Chapter 118 - He Didn't Even Let the House Downstairs Go

“You win, Yun Xiangxiang. We won’t talk about this on the phone. Next time we meet, we’ll sort this all out,” Song Meng left that message and hung up.

Yun Xiangxiang shook her head in amusement. She walked over to Song Mian’s side, “When’s the next time you’ll be back?”

“As soon as possible,” Song Mian didn’t give a definite answer.”

“When you come back, I will introduce you to my girlfriends,” said Yun Xiangxiang.

“I’m both happy and honored,” Song Mian nodded in agreement.

If one really likes someone, one would introduce that person into their own circle of friends.

Everyone would want their significant other to be acknowledged by their friends.

“Do you…have friends?” Yun Xiangxiang hesitated before asking. “Friends since you were kids.”

Song Mian was a king that stood at the apex. Kings were destined to bear the weight of loneliness.

“Of course,” Song Mian’s answer was unexpected. “But it’s hard to get all of them to gather in one place. I will call all of them back to see you when they have time.

“What are they working as?” Yun Xiangxiang asked dryly. She thought that Song Mian’s friends would be exceptional too.

Friends who could be brothers must possess similar levels of abilities even though there would be a difference in status. Or else they wouldn’t be friends.

“One’s a soldier, another’s a barbarian,” Song Mian was horrifyingly curt.

“Hehehe…,” Yun Xiangxiang simpered. “And you go around telling everyone you’re a doctor.”

“I am a doctor,” Song Mian didn’t think that he was lying.

Yun Xiangxiang rolled her eyes. She didn’t ask anything about the first one, but she was curious about the second one, “Barbarian? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“In his words: a great explorer,” Song Mian explained.

She knew it. Only filthy rich people who had too much time on their hands could be an explorer.

Yun Xiangxiang didn’t continue enquiring. Anything else would be made known when they meet. Besides, dinner was ready. Yun Xiangxiang called Yun Lin over to have dinner together. She even finished a lot of homework at Song Mian’s house. Anything she couldn’t understand, she would ask him.

She stayed in his house until nine thirty, then she went back to practice and shower. It was ten thirty when she went to her bed and slept happily.

Song Mian poured his heart out in making her breakfast the next morning again. It was still varied but small in portion.

Yun Xiangxiang chatted with him for a while after breakfast. She looked at how skillful he was in handling his work. He Wei came to pick her up at around ten. She took Song Qian together with her and left Yun Lin with Song Mian before going to see Wu Zhao.

“The King’s Plan” would not be shot in Beijing. The shooting was very sophisticated. Most of them would have real life venues as background. They would only make the place up if they really couldn’t find the corresponding spot in real life.

Wu Zhao stayed in Beijing over these few days for some reason. Maybe he was handpicking the acting staff. He was particularly busy, so they reserved a spot at a restaurant.

Wu Zhao was already there when they arrived. A classy woman who looked around forty was sitting beside him.

She was in a cheongsam. Yun Xiangxiang couldn’t exactly describe how she was sitting. She only stared at her like she was someone who came out from a painting, and was as elegant as it.

Her faint smile when she saw Yun Xiangxiang and He Wei coming over was especially beautiful and graceful.

“We are late. Sorry for letting you wait, Director Wu,” He Wei spoke cordially.

“It’s us who came early. Have a seat,” Wu Zhao asked both of them to sit.

He asked the waiter to serve the dishes after they sat down and introduced both sides, “This here is Teacher Guan. She is a master who specializes in researching classical writing and etiquette. I am hiring her as your trainer.”

“Hello, Teacher Guan. I’ll be in your care after this,” Yun Xiangxiang greeted her politely.

“Such a pretty little girl,” Guan Zi praised Yun Xiangxiang.

Her voice was really nice to listen to. It wasn’t because of the timbre, but rather it was her tone and tempo. It was light and slow, but not mushy at all.

It was as comfortable as being visited by the spring breeze while listening to her.

“You’re a lady with her own mind. I’ll let you arrange Teacher Guan’s schedule for this month. Learn about etiquette anytime you want to.”

Wu Zhao was very generous, “I don’t look at the process, only the results. I won’t use you if you can’t reach the target after a month.

“I understand.” Yun Xiangxiang nodded.

“Also, I have said that I never make an exception for anyone,” Wu Zhao continued.

He turned the direction of the conversation when he saw Yun Xiangxiang getting nervous, “I give all of my acting staff a month’s time of training. If you need to leave for exams, you only have twenty-five days to complete your task.”

“Of course, if you can meet my expectations in ten days, I will allow you twenty days of leave during shooting,” He added after he finished.

Yun Xiangxiang’s eyes lit up, “Thank you, Director Wu.”

Everyone said that Wu Zhao was very fussy, but she didn’t expect him to give her so much leeway.

As she was arranging the schedule, she could stay in school for an extra month. She would slot the training periods on the weekends or during night time.

Putting reaching the target in ten days aside, she would have ten days of leave if she could reach it in twenty days if she worked diligently. It would be enough to handle emergencies.

Wu Zhao nodded, “Tuck in. You’ll have to discuss the arrangements with Teacher Guan after you finish.”

It was a silent meal, since Guan Zi looked like a noble lady who would keep quiet and calm at all times.

Wu Zhao didn’t even take a breath after he finished his meal. He straight up took his coat and left.

When Yun Xiangxiang was sending him away, he turned around and reminded, “This film of mine will record the voices on the spot. There will be no re-recording. Figure out the script yourself.”

This would be quite the trial for the skill of portrayal of lines.

The male and female leads would usually have a lot of lines in a film. Memorizing them would be easy. Displaying the accurate emotion while not deviating from the lines during filming was what was hard.

If the voice would be recorded there and then, then it would not only be a trial for emotion and line portrayal. They would have to figure out the tone, timbre, and the character’s mood perfectly.

One false step would be all it took for a redo.

Most people wouldn’t do this. The most they would do would be to let the acting staff dub it after shooting. It would save a lot of budget.

But the point about this film was that it not only had a director who had an impossibly high standard, but a screenwriter who was a perfectionist as well…

Yun Xiangxiang kept her spirits up and demanded a lot from herself to avoid getting reprimanded.

Yun Xiangxiang talked with Guan Zi after she sent Wu Zhao away. She asked the rough scope of her training.

If nothing would happen, then it would include idle etiquette, sitting etiquette, standing etiquette, walking etiquette, speaking etiquette…

Yun Xiangxiang made a note for all of them. Guan Zi nodded surreptitiously when she saw her doing that.

“Teacher Guan, I’ll take a look at my classes’ schedule after I go back to make a schedule for the training. I’ll WeChat you at night.”

“Of course,” Guan Zi would prioritize Yun Xiangxiang’s schedule for everything.

She chatted with Guan Zi for a while before leaving with He Wei when she found out that she still needed to wait for a friend.

She sought Song Mian out immediately after she got home to talk about her idea with him, “Ah Mian, can I let Little Lin live here? I want to invite the etiquette trainer to my house.

It would be convenient for her training and would save time too.

Song Mian smiled, “I bought the house on the floor beneath yours too.”