Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 320, Section 318: "A Fake Marriage" (Part 2)
Scene 4: Conflict and Opportunity

A key international client that Lin Yue was in charge of suddenly expressed a desire to collaborate with a team that had a “deep local cultural background” in order to better integrate into the Chinese market.

The company's senior management is under immense pressure.

By chance, Lin Yue, in search of inspiration, walked into the alley where Jiang Zhou's magazine office was located. She was attracted by the tranquility of the courtyard and Jiang Zhou's casual remarks about the folk customs of old Beijing.

She had a sudden inspiration and suggested holding the client's brand launch event in this courtyard house, and invited Jiang Zhou to be the cultural consultant.

Jiang Zhou initially scoffed at this, believing that commercial activities tainted the purity of culture.

However, Lin Yue demonstrated her amazing persuasive skills and attention to detail. Meanwhile, Jiang Zhou's magazine was also facing financial difficulties and urgently needed income.

Ultimately, the two reached a cooperation agreement.

Scenario 5: Agreement Reached
During the preparation for the press conference, the two had constant friction due to their differing ideas.

Lin Yue pursues efficiency and standardization, while Jiang Zhou insists on authenticity and spontaneity.

But in the process of their interactions, they gradually saw each other's strengths—Lin Yue's professionalism and resilience, and Jiang Zhou's talent and insight.

One night, after working overtime until late, the two were drinking in the courtyard and talking about their lives.

Lin Yue revealed the invisible glass she faces in terms of career advancement and future children's education because she is not a Beijing resident, as well as her inner longing for stability and a sense of belonging.

Jiang Zhou jokingly said that behind his "unambitious" attitude towards life was a longing for and protection of traditions that were disappearing in the process of rapid urbanization.

Slightly tipsy, Lin Yue looked at Jiang Zhou and suddenly had a bold idea: "Jiang Zhou, how about we make a deal?"

"What deal?"

“We’ll have a fake marriage.” Lin Yue’s words were startling, yet her tone was unusually calm. “You help me get a Beijing residency permit, and in return, I’ll pay you enough to keep your magazine running smoothly for several years. In addition, I’ll use my resources to help you promote the magazine.”

Jiang Zhou was stunned, then burst out laughing: "Director Lin, are you alright? This is absurd!"

“This is currently the most efficient way to solve my problem and the most direct way to resolve your financial difficulties,” Lin Yue explained clearly. “We can sign an agreement, stipulating our rights and obligations, for a period of one year. After obtaining the household registration, we will immediately divorce and leave each other alone.”

Scenario Six: Dealing with the Investigation and Family

Despite finding it absurd, Jiang Zhou, under the pressure of reality and some inexplicable impulse, agreed almost against his will.

The two began "rehearsing" how to act as a loving couple, resulting in many funny situations. For example, Lin Yue tried to learn to cook but made a mess of the kitchen, and Jiang Zhou was forced to wear a suit and tie to attend Lin Yue's company party, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

The bigger test comes from the questions from the staff of the Civil Affairs Bureau (played by Song Dandan, with a suspicious and gossipy look in her eyes), as well as the sudden visit of the "family" of both sides.

On Lin Yue's side, her shrewd and assertive mother, who lived far away in Shanghai, suddenly made an unannounced trip north for an "inspection." On Jiang Zhou's side, his aunt, a straightforward and easygoing woman from his hometown in Northeast China, also arrived uninvited, bringing local specialties.

In order to keep it a secret from their families, the two had to temporarily live under the same roof and try their best to play the role of newlyweds in front of the four elders.

The process was full of laughs: fighting over the bathroom, hiding personal belongings, and giving conflicting accounts of their "relationship"... But at the same time, they also saw a side of each other that was unknown to others.

Lin Yue would quietly help Jiang Zhou organize his scattered manuscripts, and Jiang Zhou would leave a light on and a pot of hot porridge when she came home late from work.

Scene 7: Emotional Shift and Crisis

During a visit to the Great Wall with Lin Yue's mother, Jiang Zhou instinctively reached out and helped Lin Yue, who was about to fall, when they encountered a steep section.

That moment of contact and protection touched a chord within Lin Yue.

That evening, the two sat in the courtyard, gazing at the starry sky. For the first time, they didn't discuss the agreement, but instead talked about their childhood dreams.

Jiang Zhou said he wanted to be a wandering poet to record the various aspects of life; Lin Yue said she wanted to be a painter when she was a child, but later felt that it was not "practical".

The atmosphere became subtle and ambiguous.

However, a crisis followed.

Lin Yue's competitors discovered clues about their "sham marriage" and anonymously reported it to company executives and the immigration bureau. Lin Yue's career is seriously threatened, and their agreement is on the verge of being exposed.

Scene 8: Climax and Choice
Under immense pressure, Lin Yue instinctively wanted to back down and propose terminating the agreement early, taking full responsibility for the consequences.

She believed that this way, at least Jiang Zhou and his magazine would not be implicated.

But Jiang Zhou at this moment is no longer the cynical bystander he once was.

He stepped forward and, at the inquiry meeting of Lin Yue's company, faced with senior management and investigators, he did not speak according to the prepared "script." Instead, he sincerely told the story of Lin Yue as he saw her—hardworking, resilient, and occasionally vulnerable—and recounted the seemingly trivial but real moments they spent together in the courtyard house.

He acknowledged the start of the agreement, but firmly stated, "When it comes to matters of the heart, sometimes an agreement doesn't count."

His words moved some of the people present and completely shattered Lin Yue's psychological defenses.

Scene Nine: The Ending
The investigation could not be substantiated due to insufficient evidence and Jiang Zhou's unexpected "testimony".

After the storm passed, on a crisp autumn afternoon, the two sat in the courtyard, with the "marriage agreement" placed on the stone table.

"Is the agreement still valid?" Lin Yue asked softly, her eyes filled with uncertainty and anticipation.

Jiang Zhou looked at her, smiled, picked up the agreement, and slowly tore it in half.

“We,” he looked at her, his eyes gentle yet firm, “why don’t we try… for real?”

The camera freezes on the moment when the two embrace for the first time in a courtyard strewn with fallen leaves. Sunlight filters through the branches of the persimmon tree, casting dappled shadows on them.

The end credits song, "Because of Love," was written (or copied) by Wang Sheng.

The film ends, and the lights come on.

There was a few seconds of silence in the theater, followed by enthusiastic and sustained applause.

Many viewers, especially women, still had tears of emotion in their eyes, but their faces were beaming with satisfied smiles.

Lin Xiaoyue leaned on Zhang Heng's shoulder, remaining motionless for a long time, still immersed in the heartwarming and beautiful ending of the movie.

“That’s wonderful…” she murmured.

“Yes, it’s pretty good.” Zhang Heng squeezed her hand and looked down at her. “Wang Zhiwen is quite charming in this kind of role, and Li Bingbing is also very beautiful. Moreover, she seems to act very realistically.”

"They ended up together, that's wonderful." Lin Xiaoyue looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Although it started as a fake marriage, it was really because of love in the end."

"Director Wang is truly amazing," Zhang Heng exclaimed. "Whether it's a slightly chaotic film like 'My Sassy Girl' or a heartwarming one like this, he can make them all so well. This cinema experience is fantastic; from now on, we'll definitely go to this place for movies!"

"No need, the Haiding Theater branch is closer..."

The two reluctantly left the theater with the flow of people, still excitedly discussing the plot.

Do you think such a thing, where acting becomes real, would actually happen in real life?

"Art comes from life, so maybe it really does!"

"That courtyard house is so beautiful. I wish I could live in one of those houses someday..."

"Work hard to make money, and maybe one day you'll achieve it!"

Even after leaving Oriental Plaza, the neon lights of Wangfujing still shimmer.

The winter night's chill no longer seemed so biting, because the warmth instilled in my heart by the film had not yet dissipated.

For Lin Xiaoyue and Zhang Heng, and for the millions of viewers who went to the cinema that night, "The Proposal" was not just a movie that provided entertainment, but also a beautiful picture of the city, dreams, reality and love at the beginning of the new millennium.

(End of this chapter)