Shrine - Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Shi Ran's spontaneous remark made Ruan Ruan realize that all the previous buildup had just been to test the waters. The team was waiting for her to be ready.
So, the next day, she took the initiative to find An Lu and proposed a meeting to go over her future work plan.
The three-hour meeting left Ruan Ruan's heart surging with excitement. Her previous, lifeless agency had been masters at making empty promises; the boss, in his phlegmy voice, would talk about what direction they were going to take in the second half of the year. As a result, Ruan Ruan, though not a corporate drone, felt like one. But the team at Dianxing was a group of soft-spoken girls who, while sipping bubble tea and chewing on pearls, managed to assign all the upcoming tasks.
Before meeting the author, Ruan Ruan meticulously reread the original novel twice more and brought along her character biography.
Shi Ran told her not to be nervous. The author didn't want to be on camera, so no one would be taking secret photos during the meal. After they finished, their manager, An Lu, would come to pick them up, holding a published physical copy of Shrine to appear in the paparazzi's grainy shots.
Shrine had garnered a fair amount of buzz in the industry back in its day. In a market where physical book sales were increasingly squeezed, its first print run was over a hundred thousand copies. Subsequent reprints, reissues, and the support of derivative works like a radio drama and a comic created a considerable long-tail effect. It was worth noting that the book had been licensed for Thai publication two years ago and had been very well-received overseas.
When Xin Chen did a background check before signing the contract, she learned that a major platform was already working on an animated version of Shrine, and more than one overseas film and television company was in contact about the rights.
They had expected the negotiations to be difficult, but the author only made two requests: first, to protect the characters and the story, she hoped to have some say in the script; second, she wanted to meet Shen Bai and Qiao Qiao.
This meeting was long overdue, as the author had just returned from Canada.
They met on a Tuesday at noon in a charming Yunnan restaurant. Its vermilion gate was tucked away in an alley where so many luxury cars were parked that the lane was only wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. Ruan Ruan wore a coffee-colored oversized sweater and light makeup, dressing as close to Qiao Qiao's style as possible. Beside her was Shi Ran, clad in an exquisite black, long, dress-like coat. The coat's lines were clean and sharp, yet a three-finger-wide belt cinched her slender waist. Shi Ran was always like this; though her face was as cool as floating snow, she could strangely wear black with the elegance of jade and gold.
She entered with Ruan Ruan, carrying the light frost of early winter.
Pushing open the door to the private room, she saw the author freeze. The author's hand, which had been flipping through the menu, stopped, and she let out a small, "Oh my god."
She was completely different from the image of a great author Ruan Ruan had imagined. She was quite small and thin, also wearing a simple sweater. Her center-parted, curly hair was tucked behind her ears and looked a bit frizzy. The cuffs of her sweater covered half of her fingers, which were now pressed against the edge of the table as she debated whether or not she should stand up.
"Hello, Teacher," Ruan Ruan nodded first, greeting her demurely.
"Ah, hello, you're here. Please, sit down. I'm ordering," Yu Zhou said, getting up. She wiped her hands behind her back and smoothed the hem of her clothes.
Is she here alone? Ruan Ruan wondered. After the three of them had politely exchanged greetings, the door to the private room opened again. A tall, slender girl walked in, wearing a new shirt from Fre D and wiping her hands with a tissue.
She glanced at Ruan Ruan, then at Shi Ran, and smiled faintly. One look was enough to tell she came from a very good family.
"Um, this is my friend, Su Chang. She's a voice actress, and she's here with me today. Su Chang, this is Teacher Ruan Ruan and Teacher Shi Ran," Yu Zhou said, motioning for Su Chang to come and sit.
Su Chang inclined her body as she sat down next to Yu Zhou, nodding with impeccable manners. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."
"I'm a little nervous," Yu Zhou said. "Because I don't really meet celebrities often, and also, I didn't expect Teacher Shi to come, although I did see the trending topics…"
She smiled sheepishly and cleared her throat.
Shi Ran tucked the corner of her mouth into a slight smile. Ruan Ruan pursed her lips, also smiling. Seeing how easygoing the author was, she relaxed and said warmly, "I'm nervous too. I also didn't expect the author to be so cute."
"Oh, no," Yu Zhou blushed, cupping her hands and rubbing them together before passing the menu to them. "You two take a look and order. I don't know what you like to eat."
Shi Ran took it and began flipping through it from her seat. Yu Zhou peeked at her. She looked like an empress reviewing official documents.
"The baked tofu in banana leaf here is good," Su Chang said softly. Her voice was so beautiful it was mesmerizing, its stunning quality no less than that of Shi Ran's face.
"Baked tofu in banana leaf…" Shi Ran murmured, her eyes scanning the menu she held.
"It should be in the last few pages."
"Oh, is this it?" Shi Ran looked up, propping the menu up with her wrist.
"Yes," Su Chang replied with a smile.
Oh my god, Yu Zhou scratched her nose. Only someone as unfazed as Su Chang could handle the aura of a top-tier star and hold a conversation.
Yu Zhou decided to focus her attention on Ruan Ruan.
Fortunately, Ruan Ruan was very perceptive. Receiving Yu Zhou's look, she immediately started talking about the project. She said she was honored to be a part of it, had read the original novel several times, and had even written a character biography. She handed a printed copy to Yu Zhou, hoping the author might offer some guidance when she had time, to see if she had misunderstood the character in any way.
Yu Zhou accepted it and read a few lines seriously, looking quite moved. She said, "Actually, when it was decided you'd be cast, I looked up your information. I thought you were very suitable then, but this novel means something very different to me, so I just wanted to meet you. Nothing else. I didn't really think about what to say; I just wanted to meet you."
It was a very ordinary statement, but for some reason, Ruan Ruan's eyes suddenly reddened.
"Ah, this…" Yu Zhou looked up at her restrained expression and panicked. "Don't be like that. Oh my god, if you're like that, I'll want to cry too."
She fanned her face with her hand, took a deep breath, and turned to Su Chang for help.
It's only just begun, why do I want to cry? Am I crazy?
Su Chang put an arm around her shoulder, smiled, and rubbed it soothingly a couple of times. Shi Ran turned her head to look at Ruan Ruan. Ruan Ruan buried her face towards her and sniffed, calming herself down.
"Let's order," Shi Ran said, handing her the menu.
They had a simple meal like that, not even talking much about the project. They chatted like friends, discussing which dish was delicious, or what other good restaurants there were in Jiangcheng. Ruan Ruan felt that Yu Zhou was very gentle with her, as if afraid to disturb the sleeping, gestating Qiao Qiao inside her.
Yu Zhou mentioned that she had also had a meal with Zhong Yi before the final decision was made, and Xin Chen had been with her.
As she spoke, she chuckled again. "I think she's a great choice too. She's the Su 1 type, definitely the kind that little girls would love."
Ruan Ruan curled her index finger against her nose and laughed softly. Shi Ran, who had been quiet for most of the time, asked, "What kind is the Su 1 type?"
Yu Zhou shook her head. "It can only be understood, not explained."
She had tried to "explain" it to someone before and had almost led them astray.
Shi Ran propped up the skin just below her eye, tucking the corner of her mouth into a smile. Yu Zhou's eyes were fixed on her plate. She suddenly wanted to pinch her own thigh. Was she really not dreaming, making small talk with Shi Ran?
As the meal was winding down, Yu Zhou moistened her lips and spoke. "May I be so bold as to ask, has the sound team for this drama been decided?"
Shi Ran put down her spoon. "No."
It was usually decided during post-production after filming was complete. Yu Zhou knew this; she just wanted to use it as a lead-in. Shi Ran cooperated. "Does Teacher Yu have any suggestions?"
"Um… well, isn't Su Chang a voice actor? She actually has her own voice acting studio called SC. It's been on a show; it's quite big. And the radio drama for Shrine was also done by her studio, so they're very familiar with the characters and everything," Yu Zhou said, pausing, slightly nervous.
Su Chang blinked, a hint of surprise that she didn't let show.
Shi Ran understood. "I'll mention it to the production team. They should be willing to work with a team that's familiar with the work."
"Thank you, Teacher Shi."
"You're welcome." Shi Ran glanced at her phone. Xiao Lin and An Lu were already waiting outside.
Yu Zhou understood the moment she saw the action. She looked at Su Chang, then at Ruan Ruan. "If you have work, then shall we… wrap up? If you need my help with anything later, feel free to find me. That… I'll read the character biography too. I'll send any feedback to your manager."
"Okay," Ruan Ruan replied obediently.
Yu Zhou hesitated several times, then looked at the tabletop and said seriously and sincerely, "It might sound cheesy to say this, but Qiao Qiao is a character I really love. When I was writing her, I was quite helpless and lonely, so for a long time, it was her and Shen Bai who kept me company."
"Back then, not many people read my writing. I talked to her every day, but I had never seen her."
She hadn't sold the film rights for money; she just wanted to see her old friends come to life, even if played by others.
"I wish you all a smooth filming process," she finally said gently, in the manner of an author.
Ruan Ruan's heart felt both sour and full. In the bizarre, kaleidoscopic world of the entertainment industry, such a weighty, sincere heart was a rare encounter. Wallowing in profits and interests had almost made her forget that she, too, was a creator.
She nodded, a solemn nod, and said in a breathy voice, "I will act my part well."
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