Chapter Thirty-Two: The Heroine

The three of them settled onto the office sofa, and Chen Ling was the first to speak.
“Did you and your mother just return from Hong Kong?”
“That’s right. In the past two years, I haven’t received many offers for roles on the mainland, so I tried my luck in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, nothing really caught my eye.”
Liu Yifei didn’t hide anything and answered Chen Ling directly.
It matched Chen Ling’s memories; according to the timeline he recalled, Liu Yifei did have two Hong Kong-financed films set to premiere during these years. It seemed that the offers she referred to were from this period—one was a rehashed version of “A Chinese Ghost Story,” the other a historically inaccurate “Banquet at Hongmen.” He wondered which pit she was considering falling into now.
No matter which, now that she’d met him, Chen Ling could only apologize for stealing the opportunity. Since the “Fairy Sister” was so fair and delicate, he’d rather not let her fall into a pit if he could help it.
“Who says there are no film roles in the mainland? Didn’t I just invite you myself?”
“We really have to thank you, Director Chen, for thinking of Yifei for your new project at this time,” Liu Xiaoli interjected. In recent years, due to Huayi’s influence, she and her daughter had run into no small number of obstacles in the domestic entertainment industry.
“But could Yifei and I take a look at the script first? She’s quite interested in your work.”
“Of course,” Chen Ling replied. It was only natural for actors to want to read the script.
With that, he got up, opened the office safe, and took out the script for “Breakup Buddies,” handing it to Liu Yifei and her mother.
The script was thick, including many storyboard sketches Chen Ling had drawn himself.
“Thank you, Director Chen.” Liu Yifei thanked him politely.
“No need to be so formal. You’re a Beijing Film Academy alum, and I’m still a student there. You don’t need to call me Director Chen; just call me junior.”
Chen Ling’s polite gesture was a clear attempt to build rapport.
“All right, I’ll call you junior then.” Liu Yifei tilted her head thoughtfully. She had no reason to refuse his kindness.
She looked adorably absent-minded, and Liu Xiaoli didn’t object to their use of “senior” and “junior.”
“That’s more like it. Take your time with the script, no rush.”
“Thank you. We’ll read through it now—you go ahead and handle your other business.”
As the mother and daughter delved into the script, Chen Ling returned to his desk to see if there was anything else that needed his attention.

Ever since he shot to fame with “Love Is Not Blind,” Chen Ling received a constant stream of invitations to events, and of course, film offers as well.
Some wanted him to direct, some invited him to act in movies or television series, and some even approached him for endorsements—far more than after his first hit song.
But Chen Ling had no intention of accepting endorsements in the next two years. This period would be when his fame would rapidly rise, and these deals didn’t pay much, brought too many hassles, and would only cheapen his standing. Besides, he didn’t care for such small change.
As for film offers, Chen Ling flipped through them but found nothing suitable—certainly nothing that matched the quality of projects he remembered.
He also noticed an invitation to the premiere of “Under the Hawthorn Tree” by Master Zhang, to be held at the small auditorium of the Beijing Film Academy at the end of the month.
Though he didn’t know Master Zhang personally, he was very close with Dou Xiao, and there was no reason not to show support. Dou Xiao had even personally called him about it a few days before.
Given Master Zhang’s status, the premiere would surely attract a gathering of top stars. Chen Ling found himself looking forward to it—it would be his first time attending such a grand event.
By the time he’d finished reviewing the documents on his desk, Liu Yifei and her mother had just finished reading the script.
“Well?” he asked, resuming his seat on the sofa.
“The script is excellent. I’d be happy to play the role. When do you plan to start shooting?” Liu Yifei exchanged a glance with her mother.
“We’ll begin no later than early October and expect to finish in two months,” Chen Ling replied. He’d already worked out the filming schedule.
It was only early August—one month was plenty to assemble the crew and audition actors. He was working from memory; things would move quickly.
“That works for us. Yifei’s schedule is clear around that time,” Liu Xiaoli answered after some thought.
“And what about your fee?” Chen Ling asked, raising a crucial point.
Actors’ fees directly affected the film’s budget, and Chen Ling wasn’t sure about Liu Yifei’s current asking price. When he’d discussed the budget with Han Sanping, he’d only been able to make a rough estimate, with actor salaries being the most unpredictable.
“Three million—how does that sound?” Liu Xiaoli replied, clearly handling the negotiations for her daughter.
“Three million is fine,” Chen Ling agreed after a brief consideration.
It wasn’t a high price. At this time, only the biggest stars—Jackie, Chow Yun-fat, Jet Li, and Andy Lau—commanded much higher fees. The leading ladies generally earned four to five million per film.
Liu Yifei used to command such fees herself, but after appearing in several lackluster films in recent years, her popularity and reputation had declined. Three million was a fair, market-appropriate figure.
“If you have time, you can come by the company to sign the contract in the next few days. Of course, if you’d like to do it today, that would be even better and save you another trip.”

Hearing this, Liu Yifei and her mother exchanged a look. At first, her mother’s gaze was hesitant, but when she met her daughter’s determined eyes, she paused—then finally gave a slight nod.
She sensed that, between the Hong Kong projects and Chen Ling’s film, her daughter clearly preferred the latter. Though not a word was spoken, the understanding between mother and daughter was deeper than any conversation could be.
Seeing her mother’s agreement, Liu Yifei turned to Chen Ling and said firmly, “No problem, junior. We can sign right now.”
Chen Ling observed their silent exchange and could more or less guess their thoughts—they were weighing his project against those in Hong Kong.
He’d thought they might want to go home and discuss it, but it was settled on the spot. Clearly, Liu Yifei’s opinion took precedence. Life these past two years must have been even tougher for her than he’d imagined.
“By the way, I heard you keep quite a few cats and dogs?” Chen Ling asked, recalling some well-known gossip about her fondness for pets.
“Are you suggesting…?” Liu Yifei paused, quickly realizing where his question was leading, though she was still a bit uncertain.
“Exactly. You’ve read the script—the little dog appears often. Would you be interested in letting your own dog play the part?” Now that Liu Yifei had guessed his intention, Chen Ling didn’t beat around the bush.
“No problem. I do have a suitable dog at home. Do you need my dog to audition?” Liu Yifei’s face lit up with a radiant smile at the thought of her pet appearing in a film, leaving Chen Ling momentarily speechless—though her question was a bit tricky for him to answer.
“No need for an audition,” Chen Ling replied, waving it off. What would he be testing—a dog’s acting or its lines?
“Just bring your dog over before the shoot starts so I can take a look. Of course, you’ll have to train it a bit, to fetch a paper ball or something, just as the script requires.”
“No problem,” Liu Yifei agreed readily. Judging by the script, the little dog played a significant role and appeared quite often.
Since Liu Yifei had no objections, Chen Ling called in the company’s newly hired lawyer, and, under legal witness, they signed the contract.
With the contract signed, Chen Ling felt a surge of happiness. After all, acting opposite the “Heavenly Fairy” was something he wouldn’t even have dared dream of in his previous life.
Now, not only would they play a couple, even husband and wife—what a pity there weren’t any kissing scenes. Perhaps he could revisit the script and see if he could add one!
“May I take a copy of the script? I’d like to read it more thoroughly at home.” Liu Yifei was clearly pleased after signing, and this film was likely the best project she’d encountered since “The Forbidden Kingdom.”
“Certainly. Before filming starts, all the main cast and crew will have a group script reading session.” Chen Ling had no objection to her taking a copy home.