Chapter 20: A Chance Encounter with Scarlett

Both of these films showcased her mature charm and profound performance, earning her the reputation of being the "Marilyn Monroe of the new generation."

Of course, what left the deepest impression on Cheng Sheng was the Scarlett from his other memories; however, what truly made her famous among the domestic public was her role as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

But why was she appearing in Venice?

At this point in time, shouldn't she be filming the crime comedy *The Black Dahlia*?

Soon, Cheng Sheng realized that before coming to Venice, Xu Xiaozhong had mentioned who the film festival jurors were.

The jury president for this session was John Boorman, a British director.

There were eight jurors in total: American director Spike Lee, German director Orphée Shell, Chinese producer Xu Feng from Yizhou... and Scarlett Johansson.

It was perfectly normal for her to appear at the film festival.

What was abnormal was why she was asking him if he was Chinese.

"Hello, Ms. Johansson. May I ask what brings you to us?" Cheng Sheng asked.

"Wonderful! It really is you guys!" Scarlett said excitedly.

Cheng Sheng, Zeng Li, and Qiao Shan were all left bewildered by her exclamation.

What did she mean by "It really is you guys"?

"You are Xiao Queen, and you are Jin Yao Cheng," Scarlett said, pointing at Zeng Li and Qiao Shan.

What!

Xiao Queen.

No one understood this, but it actually meant Empress Xiao.

But what did "Jin Yao Cheng" mean?

Qiao Shan thought for a moment and said, "Cheng Yaojin."

"Yes, yes! That's the one in the movie," Scarlett said happily.

At that moment, Cheng Sheng realized that Scarlett was referring to the characters in the film.

Zeng Li played Empress Xiao, and Qiao Shan played Cheng Yaojin.

"My God, that movie of yours was absolutely magnificent. It is the most brilliant film I have ever seen at the Venice Film Festival," Scarlett said, giving a thumbs up.

As a juror for this Venice Film Festival, she had been utterly stunned when she saw the film sent from China.

It felt as if she had watched an epic blockbuster.

Whether it was the character development or the war scenes, everything was top-tier.

She felt as if she wasn't just watching a movie, but following history, experiencing the fires of war during the transition from the Sui to the Tang Dynasty.

She also understood what Chinese history meant and the true charm of warfare.

The young Li Shimin, in particular, had completely captivated her.

She had heard that he would become China's greatest emperor in the future.

When the movie ended, she immediately cast her vote for this Chinese film.

Having grown bored staying in the hotel today, she had planned to take a walk, and unexpectedly saw three people with yellow skin—two of whom seemed to be the characters from the Chinese film.

In her excitement, she decided to come up and introduce herself.

Hearing Scarlett's words, Zeng Li's eyes lit up. "Ms. Johansson, have you seen the film we submitted for the festival?"

"Yes. You played the Empress in the film; your acting is even better than mine," Scarlett said with a smile.

"Thank you for the compliment. Your acting is also incredible, especially in *Lost in Translation*. It moved me to tears."

Scarlett's words made Zeng Li extremely happy. One must remember that the woman had won Best Actress at Venice last year and was a juror again this year.

It was just a pity she wasn't the female lead; if she had been, perhaps she might have had a chance at Best Actress.

Friendship between women can sometimes be incredible; sometimes, just a few words can make you friends.

This was the case for Zeng Li and Scarlett. After a brief exchange, the two quickly became acquainted and even began calling each other "sister."

"Sister Scarlett, does our movie really have a chance to win an award?"

Zeng Li asked, holding Scarlett's hand with eyes full of anticipation.

"Sister Li, that's a secret. I won't reveal anything before the awards ceremony," Scarlett said mysteriously.

Although Zeng Li was a bit disappointed, she understood.

Not pushing the matter of the awards any further, Zeng Li pointed to Cheng Sheng and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Cheng Sheng. The movie you loved, *The Great Tang Dynasty: Origins*, was directed by him."

Upon hearing this, Scarlett was completely stunned. She covered her small mouth with one hand and gasped, "My God! Are you really the director of *The Great Tang Dynasty: Origins*?"

She truly could not believe it. The man looked to be only in his twenties; how could he have directed such a classic and grand film!

She had always assumed the director of this film was an elderly man in his sixties or seventies.

"Hello, Ms. Scarlett. Let me introduce myself formally. I am Cheng Sheng. You can call me Cheng, the director of *The Great Tang Dynasty: Origins*," Cheng Sheng said, extending his hand.

Scarlett shook his hand excitedly. "Cheng, you are truly great, do you know that? I guarantee that you will become a world-class director just like Spielberg one day."

"I wouldn't dare claim that. Spielberg is a world-renowned great director, while I am just a film student who hasn't even graduated yet," Cheng Sheng said modestly.

"No, Cheng, your ability is definitely not lacking. I believe you will surely succeed in the future," Scarlett said solemnly.

"Then I shall thank you for your kind words," Cheng Sheng said with a smile.

"Cheng, can I ask how you filmed the war scenes in the movie? When I was watching, I felt as if I were right there on the battlefield. Heavens, I was truly startled," Scarlett asked humbly.

Seeing Scarlett's sincere inquiry, Cheng Sheng wanted to tell her the truth, but he feared that even if he explained the concept of "immersion," she might not believe him.

Looking into her sincere eyes, Cheng Sheng thought for a moment and came up with an excuse to deflect the question.

"Cheng Sheng, your ideas are truly unconstrained. Using the techniques of art films to shoot war scenes—it's simply divine," Scarlett said, her large, watery eyes shining.

"It was just a sudden inspiration at the time. It's not as amazing as you make it sound, Ms. Scarlett," Cheng Sheng replied.

"Sister Scarlett, Director Cheng is truly incredible. If you ever act in one of his films, you will definitely discover something even more unbelievable," Zeng Li whispered to Scarlett.

"Really?" Scarlett's eyes brightened. Collaborating with a director like Cheng would definitely be worthwhile.

"Cheng, what do you think of me? Do I have a chance to work with you?"

Scarlett looked at Cheng Sheng expectantly.

Cheng Sheng replied without hesitation, "Of course. You are my favorite actress; working with you has always been a dream of mine."

"Wonderful! Cheng, if there are suitable roles in the future, please don't forget me," Scarlett said happily.

"I won't," Cheng Sheng nodded.

"Cheng, are you also here for a walk today?" Scarlett suddenly asked.

"No, I wanted to see if there's an opportunity to sell the overseas distribution rights for the film," Cheng Sheng said.

Scarlett shook her head. "You'll end up at a disadvantage if you do that."

"What do you mean?" Cheng Sheng asked, startled.

(End of Chapter)