mijobooks Chapter 76 Oda's 18th Birthday
Chapter 76 Oda's 18th Birthday
September in Beijing already had the feel of autumn. Lin Feng stood in front of the new site of the Beijing Film Academy Cultural and Creative Park, watching the workers painting the exterior walls.
The three-story detached building is beginning to take shape, with its glass curtain wall gleaming in the sunlight. He took out his phone, snapped a photo, and sent it to the company group chat: "It's expected to be completed by the end of October. I'll treat everyone to dinner then."
Old Yang replied instantly: "President Lin is awesome!"
Li Yitong then sent a clapping emoji: "Thank you for your hard work, masters."
Lin Feng smiled and put away his phone. He had a leisurely two weeks. He would go to the company every day to check on the renovation progress, and spend the rest of his time at home studying the script of "With You" and figuring out the characters. Occasionally, he would chat with Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun in the group chat.
Tian Xiwei's messages are always the most active in the group. In the morning, she posts "Today's math problems are so hard", at noon she posts "The sweet and sour pork ribs for lunch are delicious", and in the evening she posts "My mom is forcing me to memorize vocabulary again", accompanied by all sorts of funny emojis, like a perpetual motion machine.
Liu Haochun is quieter, occasionally posting a few photos of herself practicing dance.
"Brother Feng! 'Take My Brother Away' is out of theaters! Box office: 5.2 million!" That morning, Tian Xiwei's message exploded in the group chat like a thunderclap, followed by a string of screaming emojis.
Raymond Lam had just finished washing up when he saw the message. He smiled and immediately sent a 520 RMB red envelope with the note "Celebrating the box office victory".
Tian Xi quickly grabbed the ticket: "Wow! Feng-ge is so generous! I got 208! Hao Chun, what about you?"
Liu Haochun: "I managed to snag 152, thanks Feng-ge~"
Li Yitong also joined in, sending a happy emoji: "Congratulations everyone."
"Tian Xiwei," Lin Feng said in the group chat, "this is what you deserve. We'll celebrate with you when you come to Beijing for your vacation."
"Yay!" Tian Xiwei sent a bouncy emoji, "I want to eat that grilled lamb chops from last time!"
In fact, the outside world has already been buzzing about this low-budget film. Labels such as "new director", "new actor" and "return on investment of more than 10 times" are flying everywhere. Many media outlets wanted to interview him, but Raymond Lam turned them all down.
He had no time to deal with these things; filming for "The Best of Us" was about to begin, and that was the most important thing right now.
In early September, the sea breeze on Qingdao was cool. The opening ceremony for "With You" was very simple. An incense table was set up, some fruit was placed on it, Zhou Ming led the main creative team to pray, and that was it for the official start of filming.
Lin Feng, wearing Yu Huai's school uniform, stood next to Li Yitong. Looking at her with her ponytail and wearing a blue and white school uniform, he suddenly felt as if time had flowed back to high school.
"Are you nervous?" he asked in a low voice.
Li Yitong nodded, then shook her head: "A little, but I feel at ease acting with you."
During the first two days of filming, Raymond Lam kept a close eye on the set, watching Zhou Ming direct the camera and observe the actors' movements. His senior colleague maintained a very steady pace.
"Senior brother, you shot it well." Raymond Lam said sincerely when looking at the sample photos.
Zhou Ming breathed a sigh of relief and wiped his sweat: "With you here, I dare not be careless."
After entrusting the crew to Zhou Ming, Raymond Lam found himself with more free time. He filmed regularly every day, spent his evenings with Li Yitong in their hotel room discussing the script, and occasionally went out for a walk to enjoy the sea breeze of Qingdao.
The group chat has become much quieter. Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun have started school and only post on weekends.
"Brother Feng! Are you tired from filming?" On Saturday night, Tian Xiwei sent a video. In the video, she had her hair tied in a high ponytail, and the background was a desk with a stack of exercise books.
"It's alright," Raymond Lam turned the camera to Li Yitong, "Look at Sister Yitong, she's in good shape, isn't she?"
Li Yitong smiled at the camera: "Tian Xiwei, have you finished your homework?"
"Oh dear, Sister Yitong, you're just like my mom!" Tian Xi pouted slightly. "I just wanted to ask, did you guys film any kissing scenes?"
Lin Feng almost spat out his water: "Why would a little kid ask that?"
"Just curious!" Tian Xi winked. "Let me tell you, all the boys in my class are talking about how great your on-screen couple in 'The Beginning' is."
"Go do your homework!"
On the evening of October 14th, right after finishing work, I sent a red envelope containing 188 yuan to the group chat with the note "Happy 18th birthday to Tian Xiwei".
Li Yitong followed up with a 168cm comment: "Happy 18th birthday, Tian Xiwei~"
Tian Xiwei replied almost immediately: "Thank you, Brother Feng! Thank you, Sister Yitong!" She also added an emoji of herself holding a cake.
Raymond Lam then transferred another 5200 to her separately, with the message "A big coming-of-age gift, I'll make you a cake next time."
Tian Xiwei quickly replied with a heart emoji: "Thank you, Brother Feng! My dear Brother Feng, I love you the most! So cute~"
A little while later, Tian Xiwei posted a photo in the group chat. On the dining table sat a small cream cake with an "18" candle on it. She and her parents stood beside it, beaming with joy. "This cake was made by my mom, it's so delicious!"
Liu Haochun sent a red envelope: "Happy birthday, Tian Xiwei! You're getting more and more beautiful~"
"Thank you, Haochun!" Tian Xiwei grabbed the red envelope. "Let's go shopping together during the holidays!"
Looking at Tian Xiwei's smiling face in the photo, Lin Feng suddenly realized how fast time flies. He messaged her privately: "You're 18 now, you need to be more sensible."
Tian Xiwei made a face at me and said, "Okay! You have to spend my next birthday with me!"
"Okay," Lin Feng replied with a smile, "I'll definitely keep you company."
Time flies when you're on set, and it's already the end of October. They wrapped up early that day, and Lin Feng had just finished showering when his phone rang. It was a video call from Liu Haochun.
"Brother Feng." Liu Haochun on the screen was wearing pajamas, his hair was a little messy, and his eyes were timid, unlike his usual composure.
"What's wrong?" Lin Feng sat down on the sofa. "Did something happen?"
"N-nothing," Liu Haochun stammered, picking at his fingers, "I just... wanted to chat with you."
Lin Feng noticed she was preoccupied and deliberately changed the subject: "Are your major courses difficult? I heard that the basic skills requirements for the Beijing Dance Academy are very strict."
"Well, it's alright," Liu Haochun relaxed a bit. "I have to get up very early every morning to practice my morning exercises, and it hurts quite a bit when I stretch my legs."
"Hang in there," Raymond Lam encouraged her. "You dance so well, don't give up."
After a moment of silence, Liu Haochun suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with struggle: "Brother Feng, my parents want me to apply to the Beijing Film Academy."
Lin Feng paused for a moment, then remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"They said...that actors earn a lot of money, and since you're at the Beijing Film Academy, you can take care of me in the future," Liu Haochun's voice trailed off, "but I've always wanted to go to the Beijing Dance Academy. I love dancing, I love the feeling of being on stage..."
She sniffed, "But now that I've made a movie, I feel like acting is actually quite interesting... I'm a bit conflicted and don't know what to do."
Looking at her reddened eyes, Lin Feng understood. He had met Liu Haochun's parents, and now that their daughter had some fame, they wanted her to take a more "safe" path, which he could understand.
"Haochun," he softened his tone, "I'll tell you my thoughts, and you can make the decision yourself, okay?"
Liu Haochun nodded, looking at him.
"It would definitely be easier for you to get into the Beijing Film Academy," Raymond Lam said frankly. "The company can provide you with resources, and I can pave the way for you. In the future, you might earn more money and become more famous as an actor than as a dancer. But the acting industry is stressful and competitive. You have to like the camera and enjoy being in the spotlight, otherwise it will be very tiring."
He paused, looking into her eyes: "Getting into the Beijing Dance Academy has been your dream since you were little. Dancing makes you happy, right? But you also know that the golden age for dancers is short."
Liu Haochun kept his head down, twisting the hem of his pajamas with his fingers, and didn't say anything.
"There's no absolutely right choice," Raymond Lam said softly. "The key is which one you lean towards in your heart. Don't let your parents' opinions hold you back, and don't act impulsively just because you've made a movie. Close your eyes and think about yourself ten years from now. Would you rather be dancing on stage or acting in front of a camera?"
Liu Haochun remained silent for a long time, so long that Lin Feng thought she had disconnected. Only then did she slowly raise her head, her confusion lessening and replaced by determination: "Brother Feng, I need to think about this carefully."
"Good that you've made up your mind," Lin Feng smiled. "No matter which one you choose, I'll support you. If you apply to the Beijing Film Academy, I'll protect you; if you apply to the Beijing Dance Academy, I'll still support you, and you won't lack the resources you need."
"Thank you, Brother Feng." Liu Haochun's eyes reddened, but a faint smile appeared on his lips. "I feel much better after talking to you."
"Silly girl," Lin Feng ruffled her hair on the screen, "If you have anything on your mind, feel free to call me anytime."
After hanging up the video call, Li Yitong came over with some fruit: "What were you talking about with Haochun? You've been chatting for so long."
"She's torn between applying to the Beijing Film Academy or the Beijing Dance Academy," Lin Feng said, pulling her into his arms. "This child, she's very thoughtful."
"You're right," Li Yitong leaned on his shoulder, "Let her choose for herself, after all, it's a lifelong decision."