Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Mutual Affection

The background music at the beginning of the film was very celebratory.

Wu Zhiyuan’s restless mood calmed down considerably.

’An ancient drama.’

At first glance, he was quite satisfied with the characters and their makeup and costumes, even with his critical eye.

But this genre was a tricky one. ’Even the slightest incongruity can make the whole thing feel awkward and out of place.’

A few close-ups of the female lead made his eyes light up again.

’A classic beauty, with great bone structure. She’s perfect for the ancient-style makeup and costume.’

The way she drew the fortune stick was especially unique; Wu Zhiyuan had never seen anything like it in any other show.

Of course, the Federation didn’t have many works set in the ancient period, not even from more recent historical eras.

So, this was the first ancient-themed project in the last ten years.

Wu Zhiyuan was finally starting to get interested.

“Wet nurse, why is the young miss drawing her fortune stick with so much flair today?”

“Practice makes perfect! Our young miss draws over two hundred marriage fortune sticks every month. When she gets bored, she comes up with a new trick.”

The thick eyebrows on one of the maids confused him a little. ’Did she piss off the makeup artist?’

But it also had a strange, comedic feel to it.

As the film slowly progressed, it soon reached the scene where the female lead delivered her classic lines.

“From now on, you can only be good to me.”

“You have to dote on me, and you can’t lie to me.”

“Every single thing you promise me…”

Wu Zhiyuan nodded as he watched. ’That’s how it should be. It’s already wonderful for a female to be willing to marry only one male.’

’What are these small requests?’

He couldn’t help but sigh. ’Males in ancient times were so lucky, being able to spend their lives with one female.’

For doing such small, reasonable things, she was called domineering? Good heavens, if he had such a beautiful female, he would do things even more outrageous than what she asked for!

’Too bad I’m not that fortunate.’

Thinking of his own female, who had a full ten partners, his heart ached for a moment. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time.

If he were fired by Tianwen Entertainment and lost his current high-paying salary, he would probably be divorced.

After all, his own partner never really liked him to begin with.

Fortunately, the male in the film was a decent guy.

He obediently responded to the female’s demands.

“From now on, I will dote on you alone.”

“I’ll spoil you, I won’t lie to you, and I’ll do every single thing I promise you…”

But his pathetic, cowardly demeanor was cringeworthy.

In the Interstellar era, there were also females who were abusive to their partners, and they hit much harder than the female lead. The force she used in the film was just a bit of fun between lovers.

Gradually, Wu Zhiyuan found himself drawn to this kind of life between a husband and wife.

’If I could have a small family like that, lively and bustling every day, I would probably be very happy too.’

However, someone soon appeared to snatch the female lead’s partner.

He seethed as he watched. ’Why are there such detestable females? There are so many males in the world, why must she destroy a happy family?!’

He had just been satisfied with the male lead for rejecting the other woman, but in the very next scene, the man drank the water of oblivion!

AHHH, he was so angry.

’AHHH, you ungrateful male who doesn’t appreciate his own good fortune! You deserve to die!’

*SOB*—he couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t accept such a loving couple being torn apart. Even though he didn’t believe in love himself, he didn’t want his fantasies to be shattered too.

’If you can’t even believe in love in movies and dramas anymore, is there any point for such an emotion to exist?’

***

Three hours passed, and it was now lunchtime at Tianwen Entertainment.

Lan Yuyan still hadn’t received a reply and was a little confused.

’Normally, it should’ve taken two hours to watch. How come it’s been three hours and that guy Wu Zhiyuan still hasn’t messaged me?’

’Whether it’s a yes or a no, he should at least give me a clear answer, right?’

’Is he not even going to give me that little bit of face? Is he playing that game of feigning compliance while doing the opposite?’

Full of doubt, he took the elevator up to the film and television department.

He knocked for a long time before there was any sound from inside. If he hadn’t asked a colleague and learned that the man was still in his office, he would have suspected it was empty.

Finally, Wu Zhiyuan opened the door.

Lan Yuyan was speechless. “Didn’t I just ask you to see if we could acquire that project?

I didn’t force you to pull any strings, so why are you hiding from me like this?”

“No, no, you’ve misunderstood,” Wu Zhiyuan quickly waved his hands and explained. “It’s just that the movie is too good. I felt I wasn’t thorough enough on the first watch, so I watched it again.”

You have to understand, he had spent the past two hours both laughing and crying.

He had completely forgotten himself and just watched it as a moviegoer.

He had totally forgotten to analyze its market value. So, on the second viewing, he had to remain rational and not get so emotionally invested again.

This project was strange, in a style he had never seen before.

It had an atmosphere that felt both perfunctory and meticulous at the same time.

It felt like a casual, off-the-cuff production, yet many aspects were incredibly detailed. Whether it was the actors’ performances or the makeup and costumes, you could tell the production team was very serious.

So he felt it was a rather free-spirited style.

It was very different from other works on the market.

The plot was also good. It wasn’t one of those “female collects a harem” works, nor was it a “males compete for power” theme.

And at the end of the movie, the creators even added a disclaimer about the reasonableness of different eras.

It also reminded all females to obey the law and not blindly follow trends.

Wu Zhiyuan was actually a little worried.

He was afraid that after the movie was released, it would be attacked by netizens. What if some irrational females, after watching it, insisted on a relationship of one lifetime with one person?

If that happened, the movie would definitely be taken down.

And he would have to bear the company’s losses.

But the thought of suggesting plot changes or rejecting the project outright left him feeling unwilling.

Didn’t that new film next door just reap the rewards of being unique, novel, and a trendsetter?

And here he was, holding a work that could become the next trendsetter, yet he was afraid to take the risk. This would keep him up every night.

Because he would constantly imagine the road not taken, romanticize it, and then sink into deep regret.

Besides, this was no longer just about making money; it was about how long he could keep his position as the head of the film and television department.

The incompetent are sooner or later pulled down from their high horses.

That was why he needed to watch it again, to carefully consider whether this risk was worth taking.

And if he did take on this project, to what extent would he have to push it to the top…

“Lan Yuyan, did your friend mention her expected price?”

Thinking about the costs of the costumes, sets, script, and actors in the film, Wu Zhiyuan was a little worried that if this gamble failed, his personal assets wouldn’t be enough to cover the company’s losses.

Lan Yuyan hadn’t actually asked, so he quickly sent a private message to Jiang Qin.

Jiang Qin replied quickly. [I don’t want a flat fee. I want a 50/50 split.]

After all, her actors were unknown—”no such person found,” you could say—so she knew she couldn’t sell it for a high price.

She couldn’t even ask for too large of a cut, so 50/50 was what she considered the best win-win number.

Logically, she was getting the short end of the stick, since the other party would get half just for promotion and operations.

But she had no team and no fame; making necessary concessions was unavoidable.

Besides, she wasn’t losing out.

After all, her filmmaking didn’t require conventional costs. It just took a bit of time and spiritual power…

————

[Suddenly really want monthly tickets Ծ‸Ծ I’ll add an extra Chapter for every 100 monthly tickets. We’re at 72 right now.

To all my handsome, wealthy, and flower-like beautiful dear readers, please give me a chance to work my butt off! I’m still young, I can occasionally skip sleep

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