Entertainment Industry: I am a top-tier movie star

Chapter 94 Filming Completed

chongqing.

The scorching summer sun poured down relentlessly, baking the mountain town into a giant steamer.

However, the hotel and film set where the "Better Days" crew stayed were always shrouded in a kind of quiet, almost chilling, tranquility that seemed out of place with the sweltering heat outside.

The final scene is set in a police station in an old neighborhood in the south of the city that is about to be demolished.

After more than two months of intense filming, everyone was exhausted, but also extremely excited.

A complex emotion, the feeling of about to accomplish a difficult mission, silently surged in everyone's heart.

The final scene is the last time Xiao Bei and Chen Nian face each other in the interrogation room.

At that time, Xiao Bei had already taken the blame for all the crimes and was about to be formally arrested.

Under Zheng Yi's relentless questioning and internal torment, Chen Nian finally chose to tell the truth.

This scene is the culmination of the two people's emotions and fates, and it is also the most poignant yet brilliant footnote to the entire film's theme—"You protect the world, I protect you."

The film set was unusually quiet.

The lighting technician made final adjustments, Cao Yu carried the camera and moved around repeatedly, and Zhang Lei sat in front of the monitor without saying a word, with the director's storyboard, which had been turned over and was now curled up, beside him.

Chen Nianbei and Zhou Dongyu remained silent in their respective corners.

Chen Nianbei was wearing the faded blue vest from the detention center, and his short, shaved head was now covered in stubble.

He sat in the interrogation chair, his hands handcuffed to the iron bars, his head hanging down, his entire being constricted to an extremely narrow space.

That wasn't a performance; it was a complete "state of being." He hadn't spoken as "Chen Nianbei" for a long time.

Zhou Dongyu was dressed in simple casual clothes, her face was bare of makeup, and her eyes were slightly red.

She didn't look at the script; she just kept repeating the key last line to herself, her fingers icy cold.

"Final checks by all departments. Filming will begin in three minutes." The assistant director's voice was deep and solemn.

Chen Nianbei looked up and met Zhou Dongyu's gaze across the entire film set.

They didn't speak, just stared at each other silently for a few seconds. Then, he nodded almost imperceptibly.

Zhou Dongyu pursed her lips and responded with a similarly slight nod.

"Scene 132, Shot 67, the final scene of 'Better Days,' Action!"

The sound of the clapperboard fading fell. The entire space seemed to be instantly vacuumed out.

The camera first focuses on Zhou Dongyu (Chen Nian).

She looked at Chen Nianbei (Xiao Bei) inside through the glass, her lips trembling, tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

That wasn't a loud, wailing cry, but rather a liquid that seeped from deep within the body after being suppressed to the extreme.

Her throat felt blocked, and she tried to speak several times, but only managed to produce broken, breathy sounds.

"You—why are you so stupid—"

Chen Nianbei (Xiao Bei) raised his head. His movements were slow, as if every muscle in his neck weighed a ton.

He looked at the girl on the other side of the glass, her face streaked with tears. There was no dramatic change in his expression, but his eyes, which had been calm at first, gradually developed very faint, almost imperceptible ripples.

The ripples contained heartache, relief, and a touch of clumsy, unspoken tenderness.

He didn't answer her question, but only slightly tugged at the corners of his mouth, a curve so slight it barely counted as a smile.

"It's so good to be grown up."

His voice was low and hoarse, with the awkwardness of someone who hadn't spoken for a long time: "From now on, walk in the sunlight."

Zhou Dongyu (Chen Nian) shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face: "I don't want it—I don't want the sunshine anymore—I only want you—"

Chen Nianbei (Xiao Bei)'s eyes instantly reddened. He didn't let the tears fall, but his Adam's apple bobbed violently. He lowered his eyes and stared at his hands, handcuffed to the iron bars, his knuckles white.

After a long while, he raised his eyes again, this time with a kind of stubborn, unquestionable tenderness in them.

"It's settled then."

He looked at her and said, slowly and deliberately, "You protect the world."

He paused.

"I will protect you."

Zhou Dongyu (Chen Nian) finally broke down, pressing her forehead against the cold glass partition, her shoulders twitching violently, but she couldn't make a sound.

Chen Nianbei (Xiao Bei) just looked at her like that, his gaze through the glass, through the long separation that was about to begin, through the entire fate of the two teenagers, both small and intense, quietly, greedily, for the last time.

"Cut!!"

Zhang Lei's voice was almost a scream.

There was a three-second silence on set. Then, applause erupted from the corners, spreading rapidly like a tidal wave.

Lighting crew, sound recording crew, production assistants, assistant director, and even temporary extras —

Everyone stood up and applauded enthusiastically.

Zhou Dongyu was still lying on the glass partition, completely immersed in that immense grief and unable to pull herself away; her shoulders were still trembling.

Her assistant and two female staff members rushed forward, offering her tissues, coats, and gentle words of comfort.

Chen Nianbei sat in the interrogation chair, still holding her head up, her eyes red and swollen.

He slowly lowered his head, his hands still locked in the prop handcuffs, his knuckles white from the prolonged strain. He did not get up immediately.

Zhang Lei walked over and, through the iron bars, firmly gripped his shoulder.

He didn't say anything.

Han's daughter stood up from behind the monitor, her eyes slightly red, but her voice was steady: "This shot could be included in a Chinese film textbook."

I don't know who was the first to shout, "Filming is finished!"

Then came waves of cheers, some choked with emotion: "Filming's wrapped!" "Better Days, filming's wrapped!"

Chen Nianbei finally stood up from the interrogation chair. The prop master came over to help him unlock the handcuffs. When the metal device he had worn all day came off his wrists, he subconsciously moved his wrists, where there was a faint red mark.

He stared at the mark for a few seconds, as if he hadn't completely left "Xiao Bei's" body.

Zhou Dongyu had calmed down a bit and walked over wearing a coat.

The two looked at each other and suddenly chuckled softly at the same time.

The smiles conveyed a sense of relief, mutual appreciation, and a tacit understanding and deep respect for having shared this challenging creative journey.

"Thank you for your hard work, Chen Nian," Chen Nianbei said.

"Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Bei," Zhou Dongyu said.

That night, the wrap party was held at a long-established hot pot restaurant in Yz District.

The film crew booked the entire second floor. The steaming hot pot broth was bubbling with red waves, and the air was filled with the spicy aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, perfectly blending with the lively atmosphere of this mountain town.

Chen Nianbei, unusually, did not refuse a toast.

He changed out of his faded old clothes and into a simple black shirt with the cuffs casually rolled up.

The continuous filming had made him lose a lot of weight, but his mental state was much more relaxed than on set—although that relaxation still carried a trace of the lingering charm of "Xiao Bei".

Zhang Lei was the first to stand up, holding a full glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor), his voice slightly hoarse: "This glass is a toast to 'Better Days,' and to everyone here. Two and a half months, seventy-two days—this is the most difficult, most tiring, but also the most fulfilling film I've ever made. Thank you all!"

He drank it all in one gulp, and everyone cheered.

Han's daughter was also unusually relaxed tonight, holding a glass of red wine and talking quietly with the director of photography, Cao Yu, discussing which shots might have better processing solutions during post-production editing.

She is the kind of person who is always thinking about creation, even when the occasion should be one of complete relaxation.

Liu Haochun sat in the corner, her eyes still a little red and swollen. She had finished filming the last scene of the afternoon, but she stayed on set to watch Chen Nianbei and Zhou Dongyu's last scene together.

Wang Hao sat next to her, unusually not discussing acting or the script, but quietly helping her cook tripe, listening to her ramble on about the growth and hardships she had faced during the two months of filming.

"Brother Bei,"

Liu Haochun walked over with a glass of juice, stood in front of Chen Nianbei, and her eyes reddened again. "Thank you, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. I may not have played the role of Wei Lai well enough, but I will always remember it—"

Chen Nianbei gently patted her shoulder, just like he did on the set of "Take My Brother Away" back then, only this time with more composure and comfort: "You did a great job. Haochun, you're a natural actress, don't doubt yourself."

Liu Haochun nodded vigorously, not daring to say anything more, afraid that tears would fall.

Wang Hao also walked over, holding a wine glass. Looking at Chen Nianbei, a thousand words stuck in his throat, he finally managed to utter, "Nianbei, bottoms up." He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Chen Nianbei smiled and drank half a glass with him.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

It's unclear who started it, but director Zhang Lei was asked to say a few words.

Zhang Lei didn't refuse. He stood up, looked around at his comrades who had fought alongside him for two and a half months, and suddenly became emotional.

"Let me be honest." He cleared his throat. "I also had concerns about the 'Better Days' project at the beginning."

The subject matter is sensitive, the challenges are great, and the investment returns are uncertain—Nianbei came to me and said, "Leizi, dare to take another gamble?" I knew it; he was going to pull off another big heist.

Everyone smiled and looked at Chen Nianbei. He lowered his eyes, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.

"Over the past two months, I've watched Nianbei break herself apart, gradually transforming into Xiaobei. It wasn't acting; she really did become Xiaobei."

Zhang Lei's voice deepened, "Sometimes when I yell 'Cut,' he would sit there, unable to come to his senses for a long time. I didn't dare to call him, because I knew he was slowly pulling that child named Xiao Bei out of his body."

The entire room fell silent.

"What I want to say is, Nianbei, we all know you gave it your all in this film."

Zhang Lei raised his glass, his eyes burning, "But for the next one, could you please not be so ruthless? I'm worried you won't make it out."

Chen Nianbei raised his eyes, looked at his brother who had been adventuring alongside him since college, and his throat bobbed.

He stood up, picked up his wine glass, and clinked it heavily with Zhang Lei's.

"They can get out."

He said, "With a director like you, with Sister Dongyu, Haochun, Haozi, and everyone here—you've all managed to make it."

The two drank together, and the surrounding area erupted in applause, whistles, and cheers.

As the banquet was about to end, Chen Nianbei walked alone to the window.

The hustle and bustle of the hot pot restaurant faded into the distance behind me, and outside the window was the night view of Chongqing—the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers was ablaze with lights, and the banks of the two rivers were radiant with color.

This city, where he stayed for more than two months, witnessed how he became Xiao Bei, and how he gradually said goodbye to Xiao Bei.

His phone vibrated. He looked down and saw a message from Nazha: "Filming wrapped up? You must be exhausted. Tell me when you get back to Beijing, I'll make you some soup."

Following closely was a message from Dilraba, as bright and cheerful as ever: "Happy wrap-up, Teacher Chen! Can't wait to see Xiao Bei! He'll be absolutely stunning!"

He didn't reply immediately, but simply held the phone gently in his hand and continued to gaze at the river view outside the window.

The woman from the Han family walked up to him at some point, handed him a glass of warm water, and asked abruptly, "How are you feeling?"

Chen Nianbei was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I have some free time."

Han's daughter nodded: "That's normal. When you give a part of your soul to a character, it takes time for that gap to slowly fill after filming wraps up."

She paused, then gave a rare, gentle smile. "But it will heal. You know who you are better than most young actors I've ever met."

Chen Nianbei turned her head and said earnestly, "Thank you, Teacher Han. Without you, this project wouldn't have been possible."

Han's daughter waved her hand and looked out the window: "I just did what I was supposed to do."

It is you hardworking young people who truly brought this story from the pages of the book into reality.

Late at night, the wrap party ended. Chen Nianbei got into the car back to the hotel. The Chongqing evening breeze blew in through the half-open window, carrying the dampness of the river and the faint smell of hotpot. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and countless images from the past two months flashed through his mind—

The fearful look in Zhou Dongyu's eyes in the rainy alley, the detail of him repairing his bicycle with his hands covered in oil in the abandoned building, the old coat thrown on the roof, the pair of bloodshot eyes reflected in the glass partition of the interrogation room—

And then there's the saying, "You protect the world, I protect you."

He once portrayed Prince Jing's sincerity, Mingtai's struggles, and Yang Xun's resilience as Chen Nianbei. But Xiao Bei is different.

Xiao Bei is another soul that he shattered and rebuilt on the ruins.

This soul will meet millions of viewers on the silver screen, sharing their tears, sighs, and empathy.

At this moment, what he needs to do is gently put this soul down and say goodbye properly.

Outside the car window, the lights of Chongqing gradually receded.

Filming for "Better Days" has wrapped.

The story of Xiao Bei and Chen Nian is just waiting for the day it will be revealed to the audience.

Chen Nianbei opened his eyes, looked at the fleeting night view outside the window, and let out a soft sigh. He knew that after tonight, he would need to learn to be Chen Nianbei again.

The actress Chen Nianbei, who accepts awards under the spotlight, smiles on the red carpet, and walks steadily amidst countless expectant gazes.

But he also knew that Xiao Bei would forever live in some corner of his body.

Just like Xiaoman, Jin Yichuan, Prince Jing, Mingtai, and Yang Xun in the past.

These are all paths he has walked, and they represent the entire meaning of the path he will continue to walk.

The night flight pierced the sky, carrying the exhausted film crew away from this mountain town shrouded in mist and river water.

Outside the porthole, the night view of Chongqing shrank into a cluster of dazzling lights, gradually blurring.

Chen Nianbei leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and could still hear the sound of the hot pot boiling and Zhang Lei's choked "Thank you for your hard work."

He fell asleep. He had no dreams.

This was the deepest sleep he had had in over two months.