Huayu 16: I Became the Dream-Fulfilling Master for Young Actresses

Evening, a private booth at a restaurant in Kyoto.

Bai Jingting looked at Chen Xingzhou sitting opposite him, somewhat incredulous: "Wait, what are you up to?!"

"Directing and starring in your own drama, a youth campus drama, isn't that what you're best at?" Chen Xingzhou picked up a piece of meat and said slowly.

"Uh, are you serious?" Bai Jingting looked at him.

Chen Xingzhou nodded.

When he got the role of Yan Xun, Bai Jingting was quite envious.

After all, this kind of character is no ordinary person.

He's a newcomer, but as soon as the show airs, it becomes a hit.

He can rise from obscurity to a very high position in an instant.

However, Bai Jingting really needs to think carefully about directing and acting in this role himself.

"Hmm... Your script is really good, it suits my taste, and the second male lead's personality is also quite similar to mine."

Bai Jingting flipped through the script on the table, his tone sincere.

Chen Xingzhou smiled and said, "How so, are you tempted?"

"Ahem, it would be a lie to say I wasn't tempted, but the fact that you went from being a nobody to a big director in the blink of an eye is hard for me to process."

"However, since you're treating me to dinner, I'll reluctantly agree."

Bai Jingting closed the script, looked up, and smiled.

"The salary?" Chen Xingzhou raised an eyebrow. "30, plus 5% of the subsequent revenue sharing."

In his estimation, the show would earn at least 20 million yuan, so 5% wouldn't be a small amount.

Bai Jingting can also help him attract a lot of traffic.

Moreover, Bai Jingting has always worked hard on his own, so maybe when he starts his own company later, they can poach him.

"30? 5%?" Bai Jingting stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and nodded.

"Alright, that's settled then. I've done my best this time, so you'd better make the arrangements, or I won't give you a proper performance."

"Of course! Isn't providing food and lodging enough? As for what we'll eat and where we'll stay, we'll see then."

"You son of a bitch!"

……

The next day, Beijing Film Academy.

"The Legend of the Condor Heroes hasn't aired yet, and neither has Princess Agents."

Tian Zhuangzhuang placed his teacup on the table, his tone indifferent:

"Actors and directors are different. Actors only need to devote themselves to acting, follow the director's instructions, and do their best to perform. But directors have to consider many things."

"Besides, you're a nobody in the industry, so why should I endorse your show?"

Chen Xingzhou didn't reply, but bowed slightly and handed over the few pages of paper in his hand.

Tian Zhuangzhuang took it and flipped through it.

These are the first five scenes from the script of "A Love So Beautiful". The format is clean, and each scene has a camera position diagram and camera movement direction marked in red next to it.

The last paragraph includes a budget estimate table with all expenses clearly listed.

He read very slowly, and when he turned to the third page, his eyes stopped on a concept image of a test shoot.

In the twilight of the schoolyard, boys and girls stand against the light on the playground, creating a composition brimming with youthful energy.

Who took the photo?

"I took the photos; the photographer was Cat Tree."

Tian Zhuangzhuang hesitated for a moment, seemingly trying to recall who the cat's tree was, then hummed in agreement and continued flipping through the script.

After turning the last page, he put the paper on the table and looked up at him.

"The script is well-written, and the composition is clear, but you came to me not just to get my praise, right?"

"I would like to ask you to be my art consultant."

Tian Zhuangzhuang rubbed his temples, picked up the few pages again, and looked at them. "Campus drama..."

He then asked, "Have you found a director of photography?"

Chen Xingzhou replied, "I asked a photography professor who said he could give me a friendly price, but I'll have to figure out the equipment myself. Most of these are still unsettled."

"I don't have any representative works right now, and the two dramas I acted in haven't aired yet. Nobody is willing to invest in low-budget campus dramas."

"I funded the entire series myself, and the actors were mostly newcomers. The second male lead is my good friend Bai Jingting."

"What I lack is not scripts, not actors, but the endorsement of industry veterans and the resources of the Beijing Film Academy."

"You are here as our nominal art consultant."

"Many things can be solved easily."

"Bai Jingting?" Tian Zhuangzhuang suddenly seized on the name and asked, "That actor who's risen to prominence in recent years? Willing to stoop to playing the second male lead in this kind of small web series for you?"

"We have a very good personal relationship."

Tian Zhuangzhuang was silent for a few seconds, then looked through Chen Xingzhou's budget and script again. "The art consultant can be dismissed."

His words instantly relaxed Chen Xingzhou's body.

"However, I won't be making appearances or doing any promotions, but I will take the time to help you with any issues that may arise during filming."

"I'll help you apply for the equipment from Beijing Film Academy, and we'll do it as a student practice project, so you can borrow it for free. But I have a condition: the whole series can't be vulgar, industrial, or saccharine, and it can't distort values. If it's bad, you'll not only lose face yourself."

"What we've lost is the school's reputation."

Chen Xingzhou bowed slightly: "I understand, and I will definitely not let you down."

After leaving Tian Zhuangzhuang's office, Chen Xingzhou walked slowly through the Beijing Film Academy campus.

The students coming and going were either looking down at their phones or chatting and laughing.

With a youthful, unrefined energy, simply put...

For a moment, he had the illusion of returning to his student days.

He didn't linger and headed straight for the rehearsal building of the performing arts department.

He had already inquired with his classmates beforehand and learned that Zhou Ye had just finished his professional course and would most likely be studying in the rest area downstairs.

Sure enough, as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the rehearsal building, he saw a girl wearing a loose knitted cardigan with beige and milk coffee stripes, over which she wore a white camisole.

She sat on a bench, holding a book in her hands, with a backpack beside her, and her dark eyes were very beautiful.

It was Zhou Ye, a freshman.

Chen Xingzhou slowed his pace and walked over, then tapped on the armrest of the bench.

Zhou Ye looked up and saw the unfamiliar yet handsome Chen Xingzhou. A hint of doubt and amazement flashed in his eyes. He quickly closed his textbook, stood up, and politely asked:

"Senior Chen, you were looking for me?"

Although she had only recently enrolled, she had already heard of Chen Xingzhou.

Both are graduates of the Beijing Film Academy, and at a young age, they landed a great role like Yan Xun in "Princess Agents".

Chen Xingzhou smiled and nodded, then sat down next to her, saying in a gentle tone, "Hello, junior, I'm Chen Xingzhou. We're actually from the same hometown."

"Fellow villager?" Zhou Ye asked instinctively.

"I'm from Chongqing." Chen Xingzhou nodded.

"Huh?" Zhou Ye was a little surprised, but immediately became friendly. "Senior, I didn't know you were from Chongqing too!"

After exchanging a few words, Chen Xingzhou returned to business, saying, "I've come to see you about something."

Zhou Ye nodded, suppressing his joy at meeting a fellow villager, his body tensing slightly, somewhat reserved:

"Please speak, senior."

"I'm going to film a campus drama soon called 'A Love So Beautiful'."