Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 244, Section 242: The Waiting-for-Husband Stone
Here.

Jingxin Building.

After finishing the post-production discussion meeting for "A Little Thing Called First Love," Wang Sheng returned to his office. Instead of resting, he took out a script that had just been approved a few days earlier—"Happy Family"—from his drawer.

The production schedule for "A Little Thing Called First Love" is expected to be tight, and if it is released in September, it will clash with the October release schedule.

Moreover, October is a sensitive period, and major cinemas will inevitably make way for patriotic films, resulting in a reduction in screenings.

While November is traditionally a slow season, the competition is relatively less, making it more suitable for heartwarming stories that need word-of-mouth to spread.

As for the Lunar New Year film season in December...

Wang Sheng's original choice for the next project was "My Sassy Girl," but after calming down and taking a look at his schedule, he discovered a problem.

If another film like "My Sassy Girl" is released during the December Lunar New Year season, both produced by the same company and both being romance films, it will inevitably create internal competition, distract the audience, and make the company's project types seem too limited, which is not suitable for the Lunar New Year season.

Therefore, Wang Sheng plans to film "Happy Family".

This was originally one of the scripts he had prepared for future projects. The idea came from a Korean movie, but it underwent a major localization adaptation. The most crucial change was the complete abandonment of the "ghost" concept.

In the censorship environment of 1999, supernatural elements such as "ghosts" were a clear red line.

Wang Sheng was well aware of the implications, and as early as the beginning of his writing, he changed the core concept to "dreamscape".

In his adaptation, the protagonist Chen Mo remains a lonely young man who has lost hope in life.

However, after each failed suicide attempt, he did not see ghosts, but instead fell into a deep, dreamlike coma.

In his dream, he encounters four distinct characters, each determined to fulfill a certain wish: a hearty, chain-smoking uncle; a tearful aunt; a slightly lecherous, mischievous grandfather; and a gluttonous, naughty little boy.

In order to "wake up" from his coma, Chen Mo has no choice but to help these four "dream people" fulfill their unfulfilled wishes in this dreamlike world: return the camera, watch anime and eat noodles with soybean paste, go to the beach, and cook a meal.

The whole process is full of absurdity and laughter. But when he finally fulfills all his wishes and is about to "wake up," he is suddenly awakened by an extremely lifelike detail and realizes that these four "dream people" are actually his family members—his father, mother, brother, and grandfather—whose memories he subconsciously sealed due to a childhood car accident.

In this peculiar way, they protected him in his "dream," helping him regain the courage to live and the warmth of his family, and even secretly facilitated his relationship with a kind nurse in real life.

The "ghost" element has been removed, but the core of family affection and comedic elements have been retained. The surreal plot is explained through "dreams" and "subconsciousness," which is both safe and gives the story different psychological interpretation space, without diminishing its heartwarming and tear-jerking effect.

……

At 2 PM, a seminar on the "Happy Family" project was held in the company's conference room.

Wang Sheng presided over the event, which was attended by core members including executive director Wu Yiyi, production manager, art director, and casting director.

"Everyone has read the script. The core setting is 'dream,' not ghosts. All departments must keep this in mind. Any element that could lead to misinterpretation must not appear in any part of the scene, props, or dialogue," Wang Sheng emphasized again, getting straight to the point.

“Understood, Mr. Wang. Our art team will focus on creating a dreamlike and warm atmosphere, with colors leaning towards bright and cozy tones, avoiding any gloomy or terrifying elements,” the art director immediately replied.

Wu Yi carefully read the script and offered his thoughts: "President Wang, I think the comedic parts of this movie should be natural and not too noisy. The focus should still be on the emotions. The interactions between Chen Mo and the four 'family members' should make people laugh first, and then be moved."

“That’s right.” Wang Sheng nodded approvingly: “Director Wu, you’ve got it right. The key to the success or failure of this movie lies in the character of Chen Mo.”

He is a lonely, repressed, and even somewhat misanthropic young man, but in his dreams, he is gradually warmed, revealing his vulnerability and longing for family. The actor must possess sufficient acting depth to support this complex inner transformation.

He looked at the casting director: "Among the young actors, are there any suitable candidates? We need someone who is popular with the audience, but can also act out inner emotions."

The casting director flipped through the folder in his hand: "We have initially selected a few people who fit the age range, including Chen Kun, Liu Ye, Xia Yu, Pan Yueming... Each of them has their own characteristics, but they all need further contact and auditions."

Wang Sheng pondered for a moment. These names were all within his expectations; they were all promising young actors with considerable acting talent in China.

“I’ll keep the list here for now, Director Wu,” he said, turning to Wu Yiyi. “You and the casting director should arrange an initial round of contact and auditions as soon as possible, focusing on their understanding and performance of the characters’ inner worlds. I need to see a final candidate list with your evaluations by the morning of the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

“Okay, Mr. Wang, I’ll arrange it right away,” Wu Yiyi agreed.

The meeting lasted for more than three hours and determined the basic production direction, budget framework, and preliminary preparation timeline for the project.

Before I knew it, it was time to leave work. ...

after get off work.

Wang Sheng went straight back to the Hilton Hotel.

The elevator ascended smoothly to his administrative floor.

The corridor was covered with thick carpet and was completely silent.

Wang Sheng walked into the soft glow of the motion-sensor light in the porch of his suite, took out his room card, and placed it on the sensor.

With a soft "beep", the door lock was unlocked.

He pushed open the door and entered; the light in the entryway turned on automatically.

Wang Sheng habitually placed his briefcase on the shelf by the door, took off his suit jacket, and loosened his tie.

However, just as he changed into slippers and walked into the living room, he paused slightly.

The living room was lit with warm yellow ambient lighting, and the air was filled with a faint scent, different from the hotel fragrances he usually used—a sweet, feminine floral and fruity aroma.

His gaze swept across the living room, finally settling on the single sofa near the French windows.

Gao Yuanyuan was curled up on the sofa, wearing the same white dress she had worn yesterday, her hair disheveled, and she seemed to be asleep.

She held a cushion in her arms, her cheek pressed against the soft fabric, her breathing even, her long, thick eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyelids.

On the coffee table next to her was her small white handbag and a half-empty glass of mineral water.

She actually...didn't leave.

Wang Sheng stood still and stared at her for a few seconds.

The girl looked peaceful as she slept, with an unguarded gentleness, completely different from the resolute confession she made at the wrap party yesterday, and the naive yet passionate response she gave late at night.

He didn't expect her to stay.

According to the usual "script," after waking up alone in the morning, she might feel lost or ashamed, and in the end, she would probably choose to leave quietly, letting everything from last night be like a dream that doesn't need to be told.

But Gao Yuanyuan did not.

She waited there from day to night, and even fell asleep while waiting.

Wang Sheng did not wake her up immediately.

He walked to the minibar, poured himself a glass of ice water, took a sip, then walked to the sofa and looked down at her.

His shadow fell over her. Perhaps it was because of the change in light, or perhaps because she was already sleeping restlessly, Gao Yuanyuan's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The initial confusion upon waking lasted only a brief moment.

When she saw who was standing in front of her, her misty eyes widened instantly, and all her sleepiness vanished in an instant.

Like a startled fawn, Gao Yuanyuan sat up abruptly from the sofa, the cushion in her arms falling to the ground. Her cheeks flushed red at a visible speed, spreading all the way to her ears and neck.

"Mr. Wang... Mr. Wang... you, you're back..." Her voice was hoarse from just waking up and filled with panic. She stood up awkwardly, head down, not daring to meet his gaze.

Wang Sheng did not miss the fleeting nervousness and shyness in her eyes, as well as the subtle, persistent expectation deep within them.

"Hmm." He responded casually, walked to the main sofa and sat down, placing his water glass on the coffee table. His gaze calmly fell on her: "Why didn't you leave?"

Gao Yuanyuan's body stiffened visibly, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her dress, her voice barely audible: "I...I don't know where to go...and...I want to wait for you to come back."

(End of this chapter)