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墨書 Inktalez
Early in the morning, Lin Yue and Lu Chen sat in the conference room of Yuexing Capital, facing Director Li. The crystal chandelier cast a soft glow, illuminating Lin Yue. She wore a tailored gray suit that exuded both fashion and composure. However, the faint dark circles under her eyes revealed that she hadn’t slept well the night before.
Lu Chen occasionally glanced at Lin Yue with concern. He was dressed in a black suit paired with a deep blue striped tie, embodying a blend of stability and elite charm.
“Director Li, we place great importance on the Dark River project and have full confidence in it,” Lu Chen said, his hands clasped on the table. He looked directly at Director Li. “We invited you here today mainly to finalize the details of our collaboration.”
The Director before them was a stark contrast to the one they had seen at the dinner; he had shed his sycophantic social mask. Dressed in a simple shirt and casual jacket, his eyes sparkled with professionalism, showcasing the demeanor of a true filmmaker.
“Thank you both so much!” Director Li exclaimed, pulling out a stack of documents from his bag and handing them over. “Here’s the shooting budget and schedule; please take a look.”
The documents detailed various expenses: equipment rentals, actor salaries, location fees, post-production costs, and more. Lu Chen quickly skimmed through them, occasionally jotting down notes.
Lin Yue’s fingers lightly tapped the edge of the document as her gaze quickly fixed on the page listing actor salaries, particularly the name Su Yao. She was surprised to find that Su Yao’s salary was far below her expectations. Unconsciously, she marked an asterisk next to Su Yao’s name, her brow slightly furrowing.
“Director Li,” Lu Chen said, glancing at Lin Yue’s asterisk before continuing, “the overall budget seems reasonable, but could we adjust the actor salaries?”
Director Li frowned slightly. “Manager Lu, actors are core to this project; their salaries are based on market rates.”
“You’ve misunderstood,” Lu Chen replied with a slight smile. “We hope to increase the female lead’s salary appropriately.”
Director Li’s eyes lit up. “Manager Lu is indeed thoughtful! It’s absolutely no problem to raise Su Yao’s salary.”
The discussion then delved deeper into script modifications and scene selections. Lu Chen offered several suggestions that Director Li listened to attentively. Throughout this process, Lin Yue remained silent but her mind raced as she recorded every detail on her keyboard, assessing various risks.
Several hours later, Lin Yue closed her notebook as both parties finally reached a consensus and prepared to conclude the meeting.
“Director Li, it’s a pleasure to collaborate,” Lu Chen extended his hand for a shake with Director Li. “I believe that with our combined efforts, Dark River will surely achieve great success.”
"Manager Lu, I also believe this collaboration will be pleasant!" Director Li's voice was loud and clear.
As he turned to Lin Yue, his demeanor became noticeably cautious. He reached out as if to touch her, but suddenly recalled the awkwardness from the banquet and quickly withdrew his hand, lowering his voice a notch. "Ms. Lin, thank you very much for your trust and support in this project. We will not let you down."
"Director Li's works always have depth," Lin Yue replied with a slight smile, "I believe 'Dark River' will be no exception. We are looking forward to the final product."
This was the first sentence she spoke during the meeting, her voice slightly husky from the prolonged silence.
After seeing Director Li off, Lu Chen looked at Lin Yue with concern. "Lin Yue, did you not sleep well again last night? Is the medication not working?"
Lin Yue avoided his gaze, staring out at the cluster of tall buildings outside. She didn't answer his question but shifted the topic instead. "Brother Chen, when will the contract be ready?"
Lu Chen understood her reluctance to discuss personal matters and didn’t press further. "The legal department will finalize it this afternoon; we can sign it first thing tomorrow morning."
He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you going to the opening ceremony?"
Lin Yue's fingers tapped lightly on the table, the rhythm betraying her inner unrest. After a brief silence, she replied, "I will go; after all, it's the company's first film investment."
On the surface, she maintained a professional demeanor, but deep down, she knew how much she anticipated seeing Su Yao again.
Lu Chen nodded and didn’t say anything more. The days leading up to the start of filming were dwindling.
Sitting in her office with the 'Dark River' script in hand, Lin Yue found herself unable to focus on reading. Her mind was filled with images of Su Yao. The thought of seeing her again stirred a strange mix of excitement and anxiety within her.
Her fingers drummed on the table like a high school student waiting for a date.
A vibration from her phone interrupted her thoughts; it was a message from Lu Chen: "Lin Yue, don’t forget about tomorrow’s opening ceremony."
Lin Yue replied with a simple "Got it," her lips involuntarily curling into a smile.
But then she remembered her promise to Jiang Rou, and her smile faded into a deep struggle and guilt.
She tossed the script onto the table and let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples.
She knew that her feelings for Jiang Rou were far too complicated. She couldn’t bear to hurt the girl who had grown up with her, who had stood by her side during the darkest days. Yet, every time she thought of Su Yao, the unprecedented fluttering in her heart was impossible to ignore.
She stood up and walked to the window, gazing down at the bustling crowd below, suddenly overwhelmed by an unprecedented sense of loneliness.
She realized she was caught in a dilemma: to keep her promise meant suppressing the new feelings stirring within her; to follow her heart would mean hurting someone she held dear.
But no matter what, time would not stop for her hesitation. The sun would rise again tomorrow, and tomorrow, she would have to face the girl who made her heart race.
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