Chapter 220: Liu Xiaoyu, the Mad Artist?
"Liu Zhou, I haven't asked yet—what genre is that short film you shot?"
At this moment, Liu Xiaoyu held a handheld camera, aiming it at Liu Zhou who stood smiling at her by the doorway.
Liu Zhou walked forward slowly.
He said: "It's a love action movie."
Liu Xiaoyu chewed on these words: "Love action movie? Is that the kind with both romance and action elements?"
"Which is more dominant—the love or the action?"
Liu Zhou maintained his smile: "It might start with action as the focus, but later it should shift to love as the main theme."
"After all, familiarity breeds affection!"
Liu Xiaoyu, now sitting on the sofa, said impatiently: "Then play it quickly! I can't wait!"
After saying this, she turned her gaze toward the television mounted on the wall ahead. But three minutes passed.
She noticed Liu Zhou remained standing in place, smiling at her.
He showed no intention of turning on the television to play the newly filmed footage.
She felt puzzled: "Liu Zhou, why aren't you playing the movie? Are we not using this TV?"
Liu Zhou shook his head with a smile: "Xiaoyu, actually there's something I need to confess—I lied to you."
Liu Xiaoyu looked confused: "What thing?"
Liu Zhou: "That love action movie I mentioned... it hasn't actually started filming yet."
Liu Xiaoyu finally furrowed her brows: "Then why did you invite me to see your new movie?"
Liu Zhou said: "Actually, I didn't invite you here to watch my new short film as the first audience member."
"Rather, I was hoping you could become the female lead of my love action movie, while I would be the male lead."
Liu Zhou placed his left hand on his chest, unable to suppress his smile any longer.
What makes someone considered good-looking?
Other aspects might be unclear, but you'd think attractive people must have nice eyes.
Liu Xiaoyu was exactly like that.
Now, her eyes narrowed, her pretty face filled with confusion:
"But, I studied directing, not acting. I probably wouldn't perform well!"
Liu Zhou said: "No problem, I'll teach you."
As he spoke, Liu Zhou took off his burgundy suit jacket.
Today Liu Zhou wore exactly that burgundy suit.
You might ask why not wear black.
That's because black makes him look like a salesman.
It doesn't convey the pseudo-bourgeois sensibility Liu Zhou was pretending to have.
After all, clothes make the man, just as a saddle makes the horse.
Liu Xiaoyu watched Liu Zhou remove his suit jacket with complete bewilderment: "Why are you taking off your clothes?"
Liu Zhou said: "For acting, it's all necessary for the performance."
"Next, I'm not just taking off this one piece—I'm going to remove all my clothes."
"Of course, you'll need to do the same."
Hearing this, Liu Xiaoyu was utterly stunned: "Huh? I also have to take off all my clothes? This? Is this really for making a movie?"
Liu Zhou: "Why wouldn't it be?"
Liu Xiaoyu: "What kind of movie requires taking off all clothes?"
Liu Zhou: "Didn't I tell you at the beginning? A love action film?"
Liu Xiaoyu: "But love action films don't need this, right?"
Liu Zhou felt Liu Xiaoyu was adorably naive.
He said: "The love action film I'm talking about is exactly like the AVs from Cherry Blossom Country! Isn't that what love action films are?"
"Don't worry, I'm professional."
At this point, Liu Xiaoyu went:
"Ohh, ohh!" as sudden understanding dawned.
She seemed to have completely grasped the situation now.
Liu Zhou currently watched Liu Xiaoyu with an ambiguous smile.
He was already prepared to force the matter.
After all, normally any woman would have guessed his intentions by now.
Just as Sima Zhao's heart was known to all passersby, his motives were equally transparent.
Therefore, the women he encountered typically resisted him like Cao Mao resisting Sima Zhao in ancient times.
But what utterly shocked him was—
Liu Xiaoyu at this moment not only didn't scream or yell "don't come closer, I'll call the police" or similar protests.
Nor did she try to escape from the room.
Instead, she found a chair, placed it on the glass coffee table, then pushed the glass coffee table aside slightly.
She positioned her handheld camera on the chair, adjusting it left and right to frame the sofa perfectly.
Then, she said to Liu Zhou with complete openness:
"Then let's begin, though I think it's best to start from the sofa before moving to other locations."
"Of course, I think just action alone would be completely uninteresting."
"We definitely need to incorporate love."
"How about we play a couple? What do you think?"
"Though honestly, ordinary couples wouldn't offer much novelty either."
"That kind of approach simply couldn't capture the audience's attention."
"To be honest, as someone studying directing,"
"I basically watch all types of films."
"Including those... unofficial ones."
"I've seen many genres from different countries."
"And I've realized one truth:"
"This type of film absolutely must include plot."
"And to stand out among the multitude of such films,"
"The storyline must be novel and unique."
"The couple we'll portray next—"
"It's this: you have a girlfriend, I have a boyfriend, but we're secretly cheating on them with each other."
After this long speech,
Liu Xiaoyu, who had been full of excitement moments before, suddenly began to cry.
She cried with pear-shaped tears streaming down her face, evoking pity from anyone who saw her.
She spread her arms open wide.
Walking toward Liu Zhou while making coquettish, pitiful sounds:
"I've missed you so much."
This scene, this situation—
Truthfully, it completely baffled Liu Zhou, despite his "years of experience."
Good heavens! He wondered if he was dreaming?
In all his years, this was the first time he encountered such a situation!
Not only did the woman not have any extreme reactions after his intentions were exposed,
But she remained completely calm, even actively cooperating?
Liu Zhou felt like his brain had been hit by an atomic bomb.
Shattered into pieces.
Reduced to fragments.
But soon, these shattered fragments merged back together.
Liu Zhou regained his thoughts and instantly understood everything before him.
"Could this be the charm of art?"
In this world, the thought processes of some art-oriented people simply couldn't be understood by ordinary individuals.
For art, they could sacrifice everything, even their own lives.
In pursuit of their artistic vision, they could be called crazy, stopping at nothing.
Liu Zhou guessed that Liu Xiaoyu must be exactly that type of person.
Otherwise, she absolutely wouldn't be acting like this!
As for the possibility that she might be pretending?
Trying to lower his guard so she could escape?
Don't be ridiculous.
She's just a weak woman—no matter how clever she might be, it would be useless against a grown man like him.
Therefore, he also spread his arms wide, as if immersing himself in the emotional atmosphere Liu Xiaoyu had created.
But when they were just two meters from embracing each other,
Liu Xiaoyu suddenly shouted "Cut!"
Then Liu Zhou saw Liu Xiaoyu run to the camera, adjust it, and shift the lens slightly.
Apparently, they had both nearly moved out of frame moments earlier, hence the adjustment.
After completing this,
Liu Xiaoyu returned to her position and said "Action!"
The two of them resumed their previous intense emotional performance.