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墨書 Inktalez
Yue Junzhe smiled and said, "It's rare for Uncle Lin and Xiao Shu to think highly of me. Just so happens, I have two scripts in hand. If you both are interested, you can take them."
Fang Menghua and the other two were pleasantly surprised.
"What are their names?" Fang Menghua asked.
Yue Junzhe replied, "One is called 'My Fair Princess,' and the other is 'Scarlet Heart.'"
Xiao Sheng frowned slightly. "The title sounds similar to 'The Golden Branch and the Withered Tree.'"
Yue Junzhe shook his head. "Although they are both martial arts dramas, the genres are completely different. 'The Golden Branch and the Withered Tree' is a palace intrigue drama, 'My Fair Princess' is a comedy, and 'Scarlet Heart' is a time-travel drama."
"Time-travel drama?" The other three thought of 'The Age of Great Strife.' "Is it also about modern people going back to the past?"
Yue Junzhe nodded and briefly summarized the plot of 'Scarlet Heart': "A university student well-versed in Qing Dynasty history, Zhang Xiao, gets hit by a car and her soul travels through time, transforming into a sixteen-year-old Qing Dynasty girl, Maltai Ruo Xi. She enters a palace filled with intrigue. Upon arriving at the Qing court, she is outspoken and behaves nothing like the conservative women of ancient times; instead, she is bold and free-spirited. She bickers with her brothers and fights with noble ladies, even making Kangxi laugh by calling her 'Desperate Thirteenth Sister.' However, as she navigates the treacherous court, her true nature gradually gets worn down. She matures but finds herself entangled in romantic complications with the Eighth Prince and Fourth Prince, caught in the vortex of the Battle for the Dragon Throne..."
The other three listened with sparkling eyes. Xiao Sheng quickly spoke up, "This story sounds great; it's perfect for me. How about I take on 'Scarlet Heart'?"
Wang Lin was also quite taken with 'Scarlet Heart,' but Xiao Sheng had already claimed it. He could only give up on that script and inquire about the details of 'My Fair Princess.'
"'My Fair Princess' is a comedy. During Emperor Qianlong's eastern tour, he has a fleeting romance with a woman named Xia Yuhe, resulting in a daughter named Xia Zhiwei. Years later, Xia Yuhe passes away. Zi Wei, accompanied by her maid Golden Lock, travels from Jinan to Beijing with a token left by Qianlong to reunite with her long-lost father. Upon arriving in the capital, they find themselves unable to enter the palace to meet him. In their moment of desperation, they encounter the female bandit Swallow and become friends. Swallow eagerly helps her find a way into the palace but inadvertently swaps identities with Zi Wei, becoming the 'My Fair Princess' in the Qing court... In the end, everyone finds happiness; Zi Wei becomes Mingzhu Gege and ends up with Falkon; Swallow becomes Princess Zhu and becomes engaged to the Fifth Prince..."
Wang Lin was overjoyed upon hearing this. The production of 'My Fair Princess' would be just as good as 'Scarlet Heart,' if not better; comedies tend to be more appealing than serious dramas and attract more viewers. He felt he had struck gold.
Yue Junzhe showed an embarrassed expression: "Um, may I specify a few people to play certain roles? Some characters are based on real actors."
The three naturally had no objections; having actors who resemble their characters would enhance their performances significantly.
Fang Menghua asked, "Which people?"
Yue Junzhe replied, "The Fourth Prince from 'Scarlet Heart.' I hope Andy Lau can play the role."
She wasn't particularly close to Xiao Sheng, so she didn't dare to suggest too many names for his drama, only mentioning Andy Lau. Xiao Sheng nodded; he had just collaborated with Lau on 'The Divine Condor Heroes' and had a good impression of him.
Yue Junzhe turned to Wang Lin, her tone becoming much more casual. "Uncle Lin, let me recommend a few more people. You don't mind, do you?"
Wang Lin laughed heartily. "Of course not! I trust NRA's judgment."
Yue Junzhe smiled and said, "For the Fifth Prince, I think Liang Wei would be suitable. As for Zi Wei, Yixue Zui would fit perfectly."
Wang Lin had not seen either of them and asked, "What roles have they played?"
Fang Menghua answered on behalf of Yue Junzhe, "Both are actors in the ongoing production of 'The Deer and the Cauldron.' Liang Wei plays the lead role of Wei Bao, while Yixue Zui plays A'Ke and Chen Yuanyuan."
Yue Junzhe nodded. She felt that Yixue Zui was the perfect choice for A'Ke. As for Shang E, who originally played A'Ke, well, her looks were more suited for the role of the first beauty.
Wang Lin was impressed that Liang Wei could play the lead in 'The Deer and the Cauldron,' which gave him confidence in his appearance and acting skills. As for Yixue Zui, being able to portray the first beauty indicated her exceptional looks; she would also be suitable for Xia Zhiwei. It was clear that Yue Junzhe wasn't randomly assigning actors but was genuinely recommending based on each person's suitability.
"Is there anyone else?" Wang Lin asked.
Yue Junzhe said, "There's one more person named Zhou Xingchi. I think he would be a good fit for Voltaire."
Wang Lin readily agreed. "Alright. Once I finish the preparations, I'll notify these three to join the cast."
Yue Junzhe happily said, "Thank you, Uncle Lin."
Fang Menghua was also very pleased. "These two dramas are our key projects coming up. You both must do your best. If you need anything, just let me know. I will fully support you."
Xiao Sheng and Wang Lin were overjoyed. "With your words, we will give it our all and create a classic among classics. Let's rush 'Shitan' and 'The Golden Branch and the Withered Tree.'"
Due to resource constraints, the two major productions could not be filmed simultaneously, so "Bu Bu Jing Xin" was set to start first. Besides Andy Lau playing the Fourth Prince, Xiao Sheng cast Andy Lau's longtime partner Chen Yulian as Maltai Ruoxi. The Eighth Prince was played by Miao Qiaowei, who had gained fame for his role as Yang Kang in "One Jiao." The Tenth Prince was portrayed by Tang Zhenye, the Thirteenth Prince by Ren Dahua, and the Fourteenth Prince by Luo Yingjun—one of the golden supporting actors in Infinite Television, who was still active on screen when Yue Junzhe left that world.
On the day of the launch, Xiao Sheng invited Yue Junzhe to a celebration dinner. Everyone was astonished to learn from Xiao Sheng that this stunning beauty, no less than Chen Yulian, was actually the screenwriter. When they heard she was also a student at Port City University, the other actors felt embarrassed and hesitant to approach her. Just as they were hesitating, Andy Lau stepped forward and walked over to Yue Junzhe.
"Sister Yue, thank you for recommending me for the lead role."
Yue Junzhe smiled in response. "Your acting is good, and your image is great. You were already a key talent being cultivated by Infinite. Even if I hadn't recommended you, you might have still landed the lead role."
Andy Lau shrugged. "You might be right. Just look at the supporting cast in this drama; whether it's Tang Zhenye or Miao Qiaowei, their acting skills and images are just as strong as mine, and their fame is equally impressive. Competing with them makes my chances of getting the lead slim."
Yue Junzhe replied, "Don't underestimate yourself. Regardless, the lead role is yours now. Focus on performing well to prove my judgment is correct."
Encouraged by her words, Andy Lau said earnestly, "Don't worry; I will definitely portray the Fourth Prince well."
Yue Junzhe nodded and offered some advice: "You might want to look into historical materials about Yongzheng; it will help you understand the Fourth Prince more comprehensively."
Andy Lau expressed his gratitude: "Thank you."
"No need," Yue Junzhe replied as she heard Xiao Sheng calling her and walked away.
Miao Qiaowei walked over to Andy Lau after Yue Junzhe left, curious as he asked, "Do you know Sister Yue?"
Andy Lau replied, "I've met her three times. One of those times was in Mr. Jin's office. Sister Yue is not just a screenwriter; she's also the author of The Age of Great Strife."
Tang Zhenye approached, casually placing a hand on Andy Lau's shoulder and teasingly said, "You’re not thinking of pursuing Sister Yue, are you?"
A strange feeling surged within Andy Lau, but he kept his composure. "What nonsense? Sister Yue is a college student, unlike us. I'm just one of her readers."
"Oh~ a reader~" Tang Zhenye laughed mischievously, completely ruining his handsome appearance. "What about Yue Junzhe? She hasn't been to Harbor City for a while, has she?"
Andy Lau said, "We broke up."
"Broke up? How did that happen?" Miao Qiaowei was surprised. "You two seemed fine before. You were all lovey-dovey in front of us."
Andy Lau sighed, "Her career and family are in Bay Island, and I'm in Harbor City. She can't just stay here for me, so we naturally broke up."
In fact, when they first broke up, he had thought about going to Bay Island to find Yue Junzhe, but somehow that thought quickly faded away. He spent his free time reading Ming Pao instead. Over time, he stopped thinking about trying to win back Yue Junzhe.
Tang Zhenye chuckled, "Breaking up isn't a big deal. Without her, you can still chase other beauties! Want to go to Lan Kwai Fong for a couple of drinks tonight? Maybe pick up a couple of girls?"
The other two shook their heads. Miao Qiaowei, as the older brother figure, advised Tang Zhenye, "You already have a girlfriend now; don’t be so fickle."
"Just having some fun; it’s no big deal," Tang Zhenye shrugged off the advice. It was precisely this carefree attitude that led to later tragedies.
Three months later, the filming of Bu Bu Jing Xin was completed and entered post-production. Wang Lin's My Fair Princess was finally set to begin shooting. Unlike Xiao Sheng, Wang Lin chose all newcomers this time, mostly recruited from the artist training classes. The roles of Fifth Prince, Voltaire, and Xia Zhiwei were confirmed. Wang Lin consulted with Yue Junzhe and ultimately decided that Swallow would be played by Cecilia Tsang, Liu Jialin would portray Golden Lock, Wu Junru would play Liu Hong, and Liu Qingyun would take on the role of Liu Qing.
Liang Wei, Zhou Xingchi, and Yixue Zui were very grateful to Yue Junzhe for recommending them to Wang Lin, and the three of them treated Yue Junzhe to a meal.
After leaving the restaurant, it was already getting late. Liang Wei and Zhou Xingchi split up, with Zhou Xingchi taking Yixue Zui home while Liang Wei accompanied Yue Junzhe. Although Yue Junzhe wanted to refuse, Liang Wei insisted, so she had no choice but to let him follow her. To spare Liang Wei's pride, Yue Junzhe opted for the bus instead of a taxi—despite Liang Wei becoming the lead in a television drama, his salary was not much and barely covered living expenses.
The two walked in silence, one in front of the other. Liang Wei was not good with words, and Yue Junzhe didn’t know what to say either; the atmosphere was quite awkward.
"Thank you for recommending me to Wang Sheng," Liang Wei broke the silence.
Yue Junzhe replied, "Haven't I already thanked you?"
Liang Wei was at a loss for words. What else could he say?
Yue Junzhe thought to herself, Oh no, I can't find a topic to discuss. Was Liang Wei a blockhead when he was younger? How did he manage to portray the fish so vividly?
Just then, a lively girl waved her hand and ran over. Upon seeing Liang Wei, she greeted him, "Wei Zai? Why are you with her?"
The girl was Cecilia Tsang, who had met Yue Junzhe while filming "The Golden Branch and the Withered Tree." Yue Junzhe liked her cheerful personality, and they had become friends.
Yue Junzhe smiled and said, "I just had dinner with Wei Zai, Xing Zai, and Xue Zui. Wei Zai was worried about me going home alone as a girl, so he offered to walk me back. What about you? Why are you out so late?"
Cecilia Tsang replied, "I had some business at the company; I just finished up."
Yue Junzhe looked at her and said, "It's not safe for you to go home alone. Why don't you let Wei Zai take you?"
Then she turned to Liang Wei and added, "I'm almost home. Wei Zai, could you please see Argie home?"
Liang Wei could not refuse. It was indeed unsafe for such a beautiful girl like Cecilia Tsang to walk alone on the street. On the other hand, Broadcast Road, with its numerous large companies and upscale residential areas, had decent security.
"Alright," Liang Wei nodded.
Cecilia Tsang happily thanked Liang Wei.
Yue Junzhe suppressed a smile and winked. She was creating opportunities for the couple. Unfortunately, in her past life, their relationship had lasted only six years before they broke up. Why was that? She thought they were a good match! Well, she should leave now; she didn’t want to hinder their romance, or she might get struck by lightning.
Yue Junzhe turned gracefully and walked away, missing the complex expressions on the faces of the two behind her.
Liang Wei watched Yue Junzhe's retreating figure, a flicker of reluctance and disappointment in his eyes. He couldn't help but blame his own dullness for missing such a good opportunity.
Cecilia Tsang turned to look at Liang Wei, disappointment flashing in her eyes as well. She sighed inwardly. Having partnered with Zhou Xingchi to host "4 Shuttling Machine," she had known Liang Wei for half a year and had developed a good impression of him. She had hoped to take the initiative to pursue him as a boyfriend. Now it seemed that Liang Wei liked Yue Junzhe, leaving her with no hope.
"Let's go," Liang Wei said, retracting his gaze and addressing Cecilia Tsang.
"Mm, okay," Cecilia Tsang lowered her head, hiding her emotions. When she lifted her head again, she wore a bright and cheerful smile.
………………
On New Year's Eve, the Li siblings received another "blessing from the gods": two bags of instant noodles, a sausage, and several packets of sesame paste. Li Zhoule cooked the instant noodles with the sausage and steamed a large pot of White Rice, topping it with slices of palm-sized cured meat and frying an egg. Although the variety of dishes was limited, it was the best reunion dinner the Li siblings had enjoyed in years. The rich aroma made Li Yishu's mouth water.
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