Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

Mid-May.

Lin Yuan was eating an apple in his dorm room when his phone rang.

Fei Zhao.

"Xiao Yuan, are you busy?"

"Not busy. Eating an apple."

"Then I'll get to the point," Fei Zhao said, speaking faster than usual, "When was the last time you released a song?"

Lin Yuan thought for a moment.

Last September. "Suspended".

It has been more than eight months since then.

"More than half a year is a long time for a singer who just won the Song of the Year award," Fei Zhao said, his tone like he was reading a financial statement, "It's too long. So long that the market is almost categorizing you as 'washed up'."

"He just received the Huabiao Award two months ago."

"The film industry remembers you, but the music industry has already started to forget you." Fei Zhao paused. "The company needs a new project, songs or albums are both fine. Do you have any in stock?"

Lin Yuan took a bite of the apple and chewed it twice.

"have."

What type?

"love song."

Fei Zhao paused for a moment.

"love song?"

"Um."

"Are you sure?" Fei Zhao's voice carried a subtle scrutiny. "Your last love song was 'Summer Wind,' which received good reviews. How about this one?"

"This time is different." Lin Yuan tossed the apple core into the trash can. "I'm not just planning to release a song. I'll also make a movie."

"...Are you serious?"

"Yes, I've already planned to release a song, make a movie, and release it on Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day)."

Fei Zhao took a deep breath.

"Lin Yuan, you just finished filming your last movie and won the Huabiao Award for Best Director. And now you're telling me you want to make another film."

"A romance movie?"

"What's wrong, Sister Fei? Can't we watch romance movies?"

"It's not impossible." Fei Zhao's voice was calm, but Lin Yuan could hear a volcano pressing down beneath that calm. "When you made 'Qian Xuesen,' at least you had real history to back you up, and the military and space agency were there to support you. What about romance films? Do you have any experience with that?"

"No."

Have you ever been in a relationship?

Lin Yuan paused for a moment.

"...Does this have anything to do with making movies?"

"Of course there are." Fei Zhao's tone finally shifted from calm to direct. "Someone who's never been in a relationship making a romance film—believe me, I could ask every director in the company, and not a single one would dare to do that. Aren't you afraid of ruining your reputation? 'Qian Xuesen' just won the 'Youngest Best Director' award; a bad romance film could shatter that."

Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment.

"Sister Fei, do you believe me?"

"I believe in your abilities. I don't believe in your ability to write about love."

"So, do you believe in the old scoundrel's abilities?"

Fei Zhao was taken aback.

"That old scoundrel? That old scoundrel from Mount Akina? Why are you bringing him up?"

"Because that old scoundrel is me."

There was complete silence on the other end of the phone.

Three seconds later.

When Fei Zhao's voice finally came through, it carried a tone that Lin Yuan had never heard before—a bewildered feeling that "my worldview is being reloaded."

Say it again.

"I am the old scoundrel of Mount Akina."

Fei Zhao took a deep breath and spoke rapidly: "You wrote both 'Zhu Xian' and 'Murder on the Orient Express'?"

"It's me."

"Lin Yuan."

"Um."

"Is composer, singer, and director Lin Yuan the same person as online novelist Qiumingshan Laopifu?"

"right."

"How many more identities do you have that I don't know about?"

That's all for now.

Are you sure?

"...It's roughly confirmed."

Fei Zhao chuckled softly, seemingly processing the matter.

"When I signed you, I thought I'd snagged a talented new composer. Then I discovered you were also a genius singer and director. Now you're telling me you're still just an old scoundrel from Mount Akina." Her speech slowed. "Lin Yuan, you really are someone I felt was getting a bargain by signing a contract with."

Lin Yuan stopped laughing and said seriously, "So, Sister Fei, do you believe in my ability to write about love now?"

"I'll reassess." Fei Zhao's tone had snapped out of his reverie and regained its businessman's composure. "'Zhu Xian' proved your skill in writing romance—the storylines of Bi Yao and Lu Xueqi were so moving, even I was heartbroken. But fantasy and real-life romance are two different things. How confident are you?"

"Seventy percent."

"Only 70%?"

You wouldn't believe me even if I told you ten percent.

"...Okay. Let me see the script first. Also, two and a half months for writing the script, assembling the team, casting, filming, and post-production—that's not enough."

"That's enough."

"You spent two months filming 'Qian Xuesen,' and that was with the cooperation of the August First Film Studio and the military; everything was prepared for you. This time? Tianxing is funding it? What kind of team are you using?"

"Old Zheng. Xu Heng."

Fei Zhao was taken aback.

The executive director of the last film, Qian Xuesen, Zheng Guodong, and the director of photography, Xu Heng, were the most difficult and professional technical partners she had ever met.

"They agreed?"

"I haven't asked yet, but I'll agree."

This confidence gave Fei Zhao a bit of a headache.

But she admitted that Lin Yuan has never failed to deliver when he said he would agree.

"Okay," she finally said. "I'll handle the budget and marketing, but you have to give me a final draft of the script by next week. If the script isn't up to par—"

"If you don't comply, then cut me."

"Cutting you off is too lenient. I'll make you an assistant director for the company's new recruits' music videos."

"Then I'll still guarantee the script will pass muster."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yuan stood by the window, watching the students strolling in twos and threes on the playground below.

That evening, Lin Yuan called Zheng Guodong.

Zheng Guodong was rushing to meet a deadline with a period drama crew in Hengdian. When he answered the phone, the background noise was filled with the lighting technicians shouting "One more take!"

"Director Lin?" Zheng Guodong's voice was filled with surprise. "What a rare guest! After 'Qian Xuesen' won the award, you seemed to have vanished into thin air."

"Uncle Zheng, there's a new project."

"What project?"

"A romance film. Releasing on Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day)."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, but the cacophony of lights only became clearer.

"A romance film?" Zheng Guodong's tone was direct. "Director Lin, I won't lie to you, when you were filming 'Qian Xuesen,' your control over the camera impressed me. But romance films are a different story—they require a sense of 'breathing,' something that can't be achieved with grand scenes and long takes."

"I know."

"You knew that, yet you still filmed it?"

"That's precisely why we're filming," Lin Yuan paused, "Uncle Zheng, please trust me this once."

Zheng Guodong remained silent for a long time on the other end of the phone.

"When will you turn it on?"

Early June.

"Early June?" Zheng Guodong's voice rose a half-octave. "That leaves only two months to prepare!"

"Squeezing in is enough."

"...You've said enough every time."

"That's definitely enough each time."

Zheng Guodong laughed: "Okay. Send me the script, I'll read it and then we'll talk. But there's one thing—if you dare write me that kind of artificially sweet idol drama, I'll smash the camera right here."

"rest assured."

After hanging up with Zheng Guodong, Lin Yuan dialed Xu Heng's number.

Xu Heng was more decisive than Zheng Guodong.

"A romance film? Sure. I was sick of editing 'Qian Xuesen,' it's nice to change things up. When are you sending me the script?"

"next week."

"Next week? You haven't finished writing yet?"

"I haven't started writing yet."

"...Lin Yuan, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about yourself? Last time you swore that 'this time it won't happen,' and then we stayed up for four days and four nights."

"Not this time."

"I'll wait and see." Xu Heng hung up the phone.

The team's arrangements are basically settled.

Next comes casting.

Since it's a youth campus romance movie, it's not unreasonable for him to play the male lead himself, and it can also save on the budget.

Female lead —

Lin Yuan took out his phone, scrolled through his WeChat contacts, and found the name "Gu Zhiwan".

[Lin Yuan: I'm making a movie. We need a female lead, are you interested?]

There was silence on the other end for about ten seconds.

Then news bombarded us—

Gu Zhiwan: ?

[Gu Zhiwan: What did you say?]

[Gu Zhiwan: You're going to make a movie???]

[Gu Zhiwan: You want me to play the female lead? ???]

[Gu Zhiwan: Lin Yuan, have you finally decided to arrange a female lead role for me? ???]

[Gu Zhiwan: I haven't forgotten about you asking me to play the mushroom cloud!!!]

Lin Yuan's lips twitched.

[Lin Yuan: This time it's not a mushroom cloud. It's the real protagonist.]

[Gu Zhiwan: What type of movie?]

[Lin Yuan: Youthful Campus Romance.]

[Gu Zhiwan: Who is the male lead?]

Lin Yuan: Me.

Gu Zhiwan: ...

[Gu Zhiwan: So you want me to play your girlfriend?]

[Lin Yuan: It's a character.]

[Lin Yuan: Will you agree or not?]

Gu Zhiwan: I agree. But you have to treat me to meals at the cafeteria for a month.

Lin Yuan: Okay.

Lin Yuan put down his phone.

Since we're making a movie, how could we leave out our brothers?

He turned around and looked at Qian Zhuangzhuang, who was squatting on the ground assembling a Gundam model.

"Zhuangzhuang."

"Um?"

"Would you like to act in a movie?"

The parts in Qian Zhuangzhuang's hand fell to the ground with a thud.

"Act...act in a movie? Brother Yuan, are you serious?"

"Really. There's a character on campus—the male lead's best friend. He's usually carefree and thinks he's incredibly handsome and insightful, but he's also incredibly loyal when it matters. He doesn't have many scenes, but he's the one who carries the comedic effect."

Qian Zhuangzhuang's eyes lit up, and he suddenly stood up, not even glancing at the Gundam model that had fallen to the ground.

"Carefree and irresponsible? Thinks he's handsome? Loyal?" He read each word carefully, as if listening to a brief biography of himself. "Brother Yuan, was this character written based on me?"

"It wasn't written based on you. It was written based on a real person."

"Isn't that just copied from mine?"

"...Pick up that Gundam on the ground first."

Qian Zhuangzhuang squatted down, carefully picked up the model, blew off the dust, and put it back on the table. Then he turned to Lin Yuan with a solemn expression.

"I'll act. But I have one condition."

"explain."

"Could my character have a scene where he looks cool? Like riding a bicycle against the wind and looking back—"

"cannot."

"Damn. I'll act then." Qian Zhuangzhuang had already started searching on his phone for "how to become an excellent new actor".

Lin Yuan looked at his serious expression and shook his head with a smile.

Then he remembered someone else.

Open WeChat and find Zhou Zixuan.

[Lin Yuan: Zixuan, do you want to act in a movie?]

[Zhou Zixuan: ???]

[Zhou Zixuan: Another movie? Yuan-ge, you're not trying to trick me into playing a beggar, are you?]

[Lin Yuan: No, there's a role that's perfect for you this time—a school bully who seems carefree on the surface but is actually loyal and righteous.]

[Zhou Zixuan: A thug? You want me to play a thug?]

[Lin Yuan: What, do you think it's difficult?]

[Zhou Zixuan: No, no, no, I feel this role was tailor-made for me. That ambiguous, both righteous and wicked, quality I possess isn't something I can act out; it's innate.]

[Lin Yuan: ...Take care of failing your courses last semester before you talk to me about temperament.]

[Zhou Zixuan: Brother Yuan, can you please not bring up this kind of thing at such a sacred moment!]

[Zhou Zixuan: I'll act! I absolutely have to act! When do we start filming?!]

[Lin Yuan: Early June.]

[Zhou Zixuan: Brother Yuan, I knew it! Every time you say "there's something," it's never anything good, but you always manage to get someone to refuse!]

Lin Yuan put down his phone and leaned back in his chair.

I thought to myself, this cast list is just bringing my friends from real life to the big screen, isn't it?

He smiled.

Perhaps the best source of inspiration for romance movies is what we see around us.