50: Visiting Zhou Xiaowen

"Xiuwu, when are you planning to prepare this TV series?"

Returning from Red Star House, Liu Yonghui was very optimistic about this script, and Liu Xiaoli felt more confident.

"I'll go visit Teacher Zhou this weekend. I don't know if he has finished the post-production for 'demi-gods and semi-devils' yet."

"What are your thoughts on the actors?"

"I'll play Zhao Ling'er," Liu Yifei said loudly, staring at Li Xiuwu with both eyes and raising a fist, looking very much like she would hit him if he didn't agree.

"Ling'er is gentle, considerate, understanding, pure and refined, tranquil yet lively, kind and tolerant. What about you?" Li Xiuwu tilted his head to look at her.

"I can also be pure and refined, and I can also be understanding," Liu Yifei said, holding her head high and lifting her charming face.

"That's not necessarily true. I think you look like a little lunatic."

"You're the little lunatic! Watch me beat you up."

Liu Xiaoli watched the two of them bickering, a smile appearing on her face.

On the weekend morning, Li Xiuwu was still practicing swordplay when Liu Yifei ran over.

"The sun must have risen from the west for you to be up this early?"

"Can't I get up early?" Liu Yifei grabbed a sword and started waving it around randomly.

"Don't hurt yourself; this sword is sharpened." Li Xiuwu was startled and quickly told her to put it down.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"I want to play Zhao Ling'er, so I'm practicing the movements first."

"Behave yourself."

Li Xiuwu snatched the sword from Liu Yifei's hand.

Not long after, Li Xiuwu stood there, locking eyes with Liu Yifei.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? Why are you following me?"

Wherever Li Xiuwu went, Liu Yifei and Little Lion followed.

When he came out of the restroom, he saw Liu Yifei and Little Lion squatting on the floor together, staring at the restroom door.

"No way. I'm following Little Lion, not you. Right, Little Lion?" Liu Yifei poked the Little Lion crouching there with her finger.

Little Lion hopped over to Li Xiuwu's side and rubbed against his leg a few times.

"Meow, she's such a fool."

"Even Little Lion thinks you're annoying," Li Xiuwu said to her.

"I give it delicious food every day and cuddle with it while sleeping. Little Lion would never find me annoying." She stood up, arms akimbo.

Li Xiuwu ignored her and turned to leave.

Liu Yifei grabbed Little Lion and lifted it up.

"Little Lion, do you find me annoying?"

"Meow." Little Lion pawed at the air, kneading.

"Are you going to see Teacher Zhou today?" Liu Yifei asked him while they were eating.

Li Xiuwu looked up at her.

"I want to go too."

"You followed me all morning just for this?"

"Yeah."

"Auntie, we're leaving." At ten in the morning, Li Xiuwu prepared to go visit Zhou Xiaowen.

"Did you bring the gifts?" Liu Xiaoli walked out and looked at Li Xiuwu's car.

"When visiting an elder, one must be courteous."

"Everything you prepared is already in the car." From Liu Xiaoli, Li Xiuwu felt the care of a parent; she worried about everything.

"Go on, drive carefully." After checking the gifts, Liu Xiaoli said to the two of them.

"Xixi, be good when you get there. Don't throw any tantrums, you hear me?"

"I know, you're so nagging." Liu Yifei was very impatient. She sat in the passenger seat and urged Li Xiuwu to leave quickly.

Li Xiuwu started the car and drove out of the Courtyard House.

"I don't even know if she's your mom or my mom," Liu Yifei complained.

"If you don't want her, I do. Either way, you have to call her Mom eventually." Li Xiuwu watched the road, glancing at Liu Yifei out of the corner of his eye.

"Huh?" Liu Yifei turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean by 'what do you mean'?" Li Xiuwu feigned ignorance nonchalantly.

"Hmph! If you weren't driving, I'd beat you up!" Liu Yifei glared at him.

At Zhou Xiaowen's home, Li Xiuwu and Liu Yifei arrived carrying the gifts.

He rang the doorbell.

"Click!"

"It's you two?" Zhou Xiaowen looked at Li Xiuwu and Liu Yifei in surprise.

Li Xiuwu saw that Zhou Xiaowen's face looked dejected; he seemed to be in low spirits and poor condition.

"Teacher Zhou, we've come to see you."

"Come in." Zhou Xiaowen managed a forced smile and stepped aside to let them in.

"Take those things back later." He turned to get the thermos.

"Teacher, let me do it. You sit down and rest." Li Xiuwu went over and took the thermos from him.

He poured a cup of tea for Zhou Xiaowen.

"Teacher, how is the post-production for 'demi-gods and semi-devils' going?"

A flash of anger crossed Zhou Xiaowen's face.

"Teacher, did something happen? Is there a problem with the post-production for 'demi-gods and semi-devils'?" Li Xiuwu noticed the anger on Zhou Xiaowen's face and was somewhat surprised.

Seeing the confusion on Li Xiuwu and Liu Yifei's faces, Zhou Xiaowen realized they didn't know the inside story.

"Big Beard Zhang kicked me out of the production team." His voice was filled with anger and resentment.

"What?" Li Xiuwu was shocked. Mainland production teams operated on a director-centered system; from filming to editing, it was basically led by the director. Even if there were disagreements, they had to be discussed with the director.

For the chief director of a TV series to be kicked out of the post-production was hard to imagine in the mainland. What was Big Beard Zhang trying to do?

Wait, no. His mouth is healed, so he's causing trouble again?

Calculating the time, it should indeed be healed by now.

Li Xiuwu digested this news and exchanged a look with Liu Yifei; it was likely not just as simple as being kicked out of the post-production team.

He didn't continue to press on the topic: "Teacher Zhou, it's like this: our company has put together a script, and I was asked to find a professional director to polish it, so I thought of you, Teacher Zhou."

Li Xiuwu took out the script directly and placed it in front of Zhou Xiaowen.

"Oh." Zhou Xiaowen was taken aback. He had assumed Li Xiuwu and Liu Yifei were here to network.

Although he hadn't had many works in the past two years, his status was undeniable, and many people who visited him did so for that purpose.

He glanced at the two of them and picked up the script.

The room became quiet, with only the sound of Zhou Xiaowen turning the pages of the script.

immortal heroes genre, a new theme.

Zhou Xiaowen was very unfamiliar with this genre; the immortal heroes genre hadn't appeared in film and television yet.

He had originally thought it was just a minor innovation of the martial arts genre, but after reading it, his face showed surprise.

Spells, sword flying, immortal arts, demons.

Different from mythology, yet more advanced than martial arts; the term 'immortal heroes genre' really fits.

He frowned. It seemed like Tsui Hark had made a movie called The Legend of Zu a couple of years ago.

It caused quite a stir back then, but both the box office and reputation flopped.

Zhou Xiaowen shook his head, flipping through the script, forgetting the passage of time.

Li Xiuwu checked the time; it was already noon. He stood up and walked toward the kitchen.

Liu Yifei looked back and followed him in.

The two of them stared at each other in the kitchen.

"Do you know how to cook?" Li Xiuwu asked Liu Yifei.

"If you don't know how, why would I?" She looked up at Li Xiuwu.

"If you can't even cook a meal, what will you do when we get married?" Li Xiuwu asked her with a straight face.

"Let Mom help us make it."

After she said this, she saw the smile on Li Xiuwu's face and realized what she had said.

"How dare you set a trap for me! I'll kill you." Her face was flushed, and she slapped Li Xiuwu in embarrassment and anger.

"Alright, stop messing around. You stay here and keep an eye on Teacher Zhou, I'll go order food from a hotel." Li Xiuwu grabbed her hands.

"Hmph." Liu Yifei glared at this bad guy and left the kitchen.

Li Xiuwu walked out, left Zhou Xiaowen's home, and headed toward a nearby hotel.

He thought for a moment, took out his phone, and called Shen Xinghao.

"Senior Brother Shen, do you know what happened to Teacher Zhou?"