Huayu: It's normal for me, as a director, to mentor young actresses, right?

Chapter 30 The Dinner Before the Break

Lin Yu looked at the twelve silent people and didn't know what to say for a moment.

After rejecting Director Tian's invitation to switch majors for who knows how many times, Lin Yu thought of treating these "tortured" actors to a good meal before their break to help them relax.

Although the location was still the China Film Grand Hotel, the chefs and ingredients were brought in from other places.

Lin Yu specially had several good dishes prepared so that everyone could eat and drink well and relieve stress, since eating rice is one way to relieve stress.

Unfortunately, after they sat down, they all became engrossed in their own worlds. Some were reading biographies, some were reading scripts, and a few were memorizing their lines.

Oh, and there's Zhang Ruoyun too. He's completely immersed in the role, just staring blankly at the bone plate in front of him. One of the two psychologists Lin Yu hired is specifically watching him.

Although as a director, I should be happy to see my actors working so hard.

But Lin Yu wasn't happy at all; he was genuinely afraid that these guys would stuff a sack into his head if he walked down the street at night.

Given their current mental state, they are truly capable of doing it.

"Alright, everyone put down what you're holding." Lin Yu couldn't hold back any longer. "Giving you a day off is to allow you to relax and recharge, not to make you work overtime somewhere else. If you really don't want to rest, I'll arrange for Teacher Wang to give you all a class tomorrow."

Hearing this, everyone reluctantly put down what they were holding.

Seeing how reluctant everyone was to leave, Lin Yu really wanted to call Old Man Wang over to give them a quick lesson.

Anyway, Old Wang can't stay idle, so let's all get involved.

Lin Yu's previous impression of them was still based on those who had become famous in later years, completely forgetting that they were still in school and their mental fortitude was far beyond that of seasoned veterans in the entertainment industry.

The pressure of competition among the three schools, the expectations of the teachers, the visits from various directors and celebrities, plus the media attention... all of these combined are indeed too heavy for these young people in their early twenties.

Lin Yu's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Lin Gengxin.

This one is even stranger. Logically speaking, he's already filmed several dramas, so he should be more experienced than the others. Why does he look more nervous than anyone else?

"Alright, stop looking so gloomy." Lin Yu didn't think any further, raising his glass. "Let's forget about things on set. Tonight is just a get-together of friends, drinking and chatting until we're all drunk!"

Lin Yu doesn't particularly like the drinking culture in the entertainment industry, but right now, this is the only thing that can effectively relieve these people's tension.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere finally warmed up.

The actors, holding their wine glasses, began chatting in small groups, no longer the close-knit groups they had formed when they first met.

Students from Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama discussed acting methods, while students from Shanghai Theatre Academy and Beijing Film Academy exchanged tips on dialogue delivery.

That's more like it.

We are all on the same side, so unity, cooperation, and communication are the right things to do.

Sitting to Lin Yu's right was Dou Xiao, and to her left was Lin Gengxin. Originally, Zhou Dongyu should have been on her left, but Lin Yu arranged for her to sit on Dou Xiao's other side, citing the reason that "it shouldn't seem like I only value the Beijing Film Academy."

Actually, Lin Yu was afraid that after a couple of drinks, the girl would get drunk and pounce on him, and it would hurt quite a bit if her ribs hit someone.

More importantly, the girl's eyes never left Lin Yu. That gaze was so intense, it felt like it could burn Lin Yu to ashes.

Dou Xiao, holding his wine glass, looked at Lin Yu and said, "I have to thank Director Lin for this opportunity. My gratitude is in this drink. I'll drink it all."

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.

He must have been a seasoned drinker; he had a certain江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) air about him when he drank, and he was decisive and efficient.

Lin Yu picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp: "Don't thank me, you should thank the lady next to you, she's the one who recommended me."

These actors' favors were useless to Lin Yu, so it was better to pass them on to Zhou Dongyu and help distract her.

Dou Xiao didn't disappoint Lin Yu. After listening to his words, he picked up his wine glass and went to drink with Zhou Dongyu.

Lin Yu was relieved and then looked at Lin Gengxin.

As the host, we can't let people feel like we're favoring one side over the other.

Lin Gengxin felt Lin Yu's gaze and instinctively jumped up, startling Lin Yu.

"Am I that scary to you?" Lin Yu put down his wine glass and touched his face in confusion.

Lin Yu didn't remember him being like this; why is he so easily startled?

Lin Gengxin opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

"What's wrong?" Lin Yu asked, looking at his conflicted expression. "Just say it."

Lin Gengxin hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke up: "Director Lin... I'm a sugar figurine maker."

"Ah, is that so?" Lin Yu suddenly remembered.

However, Lin Yu didn't care about any of that and shook his head with a smile: "Don't be nervous, I'm very easy to talk to."

Lin Gengxin inwardly scoffed, "I don't believe you for a second."

However, he remained calm and drank the wine in his glass clean.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The atmosphere grew increasingly lively, and the young people, their faces flushed from drinking, became more talkative. The meal went well.

After a lively period, Lin Yu saw that everyone had almost finished eating and called for everyone to call it a day: "Alright, that's enough for today. Go back and get some rest. Tomorrow's a day off, do whatever you want. We'll get back to work the day after tomorrow."

"No way," Zhang Yishan, who was a little drunk, stood up and called out to everyone, "We finally get to relax a bit, how about we find somewhere to sing some more?"

"Yes, yes, let's go sing!" The others chimed in.

Lin Yu waved his hand, indicating he didn't intend to join in the fun.

However, he wasn't one to spoil the fun, and emboldened by the alcohol, he waved his hand dismissively: "Alright, you guys go have fun. Tonight, everything's on Mr. Lin!"

Lin Yu didn't mind spending a little money as long as it could relieve their stress.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Gengxin's expression changed, and he was startled.

He silently calculated the balance in his card. This table of people, plus the karaoke, must have cost at least tens of thousands. His living expenses for this month… seemed a bit insufficient.

Lin Yu noticed Lin Gengxin's expression and almost burst out laughing.

Lin Yu patted him on the back, "What are you thinking about? Have fun, it's on me."

The group laughed as they got up and walked out in twos and threes.

Lin Yu stood at the door, watching the group of people leave chatting and laughing, and felt much more relaxed.

He's in much better shape than when he arrived.

After everyone had left, Lin Yu slowly prepared to go upstairs to rest.

These past few weeks have been exhausting.

Not only did I have to learn from Teacher Tian, ​​but I also had to take care of the actors' emotions. Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with the people who came to visit the set, or I would have lost my temper long ago.

The elevator doors opened, and Lin Yu slowly walked in, when he suddenly felt a warm arm support him.

A soft, sweet voice sounded from the side, "Director Lin, let me help you upstairs to rest."