bookbashuk Chapter 214 The Three's Journey to Becoming Apprentices
Chapter 214 The Three's Journey to Becoming Apprentices
After watching the movie, apart from Xiao Ling'er, no one else knew what they had seen.
The moment the theater lights came on, Feng Xiaolu stood there, mouth agape, clutching the empty popcorn bucket, looking completely bewildered. She turned to look at Su Wan and Chen Anran beside her, noticing a rare hint of confusion in her usually calm eyes. Chen Anran, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow, her gaze still fixed on the slowly scrolling cast and crew list on the big screen, her expression thoughtful.
Little Ling'er was very excited, squirming in her seat and tugging at Su Wan's sleeve: "Master, Master! Second Martial Aunt looked so beautiful when she flew! That bastard's sword couldn't even touch her!"
"Hmm." Su Wan gently patted Xiao Ling'er's hand, her gaze sweeping over the final frame of the landscape on the screen, her voice gentle, "Qingyi's skills are naturally excellent."
It's more than just good. The plot of the entire "Cloud Mountain Patrol Record" is loose, the dialogue is a bit stiff with its mix of classical and vernacular Chinese, and the special effects are only so-so. But whenever Wei Qingyi appears in a scene, the style changes abruptly. The female knight-errant "Qingyan" she plays has very few lines, often just a few glances and a few crisp and clean starting gestures.
Especially the fight scenes, without fancy editing and exaggerated sound effects, each move is extremely simple, yet they have an indescribable power and rhythm that makes people subconsciously hold their breath.
"This movie..." Feng Xiaolu finally found her voice, scratching her head, "What was it about? I didn't quite understand it?"
Zhao Mengmeng whispered, "The plot seems to be about a few scholars who go into the mountains to seek immortals, encounter various adventures and trials, and finally understand some life lessons... but the focus doesn't seem to be on the plot."
"Did Second Senior Sister say a total of ten sentences?" Feng Xiaolu counted on her fingers, "'Hmm,' 'Okay,' 'Follow me,' 'That's not how you use a sword'... That's it?"
Chen Anran stood up, threw the empty drink cup into the trash can, and said with a hint of a smile, "Second Senior Sister isn't playing a character, she's creating an atmosphere."
Zhao Mengmeng smiled wryly. After hearing about the movie, she went online to check and found that it was invested in by Wang Rui and his group. Seeing the names of these three people on the movie list, Zhao Mengmeng, like Chen Anran, instantly understood what was going on.
Zhao Mengmeng created a group on WeChat and added Wang Rui, Zhang Hao, and Sun Wei to it.
[Zhao Mengmeng: You three really went to great lengths to join the Cloud Hidden Sect...]
[Wang Rui: Sister Mengmeng! It's a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!]
[Wang Rui: (60-second audio message)]
[Wang Rui: (60-second audio message)]
[Wang Rui: (60-second audio message)]
Three consecutive 60-second audio blocks almost filled the entire phone screen.
Feng Xiaolu leaned closer to look and couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Is this Young Master Zhao planning to explain using voice bombardment?"
Zhao Mengmeng was both amused and exasperated. She didn't have the patience to listen to so many long voice messages, so she just typed.
[Zhao Mengmeng: Speak plainly, type. Or keep it simple.]
There was a pause of a few seconds, followed by a barrage of text messages.
[Wang Rui: Sister Mengmeng! We really didn't mean that! The project "The Record of Cloud Mountain Patrol" has been around for a while now; it's the first independent production project after the establishment of Xingrui Pictures! The aim is to promote the artistic conception of mountains and rivers and the spirit of chivalry in traditional culture!]
[Zhang Hao: Yes. Ms. Wei Qingyi was unanimously selected by the directing team during the open casting call, based on her unique temperament and excellent body control. The process was compliant and legal.]
[Sun Wei: Mengmeng, the film itself may still have many shortcomings, but we did put a lot of effort into the content. Ms. Wei's participation was a coincidence, but it's also a highlight of the film. We are very grateful for her participation.]
[Wang Rui: Yes, yes, yes! There's absolutely no intention to curry favor here! It's purely a mutual artistic achievement!]
[Zhang Hao: Rui, be more precise. The film has received decent reviews from some critics and niche groups, especially for its action choreography and the "atmosphere" created by a certain actor, which has exceeded expectations.]
[Sun Wei: Moreover, the box office... although there are few screenings, the occupancy rate is quite good compared to other films of the same type released at the same time. It is expected to break even, and may even make a small profit.]
[Wang Rui: So, Sister Mengmeng, you see! This is a legitimate business! Right, right?]
As Zhao Mengmeng watched the three people on the screen working together in unison—one eagerly professing loyalty, one meticulously reciting data, and the other softly smoothing things over—a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips. She tapped her finger on the screen.
[Zhao Mengmeng: Oh. So, it wasn't because my master mentioned "fate to immortality" that you racked your brains to try and get closer to our Yunyin Sect? Nor was it because you valued my second senior uncle's skills and unique temperament that you specifically tailored a role for her... oh no, it's just that there happened to be a role that was perfect for her?]
[Wang Rui: ...Are you showing off?]
Zhang Hao: ...He's definitely showing off.
[Sun Wei: (Sent a "sit well" cat emoji)]
Zhao Mengmeng smiled slightly, and just as she was about to type again, Wang Rui suddenly sent another message.
[Wang Rui: Mengmeng, don't be so smug! This time, when Senior Uncle Wei returns to the sect, the three of us will go with him. We'll definitely be able to become disciples of Immortal Master Chen then!]
[Zhang Hao: Yes, yes, yes!]
Sun Wei: (Sent a smiling emoji)
Zhao Mengmeng stared at the three messages that popped up on the screen almost simultaneously, then burst out laughing. "You haven't even formally become my disciple yet, and you're already calling me 'Master Uncle'."
This prompted Feng Xiaolu, who was standing nearby, to curiously move closer.
"What did they say?" Feng Xiaolu asked.
Zhao Mengmeng handed over the phone.
Feng Xiaolu took the phone, her eyes quickly scanning the messages. Her lips curled into a wide smile, until she bent over laughing. "These three clowns! They're quite ambitious! But where does their confidence come from? Do they think that just because they came back with Second Senior Sister, my junior brother will take them in?"
Upon hearing this, Su Wan turned her head slightly, her eyes filled with gentle curiosity.
Chen Anran took the phone from Feng Xiaolu, read the conversation, and a knowing smile appeared on her face: "Wang Rui and the others... haven't given up at all."
Su Wan was a little confused, so Chen Anran told her about the situation involving these people.
Su Wan simply smiled and shook her head after hearing this.
The sunlight outside the small-town cinema was blindingly white, and waves of heat rippled across the ground. As everyone stepped out of the well-air-conditioned screening room, they were instantly enveloped in the heat. Little Ling'er cried out "Ouch!" and hid in the shade beside Su Wan.
"It's so hot!" She tugged at Su Wan's sleeve.
Su Wan raised her hand, her fingertips twitching almost imperceptibly, and a cool aura enveloped Xiao Ling'er like a thin veil. Xiao Ling'er immediately felt much more comfortable, looked up at Su Wan with a sweet smile, and said, "Thank you, Master!"
Feng Xiaolu was still savoring the movie she had just watched, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand, and said as she walked, "Honestly, if it weren't for my second senior sister keeping me awake, I probably would have fallen asleep halfway through this movie."
"But Second Uncle is so handsome in there!" Little Ling'er's eyes lit up as she imitated Wei Qingyi's sword-wielding movements from the movie, clumsily gesturing in the air with her little hands, "Like this, and then like this—"
Zhao Mengmeng put her phone back in her pocket and smiled as she continued, "Wang Rui and the other two seem quite confident. But Master," she turned to Chen Anran, "are you really going to accept them as your disciples?"
Chen Anran walked beside Su Wan, and upon hearing this, he simply smiled faintly: "Let's see how fate unfolds."
"Fate?" Feng Xiaolu raised an eyebrow. "I think they're determined to stick to me. Second Senior Sister won't have any peace and quiet this time she's back."
Su Wan said gently, "It's a good thing that Qingyi can make friends. Although those three children are a bit unruly, they are not bad at heart and genuinely respect Qingyi."
"That's true." Feng Xiaolu couldn't help but laugh again, recalling how Wang Rui had been frantically explaining in the group chat earlier. "He was just a bit too noisy."
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