novellhall Chapter 80 1 Email
Chapter 80 1 Email
A black Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan was driving on the highway leading to Hengdian.
The car's air conditioning isolates the cold air and dust from the outside, leaving behind a warm atmosphere and the subtle scent of leather.
Jing Tian leaned back in the back seat, her gaze fixed on the familiar scenery rushing past the window.
This wasn't her first time in Hengdian, but most of her memories of it weren't pleasant.
Today, for the seventh time, she subconsciously reached for her phone and turned on the screen.
The notification bar was clean and uncluttered, except for a few unimportant push notifications. There was no red "1" next to the email icon she was looking forward to.
A sense of disappointment, hard to conceal, crept into my heart.
A few days ago, Jing Tian made an impulsive decision. She sent a script outline she had been secretly writing for several months—a story about a female painter in the Republican era—to Qi Yue's work email.
After sending the email, she experienced initial excitement, followed by a long wait and anxiety.
Every day, she checks her email countless times, hoping to see a reply.
She even fantasized that Qi Yue might be surprised by her "talent" and might suggest meeting up for a chat, even if it was just a few words of polite encouragement.
But nothing came of it. It vanished without a trace.
"Tian Tian, is there some important news you're waiting for? You've seemed so restless the whole way."
Sitting next to me, the agent, Wang Xiaoxiao, asked.
Jing Tian quickly turned off the screen and placed the phone face down on her lap.
"No...no, I was just checking the time. Sister Xiaoxiao, stop staring at me."
Wang Xiaoxiao glanced at her but didn't investigate further.
"Tian Tian, we're almost at Hengdian. This time, when you join the 'Nirvana in Fire' crew, you must rein in your temper and not be as... capricious as before, understand?"
"Alright, alright, Sister Xiaoxiao, you're even more nagging than my mom!"
Jing Tian interrupted her somewhat irritably, but there was no real anger in her tone.
"I know my limits!"
As the car entered the Hengdian World Studios area, familiar ancient-style buildings began to come into view.
The Mercedes drove smoothly towards the filming area of the "Nirvana in Fire" drama crew. Because the license plate number had been reported to the crew in advance, the security guard at the gate only glanced at it and let it pass.
The car drove into a relatively isolated shooting area, and from a distance, you could see a magnificent antique-style palace building surrounded by people and equipment.
Light rigs, reflectors, tracks, a dense array of cameras, and staff dressed in various ancient costumes—the hustle and bustle was tempered with a tense sense of order.
"This is it, the 'Nirvana in Fire' crew," Wang Xiaoxiao confirmed.
Although Jing Tian plays Princess Nihuang, who is considered the female lead, her role is not particularly large, so her joining the production later did not significantly affect the overall schedule.
The driver smoothly parked the car in the designated parking area for actors. Wang Xiaoxiao got out of the car first, preparing to meet with the production manager or coordinator of the film crew.
Jing Tian adjusted her expression and reached for the car door. Just then—
"Buzz..."
The phone she was holding suddenly vibrated.
Jing Tian's heart skipped a beat; that guy had finally replied to her email!
She almost frantically got back into the car and eagerly turned on the screen.
Sure enough, a new email notification appeared on the lock screen, with the sender's email address prefixed with "qiyue_studio"!
He replied! He really replied!
The email content loads. It begins with a very official statement:
"Hello. Your email has been received. Thank you for your interest in Tongfan Pictures and myself. I greatly appreciate your creative endeavors..."
Upon seeing this, Jing Tian's heart pounded even faster, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.
See, he noticed! She knew it...
However, as her gaze continued downwards, and she saw the last few lines, her smile froze.
Instead, a sense of astonishment and a rapid surge of shame and anger followed.
At the end of the email, Qi Yue's comments were direct and incisive:
"...However, if I may be frank, judging from the outline you provided, although there is creative enthusiasm and some flashes of inspiration, overall, it still shows a lack of basic skills in terms of dramatic structure, the deep logic of character motivations, and the research on historical details. The character portrayal is superficial and lacks depth, and the narrative pacing is sluggish."
"We believe that for you at this stage, the most important thing is not to rush into writing a particularly brilliant or unique story, but to calm down, systematically improve your screenwriting fundamentals, read a lot of excellent scripts, study classic characters in depth, and try to do more solid scene-by-scene exercises. The road to creation is long, and a solid foundation is far more important than momentary inspiration. These are just my humble opinions for your reference."
The beginning was polite, and the ending was courteous, but every word of the evaluation in the middle was like a tiny needle, pricking Jing Tian's heart, which was originally full of expectation and a little arrogance.
"You have passion, but you lack fundamental skills... Your most important task right now is not to write exciting plots, but to master the fundamentals..."
Her mind was buzzing, the most crucial judgment echoing repeatedly.
"What the hell!"
An indescribable sense of grievance and anger surged to the top of his head.
Jing Tian bit her lower lip, her fingers gripping her phone tightly until her knuckles turned white.
In all her life, she had never been criticized so harshly before, especially when she mustered the courage to share her "treasure"!
Even if those people online criticize her acting skills, they are at least strangers on the other side of the screen.
She had thought that even if they didn't approve, they would at least offer some encouragement...
As a result, a bucket of cold water was poured on him!
"How could you say that... I..."
She muttered to herself, her eyes reddening, but more than that, they were filled with resentment and a surge of stubbornness.
Well, Director Qi! You say my basic skills are poor, and that my writing is superficial?
I want to see for myself whether your performance as Mei Changsu is as solid as you claim!
She flung open the car door, and a blast of cold winter air hit her.
She looked up at the busy yet orderly filming center not far away, her gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the crowd to find that self-important guy.
......
An hour later,
The film set was cleared out.
The scene being filmed is Mei Changsu's first arrival in Jinling, where he recognizes Meng Zhi in the Snow Pavilion, followed by a dialogue about court drama and the past.
Wang Xiaoxiao has already gone to coordinate with the production department, leaving Jing Tian alone to familiarize herself with the environment.
She quietly walked to the monitors near the perimeter of the filming area, just in time to hear the assistant director shout, "Action!"
The clapperboard fell, and the set fell silent instantly.
In the center of the frame, Qi Yue—no, at this moment, he is Mei Changsu. Wrapped in a thick fur coat, his face pale, he sits there, exuding a calm and serene aura.
From the very first line of dialogue, Jing Tian's ears were unconsciously drawn in.