Metaphysics

Over the next few days, everyone also looked at actors from the Central Academy of Drama and various spoken-drama troupes.

Some members of the creative team for Romance on Mount Lu thought Fang Shu was excellent. Wang Haowei also felt they could give her a try first, so she paired Fang Shu with Zhou Lijing and asked them to come to Beijing Film Studio every day to discuss the roles, study them, and do further screen tests.

Zhang Tielin, Chen Baoguo, and the others had already been weeded out.

Chen Chong made a special trip from Shanghai. She had already made a name for herself in Little Flower, and the previous year she had enrolled at the Shanghai Foreign Languages Institute, majoring in British and American literature. Then, in 1981, she went to America and married a Hollywood movement coach.

Everyone had originally had high hopes for her, but after her screen test, they found the result wasn't what they had imagined. She was young at the time, with baby fat on her face, and didn't have the right feel for the heroine, so she was weeded out too.

Early one morning.

Chen Qi arrived at the meeting room bright and early.

He usually came first to sweep the floor, wipe down the tables, and do things like that. Sometimes he even prepared tea. In terms of position, he was the screenwriter; in terms of age, he was the youngest. That made for a rather contradictory situation.

But he didn't mind, and his favorability kept shooting up.

When he arrived that morning, he was surprised to find someone already sitting in the room, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and writing something with his head down.

"Ahem, hello, comrade!"

"Oh, hello, hello!"

The man looked up and hurried to his feet, revealing a handsome, striking face with red lips and white teeth. His eyes in particular were bright and sparkling, as though they were glowing. He had a good physique, was fairly tall, and had fair, delicate skin.

Ha!

Chen Qi was delighted and went straight over to shake his hand. Ah, Chancellor, when will you lead us on the Northern Expedition?

I've even got my excavator ready!

This was none other than the dashing, top-ranked creamy young heartthrob, Tang Guoqiang!

"Hello, my name is Chen Qi. I'm the screenwriter for Romance on Mount Lu."

"I've heard so much about you! I heard long ago that a young talent had come to Beijing Film Studio. Meeting you today, I can see your reputation is well deserved!"

Tang Guoqiang's voice was loud and magnetic, very pleasant to hear. He warmly invited Chen Qi to sit and said with a smile, "I had nothing to do, so I thought I'd come early. When I got here, I saw I was too early. Nobody else has arrived yet."

"They'll be here soon. They're all having breakfast right now. Did you come over from August First Film Studio?"

"Yes. Are you staying at Beijing Film Studio?"

"Mm, I've been staying at the guesthouse."

The two chatted for a while, and Chen Qi kept staring at his face. Wow, his skin really is good!

People's skin in this era was generally rough, but he was exceptionally gifted, born so fair and delicate that he was prettier than a woman.

While they were filming Little Flower, his birthday came around. Chen Chong asked what he wanted, and he said, "I like eating cream. Get me a cream cake." Afterward, Chen Chong told everyone she met, "This big brother of mine has even softer skin than I do. It's from eating cream."

At the time, society idolized tough guys like Ken Takakura, and Tang Guoqiang was teased quite a bit. In 1981, especially, he starred in The Peacock Princess, where he was tender as water, with exquisite features and a fair complexion, unusually handsome!

The nickname "creamy young heartthrob" spread from there.

It caused him a great deal of trouble. He worked hard to break out of his usual roles, but with little success, and carried the label for many years, until Zhuge Wolong appeared in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Later, he also played the Chairman and Yongzheng, establishing his standing in one stroke.

Objectively speaking, his acting was good. The first few times he played the Chairman were decent too, but after playing him more often, he started churning out performances on an assembly line. He also grew older and kept playing emperors and generals, all in much the same style. He had no desire to improve, and his acting declined considerably.

As they chatted, Tang Guoqiang noticed something was off and asked, "Comrade Little Chen, why do you keep looking at me?"

"I just think your skin is really good. Do you usually take care of it?"

"Take care of it? Mine... I suppose I was born with it?"

"Being born with it makes it even more impressive. Look at me, mine isn't nearly as good. It's a bit rough, and with the change of seasons lately, I've even gotten pimples..."

"Oh, you young comrade!"

Tang Guoqiang slapped his thigh and said, at a loss for words, "Two grown men sitting here discussing skin-what kind of sight is that?"

"All right, all right, let's not discuss it. But your skin really is good..."

For some reason, Chen Qi felt like laughing whenever he looked at him, and then he wanted to tease him. Fortunately, Wang Haowei and the others arrived and rescued Tang Guoqiang.

August First Film Studio and Beijing Film Studio were on very good terms. August First lacked directors, while Beijing Film Studio had plenty, so its directors often went over to help August First make films, and the two studios also exchanged actors. Today wasn't as serious as before; the atmosphere was more relaxed.

Everyone sat down wherever they pleased, and Tang Guoqiang said, "Director Wang, first, thank you for inviting me. I read the script for Romance on Mount Lu, and I have a question. I'm twenty-seven this year. Am I a little too old?"

"But you look young!"

Wang Haowei laughed and said, "We considered that question long ago. First, we look at your appearance. As long as the feeling is right, that's enough. Besides, there's a five-year gap in the story for the male and female leads. Naturally, they'll have matured five years later."

"Oh, then, since you think highly of me, shall I give it a try first?"

"Of course, of course. Let's talk more first and get a feel for it. But I'll say this now: I can't promise we'll definitely cast you."

"Of course. I'm not some young fellow fresh out of the thatched cottage."

After chatting a while longer, Tang Guoqiang took his leave. Before going, he glanced at Chen Qi. The young man had made a deep impression on him, starting right off by discussing skin. Sigh, young people these days...

After he left, the meeting continued.

Wang Haowei said, "Fang Shu and Zhou Lijing have been settled on as one pairing. There's no need to say anything about Little Tang's looks and abilities; we can certainly consider him. We still need an actress to pair with him. That will give us two candidate pairings, and we'll see which is suitable in the end."

"Pan Hong?"

"Jiang Lili?"

"Zhang Weixin (Li Xiaolu's mother, a dancer)?"

One candidate after another was suggested, but either they had no room in their schedules or their work units wouldn't release them.

In the end, they still reached no decision.

The meeting broke up.

Chen Qi returned to the guesthouse and closed the door.

After a pause, he pulled out a chair, sat down, and spread out his manuscript paper. He also felt that progress was slow, and when it came down to it, it was his fault. With Romance on Mount Lu moved from Shanghai Film Studio to Beijing Film Studio, many things had changed.

"No choice. I'll have to cast by metaphysics!"

He finally couldn't hold back.

Let's see, who were the actresses in this era?

He Qing was only fifteen, at the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe. Chen Hong was even younger, only eleven, probably serving as the arts and culture representative in primary school. Tao Huimin was thirteen and should have just joined a Yue opera troupe...

Though the three were young, they could be used in the future.

Chen Qi made a note in his notebook.

Besides them, He Saifei, Ru Ping, Dong Zhizhi, Zhou Jie, and Lin Fangbing were all too young as well. Romance on Mount Lu spanned five years, from the characters' early twenties to twenty-seven or twenty-eight, so there was no need to find an immature actress.

"What about Li Jianqun?"

Chen Qi suddenly thought of the name. She should have been studying in the stage design department at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and she had no acting experience either.

Still, he made a note of her for future use.

"Where's Zhu Lin? Working at some health research institute, isn't she? Would she have the bearing of a mother to the realm in Romance on Mount Lu?"

And thinking of Zhu Lin naturally brought another name to mind. In later years, the two were talked about with relish online by a new generation of netizens. He pondered for a moment, then drew a circle in his notebook.

"Her it is!"

(End of chapter)