Chapter Eight: Today - Five

"She is quite something, expecting the host to invite the guests to entertain the guests." Gu Yunsheng's voice turned serious

The film "Yongning" tells the story set during the late Northern Wei period. The timeline spans from the completion of the Yongning Temple Tower in Luoyang to the moment when Er Zhu Rong led his troops into Luoyang, resulting in the tower being destroyed by fire, using the rise and fall of a tower to reflect the rise and fall of a dynasty. Initially, the project sought funding from various sources, presenting itself as a historical drama while actually focusing on romantic themes. However, once the funding was secured, Bai Han suddenly decided to create a serious historical drama. This is why the production team sought the assistance of ancient architecture consultants to help recreate the origins of the Yongning Temple Tower in the special effects animation.

He pushed the door open and entered. The room was filled with swirling smoke, with both men and women smoking. The smell of smoke made Gu Yunsheng, who rarely smoked, sneeze. Although he quickly covered his mouth, Lin Kuang, who was facing the door, and Jiang Tian, who was closest to the door, both noticed and turned their gazes in unison. Gu Yunsheng met Jiang Tian's eyes, smiled, walked in, closed the door properly, and sat down in the chair next to Lin Kuang.

After the handshake, Gu Yunsheng felt that he had calmed down. The warmth from Jiang Tian's palm seemed to linger on his hand. After so many years, he had almost forgotten the warmth of skin against skin. He couldn't help but embrace him, trying to act as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other in years. He caught a whiff of the smoke on Jiang Tian and felt him return the embrace with a sense of surprise followed by calmness. He steadied himself, suppressed the urge to kiss the nape of his neck, and simply let go, quickly shifting back to a friendly demeanor: "So, have you started teaching now?" He caught a whiff of the smoke on Jiang Tian and felt him return the embrace with a sense of surprise followed by calmness. He steadied himself, suppressed the urge to kiss the nape of his neck, and simply let go, quickly shifting back to a friendly demeanor: "So, have you started teaching now?"

This emotion fell into Jiang Tian's eyes, and he did not say anything: "If you don't want to go, you can just call her yourself. She has always thought we are relatives, so it is quite normal for us to convey messages to each other."

The news from Jiang Tian did not bring any shock to Gu Yunsheng, and even he himself was surprised at how calmly he accepted this fact. The premonition from that day in Lin Kuang's hospital room had come true, but it felt as tranquil as a plan that had already been noted in the calendar, destined to happen sooner or later

Oh," Gu Yunsheng continued to smile, "I think so too. If he had said it, we probably wouldn't have met here. But please believe me, I am as surprised as you are." After saying this, he added in his heart without any shame, "Well, maybe not as surprised as you."

Jiang Tian nodded towards Lin Kuang and said to Gu Yunsheng, "Then we will go together that evening"

However, it is generally the case that big names bring about many unexpected situations. Bai Han's "unexpected circumstances" are always continuous, especially the last-minute changes to shooting schedules and overtime, which have almost become routine for the crew. Particularly, with Lin Kuang hospitalized, some parts that he usually controlled were handed over to others, and because the subject was Bai Han, everything went off track. In the end, Gu Yunsheng simply gave up on trying to communicate with Bai Han, repeatedly reminding himself: this is doing a personal favor for Lin Kuang, treating it as a high-paying job to accompany a patient with delusional disorder who has been rejected by a mental hospital.

I am also feeling miserable staying in the hospital, so I might as well come out said Lin Kuang in a low voice

Thank you. Jiang Tian was taken aback and also extended his hand.

Alright. You may need to wait for me for a moment then

I almost forgot, you have always liked movies. So, finally having the opportunity to delve into the production process, will you be disappointed

Over there, Bai Han and Xia Kuiyi are arguing about the style of the set design. Xia Kuiyi protests that the lighting is too bright, completely ruining the aesthetic of her interior design. Bai Han retorts that her set is as dark as a tomb, and if she insists on using only natural light, people's faces would look like zombies. These two have been at odds since the filming began, and it has become an unspoken secret among the crew. Gu Yunsheng observes their quarrel, which indeed seems quite serious, and he chuckles to himself. Not paying much attention, he glances at Lin Kuang and notices that he still looks unwell, frail and weak. He whispers, "How did you get discharged from the hospital? Don't worry, things will be quite chaotic without you, but it won't be impossible to manage. Look, isn't Bai also coordinating everything..." He hesitated to say "in an orderly manner," and instead paused, choosing another phrase, "like that."

Gu Yunsheng's expression changed several times; he held back his words but ultimately could not bring himself to speak. He simply said, a bit wearily, "To be honest, I really don't know what kind of medicine these two are selling. Why would they eat anything when everything is fine?"

Gu Yunsheng said, "I still have a few shots that I haven't written; I will go finish them now. I have dinner plans with friends tonight"

Jiang Tian shook his head: "Do not overthink it, I have no other intentions. I received a call from He Cai this morning, inviting you and me to their home for dinner, and only then did I realize that the script for this film was written by you"

Lin Kuang glanced at him unexpectedly but did not ask further, allowing him to go on his way

On the afternoon when Jiang Tian appeared on set, Gu Yunsheng was half an hour late because he had arranged to meet someone for coffee. Upon his return, he immediately noticed that the atmosphere on set was both tranquil and peaceful; everyone was either resting or chatting, in stark contrast to the low pressure of previous days that felt almost like a volcano on the verge of eruption. His keen eyes caught sight of Wu Rong, Bai Han's assistant, who was hurrying by, and he asked, "Why hasn't work started at this time? What happened to your boss? Is he also suffering from a gastric hemorrhage?"

After the winter break, I have started to focus on the matters concerning Qing'an Temple. Additionally, I still have some research that I brought over from Japan that remains unfinished

Unexpectedly, Jiang Tian has stayed in T City like this. Gu Yunsheng stood there in a daze, and after a long while, he finally uttered an "ah," but he did not know what else to say. His usual eloquence was completely blown away by this sudden gust of joy, leaving him utterly speechless.

As soon as the door closed, Gu Yunsheng let out a heavy sigh, pressed his forehead, and then heard the sound of the door opening and closing again. He turned around and smiled, saying: "I have noticed that ever since you returned this time, we always encounter each other in unexpected places."

This method of psychological victory likely provided him with ten days of pleasant feelings. During this time, Gu Yunsheng had already confirmed from Bai Han's assistant that the historical architecture consultant for the crew was indeed Jiang Tian. However, since he arrived on set, he had not seen Jiang Tian even once. He occasionally overheard Bai Han's two assistants chatting, learning that Jiang Tian had visited the special effects team a few times, and that was all.

Jiang Tian, regardless of the deeper meaning, said: "Huang Daheng did not inform me that you were the screenwriter when he found me."

Jiang Tian noticed that he was silent and, coupled with his expressionless face, he also fell silent. After a while, Gu Yunsheng managed to form a smile devoid of any gloom and extended his hand: "Then congratulations on your return"

Lin Kuang gently interrupted him: "I heard Huang Daheng say that you and he are cousins? Why didn't you tell me this earlier? You are being distant."

Gu Yunsheng glanced at Yang Nairu, and his peripheral vision casually swept over Jiang Tian, not daring to look more closely, as he swiftly passed by: "How could Yang Nairu come here? And this ancient architecture consultant..."

I have officially received the appointment letter from the school. Today is the weekend, and I no longer have any familiar classmates or senior brothers at T University. They said they would celebrate for me.

The Miss Xia and Director Yang she mentioned, one is the art director and the other is the director of the special effects team. The former, Gu Yunsheng, would meet with her from time to time, while the latter is merely well-known. She did not dwell on what this group of people had gathered for. After bidding farewell to Wu Rong, Gu Yunsheng took three steps at a time and headed straight for the director's lounge on the second floor

His smile seemed to have also infected Jiang Tian, who curved his lips into a smile and said, "No, it was my own decision to come..."

Thank you for your trouble. Gu Yunsheng's smile deepened, "Since I have nothing to do here, I might as well go out. You few heavy smokers are making my eyes hurt.

Gu Yunsheng took out his phone and saw several missed calls. He quickly said, "I had my phone on silent, sorry for the trouble. I will head over right away"

Wu Rong smiled at him and shook her head: "Lin Kuang has been discharged from the hospital and is in the director's lounge with Director Bai. Miss Xia, Director Yang, and oh, also Dr. Jiang, whom you asked about last time, are all there. Director Bai asked me to find you an hour ago, but you never answered your phone. I was quite worried, but you finally returned."

A typical day for Gu Yunsheng on the set of "Yongning" usually unfolds as follows: Due to a car picking him up, he arrives at the set punctually at 10:00 AM every other day. Before lunch, he stays close to Bai Han, as it is said that this is when Bai Han's mind is most active. He must always be prepared for the possibility that Bai Han might toss the directing baton to the assistant director and rush over to request modifications to the preparations for the next scene in the script. Gu Yunsheng then takes three hours for lunch and a nap. He never minds writing another television script in a bustling café; the more chaotic the noise around him, the easier it is for him to capture inspiration. This brings him to around 3 or 4 PM, when he wanders back to avoid the peak of Bai Han's fiery temperament. For the next few hours, he sits beside Bai Han, disregarding all surrounding sounds, turning his "sudden inspiration" from the morning into a script, which he hands over to the production staff, watching them distribute it to the actors, who invariably appear ashen-faced upon receiving a new script. He then prepares for a new round of discussions with Bai Han, which could more aptly be described as "contentious." If everything goes according to this routine without any surprises, Gu Yunsheng can expect to return home before 8:00 PM.

It sounds like you are extremely busy, how could you think of taking on this matter? You weren't deceived by Huang Daheng, were you? Gu Yunsheng smiled so broadly that his eyes curved, appearing very happy and relaxed

Jiang had not yet had the chance to respond when the door to the lounge opened, and Lin Kuang poked his head out: "Doctor Jiang, could you please come here for a moment? Bai Han has a few details he would like to discuss with you... Yun Sheng, if you are not busy, you can come in and sit as well"

In fact, it was Jiang Tian who drew the sketch of the Yongning Temple tower, and Yang Nairu's people made a small model based on the drawing to show to Bai Han. As a result, Xia Kuiyi came over to confront him, which led the conversation off-topic. However, it doesn't matter much, as Yang Nairu and the others had almost finished their discussion. I heard that you and Jiang Tian are cousins, and he will notify you when he arrives.

Gu Yunsheng forced a smile and hesitantly said, "Distant relatives, and we haven't been in touch for many years. Let's get to the point, why have you called me here? This doesn't seem to concern me at all"