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!)
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
