raknovel Chapter 40: Sending Berlin
Chapter 40: Sending Berlin
When Liu Yu woke up, the sunlight had already drawn a long golden line on the ceiling.
He rolled over and bumped into someone.
Yan Danchen slept next to him, her hair spread out on the pillow, her mouth slightly open, her breathing light and even.
She was wearing one of his white T-shirts, the collar askew to one side, revealing a section of her collarbone.
Liu Yu looked at her, his mind replaying the events of last night. The wrap party, the toasts, Han Sanping's Lai Mao liquor, Wang Chaowen's three cups, and then... then his memory was like a film reel that had been cut, a complete blank.
"You're awake?" Yan Danchen's eyes opened at some point.
Liu Yu paused for a moment, then asked, "Did I do anything shameful?"
What do you think?
"...I said I don't remember."
"It's best if you don't remember." Yan Danchen lifted her face from under the pillow to look at him, a mischievous smile on her lips. "You sang a song while hugging the toilet last night. Want me to learn it for you?"
"No need." Liu Yu buried his face in the blanket, his voice muffled. "I never want to drink again in my life."
"You said the same thing last time you were drunk."
When was the last time I drank too much?
"The celebration party for 'Speed'. You forgot?"
Liu Yu thought about it and realized that there seemed to be such a thing.
Yan Danchen sat up and stretched.
The white T-shirt swayed back and forth on her body, the neckline slipping down to below her shoulders, which she then pulled back up.
My flight is at 11 o'clock, I have to go.
"So urgent?"
"I have a schedule to keep, and I've already postponed it for a day. I can't postpone it any longer." She got out of bed, took her clothes out of the closet, and started changing with her back to Liu Yu.
Liu Yu lay on the bed, his eyes fixed.
"What are you doing this afternoon?" Yan Danchen's voice came from behind.
"Back to school. It's vacation time, and the post-production work is about to start."
"Which film festival is this film going to be shown at?"
"Berlin. We'll miss Venice."
"Berlin is nice, Berlin is beautiful in winter." She changed her clothes, walked over, squatted down by the bed, and looked at Liu Yu.
"I'm leaving now. Take good care of yourself. Don't rush back to the server room as soon as you get back; your health is important."
"understood."
......
In the afternoon, Liu Yu returned to Beijing Film Academy.
The campus was deserted; most students hadn't returned for the summer vacation.
Summer at Beijing Film Academy was very quiet, so quiet that he was a little unaccustomed to it.
In late July, Liu Yu plunged into the post-production server room.
He oversaw every aspect of the process: editing, color grading, music composition, and mixing.
It's not that he doesn't trust others; it's just that this film has a different meaning for him.
"A Moment to Remember" was a trial run, "Speed Scandal" was a test, and "The Hearing Girl" was something he really wanted to make, regardless of box office success.
He didn't want it to have problems in the final step.
The editing was still done by Ma Jianming.
The two have developed a tacit understanding since they started working together on "A Moment to Remember".
The summer movie season in July and August is packed with blockbuster releases.
"House of Flying Daggers" and Will Smith's "I, Robot" were locked in fierce competition in July, one relying on Zhang Yimou's name and the other on Hollywood special effects, neither willing to give in.
In August, the three sequels, Spider-Man 2, Shrek 2, and The Twins Effect 2, were released simultaneously, directly pushing other films out of the screening schedule.
Throughout the summer, Liu Yu's life was so simple that it could be summarized in one sentence.
Computer room, canteen, dormitory, a three-point line.
.....
One evening in mid-August, Liu Yu was adjusting the color temperature of a scene in the computer room when his phone rang.
"I'm at the school gate."
Liu Yu paused for a moment, then looked at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen: 7 PM.
"Why are you here?"
"I'll treat you to dinner. Come out."
Liu Yu saved the project files, turned off the computer, and left the computer room.
The evenings at Beijing Film Academy are beautiful; the setting sun paints the teaching buildings orange-red, and a few people are running on the playground.
Yan Danchen stood at the school gate, wearing a white dress and carrying a bag. Seeing him approach, she looked him up and down.
"How long has it been since you had a haircut?"
"Not long after."
"how long?"
"...It's been like this since I turned it on."
"That's more than four months." Yan Danchen sighed. "Let's go, let's eat first, then I'll take you to get a haircut."
.....
The two went to a Hunan restaurant near the school and ordered stir-fried pork with chili peppers, fish head with chopped chili peppers, and water spinach with garlic.
When the dishes were served, Liu Yu noticed that Yan Danchen was quieter than usual, as if she was thinking about something.
He picked up a piece of fish head, and while eating, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Zhang Da Huzi called me." Yan Danchen put down her chopsticks and looked at Liu Yu, waiting for her to continue.
"He said that the role of Xiaolongnu had already been cast by someone else, but if I wanted to play Huang Rong, it would be mine."
Liu Yu's chopsticks stopped in mid-air, Huang Rong.
Huang Rong in "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is not the main character, but she has a lot of screen time.
The middle-aged Huang Rong is intelligent, feisty, protective of her own, and resourceful, a completely different type from Xiaolongnu.
Xiaolongnü is an immortal, Huang Rong is a mortal. Xiaolongnü is untouched by worldly affairs, while Huang Rong is immersed in them.
What are you thinking?
"I haven't decided yet." Yan Danchen picked up her chopsticks again. "The role of Huang Rong is great; anyone who plays her would be perfect. But I still have a bit of a lingering feeling. You know what I mean?"
Liu Yu knew that she wasn't unwilling to play Huang Rong, but rather unwilling to lose to Liu Yifei.
Twice, with the same director and the same opponent, she was the one who lost.
This isn't a matter of acting skills; it's a matter of fate, but people are always unwilling to acknowledge the existence of fate.
"Dan Chen, let me tell you the truth. The role of Little Dragon Girl was decided from the very beginning. Do you believe me?"
Yan Danchen looked up at him, her eyes filled with doubt. "How did you know?"
"I don't know. I'm just guessing." Liu Yu lied without batting an eye. "Think about it, how long has Zhang Dahuzi been casting? More than half a year, right? How many people has he changed? Dozens, right? Normal casting wouldn't be like this. He's just creating hype, not really casting. Once the hype is high enough, he'll announce the people he's already decided on. No matter who you act with, the result will be the same."
Yan Danchen remained silent for a long time.
"You're right. I actually know that too, but I'm just not willing to give up. When I went to the audition and saw the crowd, I knew it was coming. But by then I had already made it to the second round, and I didn't want to back down. To back down would be to admit defeat."
"Aren't you going to play Huang Rong?"
"Why not act?" Yan Danchen picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of stir-fried pork with chili peppers. "Huang Rong is also very good, and I don't have to fly around or be suspended by wires. My old bones can't handle that anymore."
Looking at her, Liu Yu suddenly realized that she wasn't asking for advice today, but rather for him to listen to her.
She needs an audience, someone who can understand and support her emotions.
...
On the eve of National Day, the post-production of "Hearing Girl" was completed.
When the final mixing session ended, Liu Yu sat in the screening room and watched the entire film from beginning to end.
No fast forward, no pause, 110 minutes, watched from beginning to end.
The next day, Principal Zhang, Yu Li, Han Sanping, Tian Zhuangzhuang, and Li Xuejian were all invited to the school's screening room.
The screening room was small, with only about fifty seats, and it was sparsely populated.
The lights went out, the screening room dimmed, and the screen lit up.
Liu Yu sat in the corner of the last row. This wasn't the first time he had shown the finished film to others, but this was the most nervous he had ever been.
"A Moment to Remember" is a commercial film; as long as the audience likes it, that's fine. "Speed Scandal" is a comedy; as long as the audience laughs, that's fine.
"Hearing Girl" is different; it's something he truly wanted to film.
110 minutes later, the light came on.
No one spoke in the screening room. Han Sanping sat there motionless, staring at the screen that had turned white.
Principal Zhang took off his reading glasses, wiped the lenses, and put them back on.
Yu Li leaned back in her chair, her expression calm, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
Tian Zhuangzhuang was the first to speak, "Liu Yu, Berlin is no problem."
Han Sanping stood up from the second row, patted Liu Yu on the shoulder, and said, "Berlin! Let me tell you, if this film doesn't make it to Berlin, I'll change my mind."
Li Xuejian was the last to pass away.
He stopped at the entrance of the screening room, turned around, and looked at Liu Yu.
"Xiao Liu, I didn't know how this film would turn out when I was acting in it. After watching it today, I'm relieved. You're not only good at making movies, you can also tell stories. There are many people who can make movies, but not many who can tell stories."