Chapter 34: Metaphysics

Over the next few days, the team continued to audition actors from the Central Academy of Drama and various theater troupes.

Within the creative team of "Romance on Lushan Mountain," some felt that Fang Shu was an excellent candidate. Wang Haowei agreed that it was worth a try, so she paired Fang Shu with Zhou Lijing, asking them to come to the Beijing Film Studio daily to rehearse, discuss the script, and conduct further screen tests.

Actors like Zhang Tielin and Chen Baoguo had already been cut.

Joan Chen had made a special trip from Shanghai. Having already gained prominence for her role in "Little Flower," she had been admitted to the Shanghai International Studies University the previous year, majoring in English and American literature. In 1981, she would eventually move to the United States and marry a Hollywood movement coach. Initially, everyone had high expectations for her, but after the screen test, it was clear that the desired effect was missing; at her young age, her face still carried a touch of baby fat, lacking the specific aura required for the lead role. She, too, was cut.

Early that morning, Chen Qi arrived at the conference room well ahead of time.

He usually arrived first to sweep the floor, wipe the tables, and sometimes prepare tea. In terms of his position, he was the screenwriter; in terms of age, he was the youngest, which created a somewhat contradictory dynamic. He, however, did not mind, and his favorability rating kept climbing.

Upon entering today, he was surprised to find someone already sitting in the room, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and hunched over, writing something.

"Ahem, hello, comrade!"

"Oh, hello, hello!"

The man looked up and stood up quickly, revealing a handsome, striking face with red lips and white teeth. His eyes were particularly bright and sparkling, and he had a well-built frame, good height, and fair, tender skin.

Ha!

Chen Qi was delighted. He walked up and shook his hand, saying, "Oh, Prime Minister, when will you lead us on the Northern Expedition? I’ve already got the excavators ready!"

The person was none other than the dashing, number-one "cream-faced" heartthrob, Tang Guoqiang!

"Hello, I’m Chen Qi, the screenwriter for 'Romance on Lushan Mountain.'"

"I’ve heard so much about you. I heard a young talent had joined the Beijing Film Studio; seeing you today, the rumors are true!"

Tang Guoqiang’s voice was resonant and magnetic, very pleasant to the ear. He warmly invited Chen Qi to sit, laughing, "I had some free time, so I thought I’d come early, but it seems I arrived too early—everyone else hasn't arrived yet."

"They’ll be here soon; they’re probably eating breakfast now. Did you come from the August First Film Studio?"

"Yes. Do you live at the Beijing Film Studio?"

"Yes, I’ve been staying at the guesthouse."

As the two chatted, Chen Qi kept staring at his face. *My goodness, his skin is truly incredible!* People in this era generally had rougher skin, but he was gifted with a complexion so fair and delicate it put many women to shame.

When filming "Little Flower," it happened to be his birthday. Joan Chen asked him what he wanted, and he replied, "I like cream, get me a cream cake." Later, Joan Chen would tell everyone, "My brother here has skin even more tender than mine—it’s all from eating cream."

At the time, society idolized tough guys like Ken Takakura, and Tang Guoqiang was often teased. Especially in 1981, when he starred in "Princess Peacock," his performance was so tender and his appearance so exquisitely fair that the nickname "Cream-faced Heartthrob" began to spread.

This caused him great distress. He tried hard to break out of that casting type, but with little success. He carried the label for many years until the birth of Zhuge Liang in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." Later, his portrayals of Chairman Mao and the Yongzheng Emperor cemented his status. Objectively speaking, he was a talented actor. His early portrayals of the Chairman were decent, though later, as he played the role more often, it became a bit of a factory production. Furthermore, as he aged and stuck to playing emperors and generals, the performances lacked variety, and his acting skills arguably stagnated.

As they chatted, Tang Guoqiang began to feel something was off and asked, "Comrade Chen, why do you keep looking at me?"

"I just think your skin is really good. Do you have a skincare routine?"

"Skincare? This... I think it’s just natural, isn't it?"

"If it’s natural, that’s truly impressive. Look at me—I’m not so lucky. My skin is a bit rough, and with the change of seasons, I’ve even broken out in pimples..."

"Oh, really now, Comrade!" Tang Guoqiang slapped his thigh, speechless. "Two grown men discussing skin—what does that look like?"

"Right, right, no more talk of it. But your skin is really good..."

For some reason, Chen Qi couldn't help but want to tease him whenever he saw him. Fortunately, Wang Haowei and the others arrived, rescuing Tang Guoqiang.

The relationship between the August First Film Studio and the Beijing Film Studio was excellent. The former often lacked directors, and the latter had a surplus, so they often helped out, and actors were frequently exchanged. Today’s meeting was less formal and more relaxed.

As everyone settled in, Tang Guoqiang said, "Director Wang, first of all, thank you for inviting me. I’ve read the script for 'Romance on Lushan Mountain,' but I have a question: I’m 27 this year, won't I be a bit too old?"

"But you look young!" Wang Haowei laughed. "We’ve already considered that. First, we look at the image; as long as the feeling is right, it works. Besides, the male and female leads have a five-year gap; he will naturally mature after five years."

"Oh, I see. Then, if you value my work, shall I give it a try?"

"Certainly. Let’s communicate more and find the right feel, but I must be clear: I can't guarantee you'll get the part."

"Of course, I’m not a novice anymore."

After chatting for a while, Tang Guoqiang excused himself. Before leaving, he glanced at Chen Qi, who had left quite an impression on him—starting a conversation by discussing skincare. *Sigh, the youth of today...*

After he left, the meeting continued.

Wang Haowei said, "We have a set with Fang Shu and Zhou Lijing. Tang’s image and quality speak for themselves; he is definitely worth considering. We still need a lead actress to pair with him. That gives us two sets of candidates; we’ll see which one is more suitable."

"Pan Hong?"

"Jiang Lili?"

"Zhang Weixin?"

Candidate after candidate was proposed, but either they were unavailable or their work units wouldn't release them. In the end, there was no result.

After the meeting, Chen Qi returned to the guesthouse and closed the door. He paused, pulled out a chair, and spread out some manuscript paper. He also felt the progress was slow, and honestly, it was his own fault—moving "Romance on Lushan Mountain" from the Shanghai Film Studio to the Beijing Film Studio had changed many things.

"No choice, I’ll have to use 'metaphysical' casting!"

He finally couldn't hold back. He thought about who the actresses of this era were.

He Qing was only 15, in the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe. Chen Hong was even younger, only 11, likely a class arts representative in elementary school. Tao Huimin was 13, probably just starting in the Yue Opera troupe... While these three were young, they could be used in the future. Chen Qi made a note in his notebook.

Additionally, He Saifei, Ru Ping, Dong Zhizhi, Zhou Jie, and Lin Fangbing were all too young. "Romance on Lushan Mountain" spanned five years, from early twenties to late twenties, so he didn't necessarily need a green, immature actress.

"What about Li Jianqun?" Chen Qi suddenly thought of the name. She should be studying at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, though she lacked acting experience. He made a note to keep her in mind for the future.

"Where is Zhu Lin? She’s working at a health research institute, right? Is she going to play the motherly role in 'Romance on Lushan Mountain'?"

Thinking of Zhu Lin naturally led him to another name. These two were frequently discussed by netizens in the future. He pondered for a moment and drew a circle in his notebook.

"It’ll be her!"