Why would Director Shao Yichen suddenly give him flowers?!
It wasn't that he was prone to overthinking, but ever since Veteran Fang raised this possibility, he had become particularly sensitive to such matters.
Now receiving flowers from Shao Yichen—who hadn't given any to the lead actors but specifically brought them to him.
In this situation, anyone would overthink!
Li Xingyu was internally flustered but still pretended to be calm: "Senior—no, Director Shao—these flowers are what—what's going on—"
"Huh? The flowers, what's wrong with them?" Shao Yichen hadn't yet realized the issue. After all, the packaging was too exquisite and elaborate, and the evening light wasn't very strong, making it difficult to see what was inside the bouquet. She naturally assumed it was just an ordinary mixed bouquet.
Then she saw Li Xingyu take out a card from the bouquet.
"Ninety-nine roses, dedicated to my most beloved," Li Xingyu read slowly under Shao Yichen's observation.
Shao Yichen: ...???
Nan Rongzhou set me up?!
She leaned forward to look into the bouquet—inside was a bunch of bright red roses.
Great, this misunderstanding was massive.
She immediately explained: "No, that's not what I meant, don't overthink it!"
"I'm not overthinking." Li Xingyu gazed at her with a somber expression that made Shao Yichen feel somewhat anxious.
"Um, this—these flowers were bought by Nan Rongzhou! He asked me to give them to you!!" In her panic, Shao Yichen directly implicated the poor Nan Rongzhou.
Li Xingyu's expression looked even more problematic, almost frozen.
—After all, receiving roses from someone of the same sex seemed a bit more shocking than receiving them from someone of the opposite sex.
Shao Yichen felt that if she didn't clear this up properly, her friendly relationship with Li Xingyu would collapse, and she didn't want to lose contact with such a future star—even if just for an autograph later! After struggling for a while, she finally thought of an explanation: "That, uh... right, wrap party!"
Li Xingyu was stunned, seeming to suddenly understand.
Shao Yichen also calmed down: "That's right, these are congratulatory flowers from the crew for wrapping the film! I actually forgot about this, but Nan Rongzhou bought them and reminded me. He bought two identical bouquets, one he delivered to his brother himself, and the other he asked me to give to you—I really didn't notice they were roses! Who would have thought someone would use roses to celebrate a film wrap?!"
Li Xingyu nodded slowly, his expression still somewhat dubious.
Fortunately, at this moment, the twins finally arrived.
As soon as Nan Rongzhou appeared, he sincerely admitted his mistake, explaining that buying roses was due to his own absentmindedness and hoping both Director Shao and Xingyu would understand. He promised he and his brother would make amends through their band performance that evening.
Now Li Xingyu finally understood the truth.
For that moment when he instinctively thought Director Shao Yichen was giving him flowers because of her feelings for him, now discovering she had no such intention, looking back, he felt extremely awkward, as if he had been narcissistic.
Though he didn't understand why Director Shao Yichen turned pale at the mention of "band performance," he immediately apologized to her: "I misunderstood your intention, I'm really sorry."
Shao Yichen shook her head indicating it was fine. Honestly, putting herself in his position, if she suddenly received a bouquet of roses with a love note inside, she would probably have misinterpreted too.
Especially for such a high-quality, handsome single man—thinking about it that way, being misunderstood was perfectly normal.
The two exchanged a smile, and the awkwardness was considered over.
However, after Shao Yichen cleared up this misunderstanding and with filming completed, she was in a relaxed mood.
So while taking a taxi with the crew to the dinner venue, recalling this misunderstanding, she found it objectively quite amusing while idly beginning to ponder a question—if she were to actually date Li Xingyu in this world, who would be getting the worse deal?
Shao Yichen was quite candid when considering this question because, in her view, it was essentially the same as contemplating how to distribute a hypothetical five million yuan from a dream—basically impossible, so harmless to think about.
Li Xingyu would definitely be getting the worse deal—a high-quality, handsome single man dating an essentially lazy person, and one who was determined to return to her own world, which would be like being enjoyed and then abandoned, essentially doing charity work.
But her side wouldn't necessarily be better off—after all, this lazy person would eventually return, and she couldn't misuse the original owner's body, so it would be a case of looking but not touching. Plus, while Li Xingyu was handsome, he was cold as ice, and she felt that conversing with him would probably turn into discussions about acting techniques.
Ah, forget it. Thinking about it this way, they were unsuitable for each other, both would lose out, no need to force it.
Thinking this, Shao Yichen ignored the slight flutter in her heart.
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
That evening, the entire crew of "The Web" held a large dinner party at the South Polar Bear Restaurant owned by Nan Rongzhou and Nan Rongyu. Nan Rongyu made a grand gesture, booking the entire venue with all meals on the house, quite generous.
Shao Yichen had originally planned to treat everyone, but Nan Rongyu and Nan Rongzhou were too enthusiastic. Additionally, Shao Yichen knew somewhat about their family business and realized that even if the crew dined there every night, it wouldn't bankrupt them, so she eventually let them have their way.
At most, she'd be a bit more polite when playing games with them in the coming days, she thought.
Though even without them booking the venue, there weren't many people in the restaurant—Tuesday was the band's regular performance day, and apart from accidental passersby, there were basically no regulars. After all, no one would willingly pay to hear noise, why bother?
The main crew members included not only the creative team—Shao Yichen, Li Xingyu, the twins, the cinematographer, and the art director—but also some student interns working as grips and extras, as well as properly employed temporary workers. However, this group totaled only about ten people.
Though not numerous, they couldn't all fit at one table. Therefore, Shao Yichen and the other creative team members split off, sitting at their own small table.
After several rounds of drinks—though everyone was actually drinking sparkling water in glasses—the atmosphere became lively. Nan Rongyu dragged Nan Rongzhou over, announcing to everyone that they would perform an original song, grabbing electric guitars and heading to the stage.
"My brother and I never imagined we'd actually become the leads in a film!" Nan Rongyu said sincerely to those below, while beside him, Nan Rongzhou nodded vigorously like a garlic pounder, afraid he couldn't adequately express his excitement. "For us to complete an entire film's performance, first we must thank Director Shao for giving us this opportunity! From now on, we'll be eternal gaming teammates! No matter how badly Director Shao messes up her gameplay, I'll absolutely never flame her!"
Others applauded and whistled in support, only Shao Yichen didn't believe it—bah, she knew these former fair-weather friends all too well. If they could play games without cursing and flaming, that would be a miracle!
Moreover, with their skill level, it wasn't them carrying her in games, but her carrying them! Of course they wouldn't flame her—because she was the one carrying them!
Ah, she bore all the burden alone.
As Shao Yichen listened to Nan Rongyu's speech on stage, her eyes kept drifting toward the bathroom, mentally calculating how to slip away before the twins' performance and escape to the restroom to avoid their sonic assault.
"We not only want to thank Director Shao but also specifically want to thank another person," Nan Rongyu shifted topics. "Xiao Li!"
Shao Yichen: ?
Xiao Li? Who? Li Xingyu?
Weren't you two on bad terms? Li Xingyu was actively stealing your scenes, have you all forgotten?!
Or is my understanding of crew relationships somehow flawed?
"Thanks to Xiao Li for helping us rehearse our lines during breaks from the exhausting filming, allowing our acting skills to improve dramatically. We're truly moved," Nan Rongyu said, becoming so emotional that he smacked the microphone, instantly sending piercing feedback throughout the restaurant.
Seeing this action, Shao Yichen immediately understood: Oh, so he's being passive-aggressive toward Li Xingyu! Why else would he call him "Xiao Li" instead of his full name, and slap the microphone? Since he couldn't directly criticize in front of the other crew members, he could only be passive-aggressive!
Who would have thought that even someone as straightforward as Nan Rongyu had learned to be passive-aggressive? Society truly makes people grow.
Shao Yichen nodded with satisfaction, completely unaware that her interpretation was becoming increasingly distorted.
However, now that filming was complete, such misunderstandings should end. If a money-losing film she directed caused a feud between South Polar Bear Enterprises and a future star of the entertainment industry, that would be too great a sin.
After some consideration, Shao Yichen decided to approach Li Xingyu to resolve the (assumed) misunderstanding between the male leads and the third male lead. With Nan Rongyu on stage still thanking each crew member one by one, she spoke to Li Xingyu against the enormous background noise: "Actually, the twins came to film only because I strongly invited them! They didn't force their way in with money despite not knowing how to act! You might have opinions about their acting skills, but they're fundamentally decent people! We should give them a chance to reform, let them rehabilitate thoroughly and start anew..."
At first, Li Xingyu listened seriously, but when he heard the phrase "rehabilitate thoroughly and start anew," he finally couldn't suppress his amusement and the corners of his mouth turned slightly upward.
This expression wouldn't be unusual on anyone else, but on Li Xingyu it was quite rare—this was Li Xingyu, after all!
Of course, he often smiled while acting, but because it was acting, the "Li Xingyu" during performances seemed more like the character rather than himself. Even seeing his smile then wouldn't give the same feeling of an iceberg thawing.
Even Shao Yichen was momentarily stunned by this expression.
She unconsciously recalled the question she had pondered that evening: "Who would get the worse deal dating Li Xingyu?"
Now she felt she had the answer.
She was wrong; not only would she not lose out, she would even gain.
If dating meant seeing such a handsome man smile at her like this every day—that definitely wouldn't be a loss!
Ah, too bad he clearly had no interest in her, and she was definitely returning to her original world. The two had no real connection.
Thinking this, Shao Yichen composed herself again, returning to being the impassive Director Shao.
However, dazzled by Li Xingyu's smile, she momentarily forgot what she had been saying. Fortunately, Li Xingyu picked up her thread: "Actually, I don't have any issues with them. Though their acting skills have significant room for improvement, they work very hard to learn."
Hearing this, Shao Yichen was somewhat relieved. After all, Li Xingyu was always straightforward about performance matters. Since he said this, he clearly harbored no grudges.
As for the South twins, it wasn't that they didn't want to hold grudges; they simply lacked the mental capacity to remember them.
With neither side holding grudges, everything was fine!
Just as Shao Yichen breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her carbonated drink for a swig, she suddenly heard Nan Rongyu passionately shouting from the stage: "Thanks for waiting, everyone! Now, we present the long-anticipated band performance!!"
Nan Rongzhou had already positioned himself at the drum set, closing his eyes and striking a pose, looking far more invested than he had while acting.
The uninformed crew members below were cheering and egging them on, but the battle-hardened Shao Yichen instantly realized the danger—not good, the brothers were about to unleash their power!
She sprang from her seat: "I suddenly feel unwell, need to use the restroom."
Saying this, without waiting for Li Xingyu's concerned voice from across the table, she took off toward the bathroom, taking two steps at a time.
Before she had gotten two steps away, Nan Rongyu's electric guitar and Nan Rongzhou's drums sounded simultaneously, instantly creating a scene of darkened skies, deafening noise, demons unleashed, and ghostly wails...
Shao Yichen no longer bothered pretending to be unwell and fled toward the bathroom, taking two steps in one.
If she didn't run now, she wouldn't escape once they started singing!
She flew into the women's restroom and shut the door tightly. Just as she closed it, Nan Rongyu and Nan Rongzhou's voices—as if kissed by demons, possibly more than one—began to sing.
"Want—to tell you—what—to start over—RAAAAAH—"
Shao Yichen's entire body shuddered, covered in goosebumps.
True to form, once they opened their mouths, the effect was still terrifyingly awful.
❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀
The restaurant's restroom was not small, with separate stalls, spacious enough to not feel like a toilet.
But due to the restaurant's almost zero customer flow, it had basically been just for show.
Since they had booked the entire venue and everyone else was outside listening to the twins perform, all the stall doors were open, and the bathroom was empty.
The bathroom door reduced the volume considerably. The twins' singing coming faintly from outside was barely tolerable.
Shao Yichen covered her ears with both hands, opened her phone's music player, turned Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 to maximum volume, trying to use the strong will expressed in this classical music to resist the torment of the hellish song.
Just as she was halfway through enduring it, the bathroom door opened.
The unbearable noise instantly intensified, making Shao Yichen's scalp tingle as she pressed her hands harder against her ears.
Who is it! Who would subject my eardrums to this!
A head peeked in—it was Jiang Miaomiao.
The previously inflated balloon-like angry Shao Yichen deflated.
Never mind, the young girl had worked hard filming, and had finally finished only to endure this torment. It would be too heartless to leave her outside.
"Quick, come in—and close the door—the noise is too loud—" Shao Yichen shouted while covering her ears.
Jiang Miaomiao replied with a few words, but unfortunately, the noise was too loud for Shao Yichen to hear clearly.
But Shao Yichen quickly noticed something amiss.
The young girl wasn't closing the door, apparently because she was busy trying to pull someone else's arm into the bathroom!
What, was there someone unwilling to seek refuge, so Jiang Miaomiao was dragging them in?
Who could be so unappreciative?
"Hurry up and come in—" The noise grew increasingly loud, and Shao Yichen felt she was about to collapse. She pressed hard on her ears and urged, "Don't be shy, it's just me—"
Jiang Miaomiao continued trying to pull the person into the bathroom, turning back to shout something else.
After struggling for a long time, the person outside finally seemed to give up. As soon as they relaxed, they were immediately pulled in by Jiang Miaomiao.
...It was Qin Lu.
Shao Yichen: ????
She peeked her head out the door while enduring the ear-splitting noise—yes, this was the women's restroom.
Just as she pulled her head back in and closed the door, the noise—correction, the band's performance—happened to stop.
The three people in the bathroom stared at each other, surrounded by deathly silence.
After a long silence, Shao Yichen looked at Qin Lu and asked gravely: "Are you... a woman disguised as a man?"
Qin Lu was on the verge of tears: "No, Director, believe me, I'm not a woman disguised as a man—but I'm not a pervert either!"
He turned to Jiang Miaomiao with a surrendering gesture: "I give up, I promise we won't stay in this awkward place anymore, okay? I'm afraid I can go out after this and be treated as a pervert..."
Jiang Miaomiao's attitude remained resolute: "No, you'll run away once you go out!"
Shao Yichen watched them talk in riddles, finally understanding something: "So you two were looking for me? Just tell me what you need—"
"Then I'll say it!" Jiang Miaomiao pulled on Qin Lu, looking up at Shao Yichen with an expectant face.
"Director, Qin Lu and I have discussed it! We both want to do the film's post-production! We want to edit the film!"
Author's Note:
Qin Lu: My lifetime reputation...
Jiang Miaomiao: Nonexistent.
Shao Yichen: I seem very redundant as a director between you two.
First update
The film release might still be some distance away (meaning it needs three or four days of updates)
It's not really me doing the 10k-word daily updates, it's the draft box doing it, but the draft box is getting quite thin now, and I feel a bit reluctant (?)
Thanks to the little angels who cast Emperor Votes or poured Nutrition Fluid for me during the period from 2020-08-29 18:32:17 to 2020-08-30 10:01:44~
Thanks to the little angels who threw landmines: 44862810 1;
Thanks to the little angels who poured Nutrition Fluid: sprite 100 bottles; Green Stone Path 82 bottles; Sugar and Good Books Cannot Be Neglected 21 bottles; When You See Me Make Me Study, Three Mountain Evening, Qian Chen Like Brocade 20 bottles; A Lei 17 bottles; User3754914945 13 bottles; Snow Silver Dance 10 bottles; Did You Work Hard to Update Today 8 bottles; Little Ming Is Still Busy Today 6 bottles; Tea Refuses to Cool, Clear 5 bottles; Fan Chen, Moon's Trace, Have Oh 2 bottles; Dreamy Purple Little Stream, Little Rice Porridge, L, Human Ultimate Taste, First A in Interstellar, Xiao Fan, Red Bean, Yan, I Am Chicken Soup 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!