novellhall Chapter 93 Joy of Life
Chapter 93 Joy of Life
Chapter 99 Joy of Life
January 2018, BJ.
Although the spring chill is still in the air, the afterglow of "Better Days" continues to linger.
The box office miracle of 22.8 billion yuan, the solid 8.9 rating on Douban, and the overwhelming discussion and praise have propelled Chen Nianbei to unprecedented heights.
He is no longer just a "young actor with good acting skills", but "the absolute core capable of carrying a phenomenal film".
On Lao Zhao's desk, scripts have piled up into a small mountain.
Historical political intrigue, modern workplace drama, suspenseful crime, romantic drama — all genres and investment scales.
Invitations to collaborate from various partners poured in, each one brimming with sincerity and offering hefty sums.
But Chen Nianbei didn't accept any offers.
He gave himself a short break—a real short break, only a week.
He went back to his hometown and had meals with his parents for a few days.
A week later, he returned to BJ and sat back in his familiar study at the studio.
"Is there anything particularly worth watching?" he asked Lao Zhao.
Old Zhao pulled out three scripts from the pile: "These three, in my opinion, are the highest quality. They're all big productions, with reliable teams, and the roles are challenging."
.
Chen Nianbei took it, flipped through it, and said nothing.
Just then, the phone rang. It was Kong Sheng.
"Nianbei, are you busy?"
"No, Uncle Kong, please tell me."
"There's a project I'd like to ask for your opinion on."
Kong Sheng's voice was as steady as ever, but Chen Nianbei detected a hint of seriousness in it. "It's from New Classics Media, adapted from a very popular online novel called 'Joy of Life.' The director is Sun Hao, you should know that, right?"
Chen Nianbei was slightly taken aback. "Joy of Life"? He recognized the name.
In its previous life, this drama was a phenomenal hit, pioneering a new era of "male-oriented IP adaptations" and making countless viewers remember the character "Fan Xian".
In this lifetime, it has only just begun its preparations.
"I know him," he said. "I've seen Director Sun's works; they're very insightful."
"That's good."
Kong Sheng said, "Sun Hao asked someone to find me and wanted me to ask you if you were interested in meeting me. They want you to play Fan Xian—the male lead."
Chen Nianbei's grip on her phone tightened slightly.
Fan Xian.
That young man who came from Danzhou, that prodigy who navigated the turbulent times of the Qing Kingdom step by step, that complex soul with a gentle and refined appearance but a deep and scheming heart, struggling to navigate between family, friendship, love, and country.
He had seen this drama in his previous life and remembered how difficult it was to play that role—he needed to possess the innocence of a youth, the depth of a wise man, the unruliness of a prodigal son, and the ruthlessness of a scheming man, all while seamlessly switching between comedy and tragedy.
This is a more complex character than Prince Jing, Mingtai, Yang Xun, and Xiao Bei combined.
"Uncle Kong," he said, "what do you think?"
Kong Sheng remained silent for a few seconds.
"I think you should meet with Sun Hao," he said. "This role is worth your serious consideration. But I won't make the decision for you. Go talk to him yourself, and then make your own judgment."
"Okay," Chen Nianbei said. "Thank you, Uncle Kong."
Three days later, in a quiet teahouse on the East Third Ring Road in Beijing.
Chen Nianbei arrived ten minutes early. He was wearing a simple black turtleneck sweater with a dark gray overcoat, looking clean and understated, yet possessing an aura that was impossible to ignore.
He had barely sat down when the door was pushed open and Sun Hao walked in.
Sun Hao was younger than he had imagined, in his early forties, wearing glasses, with sharp yet gentle eyes.
He is recognized in the industry as a "genius director". He has not made many works, but each one is unique. He is especially good at incorporating just the right amount of humor into serious subjects.
"Chen Nianbei?" Sun Hao smiled and extended his hand. "I've heard so much about you. It's great to finally meet you today."
Chen Nianbei stood up, shook hands, and bowed slightly: "Director Sun, you're too kind. I've long admired you."
The two sat down, and the tea master brewed the tea and then withdrew.
Only the two of them remained in the tea room, along with the rising aroma of tea.
Sun Hao didn't waste time on pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"I asked you to come here because I want you to play Fan Xian."
He said, looking directly at Chen Nianbei, "I spent a long time choosing this role."
The production company recommended many names—popular celebrities, talented actors, and veteran performers. But one name always lingered in my heart—you.
Chen Nianbei didn't respond, but just listened quietly.
"I've seen all of your plays."
Sun Hao continued, "Your portrayal of Prince Jing in 'Nirvana in Fire' showed me your integrity and perseverance."
Mingtai in "The Disguiser" showed me your complexity and multifaceted nature;
Yang Xun in "Like a Flowing River" showed me your courage to completely shatter your "halo"; Xiao Bei in "Better Days" —
He paused, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes, "Let me see that you can completely give a part of your soul to the role."
He picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"Fan Xian is more difficult than all these characters combined."
He said, "He is a time traveler, but he has to live in ancient times."
He was a strategist, yet he retained the conscience of a modern person;
He was a romantic and talented man, yet he loved only one person in his entire life;
He was a child who grew up amidst conspiracies, yet he always wanted to protect everyone around him.
He is complex, contradictory, and multifaceted; sometimes he doesn't even know who he is.
He looked at Chen Nianbei and said, "I need an actor who can portray all these contradictions and make the audience feel that this is a real person, not a collection of labels."
Chen Nianbei was silent for a moment, then spoke.
"Director Sun, may I ask you a few questions?"
"certainly."
"I've read some of the original texts, but I'd like to hear your understanding of Fan Xian—what is its core essence?"
Sun Hao's eyes lit up. That's a very pertinent question.
"The core?" He thought for a moment, "I think it's loneliness."
He put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly: "He is a time traveler, living in a completely different world with modern memories."
He loved his family, but could never tell them who he was;
He made friends, but he could never fully trust anyone;
He gained power, but he was always asking himself, what was the meaning of it all?
He could laugh and rant in public, exuding charm and charisma, but deep down, he would always be that boy from Danzhou, the one no one truly understood.
He paused for a moment, then said, "But what touched me most was not his loneliness, but that he still chose kindness in his loneliness."
He could have been as cold-blooded and ruthless as those scheming men, but he wasn't.
He protects those he wants to protect, in his own way, even if it makes him more lonely.
Chen Nianbei listened, her gaze growing increasingly focused.
"One last question," he said, "why did you decide to make this show?"
Sun Hao smiled.
"Because I want to make the audience laugh, and I also want to make them cry."
He said, "I want them to see a part of themselves in Fan Xian."
Those lonely, persistent, yearning to be understood, and willing to give to others.
I want to tell them that even in a world full of conspiracies, one can choose kindness; even if destined to be alone, one can still live a wonderful life.
The tea room was quiet for a few seconds.
Then Chen Nianbei said, "Director Sun, I'd like to take this role."
Sun Hao was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Aren't you going to think about it? I've said the most hurtful things."
"
"No need to think about it anymore." Chen Nianbei smiled as well. "What you just mentioned are the roles I want to play."
Sun Hao extended his hand: "So, how about a pleasant collaboration?"
Chen Nianbei grasped his hand: "It's a pleasure working with you."
The news spread a week later.
New Classics Media officially announced the cast for the first season of "Joy of Life," with Chen Nianbei playing Fan Xian.
Weibo exploded again.
"Chen Nianbei plays Fan Xian?! My chosen one!"
"From Prince Jing to Fan Xian, is this man going to dominate all my historical dramas?"
"Fans of the original novel are ecstatic! Chen Nianbei's eyes are perfect for playing Fan Xian!"
"Expectations are off the charts! Sun Hao + Chen Nianbei, what an amazing combination!"
"We're still savoring 'Better Days,' and here comes another project! Chen Nianbei, are you trying to kill off the other actors?"
The industry response was equally enthusiastic.
Kong Sheng was the first to call, and he only said one sentence: "Good choice. Fan Xian is more difficult to play than Prince Jing, but I believe in you."
Yang Mi shared the official announcement on her WeChat Moments, adding the caption: "Junior Brother is going to dominate the screen again, this time it's Fan Xian. I'm waiting to see."
Zhang Lei rushed straight to Chen Nianbei's apartment, his face beaming with excitement: "Brother Bei! Joy of Life! That's a huge IP! You're going to be famous again!"
Chen Nianbei looked at him and said with a smile, "It's not like you've never been popular before."
Zhang Lei was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
Naza sent Chen Nianbei a message: "Fan Xian—I heard he has many female confidantes?"
Chen Nianbei smiled when he saw the message. He replied, "I haven't seen the script yet, so I don't know. But I do know that it's all just a play."
Naza replied with a pout.
Then she posted another message: "I know it's just a drama. But I'm still jealous."
Chen Nianbei stared at the message, remaining silent for a few seconds. Then he typed: "Then you should eat. After you finish, I'll make you some soup."
Naza sent a series of angry expressions, but ended with a smile.
Reba's reaction was much more direct.
She reposted the official announcement on Weibo, adding the caption: "Teacher Chen is going to act in a period drama again!! His Highness Prince Jing is back!! Although this time it's Fan Xian instead of Prince Jing, it's okay!! I'm ready!!"
Fans in the comments section were laughing hysterically: "Dilraba, be more reserved!" "Dilraba: Not reserved? I could never be reserved in this lifetime."
Dilraba also sent a private message to Chen Nianbei: "Teacher Chen!! Is there anything you can reveal in advance about the character Fan Xian? I can keep it a secret!!"
Chen Nianbei replied, "I haven't seen the complete script yet either. I'll let you know as soon as I do."
Dilraba replied instantly: "It's a deal!!"
Wang Hao was even more direct: "Brother Bei, are there any other roles in the crew that I can play? Even minor roles are fine, I'll learn from you."
Chen Nianbei smiled and replied, "Don't worry, if there's a suitable one, I'll definitely call you."
The preparation period for "Joy of Life" was scheduled to begin in April 2018.
The night Chen Nianbei received the complete script, he sat in his study for a very long time.
The script was thicker than he had imagined. Fan Xian's life, from Danzhou to the capital, from youth to powerful minister, from naivety to profundity, was written brilliantly and vividly at every step.
He was captivated by the lines, the scenes between the characters, and the complex emotional entanglements.
He read until 3 a.m. before finally letting out a sigh and closing the script.
The night view of Beijing outside the window is in full bloom.
He recalled Sun Hao's words: "Even if Fan Xian is destined to be lonely, he can still live a wonderful life."
He smiled and turned off the table lamp.
Fan Xian, I think we should meet soon.
In April 2018, "Joy of Life" officially entered the preparation stage.
Chen Nianbei's work rhythm has once again switched back to "full-load mode".
Unlike any of his previous roles, this time he was facing a true "leading man" character.
Fan Xian's role is almost the entirety of the series, appearing in almost every episode. His lines are three times more numerous than those of Prince Jing in "Nirvana in Fire," and his emotional range spans from youthful laughter to youthful melancholy. The performance difficulty is arguably the highest in his career.
During the first week after receiving the complete script, he did nothing but repeatedly read the script and ponder the character's inner thoughts.
From Danzhou to the capital, from his first visit to the Fan family mansion to the poetry contest at the banquet, from his initial encounter with Lin Wan'er to his interactions with Yan Bingyun, from his awe of Emperor Qing to his pursuit of the truth—
-
He disassembled Fan Xian's life into countless fragments, like dismantling a precision instrument, and then tried to find the "soul" that ran through the entire story and belonged to this person.
Sun Hao is right, Fan Xian's core is "loneliness"—
The loneliness of a time traveler in a strange world, the loneliness of a wise man in a foolish era, the loneliness of a sentimental man amidst ruthless power struggles.
But Chen Nianbei also saw something else: behind Fan Xian's "cynical" attitude was an almost stubborn kindness.
He knows how dirty the world is, but he still wants to do his little thing to make it a little cleaner.
"That's what makes him so endearing," he wrote in his notes, "because he wasn't a saint, he wasn't even perfect, but he always persevered, even if there was only a sliver of hope."
In mid-April, Chen Nianbei joined the crew for her first costume fitting.
The art direction and styling team of "Joy of Life" are top-notch in China; they designed more than a dozen looks for Fan Xian.
From the coarse cloth clothes of the Danzhou period, to the scholar in the blue robe when he first entered the capital, to the snow-white clothes when he was competing in poetry at a night banquet, and then to the dark brocade robe when he was deep in scheming later.
Each set needs to be tried, and each set needs to be adjusted.
Chen Nianbei stood in front of the mirror, watching the person in the mirror change into Fan Xian at different times.
In his blue robes, he was a young man who had just entered the capital and was full of curiosity about everything;
When he was dressed in white, he was the talented scholar who single-handedly defeated a hundred people at a night banquet and amazed everyone present;
In his later years, he was a strategist who gradually saw the truth but still chose to move forward.
The stylist exclaimed, "Teacher Nianbei, you really have a chameleon-like face! Even your eyes change after changing clothes."
Chen Nianbei looked in the mirror without saying a word.
He said to Fan Xian in his heart:
Let's take it slow; we still have a long way to go.