Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

Chapter 25: Liu Xiaoli

The sun was still blazing in Hengdian on the second day.

Jiang Yu deliberately delayed his arrival at the film set, only appearing leisurely outside the Ming and Qing Palace Garden in the afternoon.

Today's filming appears to be a grand scene of the Heavenly Court's assembly, with a large number of extras and fluttering banners. Director Minkoff's voice came through the loudspeaker, sometimes intermittently.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li seemed to be absent. Jiang Yu's gaze swept across the room, but he did not deliberately look for any particular figure.

Not long after, Rafila and director Minkoff hurriedly passed by him with a few people, seemingly on their way to check out another filming location. Rafila even waved to him from afar.

Shortly after Rafira and the others left, a figure slowly approached from the other side; it was Liu Xiaoli.

She wasn't filming today (playing the Queen Mother of the West), and she was wearing an elegant beige dress with a gentle smile on her face.

"Mr. Jiang, are you watching the filming all by yourself?" Liu Xiaoli walked up and greeted him naturally.

Jiang Yu took off his sunglasses and looked at her.

His feelings for Liu Xiaoli were somewhat complicated.

In her past life, Zhou Huiwen met Liu Xiaoli in her later years because of their shared interests. They unexpectedly became close friends and often drank tea and took walks together. Occasionally, they would even join forces to urge each other to get married.

He heard his mother describe an ordinary old lady who, stripped of her celebrity status, was a bit talkative but genuinely loved her daughter.

"Hello, Aunt Liu." Jiang Yu nodded slightly, his tone gentle, even using a more intimate form of address. "They're busy filming inside, I'll just watch from here and won't disturb you."

Liu Xiaoli was clearly surprised by Jiang Yu's address of her as "Aunt Liu" and his gentle attitude. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but her smile became more genuine.

"Mr. Jiang, you're too kind. It's so hot outside; it's too sunny standing here. There's a shaded area over there for the actors to rest in. Would you like to go sit down and have some water?"

Jiang Yu readily agreed: "Alright, thank you Aunt Liu."

The two walked to a relatively quiet shed not far away, where a crew member brought them two bottles of mineral water.

"The banquet was lively yesterday, and I didn't have a chance to chat with President Jiang for more than a few minutes." Liu Xiaoli unscrewed the bottle cap but didn't drink it. She held it in her hand and started the conversation in a relaxed manner.

"Mr. Raffira told me that Mr. Jiang's company is doing exceptionally well in the United States. He's truly young and promising. When Yifei was little, we also lived in the United States for a few years, so I still have some memories of that place."

"Oh? Which city?" Jiang Yu asked, following up on the topic.

"I mainly stayed in New York, and later I also stayed in Los Angeles for a short time," Liu Xiaoli recalled. "At that time, I was still young and spent all my time at school and in dance studios. The pace of life abroad is very different from that in China. It broadened my horizons and made me miss home quite a bit."

Her words carried the unique warmth of a mother reminiscing about her child's growth, and she also cleverly steered the conversation toward their shared overseas experiences.

The two started by discussing the climate differences between the East and West coasts of the United States, then moved on to the changes in the Chinese community, and naturally transitioned to a comparison of the film environments in China and the United States.

Although Liu Xiaoli is not as knowledgeable about the industry as a professional, as a mother who has accompanied her daughter through the ups and downs of this circle, coupled with her early overseas experiences, she has her own observations and simple understanding, and her conversation is not empty.

As they chatted, the topic of hometowns came up, and Jiang Yu mentioned that he was from Hubei.

"Really?" Liu Xiaoli's eyes lit up. "President Jiang is also from Hubei? I'm from Wuhan, and Yifei is also a Wuhan girl! Which part of Hubei are you from?"

"Daye," Jiang Yu replied.

"Daye is a great place! It's not far from Wuhan." Liu Xiaoli's tone became even more friendly. "So, where does President Jiang live now? In Beijing or in the United States?"

"I'm currently mainly traveling between China and the US. My parents are living near East Lake in Wuhan," Jiang Yu said.

"East Lake?" Liu Xiaoli was genuinely surprised this time, and her voice even rose a little.

"Donghu Villa District? Oh my, what a coincidence! Yifei's uncle's family also lives in Donghu. It seems we're really destined to meet; not only are we from the same hometown, but we also live nearby."

Jiang Yu smiled and said, "It is quite a coincidence."

He knew in his heart that this coincidence had, to some extent, brought the two of them closer psychologically and made the atmosphere of the following conversation more relaxed.

Having laid the groundwork, Liu Xiaoli sighed softly, a hint of melancholy creeping into her smile.

"President Jiang, to be honest, the reason I took the liberty of coming here today to chat with you is not only because we feel a connection, but also because I have a selfish motive—for Yifei."

She paused, observing Jiang Yu's expression.

Jiang Yu listened quietly without interrupting or showing any impatience.

Liu Xiaoli continued, her voice gentle and her pace slow, as if she were recounting something that had been on her mind for a long time.

"You've seen Yifei, she's quiet and a bit stubborn. Once she set her mind on acting, she's single-mindedly focused on it. She's never experienced much hardship growing up, so I always want to protect her and give her the best conditions and opportunities we can. But the higher you go on this path, the more precarious it becomes."

"The Forbidden Kingdom was a great opportunity to work with so many international teams and superstars, which we cherish. But what about after filming this? You probably know a bit about the domestic market; the industry isn't small, but it's not huge either, and there are certain trends... sigh."

She hesitated, but her meaning was clear: "President Wang and his team are very enthusiastic, sometimes to the point of being overly enthusiastic, which makes people uneasy. People like us, without much of a foundation, always have to be careful."

"I know that your company, Mr. Jiang, is involved in big projects with an international focus. I was thinking that if Yifei were fortunate enough to participate in some more standardized international collaborations in the future, even if she started with a small role, it would definitely be more helpful for broadening her horizons and improving her professional skills. Of course, it all depends on fate and whether she can make the effort herself."

After Liu Xiaoli finished speaking, her eyes held a mother's earnestness, yet she did not appear overly anxious or humble, maintaining a proper and dignified posture of pleading.

Jiang Yu listened quietly, understanding dawning on him.

This is Liu Xiaoli, a mother who places all her life's focus on her daughter.

Her world may not be vast, and her methods may sometimes seem clumsy or even controversial.

For example, her falling out with Huayi Brothers later led to Liu Yifei being blacklisted, but you can't deny her almost obsessive protectiveness and dedication.

Although Liu Yifei experienced ups and downs in her past life, she was always able to maintain a relatively clean public image and a certain purity in her heart, and never really got involved in those unbearable quagmires. Liu Xiaoli's somewhat overly tight protective umbrella played a crucial role in this.

However, protection sometimes means restriction. The confrontation with Huayi is a typical example of an outsider challenging a local powerhouse, lacking both strategy and strength.

Jiang Yu's feelings for Liu Yifei are complicated.

That blind date in my past life was more like a fun and relaxed encounter, two older singles being pushed by their parents to meet.

Jiang Yu admired her clarity and composure after experiencing the ups and downs, but that was only a fleeting glimpse, and he didn't delve deeper.

At this moment, facing her mother's almost blunt request to pave the road, Jiang Yu did not feel offended. Instead, she could better understand the anxiety and expectations behind this mother's love.

"Aunt Liu," Jiang Yu said carefully, his tone sincere, "Yi Fei's talent and hard work are evident to all. As someone working in the film industry, I also hope to see more promising Chinese actors shine on a bigger stage."

He then changed the subject, without making any specific promises: "However, an actor's growth and opportunities require the right timing, location, and people. Good projects are hard to come by, and suitable roles require even more opportunity. We are open to all excellent collaborators. Yifei is still young and has a long road ahead. Taking each step steadily is more important than rushing to find a specific stepping stone."

Liu Xiaoli was an extremely shrewd person, so she naturally understood the implied meaning.

She wasn't disappointed; at least, this young CEO Jiang wasn't the kind of slick person who made empty promises.

"Mr. Jiang is right, I was thinking too far ahead." Liu Xiaoli smiled, her expression relaxing. "Yifei is a child who needs to be nurtured slowly. Thank you for listening to me, and thank you for your encouragement."

The two chatted casually for a while, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

It wasn't until the assistant director sent someone to call Liu Xiaoli, apparently because there were adjustments to the next scene that needed to be discussed, that she got up to say goodbye.

Watching Liu Xiaoli's departing figure, Jiang Yu sat back down under the shade of the pavilion and put on his sunglasses.

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