Full-time actor

When Chen Yu witnessed Liu Yifei's training process firsthand, he truly understood the hardships behind it.

"Would you like to take a rest?"

Chen Yu's eyes were filled with heartache.

Seeing Liu Yifei's wrist wrapped in gauze, it was clear that her left little finger had been severely injured due to excessive sword practice some time ago.

All of this undoubtedly pained him deeply.

Chen Yu won't be able to stay at Disney for long. Nolan has everything ready and is just waiting for him to arrive so filming can begin.

For him, time was a bit tight.

"No need, I'm not tired at all."

Perhaps because of her lover's company, Liu Yifei is now full of energy and single-mindedly wants to show Chen Yu the results of her training during this period.

She didn't notice the heartache in Chen Yu's eyes at all.

"I'm really good at sword dancing now."

As she said this, Liu Yifei's gaze instantly turned sharp.

A gust of sword wind swept by, and her graceful figure danced. It seemed that Liu Yifei had already accurately captured the form, spirit, rhythm, and momentum of swordsmanship during this period.

"Excellent! Graceful as a startled swan, delicate as a swimming dragon."

Chen Yu clapped.

He had seen all of his girlfriend's hard work.

Jason Reed came to Chen Yu's side, his eyes full of admiration for Liu Yifei.

"Hey, Chan."

"Your girlfriend is truly impressive. She's always the first to arrive and the last to leave for training every day. She works even harder than I imagined."

Jason Reed wasn't flattering me.

His previous impression of Liu Yifei was entirely based on online comments, with most of the labels being "Fairy Sister" and "pretty face".

It wasn't until later, with Chen Yu and Liu Yifei co-starring in "Better Days," that Liu Yifei's image became more three-dimensional on the international stage.

only.

There are still some concerns that she may not be able to shoulder this important responsibility.

Yet this very being shattered Jason Reed's prejudices in just a few days.

Whether it's wielding swords and spears or riding horses and shooting arrows, Liu Yifei can do it better than her peers.

"Thanks for the compliment."

As early as 2008, Liu Yifei had already achieved remarkable success.

Her resolute decision to rush to the battlefield despite the continuous aftershocks is a testament to her courage.

He spent the entire day with Liu Yifei at the training ground.

It's approaching evening.

Liu Yifei then removed her armor.

In order to become one with Mulan, Liu Yifei had to carry more than ten kilograms of armor every day during this period of training.

"It's over~"

"Won't it be boring staying here?"

Faced with Liu Yifei's question, Chen Yu shook his head.

He felt somewhat fortunate to be the initiator of this project, as it allowed him to visit Liu Yifei at any time.

"I might be going to New York in the next few days."

As soon as Chen Yu spoke, Liu Yifei stopped what she was doing.

She subconsciously turned around and looked over, and of course understood the true meaning behind Chen Yu's words.

"Not to say--"

Will filming for "Joker" begin after the new year?

That was indeed the intention.

However, Chen Yu thought about it and realized that if he wanted to direct "Mulan" himself, he would need to finish filming "Joker" as soon as possible.

He had hoped to collaborate with renowned domestic directors.

But after much thought, the film *Mulan* does have a special significance.

Chen Yu did not want to rely on others.

That means we have to move up the release date of "Joker," but fortunately, Nolan has been preparing all along.

Liu Yifei was naturally reluctant to part with it.

They hadn't even had a proper chat before they had to part ways again.

Chen Yu shared his thoughts with Liu Yifei. He set the filming period for "Joker" at around two months, and naturally, they would make use of the spare time until the end of the year.

time does not wait.

Seeing Chen Yu say this, Liu Yifei nodded knowingly.

Even though I was extremely reluctant to part with it, I ultimately couldn't overcome reality.

"understood."

"I will train hard from now on, and try to make a breakthrough for both of us before the end of the year."

Liu Yifei sighed inwardly.

However, that sadness was fleeting. She never wanted Chen Yu to have any worries because of her, since the reason for rushing the schedule this time was entirely for her upcoming filming.

The two are fighting side by side, and Liu Yifei certainly can't hold them back.

Thinking about it this way, my previous melancholy vanished.

Had dinner.

Chen Yu began packing his suitcase, while Liu Yifei sat beside him, fiddling with the brooch in her hand.

The magnolia-shaped gemstone brooch shimmered under the light.

Unlike "Let the Bullets Fly," the movie "Joker" held a special press conference before filming began.

As a serious R-rated work, maintaining an air of mystery is of utmost importance.

and so.

Chen Yu, Nolan, and Warner Bros. unanimously decided to maintain a low profile and be meticulous.

Before filming begins, there will be no traditional ceremonies held for the public or the media, and the filming date will not even be announced.

"Is everything packed?"

Liu Yifei nestled against Chen Yu's back, savoring the tenderness of their last night together.

Tomorrow, Chen Yu will fly to New York, the filming location for "Joker".

In order to fit the film's setting of an old and dilapidated Gotham City in 1981, Chen Yu and Nolan agreed to focus the filming locations on New York and New Jersey.

Most of them are older urban areas and neighborhoods.

Chen Yu's thoughts drifted away.

It's worth noting that in the previous life, "Joker" was a massive international hit.

The iconic staircase where the Joker dances after turning evil has become a well-known spot for taking photos.

This life.

The Dark Knight has already ignited a long tail effect.

Once "Joker" is completed, it will surely cause a sensation even greater than the previous one.

This is Chen Yu's source of confidence.

After placing the suitcase in the corner, Chen Yu carried Liu Yifei to bed.

"sleep early."

"I have to get up early tomorrow for training."

Not only does Liu Yifei need to train, but Chen Yu also needs to catch an early flight tomorrow.

Once you decide to do something, there can be no delays.

Liu Yifei nodded, put her arms around Chen Yu's neck, her eyes filled with concern and reluctance.

No one can face separation calmly.

Chen Yu leaned slightly and gently kissed Liu Yifei's smooth forehead.

This kiss contained his boundless affection, all the longing they had felt during their separation.

"wait for me."

***
Early the next morning.

When Chen Yu opened his eyes, he noticed Liu Yifei staring straight at him.

"Honey, you're awake!"

Liu Yifei nestled into Chen Yu's arms.

If she had known she would have to face separation again, she would have preferred not to have met at all in the first place, so that Liu Yifei wouldn't have to miss him so much.

It's especially difficult right now.

The two were dressed neatly, in the same place, at the same time.

They faced the same heart-wrenching farewell. This time, Chen Yu arranged for Jason Reed to pick up Liu Yifei and Gong Li ahead of time.

They then left Disney.

The flight from California to New York was an hour late, and by the time Chen Yu arrived at JFK International Airport with his luggage, it was already close to evening.

Just as he was about to step out of the airport, a few flashes of light shone down on him.

It was as if they were filled with doubt and curiosity.

A moment later, a series of rapid footsteps approached Chen Yu's direction.

Before he could react, a sharp scream pierced the air at JFK Airport.

What?

Chen Yu was somewhat incredulous; the filming dates for "Joker" had not been announced at all, and this trip had been conducted in secret.

How did these paparazzi find out his whereabouts?

"Chan!"

"It's Chen Yu! It really is Chen Yu!"

"Ahhh-"

The piercing sound echoed throughout the airport, leaving Chen Yu feeling somewhat helpless.

So these paparazzi must have extraordinary abilities, or they're just lying in wait every day?

"Chan!"

"Are you in New York to film 'Joker'?"

Will there be any public events before filming begins for "Joker"?

"Some people said you were in California a couple of days ago, did you go to visit Crystal?"

Problems came flooding in.

It's basically all about Joker and Mulan.

It must be said that these media reporters have an incredibly strong professional instinct.

To this day, Chen Yu still doesn't know how his whereabouts were exposed.

It's likely that they had already taken notice when "Let the Bullets Fly" finished filming.

Chen Yu did not stop.

Based on his past work habits, if he stops to respond now, he basically won't be able to leave the airport before late at night.

It's worth noting that the production and promotion of the film "Joker" were kept highly confidential and kept in a low-key, closed manner.

For now, we must still stick to operating in secrecy.

The most important thing is to avoid being disturbed by the outside world.

Seeing that they couldn't pry any useful information out of Chen Yu, the media reporters present were naturally somewhat unwilling.

at this time.

Airport security personnel rushed over and quickly cleared a passageway.

They then escorted Chen Yu towards the outside of the airport.

This sudden turn of events left Chen Yu somewhat incredulous; it was rare to see such dedicated security personnel at JFK Airport.

"Hello! Darling."

A familiar voice reached his ears, and when Chen Yu looked over, he noticed that Nolan had appeared at some point.

At this moment, he was standing next to an extremely eye-catching sports car.

When she looked at Chen Yu, she couldn't contain the excitement in her eyes.

"I have been waiting for this moment for a long time."

Upon hearing Nolan's words, Chen Yu naturally understood his feelings.

The Dark Knight had already established his status as a director in the industry. Although Chen Yu was the director of the next Joker, Nolan was indeed honored to serve as the acting producer.

In general.

If this movie is successful, both he and Nolan will benefit.

Chen Yu had already contacted him yesterday, so he naturally knew the exact landing time.

only.

When Nolan noticed that it hadn't appeared for so long, he realized something was wrong.

That's when they called airport security to handle it.

"As expected of you."

"If the security guards hadn't suddenly appeared, I'd probably still be stuck at the airport entrance."

Chen Yu shrugged.

They casually placed the suitcase in the trunk and got into the car.

Nolan gave Chen Yu a general overview of the filming progress, which had already been discussed beforehand.

but.

Apart from some locations that were recreated from "The Dark Knight," most of the other filming locations were personally located by Nolan.

This is indeed a significant achievement.

After all, Chen Yu's work was extremely busy at the time, and it would certainly not be easy to balance both.

"Our initial filming locations were all in the Bronx."

"All the scenes have been set up, we can go there tomorrow."

Chen Yu looked at Nolan in front of him.

This time, he served as the acting producer, and his dedication is truly admirable.

Thank you.

Perhaps not expecting Chen Yu to say that so suddenly, Nolan looked incredulous.

He never considered filming "Joker" as something outside his own purview; the success of "The Dark Knight" gave him a glimmer of hope.

As for now——

As a continuation of "The Dark Knight," even if he wasn't directing it, he would still want to devote himself to it wholeheartedly.

Furthermore.

When Chen Yu is filming, he definitely needs a knowledgeable director by his side.

At this point, he would naturally be able to participate.

Hey! Chan.

"I do this entirely out of love, because I love the Joker character."

"I admired your courage and ability when you were about to start making the spin-off movie."

"You reminded me of my first audition."

As he said this, Nolan looked at Chen Yu beside him, his sincerity evident in his eyes.

He said these words not to reassure Chen Yu, but because they came from the bottom of his heart.

In fact.

If it weren't for "Joker," Nolan would probably be making and releasing his own movie right now.

but.

Having such a top-tier person by his side certainly made Chen Yu feel more at ease.

The car didn't head towards the hotel, but instead went to La Esquina, an underground social venue hidden in downtown New York.

Nolan had brought Chen Yu here before, after filming The Dark Knight.

As for this time...

The reason for going here was a reunion with old friends.

The two walked towards the private room, and the moment they pushed open the door, Bell and the others appeared before them.

"OMG!"

“Dear Chan, you’ve finally arrived.”

Bell was the first to stand up, and then hugged Chen Yu tightly.

These people haven't seen each other for a long time since attending the Golden Rooster Awards ceremony.

Chen Yu's trip to New York to film "Joker" finally gave them a chance to meet.

"Oh! Everyone's here."

Chen Yu nodded, and several familiar friends appeared at the dinner.

Let’s not talk about anything else for now.

After Nolan mentioned Chen Yu's name, no one objected.

Given Chen Yu's current strength and status, befriending him would be something to look forward to.

"Cheers!"

"Wishing Chan's 'Joker' a successful filming start!" (End of Chapter)