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Chapter 112 "If Love Has Destiny"

After discussing the previous three characters, it will be the turn of the male and female protagonists' daughter, Shi Jing.

Wu Yuchen took the initiative to say, "You two, I do have a suitable candidate for Shi Jing."

After he finished speaking, he called over Li Xiaoran, who was waiting next door. Wu Yuchen introduced her:
"This is Li Xiaoran. Her father is a soldier, and she grew up in a military compound. You could say she has a similar upbringing to Shi Jing. So I think she's quite suitable for the role of Shi Jing."

Li Xiaoran also bowed to the two of them, saying, "Hello, Director Kang, hello, Producer Meng!"

She didn't have any particular feelings about playing this role. Mainly because she wasn't formally trained in acting, and she didn't have the arrogance to look down on television dramas. After all, she had worked as an extra just over six months ago and knew how difficult it was. Without Wu Yuchen's help, she wouldn't even be able to get this kind of role now.

Moreover, Li Xiaoran is now aware that her acting skills still have many shortcomings, and she also believes that Wu Yuchen's arrangements for her are definitely not a problem.

Seeing this, Meng Fanyao smiled and said, "Isn't this the female lead in your 'Run Lola Run', Director Wu? I didn't expect her to be so suitable. We would definitely welcome her with open arms if she could act in it!"

Meng Fanyao, as a producer, is still very clear-headed. Putting aside whether it's suitable or not, the investors have just put in an actress. They invested five million, so what's wrong with wanting a second female lead?
Not to mention that Li Xiaoran is not a complete newcomer; she just starred in "Run Lola Run," and her experience is similar to Wu Yuchen's. Why would she refuse?
After getting up, Kang Honglei managed to squeeze out, "Could you try on your military overcoat?"

Wu Yuchen patted Li Xiaoran: "Go next door and put on your clothes and hat."

"No problem!" Li Xiaoran said as she went back to change her clothes.

Meng Fanyao pulled Kang Honglei aside, then said to Wu Yuchen, "Director Wu, Kang just has this bad temper..."

Wu Yuchen smiled and waved his hand: "It's okay, I just appreciate Director Kang's serious attitude towards acting!"

He was confident that Li Xiaoran was suitable for the role, which was why he recommended her. After all, she had been a soldier's daughter for twenty years!
The character Shi Jing is beautiful, generous, intelligent, kind, upright, warm, and sincere. In the words of the male lead, Shi Guangrong: "I think no girl can compare to my daughter." She's not only the male lead's beloved daughter, but also the audience's beloved daughter, making her the most popular character in the entire series.

Therefore, Wu Yuchen naturally wanted to give this role to his woman.

After a while, Li Xiaoran walked in again, wearing a Type 65 olive green military uniform and a cashmere military cap. She looked beautiful, elegant, and heroic, making her a sight to behold.

Meng Fanyao clapped his hands and said, "Great! Absolutely great! I think there's nothing more to say, it's Shi Jing herself!"

Wu Yuchen looked at Kang Honglei, who nodded with a smile this time as well.

After the actors for these four main roles were cast, things were pretty much settled. However, Wu Yuchen thought of a character with limited screen time but who would leave a very deep impression on the audience, and couldn't help but ask:

"Brother Lei, who are you planning to cast for the role of Hu Dakai?"

Hu Dakai was Shi Jing's first love, but he lost a leg in battle and voluntarily gave up their love, leaving her to wait for him for seven years. Their relationship remains the biggest regret and source of unresolved sorrow for the audience. But it's precisely because of this that it leaves such a deep impression on them!
Kang Honglei said, "The character Hu Dakai has a tough and resolute side, but also a tender heart. I would like to invite Ding Haifeng, who just played Wu Song in 'Water Margin'."

"Okay, someone who can play Wu Song shouldn't be wrong!" Hearing this answer, Wu Yuchen was immediately relieved.

Ding Haifeng later became known for playing tough guys or soldiers; his image was perfect, and his acting was quite good. Moreover, he was the one who originally starred in the original version, and the result was excellent.

Afterwards, the group had a detailed discussion about the filming plan. Filming for this TV series would involve traveling to many locations, and it would be quite a hassle to actually film it.

That night, Wu Yuchen lay in bed, holding Li Xiaoran in his arms, and said:

"I won't say much about the role. Kang Honglei is a capable actor, and most of the actors in this drama are veteran actors. You should work hard after joining the crew, and the drama will turn out well."

Li Xiaoran nestled in his arms and nodded silently, then said softly, "I'm just a little reluctant to part with you."

“You can’t always film my movies. There are plenty of other good directors and good movies. Different directors have different styles, and experiencing more of them will be beneficial for your development.”

Wu Yuchen gently stroked Li Xiaoran, comforting her, saying that these things are unavoidable, and waiting for his scenes would take forever. He doesn't cast his own women in every role; he won't use women who aren't suitable.

Li Xiaoran scoffed, "You're so vain! Who said I couldn't bear to part with you!"

Wu Yuchen raised an eyebrow: "Then what did you say?"

"I can't bear to part with my computer~" Li Xiaoran said, then giggled.

"You heartless bastard!" Wu Yuchen roared, and amidst Li Xiaoran's laughter, he flipped over and pinned her down again.

……

In the screening room of the Central Academy of Drama, Wu Yuchen, who had just finished answering questions, stepped off the stage amidst applause.

"No wonder he won Best Director at Berlin, I never imagined a movie could be made like this!"

"Yeah, I was completely stunned. 'Run Lola Run' is completely different from previous domestic movies! How could they have come up with this? It's amazing!"

"Avant-garde film! Truly avant-garde! I read in Film Weekly that it's very innovative even by global standards, which is why it won both Best Director and the Jury Prize!"

"Is the female lead from our school or the Beijing Film Academy?"

"From Beijing Film Academy, but I heard it's not an undergraduate program, it's a continuing education program."

"A training course! Wow, Director Wu's eye for talent and ability to train actors are truly amazing!"

The students in the audience hadn't left yet, still discussing it enthusiastically. They had finally seen the award-winning film "Run Lola Run" live today, and it truly lived up to its reputation!

At this moment, a group of boys from Class 96 were also discussing:

"That was awesome! This movie is totally my cup of tea, I was climaxing from beginning to end!" Dang Hao slapped his thigh excitedly.

"Dang Hao, don't slap my thigh when you're having your climax!"

Chen Minghao pushed his hand away, and seeing Liu Ye standing there in a daze, asked, "Yezi, what's wrong? Are you stunned?"

"Ah? Um..."

Liu Ye gave a perfunctory reply. In reality, he was thinking, "Isn't this the guy who ran crying to Shichahai last year to talk to me? I can't be mistaken, can I?"

Seeing this, Chen Minghao ignored him and sighed, "There's no comparison! Those who still have illusions about Zeng Damei should give up now!" "Huh? What do you mean?" Liu Ye asked.

Dang Hao patted Liu Ye on the head:
"All you do is play basketball all day. Haven't you heard the girls in our class say that the guy who came to see Zeng Damei off when she entered the school is Wu Yuchen, who was just on stage!"

"Huh? It's him?!" Liu Ye exclaimed in surprise, his mouth agape.

“You’re rehearsing with Zhang Ziyi every day. Go ask her for more information later.”

Seeing Liu Ye's miserable face, Chen Minghao chuckled and nudged his shoulder, saying, "Hey, Yezi, I didn't realize you had a crush on Zeng Damei too!"

"Go aside!"

Liu Ye pushed him away impatiently. It wasn't that he liked Zeng Li, but he was thinking that if it really was Wu Yuchen that night, wouldn't Zeng Li definitely find out that he was crying outside in the middle of the night?
The more Liu Ye thought about it, the more likely it seemed. No wonder Zeng Li had laughed at him a few times before; she must be laughing at him. If Zeng Li told other girls, how could he stay at school?

The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt, as if he was going to be humiliated in class. Maybe he should just drop out!

At this moment, Zeng Li and Wu Yuchen, whom Liu Ye was worried about, were strolling side by side chatting.

"It was even tougher than when I was training for the play. We had to stay up all night to rehearse, sometimes until two or three in the morning, and then we had to get up before seven in the morning for morning practice. Everyone in our class was complaining, and several people were saying they wanted to drop out."

Wu Yuchen chuckled as he listened to Zeng Li's complaints. The competition among freshmen at the Central Academy of Drama was indeed much fiercer than at the Beijing Film Academy due to the elimination system.

The Beijing Film Academy is much more lenient; Yan Danchen was approved to go out and film during her freshman year, and even won the Huabiao Newcomer Award for it.

Wu Yuchen asked, "So, do you find it interesting?"

Zeng Li thought for a moment before saying, "Last semester I felt it was bitter and torturous, but now as I practice, I feel like I can still get a feel for it."

"You guys are in a state of pain and pleasure right now. Once you get through the first semester finals, you'll all be pretty much in the zone," Wu Yuchen said, trying to comfort you.

He also had to admit that the high-pressure, strict management of the Central Academy of Drama did indeed make students' foundation more solid. The only downside was that some opportunities would definitely be lost. For example, he couldn't provide Zeng Li with any opportunities now.

Wu Yuchen shook his head and then asked, "Hey, how's Liu Ye now?"

Zeng Li smiled upon hearing this: "He was one of the few I mentioned who was clamoring to drop out of school. I heard from Ziyi that he was just scolded by his father on the phone yesterday, who told him that he had to finish his degree no matter what."

Wu Yuchen chuckled upon hearing this. A bachelor's degree is still quite valuable these days, and it's what parents value most. Even if they don't want to be actors in the future, it will make it easier to find other jobs.

"Pear, I'll come and take a look when you hand in your final assignments."

"Huh? What's so interesting about this? We're still mostly rehearsing skits."

Zeng Li felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this. After all, Wu Yuchen is now someone who has won the Best Director award at the Berlin Film Festival, and now they are looking at their childish student assignments...

"Hehe, don't worry, I'll just say I'm here to scout actors!" Wu Yuchen said with a smile.

Seeing this, Zeng Li didn't say anything more, assuming that he was just concerned about her.

However, Wu Yuchen wasn't joking when he said he was there to scout actors; he just wanted to see how the boys, including Liu Ye and Qin Hao, were doing now.

After parting ways with Zeng Li, Wu Yuchen went back and took out the romance movie script he was still writing, concentrating on his thoughts.

The cover reads the movie title: "If Love Has a Destiny".

That's right, it's the pure love movie that moved countless young women with artistic sensibilities back then, leaving them heartbroken and overwhelmed with sadness after watching it.

Singer Li Jian particularly liked this movie and specially covered the theme song, calling it "If Love Has a Destiny." It was also used as a promotional song for Wu Baige's "The Crossing." In a way, this can be considered a pairing of a bad movie with a catchy theme song.

The film "The Classic" also propelled its lead actress, Son Ye-jin, to stardom throughout Asia, making her a "first love goddess" in the hearts of many.

Son Ye-jin is affectionately called "Fairy Son" by her fans because of her beautiful appearance and ethereal气质 (qi zhi - a kind of refined elegance). However, in terms of looks, Jiang Qinqin is no less stunning than Son Ye-jin, and her portrayal of Xi Shi (a legendary beauty in Chinese literature) is equally captivating.

The goal of this movie is to portray the female lead as pure and sweet, which is the main part that Wu Yuchen asked Jiang Qinqin to prepare.

Of course, besides the female lead, there must be a male lead in the movie. There are three important male characters, among which the country bumpkin is the most important.

Even if the male lead in a romance movie is a poor, unsophisticated boy from the countryside, he still needs to be good-looking, which is the foundation for creating a romantic feeling in the audience.

This raises the requirement: one must be good-looking, yet possess a down-to-earth quality, and also have a slightly goofy and adorable charm.

With so many conditions presented, Liu Ye was the first person that came to Wu Yuchen's mind. There was no way around it; the guy's image and demeanor were indeed very suitable!

The same role, but if Chen Kun were to play it, it wouldn't work; his temperament wouldn't match.

Actually, in terms of appearance and temperament, Qin Hao in their class is quite good, but compared to Liu Ye, he seems to lack that憨憨 (simple-minded) charm. This is why Wu Yuchen wanted to see their final project; he really wanted to see how Liu Ye was doing now, and also to assess other students in their class like Qin Hao.

Let's leave it at that for now, without disturbing them. After all, they still have to prepare for their first-year final projects, so let's not bother them. The Central Academy of Drama might not even break its first-year elimination system for him.

Wu Yuchen's current focus is on revising the script. The story is set in South Korea in 1968. The male and female protagonists are in school. The male protagonist later goes to war and participates in the Vietnam War. South Korea participated in the Vietnam War, with more than 5 people in Vietnam at its peak, and one-tenth of them died in the war.

If the setting is changed to China, this timeline cannot be directly applied; modifications are necessary. It would be best to change the story's starting year to 1976 or 77, as it needs to include events in the protagonists' school life, while also avoiding the sensitive period of that era.

The original female lead's family background—her grandfather being a high-ranking South Korean official—doesn't need major changes. Instead, it could be changed to her grandfather being a prominent figure who was later exonerated. This was quite common at the time, similar to the background of the male lead in the film *Romance on Lushan Mountain*. This would explain why the female lead came to the countryside and thus met the male lead. It would also explain the disparity between their families, leading to their forced separation.

As for the war the male protagonist participates in later, the battlefield is still set in Vietnam, but it is changed to the Sino-Vietnamese War of 79. That makes perfect sense, and the story background is completely consistent.

The rest is about polishing the details of the plot and story.

I'm experiencing a bit of writer's block, that's all for today.

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(End of this chapter)