Huayu: I rely on hit-movie tactics to interweave...

Chapter 64 The Delicious Gift

August 15th, Beijing.

It was already evening when Liu Yu left the company.

July is almost over, and Beijing in August is still unbearably hot.

He was waiting for a taxi downstairs when his phone rang, displaying the words "Liu Yifei" on the screen.

He answered the phone, but before he could speak, a burst of laughter came from the other end, as clear and crisp as silver bells.

"Director Liu, my coming-of-age ceremony is on August 17th, you must come, don't forget!" Liu Yifei's voice was urgent, like she was being coquettish yet also threatening.

Liu Yu switched the phone to his other ear and leaned it against the lamppost.

"I can't forget. You've called three times already. If I forget again, I'll develop dementia."

Liu Yifei laughed again on the other end of the phone, though her laughter was a little softer than before.

"I was worried you'd be too busy. Didn't you just announce your new project? You must have a lot of people contacting you." She paused, "Anyway, you promised me, you can't go back on your word."

"No regrets." Liu Yu looked up at the gray sky, the clouds were low, as if brewing a rain. "The gifts are all ready."

"What gift?" Her tone suddenly became curious, like a child waiting to unwrap a Christmas present.

"If I tell you, there won't be any surprises. You'll find out when the time comes."

"Director Liu, you're really boring," she muttered, and then Liu Xiaoli's voice came from the other end of the phone, calling her to try on clothes from afar.

Liu Yifei responded and hurriedly said, "Then I'll wait for you, bye-bye."

Liu Yu put his phone in his pocket and stood by the roadside laughing for a while.

The entertainment section has been bustling like a market these past few days. The aftermath of Wang Jinghua's departure from Huayi Brothers hasn't even subsided yet, while the pre-celebration for Liu Yifei's coming-of-age ceremony has already started dominating social media.

The theme "Crystal Princess, Philippines and Vietnam 18" has been repeatedly mentioned by the media. A gossip blogger did the math: the Fangfei Garden at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse was booked out, dozens of meters of red carpet were laid out, flowers were displayed, luxury cars gathered, and nearly a hundred tables of banquets and security costs were added, with the total budget approaching two million.

When Liu Yu saw the number, he frowned, not because he thought it was too much, but because he thought it was too high-profile.

In this circle, being high-profile is always a double-edged sword.

It can make you remembered by the most people in the shortest amount of time, and it can also make you the target of the most people in the shortest amount of time.

He couldn't control those things; they were Liu Yifei's mother and Chen Jinfei's decisions. As an outsider, he had no right to interfere.

The situation surrounding Wang Jinghua is still developing.

Everyone in the industry is asking the same question: Where will Sister Hua take this group of artists?

The answer came quickly. News emerged from Wang Jinghua's side that she would be establishing a new talent agency, independent of any existing platform, and operating on her own.

This news caused another stir in the industry.

You can imagine what the atmosphere was like inside Huayi.

Li Xue stood by the window, watching the people coming and going below, lost in thought.

She was the talent agent director of Huayi Brothers. Wang Jinghua's departure was both a crisis and an opportunity for her; the crisis was that half of Huayi Brothers' artist resources were drained, and the opportunity was that she finally had a real voice.

The prerequisite is that she must first stabilize the rest.

Shuangbing has stabilized, but the others are still having wandering thoughts.

Li Xue picked up the documents on the table, flipped through them, and then put them down again.

She took out her phone and sent a message to Wang Zhonglei: "Mr. Wang, I suggest that we finalize the cast for several major projects in the second half of the year as soon as possible, sign all the contracts that can be signed, and put the artists at ease."

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Wang Zhonglei replied instantly with three words: "Already working on it."

China Film Group's announcement came faster than Liu Yu had expected.

On August 16, the day before Liu Yifei's coming-of-age ceremony, China Film Group officially announced that it would co-produce the Sino-US co-production sci-fi action film "The Witch" with Qianlang Pictures and Lionsgate. The project has a budget of 30 million US dollars, will be directed by Liu Yu, and is expected to start filming within the year.

The press release was written in a very official and precise style, but it contained a lot of information.

The investment scale, partners, and director selection were all clearly stated.

When Liu Yu saw this message in his office, he smiled slightly.

It was only then that everyone realized that Liu Yu had taken Zhong Lifang and Lu Yang to North America not for a vacation, but to discuss a new project.

Some people started inquiring about how many investment shares were left, while others began using connections to try and get into the scheme.

Liu Yu had anticipated this turn of events, and Zhong Lifang had spread the word within the industry: "There are still some shares left, not yet finalized, probably around four million —"

After he made the call, his phone kept ringing.

Dong's tone was as enthusiastic as usual, and Liu Yu could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Director Liu, you've got another big project lined up? You didn't even give me a heads-up."

Liu Yu smiled. "President Yu, it's not that I didn't want to tell you, it's just that I didn't dare to say anything before the contract was signed. Now that it's settled, aren't you the first to know?"

Yu Dong paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said, "Bona wants your three million shares. Name your price."

Liu Yu didn't respond to that, "President Yu, please don't rush. Let me sort things out first before we discuss it in detail."

The second call was from Wanda. Wanda has expanded rapidly in the cinema industry in recent years, but upstream production has always been a weakness.

They don't lack money; what they lack are good projects and opportunities to get involved.

For them, a co-production like "The Witch" is a perfect entry point.

The caller was a vice president of Wanda Pictures. He was very polite, but his meaning was clear: Wanda was interested and willing to pay a premium.

Wang Zhonglei called in the afternoon, "Director Liu, long time no see. I heard you still have some shares available. Huayi is interested. Shall we find some time to talk?"

Liu Yu neither agreed nor refused directly.

Liu Yu put down his phone, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling for a while.

Bona, Wanda, and Huayi are all leading players among private enterprises.

Bona is his most frequent long-time partner, and he can't ignore Yu Dong's face; Wanda is a rising star with plenty of cash and cinema resources, offering great potential for cooperation; Huayi is currently experiencing a major upheaval, but even a weakened giant is still a force to be reckoned with, and it still has Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing, as well as several middle-aged actors who can carry the box office, so it shouldn't be underestimated.

Each of the three has its own advantages, so how do I choose?

August 17, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Liu Yu woke up early in the morning, not because he was nervous, but because he hadn't slept well last night.

He tossed and turned thinking about the casting for "The Witch," wondering who should play the female PhD, until his head was throbbing and he finally drifted off to sleep at two in the morning.

When I was woken up by my alarm clock at seven in the morning, my eye bags were so heavy they looked like I had two water bags hanging from them.

He stood in front of the mirror brushing his teeth, looking at his tired face in the mirror, thinking that he couldn't go to someone's eighteenth birthday ceremony looking like this.

After showering, I shaved my beard and changed into clean clothes, a white shirt.

Zhong Lifang arrived at the company before him. She was wearing a light gray dress, her hair was up, and she had light makeup on. She looked much gentler than usual.

Two gifts were placed on the table, beautifully wrapped and tied with ribbons in bows.

One was hers, and the other was Liu Yu's.

Liu Yu walked over, picked up his share, and weighed it in his hand. The box wasn't big, but it was quite heavy.

"What did you give me?" Zhong Lifang asked.

Liu Yu opened the box a crack and let her peek inside.

Zhong Lifang's expression changed from curiosity to surprise. "When did you prepare this?"

Liu Yu closed the box and retied the ribbon.

"I bought it last month and it's been sitting in my office cabinet ever since."

He didn't mention that he had also prepared a song; it was an extra gesture, and he didn't need to let too many people know about it.

Fangfei Garden, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

When the car was parked in the parking lot, Liu Yu looked out the window and was taken aback by the scene before him.

Starting from the main entrance of the hall, the red carpet extends for dozens of meters, with flower baskets lining both sides, each bearing a beautifully written blessing.

Luxury cars drove in one after another, and the people who got out were all familiar faces: actors, directors, producers, media people, and some faces that he couldn't name but recognized.

A large number of media reporters arrived early, and cameras flashed and shutters clicked incessantly outside the main hall, as dense as the chirping of cicadas in summer.

Liu Yu and Zhong Lifang got out of the car and walked onto the red carpet with their gifts.

He had only taken a few steps when someone called out "Director Liu" from the side. He turned around and saw a reporter from Sina Entertainment, whom he had met before at the premiere of "Hearing Girl" in Cannes.

Liu Yu smiled and posed for a photo, the flash making him squint.

Upon reaching the registration desk, a hostess handed them two pens, and Liu Yu and Zhong Lifang signed their names in the guestbook.

When Liu Yu signed, he glanced at the names that had already been signed: Han Sanping, Wang Zhonglei, Wang Changtian, Yu Dong, Huang Xiaoming, Lin Zhiying, Zhang Dahuzi, Gan Min—the list looked like a film festival red carpet.

Upon entering the main hall, one is greeted by a wide-open view.

Groups of guests raised their glasses, chatting and laughing together, the air filled with the aroma of champagne and flowers.

Liu Yu's gaze swept around and he saw Han Sanping, who was sitting by the window, talking to Wang Changtian, looking very relaxed.

Wang Zhonglei stood not far away, holding a glass of champagne, chatting with a middle-aged man whom Liu Yu did not recognize.

Yu Dong was also there, chatting animatedly with several film distributors from Hong Kong.

"Director Liu, President Zhong, welcome, welcome." Chen Jinfei walked out from the crowd, wearing a dark suit. His smile was very polite, but his appearance was not the kind of kind one. His smile always made people feel that something was hidden.

Liu Yu shook hands with him. "President Chen, congratulations! Yifei must be very happy today."

Chen Jinfei smiled and nodded. "She's in the back. She was just asking if you'd arrived yet. Take your seats first, and then we'll start the meal later."

Liu Yu and Zhong Lifang walked through the hall and headed to the back.

The corridor was covered with thick carpets, and several ink paintings hung on the walls. Liu Yu didn't examine them closely, unsure whether they were genuine or reproductions.

When I got to the backstage entrance, I could hear laughter and chatter coming from inside; it was very lively.

The backing was much bigger than Liu Yu had imagined.

A dressing table, clothes rack, sofa, and coffee table are all provided.

Liu Xiaoli stood to the side, looking at her daughter sitting in front of the dressing mirror, her eyes filled with pride and reluctance.

The makeup artist is applying makeup to Liu Yifei, gently patting her face with a powder puff in a very light and slow motion.

Liu Yifei closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

There were quite a few people standing nearby.

Shu Chang, wearing a red dress, was whispering something to Jiang Yiyan. Luo Jin stood in the corner, holding a glass of water, watching quietly. Zhu Yawen and Wang Jia were chatting; they were talking about something, and Wang Jia covered her mouth with a laugh.

Jiang Yiyan was the first to see Liu Yu and called out, "Director Liu."

The sound wasn't loud, and the entire backstage area fell silent for a moment as everyone turned their attention to it.

Liu's mother smiled and said, "Director Liu, President Zhong, welcome, welcome."

Zhong Lifang, with her sweet tongue, walked up to Liu Xiaoli and said, "Auntie standing here is just like Yifei's older sister."

Liu Xiaoli smiled and waved her hand, "It's not as exaggerated as you say."

His face was beaming with smiles, and even the fine lines around his eyes had smoothed out.

Liu Yifei tried to turn her head to look, but the makeup artist, who was applying eyeliner, gently held her chin and said, "Don't move."

She had no choice but to sit obediently, but her mouth didn't stop talking. "Director Liu, you're here? I thought you weren't coming."

Her tone carried a hint of reproach, yet also a touch of joy.

Liu Yu walked over, stood to her side, and looked at her face in the mirror.

Eighteen-year-old Liu Yifei has fair, glowing skin and exquisitely beautiful features, as if painted on.

Her eyes weren't fully open yet, and the makeup artist was applying eyeliner, the tip of the pen gently tracing the base of her eyelashes, which were long and trembling slightly.

"I said I'd come, and I did. When have I ever lied to you?" Liu Yu placed the gift box on the dressing table. "Happy birthday."

Liu Yifei closed her eyes and curled up the corners of her mouth.

"Thank you, Director Liu. Can I dismantle it now?"

"We'll unpack it after the banquet."

In the main hall at the front, most of the guests had already arrived.

Huang Xiaoming, dressed in a black suit with his hair slicked back, was chatting with several reporters in the center of the hall.

He had just finished filming "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and was already preparing for Huayi Brothers' big-budget film "The Banquet," which was generating a lot of buzz at the time.

When he came to attend Liu Yifei's birthday party, the media's cameras naturally wouldn't miss him.

Jimmy Lin also arrived, wearing a white suit, looking much younger than his thirties.

He co-starred with Liu Yifei in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," where he played Duan Yu and Liu Yifei played Wang Yuyan.

The two have a good personal relationship, and he specially flew from Taiwan to attend her coming-of-age ceremony.

As soon as Liu Yu and Zhong Lifang entered the hall, Huang Xiaoming saw them and walked over with a wine glass in his hand.

"Director Liu, you're here really early. Come on, let's have a drink."

His voice was loud and full of energy. Liu Yu took the champagne he offered, clinked glasses with him, and took a sip.

"Director Liu, can I play a role in the 'The Witch' project?" Huang Xiaoming's tone was casual, as if he were joking, but Liu Yu knew he wasn't.

He genuinely wanted to act, but he wanted to say it as a joke so that he wouldn't be too embarrassed if he was rejected.

Liu Yu smiled and said, "The role has been cast. I'll definitely ask my senior brother for help next time."

Huang Xiaoming nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Zhong Lifang was taken away by Wang Jinghua.

Wang Jinghua was wearing a black suit, her hair was neatly styled, and she looked capable and sophisticated.

She was surrounded by several actresses, all of whom were artists under her management.

Liu Yu saw Li Xue standing not far away, holding a wine glass, her expression somewhat complicated.

Her gaze swept back and forth between Wang Jinghua and Zhong Lifang. Wang Jinghua's departure was a delicate juncture for Li Xue; she stayed at Huayi, but her personal relationship with Wang Jinghua had always been good.

Liu Yu didn't join in the fun; instead, he took his wine glass and walked over to Han Sanping.

Han Sanping sat on the sofa by the window, with Wang Changtian and Wang Zhonglei beside him.

The three were chatting when they saw Liu Yu coming over. Han Sanping waved and said, "Liu Yu, come and sit down."

Liu Yu sat down and placed his wine glass on the coffee table.

Han Sanping was in a great mood today, with a smile on his face the whole time. Liu Yu was his most successful collaborator in the past two years, with two Sino-US co-productions in a row, which made China Film Group's overseas investment portfolio look much brighter.

He raised his glass and clinked it against Liu Yu's. "Liu Yu, you handled 'The Witch' very well. China Film Group is fully supporting you, so you can film with peace of mind."

Liu Yu nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Han."

Wang Changtian listened from the side, smiling without saying a word.

Enlight Media's business focus is still on television, and its film business is just starting out. It has not yet officially collaborated with Liu Yu.

He has been following every project of Liu Yu, from "A Moment to Remember" to "Speed ​​Scandal" to "Hearty Girl", and now to "The Lone Agent" and "The Witch". This young man's growth trajectory is as clear as a textbook.

He knew that one day Enlight Media would collaborate with Liu Yu, not now, but not too far off.

Wang Zhonglei sat opposite him, holding a wine glass, his expression more composed than a few days ago.

Huayi's situation is still under control. Although it has suffered a major blow, its core structure has not collapsed.

He came to Liu Yifei's coming-of-age ceremony today partly to give her face, and partly to make a good impression on Liu Yu, as he still remembered the matter of the three million share.

When he saw Liu Yu walk in, he wanted to chat for a bit, but Han Sanping spoke first, so he didn't feel comfortable interrupting.

After Han Sanping finished speaking, he raised his glass to Liu Yu and said, "Director Liu, congratulations! The 'Witch' project is making quite a splash."

Liu Yu also raised his glass, "Thank you, Mr. Wang."

The group chatted for over ten minutes, discussing topics ranging from "The Witch" to the quota for imported films, and then to the growth trend of the domestic film market.

Liu Yu listened more than he spoke; in this kind of situation, it was safer to speak less than to speak more.

The banquet officially began at 11:00 AM.

When Liu Xiaoli took the stage to give a speech, her voice was somewhat excited. When she said, "Yifei has had a dream since she was a child, which is to stand on the stage and let everyone see her brilliance," her eyes reddened and her voice choked up.

Applause erupted from the audience. Liu Yifei, sitting at the main table, had tears welling up in her eyes, but she held back her sobs.

Chen Jinfei also went on stage and said a few words, the gist of which was to thank all the guests for attending, thank Sony Music for its support of Yifei, and thank the media friends for their attention.

He spoke very appropriately, at a length that was just right and kept the listener engaged.

Then a large cake was brought up, three layers high, covered in white cream, topped with a lifelike crystal princess design.

Liu Yifei stood next to the cake, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and made a wish.

Halfway through the banquet, the media had already released the news.

Liu Yu scrolled through his phone and saw that it was flooded with news about Liu Yifei's coming-of-age ceremony.

"A star-studded event, Little Dragon Girl's 18th birthday party was comparable to a film festival red carpet."

"A constellation of stars gathered, with half of the entertainment industry in attendance to offer their congratulations."

"Hua Yi and Wang Jinghua met, but there was zero interaction between them throughout the meeting."

"Sony has signed Liu Yifei, and she will go international in the future."

Each news article was accompanied by a different picture, and in every picture, Liu Yifei was smiling brightly.

At 2 p.m., the banquet was drawing to a close.

As the guests departed one after another, Chen Jinfei and his men saw them off at the door with impeccable manners.

Liu Yu and Zhong Lifang were also about to leave when Liu Yifei, dressed in casual clothes, ran out to see them off at the door.

She was wearing a white dress, her hair was down, and she had removed her makeup, looking radiant.

"Director Liu, Sister Zhong, thank you for coming." Her voice was much softer than when she was on stage, as if she had unloaded some burden.

Zhong Lifang hugged her. "Happy birthday, Qianqian. If you ever need any help in the future, just let me know."

Liu Yu stood to the side and waited until the two of them finished hugging before reaching out his hand.

Happy birthday. Open the presents when you get home, don't open them in the car, they might fall off.

Liu Yifei took his hand and smiled.

"Okay, Director Liu, when did you become so long-winded?"

Liu Yu released his hand. "I've always been this long-winded, you just haven't noticed."

All three of them laughed.

Back in the car, Zhong Lifang started the engine and drove out of the state guesthouse.

Liu Yu leaned back in the passenger seat, looked out the window at the reporters still waiting, and let out a long sigh.

The next morning, Liu Yu was woken up by a phone call from Zhong Lifang.

"Boss, you're on the front page." Zhong Lifang's tone was calm, but Liu Yu could hear the helplessness in her voice.

Liu Yu rubbed his eyes, turned on his computer, and saw the news headline that had been pushed to him.

"Liu Yu presented Liu Yifei with a necklace and an original song, and they interacted intimately at the coming-of-age ceremony."

The news report included several photos: one of him giving a gift, another of him shaking hands with Liu Yifei, and a third of them chatting backstage. The angle of the photo was tricky, making the distance between them appear much closer than they actually were.

Some people even dug up news about Liu Yifei visiting the set in Los Angeles and strung the two events together to create a whole love story.

Liu Yu placed his phone face down on the bed and closed his eyes.

He spent a long time choosing that necklace; it wasn't the most expensive, but it was definitely a style she would like.

He spent several nights writing that song, recorded a demo, saved it on a USB drive, and kept it with the necklace.

These were just tokens of friendship in his eyes, but others saw them as evidence; I don't know which bored person leaked them, but it must have been someone close to Liu Yifei.

My phone vibrated again; this time it was Yan Danchen.

He answered the phone, but it was quiet on the other end.

She didn't speak, and neither did he.

The two were silent for a few seconds, then her voice came through, very low, flat, and devoid of emotion.

"I saw the news."

Liu Yu held his phone, unsure of what to say.

He was tired of explaining it too many times.

He said something that even he himself found weak: "Danchen, there's really nothing between her and me."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"I know. But I'm just not happy."

Liu Yu leaned against the headboard, looking at the sliver of light shining through the gap in the curtains.

"What if I stop seeing her altogether?"

"It's not that I don't want you to go, it's just—"

She hung up before she could finish speaking.

Liu Yu looked at the words "Call Ended" on the screen, threw his phone aside, and covered his head with the blanket.

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