Huayu: This director specializes in promoting young actresses.

Chapter 79 New Drama Preparation

After lunch, Liu Haochun took the two of them shopping. Holding up a newly bought dress in front of the mirror, she turned to Li Yitong and asked, "Sister Yitong, does this color make me look dark?"

"It's not dark," Li Yitong straightened her skirt. "Your skin is fair, this lake blue color suits you perfectly."

Lin Feng leaned against the wall outside the fitting room, already carrying five or six shopping bags in his hands; his arms were almost sore.

"Brother Feng, isn't this rabbit cute?" Liu Haochun walked over carrying a rabbit that was about half the height of a person.

"It's cute, it is," Lin Feng said, hefting the bag in his hand, "but are you sure you want to take it back? Our car trunk is almost full."

"Oh dear, put it in the back seat." Liu Haochun clung to the rabbit, refusing to let go. Li Yitong chimed in, "Let her buy it; young girls all like these things."

Lin Feng reluctantly surrendered, suddenly realizing why people always say, "Never go shopping with a woman."

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Lin Feng finally dropped Liu Haochun off at school and slumped in the driver's seat with a long sigh of relief.

Li Yitong came over and smiled as she massaged his shoulders: "You must be exhausted. I'll make you braised pork tonight as compensation."

"That's more like it." Lin Feng grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. "But I'd rather eat something else than braised pork."

Li Yitong's cheeks flushed instantly, and she gently pinched him: "You're so indecent, hurry up and drive."

On Monday, Lin Feng made himself a cup of coffee and sat in front of the monitor in the post-production room. Zhou Ming was arranging music for the scene of Yu Huai and Geng Geng reuniting at Late Autumn Heights.

"How was it?" Zhou Ming wiped his sweat, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"No problem," Lin Feng nodded. "If the emotions are right, then we'll stick with this version." He glanced at the schedule. "We can finish this month and launch it on time next month."

"Don't worry," Zhou Ming patted his chest, "I guarantee it won't cause any delays."

Back in his office, Lin Feng pulled out a notebook and opened it. It was full of drama titles, all of which he had come up with recently. He finally got to the last one, which had the words "Make a Name for Yourself" written on it.

"Starting a new project again?" Li Yitong walked in carrying fruit and saw him writing storyboards in his notebook. "Is it a movie or a TV series?"

"It's a movie," Lin Feng said, pushing the script towards her. "It's a suspenseful film, kind of like a murder mystery game. Take a look."

Li Yitong flipped through a couple of pages, looked up, and asked, "Are there any roles suitable for me?"

"There's a female character," Raymond Lam paused, "but she might not be a good fit for you."

"Why?" Li Yitong pressed.

"The character is a singer in her thirties with a complicated past," Raymond Lam said, looking at her.

Li Yitong's eyes darkened slightly, then she smiled again: "It's okay, I can learn. Once you finish writing the script, I'll audition for you."

"Okay," Raymond Lam ruffled her hair. "If you can portray that feeling, the role is yours."

Li Yitong suddenly tiptoed and pecked him on the lips, her breath carrying a faint scent of watermelon-flavored lip balm: "A reward for the boss."

Weekend video calls have become a regular occurrence. Tian Xiwei, holding her phone, pointed the camera at her desk: "Brother Feng, look! My mom bought me a new desk lamp—it's good for my eyes!"

"Not bad," Lin Feng said, looking at her messy hair on the screen. "Have you finished your homework?"

"Oh, don't even mention it," Tian Xi groaned. "The math teacher assigned two more worksheets. I suspect he's trying to kill me with work."

She suddenly leaned closer to the camera and said mysteriously, "By the way, I was so popular when school started. My classmates would surround me and ask for my autograph, and some even bought me milk tea. Now they've all forgotten that I acted in a movie."

"It's better to forget about it," Raymond Lam said with a smile. "Your task now is to study, not to be a star."

"But..." Tian Xi pouted, "Being a celebrity is so great, you'll be recognized wherever you go."

"Once you get into the Beijing Film Academy, you'll have plenty of opportunities to become a star," Li Yitong said from the side. "Then you'll have your brother Feng tailor-make a script for you, and I guarantee you'll become famous all over the country."

"Really?" Tian Xi's eyes lit up. "Then I want to play a princess! The kind that wears pretty dresses!"

"As long as you pass the exam, you can be a princess or even a queen."

After the video call ended, Liu Haochun's message popped up: "Brother Feng, I practiced my lines in today's acting class, and the teacher said I've improved~" It also included a recording.

Lin Feng listened to the recording. Her voice was more stable than before, and her pronunciation was clearer, though she still sounded a little timid. "Great," he thought.

"Thank you, Brother Feng!"

The first snow fell in Beijing at the end of November. Post-production of "With You" was finally completed. At the screening meeting, everyone stared at the screen. When Geng Geng said "See you at the Late Autumn Heights" at the end, many people's eyes reddened.

"Passed!" Zhou Ming was the first to stand up and applaud. "We did it!"

In early December, Raymond Lam had just hung up the phone with Boss Wang, a smile still on his lips. Tencent had watched the sample of "With You" and was full of praise. They were originally worried that changing directors would lead to a failure, but Zhou Ming had captured that innocent yet delicate sense of youth. They immediately decided to release it on New Year's Day and even increased the promotional budget.

"President Wang said he wants to hold an online premiere and invite all the main cast members to attend." Lin Feng put down his phone and looked at Li Yitong, who was memorizing her lines. Today, she was wearing a burgundy cheongsam, which she had specially prepared for her audition for the role of Su Mengdie in "Fame and Fortune". The buttons on the collar were fastened meticulously, but they couldn't hide the naivety in her eyes.

"Understood." Li Yitong took a deep breath, walked to the center of the office, raised her hand to smooth her hair, and instantly switched to her role. "Are you all here to hear me sing?" Her voice was deliberately low and deep, with a touch of the languidness of a singer from the Republican era.

After the scene was finished, she looked nervously at Raymond Lam: "How was it?"

Lin Feng paused for a moment, then handed over a glass of water: "To be honest?"

Li Yitong nodded, her fingertips gripping the hem of her cheongsam tightly.

"Not really suitable." Lin Feng's voice was very soft. "Su Mengdie is a woman in her thirties. She's seen it all. Her eyes should have a story, a calculation, and a hint of weariness that she can't hide. You're... too inexperienced right now."

Li Yitong's shoulders slumped, and she loosened the collar of her cheongsam: "I knew it..." She was mentally prepared, but when she actually heard the answer, she was still a little unwilling.

From "The Beginning" to "The Best of Us," she has always played students. She can handle playing these roles naturally, but when she encounters roles that require depth, her shortcomings are exposed.

"Don't be upset." Lin Feng pulled her into his arms and let her sit on his lap. "You're still young, it's normal that you can't play a role in your thirties well. Once you experience more and your eyes have more depth, you can handle any role, not just Su Mengdie."

"But I also want to act in movies..." Li Yitong buried her face in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled, "If I always play students, people will say I haven't made any progress."

"There will be opportunities." Lin Feng patted her back, feeling a little helpless. He knew Li Yitong was working hard, watching acting class videos every day, but acting skills can't be rushed; they take time to hone. "If there's a chance in the future, I'll write a script specifically for you, where you play the female lead from 18 to 80 years old, so you can act it out to your heart's content."

"Really?" Li Yitong looked up, a glint of light in her eyes.

"Why would I lie to you?" Lin Feng flicked her nose. "The boss will give you a 'relaxation' tonight, I guarantee you'll forget about this little thing."

Li Yitong's cheeks flushed instantly, and she lightly punched him: "You're so frivolous." But most of her disappointment dissipated.

In the afternoon, Raymond Lam listed the cast of "Fame and Fortune". He plans to play the male lead, Lee Ka-fai, himself, and has changed his age in the script to be younger.

"This Li Jiahui is interesting." Li Yitong leaned over to look. "He's so argumentative and confrontational, quite a contrast to your usual self."

"A strong contrast makes for a better performance." Raymond Lam circled the name of the female lead, Su Mengdie, and said, "I'd like to cast Wang Ou; her temperament is quite fitting for the role."

"Wang Ou?" Li Yitong nodded. "I've seen her in spy dramas. Her eyes are expressive, and she's definitely suited for this kind of charming and complex role."

After the casting news was released, the industry's reaction was somewhat subtle. Initially, many agents called to inquire, but upon hearing that it was a "suspenseful genre" and "similar to a murder mystery game," most of them stopped responding.

"What was Director Lin thinking this time?" some people whispered among themselves. "Why would he leave a perfectly good youth film to dabble in suspense? That's a very niche genre."

"I heard the investment wasn't high, and they didn't hire any big names. I guess they just wanted to test the waters on a small scale."

"I think it's risky; we might end up making a mess of things."

When Lao Yang relayed these words to Lin Feng, he was quite worried: "Should we... hire a few popular celebrities to bolster the lineup?"

"No need." Lin Feng flipped through the audition list. "I need people who are suitable for the roles, not popular actors." He circled a few names, all of whom were actors who had honed their skills on the stage for many years. "Have them audition tomorrow."

The audition went smoothly. The actor who played Lu Ziye had a slick businessman vibe as soon as he walked in, and his eyes darted around when he spoke his lines. The veteran actor who played Teacher Guan just stood there, exuding the air of a down-on-his-luck old artist without even saying a word.

As Lin Feng watched them audition, he felt increasingly at ease. These people might not be famous, but they understood the characters, and that was enough.

"We've decided on them." After the audition, Lin Feng said to Lao Yang, "Sign the contract as soon as possible."

"Then... what about the female lead and the Nightingale character?" Old Yang asked.

"Wang Ou said he'll be free the day after tomorrow," Lin Feng thought for a moment, "I'd like Hao Chun to try out for the role of Nightingale."

"Liu Haochun?" Old Yang was a little surprised. "Can she do it? Besides, this role has no lines; it relies entirely on her eyes. It's not easy to act."

"It's precisely because she has no lines that she's a good fit," Raymond Lam explained. "Nightingale needs that clean yet fragile quality, which Hao Chun has. Plus, she's a dancer, so she has great physique and will stand out on camera."

He picked up his phone and sent a message to Liu Haochun: "Come to the company tomorrow, there's a role I'd like you to try out."

When Liu Haochun came to audition, she wore a simple white shirt, her hair was tied in a ponytail, and her face was bare, like a newly sprouted magnolia. "Brother Feng, what kind of role is it?" she asked nervously.

"Her name is Nightingale, and she's a singer." Raymond Lam handed her a synopsis. "There are no lines. You just act out her standing on stage, being watched by people—a little scared, a little longing, and hiding a secret."

Liu Haochun nodded, walked in front of the camera, and took a deep breath. The moment Lin Feng shouted "Action," her eyes changed. At first, they were timid, like a startled fawn, but slowly, a glimmer of light rose in her eyes, carrying a hint of longing for the stage. Finally, a layer of mist gently covered her eyes, as if she were hiding unspeakable thoughts.

"Stop." When Lin Feng called for a halt, he realized he was holding his breath. This girl is truly talented; she grasps things instantly.

"How is it?" Liu Haochun asked nervously.

"It's you." Raymond Lam smiled. "This role is yours."

Liu Haochun's eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Brother Feng! I will definitely act well!"

Two days later, Wang Ou came for the audition. She wore a black trench coat, red lips, and curly hair, exuding a Republic of China vibe as soon as she entered.

The scene being tested was when Su Mengdie was questioned about her past. She didn't cry or get angry. She just gently smoothed her hair, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes, which she quickly concealed, replacing it with her usual smile.

"Well done." Raymond Lam applauded. "Wang Ou, the role of Su Mengdie is yours."

Wang Ou breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "I had heard that Director Lin had a sharp eye for talent, and it's true." She paused, "Actually, I was a little hesitant before I came here, worried that suspense was a difficult subject to work with, but after reading the script, I wanted to give it a try."

"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed." Lin Feng handed over the contract. "Let's release it next summer and try to get a good box office."

After signing the contract and seeing Wang Ou off, Li Yitong came over to watch the audition clip: "Wang Ou really acted well, he has much more presence than me."

"You're not bad either." Lin Feng hugged her from behind. "When you can get rid of your student-like airs, you can pick any role you want."

Li Yitong leaned against him, watching Liu Haochun's audition on the screen, and suddenly laughed: "Our company is going to gather all sorts of geniuses."

"That's right." Lin Feng lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. "Once 'Fame and Fortune' is finished filming, our Fengrui Films will be able to gain a firm foothold in the industry."