Metaphysics

Over the next few days, the team also reviewed candidates from the Central Academy of Drama and various drama troupes. Within the creative team for *Romance on Mount Lu*, some felt Fang Shu was very good. Wang Haowei also thought they could give her a try first, so she paired Fang Shu with Zhou Lijing, having them come to Beijing Film Studio every day to talk through scenes, study the material, and conduct further screen tests. The likes of Zhang Tielin and Chen Baoguo had already been cut. Chen Chong made a special trip from Shanghai. She had already risen to prominence starring in *Little Flower*. Last year she had tested into Shanghai International Studies University, majoring in British and American literature, and in 1981 would head to the United States and marry a Hollywood movement coach. Everyone had initially held high hopes for her, but after the screen test, they found the effect was not what they had envisioned. She was still young at this time, with baby fat on her face, and lacked the aura of the female lead, so she was dropped as well. Early one morning. Chen Qi arrived at the conference room well ahead of time. He usually came first to sweep the floor, wipe the tables, and sometimes prepare hot tea. In terms of title, he was the screenwriter; in terms of age, he was the youngest. This created a rather paradoxical dynamic. Yet he did not mind at all, and everyone's favorable impression of him soared. When he walked in today, he was surprised to find someone already sitting in the room, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and looking down, writing something. "Ahem. Hello, comrade!" "Oh, hello, hello!" The man looked up and quickly stood, revealing a strikingly handsome face with ruby lips and pearly teeth. His eyes in particular shone brightly as if illuminated. His build was fine and tall, and his skin was fair and delicate. *Ha!* Chen Qi was delighted. He stepped forward to shake his hand. *Oh, Prime Minister, when will you lead us on the Northern Expeditions?* *I've already got my excavators ready!* This was none other than the debonair leading heartthrob, the number-one "creamy young man"—Tang Guoqiang! "Hello, I'm Chen Qi, screenwriter for *Romance on Mount Lu*." "An honor, an honor! I'd long heard that Beijing Film Studio had a young prodigy. Meeting you today proves the rumors true!" Tang Guoqiang's voice was resonant and magnetic, exceptionally pleasant to hear. He warmly invited Chen Qi to sit down and smiled. "I had nothing to do, so I figured I'd come early, but it turns out I arrived way too early—no one else is here yet." "They'll be here soon; they're having breakfast right now. Did you come over from August First Film Studio?" "Yes. Do you live at Beijing Film Studio?" "Yeah, I've been staying at the guesthouse." As the two chatted, Chen Qi kept staring at his face. *Man, his skin really is great!* People of this era generally had rough skin, but he was uniquely gifted by nature, born fair and tender, looking prettier than most women. When filming *Little Flower*, his birthday had come around, and Chen Chong asked him what he wanted. He said, "I like eating cream. Get me a cream cake." Later, Chen Chong told everyone she met, "That big brother of mine, his skin is more delicate than mine, all from eating cream!" At the time, society idolized tough-guy types like Ken Takakura, and people often poked fun at Tang Guoqiang. Especially after he played in *The Peacock Princess* in 1981, where he was gentle as water, exquisitely featured, fair-skinned, and exceptionally handsome! Thus the nickname "creamy young man" spread far and wide. This caused him immense trouble. He tried hard to break out of his casting type, but with little success, carrying the "creamy young man" label for years until his Zhuge Wolong arrived in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. Later, he played the Chairman and Yongzheng, cementing his status in one fell swoop. Objectively speaking, his acting was decent. The first few times he played the Chairman were quite fine. Later, having played him so often, it turned into assembly-line production. Furthermore, as he grew older, he constantly played emperors, generals, and ministers, all looking identical in style; lacking subjective ambition to improve, his acting deteriorated considerably. As they chatted, Tang Guoqiang sensed something was off and asked, "Comrade Xiao Chen, why do you keep looking at me?" "I just think your skin is really great. Do you do anything to care for it normally?" "Skincare? Mine... it's natural, I suppose?" "Natural? That's incredible. Look at me, nowhere close—it's a bit rough, and with the change of seasons lately, I've even broken out with pimples..." "Aiya, I say, young comrade!" Tang Guoqiang slapped his thigh, speechless. "Two grown men sitting here discussing skincare—what kind of picture does that paint?" "All right, all right, no more discussing it. But your skin really is great..." For some reason, looking at him just made Chen Qi want to smile and tease him. Fortunately, Wang Haowei and the others arrived, rescuing Tang Guoqiang. The relationship between August First Film Studio and Beijing Film Studio was excellent. August First lacked directors, while Beijing Film Studio had an abundance, often sending directors over to help August First shoot films, and actors were traded back and forth. Today was not as solemn as before, carrying a more relaxed atmosphere. Everyone casually took their seats. Tang Guoqiang said, "Director Wang, first, thank you for inviting me. I've read the script for *Romance on Mount Lu*, but I have a question. I'm twenty-seven years old this year—am I a bit too old?" "But you look young!" Wang Haowei smiled and said, "We considered that problem long ago. First and foremost is the visual image; as long as the feel is right, that's enough. Besides, there's a five-year gap between the leads' initial meeting and reunion; five years later, he's naturally matured." "Oh, well, thank you for thinking highly of me. Should I do a test first?" "Certainly, certainly. Let's communicate more first and find the right feeling. But let me lay my cards on the table: I can't guarantee we'll definitely cast you." "Of course. I'm hardly a greenhorn wet behind the ears." After chatting for a while, Tang Guoqiang took his leave. Before departing, he glanced at Chen Qi again; the young man had left quite an impression on him, jumping right into discussing skincare. *Sigh, the youth of today...* After he left, the meeting continued. Wang Haowei said, "Fang Shu and Zhou Lijing are set as one pairing. Xiao Tang's look and caliber go without saying—he's definitely a viable candidate. We still need an actress to pair with him. That way we'll have two pairs of options, and we can see which one truly fits." "Pan Hong?" "Jiang Lili?" "Zhang Weixin (Li Xiaolu's mother, the dancer)?" Candidate after candidate was brought forward, but either they had scheduling conflicts or their work units would not release them. In the end, there was still no result. ... The meeting adjourned. Chen Qi returned to the guesthouse and shut the door. After a pause, he pulled out a chair, sat down, and spread out manuscript paper. He also felt progress was slow. Strictly speaking, it was his own fault: moving *Romance on Mount Lu* from Shanghai Film Studio to Beijing Film Studio had changed a great deal. "No other way. Guess I'll have to rely on metaphysics to cast this!" He finally could not help himself. Thinking it over, who were the actresses of this era? He Qing was only fifteen, at the Zhejiang Kunqu Troupe. Chen Hong was even younger, only eleven, probably serving as the arts-and-culture representative in elementary school. Tao Huimin was thirteen, probably having just joined a Yue opera troupe... Though these three were young, they could be used in the future. Chen Qi jotted them down 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 early twenties to twenty-seven or twenty-eight; it did not call for someone who looked too tender. "What about Li Jianqun?" The name suddenly occurred to Chen Qi. She was probably studying in the stage design department at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and had no acting experience. Still, he jotted her down as well, to save for future use. "Where is Zhu Lin? Working at some institute of health, wasn't she? Having her act in *Romance on Mount Lu* looking like an empress ruling the realm?" And having thought of Zhu Lin, another name naturally came to mind. In later years, the two of them would be discussed with endless relish by netizens of the new era. He pondered for a moment, then drew a circle in his notebook. "Her, then!"