The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 177: Zhang Mouyi’s Final Judgment

The exit of Shanghai Hongqiao Airport was bustling with a noisy crowd. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Sun Zhou sucked in a sharp breath, his feet rooted to the spot.

Gu Huai's broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted silhouette, and the powerful aura one could feel even across the crowd, made seeing his face completely unnecessary.

Gu Huai's driver opened the rear passenger door for Jiang Ci.

Sun Zhou scrambled into the front passenger seat, feeling as if he were dreaming.

The car door closed, completely cutting off the outside noise.

"Tonight is a private dinner gathering."

Gu Huai's casual voice came from the back seat.

"Director Zhang Mouyi is invited. We're meeting a bit early."

Sun Zhou instantly sat bolt upright in the passenger seat, his body stiff as a board.

Zhang Mouyi! That iconic figure among domestic arthouse film directors! He was going to see the real person alive!

"Qingying will also be there." Gu Huai added another sentence.

Sun Zhou's heart completely stopped working.

A Film Emperor, a Best Actress, a great director... what kind of celestial gathering was this?

In the back seat, Jiang Ci leaned against the seatback, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but his mind was racing at lightning speed.

A great arthouse director, taking his first plunge into commercial filmmaking.

Two completely different creative mindsets—would they clash over the issue of "authenticity"?

This directly related to his KPI for the next quarter, related to the length of his survival extension.

That kiss scene—would it be genuine gold and silver, or would it all be for nothing?

The car drove into an extremely secluded alley and stopped in front of a vermilion wooden door.

No sign hung at the entrance, only an elderly attendant in an indigo-blue traditional jacket stood quietly, bowing slightly to guide the way.

In the courtyard, an aged black pine stood with gnarled, powerful grace, its base resting on a flowing water platform carved from a single slab of white marble.

Sun Zhou regained his assistant's self-awareness, rushing to get out and open the car door first.

"Brother Ci, I'll wait outside. Call me anytime if needed." He was very clear about his own standing.

Jiang Ci nodded and followed Gu Huai through the wooden door.

After rounding a screen wall entwined with wisteria, an elegant private room came into view.

Pushing the door open, people were already inside.

Su Qingying sat by the window, wearing a simple, plain-colored long dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, quietly watching the steam rising from the teacup in front of her.

Hearing the door open, she lifted her gaze. Her eyes passed over Gu Huai and landed on Jiang Ci.

In those eyes, always as clear and cool as water, actually rippled a faint, almost imperceptible hint of a smile.

Jiang Ci also gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment, his expression composed, as if the "tragic love" storm that had swept across the entire internet before had nothing to do with them.

Gu Huai's gaze shifted between the two, a trace of playful amusement hidden in the depths of his eyes.

The private room door opened again.

A man in his early fifties with a serious face walked in, dressed in a simple Chinese-style mandarin collar shirt and a pair of cloth shoes.

"Director Zhang."

Gu Huai immediately stood up. The casualness on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by genuine respect from the heart.

Su Qingying and Jiang Ci also promptly rose to their feet.

"Sit."

Zhang Mouyi's gaze swept over Jiang Ci and Su Qingying before he took the seat of honor directly.

The dinner gathering began.

Gu Huai actively warmed up the atmosphere, steering the conversation from film festivals to the domestic market. Zhang Mouyi didn't speak much, but every sentence hit the nail on the head.

"The market nowadays is too impetuous. Everyone talks about IP, no one talks about 'people'."

"The lens is the director's eyes. If your heart is empty, your eyes are blind."

After a few rounds of drinks, Jiang Ci knew it was his turn.

He set down his teacup. The clear, crisp sound made everyone at the table look over.

"Director Zhang," he began, "regarding the script, I have a few questions about the characters I'd like to ask for your advice."

A flash of approval passed through Gu Huai's eyes.

Zhang Mouyi looked up, signaling for him to continue.

"Ye Chen is pinned to the giant tree by A Li's arrow. I believe the pain here has at least three layers."

Su Qingying also lifted her gaze to look at him.

"The first layer is the intense physical pain. That's the surface level."

"The second layer is the psychological shock—being hurt by the one he loves, replicating the trauma from a thousand years ago. This is the helplessness of fate."

"And the third layer," Jiang Ci's voice was clear, "is him watching A Li, who is acting against her will, tears streaming down her face. He knows she is suffering even more than he is. This torment of empathy is also one of the core elements of the drama 'Longing Across Time'."

After these words were spoken, the private room fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Gu Huai's fingers holding the teacup unconsciously rubbed against the cup's surface once. The look he gave Jiang Ci held a few more degrees of admiration.

Jiang Ci waited for Zhang Mouyi to digest his words, confirming a flicker of interest in the other's eyes before unhurriedly posing the question he truly cared about.

"Based on this complex emotional foundation, after Ye Chen falls unconscious, how do you think A Li's 'kiss' should be presented?"

"Is it pity born from extreme pain? Is it compensation born from overwhelming guilt? Or is it a kind of desperate farewell?"

The moment this question was posed, Su Qingying also quietly looked at Zhang Mouyi, awaiting the answer.

Zhang Mouyi, however, did not answer immediately. His gaze scrutinized Jiang Ci and Su Qingying back and forth.

"I've read this script three times," he said, setting down his chopsticks. "The shell is commercial, but the core is tragic."

His fingers tapped lightly on the table.

"The relationship between Ye Chen and A Li demands that the actors must be completely immersed. Any hint of falseness will cause the entire story to collapse."

Here it comes.

Jiang Ci's nerves tightened.

He had to ask to the very end.

"Director Zhang," Jiang Ci began, choosing his words carefully, "regarding those scenes with the highest emotional intensity, like... that kiss scene."

He made himself sound like a pure seeker of artistic truth.

"How do you balance the scale of this kind of 'authenticity'?"

The moment this question left his mouth, Gu Huai's hand holding the teacup paused. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

On the other side, Su Qingying's hand under the table tightened uncontrollably at the knuckles.

The entire dinner gathering's focus instantly shifted from art toward reality.

Zhang Mouyi slowly set down his wine glass. The base of the glass met the tabletop with a soft, distinct "tap."

He didn't look at Jiang Ci. Instead, he looked at Su Qingying.

"Qingying," he spoke, his voice not loud but brooking no argument, "I know your past habits. Tian Guang has also spoken to me about it."

These words confirmed that the company had indeed communicated in advance.

Zhang Mouyi's gaze shifted back to Jiang Ci.

"I've also heard that many young actors nowadays have many demands."

His tone cooled. The previously harmonious atmosphere abruptly dropped to freezing point.

His gaze swept over the two of them, devoid of any warmth.

"But in my crew, there are only two principles."

He extended one finger.

"First, there is no status ranking, only roles. Film Emperors and cannon fodder extras are all components. There is no hierarchy of value."

He extended a second finger, his voice carrying a kind of cruel calmness.

"Second, I do not accept any form of falseness."

"Whether it's emotion, tears, or a kiss."

Zhang Mouyi looked at the two of them and delivered his final judgment.

"Authenticity is the only standard."