Chapter 29: You Must Never Fall in Love

Jiang Ye tugged at his sweat-dampened clothes and watched as Lin Jianjun pushed the "Short-term Cooperation Agreement" toward him. "This film is almost finished. Isn't it too late to sign on as an affiliated project?"

"Besides, I don't need to be affiliated with anyone!"

Lin Jianjun unscrewed his thermos and took a sip. "This film can just be processed through the company's accounts, but the next one needs to be planned in advance. If you take on projects with an investment exceeding five million, it’s too risky to go it alone without an affiliation."

"But doesn't affiliation mean giving up the copyright?"

"It depends on how you sign," Lin Jianjun said, unfolding another document, the "Project Cooperation Agreement." "Guangxian currently has a 'New Director Incubation Program.' You use your independent company to take on the project, and we provide the filming permits and legal support. The copyright remains yours, but you pay the group a 15% service fee on the profits."

He pointed to the "decoupling clause" in the agreement. "Within six months after the project is completed, you can move the copyright elsewhere at any time."

"A 15% service fee?" Jiang Ye weighed the pros and cons.

"But you gain access to Guangxian's platform resources." He lowered his voice. "Plus, the group's finance department can help you with tax planning. If you register in Hengdian, you get a 40% VAT rebate. Combined with the small-business tax incentives, your overall tax burden can be reduced to 6%."

"That's how Lu Yang did it..." He gestured toward the clapperboard in the distance. "'Brotherhood of Blades' was released this past August. He used Huayi’s equipment and distribution channels for the whole production, and then immediately turned around and founded Free Cool Beijing Pictures."

"Look at his strategy: he first affiliated with Huayi for project incubation, using group resources to keep the eight-million-yuan budget at a minimum. As soon as the profit share from the 260-million-yuan box office came in, he took his core team and went independent."

"Didn't Huayi block him on the copyright?"

"They couldn't," Lin Jianjun said, tapping the ownership section of the contract. "The script for 'Brotherhood of Blades' was written by Lu Yang's own studio; Huayi only took a cut of the distribution. This is what we call 'borrowing a ship to sail out to sea.'"

"You use Guangxian’s filming permit and legal team; the project copyright stays yours. Once the profit share arrives, you move your company out!"

"Let me give you another example! You know Wuershan, right?"

Jiang Ye sighed inwardly. Why was he so naive in his previous life? Because of his pride, his uncle had never told him any of this.

"Go on, Uncle."

"He was even more ruthless," Lin Jianjun said, lowering his voice to avoid the passing stagehands. "After 'Painted Skin 2' brought in 700 million at the box office for Huayi in 2012, he founded his own company in 2013."

"At the time, he finished the film using Huayi's post-production team and even poached the colorist."

"And then there's Guo Fan. In 2013, when he filmed 'My Old Classmate,' he also affiliated with Guangxian to complete the project, then immediately turned around and founded Guo Fan Media."

"Get it now?" Lin Jianjun’s goji berries settled at the bottom of his thermos. "Remember, a big company's resources are a ladder. It all depends on whether you know how to use them!"

"Got it!"

"So, have you thought of a name for your new company?"

"Let's call it Jiangying Media!"

"River water for ink, film frames for scrolls... Not bad!"

...

That night, filming continued; the crew worked overtime!

"Action!"

Tian Xiwei, wearing a heavy imperial gown and a hairpiece larger than her own face, tumbled unsteadily down the fake mountain in the Imperial Garden.

"Cut! Xiao Tian, you rolled too elegantly!" Jiang Ye shouted through his megaphone. "You need to look like a real loser. Remember your character profile!"

"The most miserable maid in the whole show!"

Tian Xiwei climbed up and patted her dress, her small face scrunched up. "Director, this is already the seventh take..."

"What? Wasn't it you who said you wanted to act?" Jiang Ye flipped through the script, a dangerous curve forming on his lips. "Can't handle it on the very first scene?"

"Who said I can't handle it!" Tian Xiwei stiffened her neck, the beads in her hair jingling. "Again!"

Jiang Ye had originally wanted to add some comedic relief to the film, so he designed a character named Cuihua, a maid to the Crown Princess whose sole job was to be unlucky in every situation. He had been looking for the right person for a while...

When the Princess admired flowers, she would be chased and stung by bees. When the Princess dined, she would accidentally tip over a soup bowl. When the Princess bathed, she would step on soap and slip...

He had been having a headache about it; the candidate needed to be young, look cute, and endure so many "unlucky" shots. It wasn't easy to find parents who would agree to let their child do this, and it wasn't cheap either.

Little Tian’s arrival was quite timely...

"Action!"

This time, Tian Xiwei went all out, tumbling down the fake mountain and "accidentally" knocking over a flowerpot from the props department, ending up covered in dirt and face-first in the lotus pond.

"Splash!"

The entire crew was stunned. She had actually jumped in!

Jiang Ye jumped up. "Cut! Who told her to actually jump?!"

Tian Xiwei poked her head out of the water, her wet bangs plastered to her forehead. "Director... am, am I miserable enough now?"

The set was silent, and then—

"Achoo!"

She let out a massive sneeze, her nose as red as a strawberry.

Jiang Ye signaled the staff, and a stagehand ran over with a towel. He rubbed his temples. "...That's a wrap on this take."

At 2:00 AM, they were shooting the "Cuihua breaks into the forbidden area and falls" scene. Tian Xiwei was so sleepy her eyelids were fluttering, yet she still had to fall repeatedly in the mud. By the third take, she lost her footing and truly face-planted into a mud pit.

"Wuu..." Sitting in the mud, she suddenly began to sob. "My new hair clip... I can't find it..."

The set went quiet. Jiang Ye walked over quickly, noticing her hands were covered in mud as she fumbled around in the pit.

"Stop filming," Jiang Ye reached out to pull her up. "Let's call it a day for—"

"No!" Tian Xiwei wiped her face, turning it into a little cat’s mask. "I've already fallen three times... this take has to be good!"

Jiang Ye froze.

The night wind swept gravel across the set. He watched the young girl hobble back to her mark, the hem of her costume still dripping with water. The memory of the high school girl who once tricked him for cake in a bakery now overlapped with the stubborn figure before him.

It turned out that beneath this girl's sweet exterior, she hid a spirit harder than reinforced steel.

His Adam's apple bobbed twice. He finally pressed the intercom button: "Attention all departments, one last take. Get a safety pad under Xiao Tian!"

Hardworking people are always worth admiring!

...

At 4:00 AM, Tian Xiwei’s scenes were finally finished. She was so tired she could barely stand, yet she insisted on bowing to thank every staff member.

Jiang Ye stood by the monitor, watching her limp as she packed her little backpack, her strawberry hair clip hanging crookedly from her hair. It was inexplicably... dazzling.

He frowned and pulled out his phone to call a ride-hailing car.

"Get in." Jiang Ye opened the car door, his tone brook no argument.

Lin Xiaoman was already nodding off, but Tian Xiwei kept her spirits up, chattering incessantly along the way.

At the hotel entrance, the night breeze brushed by. Tian Xiwei suddenly went quiet, looking up at him, her eyes as bright as if they were filled with stars. "Brother Jiang Ye, did I do okay?"

Her voice was soft, filled with cautious expectation, yet hiding a hint of uncertainty.

Jiang Ye looked down at her, a smile tugging at his lips before he realized it. "Not bad."

The words slipped out before he could process them. After a pause, he added, as if possessed, "If you really want to be a star in the future, you can come find me."

Tian Xiwei’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. A second later, she sprang up like a startled rabbit. She grabbed Jiang Ye’s sleeve with such force that she nearly sent him stumbling. "Really?! Then I’ll definitely come! I’m going to apply to the Beijing Film Academy! You wait for me!"

Jiang Ye was knocked half a step back by her sudden enthusiasm. Before he could react, Tian Xiwei had already dashed toward the hotel like a gust of wind.

Just as the glass doors were about to close, she turned back, cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting, "Brother Jiang Ye! You wait for me! Don't you dare start dating! Wait for me to come to your school!!"

Jiang Ye stood where he was, the night wind tousling his hair. After a long while, he slowly raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

Don't date? Wait for you?

In your dreams!