Three songs, let Jing Fupo accompany me to subvert the Chinese entertainment industry.

"Move the props over here again..."

In the capital city, inside a makeshift indoor room, Li Mugo is working with 100% enthusiasm.

This is the filming location for the music video of the B-side title track, "You Were Once a Teenager," a small and cramped rented room.

The only discrepancy is that the rental apartment has a balcony.

We need to consider the content of the music video!

Besides, the song just happens to have a part set on a balcony, so it's not exactly outrageous.

As for the other decorations and arrangements, Li Mugo spent an entire day visiting rental apartments of all grades throughout the city to put them together.

There wasn't a single out-of-place item; it was filled with the atmosphere of life for those who migrate to Beijing for work.

It's fair to say that Li Mugo treated his music video like a movie.

Indeed, when Jingyang arrived at the venue, he was also impressed by Li Mugo's seriousness.

"No, you didn't mention how detailed you were when we were talking!"

Jingyang touched the blades of that old-fashioned fan and felt that the fan was older than him.

Li Mugo curled his lip in disdain upon hearing this.

After spending more than half a month working hard with Jingyang, he no longer felt the awkwardness of their first meeting. Instead, he realized that the other person was the same kind of person as him.

They are all people with aspirations and their own creative ideals!

Although he didn't know what Jingyang's pursuit and creative ideals were, that was enough for him to follow Jingyang.

After all, there aren't many bosses in the industry who have ambition and ideals anymore.

If not Jingyang, should we choose the likes of Wang Zhe and Wang Xiaowang from Huayi Brothers?

You'd be better off believing they're not heterosexuals and are still virgins!

Don't make your brother Li laugh...

Therefore, after hearing Jingyang say this, Li Mugo argued his case based on reason, in order to pursue his creative goals.

You don't understand~

"Only the most realistic scenes can capture the most stunning visuals."

"Visual aesthetics aren't limited to Zhang Yimou alone!"

Upon hearing this, Jingyang could only give him a thumbs up.

"You're awesome!"

Li Mugo is really something else, openly and brazenly criticizing Zhang Yimou in public.

But Jingyang knew that what the other party said was the truth.

Whether it's the niche gem "Goodbye My Princess" or Jing Tian's only breakout work "Si Teng", the basic scenery in both is all filmed on location.

This has created Li Mugo's extremely strong personal style and ultimate realistic aesthetics.

It definitely has a different visual aesthetic from Zhang Yimou's work...

After a few jokes, Li Mugo made one last adjustment to the scene setup.

And just then, the moon and stars came out in the evening.

"Ready? Action!"

The camera's red dot lit up, and Jingyang entered the frame.

Shooting a music video is different from filming a movie. Music videos rarely have dialogue; they rely almost entirely on the storyline.

But more often, they were created to supplement the stories in the songs.

The former is a classic example, Guang Liang's "Fairy Tale" from 04, a song and music video that brought tears to the eyes of many.

There are many more of the latter; almost every music video for a hit song is like that.

Both of Jingyang's main singles on this album follow the same path as "Fairy Tale".

The remaining songs follow the path that everyone else is already on.

There's really no other way; both "Slowly Cooling Down" and this song "You Were Once a Teenager" need music videos to enhance the sense of immersion.

The latter, in particular, involves many people who have migrated to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, but they find it difficult to recapture their former selves.

That's why Li Mugo strives for perfection, using the most realistic scenes to recreate his past self.

At 2 a.m., the group finished filming.

The first day of filming wasn't bad, but it felt like something was missing.

While packing up the equipment, Li Mugo approached Jingyang and examined it closely.

Looking at the other person, who was wearing a cheap suit, a messy tie, and a half-burnt cigarette butt.

A feeling flashed through Li Mugo's mind—he thought he had found it!

"How about you try writing a script for this character tomorrow?"

"He is no longer a character existing in songs or on camera, but a living, breathing person."

"It's you, it's him, and it's me!"

After saying that, Jingyang fell into deep thought.

He knew that something seemed to be missing, and now that Li Mugo had pointed it out, he understood.

Immersive experience!

Neither his performance nor his singing had that sense of immersion.

He now lives a life he could never have imagined, but he has forgotten what the hardships he once endured tasted like.

"I long to buy osmanthus blossoms and share wine, but it will never be like the carefree days of my youth."

As Li Mugo slowly uttered these words, he seemed to notice that Jingyang had changed a little.

"Tell them to stop cleaning for now, work a little overtime, pay them today according to the holiday overtime standard, and then give them a day off in lieu of work."

"Filming will be finished tonight!"

After saying this, Jingyang walked to the window again, his whole demeanor becoming more melancholy and restless, yet he was restrained by himself.

As for Li Mugo, he watched Jingyang change right before his eyes.

"Could there really be geniuses?"

He muttered to himself.

At this point, the script supervisor asked, "Director, it's so late, are we really going to film?"

Li Mugo snapped out of his daze and glanced at him with narrowed eyes.

"Or what?"

"What are you all doing here?"

"Don't tell me it's for ideals; you don't believe me, and neither do I. It's all about making money!"

"They're getting triple pay, plus a day off in lieu of payment. Let's see if they don't work overtime!"

As expected, when Li Mugo announced this, not only did the crowd not resist, but they were also eager to try it out.

If you get paid enough, I'll work my ass off!

Li Mugo chuckled twice, glancing at Jingyang who was adjusting his state on the balcony, and couldn't help but sigh, "Truly, this is a world of geniuses!"

If you can't find that feeling from back then, then find that feeling now.

Most people work overtime for money, but these two have a different kind of pursuit in addition to fame and fortune.

The current state of everyone is like giving the original song a soul.

The songs are not just about the characters in the songs, but also about you and me in real life.

The filming didn't end until 4:30 a.m., lasting a full two and a half hours.

This time it went very smoothly, with three complete shoots and more than ten reshoots requested by Li Mugo.

Even the most obtuse person would have noticed something unusual about the filming that followed.

Both Li Mugo's control and Jingyang's performance seemed to come alive.

As dawn broke, everyone had been busy almost all night.

This time, filming is truly finished.

"Thank you all for your hard work!"

"We were promised triple pay today, so we're taking a day off today and will start work again tomorrow afternoon."

"The bus will take everyone back. Once you get back, please let us know in the group chat that you've arrived safely, and also when you wake up."

Jingyang spoke in a somewhat tired voice, but everyone listened very attentively.

They gained something called respect from Jingyang.

It was only then that they realized what extra elements were involved in the subsequent filming.

There is something new called "humanity".

We, the people who drift in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, are not tools; each of us is an independent individual!

This song is about people!