from the star

Ling Qingyuan was depressed for a while when he saw the definite news of his death.Through unrestrained rest and sleep, as well as constantly strengthening his cognition of his new identity, this state of being a "living dead" is no longer so painful to his heart—since he decided to live well in the name of Cheng Hebai Go on, too caring will not help.

However, the cause of Ling Qingyuan's death must still be investigated.It has been five days since the body was recovered, and the official autopsy report by the police has not yet been released.On the Internet, rumors about the so-called truth have been rampant.

"The cause of death of the ghostly director is unknown, an in-depth interpretation of the suicide motive" Some media even exposed such an eye-catching topic.

Back then, the death of a second-rate Korean actress could have caused endless heated discussions among netizens, let alone a director whose death was sensitively timed, was in the prime of his career, and had a distinctive and unique style.

There is another thing that worries Ling Qingyuan, and that is the trouble caused by Cheng Hebai's younger sister, Lu Bai.The fraud gang that claimed to be the "draft program group" had already absconded with money, but there was another criminal with unknown background who attempted to lend money to Cheng Lubai to commit misdeeds.Although the police claimed to be investigating the case, they did not find out so quickly.

If the fraudulent gang's stolen money can't be recovered, the Cheng family won't have any money left to pay off that bad lender.It was true that my sister and myself were attacked, but it was also true that I owed them money first.Relying on this excuse, the cunning borrower over there can shirk the physical conflict caused by the debt collection, thus understating the deep-seated attempt of "abducting and deceiving the girl".

With 36 years of life experience, Ling Qingyuan had a premonition that this matter would be quite difficult.

In the past two days, he had asked Cheng Lubai in a chatty manner, who knew that she was in urgent need of money, and was willing to lend her thousands of dollars out of kindness.

The girl hesitated and was very ashamed.She said that she went on a diet to save money for the "registration fee", and all her close friends knew about it, and they would give her some food out of righteousness.A boy who admired her heard about this and knew that she was in financial difficulties, so he offered an emergency solution.

"He told me that he could borrow money from that man named 'Brother Lu'. He said that 'Brother Lu' is a private lender and collector. People who have no conditions to go to the bank for loans, short-term emergency relief or people who are short of money are all Find him." Cheng Lubai said.

"Did you find 'Brother Lu' by yourself, or did 'Little Boyfriend' take you there?" Ling Qingyuan asked seriously.

"...No, student Zhao Shuang, he just heard about this route, but he has never seen that 'Brother Lu'." Cheng Lubai said vaguely: "I kept looking for people and inquiring about them, and only later did I get his contact information."

Looking back on that incident now, Cheng Lubai still blamed himself.When encountering these things, she can also look back and see clearly, knowing that she was too stupid to distinguish good from bad, which caused trouble to her upper body.She still remembers that "Brother Lu" took out a stack of banknotes from his handbag in the small shop full of afterglow when the sun set, licked his fingers and counted 85 bills and handed them to her.At that moment, he laughed until the lines at the corners of his eyes grew to the strands of his hair, and his four front teeth reflected light like stainless steel plates.

"What about the documents, what are the guarantee conditions? What is the repayment period? Did he say anything when he gave you the money?"

"...No," Cheng Lubai denied it, and replied shyly, "He asked me what I was using the money for, and I told the truth. He also asked when I would pay it back to him, and I said that once I passed the selection, I would earn money. Give it back to him right away."

"He just nodded without saying anything?" Ling Qingyuan's tone gradually became tense.

"He said...it's good for young people to have ideals, and he looks forward to the return on this investment." Cheng Lubai's chin rested on his chest, his face flushed, and he didn't know whether it was from shame, guilt or sadness.

"Mom also agrees that you don't go out alone these few days." Ling Qingyuan sighed helplessly, and changed the subject: "She still has to go to work, and it's a pity that she always runs to the hospital. Since the final exam at your school is over, you can First help mom to take care of me as a patient. Please take leave for the time being for the third year of high school."

Compared with the simple deceit of the "talent show group", Ling Qingyuan is more worried about this "Brother Lu" who lends illegally for no reason, and her little boyfriend "Classmate Zhao Shuang".He felt that this matter was more serious, and the nature of it was like an organized deception.Since he is an older brother, no matter how unforgivable his sister's wrongdoings are, it is his responsibility to protect her well.

At least until the case is solved, or the Cheng family can return the money, and make a clean break with that so-called "Brother Lu", Ling Qingyuan can feel at ease and let Cheng Lubai go out alone.

So Cheng Lubai stayed in the ward for the past few days, and stayed by Ling Qingyuan's side except for going back every now and then to pick up some laundry or sundries accompanied by Cheng's mother.

In fact, Ling Qingyuan is also inconvenient.He is a man twice the age of Cheng Lubai. On the surface, he says he is a brother and sister, but in his heart, he can't accept that the younger sister he picked up will wipe him, change his dressing, help him get in and out of bed, go to the toilet or clean.So he endured the inconvenience and the pain of the wound to deal with the small matter of dressing and going to the ground by himself.He can't do things like changing the medicine by himself, and he will wait for the doctors and nurses to make rounds to find a reason to ask them to help. The bottom line is to ask Cheng's mother to help.

Out of strong perseverance and an urgent desire to take care of himself, this seriously injured man recovered very quickly.

The younger sister could see that the elder brother hardly needed to help him, and felt that he was useless and bored at the same time.When she returned home this time, she brought Cheng Hebai's laptop from home.

Computer is a must-have home appliance for every family, especially young people, Ling Qingyuan is not surprised.What surprised him was that he saw an old-fashioned domestic machine that was less portable than a thick blade and whose processing speed was comparable to that of a snail.

Anyway, it's not used for programming and drawing to make videos, so the Cheng brothers and sisters also use it to surf the Internet and use it as a DVD player.

Cheng Lubai switched the TV in the ward to the entertainment channel, saying it was to relieve his brother's boredom, so he nestled in the chair and plugged in his headphones to the computer.Ling Qingyuan didn't ask what she was watching, the content on the channel attracted his full attention.

It seems that the entertainment channel intends to make his death into a series to stir up topics and attract people's attention.What is being broadcast on TV right now is the interview clips of his old acquaintances.

"The first time I saw Director Ling, I felt that he would not be easy to talk to. On the set, he was a very cold person, and he was picky about every detail. Not only his lines, emotions, actions and manners, but his harshness was even reflected in the lighting and shadow effects. , sub-shots, etc. If it is shooting on location, if the natural conditions are a little unsatisfactory, he will definitely do it again until he is satisfied."

Peng Xiaoyun, an actress who worked with Ling Qingyuan said so.She played a female role in the film "The Island" which was filmed five years ago.At that time, she was still a newcomer, but because of her decent acting skills and good manners, she developed well later, and she has a good reputation among the new generation of actors.

"Qing Yuan is like a tyrant in the director's position. He must make the whole scene obey his vision unconditionally. But off the scene, he is so low-key and restrained. He is always quiet and silent about things that have nothing to do with him. People know what he is thinking, maybe he still pretends to be on the shooting scene in his mind. His unparalleled dedication and enthusiasm is what I admire the most."

Wang Qingfeng, Ling Qingyuan's camera partner commented on him this way.Like the vast majority of directors, Ling Qingyuan also has partners that he can get along with or is used to——a small group of screenwriters, camera props masters often constitute his regular team.

"Maybe there are still many audiences who don't know him today. But I believe that some people and his works will never be eliminated by time. He is like Van Gogh. He may be lonely during his lifetime, and he may not have gained public recognition, but through his His passing away will allow people to re-examine such a person, his artistic expression, his persistence, his spirit and footprints."

Xu Qin, a senior film critic commented this way.He repeatedly emphasized that it is a pity that Ling Qingyuan was shortlisted for the Yulan Award for Best Director twice before, but finally missed it.This year is the third time he has been shortlisted. It can be said that such a thing happened, and he sighed.

There are also a few familiar and unfamiliar ones. After the people in the circle express their condolences, the interview video ends.Shot back to the studio in the city.It has been five days since the director was found dead on the [-]th, and the cause of his death, as a widely discussed topic, certainly cannot be kept vague.The announcer solemnly said: "According to what our reporter learned from the police, director Ling Qingyuan had no signs of trauma, and no poison residue was detected from the body. A blood test found a high alcohol concentration, and the cause of his death is Definitely drowned."

"Because there are still some doubts, the police are inconvenient to reveal whether it was a suicide or a murder. The death is the most important. Here I appeal to all the viewers watching this program in front of the TV, not to speculate rashly."

Ling Qingyuan watched a picture of himself smiling and looking into the distance on the TV gradually disappear, and his heavy heart did not dissipate.The moment he fell into the water, he didn't have any consciousness. Perhaps it was because he was drinking to soothe his mind and his mind was chaotic. He couldn't remember anything that happened at that time.

The unknown cause of death tugged at his nerves like a thread, which really made him depressed.He even suspected that God had intentionally deleted that memory and smeared it deliberately so that he could live in someone else's life in peace from now on.

The missing piece of the puzzle must be crucial.Even if he can't be resurrected, he is not reconciled to his half-life ending abruptly for no reason.

"Brother, your complexion is not very good, is your wound hurting?" Cheng Lubai pulled his head out of his notebook and asked.

"No, isn't this watching the news?" Ling Qingyuan used the excuse of TV to lightly reveal it.The pre-heating event for the Magnolia Awards is currently being broadcast on the channel.There are only four days before the red carpet on the 28th, and the momentum is imminent.

Full of regret, but have to admit: the world will continue to revolve without anyone.

The Magnolia Award is held every two years and is the highest award in the domestic film industry.In fact, Ling Qingyuan knew about the shortlisted candidates and works for this year's main awards.And he was nominated for the Best Director Award for "Soul Comes Back".The other three directors are Li Zedong who directed the urban romantic comedy "No Little Things in a Big City", Tang Xin who directed the costume martial arts drama "The Medicine Master", and Guan Peng who directed the dark humor "A Slow Journey to the West".

At the same time, his "Soul Comes Back" was also nominated for the Best Feature Film Award.

As Cheng Lubai is a girl who longs for the colorful world of the entertainment industry, it is reasonable for Ye Gong to love movies so much.She saw that the various awards and shortlists were being introduced in the program, and she stared intently at the TV screen.

The focus of this girl's attention is naturally different from Ling Qingyuan's. She is interested in the best actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress, and newcomers.

"Zhou Jiahua, Tan Yue, Yuan Ping, Wang Ledi..." Cheng Lu chanted those names after the announcer like a white parrot, excited like a demon: "I knew it, I knew it!"

"I knew he was among the best actor, Tan Yue, I bet he will win the award, otherwise God will not allow it. The actress, it should be Qin Ziyu, she played Chu Zhenzhen in "The Medicine Master" perfectly. It's a fairy."

Ling Qingyuan couldn't laugh or cry when he heard Cheng Lubai's purely personal preference and irresponsible conjecture full of star chasing.He naturally knew the preferences of the audience, "The Medicine Master's Sutra" is indeed a rare good show this year.The scenes of the rivers and lakes are magnificent, the martial arts movements are smooth and flowing, the plot layers are clear, and love and hatred are fused in one furnace.

His best friend in the previous life, Mudli, who was also his screenwriter, once told him that this drama was their biggest competitor.

Ling Qingyuan pinched his eyesight acupoint, the stage of this year's Magnolia Awards is destined not to belong to him.He looked sideways at Cheng Lubai to distract himself and asked, "What have you been looking at just now, staring at the computer without taking your eyes off it?"

Cheng Lubai was still thinking about the prediction of the award. He was stunned for a moment when he heard his brother's question, and said casually: "Oh, it's nothing. I was watching the movie made by Ling Qingyuan. Didn't you tell me to compare by myself?"

Ling Qingyuan was slightly startled.He didn't expect this younger sister to take his words seriously, and actually searched for the films he made. For a moment, he had mixed feelings: "What did you watch?"

"I don't really understand "Isolated Island". There is no resource for "Return of the Soul", so I only watched the sideshow." Cheng Lubai simply pulled out his earphones and threw them aside, commenting in a serious manner: "It's boring. I know this style. He is useless. If I were to choose, I would definitely choose "The Medicine Master's Sutra."

Ling Qingyuan had heard this kind of talk too much, and didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, he asked, "Why do you say 'boring'?"

"Watching movies is just for fun. In "The Medicine Master", there are Tan Yue, Qin Ziyu, handsome men and beautiful women who are in love with each other. Such a world is full of heroism, and the ending is still a happy reunion. "Island" is really boring... Just because the three men chose differently, they used to be friends, but finally parted ways."

The film "Lonely Island" was shot five years ago.The background of the times is Shanghai during the Anti-Japanese War.In [-], there were three young men who used pens as knives and ink as blood with full of enthusiasm.They were the editors of a well-known newspaper at that time, criticizing current affairs, and taking it as their duty to inspire and alert the people.

After the August [-]th Incident, after Shanghai was occupied by the Japanese army, only the isolated island in the Shanghai concession area remained.And this isolated island, because its sovereignty does not belong to the government of the Republic of China, but is under the jurisdiction of Western powers, even the Japanese army dare not invade it openly.

Let's talk about the three men, one of them went to the base area behind the enemy in order to find the truth of saving the country, and the other firmly believed that righteousness lies in the frontal battlefield and became the mouthpiece of the national government.The protagonist, Yu Ke, did not leave the isolated island for the sake of the safety of his parents, wife and family, but he no longer took up the responsibility to criticize current affairs.

"I really don't understand. Since Yu Ke is dissatisfied with the status quo, why didn't he go to the liberated areas? If he yearned for the treatment of the Nationalist government, why didn't he resign and take office. He also hated invasion, why did he write about flowers, birds, fish and insects in a newspaper run by the Japanese."

Ling Qingyuan smiled.His eyes were slightly curved, and the corners of his mouth curled into an invisible arc.

"I don't understand either."

"I still don't understand. The three of them clearly have the general consensus of hating aggression, and they all have one thing in mind. Why did the misunderstanding become deeper and deeper during the years of the War of Resistance, and even completely broke up."

"Is that really the case?" Ling Qingyuan didn't answer, but looked at Cheng Lubai and asked indifferently.He remembered Yu Ke's line in the movie: I don't understand the doctrine you are talking about, and you don't understand the reason for my choice.From the day everyone stepped forward, the declaration of the Three Musketeers was dead.Today, we just go further and further along our respective rays.

"So, watching this kind of movie is depressing. It's better to be happy and full of love and hatred."

Ling Qingyuan yawned like a sigh, and he didn't preach or explain.Maybe he was thinking just like that line in his heart.

"By the way, girl, go out with me tomorrow to relax."

"Brother," Cheng Lubai was surprised at the speed with which Ling Qingyuan changed the subject quickly: "You are right. Can you go on the road now?"

"It's okay, listen to me. If you can't, just bring a crutch, and you don't need to help it."

The author has something to say:

"Isolated Island" is inspired by Mr. Fu Baoshi's historical research paper "Grey Shanghai" and Mr. Tao Juyin's documentary "Shanghai Isolated Island"