Chapter 252 - 214: Rising Phase: 50

Words : 1261 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Chapter 252: Chapter 214: Rising Phase: 50 "I thought you wouldn’t come to see me again." This is what Xue Qin said to Zhou Yun during their second meeting, the first sentence she uttered. Zhou Yun asked in surprise, "Why?" "Last time I saw you, I thought you weren’t very interested in shooting my movie," said Xue Qin. "Why? Of course, I want to shoot it, otherwise, why would I want to meet with you?" Zhou Yun said. Xue Qin shrugged and said, "I thought you were just giving Sister Luo Qi a face. After all, I know you’re very popular in China now, and many people want you to shoot films for them. I’m just a new director who hasn’t independently directed a movie yet." Zhou Yun said, "If you ask me whether I have any doubts, I indeed do, because I haven’t seen the script and I don’t know what kind of film you plan to make. But after Sister Luo Qi introduced you to us, I checked out the works you’ve participated in before. You made a short film three years ago, a story short for a brand, about an old man reminiscing about his love when he was young. I really liked it. Moreover, you’re a director recommended by Sister Luo Qi, and you’ve even been an assistant director for Director Chen Zian. Why wouldn’t I trust you?" "Nowadays, in the market, don’t you all care more about whether or not one has made films?" Xue Qin said with a self-deprecating smile. From that smile of Xue Qin’s, Zhou Yun guessed that Xue Qin had already hit quite a few walls in China. "Fortunately, I haven’t been in the market for long, and I still have a bit of idealism and a spirit of adventure." Xue Qin laughed. "You are really interesting; you didn’t talk as engagingly last time as you do today." "I... because I want to act in this film." Zhou Yun said, "I haven’t acted in many films, but the few acting experiences I’ve had made me realize that I have a talent for it. And I enjoy the state I’m in while shooting films; staying on set is a very comfortable thing for me." "If you really want to act, I invite you to do a screen test, okay? This is my first feature film, and I take it very seriously. I need to confirm that you can play my leading lady," Xue Qin said. Zhou Yun nodded, "Of course, of course." Xue Qin said, "I’m about to go to the United States, but I’ll send you a segment later. Will you make a video for me to see?" "A video is enough?" "Actually, your own temperament and image are already very similar. Sister Luo Qi wasn’t wrong, I just need to confirm it a bit more." "Then fine, whatever you say, I’ll do it." The talk went even more smoothly than Zhou Yun expected, and she said goodbye to Xue Qin with joy. However, Zhou Lan watched her with excitement that he couldn’t hide, saying, "Guess what great news I’ve received?" "What good news?" asked Zhou Yun. Zhou Lan said, "Wen Bing has broken up with his girlfriend!" Wen Bing was the commercial director Zhou Lan had his eye on before. He planned to direct a film called "Life," which Zhou Yun was also very interested in. She fought for the opportunity, and for this, she even discussed terms with the company to act in the film for a low fee. However, at that time, Wen Bing wanted his girlfriend to play the leading role, so Zhou Yun directly dropped out. "Huh?" "His production company asked me if you’re still interested in this film," Zhou Lan laughed heartily, "I said, sorry, our Xiao Yun is going to join the crew in May. Guess what they said?" "What did they say?" Zhou Yun asked. Zhou Lan said, "They said if you’re willing, we can sign the contract immediately; we just need twenty days of filming time, that’s enough." "Twenty days?" Zhou Yun was surprised. A film’s shooting usually starts at a minimum of a month. For a slightly bigger production, the filming time could take three months or more. Twenty days seemed like the standard for a rushed job. "Yes, twenty days, I’ve confirmed it several times with them. Wen Bing proposed that he would like to meet you in person to talk about it," Zhou Lan observed Zhou Yun’s expression, "So, do you think we should meet?" "Can our schedule accommodate if it’s only twenty days?" Zhou Yun asked. "Yes," Zhou Lan nodded, "’Dingfengbo’ is mainly controlled by He Yong anyway. If we start a few days late and coordinate the schedules on both sides, there definitely won’t be a problem." "Then let’s meet with him," said Zhou Yun. She had a deep impression of the short film Wen Bing had made before. Wen Bing had the air of an auteur director. An auteur director is not just a style but a type. For example, Woody Allen from the United States, and Wong Kar-wai from China. Their films have such a distinct personal style that it has become more than just style; it’s the most prominent difference. If she had the opportunity to act in this film, Zhou Yun did not want to miss it. Even though Wen Bing hadn’t chosen her at first. Zhou Yun didn’t expect that her luck would be so good. Two films that she originally thought were out of the picture suddenly showed a glimmer of hope. - - When she met with Wen Bing again, his whole demeanor had changed. She didn’t know if it was because he had broken up with his girlfriend, but he looked much thinner, wearing a thin plaid shirt, like an ordinary homebody. In comparison, Zhou Yun seemed to carry more of a celebrity aura than when they first met. Taking off her sunglasses and offering a polite smile was already a subconscious reaction. Maintaining an impeccable image. Wen Bing had a melancholic look in his eyes. He sat silently in the corner, stood up when he saw Zhou Yun coming over, and shook hands with her. "Miss Zhou." Zhou Yun called out, "Director Wen, I heard from my agent that you want me to act in your film?" She did not mention his girlfriend. Wen Bing nodded uncomfortably. "You might be a bit perplexed about the 20 days of filming, I... It’s like this, it’s not because I’m trying to accommodate your schedule, so I reduced the filming time, I don’t mean that," Wen Bing spoke, always looking down at the table, not making eye contact with Zhou Yun as if he didn’t want to engage in any eye contact and communication with her, like a reticent person, "For this film, actually, my idea is very, very simple. I just want to capture a woman’s everyday life. She lives her daily life in front of the camera, talks to the man behind the camera, chatting, arguing." Wen Bing stammered as he spoke. But Zhou Yun understood. Because she understood, she became aware that this was the reason she initially wanted to act in Wen Bing’s debut. This was Wen Bing’s essence. The ordinary, the mundane, but not just simple documentation. A woman’s everyday life, talking to the man behind the camera, chatting, arguing. Zhou Yun didn’t need to ask to know who the man behind the camera was. "Director Wen, is the man behind the camera you?" she asked.

Chapter 252 - 214: Rising Phase: 50

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