Actor: Thank you.

"Zhang Yuan."

Inside the hotel room, Li Xin held his hands.

His eyes still shone with an intensely serious light.

Zhang Yuan felt a little uncomfortable listening to her gentle voice.

It's not that the voice is unpleasant, but rather the way it's addressed.

Previously, people called him "Brother Yuan" or "Brother Zhang Yuan" as respectful titles.

When addressing someone in this way, it's clear that they're lowering their own status slightly.

Calling him by his first name now is not disrespectful, but rather places the relationship between the two on a more equal footing.

Zhang Yuan noticed the change in her mindset.

He smiled and gently stroked the back of her hand.

This girl's thinking and mindset have improved very quickly; she's a smart person.

As expected, those who come from opera backgrounds and make it into the entertainment industry are not ordinary people; they are far stronger than the average person.

"Well, before you speak, I'd like to ask you something."

"Go ahead," the young woman nodded gently.

Do you think I was the one who electrocuted Zhang Hanyu?

Li Xin: ...

"If you say no, then it definitely isn't." After a few seconds of stunned silence, Li Xin frowned and regained her composure.

"Because you are a person who dares to do and admit your mistakes, that is your strength."

"You have to be the one who understands me."

"There are still good people out there."

The only good person wasn't from the film crew.

"But don't interrupt me anymore, I have something very important to tell you." Miss Li twisted her waist and shifted her hips, moving slightly closer to him on the sofa where they were sitting together.

“Every time I try to get down to business, you interrupt me.”

"Not today."

“Okay.” Zhang Yuan relaxed and listened quietly to her.

"I haven't known you for very long."

"Before I get close to you... don't show that kind of smile."

When the words "close contact" were mentioned, Zhang Yuanzu slightly raised his head.

But he was immediately blocked by the other party.

Li Xin's cheeks flushed slightly; she understood why he was smiling.

The two were no longer at close range; they were at negative distance.

"Before I met you, you were a senior."

"Although you are not much older than me, your achievements are often a topic of conversation between me and my friends."

"Everyone envies you and wants to be like you."

"Go play the male lead in TV series and movies, and make a name for yourself in Hollywood."

"You are an idol for many junior actors in the entertainment industry like me."

She said this with the playfulness of a young girl.

It's like a female student talking about a very famous senior.

Carrying these hopes and aspirations.

This feeling is wonderful, for both of them.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and most people keep their distance when listening to legends, which makes things much better.

But once you get close, it's all over.

You'll find that even fairies need to poop, and gods get hemorrhoids too.

Everyone burps, farts, and snores.

The more wonderful the imagination, the more severe the disillusionment will be upon closer inspection.

"Of course, I've also heard a lot of negative things about you."

Zhang Yuan's smile faded slightly.

"As you know, you and my boss had some conflicts before."

Ah, it was Li Shaohong who spread the word, right...? Zhang Yuan understands now.

What did they say about me?

"Let's not talk about it anymore."

"Tell me, I want to hear it," Zhang Yuan urged her to speak.

"It means... that you're opportunistic in your career."

"They show no respect for their elders in daily life."

"He is domineering and tyrannical at work."

"Emotionally..."

As Li thought this, she squinted and glanced at him.

"In short, there were quite a few negative reviews."

Do you believe it?

Li Xin nodded somewhat embarrassedly, then shook his head.

"As for me, I heard some gossip, some I believed, and some I didn't."

"You're very honest." Zhang Yuan felt that this was the truthful answer.

To say that I have no faith in it at all would be a lie.

Rumors and public opinion are very important; they can kill or save lives.

People have popularity, and celebrities and actors have audience appeal.

Some people are naturally popular; they don't have to do anything, just stand there and the audience likes and loves to watch.

But if the reputation is bad enough, even the best audience appeal can ruin it.

Just like Zhao Hongfei, who was ruined during the peak of his career by a fabricated article in "Zhiyin" magazine and had to leave the entertainment industry.

You have nowhere to reason with them.

Let's not talk about modern times, but what about ancient times?

Three of the Four Great Classical Novels were written during the Ming Dynasty.

Both "Water Margin" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" are novels based on historical events.

Its content has influenced the public perception of many historical figures.

The most famous one is Zhuge Liang.

It's not that Zhuge Liang wasn't portrayed in the book as an incompetent and wicked person.

He is still very strong, terrifyingly strong, otherwise he wouldn't have become one of the Ten Sages of the Martial Temple.

However, in his "A Brief History of Chinese Fiction", Lu Xun commented that "the novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' portrays Guan Yu's righteousness as hypocritical and Zhuge Liang's wisdom as almost supernatural."

It means that a novel is just a novel, and this is going a bit too far.

The secondary processing of literary works can amplify certain character traits.

Many of the literati were themselves seasoned "yin-yang masters" (masters of yin and yang philosophy).

Zhang Yimou was originally called "National Master," but that was actually a deliberate mockery by some of his peers in the industry.

Similarly, in the book "The Three Kingdoms," Chen Shou, the author of "Records of the Three Kingdoms," praised Sun Quan, saying, "Sun Quan humbled himself and endured humiliation, valued talent and strategy, and possessed the extraordinary talent of Goujian. He was a hero among men."

There was a remarkable hero named Goujian.

That sounds like a nice thing to say.

But Goujian is most famous for his perseverance and his ability to conquer Wu with only three thousand Yue soldiers.

Goujian was the one who destroyed the state of Wu, yet he is used as a metaphor for Sun Quan, the ruler of Wu.

This is considered top-tier Yin-Yang theory in the history of Yin-Yang in China.

This is only Yin and Yang; there is also "history construction," which is the creation of fictional history.

During the Ming Dynasty, in addition to the three long novels among the Four Great Classical Novels, the "Three Words and Two Slaps" collection of short stories was also quite famous.

Feng Menglong's *Stories to Awaken the World*, *Stories to Warn the World*, and *Stories to Enlighten the World*, as well as Ling Mengchu's *First Collection of Amazing Stories* and *Second Collection of Amazing Stories*.

Zhang Yimou's "A Simple Noodle Story" simply borrowed the name of Ling Mengchu's famous novel.

Zhang Yimou often does this; his later film, "The Flowers of War," also borrowed the name of the "Twelve Beauties of Jinling" from "Dream of the Red Chamber."

Leaving aside the "Second Collection of Stories," let's focus on the "Three Collections of Stories."

The author, Feng Menglong, was later known as "Mrs. Menglong".

Of course, Feng Menglong himself was a man.

Because on the internet, especially in fan fiction and BL/GL circles, authors are called "big shots".

However, since most authors in the BL (Boys' Love) community are female, the term "wife" later evolved into "wife" (太太).

Despite being a Ming Dynasty figure, Feng Menglong was a true "anime/manga fan."

Gender swapping, sworn enemies, uncle and sister-in-law... these popular themes in later original or fan fiction works are all things he's already done.

Su Shi and Wang Anshi were political enemies, so a character named Su Xiaomei was created based on Su Shi. She had a tragic love affair with Wang Anshi and eventually married Qin Guan, Su Shi's disciple.

This "unofficial history" comes from Feng Menglong's writings.

The literary works about Cao Zhi and Zhen Mi, who were related as uncle and sister-in-law, were also written by him.

Legend has it that the original title of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" was "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River". Because "Goddess of the Luo River" is a homophone for "Zhen", Cao Rui changed the name of the ode after he came to power.

Cao Zhi named this article after Juancheng, where he was demoted, and wrote about his dream encounter with Fuxi, the daughter of Fuxi.

In fact, Cao Zhi's "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" was written for his deceased wife, Cui.

However, after being reinterpreted by Feng Menglong and others, it was completely transformed into a recognized relationship between an uncle and his sister-in-law.

It's uncertain whether Empress Zhen was actually named Zhen Mi; the name was deduced from the name Mi Xi Shi in the "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River."

It's like drawing a target in front of a gun barrel.

Feng Menglong also wrote a romance novel featuring Ying Ji and King Wuling of Zhao.

He paired up Li Bai, Du Fu, Zhou Bangyan, Huo Qubing, and Zhou Yu with male-male couples.

The story of Bo Ya and Zi Qi, the friendship between Gao Shan and Liu Shui, was also turned into a BL (Boys' Love) novel for fans to enjoy.

The story of Tang Bohu wooing Qiu Xiang was also fabricated by him; it was Feng Menglong who portrayed Tang Yin as a "romantic and talented scholar."

He wrote many "vulgar" anecdotes about historical figures.

But now they are all being treated as unofficial history and have become official, circulating even more widely than official history.

This is the "charm of literature": the more you write, the more people read, and even the false becomes true.

The same goes for rumors. If they're spread a lot, everyone starts to believe them, and even falsehoods become truth.

Just like when Ruby Lin slandered Jay Chou, she directly turned him into a public enemy.

Zhang Yuan knew that his reputation at Rongxingda hadn't been great a few years ago, given the conflicts they had.

Fortunately, Rongxingda's public relations skills are not very good either, so it only had a minor impact on its reputation internally, but not externally.

Seeing his thoughtful expression, Li thought to herself, "Was what I said too hurtful to him?"
"It's alright, please continue."

“Oh…” Miss Li nodded slightly: “But after this actual contact…”

"I just realized that you are completely different from the person I heard about and imagined."

"Those rumors were indeed false."

"And those comments praising you are only a small part of you."

"Besides acting, you know so many other things."

"You have knowledge of everything from traditional opera to literature, you are really amazing."

"And they are also very good at observing people and things, and can always think of the most suitable way to get along."

"I think you are more charming in person than in the legends."

Zhang Yuan straightened up.

Yes, that's the kind of man I am!

Li Xin took a deep breath as he said this.

"That's why I like you very much."

"I want to ask you something very seriously."

What exactly is our relationship now?

Just as Zhang Yuan was about to speak, the other person bit their lip and added, "I've heard all the rumors about you and Sister Mi."

"Alec Su's scenes are almost finished, so I'll be leaving soon too."

"I want an answer."

Zhang Yuan shut his mouth.

trouble.

It's not that the other party is forcing a change of heart; it's perfectly normal for them to want a result.

After getting to know the other person, he realized that they weren't the kind of person who played games too much.

Trying to brush it off with a joke or a laugh is clearly unlikely.

At this point, "sincerity is the only way to win." "Some of the rumors you've heard are false, but some are true," Zhang Yuan replied, rubbing his chin with a hint of hesitation.

Upon hearing this, the girl's body trembled slightly.

Her eyelashes trembled nervously.

"If you'd like, I can provide you with some resources and business opportunities in the film and television industry."

"But I can't provide the long-term, stable emotional life you want."

Hiss... Miss Li's nose twitched a few times, and it visibly turned red.

"Is there something I didn't do well enough?"

“No, never think like that.” Zhang Yuan raised his hand and touched her long, black hair. “And there’s no need to change yourself for others.”

woo woo woo...

Soon, Ms. Li lowered her head and began to sob softly.

Zhang Yuan could only gently pat her back to comfort her.

Snapped!
After about half an hour, Li Xin suddenly slapped his hand away, wiped away a tear, and stood up abruptly.

"If you need any help in the future, feel free to come to me anytime."

"I don't need it!" She stubbornly turned her head away. "I never want to see you again!"

Then, just like before, he jogged along, forcefully pulled open his door, and dashed out.

"Tsk..." Zhang Yuan got up and closed the door.

I feel somewhat guilty.

I hurt that girl's feelings.

It seems the saying "lust is a knife above one's head" is absolutely true.

This time, not only did they fail to make friends, they also gained an enemy.

It wouldn't be good if it affected my plans for the other artists at Rongxinda.

"Let's secretly send her some resources."

"After a year or two, when the emotions have faded or you've started a new relationship, you might be able to get over it."

Young girls, especially those who haven't had much dating experience and still have that innocent, campus-like quality, are different from experienced older women or aunties.

After experiencing many things, one stops taking emotions too seriously.

It's still uncertain who will be playing whom.

Those with less experience tend to value every person they encounter on their emotional journey.

Zhang Yuan was thinking about whether to arrange for her to play a supporting role in a TV series, or to try and get her a cameo role in a movie to make her more recognizable.

You could try contacting Yang Siwei or Zeng Jia and getting some advertising done for them.

She's only been in the industry for a short time, so she must be short of money.

beep, beep...

He was thinking about how to make up for his "mistake".

This is the price of oiling the Electric Dragon Drill.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Zhang Yuan checked the time; he had been chatting with Li Xin for a long time, and it was getting late.

Who came looking for me in the middle of the night?

"I……"

After getting up and going to the door, I was about to lift the peephole cover to look outside when I heard a familiar voice coming from outside.

The voice carried a hint of guilt, yet also a touch of anxiety.

Click, the door opens.

The person standing in front of him was none other than Li Xin, who had run away crying earlier.

"what happened?"

"Come on in."

The girl lowered her eyes and looked at him cautiously out of the corner of her eye.

Seeing that he wasn't angry about what had just happened and still had the same warm expression as usual, she breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, not long ago they had made a harsh statement, saying they never wanted to see each other again.

Zhang Yuan noticed that her body was trembling.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

What can I do for you?

He asked the question in the gentlest possible tone.

"I... need some money."

Zhang Yuan raised his eyebrows.

I was just thinking about whether I should find her some work and give her some money.

Unexpectedly, the other party took the initiative to come to us.

Zhang Yuan thought that Li Xin shouldn't be the kind of gold digger who comes to his door asking for a "breakup fee".

If she really is that kind of person, then things are actually quite simple.

"How much?"

"Also, although it's impolite, I still have to ask why you need money."

Hoo-ha, hoo-ha… Li Xin’s little face contorted, tears welled up in her eyes again, and she started to cry.

"My classmate's grandfather was in a car accident."

"I urgently need the money for surgery."

"My friend's family..." Zhang Yuan nodded, understanding the situation.

She has a kind heart.

Seeing her crying, Zhang Yuan comforted her for a while.

It wasn't entirely because her friend was anxious; the other person's emotions hadn't completely calmed down, and now that she was being teased, things were starting to fall apart.

"Okay, how much do you want?"

"That's a lot, I don't have enough money."

"How much is that?"

“We need another 20. They’re in a real hurry. How long will it take you to raise that much? If it takes a long time, I’ll go find someone else,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Zhang Yuan almost laughed.

I thought it was a lot, but how much?

Only 20 million.

During the Chinese New Year, Guan Xiaotong and Jiang Yilang dragged me to Wangfujing Shopping Mall, which cost tens of thousands of yuan.

The difference in how people perceive money is that vast.

He usually keeps hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan in "pocket money" in his card to make it easier to entertain guests or buy gifts.

For a young actress who has just debuted, 20 is a lot of money, a large sum.

"No need to collect, I have it right now."

"Tell me your bank account number, and I'll transfer the money to you."

"Hey!"

Online money transfers are still rare these days, but luckily there was an ATM that was open all night near the film set.

Zhang Yuan had his assistant take his card and accompany her to handle the matter, which took more than an hour to complete.

Whew... After transferring the money and returning, Li Xin breathed a long sigh of relief.

"I, I, I'll pay you back later."

After hesitating for a while, she didn't dare to look at Zhang Yuan, and just lowered her head and said weakly.

He had just said he would never see them again, but immediately contradicted himself and went to borrow money from them.

But she had no choice; he was the person she knew best in the entire crew.

"No rush, no need to scrimp and save to pay off the debt."

"Take your time."

"We'll talk about it when we have some spare money."

"Let me write you an IOU."

"No need."

"Actually, it's fine if you don't pay it back."

"This is nothing to me. When you become famous and can take on big roles, you'll feel the same way."

"Consider it payment for your help on the set."

"No way!" Li Xin refused firmly, finally raising her head, her eyes once again displaying that solemnity unique to her.

"I'm here to learn, it's inappropriate for me to take money."

"And I know that I borrowed money from you, and not only do I have to pay it back, but I also have to pay interest."

"Really, there's no need for us to be so serious," Zhang Yuan waved his hands repeatedly.

He felt that the 20 yuan was well spent.

The resentment the other party felt when they left was largely dissipated because of this small amount of money.

It saved him a lot of trouble.

"The most important thing right now is that your classmate's family is safe."

"Yes," she nodded somewhat shyly.

Before knocking on the door, she considered many possibilities.

Rejected, scolded, and ridiculed.

But none of the situations she imagined that would make her extremely embarrassed and ashamed occurred.

The other party was exactly the same as before he "revealed his hand," with no change in attitude whatsoever.

She even began to wonder if she had gone too far.

They only taught me some "techniques".

Furthermore, he never said he wanted her to be his girlfriend.

I was delusional to think I was trying to climb the social ladder.

I'm a newcomer, completely unknown, while they're big stars...

As the situation changed, so did the person who felt guilty.

"Um..." Her face flushed as she thought about it, so she changed the subject.

"Let me check first to see if the other party has received the money."

"it is good."

She picked up the phone; it was a Sony Ericsson slider phone costing over two thousand yuan, quite suitable for girls.

Apple devices that cost four or five thousand yuan are unaffordable for the average college student.

She pushed the screen open with her thumb to reveal the keyboard, then browsed her contacts and made a call.

Beep beep beep... Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable.

A familiar notification tone sounded.

"what?"

Li Xin frowned inexplicably.

After hanging up, I called again.

Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable.

"Ok?"

Hit again.

sorry……

Hit again.

Sorry, The subscriber you dialed…

I tried calling six or seven times, but the call wouldn't go through.

Zhang Yuan touched his lips with his index finger.

As she looked on with a puzzled expression and was about to continue dialing, he grabbed her thin, white arm.

"Wait a minute." Zhang Yuan squinted his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Miss Li blinked her big eyes and said, "It's so strange, I can't get through."

"Is it because of something that's happened that you're getting so many calls?"

Zhang Yuan shook his head.

"No no no."

"I don't think it's because there are too many phone calls."

"I think you might... have been deceived." (End of Chapter)