Golden movie king

The box office of “The Legend of Wang Xuance” in the Mainland was finally fixed at 870 million, which was the consistent level of Chen Li’s movies. Compared with the billions earned by “Uncontrollable”, it was insufficient, however, the super high box office of “Uncontrollable” had its external factors, and it was not an exaggeration to call it a phenomenon. Of course, this did not mean that “Uncontrollable” was not a good movie. The fact that it had been shortlisted for the best film in this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards was enough to prove that it was an excellent enough and highly recognized movie.

The Hong Kong Film Awards have certain regional restrictions. Only Hong Kong films that are publicly screened in Hong Kong for the first time can be automatically nominated. To become a Hong Kong film, at least two of the three conditions must be met. The director must be a Hong Kong resident holding a Hong Kong permanent resident identity card; the production company must have a legally registered company in Hong Kong; and at least one of the staff working on the film must be a Hong Kong resident. These restrictions had to a certain extent hindered the participation of some Chinese-language films with good box office and reputation, so compared to the more comprehensive Taiwan Golden bell Awards, the influence of the Academy Awards would be slightly smaller. But no matter what, the Hong Kong Film Awards, together with the Taiwan Golden bell Awards and the Mainland’s Golden Bell Awards, were known as the three highest achievements in Chinese films.

Wang Yi, the director of “Uncontrollable”, was a Hong Kong resident himself. “Uncontrollable” was actually a joint venture film, so there was no problem of lack of qualifications.

In the Academy Award nominees announced in early February, “Uncontrollable” was nominated for a total of seven awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography. There were two nominations for Best Actor.

It was not common for a movie to be nominated for two Best Actor or Best Actress nominations, but it was not unheard of. However, “Uncontrollable” was a bit special. Due to the subject matter, it was destined to miss the Best Actress award, and the wonderful performances of the two male protagonists were also worthy of being nominated at the same time.

Before the Academy Awards ceremony, Phoenix Entertainment had an exclusive interview with the two leading actors of “Uncontrollable”: Han Yuan and Lu Yan.

Han Yuan and Lu Yan in the interview room were dressed very formally, but their postures were very relaxed and casual, and they did not have the nervousness of a “quasi-actor”. Han Yuan was a frequent visitor to the Academy Awards, so his ease was understandable; for Lu Yan, an actor who had been in the industry for three or four years and could still be called a “newcomer”, this composure was quite rare. But even though he debuted not long ago, he was still the winner of the Cannes Film Festival with a “Palme d’Or” in his hand. It was not surprising if you thought about it.

After the final promotion of “Uncontrollable” was completed, this was the first time Han Yuan and Lu Yan met. Before starting the interview, the two had already chatted, asking each other about each other’s current situation, chatting about recent plans, and some jokes were exchanged and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Han Yuan was already an old acquaintance with reporters from Phoenix Entertainment, and they had done several exclusive interviews, so this time the reporter focused on Lu Yan.

After the photographer was in place, the reporter started asking questions.

Reporter: First of all, congratulations to the two nominees for Best Actor in the Academy Awards. According to popular predictions, the two finalists are the most likely to win the award. How do you feel before the award?

Han Yuan answered first, still a little nervous: This is my first time to try such a subject. Being nominated means that it has been recognized by everyone, and it also means that my attempt is successful. I’m already very happy. As for whether I can win the award, it still depends on fate.

Reporter: If I remember correctly, this is the eleventh time Mr. Han has been nominated for the Academy Awards. You have also won the award five or six times before.

Han Yuan: Five times.

Reporter: The proportion of winning awards is very high. No wonder Mr. Han is so calm and composed. So what about Mr. Lu, how do you feel now?

Lu Yan: I like the acting industry very much. Every time I take a role in a film, I will try to figure it out and study it very carefully. The same is true for “Uncontrollable”. If you ask me if I want to win an award, I really want to. But it doesn’t matter if I can’t get it. I’m still young and I have plenty of opportunities. If it doesn’t work this time, it will be next time. If it doesn’t work next time, there will be another time. I’m happy if I get it, but I’ll try my best if I don’t get it, so I won’t be unhappy. 

Reporter: Who do you think has a higher chance of winning?

Lu Yan was the first to say: I hope we can win the award together.

Lu Yan and Han Yuan looked at each other and smiled. The Academy Awards allowed double wins, and there had been such experiences, but they were very rare.

Reporter: “Uncontrollable” is a very good movie. I went to see it when it was released. I watched it two or three times and bought the DVD for my collection. I like it very much.

Han Yuan & Lu Yan: Thank you for your support.

Reporter: You are a couple in the movie. I remember Mr. Han said that he did not make gay movies because he was afraid of being affected. How do you feel after filming?

Han Yuan made a joke: if I were more than ten years younger, I might really be affected. When I was young, I tended to get too involved in dramas, and I almost got depressed and had to see a psychiatrist. Now that I have been acting for so many years, I already know how to get out of the role. But I really like the feeling of being immersed in the drama, and I am very happy to try it this time. 

Han Yuan had been famous for a long time. His current status in the entertainment industry could not be shaken by ordinary scandal rumors, so he could express his thoughts more directly. In addition, Phoenix Entertainment’s reports were very original and would not deliberately distort or take quotes out of context to gain attention. If it were the paparazzi of a third-rate tabloid, perhaps the headline the next day would be “Han Yuan claims to be in love with Lu Yan and cannot extricate himself from the role.” Of course, ordinary third-rate tabloids had no chance to interview Han Yuan now. 

Reporter: What about Mr. Lu?

Lu Yan smiled and said lightly: I won’t change my sexual orientation because of a movie.

This was what he once said to Qin Feng, and it was also true. If this reporter was keen enough, he would find that there was something wrong with Lu Yan’s sentence, because the average person’s answer should be that I will not become gay because of a movie. But obviously, the reporter was not that keen, or did not care, so he did not continue to ask, but changed the topic.

Reporter: I heard that there was a poll on the Internet about gays’ favorite male celebrities. Mr. Lu topped the list, and was far ahead of the second place. What do you think about this, Mr. Lu?

Lu Yan: Thank you very much for your love and support for me. This shows that my performance has been recognized and affirmed by everyone. I will continue to work hard and repay everyone with better works.

Reporter: It is now rumored that Mr. Han has several plans, one is Huang Xing’s movie with Hong Qisheng, and the other is Qi Bai’s movie with Shen Feng. Have you determined which one it is yet?

Han Yuan: Nothing has been determined yet. The final script of Hong Qisheng has not yet been finalized. It is still in its prototype at this stage. The same goes for Qi Bai’s part. We all have to read the script before we can make a decision.

Reporter: What about Mr. Lu? I heard that your studio is preparing to invest in a movie. Can you tell us what kind of movie it will be?

Lu Yan: The preparations for the film have been basically completed. The official casting will begin in a while, and we will know then.

Reporter: Is Mr. Lu the default male lead?

Lu Yan: Basically yes.

Reporter: Have you ever considered becoming a director yourself?

Lu Yan: Not yet. My current goal is to play the role of an actor well first, and of course, now I have also added a producer. As for the director, I might try it if I have the opportunity in the future, but now is not the time.

Reporter: Finally, could you please evaluate each other?

Han Yuan: Lu Yan is a very good actor, and the two movies he worked with me were both very good. He is both talented and willing to work hard. What I admire most about him is that he can quickly get into the role and get out of the role very well. He was born to be an actor. In time, he will definitely become the best movie star.

Lu Yan: Han Yuan is one of the actors I admire most. I feel very honored to be able to work with him. I have learned a lot from him. I hope we will have the opportunity to collaborate again in the future.

On the day of the Academy Awards ceremony, Su Mo took a day to fly to Hong Kong. Lu Yan dressed up and went to the airport to pick him up. The weather in April had started to get hotter, and a coat or hat was too ostentatious, so he basically just wore a pair of big sunglasses as a cover-up. Although Hong Kong was a small place, there were many celebrities. People were not surprised to see celebrities wearing big sunglasses while shopping every day. Except for a few young boys and children who boldly come up to ask for autographs, there was basically nothing wrong with it. 

After receiving the person, the two casually walked around Kowloon. Normally, they rarely had the opportunity to go shopping together, either because time did not allow for it or their identities did not allow it. However, the two grown men were not interested in shopping. So the two of them just walked around the new and old cities in casual clothes, trying the local food and feeling whether the local people’s livelihood was like what was filmed in Hong Kong movies. This was quite a novel experience for them.

There were also several groups of fans who recognized Lu Yan and came to ask for autographs. At this time, Su Mo stood a little further away and waited quietly. When fans saw such a handsome guy next to Lu Yan, they were all trying to remember whether he was a not-so-famous celebrity, but after thinking for a long time to no avail, they had to believe that he was not a celebrity, otherwise someone with such good looks, once you had seen it, you would never forget it.

Some fans boldly asked Lu Yan who he was. Lu Yan smiled softly and replied “family”, and the fans took it for granted that they were brothers. Although they didn’t look alike, they were both handsome and good-looking. It was definitely because of good genes. Some fans pushed and wanted to take photos, but Lu Yan shook his head and refused. The fans could only leave disappointed.

The fan turned around and posted a message on Weibo, “I’m so lucky. I went to Hong Kong today and saw the male idol Lu Yan near Hung Hom. I asked for his autograph, but unfortunately I didn’t get to take a photo with him #grievance.” PS: The idol’s brother is also very handsome.” Soon, the Weibo post was forwarded by a large number of comments, and everyone’s concerns were different.

“What? The male god is near Hung Hom. I was there just now. Why didn’t I meet him? Damn!”

“What? When did the male idol go to Hong Kong? Why didn’t I know?”

“The right one is special. Today is the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony. Ji You, the male idol, has been shortlisted for Best Actor. Of course he is in Hong Kong now.”

“What? Lu Yan has an older brother, I haven’t heard of him!”

“wow, I only noticed that he is also very handsome, that’s all. If his appearance can reach the level of a male god, it must be because his family has good genes.”

“Well, although their temperaments are different, his appearance is definitely not worse than that of the male idol. To be honest, I prefer the one like my brother. At first glance, it looks like the cool CEO one. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear a sound. It would be perfect if it was the kind that is low and deep like a subwoofer and can make people’s ears pregnant. Ahhhhh, no, if I keep thinking about it, I will betray my male god. “

“No pictures, no truth, just talking nonsense.”

…..

Before the award ceremony started, Su Mo entered the venue first.

Lu Yan walked the red carpet with Han Yuan. When the two male idols appeared on the red carpet, the fans crowded on both sides almost broke their throats. In addition to calling “Han Yuan” and “Lu Yan”, there were also the names “Teacher Zhuang” and “Ji You” eventually became the only words left: “Together, together”.

Reporters on both sides kept waving to the two, “Look here, look here”, “Lu Yan, Han Yuan, stop here”, “Here, here, let’s take a photo together.”

After walking through the red carpet and reaching the signature wall, various media outlets were still waiting for interviews. One of the reporters asked with a smile, “Do the two of you dressed like this today count as a couple?” Han Yuan wore a black suit and looked calm and restrained. When you think about the characters and images in their movies, they really had a bit of a couple outfits.

Han Yuan and Lu Yan smiled at each other and answered tacitly, “It’s just a coincidence.”

After entering the venue, Lu Yan glanced around the entire venue and soon saw Su Mo sitting there quietly. Su Mo obviously sensed his gaze and raised his head to look in his direction. The two people’s eyes met in the air and lingered for a while. Lu Yan gently bent his eyes, and Su Mo couldn’t help but lower his eyelashes. When he raised his eyes again, Lu Yan’s eyes were still looking at him tenderly.

In the end, Lu Yan still sat with the entire crew and did not go to Su Mo’s side. His position was further forward than Su Mo’s. Although it was inconvenient to look back frequently, he could always feel the other person’s gaze and felt very stable in his heart.

The Best Actor award was relatively late. Among the awards in front, “Uncontrollable” only won the Best Supporting Actress award. The winner was Li Xue, who played Chen Yao. This was her first award in major film festivals. She was so excited that she burst into tears on the spot. Lu Yan smiled at Li Xue’s face and couldn’t help but think of the first time he won an award. It was a pity that although the Best Supporting Actor award at the Baicao Festival was the first award in his life, his mentality was no longer young at that time, and he couldn’t experience that kind of simple excitement.The Best Actor award he won at Cannes two years ago was well within his expectations, so it also diluted the joy of winning the award. Lu Yan did not deny that he had a deep desire for the Best Actor award tonight, as if this was the first affirmation in his two lifetimes. However, as he said in the interview, it would be gratifying to win it, but it would not be sad to miss it, as he was still young and had plenty of opportunities.

Immersed in his own thoughts, he clapped along with the crowd’s applause. He didn’t cheer up until the Best Actor award guest came on stage.

The presenter for the Best Actor award was Di Hong, one of Hong Kong’s most famous actresses and the winner of the two-time Academy Award for Best Actress. She was the comedy queen of Hong Kong. Her famous and representative works were comedy movies. When it was generally believed that comedians were not as valuable as dramas, she was able to win the Best Actress twice for her performance in comedy movies, which showed that her acting skills were very good.

One of Di Hong’s trademarks was her smile, which looked particularly funny and had a talent for comedy, but it was said that this was the result of many years of practice. Although she always showed a variety of bad images in movies, she was actually considered a beauty even in the entertainment industry where beauties were everywhere.

Di Hong wore a long black evening dress tonight, with her hair pulled up high to reveal her snow-white neck. She looked particularly white and beautiful against the backdrop of the black dress. 

Di Hong walked to the stage with a smile, chatted with the emcee for a few words to liven up the atmosphere, and then began to announce the shortlist. Although each of the finalists knew that they were shortlisted as early as early February, the complete list was only announced at this time.

There were a total of five nominees for Best Actor at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, namely Han Yuan for “Uncontrollable”; Lu Yan for “Uncontrollable”; Shen Feng for “The Last Day”; Chi Yuhan for “Love Is Never Too Late”; Li Nian for “Sunrise”.

Before revealing the final answer, Di Hong first joked with several winners, “Han Yuan, we are already old friends. As an old friend for so many years, I should have hoped that you would win the award. But you see that you have won so many awards, so you still have to give young people a chance. Let’s do this, if you win the prize this time, you can treat me to a meal later; if you don’t win, then I will treat you. Is that okay? “

Han Yuan, who was sitting in the audience, smiled gently and nodded amidst the roar of laughter.

Di Hong then smiled at Lu Yan and said, “Friends who are familiar with me know that I have a problem, that is, I can’t walk when I see a handsome guy. Lu Yan is the kind of handsome guy who can make me unable to walk. I like Ji You very much. I cried while watching the movie. To be honest, if I were ten years younger, maybe I would chase you. So, if you win a prize tonight, just buy me a drink. “

There was another burst of laughter. Hong Kong was not a big place, and most of the old faces at the annual awards ceremony were quite familiar with each other. Therefore, compared with ordinary award ceremonies, the atmosphere was less serious, and the award presenters were also very relaxed, and they could tell jokes without any scruples. Lu Yan nodded in agreement while laughing.

Next Di Hong also told similar jokes to Shen Feng, Chi Yuhan and Li Nian, and the tension on the scene disappeared in the continuous laughter.

After the joke, Di Hong opened the sealed letter in her hand, read the final result, then raised her head and said with a smile, “It seems someone is going to buy me a drink. The winner of the 39th Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor is——Lu Yan!”

When the final results were reported, Lu Yan’s ears suddenly buzzed and he couldn’t hear clearly for a while. After the applause started, Lu Yan was still sitting. It wasn’t until Han Yuan next to him patted him that he realized that he had won the award. Lu Yan stood up immediately and shook hands with the nearest Han Yuan. Han Yuan stood up slightly, hugged him, and said congratulations to him with a smile.

While Lu Yan shook hands and hugged the people congratulating him, he subconsciously looked for the eyes that had been watching him, and soon saw Su Mo’s smile in the crowd.

Su Mo didn’t come here specially, and he didn’t react much on the surface, but his dark and bright eyes seemed brighter, and the smile in his eyes seemed to overflow. He opened his mouth slightly and spoke to him silently. “Congratulations”.

Lu Yan, who was so excited that he was a little impetuous, immediately calmed down. He gave him a shallow smile, turned around and walked towards the stage.

Di Hong waited for Lu Yan to arrive on the stage, slightly opened her arms and hugged him, and said with a smile, “Congratulations.”

Lu Yan whispered “Thank you” in a low voice.

Di Hong temporarily took over the host’s duties for a while and interviewed a few words about the new Academy Award winner, “How does it feel to win the award?”

Lu Yan smiled slightly and said, “Very excited.”

Di Hong smiled and said, “But why can’t I see that you are excited?”

“Well, it’s probably because of my good acting skills. I told myself in my heart, Lu Yan, no matter how excited you are, you must act as if nothing has happened and not be too rude.” Lu Yan said with a smile.

Di Hong said, “Then you did a good job. Now, accept your trophy and you can start giving your acceptance speech.”

Di Hong smiled and took the Academy Award trophy from the ceremonial box and handed it to Lu Yan with both hands. Lu Yan also took it with both hands reverently.

Di Hong made a “please” gesture in the direction of the microphone, and then left the stage with a smile.

Lu Yan calmed down, held the microphone, thought for a while and said slowly, “Although I told myself to calm down, I am actually still very excited. This is not the first time I have won this award, but every time is a new journey, and every one definitely has a weight that cannot be ignored. I know that receiving this award does not mean that I have done better than others, but that everyone has given me more encouragement, and I will definitely continue to work hard with this encouragement. There are so many people to thank. First of all, director Wang Yi and senior Han Yuan. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, as well as all the staff on the crew. I am very grateful for the time we were able to get along and cooperate together. I hope there will be opportunities to cooperate in the future. I would also like to thank all my friends who voted for me, thank you for your recognition of me. Finally, there is one person I want to thank the most. I can’t name him yet, but this name has been engraved in the deepest part of my soul. “

There was a burst of “yo yo yo” cheers at the scene, and those with good friendship began to shout, “Say it, say it, say it!” 

Lu Yan smiled slightly, raised the trophy, put it on his lips and kissed it gently. His eyes fell across the crowd on the man sitting there quietly. Their eyes met, and they were so affectionate that they lasted forever!

Ke family

Lu Yan stared at the man for a long time, and finally nodded, “Okay.” After that, he walked towards a remote corner.

The man followed immediately. Su Jue thought for a while and followed, but he stayed far away and didn’t get too close.

When there was almost no one around, Lu Yan stopped, turned around and said calmly, “Just here, tell me if you have anything to say.”

The look on the man’s beautiful face was a little distorted. After struggling for a while, he said, “Do you know that something happened to the Ke family?”

Lu Yan vaguely remembered that when he was in the private room just now, Chen Yue seemed to have mentioned something to him about the Ke family not doing well recently, but he didn’t pay attention.

Lu Yan shook his head, “I don’t know, and I don’t care. If that’s all you want to say, I have to leave first.”

“Lu Yan,” the man stopped the man who was about to walk away with an indifferent expression, he gritted his teeth and said, “You are also a member of the Ke family…”

Lu Yan stopped and raised the corners of his mouth with sarcasm and ridicule, “You seem to have made a mistake, Young master Ke Yuzhuo. My surname is Lu, not Ke. The Ke family has nothing to do with me.”

Ke Yuzhuo frowned, “No matter what, you are also my father’s son, and the blood flowing in your body is the blood of the Ke family.”

“What? You want me to learn how Nezha1¹ removes bones and returns blood? Sorry, I can’t do that.” Lu Yan said sarcastically.

Ke Yuzhuo opened his mouth, then endured it and lowered his voice, “Someone wants to acquire Shengtian Group.” Shengtian Group was the Ke family’s company.

Lu Yan felt angry and funny, “What does this have to do with me? I didn’t acquire it, and I don’t have the ability. What’s the use of telling me this.”

Just as Lu Yan was about to leave, Ke Yuzhuo called out again, “It’s Su Mo.”

Lu Yan stopped and Ke Yuzhuo continued, “It’s Su Mo who wants to acquire Shengtian.”

Ke Yuzhuo stared at Lu Yan, “Did you ask him to do this? If you were dissatisfied with me, you could attack me directly. Why did you touch Shengtian? You hate us so much? Dad planned to let you go back, but you refused to go back to the Ke family. Do you have to destroy the Ke family to be satisfied? “

Ke Yuzhuo was heart-wrenching every word, but Lu Yan only felt tired. He was silent for a while and said calmly, “I will only say it once. I didn’t do it. It’s up to you to believe it or not.”

Ke Yuzhuo also smiled sarcastically, “As for the relationship between you and Su Mo, who are you kidding when you say you don’t know! Acquiring Shengtian is not a simple matter. Su Mo is not doing it for you, so why bother?”

When Lu Yan heard this, he put away his subtle feelings and said coldly, “We don’t need to explain our affairs to you. Whether you believe it or not, I don’t care.”

“If it’s really not you who did it, then just let him stop.” Ke Yuzhuo said matter-of-factly.

Lu Yan looked at him as if he was watching a joke, “I don’t want to deal with the Ke family because I don’t care about the Ke family at all, and I’m too lazy to worry about you. However, it does not mean that I will save the Ke family. The relationship between Su Mo and me has nothing to do with whether he wants to acquire Shengtian Group. I won’t interfere with his decision. “

“Are you afraid that you won’t be able to interfere?” Ke Yuzhuo shouted crazily, “What do you think you are? You are just a butt seller who climbs into a man’s bed. How much do you think Su Mo cares? You, wait until he gets tired of playing and see what happens to you.”

Lu Yan looked at him expressionlessly, as if he were looking at a mad dog. People would not care about a dog, let alone take it to heart when a dog barks.

Ke Yuzhuo wanted to say something even more unpleasant, but a fist was already punching his face, interrupting all his words at once. Ke Yuzhuo wanted to fight back, but the other party didn’t give him a chance. He punched him in the face one after another, so hard that he had to squat down holding his head.

The person who took action was not Lu Yan, but Su Jue who followed later. He could listen calmly at first. He knew a little bit about the relationship between Lu Yan and the Ke family. No matter how disapproving he was, it was still their family matter. But Ke Yuzhuo’s words became more and more unpleasant, and the last few words touched a certain nerve in him, and he couldn’t help but punch him.

Ke Yuzhuo was caught off guard, and Su Jue was really angry again. In normal times, the two of them could at least be evenly matched and not be so one-sided.

Su Jue saw that Ke Yuzhuo had no power to fight back, so he stopped and just taught him a lesson. Su Jue saw that Ke Yuzhuo had no power to fight back, so he stopped and just taught him a lesson. It didn’t look like he had caused any trouble. He knelt down and patted Ke Yuzhuo’s head, “Surname Ke, a member of the Su family is not someone that you can mess with. Watch your mouth. No dog can spit out ivory.2²“

The Su family’s protection of shortcomings was ingrained in the bones of every Su family member.

The commotion here attracted Chen Yue’s group who had just walked out of the Golden Palace. They gathered around and asked what happened and if they wanted help. Lu Yan smiled faintly, shook his head and said it had been solved, it was okay. Just as the driver’s car arrived, Lu Yan and Su Jue got in first.

The others gradually dispersed. Some people recognized Ke Yuzhuo who was still squatting there, and some people didn’t, but no one came forward to take a look.

Ke Yuzhuo sat down on the ground in despair. He didn’t want to make things so bad. He really wanted to reconcile with Lu Yan, and was even willing to beg him in a low voice, as long as he could save the Ke family. But for some reason, he couldn’t control his emotions when he met Lu Yan.

Ke Yuzhuo’s life had been smooth for more than twenty years. Compared with the many troubles in the families of ordinary rich people, the Ke family was really clean. His father was not only gentle, but also loyal to his wife and family, and had never had an affair with another woman. Although his mother had a bad temper, she was very doting on himself. In the eyes of outsiders, the Ke family was once a model family, with a loving father and filial son, and a loving husband and wife. Ke Yuzhuo had always been proud of having such a father and such a family. Although in the eyes of many people, Ke’s father was too gentle and not decisive enough, Ke Yuzhuo felt that such a father was just right.

However, the existence of Lu Yan accidentally broke this illusion. Ke Yuzhuo not only couldn’t accept that his father had an illegitimate child outside, but what was even more unacceptable was that the perfect father and perfect family in his mind turned out to be a scam. But the trust and admiration he had for his father for so many years prevented him from resenting him, so he turned all his anger towards Lu Yan.

He had never used such despicable methods to deal with anyone, Lu Yan was the only one. He was not a person who would easily get angry, but Lu Yan always made him lose control. He didn’t like to hurt others with his words, but he always said bad words to Lu Yan. To him, Lu Yan was a stain in his life that he would never be happy with until he got rid of it.

But now, it would be their Ke family who would be eliminated. Ke Yuzhuo couldn’t tell whether he felt more regretful or more desperate. He didn’t know, if he had known such an outcome in advance, would he still have provoked Lu Yan? He was afraid it would still happen.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps, and the last pair of feet stopped in front of him. Ke Yuzhuo looked up, and it was Lu Yan who had left and returned.

Lu Yan still had no expression. He looked at Ke Yuzhuo for a while and handed a bank card to his hand, “Your father gave this to my mother back then. But over the years, neither my mother nor I have ever cared about it. It has not been touched or even looked at. Please return it to him for me. I have never had the intention to deal with the Ke family, not before, not now, and never in the future. Believe it or not is up to you. But I hope that we will never have anything to do with each other again. “

Until the footsteps gradually faded away, Ke Yuzhuo still held the card and stared at it blankly.

Along the way, Lu Yan didn’t look particularly good, and Su Jue didn’t dare to offend him. After sending a few messages to his elder brother to explain the situation, he sat down with his ears and nose in mind.

As soon as he returned to Su’s house, Aunt Fang told Lu Yan that Su Mo was waiting for him in the study. Lu Yan thanked him and walked straight to the study. Su Jue originally wanted to follow him and listen to what was going on, but in the end he decided against it.

Lu Yan opened the study door and walked in. Su Mo was sitting behind the desk, spinning a pen in his hand and thinking about something. Hearing the sound and looking up, he saw Lu Yan coming in.

Su Mo didn’t mince words and said directly, “Do you want to ask me about the Ke family?”

Lu Yan had long been used to Su Mo’s directness and nodded, “I’m a little curious.”

Su Mo said, “The Shengtian Group’s acquisition case is now in my hands. This is a fact.”

“Yeah.” Lu Yan responded, as if Su Mo just said that the weather was nice today and there was no special reaction.

Su Mo thought for a moment and then said, “I didn’t tell you in advance because I was afraid of embarrassing you. After you told me about the Ke family last time, I started to pay attention to them. Some time ago, I discovered that someone secretly used some tricks to acquire Shengtian. The guy from the Ke family was really not a business person, so he didn’t notice such tricks. I just stopped it, so now the acquisition case is in my hands. “

Lu Yan smiled, walked over and put his hands on the back of the other person’s chair, “I’m just curious, nothing else. You don’t need to explain anything to me. I believe in you and support all your decisions.”

Su Mo relaxed a little without even noticing it, and continued, “Actually, there is no internal problem with Shengtian. As long as I let go, they can still survive.”

Lu Yan finally understood and suddenly said, “You were afraid that I would care about our blood relationship and want to help them, so you took control in advance.”

Su Mo smiled and said, “This is also profitable for me.”

“But relatively speaking, the profit will be greater if we acquire Shengtian. You also said that there are no problems within the company itself.” Lu Yandao.

Su Mo didn’t hide it, nodded and said, “You can say that.”

Lu Yan looked at him and said seriously, “Then, you can do whatever you want, don’t worry about my feelings. I have neither hatred nor love for the Ke family. I don’t want revenge, and I won’t help them. If acquiring Shengtian is more beneficial to you, you don’t need to let go because of me; if it’s unprofitable on the other hand, you don’t need to worry about them because of me. “

Su Mo hesitated for a while, “But, after all, you are…”

Lu Yan smiled coldly, “If it comes to that and he wants to live on the street, I can give him a bite of food and a place to live. I don’t mind raising him until he is old, just as repaying him for the sperm he contributed back then. But other than that, the Ke family is just a stranger to me.”

Su Mo nodded, “Okay, I understand.”

In the end, Su Mo gave up the acquisition, but only made Shengtian Group pay a sufficient price. After this incident, the Ke family’s vitality was seriously damaged, but Ke Yuzhuo became a lot wiser because of it. He went to work in the group peacefully, no longer hung out with those young men, and never caused trouble to Lu Yan again.

It was not that Su Mo was soft-hearted, he just didn’t want to cause trouble. Although Lu Yan said not to worry about his feelings, how could Su Mo really do it? Whether it was paying attention to the Ke family, intervening in the acquisition case, or the final peace talks, it was all because of Lu Yan. Su Mo did not kill the Ke family. On the one hand, he knew that no matter what he said, Lu Yan was not a cruel person. On the other hand, the relationship between Lu Yan and the Ke family was complicated after all. If he did anything to the Ke family, and if someone revealed his relationship with the Ke family in the future, there would always be some uninformed people with a mother’s heart who would accuse Lu Yan of being heartless. Su Mo didn’t want Lu Yan to bear such a stigma, not at all. 

Su Mo didn’t tell Lu Yan specifically about the follow-up to this matter, and Lu Yan didn’t ask again. There had been such a tacit understanding between them for a long time.

After that conversation, the Ke family was forgotten by them. It had never affected them before and would never do so in the future.

Notes

1. Nezha is a protection deity in Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese folk religion. In short in order to save his friends he fights with a deity, in turn the deity threatens his hometown, to save his family and the people, Nezha killed himself then, carving up his own flesh and dismembering his bones “returning” these to his parents in repayment for the debt of his birth. more info  ↩︎
2. It’s a metaphor for people who don’t speak well and can’t say good things. ↩︎

Proposal

On New Year’s Eve this year, the number of people attending the family dinner at the Su family’s old house was the same as last year, neither increasing nor decreasing. However, the first ones to arrive this year were not Lu Yan and Su Mo, but Su Jue, and they were not even the second ones.

When Lu Yan and Su Mo arrived at the Su family’s old residence, Su Jue was chatting with Su Xi and Su Lang in the hall. To be precise, it was Su Jue and Su Lang who were chatting, with Su Xi sitting beside him with his hands crossed. Su Xi still didn’t like Su Jue and was at loggerheads with him, but he would not be sarcastic or arrogant when they met again. Su Xi didn’t take the initiative to provoke, so Su Jue didn’t bother to pay attention to him. 

When Su Mo and Lu Yan walked in, the three of them stood up and called Su Mo respectfully, “Brother.” Su Mo nodded slightly in response.

Su Jue saw that Lu Yan was also very affectionate and said hello, “Hi, Lu Yan.” Lu Yan also smiled at him naturally and affectionately. The two had become very close since that race. Su Jue was truly convinced of Lu Yan, and since his eldest brother was so devoted to this “brother-in-law”, he, as his younger brother, couldn’t hold him back. As for Lu Yan, he didn’t have any objections to Su Jue. The other party was his “brother-in-law”. Whether he was a monk or a Buddha, he should get along well with him, right?

Su Xi and Su Lang hesitated for a while about Lu Yan. They didn’t know what to call Lu Yan more appropriately. They looked at each other and whispered, “Brother Lu.”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Just call me by my name.”

In fact, Lu Yan’s current biological age was similar to theirs, or even a little younger, but he looked relatively calm, and had a special relationship with Su Mo. Su Xi and Su Lang inevitably regard themselves as juniors.

Su Mo knew that he was present and they were inevitably a little cautious, so he smiled and said, “You guys talk first, I’ll go see how Aunt Fang is getting ready.”

Lu Yan immediately said, “I’ll go with you.”

“No need.” Su Mo smiled and said softly, “You can play here with them for a while.”

Lu Yan knew that he couldn’t help much if he went, so he stopped insisting, nodded and said with a smile, “That’s fine.”

After Su Mo left, Su Jue and Lu Yan had nothing to do with each other. Su Xi and Su Lang obviously relaxed a lot and became affectionate with Lu Yan. Although Lu Yan had already said to call him by name, they still shouted “Brother Lu”.

The four of them chatted for a while and gradually became familiar with each other. Su Xi modestly apologized for his rude remarks to Lu Yan here last year. Although he had humbled himself under Su Mo’s majesty at that time, he didn’t really mean it. Now he had sincerely surrendered to Lu Yan.

“Brother Lu, you showed your skills last time, and we all admired you. At first, that boy Chen Yue was a little unwilling, but then you donated the car in his name, which earned the Chen family a lot of face. I heard from Chen Yue that their old man praised him very much, saying that he had good taste and was good at making friends. He is now your number one fan. Last time, the guy named Ke said bad things about you, so he led someone to beat him up, not to mention how hard it was. He asked me to ask you if he could repay you the favor. He wanted to treat you once.” Su Xi was still very good at talking if he wanted to, and he could explain things clearly in a few words. Regardless of whether he knew about the grudge between Lu Yan and the Ke family, it was obvious that Ke Yuzhuo didn’t like Lu Yan. He first told Lu Yan about Chen Yue venting his anger for him, and then the invitation to dinner, giving him face.

Lu Yan obviously understood and smiled, “I’m free these days, you can make arrangements.”

“Brother Lu is so nice. Then I’ll tell Chen Yue right away. He will be extremely happy.” Su Xi said and went to the side to make a phone call.

After a while, he came back and asked, “Brother Lu, we will be at the Golden Palace at seven o’clock in the evening on the third day of the Lunar New Year. Is that okay?” The phone in his hand was obviously not hung up yet.

Lu Yan nodded, “No problem.”

Su Xi responded and continued talking on the phone.

Su Jue looked at Lu Yan and said deliberately, “You are so courageous. Aren’t you afraid that people will throw a Hongmen banquet1¹ for you?”

“Ha,” Lu Yan smiled, “They don’t dare, and there is no need. Besides, the place is in the Golden Palace, so I have nothing to be afraid of.”

“Well, I forgot. Last time you single-handedly beat up the boy named Ke in the Golden Palace. So, you and Young master He have a very good relationship. He can support you like this.” Su Jue said.

“Not bad.” Lu Yan smiled lightly.

Su Jue praised, “Lu Yan, I really admire you more and more. There are not many people who can make Young master He look right at him. Apart from the eldest brother, I haven’t heard of anyone else who has a good relationship with him.” 

“Really? I think he is easy to get along with.” Lu Yan raised his eyebrows.

“Hey, hey, that’s not kind of you. It’s easy for you to get it and act like a good boy.” Su Jue protested.

Lu Yan laughed softly.

On the evening of the third day of the lunar month, Lu Yan arrived at the Golden Palace on time at the agreed time, and Su Jue also came with him. It was inconvenient for Su Mo to appear on such an occasion. If he came, those rich kids would inevitably be cautious. Anyway, the Golden Palace was He Ming’s territory. No one dared to find trouble with Lu Yan here. With Su Jue following him, there was nothing to worry about.

Lu Yan and the others arrived on time, and the others had already been waiting. In addition to Chen Yue, Su Xi, and Su Lang, there were five or six young people in the private room, almost all of whom they had met that night. They didn’t call some young ladies and young gentlemen to accompany them for drinks. The relationship between Lu Yan and Su Mo was no longer a secret among this group of people. Even if they wanted to please Lu Yan, they would not dare to make any mistakes in this regard. Even thinking about cuckolding Director Su was terrifying. Besides, Lu Yan didn’t look like a person who liked this, so it would be self-defeating.

Sure enough, Lu Yan was very satisfied with such a quiet arrangement. After the round of drinking, Lu Yan’s good drinking capacity gave everyone another reason to admire him.

Men all admire strength, especially those from rich families who come from extraordinary families but have no power. The reason why they admired Su Mo was because at such a young age, Su Mo was able to protect his position in the midst of thorns, create a broader world for the Su family, and show his ability as a man, and not just because he was the head of the Su family and the dictator of the Su Group.

Therefore, after Lu Yan knocked down Ke Yuzhuo with one punch and showed his physical strength, showed his skills and courage while racing, and showed his magnanimity and grace with a frank and candid attitude at the charity auction,it was not difficult to understand that he would become the new idol in the hearts of these young people.

Chen Yue came over with a wine glass, “Brother Lu, let me toast you. Thank you for making me famous last time. I owe you a favor.”

Lu Yan clinked glasses with him and said with a smile, “It’s not that serious. I’m just telling the truth.”

Chen Yue said seriously, “Brother Lu, it may be insignificant to you, but it is very important to me. I was about to be imprisoned by my father and brother, but you rescued me. And it was still the first time I heard my dad praise me like that, it’s all thanks to you, Brother Lu.”

Lu Yan knew that if he tried to shirk it, he would be looking down on the other party, so he simply accepted the other party’s gratitude.

After three rounds of drinking, everyone started to drink more and more, and gradually began to express their feelings.

“Chen Yue, your old man even praised you, but my old man has despaired for me. The old man was still yelling at me the day before yesterday. As long as I don’t take drugs, I can do whatever I want, and I won’t be able to interfere with the company anymore. Isn’t it just that I messed up a project? What a big deal! Am I not his biological son anymore? How can he say that to me? “

“Hehe, you just messed up a project. What a way to say. Xu Bing, I heard that you lost tens of millions on that project. You are really rich. It’s your family that was the loser. If you were the one in my family, I could kick you out in a minute. “

“Come on, don’t make a fool of yourself. Your situation is not much better than mine. You also have a capable brother above you. I see, in your family, you have no hope of getting ahead, hum.”

The complaints of the two people soon aroused the resonance of others. They began to complain that it was not that they did not seek to improve, but that they really did not know what to do and could not do anything well, so they had to be a playboy.

Lu Yan listened on the sidelines and felt pitiful and lamentable. These young men really didn’t know the sufferings of the people. Most of them were still fighting for survival and dreams, but they were troubled by boredom.

Lu Yan thought for a while and said, “Actually, if you really want to do something, you still have many choices.”

Chen Yue, who was sitting closest, was the first to hear and react, “Brother Lu, do you have any good projects?”

The others also became quiet after hearing Chen Yue’s words.

“There are no projects, just some suggestions.” Lu Yan said.

“Tell me and listen.”

Lu Yan said slowly, “As you know, I am an actor, so I am relatively familiar with film matters. In fact, every year some very talented young directors reluctantly give up their filming plans because they cannot find investment. There may be some very exciting stories in this. Usually the investment required for this type of movie is not too large. With your financial resources, there is no problem at all. If you operate it well, you can basically guarantee that you will not lose money, or not lose too much. If one or two of them become hits, they will gain both fame and fortune. You can do this in the name of supporting the future of Chinese-language films, so no matter what the final profit is, it will definitely be good in terms of reputation. “

Lu Yan paused here, waiting for them to digest it. He also understood that for these rich kids, money was not a problem. What they wanted most was to be recognized by others, especially their own family.

After a moment of silence, the group of people looked at each other. They were all obviously interested. Chen Yue hesitated and asked, “But Brother Lu, we don’t know much about this either. We don’t know what kind of movies are worth our investment.” 

Lu Yan smiled. He knew they would be moved. “Why are you worried about this? There is a ready-made expert here.”

Everyone turned their attention to Su Jue, who was sitting aside and seemed to have nothing to do with him.

Su Jue came to his senses in the eyes of everyone and said to Lu Yan, “Are you asking me to poach from my own family? I’m not great enough to cultivate competitors for myself.”

Lu Yan said with a smile, “Come on, Starry sky is doing big business, so why would you like such a small investment? There must be a lot of young directors who come to Starry sky every year to seek investment. You just need to check a little bit and make sure you think it’s worth it. It’s good to introduce it to them if it’s worth it.”

Su Jue did not refute this statement, but just narrowed his eyes and said, “Why should I do such a thankless thing? I am already busy with Starry Sky’s affairs. Where can I have time to take care of these things?”

Lu Yan exposed it, “President Su is joking again. As long as you explain it, you don’t need to do it yourself.”

Su Jue still insisted, “Why should I agree?”

“Because it is both interesting and meaningful.” Lu Yan said slowly.

The two of them sang together, and those who were still a little hesitant at first were moved and felt that this was feasible.

Lu Yan added to the fire, “It all depends on people. You can set up a small investment company. As long as you find professionals to operate it, you don’t need to spend much time. However, it is very attractive to have your own business without relying on the strength of the family, isn’t it? Of course, I am just suggesting, it is up to you whether you do it or not. “

“I want to do it. I think it’s feasible. I also want to know if I can do anything else after leaving Su’s family.” The first person to express his stance was actually not Chen Yue, but Su Xi. In fact, he had neither an important nor insignificant position in the Su Group, but he knew very well that that was not what he wanted. He also wanted to have his own career outside of the Su Group like Su Jue. Although doing this thing, he still couldn’t escape the shadow of Su Jue, but so what, this was an opportunity.

Chen Yue also made up his mind, “I agree too. I want the old man and eldest brother to know that I am not just a second-generation ancestor who just sits there and does nothing.” 

Finally, except for one or two who were still hesitant, everyone decided to participate and even started to discuss it.

Lu Yan smiled slightly. He knew that things were not that simple. If these gentlemen were asked to do something specific, they would probably die before they even started. Fortunately, they were not short of money, and as long as they had money, they could hire professionals to serve them.

Lu Yan didn’t know why he suddenly wanted to encourage them to do this. He just suddenly thought of what happened before his rebirth, and the many people he had met who had dreams of making movies but were severely beaten by reality. Even if it could help one person not lose their dream, it was worth it.

Years later, this small company, established by a few children from rich families and dedicated to investing in unknown young directors, not only invested in several excellent films, but also cultivated many outstanding directors for the Chinese film industry. All this stemmed from Lu Yan’s small suggestion at this moment.

After it was over, Lu Yan and Su Jue went to the door to wait. Both of them were drunk and unfit to drive. Su Jue had called the driver in advance to pick them up.

As soon as they left the door, there was a person waiting there. When he saw the two people appearing, he came over and said, “Lu Yan, can you give me a moment to speak.”

Notes

1. Hongmen Yan was a banquet that took place in 206 BC. In short, a rebel leader called Xiang Yu tried to have his rival Liu Bang killed at a feast. Now the phrase has come to mean a ruse intended to trap a guest. If a rival or someone you don’t like or trust invites you out to dinner, for example, you could joke, “Is this a Hongmen Banquet?” ↩︎

I support you for a lifetime

The premiere of “The Legend of Wang Xuance” was held with great grandeur. When Lu Yan entered the scene, he was dressed in an ancient costume, which was the same look he wore during the scene of annihilation of the country in the play. Although he was wearing the clothes of a civilian envoy, Lu Yan was still wearing the heroic appearance of a military general. His expression was exactly the same as that on the large poster on the stage. It was as if time had gone back and history had been reversed, he looked like Wang Xuance had come in person. If it weren’t for the restriction of the venue, Chen Li would have liked to let him enter on horseback. Even if this was the case, it was already amazing enough!

After a second of silence, the audience burst into applause like a tsunami. The fans’ calls were a bit chaotic at first, with “Lu Yan” and “Wang Xuance” appearing alternately, but later they all uniformly called “Wang Xuance”.

The atmosphere at the premiere remained high. Later, the host asked director Chen Li why he thought of making such a movie.

Director Chen Li said, “I have always been interested in the five thousand years of history, especially those heroes. In fact, the Chinese nation has never lacked heroes, and there have always been many works about various heroes in film and television. But Wang Xuance is a very special person. He obviously has such great achievements, but not many people know about him. First of all, the Tang Dynasty was an era where heroes emerged in large numbers, and there were too many celebrities. Secondly, his deeds are mainly abroad, and there are almost no records in official history. In any era, a hero’s fame depends on publicity. Wang Xuance’s deeds did not have publicity channels, so they were not widely spread. I made this movie because I want more people to know about this character and that period of history. “

“So why did Mr. Lu Yan take this movie? Are you also very interested in this character?” The host turned the question to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan smiled frankly, “I didn’t even notice what kind of movie it was at the time. I only knew that the director was Chen Li, which was enough to drive me to fight for this role desperately. But then I got the role and after getting to know it carefully, I felt honored to play such a heroic character. “

Lu Yan’s words seemed to be frank, but in fact he quietly praised Chen Li. Given Chen Li’s status in the film industry today, there was certainly no shortage of complimentary words, but such indestructible praise was always very useful.

So when the host asked Chen Li whether Lu Yan’s interpretation of the male protagonist was in line with his image of Wang Xuance, Chen Li deliberately frowned, “Everything else is very good. There is only one difference. I think the real Wang Xuance is not so handsome.”

The premiere ended with a burst of knowing laughter.

After the movie viewing started, Lu Yan had already changed back into his suit. Taking advantage of the time to change clothes, he avoided entering the venue with other creators, and instead found the place he had agreed with someone in the dark. This was not the first time they had done something like this. They enjoyed it every time, and there was a sense of excitement and pleasure like a public affair.

Not that they were daring. Even if most people saw them coming and going together, they wouldn’t think of that. After all, Lu Yan was once a contracted artist of Starry sky, and his current studio was also named under Starry sky. Su Mo, as the boss behind Starry sky and its artist, attended the same occasion. It was not something that was incomprehensible, not to mention that most people didn’t know Su Mo at all, so why would they think too much about it.

On the other hand, even if someone really guessed their relationship, Lu Yan was not afraid. Su Mo himself would not be affected by this news, and Lu Yan had no intention of hiding it forever. Sooner or later, he would make their relationship public, it was only a matter of time.

The biggest impact that coming out publicly has on an artist is nothing more than film contracts and endorsements. In terms of film contracts, Lu Yan was now his own boss, so he didn’t have to worry about being hidden. If no one really asked him to make a film, he would just invest the money himself, which he was already doing. As for the box office, he didn’t worry too much. As long as the movie was good enough, the average audience would not stop watching it because the actor was gay, unless they were extremely anti-gay. The impact of endorsements would be greater, but Lu Yan himself was more focused on film and television, not to mention that not all businesses would mind this.

There will definitely be an impact, but as the old saying goes, if you want to gain something, you have to give something. If you don’t want to be secretive, you have to accept the judgment of the world. Besides, even if you are a heterosexual, you will still have to bear the price of losing some fans if you disclose your love and marriage news.

Lu Yan had already thought about it carefully, so he didn’t care if he would be discovered in advance. Of course, it would be better if he could be exposed step by step according to his own plan. Fortunately, everything had gone as planned so far.

The movie continued to play. The battlefield scenes were shot in a particularly thrilling and thrilling way. Wang Xuance used the “Fire Bull Formation” to defeat tens of thousands of troops in one battle. The subsequent siege battles and position battles were all very exciting. Wang Xuance was galloping on horseback, and the figure leading the charge was particularly handsome and heart-warming.

The movie came to an end with the last few wedding scenes. Lu Yan quietly used the dim light of the screen to look at Su Mo’s expression. The other person’s face was calm, as if he was not affected at all, but the fingers that were resting on the side of the chair quietly curled up.

Lu Yan smiled secretly, leaned over and whispered in his ear, “I think you looked the best that day.”

Su Mo didn’t understand at first, and looked over with a little doubt in his dark eyes. Lu Yan smiled again and whispered,  “When will we wear that suit again? You were particularly sensitive when you were wearing that suit.” As Lu Yan spoke, he quietly scratched the back of his hand that was resting on the side of the chair with his nails.

A flash of electricity passed by, and Su Mo understood instantly. The scene of that night appeared in his mind uncontrollably. His eyes blinked several times quickly involuntarily, and his breathing became a little faster.

Before he could calm down, the credits were already playing on the screen and the lights in the screening room turned on. Su Mo quickly lowered his head, and the red ears were exposed to Lu Yan’s sight, which made him feel itchy and wanted to take a bite right away.

After finally being able to endure it until there was no one around, Lu Yan pressed down on Su Mo, he bit and sucked on his ear for a long time, until it was hard enough. Su Mo endured the numb and itchy feeling, and waited until Lu Yan let go before whispering with a half-smile, “Were you deliberately diverting my attention just now?”

Lu Yan touched his nose and muttered, “I can’t hide it from you.”

Su Mo glared at him, feeling warm and sweet in his heart, and sighed, “You! Am I such a petty person?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “It’s not that you are petty, it’s that I’m overthinking. But, I’m serious, you look best in wedding clothes. It was just the two of us last time, it was such a waste. I hope we will have a chance to host a true Chinese wedding.”

Su Mo smiled and said, “Mr. Lu is not afraid of being banned.”

“Well,” Lu Yan said deliberately in a low voice, “If I am banned, will Director Su support me?”

“I will support you for a lifetime!” Su Mo responded with a low smile.

“For a lifetime? Then in the next life, and the next life, won’t you support me?” Lu Yan pushed further.

Su Mo smiled brightly and lowered his voice very low, “As long as you are willing, I will support you forever and ever.”

Lu Yan’s eyes were filled with warmth. He pressed his forehead against his, rubbed the tip of his nose against his, and whispered, “Then we made a promise, and you are not allowed to break your promise.”

“Never!”

There was a cocktail party after the premiere. Lu Yan had no excuses this time, and there would be more people attending this time, so Su Mo also went with him as the boss of Starry Sky.

In order not to attract attention, Lu Yan and Su Mo went in separately. After entering the reception, they did not have too much contact.

This was originally a cocktail party held for the premiere of the movie. As the protagonist, Lu Yan had recently been interviewed by various reports and magazine covers. He was in the limelight and was naturally the focus of the cocktail party. He was surrounded almost as soon as he entered the door. Lu Yan had long been accustomed to such occasions, and he could handle all kinds of people with ease. Even if Su Jue was not there to help him out, he could easily deal with the women who surround him.

On the other hand, Su Mo, although he was also handsome, had always kept a low profile and not many people knew him. In addition, he seemed to keep away from strangers, except for a few people who really knew him. no one else bothered him.

Chen Li was also one of the people who knew Su Mo. He was a little surprised to see him coming at first, because in his impression, Su Mo didn’t like to attend such occasions, especially when he left all the affairs of the starry sky to Su Jue. After that, he rarely showed up.

“Director Su, it’s really rare to see you here.” Chen Li greeted him.

“Director Chen, congratulations on another movie’s box office success.” Su Mo said politely.

Chen Li smiled and said, “Today is the premiere. It’s still too early to say a big victory.”

“Knowing the smallest details and having such a successful premiere, Director Chen’s film will definitely hit new heights.”

“I appreciate your words. Director Su’s vision is well-known in the industry. If you were still in charge of the starry sky, I’m afraid you would be the only one in the industry now.”

“Excellent.”

After the two exchanged pleasantries, Chen Li excused himself and went to greet other acquaintances.

Su Mo didn’t want to deal with other people, so he found an inconspicuous corner to stay and quietly looked at Lu Yan, who seemed to be shining brightly in the crowd. Even just looking at it from a distance like this, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction in his heart.

It was incredible. Su Mo could still recall the scene when he first met Lu Yan at the closing reception of the movie directed by Li Ran. At that time, every sentence of their conversation and every movement and expression of the other party were vividly remembered.  He still remembered what he thought after being rejected, forget it, don’t force it. Fortunately, fortunately, it didn’t end like that between them. Now, they were the two closest people in the world, and they would have an endless future to look forward to.

As if he sensed his gaze, Lu Yan would glance over here from time to time, with affectionate expressions on his face and a slight smile. Su Mo also responded to his smile. During the lively and noisy cocktail party, they didn’t get close to each other, and they didn’t say a word to each other, but this secret affection and surge continued, and they could sense each other’s feelings with just a look or a smile. It was as if all the people and things at the reception had become the background, and only each other in their eyes truly existed. Was there anything more wonderful than this in the world? They were not only in love, but also connected.

Until the reception was over, the two of them left one after another.

When he got back to the car, Lu Yan was already tipsy. He had drunk a lot. Su Mo didn’t drink at all. At times like this, he was usually the one driving.

Lu Yan closed his eyes slightly and leaned back on the chair. Su Mo stretched out his hand and rubbed his temples. After he felt more comfortable, he started the car and said, “The Chinese New Year is almost here. Let’s go back to our old house together on New Year’s Eve.”

“Yeah, okay.” Lu Yan responded softly.

Double deal

After the script was finalized, Lu Yan wrote a detailed plan under the guidance of Su Mo, and then flew to Los Angeles with Song Hui and Li Ran.

Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA, is the headquarters of Twentieth Century Fox. Among the seven major film companies in Hollywood, 20th Century Fox was the latest to be founded and has experienced the most setbacks, almost going bankrupt several times. It was not until the 1960s, when Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch acquired the troubled Twentieth Century Fox, that the company began to develop steadily and rapidly.

Twentieth Century Fox produces and distributes popular classic movies, such as “The Sound of Music” and “Titanic” and other masterpieces, as well as the “Star Wars” series, “X-Men” series and so on.

Twentieth Century Fox was Lu Yan’s first stop for seeking U.S. funding for “Homeland.” Su Mo said that among several Hollywood film companies, Twentieth Century Fox’s distribution manager George Stryker had the deepest friendship with him. In addition, this company has also invested in several Chinese-language films, although the final box office results were not very satisfactory. In addition, 20th Century Fox has two distinctive subsidiaries, one of which is Blue Sky Studio, which produces 3D feature film animation. So far, the three 3D animations “Ice Age”, “Robot” and “Ice Age 2” produced by Blue Sky Studio have been very successful.

At this moment, in the office of the 20th Century Fox headquarters building, distribution manager George Stryker and production manager Mike Davis received Lu Yan and his party.

Lu Yan’s English was very good, so he didn’t bring a translator with him. After introducing themselves to each other, Lu Yan started to talk about the film and shooting plan straight to the point. At the same time, he placed the copied script and plan in front of the two managers. Originally this was supposed to be the director’s job, but as Lu Yan was one of the investors of the film, and he was involved in the entire process from purchasing the script to final revisions, he was very clear about the details and processes, so he finally decided to explain it. He would take the lead, with Li Ran as a supplement.

After listening, the two managers started talking quietly while flipping through the scripts and plans. Lu Yan and Li Ran sat calmly, waiting quietly.

After a while, production manager Mike Davis spoke first, “Mr. Lu, we are quite interested in this story. Why don’t you consider selling the script to us directly?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “I’m sorry, we don’t have such plans at the moment. I still hope that we will make the movie.”

Mike Davis shrugged. He knew there was little hope, so he just said casually, “So, how do you want us to cooperate?”

Lu Yan sat up straight, “We hope that your company will invest 50% of the capital, and provide us with a 3D special effects team and the distribution rights of the film in North America.”

“The investment amount of $150 million is not a small amount, but it is still within my purview, and the 3D special effects team and distribution rights are not a problem. The question is, why should we believe that this movie is worth our investment?”

Lu Yan said confidently, “You also said just now that you are very interested in this story. A good story is half the success of a movie, not to mention that the 3D movie market is becoming increasingly popular, but there has not yet been a 3D movie of sufficient weight. Your company is very successful in the production of 3D animation, and I think you will be equally interested in investing in excellent 3D feature films. The shooting of every movie is an adventure, and no one dares to say what the outcome will be before it is officially released. However, benefits often come with risks, and your company has never lacked the spirit of adventure. “

The two managers looked at each other and talked together for a few words. The person who spoke later was George Stryker, the distribution manager. “Young man, you are very courageous. To be honest, I admire you very much. We agreed to cooperate with you, but it was not just you who convinced me. I know that another investor in this film is Mr. Su, he is one of the most successful businessmen I know, and his investment vision has always been unique and effective. Now that he is involved, we are willing to take this risk.”

Lu Yan lowered his head and smiled secretly. This reason was indeed irresistible. However, if he knew about his relationship with Su Mo, would he reconsider this reason?

In any case, the negotiation had been basically successful at this point. Lu Yan and Li Ran stood up together, “I believe your company will not regret this investment.”

“I hope so.” George Stryker and Mike Davis also stood up, and the four shook hands with each other. “Young man, I hope we can have a happy cooperation.”

“Happy cooperation!”

This was a pleasant negotiation, even smoother than Lu Yan expected. Although he did put his best hope in 20th Century Fox, he did not expect that the negotiation would go so smoothly, and there would be no need to arrange the next trip.

The three stayed in Los Angeles for a few more days until the formal contract was negotiated and signed. Twentieth Century Fox also sent an executive producer to oversee and manage their portion of the money invested. As for the 3D special effects team, they could wait until the film was basically formed before arranging it.

The next specific matters of film shooting were the responsibility of Li Ran as the director. Although Lu Yan was the default protagonist and one of the copyright owners and investors of the script and he had a great say in the movie, he understood that the director was the leader of a movie, regardless of whether the opinions of others were good or bad. No one should interfere with the director’s work, which was related to issues such as the continuity and style of the film. Lu Yan had no intention of overstepping his authority, not to mention that he had other things to be busy with now. Because “The Legend of Wang Xuance” would soon start to be released and promoted.

“The Legend of Wang Xuance” was scheduled to be released during the Lunar New Year period. Although there were several large-scale Lunar New Year films during the same period, director Chen Li would not lose to anyone else once his name was mentioned.  Besides, the craze for the previously released movie “Uncontrollable” starring the protagonist Lu Yan had not subsided. Discussions about “Uncontrollable” and Lu Yan in major website forums had not subsided. Lu Yan had once again struck out with a strong attitude.

Different from the delicate and innocent nature of “Uncontrollable”, “The Legend of Wang Xuance” itself was a movie with a strong atmosphere of personal heroism. The short six-to-seven-minute promotional video was cut with great momentum, and the two main scenes of borrowing troops and destroying the country alternated with the appropriate soundtrack. The confident, romantic and impassioned character in the literary drama; the decisive killing and cold solemnity in the martial arts drama unfold the submerged and magnificent history like a picture scroll.

Just watching this short promotional video made people excited and unable to stop, and it strongly inspired people’s self-confidence and pride. Many movie fans were counting the days and looking forward to the upcoming release date.

In this atmosphere, Lu Yan received separate invitations from two fashion magazines.

This time the invitations were issued to “Harper’s Bazaar” and “ELLE MEN Ruishi”. “Harper’s Bazaar” and “Rui shi” were both first-line men’s fashion magazines. The former was the most influential high-end men’s magazine in China and the only magazine that measures male charm based on “business status” and “career taste”. The latter paid more attention to establishing a man’s image of wisdom, style, and charm. It not only focused on external material success, but also focused on the man’s strong heart and true temperament that dared to do something.

There were a few male stars in China who could appear on the covers of these two magazines, but there were indeed not many who could receive invitations at the same time. It could only be said that during this period, Lu Yan had two movies that received great attention in succession, which suddenly accumulated a high degree of popularity for him. Moreover, Lu Yan had always had a very positive image, and with his handsome and extraordinary appearance, he had always been very popular in fashion magazines.

Two single letters and two interviews, Lu Yan spent almost all his time after promotion on this matter.

Two days before the cover shoot, Lu Yan received a phone call, which was almost a timely call.

As soon as the call was connected, there was a burst of laughter from the other side, “Congratulations to Actor Lu for setting up his own studio.”

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment. The voice was a bit familiar, but he hadn’t heard it for a long time, and then he quickly remembered it. When he was shooting the cover of “Wisdom” at the end of last year, he still thought of this person. He had been busy since then and shot several magazine covers for the inside and outside, but he didn’t think about him much again.

Sure enough, the person on the other end of the phone said directly, “I’m Ren Yanfei, does Mr. Lu still remember me?”

Lu Yan laughed softly, “Of course I remember.”

Ren Yanfei smiled again and said, “I just came back from Alaska. I went there for half a year. The scenery there is so beautiful. As soon as I came back, I heard that Actor Lu had started working alone. How about I fulfill my original promise? Does Mr. Lu need a dedicated photographer now? “

Lu Yan smiled happily, “Of course, I can’t ask for it!”

That afternoon, Ren Yanfei went to Lu Yan’s studio and first showed off some photos he took in Alaska. This time his photos not only included landscapes, but also more people. Compared with his previous style, there were more changes, but they were still wonderful.

Ren Yanfei smiled and said, “After working with you last time, I think it’s interesting to take pictures of people. This time I was invited by a magazine to take travel photos. I’m trying to put people into my photography world, I think the effect is pretty good, what do you think?”

Lu Yan looked at each one carefully and said, “Very good, I think it’s great! Well, your photos always feel more spiritual.”

“Haha, I think so too. I showed a few sample photos to the magazine and they were very satisfied. However, I still think that the photographer and the model should have more tacit understanding and interaction. I still feel that cooperation with you is the most effective. So I came back. How about it? Does the original promise still count? “

“Of course it counts. And I urgently need a dedicated photographer like you.” Lu Yan finally put down all the photos he had read and said with a smile.

“I knew from the beginning that you would not be too far away from this day. Sure enough, you didn’t keep me waiting for too long, haha.” This time they met again, Lu Yan felt that Ren Yanfei was more cheerful, he didn’t know what kind of experience he went through to change like this..

“Then let’s talk about cooperation.” Lu Yan entered business mode.

The two people already had a tacit understanding, so they quickly decided on a method of cooperation.

Lu Yan would pay Ren Yanfei a certain amount of basic salary every year, no more, no less. The condition WAS that when Lu Yan needed a photographer, Ren Yanfei must work for him first, and each shooting would be billed separately according to the intensity and duration. At other times, Ren Yanfei was still free and could do what he wanted. Since Ren Yanfei haD the habit of going out all year round, he agreed to say hello and inform him of his whereabouts before going out every time. At the same time, Lu Yan would also let him know in advance when he needed a photographer.

This clause had certain constraints and inconveniences for both parties, but good photographers, especially those who were highly compatible with themselves, could be said to be rare. Besides, although Lu Yan often needed to take pictures, he usually prepared in advance. It was rare to be notified today that he would take pictures tomorrow, so such a timeline could still be arranged.

As for Ren Yanfei, as a photographer, he also hoped that having good models would allow him to take more exciting photos. What’s more, although he enjoyed freedom, he had traveled to too many places over the years and was a little tired. It was good to stop and rest.

So both sides came to an agreement happily.

So this time, the single cover shooting of the two magazines was handed over to Ren Yanfei.

Some big-name celebrities have the habit of bringing their own photographers, and magazines have no objection at all, as long as the photos taken meet their requirements.

The two collaborated again after more than two years, and they still had a good understanding.

Ren Yanfei was indeed an excellent photographer and had a thorough understanding of the styles of various magazines. The two sets of photos taken three days before and after had completely different styles. The one given to “Harper’s Bazaar” was more composed, with the elite look of a successful person, both reliable and extremely charming. The group in “Rui shi” was much sexier. Both their eyes and smiles, including their slightly open gestures, were indescribably charming.

Both magazines were very satisfied. Even if these two cover photos with completely different styles but equally attractive were published in the same issue, readers wouldn’t have to worry about choosing between them. It would be a case of selection disorder and they had to take them all.

Ren Yanfei simply posted all the remaining photos that were not selected by the magazines on Weibo, and they were retweeted in large numbers in an instant. Fans knew that Ren Yanfei was Lu Yan’s exclusive photographer and left messages one after another, expressing their hope that Ren Yanfei would be the best photographer in the future. Great photographers could get a lot of benefits.

Ren Yanfei smiled proudly when he faced the attention that exceeded 10 million in one day.

Finalized

Su Mo’s support gave Lu Yan great confidence. Once the most important financial issue was solved, he would have more confidence to prepare for other things.

Lu Yan first contacted Li Ran. When he bought the script rights, Li Ran was also with him. At that time, Li Ran expressed his hope that he could be the director when the film started filming, even if he was not the lead director.

The director was one of the most important factors in the success of a movie.

Lu Yan still knew very well what Li Ran’s abilities were. In the era before Lu Yan was reborn, Li Ran was already an internationally renowned director, and a film he later directed won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. At that time, his personal style was already very obvious. He was particularly good at feature films and his story-telling techniques were particularly good. Even simple stories would be particularly interesting and vivid when shot by him.

Although today’s Li Ran had not yet reached that height, and even among domestic directors, he was still unable to compete with Wang Yi, Chen Li and others, but that was mostly because his qualifications were not enough, not because his ability was not enough. Coupled with Li Ran’s relationship with the Su family, as the saying goes, good things don’t go to outsiders, so Lu Yan had no reason not to give priority to Li Ran.

Lu Yan believed that Li Ran had the ability to tell the story well. As for the 3D special effects, he could just hand it over directly to the special effects team.

Li Ran was indeed very excited. He was already very interested in the script. What’s more, this movie was prepared and produced by the studio in which boss Su had a stake. Boss Su financed it. Li Ran had known about the relationship between Lu Yan and Su Mo for a long time, and he didn’t think anything of it at first. Anyway, he supported all boss Su’s decisions, even if he was with a man, it didn’t matter. But ever since Su Jue called him and told him the shocking truth, he had a particularly subtle feeling when he saw Lu Yan again.

After the matter was initially settled, Lu Yan and Li Ran, together with the original author Yan Ke, spent a week in the studio making final revisions to the script. During this period, Su Mo would occasionally come to the studio for visits. As for who he was visiting, of course Li Ran would never be too pretentious to think it was him.

Probably because of the presence of outsiders, Su Mo and Lu Yan were quite restrained and did not do anything too intimate. However, the overly tacit interaction and the overly sweet atmosphere between the two make it almost feel like it was superfluous to breathe in the same space as them.

Yan Ke, this weird guy, probably had a lot of nerves and seemed to have no feelings.  But Li Ran knew the relationship between them. Besides, he had always paid close attention to Su Mo, so he could naturally see all the clues. For example, when they were discussing the script, Su Mo never interrupted. When he came, he stood silently behind Lu Yan and listened to their discussion.

But whenever Lu Yan needed something, such as a pen, information, or a cup of tea when his mouth was dry, Su Mo could quickly and naturally find it and hand it to him. In addition to Su Mo listening carefully to what Lu Yan said, it also meant that they had a clear understanding of each other. Sometimes Lu Yan took it over without looking back and continued, sometimes he would raise his head and smile at him. The smile Su Mo returned to him was particularly gentle and affectionate, something Li Ran had never seen on Su Mo’s face before.

It was not that Su Mo was indifferent to them. In fact, in Su Mo’s eyes, Li Ran and Su Jie were both like younger brothers. Su Mo always indulged and cherished the people he regarded as family. But how could the eyes he looked at his brother and the eyes he looked at his lover be the same?

What made Li Ran feel bad about his heart the most was when he accidentally caught Lu Yan and Su Mo kissing. At that time, Li Ran was getting ready to go to the bathroom. At this time, there were only the three of them left in the studio. In fact, Li Ran was ready to leave, but he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach and wanted to go to the bathroom to deal with it. He thought that everyone else, including Lu Yan and Su Mo, had already left. So when he opened the bathroom door and saw that scene, you can imagine the shock.

Su Mo’s waist was leaning on the sink, and his clothes were not neatly worn like Lu Yan’s. His upper body was slightly tilted back, revealing his forehead, which was half covered by messy bangs, and his slightly closed eyes, which were long. The eyelashes were trembling, and the corners of the hair and eyebrows were wet with water. Lu Yan leaned forward, holding his waist with one hand and supporting his back with the palm of his hand. The other hand reached through the shirt that was loosened at the waist. It was self-evident what he did after he reached in. .

The two were so immersed in the kiss that they didn’t seem to notice the intrusion of a third person. Lu Yan’s back was turned to Li Ran, but his expression could be seen in the mirror on the wall.  Lu Yan’s eyes were also slightly closed, and he lowered his head and turned the angle as he went deeper. The bathroom was very quiet, and the only sounds that could be heard were the smacking of lips and tongues, and the low gasps of the two kissing too fiercely.

In addition, Li Ran could also hear his own chaotic heartbeat. After the initial shock, he fell into a dilemma. On the one hand, he was embarrassed to continue watching, but on the other hand, he was worried that the noise caused by leaving would startle the two people, which would be extremely embarrassing.

When he was in trouble, Lu Yan in the mirror suddenly opened his eyes. Li Ran, who was facing the mirror, was startled. Then he saw the corners of Lu Yan’s eyes curled up, as if he was smiling. Li Ran was startled. He didn’t care about whether he would be discovered by the other party, nor did he care about his still uncomfortable stomach. He pushed open the bathroom door and rushed out. It wasn’t until he rushed out of the studio and left the building that his mood gradually calmed down.

Then Li Ran felt heartbroken, and suddenly understood Su Jue’s mood when he called him that day. At this time, he really needed to find someone to talk to, so Li Ran took out his phone and pressed six on the shortcut key. After the call was connected, he said, “Ah Jue, what are you doing? Come out to drink.”

Hearing the sound, Su Mo also opened his eyes and pushed Lu Yan. After Lu Yan let go, he gasped slightly and said, “There was someone just now!”

Lu Yan took his hands out of his clothes, licked his bangs that had been splashed with water just now, and raised the corners of his mouth, “It’s Director Li.”

Su Mo was silent for a moment, his expression a little complicated.

Lu Yan smiled slyly, “Director Li has known about our relationship for a long time, so it’s okay for him to see it. Besides, I don’t like the way he looks at you. It’s okay for him to see it with his own eyes and recognize the truth. You are my person.”

Su Mo felt angry and funny, and he arched his eyebrows and said with a smile, “How jealous is Mr. Lu? Xiao Ran and Xiao Jue are both my younger brothers. He only respects me as a younger brother does to an older brother, where did you think you were going?”

“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Lu Yan pretended to be serious, “Director Su have you never heard what possessiveness is? Speaking of which, there is Chen Yue, he is also a fan of yours.”

Su Mo said, “I heard from Xiao Jue that Chen Yue is now your fan. Mr. Lu should be satisfied. Then should I also express my dissatisfaction?”

“No need,” Lu Yan squinted and touched the corner of his mouth, “As long as you have me as your biggest fan, it’s enough.”

Su Mo put his hands on the sink, raised his eyes slightly and laughed softly, “Mr. Lu, does this count as only allowing the state officials to set fires but not allowing the people to light lamps?”

Lu Yan raised his eyebrows and said domineeringly, “So what!”

Su Mo smiled low, straightened up a little with his hands, and whispered in his ear as if sighing, “I will allow you to be the state official.”

Lu Yan’s eyes darkened, and he slowly leaned over to push him back.

Su Mo raised one hand, put his elbow on his chest, and whispered, “Go back first.”

Lu Yan’s voice was a little hoarse, “Do you think I can go back like this?”

Su Mo looked down and felt a little warm. The hand on his chest instead hugged his neck and sighed indulgently, “Come on.”

When they met in the studio the next day, Lu Yan looked at Li Ran with a strange look in his eyes. He leaned in front of him and whispered, “Director Li didn’t use the bathroom yesterday. Is everything okay?”

Hearing this, Li Ran spit out a mouthful of water and coughed for a long time before he recovered. He beat his chest with lingering fear. Lu Yan was already discussing with Yan Ke in a serious manner as if nothing had happened.

Oh my God, Li Ran had the same emotion as Qin Feng. How could he think this kid was innocent in the first place?!

A week later, the script for “Hometown” had been revised.

The final draft was not divided into two parts, but decided to be made directly into a movie. The story in the first half remains basically unchanged, but was more concise and condensed on the original basis. A lot of changes were made to the second half, which basically subverted the original story.

After humans discovered the revitalized Earth, they asked the protagonist who arrived first to cooperate with the entire fleet to complete the landing. The protagonist told the current residents of the earth about this situation and facilitated negotiations between them and humans. However, the peace talks were not that easy to reach. Both sides had clauses that they were unwilling to compromise on, and the negotiations were deadlocked for a while.

At this time, alien creatures also discovered this treasure and wanted to occupy the earth. Facing the critical moment of life and death, human beings who originally fought separately reached a reconciliation with the current residents of the earth, and united to fight against foreign enemies. In the most critical battle, the protagonist rushed into the enemy camp under the cover of a fleet and used the biological weapon he developed to complete the final blow.

The protagonist’s sacrifice led to the final victory. Human beings and current residents also reached reconciliation during this war and agreed to coexist peacefully.

However this was not the real ending.

Fifty years later, humans and new residents once again fought for the ownership of the earth. This time, the person who stood in front of the new residents and fought for their survival was the grandson of the protagonist who sacrificed himself for the peace of his hometown.

Peace is always short-lived, war is eternal!

However, no matter what era or background, there will always be people who continue to fight for peace!

Of course, this was just the final draft of the script. What kind of adjustments would be made during the actual shooting depended on the director’s skill and arrangements.

Investment

Before the release of “Uncontrollable”, the contract between Lu Yan and Starry Sky had already expired. The media with a keen sense of smell had already noticed the change in the relationship between Lu Yan and Starry Sky, but because Qin Feng was still Lu Yan’s agent, and people in the circle had tacitly accepted that Qin Feng would never leave Starry Sky, so although there were some doubts, no one took the lead.

The contracts between artists and their agencies have always been a semi-public secret. Some artists even deliberately reveal some favorable details in the contract after signing with a big company to highlight their status. However, the contract between Lu Yan and Starry Sky back then was handled by too few people, and the terms in the contract would inevitably cause an uproar and discussion once they were made public. Neither Lu Yan nor Su Mo had any intention of making it public, and the people around them would not disclose it. So everyone only knew that Lu Yan signed a contract with Star Sky, but as for how long it took, how it was signed, or what conditions or benefits were included, no one knew.

The story was exposed because of an artist Qin Feng had once managed, named Qi Rui. Qi Rui had been with Qin Feng earlier than Lu Yan. When Qin Feng became his agent, Qi Rui was already a little famous. After that, Qin Feng helped him get many opportunities. He was also very competitive and his value soon soared. If it weren’t for the sudden rise of Lu Yan, he could almost compete with Shan Chuyu for the position of the number one in Starry Sky.

Qin Feng’s departure from Starry Sky naturally had a great impact on Qi Rui. Although Qin Feng had arranged a lot for him before leaving and introduced him to a capable agent, it was still not as good as Qin Feng himself. Qi Rui was somewhat dissatisfied in his heart, so when the media asked him if he had changed his agent, he mentioned the fact that Qin Feng had left Starry sky intentionally or unintentionally.

The media was indeed shocked, and when they thought about the changes in the relationship between Lu Yan and Starry Sky that they had felt during this period, an idea quickly came to their mind. At this time, “Uncontrollable” was about to be taken off the air, and it was the last promotion time. 

During an interview at an event, a reporter asked Lu Yan if he had terminated his contract with Starry Sky and if Qin Feng had also left Starry Sky. This matter was not a bad thing and there was nothing to hide. According to the original plan, Qin Feng arranged for Lu Yan to hold a small media meeting and explained clearly the situation of terminating the contract with Starry Sky and opening a personal studio.

At present, Lu Yan’s personal studio was still registered under the name of Starry Sky, but from personnel to affairs, it was completely independent. The media also knew what this meant. It was just a mutual benefit and an additional level of relationship that affected each other, not that there was any subordinate relationship between them. Lu Yan was truly independent.

Lu Yan’s departure from Starry Sky did not surprise people. It was not uncommon for artists to open their own studios after becoming famous. Lu Yan was now very famous, and although it might be a little early in terms of influence, it was understandable. However, Qin Feng actually followed Lu Yan and left Starry Sky, which surprised many people.

The relationship between Qin Feng and Starry Sky was no exaggeration to say that he was as loyal as a loyal minister to the court. Over the years, no matter how many film and television agencies had offered him olive branches, whether it was for profit or to sell favors, Qin Feng had never wavered. But such an artist who debuted for only three years broke the relationship between Qin Feng and Starry Sky that was believed to be unbreakable. While it was puzzling, one could not help but wonder what kind of charm Lu Yan had or what kind of conditions he offered to make Qin Feng willing to follow him.

Soon, someone found out that Qin Feng owned 5% of Lu Yan’s studio. This was not surprising. In order to retain capable agents or other key staff, many studios would use shares as bait, which was a very effective means. But Qin Feng obviously did not seem like someone who would be tempted by such a mere 5% of shares.

This incident became a mystery in the circle. It was not until much later that the relationship between Lu Yan and Su Mo was fully exposed and everyone knew that Su Mo owned part of the studio’s shares that people suddenly realized the truth. Although Su Mo faded out of the entertainment industry a long time ago and not many new forces in the industry know him now, there were still some veteran journalists and artists who knew the current president of Su Group who once caused a stir in the entertainment industry. With such a powerful person who had been kind to him as his second boss, it was not difficult to understand why Qin Feng would leave Starry Sky and join Lu Yan’s studio.

But that’s all for later.

For Lu Yan, in addition to his usual work, how to develop the studio was also one of the most important issues he needed to consider. Even Qin Feng couldn’t give him more advice on this point.

If you want to increase your popularity and influence, you need to have your own brand. At present, the best way was to invest in some excellent movies and TV series in the name of the studio. Just like actors and directors have to speak with their works, in the entertainment industry, good box office and good ratings are the guarantee of everything.

Lu Yan naturally thought of the script he bought the copyright from Yan Ke more than a year ago. He had been looking for an opportunity to bring this wonderful story to the big screen, and now was a good opportunity.

But the problem came, he needed funds and people.

During this period, Lu Yan thought about this problem the most. He even started to make a plan, listing all the factors that could be used and those that could not be used. He used all his time outside of his normal work to do this.

Su Mo quickly noticed his abnormality and guessed that it was probably because of something at the studio, so he found an opportunity and asked him directly, “You seem to be a little worried recently. Is it about something at the studio?”

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment, then nodded, “Well, I’m thinking about how to build the studio’s brand faster and better.”

“Do you have any ideas?” Su Mo asked.

Lu Yan then expressed his thoughts.

After listening to this, Su Mo was silent for a while, then raised his head and said, “It’s a good idea. But if you follow your idea, it will not be an easy task to make this script into a movie. First of all, the investment in funds will definitely far exceed those movies currently released in China.”

Lu Yan nodded, “Yes. So I was also wondering if I was too impatient. Should I invest in some low-cost movies first, and then do this thing when I am more capable?”

Su Mo smiled and shook his head, saying, “Profits always coexist with risks. And if you want your studio to be a hit, what could be more direct than making a movie that is more advanced than the current domestic market. According to your idea, the story is a good one, and you want to use 3D technology. Currently, 3D technology is becoming more and more mature in the world, and there are some 3D movies, but there has not been a movie of sufficient weight to demonstrate it. So if this movie is well made, it will have a huge impact not only in China, but also internationally. So, have you ever considered seeking American funding?”

“Of course, I have considered it.” Lu Yan replied, “At present, domestic 3D technology is not mature enough. It will be easier to hire the best 3D team with the participation of American capital. In addition, the estimated investment of this movie is relatively large. Seeking American capital can first ease the financial pressure and secondly, it can give priority to obtaining the screening rights in the United States, and then the funds can be returned faster.”

Su Mo asked again, “So, have you ever thought about what investment ratio is needed?”

“I hope we can keep at least one-third of the investment. However,” Lu Yan smiled bitterly, “even if it is only one-third, it is not a small number.”

Su Mo smiled slightly, “You don’t need to worry about the money. I have one-third of the investment amount, and we will invest in the name of the studio. One-third is a good ratio. First of all, the initial investment will not be too large. If the movie is a big hit in the future, our profit will not be too small. Even if the profit is not good, the loss will be limited. As for foreign investment, I will help you contact several American film investment companies that are interested. You can bring your script and plan. As for how to convince them and how to allocate the investment ratio, it depends on your own ability. “

Lu Yan looked at Su Mo and didn’t say anything for a long time. After they got together, they rarely interfered with each other’s work. Lu Yan couldn’t intervene, and Su Mo maintained respect. However, since the establishment of this studio, their work had begun to intersect. Lu Yan had always known Su Mo’s ability and strength, but he had never thought of relying on him to take shortcuts. He hoped to rely on his own ability to reach the peak he wanted and stand in a position that could match him. This was more or less related to a man’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

But Su Mo’s helping hand was so natural. Whether it was the initial contract with Starry Sky, the establishment of the studio, or the current investment in the film, he had always analyzed the pros and cons as an investor. It was as if he was not a lover at the moment, but just an investor. However, Lu Yan knew very well that Su Mo’s investment in him was not only because he believed in his value, but more importantly, it was because of his love for him. Otherwise, for the president of Su Group, there were so many money-making industries in the world, and he was not the only one who needed one.

Su Mo’s words and actions left him no reason to refuse, nor did he want to refuse this love. At this time, the so-called self-esteem was boring, and hypocrisy was meaningless. The most important thing was that Lu Yan believed that he was worthy of this investment, and he had this value, no matter what the purpose was.

Su Mo saw that Lu Yan hadn’t said anything for a while, so he couldn’t help but ask, “Any other questions?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Even if it’s only one-third of the investment, it’s not a small amount. Doesn’t Director Su need to explain this to the board of directors?”

Su Mo smiled and said, “This is my personal property. Of course, I don’t need to explain it to anyone except you.”

Lu Yan was shocked. He knew that the Su family was rich, and he also believed that Su Mo had some wealth himself, but he didn’t expect that he himself would be so rich. This was not a matter of millions or tens of millions, but hundreds of millions.

Seeing Lu Yan’s surprised expression, Su Mo smiled again and said, “I have been doing some private investments for many years. I am lucky and have basically never made a loss. Over the years, I have also accumulated some savings. So just do whatever you want to do. Don’t just make one movie, you can make several. Even if you lose everything, it doesn’t matter. As long as you have money, you will never have to worry about lack of firewood. You can make money again.”

Lu Yan looked at him with a serious look in his eyes, then smiled slowly, “I won’t let you lose money. I will let the world know that your vision is never wrong, and your investment is worth it.”

Su Mo smiled lightly and corrected himself, “It’s not me, it’s us!”

Lu Yan nodded and said, “You are right, it is us!”

Reactions

Lu Yan felt the hand clasped with his was pulling him tightly, with great force, the kind that was exerted unconsciously.

Lu Yan turned his head to look over. Su Mo’s eyes were still fixed on the movie screen. In the dim light, he could see that he was pursing his lips. The expression on his face was not obvious. He was as restrained and self-controlled as always. Unfortunately, the uncontrolled strength in his hands betrayed his inner unrest.

After the movie ended, the two of them lowered their heads and mixed in the crowd, slowly sneaking out of the theater through the dedicated passage to the parking lot. Fortunately, there were many people watching the premiere today, and every screening was full. Because of the premiere, there were also many people in suits.

The crowd was pushing and shoving each other, and most people were still immersed in the movie, so no one noticed that they were huddled together, holding hands tightly and never letting go.

After returning to the car, Su Mo still didn’t say anything, but suddenly leaned over and hugged Lu Yan, as if he wanted to rub him into his body, with his fingers still trembling slightly.

Lu Yan recalled that when he saw him finish shooting the last shot a few months ago, Su Mo had the same reaction, and even stronger today. Of course, that was because the emotions following the film would be much stronger than the emotions diluted on the set.

Lu Yan patted his back gently and whispered to him, “I’m here, don’t be afraid, I’m Lu Yan, not Ji You. I’m here, don’t worry, I’m here.”

After a long while, Su Mo slowly came to his senses, stood up, and smiled a little embarrassedly, “The movie is great!”

Lu Yan reached out and touched his cheek, “Next time if I have a scene like this again, I won’t show it to you.”

Su Mo lowered his head and remained silent for a while, then raised his head and said, “Although it will be a little uncomfortable, I don’t want to miss anything about you.”

Lu Yan was somewhat helpless and joked, “Blame me, my acting is too good.”

Su Mo laughed. The heavy feeling just now gradually dissipated under Lu Yan’s deliberate prank. “Of course, Movie King Lu.”

The two had just exchanged a few words when Lu Yan’s phone rang. It was Wang Yi calling to ask him where he was. They had originally agreed to get together after the premiere. Lu Yan looked at Su Mo, who was still in a low mood. It was not convenient to bring him to such an occasion, so he had to apologize and refuse on the grounds that he was not feeling well.

Wang Yi smiled and said, “Could it be that the movie has affected your mood?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Yes, because Director Wang’s movies are so touching.”

Wang Yi laughed so hard that his chest shook, and he said “as if you were not the main actor. Okay, I’ll let you go this time, but when the official celebration banquet comes, you can’t refuse again.”

“Don’t worry, I will definitely go” Lu Yan assured him as he hung up the phone.

Su Mo looked at him and said, “Actually, you can go ahead. It’s fine with me.”

Lu Yan leaned over and touched the corner of his mouth, “You are more important than anything else. At this moment, I just want to be with you.”

Su Mo shook his hand and said nothing more.

At nearly twelve o’clock in the evening, Lu Yan received another call from Wang Yi, telling him that the attendance rate of today’s movie premiere was over 90%.

Wang Yi’s tone was quite calm. As one of the most famous directors in the country, this kind of result was not the first time for him, and it was not even the best result on the first day.  But there was definitely excitement. No matter how much success had been achieved in the past, every movie was a new beginning. Moreover, as the first homosexual-themed movie to be released in mainland China, “Uncontrollable” had a special meaning.

They had expected such results before, so Lu Yan was happy but not very surprised.

That night, Weibo and forums were filled with fans’ tears.

“I thought it was just a pure love movie, and I walked into the theater with a relaxed and happy mood. However, I didn’t bring any tissues with me, so I cried and soaked my clothes. My eyes are still swollen now.”

“I thought it was a pure love drama, but it turned out to be a heart-wrenching drama. I was so stupid and naive that I actually thought there would be a happy ending in this gay film.”

“I fainted in the toilet. It was so refreshing and beautiful at the beginning, but there was a sudden twist at the end. It was so cruel.”

“It was a predictable ending. Given Director Wang’s character, there was no way he could keep it fresh all the way to the end. What was unexpected was that I thought I had experienced all kinds of sadomasochistic dramas, but I couldn’t resist that look at the end.”

“I couldn’t stop crying. Ji You’s last look was so heartbreaking.”

“When Chen Yao started crying, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I thought of my first love that ended in vain…”

“The actor acted so well. Ji You’s eyes are so attractive. Anyone would fall in love with him if they were looked at by such eyes.”

“It’s a pity that it ended in BE. I couldn’t help crying when I saw Teacher Zhuang crying like that.”

“Is it really that cruel? I didn’t want to watch it at first, but now I’m a little curious.”

“Although it’s very sad, I strongly recommend watching it. It’s a masterpiece by a famous director and two movie kings. You will definitely regret it if you don’t watch it.”

…

In the following days, the box office of “Uncontrollable” maintained a good momentum. Although it was released on Thursday, it still won the box office championship this week. There was no sign of slowing down in the following days.

All the fans who had seen the movie had been promoting it to their friends, especially on major campuses, where everyone was discussing the love between Ji You and Zhuang Wenxuan. If you hadn’t seen the movie, you would be embarrassed to chat with your friends.

Major media outlets also paid close attention to the first same-sex film to be screened in mainland China, with some reporters going directly to major cinemas to conduct interviews.

It had been a week since the release of “Uncontrollable”. Although the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television had granted the film permission to be shown, it could not be shown at 7pm due to the sensitive subject matter. All major cinemas had scheduled the film after 9pm. Depending on the size of the cinema, there were usually two or three theaters showing the film.

When the reporter arrived at the cinema at around nine o’clock, the lobby was already packed with people, mostly young people, mostly girls.

The reporter randomly interviewed two girls, “What movie did you come to see today?”

One of the girls answered, “‘Uncontrollable’, this is my second time watching it, I came here with my friend.” She patted her friend’s shoulder and the girl smiled shyly.

The reporter interviewed another boy, “Are you also waiting to watch ‘Uncontrollable’?”

“Yeah,” the boy smiled helplessly but also a little sweetly, “My girlfriend insisted that I come with her to see it.”

After interviewing several boys who all gave similar answers, the reporter asked another boy directly, “Are you also here to watch “Uncontrollable” with your girlfriend?”

“Oh, no,” the boy said frankly, “I don’t have a girlfriend yet. I’m a fan of Lu Yan.”

Almost everyone in the hall was waiting to see “Uncontrollable” so the reporter asked another question, “Why do you want to watch “Uncontrollable”?”

The girl who was asked seemed surprised by the question. “Needless to say, it’s the first gay film to be released in mainland China. Of course I have to watch it and show my support.”

“Oh, I like Han Yuan and Lu Yan. How could I not watch the movie they made together?”

“Haha, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television finally agreed to release a gay film. This time they really made the best decision. I will never complain about them again.”

The most interesting thing is that when the reporter asked a boy if he knew what kind of movie “Uncontrollable” was, his answer was, “I don’t know. I heard my classmates talking about this movie. I said I haven’t seen it, and they didn’t want to talk to me. But it’s a bit strange, why is there only a male lead but no female lead on the poster? Which one is the female lead’s name, Ji You or Zhuang Wenxuan?

In the second and third weeks, “Uncontrollable” continued to sing triumphant songs and won the weekly championship for several consecutive weeks.

Faced with this phenomenon, some film critics scoffed, thinking that this was just a phenomenon movie and that there was nothing praiseworthy about “Uncontrollable”.

Some film critics even directly criticized Wang Yi for flattering the public and being ignorant of what he was saying, and for using homosexual themes as a gimmick, which was really low-level.

Of course, there were also film critics who gave “Uncontrollable” high praise. The famous film critic Zhu Huayu directly wrote a film review of several thousand words titled “Reality and Ideal” to express his appreciation, in which the analysis of the two main characters was particularly insightful.

“Zhuang Wenxuan is a real person with flesh and blood, emotions and pain, who seems to live next to you and me. He is contradictory. On the one hand, as a homosexual, he longs for a pure love, so he is attracted to Ji You’s purity, and even unconsciously has a bit of seduction in their interactions; but on the other hand, he is an experienced adult after all, and he knows very well what their relationship means, so he considers, he hesitates, he is uncertain. Many people may be angry and dissatisfied with his final retreat, but it is understandable. It is not that he is ruthless, but that he does not have enough courage. Even at the beginning, he was unwilling to let Ji You bear it alone, but Ji You was more decisive than him. Such a character is realistic and rich. I should say that Actor Han has grasped the character’s personality to the utmost, whether it is the lovable side or the hateful side, it is so real. Especially the last crying scene, which shows the character’s inner regret, despair, and pain vividly. This can be seen from the crying in the room at the end of every screening (laughs).

If Zhuang Wenxuan represents reality, then Ji You is undoubtedly much more idealistic. In the relationship between the two, Zhuang Wenxuan was the guide at the beginning, and Ji You became the protector later. He was so pure, passionate, persistent and courageous, especially the final commitment and sacrifice, which were extremely shocking. This was originally a simple role, but the performance of Lu Yan made it not simple at all. Many people say that Lu Yan became the Best Actor at Cannes purely because of luck, but I totally disagree. Friends who are interested can start studying from his first movie. As a newcomer who just debuted, he was able to perform such a complex role so well, which is something that many veteran actors cannot do. I really want to ask, are you really a newcomer? I don’t believe it! Okay, no more jokes, let’s get back to the point. Lu Yan’s eyes are very dramatic, and I really like to look into his eyes. His eyes make Ji You become a living person, with flesh and blood. To be honest, if I were a girl and ten years younger, I would also fall in love with him.

I don’t deny that I have a preference for Lu Yan, and I also prefer the role of Ji You. He made me believe that there is such pure love and such pure emotion in the world. I believe that many people will be like me and like him so much. I am very optimistic about the role of Ji You, and I hope that Lu Yan will be crowned the best actor again at the Golden Bell Awards next year. If this comes true, I will be very proud of it. “

This review by Zhu Huayu was widely reposted by fans of Han Yuan and Lu Yan. As he said, no matter how realistic and rich the character of Zhuang Wenxuan is in the eyes of critics, it cannot stop the fans’ love for Ji You.

For a long time afterwards, whenever Lu Yan attended various events, his fans would call him not only Lu Yan, but also Ji You. In some of the on-site signboards, Ji You appeared as many times as Lu Yan.

Whenever fans cried and shouted “Ji You, I love you” to him, Lu Yan would have a sense of time travel that made him laugh and cry.

Anyway, the release of “Uncontrollable” in mainland China was very successful. By the time the film was finally taken off the screen, it had already grossed 1.1 billion yuan at the box office, not including screenings in Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas.

Release

When he woke up, it was already noon. Su Mo lamented deeply for the biological clock that was gradually moving away from him.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Lu Yan’s smiling face magnified in front of him. He bent his elbows to support his head, leaned sideways and looked at him with a smile. His eyes were clear and he didn’t know how long he had been awake or how long he had been looking.

“Good morning.” Seeing that the other party had also woken up, Lu Yan smiled and greeted him. The “wife” that had already rushed out of his throat was swallowed back by him. Last night, when the passion was at its peak, he forced the other party to call him “husband”. At that time, he felt that he would not be able to enjoy it if he did not do so. Now thinking about it, it was really a bit too shameful.

Thinking of Su Mo’s restrained and indulgent style when he was pushed to the extreme, Lu Yan couldn’t help but feel a little emotional. In love affairs, Lu Yan liked to break the other party’s self-esteem and self-control that he had been accustomed to, and liked to see him unable to stop because of himself. This was the mood that both of them tacitly agreed to. But when he was sober, Lu Yan didn’t tease too much, because of love and respect.

“Good morning.” Su Mo smiled back, his voice was low and hoarse, and it was unclear whether it was because he had just woken up or because he had had too much fun last night.

Lifting aside the red transparent gauze curtain filled with a newlywed atmosphere, one looked down to see clothes spread all over the floor, red and blue intertwined, as if their inseparable life journey, mixed with underwear and underpants, and the lingering smell of sandalwood and the scent of burnt candles in the air, all of which speak of indulgence and charm.

Su Mo frowned, “This dress…”

Lu Yan carelessly lifted the quilt and stepped on the ground barefoot, revealing his beautiful body and muscles. He picked up the clothes and looked at them, sighing, “Sure enough, they are all dirty. I wonder if anyone will notice anything if I send them to the dry cleaners.”

Su Mo’s face flushed, and he tried to keep a serious expression and said, “Keep it. Bring it back to the old house and let Aunt Fang deal with it.”

“Okay,” Lu Yan turned around and smiled brightly, “Auntie Fang will definitely like our wedding dresses when she sees how beautiful they are.”

Su Mo imagined Aunt Fang’s expression when she received the soiled dress, and suddenly he felt as embarrassed as if he had his veil examined after his wedding night.

After washing up, Su Mo returned to the room, drew back the curtains and opened the window. The fresh air that rushed in diluted the turbid smell of various odors in the room.

The pair of dragon and phoenix candles burned all night and then went out by themselves. A wine pot with some wine still in it was placed on the table, and the wine glass was still rolling on the floor.

Su Mo rolled up his sleeves and was about to tidy up when Lu Yan, who was wiping his hair, walked in and saw him. He called out, “Don’t tidy up, Song Hui will come over and take care of it later.”

Su Mo was a little annoyed, “Were all these things arranged by Song Hui?”

“Of course,” Lu Yan nodded, “It will be too late when I come back from filming.” He even smiled and boasted, “To be honest, he is more skillful than me in making these things.”

Su Mo didn’t know what to say.

Lu Yan noticed that his face looked strange, threw away the towel in his hand, walked over and hugged him, put his hands on the table, and trapped him in his arms. He was only wearing pants, his upper body was naked, and his undried hair was blowing wetly. Lu Yan smiled and said, “What’s wrong? Are you embarrassed? Song Hui is not an outsider, he knows everything about us.”

“No, um, nothing.” Su Mo thought about it and realized that it was indeed nothing, so he felt relieved.

At this moment, Song Hui, who was summoned by his boss to rush over here, sneezed suddenly. Hey, who was thinking about him so early in the morning?

Thinking about what he might see when he gets to his boss’s house, Song Hui shuddered. Yesterday, when he was decorating his boss’s “new house” by himself, he felt the malice from the world. As a single young man, seeing the bosses showing affection every day, intentionally or unintentionally, was unbearable for anyone. They really thought he was the chief eunuch with no desires.

When would his spring come? Song Hui sighed, afraid that his sunglasses would not be enough again today.

That afternoon, Lu Yan returned to the film city to continue the rest of the filming.

Just after the filming of “The Legend of Wang Xuance” ended, Lu Yan received a piece of news that “Uncontrollable” had passed the approval of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and was allowed to be released in mainland China.

This was absolutely great news. When Lu Yan accepted the filming of “Uncontrollable”, he was mentally prepared that the film would not be released in the mainland. After all, homosexual themes are somewhat sensitive. Previously, such films were rejected for various reasons and could only be released in Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas. This was a loss for the growing mainland film market.

However, in recent years, as the voices calling for equality and the elimination of discrimination have grown louder in society, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television had also been gradually relaxing restrictions, and the relaxation of restrictions on films with same-sex themes was one of them.

The most important reason why “Uncontrollable” became the first same-sex themed film to pass the censorship and obtain the release rights was actually because it did not contain any sex scenes.

When Wang Yi called Lu Yan, he said, “When you said you didn’t want to do sex scenes, I hesitated for a long time. I always felt it was a pity. I didn’t expect that by accident, I would open up the mainland market. Oh, now I have to thank you for your persistence.”

Lu Yan smiled and said nothing. He had not expected such a result, but it was great, wasn’t it? God would treat those who stick to their principles and were sincere well.

The movie was scheduled to be released during the National Day holiday.

As the first homosexual-themed movie released in mainland China, this gimmick alone was enough to attract the attention of a large number of movie fans, not to mention that this was a movie directed by the famous director Wang Yi and starring two movie kings. Fans of Han Yuan and Lu Yan alone had occupied major website forums, and posts about groups from all over the country watching the show were endless.

The official release of the trailer was timely, and in just a few minutes, it showed a fresh love story. Ji You’s passionate affection, Zhuang Wenxuan’s gentle tolerance, the cautiousness at the beginning, and the involuntariness later, plus the pure campus background, there was a youthful feeling that made people’s heart beat. It was hard to explain why, but the restrained and ambiguous interaction between the two makes you feel beautiful and warm. You can’t help but smile knowingly, and it even makes you forget that they are the same gender. 

As for the true ending of the film, neither the main creators revealed even a little bit when they were promoting it nor in the official short film footage.

When someone asked about it, everyone gave an official answer: You’ll know when you go to the cinema.

In this case, almost everyone believed that this was just a campus movie with a homosexual gimmick.

Some people even expressed disbelief that a light and fresh movie like this required a famous director and two movie kings. It was such a waste of talent. What were they thinking?

Some people immediately expressed their disagreement: What’s wrong with the “little fresh” movies? Can’t they just tell a good story? Do good movies have to be big? Nowadays, there are too many movies that show off all kinds of special effects, but too few that can tell a story clearly, beautifully, and movingly.

Yes, for the same reason. Not all good movies have to have a lofty theme, either saving the earth or criticizing society. We are just ordinary people, without so many noble sentiments, so what if we just want to watch a fresh love story!

Honestly, isn’t Wang Yi known for his attention to detail and emotion? Which of his movies is not artistic and fresh? But who dares to say that his movies are not good movies? Even if you think it’s pretentious, there are still many people who like them. They still have high box office and win big awards.

Hey, what’s wrong with the best actor? Isn’t the best actor still an actor in essence? Being an actor is just a kind of job, one of the 365 jobs, just the nature of the job is different. Don’t think too highly of people, and don’t think too low of them. Must the best actor take good movies and good roles? Before the movie is made, who knows whether it is a good movie or a bad movie. Besides, you have the final say on whether a movie is good or bad?

…

The fans’ reaction was much simpler.

Well, I am a crazy fan of Han Yuan. No matter what others say, I will definitely support the movies of the Actor Han

Same as above, Lu Yan’s brain-dead fans, support the male god without explanation.

In any case, the movie had attracted enough attention before it was released, and 80% of people said in an online survey that they would go to the cinema to watch it.

The premiere of “Uncontrollable” was held in City B. The premiere was extremely grand, with many media and people from the circle coming. It could be seen that Wang Yi, Han Yuan and Lu Yan all had good popularity in the circle.

After the premiere, everyone went to the theater to watch the movie. At the same time, thousands of theaters in major cities across the country would simultaneously screen the movie.

Lu Yan did not sit in the seat assigned to him, but quietly moved to the back row, where a person was already waiting quietly. Then, in the dim light on the screen, Lu Yan smiled at the person, sat down, and quietly held his hand. The two hands were hidden under the seat, fingers intertwined.

This was also the first time Lu Yan had seen the complete cut of the movie. Wang Yi liked to keep things mysterious, and not only the outside world, but even the main creators had not seen it beforehand.

The camera and editing were truly magical things. Even the protagonist Lu Yan couldn’t help but wonder, was this really the movie he participated in filming?

The movie was about 100 minutes long in total, and the first hour or so, just as the official trailer told movie fans, tells a pure and fresh love story. Wang Yi’s use of camera language was extremely outstanding. If it were summarized in the synopsis, it would probably be a simple story, but through such editing, coupled with the actors’ acting skills, people couldn’t help but be moved by the plot and follow the characters’ joys and sorrows.

In the subsequent plot twists, Wang Yi used a lot of close-up shots to magnify the emotions of the protagonists. Ji You’s self-sacrifice and fulfillment, as well as the deep affection, persistence and remorse behind it; Zhuang Wenxuan’s struggle, retreat, guilt, reluctance and uneasiness, all made people empathize.

At the end, when Zhuang Wenxuan burst into tears while holding Ji You’s gradually cooling body, the camera kept flashing back to various images and expressions of Ji You before. The contrast between the two pushed this sad and irreversible atmosphere to its climax.

Driven by this emotion, low sobs gradually rang out in the theater, becoming louder and clearer, until finally, some people even burst into tears like Zhuang Wenxuan in the movie.

Although Lu Yan did not cry, he felt very distressed. Even though he knew the ending long ago and he was one of the protagonists, the feeling of grief and sorrow did not diminish much.

A movie that could touch people’s hearts requires not only a good story and the actors’ acting skills, but also the camera and editing, as well as the director’s narrative ability. None of these can be missing.

That’s the charm of movies!

Shooting

Lu Yan put one foot in the stirrup and the other on the ground, holding the reins with his left hand, his whole body ready to go.

“Lu Yan, move your body a little more to the side. Yes, in that direction. Very good, right there, keep it. After you start, take a look at the camera before you get started.” Chen Li, who was looking at the camera, was still adjusting his position.

“OK, everyone, take your positions, Action!”

As the director finished speaking, Lu Yan quickly glanced at the camera, then turned around, propped up the horse’s back with his right hand, and stepped on the stirrup with force, and the whole person flew up into the air, and then sat steadily on the saddle. The series of movements were neat and smooth, and he was carefree and relaxed. Then he gently patted the horse’s butt with his right hand, and the horse kicked up its hooves and galloped away, raising a roll of yellow sand behind it.

After riding for a while, the director called for a stop, and Lu Yan pulled the reins, slowing down the horse. Lu Yan turned around and rode back slowly.

When they returned to the starting point, a staff member came up to lead the horse. Lu Yan did not wait for anyone to help him. He put his hands on the horse’s back, leaned to one side, and slid down on the stirrup.

Lu Yan handed the horse to the staff and walked towards the director.

“Director Chen, how is it?”

“Well, very good,” Chen Li nodded, “You passed that one just now. You can look back and see for yourself, the angle and direction are very good. Also, your eyes are very good, very good.”

“Okay, thank you Director Chen.” Lu Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled easily.

The shot of getting on the horse just now was shot seven or eight times, and most of the time it failed because the angle of the shot was not good enough.

After a few months of filming, Lu Yan had become accustomed to Chen Li’s filming rhythm. Basically, apart from the literary scenes that didn’t move much, there were few shots that didn’t need to be re-shot.

Chen Li paid special attention to the effect of being in the camera, which may be related to his previous work as a photographer. But it was undeniable that it was his nitpicking that made the movie look better.

Chen Li was used to reviewing the content shot that day every night, and Lu Yan would also go over to watch it when he had nothing to do. Standing behind the camera and comparing them, it was only then that they found that the shots that Chen Li finally approved were indeed the best. Lu Yan was eager to learn, and Chen Li was not stingy with his help. He often explained to him why a certain angle was used and what the advantages of shooting in this way were.

Lu Yan was a quick learner and had a strong comprehension ability. He could understand things almost immediately. At the beginning, Chen Li had to strictly specify the angles and directions, even the height and arc. Later, basically, once Chen Li opened his mouth, Lu Yan knew how to cooperate, and the number of retakes became less and less.

Filming with Chen Li was indeed more tiring than any other time before, but the effect was also extremely obvious. Lu Yan’s grasp and understanding of the camera became stronger.

Lu Yan felt very happy. Being able to learn more was even more exciting than working with a heavyweight director.

Chen Li looked up at Lu Yan and said with a smile, “How is it, are you still able to handle it?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “Of course, no problem.”

Chen Li patted his shoulder and said, “Let’s go eat and rest first. The afternoon sessions will be more tiring.”

The two of them walked and talked about the details of the next few scenes.

To be honest, Chen Li knew Lu Yan from the beginning. He would get to know every actor who came to audition in advance. Lu Yan had a good appearance, the type that would make people like him at first sight, but Chen Li had been filming for so many years and had met many actors, many of whom were outstanding in appearance. It could be said that the entertainment industry is not short of good looks.

Lu Yan was the best actor in Cannes, but even now some people still say that he was too lucky to win the award. Chen Li was not a person who only listened to rumors to make judgments. Moreover, a young actor who could make Han Yuan specifically ask to work with him must have his own strengths.

After working together for a while, Chen Li confirmed this judgment. Lu Yan was a person who made people feel comfortable to be with. He would keep a proper distance from others without making them feel distant. Sometimes he was enthusiastic but not hypocritical. He would also make jokes but in a measured way. He never made people feel embarrassed or awkward with his words or actions. 

Of course, you are not a good actor just because you know how to behave. However, Lu Yan was not only a good actor, but also hard working. There is a saying that the most terrible thing in the world is that someone who is more talented than you works harder than you. Lu Yan was such a person.

What Chen Li admired most was Lu Yan’s work attitude. Chen Li was a person who strived for perfection, but Lu Yan was sometimes more serious than him. He had seen Lu Yan rehearsing alone for the next day’s filming several times. Even in his picky eyes, Lu Yan thought the performance was good, but he still wanted to do better. Moreover, Lu Yan was not rigid, did not hold on to unnecessary self-esteem, asked questions when he did not understand, and never pretended to know. This kind of actor was Chen Li’s favorite.

Therefore, success was never accidental. Chen Li just wanted to sneer at those who said that Lu Yan was just lucky. With such good talents and conditions, and being able to work so hard, it would be God’s fault if he didn’t succeed.

However, no one knows that before his rebirth, Lu Yan was in such a “God is blind” situation. Sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night, Lu Yan himself would break out in a cold sweat, not knowing whether he was in a dream or if everything in his past life was just a dream. All he could do was to grasp the present and cherish everything.

After eating the lunch box distributed by the crew, Lu Yan was called away by the costume designer Sister He.

Sister He took Lu Yan to the dressing room, pushed out a set of clothes, and said with a mysterious smile, “Come on, Lu Yan, try on this wedding dress. It has just been made and sent to you. Try it on to see if it fits you. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll alter it for you.”

Lu Yan’s eyes lit up. This Tang Dynasty wedding dress for men was bright red, which was called crimson in ancient times. It was different from the straight-sleeved robes of ordinary clothes. It was a formal dress with large sleeves. The sleeves were spread out, and the hem almost dropped to the knees. The white waistband and skirt looked generous and gorgeous.

After Lu Yan put on the suit, Sister He looked around him and praised him endlessly, “Very good, so handsome, such a groom will surely charm everyone.”

Lu Yan followed Sister He to work for a while and said, “It must be very troublesome to make a dress like this. Is it necessary just for one or two shots?”

“Of course it is necessary!” Sister He said seriously. She was the official costume designer for Chen Li’s films. She was responsible for the costumes for almost every film Chen Li shot, including the style and fabrics. This was her profession and her interest. “Costumes, especially in a historical film like this, are the decoration of a film. If they are done well, they are the icing on the cake; if they are not done well, they become a big failure. Even if there are only one or two shots, they must not be sloppy. “

“Yes, yes, Sister He is right, I was wrong.” Lu Yan smiled and said, “Then, is the women’s wedding dress ready?”

“Of course,” Sister He said proudly, “Do you want to take a look?”

“Yeah.” Lu Yan nodded.

Sister He quickly pushed out another set of clothes. The women’s Tang Dynasty wedding dress was a blue dress with wide sleeves, but the sleeves were not as long as the men’s. There were two cuffs, and the cuffs and the lapels were embroidered with delicate patterns. The skirt inside was a lighter blue, also embroidered with delicate patterns. There was also a layer of gauze on the outside.

Lu Yan stared at the women’s wedding dress for a long time, and finally frowned.

Lu Yan turned to Sister He and said, “Sister He, I have something to ask you for help?”

“You say.” said Sister He.

Lu Yan smiled a little embarrassedly, walked over and whispered a few words.

“Well,” Sister He said hesitantly, “I can do it, but what are you going to use it for?”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “I can’t tell you the reason right now. Just think of it as a collection. I don’t mind how much it costs.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Sister He waved her hand. “It doesn’t cost much. Okay, I’ll do it for you.”

“Thank you, Sister He.” Lu Yan smiled and bowed.

“Okay,” Sister He said with a smile, “Don’t be polite, just give me a few more autographed photos later.”

“No problem, you can have as much as you want. But please keep this matter a secret for me, Sister He.” Lu Yan said.

“Oh, why are you being so mysterious? Don’t worry, I’m not a talkative person, so I won’t tell anyone.” Sister He also agreed very readily.

The scene shot in the afternoon was one of the highlights of the entire film, in which Wang Xuance led 7,000 cavalrymen to attack the rebellious country. The scene was extremely grand.

This scene was shot from a distance, and the close-up shots had already been taken before. Because the camera was far away, the face was not very clear, and such a large scene was also somewhat dangerous. Generally, at this time, some actors would choose to use a double, and the more cautious directors would even take the initiative to suggest it.

Chen Li had previously asked Lu Yan if he wanted to use a body double, but Lu Yan directly refused. On the one hand, he liked to fight in person, and real men always have a special liking for exciting scenes. It is impossible to really go to war in real life, so if there was a chance in the movie, of course he wanted to experience it. 

On the other hand, he was also very confident in himself. Whether it was riding skills or body control, he could do everything that a stuntman could do, and he was confident that he could do better.

Chen Li did not force him, but told Lu Yan to be careful and not to act recklessly. Finally, he joked, “In order to live up to your bravery in the battle, I will try my best to have the photographer take a few close-ups of you.”

“That would be the best.” Lu Yan also said with a smile.

A helicopter carrying a photographer roared overhead, and cameras were aimed at shooting points from various angles. The assistant director used a loud speaker to instruct the actors on how to change their formation and direction.

Although there weren’t really tens of thousands of people, the scene with hundreds of crowd actors could still create the momentum of a huge army.

Lu Yan rode on the horse, charging in the direction directed by his assistant, holding the reins with one hand and swinging the sword with the other. As the horse galloped quickly, gusts of wind blew in his ears, giving him a bravery as if he were about to fight on the battlefield.

This was the first time that Lu Yan acted as the protagonist in such a scene. In his previous life, when he was a minor actor, he was only qualified to be a soldier running back and forth, looking up in the crowd, hiding his desires and dreams.

And now, he was already someone that was looked up to by others.

Lu Yan felt extremely happy. All the frustrations and depressions in his previous life were getting farther and farther away from him in this back and forth sprint.

Just treat your past life as nothing more than a dream, look forward, and always look forward. Grasp and cherish all that you have and cannot lose!

Lu Yan’s riding skills were indeed as superb as he had promised, and he even performed some difficult and thrilling but very good-looking moves on horseback.

After the filming was over, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief when Lu Yan jumped off the horse.

Gao Xia, who was in charge of managing the horses and ensuring the safety of the actors on horseback, rode over and excitedly exclaimed, “Those moves just now were so beautiful. Where did you learn them from?”

Lu Yan naturally said what he had prepared long ago, “When I traveled to the prairie before, I met a herdsman with superb riding skills and learned a few tricks from him.”

Gao Xia gave a thumbs up, “Awesome!”

In fact, he learned it from a stuntman when he was a minor actor in his previous life. That stuntman often performed difficult moves for big stars. He did the most dangerous work but received relatively meager wages. This is reality!

Chen Li patted his shoulder and said with a smile, “It’s exciting! But it’s still a little dangerous. There’s no need to work so hard. I won’t give you any more money.”

Lu Yan laughed, “Don’t worry, Director Chen, I know my limits.”

“That’s good,” Chen Li said with a smile, “Safety first. If something happens to you in my crew, the fans would tear me apart. But it was really exciting!”

“Thank you Director Chen for the compliment.” Lu Yan said with a smile.