novellhall Chapter 89 Completed Film
Chapter 89 Completed Film
Chapter 95 Completed Film
January 2017, BJ.
The scorching heat of midsummer was as intense as ever, but it was a completely different season from April when Chen Nianbei left.
In the month following the completion of filming "Better Days," his life was rapidly filled, like a spinning top at high speed, leaving almost no room to breathe.
He has a backlog of business endorsements that have been delayed for months and needs to reshoot a new season of GG videos. He also needs to attend several high-profile events that were postponed due to filming. Invitations to cover magazines have piled up, and he also needs to cooperate in recording a few lines for the post-production of "Like a Flowing River".
Old Zhao's schedule was packed full, and he would start getting ready at six in the morning and finish work at eleven at night, which was almost the norm.
Chen Nianbei cooperated professionally and efficiently.
In front of the camera, he remains a composed, radiant, and popular actor.
On the red carpet, he was impeccably dressed in a suit, with a polite smile, and handled interviews flawlessly.
The team and the brand were satisfied, feeling that he was in excellent condition and that he didn't look like he had just finished filming an extremely demanding movie.
Only he himself knew that this "good condition" was a performance of precise control.
Xiao Bei hasn't completely left his body yet.
Sometimes, when a makeup artist accidentally touches his wrist, he will subconsciously tense his muscles.
When he returns to his apartment late at night and is alone, he will unconsciously curl up in the corner of the sofa, turn on a dim floor lamp, and remain silent for a long time.
That's not Chen Nianbei's habit, it's Xiao Bei's.
He didn't deliberately drive them away. The woman from the Han family said the gap would take time to slowly close. He was waiting.
Naza visited him on set a few times, bringing soup that had been simmering for two hours, and sat quietly in the corner of the dressing room watching him work.
She keenly noticed a subtle change in him, but didn't ask any questions. Instead, she used the warm soup and her gentle chatter to gradually pull him back to the reality that belonged to Chen Nianbei.
Dilraba's posts remain bright and frequent, sharing anecdotes from the set, selfies, and newly learned dance clips.
He didn't reply quickly, but he read each message carefully.
Those light and vibrant daily lives of girls in their early twenties are like sunlight shining through glass—warm, but not scorching.
It was the last Thursday of August, in the evening. Chen Nianbei had just finished a photoshoot for a high-end watch brand and was removing her makeup.
The phone screen lit up, and Zhang Lei's name appeared.
"Nianbei, the final cut is out."
Zhang Lei's voice came through the receiver, sounding tense, as if he was suppressing too many emotions. "Teacher Han just finished the final color grading, and I got the complete version. When are you free?"
'
Chen Nianbei's grip on his phone tightened slightly. The makeup artist was still removing his eye makeup, the cool touch of makeup remover on cotton swabs brushing against his eyelids. He kept his eyes closed, his voice calm: "Now."
"Now?" Zhang Lei was taken aback. "Aren't you checking the schedule? What about Lao Zhao—"
"Now."
Chen Nianbei opened her eyes, nodded to the makeup artist to indicate a pause, picked up her phone and walked towards the door, "Send me the address."
At 8 p.m., in a screening room at a post-production company located on the North Fifth Ring Road.
When Chen Nianbei pushed open the door, Zhang Lei was already inside, along with Han Jianu, the editing director, the sound director, and a few other core members of the creative team.
The lights were dimmed, and the big screen was black, like a sleeping giant screen.
"Didn't anyone else call?" Chen Nianbei sat down, his gaze falling on the screen.
"without."
Zhang Lei held the remote control in his hand. "It's just the few of us. Sister Dongyu is filming—I want to let them see the whole thing at the premiere."
He paused, then turned to look at Chen Nianbei. "Nianbei, I'm a little nervous."
Chen Nianbei didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.
The woman from the Han family sat in the back row and said gently, "Let it go."
The results of several months of work need to be shown to others.
Zhang Lei took a deep breath and pressed the play button.
The screen lights up.
The first shot is of Chongqing's iconic, undulating city skyline.
Morning mist hangs in the air, the river flows, and the voice-over is Zhou Dongyu's cool and restrained monologue.
There was no music, only ambient sounds: the wind, boat horns, and the distant hustle and bustle of the city.
Chen Nianbei unconsciously softened her breathing.
He read the script countless times, oversaw the staging of every scene, and witnessed the birth of every shot.
But at this moment, within the complete narrative woven together by editing, music, color grading, and sound design, those fragmented memories of filming are re-welded and forged into a brand new, complete, and independently breathing living entity.
In the rainy alley, Xiao Bei stopped his motorcycle in the shadows, the headlights piercing the darkness, his eyes shifting from indifference to a slight tremor.
In an abandoned building, the first real conversation between two teenagers was awkward and brief, yet it seemed to slow down the dust in the air.
On a rooftop, the old coat, still warm from the body, rested on the back of a trembling girl, while the scarlet cigarette butt flickered in the rain.
—In the interrogation room, separated by a cold glass partition, he said, "You protect the world, I protect you," his eyes filled with clumsy tenderness and stubborn determination.
-
In the film's final scene, years later, Chen Nian, now a teacher, escorts a girl home. The girl's figure disappears at the alleyway's end. Chen Nian stops and turns back. The camera pulls back, revealing a hooded figure silently watching her across the street—
Chen Nianbei's throat bobbed as he read this.
He didn't cry.
He didn't cry the night filming wrapped, and he doesn't cry now either.
But something slowly rose from the depths of my chest, like the headlights of a car in a rainy alley on a winter night in Chongqing—not dazzling, but enough to illuminate.
The film ends. The end credits slowly roll.
The screening room remained quiet for a long time.
Zhang Lei didn't turn on the light or speak. In the darkness, Han's daughter gently took off her glasses and pressed her fingertip to the corner of her eye.
Chen Nianbei spoke first. His voice was soft and a little hoarse: "That last shot of Xiaobei was really well done."
Zhang Lei turned to look at him, his eyes red-rimmed, but he smiled: "It was Teacher Han's idea. She said not to reveal too much, to leave the audience with some hope and some room for imagination."
Whether Xiao Bei came out or not, he himself knows, Chen Nian knows, and the audience will find the answer themselves.
Chen Nianbei nodded, his gaze still fixed on the now-blacked-out screen. After a long while, he said, "Lei Zi."
"Um?"
"Thank you."
Zhang Lei didn't reply, but just patted his shoulder hard.
Han's daughter stood up, walked to the front row of the screening room, and looked at the silent screen as if she were looking at a newborn child.
She said softly, "This film will be a very important part of your careers."
Not because it's perfect—it's not perfect, it has its flaws—but because it's sincere. The audience will definitely feel that sincerity.
She turned to Chen Nianbei and said, "The Xiaobei you created will remain in many people's hearts."
Chen Nianbei stood up and bowed solemnly to the woman from the Han family.
"Thank you, Ms. Han. Without you, this notebook wouldn't be able to stand up."
The woman from the Han family waved her hand and said nothing more, but there was a faint smile in the corner of her eyes.
As I walked out of the post-production office, the night sky over Beijing was starless, but the city lights still shone brightly.
Zhang Lei stood at the doorway smoking, the smoke quickly dispersed by the night wind.
Chen Nianbei stood next to him, not asking for a cigarette, but quietly watching the traffic in the distance.
"When will it be submitted for review?" he asked.
"Next week. Old Zhao's side is already going through the procedures."
Zhang Lei flicked his cigarette ash. "If all goes well, the audience will be able to see it by the end of the year or next spring."
""
Chen Nianbei did not respond.
He watched the moving headlights, but the images on the screen were still replaying in his mind.
Xiao Bei's eyes, Chen Nian's tears, the car headlight piercing the darkness in the rainy alley, the old coat soaked by rain on the roof, the final gaze through the glass in the interrogation room.
He has played many roles. This is the first time that, after watching the finished film, he has a feeling of "wanting to cherish this person."
"Brother Bei."
Zhang Lei stubbed out his cigarette, turned to look at him, and asked, "What kind of roles do you think you can play after Xiao Bei?"
This is a somewhat offensive question, but it's the kind of question only brothers would ask each other.
Chen Nianbei remained silent for a while.
"have no idea."
He said honestly, "But we have to keep going. Yang Xun hasn't even aired yet, and there are new scripts coming up—the road ahead is long."
Zhang Lei nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
On the way back to the apartment, Chen Nianbei leaned against the back seat of the car with the window half open.
The night breeze at the end of August already carried a hint of early autumn coolness.
He took out his phone and sent a message to Nazha: "Finished watching the film. Very good. Thank you for the soup this past month."
Almost instantly, Na Zha sent a string of happy emojis, followed by a voice message in a soft, sweet voice: "I knew you could do it! When is the movie going to be released? I'm going to rent out a whole theater and treat the entire company to it!"
He smiled, but didn't reply to the question about booking the entire venue. He simply said, "It'll be soon. Please sit in the first row."
My phone vibrated again.
This time it's Dilraba, who posted a selfie of herself eating a boxed lunch on set, with the caption: "What's Teacher Chen been busy with lately? I heard the finished film of 'Better Days' is out? When can we watch it?"
(Rubbing hands in anticipation)
He typed back: "Just finished watching it. Soon. I'll be at the premiere then."
Dilraba quickly replied with a "It's a deal!" emoji, followed by three fireworks.
Chen Nianbei put down her phone, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes.
In my mind, Xiao Bei's face is still there, across the screen, across fate, across the moment that is about to arrive and meet millions of viewers.
He suddenly remembered the night filming wrapped, when Han's daughter said by the window of the hot pot restaurant, "Give a part of your soul to the character. After filming wraps, that void will need time to slowly heal."
A month has passed. The gap is still there, but the edges have begun to smooth out.
Xiao Bei is no longer a burden he needs to carry all the time, but has become someone he can rest in, someone he can remember fondly.
It is also possible to say goodbye to something peacefully.
The car entered the underground parking garage, and the light gradually dimmed. Chen Nianbei opened her eyes and let out a soft breath just before it went completely dark.
The finished product is very good.
Xiao Bei is doing well.
Chen Nianbei should also prepare herself and move forward.
January 2017, BJ.
Autumn arrives slowly and steadily, and the ginkgo leaves begin to turn yellow.
The completed film "Better Days" has been submitted for review for three weeks.
For the past three weeks, Chen Nianbei's life has been running smoothly as usual—"Like a Flowing River" is scheduled to premiere at the end of the year, and the promotional period is about to begin;
New business endorsements are being negotiated in an orderly manner;
Two well-known directors even submitted film scripts, featuring different types of roles and offering hefty sums.
But he knew he was restless.
Zhang Lei was even less able to hold back, calling every few days without saying anything specific, just rambling on for a while, then pausing for a few seconds before hanging up. Both of them knew what the other was waiting for.
In the fourth week, the news arrived.
That afternoon, Chen Nianbei was shooting a promotional video for a high-end car brand.
In late autumn, the location for the outdoor shoot was chosen to be the shores of Yanqi Lake. Wearing a custom-made suit, he stood amidst the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains, and as required by the director, he displayed a calm, composed, and in-control demeanor.
The camera zooms in, and he calmly gazes into the distance, as if he is truly in control of something.
The phone vibrated in the assistant Xiao Wu's hand. She glanced down at it, her expression changed slightly, and she quickly walked to Lao Zhao's side and whispered something.
Old Zhao took the phone, his expression quickly turned serious, and he turned to walk towards the filming area.
"Nianbei, it's Teacher Han on the phone."
Chen Nianbei stepped back from in front of the light panel, took the phone, and said calmly, "Teacher Han."
The woman from the Han family remained silent for two seconds on the other end.
"That's too much," she said.
No unnecessary embellishments, no explanatory process, no exaggerated claims. Just those two words.
Chen Nianbei held his phone, standing in the autumn wind at Yanqi Lake. The lake surface shimmered, and in the distance, flocks of geese flew across the sky.
He swallowed hard, and after a long pause, he only managed to utter two words: "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
There was a hint of weariness in Han's voice, but more so a sense of relief and lightness. "It's because the script is solid, your acting is good, and the production is top-notch. These are the fundamentals. As for the old man, I just let him see these things."
She paused again, then unusually added, "Nianbei, prepare well for the release. This film deserves to be seen by more people."
The phone hangs up.
Chen Nianbei stood still for a long time. Old Zhao and his assistant Xiao Wu didn't dare to disturb him, and simply waited quietly a few steps away.
Director GG, not understanding what was going on, tentatively asked if they should continue filming.
Chen Nianbei handed the phone back to Xiao Wu, turned to the director, and bowed slightly: "Sorry, something urgent came up just now. Let's continue. I think the eye contact in that last take could have been a little more subtle."
He stepped back in front of the camera, touched up his makeup, adjusted the lighting, and continued filming. His expression remained calm, and his professionalism was unwavering.
But after finishing work that day, he sat alone in his car for a long time.
I didn't turn on the lights, nor did I look at my phone. Outside the car window, Beijing was bathed in twilight, with the city lights just beginning to twinkle.
He sent Zhang Lei a WeChat message with only two words: "Passed."
Zhang Lei did not reply.
Fifteen minutes later, Chen Nianbei received a link from him.
The screenshot shows the backend interface of a ticketing platform, indicating that the status of "Better Days" has been updated to "pending release date," and the review number column is filled with green "approved" marks.
Only then did Chen Nianbei truly breathe a sigh of relief.
He leaned back in his car seat and closed his eyes. Many images flashed through his mind. One was that sweltering afternoon in the summer of 2016 when he first presented the novel to Zhang Lei and said, "I want to make it into a movie."
After listening to his understanding of Xiao Bei in the tea room, Han's daughter remained silent for a long time before saying, "I'll take this role."
Zhou Dongyu, without makeup, sat in a coffee shop with slightly red eyes and said, "Two people who were about to drown grabbed each other."
It was Liu Haochun's youthful yet sharp cruelty during his audition for Wei Lai.
When Wang Hao received the call from the character, he choked up and said, "Brother Bei, thank you for remembering me."
It is the rain, fog, and sweat of Chongqing over two hundred days and nights, and the broken yet complete souls delivered in front of the camera.
Now, all of this can finally be shown to the audience.