to Liu Yu, smiled at him, and slowly changed her expression from the aloofness of her character back to her own. "Brother Liu, we're done filming."

"Filming is finished."

She reached out her hand, but changed her mind halfway through and opened her arms to give him a hug.

The hug was short, less than ten seconds, but very genuine.

Her shoulder rested on his, and he could feel the warmth beneath the fabric of her shirt, as well as the coolness left by the wind blowing across the back of his neck.

"Thank you, Brother Liu."

Before Liu Yu could speak, she had already let go, taken a step back, looked into his eyes, and smiled.

She turned and walked back towards the makeup cart, her steps becoming much lighter.

Liu Yu stood there, watching her back as Xiao Wan walked behind the door of the makeup cart.

Sammo Hung walked over and handed him a bottle of beer.

"Director Liu, filming's wrapped up. Here, have a drink."

Liu Yu took the beer bottle; it was ice-cold and had water droplets clinging to it.

He unscrewed the cap and took a sip, his throat jolted by the coolness.

"Teacher Hong, thank you for your hard work in making this film a success."

"What's so tiring about it?" Sammo Hung also unscrewed a bottle of beer, tilted his head back and took a big gulp. "Filming with you isn't tiring. What was tiring was when she got injured in Hong Kong. I went through more than a dozen emergency plans in my mind those few days. Fortunately, nothing serious happened in the end."

In the evening, the crew held a wrap party at an open-air restaurant by the Chao Phraya River.

The place was brightly lit, with long tables laden with Thai food and beer. In the distance, boats passed by on the river, playing music from their vessels.

Everyone was relaxed. The action team members were drinking. After a few drinks, Anu talked three times more than usual. Liu Yu heard that he could sing Teresa Teng's songs and forced him to sing "The Moon Represents My Heart." He sang it entirely in Thai, but he didn't go off-key at all.

Luo Jing had drunk quite a bit, and his face was a little flushed. He walked up to Liu Yu with his wine glass in hand and said, "Director Liu, this role was well worth it."

"If you ever have a role in the future, no matter what it is, just call me."

Liu Yu clinked glasses with him. "Okay. I'll remember that."

Liu Yifei sat at the other end of the table, a glass of juice in front of her, listening quietly to everyone talking.

She looked a little tired, but her eyes were bright.

As the wrap party was drawing to a close, she got up and walked to the riverbank, standing in front of the railing and watching the lights of the boats on the river.

Liu Yu walked over and stood next to her.

"Why is someone standing here all by themselves?"

"It's too noisy inside, let's go outside and relax." She turned to look at him. "Brother Liu, do you think the audience will like this movie when it's released?"

Whether they'll like it or not, we'll have to wait until they see it. All I know is our quality.

She leaned on the railing, her chin resting on the back of her hand. "When I used to film, I was always very reluctant to leave on the last day of shooting. Now..."

After filming wrapped, I felt—I didn't feel so reluctant to leave.

"The fog has ripened."

She smiled, and her shoulders twitched slightly as she laughed. "I suppose so."

After she finished speaking, she straightened up, turned to face him, and asked, "Brother Liu, after the post-production is finished, will we have another chance to film together?"

"Yes. As long as you're willing to film."

She didn't answer immediately after hearing that, but simply nodded and let out a soft breath in the night breeze.

"Alright. I'll look forward to your next film."

That night, Liu Yu returned to his hotel room and sat by the window, looking at the night view of the Chao Phraya River.

The river shimmered with tiny lights in the night, and vehicles passed by on the bridge in the distance, their lights casting long shadows on the water.

On the day filming began, the weather in Beijing was unbearably hot. She stood at the entrance of the dressing room, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes. Two and a half months have passed, and she has transformed from the person who slightly gripped the microphone at the opening ceremony into the person who stood by the river, smiling and saying to him, "I'll be waiting for your next film."

He looked away, closed the window, lay back down on the bed, and closed his eyes. The city outside was still buzzing—there were distant engine sounds and faint conversations, like a thin layer of background noise that wouldn't disturb his sleep.