House Dad's Literary Life

Chapter 399: Is it Really Not Tailor-Made for Xixi?

Yang Yi had finished introducing the plot of the movie. The entire story felt somewhat French in style, with humor that wasn’t absurd, clichéd, or overly exaggerated. Instead, it stemmed from the simplicity of everyday life. Yet, the charm of these subtle contrasts and misunderstandings was anything but simple. It made people laugh while also evoking a strong sense of familiarity!

As Du Yuanlei listened, she felt that if she were in the same situation, she would have reacted just like the characters in the movie, experiencing the same mishaps and delivering the same comedic moments.

“…But what I liked most was the humanistic touch in the story. For example, the reckless young robber, Wang Li. His real reason for committing the robbery was to pay for the education of his autistic daughter, Xiaomai. He was inherently a kind person, which is why he took Rudy to that eccentric veterinarian, who treated both humans and animals alike.”

Du Yuanlei shared her thoughts: “And Rudy, despite his tough exterior, was actually soft-hearted. After being moved by Xiaomai, he didn’t selfishly walk away but chose to help Wang Li escape his predicament.”

She glanced down at her notes, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “But, Teacher Yang, don’t you think the ending is a bit too cruel? They fought so hard to break free from their predicament, only to encounter another bank robbery just as they’re on the verge of achieving freedom.”

“You think it’s cruel?” Yang Yi found Du Yuanlei’s perspective interesting. Logically, since Du Yuanlei had previously written a script where A’Guang died, she should understand the artistic effect of such an ending.

“After all, there’s a pitiful little girl in the story. I feel a bit sorry for her,” Du Yuanlei sighed sympathetically. “Wouldn’t it be better if they escaped the country and started a new life?”

“This story doesn’t actually fall into a hopeless cycle,” Yang Yi smiled and began to explain to Du Yuanlei. “If you look closely, you’ll see that encountering another robbery isn’t meant to trap them in an inescapable fate.”

“Think about it. After Wang Li is taken hostage by the robbers, what will he do?” Yang Yi asked.

Du Yuanlei’s eyes lit up. Her mind worked quickly, and she immediately said, “He wouldn’t collaborate with the robbers because he’s not a real robber!”

“Exactly. In such a predicament, Wang Li would remember how Rudy had been taken hostage by him before. He’d try to escape the robbers, and Rudy might even cooperate with the police to rescue Wang Li, helping him atone for his crimes. Not only would Wang Li no longer need to flee, but Rudy’s suspicions could also be cleared. In the end, Wang Li might still need to serve a few years in prison, but Xiaomai would have Rudy to take care of her. Once he’s released, the three of them could eventually live a normal life again!” Yang Yi explained with a smile.

“But we won’t explicitly show all of this in the movie. Instead, we’ll leave it open-ended for the audience to interpret,” Du Yuanlei clenched her fist, speaking excitedly.

“Exactly!” Yang Yi nodded. “A good movie doesn’t tell the entire story. No matter how perfect a story is in your mind, you shouldn’t present it as flawless. It’s the element of regret that elevates the story.”

With the plot discussion concluded, Du Yuanlei was very interested in Yang Yi’s story. She picked up the script he had handed her, planning to study it in detail later.

However, before leaving, Du Yuanlei couldn’t help but ask Yang Yi curiously, “Teacher Yang, the little girl in this story, Xiaomai—are you planning to have your daughter play her?”

Yang Yi was taken aback. He waved his hand and said, “No, you can choose whoever you think is best. I won’t interfere.”

This movie, like “Léon: The Professional”, was one of Yang Yi’s personal favorites. Of course, his absolute favorite is still “Léon: The Professional”. Otherwise, in his past life as an orphan in China, he wouldn’t have named himself after the protagonist, adopting an English name from a character who only had a codename.

“Do you think I created this role specifically for my daughter?” Yang Yi chuckled as he looked at Du Yuanlei and said, “Actually, no. The little girl in this movie is an important supporting character. Her presence brings depth to the two adult characters and adds a warm, emotional layer to the movie.”

Indeed, this story wasn’t written for Xixi. The character of Xiaomai already existed in the original movie.

“But I was thinking of casting Xixi as Xiaomai. The more I think about it, the more I feel that Xixi is the most suitable for this role,” Du Yuanlei said honestly. “Xixi really enjoys acting, and just like the little girl in the movie, she’s very cute and lovable.”

Yang Yi tried to argue, “But the little girl in the movie has a very different personality from Xixi. She’s autistic and doesn’t talk much, whereas my daughter is a chatterbox!”

Yang Yi had indeed considered whether Xixi would fit the role, but he wasn’t keen on letting his daughter enter the entertainment industry at such a young age. She was still growing, and early exposure to the industry could negatively impact her development.

Du Yuanlei couldn’t help but chuckle when she heard him criticize his daughter, saying, “Who says an actor has to have the same personality as the character? Acting is all about, well, acting, isn’t it?”

“She’s only four and a half. How would she understand all that?” Yang Yi waved his hand dismissively.

Du Yuanlei actually stood up for Xixi, saying, “Don’t underestimate your daughter. Remember when she cameo in our short film Fairy Tale?”

“That was just her being herself.”

“Then what about the Christmas performance she did with you? The Tortoise and the Hare, right? She played the rabbit so vividly! I think she has real talent for acting,” Du Yuanlei insisted.

Yang Yi frowned slightly and waved his hand. “Go read the script first. We’ll talk about casting later.”

He used a delaying tactic, planning to reject her request once she had calmed down. After all, there were plenty of child actors out there. Surely Du Yuanlei would find someone else.

Du Yuanlei felt a bit helpless, but she still followed Yang Yi’s arrangement.

……

Today, Mo Fei returned to the company, radiating happiness. Mo Xiaojuan noticed immediately and teasingly said with a hint of jealousy, “Sister, are you afraid people won’t know you just got married? Look at you, smiling like a fool all day.”

“No way. Didn’t we agree not to tell the company yet?” Mo Fei realized this and reined in her smile. She patted Mo Xiaojuan’s hand, playfully scolding her.

“By the way, Sister, you and Brother-in-law got your marriage certificate, but you haven’t announced it publicly, nor have you held a wedding or gone on a honeymoon. Doesn’t he have any complaints?” Mo Xiaojuan asked curiously.

Mo Fei paused for a moment, then gently shook her head. “No, Yang Yi understands my situation.”

“Then Brother-in-law really is a good man!” Mo Xiaojun sighed. “Do you know Liu Fangfei? She used to be in the PR department, but I poached her for our studio. She had a rough time after getting married. She was so busy with work that she hardly had time to spend with her husband. He didn’t understand her situation, and they constantly fought at home. In the end, he even cheated on her!”

“Do you know what Liu Fangfei’s husband said after she found out? He said, ‘Do you even act like a woman? You don’t take care of the household, always working late, leaving me alone all the time. You practically forced me to find someone else!’” Mo Xiaojun said indignantly. “Ugh, what a jerk! If he couldn’t handle it, he should’ve divorced her before finding someone else!”

Listening to Mo Xiaojuan’s words, Mo Fei suddenly fell silent. She furrowed her brows, lost in thought.

Just then, someone knocked on Mo Fei’s office door. Mo Xiaojuan went to open it and found Niu Meiling’s assistant standing there. “Sister Ling wants to discuss something with you…”