The online controversy never stopped, but the filming of all the scenes that were supposed to be shot offline continued uninterrupted.
Perhaps it was the exposure brought by the Reuters photos that gave the whole crew a lot of motivation. They knew the show was a hit even before it aired, and nobody wanted to let them down.
Filming is progressing almost twice as fast as expected.
The originally planned three-month cycle was compressed into one and a half months.
Director Zhou didn't keep a single penny of the saved funds; he poured them all into the food.
Hot pot today, barbecue tomorrow, and a seafood feast the day after.
The entire crew ate heartily, their mouths brimming with delicious food, and the atmosphere was incredibly pleasant.
Old Liu from the props department said that in his more than ten years working on film crews, this was the first time he had ever seen a director save money from the budget to treat everyone to a meal.
Cheng Che made three friends in the group.
The first one is Wen Zhiyi.
The two actors had many scenes together and often went over the script together.
As Cheng Che got to know her better, he discovered that this actress, who appeared as cold as the moon in front of the camera, was actually quite naive in private.
She would agonize over the emphasis of a single line of dialogue for an entire afternoon, pause for three seconds after he pointed out a logical flaw, then pat the script and say, "Oh, right," and during breaks, she would sit in a corner with her thermos cup, lost in thought, her eyes vacant.
She's in a relationship.
That day, Cheng Che finished work late and went out of the hotel's side door to buy water. He saw Wen Zhiyi standing under a street lamp, nestled in a man's arms.
The man was wearing a baseball cap and had his back to him, so his face was obscured.
Wen Zhiyi had her eyes closed, her expression was very calm, and the corners of her mouth were curved, completely different from the aloof Shen Nian she usually was on set.
Cheng Che didn't continue watching and took another route.
He didn't have any thoughts on it.
He already has three unresolved romantic entanglements; to go and provoke others would be tantamount to courting death.
The second and third people are Zhao Yiming and Li Siyuan.
They were both five or six years older than Cheng Che, but they were considered young people on set. After work, when they had nothing to do, they would get together and play games.
Cheng Che didn't play much at first, but Zhao Yiming kept shouting in the lounge, "Let's play a game, we need someone," and after being pulled in, he found it quite fun.
After a few calls, their relationship grew closer.
Zhao Yiming is talkative and gossipy, and he dares to say anything, but he's not a bad person at heart.
Li Siyuan is quiet and doesn't talk much, but he's extremely serious when playing games. He reviews the game whether he loses or wins.
The three of them got together: one was responsible for causing trouble, one for keeping things calm, and one for leading the way.
During this period Cheng Che to return to Peking University to take his final exams.
Life goes on like this.
By the end of December, the final scene was performed.
High-speed rail station.
In the script, Zhou Ye and Shen Nian go their separate ways after graduating from high school.
Zhou Ye went to a sports university, and Shen Nian went to another city.
Years later, the two met by chance at a high-speed rail station, separated by two railway tracks, with a high-speed train whizzing by.
After the car passed, the two looked at each other and smiled.
There were no lines, no dialogue.
That one laugh ended the entire series.
Director Zhou scheduled this scene for the final day of filming, saying, "We'll save the best for last."
The filming location was an abandoned old train station.
Two railway tracks stretched out in parallel, with withered weeds growing in the gaps between the sleepers, and the signal lights in the distance were still old-fashioned, flashing red and green alternately.
A few panes of glass were missing from the platform's roof, and the wind, carrying the chill of late December, blew in through the gaps.
The film crew chartered an old train and converted it into a high-speed train, which slowly passed by one end of the platform as a backdrop.
Cheng Che stood on one side of the railway tracks. Wen Zhiyi stood on the other side.
The two people were about ten meters apart, with two railway tracks and gusts of wind between them.
Cheng Che was wearing Zhou Ye's costume, a faded sports jacket over a gray hoodie, the collar slightly open.
He stood by the railway tracks with his hands in his pockets.
Wen Zhiyi was wearing a beige trench coat, her hair was loose, and the ends of her hair would flutter when the wind blew.
She stood on the opposite platform, arms crossed.
Director Zhou shouted "Ready!" from behind the monitor.
Suddenly, a tremor came from afar, rising from beneath our feet and becoming increasingly noticeable.
The rails began to hum.
The traffic light changed color, switching from red to green.
In the shot.
A gust of wind blew in from the end of the platform, lifting the hem of Cheng Che's coat.
Wen Zhiyi raised her hand and brushed a stray hair from her forehead.
The front of the car appeared.
A white dot, rapidly growing larger from the end of the railway tracks.
The roar grew closer, and the air pressure pushed in by the locomotive filled the entire platform.
The high-speed train passed between the two people.
The train carriages flashed by one after another, their white surfaces reflecting the shadows of people on both sides.
Cheng Che's shadow was slowly lengthened, as if drawn by the heavens.
Wen Zhiyi's shadow was the same.
The shadows of two people appeared and disappeared on the rapidly passing car window.
Then, the rear of the car passed by.
The vibrations on the platform gradually subsided, the echoes of the train tracks bounced twice between the buildings on either side, and then fell completely silent.
But at some point, their elongated shadows overlapped.
The director, watching from behind the monitor, stared wide-eyed at the scene. He hadn't expected such a coincidence, and his hands were trembling with excitement.
The photographer understood and immediately gave it a beautiful close-up.
After the high-speed train journey, the two, who hadn't met for many years and had missed each other multiple times, finally saw each other.
Surprise, astonishment, helplessness, joy... a mix of emotions welled up in their hearts.
His facial expressions became uncontrollable, and his eyes gradually reddened.
Wen Zhiyi's eyes reddened.
Cheng Che's is the same.
Immediately afterwards, all the emotions faded away, leaving only the joy of meeting.
She laughed first.
Cheng Che smiled too.
Director Zhou was watching the screen behind the monitor.
He's been acting for over a decade and has seen all kinds of scenes.
But the image on the monitor made him grip the edge of the screen, his knuckles turning white.
Two railway tracks stretch from the foreground to the background, disappearing at the edge of the picture.
Two people stand on either side of the picture frame, one on the left and one on the right.
The afterimage of the high-speed train had not completely dissipated at the edge of the image, and the white blur contrasted with the two still figures.
Sunlight streamed through a gap in the platform's roof, Cheng Che Che's profile.
The angle of his head tilt, the curve of his smile, the hint of red in his eyes—all were perfectly positioned.
Wen Zhiyi stood opposite her, the wind blowing the stray hairs on her forehead, but she ignored them, her eyes red, yet she was still smiling.
[ Iconic Moment ] triggered.
[ Camera Language ] Triggered.
Director Zhou did not call "cut".
On the screen, the two people are looking at each other across the railway tracks.
No one moved. No one spoke.
The wind blew Cheng Che's clothes and then lifted a strand of Wen Zhiyi's hair.
Both of them had smiles on their faces, and neither of them shed tears.
Director Zhou stared at the screen, his breathing becoming softer.
After the two of them finished laughing, Cheng Che took his hand out of his pocket and made the same heart gesture he had made years ago towards Wen Zhiyi.
She was still so awkward and embarrassed, but Wen Zhiyi smiled radiantly.
Director Zhou then shouted it out.
"Card."
His voice trembled slightly.
He stood up, bracing himself against the edge of the monitor, and took a deep breath.
Then he turned around and shouted to everyone on set, "Filming wrapped!"
Cheers erupted from all directions.
The staff applauded, the actors hugged each other, and the props team threw hats into the air.
Zhao Yiming ran over and put his arm around Li Siyuan's shoulder, shouting, "It's finally over!"
Li Siyuan's glasses were tilted by his shaking, but he still smiled.
Wen Zhiyi stood still, not leaving immediately.
She looked at Cheng Che across from her.
Watching him transform from Zhou Ye Cheng Che, his shoulders relaxed, his steps became unsteady, and he raised his hand to smooth his wind-blown hair.
Then she turned and walked towards her assistant.
Director Zhou walked through the crowd, stood in front of Cheng Che, and extended his hand.
Cheng Che grasped it.
Director Zhou's hands were thick and strong, and he gripped them tightly. He looked at Cheng Che with a complex expression on his face.
It sounded like satisfaction, but also like a sigh.
" Cheng Che," he said, "I've never worked with an actor like him before."
Cheng Che smiled and said, " Director Zhou, you're too kind."
"It's not just politeness." Director Zhou shook his head, his tone serious. "You haven't studied acting, but your performances are better than many formally trained actors. You understand the camera, the rhythm, and when to place emotions. I don't know how you do it, but I know one thing: you're a genius."
Cheng Che didn't reply, but simply nodded slightly.
He knew in his heart that this wasn't a special talent, but rather that he possessed the " Faces of All Beings."
That talent allowed him to understand the inner world of each character and to put himself in anyone's shoes.
When he played Zhou Ye, he was Zhou Ye.
He could sense the impetuousness, clumsiness, and undisguised affection of those teenagers.
It's not just about imitation, it's about becoming that character.
The wrap party was held at a seafood restaurant in Xiamen, occupying an entire floor.
Director Zhou went from table to table toasting, his face flushed from drinking, but he couldn't stop smiling.
Producer Fang held Cheng Che's hand and repeatedly said, "I'll look for you again for the next film." Cheng Che smiled and nodded, but did not agree.
Zhao Yiming was drunk. He put his arm around Li Siyuan and sang a song called "Friends" off-key. Li Siyuan was expressionless as he was held by him, occasionally pushing his face away a little.
Wen Zhiyi sat in the corner, quietly drinking a glass of juice, occasionally glancing up in Cheng Che's direction before looking down again.
When the banquet ended, Qin Lie pulled Cheng Che aside and handed him a plane ticket.
"The day after tomorrow morning, I'll fly from Xiamen to Spring City," Qin Lie said. "I'll go home for a while, then fly directly to Melbourne."
Cheng Che took the plane ticket and glanced at it.
"Don't linger too long in your comfortable life and forget about the Australian Open." Qin Lie patted his shoulder, his tone half-joking, half-serious. "January, the Grand Slam. You promised me."
Cheng Che put the plane ticket away and smiled.
"Won't."
Qin Lie left. Cheng Che returned to his hotel room, took a shower, and sat on the bed.
He didn't lie down immediately.
He pulled the dark blue textbook out of his suitcase and turned to the page with the bookmark.
The notebook is open, and the pen is held in my hand.
The night view of Xiamen outside the window is very quiet, with the sound of the sea breeze in the distance.
He wrote the first line.
In the last few days of December, the Australian Open is drawing ever closer.
But his pen never stopped.