I really didn't intend to make a living based on my looks.

September 28, 1:30 PM.

Beijing Film Academy Standard Screening Room.

Today is a special exchange event for "Under the Hawthorn Tree" at the Beijing Film Academy. The film was released nationwide less than half a month ago, and Zhang Yimou brought the main creative team back to his alma mater to have this post-screening Q&A with the freshmen.

The hall isn't very big, with about three hundred seats, but it was packed to capacity today.

Not only were almost all the freshmen from the acting, directing, and photography departments present, but many second- and third-year students also came. People were standing in the aisles, and the air was filled with an excited heat.

Yang Zi occupied a seat slightly to the left of the middle, with Zhang Yishan sitting to her right.

She tiptoed and scanned several rows behind her, finally spotting Jiang Chen entering through the back door. She quickly raised her hand and waved, "Little Chen! Over here!"

Jiang Chen squeezed through the crowd and sat down next to her.

"Didn't you say you'd come at 1:00 to reserve a seat? Why are you only here at 1:30?"

Yang Zi handed him a bottle of water.

Jiang Chen unscrewed the cap and took a sip: "On the way, I was stopped and chatted with a senior from the dubbing department for a while."

Zhang Yisan leaned closer: "What are you talking about?"

"About the music arrangement."

At this moment, the screen slowly lights up, and the light and shadow unfold a long-forgotten era.

It was a love affair so pure it was almost transparent, during a special era.

The third brother's always crisp white shirt, Jingqiu's faded blue cotton clothes, the babbling river outside the village, and the hawthorn tree with white flowers on the hillside all became the most tender footnotes to this relationship.

When Jingqiu learned that Lao San was seriously ill, she rushed to the hospital clutching the red cloth shirt. When she stood at the door of the ward, she choked up and couldn't utter a complete sentence.

The third brother, lying on the hospital bed, was barely breathing. When he looked up, he could see a black and white photo of Jingqiu on the ceiling. The girl in the photo had curved eyebrows and a gentle smile; she was the light hidden in his heart.

Some people in the hall were sniffling, while others were secretly wiping away tears.

Yang Zi took out a tissue from her bag, tore it in half, and handed it to Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen accepted it speechlessly...

As the end credits rolled, the lights came on, and the entire audience applauded for nearly a minute.

The host walked onto the stage, microphone in hand, and announced in a loud voice: "Let's welcome Mr. Zhang Yimou, director of 'Under the Hawthorn Tree,' as well as the lead actors Zhou Dongyu, Dou Yao, and Yu Xinbo, and producer Mr. Zhang Weiping!"

Zhang Yimou, wearing a dark jacket and with gray hair, looked to be in good spirits as he walked onto the stage with a smile.

Zhou Dongyu followed behind him, wearing a white dress and with her hair in a ponytail, looking even younger than in the movie.

Dou Yao, tall and with a shy smile, stood on either side of Yu Xinbo and producer Zhang Weiping.

The first to stand up was a cinematography student wearing black-rimmed glasses: "Director Zhang, you used a lot of long takes and fixed camera positions in the film, which is your consistent style, but the pacing of 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' is slower than your previous works. What was the consideration behind this?"

Zhang Yimou: "The story itself is very quiet, and I didn't want to use too many techniques to disturb it. Long takes and fixed camera positions are to allow the audience to calm down and feel the restrained emotions between the characters."

The second person to stand up was a senior from the directing department: "Director Zhang, your previous works, such as 'Red Sorghum' and 'To Live,' focused on humanity within the context of a great era. This time, 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' chooses a pure love theme. I'd like to ask you, what considerations led to this shift in subject matter?"

Zhang Yimou: "The scale of the subject matter isn't important; what matters is whether what you film can move people. 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' may not be grand in scope, but it tells the story of the most precious things of that era: purity. Filming this was no easier than filming 'To Live.' You can't always film the same thing; directors also need to breathe."

A senior from the acting department followed, her voice crisp and clear: "Zhou Dongyu, this is your first time acting. How did you come to understand the character of Jingqiu?"

Zhou Dongyu pursed her lips, still a little shy: "It's just... to imagine yourself as her. The director told me, 'Don't act, just feel it.'"

After speaking, he glanced at Zhang Yimou, who nodded.

Jiang Chen sat in the back row, silently plotting something.

Yang Zi leaned closer and whispered, "Aren't you going to ask later?"

Jiang Chen did not answer.

After two more questions, the host looked around and asked, "Does anyone else have a question?"

Jiang Chen raised his hand.

The host gestured to a staff member to hand over the microphone.

Jiang Chen stood up, and all three hundred pairs of eyes in the room fell on him.

"Hello Director Zhang, I'm a freshman in the acting department."

Zhang Yimou looked at him and nodded.

"I noticed a detail," Jiang Chen said slowly, "the color of Jingqiu's clothes has a very clear clue throughout the movie."

"Initially it was blue, then red appeared, and finally white was worn in the ward."

"And the third brother's white shirt remained pristine from beginning to end, whether on the construction site, in the rain, or by the river, it never changed."

The entire room suddenly fell silent.

"I'm curious, is this a color narrative you deliberately designed? Blue represents alienation and restraint, red represents excitement and awakening, and white represents farewell and mourning."

"The third brother's white shirt never changed, symbolizing the purity and eternity of his love. The most intimate contact between the two was merely an embrace across the river and crossing back to back; there wasn't even a kiss."

"Is this your way of telling the story of the repression and preciousness of love in that era, in another way?"

The hall became even quieter; even the sound of flipping through notebooks stopped.

Zhang Yimou stared at Jiang Chen, remained silent for a while, and then suddenly smiled.

"You little student," he picked up the microphone, leaned forward slightly, and said with a hint of surprised admiration, "you're very observant. Our art team did put a lot of thought into the colors, but you've explained all three layers of meaning—I hadn't even thought of that much detail myself."

"What's your name?"

"Jiang Chen".

"Jiang Chen," Zhang Yimou read it aloud, then nodded, "I'll remember you."

The audience erupted in applause again, this time even more enthusiastic than before.

Yang Zi excitedly patted Jiang Chen's arm, while Zhang Yisan leaned over and whispered, "You're awesome, kid."

Jiang Chen sat down, his expression unchanged.

What's so special about this?

If I want to show off, there are tons of movie reviews...

It would absolutely fool even the director.

That's enough for today, let's stop here.

For two days after the post-screening Q&A session, Jiang Chen's question was still being hotly debated on the Beijing Film Academy campus.

In a professional acting class, the teacher specifically called out Jiang Chen's name: "You can see through director Zhang Yimou's color narrative. Your observation skills are better than many of the third-year students."

Life went on as usual, with a full schedule of dialogue classes, physical training classes, and basic acting classes.

Jiang Chen continued to attend classes during the day and return to his rented room at night to tinker with music, leading a fulfilling and regular life.

It wasn't until the afternoon of September 30th that the counselor announced the National Day holiday in the class.

Jiang Chen finally set off.

Our destination this time is Zhongshan, Guangdong.

He went to watch the game...

...No...I'm going to visit the set!

Yang Mi's "Mysterious Island" is being filmed there!

……