A Lifetime of Peace and Care - Chapter 68
Chapter 68: Late Night Movie
On Saturday morning, Gu Tingchuan changed clothes and was ready to meet the industry leaders whom he had an appointment with. Yi Ran helped him fixed his dark sweater and looked back in the mirror to see the elegantly dressed man.
Director Gu was also wearing the cuff-links that she had bought for him last time. Since marrying him, all of her expenses had been significantly reduced and so she was able to save some money to buy her husband gifts. Even this humble pair of cuff-links had cost her tens of thousands.
She looked up and met his dark gaze. Her cheeks flushed pink.
“Didn’t you sleep well?” He asked. “Sleep in for a while.”
Yi Ran rubbed her eyes, hugged his used clothes in her arms, and prepared to take them to the laundry room. “It’s okay. Rongrong asked me to go to her house earlier. I’ll change clothes in a bit and leave.”
“Okay. I’ll come find you when I’m done with my meeting.”
He lightly squeezed her face and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. Afterward, Gu Tingchuan left.
The people he had a meeting with was actually representatives from several producers and distributors from China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The purpose of the meeting was to invite him to direct a nature film focused on rare wild animals.
Gu Tingchuan had never actually directed this type of films before. However, in his student days, he had used wild animals has main characters and had made similar documentaries in order to complete some school credits.
“This is a joint shooting between three countries. We plan to divide into three shooting groups and synchronize the material across the countries. The production team is very good. You and your team are naturally responsible for the final editing.”
After talking for more than half an hour, Gu Tingchuan had a basic understanding of their goals. He liked to do things that others might consider “crazy.” This was a well-known directing characteristic of his.
Aside from the fact that the work will be abroad, he will not only go deep into nature but also be able to work with those professional wildlife investigators. He could go beyond his typical director status and become an “explorer.” For Gu Tingchuan, shooting such a type of movie was more attractive than any other movies.
However, he could not make a decision immediately.
Budgeting was not a problem. After all, the partners were already some of the best movie companies in the world. The problem for Director Gu was just that….
It would take too long.
If he participated in the filming, he would have to leave S City. The shooting time may take as long as two years. There was no need to say more on what this might mean.
But, if he didn’t participate in the filming, it would be a missed opportunity for him.
He took a sip of freshly ground coffee and looked calmly at Xiao Zhao. After some time, the collaborators gave him thoughtful looks, and he responded, “I’ll need some time to think about it.”
…..
The wedding was on the top-floor terrace of a five-star hotel.
Zhang Rongrong herself did not make much money as a doctor. However, her family had a strong foundation and was able to host a luxurious wedding for her.
As soon as Yi Ran arrived with the wedding party, she received a call from Gu Tingchuan to let her know that he had finished his meeting and was on his way.
According to the wedding day schedule, the ceremony will be held in the afternoon and the dinner in the evening.
When Gu Tingchuan looked at the colorful balloons dancing in the sky, and saw the happiness in Yi Ran’s eyes, he couldn’t help but ask, “What kind of wedding do you want?”
There was a touch of sweetness in Yi Ran’s eyes as she looked at the man and quietly said, “Would you find me difficult? So far, I’d thought of several romantic plans. Maybe, probably a wedding at an island like Bali. We could invite our family and friends. This seems to be the typical popular wedding plans, right? But, aside from this, I really can’t think of anything more special.”
She looked at the white decorations and at the roses and wedding cake. She said in a soft voice, “Gu Tingchuan, I always felt strange. It’s not that I don’t feel satisfied. It’s just that I am too ordinary and feel as if I don’t deserve you.”
When he heard these words, he felt moved and quickly suppressed the feelings that surged in his heart. He could only look down at her and said, “You think too much, silly.”
This was the first time Yi Ran heard him calling her “silly.” Her ears felt red and itchy, and her heart was full of love.
However, she thought that it would probably be difficult to have a wedding that was significant to them.
The bride, Zhang Rongrong, had a red nose as she stood on the terrace where the ceremony was held. She rubbed her hands together and exclaimed, “Can we go back indoors? This old lady is freezing to death!”
It was too cold, especially since she was only wearing a pink jacket over her wedding dress. At this time, seeing Director Gu appear next to Yi Ran, her eyes became astonishingly bright.
The man’s clothes were not too sophisticated, but it was meticulously tailored. His black hair hang down across his forehead and was not combed back, making him look more casual.
Gu Tingchuan nodded to Yi Ran’s friend very politely. “Congratulations to you.”
Zhang Rongrong froze, then turned her head and shook Yi Ran’s shoulders. “You little demon! How did you become so lucky?! Tell me. Why did Director Gu, someone with such talent and boundless prospects, want to marry you?!
Yi Ran immediately came up with a witty reply, “Because I am fresh and pure and not artificial and very different from those pretty and flirtatious vixens?”
Zhang Rongrong: “…”
Gu Tingchuan: “?”
Seeing their awkward expressions, she laughed a few times.
The entire wedding dinner was robbed by Gu Tingchuan. Even if the man just sat there silently, there were countless radar-like glances fixed on him.
Fortunately, Zhang Rongrong arranged for them to be at the same table with men and women with polite manners. Otherwise, Director Gu would have to deal with a lot of troublesome fans. Even so, there would occasionally be a few fans who would ask for photos or autographs. Gu Tingchuan would quietly refuse, “Sorry, it’s inconvenient today.”
They waited until the banquet was almost over and the toasting began before they decided to politely withdraw.
Yi Ran took Gu Tingchuan to Zhang Rongrong. She looked at the groom a few steps away, who was in the middle of having a quiet discussion with the best man regarding the details of the toasts. She said, “Your husband is handsome and considerate too. Where is he bad? You also got lucky.”
Zhang Rongrong hugged Yi Ran with a wide smile and Yi Ran said, “Rongrong, Gu Tingchuan and I have something to do at night, so we’ll leave first. You know he’s not used to these occasions…”
“It’s all right. It’s enough that you both came to give me face. You just don’t know but even my mother-in-law came to ask about Director Gu.”
Yi Ran leaned over and hugged her friend. “Then we’ll meet up again later. I wish you a happy wedding and a precious son. ”
Zhang Rongrong looked at them ambiguously. “You said me, but it’s you! Are you going to have children soon, ah?”
Yi Ran was too choked to answer this question. She quietly looked at Gu Tingchuan, hoping he would help her with a reply.
The result was that Director Gu was indeed Director Gu. He spoke calmly and only said a single word, “Tonight.”
After he was finished speaking, he took Mrs. Gu’s hand and turned away.
……
Gu Tingchuan asked the driver to go back earl and drove Yi Ran himself for their date. He originally wanted his assistant to book movie tickets, but Yi Ran took out her mobile phone and said that it would be more convenient to book their own tickets. She showed him the app’s interface and told him that she’ll buy whatever he wanted.
Director Gu knew that she wanted him to experience this kind of normalcy so he only smiled and agreed.
There were more couples out at night than expected, but they planned to wait until the movie started before sneaking into the theater room in the dark. Anyway, they bought tickets for the back row so they shouldn’t attract anyone’s attention.
As they waited in the car, Yi Ran listened to the jazz music playing on the stereo. She looked at Gu Tingchuan and said, “Am I imagining things? I feel like…you’re more quieter than usual tonight.”
At first, she thought the wedding was too lively, which made him feel uncomfortable, but after careful observation, it seemed that this was not the case.
Gu Tingchuan glanced at her, and there was a tacit acquiescence in this look. After a moment of silence, he knew that if he didn’t say it now, he would always think about it, so he simply ignored the movie mentioned today and began speaking, trying to make her understand his thoughts and positions.
After listening to it, Yi Ran’s mood was really tangled. She knew what the man was worrying about, and she knew that there were too many contradictions.
After all, this nature film was not just as simple as making a film, but to present a natural world through the lens of with his own careful thinking.
The reason Gu Tingchuan’s continuous breakthrough had continued to surprise many people was because he was not only trying to make a film belonging to “Gu Tingchuan” but to also allow the audience to see the wider landscape behind his movies.
“When talking about ideas, there was an American who said that if people don’t value ecological protections, then as a species, we have no future. I think that this makes sense.” Yi Ran looked at the light coming through the window and pressed her fingertips on her knees. She bowed her head and added, “They can give you such an important opportunity. This just fully affirmed your ability in all aspects.”
He smiled, and after a long hesitation, he made up his mind. “Yes, but I won’t go.”
Looking at the smile in the man’s eyes, Yi Ran felt uneasy. “Why?”
“If I follow the shooting schedule, I’ll be gone for more than a year. There’s even a chance that it’ll even take a few years instead. But, we just got married, and there are still many things I want to do with you.”
Gu Tingchuan’s words were not to reassure her nor to give in to her, but they were his true thoughts. It was because of this that she felt that it was even more unacceptable.
This incident made her feel burdened, but she could not agree either… It was a dilemma.
She could see Mr. Gu’s ambitions, and she could also feel his deep love. This was all her advantages, and the thing she loved most was him only.
