Feverish actress cried after being angered by haters, but discovered the real culprit was at her bed

On the title page, in bold, large font, is written a...

"warm"

The single word reminded Lu Yan of a movie, a very classic art film.

Lu Yan pinched two fingers together and turned to the first page of the A4 paper, where the story outline was written on the top half.

Lin Jinghe, who works in Beijing, returns to his hometown after ten years. He reunites with his first love, Nuan—once the most beautiful girl in the village, now married to a rough, mute man and living as an ordinary farmer's wife...

Back then, Jinghe had a crush on Nuan, but Nuan only had eyes for the young martial arts actor from the provincial capital's opera troupe. The young actor never returned, and Nuan, heartbroken, accepted Jinghe.

After Jinghe was admitted to university, he promised to come back for her, but he never returned and instead married the mute man who had always stayed by her side. Until Lin Jinghe returned to the village filled with guilt and remorse…

Upon seeing the name Lin Jinghe, Lu Yan was certain that this was the movie he had been looking for.

If there's one art film that left him feeling heavy-hearted and unable to shake off the emotions for a long time, it's "Warm," adapted from Mo Yan's novel "The White Dog Swing."

The story of Jingzhe tells of a woman who goes from being the most innocent and beautiful to having to compromise with reality, and then finds herself again amidst the ups and downs of life.

The heartwarming story is a cruel joke about a woman's life, where she is repeatedly toyed with and abandoned by fate.

I remember he was in his third year of junior high school when he first watched this movie. In junior high, he wrote a three-sentence comment that encapsulated the theme of the movie.

Lin Jinghe's love was a love filled with guilt.

  

Warm love is waiting with anticipation time and time again.

A mute's love is a silent protection.

From an artistic point of view, the film "Warm" is undoubtedly excellent; otherwise, it would not have won the Golden Rooster Award and the Golden Kirin Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

His director, Huo Jianqi, also achieved the highlight of his career with this film. Unfortunately, in the second half of his directing career, no film has ever surpassed this one in terms of reputation and influence.

Yu Nan had actually connected him with such a major film, which was something he had never expected.

When filming "Awakening of Insects," he was just a relatively important supporting actor.

In the film "Warm," the male and female leads share the same screen time, and even more of the screen time is presented from the perspective of the male lead, Lin Jinghe. This means that if he can actually land the role in this film, then he will be the protagonist.

This film won the Golden Kirin Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and Guo Xiaodong, who played the lead role, was nominated for Best Actor.

The Tokyo International Film Festival is an A-list international film festival, on par with Berlin and Cannes. If he can get this film, he will make a direct leap from an ordinary actor to an internationally renowned actor.

Thinking of this, Lu Yan felt a mix of emotions. He looked at the scenery receding outside the window, feeling lost and melancholy.

"I really owe this a huge favor!"

The gift Yu Nan gave was too precious; even if it was just an opportunity, it would still be invaluable.

Lu Yan took out his phone, which only had four bars of battery left, from his pocket and dialed Yu Nan's number: "Hey... Sister Nan, um, I want to try it."

"Thanks...."

Without saying much, Lu Yan hung up the phone. This opportunity was too precious and too important to him; it was a chance to completely turn his life around.

He must hold on to it firmly.

"Driver, can you go faster? I'm in a hurry."

He needs to go back immediately and try to accumulate enough emotional points before the audition to significantly improve his acting skills.

——Fine Private Kitchen, 4th Floor

Yu Nan hung up Lu Yan's call and dialed another number. He slowly got up, went to the French windows, and looked at the scenery outside.

The beeping sound rang in her ears, like a calm and gentle heartbeat.

The other end of the phone

A small office building of only 300 square meters next to the Jingguang Center on Jianguomenwai Street in Chaoyang District.

As the most prosperous and well-known business district in the capital, office buildings near the CBD are in high demand and short supply due to their prime location.

Huo Jianqi was able to set up a studio here because years ago, Fen Gao Real Estate Investment took over the office with a long-term contract; otherwise, given his current financial situation...

It's not necessarily possible to start a company in the most bustling area of ​​the capital.

"I think this needs some revision... the two meet again..."

Inside the office, Huo Jianqi sat on a mahogany sofa, reading the script together with his screenwriter and wife, Qiu Shi (pen name), for the first time.

Although the original novel's author, Mo Yan, was also credited as a screenwriter, he did not participate in any guidance work; the screenwriter's responsibilities were all fulfilled by Qiu Shi.

"Ring ring..."

The phone rang, and Qiu Shi looked up. Huo Jianqi was engrossed in the script and had no time to pay attention. Seeing this, his wife took the phone and handed it to him.

The latter took the phone without looking up and pressed the right button to answer: "Hello, who is this?"

When Yu Nan's voice came through the phone, Huo Jianqi was taken aback. He immediately put down his work, got up, and went to the window to exchange pleasantries.

"I heard you and Wang Quan'an went to northern Shaanxi for filming..."

After a brief exchange, Yu Nan got to the point, suggesting over the phone that he wanted to introduce a newcomer to audition for Huo Jianqi's new film.

"A newcomer..." Huo Jianqi frowned. "But I've already found the lead actor, and there's no suitable role right now."

He found an actor with a rather melancholic air named Guo Xiaodong, who will play the lead role of Lin Jinghe if there are no other unforeseen circumstances.

"Director Huo, I didn't mean anything by it... I just want a fair chance to compete with you. Whether it works out or not is up to you. You don't need to give me face."

Things will remain the same as before.

Having said all that, Huo Jianqi knew that it wouldn't be good to refuse any longer. That's how this industry is; everything depends on personal relationships, leaving room for others to save face, and never offending anyone. That's the way to survive in this industry.

"Okay, I'll think about it and give you an answer tonight."

"Okay, bye-bye."

Huo Jianqi hung up the phone, a look of worry on his brow. His wife came over and asked, "Whose call was that?"

"Yu Nan"

"Yu Nan, why didn't she call me? Why didn't she call you?"

Qiu Shi and Yu Nan not only know each other, but they are also very close friends. Yu Nan even helped Huo Jianqi find investors and attract investment for his film "Warm". It can be seen that the three of them have a very good personal relationship.

Huo Jianqi looked up and smiled wryly: "Yu Nan... she said she wanted to introduce me to a newcomer, and even said she wanted him to audition for the male lead. What do you think...?"

"A newcomer?"

Art films, especially those with realistic themes, rely heavily on the immersive acting. Casting is often the most important factor, as a single role can significantly impact the final quality of a film. How could a newcomer possibly be cast as the lead?

"Sigh, this Yu Nan really knows how to give me a hard time."

"If you really don't want to, I'll help you cancel."

"No, since Yu Nan has already spoken, let's meet him, even if it's just a formality."

Huo Jianqi wasn't really keen on helping out, since his film was aiming for the Tokyo International Film Festival, and he couldn't possibly cast a newcomer with no acting experience.

However, out of politeness, she felt embarrassed to refuse Yu Nan.

He couldn't refuse outright, so he decided to take a more tactful approach: he would have Yu Nan's people and Guo Xiaodong come together for the audition to compare their roles and see the difference in their acting skills.

We can refuse later, that way everyone can save face. Yu Nan himself said that whether it works or not is up to him.