Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 114, "The Best of Us," begins filming.

The school is on holiday, and the entire campus looks deserted.

The winter sun slanted through the bare branches of the sycamore trees, casting dappled shadows in front of the teaching building.

The red banner for the opening ceremony fluttered in the cold wind, and the hand-painted Zhenhua Middle School gate pattern on the backdrop still smelled of fresh ink.

"Three, two, one"

The crisp sound of the clapperboard rang out as Jiang Ye stood in front of the makeshift stage, his black down jacket open, revealing a crew T-shirt printed with the words "The Best of Us" underneath.

"Good luck with the boot!"

As assistant director Wu Haiyi called out in a clear voice, two staff members stepped forward and worked together to uncover the red cloth covering the camera.

The gleaming lens shone in the warm winter sun, immediately attracting a flurry of camera shutter clicks.

The stagehand was already crouching in the corner, lighting the electronic firecrackers. The crackling sounds exploded instantly, startling the sparrows on the old locust tree at the school gate, causing the fine locust leaves to fall and mingle with the gold dust from the firecrackers in the air.

This opening ceremony was much grander than any of Jiang Ye's previous film crews.

After all, he's now starring in a new drama, and things are quite different now; he's gained some popularity.

A red carpet was laid out in front of a red backdrop, and media cameras were set up in a row, all aimed at the creative team.

Standing next to Jiang Ye, Wu Haiyi chuckled and teased in a low voice, "Director Jiang, you're in high demand now. Besides the 15 mainstream media outlets we invited in advance, there are seven or eight uninvited guests here."

"A lot of local media have come too!"

Jiang Ye didn't reply, his gaze falling on Tian Xiwei in the front row of the crowd.

She was wearing a ponytail, a light yellow down jacket over her blue and white school uniform, and nervously rubbing her frostbitten fingers.

Standing next to Liu Haoran at this moment, he appeared somewhat reserved.

But when the camera panned over, she immediately straightened her back and tried to raise the corners of her mouth.

Producer Lin Jianjun was giving a speech, holding a microphone and talking nonstop.

"Thanks to the support of Qingdao No. 2 Middle School Branch, the art team drew seven versions of the classroom blackboard newspaper alone in order to recreate the feel of a campus in the 1990s..."

Tian Xiwei quietly turned her head and curiously looked at the teaching building behind her.

The rust on the corridor railings, the yellowed old newspapers on the bulletin board, and even the horizontal bar by the playground are worn smooth by the years.

It turns out the production team had been quietly preparing for this day for so long.

When it was Jiang Ye's turn to speak, the atmosphere became noticeably more enthusiastic.

A reporter from Souhu Entertainment raised their hand first: "Director Jiang, fans of the original novel are all asking why a newcomer was chosen to play Geng Geng? Tan Songyun is very popular. Is there some kind of backing or manipulation behind the scenes?"

This problem, though seemingly daunting, was actually something the production team had discussed beforehand.

This not only gave Jiang Ye a chance to clarify the doubts, but also took the opportunity to push the new actor to the forefront.

Therefore, the news reported by entertainment media is basically the version that the parties involved want everyone to see!

Jiang Ye remained calm. "First of all, there was no capital interference in the casting process. In order to find the actress who best fits Geng Geng, we visited dozens of high schools across the country and screened thousands of students for auditions."

"Xiaotian was the last one to remain on camera and surprised us the most. The girlish innocence and resilience she possessed almost perfectly matched Geng Geng in the novel."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Tian Xiwei. "Teacher Tan is certainly excellent, but every version of Geng Geng should have a unique vitality. I believe that Xiao Tian can show everyone a fresh and real high school girl."

Tian Xiwei's face turned red as she watched Jiang Ye praising her on stage.

After all, she's still a high school student and a little shy.

It was clearly Jiang's pre-selection, yet he made it sound so convoluted and bizarre...

They artificially molded her into an ordinary person who emerged from thousands of people through various challenges and relied on her own abilities to break through the encirclement—an inspirational figure.

At this moment, a reporter in the back row holding a microphone from the "Qingdao Life Daily" suddenly spoke up with a smile, his voice carrying a hint of amusement: "Director Jiang, speaking of Xiao Tian, ​​everyone remembers the time you took the crew to eat 'Jian Shou Qing' (a type of herb), and the result was that everyone got poisoned and it was reported by CCTV."

"Back then, you even said on Weibo that Xiaotian had exceptional culinary talent, but his knowledge of mushrooms needed improvement. Could that be considered giving a newcomer free publicity?"

As soon as he said that, the audience burst into laughter.

Jiang Ye glanced helplessly at the reporter, his tone tinged with self-deprecation: "That wasn't advertising, it was a large-scale food safety education event. But to be honest, Xiao Tian's cooking skills are really good, it's just that she chose the wrong ingredients that time."

He then changed the subject, half-jokingly saying to the camera, "Later, a CCTV reporter even contacted me specifically, telling me that next time I should just have her make scrambled eggs with tomatoes and not challenge wild mushrooms again, otherwise the entire crew might have to switch to filming a fantasy drama."

The laughter in the room grew louder. Tian Xi secretly glanced up and saw Jiang Ye winking at her. Her tense mood suddenly relaxed.

At the school gate, several girls were peeking through the iron fence.

"It really is Zhenhua High School's uniform!"

"Ahhh, I saw Liu Haoran!"

"I think the director is even more handsome than the male lead."

"The female lead's name is something like Tian...? She's quite cute..."

……

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the milky white marble floor. When Tian Xi swiped her card to open the door of the executive suite, she almost dropped the room key.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

She dragged her suitcase around the entryway, and the light gray plush carpet immediately sank into several small dents.

This is the best hotel the film crew could book near Qingdao No. 2 Middle School: the Qingdao Lushan Hyatt Hotel.

Jiang Ye was very generous with the food and lodging arrangements for this production!

Everything is done according to the highest standards stipulated in the agreement, since it's not his money being spent anyway.

Just submit the expense report when the time comes!
Although Tian Xiwei is a newcomer, she is the female lead in the drama, and Jiang Ye asked the production department to arrange a sea-view suite on the 28th floor for her.

She kicked off her white sneakers and ran barefoot into the living room, then plopped down on the sofa and bounced up again.

So soft...

"Tian Xiwei, you've really made something of yourself!"

She clenched her fist at the air and suddenly jumped to the floor-to-ceiling window.

In the distance, the surface of Jiaozhou Bay shimmered with a golden light. She breathed on the glass and drew a crooked "Geng Geng" with her finger.

After thinking for a moment, he drew a pig's head next to it and wrote the character "Jiang" on it.

Fresh white roses and a handwritten card were placed on the bedside table.

"Wishing you a smooth startup, Jiang Ye." Tian Xiwei held the card and looked at it over and over three times, then suddenly took out her phone as if she remembered something.

The moment the video call connected, Lin Xiaoman's large face filled the screen: "Big Star Tian, ​​what are your instructions?"

"Hehe, let me show you the room!"

Lin Xiaoman: "...I don't want to see!!!"

"I'll show you, I'll show you!"

She quickly switched to the rear camera, first shooting the soft sofa, then panning to the round bathtub embedded in the bathroom wall, and finally stopping steadily on the mountain of fruit piled on the minibar counter. "There are even free cherries! Each one is as big as a ping-pong ball!"

"Capitalists are corrupting you!"

Lin Xiaoman's wailing exploded through the loudspeaker, "Last time my brother filmed 'Princess,' he made sure the actors stayed in the school dorms! How come he's being so generous to you this time?"

Tian Xi turned back to the front camera with a smug look, grabbed a swan-shaped cushion and hugged it to her chest, then sat cross-legged on the carpet, swinging her feet: "Last time I overheard him talking to the production manager, Brother Jiang Ye said we have plenty of money, so we'll stay in the best!"

"??? Are you sure you didn't hear me wrong?"

"Are you stupid?!" She held up her phone and scanned the room. "I've already moved in!"

"Oh, I'm so envious!" Lin Xiaoman's voice sounded a little dejected. "By the way, how did your art exam go?"

"The provincial civil service exam is over!"

She proudly raised her chin and swiped her finger across her phone screen. "I've already applied to the Beijing Film Academy online. I'll be taking the preliminary audition on February 15th!"

"Is it that complicated? Are there multiple rounds of testing?"

"Yes, after passing the preliminary exam, there are still the second and third exams. After the exams, we still have to go back and study our academic subjects."

She sprawled on the carpet, patted a cushion, and spoke in a lighthearted tone.

"Why aren't you in a hurry at all? You seem very confident."

"Of course!" She suddenly sat up straight, winking at the camera. "I'll have my boyfriend pull some strings for me!"

Lin Xiaoman: "...Xiao Tian, ​​tone it down! Stop ruining my brother's reputation and bankrupting the company. How am I supposed to take over then?"

Tian Xiwei made a face at the camera, "Catch you my foot! You're dreaming!"

She swung her toes and rubbed them against the carpet, poking Lin Xiaoman's face on the screen with her finger: "Xiaoman, which school are you applying to? Listen to me, you'd better come to Yanjing!"

She suddenly leaned closer to the camera, lowered her voice mysteriously, and said, "I'll tell you a secret. Your brother rented a courtyard house in the Second Ring Road. It's used as a dormitory for our company's core artists. It's so beautifully decorated!"

Have you ever lived in a courtyard house? You definitely haven't!

"But you should have heard of it, right?"

"The kind with blue bricks and gray tiles and a courtyard, where you can hear the raindrops hitting the pomegranate tree in the yard when it rains!"

Tian Xiwei chattered on and on about the advantages of the courtyard house, from the carved wooden doors to the grape trellis in the courtyard, and even the red lanterns hanging under the eaves.

Lin Xiaoman listened intently to the screen, her eyes shining. Her fingers unconsciously dug into the corner of the table, her face overflowing with envy. She couldn't help but wail, "My God! I should have studied acting too! Is it too late to sign up now? I could get in through connections!"

"I'll buy a plane ticket to Yanjing right away, grab a room in a courtyard house first, and take over my brother's family business ahead of schedule!"

"You can pull it down!"

Tian Xiwei rolled her eyes at the camera. "My Aye said that if you want to live in a courtyard house, you have to pass a trial period first. Someone like you who can't even figure out how to refill a milk tea cup is probably only fit to sweep the yard."

"Tian Xiwei, you're the one sweeping the yard!" Lin Xiaoman shouted through the screen, "When I get to Yanjing, the first thing I'll do is kick you out!"

"Hehe, come on then if you dare!"

Tian Xiwei made a face at the camera, then was suddenly dazzled by the sunset outside the window. "I'm not going to talk about it anymore, the sun is about to set, I have to go take pictures of the sunset over Jiaozhou Bay for you!"

"I'm going to look my best at the banquet later!"

……

In the next room, Jiang Ye leaned back on the sofa, idly turning his phone: "Uncle, the company is expanding too fast right now, and we simply don't have enough staff. Could you please send me some more people?"

Lin Jianjun stopped abruptly as soon as he picked up his teacup, his brows furrowing into a knot, his face looking like he'd swallowed a fly: "Still digging? Damn it, the last time at the company meeting, Old Wang's eyes were all wrong with me, he was implying that I was siding with outsiders."

He slammed the teacup down on the coffee table. "You little rascal, you're always causing me trouble."

Jiang Ye leaned forward slightly, completely unconcerned: "Oh, Uncle, you're the best at this. The company is growing so fast, it can't be run without someone."

Lin Jianjun clicked his tongue and pondered for a long time, then suddenly slapped his thigh: "Alright, I can't touch the people at head office anymore. Here's what I'll do, I'll help you poach some from other companies. I know a few old friends at Huayi Brothers, and there are some film and television companies in Beijing that I can poach, but the price has to be right."

Jiang Ye was quite touched, considering he was his uncle after all.

He was worried that with his uncle's efficiency in poaching people, he might ruin his reputation in his later years...

One-third of the company's employees are now from Guangxian Media...

Just as Jiang Ye was about to get a little sentimental, he saw Lin Jianjun rubbing his hands together, looking a little awkward, and stammering, "Ah Ye... well, you have to save the general manager position in the company for your uncle."

Jiang Ye almost dropped his phone: "Uncle, didn't you say last time that you would never come to my lousy little company and that you wanted to retire at Guangxian Media?"

"You don't know anything!" Lin Jianjun immediately glared and cursed, "Even Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times to invite him! You only invited him once, how do you know I can't come? I'm just... testing your sincerity!"

He snorted defiantly, "Besides, can your company manage without me? The accounts will be a complete mess. Can you really trust outsiders with that kind of information?"

Jiang Ye couldn't help but laugh when he saw his uncle's stubborn expression: "Alright, then I'll save the general manager position for you. But let me make it clear first, you'd better work hard when you get here, and don't slack off every day."

"You dare to lecture me?"

Lin Jianjun reached out and tapped him on the head, "When I get there, the first thing I'll check is your expense report!"

As they were talking, Lin Jianjun's phone suddenly started buzzing, and the name "Xiaoman" popped up on the screen.

He casually swiped to answer the call, and Lin Xiaoman's face immediately filled the screen, her voice booming louder than a speaker: "Dad! I'm not going to study anymore! I want to take the arts exam and become a star!"

Lin Jianjun stood there, holding his phone, almost spitting out the tea he had just drunk: "What the heck?"

Jiang Ye couldn't resist and snatched the phone from the side, saying slowly to the screen, "Xiaoman, I advise you to hang up the phone and go to the bathroom to look in the mirror before you think about this decision."

Lin Xiaoman frowned and scrolled through the screen: "What does this mean?"

"Give it back to me!" Lin Jianjun snatched the phone back impatiently, glaring at the screen but reluctant to let go of the real culprit. "Little devil, what's wrong with you? Why do you suddenly want to be a star?"

"Even Oda could do it!"

Lin Xiaoman's voice suddenly became aggrieved, her nose reddened and her eyes welled up with tears, "She's already living in a sea-view suite, while my brother is still keeping a dormitory for her in the courtyard house! I'm her own sister! I have nothing!"

As she spoke, tears began to fall; she was so wronged…

(End of this chapter)