Ms. Tan Is The Real Boss

Before she graduated, she had already started preparing for the film. She didn’t need to worry about investment; her only concern was the lack of good actors.

“Journey Through the Desert” was an experiment for Liang Lu. After returning from the desert, Liang Lu wrote down her thoughts and then hired a novice screenwriter to draft the screenplay. Once the outline was ready, Liang Lu called everyone, including Tan Rou, for a meal to seek their suggestions on her new screenplay.

Liang Lu’s new screenplay was a martial arts movie. The protagonist was a righteous female warrior who, it seemed, also mirrored Liang Lu herself.

Liang Lu’s biological parents had died, and her relatives had long since stopped caring for her. Even though she had loving grandparents, Liang Lu was sent to an orphanage.

She also had adoptive parents. Before their biological child was born, Liang Lu had been very happy. However, after the birth of their own child, they began to disdain her, and gradually, their relationship turned very strained.

After being admitted to university, Liang Lu never went back home. During her university years, Liang Lu took many part-time jobs and started filming videos. She sent the money she earned back to her adoptive parents as compensation and probably wouldn’t contact them again.

The film’s protagonist’s experience was very similar to Liang Lu’s, although the character’s parents were killed by enemies—a remnant of Liang Lu’s last positive illusion about her biological parents.

Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu attended the film viewing; the tickets were provided by Liang Lu who had specially arranged good seats for them and thoughtfully prepared popcorn and drinks.

“Have you read this screenplay?” Tan Rou asked Zhuang Liu.

Zhuang Liu replied, “I’ve read a bit of it. Last time you sent it to me, I even gave Liang Lu some feedback.”

“Hmm.” Tan Rou tasted some popcorn and whispered, “Actually, this female protagonist is written by Liang Lu based on herself, but unlike Liang Lu, she didn’t find happiness; she perished along with her enemy. Do you know why?”

Having heard Liang Lu’s story and understanding her character, Zhuang Liu said, “Perhaps the ending of the film’s protagonist is what Liang Lu originally envisioned for herself.”

Tan Rou smiled, “Zhuang Liu, you’re really clever.”

She looked at the big screen, which was showing the protagonist wildly wielding a sword in madness. Her martial arts were excellent, but she was unable to kill her enemy, so she could only swing her father’s sword in a rage to vent her dissatisfaction.

“Which part of Liang Lu’s life over the past twenty-plus years do you think this segment corresponds to?” Tan Rou asked.

Zhuang Liu thought for a moment then answered, “After the birth of Liang Lu’s adoptive parents’ child.” He analyzed, “Liang Lu used to live quite well, but after her adoptive parents had their own child, they treated her poorly. By then, Liang Lu knew she was unwelcome and, coupled with her rebellious phase, she could easily lose control of her emotions.”

“Exactly,” Tan Rou nodded. “She was furious about her own helplessness.”

The movie lasted only one hour and forty minutes, detailing how the heroine went from a rich young lady to a vagabond, struggled to avenge her parents, and ultimately met her end alongside her enemy.

The heroine was not particularly beautiful, in fact not as attractive as Liang Lu herself, but her actions were very powerful, truly packing a punch.

After the movie ended, Liang Lu, as the director, went on stage to express her thoughts on making this film and to discuss how the character of the protagonist was created.

When people heard Liang Lu say that the movie’s heroine was based on herself, they understood why the film was so moving—it was because the director was telling her own real and emotional story.

Some girls were sobbing uncontrollably by the time the heroine died. When they realized that the protagonist represented the director herself, they were somewhat relieved, because although the story was fictional, the director was real and still very much alive.

Perhaps with this thought, they felt less sad.