Gong Xue

"Director Wang!" That day, after another meeting wrapped up, Chen Qi called out to Wang Haowei. "Xiao Chen, what is it?" "It's like this. Yesterday I had some free time and was flipping through a magazine. It featured a film called *Sacrificial Red*, produced by Changchun Film Studio. The lead actress is pure and remarkably pretty. She might be a good fit for *Romance on Mount Lu*." "Oh?" Wang Haowei turned attentive. "Tell me more." "Her name is Gong Xue. I'm not sure which work unit she's with, but she played three roles in the film." "Three?" "Right—the mother, the daughter, and a fairy maiden. She played all three. In any case, I think her screen presence is quite good, so I wanted to recommend her to you." "Gong Xue... All right, I've got the name. I'll ask around right away! Ah, good of you, young man, to spend so much effort worrying about casting." "I'm part of the crew too. It's only right." After Chen Qi left, Wang Haowei immediately contacted Changchun Film Studio. "You're asking about Gong Xue? Oh boy, the trouble we went through just to get her into our film..." The person on the other end vented right away: "She's with the General Political Department Drama Troupe. Two years ago we wanted her for *The Lamp*, but the GPD wouldn't release her. Then, when we were preparing *Sacrificial Red*, we thought of her again, and the GPD still wouldn't let her go, saying she had to perform in Yunnan. "As it turned out, she suffered a fracture, couldn't make the trip, and was recuperating in the hospital. "To wait for her, we delayed our shoot by a full four months, sending people over again and again to do ideological work, plead our case, and pull strings before the GPD finally relented." "Just what kind of fairy maiden is she, to make you chase after her like that?" Wang Haowei laughed. "Haha, well, you'll know once you see her!" This conversation thoroughly piqued Wang Haowei's interest, and she promptly reached out to the GPD. The General Political Department Drama Troupe was formidable, so she didn't act rashly; first, she reached out to a friend named Che Xiaotong. Che Xiaotong was an actor in the troupe who had played the Golden Horned King in *Journey to the West*, done voice work for *Haier Brothers*, and played Marshal Liu in *Drawing Sword*—he had portrayed Marshal Liu multiple times, making him a specialized actor for the historical figure. He had a daughter named Che Xiao—the names of this father and daughter were quite amusing... Che Xiaotong brought over several photographs of Gong Xue. The moment Wang Haowei looked at them, she understood why Changchun Film Studio had been willing to wait four grueling months just to get her. *** This was a peculiar era. Chen Qi seemed lively and unrestrained on the surface, but inwardly he kept his boundaries firmly in mind. Take English, for example. He only dared to hold an English textbook and read it every day, creating the illusion of diligent study. If he showed no pretense and suddenly spoke fluent English out of nowhere—come on! Did anyone think counter-espionage was a joke? Between 1979 and 1980, though separated by merely a single year, many things were worlds apart. The eighties were wild, and the nineties were wilder still; those were the truly uninhibited eras. Take *Romance on Mount Lu* as another example: while its content appeared daring, in reality it catered to the tastes of top leadership. And as for casting, had he not seen the crew's agonizingly slow progress, he wouldn't have spoken up either. Wang Haowei was a woman of tremendous drive. Bypassing the GPD Drama Troupe for the moment, she privately invited Gong Xue to drop by. Thus, on this morning, the creative team gathered once again in the small conference room, waiting for the candidate's arrival. Chen Qi sat in the corner as usual, inwardly looking forward to it. As the internet of later years would put it: "Zhu Lin of the North, Gong Xue of the South"—the twin gems of the 1980s! But in this era, no such phrase existed; it was coined only by later netizens indulging in cultural nostalgia. Gong Xue was truly a sensation. Zhu Lin was actually a step behind in star power, having acted mostly in television dramas, boosted to the maximum by the buff of playing the King of the Women's Country. Now that he was here, he naturally wanted to meet the era's beauties one by one, by one, by one. He couldn't just keep running into Cai Ming all the time... Before they waited long, voices drifted in from outside, sounding like someone asking for directions. Footsteps followed, softening as they reached the door. A figure appeared before everyone's eyes, drawing the collective gaze of Wang Haowei and the creative team. She had arrived in military uniform, wearing a cap, with white sandals on her feet. She was of medium height, around 163 centimeters. Her feet were dainty as well. Soft curls peeked out from beneath her cap, framing a delicate face no larger than a palm. Her eyebrows arched gently above graceful eyes, and her lips were finely sculpted. When she smiled, her teeth were remarkably white and even—a rarity in this day and age. Everyone knew the idiom "bright eyes and gleaming white teeth," yet few had a vivid picture of what it truly looked like. But the moment they saw her, those four words sprang spontaneously to mind. "Hello, Director Wang!" "Hello, teachers!" She was a bit nervous, bowing first as she stepped inside. "Hello, hello! Please have a seat!" Wang Haowei gestured for her to sit, smiling. "Teacher Che explained things to you before having you come over privately today, right?" "Teacher Che told me. Thank you for thinking of me." Just as she sat down, she moved to stand up again. Wang Haowei waved her hand at once. "All right, all right, no need to be so formal. It makes even me feel awkward! Let's just have a casual chat. Would you mind taking off your cap?" "Of course!" She lifted it off with one hand. Wang Haowei's eyes lit up even brighter. "I hear you're from Shanghai?" "Yes, I was born in Shanghai." "What do your parents do?" "My father is a photographer, and my mother is an artist. After graduating from middle school, I went down to the countryside in Jiangxi." "Jiangxi?" Wang Haowei blinked, then asked, "Then how did you join the GPD?" "First, I auditioned to become a literary and art soldier in the military. At that time, the GPD Drama Troupe was staging the play *Ten Thousand Crags and Torrents*, and they selected me. After that, I stayed on... Last year, I filmed *Sacrificial Red* with Changchun Film Studio..." The room turned very quiet, leaving only the rhythm of their questions and answers. Because she spoke with such gentle softness—wholly unlike a forthright Beijing lass like Fang Shu—everyone present unconsciously softened their own voices. Meanwhile, she sat there with her knees pressed together, hands resting on her thighs, her back held ramrod straight, like a student taking an examination. "Do you know anything about *Romance on Mount Lu*?" "Not very much. Teacher Che mentioned it's a love story." "More or less. It has romance, but also patriotic sentiments... By the way, I hear you're twenty-six. Are you married?" "Not yet." "Have you had any dating experience?" "I've always been in the military..." Blushing faintly, she added, "Not really." Wang Haowei smiled again. She had her read a short monologue, savored the delivery, and asked, "Would you be interested in starring in *Romance on Mount Lu*?" "I would love to—that is, if I'm given the opportunity." "Here's what we'll do: take a copy of the script with you first and study it thoroughly. Leave the drama troupe to me; I'll handle the communication. But let's be clear upfront: I can't guarantee you'll get the part. For now, it's just coming in for screen tests and preliminary preparation." "Understood. Thank you, Director! Thank you, teachers!" She stood up and bowed once more. "Let me introduce you. This is our screenwriter, our well-known young prodigy, Chen Qi!" "Hello, nice to meet you!" "Hello! It's a pleasure!" Gong Xue was surprised by his youth, but she still addressed him respectfully. The two briefly shook hands. After being introduced to the cinematographer, assistant directors, and the rest of the crew, she took her leave. The team immediately convened a meeting. "First, she has pure innocence; second, she has that modern, chic flair!" "Innocence goes without saying, but she's still a bit lacking in chic flair." "I think she's great. What does 'chic' even mean? If you mean born looking like a cosmopolitan Westernized beauty, you'd never find one! Really, with some styling, fashionable clothes, and a trendy hairstyle, that's what chic is!" "The audience hasn't seen what an overseas Chinese from America actually looks like anyway. If we truly search according to the standard of an American Chinese, we might ruin the whole thing. We still need to fit Chinese aesthetic tastes." "In any case, let's bring her in first. Fang Shu and Zhou Lijing as one pair, Gong Xue and Tang Guoqiang as the other. Once the costumes from Hong Kong arrive, we'll see how they feel." "Mm, that sounds good too!" "..." Chen Qi was somewhat speechless. In this era of filmmaking, shooting a single shot a day and spending a whole year on one movie was routine. You could call it meticulous dedication to art, or you could call it sheer inefficiency. Everything had to be researched and discussed in meetings, over and over again—something he had come to fully appreciate during this period. Holding his notebook against his chest, Chen Qi walked out of the conference room with his head down. *A screenwriter's voice is still so insignificant. I'm going to climb to the very top, step by step by step by step!*