HuaYu: A Great Director Starting with Dream of the Red Chamber

Beijing Capital International Airport.

Ding Xiaoxiao and Yang Mi, two girls from Yanjing, somehow became friends, chattering non-stop the whole way.

Until boarding time.

Ding Xiaoxiao stared resentfully as Li Yan plopped down in business class.

I don't know if Canon is particularly attentive to him, but Zhang Qiang, who was in economy class himself, actually took pity on Li Yan and upgraded him to business class.

Right now, I can only squeeze next to Ding Xiaoxiao and endure her nagging.

Ding Xiaoxiao is a producer now!

Business class seats on domestic routes aren't much more spacious either.

Yang Mi hadn't been sitting down long when she took out the script from her bag and started looking at it with a frown.

"It's just two pages long, with no dialogue, what's there to watch?"

Li Yan adjusted his seat, preparing to take a nap.

Yang Mi was furious at his attitude and slammed the script down on him with a "smack."

"You think everyone's a psychopath like you? I'm increasingly convinced you're messing with me. The script just says 'turn around, glance back, smile,' how am I supposed to act that? You're Wong Kar-wai!"

Her previous roles were mostly quirky and mischievous types; she would make funny faces, cry, and act cute, and the audience would buy it.

But this time, she was asked to express the gentleness and deep affection that comes with the passage of time.

That's... beyond the scope of the curriculum.

Li Yan sighed and turned to look at Yang Mi, who looked anxious.

Yang Mi now hasn't yet transformed into the "Big Honey" she later became; her jawline isn't as smooth yet, but she's quite cute when she gets anxious.

"Come here."

"What?" Yang Mi shrank back warily.

Li Yan straightened up, rummaged through his bag and pulled out an iPod, found a song, and without saying a word, shoved an earphone into her ear.

"Shut up, listen to the music."

As the soothing piano prelude begins, "Falling Slowly" flows with the cool strumming of the guitar.

"I don't know you, but I want you..."

"Clear your mind, forget all those messy announcements, endorsements, and contracts."

Li Yan nestled back into the chair, her voice calm and gentle, blending into Glen Hansard's soulful and husky folk songs:

"You're just a sophomore girl right now. This is your first solo trip with your boyfriend. You skipped class and kept it from your family. You're very happy, but also a little nervous about doing something naughty."

Yang Mi was stunned for a moment, and wanted to sit up and say something, but Li Yan gently stopped her.

"Don't speak, just feel that scene, the sweetness of first love and the beautiful anticipation."

Li Yan continued to guide him in that deep voice:

"Just maintain this mood, and don't think about anything else until the piece ends."

The headphone cord was short, bringing the two of them very close together.

Music played, and the man beside me breathed steadily, as if he were asleep.

Yang Mi could smell the clean scent on his clothes, which made her feel at ease.

Gradually, Yang Mi's tense shoulders relaxed, and she nestled into her seat, her mind blank, leaving only the long melody.

Before she knew it, she leaned on Li Yan's shoulder and fell into a deep sleep.

……

Yangzhou, Slender West Lake.

Just after the Qingming Festival, the Twenty-Four Bridges were faintly visible in the morning mist.

For northerners, the phrase "misty and rainy Jiangnan" is the most beautiful ink painting in their hearts.

But in reality, northerners really can't stand Yangzhou in early April.

Li Bai misled me!

However, from a photographer's perspective, the lighting at the scene truly deserves to be called a "magic light" moment.

The soft light is gentle and delicate, with rich layers, making it especially suitable for photographing people.

However, the atmosphere on set was not ideal.

"Click!"

Li Yan's voice was incredibly harsh, completely different from his voice on the plane.

"Yang Mi, you smile like a model! How many times have I told you, it has to be natural, natural, don't you understand? Look at yourself now!"

He pointed to the replaying surveillance footage and reprimanded them mercilessly.

"Why wouldn't I live my life? I always laugh like this, and everyone says it looks good!"

After being "cracked" for forty minutes straight, Yang Mi's temper flared up in the damp and cold weather.

Every time she does something, she tightens her chin, widens her eyes, and raises the corners of her mouth at a 15-degree angle. It's become muscle memory.

She had even adjusted her posture in front of the mirror at home before, so why couldn't it work here?

"That's a fake smile, it's just for show, it's a mask!"

Li Yan rolled the script into a tube and banged it against his hand.

"Your eyes are empty! I want a living, breathing person, a girl who cries, laughs, and feels emotions, not a delicate wax figure. Filming this would be a disaster!"

The surroundings were deathly silent.

The staff didn't dare to breathe.

Zeng Jia, who was standing some distance away, hesitated, wanting to go up and try to calm things down, but was stopped by Zhang Qiang.

"Don't go," Zhang Qiang said seriously, shaking his head. "The director is giving instructions."

Li Yan took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.

He knew that Yang Mi couldn't be entirely blamed for this.

Years of commercial filming and assembly-line production have honed these popular actors' "professional skills."

It's all just a routine, it doesn't require any thought.

The key issue is that their methods might not even be effective!

Li Yan took off his coat and threw it to Ding Xiaoxiao, then walked straight to the bridgehead wearing only a thin shirt.

"Is this the only trick you know? Listen, if you want to break through, listen to me now."

His tone softened slightly.

Then he grabbed Yang Mi's shoulders with both hands and began to adjust her little by little.

"Don't be so stiff, relax."

"Shift your weight to your right foot, touch the ground with the toes of your left foot, yes, like that."

"Lower your shoulders a bit, don't hold it up, relax more."

"Raise your chin by half a centimeter, that's too much, pull it back a little, and don't stare at the camera, look away."

……

Yang Mi was like an emotionless puppet, completely controlled by him.

Although she was still a little annoyed, she followed the instructions, struck a pose, and then stole a glance at the replay.

She also had to admit that the visuals were indeed much more comfortable.

This is the special skill Li Yan used to make a living in Hollywood in his previous life: training!

The so-called "expressionist" style, to some extent, is about forcing the generation of emotions by precisely controlling the actor's body.

"You've got the form right, you've got the basics, but that's not enough."

Li Yan looked at Yang Mi in front of him. Her peach blossom eyes were beautiful, but she had no soul.

"You must come back to life."

Li Yan suddenly turned around and shouted to the staff behind him, "Clear the area! Everyone except the photographer, step back fifty meters, and no one is allowed to make a sound."

The group looked at each other, but still obediently retreated to a distance.

Only the two of them remained at the bridgehead, along with photographer Li Yong, who was holding his breath.

Li Yan took another 5D2 from Li Yong and gradually approached Yang Mi.

The camera slowly zooms in from a wide shot to a medium shot, finally stopping at a close-up shot just centimeters from her face.

So close that Yang Mi could see her own somewhat flustered reflection in the dark lens flare.

"Look at the camera, treat it as my eyes."

Li Yan's voice softened again at this moment:

"Think about that song from yesterday, it was from our first trip, we fell asleep on the plane."

Yang Mi's eyelashes trembled, and her thoughts were slowly drawn back to that warm afternoon yesterday.

"Today is our third wedding anniversary, and we revisited this place. This morning, you decided to take a walk by yourself, but you inexplicably ended up on this bridge."

As Li Yan spoke, he subtly adjusted the focus, trying to capture every subtle expression on her face.

"You're standing on the bridge, feeling the wind and looking at the fog, when suddenly you recall the wonderful memories of your first trip, and the mundane yet sweet life after marriage."

You turn around, wanting to see if I'm behind you.

As Li Yan spoke, Yang Mi slowly turned around, her hair fluttering gently, her eyes dreamy and soft.

Li Yan slowly fixed the camera in place, held it in one hand, leaned close to her ear, and whispered in a voice barely audible to her:

"Our daughter must look a lot like you..."

Yang Mi's mind went completely blank for a moment.

The scent of male hormones, mixed with this heartfelt confession, instantly shattered all her defenses.

Shy, flustered, excited, and a little sweet.

She turned around instinctively and looked back.

In the shot.

That glance back was gentle, beautiful, and stunning!

Her eyes sparkled, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated; her peach blossom eyes were filled with a pool of spring water, full of emotions that were hard to describe.

That was the look in her lover's eyes.

"Click!"

"Perfect!"

Li Yan put down the camera, let out a long sigh of relief, and finally a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

Yang Mi was still standing there, her face flushed, all the way down to her ears.

She looked at the man in front of her, whose smile was both smug and infuriating, and for a moment she felt a little dazed...

In the distance, Zeng Jia and Zhang Qiang led their men and surrounded them.

"How is it? Can this part be used?" Zeng Jia asked eagerly, breaking the ambiguity between the two.

Li Yan didn't say anything, but handed the camera directly to Zeng Jia.

Zeng Jia glanced down at the replay on the screen and then hissed.

As a top agent, she knew all too well the value of this image.

If Yang Mi was a pretty girl next door before, then the Yang Mi in this scene is the unforgettable, unforgettable white moonlight that men can't let go of.

The beauty of first love and the gentleness of his wife blend perfectly, creating an explosive effect!

"Amazing, Director Li! How did you do that? The whole thing felt so different!"

Li Yan shrugged, took the coat from Ding Xiaoxiao, and walked over to drape it over Yang Mi, who was still in a daze.

"It's nothing, I just kept praising Boss Yang's beauty until she was embarrassed."

He helped Yang Mi pull her coat up tighter and teased her in a low voice:

"It seems Boss Yang has a good understanding. That look in his eyes just now, tsk tsk, I almost believed it."

Yang Mi finally came to her senses.

Noticing the suggestive glances from the staff around her, she felt both ashamed and annoyed.

He stomped hard on Li Yan's foot, gritting his teeth:

"Li Yan, you're a scoundrel!"

Her voice is so soft and sweet, it's almost sickeningly sweet.