Chinese Entertainment: Directors Start with the Fairy Sister

"What just happened?"

Liu Yifei asked with concern. Although she hadn't gone over, her gaze, like everyone else's, had already been drawn to the commotion between Zhao Yanxi and Lu Chuan.

"It's nothing, just ran into an idiot." Zhao Yanxi waved her hand dismissively.

"Alright, don't let idiots ruin your mood," Liu Yifei said, casually picking up a piece of food for him. "Here, have something to eat first."

As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed everyone at the table looking at her with smiles. Zhou Yang chuckled and teased, "Qianqian, the way you swore just now was actually quite cool!"

Liu Yifei's ears burned, and she immediately retorted, "I don't swear!"

"Yes, yes, I must have misheard you saying 'stupid'—"

Zhao Yanxi deliberately dragged out her words, and before she could finish, Liu Yifei stuffed a bite of food into her mouth.

"Hurry up and eat your food, all this food isn't enough to shut you up."

She muttered softly, her cheeks slightly flushed.

It wasn't until she heard Zhu Yawen making a "tsk tsk" sound from the side that Liu Yifei suddenly realized—she had just used her own chopsticks!

This... isn't this just exchanging saliva, an indirect kiss...?

This thought instantly flushed her pretty face, making her too shy to look up.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yanxi across from her was smiling and eating with great relish.

"Sisi, that dish was really delicious, would you like another bite?"

"...Get out of here!"

"Hahaha...hahaha..."

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Ning Hao arrived with Huang Bo.

"Although I've said it many times, I still have to say it politely: Congratulations on the huge success of 'You Are the Apple of My Eye'!"

Ning Hao said with envy, "I wonder how much 'Stone' will do at the box office. I hope it doesn't lose money."

"It'll be fine, four million in cost," Zhao Yanxi said, standing up and raising her glass. "If the box office is less than forty million, I'll make up the difference!"

"real?"

Ning Hao's eyes lit up. It wasn't that he really wanted Zhao Yanxi to complete the story, but rather that he hadn't expected Zhao Yanxi to think so highly of "Stone".

"Absolutely true!"

Seeing Ning Hao grinning foolishly to the side, Huang Bo gave him a disdainful look, then thanked Zhao Yanxi, saying, "Director Zhao, I also want to thank you for your recommendation."

"You're welcome, just don't mention our kissing scene to anyone else!"

"Haha, definitely, definitely!"

......

After the dinner, Zhao Yanxi called together the main creators of "Those Years" with Ding Lang.

"As I just mentioned on stage, 'A Little Thing Called First Love' will use the same old team and be directed by Director Ding. You should all be familiar with Director Ding's abilities in Yunnan."

"Boss, you flatter me. I was just helping you out," Ding Lang said modestly.

Zhao Yanxi smiled and continued, "If you're interested and your schedule is right, come to the studio tomorrow. Zhou Yang, if you're available, you could try out for the lead role."

"The female lead? Isn't Sisi playing the role?" Zhou Yang asked in surprise.

In her opinion, even if she wanted to go to Sony to study music, she could go after filming was finished. It would only take a month, after all, she was the female lead!

"I also want to act in it, but Sony is pressuring me too."

As she spoke, a blush crept back onto Liu Yifei's face as she unconsciously recalled what she had said to Yan Xi a couple of days ago when they were discussing the role:

"You can't act in this play."

Why?

"The female lead of this drama, Xiao Shui, is an ordinary girl who grows and transforms after graduation; even if you have disheveled hair and wear a tattered burlap sack, your beauty is still undeniable."

"It's too much to ask makeup artists to transform you into an 'ordinary girl'!"

Zhou Yang was unaware of the intricacies involved; he simply got the lead role for nothing—although it was just a trial, the boss had already spoken, so the deal was probably 80% done!

"Thank you, Director Zhao! Director Ding, I will definitely prepare well!"

"Keep it up, I have high hopes for you too~" Ding Lang said with a smile.

"Uh-huh."

Zhou Yang looked at Zhao Yanxi with gratitude. Although she had signed with Hairun, she was a newcomer without any foundation or background, so it was not easy for her to get any good resources from Hairun.

Just for the female lead role, if it weren't for Liu Yifei's example, Zhou Yang would have been willing to offer himself to her—if Zhao Yanxi were interested in her!

......

After the discussion, Zhao Yanxi personally drove Liu Yifei home.

In late October, the evenings in Beijing were already a bit chilly.

"Hurry back, don't catch a cold."

Zhao Yanxi said with a smile, preparing to see Xiao Liu off on his way home.

Liu Yifei did not turn around and leave. Instead, she looked up at Zhao Yanxi seriously.

"Yanxi... I suddenly don't want to go to Japan anymore."

Why?

"Once I'm over there, we won't be able to see each other for a long time..." Liu Yifei said with a slightly lowered head and a hint of sadness in her voice.

"How could that be?" Zhao Yanxi gently took Liu Yifei's small hand. "Now laptops can play videos, right? We can play videos when we go to Japan."

"Besides, I'm going to Hollywood soon, so even if you stay in China, we won't be able to meet."

"Hmph, is it because it's not easy to make a move in China that you're planning to go to Hollywood and pick up those actresses? I heard from Xiao Zhu that some men just like those big... foreign women!"

The last three words were spoken with shyness yet with unwavering resolve.

"Don't listen to those bastards' nonsense," Zhao Yanxi said through gritted teeth. "I still prefer us Chinese people. I can't appreciate foreigners."

"Besides, I'm a fan of Little Dragon Girl, I even have the mark of the Fairy Sister on me, how could I possibly be interested in those flashy, cheap foreign women?"

"Close your eyes!"

"Um?!"

Upon hearing the strangely familiar words, Zhao Yanxi's eyes widened in shock, and the next moment she closed them with anticipation, even pouting slightly.

Unfortunately, the expected softness did not appear; instead, a warm, moist sensation appeared on her cheeks.

"That's what you call a mark," Liu Yifei said with a grin. "Besides, the way you pout is so ugly~"

After saying that, Liu Yifei ran towards the villa.

"Liu Qianqian!"

Zhao Yanxi was "furious". If it weren't for the fact that this was in Qingcui Garden, he would have wanted to see just how sweet Liu Yifei's sharp tongue really was!

...

On the second floor, Liu Xiaoli looked down at the two people below through the gap in the curtains.

I had heard the car and was about to go downstairs to pick up my daughter.

Unexpectedly, I ended up watching a good show!

The shifting emotions on his face—was it the reflection of the curtains, or a reflection of his inner state?

. . . . . .

The following day, the celebration banquet for "You Are the Apple of My Eye" was widely reported by the media.

Along with the celebration banquet, news also broke that South Korea and island nations would be importing "You Are the Apple of My Eye".

With Hollywood sweeping the globe, "You Are the Apple of My Eye," which has already achieved excellent box office results in China, has been confirmed to be imported to South Korea and island nations.

Zhao Yanxi's directorial debut, *Those Years*, will be exported to bring glory to the nation!

Bring glory to the country!

Zhao Yanxi didn't expect Yang Siwei's fee to be so worthwhile; he sold the copyright for 400 million yuan and even brought up the topic of bringing glory to the country.

Keep in mind that this was in 05, before the Olympics were even held.

National self-confidence was far less robust than it would become later. Although people were very confident in their own culture, they still needed recognition from the world.

Bringing glory to the country is the key phrase of this era.

Anything related to these four words deserves extensive discussion among the public!

Zhao Yanxi flipped through the newspaper for a long time but couldn't find any reports about her argument with Lu Chuan. It seemed that someone had intervened to suppress the news.

It seems that Comrade Lao Han is not only a notorious bandit leader in the film and television industry, but also a hard-working ox!

It's good that the news has been suppressed; I'm going to Hollywood soon and won't have time to continue arguing with Lu Chuan.

Although Lu Chuan wasn't a good person, her words served as a reminder to Zhao Yanxi.

It's time for me to make an art film. The three major European stages are also my long-held dream!