Chapter Thirty-Two: Approached by a Film Crew

There was no need to ask further; it was certain that he had smoothly accepted the variety show. The television station in question was Shaanxi Provincial TV. Though not one of the country’s primary media outlets, it nevertheless provided Liu Qingshan with a platform for publicity.

The recording was scheduled for these two days; since it was a taped show, it would be shot during the day. The TV station had made a special request: both Chen Long and Liang Jiahui should each record a short message of encouragement—otherwise, they wouldn’t have agreed to the ten-thousand-yuan fee. Since each of them only needed to give an interview of a minute or two, Chen Long had already agreed. However, neither of them would go to the TV station; they would simply record their segments on set.

That night’s filming schedule was tight. Chen Long’s energy seemed as vigorous as in his youth, brimming with excitement, and he spent almost the entire night eagerly discussing the script. Since there were no fight scenes, the shooting progressed smoothly. The museum staff, who had been strictly monitoring the environment, finally breathed a sigh of relief before dawn. The removal of equipment was equally orderly; crew members carefully cleaned up any traces left behind as they left the set. Since the place was filled with untouchable artifacts, even actors like Jin Xishan, who hadn’t filmed that night, volunteered to stay and help maintain order.

The cast and equipment were soon transferred to another location in the outskirts for the next shoot. The main actors were told to rest early, as filming would resume after lunch at noon. It was only at this point that Liu Qingshan had the chance to be alone with Jin Xishan.

The locals were simple and hospitable, having arranged for someone to buy breakfast and deliver it to the set. The two of them, each holding their breakfast, returned to Jin Xishan’s room.

Liu Qingshan, young and full of vigor, didn’t feel the least bit tired after a sleepless night, but Jin Xishan was already looking exhausted. Halfway through eating, she couldn’t resist dozing off, resting against Liu Qingshan, even though Park Hyunji was still present.

Liu Qingshan asked Park Hyunji to bring over a quilt, told her to rest, then himself drifted off on the sofa, holding the woman in his arms. In fact, his sleep was more like training in the skill room—it didn’t affect his senses or awareness of the outside world.

Before noon, Jin Xishan woke up. Assuming Liu Qingshan was still asleep with his eyes closed, she lay blissfully on his shoulder, gazing at his face. Unexpectedly, he tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer, and she realized he was already awake. Embarrassed, she tipped her chin toward the bedroom, hinting that their manager was still there and they should mind their behavior.

Liu Qingshan leaned in to whisper in her ear, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine and making her melt in his arms. Fortunately, he still had his wits about him and refrained from going too far, though it was enough to leave her breathless with longing.

When the alarm on the phone sounded, Park Hyunji, still bleary-eyed, came out of the bedroom to find the two already freshening up in the bathroom.

Lunch was simple, cooked in a makeshift kitchen outside the warehouse, with only some soups and basic fare—the main dishes were all takeout from nearby restaurants.

To everyone’s surprise, they saw Chen Long’s wife, Lin Fengqiao, at his side. Though she was no longer in her prime, the former superstar still radiated a graceful and noble air.

Upon seeing Liu Qingshan, Chen Long waved him over. Lin Fengqiao, observing him curiously, spoke with gentle courtesy:

"A Long has told me about you—a remarkable young man in the crew. It wasn’t long before you resolved that unexpected incident. I really should thank you!"

"Mrs. Chen, you flatter me. In truth, it was my elder brother who gave me the opportunity," Liu Qingshan replied, not daring to claim credit.

"Qiao is actually a year older than me. I’ve called her that all my life! Shanzi, you should call her the same," Chen Long added.

His wife being older by a year, Chen Long had always kept that form of address.

After introducing the two Korean stars, Liu Qingshan took the initiative to chat, "Sister Qiao, what brings you here today? Are you checking up on our big brother?"

Lin Fengqiao smiled warmly, "A Long hardly needs my supervision anymore. Now that he’s older, he understands the value of family! I’m here on a mission. Do you know Director Ye Weixing? Just as A Long was sending me the video of you saving someone, Director Ye happened to be visiting our home. He’s insisted for two whole days that I invite you to join his new film!"

Liu Qingshan hadn’t expected Lin Fengqiao to show up for his sake. Overwhelmed by surprise, his curiosity won out, "Do you know what kind of film Director Ye’s new project is?"

"I have no idea. In fact, he’s here too, but right now he’s conducting auditions at a hotel in the city!"

"Why trouble you, Sister Qiao? Wouldn’t a phone call to big brother solve things?"

Chen Long finally interjected, "He did call. But when I mentioned your expected fee, there seemed to be some disagreement, so I decided not to pursue it."

Who says what to whom is important. With such a roundabout answer from Chen Long, Liu Qingshan immediately guessed what was going on. The other side coveted his skills, but ultimately, he was still just a bit-part actor with no major credits. The fee Chen Long quoted on his behalf exceeded the production’s expectations.

Liu Qingshan didn’t bother to ask about the exact figure, but simply said what was on his mind, "I’ll follow your lead, but how should we explain it to Sister Qiao?"

Chen Long smiled helplessly, "That’s the problem. In fact, Director Ye himself had no objection about your pay, but there are two people whose opinions matter in that film!"

Lin Fengqiao quickly took over, "Shanzi, you’re not an outsider, so I’ll speak plainly. There’s a bit of a story here. The two people A Long mentioned are his senior, Hong Dabao, and Zhen Zijian—especially the former, who’s always had some creative differences with A Long, purely professional ones!"

Liu Qingshan instantly understood. All talk of creative differences was just a pretext. Hong Dabao was as famous as Chen Long, and their long-standing rivalry was no secret. The rumors about them were endless, with various so-called inside stories.

In reality, the complexity of their relationship was often exaggerated by the media. At its core, they had the kind of bond forged through childhood scuffles—Hong Dabao, as the eldest, had always been strict with his juniors. Differences in creative philosophy were real; after founding their own teams, their working styles diverged greatly.

The Hong Family Team focused on nurturing new talent—members handpicked by Hong Dabao—while he himself worked behind the scenes as a director, sometimes appearing in minor roles in his own films and giving the spotlight to his protégés. Many of them made names for themselves in the film industry, especially in Hong Kong. When his protégés became successful, Hong Dabao didn’t insist on keeping them; he encouraged them to strike out on their own.

The Chen Family Team was different. From the start, it was a stunt team—a group of stunt performers. They performed high-risk, difficult stunts in films, just as Chen Long himself refused body doubles and risked his own life. Through such efforts, he became the face of his team. Unfortunately, only he truly became a star—most of his team remained behind the scenes or took on minor roles. Even now, Chen Long’s films always feature himself as the lead.

This wasn’t surprising or questionable; the Chen Team was always different from the Hong Team. It focused on building its own brand, with Chen Long as its figurehead. With so many people relying on him, he had to use his fame to make films and support the whole team.

In contrast, the Hong Team’s approach from the beginning was to promote its members, focusing on their long-term development. As a behind-the-scenes figure, Hong Dabao produced one star after another. That’s the biggest difference between the two teams.

Still, both teams made tremendous contributions to Hong Kong cinema, especially in the action genre. Originally, it was perfectly normal for the two “brothers” to carve out their own paths, but years of over-interpretation by interested parties and outsiders had led to rumors of conflict between them.

Hong Dabao, with his old-school patriarchal style, as the eldest, never cared about such gossip. Chen Long, by nature more cheerful and easygoing, was always indifferent to these rumors and never bothered to clarify them. But their lack of response to these rumors didn’t mean their teams got along seamlessly—the expected rivalries only intensified.

So, it was no surprise that a rift developed between the two, though their fraternal bond could never be erased. As Hong Dabao once said in an interview, he and Chen Long sometimes still held hands when out walking; Chen Long would help him scrub his back, feet, and even blow-dry his hair after baths—testament to the depth of their affection.

Thus, any conflict existed only in the teams’ working styles. For instance, when it came to inviting Liu Qingshan, Hong Dabao, having never worked with him, naturally didn’t understand the reasoning. When Chen Long raised the issue of his pay, Hong Dabao assumed his familiar patriarchal stance.

After Chen Long had clarified all these twists and turns, Liu Qingshan looked at Lin Fengqiao and chuckled, "So Director Ye found himself caught in the middle and sought out Sister Qiao, trying to bypass big brother to get in touch with me?"