Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

The balcony outside is on the nineteenth floor, and the night breeze is slightly cold.

The slow droning of the phone caused her breath to quicken involuntarily, and in nervousness, she brushed her windblown hair behind her ears as her heart thumped.

A few seconds later, the call connected.

"What's up?" His voice came through, quiet on the other end, probably at home.

"Nothing... I really like the song."

"Glad you like it, it's my gift to you."

"Okay." Lin Wanzhou pursed her lips, glanced back at the brightly lit living room, and hesitated, "Xu... I want to drop out of the competition, I don't want to go on next week's show!"

"Hmm?" The other party seemed puzzled, paused for a moment, and proactively asked, "Why?"

"Because... since I can't win anyway, two appearances is enough exposure." Lin Wanzhou mumbled, "And I don't want to waste this song."

"Uh...," he said, "it's not really a matter of waste, what does Sister Yun say?"

"She'll agree, I don't want to go." Lin Wanzhou mustered her courage, "Can I come see you tomorrow? Ting Ting... she said she wants to visit you."

"Is that so, then tell her I have to leave Xinghai tomorrow," Xu Qingyan chuckled, "I'm a bit busy these days, I'll be free next Friday."

"Oh, okay." Lin Wanzhou sounded a little disappointed, feeling a bit conflicted inside, she definitely couldn't run around randomly, "What kind of MV are you planning to shoot?"

"'Riding a White Horse's MV, it should be in the traditional Chinese style," Xu Qingyan explained.

"Expensive?"

"Not too bad, around three hundred thousand."

"Three hundred thousand?" Lin Wanzhou was taken aback, and after confirming she hadn't misheard, she swallowed, "Isn't the base price for an MV around two hundred thousand?"

"About that, the actual effect will only be known after shooting it."

"Oh, if it doesn't turn out that good, don't be discouraged," Lin Wanzhou was already inoculating him against future dissatisfaction, "three hundred thousand is still too little, completing it would be quite impressive."

"It's okay, there's a way to shoot with less money," Xu Qingyan assured her, "So you're not going on the show, planning to stay in Xinghai to write songs this week?"

"Yeah, I can't go out," Lin Wanzhou sighed.

The two chatted for a while longer and agreed to meet the following week.

Nine o'clock at night.

Xu Qingyan was still sitting at the computer, contemplating his schedule for the next day. Three hundred thousand wasn't much for Pei Muchan, but for Xu Qingyan, it was still a "huge sum".

Although he made a decent amount of money from songwriting, it took a long time to recoup the investment. At the moment, he could only say he wasn't short of money, but he was certainly not rich either.

However, he had managed to extricate himself from a desperate situation in just two months, which was already extremely fortunate. When he occasionally recalled that period, it still felt somewhat unreal.

As a first-time director with multiple responsibilities, he was inevitably cautious. Although he didn't have to pay out of pocket, he was still meticulous about how the money was spent.

The two additional mental libraries he acquired inadvertently affected him. Not only was his learning speed for music theory and composition fast, but it had also covertly altered his aesthetic judgement.

For example, the stage design suggestions he made, he couldn't articulate why they should be done. Sometimes a vision flashed in his mind, and instinctively, it felt more appealing that way.

Successful directors generally have one thing in common: an on-point aesthetic sense. A thought flashes through their mind and with a bit of contemplation, it can be actualized.

This is built on an immersion in artistic environments, or on years of accumulated experience. Aesthetic sense is not an instinct, it can be acquired through repeated practice.

Xu Qingyan was more like a maverick, as if an indigenous person had obtained weapons far beyond his era. Not understanding the principles of the weapon, it did not prevent him from pulling the trigger.

Bang! The bullet of thought pierced through the paper and landed in front of the camera.

"Hey, hey!! Be careful, don't bump it." Zhou Mian steadied a wobbly equipment box, lending a helping hand just in time, "That was close, scared me to death!"

A young face appeared from behind the black equipment case, also filled with alarm, with beads of cold sweat almost rolling down his forehead.

"Thanks, Zhou Bro."

"No need, just be careful, that'll do." Zhou Mian sent the Buddha all the way home, directly helping to carry the equipment over, "Excuse me, could you please make way up front?"

It wasn't until they had transported all the equipment and set it down that the two of them were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Zhou Bro, why did Teacher Xu suddenly decide to switch to shooting MVs this time?" Liu Heming wiped the sweat from his forehead and passed Zhou Mian a cigarette.

At noon, the two of them stood in a spot far away from the scene to rest for a while.
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"I don't know, he just suddenly called people up." Zhou Mian lit up a cigarette, turned his head to look at the busy scene near the landscaping, slightly squinting his eyes.

"Teacher Xu didn't give details, just asked me to bring a couple of handy helpers over."

"Look at the scene, it's just the two of us doing odd jobs, has the director not arrived yet?" Liu Heming looked around, "Are these young directors so arrogant now, putting on airs!"

"Cough cough, the director is Teacher Xu."

"What?" Liu Heming almost choked, coughing out a cloud of smoke, "Zhou Bro, don't joke around, isn't Teacher Xu a songwriter?"

"And don't mention it, I quite like the songs he writes. But really, professions are worlds apart, Teacher Xu isn't writing songs, so how has he become a director?"

"Who knows, less asking, more doing." Zhou Mian took a deep drag on his cigarette, which instantly shrank by a quarter, "These next few days might be tough, please bear with it."

Hearing this, Liu Heming grinned, revealing a simple, foolish smile.

"I get it, no big deal working hard for so much money."

The MV didn't require many main shots, and shooting didn't have to follow the script. Everything was done step by step, from easy to difficult, starting with the empty shots.

Lighting, cinematography, set design, makeup, costumes—all were in place, Xu Qingyan was all about saving where possible. Except for the actors, there were only seven or eight people on set, a completely casual team.

Although there were few people, the wages were high, with one person doing the work of two. Those who came were mostly in need of money, some recommended by Lin Chuan, and others were people Zhou Mian had rustled up at Xu Qingyan's request.

A few minutes of MV, nothing much to say, once the people were gathered, work commenced.

The script and storyboard were ready, the chosen setting was a Republican era style gray brick alley, naturally not in its original state, but set up in a film and television city.

He didn't pick overly luxurious scenery, the cost wasn't too high, a few tens of thousands of yuan would suffice. It was good enough for the shoot, it was the kind of place where at first glance, you can imagine someone practicing vocal exercises in the courtyard.

"Director Xu, this place is so shabby!" Zhou Mian felt the dust on the door, "But, I have to say, the atmosphere comes alive instantly, it really feels like something from a hundred years ago."

Green brick tile buildings rose on either side, with moon gates, and pillars that were full of the sense of passing years.

"Let's make do with shooting here, the place doesn't charge much." Xu Qingyan emerged, his tall figure stationed there, looking up and surveying the surroundings, "Scout the location, let's study it."

Pei Muchan wasn't needed on set in the morning, so she had been allowed to rest at the hotel.

The MV's story was simple, telling a love story from the opera house set against the backdrop of the Republican era, easily achieved with a layer of filter, mirroring the story of Xue Pinggui and Wang Baochuan.

In simple terms, it was a remake of ancient and contemporary times, a play within a play, real-life emotions.

In the play, the Xiliang Kingdom staged a rebellion, and Xue Pinggui donned his armor and went to the battlefield. Reflecting outside the play, amidst national disasters and family feuds, youth join the military and part ways, the scene of separation set against a backdrop of war.

The male lead's growth from a childhood crush to marital union, and finally the duty to protect the country leading to departure.

Beneath the bright moonlight, the male lead fell on the smoke-filled battlefield. As his consciousness faded, he recalled the girl's face he looked up to see when they practiced as children, like the gentle spring water.

In the final shot, reality and illusion overlapped.

Under the moonlight, the general rode his white horse day and night to return home, crossing the vast deserts. Walking on, in the direction of home, the couple together returning.

Xue Pinggui had come home, but what about him?

He should have returned as well, under the endless moon, spirit returning to his homeland.