CH 62

This was already their second time they went to the program team to discuss editing content.

To be honest, both of them knew that the request was quite unreasonable. After all, they were adults and knew that most living beings on this planet engage in sexual reproduction. Occasionally talking about adult topics wouldn't do much harm. Moreover, it wasn't even that explicit. If someone with a pure mind listened to it, they might not even understand.

But Wen Li just didn't want others to see the intimate moments between Song Yan and her in private. He had already portrayed so many different roles on the screen for the audience, but his explicit words and his affectionate reactions in private were only meant for her, only her.

So she strongly requested for the cuts. Yan Zhengkui thought that Wen Li was just being thin-skinned and he had no choice but to respect the female artist.

Song Yan and Wen Li were a couple who were on a prime-time program on a satellite TV station. It was a variety show focused on celebrity couples lifestyle, something that the TV station had spent a lot on creating this year. They also aired on Saturdays, which meant they had a significant number of underage fans. Taking all these factors into consideration, the program team decided to cut the latter half of the segment.

After the latter half was cut, Song Yan even wanted to cut the first half. In Yan Zhengkui's point of view, this whole segment, which had been so difficult to obtain, was now being suggested to be completely removed from the show.

Yan Zhengkui immediately questioned Song Yan, "What's wrong with your wife praising you as cute? Why can't that be aired?"

That line itself was fine. It's just that the person saying that line, her bright smile at that moment, the tender gaze in her eyes, and her sweet voice... Song Yan felt that was her most authentic self and something that only he could enjoy. So he didn't want it to be aired.

The usually calm and elegant man showed a troubled smile and, under Yan Zhengkui's accusations, reluctantly compromised and didn't insist further.

Under the mediation of this couple's selfish requests, Yan Zhengkui finally produced the sixth episode trailer, which caused CP fans to be grateful, bystanders to be shocked and curious, and the main characters to cover their faces in embarrassment.

Ke Bin also didn't expect them to actually answer that question. After joking about it in the car, he didn't mention the trending topic again.

"We're here. You two go ahead. Call me when you're done and I'll come to pick you up."

Director Qiu said that when they returned to Yancheng, they should find a time to have dinner. It was rare that both sides were free today and they finally matched their private schedules. So they made an appointment at this suburban Chinese restaurant.

Wen Li thought that her little uncle had really made this restaurant well-known. At least Director Qiu genuinely liked this place. Last time, it was also the chosen location for the gathering between Song Yan and the cast of [Ice City].

Just as she and Song Yan walked into the lobby, they happened to see Wen Zheng, her little uncle, coming out of the elevator, followed by several middle-aged men.

The interior of the lobby was designed in a Chinese style. The warm yellow lighting illuminated the contours of the handmade lanterns, casting shadows on the moonstone floor. Wen Zheng had a different taste from his brother, Wen Yan. He preferred softer tones and had a completely opposite personality, a charming young man who was easy to talk to.

When Wen Zheng saw Wen Li, he immediately winked mischievously at her and then noticed Song Yan beside her. His expression suddenly became complicated, but he obviously wasn't as cold as his brother. He smiled faintly at Song Yan.

Song Yan nodded and responded silently.

As they brushed past each other, Wen Zheng overheard a few of his subordinates whispering to each other, "Those two people who just passed by, are they celebrities? Their faces look so familiar."

"With so many celebrities eating at our restaurant every day, how can you recognize all of them?"

"No, I really know them. It's just that their names are on the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember."

"Ah, you even know them? They must be appearing frequently on TV."

The subordinate who couldn't recall their names suddenly realized, "Oh, right! It's them! My daughter has been watching them on TV every day recently. President Wen, I didn't expect you to also pay attention to these things."

Wen Zheng casually replied, "If I can't even remember my regular customers, how can I run a restaurant?"

If he didn't even know the names of his niece and nephew-in-law, how could he be called their uncle?

——

"You know this restaurant is owned by my little uncle, right?"

In the elevator, Wen Li chatted casually with Song Yan out of boredom.

Song Yan shook his head and replied truthfully, "I heard that this restaurant is related to the Xingyi Group, so I thought it was opened by Wen Yan."

Wen Li scoffed, "He looks down on these side businesses. He thinks that besides our Wen family's own business, all other side businesses are distractions from the main focus," She paused for a moment and sighed, "For example, my little uncle's restaurant, or my decision to become an actress."

Song Yan remained calm and didn't say anything.

"Even the Bai Shi Media that you co-founded with Bai Sen, he didn't approve of it at first. But now, look at him, he's been proven wrong. He's also eagerly investing in our film and television industry," Wen Li said, patting his arm and raising an eyebrow, "Teacher Song, keep up the good work and strive to drive our Wen family out of the film and television industry. Don't let my uncle make any money."

Who would wish for their own family to lose money like this spoiled young lady?

Song Yan smiled and asked, "Are you serious?"

"I'm serious."

Anyway, she wasn't relying on her family for a living now, so if they lost money, they lost money. It would be a bonus for her to see Wen Yan fail in his business ventures.

They chatted for a while, and when the elevator reached their floor, Wen Li closed her mouth and didn't mention her family anymore.

Today's dinner was hosted by Qiu Ping. He personally invited Wen Li for the dinner and also asked her to bring Song Yan along with her. Normally, her manager, Lu Dan, would also join, but Qiu Ping had politely declined every time Lu Dan invited him before. Lu Dan, who had been in the industry for many years, realized that Qiu Ping might be different from the directors she had dealt with in the past. He didn't enjoy socializing and networking. So Lu Dan's persuasion didn't work, but Wen Li, who had hardly exchanged pleasantries with Qiu Ping during the variety show in Yucheng, received an invitation from him.

Lu Dan chose to trust her artist and entrusted this dinner to Wen Li.

When they entered the private room, Wen Li was surprised to see that it wasn't just Qiu Ping who was there, but also several familiar or unfamiliar industry bigwigs.

Among them was Yu Weiguang.

Seeing them, Yu Weiguang waved at the two of them with a smile, "Ah Yan and Ah Yan's wife are here. The tea has just been served. Come and have a taste."

Wen Li quickly understood why Qiu Ping asked her to bring Song Yan along this time.

She didn't have many contacts in the film industry, but having a husband who was a regular big screen star provided her some support, so she wasn't too uncomfortable.

Song Yan introduced her to everyone one by one. When he introduced the screenwriter Old Zhou, Wen Li was about to smile, but before she could, Old Zhou greeted her first, "Ye Yan."

She was momentarily stunned, then realized that Ye Yan was the name of the character she was vying for. She responded cheerfully, "Yes, Mr. Zhou, hello."

Old Zhou smiled.

"You are exactly the same as the Ye Yan I imagined."

Gorgeous and elegant, with clear eyes, like a peony adorned with morning dew.

"Today is just a simple private dinner. Let's chat freely, Miss Wen, no need to be too reserved," Qiu Ping spoke slowly, explaining why this dinner included industry people related to [Ice City], as well as Yu Weiguang, "Because of the variety show you participated in Yucheng and the play you acted in the show happened to be directed by Old Yu, when he heard that I was going to invite you to dinner, he shamelessly tagged along. You don't need to pay attention to him."

Yu Weiguang curled his lips.

Clearly, it was Old Qiu's first time dealing with a popular female artist like Wen Li. He was afraid he couldn't keep up with the mindset of today's young celebrities. To maintain his director's style, he brought him along as a support.

"Mrs. Song, your performance in that play was really good," Yu Weiguang said truthfully, "You put in a lot of effort in private, right?"

"Yes," Wen Li didn't take all the credit for herself, "Teacher Song helped me a lot. I have limited experience in film acting, but fortunately, he guided me into the role and helped me perform well."

Yu Weiguang turned his gaze to Song Yan and said softly, "Oh, you didn't think much of my script at first, but now you're willing to spend time and effort with your wife?"

Song Yan pursed his lips and replied lightly, "How could I not appreciate your script, Teacher?"

"Just saying that now doesn't matter," Yu Weiguang took a sip of tea, "But I remember when you first entered the industry, you were even more rigid than your wife. I ran out of saliva trying to teach you, and it took you a while to catch up."

Song Yan didn't argue, "Yes, I appreciate your guidance, sir."

"I'm fine. I've dealt with even more rigid newcomers than you. If you had half the patience you have for your wife back then, Jiaren wouldn't have been dragged down by you and she wouldn't have been scolded by me alongside you."

When Yu Weiguang mentioned Tang Jiaren's name, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. At that time, Song Yan and his wife didn't even know each other, and it was normal for actors to work together on the same project. Getting married and finding a spouse from the same profession was something they should be able to accept.

Wen Li didn't know how to feel about it. In the past, when she had no feelings, she didn't mind these things at all and might even inquire about their past experiences, but now it was different. She understood the impact of Song Yan's debut work on him, on Yu Weiguang, and even on the entire film and television industry. Tang Jiaren, who acted alongside him in this debut work, and all the female actors he had previously partnered with, should hold a special place in his heart.

Her being a little jealous of Ning Junxuan was just a bit of pretense. She knew that even if she voiced it, Song Yan wouldn't take it seriously, and it wouldn't affect their relationship.

But Tang Jiaren was different.

The most youthful and sincere performance of Song Yan's career was done with her. It should be a memorable experience for him.

Wen Li herself was an actress and shouldn't mind this, as it seemed unreasonable.

Anyway, Song Yan liked her now, and she was certain of that. As for who he liked ten years ago, she didn't care. She was just a little bit unhappy, but she wouldn't make a fuss with Song Yan just because of that. She wasn't that petty.

Wen Li had confidence in herself, so she casually said, "I think Director Yu's advice worked. They both performed really well."

Yu Weiguang chuckled. "It's also because they are the right age and fit the roles. They have just the right amount of youthful naivety. If we try to cast them together now, it might not have the same effect."

As soon as he finished speaking, the producer next to him immediately joined in a joking tone. "Director Yu, if you want to see if they still have the same chemistry as ten years ago, why don't you have Song Yan accompany Tang Jiaren for an audition at Old Qiu's place? Then you can make a special film just for them. It would be helping them and also reminiscing for the fans about their youth."

"Say a few less words. Nostalgia for youth? Audiences nowadays are demanding. If you bring them back together for a classic remake, they might blame you for ruining the original."

Yu Weiguang understood this principle very well, so he would never rely on past classics to create hype.

His works were only a medium to convey beauty. The memories that belonged uniquely to fans in their hearts were the most beautiful.

Wen Li didn't have time to ponder the ambiguous banter in the producer's words. Her focus was solely on the part where the producer mentioned that Tang Jiaren would also be going to Director Qiu's place for an audition.

Last time, it was Tang Jiaren who had dinner with them. Since Qiu Ping invited her to dinner this time, it meant that her opportunity was supposed to be equal to Tang Jiaren's, right?

"What's wrong with you?"

A deep voice sounded, and suddenly a hand reached under the table, gently holding hers. Wen Li snapped back to reality and turned her head to look at Song Yan, shaking her head.

She whispered, "I'm just worried about the audition in a couple of days."

"Besides that?" Song Yan discreetly tightened his grip on her fingertips, using his touch to comfort her.

There were still quite a few people at the round table, but no one noticed their subtle movements beneath the table. Worried about being discovered, Wen Li quickly said, "Nothing else."

Song Yan opened his mouth to say something, but Wen Li's expression suddenly changed.

"I just need to go to the restroom," she said.

Song Yan remained silent for a few seconds, feeling both amused and exasperated, "Go ahead, it's not good to hold it."

"..."

The food still hadn't arrived, and when they first sat down, Wen Li drank a lot of tea to divert her attention. Now she needed to use the restroom, so she apologized and left to find it.

After Wen Li left, Yu Weiguang quietly asked Song Yan, "Does your wife mind what the producer said just now?"

Song Yan shook his head.

He was afraid she would mind, but she didn't. That made him somewhat unhappy.

Sometimes, a man couldn't be as open-minded as she was.

While washing her hands, she was still thinking about the audition in a couple of days. When she returned to the private room, her mind was elsewhere, and she nearly bumped into Yu Weiguang.

Yu Weiguang called out to her and gently apologized for the producer's tactless banter, asking her not to mind.

"Huh?" Wen Li shook her head, "I didn't mind at all."

Yu Weiguang looked at her for a while and realized she seemed genuinely indifferent to what had just been said.

It turned out that he had been thinking too narrowly about Mrs. Song.

Yu Weiguang smiled and said, "Ah, it's alright. I was going to talk to you about something, but now it's unnecessary. Let's go back to the private room."

As he turned around, Wen Li called him from behind.

She hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Director Yu, can you tell me about Song Yan's experience in filming ten years ago?"

Yu Weiguang asked, "What do you want to know?"

The scope was too broad, and Wen Li couldn't explain clearly, so she could only say, "Um, if you don't mind, the more detailed, the better."

"Then why don't you just ask Ah Yan directly?"

Ask Song Yan directly? Say that I want to know if there were any sparks of love between you and Tang Jiaren when you filmed together?

That would be too embarrassing.

It would make her appear so insecure.

Wen Li couldn't directly explain the reason, so she hesitated, her delicate eyebrows furrowing, and her entire face wrinkled together.

Yu Weiguang looked at her and couldn't help but smile. He thought to himself that youth was indeed beautiful, and even this tangled expression was vibrant and lovely. He asked, "The more detailed, the better. Should I start from the beginning?"

"If we start from the beginning, you should know that I met him at his high school. It's not an exaggeration to say that I was amazed by him. It was like Old Lao Zhou saw you, it was as if he saw Ye Yan come back to life. When I saw Ah Yan, it was like seeing Chen Jiamu standing in front of me. But at that time, he was solely focused on studying, and I tried to convince him several times, but he wasn't very interested in entering the film industry."

Wen Li was curious, "Then how did you finally convince him to film?"

Yu Weiguang shook his head and denied, "I didn't convince him. I don't know who convinced him."

At that time, he had someone investigate Song Yan's background. He came from a well-off family when he was young, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Later, his family had gone through big changes, so he came to the Yancheng alone from his hometown to study. Perhaps the pride and arrogance from his previous privileged life hadn't completely faded, so initially, he wasn't very enthusiastic about Yu Weiguang's invitation.

But then he changed his mind.

An eighteen-year-old boy called him using the business card he left behind. When Yu Weiguang saw him, the initial arrogance and coldness in the boy had disappeared, replaced by a lowered head and dim emotions in his deep eyes.

The young man was filled with despair, like a beautiful porcelain piece discarded in ruins. He bit his lip; he knew that he had refused in the past but was now coming to him on his own initiative, looking embarrassed and pitiful. So, his attitude became extremely humble.

He moved his lips, his eyes slightly reddened, his voice hoarse.

"If I become an actor, will I be successful?"

Every young person who aspires to be an actor wants to be successful, so Yu Weiguang wasn't surprised by this question.

But then the young man asked him another question.

"Can I earn a lot of money?"