Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 127: Failed to seduce
The crew of "Whiplash" did not have a long schedule in Taiwan.

After visiting Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Kaohsiung, we returned home, and the roadshow in the three places across the Taiwan Strait came to an end.

The first day of the roadshow will be held at Warner Village Cinemas in Ximending, Taipei.

This is a popular place where young people in Taipei gather. The dense flow of people is conducive to the promotion of the film.

Taiwan is Jay Chou's home turf, and before the premiere even started, the entrance to the cinema was already packed with people.

In particular, the arrival of one Taiwanese celebrity after another intensified the lively atmosphere.

"Director Hou, welcome!"

Boss Lu leisurely watched the stars invited by Jiang Zhiqiang and the distributors from Taiwan Province one after another, and finally saw a film artist.

Hou Xiaoxian.

"Hello, Director Lu, I'm really looking forward to your movie!"

The usually serious director from Taiwan tried his best to appear gentle, which made Lu Kuan feel that he had some similarities with Lao Tian in temperament.

The two are indeed very similar, both paranoid and tolerant.

Hou Xiaoxian is a leading figure in the Taiwanese film industry, so perhaps one of his names can be removed.

In the 90s, he served as the producer for Zhang Yimou's "Raise the Red Lantern".

This paranoid filmmaker strongly suggested that Zhang Yimou make the film into a long scroll of family life like "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Zhang Yimou ignored the request and instead led the team to the Qiao Family Compound in Shanxi Province, using his own distinctive composition and color symbols to show the oppression of feudal women.

The paranoid Hou Xiaoxian said nothing and turned back to Taiwan Province.

Zhang Yimou finally gained recognition from the international film scene through his creative ideas. "Lantern" won the Venice Silver Lion and was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.

After the release of "Hero" in 2002, Zhang Yimou brought the crew to Taiwan Province for publicity, and Director Hou took the initiative to help him stand up.

Interview by a malicious green media reporter: You and director Zhang Yimou have differences in creative concepts, why do you still support him so much?

This question is actually intended to stir up trouble and create unpleasantness in cross-strait cultural exchanges.

Hou Xiaoxian said seriously: "Because Chinese-language films need Hero and Zhang Yimou, and here, Zhang Yimou also needs me."

Later, when Zhang Yimou made a movie called "A One Man's Journey" which he disliked very much, Hou Xiaoxian told the media:

"Zhang Yimou's pen is worn out, and there's no going back."

This is what a paranoid yet tolerant director looks like.

The premiere event started soon. Lu Kuan was not familiar with many of the faces in the audience, so Jay Chou's agent Dani introduced them to him in a low voice.

"The one wearing the purple scarf is Chai Zhiping, and next to her are her artistes, the F4 group."

"The next seat is the godfather of variety shows, Wang Weizhong, next to him is his artist Xu Xiyuan, and the girl next to him is..."

Dani couldn't recognize him, but Boss Lu did.

This is Lin Yueru!

An Yixuan had just debuted at this time, and her famous work "Fighting Fish" would not be broadcast for another two years. She probably came here to take advantage of the event.

The main creators appeared and spoke again, Jay Chou interacted with the fans on the scene, and then entered the screening session.

The audience had long heard about the extraordinary nature of this Golden Lion Award-winning film, and coupled with its previous impressive box office figures, they all watched the film with great concentration.

At the end of 120 minutes, Hou Xiaoxian led the standing ovation, followed by artists of all sizes and audience members.

Lu Kuan, Jay Chou and others, who were already very familiar with the process and the result, returned to the stage to express their gratitude for the support.

The distributor then arranged a conversation salon for the two after the premiere.

There were three sofas, with Lu Kuan, Jiang Zhiqiang and Hou Xiaoxian sitting on them.

At this time, the latter was the chairman of the Bay Area Film Association.

Boss Lu was quite respectful of such a pure filmmaker. He took the initiative to invite him to sit down and appropriately expressed his respect for his predecessor.

Hou Xiaoxian smiled, exchanged some pleasantries, and then got down to business.

"Director Lu, I saw the balance between art and commerce in the film, and I saw the ambition of a young director, which is very rare."

"I have a question. With your control of camera language and narrative rhythm, this film could have been made into a profound art film. Why did you do this?"

Hou Xiaoxian's words were already quite obscure.

He is an art film director and is opposed to Lu Kuan's practice of deliberately creating dramatic conflicts and distorting the structure to cater to the structure of Hollywood commercial films.

This is also the mainstream thinking in the current film culture and film review culture in Taiwan and the mainland.

Lu Kuan could refute a group of old scholars' contempt and misunderstanding of commercial films at the Beijing Film Academy's opening ceremony, but he had no intention of debating with Hou Xiaoxian on such an occasion.

He is here for a roadshow and to sell his films. So what if he wins the debate?

Although Hou Hsiao-hsien is a veteran in the film industry and his film "A City of Sadness" won the Venice Golden Lion, his films have never been box office hits.

"Director Hou, I'm not against the auteur theory of film, nor am I against embedding some humanity and philosophical thinking in films, or reflecting some social realities."

"But I have to be responsible to the producers who invested money and the audiences who paid for tickets. Therefore, as long as a movie is released in theaters, my first criterion for evaluating it is word of mouth."

"Whether the audience likes it, whether they will scold me after buying the tickets, or whether they will regret it, this should be a very important guide for my current creation."

Taiwan has long been a hub for entertainment, and idol dramas originated here.

The audience had just enjoyed watching and listening to Lu Kuan's talk, and they all cheered loudly.

"Okay! Well said!"

"Who's going to watch something we can't understand?"

"that is!"

Hou Xiaoxian smiled but said nothing, and changed the topic.

Xu Xiyuan in the audience nudged the young lady next to her with her arm.

"This is the young director you like, he's quite handsome!"

Ann Yixuan was a little embarrassed: "Nonsense! I just admire his talent!"

"I've already asked my dad to treat him to a meal. I heard his company's production of 'Chinese Paladin' has started auditions, and I'd like to try out."

Xu Xiyuan was stunned when he heard this.

She just became the queen of idol dramas because of the hit drama "Meteor Garden" which was popular throughout Asia. It's not that she is particularly jealous of novel themes such as "Chinese Paladin".

It's just that I have worked so hard for so long to get all this, but this rich girl can easily have dinner with a Golden Lion Award-winning director and ask for a role with just one phone call.

Outside the play, Shancai once again felt the disparity in life and class.

An Yixuan can barely be considered a gangster princess.

An's father runs a military textile and security business, and his company is responsible for the security of Taiwan 101.

My grandmother was a big landlord in Taipei's East District, known as East District Wu Mama. She collected rent and ate until she was full.

My aunt is the most famous lady in the tea street on Section 4 of Zhongxiao East Road in Taipei.

The spoiled daughter was very rebellious and plunged into the entertainment industry despite her family's opposition.

Xu Xiyuan was originally going to accompany her Taiwan agent godmother Chai Zhiping to attend an event tonight to show her support and get to know this young mainland director.

An Yixuan is her best friend. Because she admires Lu Kuan, she insisted on pestering her to come along, which led to this trip.

Big S has always been a quick-witted person, and she quietly gave her younger sisters an idea.

"Xuanxuan, there's no need to wait for your dad to show up. If you want, I can let you two have some contact tonight."

Ann Yixuan, regardless of her shyness, asked in surprise, "Really? How do you do it?"

Xu Xiyuan nodded at Jolin Tsai and Liu Genghong in the front row.

"See? One is Jay Chou's rumored girlfriend, and the other is a good friend. After this is over, I'll tell Yilin that we can all go out and play together."

"Jay Chou will definitely play the role of host. We'll be three men and three women at the time. How about going to KTV?"

An Yixuan's pretty face flushed with excitement: "Great, I'll call Dad right now and ask him to reserve the biggest private room for us and serve the most expensive wine!"

Twenty-six-year-old Xu Xiyuan pursed her lips and said nothing.

Lu Kuan and Hou Xiaoxian were having a conversation between artists on the stage, and the fans in the audience were listening with great interest.

Including Ady An and Helen Hsu.

The former has a stronger idol filter in his eyes and admires Boss Lu's talent even more.

Xu Xiyuan listened to the audience in the back seat discussing the astonishing box office figures of "Whiplash" in mainland China and Hong Kong, and silently calculated the director's worth in his mind.

What? Millions of dollars in Venice?
She was dazed by the numbers, and suddenly the boss beside her called her in a low voice.

"Xiyuan, come with me."

Wang Weizhong took his artists to a corner of the backstage of the theater and looked at the idol drama queen he had cultivated.

"Xiyuan, I contacted Mr. Jiang from Hong Kong yesterday. He said Director Lu will start filming a new movie before the New Year, and he's also aiming to win an award."

Xu Xiyuan was a little confused.

"Godfather, you mean..."

"Xiyuan, you're quite popular now, but the highest position in the entertainment industry is still there."

The godfather of variety shows who created phenomenal programs such as "Kangxi Comes Here" pointed to the shining screen in the distance.

Xu Xiyuan's eyes suddenly became eager.

"Godfather, what should I do?!"

"I'll say hello to Director Jiang, but he said that Director Lu is ruthless at work, so you have to work hard to get him."

Xu Xiyuan was a little surprised: "Me?"

"I don't care about your relationship with Lan Zhenglong, but it can't affect your work. Besides!"

"You have to be discerning when choosing a boyfriend. Director Lu is superior to him in terms of talent, looks, and wealth."

Wang Weizhong has always been very caring towards the sisters, but seeing that Xu Xiyuan was still like an ignorant little girl, his words became a little sharper.

"Xiyuan, a woman's most beautiful years are these few years. You must seize the opportunity. Don't be stupid."

Xu Xiyuan nodded somewhat aggrievedly, she knew what her godfather was talking about.

In 1998, Xu Xiyuan paid tribute to Gu Junye who came to Taiwan to perform, and she also foolishly tattooed a nine on her ankle.

In Korean, "九" has the same pronunciation as "具".

After being dumped, she was heartbroken. Her current boyfriend is Lan Zhenglong, a young actor from Taiwan whom she met during a filming, and she went to get him divorced for this reason.

Crazy one.

Wang Weizhong saw that she was frowning, and finally gave her a subtle suggestion.

"Rumor has it that Director Xiaolu is young and has a very colorful life. Xiyuan, you decide for yourself."

. . .

After the premiere, the audience was reluctant to leave, screaming and cheering for Jay Chou, F4, and other popular stars. Xu Xiyuan followed through on her plan, urging Jolin Tsai to take Jay Chou and the others straight to the KTV.

"Hi, how are you?"

Boss Lu held a glass of wine and greeted several beauties one by one after being introduced by Jay Chou.

Liu Genghong met Jay Chou at his house in the afternoon, and the three of them played basketball.

Jolin Tsai has not officially confirmed her relationship with Jay Chou, but anyone with a discerning eye can see how close they are.

A group of people in the entertainment industry, including singers like Jay Chou, Jolin Tsai, and Liu Genghong, naturally, everyone is not very interested in singing.

"Jaylen, let's play Liar Dice!"

"Okay, will Xiaolu do it?"

Boss Lu probably guessed what they were talking about and pretended to be confused: "Tell me about the rules."

"If it's a one-on-one duel between two people, roll all five dice. 1 is the universal number unless someone calls it."

"12345 is called a sequence, which is 0..."

Lu Kuan frowned and listened to Jay Chou's excited smile for a long time.

Oh no! It's just bragging.

It's just that there are some new moves like picking, flying and chopping. Boss Lu had come across them in Guangdong Province in his previous life. It is probably a special way of playing in the Greater Bay Area.

Xu Xiyuan said softly, "Jay, we girls don't know how to drink, so let's split into teams!"

An Yixuan looked at her best friend gratefully.

Well done! Great assist!
Liu Genghong smiled and said, "Look at the corners of Jie Lun's mouth curled up. Okay, you and Jolin are on the same team."

Jay Chou refused disrespectfully: "How about this, Xiaolu and Yixuan should be a group, you two are about the same age."

Xu Xiyuan opened her mouth to say something, but seeing An Yixuan's eyes almost bursting with stars, she couldn't say anything.

She remembered Wang Weizhong's heartfelt words.

The three teams of six soon began to excitedly chant, "Go! Go! Go!"

With Boss Lu's slightly pretentious "Next!", the box was filled with a happy atmosphere.

Boss Lu looked at the two pairs of competitors in front of him leisurely. They were so weak.

He can never get enough of cheating.

Well, you still need a little sister, otherwise it will be boring to play.

My younger sister does have one, but she is the daughter of a gangster. Now she looks at him with hazy eyes and thinks that everything about this man is good!
The powerful "Open!"

A calm "Next!"

The domineering and contented "Who else!?"

. . .

Xu Xiyuan's face turned red from drinking, but she had been secretly observing Lu Kuan, looking for an opportunity to make contact.

"Oh my! Director Lu, you're too powerful! We're no match for you!"

"Stop playing, stop playing! Take a break, Jaylen, sing a song for us!"

Xu Xiyuan naturally stood up and moved a seat, pretending to get some water and tissues, and sat down next to Boss Lu.

The air in the KTV private room was not very well circulated, and a faint fragrance wafted from Xu Xiyuan's body.

It's neither too heavy nor too light, and the base notes have some lemon and mint aroma, which is very refreshing.

What does this crazy beauty want to do?
She speaks in a sweet and sweet voice, and when she calls out...

An Yixuan was the most sober among the three ladies, and she and Lu Kuan avoided drinking a lot of alcohol.

"Sister Xiyuan, are you okay? Your face is so red."

"I feel a little dizzy. Xuanxuan, can you help me get some bottles of ice water?"

"okay!"

Boss Lu watched An Yixuan leave in a daze with cold eyes, and Xu Xiyuan fell on him without warning.

"Ouch! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Director Lu!"

She pretended to struggle to stand up, and "accidentally" placed her right hand on Boss Lu's thigh, but it slipped away as soon as it touched.

The lights in the private room were dim, and everyone was happily singing and dancing, and no one noticed this small world in the corner.

Lu Kuan's trousers were slim-fitting, and she held them up with her hands and pulled them slightly tighter. She looked down and suddenly saw an indescribable outline.

Xu Xiyuan pretended to be flustered and sat down, recalling the hot breath that Lu Kuan had just exhaled and the faint smell of tobacco on his body.

I just felt that the T-shirt on my body was too tight and too hot, and I wanted to pick up a can of cold beer and put it on my face.

Boss Lu thought to himself that he was quite experienced and would have to work hard today.

He naturally crossed his legs to suppress her expression: "Xiyuan, girls should avoid cold things. Can you drink something ice cold today?"

Xu Xiyuan was a little puzzled as to why he was so calm, even though the hard feeling in his palm had not yet dissipated.

After a few seconds of hesitation, he smiled gently and said, "Of course you can drink it. Taipei is still very hot in October, so it's just the right thing to cool down!"

Boss Lu said "oh" without comment.

Okay, as long as it’s ice cold.

Xu Xiyuan blushed and her heart beat fast. Although she was no longer a novice, this was the first time she was so relaxed in practicing tea art.

It's quite exciting!
Especially after Wang Weizhong's guidance, she made up her mind completely as she looked at the young, talented and wealthy director in front of her.

Godfather is right. A woman's most beautiful years are only in these few years. If she doesn't save some money, how can she continue to film idol dramas until she's 30?!

She didn't even think about An Yixuan who had just been sent away.

I'd rather die than have my best friend die, and that crazy beauty doesn't care about all these things.

"Where are Jie Lun, Sister Yilin, Director Lu, and Xi Yuan?"

"Oh, Xiyuan felt very dizzy, so Genghong and Xiaolu took him back."

An Yixuan came back jogging with ice water, muttering something and collapsed on the sofa in disappointment.

Regent Taipei.

The "dizzy" Xu Xiyuan "woke up" on the big bed and stole a glance at Lu Kuan who was reading a newspaper in a bathrobe after taking a shower.

"Me! You! Why am I here?"

Boss Lu was wearing slippers and had a cigarette in his mouth, with his legs crossed.

"You're drunk. I couldn't wake you up just now. I had no choice but to take you to the hotel first."

Xu Xiyuan angrily said, "Director Lu! I'm a girl too. Don't you think it's inappropriate to bring me here so late?"

"Don't worry, Liu Genghong is driving the car. I've booked a room for you next door. If you sober up, you can go there first."

Of course she was pretending to be dizzy just now, but Lu Kuan was very conscientious in carrying her into the car and up the stairs, and did not overstep the bounds of etiquette.

She expected that if her little finger was touched, she would suddenly "wake up"!
First he acted pitiful, then he scolded Lu Kuan for being vulgar, and then he either threatened him or half-heartedly agreed, and this good thing became a success.

Xu Xiyuan was speechless. You are not really a gentleman, are you?
The actress wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, looking a little tearful, even though her clothes were still neatly arranged and intact.

"Yes... I'm sorry, Director Lu. I was just too scared. I didn't mean to blame you."

As she spoke, she seemed to be moved by herself, sobbing and wiping her smooth face with the back of her hand.

Boss Lu put the traditional Chinese newspaper that he was tired of reading back on the small table and put his hands on the chair handles.

He lit a cigarette and looked at Xu Xiyuan with his shiny hairy legs, feeling a little shy.

Bringing her to the room but not doing anything, what does this mean?
Even if I had hinted at her while she was "unconscious" just now, I would have been reluctant. How could I start a war?
You can't really openly offer yourself to someone, right?
That's too. . .

"Do you have a tattoo?"

Lu Kuan caught a glimpse of some black marks on her ankles.

Xu Xiyuan quickly pulled her feet back under the quilt: "No... yes, I got it when I was young. I didn't know much back then."

Boss Lu leisurely commented on her and Dong Jie's performance. Both of them were equally good at pretending to be pure girls.

The white lotus has a snow-white body, fresh, tender and smooth.

The girls from Taiwan speak in a more coquettish voice and have a more curvaceous figure, but they are as delicate as willows in the wind and cannot be grasped with one hand.

They're all green tea, just with different flavors.

Boss Lu’s patience ran out: “Okay, tell me your purpose.”

He suddenly felt that this scene seemed familiar. Thinking carefully, he realized that he had a similar conversation on the day of Bingbing's night raid.

Somewhat similar to "Tell me your dream!"

The boss who dreams of becoming an official in the entertainment industry is online for a limited time!

Xu Xiyuan didn't expect that he would talk about the deal so directly without any foreplay.

She had some self-awareness and didn't want to seduce him rashly or develop a relationship with him.

In front of him, I am no different from being naked, and may not even be enough for one of his hands to play with.

"Director Lu, I'm wondering if there's a suitable movie, if possible..."

Lu Kuan frowned. It didn't matter whether it was a TV series or not. With Xu Xiyuan's current popularity, it wouldn't be difficult for him to play a role that fits his image.

But the movie is a bit of a stretch, he didn't even go to the trouble of finding a good script specifically for the consumables.

He exhaled a puff of smoke and looked at Xu Xiyuan, who was looking forward to it with a sad face, and felt a little bored.

Low quality, lots of trouble, don’t eat it carelessly and then get blamed like Wang Xiaofei.

Useless and boring.

"Xiyuan, I really don't have any roles that are suitable for you right now."

"I think it's getting late today. Why don't you go get some rest first and we can contact each other later?"

Boss Lu's words made Xu Xiyuan sit on the bed, unable to move up.

Listen to yourself, is this human language?

Want to play but don’t want to pay?

What kind of director are you? You’re a beast!
She threw back the quilt, got out of bed, slammed the door and left, hoping to give this shameless mainland director a shock of dignity.

After leaving the house, I thought about the instructions from my agent and godfather...

She is already 26 years old. How many more years can she act in idol dramas?
Even the currently filming "Meteor Garden 2" has not received much response from the media.

In the elevator, she took out the makeup mirror and looked at her face, which she thought was beautiful, and a sense of hatred suddenly arose in her big curves!
Why do you look down on me?!

(End of this chapter)