1977: The beginning of the blind date with the daughter of the king

Chapter 692 The butterfly's wings flapped too big!
June 27, 1982, at the entrance of the Zhuxinzhuang campus of Beijing Film Academy.

"Linlin, you've gained quite a bit of weight in just a few months!"

In the dormitory, Hu Mei looked at the somewhat plump Zhu Lin and asked with great curiosity.

Li Shaohong, who was standing to the side, covered her mouth and chuckled secretly.

"Shao Hong, what are you laughing at?"

Hu Mei looked at Li Shaohong and asked, full of confusion.

"You, going out to work with the August First Film Studio, you missed out on a delicious meal."

Li Shaohong said with a smile.

Hu Mei's assignment to the August First Film Studio went smoothly, as her organizational affiliation was with the studio.

Before participating in the Beijing Film Academy's entrance exam, Hu Mei was an actress with the General Political Department's Drama Troupe, and she was also a comrade-in-arms with Gong Xue.

However, Hu Mei took the Beijing Film Academy entrance exam without telling the General Political Department. Then, once she passed, a problem arose: she had to transfer to civilian work, but once she did, she would lose her salary.

Later, Hu Mei mustered up the courage to write a letter to the person in charge at the General Political Department, saying that she was trained by the General Political Department and did not want to be transferred to civilian work, and asked if her personnel file could be transferred to the August First Film Studio.

Then the person in charge personally gave instructions to transfer Hu Mei's organizational affiliation to the August First Film Studio.

So throughout her senior year, Hu Mei was busy working at the August First Film Studio. When Zhu Lin was hosting a banquet, she happened to be out with the August First Film Studio, so Zhu Lin didn't invite her.

At this moment, Hu Mei was unaware that Zhu Lin had already given birth.

"Linlin is a mother now, and she just finished her postpartum period, so her figure is naturally a bit out of shape, but I don't think there's been much change."

Li Shaohong said with a smile at this moment.

Upon hearing this, Hu Mei's face showed a look of surprise.

"Oh? Linlin, you're a mom now?"

"Yes, I'm not young anymore, I can't afford not to have children now."

Zhu Lin nodded and said with a smile.

It's no secret that she gave birth; even the school teachers know, but they don't really care anymore.

Anyway, they're a senior and not studying on campus anymore, so what can the school do to restrict them?
Furthermore, thanks to Zhu Lin's outstanding performance, she is now a star of the Beijing Film Academy's 78 class. She and Tian Zhuangzhuang, one a female director and the other a male director, have brought great fame to the Beijing Film Academy and severely suppressed the Central Academy of Drama, which is located in the same city.

So it's just having a baby during your student years, it's not a big deal at all.

"My goodness, this is what it means to do something big quietly!"

"Wait a minute, I was wondering why you suddenly decided to go to CCTV instead of the Beijing Film Studio."

"Have you already decided to have the baby this holiday?"

Hu Mei suddenly realized that they were all quite surprised that Zhu Lin hadn't gone to the Beijing Film Studio but instead interned at CCTV, and they couldn't figure out why.

Suddenly it dawned on me that this was definitely preparation for having a baby.

After all, if you go to Beijing Film Studio, you'll definitely be given priority to become a director, while at CCTV, there are many more leisurely jobs available.

"Pretty much. I discussed it with my husband back then, and we felt that it was true that the Beijing Film Studio was not as suitable as CCTV."

Zhu Lin responded gently.

"Hey, did you have a boy or a girl? What's their name?"

Hu Mei then leaned closer and continued to press for answers.

"It's a boy, named Li Zheng, given to him by his father."

"Li Zheng? Which Zheng?"

"The 'zheng' in 'zheng zheng zi g' (meaning 'unyielding and resolute')!"

After hearing this, Hu Mei immediately gave a thumbs up: "What a good name, it has a good meaning. No wonder you are a great writer."

"Hey, we're taking graduation photos today, why isn't your partner here?"

"You're not staying home taking care of the kids, are you?"

Based on Li Changhe's usual behavior towards Zhu Lin, he would generally appear on such important days for Zhu Lin.

"No, he's away on a business trip."

Zhu Lin said with a smile.

"The Writers' Association is such a leisurely organization, why would they need to go on business trips?"

They were all quite surprised that Li Changhe was assigned to the Writers' Association, but they weren't overly curious.

The Writers' Association is a very good organization for them, and Li Changhe is a great writer, so it seems normal for him to be assigned to the Writers' Association.

Moreover, starting in May of this year, the Writers Association was upgraded to a Class B people's organization, on par with the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Women's Federation, and the Communist Youth League. For Li Changhe, this was also a broad road ahead.

“Now that he’s working and not a student anymore, he naturally has to follow orders. If the higher-ups ask him to go on a business trip, he’ll go. He can’t stop working just because he had a child.”

Zhu Lin said with a smile, she was already very familiar with this line of reasoning.

"Alright, enough of that. Let's hurry down and take pictures. I see the photography students are waving from downstairs."

Li Shaohong interrupted Hu Mei's question at this moment.

She also had a good relationship with Chen Kaige and Tian Zhuangzhuang. Sometimes they would eat and chat together, and occasionally she would hear some gossip about Li Changhe.

According to Lao Chen's guess, Changhe's work in the Writers' Association is not simple.

Of course, she didn't know exactly what was so complicated about it, since even Old Chen himself didn't know.

"Let's go down and take some pictures!"

After being interrupted, Hu Mei stopped asking. After all, he was someone else's husband, and she couldn't keep asking.

Meanwhile, Li Changhe, who had been announced to be on a "business trip," returned home weary from his journey.

Looking at his son, who was fast asleep in the crib, Li Changhe gently pinched his soft cheek.

"Mom, where did Linlin go?"

"Their school is taking graduation photos today. Linlin went to Zhuxinzhuang early this morning and will probably be back this afternoon."

"Why don't you go pick her up?"

Shen Yuxiu then spoke to Li Changhe.

Li Changhe thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, I'll go, but I'll wait for her at Xiaoxitian."

"They will definitely end up in Xiaoxitian."

Zhuxinzhuang is just a branch campus, while Xiaoxitian, though smaller in size, is the headquarters.

Zhu Lin and the others will definitely go back to Xiaoxitian.

"Okay, then go ahead!"

Afterwards, Li Changhe didn't drive; instead, he rode his family's electric scooter towards Xiaoxitian.

At Xiaoxitian, when Li Changhe arrived, a group of performing arts students were busy taking photos.

These days, there are no graduation gowns or ceremonies; everyone just takes group photos, and that's their graduation ceremony.

"Hey, Changhe, here it is!"

As soon as Li Changhe's electric scooter stopped, a shout came from afar. Xie Yuan was jumping high and waving at him.

"Come on, let's take a group photo after graduation!"

Xie Yuan pulled Li Changhe over and said loudly.

"Forget it, what am I supposed to film for your graduation season?"

"Besides, because of work, I missed my graduation photos at Peking University, so I wouldn't dare take them here."

"If I take a picture and it gets out, my classmates will kill me." "Fine, go ahead and take the picture!"

Li Changhe casually made up an excuse to refuse, as he didn't want his photos to be used as gossip in variety shows in the future.

Seeing Li Changhe's firm refusal, Xie Yuan didn't force him. Mainly, he couldn't force him anyway. They had eaten so much from Li Changhe, how could they dare to force him?

Li Changhe then found a corner, sat down, and waited quietly for Zhu Lin.

But not long after, a shadow suddenly appeared beside them.

Li Changhe glanced at the person and then looked at them with some surprise.

The person who arrived was none other than Wang Yue, the first actor to play Tang Sanzang.

Wang Yue was also a student at the Beijing Film Academy in 78, but to be honest, Li Changhe wasn't very familiar with him.

The main thing is that this guy is slow-paced and quiet, and he's actually quite transparent.

"Hello, Changhe!"

Wang Yue approached Li Changhe and greeted him.

Li Changhe smiled and nodded: "Wang Yue, please have a seat!"

"Changhe, actually I..."

Wang Yue hesitated and stammered as he spoke, seemingly unsure how to begin.

Li Changhe glanced at him, then took the initiative to speak, "Let me guess, you came to see me because of 'Journey to the West'?"

Wang Yue saw that Li Changhe had immediately guessed his intention and nodded.

"Changhe, you guessed perfectly."

Wang Yue, who had just graduated, had been chosen to play Tang Sanzang in "Journey to the West," but he was very conflicted at the moment.

Because he graduated from film school, and he even acted in a movie while still in school, namely "Look at This Family," directed by Wang Haowei.

Wang Yue actually looks down on people who want to film TV dramas now.

But he had no choice but to go. His assignment was not good; he was assigned to Emei Film Studio, which was in a period of transition and was not particularly outstanding among the film studios in the country.

Even a recent graduate like him wouldn't necessarily get a role if he went to the Emei Film Studio.

At least filming "Journey to the West" would keep them in Beijing; it was a CCTV production.

Wang Yue is currently experiencing this conflicted state of mind. He has just graduated, and neither of his two choices is what he truly desires. However, compared to the other, "Journey to the West" is slightly better.

After joining the Journey to the West production team, Wang Yue heard a lot of gossip, such as that the new camera for the production team was sponsored by a film company in Hong Kong.

Although the people in the crew didn't know the inside story, there were plenty of rumors. As soon as Wang Yue heard them, he guessed that the person who made the connection must be Li Changhe.

Because he knew that Li Changhe's lover, Zhu Lin, was a disciple of director Yang Jie, which was no secret at the Beijing Film Academy.

There were also rumors circulating within the production team that the overseas rights to "Journey to the West" were sold for three million US dollars. After all, the production team had money and was more confident.

The subsidies for the entire crew have increased, which can be considered a pay raise, so naturally everyone is paying more attention.

And all of this was basically brought about by Li Changhe.

Wang Yue wasn't close to Li Changhe, but that didn't stop him from knowing many of Li Changhe's legends. After all, with Xie Yuan and the others around, there was no shortage of stories about Li Changhe in the dormitory.

So after meeting Li Changhe today, Wang Yue suddenly wanted to come over and ask Li Changhe for his opinion on "Journey to the West".

If the other party is only helping to connect people with Journey to the West out of courtesy, then they need to consider their attitude towards the character of Tang Sanzang.

However, if the other party truly believes in Journey to the West, then he intends to seriously continue acting in it.

But after arriving, before he could even figure out how to start the conversation, Li Changhe seemed to have already guessed what was going on.

"Yes, Changhe, actually I just wanted to talk to you about 'Journey to the West'. I know you were the one who connected the production team and sold the overseas rights, right?"

Wang Yue said softly at this moment.

Li Changhe smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "Are you hesitating about whether to choose a movie or a TV series?"

"You feel that since you graduated from film school, you should be making movies, but there aren't many good opportunities right now, so you're hesitant about taking on the role in 'Journey to the West' because you believe that film art is superior to television, right?"

Having his thoughts exposed, Wang Yue remained calm.

"Changhe, I do have concerns about this, so I wanted to ask you about it."

Do you think Journey to the West will be filmed very well? If you really think so, I will put my heart into making Journey to the West well.

At this moment, Wang Yue spoke seriously.

After listening, Li Changhe was somewhat surprised: "You want to do it my way?"

What does this guy mean? Should we decide whether to act or not based on his opinion?

Wang Yue nodded: "Yes, I want to follow your opinion."

"I heard that the male lead in 'Mom, Love Me Again' is Zhou Lijing, whom you recommended."

"Zhou Lijing's performance in the film was indeed brilliant. If he hadn't had so few scenes, he probably would have won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor this year."

"Changhe, your achievements in literature and film are obvious to the naked eye. Your novels are stories that the masses love to read, and your screenplays are also excellent. Almost every screenplay you have written has won a major award."

"This is enough to show that you have a very good eye and ability. I think you should have the same understanding of Journey to the West."

"If you also think that Journey to the West can be filmed well, then I trust your judgment and will let go of my obsession and devote myself wholeheartedly to the filming of Journey to the West."

Wang Yue said sincerely to Li Changhe, "To put it bluntly, I just want Li Changhe to give me some pointers."

After listening, Li Changhe smiled and nodded.

"I see. Since you put it that way, let me share my thoughts."

"The Journey to the West hasn't been filmed yet, so I don't know the specific filming results, but I have faith in Director Yang Jie."

“I am well aware of her abilities. I have a feeling that her version of 'Journey to the West' will become a legend in the history of Chinese television dramas, the kind that cannot be surpassed.”

"Also, I can correct one of your misconceptions."

"The general public currently believes that TV dramas are lower-end than movies, largely because movies have a wider audience, while TV dramas have a smaller audience."

"Because in our country, television sets are a rarity, very few households have one."

"But in Hong Kong, television drama characters are actually more easily recognized by audiences than film characters."

"Because TV series have a much longer runtime than movies, the audience's recognition and affection for the characters are actually more profound than that for movies."

"Although there are few television sets in our country at present, it does not mean that there will always be few television sets. Perhaps it will not be long before television sets enter thousands of households. At that time, the importance of TV dramas may not be much less than that of movies."

"This is just my personal opinion, and Wang Yue can use it as a reference."

"In fact, I personally prefer that Zhu Lin participate in television dramas in the future."

At this moment, Li Changhe revealed another piece of information to Wang Yue, and after hearing it, Wang Yue was now completely convinced.

After all, Zhu Lin was assigned to CCTV, not Beijing Film Studio, which suggests that Li Changhe might genuinely want Zhu Lin to participate in television drama work.

What the other party said was not unfounded, nor was it meant to fool him; the other party may genuinely be optimistic about the future of the TV series.

"I understand, thank you, Changhe!"

At this moment, Wang Yue spoke sincerely to Li Changhe.

Li Changhe smiled and said, "It's nothing, we're just exchanging ideas, no need to be so polite."

However, Li Changhe suddenly realized something.

Goodness, he's comforted Wang Yue now, does that mean this guy is sticking with the Journey to the West crew to the end?

If that's the case, then Journey to the West won't have three actors anymore?
Putting everything else aside, what about the last Tang Sanzang? Now that he's lost the chance to play Tang Sanzang, will he still be able to have a happy ending with the chairman?
Could I have accidentally caused my junior Zhao Yong's stepfather to die?
Thinking about all this, Li Changhe felt a little confused, as if the butterfly's wings had flapped a bit too much.

(End of this chapter)