assistirfilmes Chapter 3 Talk, Light Kiss, and Ambush
Chapter 3 Talk, Light Kiss, and Ambush
When we finished filming the last scene, it was already past six in the evening.
In early October, Shanghai gets dark early. Outside the film studio, the sky is hazy and gray. The streetlights come on, and the orange light shines on the stone pavement of Chedun Film and Television Base, giving it an unreal Republican era feel.
Gao Huan changed her clothes and came out wearing a thin black jacket over a white T-shirt. It was simple, but her good looks made her look like she was in a magazine.
When Chen Duling came out of the actresses' dressing room, she saw him leaning against the wall looking down at his phone, and her heart skipped a beat.
She was wearing a light blue sweatshirt today, her hair was down, she had just washed her face and redone her makeup, and her skin was glowing white.
"Let's go." Gao Huan put his phone in his pocket and glanced at her.
"Where to?" Chen Duling asked knowingly.
"Have a meal."
After the two left the Chedun Film and Television Base, Gao Huan drove towards the city center.
Chen Duling sat obediently in the passenger seat, pretending to look at the scenery outside the window, but actually looking at Gao Huan's blurry shadow on the window.
The night in Shanghai is beautiful. Neon lights light up one after another, and the office buildings on both sides of the overpass are brightly lit, like shining castles.
"What would you like to eat?" Gao Huan asked.
"Anything is fine."
"That's fine with me."
Chen Duling couldn't help but laugh: "Why are you like this?"
"What?"
"It's like... he doesn't care about anything."
Gao Huan thought about it and realized she was right.
He really doesn't care about many things; he doesn't care what he eats, what he wears, or where he lives.
He's been used to it since he was a child.
It's not that I'm pretending; I genuinely don't care much.
The car stopped in front of a shopping mall, and two people got out.
Chen Duling looked up and recognized the place. She and her assistant had been here a few times during the two months she had been filming in Shanghai, so it was a business district she was quite familiar with.
"What do you want to eat?" she asked.
"Japanese food?"
"it is good."
Gao Huan chose a Japanese restaurant in a shopping mall. The environment was nice, with private rooms that offered good privacy.
The two entered the private room, took off their shoes, and sat down on the tatami mats.
The waiter brought the menu, and Gao Huan gestured for Chen Duling to order.
Chen Duling flipped through the menu, ordered a few of her favorite dishes, and then pushed the menu towards him.
Gao Huan ordered a few more dishes and a pot of sake.
"You drink alcohol?" Chen Duling asked, somewhat surprised.
"A little bit won't affect anything."
While waiting for the food, the private room quieted down.
Gao Huan looked at Chen Duling, his mind racing through the system panel.
Name: Gao Huan
Age: 22
Current traffic volume: 358 million
Traffic composition:
-The Legend of the Ancient Sword is currently airing: 212 million viewers (CSM50 rating 1.32%, number one in its time slot)
- Weibo social media: 89 (286 million followers, 11.2% interaction rate in the past 7 days)
- Online discussion: 57 (including Baili Tusu, Gujian Qitan, etc.)
Comparison with the same period:
-Lu Han: 723 million (EXO fanbase + contract termination incident)
- Yang Yang: 189 million (The Four Great Constables, awaiting broadcast)
- Li Yifeng: Already at zero (PC incident ban)
New player task: Increase traffic value to 800 million within 30 days.
Reward: Acting Card - Best Actor Experience x1 (Single use, lasts for one film)
What will happen in the next three months of 2014? - Lu Han's return to China sets a record for the most comments on a single Weibo post, the official announcement of "The Lost Tomb" triggers a tsunami, and the "Four Great Traffic Stars" pattern is officially formed.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Duling's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Thinking about the future."
Chen Duling tilted her head to look at him, but didn't ask any more questions.
She looked down and fiddled with her teacup. Gao Huan took out his phone, glanced at it, and then put it back.
Chen Duling couldn't help but ask, "You've read that news several times today. What does Lu Han's contract termination have to do with you?"
Gao Huan poured her a glass of sake: "Do you know what 'traffic stars' means?"
"The really popular kind?"
"Not entirely," Gao Huan said. "Traffic is quantifiable data—the number of trending topics, the ranking of super topics, the sales of endorsements, and the speed at which magazines are viewed instantly. Whoever can lead by a wide margin in these data is the top influencer."
Chen Duling nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
"After Lu Han returns, the entire track will change overnight."
Gao Huan spoke calmly, as if he were talking about the weather, "Currently, no artist in China can match his popularity."
"And what about you?" Chen Duling tilted her head to look at him.
Gao Huan glanced at her and said jokingly, "I am destined to obliterate the Great Dao!"
Chen Duling didn't quite understand what he meant, and just laughed and said "childish," but didn't ask any more questions.
The food was served, and the two ate and chatted, their conversation ranging from things on the film set to things at their respective schools, and then from things at school to things from their childhood.
Gao Huan doesn't like to talk about himself, but he answers whatever Chen Duling asks, without dodging or trying to embellish.
"Where did you grow up when you were little?" Chen Duling asked.
Zhenjiang, Jiangsu.
"Where in Zhenjiang?"
"A place you've definitely never heard of."
Chen Duling puffed out her cheeks: "How do you know I've never heard of this if you don't even tell me?"
Gao Huan thought for a moment and then said a place name: Baohua Town.
As expected, Chen Duling had never heard of it, even though the scenery there was quite nice.
She smiled somewhat shyly, lowered her head, picked up a piece of salmon, and stuffed it into her mouth, saying indistinctly, "How was that place?"
"Not very good."
Gao Huan spoke these words in a very calm tone, not as if he were complaining, but as if he were stating a fact.
Chen Duling looked at him and suddenly felt that there was something inexplicable about this person.
His demeanor was too clean, too aloof, like a tree growing from a crack in the rock, its roots firmly planted in the soil, but its branches reaching out elsewhere.
"Is your aunt good to you?" she asked.
"Okay," Gao Huan said. "Without her, I don't know where I would be now."
The words were spoken softly, but Chen Duling sensed their weight.
She didn't ask any further questions; she knew there were some things she shouldn't ask, at least not now.
What she didn't know was that Gao Huan's parents died in a car accident when he was twelve years old.
From then on, he lived with his aunt, Gao Beibei.
Gao Beibei is Li Bingbing's best friend.
So when Gao Huan was admitted to Beijing Film Academy with the highest score in his major, Li Bingbing personally saw him off at the school gate and then took him to Hesong Company to sign a contract.
Li Bingbing said to Li Xue, "This is my own nephew."
Hapson Entertainment was founded by Lee Bingbing and Lee Xue. Before that, Lee Bingbing was the only artist under their management.
Gao Huan is the second and only male artist.
Chen Duling didn't need to know these things.
At least not now.
After finishing their meal, Gao Huan paid the bill, and the two left the Japanese restaurant.
"We still have time, shall we watch a movie?" Gao Huan asked.
Chen Duling glanced at her phone; it was only a little past eight. She nodded.
The two took the elevator to the top floor of the mall, where there was a movie theater.
Gao Huan glanced at the movie schedule and asked her what she wanted to see.
Chen Duling glanced at it; Guardians of the Galaxy was showing in theaters, and she had wanted to see it for a while but hadn't had the time.
"Look at this?" she pointed.
"OK."
Gao Huan bought two tickets, along with popcorn and cola, and the two of them went into the theater.
He doesn't particularly like movies, but Marvel movies are fast-paced, funny, and have great special effects.
Chen Duling was quite engrossed in watching, occasionally amused and startled, instinctively leaning towards Gao Huan.
Gao Huan remained calm throughout, sitting there with his eyes fixed on the screen, but his expression didn't change much.
Chen Duling secretly watched him several times and found that he ate in a very regular rhythm. Every few minutes, he would pick up a can of cola and take a sip. He ate very little popcorn, and she did most of the eating.
It was almost 10:30 when the movie ended.
The two left the movie theater and walked along the street outside the mall toward the hotel.
Chedun Film and Television Base is located in SJ District, which is a bit far from the city center. Their hotel was near the base, about a 20-minute walk away.
Gao Huan suggested walking back, and Chen Duling did not object.
The nights in Shanghai in early October are a bit chilly, with a wind blowing from the direction of the Huangpu River, carrying damp moisture.
The leaves of the plane trees lining the streets had not yet turned yellow, and the streetlights filtered through the branches, casting dappled light and shadows on the ground.
Chen Duling put her hands into her hoodie pockets and shrank her neck.
Gao Huan glanced at her, said nothing, but slowed his pace to match hers.
After walking for a while, Chen Duling spoke first: "What did you think of that movie?"
"It's alright," Gao Huan said.
What does "it's alright" mean?
"It's alright, watchable, but it doesn't leave a particularly deep impression."
Chen Duling thought about it and felt that what he said made sense.
Guardians of the Galaxy is indeed a good movie, but once you've finished watching it, it's over and done with, and it doesn't leave you with too much to think about.
"So what kind of movies do you like?" she asked.
Gao Huan thought for a moment: "Something that will make people think for a while after reading it."
"for example?"
"The Godfather, Once Upon a Time in America, Devil on the Doorstep, Love Letter, etc."
Chen Duling was somewhat surprised.
She had heard of these movies, but had never seen them.
She rarely watched movies in college, spending more time playing video games. It wasn't until she joined the film crew that she started watching movies, mostly recent ones.
"You're so old-fashioned," she said.
Gao Huan's lips curled slightly: "Maybe."
The two walked in silence for a while, passing a small shop that was still open, from which wafted the aroma of oden.
Chen Duling sniffed, feeling a little hungry, but was too embarrassed to say so.
Gao Huan seemed to read her mind, went into the store, bought two cups of oden, and handed one to her.
"How did you know I wanted to eat this?" Chen Duling took it, her eyes sparkling.
"You looked at that store for three seconds just now."
Chen Duling paused for a moment, then smiled: "You have a very good eye for observation."
"It's an occupational hazard," Gao Huan said. "Method actors have to be able to observe life, otherwise they can't act it out."
Chen Duling, biting into fish tofu, mumbled, "So, do you observe me usually?"
Gao Huan didn't answer, but the corners of his mouth curved up a little wider.
The two continued walking, and the streets became quieter and the streetlights dimmer.
As we approached the hotel, we passed a path lined with sycamore trees on both sides. A thin layer of leaves covered the path, making a rustling sound when we stepped on them.
Chen Duling suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, you haven't told me your thoughts on Xu Yi and Xiao Erduo yet."
Gao Huan glanced at her: "You really want to hear it?"
"You really want to hear it."
"I think," Gao Huan paused for a moment, "that's just pointless whining and brainless youth."
Chen Duling almost choked on the oden in her mouth.
She didn't expect him to say that.
The love story between Xu Yi and Xiao Erduo is the core of "Left Ear". She has always felt that it is a beautiful, pure, and regretful youthful love.
In Gao Huan's words, it became "whining without cause, brainless youth."
"Are you serious?" she asked.
"Seriously."
"But... don't you think Xiao Erduo's feelings for Xu Yi are very touching?"
I had a crush on him for so many years, watched him fall into despair, and wanted to help him. Even though we didn't end up together, those feelings were real.
Gao Huan shook his head: "That's not love, it's obsession."
Is there a difference?
"have.
Love is a two-way street, but obsession is a one-sided affair.
Xiao Erduo never truly understood Xu Yi; she only liked the Xu Yi she imagined.
That's not love, that's self-pity.
Chen Duling opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found that what he said made sense.
She recalled how she felt when she read the script; Xiao Erduo's feelings for Xu Yi were indeed more like an obsession, an unfulfilled wish from her teenage years.
What she couldn't let go of wasn't Xu Yi as a person, but rather herself during that period of time.
"What do you think of Xu Yi?" she asked.
"Xu Yi is simpler," Gao Huan said. "A child crushed by family and reality uses depravity to take revenge on the world and on himself."
It was never love between him and Little Ear; it was mutual comfort, like a drowning person grabbing onto a piece of driftwood.
Chen Duling was silent for a moment, then smiled helplessly: "If you put it that way, I feel like I've wasted my time reading the script."
"No," Gao Huan said, "You have your understanding, and I have mine. The most important thing in acting is finding your own perspective."
"So, when you were playing Xu Yi, what angle did you use?"
Gao Huan thought for a moment: "A child who doesn't want to grow up but has no choice but to."
Chen Duling looked at him and suddenly realized that he wasn't talking about Xu Yi, but about herself.
She remembered what he had said before, about his childhood, about his aunt, and about how indifferent he was to many things.
She seemed to vaguely touch something, but it was too blurry for her to grasp.
"Gao Huan," she called to him.
"Um."
Will you grow up?
Gao Huan did not answer this question.
The two were almost at the hotel, just a few dozen meters away.
The hotel wasn't tall, maybe six or seven stories. The lights in the lobby were still on in the distance, and through the glass doors you could see the front desk staff tidying up something.
Chen Duling stopped and turned to look at Gao Huan.
The light from the streetlamp fell on his face, illuminating his unreal, handsome features in a half-light, half-shadow.
The beauty mark at the corner of his eye looked like a small comma under the light, adding an indescribable charm to his face.
Chen Duling suddenly felt a strong urge to kiss him.
She tiptoed and slowly approached him—
The phone rang; it was his.
Gao Huan glanced down at the screen, frowned slightly, and then answered the call.
"Feed".
A woman's voice came from the other end of the phone. The voice wasn't loud, but Chen Duling could hear it clearly in the quiet night.
"Have you arrived at the hotel yet?"
"Just arrived," Gao Huan said.
What's the room number?
Gao Huan gave the room number.
"Okay, I'll go upstairs and wait for you."
The phone hangs up.
Chen Duling stood still, her tiptoes having already touched the ground.
She looked at Gao Huan with a complex emotion in her eyes, a mixture of resentment and relief.
"Nazha?" she asked.
Gao Huan nodded.
"Wasn't she in Beijing today?"
"I came here after finishing the magazine shoot."
Chen Duling lowered her head, remained silent for a few seconds, then raised her head and smiled.
The smile was somewhat forced, but she tried her best to make it look natural.
"Then you can go up there."
Gao Huan looked at her but didn't move.
After about five seconds, he took a step forward, lowered his head, and gently kissed her lips.
It was very light and short, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Then he stepped back, turned around, and walked into the hotel.
Chen Duling stood under the streetlight, watching his figure disappear behind the glass door, and reached out to touch her lips.
There was still a little bit of warmth left on it.
She took a deep breath and turned to walk towards her room.
This time, my steps weren't as light as before.