Chapter 49: Wrapping Up the Filming: The Wedding Night (New Book – Please Follow and Support)

“I’m very satisfied with this song; it speaks louder than a hundred kind words,” Liu Yifei said with a slight smile at the corner of her lips. “So, I’ve already forgiven you.”

*Clap, clap, clap.*

Zhang Li imitated Stephen Chow from the movies and applauded enthusiastically. “One word—awesome!”

Liu Yifei’s cheeks flushed faintly, revealing a hint of modesty. “Anyway, I won’t hold your sudden departure without notice against you.”

“I want to sing this song, understand?”

“I wanted you to sing it from the start,” Zhang Li said, crossing his legs comfortably. “But you need to understand: this song is the theme for ‘The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3.’ The lyrics mention the tree spirit, the sword, and the love spanning three lifetimes, which refer to the three leading ladies.”

“The theme song for ‘The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3’?” Liu Yifei frowned instinctively. “Zhang Li, you know I don’t get along with Tang Ren.”

“That’s precisely why I’m helping to ease things,” Zhang Li said earnestly. “Huayi has blacklisted you, and your life isn’t easy right now. Having fewer enemies means less pressure.”

“You singing the theme song for ‘The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3’ would be a win-win collaboration for you and Tang Ren, and it would signal a thaw to the outside world.”

He had already foreseen all future information about Liu Yifei from thirteen years ago and noticed that her later choice to rely on the Hong Kong film circle was either a failure or on the way to failure.

In her early years, she competed with the top four actresses, but later she was caught up with or even surpassed by Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, Tang Yan, and Qi Wei.

From the fragments of Liu Shishi’s future, Tang Ren had been doing well before 2013, producing many excellent TV dramas.

As a good younger brother, Zhang Li felt compelled to plan for Liu Yifei’s benefit, but if she refused, he wouldn’t force it.

Once he became strong enough, he could use the right resources to help her soar.

“You decide. I’ll follow your lead,” Liu Yifei closed her eyes and contemplated for a moment before making her decision.

No matter what, she didn’t want to disappoint Zhang Li’s kindness.

“Then it’s settled,” Zhang Li said with a gentle smile, lowering his gaze. “Yifei, after you rest for a while, do you want to continue acting in films or take on a TV drama?”

“I’m not opposed to TV dramas,” Liu Yifei said, staring at her reflection on the computer screen, her gaze resolute. “But I want to succeed once in film first before returning to TV. I don’t want people to say Liu Yifei couldn’t make it in movies and slink back to TV.”

“I understand,” Zhang Li murmured thoughtfully. “I’ll try writing a movie script for you.”

If word got out, people might mock him.

Who is Zhang Li, anyway? Is he really good at writing movie scripts?

Although Liu Yifei was blacklisted by Huayi, it wasn’t that there weren’t any films seeking her; it was just a matter of weighing pros and cons.

Yet Liu Yifei sweetly cupped her cheeks and smiled. “I’m counting on you, little brother.”

Zhang Li: “...”

Actually, I’m pretty irresistible.

After chatting leisurely for a while, they both hung up feeling in good spirits.

Meanwhile, filming on the set of ‘The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3’ continued until around nine in the evening.

The main cast and crew, tired, all returned to their rooms promptly.

“Hmm?”

Zhang Li had just sat at his desk working on the movie script when his phone vibrated.

The caller ID showed Yang Mi.

“Hello, Sister Mi,” Zhang Li answered on speaker.

“Zhang Li, I can’t sleep. Come watch a movie with me,” Yang Mi’s cheerful voice came through.

“A movie?” Zhang Li glanced at today’s date and raised an eyebrow. “The midnight showing of ‘Painted Skin’?”

The next day was September 26, the release day of ‘Painted Skin.’

Directed by Chen Jiashang, this film was touted as a 70 million RMB investment, starring Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Zhen Zidan, Sun Li, and others. It was currently very popular.

Chen Jiashang was considered a traitor by the Hong Kong film circle because previous big-budget films always defaulted to using Hong Kong actors in the lead roles, but ‘Painted Skin’ broke that convention.

Along with the nationwide scandal involving photos in early 2008, everyone was eager to see how the new era would unfold.

“Exactly, you wrote the theme song for this movie,” Yang Mi quickly added. “Everyone inside and outside the industry is paying attention. Come watch it with me?”

“Sorry, Sister Mi,” Zhang Li hesitated before speaking. “I’m writing a script and have reached a critical stage. I don’t have time.”

“Writing a script?” Yang Mi immediately caught the key point and teased, “You can do that?”

“Of course,” Zhang Li chuckled.

He had been back in China with Liu Yifei since 2003, over five years ago, and had met countless female celebrities.

He copied songs and also knew that copying hit movie scripts and submitting them to companies to gain a screenwriter identity was a common way to gain a foothold and invest in the film industry, expanding connections.

“I don’t want to hear your boasting,” Yang Mi snapped. “Not coming is your loss. Bye.”

She hung up decisively, leaving Zhang Li’s mouth twitching, his attempt at bluffing thwarted.

He turned back to the keyboard but was soon interrupted by another call.

“Tang Tang?”

“Another movie invite?”

“Uh, Sister Mi invited me. I’m busy writing a script, no time,” Zhang Li declined Tang Yan’s invitation politely.

Even if he didn’t have to write the script, after meeting Zhou Xun, he had already seen ‘Painted Skin’ and didn’t want to watch it again in the theater.

Besides, wasn’t Liu Shishi more appealing?

*Beep.*

The alarm went off. Zhang Li saved and encrypted the document he was editing, grabbed his phone, and went looking for Liu Shishi.

“What’s going on here?” The door opened, revealing Liu Shishi wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses.

“Let’s go watch a movie together,” Liu Shishi smiled.

Zhang Li: “...”

“‘Painted Skin’?”

“Of course,” Liu Shishi nodded lightly. “It’s the movie you wrote the theme song for.”

Zhang Li: “...”

If only he had connected with Sun Li, Zhou Xun, or Tang Yan earlier, he could have even written the script.

“Can we not watch it?” Zhang Li tried to resist.

“No way!” Liu Shishi firmly shook her head. “Are you going to be thinking about the same things every day when we’re together?”

Zhang Li’s lips twitched, resigned. “Alright. It’s just that I’m worried watching it late will affect tomorrow’s shoot.”

“Heh.” Liu Shishi closed the door and grabbed Zhang Li by the arm next door. “If you sleep in your room, you won’t be tossing and turning till late, right?”

Zhang Li: “...”

You just killed the conversation.

The two of them, like a normal couple, went to the nearest cinema around the hotel.

When buying tickets, Zhang Li was dumbfounded.

“What a coincidence!” Yang Mi and Tang Yan strolled in arm in arm, their smiles oddly knowing.

“Yes,” Zhang Li forced a stiff smile.

Liu Shishi immediately separated from him and nervously made an excuse. “I’m finishing filming in a few days, then going to the next set. I wanted Zhang Li to watch the movie with me.”

She didn’t want others to know about her relationship with Zhang Li, mainly to avoid affecting his career.

“That’s exactly it!” Zhang Li nodded. “Originally, I was writing a script.”

“Heh,” Yang Mi and Tang Yan smiled in a way that said, “Do we believe that?”

“You’re just playing favorites!”

“You’re buying the tickets and the snacks,” Yang Mi whispered, pinching the flesh at Zhang Li’s waist.

“No problem,” Zhang Li agreed readily.

Watching a movie with the three beauties from ‘The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3’ was anything but enjoyable for him.

He truly understood what it meant to feel like a thorn in one’s side, to be as uncomfortable as sitting on pins and needles.

After the movie ended and they returned to the hotel, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Tonight, he would sleep alone to calm down.

He hoped Yang Mi and Tang Yan wouldn’t take it seriously.

But clearly, he had badly underestimated how grudging the two women were.

For the next while, up until the day ‘The Legend of Sword and Fairy 3’ wrapped filming, the two women would “warmly” greet him and “gently” console him every day.

Especially after Liu Shishi left the crew and no one was there to protect him, it was downright “cruel.”

“Next, we’ll shoot the final scene,” Li Guoli announced into the microphone.

Zhang Li began to prepare himself.

At that moment, Yang Mi called out, “What scene is it?”

Hu Ge immediately chimed in, “Zi Xuan and Lin Yeping’s wedding night.”

Zhang Li: “...”

“Enough, all of you!”