Huayu: This director is so eager to improve.

After receiving their first share of the profits from "Yu Zui", the first thing Qi Yue and Guo Fan did was to buy back the photo studio that they had mortgaged.

They tidied up briefly, hung up a brand-new signboard for "Tongfan Film Studio," and it became their first real "base."

A few days later, one afternoon, Qi Yue met Pan Yueming for the first time.

This was completely different from the refined or handsome image he had seen on television.

The man in front of me was wearing a slightly loose gray sweater, and he was rather thin. He was sitting on the sofa with his back slightly hunched.

What is most striking is his eyes, a kind of deathly desolation.

The room was quiet, with only the steam rising silently from the tea.

Pan Yueming barely looked up, only staring at his clasped hands, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"Teacher Pan, here's your tea." The newly hired assistant brought over a cup of hot tea, glanced at the man on the sofa, and quickly put it away.

"Thank you." Pan Yueming nodded almost imperceptibly.

The people who have been contacting him recently are either media outlets trying to kick him while he's down and dig up more dirt, or old friends making awkward small talk, or some inexplicable people trying to exploit his current predicament.

Which category does this excessively young director belong to?

"Director Qi," Pan Yueming's voice was a little hoarse, "I've seen the TV series 'Yu Zui' that you directed, it's very good."

Yu Zui garnered 20 billion views within a month of its release.

Qi Yue achieved the miracle of creating a truly blockbuster Chinese internet drama with an investment of only 300 million yuan.

But today, his invitation to Pan Yueming was clearly not for this purpose.

Qi Yue nodded slightly, accepting the affirmation. "Teacher Pan, I don't like beating around the bush. I invited you here today to talk to you about work."

"Work?" Pan Yueming's lips twitched slightly, but the curve was more like self-mockery.

"Given my current situation, would anyone dare to hire me for a movie? You've probably seen the comments online, haven't you?"

"I saw it." Qi Yue's tone remained calm. "But I also saw some one-sided accusations, a media frenzy, and an actor drowning in a sea of ​​criticism."

A slight ripple seemed to appear in Pan Yueming's dejected eyes. He looked at Qi Yue again, this time with more seriousness.

Qi Yue gave a wink to his assistant, who quickly took out a bound document and pushed it in front of Pan Yueming.

"This is my next project, 'Day and Night'."

The main characters are twin brothers: the older brother is a veteran detective, and the younger brother is a wanted fugitive suspected of murdering his entire family. The older brother desperately wants to uncover the truth, but because he suffers from nyctophobia, he can only have his younger brother impersonate him at night to continue the hunt. The two share a single identity, walking a tightrope between light and darkness as day and night alternate...

Pan Yueming's initially dejected and wary gaze gradually changed as Qi Yue recounted his story.

One person playing two roles? Twins with completely different personalities and temperaments? An identity swap where day and night are reversed? Extreme environmental and psychological dilemmas?

This is not just a role; it is almost a hellish acting test tailor-made for the actor!

Any actor with a passion for acting would find it hard not to get excited upon hearing such a premise.

"This character, or rather these two characters," Qi Yue's gaze was fixed on Pan Yueming, his tone solemn.

"It demands extremely high standards from the actors. It requires not only skill, but also depth and resilience."

"Professor Pan, I have seen many of your works. I think Guan Hongfeng and Guan Hongyu are worth your challenge, and perhaps... only you can truly give them a soul."

Qi Yue did not mention Pan Yueming's current predicament, the potential risks, or even any specific conditions for cooperation.

He simply presented the other party with an extremely tempting role and the highest recognition of the actor's professional ability.

For an actor who is experiencing a career downturn and has been abandoned by almost everyone, what could be more attractive than a top-notch, challenging role that can prove their worth?

Pan Yueming stared at the thin outline on the coffee table, as if it weighed a ton.

The paper felt cool to the touch, yet it seemed to carry a scorching heat.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, and it seemed that he exhaled a little of the stale air that had been accumulating in his chest.

"This notebook...can I take a closer look?"

Qi Yue smiled.

"Of course. This was written for you."

......

After seeing Pan Yueming off, the assistant immediately came over to clean the coffee table.

But if you're not careful,

"oops!"

The teacup tipped over, and the tea soaked the tablecloth.

"I'm so sorry, Director Qi! I'm so clumsy! I'll wipe it clean right away!"

The little assistant frantically searched for tissues, her face turning red from holding it in.

Qi Yue glanced at the swirling tea, but didn't seem to care much.

Because he was in a really good mood.

"It wasn't much, just be more careful next time. By the way, what's your name again?"

"Haku Mengken."

Hearing that the boss didn't seem to be blaming her, the assistant breathed a sigh of relief and quickly wiped the coffee table clean.

Qi Yue had just finished discussing work and was about to invite Guo Fan to dinner when he heard his assistant behind him ask in a barely audible voice:

"Director Qi...can I ask you a question?"

"What?" Qi Yue turned around.

The assistant, fiddling with the hem of her clothes, hesitated for a moment before asking, "So... are you really planning to cast that Mr. Pan from earlier as the male lead in your next drama?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Qi Yue raised an eyebrow. "You don't like him?"

"No, no!" the assistant quickly waved her hands.

"Well... didn't you see the news? That guy just got divorced, and it's causing a huge uproar. People online are saying he's abusive, cheated, and gambles; his reputation is terrible. Aren't you afraid of casting someone like that as the male lead...?"

She didn't dare to continue, but her meaning was clear.

"Afraid that the audience will boycott it? Afraid that it will affect our show?" Qi Yue finished for her.

The assistant nodded vigorously: "Exactly! Someone who commits domestic violence... what kind of good person would act in a play? Everyone would feel awkward watching it, right?"

Qi Yue looked at her innocent yet righteous expression and smiled.

"You say he's abusive, have you witnessed it with your own eyes?"

"Huh? I... of course I haven't seen it." The assistant paused, then continued, "But wasn't that article online already..."

"It's just a short essay," Qi Yue interrupted her, uttering a few words casually.

"A short essay?"

The assistant looked completely bewildered, clearly having never heard of this term before, which only became popular in the internet age.

Public opinion condemns, lengthy essays incite, reversals and rebuttals... this whole process was commonplace in Qi Yue's previous life.

Often, emotions and stances precede facts, and the truth becomes the least important thing.

In his hazy memory, Pan Yueming's incident will eventually have a twist, but it still almost ruined an actor's golden period.

"What I mean is," Qi Yue pulled himself together, "that all the accusations right now are just one side of the story, a one-sided 'composition.' There's no solid evidence, not even a valid rebuttal from the other side. The public is just being led astray by emotional words and sentimental narratives."

The assistant seemed to understand but not quite: "What if the audience really boycotts it?"

Qi Yue's lips curled into a slight smile: "The best way to deal with a short essay is to fight magic with magic."