LIGHTNOVELONLINE
Chapter 41
After eating her fill, Yu Shu felt a little low blood pressure coming on, and lazily rested her head on her hand: "Your theory sounds like Baoyu telling Daiyu to tear up her fan."
"If you want to hit me, go ahead. These things were only borrowed for use anyway. You like to use them one way, I like to use them another way - people all have different temperaments. That fan was originally for fanning. If you want to tear it up to play with it, that's fine too. Just don't take out your anger on it when you're upset. It's the same with cups and plates. They were originally meant for holding things, but if you like the sound they make when broken and deliberately smash them, that's understandable too. Just don't vent your anger on them when you're angry. That's what 'loving objects' means."
"Yeah, that's what I meant!" Shen Youlin said happily. "Have you read Dream of the Red Chamber?"
"The Kuiyou edition?"
"Yes. We had this smelly old geezer at our school who was useless at everything except he could talk about Dream of the Red Chamber in a way you could kinda listen to."
"Who's that?"
Shen Youlin said a name that currently thundered in literary circles.
Yu Shu was no longer feeling sleepy: "......You called Old Man Qiao a smelly old geezer?"
"You're his fan too? Got no taste?" Shen Youlin's eyes were full of disgust, practically materializing. "Don't be fooled by how that smelly old geezer dresses himself up on TV to look like some big shot, with a bunch of fangirls squealing 'Idol, idol!'. Usually he's a total slob. His hair looks like flies land on it and slip right off. Plus he hates bathing and just reeks of old man stink!"
"......"
The idol filter - shattered...
Shen Youlin's appetite contrasted greatly with his delicate appearance. He looked like a wimpy little pretty boy but ate more than his share, polishing off one chicken rice bowl and getting another. He finished every last grain, not leaving a single speck of rice behind.
"Every grain labored hard! Wasting food gets you struck by lightning!"
Truly the indulgence of the wealthy to act on their whims.
By now it was long past dinnertime and theirs was the only occupied table left in the restaurant. Shen Youlin slowly finished up the leftover side dishes while Yu Shu grew drowsy and nodding off after her meal.
The ceiling fan buzzed noisily above, ceaselessly blasting them with cool air. No pedestrians outside on the street. Sparrows pecking up grains of rice in the doorway scattered momentarily when the occasional passerby startled them, soon returning to their feast.
Several vans and tiny trains pulled up and stopped outside, breaking the tranquility. A group of people came in, effortlessly exchanging greetings with the proprietor and his wife. One man took off his frog-eyed glasses.
"You have customers today!" he said, gazing at Yu Shu and Shen Youlin in astonishment and regret.
The crew called the man away. The proprietor and his wife came over to explain things to Yu Shu and Shen Youlin.
"We're terribly sorry for disturbing your meal. They're a film crew here to shoot some scenes at our place. We give them access for a reasonable fee when there are no customers. If you don't mind the noise, you're welcome to stay and watch them work."
Yu Shu replied, "No problem. We've finished eating, just feeling too lazy now to get up and leave."
The proprietress was eager and enthusiastic, "Then by all means stay a while longer and watch them make their movie! If you're interested you might even make it into a scene!"
"Just the other day a young couple was here eating when the crew showed up. They got the couple in as extras! Little Wan said in a few months they'd be able to see themselves up on the big screen at theaters."
The proprietor hitched up his sweatshirt. "They filmed me too. I'll be in theaters. You two are so photogenic, Little Wan would definitely want to shoot you..."
"No way!" The frog-glasses man strode over.
Shen Youlin cocked up his chin arrogantly. "Oh yeah? You couldn't even afford my appearance fee."
Yu Shu braced herself to play peacemaker, surprised when "Little Wan" suddenly backed down. "You're both too good-looking. No one would pay attention to the leads if you were in it."
Shen Youlin relaxed smugly. "Nice to see you've got taste."
Little Wan showered them with compliments about their looks, from their hair down to their toes. At his urging, Shen Youlin condescended to retreat with Yu Shu to the corner to watch the proceedings.
Yu Shu teased him, "So obedient all of a sudden? What happened to the spoiled young master routine?"
"I didn't want to! But he called me 'handsome guy!'"
Yu Shu imitated his speech. "Well he called me 'beauty!'"
In the 21st century, terms like handsome guy and beauty had become common parlance, no longer compliments but proxies for gender.
The crew was still setting up equipment. The leads rehearsed lines nearby. Both rather plain in appearance but growing on you the more you looked.
Shen Youlin scrutinized the lead actress then glanced at Yu Shu. He whispered in her ear, "When he called you a beauty he was definitely complimenting you. I mean look at you, much prettier than the lead actress! Zhuge Liang once said, 'One should not frivolously think too little of himself.' Beauty, try being more confident!"
Yu Shu laughed. "Thanks handsome guy. Share some of that confidence with me then."
Shen Youlin launched into a silent pantomime, making a show of removing something from his chest. He used one hand to tug the other, pinching off a piece. On second thought it looked like too much so he put it back and carefully tore off a tiny bit between thumb and forefinger instead. After stuffing the rest back into his chest he rolled the little piece into a ball and flicked it off his palm, bouncing it off Yu Shu's forehead into her brain.
Shen Youlin intoned, "I confer upon you unmatched confidence and beauty."
"So much drama! Looking to win an Oscar?" Yu Shu pointed at the set-up camera equipment. "Go on, next Academy Award for Best Actor right there!"
Shen Youlin primped his tousled bangs affectedly. "No thanks, have to leave ordinary folk some chance."
They still had some time before the cameras rolled. Director Wan sneaked away to hand Yu Shu and Shen Youlin each a business card. "I'm Wan Tusui, aspiring famous film director destined for greatness. Well, not famous yet, but just you wait and see!" Very plain card with nothing but his name, contacts, and some movie titles - a couple short films that achieved modest internet success, under 20 minutes runtime.
"You both look the part. If you're interested in trying acting...not that you're guaranteed to make it big or anything! But if you wanna give movies a shot, look me up."
Yu Shu: "Weren't you just boasting about destined for greatness? Now it's 'not guaranteed to make it big'?"
Shen Youlin chimed in, "C'mon dude, where's that confidence?"
"Destined for greatness means eventually making a big impact. Jiang Ziya built a dynasty at eighty. Bai Suzhen came down from her mountain to find love at a thousand. I've barely gotten started. If I can make a movie that goes down in film history before I die, I'll be able to die without regrets."
Yu Shu made no comment.
Most people lived and died in mediocrity, consoling themselves that an ordinary life was still worthwhile. Wan Tusui was determined to achieve one meaningful thing with his time on earth.
Filming commenced with Wan Tusui glued to the monitors, scrutinizing every tiny detail.
Yu Shu and Shen Youlin quietly watched for a bit. Looked to be a low budget mystery with everyday nobodies for main characters.
Sparse funding perhaps, but story, cinematography, acting - flawless.
Yu Shu had an intense premonition. This film would be wildly popular after release.