Chapter 53: Discrepancy

Lin Jianlu actually only had a few sequences in the film.

Taking wedding photos for a newlywed couple at the entrance of a shopping mall, catching his first glimpse of Xu Jinglei, then trailing and secretly photographing her across the street, crossing the road, and catching the scent of her perfume. After that, the two of them stood on an overpass, shooting takes repeatedly.

In the darkroom used for developing photographs, the two attempted to kiss, but never quite managed to make contact.

In the final scene, because Xu Jinglei left without saying goodbye, Lin Jianlu also decided to leave. With the camera remaining stationary, he hailed a cab and departed from the entrance of the photo studio. Then, a taxi pulled up, Xu Jinglei stepped out, and returned...

Cut together, the total footage might not even reach five minutes, and there was practically no dialogue on location. The entire segment relied on a voiceover while the two chatted about the various moments of their initial encounter.

Oh, right, the latest change: Zhang Yang decided to include Zhao Chuan's cameo in this sequence, arranging for him to play the owner of a small cafe with roughly one or two shots lasting about ten seconds. In this scene, both Lin Jianlu and Xu Jinglei appeared, yet they did not know each other.

With such a meager plot, Zhang Yang actually claimed he would strive to finish shooting it in a week!

This suddenly made Lin Jianlu somewhat nostalgic for Wang Jing, or failing that, Sylvia Chang would have been fine too—neither of them would have been that slow!

But there was no help for it; since he had given his word, he simply had to accompany them and grind it out slowly.

However, before Lin Jianlu could fully immerse himself in the plot, right in the middle of eating a boxed lunch at noon, he suddenly received a call saying that the gang from Rock Records had arrived. Xue Zhongding had driven two cars to the airport and brought back six people.

Jonathan Lee, Wakin Chau, Zhao Chuan, Sarah Chen, and Tarcy Su.

Everyone Zhang Yang had specifically requested arrived without a single omission.

Coupled with Lao Duan, who insisted on coming over to take a look.

Consequently, that very afternoon, Zhao Chuan's scenes were shot—roughly a dozen seconds of intersecting paths without meeting.

My, how terribly stream-of-consciousness.

For the entire afternoon, only two sequences were shot: Zhao Chuan's counted as one, and the other was Lin Jianlu and Xu Jinglei standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the pedestrian overpass. Just then, a brief, sudden shower passed by, which Zhang Yang neatly incorporated into the film as well.

And then... OK, today's progress was fast, wrap it up!

............

In the evening, Lin Jianlu played the host.

To welcome the visitors from Taiwan, anyone on the crew who wished to attend was welcome to go.

There were quite a few actors, and even more crew members, easily warranting the booking of an entire restaurant.

While the crew was busy packing up their equipment, Lin Jianlu, who hadn't had much chance to speak with the Rock Records group all afternoon, finally seized the opportunity to walk over and greet his friends all over again.

When they first arrived, the weather was quite sultry and humid. Later, after a brief rain shower, it improved somewhat, but it didn't really matter. Although none of them lacked opportunities to face the cameras for music videos or cameos, watching Lin Jianlu shoot a film in person still felt rather novel to them, so they had all tagged along near the crew to watch the excitement.

Tarcy Su wore an all-red dress, fiery and bright, exuding both youth and heat.

Sarah Chen, on the other hand, wore a white blouse on top and a pair of tight jeans on the lower half. Compared to when she had left Taiwan not long ago, her hair seemed to have grown a bit longer—truly a wonder; at thirty-eight years old, she could hardly be called a spring chicken anymore, but she didn't look old at all, appearing to be around twenty-six or seven.

After a brief chat, they all set off together for the restaurant.

The friends from Taiwan were seated directly with the main crew members and principal actors at a large joined table, eating, drinking, and chatting casually. Lin Jianlu sat with Jonathan Lee on one side and Tarcy Su on the other. It was mostly Tarcy Su, chattering away animatedly as she shared amusing anecdotes from her promotional tour.

Sarah Chen, conversely, always appeared exceptionally composed and spoke very little in the presence of outsiders.

Lin Jianlu proactively asked her about obtaining her Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan residents.

Her first permit was issued in 1992, with a three-month validity, intended for her trip to Shanghai to perform at the Rock Records all-star concert. Later, at the closing ceremony of the East Asian Games in 1993, she also went to sing and temporarily obtained another three-month permit. Afterward, she never had the opportunity to visit the mainland again until she heard "Cold to the Bone" and suddenly felt the urge to come, only to discover that both of her previous permits had long since expired.

Yet later on, Lin Jianlu went to Taiwan, and her impulse to visit the mainland subsided. This time around, among their entire group, only Wakin Chau and Jonathan Lee possessed valid permits; the rest had to apply through Hong Kong. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and all documents were issued the same day.

The permits they obtained this time were valid for five years.

"That's wonderful. Whenever you have free time in the future, come over for a visit. Food and lodging are on me."

Before Sarah Chen could reply, Zhao Chuan chimed in first, "Oh my, does that include us? Or just Sarah?"

This routine was far too familiar. "Not including you!"

At that, everyone burst into laughter.

Tarcy Su hastily raised her hand, "I want to come, I want to come!" Then, with unbridled familiarity, she draped her arm over Lin Jianlu's shoulder, hooking his neck. "After I finish filming your scenes this time, I'm not going back with them. I'm going to sightsee! You're taking me to climb the Great Wall and visit the Forbidden City!"

Lin Jianlu didn't hesitate at all. While shelling a boiled peanut in saltwater, he casually replied, "Don't even think about it! In this scorching weather, visiting the Forbidden City or the Great Wall? Forget it! Go by yourself if you want, I won't keep you company!"

Tarcy Su refused to let him off, tightening her grip around his neck. "Why are you like this! Are you going or not?"

"Not going! In this weather, whether it's the Forbidden City or the Great Wall, it's enough to roast an ox alive! Are you looking to torture yourself?"

As the manager of Rock Records in the capital, Xue Zhongding, or perhaps Moba's head Zhang Peiren who had also come to join the fun, naturally should have agreed to this first. But if it had been Wakin Chau or Zhao Chuan, they certainly would have spoken up. Yet because the person making the request was Tarcy Su, or perhaps Sarah Chen, they simply pretended not to hear.

Consequently, Tarcy Su grew extremely exasperated, resorting to all sorts of pestering tactics.

In the end, completely helpless, Lin Jianlu agreed to accompany them on a climb of the Great Wall—provided they waited for an overcast day.

............

Xu Jinglei stared across the table with an expression of utter astonishment.

At the other end of the long banquet table formed by joined tables, Lin Jianlu was bantering effortlessly with a group of superstars from Taiwan, chatting away merrily. Not only did Jonathan Lee, Wakin Chau, and Zhao Chuan clearly have a wonderful relationship with him, but the two female singers, Tarcy Su and Sarah Chen, even leaned in close to whisper in his ear at the slightest provocation!

Tarcy Su even draped her arm affectionately around his neck!

Without the slightest bit of avoidance!

Displaying an exceptionally close relationship.

And in front of all these people, Lin Jianlu appeared remarkably poised, even holding an obscurely high status!

This forced Xu Jinglei to recall the various reports she had previously read.

Before this, she only knew that this person named Lin Jianlu was not only immensely popular in the mainland, but also exceptionally famous in Hong Kong and Taiwan, even hailed as a new Heavenly King. Naturally, scandal followed him constantly. Yet prior to today, Xu Jinglei actually had no concrete conception of what that truly meant—to be sure, "Cold to the Bone" was a massive hit, and she listened to the cassette as well, enjoying it greatly. But a good song still didn't equate to a real understanding of the man himself.

After all, her boyfriend was Wang Shuo!

Starting a decade ago, Wang Shuo had been one of the most prominent cultural figures in the country. In recent years, the domestic film and television industry had been developing at breakneck speed, and amidst this process, the so-called Beijing clique's strength and influence completely crushed every other small circle in the country. And Wang Shuo was precisely the absolute core, the number one figure of this Beijing clique!

Ever since she attached herself to Wang Shuo, even becoming his romantic partner, to put it without exaggeration, within the domestic entertainment industry alone, there were truly very few figures she, Xu Jinglei, deigned to look upon!

Earlier, when Zhang Yang acted as a matchmaker and asked her to shoot a music video for Lin Jianlu, she hadn't cared much to begin with—if she shot it, she shot it. But she happened to be in a foul mood those couple of days, so she turned it down, and that was that!

It was merely shooting a music video; other girls would have begged for the chance, but she had never taken it seriously!

Lin Jianlu's music video was no exception!

Yet looking at it now, he really was wildly popular and possessed serious clout in the industry...

The people sitting beside him were all superstars from Hong Kong and Taiwan!

Arrogant as Wang Shuo might be, no matter how much he professed to look down on those so-called "actors" from Hong Kong and Taiwan in his speech, in private he actually conceded a point: when it came to commercialization, making money, managing markets, the comprehensive operation of literary works, and influence, one had to admit that the entertainment industry in Hong Kong and Taiwan was thirty years ahead of the mainland!

He acknowledged the ultra-high status of those superstars from Hong Kong and Taiwan!

If even he felt that way, how much more so for others?

How much more so for Xu Jinglei!

Back in the mainland, individuals like Pu Cunxin, Liu Jie, Xu Fan, and Xu Jinglei were already considered stars, working exclusively in either the film or television circles. Liu Jie even served as a brand spokesperson and released music albums. Compared to ordinary workers and migrant laborers of this era, cultural workers, actors, stars, and singers like them not only enjoyed fairly high social standing and substantial incomes, but they also carried a strong sense of pride in their daily lives.

Yet that was purely within the context of the mainland.

The moment they encountered stars from Hong Kong and Taiwan, everyone instantly felt subconsciously inferior by several tiers.

And now, sitting at the same table, were they not the hottest, most sought-after Rock Records superstar duo both in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the mainland in recent years?

These were people who lorded over the entertainment world in Hong Kong and Taiwan!

Yet Lin Jianlu sat right in their midst, occasionally exchanging banter with Jonathan Lee, joking with Wakin Chau, trading witty retorts with Zhao Chuan, arm-in-arm with Tarcy Su, and whispering closely with Sarah Chen...