enjoyebooks Chapter 54: You want to use Liu Yifei?
Chapter 54: You want to use Liu Yifei?
On March 26th, Liu Yu had just finished a meeting with Zhong Lifang at the company and sat down in his office when his phone lit up.
Yan Danchen's name flashed on the screen. He answered the phone, and her tired voice came from the other end, as if she had made the call in a spare moment.
"Liu Yu, have you cast the female lead for your new film?" She didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.
Liu Yu and Yan Danchen never needed any polite preambles; they had made it a habit to skip those and get straight to the point, as if they had a secret code, saving themselves from unnecessary small talk.
Liu Yu leaned back in his chair and switched the phone to his other ear.
"It's not decided yet. Lionsgate has been urging me several times, but I told them there's no rush and I'll take my time." He paused, tapping the table lightly with his fingers. "I do have an idea in mind, but I don't know if it will work out."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Yan Danchen seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then didn't ask the question.
Liu Yu knew what she wanted to ask. In recent years, whenever Liu Yu made a movie, the rumors about the female lead always revolved around Yan Danchen.
The media is adept at making things up. Once, they even wrote that "Liu Yu spared no expense to create a leading role in a drama to promote his girlfriend," portraying him as someone who was blinded by love.
When Liu Yu saw that report, he laughed for a long time, thinking that if he were that kind of person, he would have already put Yan Danchen in every movie, and there would be no need for you to guess.
"You're not thinking of using Liu Yifei, are you?" Yan Danchen's voice sounded casual, but Liu Yu had known her for so long that he could hear a hint of probing beneath that casualness.
A woman's intuition in these matters is more sensitive than any lie detector.
He smiled and shook his head, though she couldn't see it. "No. Liu Yifei is too big."
Yan Danchen didn't respond, waiting for him to continue, "I want to use Yang Zi."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. Liu Yu could hear Yan Danchen's breathing, light and even.
"That little girl? The one who played the granddaughter in 'Speed Scandal'?" Her voice warmed slightly. "She has a real talent for acting. Back on set, she would always pester me to tell her stories."
"Yes, that's her. She should be a bit older now, perfect for playing a little girl." Liu Yu said, flipping open a folder on the table, which contained Yang Zi's recent photos and information.
The little girl has grown quite a bit taller, and some of the baby fat on her face has faded, but her eyes are still bright.
"That's true." Yan Danchen's tone relaxed a bit, as if she had let go of something.
Then she changed the subject, with a hint of teasing, "So this isn't the role you mentioned in your message yesterday?"
"No, I wanted you to play another role. A policewoman. Not a lot of screen time. She's the only police officer who believes the male lead isn't a bad guy, and she helps him from beginning to end. This role doesn't require any action scenes, and after thinking it over, you're the most suitable."
There was silence on the other end of the phone again, and this time the silence lasted even longer, so long that Liu Yu thought the signal had been lost.
Yan Danchen chuckled softly on the other end of the phone, "All you've got to say is that you want me to be your assistant."
She paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, I'll check my schedule."
What happened to your schedule?
"My agency has booked me for two dramas, 'Women's Opera Troupe' and 'Burning for You,' so my schedule is pretty full." Her tone carried a hint of helplessness, like a child whose parents had arranged for her to attend tutoring classes.
Liu Yu frowned. "Women's Opera Troupe"? "Burning for You"?
"Have you read the script?" he asked, trying to keep his tone calm.
"I've read the gist of it. My agent said that both shows have good production teams and the scripts are alright." Yan Danchen's voice sounded uncertain, as if she was trying to convince herself.
Liu Yu sighed inwardly. If you could believe what the agency said, pigs would fly.
"Send me the script, I'll take a look at it for you." He didn't say "Don't accept it," because saying that would only make her feel like he was bossing her around.
"Okay." Yan Danchen agreed readily, as if she had been waiting for him to say that.
The two chatted for a few more minutes, and she said she would be returning to Beijing at the end of the month, and they would talk in detail when they met.
...
On March 31st, the wind blew all day in Beijing, but it finally stopped by evening.
Liu Yu stood at the apartment window, watching the clouds on the horizon turn orange-red by the setting sun, layer upon layer.
My phone vibrated. Yan Danchen sent me a message: "Arrived. Downstairs."
When he came downstairs, Yan Danchen was standing at the entrance of the building, wearing a khaki trench coat, her hair loose and messy from the evening breeze.
She was pulling a suitcase with a baggage tag still attached to it.
Her face showed the weariness of a long journey, but when she saw him come out, a slight smile appeared on her lips.
"You've lost weight." That was the first thing she said. She looked him up and down, her gaze lingering on his chin. "You haven't shaved, you look like a homeless man."
Liu Yu reached up and touched his chin; it was indeed a bit prickly.
"I was busy, I didn't have time." He walked over and took her suitcase. The suitcase wasn't heavy, but the wheels made a clattering sound on the concrete. "Have you eaten?"
"I ate something on the plane, it wasn't very good." Yan Danchen walked beside him at a moderate pace.
The two entered the elevator, the doors closed, and the only sounds in the small space were the rolling of the suitcase wheels and the faint scent of her perfume.
Liu Yu noticed a fine line at the corner of her eye, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. Filming is exhausting; constantly flying around for gigs and not getting enough sleep—even the best skin can't withstand that.
"Didn't you say you'd help me look at the script?" Yan Danchen leaned against the elevator wall, turning her head to look at him.
"I've seen it." The elevator arrived at the floor, the doors opened, and Liu Yu pulled his suitcase out, taking out his keys from his pocket to open the door.
"The script for 'Women's Opera Troupe' is alright. It's set in the Republican era and tells the story of an opera troupe. The characters are well-developed, so I can take it. 'Burning for You' is no good. The plot is too melodramatic, and the dialogue is weak. Taking it would be a waste of my time."
Yan Danchen changed her shoes, walked into the living room, took off her trench coat and draped it over the sofa armrest, then nestled into the sofa like a cat that had found its nest.
"My agent said the investors in 'Burning for You' are very powerful, and they're offering high salaries," she said, rubbing her temples and closing her eyes.
Liu Yu poured two glasses of water from the kitchen, brought them over, handed one to her, and sat down next to her.
"What's the use of a high salary? If no one watches the movie, your salary will drop next time. If the movie gets good reviews, your salary will go up next time. You're not selling the movie, you're selling yourself."
He placed the water glass on the coffee table and turned to look at her profile.
Yan Danchen opened her eyes and looked at him. They stared at each other for two seconds before she looked away and took a sip of water.
"Okay, I'll do as you say. I've asked my agency to cancel 'Burning for You'." She put down her water glass, leaned back on the sofa, her hair spread out on the cushions. "Where's your script for 'The Man from Nowhere'? Let me take a look."
Liu Yu stood up, walked to his desk, and took out a printed script from the drawer.
The cover had the English title printed on it, followed by a Chinese subtitle. He walked back, handed her the script, and sat down again next to her.
Yan Danchen took it and opened it, reading a few pages.
Her expression changed from curiosity to seriousness; her brows furrowed slightly, her lips pursed, and she occasionally turned the page or paused to think.
Liu Yu didn't disturb her. He picked up his water glass and took a sip; the water was already cold.
"The female police officer's role is indeed not very large." She closed the script and pressed her finger on the cover. "This character is quite interesting. She is not the kind of police officer who is just for show. She has convictions and dares to go against the system."
She turned to look at Liu Yu. "Why did you decide to cast me in this role? Aren't you afraid of putting me in a bad position?"
"Why would I be afraid of making you feel wronged?" Liu Yu smiled. "If you feel wronged, you don't have to act. I can find someone else."
"You dare?" Yan Danchen hugged the script to her arms, her tone joking, but her eyes were serious.
She paused, looked down at the script cover, and said, "Liu Yu, do you think I've been taking on too many roles? I've done all sorts of roles and acted in a lot of them, but people still only remember the character from 'A Moment to Remember'."
Liu Yu paused for a moment. He had known Yan Danchen for so many years, and this was the first time he had heard her say such a thing.
"You're taking on too many roles. You're taking on both good and bad ones, and the audience can't tell which one is you. You need to be selective, like choosing vegetables, picking the good ones and refusing the bad ones. Better to have nothing than something bad."
Yan Danchen didn't reply. She leaned back on the sofa and placed the script on her lap.
The light in the living room dimmed; the sun had already set, and only a few windows of the distant high-rise buildings outside the window were still lit.
"When will this movie be filmed?" she finally asked.
"Autumn. Filming will take place in both Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Your scenes are few; filming should be completed in about ten days."
"Okay then." Yan Danchen put the script on the coffee table, leaned over, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'll take it. Ten days it is, I'll treat it as a vacation in Weihai."
Liu Yu smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. Her body was light and she smelled sweet against him.