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

When Chen Xingzhou entered, General Manager Liu did not stand up, but merely raised his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on Chen's face, and greeted him:

"Director Chen, we meet again."

Chen Xingzhou was taken aback.

He quickly went through it in his mind and remembered.

When preparing for "Go Go Squid!", Tencent Pictures did contact him through an intermediary. At that time, "A Love So Beautiful" was doing very well, and they wanted to talk to him about future collaborations.

He didn't go at the time because "Go Go Squid!" had already completed the contract process with iQiyi.

He simply returned the call and said there would be an opportunity to collaborate next time.

"Mr. Liu, I'm really sorry about last time, our schedules didn't match." Chen Xingzhou sat down opposite him.

Mr. Liu waved his hand, ignoring the topic, but he didn't show any displeasure either.

Zhang Wei noticed the awkward atmosphere between the two and quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Mr. Liu, Director Chen is here today to discuss 'Joy of Life'."

"I know," Mr. Liu's gaze returned to Chen Xingzhou's face. "Director Chen, your project at iQiyi isn't even finished yet, and you're already talking about a Tencent project. Do you think that's appropriate?"

Chen Xingzhou did not avoid his gaze. "President Liu, Yi Ye Zhi Zhou is my own studio. I can advance several projects at the same time without having to report to anyone."

"You're quite frank now." Mr. Liu felt much more agreeable to him.

There's no need to hide anything from you. Just ask whatever you want to know.

Mr. Liu leaned back in his chair and tapped the armrest with his finger. "Okay, then let me ask you something."

What do you want?

"I'll invest ten million for the co-production slots. You decide the share; I won't be picky."

"However, I also have a request. If 'Dearest' achieves the desired results after its broadcast, I hope that Yi Ye Zhi Zhou can have more opportunities to participate in subsequent projects."

Mr. Liu looked at him and asked, "What exactly do you mean?"

Chen Xingzhou replied, "Director, producer, script consultant, casting, all are fine, but it's too early to talk about these things now. I will let the success of 'Dearest' speak for itself. It will be broadcast at the beginning of next year."

"Okay, then I'll look forward to Director Chen's new drama." President Liu smiled at him, "We'll also reserve a seat for you from the production company."

……

May 6th marked the start of the press conference for the drama "Go Go Squid!"

This press conference was not only to promote the drama and generate buzz for it, but also to officially introduce the artists of Yi Ye Zhi Zhou Studio to the public eye.

Although "A Love So Beautiful" became a huge hit, it didn't quite reach the level of mainstream popularity.

Chen Xingzhou is confident that he can deliver on "Go Go Squid!"

The audience for e-sports dramas is much larger than that for ordinary romantic dramas.

China World Hotel, backstage dressing room.

Tian Xiwei sat leaning against the wall by the entrance to the dressing room, tilting her head slightly to look at the three women in front of the dressing table who were having their makeup done by the makeup artist.

Bai Mengyan sat not far from her, sitting up straight as the makeup artist did her makeup, her expression indifferent.

Tian Xiwei stared at her for a few seconds, recalling the first time she met her.

If it weren't for this woman competing with her for Chen Xingzhou, she would have thought this person was not bad.

But there are no "what ifs".

She then turned to look at Meng Ziyi, who was sitting next to Bai Mengyan.

Meng Ziyi has finished her makeup and is now playing on her phone.

Her profile was beautiful, and Tian Xiwei had to admit that Meng Ziyi was indeed more feminine and mature than her.

This feeling was even stronger after Meng Ziyi cut his hair short.

Zhou Ye remained quiet, letting the makeup artist do her makeup.

Seeing her looking over, Zhou Ye smiled at her, his expression ambiguous.

These past few days, the two of them have been bickering every now and then; it's become a habit.

After Zhou Ye lost the information gap, he was always suppressed by her.

However, she estimated that she would lose this time, since she didn't even have a chance to go on stage.

She looked at herself on her phone screen. She had put on light makeup and still maintained her sweet style, but compared to the other three, she always seemed to be missing something.

"Xiaotian, what's wrong?" A gentle voice sounded behind her.

Tian Xiwei turned her head and saw Chen Xingzhou holding a form in his hand.

"fine."

"Why don't you go in and sit down? There are still empty seats."

"I'm not part of your production team," Tian Xiwei shook her head, her tone complicated.

Chen Xingzhou glanced at her but didn't respond to the conversation.

The two leaned quietly against the wall, feeling each other's presence.

A moment later, a staff member ran up to Chen Xingzhou and said, "Director Chen, you can go on stage now."

"Okay, thank you for your help." Chen Xingzhou nodded and greeted the three women inside.

……

Inside the banquet hall, the lights were dazzling, and the place was packed with cameras and microphones.

The front row consisted of iQiyi executives and industry producers, while the back row was filled with cameras from dozens of media outlets, ready to pounce.

The fan areas on both sides were already full of people, holding up light boards for "Boat Group", "Chen Xingzhou", "Han Shangyan", etc., and the atmosphere was bustling with noise.

The popularity of "Princess Agents" has not yet subsided, and "A Love So Beautiful" became an instant hit upon its premiere.

"Dearest," Chen Xingzhou's second film as director and actor, has attracted countless eyes since its inception.

On the LED screen in the center of the stage, the concept poster for "Go Go Squid!" was particularly eye-catching, perfectly blending a cool e-sports style with a sweet and warm youthful feeling.

The words "Director: Chen Xingzhou" and the cast list were placed in the most prominent position.

At the backstage entrance, Chen Xingzhou straightened his Han Shangyan team uniform.

He turned to look at the people behind him, his tone calm: "Don't be nervous, just say what we prepared beforehand. Don't be afraid of media questions, I'll handle it."

Bai Mengyan wore a simple white dress, her hair was much shorter than before, and her makeup was gentle, which fit Tong Nian's soft, cute and smart character.

She straightened her skirt and nodded seriously: "I won't let you down."

Meng Ziyi took a deep breath and tugged at her burgundy halter dress, which accentuated Ai Qing's dashing yet gentle temperament.

She leaned close to Chen Xingzhou and whispered, "Xingzhou, if I say something wrong, you have to save me..."

"Don't overthink it, just speak normally," Chen Xingzhou said with a helpless smile.

Zhou Ye stood behind the two women, wearing a light blue fairy dress and with clean makeup.

She clutched the card in her hand, her body trembling slightly, but she still smiled and nodded at Chen Xingzhou.

Just then, the host's clear opening remarks rang out from the banquet hall:

"Next up is the part everyone's been waiting for! Please welcome the director, screenwriter, lead actor, and actor who plays Han Shangyan—Chen Xingzhou! And the entire cast and crew of this drama to the stage!"

The music grew louder, and spotlights shone on the stage entrance.

Chen Xingzhou stepped onto the stage first, bowed slightly to the audience, and the flashbulbs of the cameras instantly went off, with screams from the fans rising and falling.

Bai Mengyan followed closely behind, smiled gently at the audience, and stood beside Chen Xingzhou.

The two stood side by side, and just by standing together, they exuded a couple vibe, which made the cheers from the audience rise even higher.

Following that, Bai Jingting, Meng Ziyi, and Zhou Ye took to the stage in turn.

Someone in the audience whispered:

"Chen Xingzhou's studio has signed some incredibly good-looking artists."

"Yes, and it seems there are only three women, not a single man."

"..."

In the back corner of the audience, Tian Xiwei sat in a seat that Chen Xingzhou had specifically arranged for her.

Because she didn't really want to see other women standing with Chen Xingzhou.

But after Chen Xingzhou went on stage, her eyes still couldn't help but drift to Chen Xingzhou on stage.

Under the spotlight, he exuded charisma and became the focus of the entire event.

Then she looked at Bai Mengyan beside him; the two stood in perfect harmony.

The fans in the audience were chanting, "Chen Xingzhou and Bai Mengyan are locked together!"

Hearing this, she felt as if she had been pricked by a needle, a sour and astringent feeling in her heart.

She had watched "A Love So Beautiful" before, but she skipped almost all the scenes where Bai Mengyan was present. But now she has to watch it even if she doesn't want to, and she also has to listen to it.

However, she was able to become Chen Xingzhou's leading lady during the winter break, which was January and February of 2018.

She would sometimes wonder why Chen Xingzhou hadn't promoted her from the beginning.

Why is that?

she does not know.

She didn't want to know.

Perhaps it's because she's not strong enough or good enough.

Perhaps Chen Xingzhou's resources aren't strong enough yet, and he might want to prepare a better drama for her.

On stage, the interview segment quickly came to an end, and it was time for the most anticipated segment: the media Q&A.

The first reporter called on immediately stood up, speaking sharply:

"Director Chen, e-sports is a sensitive topic these past two years. The State Administration of Radio and Television has issued a notice about it before. How can you guarantee that this drama will pass the review smoothly?"

The banquet hall fell silent for a moment.

Chen Xingzhou did not evade the question, and replied with a smile: "From the very beginning of the project, every step has been carried out within a compliant framework."

"The core of esports is not 'games,' but 'competition.'"

"The charm of the character Han Shangyan lies in his dedication to his dreams, his responsibility to his team, and his desire for victory."

"As for what everyone is most concerned about, whether the e-sports storyline will be changed, I will give you an answer: no."

Applause immediately erupted from the audience.

"Director Chen is so conscientious! He actually managed to keep the e-sports storyline intact!"

"Director Chen said that the competitors are no good. The competitors made changes because they didn't know how to avoid making changes, but he could."

"..."

The subsequent questions mostly revolved around the script, filming schedule, and publicity plan, which the main creators answered calmly one by one.

Only once, when a reporter pressed Bai Mengyan about whether she would develop feelings for Director Chen during their second collaboration, Bai Mengyan simply smiled gently and responded tactfully.

Finally, the Q&A session ended.

As the countdown ended, the LED screen instantly lit up with posters of all the cast members from "Go Go Squid!"

"I hereby announce that filming for 'Go Go Squid!' has officially begun!"

As the words fell, the creative team raised their champagne glasses and gently clinked them together, a flurry of flashes capturing the moment.

As the press conference officially ended, Chen Xingzhou walked into the backstage corridor and saw Tian Xiwei waiting for him against the wall.

She hung her head, kicking the carpet at her feet, looking rather listless.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up at him, glanced at Bai Mengyan and the others behind him, and said nothing.

Chen Xingzhou paused for a moment, then turned to Bai Mengyan and the others and said, "You guys go ahead first, I'll be right there."

Bai Mengyan glanced at Tian Xiwei, nodded, and led Meng Ziyi and Zhou Ye outside.