Happy Family

Happy Family's story soon reached its midpoint.

To get rid of the ghosts who kept possessing him at the drop of a hat,

the male lead had to help each of them fulfill their wishes in turn.

Perverted Grandpa wanted to find his camera.

The child's wish was simple: he just wanted to eat and drink to his heart's content.

As for Smoker Uncle's wish, that was a little bizarre.

He actually wanted to steal a car.

The male lead had no choice. He went out to steal one in the middle of the night, but before he could get his hands on it, the car's owner caught him.

The owner was a small-time boss who suspected his wife of cheating on him.

When he caught the male lead trying to steal his car, he mistook him for the man having an affair with his wife.

He wanted to run the male lead over, but didn't dare actually hit him, so he just chased him down the road.

After running for a while, the male lead was panting and finally couldn't go any farther.

Little Boss hurriedly hit the brakes, too.

The male lead turned around and told Little Boss he could communicate with spirits and help him find his wife's lover.

Smoker Uncle used his ability to breathe out cold air, freezing Little Boss inside the car until he was shivering.

Little Boss turned on the air conditioner, and the car finally warmed up again.

The three of them stared at one another.

After the male lead pleaded with him, Little Boss agreed to his request.

And so, the male lead embarked on an endless journey of tailing people.

The male lead was clumsy at following people, but surprisingly effective.

Little Boss's Wife thought he was a lunatic and paid him no mind.

The male lead followed Little Boss's Wife all the way to the hospital, where he discovered the truth.

It turned out Little Boss's Wife wasn't having an affair. She was sick with lung cancer.

Afraid treatment would harm the baby in her womb, she had chosen to forgo it.

The male lead told Little Boss the truth.

In the end, Little Boss went to talk to his wife.

Their exchange was deeply moving.

Little Boss: "Why didn't you tell me? You have to get treatment~"

His wife: "I think our child surviving is more important than me surviving.

"Even though we'll grow old... our child will grow up..."

By the time she finished speaking, Little Boss was already in tears, crying like a helpless child.

The actors playing the couple were also Lin Chuan's university teachers.

The woman taught vocal music.

The man taught mathematics.

They weren't planning to have a child yet.

Neither of them taught acting, but they had both graduated from Jianghai Film Academy, and their acting was superb and utterly natural.

They were a real-life couple, too. They'd had checkups the year before, and both were in perfect health, with no cancer.

They didn't even have common ailments like ingrown toenails or hemorrhoids.

They were clearly deeply immersed in their roles. Even after the shoot was over, they kept holding each other tightly,

as if letting go would mean being parted by death.

Many people on set who were easily moved were sobbing uncontrollably.

Xu Xiu, the art teacher, was already crying her eyes out.

Many of the more sensitive crew members were secretly wiping away tears, too.

Lin Chuan didn't cry. On the contrary, he was very pleased with how the shoot had gone.

If even the crew members couldn't hold back their tears, wouldn't the audience be crying in droves when the movie came out?

Perverted Grandpa, the child, Smoker Uncle, and the weepy older sister.

As each of them had their wish fulfilled, their parts wrapped, one after another.

Before long, a whole month had passed.

Amid the crew's cheers,

filming for Happy Family was finally complete.

Happy Family's story wasn't simple, but it wasn't complicated, either.

Lin Chuan simply kept a very tight grip on the shooting schedule, averaging nearly ten scenes a day.

That left the crew exhausted.

Lighting and cinematography were both physically demanding jobs.

Still, Lin Chuan gave the crew first-rate treatment.

Not only were the boxed lunches and wages top-tier,

but overtime came with triple pay.

Sometimes he handed out red envelopes, bought snacks and milk tea, and treated the entire crew.

Everyone on the crew was very fond of Lin Chuan, the rookie director.

Now that filming for Happy Family was finally finished, the grueling shoot had come to an end.

Many crew members felt as if a great weight had lifted from their shoulders.

All that remained was to finish editing the movie, and then it could be shown in theaters.

After Happy Family wrapped, Lin Chuan held a wrap party.

This was his first time directing a live-action movie, so it was a milestone.

He invited Ren Hang, too.

Although Ren Hang didn't have a single scene, he'd actually been there the whole time.

Ren Hang had been there when Director Hou and Ma Wei analyzed Lin Chuan's acting.

He'd also been there when Lin Chuan played a man possessed by ghosts and delivered a performance that looked like a split personality.

He was even there when the couple tearfully confessed their love to each other. He just hadn't made much of an impression, so people overlooked him.

Lin Chuan had considered giving Ren Hang a small role.

But then he thought it over. Even the least experienced kid actor was better than Ren Hang.

Ren Hang would only get outclassed, so Lin Chuan decided not to give him a cameo.

He could give him a substantial role in a future movie instead.

Several actors whose parts had already wrapped came to the party, too.

Director Hou, Ma Wei, and Xu Xiu were among them.

They were all university teachers, their schedules were flexible, and Happy Family had been filmed in Jianghai City.

Besides, the wrap party was held in the evening.

Even Ma Wei, who was usually quite busy, had made time to attend the Happy Family wrap party.

Happy Family was a special movie for all of them, too.

Its ending had left a particularly deep impression.

At the wrap party, the actors all offered Lin Chuan their congratulations.

Director Hou felt that Lin Chuan had a strong foundation in acting and a profound understanding of directing. Happy Family had immense artistic value.

He also hinted that Lin Chuan was welcome to transfer into the acting department whenever he wanted.

That way, he could study acting while making movies.

Ma Wei, meanwhile, felt that Happy Family dealt with a subject that appealed to the general public. It was also a light comedy, the most popular kind of movie on the market, so it was bound to do well at the box office.

As for Xu Xiu, she told Lin Chuan through her swollen, tearful eyes

that Happy Family was a good movie, but she would never watch it a second time.

It had been too painful. Her tear ducts couldn't take it.

Lin Chuan found that a little baffling.

As far as he was concerned, Happy Family had a rather heartwarming ending. It was practically a happy ending.

He didn't quite understand why Xu Xiu had said that.

After thinking it over, Lin Chuan concluded that Teacher Xu Xiu was probably just too sensitive.

At the wrap party, plenty of crew members came over to toast Lin Chuan.

It was his first time directing a live-action movie, but his professionalism made him seem like a seasoned veteran.

That was partly due to the talent granted by the system.

It was also thanks to Lin Chuan's own hard work.

Everyone both respected and feared the young director.

Now that they had the chance, they naturally came over one after another to get him drunk.

Lin Chuan turned none of them down.

Filming for Happy Family was over, and the biggest job was done.

All that remained was to release it in theaters and see how audiences responded and how it performed at the box office.

Lin Chuan treated the wrap party as a rare chance to let loose, too.

After gaining the Rubber Man Talent, Lin Chuan found that not only was he physically stronger, but he could hold his liquor much better, too.

At least, no one on the crew could match him.

He drank at least two jin of baijiu, but was only a little tipsy.

The wrap party was held outdoors. Everyone ate barbecue and drank beneath the stars.

Lin Chuan downed half a bottle of baijiu in a few gulps, then sat on a little stool and gazed up at the dazzling stars.

By the end of the night, Lin Chuan stopped holding back and stared at the sky through bleary eyes.

He began dreaming of Happy Family making over a hundred million at the box office.

"If Happy Family makes over a hundred million, what kind of talent will I get?"

The next day, Lin Chuan woke up feeling refreshed.

He already exercised regularly, and after gaining the Rubber Man Talent, he was far stronger than an ordinary person.

So he didn't have any of the headaches or dizziness that usually came with a hangover.

After making some money, Lin Chuan didn't immediately rent a place off campus. He just had an air conditioner installed in his dorm.

Most of the actors in the crew were teachers at Jianghai Film Academy.

The set was near the academy, too, so there was no need to rent a place for the time being.

After going out for a few laps and getting in a light morning run, Lin Chuan returned to the dorm.

He called out to the system in his mind.

"System, filming's done. Give me my reward."