In 2014, what genre of movies was the hottest?
Coming-of-age films!
No matter how flimsy the script was, as long as it carried the nostalgic, youthful romance label, it could pull in impressive box office numbers.
This indirectly led to an oversaturation of campus-themed coming-of-age films during this period.
Some directors, who had never even experienced the essence of youth themselves, churned out overly melodramatic and unrealistic teenage movies.
Even so,
it didn’t stop them from raking in money—fast and furious.
What genre would be suitable for a student group’s microfilm project?
Naturally, still the coming-of-age theme!
At the very least, casting and location scouting wouldn’t be too troublesome.
The story Lin Yu shared with everyone was also a coming-of-age film.
It was originally a stage play, later adapted into a movie.
However, it hadn’t yet made its way to the big screen, and very few people knew about the play.
Lin Yu was quite upfront—he didn’t claim the script was his original work.
He openly admitted that a stage play had inspired him.
While describing the story, Lin Yu also took plenty of creative liberties.
Since this was just a student project for the short semester, it didn’t involve commercial use or copyright issues.
As long as the story was engaging enough and could be condensed into a 45-minute narrative arc, it would suffice for the assignment.
After Lin Yu finished his enthusiastic pitch, the group launched into a heated discussion about his story.
Wu Chuntian: "This story is great! Who would’ve thought Xia Luo would end up performing at the Spring Festival Gala? What happens after that?"
Lin Yu: "Time’s limited—we can’t film that much. Ending at the Gala is enough."
Lv Rou: "So, does Xia Luo end up choosing Qiu Ya or Dong Mei?"
Lin Yu: "Open ending. Let the audience decide."
Chi Qingchi: "Hahaha, so fun! Xiao Lin’s script is brilliant—filming this will be a blast!"
Everyone’s gaze eventually landed on Chi Qingshui.
She had been deep in thought, head lowered, barely speaking.
After all, she was the group leader. If she disagreed, they might have to consider other scripts.
But Lin Yu waited confidently for Da Chi (Big Chi) to snap out of her thoughts.
While the others couldn’t hear her muttering, Lin Yu caught every word:
"Most scenes are set in a classroom—easy to shoot… need a lot of school uniforms… and some retro props…"
"The nostalgic vibe can be achieved through color grading in post… main cast is manageable…"
"Extra roles can be filled by folks from the apartment…"
"…"
She was meticulously calculating every practical detail of the shoot.
Lin Yu had only shared the first half of the story—Xia Luo’s rebirth and return to school.
Considering the production constraints, he kept the plot straightforward.
No matter how she looked at it, Chi Qingshui had no reason to reject it.
Finally, after her stream-of-consciousness deliberation, Chi Qingshui spoke up:
"Friday!"
"If Lin Yu can hand me the script today, I can have the storyboard ready by Friday at the earliest."
"Prepping and starting filming will take until next Monday at the soonest. In the meantime, we’ll need to gather props and finalize casting."
Lin Yu: "!!!"
Top students are just built different.
Today was Wednesday. At most, Chi Qingshui had 48 hours.
Yet she could organize everything flawlessly!
Truly, her full potential only emerged when it came to academics and assignments.
Chi Qingchi, after hearing Lin Yu’s story, eagerly raised her hand:
"Xiao Lin, can I play your… mom?"
Lin Yu: "…"
Sure, they were close—but not that close!
And Xiao Chi’s pause made it hard to believe she wasn’t doing it on purpose!
Keeping his composure, Lin Yu deflected:
"I think I’d be better suited as the cinematographer. For the male lead, we can ask someone else—maybe even find a suitable candidate from another department."
The moment he said this, Lv Rou immediately objected:
"No way! Xia Luo has to be played by you."
"For cinematography, we can adjust the settings and help out together."
Lv Rou had her own ulterior motives.
After hearing Lin Yu’s story, she felt she’d be perfect for the role of Qiu Ya—especially since there was a "forced kiss" scene with Xia Luo!
Even if it was just staged, it’d still be fun~
Once the script was finalized, she planned to fight hard for the role.
If Lin Yu didn’t play Xia Luo, her little scheme would be ruined.
Chi Qingshui glanced at Lv Rou, seeing right through her.
But there was no need to call her out yet—more pressing details still needed sorting.
"Let’s set aside casting for now," Chi Qingshui said. "First, let’s work with Lin Yu to list out all the props and shooting locations we’ll need."
"Only after clarifying these can we figure out what equipment to borrow."
Her words steered the discussion back on track.
…
After more brainstorming, their photography professor, "Balance" Lao Shi (Teacher), entered the classroom.
The group gradually quieted down, ending their hushed discussions.
The nickname "Balance Lao Shi" was coined by their class.
Her real name was Yan Miaozhu, 32 years old.
With overseas study experience in photography and numerous awards under her belt, her speech often mixed Chinese and English—a habit from her time abroad.
Lin Yu often wondered whether it was genuine or just her flaunting her foreign education.
Later, in the workplace, he’d meet many similar people.
Based on his experience, most were just putting on airs.
Especially after getting to know Aunt Ru Xue—also a returnee—who never sprinkled English into her daily speech.
The origin of "Balance Lao Shi"?
During critiques, she’d often say:
"This composition—it’s not balanced left and right!"
"Now the left and right are balanced, but the top and bottom aren’t!"
After hearing it endlessly in class, Yan Miaozhu lost her real name forever.
Dressed in a white blouse and a brown pencil skirt, Yan Miaozhu clicked her heels to the podium, radiating enthusiasm.
"Boys and girls, punctual as always!"
"Surely no group failed to complete their assignment, right?"
"So…"
"Let’s cut to the chase and review your work."
"Share your summer adventures through your projects."
She sat by the projector, gesturing to the students near the windows.
They promptly drew the curtains, ensuring optimal viewing conditions.
Yan Miaozhu plugged in a random USB drive, launching into live critiques as the films played.
…
(Here's an extra update for today—that's all for now. Back to the grind tomorrow! To all you wonderful readers following along, if you could spare a moment to check out an ad, it’d mean the world to this little author. Your support truly makes a difference. Thanks a million!)
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
