Chapter Twenty-Seven: Wrapping Up

"The Butterfly Effect" was still in the midst of intense filming, and Ning Hao’s command over the entire crew was becoming increasingly adept. His guidance on the actors' performances grew ever more subtle and profound. Liu Ye, naturally, was beyond reproach—trained in acting, he rarely encountered any stumbling blocks in his craft.

Tang Wei’s initial performance, however, was somewhat disappointing; facing the camera for the first time, she found it hard to let herself go. Her first scene was set after the male lead had grown up and returned to the place where he had lived as a child, meeting the female lead once again on his way home, now working as a supermarket clerk.

In the original film, the female lead had suffered abuse and violation from her father since childhood, leaving her utterly broken and self-destructive—smoking, using drugs, promiscuity, all manner of ruinous behavior. Her spirit and body were both withered, a living tragedy. Upon seeing her childhood sweetheart, her shame was stirred; throughout their meeting, she dared not look him in the face, nor let him witness the squalid wreck she had become. The encounter ended unhappily, and after returning home, unable to bear the shame, she committed suicide, setting in motion the male lead’s desperate attempts to change the past.

Due to the mainland’s censorship requirements, Gu Zhi made several minor edits to prohibited elements, without affecting the overall direction of the film. For Tang Wei to portray the scene convincingly, her makeup had to be carefully considered. Her natural poise made it difficult to transform her into someone so degraded, and it took two makeup artists four whole hours to achieve the effect.

Next, Tang Wei was required to immerse herself in the character, to feel the emotions and inner world of the female lead. This was where trouble began—Tang Wei struggled to enter the role, often breaking character when acting opposite Liu Ye, and the gap between them was painfully clear.

Fortunately, her innate talent shone through. Under the pressure of the entire crew, her acting improved by leaps and bounds, and before she knew it, she had reached a new level. After nine takes, she finally delivered a flawless performance in her first scene.

All beginnings are difficult. Once she overcame the initial adjustment period, the crew of "The Butterfly Effect" began to run smoothly.

Throughout filming, Gu Zhi remained with the crew, mostly at Ning Hao’s side, observing and learning the director’s methods. Sometimes, when the actors found their lines awkward, Gu Zhi would join them in discussing revisions. In fact, screenwriters rarely stay with film crews—the script is usually finalized before filming begins, and only writers for TV series or sitcoms remain on set for extended periods.

If the screenwriter works with the crew, his role is to communicate directly with the director.

Such are the unwritten rules of the film industry.

Without realizing it, Gu Zhi had spent a month and a half with the crew. He grew close to Tang Wei and Liu Ye, and together with Ning Hao and Liu Qi, who handled production duties, the five of them often went to a nearby barbecue shop after a day’s work to share skewers. In time, these young people became fast friends.

Liu Ye, who had always appeared quiet and literary on the surface, gradually revealed his playful side, loosening up once he felt at ease among friends. Tang Wei, on the other hand, remained serene and graceful. Aware of her own shortcomings in acting, she often clung to her script even at meals, analyzing her character’s psychology while mechanically eating.

She also frequently pulled Gu Zhi aside, the script’s author, to discuss the story; sometimes they would rehearse lines together. With Ning Hao and Liu Ye offering guidance, she soon found it far easier to slip into character.

With the actors in form and the crew seasoned, the result was that Ning Hao’s filming speed soared. By this point, only the final scene remained—the adult male and female leads passing each other in a crowd.

This was the ending used in the theatrical release of the original film: the two protagonists, separated since childhood, each go on to live peaceful lives. Another ending had already been filmed during the first scene: after hiding in the hospital, the male lead finds a videotape of his own prenatal ultrasound, and by watching it, his consciousness returns to his state as a fetus, where he strangles himself.

When Gu Zhi wrote the script, he offered both endings, letting Ning Hao freely choose which version to release. Eventually, after discussion among the main creative team, they decided to use the second, tragic ending for the theatrical version, and include the first ending in Ning Hao’s director’s cut.

The choice of the second ending wasn’t driven by any deep significance—it was simply because a tragic finale tends to leave a stronger impression on the audience. Whether the ending is happy or sad does not affect the film’s overall quality, so the decision was entirely a matter of personal preference.

After filming the final crowd scene, Tang Wei and Liu Ye had completed all their scenes, marking a successful wrap!

That evening, the friends held a modest celebration. The next day, Ning Hao wasted no time—he immediately summoned Zhang Yishan and Yang Zi to begin filming the childhood sequences.

Meanwhile, publishing houses began to approach Gu Zhi.

Ever since the launch event, Gu Zhi had been in constant demand. Journalists, fans, and advertisers all sought him out, but most persistent were the publishers.

Guangming Daily Publishing House was a given, along with Twenty-Second Century Publishing House, Capital Times Publishing House, Yangtze River Literary Publishing House, People's Literature Publishing House, and other renowned domestic publishers—all sent representatives to Beijing to make contact with him.

All sought to sign his new book, "Those Years."

The terms offered by each publisher were similar, but Yangtze River Literary Publishing House made the most generous offer: a royalty rate of 28%, the highest tier available to Chinese authors. It would be impossible for Gu Zhi not to be tempted. Yet his old employer, He Jianping, visited him more than ten times, always personally, never sparing any effort.

In the end, Gu Zhi’s heart softened, and he granted the publishing rights for "Those Years" to Guangming Daily Publishing House at a 26% royalty rate.

On June 15th, "Those Years" was officially published, with an initial print run of 300,000 copies.

Another month passed, the weather now entering the sweltering heat of summer.

The childhood portion of "The Butterfly Effect" was completed, the filming finished, and the crew finally wrapped!

After two and a half months, the entire crew had worked tirelessly, day and night, racing against the clock, and at last found relief.

This shoot had been particularly challenging. It was Ning Hao’s first time directing a film, and he was involved in everything, personally overseeing every detail. His abilities as a director and leader improved dramatically.

The crew, at first distrustful and requiring Liu Qi to maintain order, gradually accepted his leadership. By now, he had truly grown into a genuine film director.

Gu Zhi also reaped immense rewards. He had already mastered the theoretical knowledge of directing at home, and now, having spent two and a half months on set, shadowing Ning Hao, he had learned nearly everything he could from observation.

What he now lacked was hands-on experience as a director—his own practical trial.